TWD and ABC of the Month

What a week full of goodies. ABC of the Month is a delicious apricot-almond-berry buckle and Tuesdays with Dorie is a moist, flavorful gingered carrot cookie picked out by this week's host: Natalia of gatti fili e farina. I am curious to know what her blog title says in English. Intriguing.

I would also like to add that I am constantly jogging on the treadmill AND working out just to keep up with my nibbling. I LOVED both of the baked desserts!

Starting with Natalie's choice for TWD is the cute little gingered carrot cookie. I found myself following the recipe all the way to the point where I found out my kitchen no longer contains powdered ginger. I couldn't believe it! I have just about every spice known to humankind and yet I am out of ginger and did NOT write the missing spice down on my grocery list. I did the next best thing - I minced crystallized ginger. The pecan chunks, plump raisins, sweet coconut and shredded carrots were all added in. I never bake with raisins and I did this time. Raisins are good, who knew??

I told myself - Halve the recipe. What did I do? Make the whole recipe. Dorie says we can easily freeze these cookies so I am leaving just enough out to share and the rest are in the freezer for later. I have eaten two already, for heavens sakes!

Natalie, HUGE hugs for hosting this week and I have another go to cookie recipe that will be baked again and again. For the recipe, either buy Dorie's wondrous Baking cookbook or go to Natalie's blog for the recipe by clicking HERE. To see the rest of our baker's cookies, go to Tuesdays with Dorie baker blogroll and check them out.

Now for the ABC of the Month dessert, hosted by Hanaa! A delicious, moist, packed full of fruit BUCKLE. My buckle baked a little on the thin side but after the first bite, this was a perfect dessert. The apricots used came from what was leftover from my trip to Eastern Washington and I used HUGE red raspberries along with blueberries instead of blackberries. The sliced almonds on top is what really made the fruit and berry buckle pop. Sliced almonds are mixed with a little sugar then mixed with a tablespoon of egg white before sprinkled over the top of the buckle. The crystallized almond slices are amazing bites of crunchy, nutty, sweet flavor, adding to the tender texture of the dessert. What a great recipe! Flo Braker wins again with brilliance. The recipe is not posted. To get the recipe, you really should look at Flo Braker's cookbook called Baking for All Occasions. Really fun recipes with fun little stories before each recipe and photos that make you want to pull out more baking pans to get started.

Hanaa, I would never have made the buckle if it was not for this baking group. Thank you for inviting me and for hosting this week's recipe. The rest of you should check out Hanaa's blog because the lady bakes and decorates some of the most beautiful desserts. Very talented and sweet!

Twigs & Honey $200 Headpiece Giveaway on Project Wedding!

photo credits: Lisa Warninger
If you didn't win last week's Perricone MD giveaway, here's another great giveaway! Project Wedding (a fabulous, fabulous wedding resource) will be giving away a Twigs & Honey head piece of the winner's choice valued at $200 or less. Visit Project Wedding to enter and for more details (including a discount code!). You can enter HERE.

Perricone MD Giveaway Winner is :: HannaH!

Congrats to HannaH who was randomly chosen (random.org) as the winner of the Perricone MD Cold Plasma Giveaway! Her comment:

"Hi Myra,
I would really love to give this to my mom, she has worked hard all her life and never really taken the time to pamper herself...and I know she would never think to spend this much money on a fabulous face cream! She's almost 50 and I know her appearance/signs of ageing are really starting to bother her, so this might be perfect!
Thanks!
HannaH

July 31, 2010 8:18 AM"

Thank you so everyone who entered! Hannah: email me with your shipping address at info@twigsandhoney.com

The Atlanta Falcons And Matt Ryan Are Flying Under The Radar in 2010

2009 was supposed to be a big year for Matt Ryan. By all accounts, his stellar rookie campaign (2008) set the bar high in Atlanta. Most predicted, at worst, a 10-6 season and a possible playoff berth. While others were pegging the team as a sleeper pick for the Super Bowl.

Well, as it turned out, the New Orleans Saints had a little more to say about that than most gave them credit for and they took the NFC South by storm. They rode their offense and that gigantic chip on their shoulders all the way to their first ever Super Bowl Championship.

The Saints are now the darlings of the south—leaving the Falcons looking like the little team that couldn't.

This offseason, there has been virtually no conversation about the Falcons or their multi-talented quarterback. People seem to be content to believe that the team will return to its usual level of mediocrity and the Saints will continue their dominance of the NFC behind the stellar coaching of Sean Payton and the talented arm and leadership of Drew Brees.

