ICING A CAKE SMOOTH

I mentioned in my previous post that I was to decorate my final cake for Wilton Cake Decorating Course 2 yesterday.  Unfortunately, that did not happen.  I got busy at work, so I wasn't able to finish my cake on time for my 6:30 p.m. class.  When Vince got home to pick me up, I was having tantrum fits.  My class was about to start shortly, and there I was, still in my home clothes with an offset spatula on hand, messy kitchen and all that, not to mention that my cake was not even halfway done.  Another thing that bogged me down is the fact that my work was not yet done, and that I would have to log in back to work afterwards should I attend my cake decorating class which finishes usually around 8:30 p.m.  Sigh.  Ultimately, I decided to skip class, so that means I need to arrange for a make-up class with the instructor.

Well, despite that, I'm quite happy because, I finally was able to ice a cake presentably smooth.  If you would remember, I had been complaining about my struggles on icing my two previous cakes for course 1.  In my desperation, I resolved to buy cake icer tips (which confusion had me buying two of the same kind *toinks*).  You bet I tried the cake icer tip, but since I was on crunch time and I didn't want the fuss of putting icing in a piping bag, I eventually ditched that and went back to the lovely offset spatula.

Markings slightly visible on top icing were from paper towel. 

I realized that time is a factor for a successfully iced caked - at least for a slow poke like me. I crumb coated the cake, gave it generous amount of time to dry, then iced it, and again gave it ample time to dry. When the icing was dry enough (it didn't stick to fingers when lightly touched), I pat it smooth with a paper towel instead of wax paper.  It's cool how the paper towel markings got transferred onto the cake icing.  I learned that trick from a video I saw online (sorry, I can't remember now which site).

So, I'm saving this cake for now in case I can arrange for a  make-up class this week.  Next Monday is the start of course 3 (fondant decorating).  I am so excited to sign up for that, but I wanted to check with the instructor first if I can do that even if I haven't made up for my course 2 final class yet.  Bummer!  Oh well, even if I don't hear back from my instructor, I'll still go ahead and sign up for the third course anyway ☻

*************************************************************

To see my progress in cake decorating, visit this link:

KARENINA'S KEYK/KUPKEYK DECORATING ADVENTURE

*************************************************************

My share for:

366 BLOG PHOTO CHALLENGE | WEDNESDAY WHITES |

FORGET-ME-NOTS CUPCAKES

I was out the whole day yesterday (and pretty much the whole Saturday too), so I apologize for not being able to get back right away to all of you who visited my blog, and left comments, as well as my meme hopping buddies.  Thank you!  Right now, as I write this post, from 46 comments or so, I'm down to just 22 more to approve and get back to at least on this blog (I have about 18 more on my other blog plus the Happiness Is participants that I need to visit too), so I still have a lot of catching up to do.  Hehe!

As I've said, it was a busy weekend for me.  Vince and I drove down to New Jersey yesterday.  We were invited to a lunch celebration for my goddaughter, Samantha, who I haven't seen for seven years.  She was just a baby when I last saw her in the Philippines.  Her mom (Momsie) and dad (Kuya) were both very close friends of mine way back from college.  I was one of their bridesmaids when they got married, and when the firstborn (Samantha) was christened, I was given the privilege to be one of her godmothers☻ I last saw Momsie in 2005 before I left Philippines, whereas I last saw Kuya in 2009 in New Jersey.  The story of our friendship deserves a separate post, plus I want to share some pics of us too, so I'll reserve those for a future post.

Anyway, before I end this post, let me share these cupcakes I made for my friend, Momsie.

These are chocolate cupcakes baked from scratch.  For the decoration, I used thinned royal icing and gum paste and fondant.  I was supposed to make buttercream icing, but I found that I still have a lot of royal icing in stock, so I decided to just thin the royal icing out and use that instead.  The forget-me-nots flowers were made out of gum paste and fondant mix, and the rest of the decor were thinned royal icing.

I need to practice more to improve in decorating cakes/cupcakes, especially work on my piping techniques.  I'm almost done with my second Wilton course, and later today, I will do my final cake in class for course 2.  Oh, wish me luck!

Do you know that you can store uniced cupcakes in the fridge for a week,
and in the freezer for three months? ☻

******************************************************************

You can find more foodie stuff here:

GASTRONOMY MONDAY

******************************************************************

My share for:

366 BLOG PHOTO CHALLENGE |

DATE SQUARES

Vince and I already finished the cheesecake minis I baked last week, and the next on my recipe list was date squares.

