It's the Life

Belgian Caramelized Waffles

A few years ago I was introduced to a waffle, an amazing waffle.  A waffle to ruin any other waffle.  It was at a place downtown Salt Lake City called Bruges Waffles & Frites.  The owner and chef is from Belgium and he makes the most delicious, authentic, Belgian Caramelized Waffles.  If you are ever in Utah, you must make it one of your go-to destinations. 

Over the last year or so, it seems like Utah has become waffle CRAZY! Many different waffle houses have opened and there are a couple different waffle trucks that park in a different location every day.

These waffles are not your typical runny pancake batter on a waffle iron.  They are made from a yeast dough that rises into a sugar cookie type batter.  They are also full of Belgian Sugar Pearls.  I have not seen these sugar pearls in any of my local grocery stores, but lucky for me (and you) the internet makes almost any item available to be delivered to your front door.

My friend, Sydney, and I were determined to make these waffles at home.  We tried, we were successful!  

Belgian Caramelized Waffles:

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups Flour - 1 packet dry yeast - 3/4 cup lukewarm milk (I used coconut milk) - 2 sticks soft butter - 2 eggs - 1/2 tsp salt - 1-2 tbls vanilla bean paste (you can use extract, but paste is better, much better) - 1 1/2 cups Belgian Sugar Pearls - 1/4 cup coarse sugar - You can add cinnamon if you like, I did not.

Instructions:

Dissolve your packet of yeast in your luke warm water.  While that dissolves beat your butter until smooth. Add your flour, eggs, salt & vanilla. (if you are using cinnamon, add it here as well)  Beat together.  While mixer is running, slowly add your milk & dissolved yeast.  Mix well. Your batter should resemble bread dough. Now let it sit on the counter for 30-60 minutes until it rises and doubles in volume.

At this point you still have your two sugars that have not been added to the mixture:  

Your Belgian Sugar Pearls and your course sugar.  

This is raw sugar and it works really well to give you a caramelized waffle.  

When your dough has doubled, you can stir in your sugar pearls.  Your dough should look like sugar cookie dough. We made our dough at night and then I put the left overs in the fridge, when we made them the next morning, they were just as delicious as the night before.

You can make the waffles small or large. Just roll the batter into any size ball and then roll in the raw sugar. This step is not necessary, but it makes a big difference in the crispy "caramelized" exterior of the waffle. 

 

Place the ball in the center of the waffle iron, close and let it cook. While you wait, get your toppings ready. I really like strawberries and cream on my waffles, but this biscoff spread is EVIL! It's so good on the waffle...or right off the spoon. 

It's beautiful!

 

We made these on a fancy professional waffle iron and then again on an inexpensive home waffle iron.  I didn't notice any difference in taste.  The professional iron was definitely more "user friendly" because it's heat can be adjusted up and down like a toaster and it has a timer. With the inexpensive iron, you had to watch it to make sure the waffle wasn't over or under cooked. But other that that, they both work well.

Order some sugar pearls and make these at home. Once you do, you might be glad the pearls aren't available in your local stores, or you might be tempted to eat them every day!

Café Zupas Tomato Basil Soup

I have been trying to find a tomato soup recipe that I love for...forever. I have tried canned tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, roasted, sun dried, etc etc. Always disappointed. Always.  I do love the tomato basil soup at Café Zupas and there are lots of recipes out there that say their recipe tastes the same, and then they don't, and I cry into my bowl of soup.  I had given up, admitted defeat. No more botched attempts for this lady.

Then one day my mom sent me a link to this video.  It is a Café Zupas chef making the soup. Sure he's making a huge vat of soup, sure they don't give you any portions or even tell you what he is doing...but I was excited, really excited. With my mom on her computer at her house and me at my computer, both on our cell phones, we watched the video over and over, pausing, starting over..."what is that?  Those are almonds...aren't they??".  Once we knew all the ingredients it was only a matter of portions. Our first attempt was pretty good, but still not right, but the second attempt...OHHHH the second attempt.  I cried into my bowl of soup, but this time, they were tears of triumph and joy!

