Wedding + Cake

This blog has been quiet as of late, but it's because I've been gorging myself on food and drink, spending time with a house full of family and GETTING MARRIED!  After 10 years and 3 kids, Carson and I surprised our moms with a tiny Christmas Eve "Eve" wedding, and it was perfect.  Thank you all for the nice wishes you've posted on Instagram and Twitter!  

So now that I can finally TALK about it (my GOD that was a hard secret to keep), let's discuss how for the longest time I convinced myself I was going to make my own wedding cake.  I was all, OMG I'm totally going to do it and it will be a challenge, but also super fun, and I'll blog about it and YAY! Then the date crept closer and closer and oh, SO DID CHRISTMAS, and I became a ball of stress trying to finalize last minute wedding details while shopping for gifts.  I wisely decided, along with the advice from my new husband, that in fact making my own cake would not be fun but would be TERRIBLY HORRIBLE.  So I turned to a pastry shop in Long Island and requested a wintery three-tiered cake with three different fillings (white chocolate, fudge and cannoli).  The only major bummer was the cake topper I ordered never came, so here's my mom holding up an image of what it should have looked like...  

Perfect, right?  These photos were snapped after our photographer left, but all the black and white images that have been posted online were shot by the INCREDIBLE Pete Thompson.  What a great and immensely talented guy, I can't say enough good things about him.

So, that's where I've been, I will be back to blogging regularly after New Year's.  Until then, keep eating, drinking, and have a Happy and Healthy New Year!

Dress and jewelry were J Crew, hair was done at Dry Bar and makeup was done at Sephora :)

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Cookie Stacking and Other Things...

Hello Internet People.  I'm sorry I've been a little absent, but this has been a busy and emotional week.  Therefore, I present to you this scatterbrained post of odds and ends...

Many of you have been curious about the infamous "cookie stacking" Instagram post (infamous, really Siri?).  The origin of this layered dough can be found in this recipe for Peanut Butter Honey Cookies.  I was instantly intrigued to see if by stacking two blobs of dough on top of each other, the result would be a cookie that spread less, as suggested.  Well, perhaps I did something wrong, but my cookies just ended up looking like butts, so... delicious recipe, however.  Honey?  Peanut Butter?  Yes.

Last Thursday I was all set to appear on the Today Show, and you may have caught a glimpse of me even, however, breaking news about the Pope's whereabouts interrupted my segment.  Of course, I didn't mind in the slightest, and it was actually very exciting to witness... yet another reminder of how surreal it is to be a small part of a news institution like Today.  If you're interested in the recipes I was planning on preparing, you may click here: Buffalo Chicken Dip and Ultimate Queso Dip. 

Last night, I was very honored to be a part of the launch of Keurig Kold, a revolutionary new drinkmaker that brews perfectly chilled beverages like Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and so, SO much more.  It is available for purchase today on their website... check it out!

And finally, I wanted to repost this recipe in honor of a great woman, Lucy.  If you've been following my blog for awhile then you probably know this sandwich, but to have known the woman behind it was something else.  The heavens above gained a beautiful soul.  Team Lucy forever!

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Weekend Things...

Once upon a time, I made homemade Girl Scout Cookies (Tagalongs and Samoas).

Black Bean Brownies... should I try?

These I KNOW I should try: Cookie Dough Cookies.

Last minute Easter crafts.

If you don't know about this accidental selfie prank, it's very wonderful.

Finished this book recently and couldn't put it down.

I want all of these Avocado Toasts in my belly right, now.

Cake. Pies. Candy. t-shirt you should probably buy.

And finally, some weekend reading about how I sucked my thumb until I was nearly 10 years old, and if you enjoy the article, please vote for it!  

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Today Parenting Team!

Are you familiar with the Today Show Parenting Team?  It's a community in which anyone can join and share their parenting advice, stories, photos and wisdom.  There are monthly topics and challenges that have spewed such wonderful articles, like this one (she's my hero).  It's really fun, and if you're a parent or grandparent or godparent or auntie or teacher or you have, like, a thousand cats... you should join.  We're in this together people!

I recently wrote an article about "letting go of stress" - because I am NEVER stressed.  Nope, not me, I'm perfect.  Click here to read, it's called: Teenagers Don't Wear Diapers!  If you enjoy the read, would you consider voting for me?  And sharing it with your friendly friends?  Thanks!!

Back later with a delicious Salmon + Garlicky Mashy Peas recipe...     

