gigafit

my first attempt at a dalek head cake went as follows:

a batch and a half of Paula Deen's red velvet cake (but take out 1/4 of the sugar)
instead of 2 bottles of red food coloring, i used about 30 drops of blue, trying to get more of a grey color.

15 minutes:
"flashing lights" in mini-muffin cups

20 minutes:
end of the eye-stalk in a single aluminum muffin cup
hinge joint for eye-stalk in 2 heart shaped aluminum muffin cups.
flat, base portion, 8" round x 1/2" thick

the main portion of the cake (the dome shaped head) was baked in one of those bake-and-fill domed pans. this took MUCH longer. 50 minutes or so, and the cake was initially still pretty moist, aside from where it touched the pan where it was nearly blackened.

my main problem with this cake is that it's so testy - it seems like i either overcook or undercook, and there is no in-between. i overcooked this one just a tad.

it is a light tasting cake, despite the amount of butter. i may try to cut that back some, but after i cut back some more on the sugar. perhaps instead of using 3/4 of the sugar, i'll try 2/3 and see how that works.

i didnt bother to frost this one, mainly because i didnt like the way some of the pieces turned out, and the dome pan didnt release very well, despite greasing. then, nala attacked the pieces, so there was no point in frosting it then. MMMmmmm.

i want to try a poured fondant to try to get the surface right. i saw a recipe for buttercream fondant, and that sounds yummy.

Posted by gigamatt at 11:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

much like the last batch i made, this one was full of flavor.
here's what i did:

my recipe went as follows:
1 1/2 lb ground turkey
1/2 cup diced onion
1 hefty tablespoon minced garlic
2 cans diced tomators with green chilis
1 can black beans
1 can chili beans
1 4oz can diced green chilis
1 tsp ground thyme
1.5 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 cup honey

first, i browned the turkey with the onions and drained off the fat. then, i added the beans, tomatoes, chilis and spices. i let it simmer for an hour, at least, before finally adding the honey. it seemed very lacking in heat, but after 3 bowls, it did accumulate.

all in all, it was, again, good chili. i've got a small bowl left over, which i'll try tonight and seee what the flavor is like one day later.

Posted by gigamatt at 9:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

another modified recipe i think i will try again.

my dad bought me this fantastic 50-winning-chili-recipes cookbook and i decided to try one called "sweet and spicy honey chili" -- with some modifications, of course.

my recipe went as follows:
1 1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced roasted red/yellow peppers (with garlic)
1 can black beans
1 can red beans
1 28oz can crushed tomatoes in puree
1 tsp ground thyme
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 cup honey
1/2 tsp habanero powder

first, i browned the ground beef and with the onions and drained off the fat. then, i added the spices (except the habanero), the peppers, tomatoes and beans. i left it on medium low heat, covered, stirring occasionally, for a half hour. at this point, it was good, but lacked heat.

after that, i added the cinnamon, and habanero, knowing that definitely would boost the heat. i mixed it all well, and let it simmer for another half hour on low before adding the honey -- and then another 20 minutes uncovered on low.

all in all, it was a good chili with some complex flavors. i wish i'd done some chipotle and ancho chili powders instead of the habanero, so that it wouldn't have had the same heat. but, it was edible, and an acceptable chili to make again.

Posted by gigamatt at 5:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

i decided last week to make my mom's vegetable soup. it's really hearty (moreso than i made mine), and usually cheers me up. so, here's a simple recipe for mine. she usually just throws in whatever is on hand (i did for mine). nala liked it, so i figured i'd better write it down.

1/2 cup chopped onion
5-6 carrots peeled and sliced (i used half a pound of baby carrots)
4 stalks of celery, diced
3 cans green beans, drained.
1/4 cup lentils

cook in enough water to cover for 1/2 hr. (simmer with lid on)

add:
3 15oz cans diced tomators
1 15oz can pinto beans
1/4 cup minute rice
1 can whole kernel corn, drained

bring to boil; simmer 10-15 min.

add salt/pep to taste; simmer 10 min.

Posted by gigamatt at 4:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)