The past three weeks have been gorgeous here on the west coast, and anyone begging to differ, they can shut their mouths, because it's better then nothing, winers! 

David likes to cook...I love to eat what he cooks.  I just want to share this little salad that we enjoyed last week at some point.  Heirloom tomatos and Burrata cheese are fantastic lovers, throw in some croutons and WAM BAM! Awesome salad. 

Thanks to all my million followers.  Goodnight!

<3

-Jen

Brownies!!

I'm sorry! This past week had been a little bit of a distraction.  Let me share some good news with you....I finally acquired a baker's job....albeit, I make and bake cupcakes all day, it's a start and I am really happy with it.   If you are in the Vancouver/Commercial Drive vicinity, please...come visit me!  Cassia Cupcakery!

I had two interviews as of late, one obviously worked out, but the other one is still looking for the one that wasn't me! I made them a little bribe though...brownies!  Everyone loves them, right?!  I hope so, cause they are one of the satisfying tasty-ness, if done excellent.  Chewy, Chocolate, Cracky! 

Sour Cream Ice Cream with Brownie 

I modified a Jamie Oliver recipe that David had made previously, but it was too moist to cut.  I added oven dried cherries and toasted walnuts to these....most excellent!  Just remember, if you are using fresh fruit in your baking, it's easier to dry them out to bake with them, because the moisture in the fruit will leech out into the baking and change the hydration, thus making them impossible to cut.    I know you want to eat these right away, like us...but you have to wait!  If anything, let them rest overnight and the next day they will be  perfect to portion!   

Thank you for reading!  It's dinner time!

-Jen

Breakfast....how I love you!

Chocolate Bundt and A Boston Terrier

Lately, I'm not sure why, but everything I bake turns out as a turd.  I feel like I need to regain my baking mojo soon, or else it might be lost forever!  Kidding, I'm kidding!  But it better make an appearance soon!


Anyway, this past weekend David and I were dog sitting for his sister.  She has this CRAZY little Boston named Kaiser.  He's adorable, yes, but can you say.....ENERGY!  He's non stop!  My favorite part of the weekend was him sleeping, because he is a cuddle monster and it's pretty freaking cute.  And he is pretty camera friendly:

KAISER!

On the time off I've had in the past two weeks, food blogs have been a daily read.  I came across a very popular one called Joy the Baker.  She has tons of recipes and I was really craving chocolate cake.  I rifled through her index and found a great recipe for a chocolate bundt.  Very easy, very simple, and very tasty!  

Everything was going smoothly, David was making the glaze.  The original recipe: here, calls for a chocolate glaze, but guava is in season right now, and we picked up a couple packs the other day.  So he decided to make a guava caramel and use that as the glaze.  (by the way, fantastic!)

It was slightly underbaked....and came apart in the pan :(

But!  I put it back together and the glaze held it in place!

Even though the cake came out as a slightly crumbly mess, in the end, it was a moist, underbaked, guava-y, chocolate cake. That's what we were craving anyway!  Needless to say, I think this cake is one step in getting my baking mojo back.  (even if it looks turd like)


<3
-Jen

Coconut Cupcakes ala Pineapple Cream Cheese Icing

Ok, I'm going to admit....Martha Stewart has some great cake recipes.   She slightly terrifies me, her show is void of happiness and sunshine, it's scary.  BUT,  I will give that wonderful lady a high five for the creation of her coconut cupcake recipe.  

There's one component to cake making that I have yet to master or have patience to master, and that is frosting.  I can't count the number of cakes or cookies I have made that needed to be frosted and the times that it didn't work out,  but I can  tell you that this is one of those times.   Non pipe-able, super sugary icing that just didn't want to be nice.  

In the end of my cupcake frustration, I reinforced that it doesn't hurt to try again next time. 

-Jen

Fava Beans and Frozen Ganache!

Fava Beans all snuggled up.

We found a whole lot of fava beans for cheap at a market down the street from us.  I don't think either of us has had fresh ones, so opening them up to find a super fuzzy, soft interior was a surprise.  Those favas sure have a lot of cushy padding to travel around in. It was pretty cool. The other amazing thing about these, are that when you blanch them and take off the cloudy shell, it reveals a gorgeous emerald green bean! We made a garlicky, rosemary dip with them, but I did not snag a picture of it.  (it also didn't look supremely appetizing.)

Pardon the one handed plating. 

