text:
If the weather here at this time of the year is not superb for rolling out cookies rolling out pastry for a tart is out of the question as well: the last time I tried doing that with 35°C days there were so many trips to the fridge with the pastry involved that the thought of it makes me tired already. :)
So you can only imagine how glad I was when I found this recipe on one of my Bill Granger's cookbooks: one of my favorite desserts in the world made without the hassle of pastry. I thought it was too genius not to give it a go, so I tried it and the result was a very delicious dessert – from now on, I'll no longer feel lazy when the urge of making lemon tart crosses my mind. \0/
This tart tasted great both warm and cold, so it is perfect for entertaining – that is why I'll probably make it again for dessert tomorrow for my New Year's Eve dinner.
Crustless lemon tart
slightly adapted from the delicious Bill's Basics
3 eggs
½ cup (70g) all purpose flour
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
pinch of salt
100g unsalted butter, melted
finely grated zest of 2 large lemons
125ml lemon juice
1 cup (240ml) heavy cream
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
icing sugar, for dusting
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Lightly butter a 20cm round springform cake pan (I used one with a removable bottom).
Whisk the eggs and then gradually whisk in the flour. Add the sugar, salt, butter, lemon zest and juice, cream and vanilla and whisk well. Pour into the pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, until lightly browned around the edges.
Leave in the pan to cool for 20 minutes before turning out and slicing. Dust with icing sugar.
Serves 6-8
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Crustless lemon tart - a brilliant idea
Sunday, December 28, 2014
Aperitif financiers - great with a glass of sparkling wine
If you've been here a while you probably know that I love financiers: I've made them in many different flavors for they are delicious and also a great way of using leftover egg whites (something I happen to have in my freezer quite often).
Savory financiers, however, was something I hadn't tried before, and the ones on Rachel Khoo's gorgeous cookbook looked so adorable I had to try them – they were part of my Christmas Eve dinner, something to be nibbled with drinks before the actual dinner was served.
The financiers turned out tasty and oh, so cute, making the table look even prettier – they were perfect paired with a glass of Prosecco and I'll be making them again for my New Year's dinner next week.
Aperitif financiers
slightly adapted from the oh, so beautiful The Little Paris Kitchen: 120 Simple But Classic French Recipes
65g unsalted butter, chopped
½ cup (50g) almond meal
¼ cup (35g) all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon granulated sugar
2 eggs, separated
generous pinch of salt
12 small pieces of parmesan
6-8 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise
about 5 olives, sliced in rings
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Butter and flour twelve 2-tablespoon capacity financier or mini muffin molds.
In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat until it turns golden brown, then remove from the heat and cool to lukewarm.
In a small bowl, mix the almond meal, flour, baking powder and sugar. Set aside. In another small bowl, whisk the egg whites and salt until soft peaks form. In a third small bowl, place the yolks and slowly whisk in the warm butter. Fold this into the dry ingredients, then fold in the egg whites.
Spoon the batter into the prepared molds and top each with a piece of cheese, tomato halves and the olives, pushing slightly into the batter. Bake for about 10 minutes or until golden. Unmold immediately onto a wire rack and serve warm or at room temperature.
Makes 12
Monday, December 22, 2014
Lemon burst cookies and a Merry Christmas
Christmas is around the corner and it's time to wrap up the gifts, get the nice china, spread flowers around the house and start preparing the food for the dinner on the 24th – I want to make as much as I can in advance so I can enjoy myself on Christmas Eve and relax having a glass (or two, or four) of champagne. ;)
I hope you have enjoyed the Christmas series this year and I also hope it's inspired you to bake for your family and friends – as the last post of the series, I chose lemon cookies (surprise, surprise) that look beautiful and taste even better.
I wish you all a Merry Christmas and thank you for keeping me company throughout the year. xx
Lemon burst cookies
slightly adapted from here
1 ¾ cups (245g) all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
finely grated zest of 2 lemons
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
½ cup (113g/1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons limoncello – optional; I used homemade
½ cup (70g) powdered sugar, for rolling the cookies
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, rub granulated sugar and zest together with your fingertips until sugar is fragrant. Add the butter and cream together butter until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time and mix well. Add vanilla and limoncello. Mix again.
With mixer on low speed, mix in flour mixture only until just combined. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes – in the meantime, preheat oven to 180°C/350°F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Using 1 leveled tablespoon of dough per cookie, roll into balls and then roll balls generously in powdered sugar – the more you cover the dough, the more beautiful the cookies will look.
Place on baking sheets 5cm (2in) apart. Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until puffed and bottoms are golden brown.
Cool on sheets for 2 minutes, then slide the paper with the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Makes about 40
Saturday, December 20, 2014
Cinnamon madeleines with Marsala glaze and Jennifer Aniston
Weeks ago my husband and I were trying to find something good on TV and since there was nothing we ended up watching 10 minutes or so of Wanderlust – I say 10 minutes or so because it was all we could stand of such a lousy movie. We began talking about Jennifer Aniston's movies, how awful they usually are and we wondered why she makes such poor role choices.
Days after that, I heard about Cake and all the buzz it'd generated, and then a Golden Globe and a SAG Award nominations became a reality, and for what I have seen and read about the movie an Oscar nomination is bound to happen.
In Jen's defense, I watched The Good Girl back in the day and thought she was good in it – I even thought that from that moment on she would take that route when choosing roles to play, but unfortunately that never happened. She's not part of my favorite actresses list, but I have always felt she had more to offer.
When I saw these cinnamon madeleines on the Telegraph website I thought they would be a nice addition to my Christmas series, but since I meant to turn them into a gift to a friend they needed something more – they were too plain, a Jennifer Aniston kind of madeleine, let's say. I thought a glaze would make them extra special and because it's Christmas a bit of alcohol wouldn't hurt so I made a Marsala glaze for them, and it paired beautifully with the cinnamon flavor – the madeleines became a Jennifer Aniston post-Cake kind of madeleine. ;)
Cinnamon madeleines with Marsala glaze
slightly adapted from here
70g unsalted butter, melted and cooled + a bit extra for greasing
2 eggs, room temperature
85g granulated sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
85g all purpose flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
½ cup (70g) icing sugar
2 teaspoons Marsala wine
water, if necessary
Madeleines: using an electric mixer, beat the eggs until pale and foamy and tripled in volume. Slowly add the sugar in a stream while continuing to whisk until it thickens. Whisk in the vanilla. Gently fold in the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon – try not to lose any of the air from the eggs. Fold in the butter. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Butter a 20-hole madeleine pan (each cavity holds ½ tablespoon of batter) with melted butter and refrigerate for 10 minutes. Fill each madeleine cup ¾ of the way up with the batter, then bake for about 10 minutes or until risen and golden. Remove from the pan immediately and cool on a wire rack.
Glaze: sift the icing sugar into a small bowl. Gradually add the Marsala and stir until you get a drizzable consistency (add water if necessary). Drizzle over cooled madeleines and set aside for 15-20 minutes.
Makes about 50
Thursday, December 18, 2014
Chocolate gingerbread cakes, pixie and bob
Besides TV shows and Christmas baking, this month has also been about my decision to grow out my pixie: I'd decided that a month or so ago, then dropped the idea and thought of keeping the pixie, but then I fell in love with Emma Stone's beautiful bob and now I cannot wait to have that haircut (and I've thought of stealing her color, too, since I'll inevitably have to start dying my hair soon to cover the grey strands).
Food, movies and hair styles – one can definitely find all sorts of things on this blog. ;)
I'll have to patient for it will take months for my hair to grow that long, and it will certainly be an interesting exercise for me; luckily in the kitchen I don't have to wait too long to eat something delicious (which is one of the reasons why learning how to cook can be so empowering) and these cakes are proof of that: small as they are, they bake and cool quickly and in no time at all mine were looking beautiful on the wire rack, just waiting for the ganache to set – if you're impatient like me you can go ahead and eat the cakes as soon as you finish spreading the ganache on top of them: I promise I won't tell a soul. ;)
Chocolate gingerbread cakes
slightly adapted from the always wonderful Delicious Australia
¼ cup honey
¼ cup molasses
125g brown sugar
¾ cup (180ml) whole milk
¾ cup (105g) all purpose flour
½ cup (45g) unsweetened cocoa
1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
¾ teaspoon freshly ground allspice
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
pinch of salt
65g unsalted butter, room temperature
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
crystallized ginger, to garnish
200g dark chocolate, finely chopped – I used one with 53% cocoa solids
100ml heavy cream
1 tablespoon (14g) unsalted butter
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Butter a 12-hole muffin pan and line the bottoms with a circle of baking paper (I cut the bottoms of cupcake liners and used them to line the pan). In a small saucepan, place honey, molasses, sugar and milk and cook over low heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Cool.
Place flour, cocoa, baking powder, spices, salt and butter in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add egg, the cooled mixture and vanilla and process until a smooth batter forms. Divide among muffin holes and bake for 20-25 minutes or until risen and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully unmold, peel off the paper and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Ganache: heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it starts to bubble around the sides. Remove from the heat, add the chocolate and butter and set aside for 2 minutes. Stir until smooth. cool to room temperature, then spread over the cooled cakes and garnish with the crystallized ginger – I had some ganache left, so I refrigerated it and rolled into truffles and dusted them with cocoa powder.
Makes 12
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
Cardamom and hazelnut snowballs and another goodbye
These past few days have been about more than Christmas baking: yesterday I said goodbye to a bunch of criminals that I held close to my heart for seven seasons.
