Erica Renee

On a recent trip to Idaho with my sisters,  I discovered the perfect wine.  I am extremely picky about wine, and don't like most wine out there.  In a recent post, I thought I had discovered The Tastiest Wine Ever!  Well, I was wrong . . . not that the Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc wasn't delicious . . . it's just that this wine is just much, much better.  The most surprising thing is that I had my boyfriend Jason, who isn't a huge wine fan either, try it, and he loved it! P.S. there were far too many commas in that sentence! Please exscuse the bad grammer tonight.  It's a great sprakling wine that pairs with just about anything.  When Jason and I had it recently we paired it with a meal of bacon wrapped filet mignon and delicious mashed potatos.  This dinner was in celebration of his recent, and long overdue raise!!!!! =]]]  He then suggested we keep a bottle around the house at all times for any occasion! =]

The Moscato D' Asti is fresh and frizzante wine that has bright fruit aromas with flavors of peaches and apricots with a hint of lime.  You have to try it, it's relatively inexpensive and you can find it at BevMo, and World Market.

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So as of late, I have been on a cooking and baking spree.  Last week when my mom and older sister were visiting family in Idaho, my little sister and I both got sick, and had to stay home from school.  The only thing we could really eat for a few days was soup and Ice Cream Jello.  This past weekend my boyfriend was sick and throwing up all day, and requested Strawberry Jello, and when I got home my older sister who also wasn't feeling well requested my specialty, Ice Cream Jello!!!!  So these past two weeks have been Jello filled and quite delicious!  Jello just makes everything better, and when you add ice cream to the mix, you definitely can't go wrong.  For those of you who have never had Ice Cream Jello, it's 1.  Very easy to make and 2.  Sort of similar to Jello 1 - 2 - 3.

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My favorite flavor of Jello to make Ice Cream Jello with is Orange Jello, but you can use any flavor of Jello you like!  Whichever one is your favorite.  The orange Ice Cream Jello reminds me of a 50 - 50 bar! MMMMmmmmm so DELICIOUS!  I didn't take any picture of it the last time I made it, so I will have to resort to using The Food Librarian's version to celebrate St. Pattie's Day!

Green ice cream jello

This is what the Ice Cream Jello should like after it sets for several [at least 4] hours.  Ice Cream Jello is alot of fun to make, and it's really simple.  Here's the recipe for anyone who wants to try it out!  Take a picture of it and let me know how it turns out! =]

Ice Cream Jello Recipe

1 Big Package of Jello (6 oz.) any flavor

1 Small Package of Lemon Jello (3 oz.)

1/2 Cup of Sugar

1 envelope of Knox Unflavored Gelatin

1/2 Cup of cold water

2 1/2 Cups of Boiling Water

2 Cups of Vanilla Ice Cream*

* You can use Vanilla bean Ice cream if it's all you have in the freezer, but you will end up with little black flakes at the clear bottom layer of your Ice Cream Jello

Directions

1.  Combine all flavors of Jello into a medium sized round mixing bowl

2.  Add unflavored Knox Gelatin

3.  Add sugar

4.  Stir in boiling water until all Jello and Gelatin are completely dissolved.

5.  Add cold water and vanilla ice cream.

6.  Stir mixture until all ice cream is completely dissolved.  You can melt the ice cream down to cut down on prep time, but make sure to measure out the 2 cups when the ice cream is still frozen

7.  Put into a smaller sized glass pyrex dish, or individual serving cups and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

8.  Enjoy!

Jello

Cinnamon Raisin Bread

*** You can either make this loaf in the bread machine, or remove it to put the swirl in the middle, and bake it the rest of the way through in the oven ***

Makes 1, 1 1/2 Lb Loaf in Bread Machine

Ingredients:

1 Cup Water

2 TBSP Butter, Softened

3 Cups Bread Flour

3 TBSP Sugar

1 1/2 TSP Salt

4 TSP Ground Cinnamon

2 1/2 TSP Yeast

1 - 1 1/2 Cups of Raisins

Filling Ingredients

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/3 cup melted butter, or 1 beaten egg

Directions:

1.  Measure carefully placing all ingredients except raisins in bread machine pan in the order suggested by the manufacturer.

2.  Add raisins at the signal, or 5 to 10 minutes before last kneading cycle ends. 

3.  Remove bread from bread machine pan after the rising cycle is complete.

4. Grease one 9×5 loaf pan.

5. Make the filling by combining sugar and cinnamon with 2 tablespoons of water.

6.  Roll dough out onto a lightly floured surface.  Roll the dough into a 12 by 10 inch rectangle. Brush with beaten egg or butter and sprinkle the filling on top. Spread the filling evenly.

7. With the short end of the rectangle facing you, fold in both long sides of the dough about 1 inch. Then, roll the dough toward you, gently pressing as you go to form a tight log. Gently roll the log back and forth (or pinch it) to seal the seam. Place in the prepared pan seam side down.

