the birdfeeder

Website Complete!

2010-06-19T11:24:00.003-04:00

It was true, I couldn't go another day without a website. And in dedication to my dearest Allie, who has encouraged me to build one for so long now, I would like to premiere it here on the Birdfeeder.

AKBeecher.com is now up and running! I used wix, although I'm hoping that it's just a place holder until I can build my own. It functions as an online portfolio, some of my video work, but mostly my photos. Thoughts and suggestions always welcome. Be nice, I'm a newbie.

Some Cards

2010-06-01T12:12:00.004-04:00

I made this illustration for my friends Greg and Megan's wedding a few weeks ago. Just a simple representation of them, with the added stroke of genius of Robocop. For anyone that doesn't know Greg, I'm pretty sure Robocop ranks pretty high (maybe even #2, after his new wife) on his list of life's important things.

This is an illustration I made for my best friend Beth's birthday card. Its supposed to be me and her in college. Her, in a striped "skirt" that I made pretty much hand-sewn from scraps of fabric, and drinking, of course, PBR. I'm on the right, wearing the denim skirt I lived in on any given saturday night, and a grey hoodie that I wore to shreds (which only made me love it more). My drink of choice: vodka + tonic.
If you're wondering why it says "Barf + Bird," (at the risk of sounding pretty lame) those were tags we came up with one year for ourselves, that we promptly sharpied all over things in our basement apartment. Yeah, we were damn cool. And still are!

The Romper is Your New Overlord.

2010-05-26T13:05:00.004-04:00

Jezebel has an awesome section of their site called Today In Catalogs where they go through recent catalogs, pointing out how ridiculous they are. Everything from photography setups to the lifestyles they're trying to sell, to the clothes themselves.
Gems about Urban Outfitters clothing like "The Romper Is Ubiquitous. The Romper Is Happening. The Romper Is Your New Overlord. Bow down to The Romper" couldn't be more hilarious and true! (from the article "5 Fugly Things Urban Outfitters Wants You To Wear This Spring")

Today in browsing the catalog comedy, I found an article called Catalog Fantasies: The Life Your Life Could Be Like which outlines Jezebel's views of the type of lifestyles certain popular catalogs are trying to sell you/make you think you live in.

Another gem describing Urban Outfitters:
"You go to rock shows in your romper. Your apartment is full of flimsy furniture and unfunny coffee table books, but you don't care because you are always a little drunk, and you look beautiful all the time even though you never wash your hair. You let people write shit on your wall. Your boyfriend's t-shirt has a Midwestern state on it, and yours has a bird turning into a roller skate, and sometimes you trade and nobody notices."

So go browse Today In Catalogs and have a laugh about the culture you love to make fun of, while walking around in your pre-ripped $150 boyfriend jeans and "authentic" bohemian moccasins.

Lil' Inappropriate Golden Books

2010-05-25T14:39:00.003-04:00

Pixar artist, Josh Cooley, is creating a compilation of his adult versions of Golden Books, called Movies R Fun. The book will have illustrations of famous movie scenes that are definitely not kid-friendly. Pretty clever, I say.

Via SlashFilm

Motivation Proclaimations

2010-05-21T14:34:00.003-04:00

For some time now, in the back of my mind, crammed between my wit and hunger synapses, the words "mind over muffin" have echoed faintly. A simple diet mantra, reminding myself to think "do i really need the muffin (or cupcake, or nachos, or cheese), and all its carb-y goodness/badness? or are my eyes bigger than my stomach?" Ranting briefly with Steph a few weeks ago about all the unholy food temptations we try to avoid in order to be summer wardrobe-ready, I mentioned my muffin mantra and we realized i need to create a series of motivational diet graphics. And so, here are my first 3. Now, lets see if I'm motivated enough to come up with some more! Now that my beloved tv season has come to its yearly summer break, perhaps I will have some time, and space in my brain for things other than hot doctors and feuding housewives.

Blowing through the jasmine in my mind

2010-05-10T17:05:00.002-04:00

I found this image of a ranunculus (my new favorite flower right now) on DesignSponge today, and I instantly wanted summer. So I put together a color board with this lovely take on complementary colors blue and orange - which i usually hate together! Now this little collage has resulted in the song Summer Breeze being stuck in my head. Oh how I'd love to be laying on a polka-dotted blanket in a warm breezy field, eating creamsicles.

