JamieOliver.com

Requested by the lovely Madamada!

This is a picture of a four-layer yellow cake with vanilla frosting I made. The flags on top are called Cake Bunting. I hand-sew them and sell them online in my etsy shop called KikiLaRu.

I chose this particular picture for my avatar because I love the little deer and because it's something I made myself.

Hope you enjoy the closer look, Madamada!

I got a big wedge of Muskat de Provence pumpkin in my weekly organic box. Had never cooked with it before. The flavor was amazing, and I never want to make pumpkin soup with any other kind!

I also discovered a way to make even my soup-despising husband love pumpkin soup...

I cut the crust off of slices of white bread, cut the bread into cubes; melted butter in a pan, tossed the cubes in; sprinkled over salt and dried, crumbled sage; tossed until brown on all sides. Throw a handful over your soup, it's AMAZING!

xoxo

This was my first try at bread. I've been afraid of failing at making bread for a long time, and I finally just DID IT. These turned out so delicious; fragrant, fluffy, tender, a little bit sweet. The recipe includes alot of steps and process is long, but the ingredients are very basic. I made these without a mixer, and they turned out wonderfully. This recipe is from Cook's Country Cookbook.

Fluffy Make-Ahead Dinner Rolls
Makes 15 large rolls

Don't get the milk mixture too hot, or the dough won't rise.

3    tablespoons unsalted butter , plus 2 tablespoons for bowl and baking dish
1 1/2    cups whole milk
1/3    cup honey
4    tablespoons vegetable shortening
5-5 1/2    cups all-purpose flour
1    tablespoon yeast (rapid rise or instant)
2    teaspoons salt
1    large egg , plus1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. When oven reaches 200 degrees, shut oven off. Grease large bowl with 1 tablespoon butter. Line 13 by 9-inch baking dish with foil, leaving overhang on all sides. Grease foil with 1 tablespoon butter.

2. Place milk, honey, shortening, and remaining 3 tablespoons butter in large measuring cup. Microwave on high power until milk is warm (110 degrees) and butter and shortening begin to melt, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir well.

3. Mix 4 1/2 cups flour, yeast, and salt in bowl of standing mixer fitted with dough hook. Turn mixer to low and slowly add milk mixture. After dough comes together, increase speed to medium, add 1 egg, and mix until dough is smooth, about 2 minutes. Add another 1/2 cup flour and knead until dough is shiny and smooth and comes away from sides of mixing bowl, 6 to 7 minutes (add up to 1/2 cup more flour if dough is too sticky). Turn dough onto unfloured surface and knead briefly to form smooth, cohesive ball. Transfer dough to buttered bowl and turn to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in turned-off oven until dough has doubled in size, 50 to 60 minutes.
Rolls without a Mixer: mix 4 1/2 cups flour, yeast, and salt in large bowl. Make well in flour, then add milk mixture and egg to well. Stir with wooden spoon until dough becomes shaggy and difficult to stir. Turn dough out onto floured work surface and knead, adding remaining 1/2 cup flour (or more as needed), until dough forms smooth, cohesive ball, about 10 minutes.

4. Punch down dough on floured surface and divide into 3 equal pieces. Roll each piece into thick cylinder and cut each cylinder into 5 equal pieces. Working one piece at a time (keep remaining pieces covered with plastic wrap) and following photos, form dough pieces into smooth, taut rounds and arrange in prepared baking dish. Lightly press on dough rounds so they just touch each other. Cover baking dish with plastic wrap and return to turned-off oven until dough rounds have doubled in size, 50 to 60 minutes.

5. Remove dish from oven and heat oven to 375 degrees. Unwrap baking dish and brush rolls with egg-water mixture. Bake until rolls are deep golden brown, 25 to 27 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack for 5 minutes. Using handles of foil sling, remove rolls from baking dish and cool on wire rack for 1 hour. Remove foil from rolls, return to rack, and cool completely, about 2 hours longer. Keeping rolls together, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then in foil; freeze for up to 1 month.

6. To serve: Remove plastic wrap and foil (reserve foil) from rolls, wrap in reserved foil, and defrost at room temperature for 2 hours. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Bake foil-wrapped rolls on baking sheet until heated through, about 30 minutes. Serve.

A gorgeous Ascaso espresso machine....I could sit and look at it for hours!
Makes amazing, creamy espresso, and my favorite, Latte Machiatto.
Thank you, hubby!!!

These beauties came in my weekly organic veg and fruit crate. They were so velvety and gorgeous, it almost seemed a shame to cut them up and eat them. Almost! I put them in a succulent frittata with bacon, gouda, garlic, onions, and zuchinni. Mmmmh!