Merry Christmas

Have a wonderful Christmas

And a Happy New Years

Love,
Joy of Joy's Misadventures and Gang

My night with Colin Smith

Last night I had the chance sit through lecture hosted by a local user group that focuses on Adobe products. I wish I could say I am a expert on Photoshop but far from it.  I first learned to use Photoshop 7 in college...about 10 years ago (shiver).  And I still use Photoshop 7.  Sad huh?  I do have multiple versions of Elements and I did learn to use illustrator on the first CS but really I'm behind but I finally got Lightroom a week ago.  I hope I will finally have time to edit and post for once.  Anyway, here are the vidoes of the presentation.  I sorted by topic.  I apologize for the shaking.  I was using my ipad and my arms was about to drop a couple of times.

Date: December 17, 2012
Location: Adobe office
Presenter: Colin Smith from Photoshopcafe.com

Enjoy!

My Guest post on Bob's Red Mill - Nut free Macarons

Apple Spice Bundt Cake and Thanksgiving

Baking partners # 4 - Shaped bread

This month's baking partners theme is Shaped Rolls.  With Thanksgiving coming up, homemade bread is a treat I try to make every year if time permitted.  

Lion House Rolls

Ingredients:

●     2 cups warm water (110-115 degrees)

●     2/3 cup nonfat dry milk (instant)

●     2 Tb. dry yeast

●     1/4 cup sugar

●     2 tsp. salt

●     1/3 cup shortening (butter or margarine)

●     1 egg

●     5-5 1/2 cups flour, all purpose (bread flour can be used if you have it on hand)

Method:

1. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, combine the water and the milk powder and stir so the milk dissolves. 
2. Add the yeast to this mixture then the sugar, salt, shortening, egg and 2 cups of the flour. 
3. Mix on low speed of mixer until ingredients are wet, then turn to medium speed and mix for 2 minutes. 
4. Stop the mixer and add 2 more cups of flour then mix on low speed until the ingredients are wet, then turn mixer on medium speed and mix for 2 minutes. The dough will be getting stiff and you may need to remove the bowl from the mixer and mix in the remaining flour by hand. 
5. Add approximately 1/2 cup of flour and mix again. (This can be done by hand or mixer). The dough should be soft, not overly sticky, and not stiff. (It is not necessary to use the entire amount of flour). 
6. Scrape the dough off the sides of the bowl and pour approximately on tablespoon of vegetable oil all around the sides of the bowl. 
7. Turn the dough over in the bowl so it is covered with the oil. (This helps prevent the dough from drying out.) 
8. Cover with plastic and allow to rise in a warm place until double in size. 
9. Sprinkle a cutting board or counter with flour and put the dough on the flour. It is now ready to roll out and cut into desired shape and size of rolls. 
10. Place on greased (or parchment lined) baking pans. 
11. Let rise in a warm place until the rolls are double in size (approx. 1-1 1/2 hours). 
12. Bake in a 375-degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until they are browned to your satisfaction. Brush with melted butter while hour. Yields 2 to 2 1/2 dozen rolls.

Good Website Tips

http://realmomkitchen.com/525/shaping-homemade-rolls/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xWY6kltlBc

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/blog/2011/12/05/flaky-buttery-crescent-rolls-the-best-of-both-worlds/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuBQzl49dEs&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8wPowCbtbo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=tU9I1nYS60Eh

Knot Shaped

Crossant

Clover

Lion House Rolls

Braid

I also made some other shapes like: 

Bunnies 

and hedgehogs

No food Friday - A Birthday and winner

 

300th Post, 3rd Blogaversary, and a Giveaway

 

Baking Partners - Cupcakes and Muffings

Misadventure #13 - Happy Birthday Honey

Baking Partner - Cookies

No food Friday - First day of School

Goodbye Charlie Trotter

On Friday, Charlie Trotter closed his namesake restaurant’s doors for the last time. The restaurant has been opened for 25 years. It has became an Chicago institution while producing innovating dishes.


Other than the famous Charlie Trotter, a “few” well-known chefs worked in those kitchen including Graham Elliot, Bill Kim of Urban Belly and Homaro Cantu of Moto. 

Baking Partners – Happy Birthday Julia!

Daring Cooks - Cornmeal and more Cornmeal

Baking Partners: A new Baking Group

A group of home bakers helping each other to achieve perfection.

Baking a home made Baking a homemade bread, cake or cookies will give the best outcome. However in order to achieve the best results, a perfect recipe and right techniques are required.

July Kulinarya - Pang-Habang-Buhay

Work, sick, and Junk food

Rambling day - No Food Friday

It is Friday!  Yeah for Friday...well kinda. 

Instead of my to-do list getting shortter, it got long and longer.  I even started to do some personal projects of my own.

Finally Baking Again Regularly

Happy 4th

Kulinarya June - Only in the Philippines

Gah - I need an assistant

I swear, I can't seem to catch up or even keep track of dates.  I do keep purchasing notebooks and I have multiple calenders and I'm still a day behind.  I am so behind that I missed the post date of my guest post. 

