Word to Live By (#11)

Oreo Rice Crispy Treats

So yummy and so easy to make!!!

Just follow the rice crispy treat recipe on the box and add 1 cup of smashed Oreo cookies. 

Moment in Nature (#13)

I do not own this photo

Charcuterie Plate

Last month I went to Eataly in Downtown Chicago.

There I bought many ingredients to but together a charcuterie plate for my friends and family when they came over.  My favorite item that I bought was a loaf of bread, but not just any bread…it was made with provolone and prosciutto baked into it!  So delicious.

What is included on my charcuterie plate pictured below is:

Thinly sliced baguette

Thinly sliced provolone bread

Jar of apricot preserves

Jar of cherry preserves

Fresh ricotta

Sliced parmesan reggiano

Sliced Prosciutto

These types of plates are very easy to put together.  You just buy what you would eat and lay it out how you see fit.

Words to Live By (8)

The Office- Jim & Pam

I do not own this photo.  Rights for it go to Entertainment Weekly Magazine. 

This is one of my favorite comedies that was on TV.  It ran for 9 seasons.  A main reason for my love of the show was the pairing of Jim and Pam.  They were so cute together and realistic as a couple. Seeing their relationship develop over the years from friends to marriage was just something so special that few shows are able to capture that magic.

I am a huge John Krasinski fan and a huge fan of his character Jim Halpert!  I wish I could find a guy who has the same qualities as Jim.  Wishful thinking, but some day. What can I say...I am a hopeless romantic!

Some of my favorite moments of my favorite couple!
 I do not own any of these picture; all rights reserved to NBC.

Below are links to specific Jim and Pam site and why this couple is so special!
http://www.popsugar.com/entertainment/John-Krasinski-Office-GIFs-35194615#photo-35194615

http://www.buzzfeed.com/andyneuenschwander/17-times-jim-halpert-made-you-happy-cry-on-the-office#.pnV5zJGNA

http://www.buzzfeed.com/laraparker/times-jim-and-pams-relationship-made-your-heart-burst-at#.vuOQdoXmL

http://www.buzzfeed.com/itsbeezytho/the-best-jim-and-pam-moments-from-the-office-so-f-9rby#.kwd2yzW3X

http://www.buzzfeed.com/kirstenking/ways-jim-and-pam-ruined-all-other-relationships-for-you#.axm3XqEoO


http://www.popsugar.com/entertainment/Jim-Pam-Office-GIFs-28426003#photo-28426003

Moment of Nature (#10)

Giant Pandas Taking Naps in a Tree!
These are my favorite mammals.  I even adopted one from the World Wildlife Foundation
http://www.worldwildlife.org/  They are an endangered species who need protection.


I posted more than my normal amount of pictures for this segment of "Moment in Nature" because they are just adorable! Very endearing creatures.
Enjoy!

I do not own this picture

This was the cover to my biology book in college.  I do not own this photo.

Look at the feet!  I do not own this photo

Words to Live By (5)

Devil's Food Nutella Cupcakes

This was a post from a blog I use to have before this one.  I'm going to re-post all my favorite past posts onto this blog before closing down my old blog.  Enjoy!

This is my favorite cupcake, hands down! Not only is it tasty, I just love how the buttercream looks on the cupcake. I added chocolate morsels to the tops to make it interesting to look at.

I am not a fan of Nutella… or should I say ‘was not” a fan. I made this buttercream in class and was very hesitant to try it. Once I did, I swear I could have eaten the whole bowl! It was so light and fluffy and the flavor was delicious!

 The cupcake is a basic devil’s food cake recipe. To add more depth, you could always add miniature chocolate chips to the batter. For the buttercream, I did it in the Italian meringue style. That is, boiling the sugar and water to 243 degrees, basically making syrup, and that pouring it slowly into the already beaten egg whites (which should be at a stiff peak). This process can be dangerous, due to the possibility of being burned by the very hot syrup. But once mastered THE best buttercream ever!

 If you don’t want to try this type of buttercream, then use the common buttercream method. Beat the egg white to a frothy consistency, then and the sugar 1-2 tablespoons at a time. Once stiff firm peaks have been reached, add the butter a couple of pieces at a time. Once added, the mixture will have an appearance of a velvety mayonnaise. Add the Nutella and blend well. Once done, refrigerate until needed. Again, I prefer the Italian style buttercream. It took me a while to master it, but definitely worth the effort!

Caramel Bread Pudding

I made this dessert for a dinner party I hosted a couple of weeks back.  I love love love bread pudding and this one was a must try!! I got the recipe the magazine Fine Cooking and it turned out really good.  Just one note....watch the caramel making process.  At first mine turned dark amber and and started to harden, thus I had to redo it.  I literally took my eyes off it for 15 seconds and ruined the first batch, but the second one was successful. With a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and some caramel sauce and this was a delicious dessert.

Moment in Nature (#9)

Photo from the National Geographic

Ice Diamond, Iceland

Photographer James Balog calls such pieces ice diamonds, finding beauty as well as tragedy in disappearing glaciers.

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/