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Life Lately

Oh my gosh you guys, I haven't blogged in a long while.  I can't really point to an excuse, besides my three children.  You know, the baby who doesn't sleep and the toddler who doesn't eat and the big kid who just turned 6.  Every year I make a gigantic deal about his cake (as seen here) but I just didn't have it in me this time.  He was like, "mom can you make it half Skylanders and half Minecraft" and I was like, "no."  So instead I turned to another favorite of his at the moment, High School Musical (I know every song by heart).  East High's colors are red and white, so a red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting made sense.  And then I made some chocolate piano keys with a piping bag on parchment paper to line half of the cake.  Easy peasy - go Wildcats!  (I'm an adult)

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Turks and Caicos

If you follow me on Instagram, then you probably know I was torturing you with photos from Turks and Caicos last week.  Don't hate me!  I'm back home now wearing multiple pajamas trying to entertain all of my kids because of school closings and delays.  I simply couldn't help myself last week!  That was our first, EVER, true family vacation and it, was, sublime (and I will continue to overuse commas to get, that, point, across).  I'd like to share some super professional (no) photos with you and talk about our culinary hits and misses (there weren't any).

The above photo was taken at a resort called Amanyara.  To be clear, we did not stay there, we just went to check it out.  It's an incredibly extravagant, remote, GORGEOUS spot... but Carson and I felt  like we had to whisper to each other the entire time we were there.  Amanyara means "peaceful place" and oh my god was it.  I felt like I was at a rehab facility for billionaires.  It was probably the most beautiful place I have ever seen... and we enjoyed our time there, baking in the sun, sipping on tequila and ice cold beer and snacking on spiced pistachio nuts.  Beam me back, please! 

One night, Carson and I snuck out for an adult dinner at a restaurant called Infiniti at the Grace Bay Club.  It was an incredible setting... dining in the open air and staring at the ocean.  We ate simply grilled red snapper and buttery lobster tail and the most perfect kale salad.  And of course, more tequila, along with their complimentary bar snacks which were spiced popcorn and curried plantain chips.  (I might spontaneously sob as I write this post...)  

My handsome dinner date:

One day we took a (expensive) taxi into town and walked around a shopping area they call the Salt Mills.  We found a place called Island Scoop and ate THE BEST coconut and salted caramel ice cream we've ever had.  Everything is made right in the shop, and there's even an outdoor playground for the kids.  I highly recommend you find this place if you're ever on the island.  

Do you know what conch is?  It's basically a sea snail that lives inside those glorious shells you see everywhere and it is VERY popular on the island.  To eat, I mean.  I am a big believer in the "when in Rome" frame of mind when traveling, so I was happy to try it.  And I enjoyed it!  Especially when it was deep fried, it tasted like calamari.  The Conch Shack (I'm sorry, "da" Conch Shack) is a very popular place for both tourists and locals, and it may have been our favorite night out.  The tables are set up right in the sand, and you watch a man pull in the conch straight off a small boat.  There is live music, awesome t-shirts for sale and the best rum punch I've ever tasted.  

One day for lunch we walked along the beach to a place called Somehwere Cafe.  I love that name, and I loved the man named Jermaine who worked there and called everything "LOVELY" in a deep, island accent.  I keep saying "the best I've ever had" in this post, but when it comes to the Pina Colada I drank at Somewhere... HANDS DOWN PEOPLE, UNREAL.  I'm sobbing again just thinking about it.  We also ate delicious nachos and pulled pork tacos, and we lied about our son's age so he could sit upstairs with us (I mean, what's the difference between 5 and 6?).      

Everyone talks about Coco Bistro.  The restaurant is so popular, they even sell reservations on Ebay!!   We were very lucky to get in, and other then my 6 month-old breaking a plate within seconds of being seated, we had an incredible meal.  Blackened mahi and curried shrimp and spicy caesar salad and a ridiculous tuna sashimi appetizer.  The restaurant is set in a palm tree nursery so even when you look up, you see a sliver of the moon between giant palm leaves.  It's stunning.  The green trees against a bright red building with white, twinkly lights everywhere makes it feel like tropical Christmas.  And don't forget to say hello to Coco, the cat that roams the premises.    

We stayed at the Gansevoort, and on the last night we ate dinner in our room from the restaurant Stelle.  It was quite the relaxing and delicious send-off, and here's what we ate...

Brown Butter Basted Lobster Tail   

Wagyu Beef Cheeks West Indian Curry

Pan Roasted Salmon

Soy Honey Cured Tuna

Shrimp Caesar (with BACON)

So there you have it.  I had never been to Turks and Caicos before this trip, and I fell in love with it.  The people are lovely, as Jermaine would say, and so peaceful.  The atmosphere is serene and the island is still relatively quaint and remote.  The food is authentic and delicious.  The trip from NY is quick and direct.  It's perfect, and I'm thankful that I had the opportunity to reconnect with my family in such a perfect place.   