The first time I had date squares was at a Druxy's down at the building of my workplace in Toronto.  I didn't know what it's called then but I really liked it.  So, one time I was Skyping with Vince, I told him about my newly-discovered-snack-the-name-of-which-I-don't-know, and based on my description, he thought I was referring to date squares.  It turned out he was right, and guess what, he likes date squares, too!  ☻

Since I left Toronto, I somehow forgot about this tasty snack, until last week when I saw a recipe of it at Joy of Baking.  I was excited to try it, so I made sure to get all the ingredients when we did our grocery shopping last weekend.  One thing though is that we don't have a food processor.  We do have a blender and a fruit juicer, so I thought that would suffice in place of a food processor.  It did, though I kinda encountered some challenges.  I initially dumped all the ingredients into the blender just as how one would do it with a food processor, but of course, that didn't work as the blender has smaller blades.  Therefore, I had to take the dry ingredients out of the blender, and then blend them in increments.  I even used my electric mixer alternating with the blender to get them all mixed together.

Anyway, in spite of my rubber spatula getting partially ripped as a result of entanglement with the blender blade while I was trying to scrape the pureed dates off, and with all that fiasco I went through while mixing the dry ingredients, I was able to pull it off.  There, I baked a pan of yummy date squares!

Hot! Fresh from the oven!

The instruction clearly said that you should wait for it to cool off completely on a cooling rack and in the fridge before slicing into squares, or else it will just fall apart.  The impatient and curious me couldn't wait that long, so before I placed it in the fridge, I sliced a square for a taste test, and here's what it looked like:

Notice that it crumbled apart and compare to the first picture above,
which looked firm and well-formed.  Oh well, at least I found out right away
that it's delicious! ☺

So, if you're interested to try this, you can find the complete recipe (with video) at Joy of Baking (site is linked above).  Like I've already said, this recipe calls for a food processor but if you don't have one, you can use a blender like I did.  You just have to mix the ingredients in increments or batches until all of them are well incorporated.  Ciao for now! ☻

******************************************************************

You can find more foodie stuff here:

GASTRONOMY MONDAY

******************************************************************

My share for:

366 BLOG PHOTO CHALLENGE | YUMMY SUNDAY | BLUE MONDAY |

MY SHOES AND THE TALES THEY TELL

WORKING HARD

My job used to be very demanding that at some point I was working almost 50-60 hours per week. Believe it or not, there was even one time that I worked from 9:00 a.m. to almost 11:00 p.m., and some of my coworkers were working even until 1:30 a.m. (and would come back at 7:00 or 8:00 a.m. later for another helluva shift!) Yes, it was that bad and crazy, and there was just sooooo much to do that it felt like I didn't have much choice but to work overtime. Naturally, you'd think that working really late would mean a lighter load the following day, right? Of course not! I'd go to work the next day only to find myself in much deeper swamp.

Anyway, when your life pretty much just revolved around work, it could get depressing and frustrating. One time I was really feeling burnt out, that I felt I need a quick de-stressor ASAP, and the first thing that entered my mind is SHOES. My workplace, being located only a couple of blocks away from the biggest shopping mall in Toronto (Eaton Centre), retail therapy was definitely not an issue. At a little over 6:00 p.m., I logged off at work and walked my way to Dundas and Yonge. It didn't take me long to get to one of the four Aldo stores in Eaton Centre. I quickly scanned the store and a pair of gladiator wedges caught my eye. I asked the sales associate for my size but as expected, they didn't have it. I really liked it though, so I tried my luck with the next size, and wow, I felt like Cinderella when the shoes magically fitted me just perfectly fine like it was really meant to be!

So, the next day when I came to work, my work pile was still over my head high, but at least the few inches of my new wedges gave me a little boost, literally and figuratively :)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I hope you enjoyed reading this post.  Come back again next week for another edition of:

MY SHOES AND THE TALES THEY TELL

For a sneak peak of what's inside my closet, please visit:

WEDNESDAY APPAREL

And nope, they're not for sale ☺

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My share for:

366 BLOG PHOTO CHALLENGE | WORDFUL WEDNESDAY |

THINGS TO SEE IN D.C.

Have you been to Washington D.C.?

This year (March 20 to April 27), D.C. celebrates the centennial anniversary of Japan's gift of cherry blossom trees to US. The National Cherry Blossom Parade and Sakura Matsuri Japanese Street Festival was held last Saturday (April 12). Vince and I didn't go this year but from our experience last year, I'm sure the festival and parade this year was a blast, especially that it celebrated the 100th year.

