Sundays with Joy/Carrot Cake Pancakes

I made these last week and boy were they a treat.  It was a regular Thursday but I got to have these really awesome pancakes in the middle of the week for no reason (well, you know for the blog but my belly didn’t know that).  I just cannot tell you how much I enjoyed these.  They were so sweet and the cream cheese glaze just went perfectly.  I just halved the cream cheese and doubled the milk (I do think it was too much liquid).  It tasted great, looks like a foam, but holds up well and stays pourable for awhile yet stays put without crusting up like a standard glaze can.  I just felt a little less guilt about eating the frosting if it was pourable as opposed to spreading.  I still used the same amount of sugar!  I also used white whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose in this recipe.

Overall, I would say the kids liked them.  My oldest, no question, LOVED them.  Can you believe I actually got the super picky one, the one that looks in her food to look for things she doesn’t like, to eat half of one after putting some syrup on it?  She did end up noticing the carrots but for her to eat that much of it before becoming suspicious is a really big deal around here.  My little one ate his fair share.  Let’s just say the plate in the picture wasn’t the end of my consumption of carrot cake pancakes that day either.

Also, with these and her Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes (also in the cookbook), I am becoming a BIG fan of raisins in my pancakes.  Who knew?  Check out Bakeaholic Mama for other variations.  Carrie has a cream cheese “syrup” that looks nothing like foam if you wanna check it out and someone else has made a chocolate glaze.  It’s the season for carrot cake and if you just want a taste without making a whole cake, I highly recommend giving these a try.

My GeekyLink for this week is well, Doctor Who, of course.  The Doctor comes back on Saturday so not only am I preparing for Easter, I am preparing for the day before as well.  I need to get all my Easter stuff prepped before the episode starts.  I usually watch as I DVR so that if the little ones interrupt an episode, I am covered.  Then I’ll watch again once they are asleep.  Then there is Gallifrey 2014 that sold out in less than a month.  I am so glad I was on the ball with that one!

Coconut Cream Pie with Chocolate for Pi Day

Grr…this pie.  I have been working on it all week.  I tried to make a pie crust with coconut oil but it didn’t quite work out for me and the first filling I tried didn’t work out either.  I don’t know why, but I was obsessed with using a pastry crust for this pie as opposed to a crumb one which lots of cream pies have.  I just wasn’t feeling it.  Well, I should have been because after my first attempt failed as did the filling I should have known it wasn’t going to work out easily for me.  I then made a double crust recipe so I’d have one to save in the freezer and ended up having to use both because I forgot to prick the bottom of the first and then I go and over bake the second.  So right off I am going to say, just use your favorite pie crust recipe or buy one.  Don’t stress, the best part is to come.

See? I told ya, burnt. Still yummy, though.

I figured out a nice way to sweeten unsweetened coconut so that was a nice bonus.  Also, this pastry cream I have used before but haven’t had the opportunity to share the recipe so that is a plus.  I do think a good chocolate cream would be nice in this pie too.  I made a variation of the coconut dip that I made for my son’s birthday party for the whipped cream topping.  Top with more chocolate and toasted coconut flakes and you have an amazing coconut cream pie with chocolate throughout (Did I forget to mention the ganache on the bottom?).  Burnt crust or not, this pie is the best thing I have made in AGES!

My GeekyLink for today is the tie in book from Fringe, September’s Notebook!  It comes out next week, I can’t wait!  Also, you may not hear from me till next Sundays With Joy because I have some TARDIS pillows to make (housewarming gifts, one for a couple already moved and one moving soon) and I have to sew new curtains for my daughter.  It turns out when I did it before (like 4 years ago) I did it upside down and there were peace signs in the fabric to prove it.  So I bought her what looks like a night sky so I can sew it upside down all I want.  I’ll show you when I’m done with both.

Sundays with Joy/Toasted Coconut Dutch Baby with Banana and Pineapple

I made this WAY earlier in the week because I wanted this post to be on time but Friday I was writing an igamemom post, Saturday I was baking for my niece’s birthday, and Sunday was her party.  So…the post comes today.

That’s 1/4 cup of butter we bake this in folks!

Anyways, this dutch baby was a LOVELY way to start the week.  It was one of the mornings that my baby had preschool.  I came right home and whipped this up.  The great thing about being alone to make something is well, for it being my first time making one, it took me no time at all.  I took uninterrupted pictures (well kinda, at that point it was getting close to pick up time so I had to speed it up).  But the worst thing, I was the only one home to eat it.  I usually make the kids wait to eat my stuff till after I take pictures but no one was home so I got to eat a piece first!  Plus, obviously, warmer is better.  My son did have a piece when he got home, though.

