Hello Sur...

Who knew that Sur La Table had a baking blog? Okay, maybe a lot of people did, but I just found it today. The recipes look so yummy and I love how rustic and down to earth everything is. I discovered it after receiving an e-mail announcing free shipping until October 19 on their adorable pumpkin cake pan and their beautiful pie dishes. I think I love the blog even more because of the great photography of all the food that featured on it, making me very hungry...

3 Day Weekends Rock!

Yey for 3 day weekends! This weekend was exactly what I needed to recharge and get ready for a brand new week at work. Since I spent all night Wednesday cleaning the house, I didn't have to worry about anything else except making the bed, so we opted to do some fun stuff.

On Friday we kidnapped my little sister and did an all day movie marathon at our local movie theater. This is a favorite thing for Mango and I to do on rainy days, we basically go in for a matinee and bounce around from movie to movie until we can't sit anymore! This time we managed to catch Wall-E, Hancock, and Wanted. I loved Wall-E! I'm a huge Pixar fan so I couldn't wait to see it, it was adorable. Hancock as loads of fun too, a couple of surprises here and there, and the ever so pretty Charlize Theron is in the movie. Her hair inspired me to want to grow it long and wear it wavy. Then of course, there was the action packed Wanted. Mango wasn't to crazy to go see this one, it was more my sister and I. Gotta love James McEvoy and the lovely Angelina Jolie (her long locks sealed the deal on me growing my hair out!). This movie was a lot of fun, action packed and totally proving that girls can kick butt. The perfect ending to our movie marathon!

On Saturday we headed over to my parents house for a BB-Q with the grandparents. My father in law was nice enough to give me his famous mac-and-cheese recipe, which I will guard with my life. It is so yummy, the best and easiest to make mac-and-cheese ever, so I decided to make it for the BB-Q. Plus, my mom put me in charge of dessert so I made the Cherry Torte from Taste Spotting that I wrote about a while back. It was so easy to make and it came out so delicious. I usually make a cake, but I opted to try my hand at something a little different and it came out great. This recipe calls for cherries, however I'm thinking you can do it with a lot of other fruits too, it's definitely going in my recipe book as a keeper. The recipe is originally from the cooking blog called Cooking and Booking, a great blog that is all about reading and cooking (a great combo!). Here's the recipe:

Cherry Torte

Source: Taste Spotting-Cooking and Booking
Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch salt

1-2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs

2-3 cups pitted and halved cherries (enough to cover the pan you're using)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F and butter a 9-inch round pan.

2. Cream the butter and the sugar. Add the eggs, salt, and vanilla and mix thoroughly.

3. Add the flour and mix until just combined.

4. Spoon the batter into your buttered pan. Arrange the cherries, cut side down, on top of the batter. Sprinkle with about a quarter cup of sugar.

5. Bake at 350F for 45 minutes to an hour, then allow to cool to room temperature.

6. Serve and enjoy!

On top of the great food, my dad and grandpa decided to take Mango and I on for a game of dominoes. Normally this is a nice, polite game, however I grew up in a Cuban family, and this can get hardcore. Strategy and signals were flying left and right, plus my grandpa always has some trick up his sleeve. While playing dominoes he taught me a drink that I had never heard of before. Basically took a shot glass and filled it 3/4 with Jack Daniels Whiskey and 1/4 Sambuca. Usually I can't handle hard liquor and I make that grimace characteristic of someone that doesn't drink. However, the Sambuca made it nice and smooth...I'm a fan! Thanks grandpa! Always teaching his grand kids something new.

Sunday was our day to relax, so before the rainy afternoon caught up, we decided to go sofa shopping! Mango and I desperately need two new, big priced items in the house, so we're shopping around, a TV and a sofa. However, we need the sofa more! Right now if the two of us want to lay on it at the same time, it requires a balancing act where normally one of us ends up falling to the floor after an hour or so. We decided to hit a couple of stores and see what was out there. Mango would love to get a leather sectional, I don't really mind either way between leather or clothe, I just want something deep, cushy, and comfy...oh, and looks good. So far, we haven't found anything in leather (other than the outrageously priced ones at Restoration Hardware that I love) that we liked. While at the Macy's Home Store we managed to find one that we really liked. It was microfiber and the cushions were all down (down=comfy). The fabrics it came in were really pretty, my favorite was the dark chocolate color, and the price wasn't too bad. Right now it's the top contender.

So that was our weekend. Hope everyone had a great one!

What's the shape of my bundt?

Maybe it was the fact that I was obsessed with everything sparkly as a kid or the fact that cute shopping bags get me super excited (hence, my collection under my mattress), but I simply adore things that are presented beautifully, so I guess you can call me a packaging nut. This small obsession trickles down to something as simple as gift wrapping to dear God you will not believe how much I nit-picked things at my wedding. Lately, I love collecting baking pans that turn our everyday cakes and cookies into funny shapes and my favorite go to place is Williams Sonoma. I started off with buying their sand castle bundt pan for a party my sister was hosting and now I find myself giggle with joy every time they come out with a new shape. In the fall I become obsessed with their Pumpkin bundt pan, but this summer there's a whole bunch of new shapes that I am dying to try. You gotta love the cupcake cake:

Or this absolutely adorable Garden Patch Cakelet Pan:

However, I have a feeling that the animal crackers will be a huge hit with my husband:

Now as to what to put in these amazing cake and cookie molds, I'm not quite sure yet however I'm dying to try this Fresh Banana Cake Recipe that I found on The Baking Pan , it looks so simple and so yummy! Here's the recipe:

Fresh Banana Cake
Ingredients:
Batter:
2½ cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
¾ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
3 large ripe bananas, mashed (about 1½ cups)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup buttermilk, chilled
½ cup walnuts, finely chopped, optional
Hint: Use very ripe bananas to give your cake a stronger banana flavor.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2½ cups confectioners (powdered) sugar

Garnish:
2 tablespoons walnuts, finely chopped, optional

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 9 inch round baking pans or one 13x9 inch baking pan.Batter:
2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; whisk together to mix. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar; cream together until mixture appears light and fluffy. Add eggs; beat until thoroughly mixed. Add mashed bananas and vanilla, beat until mixed.
4. Alternately add some of the flour mixture, and the buttermilk to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, and stirring just until blended. Stir in walnuts (optional).

5. Bake:
Pour batter into baking pan. Bake 40 to 45 minutes if using a 13x9 inch pan, or 30 to 35 minutes if using 9 inch pans, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Place baking pan on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. If using round cake pans, remove cake from pans and place directly on wire racks to finish cooling. If using a 13x9 inch pan you can leave in the baking pan to finish cooling and cut into squares to serve.
6.Cream Cheese Frosting:
In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, butter, and vanilla; beat together until mixture is smooth. Add powdered sugar; beat until frosting is smooth and creamy. For 9 inch layers, spread frosting between layers and over top and sides of cake. For a 13x9 inch cake, frost the top.

7. Garnish:
Sprinkle 2 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts on top of frosting if desired. Decorate with fresh banana slices, optional.
8. Cover cake and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Anyone up for a cupcake shaped banana cake?