It was the perfect ending for the perfect ride – nothing less than what I expect. Great acting, great writing, and it is a pity that Sons of Anarchy was never on the radar of the big award shows, except for the Golden Globe that Katey Sagal took home in 2011 (and she really deserved it).
I cried like a baby while watching the episode, so much that my husband grabbed me a tissue ("what are you watching that is making you cry like that?", he asked) – I guess I wasn't ready for another goodbye so soon.
Baking is such therapy for me that I usually go to the kitchen when I'm feeling a little blue, but to be honest I was so devastated after watching the finale of one of my all time favorite TV shows that I did not feel like cooking at all, not even dinner – luckily I had baked these delicious cookies the day before and now I can share them with you.
Cardamom and hazelnut snowballs
slightly adapted from Bon Appétit magazine
2 ½ cups (350g) all-purpose flour
finely ground seeds of 12 cardamom pods
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon table salt
1 ½ cups (210g) powdered sugar, divided use
generous 1 cup (110g) sliced hazelnuts
1 cup (2 sticks/226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Whisk first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl. Combine ½ cup (70g) sugar and hazelnuts in a food processor; pulse until coarse meal forms. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and vanilla in a medium bowl until creamy, 2–3 minutes. Add nut mixture; beat to blend. Add dry ingredients; blend well (dough will be moist but still crumbly). Transfer to a work surface; knead to form a ball, about 4 turns.
Measure 1 leveled tablespoon of dough per cookie and form into a ball. Place 2.5cm (1in) apart on prepared sheets.
Bake, one sheet at a time, until bottoms are golden, 12–15 minutes. Sift remaining 1 cup powdered sugar into a shallow wide bowl. Working in batches of about 8 cookies each, roll warm cookies gently in powdered sugar to coat. Transfer to a wire rack to let cool. Dust cooled cookies with powdered sugar.
These cookies can be store in an airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Makes about 50
Monday, December 15, 2014
Spiced chocolate fudge
It is always a joy for me to do the Christmas series here on the blog: the baked goods are delicious and they make my apartment smell wonderful, too. :)
There is, however, a problem: there are so many great recipes I have a hard time choosing what to prepare. On top of the cookbooks, the Christmas themed magazines start to arrive packed with beautiful suggestions for the holidays and it becomes even more difficult for me to decide which recipes – let's not forget the time when I saved a recipe for almost a year so I could feature it on the following Xmas series (yes, I am that crazy). :D
I already had a list of recipes to prep this year and wasn't planning on changing it, but when the Christmas edition of Donna Hay magazine arrived I had to add this fudge to the list: everyone loves chocolate and it goes so well with spices – not to mention the recipe yields a ton, which is fantastic when there are many people to feed.
Donna's recipe was a bit fiddly, so I borrowed her idea of adding spices to fudge and used a much simpler recipe with great results.
Spiced chocolate fudge
adapted from here and Donna Hay Magazine
335g (120oz) dark chocolate, finely chopped – I used one with 53% cocoa solids
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon freshly ground allspice
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
seeds of 4 cardamom pods finely ground
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
pinch of salt
Line a square 20cm (8in) baking pan with baking paper; set aside. Place chocolate, sweetened condensed milk and water in a small saucepan and melt over low heat, stirring.
Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla, spices and salt. Pour mixture onto prepared pan and smooth the surface. Chill fudge about 30 minutes or until firm. Cut into small squares.
Makes 64
Thursday, December 11, 2014
Crystallized ginger millet cookies with orange icing
One of the many things I loved about New York – I can pretty much say I loved everything about the city, both times I visited it – was going to the Whole Foods: there was so much variety, everything looked so good, so delicious, that I felt like bringing each and every ingredient home with me (too bad I couldn't). :)
[if you ask me about the clothing stores on Fifth Avenue I probably won't be of much help]. :)
There were tons of types of fruits, vegetables, chocolates, nuts – you name it. I was impressed by all the different varieties of flours: there were so many I stared at them for a good while (so I'm told by my husband). :D I did not think it was a good idea to stash pounds and pounds of flour in my luggage, so I brought home only a package of hazelnut meal, leaving all those amazing products behind. :(
Cut to a year after that and I was surprised to find Bob's Red Mill's products in a supermarket here in Sao Paulo – there aren't as many different flours as I saw in NY, but there are some interesting ones available, and I brought home a package of millet flour, which I have used twice so far: timidly in the orange rosemary shortbread and more boldly in these ginger cookies.
The cookies turned out great, delicious and I cannot wait to use the millet flour in other baked goods – maybe in a cake next time?
Crystallized ginger millet cookies with orange icing
slightly adapted from the wonderful Supergrains: Cook Your Way to Great Health
½ cup (113g/1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup (115g) light brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup honey
1 cup (140g) millet flour
¾ cup (105g) all purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
75g crystallized ginger, finely chopped
½ cup (70g) icing sugar
1 tablespoon orange juice
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with baking paper.
Using an electric mixer, cream butter, sugar and honey until pale and creamy. Sift the millet flour, all purpose flour, salt, ground ginger and cinnamon together, add to the butter mixture with the crystallized ginger and stir until well combined.
Roll 1 leveled tablespoon of dough into balls and place on prepare sheets, 5cm (2in) apart. Flatten the balls slightly. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the cookies are golden. Cool on the sheets for 5 minutes, then slide the paper with the cookies onto a wire rack. Cool completely.
Glaze: sift the icing sugar into a small bowl. Gradually add the juice and stir until you get a drizzable consistency (add water if necessary). Drizzle over cooled cookies and let it set for 15-20 minutes.
Makes about 35
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
Eggnog apple cake
Celebrations call for cake and Christmas is no exception: I thought there had to be a cake in this year's holiday series, but not the traditional one – it's not my cup of tea, really (sorry, purists). :) I think it is too dense, too packed with dried fruits, too boozy, and what I wanted was something completely different: tender and perfumed with spices.
When I saw a recipe for an eggnog apple cake I knew I had to look no further: I immediately remembered the eggnog cake I made years ago and it was so delicious that the addition of apples would only be a good thing, and I was right. In this cake, the apple cubes are cooked in brandy before being folded into the cake batter, but I was out of brandy and kind of cheated a little, using sherry instead.
While I was cooking the apples with the booze, my husband came to the kitchen to see what I was making: he got curious because it smelled so great – that coming from a man who never eats fruit and doesn't like sweets (nobody's perfect, right?) had to be a sign that something delicious was happening in my kitchen, and indeed it was.
Eggnog apple cake
slightly adapted from the beautiful and delicious Indulgent Cakes
2 medium Granny Smith apples (380g/14oz in total), peeled and chopped in small cubes
¼ cup (60ml) brandy*
¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
170g unsalted butter, softened
80g cream cheese, softened
1 ¼ cups (250g) granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 eggs
225g all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon table salt
icing sugar, for dusting
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Butter a 20x7cm (8x2.8in) round cake pan, line the bottom with a circle of baking paper and butter it as well.
In a large frying pan, combine the apples, brandy and ¼ cup sugar and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved. Cook until apples are soft, about 5 minutes. Cool completely.
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, nutmeg and salt.
Using an electric mixer, cream butter, cream cheese, extra sugar and vanilla until pale and creamy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and scrape the sides of the bowl. On low speed, beat in the dry ingredients just until combined. Stir in the apples with the liquid. Transfer to prepared pan and smooth the surface. Bake for about 1 hour or until risen and golden and a skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
Cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then carefully unmold, peel off the paper and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Dust with icing sugar to serve.
* I was out of brandy and used sherry instead
Serves 8-10
Sunday, December 7, 2014
Gingerbread popsicles
I always complain about the weather here during the holidays: it's too hot – last year it was really uncomfortable with 39°C (102°F) days –, it's hard to bake (one can certainly forget about cut out cookies, for example), and all I can think of is to do nothing all day long with a nice cold beer or a glass of sparkling wine beside me.
So it hit me: instead of complaining, why not take advantage of the heat and incorporate it into my Christmas cooking? Popsicles are delicious and great for summer days – these are packed with spices, with a hint of honey and brown sugar and very creamy.
I will be honest with you and admit that it crossed my mind to dip these in melted chocolate to make them even more decadent, but the day was beautiful and I went for a ride with my bike instead – I haven't told you, but I learned how to ride a bicycle right after I turned 36. \0/
Gingerbread popsicles
slightly adapted from the always great Delicious Australia
185ml whole milk
185ml heavy cream
3 egg yolks
1/3 cup (58g) light brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons honey
½ teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Heat milk and cream in a small saucepan until it just starts to bubble around the edges. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, honey, spices, salt and vanilla until well combined. Gradually pour the milk mixture over the egg mixture, whisking to combine. Pour the mixture back in the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon (do not let boil).
Strain custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a metal bowl. Cool to room temperature, then pour into six 1/3-cup capacity popsicle molds - this is the one I use. Freeze for 40 minutes, insert a popsicle stick into each mould, then freeze for at least another 4 hours or overnight until firm.
Makes 6
Friday, December 5, 2014
Choc chip gingerbread cookies to kick off the holiday season
My favorite time of the year is here already – time does fly, as I wrote a year ago. And, same as last December, this year's Christmas series start with cookies: they are delicious, easy to make, everyone I know loves them and they're the perfect homemade gift, that is why I chose this recipe to kick off the holiday celebrations around here.