I used unsweetened coconut just because that is what I had on hand and aside from that I didn’t change a darn thing.  It looks like a complicated food but it was really quite simple.  I totally went with the whole wheat flour just like Joy said and I was not disappointed.  It went very well with the browned coconut.  I already have a variation I might want to try.  We’ll see.  I did try to make something for you this week and it didn’t go so well.  Out of the oven perfect but overnight, not so much, and it was supposed to be a snack that lasts a few days.  Back to the drawing board for that one…

Yum!

Anyways to see other variations on this check out Ellen at Indigo Scones.  She has some great pictures of her dutch baby all puffed up.  I can’t believe I didn’t think to take pictures at that point!  It looks pretty cool.  Also if you’d like to try this buy Joy’s cookbook!

My GeekyLinks for today were this app I just bought and something a friend wrote.  The story of this app is that it helped a documentary filmmaker finish his movie.  It makes video look like it was filmed with actual film from like 20 years ago.  I have big plans for this one during the summer when the kids are playing in the yard.  The best thing about it is that you can mute the sound of whatever it is your taping which helps make your film believable as something from a bygone era.  I tried it with the kids talking but it was kinda weird.  My other link is for those of you that remember the episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation where people that were frozen and sent to space were picked up and “thawed” by the Enterprise.  First off, you’re awesome and you might want to read Waking Up in the Future.

A lovely (yet lonely) brunch if I do say so myself.

Sundays with Joy/Brown Butter Peanut Butter Crispy Rice Treats

I’ve just been trying to get back into the swing of things. After the long weekend last week, then my two Gally posts, then my igamemom post, then I made these crispy rice treats, and then it was Oscar Sunday and I had my party. It was a big turnout this year. Instead of just my friend and I we became five this year.  Exciting!  It was also the first time I asked my oldest to watch the babies upstairs with monetary compensation.  She did alright.  Next time I will stipulate that she must also help me get ready for the party if she wants to see any cash.  But the main goal was to keep the babies’ (please realize they are 4 and 5, but my babies) visits downstairs to a handful a piece and that goal was met.

Butter browning, then with added peanut butter and marshmallows.

No cash actually exchanged hands, mind you.  I promised a $10 transfer to her bank account and $10 cash but she had been bugging me about going to the comic book store for a few weeks so yesterday I ended up buying her $12 of books and we finally got put on a “pull list” for her comics.  We actually had a really great time just looking around and seeing all the stuff that was available and what she was into.  All this was after having a breakfast date with the husband while my son was in preschool.  We ate and I thought we were going to go home and I was going to write this post but then we went to the mall and did some shopping. And I’m sorry but I must admit it, I am really glad this post is even later than I was anticipating because we had a really nice time.  The girls got out of school early and then my oldest and I went on our comic book excursion.  The girls had dance after that and while we were gone my husband got the names for our daughter’s spring soccer team.  To me, it is so adorable when my husband has to talk to parents and stuff since he is normally really shy with new people.  It was also just nice to see him so excited for a change.  The only thing that could have made yesterday better was capping off dinner with one of these.  Sadly, we finished them off almost a week ago now.  Time to buy some more cereal…!

Sadly, I don’t think I will be having an Oscar post this year.  I asked one of my guests to bring the appetizers and I just made a simple roast.  I made a lovely cake but it was only 85% of what I wanted.  I know what I want to do to fix it but I need a break from chocolate cake.  That one was like the third in about a month.  I’ll leave a sneak peak at the bottom of the post.  However, if you’d like the recipe for these treats all you need to do is buy Joy’s Cookbook.  Also, don’t forget to check out Bakeaholic Mama for variations.  I’ll just say someone dipped them in chocolate…

For my GeekyLink this week, well, its me!  Here is my first post for igamemom!  I am so excited that I started this and yes, the particular app I reviewed Game For Two, is totally addictive (Tiles, I can’t quit you, and medium is even BETTER than easy!).  It looks like I’ll only be posting every other week, at least till after soccer season and the girls’ dance recital (dang you real life!) but please check it out!  Also the best video I have seen recapping Gallifrey One 2013.  Thank the kid for finding this one.  And yep, I realize I still owe her $8.

Look! Proof I can make a pretty ganache. Unlike my last attempt.