Book Covers

2010-05-06T14:43:00.002-04:00

I'm not much of a reader. We all know that. But when I do buy a book I do tend to judge them by their covers. Here's the portfolio of designer Elizabeth Ackerman Valins, who used to create beautiful editorial layouts for Martha Stewart Living, but also has an impressive collection of book cover designs. I appreciate her variety of styles and unique type design.

Yes.

2010-04-30T17:29:00.000-04:00

Absolutely Beautiful!

2010-04-30T15:53:00.003-04:00

Loving this watercolor typography by Sasha Prood! I'm a big fan of processes that take digital type and make it handmade, while still maintaining the subtleties that make it the typeface it is. This is more what I do when making hand drawn type-as I'm not much of an illustrator from scratch, and more of a tracer. This work goes the extra step from just tracing or replicating printed letters though, as it has a lovely painterly feel and I adore the color blending! I would love some of this work on anything from totebags to pillowcases to just a framed print on my wall!

Speaking of Cupcakes!

2010-04-30T11:29:00.002-04:00

THE CUPCAKE CANNON

CupcakesCrazy

2010-04-29T12:05:00.004-04:00

I'm almost hesitant to post this because it clearly dominates over any cupcake-making skills I may have. But everything about this blog is delicious. The recipes, the photos, even the layout. lovelove. The recipes are pretty unique as is her presentation. Beet-chocolate cake? Fig-filling? Port wine and cherry chocolate? YES PLEASE! I'm definitely jealin' and really want to try some of these out. She also has some interesting cookie recipes up here as well. Check out MingMakesCupcakes!

(special thanks to Zeynep for linking this to me!)

And just for reference/comparison/extra yums... here's where you can find some of my own cupcakey accomlishments

Speaking of Color!

2010-04-28T17:01:00.003-04:00

Found this dazzing chart illustrating the evolution of Crayola Crayon colors over time, made by Steve Von Worley. It was posted over here, on Black Eiffel.

Personally I'd love to have this piece blown up the size of an entire wall in my house. Splash of color? pshhh... Tidal wave of color!

Colorboards

2010-04-27T11:19:00.003-04:00

Not that I've been doing any design in my free time lately, but I do enjoy color combos in general and for other uses. I figured a good way to use up some spare time without feeling the pressure to create something out of nothing, would be to make color palettes for possible future use. I think most of the time when I'm inspired by color its more for fashion purposes.
I've been having a not-so-secret love affair with nautical colors for a few years now, as culminated in last years SOHO quest for a simple red tank top (thank you, Top Shop) just to pair with my new navy + white striped cardigan.

Here are two color palettes I created a little while ago that I just enjoy gazing at. A classic red/blue/navy combo and my new favorite combo (sparked by the newest additions to my shoe family - navy blue keds-like sneakers and yellow peeptoe flats).

I think neutrals are in this year, or so I believe I've heard. so i think i may actually break my life-long hatred of khakis and give them a chance this year. boyfriend-style of course.

MechanicalAnimal

2010-04-26T15:56:00.003-04:00

How great is this set of prints? Here's why these should be on my wall...

Most of the art I already own is animal-related. And pretty much the only things I've ever doodled/painted/sewn in the past few years have been animal-related.
If you know me well enough, you'd know I'm also a huge nerd with somewhat-useless stores of memory with bits of science I learned in high school.

So naturally this combo of animal and mechanics really makes my heart pitterpatter. I also adore the color palette, as lately I've been more drawn to greyed out hues. Which is weird because fashion-wise all I've wanted to wear lately is sequins and sparkle.

Too bad my birthday just passed, so I'll have to get these prints from Poster Cabaret myself.

Sidenote: Mechanical Animal would make a sweet band name.

Pillow Love

2010-03-11T14:02:00.004-05:00

This news report about a man who married his pillow, called a dakimakura (a life-sized pillow with a picture of an anime character on it), is made only awesomer because of James Franco's guest role on 30 rock where he was in love with a similar pillow. Love knows no bounds people!
Here's the article.

and here's the pillowtastic 30-rock episode. best part is the very end, by far.
Let's do this.