The recipe comes from Donna Hay, who never disappoints, and chocolate chip cookies are another thing I am grateful to this blog for, learning how to make them myself after watching the cookies being devoured in cartoons and movies for years – a touch of molasses and spices and they're turned into Christmas cookies in no time.
When I opened the tin a day after baking the cookies to take the photos for this post the smell was to wonderful I had to eat a couple of them before grabbing the camera. ;)
For more holiday posts, click here.
Choc chip gingerbread cookies
slightly adapted from the gorgeous Donna Hay mag
2 ½ cups (350g) all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt
1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
125g unsalted butter, softened
½ cup (88g) light brown sugar, packed
2/3 cup molasses
100g dark chocolate, chopped – I used one with 70% cocoa solids
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Line two large baking sheets with baking paper.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt and spices. Set aside.
Place butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until creamy and light. Add the molasses and dry ingredients and mix on low speed just until the mixture comes together. Stir in the chocolate.
Using 2 leveled tablespoons of dough for each cookie, roll mixture into balls and place onto prepared sheets 5cm (2in) apart. Flatten slightly. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden.
Let cookies cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then slide the paper with the cookies onto a wire rack and cool completely.
Makes about 25
Saturday, November 29, 2014
Buttermilk pancakes - easy and delicious
One of the things I have this blog to thank for is learning how to make pancakes, or American style pancakes as we call them here – I grew up eating what we call pancakes here, which are thin like crepes and filled with savory fillings like beef mince or chicken, and covered with tomato or Béchamel sauce (they're very much like manicotti).
The pancakes I grew up with are delicious, indeed, and I still make them every now and then, but they are not fit for breakfast or those afternoons when you crave something sweet and there isn't much in the pantry or refrigerator to bake or cook with – for those occasions, fluffy pancakes drizzled with syrup are perfect.
These are fluffy, delicious and super easy to make – I have lost track of how many times I have made this recipe, always with wonderful results. When I'm not in a hurry to watch something on TV I cook a sliced banana in a bit of butter, sugar and cinnamon until it's caramelized and eat with the pancakes – so, so good.
Buttermilk pancakes
from the delicious Bill's Basics
100g all purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten with a fork
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon (14g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled + a bit extra for frying the pancakes
150ml buttermilk*
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in the sugar, egg, melted butter and vanilla. Stir in the buttermilk.
Heat a large nonstick frying pan over medium heat and brush it lightly with butter. Using about 2 tablespoons of batter per pancake, pour the batter onto the pan and cook the pancakes for 2-3 minutes – when bubbles appear on the surface, turn the pancakes and cook for 1-2 minutes on the other side.
Serve with maple syrup, honey, dusted with icing sugar or with whatever strikes your fancy.
* homemade buttermilk: to make 1 cup buttermilk place 1 tablespoon lemon juice in a 240ml-capacity measuring cup and complete with whole milk (room temperature). Wait 10 minutes for it to thicken slightly, then use the whole mixture in your recipe
Makes about 10
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Whole wheat thumbprint cookies
After making a batch of cookies that failed miserably, a lovely friend of mine asked what my favorite cookie recipe was and I found the question a very difficult one - I have baked several different cookies so far and have more than one that I love. Since the failed recipe was for chocolate chip cookies I stayed on that subject and told her that one of my favorites are Kim Boyce's whole wheat choc chip cookies – they are delicious beyond words and before making them I would never have believed that a cookie made exclusively with whole wheat flour could be so good.
On that same day, I still had my mind set on baking more cookies – bad recipes drive me nuts, I'll say – and decided to bake another cookie recipe made with whole wheat flour, but this time there was a little hazelnut meal to make them even nuttier: Louise Fulton Keats' thumbprints, filled with blackberry jam. They turned out delicious and were super easy to put together – another win for whole wheat flour.
Two days later the cookies were a bit on the soft side, but still tasty – it didn't bother me much, but next time I'll try baking them without the jam first and then fill them when they are out of the oven and see if that fixes the problem.
Whole wheat thumbprint cookies
from the delicious and beautiful Something for Everyone: Family Meals for Baby, Toddler and Beyond
250g unsalted butter, softened
150gbrown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
260g whole wheat flour
55g ground hazelnuts
pinch of salt
blackberry jam, or the your favorite flavor
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Line two baking large baking sheets with baking paper.
Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Add the vanilla and egg and beat until combined.
With the mixer on low speed, add the flour, ground hazelnuts and salt, mixing until the dough just comes together to form a ball. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Take 1 leveled tablespoon of the dough per cookie at a time and roll into balls. Place 5cm (2in) apart onto prepared sheets. Using a wooden spoon with a rounded handle or other gadget, make a deep indentation in the center of each cookie. Fill the indentations with jam, then bake for 12-15 minutes or until cookies are golden.
Cool in the sheets for 2 minutes, then slice the paper with the cookies to a wire rack and cool completely.
Makes about 55
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Eggplant mull and mood swings
Choosing what to cook is not always an easy task around here: I want to cook lots of things, which is not feasible at all (not to mention expensive), so I have to refrain myself and be reasonable. Sometimes I'm tired and want something simple that doesn't get me standing on my feet too long – those are the days when decision making is a lot quicker.
There is, however, something that changes every now and then: my mood.
There are days when I flip through certain cookbooks for hours and find absolutely nothing that appeals to me – I start wondering why I bought the book in the first place, that it was a waste of money, and so forth (hello, PMS). Then, weeks later, maybe even days, I grab the same cookbook and I want to eat each and every recipe on it – everything looks delicious.
No, I'm not completely mad, guys, I promise. :D
A while ago I had Maria Elia's cookbook on my lap as I had a cup of tea and as I turned each page of the book I kept trying to remember why I'd bought it because I did not feel like eating any of those recipes. None. A week later I got the book again and it made my mouth water so hard I couldn't decide what to cook – everything looked so tasty! I went for the eggplant mull because I had everything in my fridge and it was such a lovely meal it has become a favorite – it's a great weekday meal.
The paprika I used was on the hot side and I've toned it down a little after that first time, using half of the amount called for in the recipe below – that is very personal so I suggest you adapt it to make it to your liking.
Eggplant mull
slightly adapted from the delicious Full of Flavor: How to Create Like a Chef
1 large eggplant, cut in halve lengthwise, then into 5mm slices
olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 plum tomatoes, deseeded and coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon cumin
pinch of cayenne pepper
juice of half a lemon
handful of chopped parsley
3 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F. Line a large baking sheet with foil and brush it generously with olive oil. Lay the eggplant slices on top of the foil, drizzle with a little olive oil, season with salt and pepper and roast for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven.
In a large nonstick frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the tomatoes and spices and cook for 5 minutes or until tomatoes soften. Stir in the eggplant and cook for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Remove from the heat, stir in the lemon juice and herbs and serve.
Serves 2
Friday, November 21, 2014
Cranberry oatmeal cookies with coconut and a good TV show
Many times I sit in front of the computer eager to share something delicious with you but I don't feel like I have much else to say, so I postpone the post, sometimes for quite a while. Then, when I'm doing something else completely and can't reach the computer at the moment loads of things come to my mind, things I would love to share with you other than food, but it all happens so quickly that when I'm once again sitting here my mind goes blank.
How frustrating is that? :S
Months ago I accidentally discovered a British TV show called Dates and I loved the pilot so much I pretty much devoured the whole nine episodes in two days or so. It was smart, sexy, fun, sad at times, the actors were spot on – everything a good TV show should be/have.
Unfortunately I haven't read anything about a second season, but I still hope it happens. In the meantime, I'll keep listening to the beautiful theme song Chloe, especially when I'm in the kitchen making tasty treats such as these cookies: I had no idea (or did not remember) that coconut and cranberries were so good together, and they make these oatmeal cookies extra special.
Cranberry oatmeal cookies with coconut
slightly adapted from the delicious The Seasonal Baker: Easy Recipes from My Home Kitchen to Make Year-Round
¾ cup (105g) all purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon table salt
½ cup (1 stick/113g) unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup (88g) light brown sugar, packed
¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups (135g) rolled oats
½ cup (50g) unsweetened desiccated coconut
1 cup dried cranberries
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Line two large baking sheets with baking paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugars together until light and creamy. Beat in the egg, and scrape the sides of the bowl. Beat in the vanilla.
On low speed, beat in the flour mixture just until incorporated. Stir in the oats, the coconut and the cranberries.
Using 2 leveled tablespoons of dough for each cookie, drop batter onto prepared sheets 5cm (2in) apart. Bake cookies until the edges are golden brown and the centers are still slightly soft, 12-14 minutes.
Let cookies cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet, then slide the paper with the cookies onto a wire rack and cool completely.
Makes about 25 cookies
Monday, November 17, 2014
Sticky toffee squares
I have a sweet tooth and that's not a secret, but there are sweets and desserts that have a special place in my heart for something other than their taste: they remind me of certain periods of my life, certain days and occasions, and that makes them extra special.
When I was a kid my grandmother would make dulce de leche at home every now and then, and it was one of my favorite things: it was delicious on its own, by the spoonful, spread on sliced of bread, with cheese… The thought of it makes my mouth water already – grandma used to make a big pot of dulce de leche at a time, but it never lasted long. :)
I still love dulce de leche, but I have never tried making it at home the way my grandmother used to – so far I've only made it by cooking a can of sweetened condensed milk in the pressure cooker, but nowadays it's so easy to find Argentinean dulce de leche around here I don't even do that anymore – all I do is open up a jar, and to stop myself from eating it all by myself I bake with it, too, making yummy things like these squares. :)
Sticky toffee squares
slightly adapted from the delicious Olive magazine
175g all purpose flour
1 ¾ teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
2 tablespoons ground almonds
175g unsalted butter, softened
150g light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs
2/3 cup dulce de leche
2 tablespoons heavy cream
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Lightly butter a 20cm (8in) square baking pan, line the bottom with a square of baking paper and butter it as well.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and almond meal. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until light and creamy. Beat in the vanilla.
