Whit's Amuse Bouche

I know I know. Yesterday came and went and I didn’t blog.

I have to be honest with you, moving across the country and planning a 25th anniversary event have proven to be the too much in the whole “the good lord never gives you more than you can handle” caveat.  I took easter off to pack my life away in boxes and make to-do lists.

I missed you, and you should know that I much prefer to chat with you over a glass of wine than pack boxes.

To make it up to you, I’ve planned a week.  I know we don’t really do much theme-ing over here at Amuse Bouche, but it’s time we gave breakfast it’s proper glory by celebrating BREAKFAST WEEK on the blog.

Yes, from sweet to savory, quick to involved, we are covering the full spectrum of breakfast this week.

Because I am overwhelmed with my life and half drunk /medicated for the duration of this week, we are easing into this. (that’s a little joke, I start acting like my life is a padded room when I get stressed out).

But we really are easing into this, with homemade veggie cream cheese. A few fresh ingredients is all that stands between you and a kicked up bagel.

Takes 5 minutes, you can do this!

Love,

Whit

Searching for the best above ground pool on the market  is not easy. More so, maintaining its cleanliness with traditional vacuum is never a pleasant task. Leaves falling from trees and all tiny bitsy dirt can cause the water to turn cloudy. Save yourself from long hours of hassle by using robotic pool cleaner for leaves and spicing up your swimming experience by adding solar pool cover to the equation.

Payback for the Short Cut

Filling up a pool with well water will save you an average of 15 hours of possibly wasted time if you use a conventional hose. Water is naturally packed with iron, but well water’s ionic state have dramatically higher iron levels. Over time, the iron level of the water increases even more, turning it into rusty brown, hue or green color. This causes stain not only on the walls, but also on the hair and nails of swimmers. Sprinkle the rusty water with dirt and leaves for a sure disaster you’ll never want to re-experience. This enables swimmers to get the best water pool with a clear vision.

The Make Over

For natural pools, the most famous and easy way to treat a pool filled with well water is through chlorine based shock. This treatment could last up to five days and requires high volumes of chlorine. Keep in mind to do this during night time to avoid exposure to UV rays which diminishes its effects. Above ground pools and in ground pools can be sanitized by using pool clarifier which collects small particles and bind them to form large chunks that can be easily filtered.

Filter Out the Mess

Follow up the process by removing all dirt using a robotic pool cleaner for leaves. Drop and relax with Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus Pool Cleaner for superior cleaning, terminating large debris, leaves, and even the smallest particles along with algae.

Heat It Up!

Once the water is clean, grab a solar pool cover to heat up the water while saving your pool from further evaporation. Unwind in a warm night swimming with help from Sun2Solar Clear 16-Foot-by-32-Foot Rectangle Solar Cover. This will save your pockets from expensive heating cost without dropping the temperature of water during night time. It effectively collects sun heat and prevents 95% water loss due to evaporation.

Prevention is better than Cure

If well water is the only option you have to fill your above ground pool with, it is better to regularly apply metal out products to avoid any problems from recurring. By using these chemicals, any type of metal particles that enters the pool will contain and inactivated.

Keep in mind

If you’re worried that your pool has a lot of iron, consult pool professionals for water testing and proper guidance for the process of iron removal. Well water is prone to high iron levels and adding metal out products on a regular basis to keep the water fresh to help maintain your pool’s cleanliness.

Kids,  you have less than 24 hours left to vote on Whit’s Amuse Bouche’s wedding amuse bouches. Just go there and do us all the favor!  I’ll be picking the winner at 5 pm Central time tomorrow, and you’ll be winning French Fridays with Dorie, and the baked good from this blog of your choice!

Boom-boom-boom and a zoom-zoom (just shake ya rump!)

Now, everyone probably noticed what a flashback mood I’ve been in recently, what with the old school song quotes and the fruit roll ups, but I have been saving the most awesome flashback of all.

See, I ate A LOT of junk food back in my day. When I say a lot, I mean like 99% processed, heavily marketed on television kind of junk.  No shame, it is part of what has made me, me.

But now, I don’t.  Do NOT get me wrong, when I have had 1 too many red wine spritzers and I am outside of the Wiener Circle, you bet your tail I go in an get a charburger, but for the most part, I leave the process to the past and think fondly on my chubby youth.

But something gets into me when I think about frosting in a plastic container. I don’t know. No, it’s not even that good but sweet Lord, did I love it!

And I thought I was worldly, because dunkaroos, were so CLEARLY an Australian treat.

(I had this weird Australia thing going on, you should hear about the first boy that bought me jewelry – “Genuine Australian Crystals”- Well, I almost shat my pants that day.)

Ah, young love.

Anyway, dunkaroos. I ate these things by the box.  And I’ll be darned if I am going to have a life where my kids (completely hypothetical and currently not even a blip on the ultrasound- although HAPPENING like the Duggars someday) live without them.

So, do me a solid and buy yourself a kangaroo cookie cutter, and head down under for a snack worth writing home about.

Homemade Dunkaroos

graham cracker recipe from Smitten Kitchen

2 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cupdark brown sugar, lightly packed
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes and frozen
1/3 cup mild-flavored honey, such as clover
5 tablespoons  milk, full-fat is best
2 tablespoons  pure vanilla extract

Topping
3 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Make the dough: Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade or in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Pulse or mix on low to incorporate.

Add the butter and pulse on and off on and off, or mix on low, until the mixture is the consistency of a coarse meal.

In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, milk, and vanilla extract.

Add to the flour mixture and pulse on and off a few times or mix on low until the dough barely comes together.

It will be very soft and sticky. Lay out a large piece of plastic wrap and dust it lightly with flour, then turn the dough out onto it and pat it into a rectangle about 1-inch thick. Wrap it, then chill it until firm, about 2 hours or overnight.

Meanwhile, prepare the topping, if using, by combining the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and setting aside.

Roll out the crackers: Divide the dough in half and return one half to the refrigerator. Sift an even layer of flour onto the work surface and roll the dough into a long rectangle about 1/8 inch thick. The dough will be sticky, so flour as necessary.

Trim the edges of the rectangle to 4 inches wide. Working with the shorter side of the rectangle parallel to the work surface, cut the strip every 4 1/2 inches to make 4 crackers.

Place the crackers on one or two parchment-lined baking sheets and sprinkle with the topping. Chill until firm, about 30 to 45 minutes in the fridge or 15 to 20 minutes in the freezer. Repeat with the second batch of dough. Finally, gather any scraps together into a ball, chill until firm, and re-roll.

Adjust the oven rack to the upper and lower positions and preheat the oven to 350°F.  Bake for 15 to 25 minutes, until browned and slightly firm to the touch, rotating the sheets halfway through to ensure even baking.

Frosting:

2 cups powdered sugar
1/2  cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons milk
1 container sprinkles

Cream the butter,

slowly add the powdered sugar, add the milk and vanilla at the end to thin out. Finish with sprinkles.

I know, right? Sigh.

Also, you guys should know that in 2 days, Amuse Bouche will be participating in The Tomato Tarts online bake sale for Japan.  We are selling our oreos, remember those?  Well,  I am just saying, you should probably bid for those.

Love,

Whit