Art History

2010-03-01T15:08:00.003-05:00

Here's a cute and clever video by french band, Hold Your Horses. Now I know i fell asleep during most of my art history lectures at school, but somehow most of these classic paintings managed to stay embedded in my brain.

70 Million by Hold Your Horses ! from L'Ogre on Vimeo.

Sink Yer Fangs Into This

2010-02-22T10:26:00.003-05:00

A little free advertising (on the small scale of my little blog here) for my friends Fang Island! I went to school with some of these guys, and i finally downloaded their new album, which needless to say, rocks. I remember sitting in a friend's house back maybe around sophomore year when they first played me some of the songs they'd started recording for their (at the time, brand new) band, and from the get-go i thought the sound was awesome, so unique and full of spirit. its a crime i haven't gone to see them live since about 3 years ago!
Their song, Daisy was just featured in the commercial for a new MTV show called The Buried Life. Its great whether you need a boost at the gym or staring at your computer for an 8 hour work day. Give it a listen and then go download their album (name your own price)!

&amp;amp;lt;a href="http://digital.fangisland.com/track/daisy"&amp;amp;gt;Daisy by Fang Island&amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;gt;

Amanda Wachob Tattoos

2010-02-18T11:05:00.003-05:00

I do have to give credit to my friend Ferry for tweeting this link today...
Amanda Wachob's tattoo style is like nothing I've seen before. Although I'm not much of a connoisseur, these do look pretty damn unique to me. I love how the ink looks like painted brushstrokes. Even when the subject matter of her work is more common, like birds or skulls, there's a very new look about it that doesn't feel like it was taken from your typical book of tattoo flash. Her style ranges from a modern abstract feel to some great mexican art-inspired collages of skeletons and flowers. Check out her work and try to resist the urge to book an appointment!

Valentine's Day Dinner

2010-02-15T16:08:00.003-05:00

This Valentine's day we decided to be a bit budget-friendly and avoid any high-priced/small-portioned prixe fixe menus. I've been wanting to try making fresh pasta at home, and also just love a good Italian meal as a treat (complete with DiBruno Brothers cheese, sopprassata, and other marinated goodies), so we decided to try this recipe for lamb and pork ragu to accompany some homemade pappardelle. The pasta was the hardest part just because of the manual labor it required of Scott to knead and roll out the dough, which would've been better if we could've gotten it rolled thinner (or had a pasta maker). Here's the recipe for the ragu, which was pretty easy and so delicious.

Daddy's little helper

Pappardelle hanging to dry

Good Eats!

Pappardelle with Ragu (from Braises and Stews, by Tori Ritchie)

1 lb boneless lamb stew (trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1/2 inch cubes)
1 lb boneless pork stew (trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1/2 inch cubes)
kosher salt
olive oil
4 ounces pancetta, diced
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 cup red wine
1 tsp paprika
1-28oz can and 1-14.5oz can chopped tomatoes
1 bay leaf
1 lb pappardelle pasta
1/3 cup chopped parsley
grated parmesan cheese

Sprinkle cubed meat with kosher salt. Coat bottom of 5-7 quart dutch oven with olive oil and heat on medium/high heat until oil shimmers. Add enough meat to cover bottom of the pot in 1 layer and cook, without stirring, util meat lifts easily from pot with tongs and is well browned on bottom, about 5 minutes. Turn and brown on the other side, about 5 minutes more. Transfer meat to a plate and continue cooking the rest of the meat in batches.
When last batch is removed, drain off all but about 1 tbsp fat from pot. Add pancetta and cook until fat renders off, about 1 minute. Pour in the wine and cook for 1 minute, stirring to release brown bits. Return meat to pan along with any accumulated juices. Stir in paprika. Add tomatoes and bay leaf and let come to a boil.
Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until meat falls into shreds when pushed with the side of a spoon, about 21/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Turn off heat and let stand while you cook the pasta.
Serve over fresh cooked pappardelle with chopped parsley and grated parmesan.

Enjoy!

Crowded Teeth

2010-02-09T11:40:00.004-05:00

I think this girl's work is just the cutest. Whenever I try to make vector illustrations I wish I could have her brain. She makes so many adorable animal/character/objects/whathaveyou/drawings as well as designs them into sell-able wares. I also wish I was her friend so she would make me awesome pictures and presents for my birthday.

