Front-Porch Visitor

I know I've posted on this subject before...but here's another one, deal with it.

As most of y'all know, I live in Texas. To me, Texas feels like I'm living in a tropical climate (I grew up in Colorado remember, so anything remotely warm is "tropical"). Being that it's tropical here, we get all sorts of critters that I had never seen before in Colorado. Most of these critters are the six-legged, icky kind...but some are truly beautiful.

Take the anole. An anole (pronounced ah-NO-lee) is a little lizard. It grows to be about 7 inches from nose to tail tip. They are usually a bright, vibrant green...but they have the chameleon-like ability to change their color to match their surrounding. My anole clan lives around my front porch. They're often seen at night, scurrying along the brick wall away from the porch light when you approach them. They eat all manner of bugs (including cockroaches), so as far as I'm concerned...they can live here as long as they want to.

I went out to water the flower box on my porch and found this guy clinging to the vertical pole that holds my hanging flower pot. He didn't run away, even when I moved my camera in for a macro shot of his head. He just looked at me and cocked his head in that curious way lizards do. Isn't he beautiful? I love his turquoise eye liner. As you can tell by the yellow on top of his head, he was just starting to change color to match the bricks on our house. Yeah, my camera lens was about 4 inches away from him. Can you say "extreme closeup"??? I call him a "he" because he is a "he". Male anoles do not have a stripe down their backs like the females do. Also, males have really pointy noses like this guy.

The Organization Fairy Came to Visit

So, do you ever get REALLY frustrated when you KNOW you have that particular... (insert whatever craft supply you want) and you can't find it? I went to the plastic tub where I keep my embossing folders, and ended up literally dumping the whole lot on the floor in my attempt to search through them to find THE ONE. So, out of total frustration, I pleaded a wish to the ether that the Organization Fairy would visit me and figure out a way so that I can find whatever desired embossing folder is eluding me at any given moment.

And, whatya know. She actually showed up.

After 5 hours of preparation...my embossing folders are now UBER organized (at least the A2 sized ones). They now live in the top drawer of my Ikea gatefold worktable. They fit perfectly. I have them sorted in a way that makes sense to me (more or less).

• I started out by cutting white cardstock into 5" x 6 1/2" pieces for dividers. 
• Then, I cut offset tabs into them (by hand). 
• One by one, I ran each divider through the Big Shot with its corresponding embossing folder so that I'd have a real-life reference on what it looks like.
• I wrote the name of each folder, its manufacturer, and item # on each divider.

This is how it turned out:

I'm so stinkin' HAPPY!!! I can actually find whatever one I need now!!! And, before you ask....there are  100 folders in there. I counted them....had to. I needed to know how many dividers to make.

I know I know...I have an embossing-folder fetish.  Well, a fetish is better than an obsession, amiright?

But, I have an embossing folder for just about EVERY crafty theme and style.

The rest of my embossing folders (large ones, strips, and small ones) are in a smallish plastic tub. There aren't TOO many of those, so they can all live there happily ever after.

Momma's Little Baby Loves Shortenin' Bread

Butter, sugar, toasted pecans and chocolate. What's not to like? After I fixed the fruit pizza for the Fourth of July party, I had all this leftover shortbread dough. It is so decadently good. What to do? What to do?

I decided to turn the remaining dough into these mouth-wateringly-rich cookies. Trust me when I say, "They're as good as they look". Who needs to go to a fancy-schmancy bakery??? These are as good as they get!

Torrey's Mouth-Watering-Chocolate-Dipped Pecan Shortbread

Yield: a ton (3-4 dozen depending on diameter of dough log)
Ingredients:

• 3/4 lb. (3 sticks) regular, salted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp almond extract
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 cups chopped pecans (reserve 1/2 cup for dipping)
• 12-oz bag semi-sweet chocolate morsels (for dipping)
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds (OPTIONAL)
• 1/2 cup crushed toffee candy (like Heath bars)-- OPTIONAL

Directions:
I suggest using a Kitchenaid (or other brand) stand mixer with a paddle attachment as this is a VERY stiff dough -- I don't suggest mixing it by hand ...either your hand will wear out or the wooden spoon will break.