8.  Bake at 425 for 45 minutes, or 400 for 60 minutes.

*** For a shiny loaf, use the remainder of the beaten egg to brush the top of the loaf ***

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Nothing beats Cinnamon Rolls for Breakfast!  I have been going a little crazy with the Breadmaker Mania!  I absolutely LOVE this thing, and I have been craving Cinnamon rolls for soooooo long!!  So, the other morning Jason and I decided to make these tasty treats!  I prepared the dough the night before so we didn't have to wait the 2 hours for the dough to rise, and another 20 minutes to cook them.  They really are simple and fun to make with the whole family.  They're a little messy, but Jason and I had alot of fun making them!

Recipe:

Cinnamon Roll Dough - Bread Machine Method

3 TSP Instant Dry Yeast

1 Cup Warm Milk

1/2 Cup Sugar

1/3 Cup Melted Butter

1 TSP Salt

2 Eggs Mixed

4 Cups Flour

Directions:

1.  Put ingredients in Bread machine pan in the order suggested by manufacturer

2.  Select Dough Cycle

3.  Refrigerate overnight, or roll dough into a rectangle about 9 x 18

4.  Spread butter and filling mixture onto the dough. 

5.  Roll the dough into a long log shaped form and pinch the ends over.

6.  Take a dough cutter to cut into small segments.

7.  Place Cinnamon Roll segments onto a lined baking sheet and bake at 350 for 15 - 20 minutes. 

7.  Let cool, and frost

8.  ENJOY!

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Filling:

1 Cup Brown Sugar

2 1/2 TBSP Cinnamon

1/3 Cup Softened Butter

1 Cup Sugar

Directions:

1. Mix Sugar and Cinnamon together

2.  Spread Softened Butter over dough

3.  Roll and Bake!

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Icing:

1 Cup Powdered Sugar

2 TSP Vanilla Extract

8 TBSP Meteld Butter

[For whiter icing, add milk]

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So, about a month ago or so, I casually mentioned to my boyfriend that I thought having a breadmaker would be something fun, new, and exciting for me!  Jason and I both love bread, and recently I have been experimenting with breadmaking, and was looking for an easy way to keep bread around the house for a relatively low cost . . . bread is pretty expensive sometimes, and we often have trouble finding the perfect bread.  Well Jason joked that if I made him a loaf of bread a week for a month that I could have one, not telling me that he had already ordered one the first time I mentioned interest in making bread.  Like I said before, we LOVE bread.

I was very excited to get this breadmaker and the very second he handed it to me, I popped it out of the box and went to work on making some bread.  The first loaf turned out quite tasty, but we decided it was a little heavy for sandwhiches - it was very filling.  Then I made a loaf of cinnamon raisen bread, which was delicious and smelled wonderful while it was cooking.  The entire apartment smelt like a bakery.  The smell of baking bread is one of my favorite things. 

The other night for dinner, Jason and I decided to make homemade pizzas from scratch using the breadmaker to knead the dough.  Let me tell you, it was DELICIOUS,

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The recipe came with the instruction manual to the breadmaker, but we tweaked it here and there.  We can say good bye to frozen pizzas from now on.  These are just too easy to make, and too delicious to pass up!

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Recipe:

3 1/2 cups bread flour 
1 cup warm water
2 tablespoons active yeast
2 tablespoons sugar 
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt

Add ingredients to bread maker in the order suggested by the manufacturer of your breadmaker!

So many of you who read my blog know that I am an animal lover.  I have one dog and four cats . . . pretty ridiculous right?  Well, in my defense all of my animals are rescues who either would have been euthanized at the pound, or killed in the streets.  My first cat was found in my own backyard.  He was very sick, malnurited, flea ridden, and not being fed well enough by his mother.  The second was rescued from the streets in pretty much the same condition as the first.  The third was rescued by my dad - from a tire - at his work.  The people at his work didn't think she would make it through the night, but I nursed her back to health . . . she now weighs a hefty 14 pounds! =] The last was rescued once again from my backyard, along with her sister who was given away.  Well the Momma of the last two cats still comes around our house and gets lovin and food.  She was a very feral cat, but through contact with us, she had become very loving.

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She recently had another litter of kittens =[, which makes me sad because now I must find homes for them.  They are so adorable . . . and I have found a home for one of them already.  The saddest part is that I think she is pregnant with another litter again =[.  We really need to catch her and have her spayed.  Anyway, these are her babies . . .
 

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This little guy is too cute.  Look at his face.  My mom calls him Mad Dog because he is always throwing dirty looks over the fence at us, and protecting his Momma and his brother and sister. 

So last Saturday was Prom for the Simi Valley girls, and as previously stated, I was all booked up to do Sarah's makeup, and I was actually pretty excited about it.  I woke up Saturday morning nervous as heck, but by the time I got to her house I was pretty calmed down. Sarah looked gorgeous before I even went to work on her.  Her hair was simple and stunning, but she's a classic beauty to begin with so, I had my work cut out for me.  We ended up being right on schedule.  I was worried I was going to go over time.  We changed it up from the last time we did a practice run, adding a flair of purple to the mix.
 

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This is what we ended up with.  I can't believe I did this!  She looks so beautiful, for once I have to pat myself on the back - which I never do.  The best part is Sarah was completely happy with the look, and that was what was most important to me.  Sarah, thank you for putting up with my minor freak outs and out of control leg shaking! haha.  I love you!  Oh, P.S. there are plenty more Prom pictures to follow.  I took about 150 and after I go through and edit them I will be posting more here on my blog. 

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