I felt dessert useless for the past week.  I wanted to make something tasty, but easy.  Something as easy as a simple ganache was going to hit the spot.  I used my left over 35% cocoa fat dark chocolate (to those who know it's called 'couverture' chocolate), something also very simple, but kind of tricky thing to do is a caramel sauce.  But I pulled it off this time. We had left over cherry coulis and some grounded almonds, and bam!  Late night snack galore!
I would like to point out, that, this plate above was plated using one hand, so I apologize for the shabbiness (and the frozen finger prints..teehee)
Enjoy the rest of your Sundays!


<3
-Jen

Seattle:  

On Saturday, David and I decided to drive down to Seattle for the day.  I haven't been able to work since my lovely clavicle was snapped in two, so time has been slowly drifting by during what is not really summer here in Vancouver.  (that was an awkward sentence, wasn't it?)  

Anyway.  

Compared to Vancouver's brown, oily water ways,  Seattle has blue, sparkly water (or so it seems).  I liked it.  The skyline was short and sweet, nothing like the gross display of glass and brick that plagues your vision has you enter downtown Vancouver....(it's not that bad, I guess, it's prettier).  It was a warm, beautiful day in the Northwest, so I can't complain!

We went grave hunting!

The traffic was crazy!  It was HOT! and it took at least an hour to get from the freeway to the water, so I propped up my scabby feet (from last Monday's epic fall) and waited it out.  

Fixing my sweet sling in the middle of the street.
(it constantly comes loose!)

 My left arm is almost fully functional, but at times I still need the sling.  Without David this past week, I wouldn't have had anyone to tighten my sling, pull up my pants, do up the clasps on my bra, zip up my zippers...etc... (much needed David love)

Yum Yum Charcuterie spread on the pier.
(meat, bread, cheese)

Near the end of the day, we drove to a neighborhood that is 'Fremont'.  I really, really liked it.  We found the Fremont Bridge Troll, Theo Chocolates and a wonderful bike path along a glistening water way (with lots of ducks)

Samples galore!  We also used this chocolate in a
taste test we had in School, I suggest  you find some.

A little Fremont Charm :)

All in all, it was a wonderful day spent.  I'm happy to live so close to some bigger cities in the States now, Portland is definitely next.  Take it easy out there.  Keep free of broken limbs and bad pastries.  

sling love!

Much <3
-Jen

Just started this blog and what happens?  Broken Clavicle!  My left arm and it's rotating movements are on hiatus for at least two weeks, so no baking (well at least I could do one hand baking)! 

Pictures to follow?  So in the meantime, fresh orange juice!

not a fancy scarf! just a fancy sling!

In case you were wondering, the clavicle is not the collarbone.  It's a weee bone that connects the shoulder to the chest!

<3 Jen

Detective and I, lazy Sunday.

Stuffed Yorkshire!

Two things I hold dear to my heart:  MEAT! and BREAD!  

What is better then yummy roast beef and yorkshire pudding?! Not much, I must say.

David and I decided to do a weeee old traditional English dinner last night.  Since I was craving a big chunk of meat and we acquired a beautiful sirloin roast, we decided to accompany it with some fresh garden peas, mashed potatoes and baby carrots.....and PUFFY GOODNESS that is Yorkshire pudding!

Yummy?  Yes!

I want to share a little bit of a secret when it comes to making the Yorkshires:  Fat! 

Want to know how to make them? Here's the recipe:

3/4 cup all purpose flour

pinch of salt

3/4 cup milk

3 eggs

duck fat 

• Sift flour and salt together.

In seperate bowl whisk eggs and milk together till frothy. Add to dry ingredients and let rest.  

In the meantime, put about 1/2 tbsp of duck fat (or the beef drippings) in the bottom of each muffin tin.  Heat up in 450F oven till piping hot!  Take out carefully and ladle batter in quickly but safely.  Put back in oven for approx 20 mins or until browned (not burnt!) and light as feathers! 

Crappy Photo, but fantastic result!

There might be a little bit of fat left over inside the Yorkshires, and it's good to save the rest of it that was caught in the bottom of the pan!  Don't let the fat go to waste! 

I didn't this time, but you can definitely add some cheese or herbs to these.  I'm going to try to incorporate a sweet version to figure out a new dessert.

This was my first post as the new 'Gettin Baked'!  More to come and definitely more sweets to come! 
-Jen

This is me.

I'm Jen. 

Prairie Ex-Pat

West Coast Cynic 

Pastry Connoisseur 

Recent bike enthusiast

Four letters:  WINE

This is David and me

We're dorks

We know how to make tasty food (him... somewhat better)

He's lovely!  

I will try my best to post what I'm most proud of.  My life is food and I want to share it!