• Cream together sugar and butter--just until combined.
• Add extracts and stir into butter/sugar mixture. 
•  In separate bowl, whisk flour and salt together.
• Add flour/salt mix to butter/sugar mix, a little at a time.
• Add 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans (I chopped them by hand) to dough and THOROUGHLY incorporate them. 
• Place reserved 1/2 cup of pecans in separate bowl and set aside.
• Divide dough into 4 equal pieces. By hand, roll each piece into a log (about 2-3 inches in diameter). Wrap each log, snugly, with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C).
• Remove plastic wrap from dough log and slice into 3/8-inch - 1/2-inch thick slices.
• Place sliced dough onto UNGREASED parchment paper-lined cookie sheet (or foil-lined) about 1/2 inch apart.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes until edges are golden brown and center is cooked but NOT browned (see photo above).
• After baking, gently transfer to cooling rack (they're very fragile at this stage), and cool completely. Once cooled, they're sturdy.
• In microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate morsels.
• Spread reserved, chopped pecans onto cookie sheet and return to oven for 5-10 min. until toasted. Watch them carefully so they don't burn. Then, place them back in the bowl.
• Coat cooled cookies 1/2-way with melted chocolate (front, back, and sides)--scraping off excess.
• Immediately roll chocolate-dipped cookies in toasted pecan pieces. Alternately, you can use sliced almonds, or crushed toffee pieces (or leave them plain chocolate if you like) and return cookies to cooling rack.
• Chill chocolate-dipped cookies for 20-30 min. in fridge to set chocolate.
• Store in tightly-sealed container (if you have any left).

 Bon Appetit, y'all!

Hooray for the Red, White, and Blueberry

Independence Day has come and gone here in the States. Many people celebrated by having cook-outs and then going to see a fireworks display. It was too hot here in Texas to do either...so, I had a cook-in with my family and some friends, and just gave up on the fireworks altogether. Let's face it. I've become a wimp in my middle-age. I don't tolerate heat or bugs like I used to.

I am a delicate flower.

Don't laugh.

So, for the Fourth, we invited some friends over and had a cook-in with traditional Fourth-of-July fair. Hot dogs (well, smoked Brats...but still, basically hot dogs), homemade potato salad, chips, dips, veggie tray, deviled eggs, pickles and olives, and a watermelon. It was all yummy! I cooked the brats on my Panini press so they'd have those little grill lines (worked much better than using a brown Sharpie like I was tempted to do).

For dessert, I decided something light and summery would be nice. So, I made a fruit pizza. Only, my version...it's not-so light. It's actually quite decadent and very rich. Instead of a plain-Jane sugar cookie crust, my version has an uber-rich pecan shortbread crust. MMMmmmmmm. Many fruit pizzas also have a clear, syrupy glaze on top like they do in fancy bakeries. I opted not to do this. Mainly because I was lazy...but also because all that would do is add more sugar. But, if y'all want to do that...knock yourself out.

So, now that your mouths are sufficiently watering, here is my recipe for my not-so light, but uber-delicious fruit pizza.

Torrey's Patriotic Fruit Pizza

Ingredients:

SPREAD:

• 16 oz (2 boxes) cream cheese, or Neufchatel, at room temperature
• 1 medium container whipped topping
• 1/2 cup sugar
• zest of 1 orange (optional)

FRUIT TOPPING (as pictured):

• 50-60 blueberries, fresh
• 16-20 strawberries, fresh
• 1 can (15 oz.) pineapple chunks
• OR...whatever fruit you want to add.

PECAN SHORTBREAD CRUST:

• 3/4 lb. (3 sticks) butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp almond extract
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

Directions:

FOR SPREAD:
In mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, whipped topping, sugar and orange zest (optional) and stir with hand-mixer until well-blended. Set aside. Keep cool, but not cold (makes it hard to spread if it's too cold).

FOR CRUST:
I used a stand mixer (Kitchenaid) with a paddle attachment as this is a VERY stiff dough and I knew my hand would wear out. Preheat oven to 350 F (~175 C).

• Cream together sugar and butter--just until combined.
• Add extracts and stir into butter/sugar mixture. 
•  In separate bowl, whisk flour and salt together.
• Add flour/salt mix to butter/sugar mix, a little at a time.
• Add chopped pecans to dough. (I chop them by hand)
• Line bottom of jelly roll pan or cookie sheet with parchment. Pat out dough to cover bottom (and slightly up sides)of pan. Dough should be about 1/4 inch thick.
• Bake crust until golden brown around edges and center is cooked but not brown (10-15 min). Let crust cool COMPLETELY before topping it. 

NOTE: if you have leftover dough (and you will), make shortbread cookies!...roll remaining dough into a log, wrap with plastic wrap, and chill it. Then, slice into 1/4 inch-wide cookies and bake at 350 F for about 15-20 min. just until edges are golden brown and center is done.

FOR FRUIT TOPPING:

• Wash and dry desired fresh fruits (or use drained, canned fruit). It's important to pat your fruit dry. Otherwise, the juice/water will bleed onto the cream cheese and look yucky and ruin the presentation. 
• If berries are small, use whole. 
• If fruit is larger, cut into bite-sized slices or pieces.For this pizza, I cut the strawberries in half, lengthwise.

ASSEMBLY:
Spread cream cheese mixture over cooled crust. Arrange fruit in decorative patterns on top of cream cheese. If not serving immediately, cover and refrigerate until serving. 

Bon appetit, y'all!