Daring Bakers: Panna Cotta & Florentine Cookies

The February 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Mallory from A Sofa in the Kitchen. She chose to challenge everyone to make Panna Cotta from a Giada De Laurentiis recipe and Nestle Florentine Cookies.

So I was a little put out by the fact that they wanted us to make two different desserts this month. In fact, I had decided to skip this month, but boy am I glad that I change that decision. I haven't tried the panna cotta yet, but the floentine cookies are amazing.

Recipes here

I honestly haven't eaten this yet.. but it sure is pretty! Its basically a milk jello topped with fruit jello.

The cookies started like this.

The Florentine cookie dough was wonderful, and as an added bonus there are no eggs in it so you can lick the bowl as much as you want
The cookies ended like this.

For some reason, my cookies got progressively more burnt, even though I reduced the baking time for each batch. The ones with no browned edges were the yummiest, but the others were easier to work with. The cookies are suppose to have a chocolate backing on them, I may or may not get to that. It's been kinda a crazy day.
Harvey couldn't wait for the cookies to be done, and he really liked the dough, even though it is mostly oatmeal.

Sorry for the weird breaks, but I am new to this editing thing.

Brownie Stuffed Cookies

I recently read a recipe over on Picky Palate for brownie stuffed cookies. Co ahead and click that link, they looked wonderful. Anyways, I was determined to make them. However, I decided to use my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, and then discovered that we didn't have enough flour. This was the result.

Very flat cookies. The dough I had chosen was too soft to stay shaped up around the brownies. I tell you what though, it didn't stop anyone from eating them. They were still very yummy. These things are huge though. Harvey took 3 days to eat his cookie.

New Video Camera

Harvey plays with his shadow.

Sorry for the low light, Harvey was supposed to be taking a nap, but when I came in to check on him this is what he as doing.

New Hairdo

A week ago, I broke down and took Harvey to the barber. It was quite dramatic. There were many tears, but none of them from me.
Anyways I took some pictures that evening, but he wasn't very cooperative.

See what I mean? Don't get me wrong, I LOVE this picture, it just doesn't show his hair off very well.
Half hour later and this was the best I could get. No smile, in a dark hallway, doing his best to ignore me. So I gave up and waited for a time when I knew Harvey would be happy.

Bath time is always the best time for smiles around here.

Laundry Woes

Today I'd like to complain. Don't get me wrong, most days I enjoy a good complaint, I mean my life is currently filled with repetitive menial tasks. Today however, I feel particularly aggrieved about one thing.

Laundry.

Nobody warned me that by getting married my laundry duties would triple. That's right... not double... triple. Somehow Captain uses 2 times as much washable items as I do. After 5 1/2 years of marriage I am still not used to this.

Don't get me started about kids. How does someone that little go through so much?

Seriously. This is one week's worth of laundry at the Smith Family house hold.

Please note this does not include sheets or the 2 loads of diapers Harvey goes though weekly. Also, you will find that this has been non-traditionally sorted. Here let me help you see what i mean.

Here you can see the amount of laundry each person contributes weekly.

Notice if you will, that the towels are completely used by Harvey & Captain. I have a bathrobe that is washed when it needs it, but for this week, none of those were used by me. Captain goes through twice as much clothing a week as I do. And before you say, no Leslie, his clothes are just bigger, let me point out that tiny Harvey's pile is bigger than his dad's pile.

Also, Since introducing new people into my laundry duties I have discovered that most people feel laundry day should be a scavenger hunt. Just this morning I found a neatly rolled up pile of jammies, along with a random sock, on the play coaster.

I swear if Captain had to do the laundry every week, he'd be more apt to use the laundry basket.

What menial tasks have you been unappreciated about?

Boxed In & Giveaway Winner

You may not be aware but Harvey loves boxes.

Also, Harvey dislikes clothing about as much as he loves boxes.

Seriously, Its amazing he still has all his toes and fingers. We keep our house a balmy 64 degrees in the winter, could enough for me to wear shoes indoors.
Harvey doesn't seem to mind the cold most of the time though. He just keeps stripping his carefully prepared outfits and runs around in his diaper... if we are lucky.

And now for the results of the Yoplait Delights Giveaway...
Congratulations to Wendy Miller! Wendy please leave your e-mail address on this post so I can get your info to have this sent to you.