So, what happened to the Falcons? Why have they suddenly lost all of their luster again? Are they really doomed to fall back into the rut of being 'nothing special'? After all, it did take them more than 40-years to register back-to-back winning seasons.

That fact aside, bad breaks were a big part of why the Falcons didn't live up to expectations in 2009.

They drafted defensive tackle, Peria Jerry in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He was supposed to be the guy who solidified the Falcons on the interior line while also becoming a much-needed compliment to John Abraham—the team's exceptional defensive end and 2008 sack leader. Jerry didn't make it through the second game of the season. He sustained a major knee-injury and was lost for the year.

Michael Turner was the workhorse in 2008, carrying the ball 376 times for 1,699 yards. He was expected to show that same type of production in his second full season with the team. However, he was slowed by injuries. Compound that with the fact that Turner would later admit that he was out of shape in 2009—causing him to lose a step.

A lackluster rushing attack meant more time to focus on the passing game. Defenses turned their attention to Ryan and the result was a Matt Ryan that seemed a lot more human.

Although he still put up respectable stats, the second-year QB found himself in a lot more situations where he was either hurried or pressured to make a play—which led to more interceptions and a lower completion percentage.

Add to that a toe injury, sustained in week 12, which seemed to linger, and you have the recipe for a team that appeared to collapse under the weight of their own hype.

2010 will not be the same ol' song.

Ryan is ready to get back to the business of being the leader of this team. He's focused and ready to be better than he was last year. He took the time to study tape of himself and find out where he needed to make improvements in 2010 and he feels that the foundation is in place to be a force in the NFC South. 

Michael Turner has slimmed down and, according to reports, he's back to his 2008 form. That bodes well for the Falcons as they will depend on his talents to open up the passing lanes that Ryan will need to make smarter plays on first and second down.

Ryan has taken his lumps. He went through his "sophomore slump" and he hit the proverbial "wall". This year he can focus on being the guy that no one is really talking about at all. Expectations, at least on a national level, are low. No one is looking for him or the Falcons to do much of anything and, as far as Ryan is concerned, that's just fine.

Georgia's Brandon Boykin Named to Jim Thorpe Watch List

Georgia Bulldog cornerback, Brandon Boykin, has been placed on the preseason watch list for the Jim Thorpe Award.

The award is given annually to the nation's best defensive back. Last season's winner, Eric Berry, as well as all of the 2009 finalists, were chosen in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft.

The list includes five other SEC players as well, Janoris Jenkins (UF), Will Hill (UF), Mark Barron (Bama), Stephen Gilmore (USC), and Patrick Peterson (LSU).

Boykin could be in line for a big season in 2010 as he enters his second year as a starter. He is also a phenomenal return-man, having logged two 100-yard returns in 2009.

Congrats to Boykin!

Picture Day at UGA

The annual UGA Fan Picture Day has been set. The event will be held at Sanford Stadium on August 21st. 'Russ' will be a stand-in for Uga this year as the new White Engish Bulldog is not yet ready for his debut. He will be available to take pictures from 1-3pm.

The football team will be on site from 3-5pm.

Reggie Bush Still Doesn't Quite Seem To Get It

"...I can't dwell on the negatives because I do have a job to do and I have a whole organization and a city riding on my back, not necessarily my back, but the team's back."(ESPN, 7/31/2010)

Reggie Bush is moving on from the scandal that recently brought his former alma mater to its knees. Even though he has all but been erased from the visual memory of his days as USC's star running back, he isn't allowing it to effect his current responsibility as a New Orleans Saint.

While I can understand that the past is the past, I am bothered by the, seemingly, lackadaisical attitude that Bush continues to display about this matter. It's as if he's silently saying, "I did it. It's done. Too bad it amounted to all this but, I can't fix it so, I'm over it".

Really Reggie?

If you think I am exaggerating his emotions too much, just take a look at his last comment  in regards to rebuilding his relationship with USC, "I hope someday at some point it can be repaired," Bush said. "We'll see what happens. That's all I can do."

Umm, yeah. So, you all but decimate one of the most dominant runs in USC's history, this decade, you handcuff the program for the next two seasons (via scholarship limitations and bowl bans), you brought shame to the football program, and, you may very well be responsible for the departure of countless veterans from the team (since the sanctions allowed juniors and seniors to exit without penalty), and you honestly think the relationship isn't severed—permanently?

Again, I say, Reggie Bush doesn't get it.

I know there are many who will say, he was lured by the money and the opportunity to help his family get ahead. He was struggling, despite the money USC was making off his presence, what was he supposed to have done?