Learn about Michelle Romo and browse her shop
and check out her blog

The Key to Happiness

2010-02-09T11:32:00.001-05:00

Hiro, the Jungle Cat

2010-02-06T17:20:00.003-05:00

Today I had to do some work from home, which wasn't all that bad because Hiro kept me company and kept a lookout on the snowy weather out the window. Here he is in his new favorite hangout, amidst the jungle of houseplants and terrariums in me and scott's office.

Hopefully I'll be set free from my computer soon, because we're planning on making some delicious chili for dinner tonight. And let me add, that I better be able to partake in the chili cookin's because we trekked out in the knee-deep snow to buy the ingredients this morning!
I'm sure there will be a chili post in the near future! mmMMmm

Meanwhile in Miami...

2010-02-05T13:03:00.002-05:00

It has been far too long since I have posted. So I return to the birdfeeder with a video of my nutty music pals down in Miami.

Babyhairs - Little Gnome from Shaun Wright on Vimeo.

This is my friend Shaun Wright (and the ass-kicking Geneva) performing Babyhairs - Little Gnome

Good times and goofiness filmed on his brand new Canon 7D (valentines day present anyone?)

Passion for Fashion

2010-02-04T14:15:00.005-05:00

Check out sass-queen Kim on the right! :P

Crowded Closet is my friend Kim's fashion blog, where her and her stylish friend post pictures of their daily outfits and describe the inspiration and execution behind them. What I love about their posts (besides the sassy poses they've perfected!) is that they totally inspire me to take another look at my own crowded closet, and realize that i too can look like i walked out of a magazine, while still working with a budget and tons of clothes from h+m and forever 21!

100 Layer Cake

2010-02-04T14:05:00.004-05:00

I love this blog. I love wedding blogs. Its a dangerous thing though, considering I'm 25 and just last weekend moved in with my boyfriend...so lets not tell him I'm secretly pining over the fantastic wedding ideas in 100 Layer Cake.

One of my favorite parts of 100 Layer Cake are the color schemes. I love the photography used in these palettes and the color combos pulled from them are great, not to mention the names she comes up with for each hue!

Check out 100 Layer Cake and get inspired (and try to resist getting wedding-fever)

Latin Deliciousness!

2009-08-03T22:47:00.003-04:00

While my darlin' worked hard doing all sorts of housework on Sunday, I decided to start thinking about my next meal (no surprise there). Trying to budget, I checked what we already had, which was pork chops and fresh parsley and cilantro. I hate buying fresh herbs because so much of them always go to waste, but low-and-behold, when I quickly searched for some pork inspiration, I found a recipe for Chimichurri (which involves none other than fresh parsley and cilantro)! Needless to say, a latin-themed dinner was in order. I thought up some tasty matching sides and my delicious Sunday dinner was born.

Ancho and Rum-Glazed Pork Chops with Chimichurri, Seasoned Black Beans, and Homemade Plantain Chips

The Chimichurri was easy!
1 1/2 C chopped parsley
1 1/2 C chopped cilantro
1 Tbsp + 1 Tsp dried oregano
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
3 Tbsp chopped garlic (6-7 cloves)
1/4 Tsp red pepper flakes
1 Tsp kosher salt
1/4 Tsp black pepper
1/2 C extra virgin olive oil

Roughly chop parsley and cilantro and add to a food processor. Add the oregano, lime juice, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper to food processor and blend until evenly mixed and smooth. Spoon into a bowl and stir in red pepper flakes. Add in oil gradually, as you stir so you can control the thickness of sauce to your preference. Store in fridge about an hour for flavors to get even more delicious!

Next comes the marinade, veggies and meat (enough for 2 boneless pork chops)!
2 dried ancho peppers
About 1/2 Cup of dark brown sugar
3 Tbsp olive oil
About 1-2 shots of rum (I used light Rum, but any variety would suffice)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1 sliced Red Bell Pepper
1/2 sliced Red Onion

Seed anchos and chop roughly. Add all ingredients to food processor and blend until smooth. Place pork chops in large ziplock bag and add marinade to coat chops. Set in fridge for about an hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a skillet and quickly brown pork chops on each side over medium heat. Remove from pan and place in pyrex baking dish. Add peppers and onions to skillet and sautee until soft. Add veggies to baking dish as well. Bake uncovered for 1 hour. After removing from oven, let meat rest for 5 minutes before slicing at an angle.