Here are some of the famous attractions worth visiting in D.C.:

LINCOLN MEMORIAL

"Four scores and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth
on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and
dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal."
- Gettysburg address

THOMAS JEFFERSON MEMORIAL

"Upon the altar of God I pledge eternal hostility
against every form of tyranny over the mind of man."
- Thomas Jefferson, an American Founding Father
and third President of the United States

UNITED STATES CAPITOL

The United States Capitol is the meeting place of  the
United States Congress, legislature of the federal
government of the United States. - Wikipedia

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

The Library of Congress is the research library of
United States Congress, de facto national library of
the United States, and the oldest federal cultural
institution in the United States. - Wikipedia

WASHINGTON MONUMENT

The Washington Monument is the world's tallest
stone structure and the world's tallest obelisk. - Wikipedia

WHITE HOUSE

Keeping up with the Obamas ☻

NATIONAL WORLD WAR II MEMORIAL

One of the 56 pillars surrounding the
National World War II Memorial plaza is
dedicated to the Americans who fought at the
Battle of the  Philippine Sea.

KOREAN WAR VETERANS MEMORIAL

"Our nation honors her sons and daughters who answered the call
to defend a country they never knew and a people they never met."

POOL OF REMEMBRANCE

"Freedom is not free."
Inscriptions on the black granite lining this pool  list
the numbers killed, wounded, missing in action, and held
as prisoners of war during the Korean War from 1950 to 1953.

TIDAL BASIN

The Tidal Basin is a partially man-made reservoir
between the Potomac River and the Washington Channel.
- Wikipedia

***************************************************************************

You can read more of my travel stories here:

TUESDAY TRAVEL

***************************************************************************

My share for:

366 BLOG PHOTO CHALLENGE |

CHEESECAKE MINIS

My home cooking adventures continue, and recently, I endeavored on baking cheesecake minis.

Having spent a good amount of time reading on different recipes from the Internet and a few food magazines, I learned that baking a regular sized cheesecake employs the "water bath" technique. While I found some recipes which do not necessarily follow that, majority advises that it's best to still use water bath when baking to prevent the cheesecake from "cracking." I wanted to try it but then that meant I (or rather Vince) would have to unearth from our mystical closets full of anek-anek the large roast pan we got as a wedding present so I could use a water bath for my cheesecake. I didn't want to bother Vince, so I held off on baking the real deal. It didn't really occur to me that I can bake mini cheesecakes and not having to worry about water bath until I came across a recipe for it. So, having said that, I think we can all guess what happened next.

Yap! I baked my first ever cheesecake minis. Yay! I think it was a good idea that I tried the minis first, because it kinda gave me the feel on how to achieve the right consistency and not overbeat, how long the baking time and what firm yet jiggly on the center means, and stuff like that, so that when I finally attempt to bake a regular sized cheesecake, I already have an idea on what to do ;)

Anyway, I've blabbed too much already. It's time I give credit to where I got the recipe from:

INDIVIDUAL CHEESECAKES RECIPE

If I may just mention, a variation I did in terms of the technique is that I added the egg last. I learned from reading that it's important to avoid introducing air/bubbles into the cheesecake mixture. What happens is that those air/bubbles will "escape" out of the mixture as it bakes, hence, causing the cheesecake to crack. I also read that the more you beat the egg, the more air you introduce, so it's best to add the egg last and then beat for a short time just enough to incorporate it into the mixture.

It's a really delicious and easy version of New York style cheesecake - I hope you try it ☻

******************************************************************

You can find more foodie stuff here:

GASTRONOMY MONDAY

******************************************************************

My share for:

366 BLOG PHOTO CHALLENGE | RUBY TUESDAY 2 | MEMORY LANE MONDAY | FOOD FRIDAY | FOOD TRIP FRIDAY | WEEKEND EATING |

CREAMY CHICKEN PESTO FARFALLE

I'm sharing over here an easy-peasy recipe I found on a Campbell's Cream of Chicken Soup label:

Gone too soon!

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons butter
1-1/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into cubesd
1 can Campbell's Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
1/2 cup pesto (I used Classico Traditional Basil Pesto)
1/2 cup milk
3 cups farfalle, cooked as per package instruction, drained

INSTRUCTION:

1.  Heat the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken and cook until well browned, stirring often.

2.  Stir the cream of chicken soup, pesto sauce and milk in the skillet, and heat to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low.  Cook until the chicken is cooked through.  Stir in the pasta and cook until the mixture is hot and bubbling.