Well, that answer is easy, he was supposed to say "no", move on, and await his shot in the NFL...LIKE EVERY OTHER PLAYER.

While I do not agree with USC's over-the-top response to the situation, I can understand the philosophy behind the actions they have taken. They don't want to glorify the man who essentially has crippled them and they wish to send a stern message to any player who might be thinking of following in his footsteps.

However, I would be remiss if I failed to mention the hypocrisy in removing his jersey and returning his Heisman copy while still allowing the trophy and jersey of disgraced former star, O.J. Simpson to remain—just saying.

Yet, I digress.

Reggie Bush made a poor decision. A decision guys he never played with will have to suffer through for the next two seasons. It's not just an "outside distraction" that "is what it is". It's the principle of the thing. He made a huge mistake and, honestly, he's gotten off easy.

Sure, USC will remove his jersey and his Heisman but, no matter what they do, most people will still respect Bush as one of the greatest college football players—ever.

Reggie Bush will still be Reggie Bush no matter what USC or the media does to vilify him—like it or not. He likely knows that and perhaps that is why he can be so philosophical about the whole thing. He just doesn't get it.

I doubt he ever will.

SMS: Crunchy with a Creamy Filling ~ Chocolate Peppermint Meringues

Sweet Melissa Sundays. I fought this one. I baked everything under the kitchen roof while trying to convince myself just how easy this candy dessert would be. I found 2 bananas close to expiring so, telling myself how wonderful I was for baking something with them instead of putting the bananas with the rest of the old geezer bananas in the freezer, I baked banana cupcakes with caramel cream cheese frosting. Recipe, of course, below. Then I found strawberries I had big ideas for in the refrigerator. Not so gorgeous now since the red berries have been in the chiller for over 3 days. Cut the good pieces out and pulled out a recipe for strawberry scones. Another killer choice.



Still early. If I am going to make the candy, I have plenty of time. I go down into the study and read the recipe. Chocolate on chocolate with peppermint. Too much chocolate and no color; except chocolate brown. It is summer, I want color. Decide on chocolate peppermint ganache as stated by Melissa BUT the chocolate will be deleted out of the meringues and pink coloring will be swirled in. Now I want to make the candy. Go upstairs and cook bacon and potato soup. Find meatballs in freezer with serious freezer burn and get the crockpot out. Make BBQ meatballs.


Clean and to be absolutely honest, I am at a loss if there is something else I cooked or baked . . . I feel like I am forgetting something. 9 pm and I guess the time was right. I made SMS and the candy turned out perfect. Loved the crispy crunch of the sweet meringue and the creamy chocolate/peppermint ganache was just right for the loud filler flavor. I actually had a ball making these cute little candies. Of course, I had to use a star tip and play with sizes. For heavens sakes; why did we join a baking group if we didn't want to have a new playfield to go crazy in?



Kelly of Sweetgrass Sensibilities, you are brilliant for picking this week's recipe out of Sweet Melissa's cookbook! Loved the candy. For the recipe, you will either have to buy the cookbook OR go to this weeks host's blog. Either way, a win-win choice! Do not forget to check out the rest of us crazy bakers having a little fun in the kitchen by clicking here!

Fleeting moments of perfection giving way to a lifetime of memories.

I almost forgot! Here is the recipe for the banana cupcakes with caramel cream cheese frosting. You may want to just add a spoon to the frosting and forget dolloping it onto the cupcakes.

My cupcake recipe came from Sally. A wonderful Internet cooking/baking friend who is talented beyond belief in the kitchen. The frosting recipe was adapted from the Cream Puffs in Venice blog and she is also amazing in the kitchen!

Banana Cupcakes

Ingredients:
¼ cup butter
¼ cup solid Crisco
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons flour
2½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup mashed bananas (about 3 medium bananas)
¼ cup buttermilk or sour cream (I always use sour cream)

Directions:

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, Crisco, sugar and extract.
Beat in eggs, one at a time.
Mix dry ingredients together and add to creamed mixture alternately with bananas and sour cream (or buttermilk).
Grease 18 muffin tins (or line tins with cupcake liners); fill tins 3/4 full (I always get exactly 18 out of this recipe).
Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.
Cool and frost.

Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting
1 pkg. (8 ounces) at room temperature

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/4 cup caramel sauce

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup icing sugar (powdered sugar)

Directions:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together at high speed until light (about 2 minutes).
Lower the speed and add the vanilla extract and caramel sauce. Mix well.
With the speed on low, add the icing sugar until incorporated and then increase the speed to high and whip the frosting for 2 minutes.
Apply liberally to the base of your choice.