Do you want to know what the real secret to this soup is? It's not the tomato part, it's the basil part. It's the PESTO part.  It should really be called Tomato Pesto soup, or maybe even Pesto with Tomatoes soup.

You want to start with LOTS of Basil. None of this 1-2 tbls of basil crap. You need 2 cups or a 4oz container of basil. Now that's some basil. Wash it and dry it.

To dry it, I spread the leaves out on a towel and then roll them up in the towel. Squeeze them and then unroll them.

1 cup slivered almonds. 1 cup parmesan cheese.

5 cloves of garlic. 1 1/2 cups olive oil. 2 tsp salt.

Add to a blender or food processor.

Blend together into a delicious beautiful pesto. I could eat pesto with a spoon. Set this aside for now.

Most good soups start with butter and onions.  This one is the same, we are going to use some celery as well.

6-7 stalks of celery - diced. 2 medium onions - diced.

Throw them into a large pan (we are using a pressure cooker) with 3/4 cup butter and 2 tsp dried oregano. Saute until the onions are transparent. Don't let them get brown.  Your house smells awesome already!

Add your pesto to the veggies and then add 4 quarts of bottled tomatoes or 5 cans of stewed (un-seasoned) tomatoes. (These tomatoes are from my mom's garden, so they are especially delicious) We also added a small amount of sugar to cut some of the acid. You could also add a bit more salt (1 tsp or so) if you think you need it.

At this point, your soup is more green than red.  This is good. This is FLAVOR!

We used a pressure cooker and cooked for 4 minutes.  If you don't have a pressure cooker, you can put everything into a crockpot and cook on low for 8-10 hours.  I know this seems like a really long time, but it will allow your tomatoes to cook down into the pesto and veggies and become the beautiful red-orange color you expect from a tomato soup. The pressure cooker just speeds up the process.

(If you decide to use a pressure cooker, PLEASE follow the directions that come with it. Pressure cookers can be very dangerous if not used correctly...like removing the lid before the pressure has come down after cooking. I'm talking about big BOOM...scalding soup everywhere...if you know what I mean.)

Once your soup has finished cooking, add 1 quart of heavy cream, stir and eat. Try not to cry into your soup.

But if you just can't help it, I totally understand.

Valentine Birthday Party

For my birthday this year, I decided to go with the Valentines Day theme.  My actual birthday is the day before Valentines, so I'm used to having lots of red & pink around.  When I was a kid I used to have a heart shaped cake every year.  As I got older, I grew tired of the pretty pink theme. It's been a good 15-20 years since I've had a heart birthday. I thought it was time for a throw back little girl valentine birthday party.  I think that means I'm feeling old and nostalgic...

The Decorations:

I love balloons. I don't know what it is about a balloon, but they make me really happy. Anything that comes in a bouquet makes you fell special.

I added a few Valentine decorations throughout the kitchen. The plates, heart bowls, mushroom s&p shakers and glass decor were all previously given to me as gifts. Spoiled!

I put my cricket paper cutter to good use again for this party.

I got this idea from a local scrapbook store.

I used the same double heart idea to hang staggering hearts above the treat table. I added a few glass & pearl beads to the string.

I found these cute X"O"'s at a craft store. I traced them onto scrapbook paper and then cut them out. Using Modge Podge I glued the paper to the wood shapes. Once they dried I added glitter glue around the edges. Once that dried I added flowers and leaves to the heart shaped "O"s. (Okay, my mom added the flowers and leaves)

The Activity:

If you've followed my blog for very long, you know that I am a big believer in having an activity at a birthday party. It gives your guests something to do and encourages them to mingle and have conversations. Especially if you have guests that don't know each other very well, or at all. It helps everyone feel involved and included in the party. It also gives them something to take home, a sort of gift from the host.

This string art idea came from this blog.  She did hers on a giant scale. We did these on much smaller blocks.  I bought wooden boards at the craft store that were 6x36 inches and then my husband cut them into nice 6x6 blocks.

