Getting Ready For The Fair

Tomorrow I'm going to have a table at the Spring Fair that the Riverdale Temple is having. I'm frantically trying to get all of my stuff ready.

I have my business cards, sign up sheets and order forms (which by the way I get through Design-her Gals - LOVE THEM!!!)



my accordion photo books,



"oh so cute" hair clips,



and personalized chocolate bars.



Just have to pack everything up and I should be ready!

If anyone is in the area, stop by to say hi. I'm going to have a drawing for a dozen free personalized chocolate bars!! Just in time for Graduations, Father's Day, Bridal Showers and Baby Showers.

Riverdale Temple
Sunday May 17th - 9am - 3pm
4545 Independence Avenue (246th Street at Independence Avenue)
Riverdale, NY

Pizzelle Cookies

A few holidays back, my Italian mother-in-law Gloria gave me a Cuisinart pizzelle press. I was so excited because I love pizzelles! They kind of look like flat round waffles:


I really like this cookie because it's thin and crispy and is not overpoweringly sweet. I usually make vanilla with a hint of lemon zest but this time I wanted to try something new so I came up with Orange Fennel Pizzelle Cookies. They came out pretty good but I think I like the lemon ones better. I don't think I used enough orange zest because I could barely taste it. The fennel was good though. Fennel seed has a kind of licorice taste, which normally I don't like. (was NEVER a fan of Good & Plenty)

It wasn't until I was halfway done that I decided to take pictures so I don't have any of the actual ingredients pictured. Next time I'll try to plan better!

So, here goes...

First you need the pizzelle machine - you need to heat it up a few minutes before you start making the cookies.


Sorry for the crumbs but as I mentioned, I didn't start taking pics until AFTER I started!

Spray the inside with Pam cooking spray for BAKING. This is so the cookies won't stick. The dough is kind of wet and sticky, but don't worry it works. You only need about a heaping teaspoonful for each cookie.


You can see the orange zest in the dough.

Place the dough in the machine



Put the lid down for about a minute or so, and then they're done!


It's a little time consuming because you can only make 2 at a time.

Take them off with a plastic spatula so you won't scratch the surface of your machine. Then let them cool on a cooling rack. When they come out they are a bit soft, but they crisp up as they cool down.


Mmmm, nice and thin and crispy.


Once they cool, it's time for the powdered sugar. Could it get any better??


Sprinkle it over the cookies using a small strainer.



Load them up on a cake plate for a nice presentation. It also makes easy access for snacking!




Still looking for a Mother's Day Gift? These would make a great gift for the mom with a sweet tooth or for the mom that likes to bake. So, find your pizzelle machine and whip up a batch of these cookies and wrap them up with the cake plate. Or, if you're going to someone's house, you can make smaller hostess gifts by placing about 6 cookies in clear cello bags and tie with nice ribbon.




Does anyone else out there have one of these machines? Do you use it? What's your favorite pizzelle recipe?

Here's mine:

Orange Fennel Pizzelle Cookies (makes about 28 cookies)

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour (I used unbleached)
2 teaspoons baking powder
3 large eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter melted
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
small pinch of kosher salt
zest of one orange (I used one but next time I would try 2 for more orange flavor)

1 - preheat the pizzelle machine
2 - melt the butter
3 - zest your orange(s) and set aside
4 - place eggs and sugar in mixer and beat for a minute or so until thickened
5 - in a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking powder and salt
6 - once the butter has cooled down a bit, mix it up with the eggs and sugar. Also add your vanilla extract, fennell seed and orange zest. Mix for another minute.
7 - slowly add in the flour mixture until just combined
8 - Remember to spray the inside of the machine with a baking cooking spray and now you're ready to start making your cookies
9 - place a teaspoonful of batter on each side of the pizzelle machine. Put the lid down and cook for about a minute or so. You can check and if it's not dark enough, cook for another few seconds.
10 - place cookies on a cooling rack and when cooled down, sprinkle with powdered sugar.
11 - EAT YOUR COOKIES!!!

There's No Place LIke Home

Whoa - I can't believe the date of my last post was in August! What a slacker I've been. Well, I do have some excuses for at least a few of the months:

• Sold our house in Florida
• Moved back home PERMANENTLY to New York
• Got a 3 bedroom apartment in Riverdale and had to unpack (still working on this one)
• Got my kids settled in their new schools
• Sold basket.com through an auction on sedo.com - Boo Hoo! No actually, it was a good decision.
• Been trying to think of what to write for my comeback post!!

See, I HAVE been busy!