3.  Serve and enjoy!

Don't you just love quick fix meals like this? Try it yourself! ☻

******************************************************************

You can find more foodie stuff here:

GASTRONOMY MONDAY

******************************************************************

My share for:

366 BLOG PHOTO CHALLENGE | YUMMY SUNDAY |

MY SHOES AND THE TALES THEY TELL

While waiting at the TTC subway, wearing these boots,
a random lady approached me and exclaimed,
"Oh my, what tiny, little feet you have!"

MY HERCULES BOOTS

When I was still living in Toronto, my BFF there used to own a very adorable Pomeranian named Hercules - or Herc for short. Herc, as a puppy, was very friendly and sociable, so he never failed to amuse people. Anyway, one winter time, I went to my BFF's apartment, and Herc, being his usual jolly self, greeted me at the door with his yaps and yelps and wagging tail. So, I said hi to Herc and gave him a little petting, and I went on to take my boots off and headed straight inside the apartment. Not long after I've entered in and my BFF and I had started talking when we noticed that little Herc had been incessantly barking at something by the door. We looked at him and saw that it was my furry boots he's barking at. Herc thought that my boots was a dog! LOL.  Hahaha!  That was funny and cute at the same time.  Herc would nudge at my boots, then he'd back off a bit as if anticipating a comeback from my boots, then would bark at them again.  In the end, my boots disappointed Herc by giving him the silent "deadma" treatment rather than the fight he was hoping for.  Since then, Vince and I called these pair of boots, "Hercules."

Me and the real Herc

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I hope you enjoyed reading this post.  Come back again next week for another edition of:

MY SHOES AND THE TALES THEY TELL

For a sneak peak of what's inside my closet, please visit:

WEDNESDAY APPAREL

And nope, they're not for sale ☺

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My share for:

366 BLOG PHOTO CHALLENGE | WORDFUL WEDNESDAY | THURSDAY BROWNIES | ORANGE TUESDAYS |

YS FALLS

Another tourist spot that is worth seeing in Jamaica is the YS Falls.

Nestled into the rich grounds of YS Estate, the YS Falls is a little bit of paradise with the beauty of the waterfalls surrounded by lush gardens and magnificent trees.  Down from the farm, tourists are transported by a tractor or jitney up to the falls, giving them the chance to see livestock including Zebu (cows) and horses that graze into the luscious greenery of the vast YS Estate.

YS is the shortest named place in Jamaica.  It's not an abbreviation or an acronym for something.  It's just YS - nothing more, nothing less.

The YS Falls is a seven-tiered waterfalls that cascade into natural pools.  Some parts are really rocky and do not allow swimming.  However, there are lifeguards on site to assist and inform guests which parts of the falls are okay for swimming, being able to swim a requirement.  At the very foot of the falls is a man-enhanced natural pool which is suitable for children and guests who cannot swim.

By the shallow part of the falls.

Water shoes are strongly recommended considering that for the most part,
the falls is rocky and slippery

You'll be surprised at what other things you can do at this nature-based attraction. You can swing from ropes hanging on trees (just like Tarzan) and then jump and dunk yourself into the water.  Ziplining is also an option, as well as river tubing.  Clean comfort rooms and change rooms are available in the area, and all efforts are being made to preserve this beautiful paradise.

Those girls behind me surely had fun swinging on the ropes.
I didn't try it.  I didn't even swim.  I thought the falls was too rocky and
slippery, but the main reason why I didn't get myself wet is that
I didn't remember to bring my change of undies/clothes!
I know, right?  Of all the things to forget... Tsk!

More YS info here at this website:  YS FALLS - The Natural Adventure

**************************************************************

You can read more of my Jamaican vacation here:

I BEG YOUR PARDON MAMA WHAT DID YOU SAY?

**************************************************************

My share for:

366 BLOG PHOTO CHALLENGE | WATER WORLD WEDNESDAY | WATERY WEDNESDAY | COLOR CONNECTION | MELLOW YELLOW MONDAY | BLUE MONDAY | TUESDAY TRAVELS |

CHURRASCARIA

Vince and I were in Maryland last Saturday for an appointment with our tax preparer.  Of course, the foodies in us grabbed that chance to experience Fogo de Chao - a quite popular churrascaria or Brazilian steakhouse in Baltimore, MD.  We tried to make a reservation last month we were in Maryland, but it seems like it is a very busy restaurant that the only slot available was for 10:30 p.m.  Ahhmmmm, who eats dinner that late, right?  Maybe if we live in the area we would've gone for it, but since we're from PA, we passed and made plans to do it the next time we're back - and that's what we exactly did last Saturday.