Beat the flour mixture into the sugar and butter in 3 batches, adding an egg each time. Beat the mixture until smooth and then spoon it into the pan and level the top. Bake for about 30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then carefully unmold, peel off the paper and invert onto the rack to cool completely.
Icing: place dulce de leche and cream in a small bowl and mix to combine. Spread over the cooled cake. Cut into squares to serve.
Makes 16
Friday, November 14, 2014
Orange rosemary shortbread - becoming friends with rosemary
I have to start this text by confessing that it took me months (a quick look at Amazon shows me that I purchased the book in January, so almost a year) to make these cookies, all because I was a coward: I was afraid that all that rosemary in the dough would make the cookies taste weird.
I am thirty-five six years old and rosemary scares the bejeesus out of me: I always think that the food will end up tasting like soap. :S
I love cooking with herbs and will gladly add thyme, oregano, basil, marjoram, parsley, even cilantro to recipes without too much thought about it, for they make everything so much more delicious, but when it comes to rosemary I just can't do it, and every time I watch Jamie Oliver adding tons of rosemary to his recipes I feel sort of desperate, my brain screams "it's too much, too much!". :)
I decided it was time to stop this nonsense and bought a small vase of rosemary to gradually start using the herb in my cooking, and these cookies were my first attempt at getting to know the rosemary better: they turned out delicious, the herb flavor perfectly complimented by the orange.
I feel a lot braver now. ;)
Orange rosemary shortbread
slightly adapted from the beautiful and delicious National Trust Simply Baking
½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
2 teaspoons finely chopped rosemary leaves
finely grated zest of 2 oranges
1 cup (225g/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
340g all purpose flour - I used 290g all purpose flour + 50g millet flour
pinch of salt
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Line two large baking sheets with baking paper.
Put the sugar and rosemary in a food processor and whiz until the rosemary is very finely chopped. Transfer sugar to the bowl of an electric mixer, add the orange zest and rub them together with your fingertips until sugar is fragrant. Add the butter and vanilla and beat with the mixer until pale and creamy. On low speed, beat in flour and salt. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Roll out dough between two sheets of baking paper until 3mm thick. Use a 4cm (1½in) cookie cutter to cut out cookies – if the dough gets too soft, place it in the freezer for 5 minutes. Place cookies onto prepared sheets 2,5cm (1in) apart and prick them with a fork. Bake until lightly golden on the edges, 10-12 minutes.
Cool completely on the sheets over a wire rack. Remove carefully from the paper.
Makes about 60
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
Chocolate, coconut and banana cake
I love trying new things and I am sure I am not alone: when movies are concerned, for instance, writers and actors become directors, directors work as actors or make cameo appearances, and so forth. Change is good; variety is the spice of life.
While some are very successful working in different areas – I think Antonio Banderas should focus on directing more after I watched Crazy in Alabama, and let us not forget that Quentin Tarantino was a writer before working behind the cameras – I can't say the same about others: I started watching Joseph Gordon-Levitt's directorial debut the other day, but the movie was so awful I changed the channel after fifteen minutes of it. Poor Joseph, go back to acting, will you? :)
As I said, change is good – maybe except for JGL? ;) – not only in the movies but also in the kitchen: this moist and delicious cake, very chocolaty, is made without eggs and yet the result was really, really good, as the banana not only acts as the egg replacer but also adds a wonderful flavor to the cake.
I have no intention of giving up on eggs – I just love them too much – and that was not even the reason why I baked this cake: I just got hypnotized by the beautiful photo I had to make it, especially because the recipe comes from a cookbook that the more I cook from, the more I love it.
Chocolate, coconut and banana cake
cake slightly adapted from the marvelous A Modern Way to Eat: Over 200 Satisfying, Everyday Vegetarian Recipes (That Will Make You Feel Amazing), glaze from the wonderful Annie Bell's Baking Bible
¾ cup (105g) all purpose flour
1 ½ cups (150g) almond meal
1 cup (95g) unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
125g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
150ml maple syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
150ml coconut milk
50ml whole milk, room temperature
1 large ripe banana, mashed
100g dark chocolate – I used one with 53% cocoa solids
25g unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons whole milk, room temperature
Cake: preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F. Lightly butter a 20x7cm (8x3in) round cake pan with a removable bottom, line the bottom with a circle of baking paper and butter the paper as well.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, almond meal, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and slowly pour in the melted butter, maple syrup, vanilla, coconut milk, milk and banana. Mix well.
Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 35–40 minutes, until it feels firm to the touch and a skewer comes out clean. Don't worry if the cake has cracked on the top, as this will all get covered by the chocolate glaze.
Remove the cake from the oven and cool completely in the pan over a wire rack. Carefully unmold, peel off the paper and transfer to a serving plate.
Glaze: place chocolate and butter in a small heatproof bowl and set over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring until melted. Remove from the heat and whisk in the milk. Set aside for 5 minutes, then spread over the cooled cake.
Serves 8


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Ever since this article, where I discussed my ground-breaking decision to venture into the beard-bearing biosphere of Ben Bernanke (by not shaving), I have received e-mails from anxious readers demanding beard updates on an almost-hourly basis. For example, this recent letter comes to me from Little Bobby of Arizona, TX:
Dear Mr. Logic,
Or should I call you Pretzel? Whatever -- just please don't refer to me as "little" Bobby if you publish my letter. I saw you did that to that other guy. I am 6'8", a linebacker, and I have a really bad temper.
Anyway, I'm currently working on my economics degree at Texas Arizona University in Arizona, TX, and I aspire to one day be Fed Chairman. While I appreciate your market updates, I'm really more interested in updates on your beard. I'm wondering if you think I should grow my beard immediately, or wait until after graduation? Is there any downside?
I'm thinking I should grow a beard now, and study the Great Depression.
Thanks for your help,
"Little" Bobby Spankle, Starting Linebacker, TAU
Well, Little Bobby, I'm glad you asked, because I've just been "itching" to provide an update on the beard. Ha! Itching! Get it? That's just a warm-up into some of the first-class humor I'll be providing throughout this entire paragraph.
I'm sorry to make light of your serious question. I know I'm the envy of every man right now, sharing a beard with Bernanke... but, not surprisingly, there is a dark side to this beard. For example, many days I wake up with an almost-uncontrollable urge to print money. Barely a week ago, I awakened from a fugue state to discover I'd printed almost 20 million dollars using only my inkjet.
Luckily, I've been able to control these urges by plastering Ford-era W.I.N. buttons ("Whip Inflation Now!") all across my workspace.
But there are other side effects. Yesterday, I tried to call my wife "Cutie-pie," but it kept coming out "QE-pie." Try as I might, I couldn't say anything else, and I found myself repeating it uncontrollably: "Hi QE-pie. Hi QE-pie!" I felt like Leonardo DeCaprio at the end of the movie The Aviator.
I'm telling you this as a warning, because today I realized what the problem was. Initially, I had kept the beard close-cropped and above the neckline -- but over the past couple weeks, I'd gotten lazy. When I looked in the mirror today, I saw that the beard had expanded completely unchecked and grown to an alarming thickness, not unlike Michael Moore. It was now reaching down across my neck, threatening to overtake my throat and choke the sense out of me. I also discovered about eight gray hairs.
Its tranformation was nearly complete. The beard was trying to take over my face, and if I didn't act quickly, it would soon claim my soul.
I sprung, or possibly "sprang," into action. After subduing the beard with a hot towel and a hammer, I was able to gain the upper hand long enough to use my electric razor to trim off half an inch "across the beard." After that, its control was weakened enough that I was able to use my Gillette to shave off the entire portion beneath my jawline. Enough beard remained that I still ran out of the bathroom and handed each of my kids a hundred dollar bill... but the urge to print money was gone!
Later, as I rinsed out the sink, I heard what sounded like hundreds of tiny, high-pitched voices chanting. They were progressively fading in volume as they washed down the drain -- but as I shut off the faucet, I was just barely able to make out their faint words as the last whiskers spiralled down: "Crush the dollar!"
Actually, Little Bobby, I just remembered: you want to be Fed Chairman! Forget everything I wrote... the beard is perfect for you.
Market Update
Moving onto the charts, the market has left a lot of potentials open, and I hope it doesn't get too confusing for readers. I've spent literally the entire weekend trying to sort out one from the next, and I'm reasonably confident in both my short-term and longer term preferred counts.
I have outlined the alternates because, despite all the time invested, there's never a guarantee that the preferred count's right. And this is a game of inches right now -- so it's easy to see one or more alternate coming to town.
The possibility of an (x) wave, while purely speculative, gives me a bit of pause in simply declaring the correction over without further consideration. I could go the straight line route and pretend it's not a possibility, but I've seen these things happen too many times after extended fifth waves to blissfully ignore the potential. Nevertheless, I do consider the (x) wave to be the underdog here.
The correction did form a complete a-b-c, and that's all it was required to do. Trying to predict an (x) wave is akin to trying to prove the existence of dark matter -- there's little evidence for it before hand (except possibly in real-time, which no longer fits the dark matter metaphor... quit being so literal!).
