fat witch...

I received something fun in the mail this past Saturday.

I just love getting fun stuff in the mail, don't you?
Whether you order it for yourself or a friend sends you a card...
there is just something special, something that makes you
smile and feel warm and fuzzy inside when opening something other than bills.


Isn't this the cutest thing?!


And the bag is adorable.
I'm a full-fledged bag lady. hee hee


Lets see what's inside...




Oooooooh... I love the packaging.

How clever.


Baby brownies! Awwww...
Aren't they adorable?!

Perfect for snacking.

Look, there's more...

Mmmmmm... bigger brownies!

Big fat brownies
This one is the "Blonde Witch".
Yum!

More?

Ahhhh... this one is MINE!
I must eat it now.

But first...

Let me share with you where I found
these lil' witches.
Over the holiday's I picked the
premiere issue of Where Women Cook.

I fell instantly in love.
And no, it doesn't have anything to do with
the fact that PW is on the cover...
Well, sort of.

This magazine is beautiful.
It was created by a woman.
It showcases women.
It's lovely.

Best thing is, it's full of information, ideas and inspiration.
I know that each time I pick it up I'll find something new.

Here is the section where I discovered
the famous Fat Witch Bakery, located
in Chelsea Market in New York.

I quickly looked up the link online and placed my order.

Had to have some of this goodness. Stat!

Now, lets eat one...

Again, I love the packaging.

I think I'll try this one first... it's the original.

Ooooh, I can't wait.

Huh?

Seems my homegirl was hiding behind me and couldn't wait either...


Back for seconds and I haven't even tasted yet...

She shows no remorse.

She pretty much grabbed, chewed and bolted...
but in her wake she proclaimed, "YUM"!

Fine... I'll go ahead and have the Java Witch.
Each one has their own little saying on the back.
Adorable.

Oh. My.
Pure deliciousness.
Simple satisfaction.

Give 'em a try. Order yourself a Fat Witch...
it'll make you smile.

xo
rolo

tex-mex beer chili...

*slurp*, *slurrrrrrp*
Oh, hello... please excuse me while I lick my bowl.
I'm sorry.
I just can't help myself.
This stuff ranks up there with finger-lickin' good.

By the way, Happy New Year!


Here, I served it over homemade tamales.
My good friend, Amy, hand made tamales
over the New Year holiday and brought me some.
My, oh my were they yummy... she came later and
we made them together at my casa. More on that later.

Today I want to share this chili.
I want you to make this chili.
And I want you to slurp your bowl.

So, I'll stop talking now and tell you how to make it.
It's super easy...

~Tex-Mex Beer Chili~

2 lbs ground beef
1 can black beans, drained
1 can diced tomatoes
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
1 can Shiner Bock beer... or your favorite
2 Tablespoons chili powder
1 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, or more
1 tsp salt, to taste
1 small onion, chopped and sauteed
in butter until golden and soft
2 cloves of garlic, chopped and sauteed
with the onion.

~Cook ground beef in skillet... while cooking use a potato masher
to break apart the beef for a finer texture. Drain.
~Mix beef in a large pot with the black beans, tomatoes,
tomato sauce, water, and beer.
~Cook on med-high heat for about 5 minutes, stirring a couple of times.
~Add the chili powder, oregano, cayenne pepper (remember, you can more
if you like it fire breathing hot) and salt. Stir.
~Bring to a simmer and cook about 10 minutes.
~Add the sauteed onion and garlic.
~Simmer for about 20 minutes.

Serve it with crackers or cornbread.
Serve it over hot dogs or tamales.
I don't care how you serve it...
I just want you to make it and eat it!

Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a bowl to finish slurping.
rolo

rum glazed pecans...

These were a fun and scrumptious treat to
make and give away this holiday season...

and it's not late for you to make and enjoy, or share,
for your New Years celebrations.

They are super easy to make.
Here, let me show you...

Combine 1/2 cup white sugar,
1/2 cup brown sugar,
and 2 tablespoons butter in a sauce pan.

Add 1/4 cup Dark Rum.

Put your heat on medium-low.


Begin to stirring to combine.

You'll want to stir continuously until it boils.
Continue to stir for about 7 minutes until the syrup
begins to appear clean and non-granular.

Pour in the pecans.

Here's where you can give another splash or two of rum...
if you'd like, or not. Then stir to coat the pecans.

Remove from heat.

Spray your baking sheet w/ a non-stick spray.


Pour the pecans onto your baking sheet and spread the out evenly.

Give 'em a little sprinkling of Sea Salt.

Followed by a dashing of sugar... or not, if you prefer.
This is totally optional.

Bake for about 10 to 12 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Remove from oven, cool completely, break apart and devour!

So good.

Happy Holiday's Friends!
xo
Rolo

an peace offering...

A Holiday treat...
I offer you for my non-bloggin' self.
Please forgive me for my lameness the past six months or so.