I was hoping I could share photos of my Fogo de Chao dining experience but unfortunately, I can't.  The valet parking attendants there (which were all Pinoy) were in such a hurry to get us out of the car (my purse even dropped on the road when an attendant nonchalantly opened my door), hence, we forgot our camera in the car.  Never mind my iPhone, I forgot it at home *toinks* 

Anyway, that wasn't our first time churrascaria dining experience.  Vince's first was at Brazil! Brazil! in Manila, Philippines, and mine was at Copacabana in Toronto, ON Canada. When we compared Fogo de Chao to our previous Brazilian steakhouse experiences, our verdict was that we liked our previous experiences better.  Vince said he enjoyed Brazil! Brazil!'s flavors better.  I thought the churrasco they served in Fogo de Chao were very tasty to the point that the flavors could get overpowering you wouldn't want to have seconds.  Although, in terms of price, Fogo is quite comparable with Brazil! Brazil! and Copacabana, however, I felt that since I didn't eat much, I didn't get my money's worth :(  Vince paid around $120 for both of us, but it seems like I only ate $20 worth of food.   The servers in Fogo de Chao, however, are very prompt, fast paced and courteous (they'd pull out chair for ladies; they check every now and then to see if a table needs side dish refills; etc.)

Speaking of servers, on the other hand, there are really good looking servers in Copacabana that you would want to keep your "hot" sign on.  LOL.  (You flip the "on fire" sign if you want servers to bring you churrasco or flip it to "cool down" if you want to pass).  I remember having so much fun with my BFF the first time I ate in Copacabana.  Like I said, they had a bunch of guapo servers that we gave each one names like Manong Matthew McCounaghey, etc. There was this one particular server that caught our attention but he was kinda timid compared to the other guys, and he manned the salad bar, so he rarely went to serve tables.  When I saw him doing his rounds with a pitcher of water, I poured my water to my BFF's empty glass just in time for Mr. Good Looking Server to see that I need water refill.  All smiles to Mr. Good Looking Server when I said my sweetest, "Thank you."  Hahaha!  Also, what I love about Copacabana is that they have very nice entertainment there including a live band, Capoeira (Brazilian martial arts) exhibition, and colorful Copacabana dancers!  Those and the good looking servers, on top of the churrasco they serve, make it all worth the fancy bill I paid ;)

♪♫ Her name was Lola.  She was a showgirl!

With yellow feathers in her hair and a dress cut down to there.

...At the Copa, Copacabana ♪♫

I miss the busy and lively Eglinton Street East!

******************************************************************

You can find more foodie stuff here:

GASTRONOMY MONDAY

******************************************************************

My share for:

366 BLOG PHOTO CHALLENGE | MEMORY LANE MONDAY |

MY SHOES AND THE TALES THEY TELL

Aside from bags, I guess we can all agree that shoes are yet again one thing that girls cannot seem to never have enough of.  Can I get an amen to that? ☻

When it comes to shoes, my go-to brand is Aldo.  I appreciate the fact that:

1)  They carry my size (5 or 35)
2)  Their shoes are fashionable and
3)  Affordable.

So a couple of late nights ago, I was pestering my husband to help me choose over several pairs of shoes I was eyeing on.  Poor Vince - he just came from a recent stint of two-week night float and at present is on a busy rotation too - he was obviously fighting the urge to sleep amidst my whining and shoe dilemma, to which he replied in a calm manner, "Why not just buy all those?  That usually solves the problem, right?"  I said to him, "I shouldn't buy four pairs. That's too much.  Plus, I also want to get a clutch bag to match with the shoes I'm getting."  Not long after that, Vince fell asleep, and so I made the decision on my own.  Since I thought four pairs is a lot, guess what, I convinced myself that three pairs and a clutch bag are not excessive.  Oh dear, I swear I heard Visa and Mastercard's loud applaud on me as I completed the online transaction.  Ka-ching!

Anyway, while contemplating over the purchase I made, it dawned on me that shoes, as vain and materialistic they may portray a person to be (no offense meant to Ms. Imelda Romualdez Marcos), they do have personal and sentimental tales to tell.  When I jogged my memory for unique stories behind each of my shoes, true enough, I was able to come up with bits and pieces of anecdote/story for each.  Hence, the birth of this blog segment entitled, "My Shoes and the Tales they Tell."