At this point, I'm favoring the view that the (x) wave will probably not materialize, but I think it pays to be aware of the potential, because then bears get double credit, income-wise -- and at the same time lower their risk profile.
Of course, no one wants to leave money on the table if this is now the fifth wave decline.
So, the best odds at this stage will probably come from watching the red downtrend line shown on the charts below. If the market sustains trade above that trendline, then it becomes more likely that the (x) wave is in play, and will go on to make new highs for the correction. Luckily, this means that even the most passive swing trader who went short at the 1384 rally target presented last week should be able to guarantee a profit. More aggressive traders can find other ways to lock-in profit.
Long-time readers know that I try to assimilate as many factors as possible into my analysis, to help sort one count from another. To this end, the timing of a fifth wave (instead of an (x) wave) seems to fit well into the seasonality.
Below is an excerpt from my friend Lee Adler. In his Wall Street Examiner Professional Edition, he analyzes -- among other things -- tax data and the moves of the Treasury:
The markets get a gift in the coming week. Depending on how strong tax receipts are, the Treasury will pay down as much as $48 billion in expiring short term bills on Thursday. That's cash that will come back to holders of the paper. They'll have to put it somewhere. This is a normal feature of tax week, and some of that cash usually flows toward stocks. Tax receipts are looking a little stronger than last year, so that the paydown is likely to be substantial even if it isn't quite $48 billion. That should be enough to put a bid under stocks by Thursday if not before as the dealers and other holders begin to anticipate this cash hitting their accounts on Thursday.
Last year the S&P gained about 56 points in the 7 days following tax day.
This would fit the fifth wave count extremely well, as it is likely to bottom this week -- and from there the market seems likely to embark on the larger 2nd wave retracement rally to match the seasonality.
Of note, this seasonality does also fit the bigger picture alternate count of the larger wave (iv) bottom, so this is yet another reason for bears to be cautious.
After studying the charts this weekend, and giving consideration to as much additional data as I could, I am favoring the fifth wave decline over the (x) wave and wave (iv) Do remain alert to those potentials, though -- because the market often does the unexpected despite our best efforts.
The chart below shows the preferred count as represented by the blue lines. The pink count is the short term alternate. The gray count is the 2nd alternate.
Also be aware that if the b-wave low isn't broken by this wave down, bulls could launch an even stronger counter-attack... in other words, something even more bullish than anything shown below -- such as the larger wave (v) rally discussed later.
If the market continues down strongly at Monday's open, then the pink count above may actually be the correct short-term interpretation. The chart below shows why I'm favoring the blue count, but I'm almost equally split on the two. I'm favoring the blue count by maybe a 5-10% margin.
If the blue count is correct, it's difficult to gauge how much, if any, downside is left to that wave. It would look better with some kind of correction and a slight new low -- but if one counts all the little squiggles, then there's already enough for it to be complete.
I'm not sure exactly where to place the assumed wave (2) target, because I'm not certain if (1) has bottomed. Expect (2) to retrace between 40-60% of (1). If a snap-back rally materially exceeds the 62% retrace, then we may be facing one of the alternate counts.
Next are the RUT charts, both short and long-term. The 5-minute RUT chart contains critical data I want to discuss in more detail.
Many Elliotticians whose work I respect are labeling the decline as ALL OF wave (i) down. But based on the RUT, that count doesn't work. This chart reveals exactly why I do a lot of market cross-studies before deciding on a count (I don't mind revealing my "secret" -- because my secret is simply hours and hours of additional hard work each day. Anybody can do it! Though to be fair, I imagine it's more difficult for people who have day jobs.).
This is also why I've prepared the battery of longer-term charts to help illustrate why the markets could find support very soon (if they haven't already).
The preferred count is shown in blue on the chart below. The short-term alternate is shown in pink -- and again I'm only marginally favoring the blue short-term count over this count. The intermediate term alternate (of either (iv) or (x)) is shown in black.
NYA likewise demonstrates why it could find support soon. We looked at this pattern a few articles ago.
Same goes for the Nasdaq Composite.
Of course, the market's not entirely predictable at all times, and the more bearish potential that most wavers are favoring can't be completely eliminated. Based on the patterns in RUT and others, I view the super-bearish potential as significantly less likely, but not impossible.
There are pretty good-looking head and shoulders patterns forming in many markets... I suspect, however, that another bounce is needed before that pattern is fully complete. The INDU chart below shows why -- as it sits right now, the right shoulder would be very narrow relative to the left shoulder. And, as discussed, the more immediately bearish count doesn't fit the wave structures across markets nearly as well.
Still something to be aware of, though I would assign low probability to it. The more bearish alternate count is in black.
And of course, the more bullish side of that coin looks like the alternate in the chart below. I don't think I've missed a short-term call in a couple weeks, and I always get a little worried for my readers after a long winning streak, because it tends to breed complacency. The market isn't "supposed" to be perfectly predictable, and eventually I'll miss some calls -- that's just how it goes, so please make sure you take precautions in order to be protected whenever the misses come.
There are two big picture alternates shown below. The first is that wave (i) bottomed already (low probability, for reasons discussed), and the second is that wave (iv) bottomed. The wave (iv) count is still quite high risk to bears.
As I said earlier, this is a game of inches right now -- in other words, it wouldn't even take a big miss to see an alternate potential play out.
I've also added a quick and dirty US Dollar chart. A triangle breakout in the dollar might suggest some hope in the more bearish equities counts -- if it occurs with conviction. If the dollar can put together a strong rally, then that's likely to cap any equities rallies. Of course, it has not broken out yet, and can always form another leg down before a breakout. Or not breakout at all. We'll factor this into the equities analysis if and when it occurs.
I've labeled the chart with a potential wave count, but my confidence in this count is marginal.
In conclusion, it does appear reasonably likely that there's one more decline to at least marginal new lows below 1357 still coming. Again, the first SPX chart, and the first RUT chart show the preferred count in blue.
With the short-term counts, I'm trying to sort fly droppings from pepper here, so it's probably more important to focus on the bigger picture than the 1-minute "is this (3) of 5, or (1) of 5?" charts I've presented alongside it. I'm simply trying to help readers maximize their awareness and earnings.
Looking at the big picture, one can see I'm not currently part of the mega-bearish camp that believes we're entering a larger third wave down. I think this wave is close to a bottom, assuming of course that it didn't bottom at 1357. Depending on the structure laid out by the market in the next few sessions, of course, my outlook may change.
As of this moment, however, I believe bears should exercise caution, because the assumption is that this will be the final decline before a larger snap-back rally. The (x) wave adds confusion to the potentials, and should definitely be watched carefully. The key levels to watch are the red trendlines, and the recent highs on SPX and RUT. If the market makes it back above those levels, shorts should probably get out of the way for the time being -- especially with the possibility of the big picture alternate count taking us up to new highs in a larger wave (v).
But if the overall view is correct, there should be another 20-40 points of downside left on the SPX first. Trade safe.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
From its beginnings as an early Native American village amid virgin timber fields and cypress swamps, Kennett today lays claim to the title of agricultural powerhouse. A massive drainage effort dating back to the late 19th century, and continuing on up through The Great Depression, turned original swamplands into the some of the most fertile farm fields in the entire state of Missouri and created the nation's largest drainage district. As a result, Kennett and the surrounding area are now the state's largest producer of cotton, rice, watermelon and cantaloupes.
The area is also well known for another famous export: Our music. Kennett is hometown to Grammy Award-winning artist, Sheryl Crow, celebrated country artists, David Nail and Trent Tomlinson, Nashville rockers Blackjack Billy and operatic tenor soloist, Limmie Pulliam. Their talents grow from a long-standing local musical tradition that remains vibrant today, thriving in Kennett's schools, our churches and our households, up and down the block. Whether you're enjoying a concert in the old park bandshell by the Kennett Municipal Band, or catching a show at the SEMO Little Theatre, our community offers many different performing arts venues, as well.
Our BBQ is the best, our strawberry cake will make your tastebuds explode, our catfish is plentiful (along with a side of hushpuppies), our Farmers' Market and our Community Farm will put loads of fresh produce on your table all season long.
You can spend a day in town shopping and antiquing, or enjoy a movie at the cinema. You can also hop just outside the city limits, for hunting and fishing. These sports attract more and more enthusiasts each year. In fact, our waterfowl hunting season is a rapidly growing, local industry, poised to burst onto the national scene.
Kennett is also a proud home to many different educational opportunities, from our AAA-rated public school system, to our Career and Technology Center, to the two-year associate degrees found at Three Rivers College and the four-year programs at the local campus of Southeast Missouri State University.
Whatever your reason for exploring our diverse community, Kennett and the Chamber of Commerce welcome you!
Selected Photographs Courtesy of the Delta Dunklin Democrat


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Vice President Pence and California Sen. Kamala Harris square off in the first and only vice presidential debate Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET in Salt Lake City.
Pence has laid low with President Trump undergoing treatment for the coronavirus, a threat the president had downplayed for months. But Pence is going to need to show up in a big way to try to inject some needed positive energy into the Trump-Pence presidential campaign, which has been consistently lagging Biden-Harris in the polls.
Progressives, frustrated with Joe Biden's sometimes uneven public speaking appearances, have been waiting for this moment. They think Harris, who is more than 20 years younger than Biden, can deliver a better rhetorical punch.
Both vice presidential candidates have said they are looking forward to the debate.
