Super Stalker Sunday #1

What is Super Stalker Sunday?

Glad you asked! Super Stalker Sunday is a weekly blog hop hosted by Marni's Organized Mess, Darcy of Tales from the Nursery, and April of Mama on a Green Mission.

Blogs hops are a great way to meet other bloggers, socialize and gain more followers. Do you like to socialize? Well, we all like followers, right?!

If you've been around the blogosphere you know there are Blog Hop's for everything you can think of and every day of the week: RSS Feed, Google Friend Connect, Email Readers, Facebook Fans, and Twitter Followers.

Well, why not get all of your followers in one place once a week? This is the place!

How to Super Stalk

-Follow each host at least one way. Don't forget to let them know you did so by commenting on their blog. We will return all follows, but please be patient as we are busy mama's it may take us a few days to return the visit and follow.

You will only have to link up on one of the host sites and your link will appear on all as we use the same linky.

-After you follow the hosts, follow as many bloggers in as many ways as you are willing!
Already follow somebody? Consider visiting and following them in another way as well!

Remember: You will only get as much as you give. The more blogs you can visit, the more visits you will gain in return. We are all here to socialize and greet, not visit only your blog.

While we encourage sharing our button and hop with as many as possible, it is not required. The more you spread the word though, the more we socialize and all gain followers!


At the end of each week we will select a blog via Random.Org to be the featured blog for next week. This blog will go in the first position after the hosts.


This linky will go live Saturday at 8:00 PM PST and end Tuesday at 12:00 AM PST.

If you would like to also place this linky on your blog, please feel free to write up your own post and grab the code here.

{Spoiled Mom} Cafe Press $60 Gift Card Giveaway!

Girl Gone Mom is having a $60 Cafe Press giveaway. Be sure to go over before 5/17 and check it out. She also has lots of other great giveaways happening now.

Follow Friday Over 40!

Facebook Like-You-Back, April 27, 2011

Wandering Wednesday...

I have a favor to ask of you about Facebook and **BONUS ENTRIES into giveaway

I have a new facebook. I set up a company facebook page and would love for you to follow me. If you go to my new facebook page, (the button on the top of page is all set with new page) and follow me, you get 5 entries for the giveaway, just note to me that you became a follower to the new page.

Time 4 Mommy Blog Hop, Twitter Tuesdays and Follow me, Chickadee! Tuesdays...

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Peanut Butter Torte

Peanut Butter Torte

from Baking: From My Home to Yours, by Dorie Greenspan

1 ¼ cups finely chopped salted peanuts (for the filling, crunch and topping) (I omitted the peanuts)
2 teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon instant espresso powder (or finely ground instant coffee)
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
½ cups mini chocolate chips (or finely chopped semi sweet chocolate)
24 Oreo cookies, finely crumbed or ground in a food processor or blender
½ stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Small pinch of salt
2 ½ cups heavy cream
1 ¼ cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 ½ cups salted peanut butter – crunchy or smooth (not natural; I use Skippy)
2 tablespoons whole milk
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate finely chopped

Getting Ready:Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-inch Springform pan and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat.

Toss ½ cup of the chopped peanuts, the sugar, espresso powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and chocolate chips together in a small bowl. Set aside.

Put the Oreo crumbs, melted butter and salt in another small bowl and stir with a fork just until crumbs are moistened. Press the crumbs evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the spring form pan (they should go up about 2 inches on the sides). Freeze the crust for 10 minutes.
Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then transfer it to a rack and let it cool completely before filling.

Working with a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, whip 2 cups of the cream until it holds medium peaks. Beat in ¼ cup of the confectioners’ sugar and whip until the cream holds medium-firm peaks. Scrape the cream into a bowl and refrigerate until needed.

Wipe out (do not wash) the bowl, fit the stand mixer with the paddle attachment if you have one, or continue with the hand mixer, and beat the cream cheese with the remaining 1 cup confectioners’ sugar on medium speed until the cream cheese is satiny smooth. Beat in the peanut butter, ¼ cup of the chopped peanuts and the milk.

Using a large rubber spatula, gently stir in about one quarter of the whipped cream, just to lighten the mousse. Still working with the spatula, stir in the crunchy peanut mixture, then gingerly fold in the remaining whipped cream.

Scrape the mousse into the crust, mounding and smoothing the top. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight; cover with plastic wrap as soon as the mousse firms.