I used modge podge to glue the scrapbook paper to the boards. Once they were dry, Sydney and I hammered very small nails in a heart shaped pattern.  When the guests arrived to the party, they picked out a board and a floss color. 

We all sat around the table and strung these cute hearts. Click here to see a tutorial.

The Treat Table:

Some treats I made, some treats were brought by my guests. Thanks Syd, Rachel & Laura!

Chocolate Dipped Heart Marshmallows: I bought a bag of heart marshmallows, melted some pink candy melts, dipped the tops, sprinkled with sprinkles, let dry on parchment paper, then added a sucker stick and small ribbon.  Easy Peasy.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Heart Cookies: Make your favorite peanut butter cookie dough (I used one of those pre-mix packages from the grocery store...shhhh), once they have baked and cooled a little bit, place a dove chocolate heart in the center.  Don't put the chocolate in when they are still hot, the chocolate will melt. Don't wait too long or they won't stay. My child could eat all of these in one sitting.

Heart Sugar Cookie Sandwiches: Make your favorite sugar cookie dough (or use the pre-made dough), roll out the dough, cut into circles and bake.  Once they come out of the oven, use a small heart shape cookie cutter and cut the center out of half the circles. Spread your favorite frosting on the whole circles, top with the heart cut center, add sprinkles.

Shirley's Heart Sugar Cookies: Purchase these at your local bakery.  If you are lucky enough to live close to a Shirley's...buy them there, and get some raspberry sweet rolls while you are there, you won't regret!

Cupcake Chic Cupcakes: I really wish I could tell you I made these cupcakes. They were adorable and delicious.

Valentine Chex Mix: Melt 5 oz of white candy melts, pour over 3 cups chex mix. Gently stir until coated. Sprinkle with powdered sugar until coated.  Melt 5 oz pink or red candy melts, pour over 3 cups chex mix. Gently stir until coated. Sprinkle with strawberry cake mix until coated.  Spread mini pretzels on a parchment paper. Drizzle melted candy melts over the top of them. Add sprinkles before they dry. Put everything in a bowl with valentine m&ms. Delicious.

You might notice I used the same red & white polk-a-dot scalloped table runner I made for my party last year. (I also used it at the Mario Party for my son)  If I had realized how much I would be able to use the runner, I might not have complained so much as I tried to press out all those scalloped edges.  This year I just laid down some pretty lace with it, amazing how much a little lace can change the look of the table.

Thanks again to all my party guests. I love that we all get together, ladies from all parts of my life, to talk, laugh, eat and enjoy  each other’s company. I love you all! 

To those few friends from years past that were not able to make it this year. (Some had the nerve to move away!) We missed you!

A Little Late: Felt Holly Leaf Tutorial

I had this tutorial all ready to post and then...I forgot to post it.  I realize it's now January, but I'm going to post it anyway.

I wanted to hang three wreaths in my kitchen window, but every wreath I saw that I liked was expensive enough that I didn't want to buy three of them.  So, I decided to try and make them. I love how they turned out!

You will start with three different colors of felt. I just bought inexpensive felt at my local craft store. Those $0.25 per 8x11 piece felt. I cut out the image (below) and pinned it to one color of felt. you can see from the paper, I pinned it a few times.

Right click on the image above and save it to your computer. Print it and cut it out.

Once you've cut out the leaves in your first color, pin it to the other two colors and cut them out together. You don't have to do it this way, but it saves a bit of time.  The best time saver would be to have a fabric cutting machine, but I do not have one of those, so I did it by hand.

Once you have a bunch cut out, you hot glue the leaves to a foam wreath.

I staggered the leaves as I went around, alternating colors.

I went all the way around on the top, then I flipped it over to make sure no white was showing when it hangs.

At this point I had to cut out more leaves. It take a lot of leaves.

Once I had it fully covered, I started adding berries. I bought a bag of small red felt balls in the same section of the craft store. I grouped them in threes.