"My message to the Democratic nominee for vice president: congratulations. I'll see you in Salt Lake City," Pence said after Harris was selected as Biden's running mate.
Harris responded wryly and with a wide smile in an interview with ABC, simply saying: "Oh good. Me, too. Oh, I'm looking forward to seeing him. Absolutely."
Well, game on. Here are five questions ahead of Wednesday night's debate:
1. Can Pence right the ship?
Eight years ago, it was Biden who helped steady the Obama reelection campaign with his solid performance in the vice presidential debate. It stabilized the narrative of the presidential race after a shaky first debate for then-President Barack Obama.
On Wednesday, the same task falls to Pence, ironically. He needs to have a good debate showing and articulate a clear Trump campaign message after Trump's widely panned first debate performance followed by testing positive for COVID-19, which landed him in the hospital over the weekend.
It's been chaotic for the Trump campaign and White House. If anyone can take the temperature down, it's the understated Pence.
Pence, though, is very conservative, and while that appeals to the base, especially white evangelicals, he and Trump aren't lining up with the middle of the electorate. Independents and suburban voters have abandoned Trump on most issues during the Trump presidency, and Trump did nothing to reach out beyond the base in the first debate. That has to be a task for Pence, but how does he do it given his politics?
2. How does Pence counter a Harris punch?
Harris has shown an ability to go viral and speak in soundbites, whether at high-profile hearings or some of the Democratic primary debates. She will aim to put Pence on his heels, and he's not dealing with the more staid Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, Hillary Clinton's vice presidential pick, who went up against Pence in 2016.
Harris can be a strong debater and will certainly look for ways to bring the hammer down on Pence and make him defend unpopular Trump policies, positions and statements. How and whether Pence can counter could determine who wins the debate.
Harris has the added hurdle of being the first woman of color on a major-party presidential ticket, and her team is well aware that she has to navigate everything that comes with that, as well. Of course, Harris has been dealing with that her entire career and life.
But there are potential pitfalls on race and gender that Pence has to be careful about in responding and attacking.
3. Does Harris live up to the hype?
This is the moment progressives have been waiting for. They desperately want someone to stick it to Team Trump.
But remember that debates can be all about expectations. The bar was very low for Biden because Trump and his campaign have cast him as incompetent and "not all there." Trump's antics made it easy for Biden to clear that bar. But there are lots of expectations for Harris, and she needs to deliver a solid performance to keep the Biden train moving forward.
Also, because of Biden's age, the spotlight may be brighter on Harris than for past vice presidential nominees. Democrats have set her up as the heir apparent after a Biden presidency, whether Biden runs for reelection or not. So this is a chance for her to show not just that she will be an attack dog for Biden, but for a large audience to see what kind of potential president she would be.
4. Can Harris stick to the Biden line?
One way Pence has signaled pretty loudly that he will go after Harris is painting her as tied to the "radical left," someone who will try to drag Biden further than his public statements are leading on.
"As you all know, Joe Biden and the Democratic Party have been overtaken by the radical left," Pence told a crowd in Mesa, Ariz., after Harris was named Biden's running mate. "So given their promises of higher taxes, open borders, socialized medicine and abortion on demand, it's no surprise that he chose Sen. Harris. You all might like to know that the vice presidential debate is on Oct. 7 in Utah."
The next day, Pence said this on Fox News: "I can't wait to get to Salt Lake City and be on the stage with her, to compare Joe Biden's nearly 50 years in public life — the agenda of the radical left, the agenda that she's embraced throughout her political career — with the results of this president and this administration."
This is the Trump campaign's Trojan horse theory — despite Biden making it clear he's in charge and not on board with withdrawing funding from the police, "Medicare for All" or the Green New Deal.
This is coming right down the train tracks at Harris with lights blaring and the horn blowing. This won't be a sneak attack. Harris' challenge will be to make a bold moral argument against the Trump administration, while also playing the good soldier and articulating the Biden campaign line clearly, forcefully and believably.
5. How does Trump's health come up?
The elephant in the room of this debate is Trump's health. The president tested positive for COVID-19 last week. While he's back at the White House and says he's "FEELING GREAT!" his doctors caution that he's not "out of the woods."
The administration and the president's doctors have delivered conflicting messages over the past few days, and the president made an impromptu trip in a hermetically sealed car with aides and Secret Service in the vehicle to visit supporters outside Walter Reed, where he was hospitalized, on Sunday.
When he returned to the White House on Monday evening, he waved from a balcony, without a mask, and recorded a video urging Americans not to let the coronavirus "dominate you."
The succession plan — in case his health does decline further — also hasn't been clear, and continuity of government is an important thing to reflect to the world, especiallyadversaries who are always looking for American weakness.
Pence is likely going to have to be spokesman for how the administration has dealt with not just this situation, but the coronavirus more broadly — to a large audience — especially since he is ostensibly still in charge of the White House Coronavirus Task Force.
On Tuesday, Trump announced a halt to negotiations on a new coronavirus relief package — talks that had largely stalled on their own — until after the election.
The administration has gotten criticized for its response; Trump is suffering politically because of it; and Pence is going to have to give voters who could be open to voting for Trump the confidence that the administration can handle the ongoing pandemic.
Trump getting the virus may also mean Harris adjusting her approach on how personal she can get about his handling of the pandemic. The Biden campaign has been trying to walk that line already, wishing the president and first lady well, but criticizing his approach to COVID-19.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


text:
Kasmira asked me to put together a list of my favorite photos I took of her for her blog this year. I love taking her blog photos. It's fun to brainstorm with her to come up with locations, and it's a great way to spend a little extra time together during busy times with work and rehearsals and meetings and whatever else.
Once the session is over, I rarely see the pictures again until they appear on the blog. She retains final say over which ones she picks, and often makes slight adjustments to the photos in terms of crop and angle. (Apparently I lilt 2 degrees or so to the right).
Anyway, here are my 13 favorite "Muchacho photographed photos" of 2011, and a little bit of my thoughts on each. I love being an occasional part of her blog, and it's so fun to read the comments left by all of you. Happy New Year
So many of the best pictures from the year also feature great locations. This one was taken at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio. Kasmira always reminds me that the blog is about what she's wearing, and you know.. I know that, but I also love interesting backdrops. The way the pavement here almost reflects the sky, and the little peeks of blue sky over the plane wings creates a really neat effect here. I also am really happy with how the wings overhead create a pseudo-frame. That was a total accident. Oh yeah… and look how freaking red her hair looks in front of the bright background. Awesome.
There's always a very specific order of events when we take pictures. First we decide where she'll stand and where I'll be, then we take a whole crapload of full-body "Outfit" shots. After that, we work on the "Deets", where she gets up close, and I take close-ups of the different pattern combinations or interesting accessories. Deets are my favorite part for a secret reason… Stealth Portraits! You'd never believe this, but Kasmira is basically very shy, and she'd never sit for real portraits, but I love to sneak a few close-ups while I'm technically getting pictures of her earrings. This one was taken at my uncle's home in Three Oaks, Michigan, at his labyrinth. It's a really beautiful setting, at the light was nice and bright, but still soft. It made for a really cool quirky portrait.
I chose this one for the face. See… at the start of a session, I have to do a little fiddling with the camera settings to make sure the light is right and whatnot. A lot of times, I'll take random pictures and she makes these faces to see if I'm paying attention (I was). I was so pleased when she included this one in the final cut on the blog, because her silly side doesn't get its due all that often, and it's one of my favorite things about her.
Oh man… So there's nothing like a good location photo, and what better location than my literal favorite place on Earth? There are a ton of great things about his picture (and the whole set from this day). I really like washed out effect on Spaceship Earth (the big golfball thing), and all of the beautiful colors of Disney World. Vacation outfits are one of Kasmira's special skills, and this one was my favorite from our recent trip to Disney. I toyed with using the other one from this post where she was taking a bite out of Spaceship Earth, but in the end the mix of bright colors, interesting pose, and depth of field in this picture won out. You'll also note that I was putting my own freedom in jeopardy by trespassing in a roped off area to take this picture. That's the kind of guy I am.
This one is on the short list of my favorite photos of Kasmira I've ever taken. The premise was one of those "Deets" pictures to show off her turquoise ensemble, but look at the stealth portrait I managed to take. I'll be honest and say that a lot of times, the composition on a photo is at least a little bit of a happy accident when it comes out nicely, but this one was totally intentional. I'd taken a few photos of just her hands, but then I looked up and saw the halo effect with the grass , so I had her pose this way. There's a similar photo she took last year, where all the snow behind her makes her eyes bright like this. I love it.
Sometimes a photo stands out for me because of the experience as much as the actual photo. This one was taken at the former site of the Jewish Community Center in Cincinnati. I spent many Summers as a kid playing on these tennis courts, and so it was pretty surreal (and really sad) to see how overgrown the whole place has become since it was abandoned when the JCC moved to another location. It's special when the experience combines with an actually cool photo, which is what happened here. There's just something about how the greens of the court, the weeds, the trees, and her dress combined to create this sort of wild feel to the whole set. She wants to go back to the old place again, because there are a few really good locations there. Maybe we'll see more of these next Summer.
What can you say about New York City? This is possibly the most iconic location we've ever taken outfit pictures. It's hard to get bigger than the NYC skyline. I love the blown-out aspect of this picture, with the dress (my single favorite item of her clothing) and the pink scarf just blazing away, and the super-bright dock and the blues of the East River. This was a really great, and memorable day, and I love that the pictures underscore that, by being really cool.
