Early St. Patrick's Day, Rock Climbing, and cupcakes...

So as I sit right now, having just pulled the cupcakes out of the oven, I cringe in terror and anticipation.

Tonight my Grandma is Having St. Patrick's Day, because of everyone schedule this week, corned beef and cabbage as she always does for us rowdy non Irish Italians... Except for Mr. FireSanil he is wanna be Irish, there are leprchauns and clovers in his room year round, Irish nutcrackers, a knit hat with clovers, 5 irish saying t- shirts and and Irish hoodie, etc. you get the picture.... He thought he died and went to heaven when we were in Chicago! He shopped in an Irish store!

Anyway grandma asked me to bring dessert and I've been sick all week and Miss Soda icy pop wanted to make cupcakes really bad so I agreed, but she is at her belay class to get certified to handle the ropes and repel herself in rock climbing.

(this is their first climb ever her descending him ascending)

 The kids started climbing in January and go twice a week, they love it, Miss Soda Icy pop has been a climber since bith, Mr. Fire Snail however has not and had a fear of heights. I had to encouragingly forced him to go the first few weeks, but now he is a spider!

So as I sit here I must confess I cannot bake out of a box! It can bake as long as it is some crazy from scratch recipe but not box mix it always fails so I don't bake much I  just don't have time for all that mess :) So When Miss Soda Icy pop gets home she'll decorate the cup cakes and I pray I haven't ruined them ! The last batch of brownies came out so yucky I was banished from ever trying again!

Well I gotta run, don't forget to enter the GIVEAWAY

and I have lots of auctions ending on eBay this evening too, so take a peek at all the fun.

please Pray for the cupcakes!

Have a fabulous Sunday!

luvs and glitter

~jen

Carbonera, Carbonara either way it's good!

 Cabonara~ Ok this is not the authentic from Italy version this is my personal version. Recipes are not my thing I hardly ever use them except for baking I just cook it's my NaNa's fault she didn't even bake with recipes she lived half a block away from us till I was 8 when we moved to Hawaii. Needless to say I spent A LOT of time in her kitchen at a young age. She never made Carbonara that I remember but I was so young....I could clean and fry calamari at 8 :) Anyway for those of you who haven't had it oh the goodness you must get to know... I only cook in larger portions so adjust as needed...

12oz or slice of thick applewood cured bacon
   Baked in the oven at 425 for 25 minutes till crispy
1/2 lb of baby sweet peas 
   steamed till warm but still crisp
4 eggs scrambeled 
   with just salt & pepper scramble them into small pieces
6 cloves of garlic 
   smashed minced and fried in a little butter and olive oil till golden brown
half a medium sized sweet onion 
   minced 1/4 inch squares sauteed till just a little color and soft
1 lb farfalle (bowtie) or linguine pasta 
   just past aldente but not soft
1/4 cup green onions
fresh ground black pepper


parmegiano reggiano cream sauce
2 1/2 sticks of butter 
   melted on LOW constantly whisk till melted
1/2 pints of half and half 
   added slowly whisk in between each 1/4 cup added till blended repeat till its all in there
2 cups aged parmagiano reggiano romano 
   large side shreeded or any dry italian cheese with some nice age to it
   slowly whisk it in till its all combined and smooth add fresh ground black pepper to taste whisk


So first I preheat the oven to 425,
get the pot of salted water on
clean and mince the garlic, the sweet onions, and green onion
steam the peas till just warm and still crisp
   remove from steamer set in a bowl on the side
 put bacon in the oven on a foil lined cookie sheet (no clean up!)
 fry up the garlic on low spoon out of the olive oil and butter put on top of the peas , 
 cook up the onions next in same small pan on low then place the butter and oil onions on the peas too
 you can cook the eggs while you cook the onions when done place eggs on top of peas in bowl,
 throw in your pasta (my farfalle took 15 min)
 start your sauce see directions above 
    *low heat constant whisking and small amount of time are key to not breaking (separating) the sauce*
pull out the bacon drain on paper towels
pull finished pasta and drain, put in big bowl
crumble or chop bacon about 1/3 in pieces on to pea mixture
now GENTLY stir pea mixture into sauce add the green onion to the sauce the immediately
toss into the pasta and serve!


This is maybe the 3rd recipe I have ever tried to write down hope it makes sense!
My kids ate this like it was gonna run away peas and all, they both don't like peas! I haven't made this since before they were born! it's one of hubbys favorites! :)


As NaNa would say "Mangia Mangia!"


luvs and glitter
~jen