Gallifrey One 2013, Day 2

Saturday started out great!  Despite going to sleep around 2 am, I was chipper and up not too long after 7.  Breakfast at our hotel was much better than expected and we packed up, checked out and were back at the Marriott well before 9:30 which was when I was hoping we’d make it.  Neowhovian and her #Tardispod pals were having their meet up then and I wanted to check out all the cosplay.  Once inside though, I made a strategic move to get in line for a Freema Agyeman autograph.  I figured I’d wait now, before any programming started instead of waiting during a panel I might have wanted to go see.  The girls went on to the meetup and met all these great people!

My niece is a HUGE fan of cosplay.  It meant so much to her to be included.  Photos courtesy of Angela.

While I was waiting I got to talking to some great people I was sitting with.  Everything was super pleasant and lazy because again, programming wasn’t to start for a half hour or so and then I almost had a heart attack.  My eyes settled on John Noble!  Anyone that reads this blog knows what a Fringie I am.  I knew he was going to be there but catching him out amongst everyone was unexpected and I got all fangirly.  And you know what I do when I get fangirly?  I take my stalker pictures.

Freema, John, Dalek, and Dan Starkey…you have been stalked!

Once the line started moving I had the girls meet up with me in line so they could meet Freema.  They got there right in the nick of time.  I didn’t even get the autograph for me, but we got to meet Freema for it and that’ll be worth giving away the autograph.  I got it for a friend who is a big Tenth Doctor fan and I made sure the picture had him in it.  I told Freema this then she smiled and sighed, “David, David, David.”  It was SO cute.  She told us we looked great and then we were on our way.  I wanted to take both girls to the panel I had waited all weekend for, Trial of a Time Lord.  Not only did it sound like a great panel (discussing how each of the actors that have played the doctor have informed the character, that whole evolution through each, and how fans react to that) but it was the only panel that had two Traveling the Vortex guys on it.  We get in there and it is standing room only so we find a spot against the wall.  My daughter sits at my feet and huffs (she doesn’t “get” the panels yet).  I am listening for a minute or two when I notice her rifling through her purse.  I look down and she mouths the words “I can’t find my iPod touch.”  At that moment I am SO upset.  Not so much about her device, I mean, I didn’t buy it for her and it sucks for her but you’re telling me I HAVE TO LEAVE THIS PANEL?  Of course I did, I’m the mom first, nerd second.  I tried my best to calm her too because I didn’t want it to ruin the day.

The next few hours were spent intermittantly doing stuff we wanted and 10 minutes of every hour checking and rechecking the lost and founds and checking and rechecking Find my iPod.  I knew it would have to be picked up and brought upstairs before it could get a good enough signal to be found that way so we were hoping someone would just turn it in before we had to leave that afternoon.  I was confident we’d get it back (and we did), I just didn’t want to have to drive back to LA to do it (we had to).

The next thing I remember was making it to Room D for most of the Tooth and Claw panel.  Which was about how to make your mark on the Doctor Who fandom doing whatever it is you do (blogging, podcasting, sewing, writing) and how to go about it.  After another iPod delay, I convinced Angela to join me for the Invasion of the Dinosaurs panel.  A panel, like last year’s that I loved so much, devoted to the mixing and matching of old fans versus new fans.  This time I remembered to bring a pen and paper and wrote down some episode names.  I only wish they’d addressed another reason some new Who fans don’t get into the older stuff.  It is just the  overwhelming Doctor Who content that is out there.  There is not only decades worth of Doctor Who episodes but the audio content is a big deal too.  I guess just baby steps…?

I went upstairs to give blood for one more chance at a membership for next year, and well to give blood.  The girls went to a comic book panel and a NASA panel.  Angela was upset though because she couldn’t see the screen in that room.  Then we met up for our picture with Freema.  John Noble had to cancel pictures but I already had my autograph and money back at the end of the day was a nice proposition.  The girls were getting tired and cranky so they opted for the video room and I went to A Good Man Goes to War, with Vortex Shaun.  It was basically an in depth look at Stephen Moffat’s handling of the show thus far.  I went up and introduced myself quickly to Shaun but had to run because Freema was speaking next in the big room and I wanted us all to go.  Again, standing room only with the girls sitting on the floor.  It was a lovely interview.  I was glad we stayed for the whole thing.  It was time to go after that and it was just as well, the girls and I were exhausted and hungry.  Although, I know we all thought of the night before and how much fun we had and how we’d be missing it that night.  That was definitely our favorite part.

Extras

Our haul.