So, without further ado, here goes nothing:

THE "AUTHENTIC" ONE

In summer of 2008, I, along with six friends, went to Montreal, Quebec for an overnight getaway.  It was a spur-of-the-moment kind of thing, and this pair of sandals was the perfect souvenir from that trip.  Why perfect?  Because the first freestanding Aldo store was opened in Montreal in 1978.  Well, I didn't know that then, but it matters now that I know *wink*

Like I said, that trip was more of a biglaang lakad pero natutuloy (unplanned trip yet gets pushed through), so we didn't have a solid itinerary.  We strolled along downtown Montreal and checked out the different boutiques and stores they have there, and as if there's not enough Aldo stores where we came from in Toronto, we took the time and effort to check out an Aldo store there.  During the short span of time we were in Montreal, we were convinced that the locals there were not used to seeing Filipinos, and they were probably racking their brains trying to figure out where the heck did people like us originate from and what the heck were we doing there.  Based on the peculiar looks and quizzed stares we got from the locals, it was obvious that they were stumped by our exotic looks and strange language (all of us in that trip were Pinoy so we conversed in Tagalog among ourselves).  It is still vivid in my memory how the young Aldo sales associate spoke to me in French, and when I replied in English, she smiled politely, and quickly mumbled, "Ah, English."  Anyway, to cut the long story short, even if Je ne parle pas Francais, that didn't hinder me from buying a pair of sandals ☻

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I hope you enjoyed reading this post.  Come back again next week for another edition of:

MY SHOES AND THE TALES THEY TELL

For a sneak peak of what's inside my closet, please visit:

WEDNESDAY APPAREL

And nope, they're not for sale ☺

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My share for:

MEMORY LANE MONDAY | 366 BLOG PHOTO CHALLENGE |

FIRST STAINLESS STEEL BIPLANE

Outside the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, PA - April 2011

The Budd BB-1 Pioneer is a permanent display outside the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  It is an experimental US biplane in 1930s with a framework that was constructed entirely of stainless steel.  It first flew in 1931 and logged a total of about 1000 flying hours on tours in US and Italy, and eventually retired in 1934.

The Franklin Institute is one of the must-visit attractions in Philadelphia.  There are so many exhibits to see there as well as fun stuff to do that both kids and adults will surely find enjoyable and interesting.  I will be back to show more pictures of my visit to the museum, so stay tuned! ☻

***************************************************************************

You can read more of my travel stories here:

TUESDAY TRAVEL

***************************************************************************

My share for:

366 BLOG PHOTO CHALLENGE | BLUE MONDAY | TUESDAY TRAVEL |

LET'S EGGSPERIMENT

How many ways have you cooked an egg? ☻

About two months ago, Vince and I were in Kawartha Lakes, Ontario, for a couple of interviews/site visits.  During those visits, we were housed in a couple of bed and breakfast, one of which is The Kinmount House.  The host of this house, Mr. Patrick Healey, is  popular for the Kinmount House Eggs he serves for breakfasts.

Kinmount House Eggs are definitely not boring!

I didn't ask our host for the recipe of this beautiful egg meal but my guess is that this is accomplished by separating the yolk from the white, beating the white until it becomes fluffy then layering it on top of a slice of bread and cheese, and then placing inside the oven to cook, with the yolk being added last. Of course, I could be wrong, but one way to find out is to try cooking this myself.  Hehe!

Since we're talking about eggs anyway, allow me to also share this picture of Cora's Eggs Ben Et Dictine that I digged from my iPhone:

Eggs Ben Et Dictine are so not your eggs-next-door! 

Eggs Ben Et Dictine are two poached eggs on an English muffin covered with Hollandaise sauce and comes with a choice of mushrooms, Swiss cheese, Brie, ham, asparagus or smoked salmon, and served with home fries and fresh fruits.

I don't usually eat breakfast but after realizing that there are more fun ways to cook eggs, I just had the urge to eggsperiment and try putting fun in home-cooked breakfasts!  I will definitely let you know once I've done so ;)

******************************************************************

You can find more foodie stuff here:

GASTRONOMY MONDAY

******************************************************************

My share for:

366 BLOG PHOTO CHALLENGE | FOOD TRIP FRIDAY | FOOD FRIDAY | COLOR CONNECTION | MELLOW YELLOW MONDAY |