Check out my "misadventure" letting The Daughter pick out what we make for dinner over at Stay at Home Foodie.  It was posted yesterday but I swear it was today.  I'm that behind.  I am in dire need of an assistant or a better way to be organized. 

Not all There at Times

Guest Post

I did my first guest post on I Wash, You Dry.

Check our my corn bread chicken nuggets!!!!

Bento Boxes

Since moving here, we have been doing a lot of adjusting. One of those adjustments has been making The Munchkins’ lunches every day. Back in Chicago, their old nursery school provided their food. Now it is up to me to figure that out. There are a few advantages in making their lunches.

Little Man's Birthday

Yesterdays was The Son's first birthday.  Time just flew by.  I still remembering being pregnant and wondering when the little guy was going to arrive.  Now he trying to talk, eating table food, and even walking.

New Home

After two long months, I'm finally here in San Jose.  Moving across country is no joke, I thought it would be similar to the previous times I moved.  I was so wrong.  I even reduced the amount of stuff we had.  Do you know how hard it was to get rid of baking pans and various other tools?  Hard and I still had 4 boxes of pans.  I was able to negotiate with The Daughter to get rid of 2/3s of her toys.  I kept telling her it was for her godmother's baby.  It was kinda cute when she would look at the item, thought about it, and put it one of her three piles.  She was more than glad to give her brother's toys. 

I have Arrived and Camp Blogaway

Peace out Chicago, Hello San Jose

Hey Stranger.
Long time, no post. There is a good reason for it. Right after the craziness of work started to settle down, we found out we were moving. The Husband got transferred for work to the sunny state of California. San Jose to be exact. My house is a mess with unknown locations for some of my possessions like our clothes or even a pen. We found out the 2nd week of March but we were not certain when myself and the kids would be moving there. We just knew The husband has to be there by May 1st. Shortly after, we found out our closing was set to the end of April or the beginning of May. That answered my question. I am flying out with the kids May 2nd.

As soon as we found out, I was off and running to figure out

Kulinarya - Ice Candy

Daring Cooks - Grecian Chicken

Mini Omelets

Kulinarya - For The Husband

Colors - DailyBuzz Mom 9x9

Foodbuzz Tasters - Kikkoman

One of more week, one more week then I'm back to being my regular posting machine.

I did have the opportunity to test a product from Kikkoman.  I'm asian and I love myself some Kikkoman.  I already use their panko, tempura mix, and all marinates.  When I was presented the opportunity through FoodBuzz to be a tastemaker, I jumped at the chance.  For this tastemaker, I received package of pre-seasoned coating mix called Kara-Age Soy-Ginger Seasoning Coating Mix.  The beauty of this mix just takes 5 minutes to cook.  This is perfect for a quick dinner with very little help.  I do have to warn you not to season the meat.  The mix is a touch on the salty side so I would leave it plain.  I tried it with a piece of pork but it didn't work as well but I did like it with salmon.  I also think chicken would work great like chicken fingers. 

I'm a Slacker

Help, I need to be Entertained and a GIVEAWAY

Kulinarya Jan 12 - Sugar Free Mocha Cake

 

Hong Kong Cakes

Daring Cooks - Tamales

No Food Friday Kinda - Progress

 

Filled Monkey Bread

Cioppino

No food Fridays - New Years Resolution

It is the time of year where you swear to yourself you will complete a task for the following year. Normally it is the same thing each year. My favorite one I say each year is to lose weight or get healthy. This year I have a few. I don’t really expect to complete all of them but at least I plan to try.

1. Try to hold my temper and be more patient with my kids, especially with a certain 3 year old that loves to say...Mommy, I WANT IT NOW! I will try to speak calmly instead of stomping and itching when I would get frustrated
2. I will try not to get irritated when The Husband criticizes me on how I made something. Of course Honey, you are right. I’m sure I’m doing it wrong even through you have no idea what is puff pastry or a macaron is. (He actually knows these since I have made them enough times. A marcaron is a little hamburger)
3. Of course, to lose weight and eat healthier (sucks when all I want to cook involves frying or sugar).
4. I will make time for myself somehow: like reading, cooking, exercising, and attempting to relax
5. My main one is to be organized. I have a feeling that if I was more organized, I wouldn’t be scrambling in the last minute and I wouldn’t get irritated when someone would criticize me or bug me for my attention. I might even get a chance to plan stuff where I could eat healthier and exercise.

I know this may be a lot of stuff but one could hope and there is always next year.

I do hope that I will be able to do more recipe development and blog more often. I just need an extra 4 hours of my day. If anybody have some extra time handy, please pass it my way. Thanks!

I hope you have a wonderful and safe New years. Please eat for me since I “should” eat healthier starting now.

Cheese pin wheel - Remake

Happy Holidays

From my family to yours, Happy Holidays.

Love, eat, and enjoy the ones you love.

Love,
Joy of Joy's Misadventures

Kulinarya Dec '11 - Prime Rib Tocino

Bake, Decorate, and Donate

The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap

No food Friday - Diaper Cake

Short on time - Remake #2