I was supposed to meet my most Awesome twitter friend at Gally, but she moved to Pennsylvania the week before.  Her (wonderful, awesome, lovely!) mom gave me these cupcake Tardis earrings for Christmas that I wore all weekend.

I love the panels and all the Who talk and all the stuff and all the podcasters and bloggers and celebrities but the BEST thing about Gallifrey One is THE PEOPLE!

The last day of Gally I didn’t attend but on that day discovered that my cousin is a big Doctor Who fan and might come with us next year!  Also, I got to hold my baby cousin for the about the second time in almost six months because I had been sick every other time.  That made missing the last day totally worth it.

Favorite ribbon that I got, “I’m the clever one.  You’re the potato one.”  Said in Matt Smith’s voice in my head every time.  And it’s Angela that ends up with the most!

Next year, I will tell everyone whose cosplay I like, “I like your cosplay.”  It should be said out loud if felt and is a great way to meet people.

Check the end tables all around the con.  I got a business card for Traveling the Vortex, information about a Harry Potter skate meet up, apparently there is a large science fiction museum at UCR that I need to check out, a paper print out so you could cut and fold and make your own 3-D paper tardis, and some info on an upcoming anime con for my niece.  LOTS of cool stuff!

I was appalled at the lack of Doctor Whooves stuff.  C’mon people!  Those worlds are collided in the best way, let’s move forward with it!

Who do I see when I pull up to pick up the iPod the day after Gally ended?

Who indeed.

Gallifrey One 2013, Day 1

Geez, I don’t know where to start.  This is probably the fourth or fifth time that I have started this post and now, as all of the kids are out of the house for a few hours, I have to get it done.  There is just so much stuff !  So how about we start off with this…

Right before we left and the coolest first thing we saw when we got there. O yeah, at Gally, cool begins in the parking lot.

Traffic was a bit lighter on the way this year but jeez, for someplace so close it sure takes awhile to get there.  We wandered around for a bit when we got there and showed my niece around for a bit.  She had been to the LAX Marriott before for another con but I wanted to show her where everything was set up at Gally.  Let’s just say even I was turned around a bit by Program E.  I thought it was in the room that the costume repair was set up in, so my niece (a cosplay fanatic) missed the panels I marked off for her that day.  Luckily, she found the room the next day and was very excited about what she got to hear.  I,on the other hand, went to my first panel of the con and left VERY upset.

Our best pictures of the day!

It was called Partners in Crime (and don’t even get me started on the panel names, they were clever but very confusing) and it was going to be all about the Ponds.  One of the panelists, dressed up like Captain Jack Harkness (she made a very good one), basically didn’t buy the whole Rory/Amy relationship.  We all know Rory is too good for Amy, duh.  Does that mean Amy doesn’t love him?  I don’t think so.  Luckily, there was someone on my side, Stephen Prescott, host of A Mad Man with a Box podcast.  I spoke to him later to tell him thank you and I got a ribbon!  He appreciated the sentiment as well.  My main issue was their issue with how things wrapped up with them.  Okay, I’ll give you that the pregnancy thing was a plot device designed to show what she would give up for him, even if we didn’t buy it.  However, it’s not like she only loved him in the last season.  What no one brought up was one of the early episodes where she clearly chose Rory, “Amy’s Choice”.   Sure she treated him bad most of the time but as Mr. Prescott pointed out, and many of us know, there are plenty of relationships like that.  Also, the infertility plot device, although it could have been used better, was not totally off the mark.  It is just that most people are lucky enough not to experience it.  It took us four years to get pregnant.  There are things you don’t talk about.  Things that are settled.  Things as a couple you decide.  No one understands that except the couple going through it.  Could that plot point have been executed better?  Duh.  But was it totally unrealistic?  Not necessarily.

Cool stuff…

My displeasure with the Partners in Crime panel continued with the next panel that the three of us went to together.  It was Who Crack Video Track III, video clips compiled by the Five and Dime Fangirls.  It was great, just sitting there watching all these wonderful clips.  The girls really enjoyed it.  There was lots of laughing and clapping all around.  One clip in particular struck me, when Amy first sees Rory after emerging from the Pandorica.  She jumps on the man.  She LOVES him!  Grrr….  Anyways, they had lots of great stuff.  A few I had seen and a very nice Martha Jones compilation.  They named her their Gal of the Year and we got a ribbon that says so.

