Shortbread Cookies

I finally found a shortbread cookie recipe I like. I've been looking for a while.

1 cup butter (2 sticks) melted

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 and 1/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp salt

Cream sugar and butter together. Add flour and salt. Mix and form into a dough ball. Refrigerate 20 minutes. Roll out on floured table top and cut out shapes. Bake for 300 degrees for about 20 minutes until lightly golden brown. I dipped mine in chocolate when they were cooled.

Polar Bear Cake

My sister Chelsea's Birthday cake.

Dragon Cake

My husband is currently playing Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. It is not a bad thing. Whenever I am bored or don't want to watch tv I ask him if he wants to play Skyrim. Its like watching a long pretty movie with relaxing music that inevitably puts me to sleep. In one such Skyrim induced sleeps this past week I dreamed that I worked in a bakery devoted to Skyrim. Treasure chests, armour, weapons, characters, castles, monuments, all made out of chocolate, candy and cake. This is my amateur attempt at a cake devoted to my beloved dream inspiring video game.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sometimes you just need a cookie to feel better.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup butter, softened

1/3 cup shortening

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 and 1/2 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 package (6 oz) chocolate chips

Cream together sugars, butter, shortening, egg, and vanilla. Stir in dry ingredients and chocolate chips. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Ham Week

I bring you: Ham Week 2011. Unlike Turkey Week, I actually completed Ham Week. The company I work for was kind enough to supply our 8 pound Christmas Honey Baked Ham which I lovingly managed to work in each dish. We started December 22nd with Ham and Eggs.

Julia Child's Tranches de Jambon en Piperade (Ham slices with Tomatoes, Onions, and Peppers) with grated parmasean and parsely on top. This came in as #3 on our top three favorite ham dishes.

Crock Pot Ham, Potatoes, and Peas casserole. This came in as our #1 favorite Ham dish. It is not pretty, but has a home-style, stick to your ribs, comfort food kind of taste that we could not stop eating. Crock Pot - diced potaotes - ham cubes - cream of chicken soup - 6-7 hours - then add peas and half a stick of cream cheese until the cheese melts throughout the entire dish. I definately need to make this one again.

Ham Quiche. I am starting to think my husband simply does not like quiche. Everytime I make it I end up with left-overs that he will not eat.

Obligatory Ham Fried Rice. Not traditional. I use Rice-a-Roni.

Ham and cheedar puff pastry rolls. I decided to take a picture next to J's dragon on top of the book case because I got bored of taking pictures of food next to the stove top.

Ham week culminated in our glorious ham and split pea soup. Insert "The Exorcist" and Linda Blair jokes here. Yes, I have seen the 1973 movie, but not the re-makes or sequels. I went through a gross out horror movie phase that covered the cinema classics. Yes, I know it looks disgusting, but I love split pea soup. This year, for once, Split Pea soup took our #2 favorite dish of Ham Week, normal it comes in at #1. Also this year, thanks to random luck and good timing, Ham and Split Pea Soup was the triumphant finale of New Years Eve and more importantly a successful end to our week of Ham.