Using hotglue, I attached them randomly on the wreath.

Almost finished! I found this adorable ribbon. I wrapped it around the wreath and used hot glue to secure it to the back.

Make sure you don't touch the hotglue until it dries, it hurts. You should probably not set it down on your counter until it dries either.

I cut the ribbon really long so I could attach the wreaths to my window in my kitchen.

I'll be honest, these turned out much cuter than I thought they would. I also love that they are not only inexpensive, but really light weight, so I didn't worry about hanging them from the window frame.

The Nutcracker

I had a request to make a couple dolls from The Nutcracker. I think they turned out so cute!

Clara: (photos taken in the evening, the quality isn't great)

I made her in her nightgown and long underwear.

Sugar Plum Fairy!!

How cute is she? I love the bun on her head and the tutu.

I hope their new owner loves them as much as I do!

To see more custom ordered Little Orphan Andy Dolls click here

To purchase your own, click here or email me!

Grand Opening!

My store is up and ready to go! To thank all of my readers I am issuing a 15% coupon code for orders through Nov 16th.  Coupon code: GRANDOPENING.

Click HERE to shop!

Drum Roll Please...

...and the winner is...

Little Orphan Andy's!

Congratulations Sydney! Please contact me and we can work out the details of your new doll!

Thanks to everyone who contributed ideas for my store. Please watch your inbox for a special coupon you can use at my Grand Opening! (Coming Soon!!)

Let the Voting Begin!

Thank you for your votes!

The winner will be announced tomorrow, Nov 5th!

Name My Shop: Win a Doll!!

Want to win one of my custom made dolls?  Now is your chance!

I need a name for my doll shop and I want you to give me ideas! Post a comment with your shop ideas, I will pick my favorite 3-5 names and then we will have a vote.  The winner of the vote will name my shop and get a free doll!

Here are some of the dolls that already have happy owners. The "Ava" ballerina doll. The "June & Ruby" twin dolls.

"Brittany & Kyle" couple dolls. "Red", my Little Red Riding Hood doll.

I also made some Halloween dolls. Witches and Pirates! (These halloween dolls are still available, if you are interested in purchasing one of these, email me!)

Help me name my doll shop and win a custom made doll!  

Ready, set...go!

Spice Jar Labels

I decided to give my spice jars a little make over this weekend. I had small labels on the lids, but they were starting to come apart from all the twisting of the lids. This time I wanted to do something a little more permanent.

Here is what you need. 1. Spice Jars (I already had a drawer full of these, they were $0.99 each at Bed Bath and Beyond) 2. Vellum Paper 3. Adhesive sheets 4. Paper cutter 5. Printer

I created a template for my larger rounded tops as well as my strips. Then I printed the templates onto the vellum.

Using the paper cutter, I cut on either side of the black lines.

You can use a circle cutter for the circles, but I didn't have one large enough, so I cut them out  by hand.

Now you need to turn the strips and circles into stickers. I don't have a fancy sticker machine (though I've seen them at the craft stores), so I used these adhesive sheets.

Here is how they work. You strip the backing off the sheet, like so.

Then you lay a few of your strips onto the sticky part and then cut them out. (You could also cut the adhesive sheets into the same size of your strips first)

Now you have a sticker!

When you are ready to apply them to your jars, just remove the second strip from the back.

Apply the sticker to the jar. Work from the middle around to apply the sticker without any  bubbles.

When your jars are finished, fill them with spices! How cute are those? I love them.

I have a shallow but wide drawer in my kitchen island. It is a perfect place for my spices.  I found these spice jar holders for drawers at Ikea. (They also sell jars that fit in them with silver lids.)

I used four of them in my drawer, leaving room for my larger jars. (I have larger jars for things I use a lot like baking soda, poppy seeds etc)

I alphabetized my small jars, but you could do them by color or however you like.

My larger jars are organized by the amount I use them, with the sweet items on one side.

My favorite drawer in the kitchen!