I'm baaack!I just recently arrived home from a road-trip to Seattle. I must say, sharing a bed with an 18 month old isn't fun. I was kicked, pinched, slapped, punched and whacked during the night and Bebe would come over occasionally from the other bed next to us where she was sleeping with daddy, and say, "Mommy, daddy's bothering me with his snoring!"
Oy.
silicone heaven: cannelé molds On the brighter side of things, I bought up a storm at Sur La Table at Pike Place Market and also at this nifty little store called Mrs Cooks, which I found in a mall in Seattle. I finally got the coveted silicone cannelé molds I so wanted. I had looked all over for them in Vancouver and couldn't find any. At Sur La Table, I found it and some half-sphere silicone molds too! I have no idea what to do with the demi-sphere molds yet, but if you have some good ideas (and pics) please do tell!
they're not copper, but they'll do!
don't these look like they would make good fake boobies?
I also purchased a silicone rolling pin...and added it to my collection of 3 at home. I already have an old-fashioned wooden one (my mom's), a wooden french-style rolling pin and a fondant rolling pin. 
At Mrs Cooks, I bought 5 nifty shaped cookie cutters: a crown, a dragonfly, a butterfly, a cake with candle and a maple leaf ('cause I'm Canadian, eh!). I also found a cool gadget that's called a "recipe divider". I need this because I'm always halving recipes. All you do is spin the little stainless steel wheel and you get the correct measurements. Love it.
I don't think many bloggers know this, but I also do a lot of scrapbooking and card-making. I can't rationalize the economy of buying all the stuff that you need for this particular hobby 'cause long ago I exceeded the reasonable amount most people would spend on purchasing Christmas, birthday, wedding and thank you cards at the store. When I first started, I'd say to Stomach: "Look how cheap this is! Can you believe people actually spend 5 bucks on a birthday card?!" So I won't bore you with the details about my crafts purchases. The bill was ugly.
But enough about my weaknesses...
I have been awarded the "Hard Working Food Blogger" award by Sally at PinkBytes. She is such a sweet lady and her blog is a lovely extension of her personality. This award originated from Elle at Elle's New England Kitchen.
I am here now to pass on this award to a couple of fellow food bloggers for the hard work and dedication they put into creating and maintaining fantastic blogs. It is a lot of hard work and though I think many food bloggers are deserving of this award, I have 2 people that spring forth in my mind when I think of this Hard Working Food Blogger award.
[drum roll: brddddddddd: ching!] They are: Kevin, at Closet Cooking (a fellow Canadian!) and Mark, of No Special Effects.
Kevin posts and comments with such regularity that it amazes me. I don't know where he finds the time to visit all these blogs, make comments, cook and photograph his food and keep up his own inspirational blog. That's dedication, my dear! He's always got something delicious going on in his kitchen and he's such a nice guy!
Mark's always first to make a comment on lots of blogs (how does he do that?) and he's always got something interesting to say. He makes my day with his visits and I love reading his musings about food and life. He's a creative multi-tasking man of many talents! That, and who else could dispense for me free medical advice for carpal tunnel syndrome caused by piping 330 royal icing flowers?
If they were to come to Vancouver, I'd have to take them out for some major Dim Sum! We've got the best, 'cause all those top notch chefs from Hong Kong emigrated here! then, a visit to Granville Island Market, right?
Like Elle, I too think fellow food bloggers are a hard-working bunch. We do often eat our food cold, sending our pics to the etherworld in the hopes that someone out there will take note of our food and our ideas and possibly *gasp* be accepted at Tastespotting or Foodgawker...
Yes, we all deserve a pat on our backs and if you fit this description, I believe you too deserve this award and should help yourself to it! Go on! Take it! don't be shy! and spread the love.
11 comments:
Thank you so much for the award! How do I do it? Commenting while the other half of the world is asleep, of course! It also helps not to have a job while I'm applying for residency. Ha ha ha. Hopefully, it won't last long. Crossing fingers!
Sur La Table? Looks like you had a $uper $hopping $pree! Those are the exact same demisphere molds I have! (I've seen cannele ones, but they are mini-canneles, boo.) Can I interest you in a bombe? You can also make a charlotte. Francois Payard makes chocolate pavlovas in a demisphere mold (sandwich the two together and it's a hollow egg white sphere with cream inside). Mold ice cream till it's hard and use it to cap off a round brownie stem, and you have an ice cream and brownie mushroom. You can also make creme brulee, then freeze and unmold, then thaw for a unique effect. Sigh, it sounds like I should be using my mold more, heh heh :)
I'll keep that in mind when I visit Vancouver, thank you so much!!! :)
You are more than welcome Cakebrain. You are truely a very hard working blogger and it gives me great joy to come and visit your blog.
The rolling pin, I too have that one but in pale baby pink. Was given to me by another blogger Emmcee over on http://vipantrywedonthaveablogblog.blogspot.com/
It is wonderful to use and really does not stick. Amazing stuff this silicon.
Enjoy your new award and all the goodies you now have. xxxx
Hello,
I've read your blog several times and was especially awed by the cake you made your daughter, WOW! I have yet to leave a comment but I could not pass through this time with out leaving one.....people that are just "readers" have no idea how much WORK is involved. I have within the past several months started my own blog and have so much admiration for food bloggers especially those of you who have been doing it for years. I guess it's one of those things that falls under the label of being "a labor of love".
By the way you are so lucky! I wish I could find a Mrs. Cooks like shop around here! Sounds like we're going to get some interesting posts soon. I apologize I know I've been long winded. Keep up the great posting!
Ingrid :-)
Great buyings and congratulations on your award! I think you should totally do some mini fake bubbies with the round molds!
It looks like you picked up some cool stuff. Congrats on the award! It is well deserved. Thanks for the award and the kind words!
Love sur la table!
For the demi mold, I'd make some cute little ice cream cupcakes (mini baked alaskas anyone?) or some naughty cakes for bachelorette parties.
I'm sure they'd come in handy with any idea that calls for perfectly found orbs. (giant m&ms? eyes on a cartoon character? petals of a huge flower?) Or even layering with fresh fruit (paper thin slices of mango, strawberry, or melon!) and ice cream / cake.
Love your blog. Can't wait for a cannelle recipe!
I wondered if we can use the silicone molds for ice as well?
Girl Japan,
They could be used for ice, but they'd be pretty huge cubes. I'd use them for jellies, (jello!), ice cream and even muffins and cupcakes. I've seen them used for semi-freddo too.
I love jelly especially coffee jelly- OMG can you imagine - ice cubes...what in the heck was I thinking? I just received my first mini-set I think I'll make coffee jelly. I have eaten semi-fredo but sadly I don't have the confidence yet to make it = (
Hi, I stumble across your blog when I goggled canneles molds! Can you let me know if the silicon canneles mold work well?? Cos' I read some review saying that they don't brown as much. I bought 2 aluminum ones from our local store in Oregon ~ much cheaper than the copper ones, and the results were GREAT! I need more molds, but the store doesn't carry 'em anymore! The lady was kind enough to look up for more, but they were gonna cost USD$13 each, instead of the USD$7 I had bought few months back. :P
Hey Jenny,
The silicone molds work fine for me (though I can't compare because I never have used the copper ones). I'm happy that they release so well. I would imagine the copper ones would brown better and more quickly. So you know what I do? I just bake the suckers longer. They have to be really dark before you take them out. I don't go by the timing on most recipes. I just keep checking on them to make sure they're dark. I would imagine alulminum to brown well because it conducts heat easily. So, if you're willing to bake the canneles longer, the silicone molds will work just fine. It all tastes good in the end.
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