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Los Angeles, take 3

HELLO!  I have been away for awhile and you hate me.  You've totally written me off, forgotten about me, and I am nothing more than the robot lady on your phone who can't answer a single question correctly.  But wait!  I'm back!  I love you!  I have exciting things to share with you on the horizon!  For now, though, I will leave you with a few Instagram photos from our trip to Los Angeles.  Of food, of course.  The above photo was taken at The Griddle Cafe on Sunset.  If you ever find yourself in Hollywood, this is a must.  The pancakes and french toast are ridiculous, and the entire restaurant smells like that freshly made batter.  I ordered the Fiesta Scramble, and then also ate the majority of my kid's Chocolate Chip Pancake.  Why do I order my own food again?

The photo below is of the Chocolate Pizza at Craig's on Melrose.  It's not on the dessert menu, but you MUST ask about it if you're ever at this restaurant.  Also order the Honey Truffle Fried Chicken.  I SAID HONEY TRUFFLE FRIED CHICKEN.  But don't worry, plant eaters, they have four featured vegan dishes as well!  Love this place... and it's always a fun spot for a celebrity sighting or two (ahem, Pat Sajak and John Stamos).    

We also went to Katsuya this trip.  Not my favorite sushi restaurant (Sugarfish, Sasabune and Nobu are much better in my opinion), but a fun spot nonetheless.  Even though the geisha in the bathroom scared the S*@T out of my son: 

Be back soon!

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Jello Cookies

My little boy had a temperature yesterday, and he overheard the doctor telling us that she lets her own kids "cook" when their fever is low enough.  When we got home, he started asking me what he could make in the kitchen.  It was right before dinner, so I told him it wasn't the best time, until he insisted that the doctor wanted him to COOK.  Um, adorable!  How do you say no to that?  So we jumped on Pinterest and searched for kid cookie ideas.  He picked these Jello Cookies, and I happened to have every ingredient on hand (because my kitchen is a goddamn bakery).  If you ever wonder if everything on Pinterest is as easy and adorable as it looks, the answer is NO.  I couldn't get this dough to come together.  Even after adding milk, it was a crumbly mess.  But I was able to make 5 cookies out of it and Jack was happy, therefore, I'll categorize this as a success (let's pretend that the dinner I was planning on making wasn't totally neglected and I didn't order pizza instead).         

By the way, the lovely people at Alpha Grillers felt badly that they couldn't give ALL of you a Garlic Press & Peeler Set, so they're offering everyone 10% off should you want to buy one on Amazon!  Just use the code SIRIGP10, which is valid between now and December 24th.

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The Chewy + M&M's + Baby

Hello there.  What's new with you?  I had a baby last week.  I had a baby!!

Let's back up a little.  I didn't share with you that I had a false alarm about a week ago in which I spent the day in the hospital surrounded by all those wonderful labor and delivery nurses (seriously, if you are one, you are a saint).  Once I got home (still pregnant and overdue), I decided to make cookies for my NEXT visit to the hospital.  You know, the one that would hopefully send me home with a baby.  I wanted something easy, something familiar.  So I made Alton Brown's The Chewy and used M&M's in place of chocolate chips.  Note: to make them look more professional (thus, yummier), place a few M&M's on top of each cookie right as they come out of the oven.  

So back to having a baby.  I had a baby!!  London Rose Daly was born on August 20th.  She makes little piglet noises and only cries when she's hungry and her older brother and sister fight over who gets to hold her.  We just love her to pieces.  I don't typically share photos of my children on the blog (although you'll often see a chubby helper hand), but if you'd like to see a few... these were shared on the Today Show.  Aaaaaand suddenly I have 3 children!  I will try to get back in the groove of blogging as fast as I humanly can, but for now you can look forward to a few new guest posts.  

Thank you all for the well wishes!  xo       

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Vacation

It is rare that we find days in a row where Carson has time off from his 17 jobs and we have nothing else going on, but that is exactly what happened these past few days.  We jumped on the opportunity and headed to the Hamptons, where Carson's friend has a home he let us stay at.  It, was, magical.  Let me first explain that I have never been to this area, only seeing it in movies and of course on Barefoot Contessa with Ina (when we drove into town I sure did stare at every stranger walking down the street, hoping it was her... I sure did).  It was so quaint, and remote, and vast, and BEAUTIFUL.  Farms and gardens and fresh produce stands and markets everywhere.  I now understand why Ina always says, use GOOD this, or GOOD that... because everything in the Hamptons is good.

Expensive, but oh so good.    

A highlight of our stay, other than relaxing at the beach or pool, was stopping at this little market and picking up a chicken that was alive days before and fresh, pasteurized eggs.  I roasted the chicken (via this recipe) for dinner and made soft boil eggs (via this recipe) for breakfast.  Everything tasted so good... I'm considering becoming a farmer.  

