I heart Alton Brown

Do you think he’d want to be my second husband?

Food Porn

Oh TasteSpotting how have I lived without you all my life?

Food

My love for Indian cuisine knows no bounds.

Dear favorite Indian Restaurant

*Please don’t put raisins in your otherwise PERFECT rice pudding*

Thanks

Easter and a cake and a whole lotta other shit rolled into one.

So I was feeling domestic.
So I baked a cake. Wanna see a picture?

Its a carrot cake and it was pretty good. It had pineapple and coconut in it.
The link I got it from is HERE.

Anyway…

I think I need a better camera. Also? It would have been really pretty if I’d bothered to actually toast the coconut. I got tired.

So after I baked it, I took a picture of it. And I didn’t let Emma jump face first into it.
SHE WANTED TO!

So after I tortured my daughter my taking pictures I cut it open.
And it was lovely!

I even made Brian pose for a shot!

Yes, it also tasted delicious. But its HUGE! I’m thinking I’ll take some of it to work and have Brian’s brother in law come and get some too. Next time I think cupcakes would be better- I could freeze them.

And since I ACTUALLY took pictures of something…. Here are some Easter photos for you!
Emma was REALLY pissed that I made her wear bunny ears.

Yes. I get that look a lot. She’s very very good at it.

Here is one of her practicing it.

Anyway, back to Easter, there was this guy who cut in line in front of Emma and I for the balloon animal people. The people very nicely (I thought) asked Emma was she wanted first.

“A Pink Sword!”
And thats what she got.

The nice balloon people somewhat confusedly asked the guy who cut in front of us what he wanted (! hello? Kids function? Bit odd?)
“A little pink doggie!”
Now… I’m not saying he was a creepy pedophile type person? Maybe he had a kid there…? But?
HE WAS CREEPY!

Anyway, one more Easter picture because Emma’s little lips just looked so sweet in this one.

She got my sister Brekke’s lips. Lucky girl.

And hey, here’s a picture of me! Brian and I were going on a DATE! So I curled my hair. It didn’t quite work out but HEY? Who cares?

Brian liked this picture. And I consider any picture where I’m not blinking to be a huge success! (he took 6, and this was the only decent one)

Note to Self

400 degree ovens are hot.
How many times must you burn yourself until you remember this?

Posting will be light

When our old computer died, DIED we were forced to purchase a new one. Best Buy conned us into opening an account (18 months no interest!) We were sitting in the car when Brian opened up the soda he had just bought. He looked at it.
“I think I just financed this soda.”

When we bought Tesla we also bought Jeeves and and a new MMORPG. This innocent looking word means I am now a widow for 2 hours out of every day. He’s playing the Lord of the Rings something something something. Looks fun- he wants me to play too- but this would mean him NOT playing while I was playing. I very nicely point this out to him a couple of times a day when he wants me to play. I am so generous. Besides which, there are SO many things on the computer I’d rather be doing than playing a game, even one as beautiful as this one. Like blogging. Or catching up on PEOPLE. Or watching porn.
I am not complaining- I like that he has something he enjoys doing and I haven’t yet felt resentful because he always helps out around the house (I never have to vacuum or unload the dishwasher) and he always makes time for us. HOWEVER. We only have one computer. Which means if HE is on it I am not. So I’m still here, I’m just busy watching while Brian kills these.

Well that and cooking delicious wonderful things like this-
(if you cook it? Add some red wine- you will not be sad you did)

Shepherd’s Pie

1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 pound chopped lamb shoulder or lamb fillet
1 cup chopped yellow onions
2 carrots, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 ounces button mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 1/4 cups lamb or beef stock
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 pound potatoes
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup white cheddar, gratedLightly grease a 6-cup baking dish and set aside.

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large saute pan over medium high heat. Add the lamb and cook until starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the onions, carrots, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and bay leaf, and cook, stirring, until their liquid is almost all gone, about 4 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until starting to color, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Gradually add the stock and Worcestershire sauce, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until thickened, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Meanwhile, place the potatoes in a medium pot and cover with salted water by 1-inch. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain in a colander and return to the pot. Over low heat, mash the potatoes with a potato masher. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, 3/4 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, and nutmeg, and mash to incorporate. Add the heavy cream and mix well. Remove from the heat.

Remove the pot with the meat from the heat. Remove the bay leaf. Spoon into the prepared dish and top with the mashed potatoes, smoothing the top. Sprinkle the cheese over the top and bake until browned and bubbly on top, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.