Union Terminal in Cincinnati is the most famous building in the city, and it started making regular appearances on the blog this Summer, after we attended a wedding there in June. Of all of the Union Terminal posts, this one is my favorite. The colors of Kasmira's outfit go perfectly with the blue patina of the huge fountain and the green shrubbery. I admit, too, that I tend to be a fan of the more classic looks in Kasmira's wardrobe, and this one could potentially have fit in just as well in the 1930s when U.T. was in its heyday as it does now. Also, I can most reliably count on a photo NOT being cropped if that building is in the background. Even Kasmira can't resist.
You may note that a pretty consistent feature of my favorite photos is direct sunlight, and I think this picture from the 1 year anniversary of Kasmira going back to her red hair perfectly illustrates why (and also why I will always, and forever, be a fan of the red over the blonde). Obviously, I think Kasmira would be beautiful with any hair color or style, but the red hair in the direct sunlight is so striking, and so amazing to photograph. I'm a great fan of the blues, purples, and greens in her wardrobe, and all of them look so unique and outstanding with the red hair blazing in the Sun. Am I right?
This one is another of those where the experience makes up half the story. The start of 2011 in Cincinnati was the wettest on record. It snowed and snowed and then it rained. It was almost constant for the first 4 months, so finding reasonable photo locations was challenging. We happened upon Mt. Echo Park at some point in the early stages of the year, and ended up using it several times throughout the Spring. There's this open air shelter with these great bit granite pillars and this shiny concrete floor. It made for a relatively dry place to take outfit photos during the rainy days of March and April, and really provided a cool location for various visuals. For example, if it hadn't been pouring rain, and the background hadn't been washed out, you'd be able to see an incredible view of downtown Cincinnati. As it was, I love how the wet ground created this mirror effect for this set. I can't say it was warm and comfortable at Mt. Echo this Spring, but it wasn't raining on me, and for that I was grateful. (and able to take this cool picture).
Another one of those great "Blazing red hair in the direct sunlight" pictures that I love. The best thing about this one, though, is that it's candid. So many of my favorite photos are the ones I take when Kasmira isn't ready. I love catching those moments where she's laughing or doing something silly, because that's the Kasmira that I know and love. It doesn't hurt, either, that this one was part of her Valentine's Day series, and was the day dedicated to me. (I was pleasantly surprised to beat out the cats for first on the list).
There are a few pictures I've taken that I am really proud of. That I show other people without prompting, and this one is on that list. There's just something about the colors, and the composition of it that makes me smile. It also makes me want to purchase a Buddy Scooter. What else can I say about it? It's just a really cool picture.
This picture was featured in the New York Times (Online) when they were doing a thing about "Winter Shorts", so that's cool. I really like the colors, and how crystal sharp the snow looks (and I hate snow). It's probably the most "professional" looking photo I've ever taken. But I don't care about any of that… I chose this picture because of the experience we had taking it. Do you know how freaking cold it was that day? I mean… it was really, really cold. Take a close look at Kasmira's nose. And her hands. That pinkish hue you see? Not blushing. That's pure, frigid air blasting her in the face. This was easily the coldest shoot of the year. I admit that I wasn't as cold as her, since I kept my coat on the whole time, but she seriously was walking around without a coat when it was 5 degrees outside. She's dedicated folks.


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(Family Features) The holiday season is all about entertaining. This year, take your holiday soiree to the next level with a palate-pleasing wine pairing experience. Invite friends and family to the kitchen for easily pairable tastes of these three favorites: wine, cheese and chocolate.
Before diving into the nearly endless pairing options, focus on delicious, affordable and high-quality ingredients like those at ALDI, where you'll find all you need for your entertaining spread. As a go-to source for wine, cheese, chocolate and more, you can ensure you have everything you need during the holiday entertaining season.
Consider these five festive wines and tasty pairings shared by sommelier and lifestyle expert Sarah Tracey, which showcase a range of her favorite ALDI-exclusive choices for the holiday season. Find more seasonal entertaining ideas at aldi.us.
- Light and Sweet – With aromas and flavors of strawberries and cherries, the sweet finish of Arosa Sparkling Moscato Rosé pairs with soft cheeses like Emporium Selection Baking Brie with Cranberry Glaze and Specially Selected Belgian Cocoa Dusted Truffles.
- Crisp and Balanced – The Exquisite Collection Sauvignon Blanc is crisp and well-balanced. To complement the taste properly, try matching it with Emporium Selection Mini Goat Milk Brie or Moser Roth Orange & Almond Chocolate Bars.
- Rich and Full – For a bolder, more robust sip, consider Grande Alberone Rosso with flavors of cherry, blackberry and raisin. These notes make it ideal for aligning with stronger tastes like Emporium Selection Truffle Cheddar or Choceur Dark Chocolate Covered Cherries.
- Tropical and Toasty – Full-bodied, bright pear and tropical fruit flavors balance out buttery hints of toasty oak and subtle caramel highlights in William Wright Chardonnay. Pair it with sophisticated cheeses like Emporium Selection Champagne Cheddar for a complementary experience, and finish the taste with Choceur Dark Chocolate Coconut Covered Almonds.
- Lush and Silky – A medium-bodied wine like William Wright Reserve Pinot Noir, featuring cherry, blackberry and plum aromas with vanilla nuances, pairs well with flavorful cheeses. Try Emporium Selection artisan flavored cheese, like the variety "Got Tea Have It." Choceur Dark Chocolate Covered Cranberries complement the chocolate pairing nicely.
Source: ALDI


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Imperial Cat - Animal Scratchers - Medium Iguana (6"D x 4.5"H x 21"W)
The Imperial Cat Scratch 'n Shapes Medium Iguana is designed to cradle your cat during many afternoon snoozes after a long day of scratching! Made from rough, durable corrugated cardboard, the Imperial Cat Scratch 'n Shapes Medium Iguana mimics the feel of real tree bark, so it feels natural to kitty's claws and paws. The Imperial Cat Scratch 'n Shapes Medium Iguana is designed to rip and tear under your kitty's claws, providing for great visual marking - a main reason your cat scratches in the first place. You think it looks torn up and ugly, but your cat thinks it looks like home! Contrary to popular belief, your cat doesn't scratch to "sharpen" his claws, but rather to remove the outer layer of nail which sheds naturally every few weeks. And the corrugated cardboard is a unique surface in your home - it feels different than your carpet or sofa - so it's easier to train your cat to use the Imperial Cat Scratch 'n Shapes Medium Iguana instead of your furniture. Plus, it just feels good to your kitty to stretch out and scratch away! Cats may also like to sleep and play on the Imperial Cat Scratch n' Shapes Medium Iguana, and that's okay - The Imperial Cat Scratch n' Shapes Medium Iguana is made with non-toxic paper, ink and glue, so it's purrfectly safe for cats and kittens. In fact, every Imperial Cat Scratch 'n Shapes comes with a bag of Imperial Cat 100% Organic Catnip - sprinkle on a little or sprinkle on a lot for an aroma that will attract your cat like a magnet and get the fun started!
- Helps protect your furniture from destructive cat scratching
- Provides a place for kitty to scratch, play and sleep
- Keeps cats' claws and muscles healthy and strong
Remove packaging. Do not remove the protective paper from the bottom of the scratcher. Place Scratch 'n Shape on the floor near your cat's favorite spot or where your cat is scratching. Apply Imperial Cat Certified Organic Catnip to the top surface of the scratcher above the protective bottom paper. Use your hand to gently rub the catnip into the scratcher if desired. Allow your cat to discover the Scratch 'n Shape - you may place your cat on the Scratch 'n Shape, but do not try to force your cat to use it, as this may scare your cat. It may take several days for your cat to become accustomed to a new object. Use training methods such as praise and petting to encourage your cat to use the Scratch n' Shape and not your furniture.
Dimensions: 6"D x 4.5"H x 21"W
Material: Corrugated Cardboard


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If you've always wanted to get involved in fashion design but never really knew where to start, there are many websites that will give you tips, tricks, ideas and even platforms in which to practice and come up with ideas on your own. Anyone can take pen to paper and come up with fashion design but online fashion design will let you know what's in style nowadays and it will have you up and running like a pro in no time. All you need to do is find one or a few websites, which will let you practice online fashion design. You never know, with enough practice you could be the next runway fashion designer making clothes for highly paid fashion models with your name in lights.
Finding Sites To Work With
If you use your favorite search engine, you should have no problem finding online fashion design websites. Some may ask you to pay a membership fee while others may be free. You may want to practice with the free ones first just to make sure you like it and to see if you have a knack for it before you shell out big bucks on a high priced online fashion design website. Some of the free sites allow you to shop for fashion online as well and that's how they pay for their sites so look around and you're sure to find a site that works for you.
How It Works
Online fashion design makes designing clothes easy. You'll usually start with a virtual model and then you can search through various styles of clothing to dress that model. The great thing about online fashion design is that you use your mouse to add or remove clothing whenever you want to. If something doesn't work, simply click the mouse and it's gone. Add this or that and you'll soon find something that works.
Once You Get Better
Most online fashion design websites want to see the work you've used. They will sometimes post styles and fashions from users just like yourself. When you find something that really works, show it off with the other users on that site. You never know when someone will see it and will want to see more of what you can do. This could be how you are discovered as an online fashion designer. If nothing else, you'll get better at online fashion design and you'll find a hobby you really excel in and have a lot of fun with.


