Bound for Haiti

 

Tomorrow I'm leaving for Haiti! As a journalist, I'm joining a medical team heading to a field hospital in Port-Au-Prince for 10 days. If you want to follow us, I'll be keeping a blog at www.trinitytohaiti.blogspot.com 

 

You know what happens when I'm excited/nervous... I bake. So I made LOTS of cookies this week. Took some to class with me, froze some dough for the roommates, baked some up for snacking...

Also made a couple batches of Masaman Curry--best comfort food ever! Yes the can in the photo says 'yellow sour curry paste' but it should say 'masaman curry paste.' Surprise surprise, I used up all my masaman curry paste and forgot to take pictures! I'll have to run to Chong's when I get back from Haiti. If you want to try it out, find these two cans. Then follow the directions on the curry paste.

Note: I replace half the coconut milk with regular milk to make it thinner and a little less fattening :) Next time I make it I'll take pictures step-by-step and post them.

 

One of my highlights of the week is 'Family Dinner' on Tuesdays with my roommates. Here Roomie K is making some wonderful spaghetti for us! Such a good time to eat and talk together about our weeks.

I hope you all have a wonderful week! I'll be  back on March 8, but until then, visit the Haiti blog. www.trinitytohaiti.blogspot.com 

Until next time!

Monster cookies!!!

Quick note: Remember to check out the website at www.asyouwishbakery.com

Yesterday Amy came to town and we baked monster cookies for her traveling crew!

 

Here they are baking... I've become a HUGE fan of oven thermometers! If you don't have one, I'd really suggest buying one. Ovens vary so much and knowing the actual temperature in the oven really helps.

 

Leftover dough? Freeze them in cookie-sized balls. Then if you have a craving for just one or two, you can just bake them up!

 

Thanks for letting me share your top secret recipe, Mom!! :)

Monster Cookies

Ingredients:

2 c. sugar

1 c. (2 sticks) butter

2 1/4 c. (1 lb) brown sugar

1 1/2 lbs. Skippy creamy peanut butter

6 eggs

1/2 Tb. Vanilla

4 ts. Baking soda

9-10 1/2 c. regular oatmeal

1 lb. M&Ms

12 oz chocolate chips

Directions:

Combine first seven ingredients. Mix very well.

Add M&Ms and chocolate chips.

Add oatmeal (enough to make a very thick dough) slowly

Store in refrigerator for several hours.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes, depending on size of the cookie. (Yesterday I baked for 7 minutes, rotated the pan, and then baked for 5 more minutes)

Enjoy!

Unicycles & Caramel Bars

 

I love being back to school. The fun of writing papers and attending lectures still hasn't wore off yet...

 

I also just love being back in this quirky town. Only in Iowa City would no one bat an eye at seeing an abandoned unicycle in the snow.

My roommates are awesome and are amazing cooks! Here Roomie M and Roomie A are making curry. Yummm..... (AND they hardly ever use recipes! Seriously. I'm hoping to learn some of that cooking talent while I'm here.)

 

Meanwhile, I made some chocolatey caramel bars and thought I'd share the recipe with you!

(p.s. they taste a LOT better than the pictures look)

 

 Caramel Bars

Ingredients:

3/4 c. melted butter

1/3 c. evaporated milk

German chocolate cake mix

50 caramels

12 oz. bag chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Mix first three ingredients. Pat half of the mixture into a greased 9x13 inch pan.

2. Unwrap caramels and melt with 1/3 c. evaporated milk. Pour caramel mixture over top of cake mix in pan.

3. Sprinkle with chocolate chips.

4. Pat remaining cake mix between palms and lay out over top of chocolate chips.

5. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

 Enjoy!

Big News!!

WOW is it really February already?!

My good friend Di tells me that the Chinese New Year falls on Valentine's Day. How cool is that? But I can't believe it's only a week away. Which means I have some explaining to do for being gone...

I moved! 

Back to the books this semester. My adviser informs me that I will still be able to graduate next spring, so my adventurous semester off starting As You Wish hasn't affected school at all. My plan was to put As You Wish on hold as I transitioned back to school, and maybe pick it back up in the summer or after graduation, but...

I can't stop baking! 

Here's my new kitchen. My roommates (Roomie A, Roomie K, and Roomie M) are SO sweet and let me bake all the time :) Thanks ladies! 

SOOOO.... As You Wish is BACK!! New Location: IOWA CITY!!!

 

Thank you, Lindsay for sending me this recipe for Almond Joy Cupcakes! YUMMM!!!!

 

The chocolate cake was lighter than air. So good. I might work on combining this recipe to improve my chocolate cupcakes... 

 

The coconut filling tastes just like the addicting candy bar. Oh goodness. These might be trouble.

 

The chocolate frosting is a thick chocolate ganache, not buttercream, but it is extremely rich and delicious!

I won't be adding these cupcakes to the menu, but I hope you have fun making them!

Roomie A approved :)

Sorry for my long absence! I hope you all have had a wonderful couple months. Let me know how you're doing! Leave me a comment or write me an e-mail at asyouwishbakery@gmail.com 

Stay tuned!