To Finish The Torte:
Put the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Leave the bowl over the water just until the chocolate softens and starts to melt, about 3 minutes; remove the bowl from the saucepan.

Bring the remaining ½ cup cream to a full boil. Pour the cream over the chocolate and, working with a a rubber spatula, very gently stir together until the ganache is completely blended and glossy.

Pour the ganache over the torte, smoothing it with a metal icing spatula. Scatter the remaining ½ cup peanuts over the top and chill to set the topping, about 20 minutes.

When the ganache is firm, remove the sides of the Springform pan; it’s easiest to warm the pan with a hairdryer, and then remove the sides, but you can also wrap a kitchen towel damped with hot water around the pan and leave it there for 10 seconds. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Yield: 6-8 Servings



Easter Egg Hunt/Gifts

Norah opening Easter gifts...

 Norah on an Easter egg hunt...

Asparaqus Tart

Recipe of Taste of Home

• 1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed
• 3 cups water
• Pastry for single-crust pie (9 inches)
• 2/3 cup shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese, divided  (**I added double the amount of cheese)
• 1/2 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 3/4 cup half-and-half cream
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions

• Cut 2 in. from the top of each asparagus spear; set tops aside. Cut stem ends into 3/4-in. pieces. In a small saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add the 3/4-in. asparagus pieces; cover and boil for 3-4 minutes. Drain and immediately place asparagus in ice water. Drain and pat dry.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out pastry into a 13-in. circle. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 11-in. fluted tart pan with removable bottom; trim edges. Place the blanched asparagus, 1/3 cup cheese and parsley in crust.
• In a small bowl, combine the eggs, cream, salt, cayenne and nutmeg; pour into crust. Arrange asparagus tops over egg mixture. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
• Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake at 400° for 25-30 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting. Yield: 8 servings

Let's Get Social Sunday Blog Hop 4/24

Easter Treats...

Peaunt Butter Pie with Cookie Crust

recipe from http://www.bakeorbreak.com/

CRUST:

30 Chocolate wafer ( I used Oreos) about 6 oz

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Use a food processor, grind cookies to a fine powder. Transfer to a bowl and stir in sugar. Pour the butter over the mixture and mix until well combined.

Press the crumb mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie pan (I used a springform pan) Put the crust in the refrigerator.

FILLING:

1/2 cup (3 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 teaspoon light corn syrup

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1 cup creamy peaunt butter

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

1 & 1/2 cups heavy cream

Melt chocolate chips in microwave or double boiler. Stir in corn syrup. Spread the chocolate in a thin layer on the bottom of the chilled pie crust. Return the crust to the refrigerator.

Using an electric mixer, combine cream cheese, peanut butter, vanilla, and brown sugar on medium speed until well combined and smooth. Set aside.

In another bowl, use the mixer to whisk the cream until soft peaks form. Gently fold whipped cream into peanut butter mixture until uniform in color.

Pour the mixture into the prepared crust and freeze for at least 4 hours. Once frozen, the pie can be covered with aluminum foil and kept in the freezer for up to 3 days. 

HOT FUDGE SAUCE

6 ounces milk chocolate, finely chopped

6 ounces dark chocolate (64% cacao), finely chopped

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup light corn syrup

Place both chocolates in a heat-proof bowl, Set aside.

In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer over medium heat. Stir in corn syrup. Remove from heat and pour over chocolate. Allow to sit for 2 minutes. Starting  in the center and working out to the edges, whisk the chocolate mixture in a circle until smooth.

Spoon onto pieces of pie before serving.

After sauce is cooled to room temperature, it can be covered tightly and kept in the refrigerator for 3 days. Rewarm sauce in microwave on medium heat for 30 seconds. Stir and repeat until warm.



Happy Easter!!!!

What a busy weekend it has been! We drove down to Connecticut to spend Easter with my sister and her family and not to mention Miss Norah's 3rd Birthday Party and then as an extra special surprise, Dashana and Bobby have gotten engaged!!! (***about time, we've all been waiting...) (Dashana is family, not blood family, but considered more family than most blood relatives.) So we all are very, very happy for her and Bobby!

Coloring Easter Eggs with Norah Friday night...

We had her Birthday Party on Saturday.

Her princess cake...I wish I could take credit for it, but it was order at Big Y and it was only $43.