Now, with the majority of our casa
updating complete, I'm back in my kitchen.
Yippee!


And just in time for the holiday's no less.

I made these the other day to give away...
that was after I "tested" it. mmm... ;)

*Salted Caramel Pecan Bars*

1 cup chopped pecans
12 whole graham crackers
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup butter
2 Tablespoon whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp kosher salt

~ Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake pecans in a single
layer in a shallow pan 10 to 12 minutes or until toasted
and fragrant, stirring halfway through.
~ Line a 15- x 10-inch jelly-roll pan with foil;
lightly grease.
~ Arrange graham crackers in a single layer
in prepared pan, slightly overlapping edges.
~ Combine sugar, butter, and cream in a medium-size
heavy saucepan; bring to a boil over medium heat,
stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, and stir in
vanilla and pecans. Pour butter mixture over crackers,
spreading to coat.
~ Bake for 10 to 11 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly.
~ Immediately sprinkle with salt, and slide foil from pan onto
a wire rack. Cool completely (about 30 minutes). Break into bars.

Enjoy!

Peace, Love, Good Food and Warmth...
Rolo

they grow up...

They grow up... they do.

This is my P Pie... my second born granddaughter.
She turned 1 yesterday.
Happy Birthday PJ!

A year ago my second born homegirl was
busy bringing her into the world.

I remember this exact moment... she, "Big D"
and the Doc had just made the decision to go with
a c-section. I told her give me thumbs up.
She was so brave.

A little while later we had this...


And this.


The next day I got to do this...

And take images of the beginning of her life.


So much love.


I know the feeling.
Even though I was a little younger when I had
my homegirl, (here she is turning 2), I can still
remember the exact moment of bringing her into the world...
and about a billion more moments of her life, and still feel the love.

I'll always feel the love.

Gosh, dang, they grow up too fast.
*sniff sniff*

pumpkin bread...

Oh. My. Word.
This pumpkin bread melts in your mouth.
It's deeelish!
You must make and snack on it immediately...
or freeze it for holiday gift giving. I did both today.

Here's what you need...

3 cups sugar
3-1/3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 Tablespoon baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 whole eggs
1 can pumpkin (15 oz)
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt... *secret ingredient
1 cup water

*Optional Streusel Topping*
1 stick butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans

~Combine all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
~Combine all wet ingredients in a medium mixing bowl.
~Pour wet ingredients into the dry and blend well.
~Grease 3 (9x4) loaf pans or 7 to 8 mini loaf pans.
~Divide batter equally into pans.
~Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes to 1 hour... Baking time will
depend on what size pan you are using. Be sure to watch closely
for cracking in the top of the bread... that means it's done. But
you'll want to double check with a toothpick or knife.

*Streusel Topping*
~In a medium mixing bowl, combine the softened butter,
brown sugar and pecans with a fork until crumbly.
~Sprinkle over top of bread in the last 5 to 10 minutes of baking.


Be ready... you're gonna want to eat this straight out of the oven.

Enjoy.

edit addiction...

This is for my fellow photography enthusiasts...
you will be able to appreciate the natural occurrence
that overcomes you to edit-baby-edit, when you view your
images straight out of the camera. It happens to me always.
I can no longer look at a photo without the thought of
how to make it better, cooler, funkier, softer, textured, or pretty.

Don't get me wrong... I love, love, love capturing the images,
but it's the editing that is the most fun. To me, it's like a "blank
canvas", per se, each time.

Here let me show you how fun it can be...


This is a photo of me and my baby taken a couple
of weeks ago at the Arboretum by my homegirl.
We were out there getting some Fall/pumpkin/family
shots of P Pie, because she's turning one very soon,
and of her Uncle (that's my baby boy... ha ha, confused yet?)
because he's turning two next month.

Oh so sorry, we were talking about photography
and editing, not my family tree. I do that sometimes...
get off track.

Now where was I?

Oh yes... This is the SOOC (Straight Out Of Camera) image.
My homegirl did good with centering us in front of the waterfall.
Although, my camera has a tendency to shoot a little on the dark side.

And what the heck? What was that white fuzzy
thing in my hair? Geez... so typical for me.


First thing was first...
I cropped the image, then removed the white fuzzy thing.


Next, I ran "Lighten Brighten" from Flora Bella's Action Sets...
There, that brightened things up a bit.


Then it was time for "Soft Color Pop from the Flora Bella collections...
This is one of my favorites from the collections but it made
this image a little too yellow. But I know how to fix it...


Pioneer Woman's "Cooler" action from Set 2
does wonders for red and yellow tones...
I use this one a lot. Especially on my food photos
when shooting in unnatural light while cooking after dark.


And lastly, I did a little airbrushing...
just to smooth things out and give a softness to us.

All that took only a couple of minutes.

But I couldn't stop there...

It's an addiction I tell ya.

My name is Rolo and I'm a Photoshop addict.