Well, being back in NY has been so great for me. Although I would really love to be living back in the city on the upper west side, Riverdale will do for now. At least it's close so I can get in often. I have to say though, each time I am back there (which is at least once a week) I keep thinking I HAVE TO figure out how to get back in. I feel most comfortable and more myself as I am walking around the streets of Manhattan whether its meeting friends for lunch, shopping, or doing some fun activity, I just LOVE it!! The crowds and noise never bother me. I love the energy and it feels like there is always something going on. It's hard to explain. I know some people just can't stand it. My husband will probably never want to live there again. (hmm, that may be a problem) But there are others that feel the same way I do. There's just no other place that feels like home.

One thing I love about being back again is having more than one season. I especially love Fall and Spring. It's so hard to believe I lasted in Florida when the one season I really don't like (to put it mildly) is Summer.

I've been taking lots of pictures lately. I've taken pictures from my bedroom window each time the season changed. We face a courtyard and just beyond that is the Hudson River. Here you can see the changes.


So, from here on I will try to write something regularly - usually about my latest obsessions: photography, my hair (UH! don't get me started on that topic), cake decorating, cool crafts and of course, NEW YORK CITY living!!

It's great to be home again.

PMS Strikes Again!

You know what I'm talking about - that time of the month when ANYTHING and EVERYTHING around you just annoys the crap out of you. It can be anything from the sound of your kids screaming, your husband (just being your husband), it's too hot out, your house is messy, the list goes on and on. Then you go to the pantry to reach for a snack and there's nothing there! You want something salty and crunchy or something sweet and gooey, right? Well, today I feel like that so I thought I'd look online so next month at least I'll be prepared on the snack end of things. I'll still be an irritable monster but at least I'll find some comfort in my snacks.

Here's what I found:

For a sweet treat:

Pretty Mean Snacks is the place to satisfy your chocolate fix. The chocolates are available in 4 different tins - I love the names: Sweet Sassy Sister, Pure Passion Princess, Deep Decadent Diva and Hot Mama Madness. Try it and let me know which one you like best.

For the salt/crunch fix:

If you're a chip fanatic (like myself) you definitely need to try Anchor's Chip Of The Month Club. I did it for a month just to try it out and it was so much fun. You get a box in the mail with an assortment of different kinds of chips. The fun part was tasting them of course, but also discovering brands of chips I never even heard of. My favorite potato chip is the Lay's Dill Pickle Chip. I haven't seen them in years so I don't even know if they still make them. If anyone knows of their existence, please let me know! I've tried other brands of Dill Pickle but so far none compare to Lays

It's All About The Cake

A few years ago, I took some cake decorating classes at Michael's. I absolutely loved it!! Since then I have been obsessed! I love going to the bookstore and checking out the new cake decorating books. The cupcake and cookie decorating ones are great also. Of course I have a bunch in my collection!

The decorating classes are based on the Wilton decorating method. It was really fun and inexpensive. I highly recommend trying it out. You can also take these classes at Joann's Craft Store as well.

Here are a few favorite cakes that I have made:


1. 2.
3. 4.
5.

1. Sleeping Beauty cake I made for my daughter Olivia's 3rd birthday


2. Pink & Brown cake for my daughter Ruby's 1st birthday


3. Hydrangea cake I made based on a cake from the Confetti Cakes Cookbook


4. Baby carriage cake


5. Captain America's Shield for my husband Tony - he's a BIG Captain America fan!!
   

Some of my favorite sites for cake decorating are Cake Central (I have photos posted there), The Charm City Cakes Website (from the show Ace of Cakes on the Foodnetwork), Confetti Cakes -a bakery in NYC., Wilton - lots of things to buy and fun decorating ideas. I also had a subscription to American Cake Decorating Magazine.

I posted a bunch of cakes on Flickr - check ti out at www.flickr.com/photos/totalcitygirl/ or click on the FLickr badge on the right sidebar.

My latest challenge is Olivia's next birthday. She's going to be 5 in less than a month and she wants a bubble gum birthday cake. I have some ideas in mind so I'll post them as it gets closer.

Buy One, Get One at Design-her Gals

I wanted to let you know about a great deal going on now at Design-her Gals. They're a super fun place to go to get yourself some personalized stationery items. You design your own gal and then you can order business cards, note pads, and tons of other stuff.



Total City Girl is an affiliate - I did this because I love their products so much and really believe in them. 5% of all sales go to benefit patients with Stage IV Breast Cancer. So, you're doing a good thing and you get something in return as well. Hurry though - now through Monday August 11th they are having a Buy One, Get One Free Sale. Time to stock up!!

Northeast Georgia Kids' Directory

My ad for TotslCityGirl.com came out in the August issue of the Northeast Georgia Kids' Directory. It was very exciting! Here's what it looks like - it's on page 10.

The ad is going to run for August and September. Although I am not located in Georgia, it didn't really matter because they are doing a special section for "Save Gas - Shop Online". My friend Sarah is the publisher. If you have a business geared towards moms or kids, you should definitely check it out. Its a free directory that gets distributed to the Northeast Georgia region. It's a great resource for moms and kids. You can either send her an e-mail or check out her website.