Look, the kids don't even need toys on the farm!  Just tiny pebbles...     

Back home now, but feeling refreshed and inspired.  And off to make a cake with the GOOD butter, eggs and buttermilk I brought back from the magical land of Ina.    

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Would you eat baby food?

For awhile, my daughter's diet consisted solely of baby food pouches, or "wee wee's" as she calls them (aka "squeezies").  She wouldn't touch anything I put in front of her, so at the end of the day I would cave and pull out the wee wee's in order to get some fruits and vegetables in her little body.  I felt stress and guilt about it, even though I knew it was most likely a phase, UNTIL a friend of mine told me something interesting.  She had gone to see a nutritionist to evaluate her diet, and the nutritionist told her that she wasn't eating enough veggies.  She advised her to eat more fresh, organic vegetables, but also said that if she needed a quick and easy solution, these Plum Organic Baby Foods would provide her the nutrition she needs.  My friend eats them now!  She eats Wee Wee's!  

Would you?

And check out Carson's radio producer get hypnotized in an attempt to eat her vegetables.      

(Photo Bomb by Jackson Daly)

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#20 Weeks

Thank you for the well wishes on Baby #3!

I was all set to show you our "Breakfast for Dinner" last night, but then I failed to take a single picture.  Pregnancy brain.  So instead, this Friday, I leave you with my "Breakfast for Breakfast" - yup, in my car.  It is dangerous to live so close to a DD.

Also, this article made me chuckle.  Happy Weekends!

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Double Chocolate Double Peanut Butter Cookies + News

Here you go friends, another chocolate cookie.  I know, as if these and these weren't enough lately.  So now it comes time for me to admit something to you.  And it's not that chocolate controls my life, although that is pathetically true, but the more exciting news is... I'm pregnant!  Carson and I are expecting our third child in mid-August and he, Jack, Etta and I are so happy.  Well, as far as I can tell Etta is happy (she thinks the baby lives in my breasts).  I'm about halfway there, feeling pretty great, and eating enough for 5.  Is that how it works?  Are you supposed to eat for every member of your family, including the baby in your belly?  Just say yes and make me feel better about life.

So now you understand why there have been so many chocolate cookies, and why there will probably be more and more and more and... help.  I made up this recipe the other day to bring over to a neighbor's house for dinner (we have neighbor friends!) and they were perfect in every way.  Can you go wrong with double chocolate (cocoa + chocolate chips) and double peanut butter (creamy peanut butter + peanut butter chips)?  The answer is no, especially if you're pregnant.  I promise to make something with kale soon... like in 4(ish) more months.  

Double Chocolate Double Peanut Butter Cookies

(Makes 2 dozen)

Printable Recipe

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

2 T milk

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 pkg. peanut butter chips

1 cup chocolate chips

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.  In a large bowl, beat together butter and both sugars with an electric mixer until creamy.  Add eggs, vanilla, creamy peanut butter and milk, and mix until just combined.  Add dry ingredients and mix again until just combined.  Stir in peanut butter and chocolate chips.  Cover dough with plastic wrap, and chill for 1 hour.  When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350.  Scoop out dough with cookie or ice cream scooper, and place two inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheet.  Flatten slightly with hand, and bake for 10 minutes.    

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Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

My baby boy turned 5 over the weekend.  He's 5.  He will start kindergarten next year and ride the bus and did I mention he is 5???  I can't wrap my head around how fast time goes by.  We had a big birthday party for him in California before we left, so this weekend's celebration was rather small but still birthday-cake worthy.  At least to me it was.  He said, "Mama, I don't want a birthday cake, I don't like birthday cake" and I said, "Okay that's fine but I'm still making you a birthday cake."  And guess what?  He liked his birthday cake.  Because this was the best Red Velvet Cake I've ever tasted.

His favorite colors are red and gold, so this particular cake was a no brainer (I put edible gold stars on top).  At first I was going to settle on a Paula Deen recipe, because despite her issues let's face it, if boooooter, iggs, and awwl are involved (human translation: butter, eggs and oil) she usually gets it right.  However, the reviews on her recipe said it tasted like Playdoh?  So I went with this recipe instead.  It's perfectly moist (even better the next day), has that defined hint of cocoa flavor and the cream cheese frosting is to die for.  I cannot stop eating it and I HIGHLY recommend you try it.      

In case you care...

Jack's 4th birthday cake(s).

Jack's 3rd birthday cake.

Jack's 2nd birthday cake.

Jack's 1st birthday cake.

AND little Miss Etta's 1st birthday cake.

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