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Feb 18, 2016 - Off-duty St.-Sgt. Tuvia Yanai Weissman, 21, of Ma'ale Mikhmas was killed while trying to stop two Palestinian teenage terrorists from stabbing shoppers at a Rami Levy supermarket in the Sha'ar Binyamin Industrial Zone, southeast of Ramallah in the West Bank.
St.-Sgt. Tuvia Yanai Weissman, a combat sergeant in the IDF's Nahal Brigade, who had been on leave from the army for a week, was shopping with his wife and infant daughter, so that when he returned to the army on Sunday they would have everything they needed. He heard screams from a different aisle as the two 14-year-olds attacked shoppers with knives, and even though he was unarmed, ran to help and was mortally wounded..
The supermarket where he was killed, which employs both Israelis and Palestinians and is popular with both Israeli and Palestinian shoppers, has become a symbol of coexistence. It has been targeted several times since the current wave of terrorism began.
Yanai and Yael were childhood sweethearts, who married two years ago. After her husband was killed, Yael said: "If you had not raced to help, you would not be the Yanai that I know, the one I fell in love with." She added, "We were waiting for your release from the army. We had so many plans. To fly, to trek, to work, to study and most important of all, to be together."
Weissman was described by friends as a quiet, studious young man; an enthusiastic combat soldier; and a loving husband and father who attended high school in Jerusalem and a pre-military academy in Kfar Eldad, where he combined Torah study and preparation for the army. Rabbi Shmuel Natanzon of the Yedidya academy where Weissman studied eulogized him, saying, "We had many debates until the small hours of the night because you were a man of truth. You had doubts as to whether to go to a command role or continue in combat, I knew that you could be a role model and symbol."
US State Department deputy spokesman Mark Toner condemned the attack that killed Weissman, who also held US citizenship.
St.-Sgt. Tuvia Yanai Weissman was buried in Jerusalem's Mount Herzl Military Cemetery. He is survived by his wife Yael, daughter Netta, aged 4 months, his parents and three siblings.


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Dustin Lynch Invited to Join the Grand Ole Opry
Joining the Grand Ole Opry is a career pinnacle for country musicians, and Dustin Lynch is becoming a member of that exclusive club. On Tuesday night (Aug. 21), the singer was invited to become the newest member of the Opry family by Opry member Trace Adkins, who himself was celebrating his 15th anniversary at the institution.
Lynch — who debuted at the Opry in 2012 — thanked Adkins with a touch of humor: "Thank you! I wish you weren't so big. I want to pick you up, but I couldn't!"
He went on to thank his family and friends, concluding his portion of the show "with a frog in my throat and tears in my eyes" and singing his current single, "Good Girl."
"Being a member of the Grand Ole Opry is at the top of my list of achievements in my career and always will be," Adkins noted of Lynch's invitation. "We want people to be members of the Grand Ole Opry that will have a respect for this institution that it deserves, that it has earned for 92 years," he added. "We think that Dustin Lynch is going to carry on in that proud tradition."
Chris Janson, who was inducted into the Opry in March, tweeted the following message shortly after the news broke:
Lynch will be officially inducted into the Opry family on Sept. 18.
The Hottest Songs of the Summer of 2018


text: Fine massage oil based on natural oils, for nourished, silky skin. Exquisite fragrances pamper the senses and awaken erotic moods with every massage. 8 different exquisite scents are available to choose from. Amber is especially fitting for the man and sandalwood has a further warming effect. The oils penetrate completely into the skin and leave an incredibly smooth sensation. Very rich.


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Join the ART teachers with Learning the Ropes, this is primarily a Level 1 Bell Handling Session. You are welcome to come on your own or bring your teacher with you too.
During this session we can introduce you to ringing if you've never rung before. Once you can handle your bell we will introduce you to fun exercises that will help you gain confidence and control and start you on your journey into the world of Change Ringing.
If you'd like to join this session to practice ringing on our simulator you are also most welcome. We can help you to get started and offer advice if you've not used the simulator before.


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Snowberry Fur Collar
Cozy up all of your favourite outfits with the Snowberry detachable collar! Warm not just in feel but also in appearance, the Snowberry collar comes in a furry cream exterior and a contrasting brown interior and self-tie closure.
- Designed in-house by With Nini
- Ethically made in Canada
- Made from scrap, upcycled fabric
5 wears: $11.40
10 wears: $5.70
25 wears: $2.28
50 wears: $1.14
• Free tracked shipping for orders $200+ CAD within Canada and the U.S.
• $10 CAD tracked shipping for orders under $200 within Canada and the U.S.
See our Shipping Policy for more information.
We're proud to offer a 14 day guarantee for our With Nini products. If any issues arise during this time you can contact us for an easy return or exchange. This excludes "final sale" items.
See our Returns and Exchanges Policy for more information.
Looks cute with
A touch of whimsy through ethically made clothing
Sustainable and ethical
At With Nini we're all about being eco-friendly! From sourcing to packaging, we're on a mission to keep it green. We team up with local businesses, keep things low-waste, and choose materials like bamboo and organic cotton for a smaller environmental footprint. Our manufacturing partners provide fair wages and great working conditions—no sweatshops.
Longevity is very important to us, we want you to love and wear your clothes for years to come so they don't end up in landfills. In order to reduce waste we produce in smaller batches, only making what we think we can sell. We use leftover fabric for things like samples, accessories, and future collections. Some of our collections are made from upcycled and deadstock fabric to give unused material a second chance.
Made in Canada
We are proud to be based in Ottawa, Canada where we are able to effectively design our products in-house. We work with businesses and manufacturers all across Canada, ensuring quality and workplace equality for all of our products.


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1. Major-General Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin - Chief of Defence Staff;
2. Major-General T.Y. Buratai - Chief of Army Staff
3. Rear Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas - Chief of Naval Staff
4. Air Vice Marshal Sadique Abubakar - Chief of Air Staff
5. Air Vice Marshal Morgan Monday Riku - Chief of Defence Intelligence
6. Major-General Babagana Monguno (rtd.) - National Security Adviser
The new Chief of Defence Staff, Maj.-Gen. Olonisakin (N/6901) hails from Ekiti State. Until his appointment as Chief of Defence Staff today, he was the Head of the Nigerian Army Training and Doctrine Command in Minna, Niger State.
The new Chief of Army Staff, Maj.-Gen. Buratai hails from Borno State. Until his new appointment today, he was the Commander of the Multinational Joint Task Force which has its headquarters in Ndjamena. Maj-Gen. Buratai has previously served as Commander of the Nigerian Army's 2nd Brigade in Port Harcourt and Commander of the Nigerian Army School of Infantry in Jaji, Kaduna State.
The new Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Ibas (N0746) hails from Cross River State. He enlisted into the Nigerian Defence Academy as a member of the 26th Regular Course in 1979 and was commissioned as a Sub-Lieutenant in 1983. His previous appointments include: Naval Provost Marshall, Chief Staff Officer, Naval Training Command, Chief of Administration, Naval Headquarters, Flag Officer Commanding Western Naval Command and Chief of Logistics, Naval Headquarters. Until his appointment as Chief of Naval Staff, he was the Chief Executive Officer of Navy Holdings Limited.
The new Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshall Abubakar (NAF 1433) hails from Bauchi State. His previous appointments include: Chief of Standards and Evaluation, NAF Headquarters; Chief of Defence Communications and Air Officer Commanding, NAF Training Command. Until his new appointment today as Chief of Air Staff, he was the Chief of Administration, NAF Headquarters.
The new Service Chiefs will hold their appointments in an acting capacity until confirmed by the Senate.
President Buhari thanks the outgoing Service Chiefs and National Security Adviser for their services to the nation and wishes them well in their future endeavours.


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Polyscience Sous Vide Professional Creative Series
Polyscience is one of the most trusted sous vide brands in the professional kitchen, but they generally price themselves out of the range of the home market. When they released the Sous Vide Professional they managed to bring the price point down to 799.95$, which was still several hundred dollars away from the consumer appliance range.
Today, Polyscience is consolidating the brand names of their circulators by renaming the 7306 aka the Sous Vide Thermal Circulator to the Sous Vide Professional - Classic Series. It also got some minor cosmetic changes to reflect the rebrand.
The Sous Vide Professional will henceforth be known as the Sous Vide Professional - Chef Series.
But this probably isn't interesting to anyone except for myself. Cause, as someone who covers the sous vide appliance market, I can tell you this: no one cares about this stuff except for me and like ten other people.
The exciting news (to you) is that Polyscience also announced the Sous Vide Professional - Creative Series. The Creative series is "Specifically designed for the casual user", which is code for "This is the new consumer option from Polyscience". Priced at 499.95$, this model has a number of differences from the Chef Series.
But lets get to the nitty gritty. The Creative can heat a 20 liter bath to a maximum temperature of 99ºC within 0.1ºC, and has a fixed flow rate of 6 liters per minute. Contrast that to the SVP Chef which can heat a 30 liter bath to a maximum temperature of 100ºC within 0.07ºC, and has a variable flow rate of up to 12 liters per minute. According to the website, the Creative takes up the same amount of space as the Chef (14.125 x 3.875 x 7.375 in), but is significantly lighter (5.5 pounds versus 9.5 pounds).
There are some other things you give up, including some failure mode indicators, the cookbook and the storage/carry case.
For the home user, the Polyscience Sous Vide Professional Creative Series sacrifices things you won't care about, and gives you (most of) the things you wanted at a pretty great price point.