We didn’t have anything set for awhile so we went to the car and had lunch that I had brought.  We did some shopping.  We also did a bit of Wibbly Wobbly Words, the Gallifrey 2013 Challenge for this year.  It was a bit harder than last year’s challenge but we ended up only needed help with two.  That is where my Twitter friends came in.  I met SO many.  I did miss a couple but there is always next year.  I really liked them too.  Sometimes it could get awkward but mostly it was awesome and fun.  The girls even had a favorite of mine.  They even made friends of their own too.  They met someone so cool she invited them the next day to sit down and watch that morning’s season ending My Little Pony:Friendship is Magic episode (which ultimately was a BIG disappointment to my girls).

Next up for me was Between the Cracks 2013, a Star Trek panel.  Yup, cause I’m a Trekkie too.  Larry Nemecek, had just the best pictures and stories.  It was fun and fascinating all at the same time.  What more could you want?

Only two stalker pics that day. Mark Sheppard (sigh) and Chloe Dykstra, as Clara, (who I can only assume was working for the Nerdist Channel that day with camera crews all around).

After that we went to our hotel which was about two blocks away.  I am NOT doing that again next year.  Although, I really liked my hotel, it was too far to walk (at least at night) and I don’t even want to think about how much money I wasted on parking (OK, around $30 in two days!).  Next time, I am either staying at the Marriott or at one of the hotels directly adjacent to it.  There are three, I wrote their names down and I will be prepared for next year.  We chilled out a bit, charged our devices, my niece got changed, we picked up Taco Bell, and went back for the evenings festivities.  This was kind of what I was waiting for since last year we were on our way home at that time.

First we went to Charlie Ross’ show Geek Like Me.  It was your standard comedy show with some Doctor Who thrown in.  At one point, towards the end, Charlie Ross sings Rocky Horror’s Science Fiction/Double Feature as a Doctor Who song and the best thing in the world happens…the Sonic Screwdrivers come out!  Red, green, blue…my daughter was horrified that she had left hers from last year at home.

Sonics out in full force!

After that was an improv show that my niece stayed to watch and LOVED and Angela and I went to Carnival of Monsters and karaoke.  Carnival of Monsters was super fun.  You’d play for tickets and if you had so many tickets you could enter them into a raffle for prizes.  One big prize being a membership for next year.  It took awhile to compile that much but even though Angela had a tough time at the rest of the games, she rocked at the Feed the Beast Below game.  I tried to get a seat at a poker table but only found one at a blackjack table.  It was nice just sitting and talking and hanging out with people.  The girls mostly stayed in the karaoke room.  They really loved it.  Once the raffle was over and we didn’t win anything, we left and went back to the hotel.  Angela didn’t even change out of her clothes before she passed out.

The next day would be a rollercoaster of emotions…

Valentine’s Cake (Chocolate Cake with Whipped Cream, Strawberries, and Chocolate Ganache)

O yeah, I am just putting it out there.  Make this cake for your Valentine.  Today or any day of the year.  They will thank you.  My husband’s second piece yesterday was all the thanks I needed.

Chocolate cake.  You saw a wonderful chocolate cake up on this blog yesterday.  Here is a completely different one but with some of the same components and it makes for a completely different cake.  There are a couple of things that, no matter what the recipe, must be in my chocolate cake.

1. Buttermilk (I discovered this little gem in my Cake Doctor days)

2. Coffee or espresso powder (just DO it)

This particular recipe had both and it also had cake flour!  It just kept getting better and better…

First layer of strawberry filling…

So, I broke down and made it for my aunt’s birthday a few weeks ago and paired it with Joy’s Best Chocolate Buttercream Frosting.  My aunt was in heaven!  And I was impressed that with how light and perfect this cake was, it held up to travel, a sturdy frosting, and a baker who forgot to use wax paper in her cake pans when she was greasing. (OK, it did kinda fall apart upon cutting because of that last part but it made it there and tasted wonderful.)

I knew I would be making this cake again.  But in what capacity?  Hmm…

The only other cake that I ever dreamt about and just had to get up the next day and make it was this one.  So I took my inspiration from there.  I switched the chocolate whipped cream for vanilla.  Since I was going to use less strawberries on the cake I made sure to cram a few extra into the filling.  The chocolate ganache is just a bonus.

My GeekyLink today is iGameMom.  She writes reviews and recommendations for educational children’s apps.  I love this site and have been following it for a long time and have found many an app through her.  My 9 year old even won a science experiment kit from the site.  Well, guess what?  I am going to begin reviewing apps for her as a guest blogger!  I think this is gonna be pretty cool.

Now go make some cake!