Seasoned black beans are super-easy!
1 can black beans, drained
1/4 chopped yellow onion
2 cloves chopped garlic
1 Tbsp olive oil

Add all ingredients to saucepan, with about 1/3 can-full of water. Let simmer for about 10-15 minutes.

Homemade plantain chips!
1 Plantain
A few cups of vegetable oil
Salt and Chili powder to taste

Slice plantain thinly. I used a mandolin but found using a knife got me an even thinner chip - depends on your preference. Fill a large sautee pan with about 2-3 inches of vegetable oil and heat the oil on med-high heat until it sizzles if you splash a drop of water into it. Carefully add plantain chips using a slotted spoon, and be careful because they will start to stick together. Let cook until they feel crispy. Remove with slotted spoon into paper-towel lined bowl, and sprinkle with salt and chili powder to taste.
These taste amazing dipped in the chimichurri!

Then warm some tortillas to wrap your meat + veggies, beans and chimichurri...and enjoy your delicious latin meal!

Cannoli Cupcakes

2009-03-05T20:50:00.003-05:00

It's been awhile! But these cupcakes came out so good that I just had to post them. I had the idea for a Cannoli cupcake randomly one day, but was a bit worried that the cream wouldn't take well to a cupcake and make them soggy or not be thick enough. However, they were a hit at work and surprisingly even better tasting after spending the night in the fridge! Just make sure you drain the ricotta well in a cheese cloth before using.

Magnolia's Vanilla Cupcakes (that i turned almond):

1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon almond extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Line 2 (1/2 cup-12 capacity) muffin tins with cupcake papers.

In a small bowl, combine the flours. Set aside.

In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not over beat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended. Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about 3/4 full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.

Cool the cupcakes in tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.

Ricotta Cream

2 pounds of ricotta cheese, well drained
1 ½ cups confectioner’s sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon or nutmeg
2 ounces of mini chocolate chips

[edit]

Place the ricotta in the bowl of your stand mixer and, using the paddle attachment, beat until smooth.
Add the sugar and beat until fully incorporated.
Add the vanilla and whatever spice you want to use.
Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the chips.
Spoon onto cooled cupcakes and refrigerate cupcakes overnight if serving the next day.

Greetings from the Future!

2008-10-08T10:20:00.002-04:00

Future Morning Commute

Future BFF

Future Family Portrait

Future Vacation Home

Future Romantic Getaway

Ahhhh I can't wait!

gosh this is entertaining!

2008-10-02T21:20:00.001-04:00

reload the page to make endless fun phrases!!

http://palin.appspot.com/

i'm more concerned with this child's dire need of some bacon fat on those bones!

2008-09-12T19:15:00.002-04:00

i'm not even quite sure what this little girl is trying to say with her delicious poster. but....eat something! your leg is a pop sickle stick!

"the more cheese, the better"

2008-09-09T12:23:00.004-04:00

Wise words from Paula Dean.
Ahh there's nothing like sitting at home in pajamas on a rainy day, blogging and watching the Food Network.

We don't post enough anymore on here, and hey...why the hell not? I have no job now so what's my excuse? So here I go.

This weekend I ran off to Pittsburgh with Scott. Ahh how I love getting out of town. It really did feel like a vacation, and I forgot all about Philly and my case of unemploymentitis. We strolled around the Strip District, which has lots of delicious food stores with lots of allie-friendly free samples of cheese, dips, fudge etc...
And then Sunday we relaxed at Scott's friend's house for a baby birthday party...lots more free food and mimosas all afternoon. I love suburban life sometimes!
I was also treated to amazing and expensive fine dining all weekend, which was fantastic...I mean I know I'm kind of a charity case these days, so I can't really say no to free meals, but when bills come out to over $200 for 3 people, it's a little strange feeling. So, of course, owing Scott in a major way, I treated him to McDonald's on our drive home on monday!

lookin' good on mt. washington...overlooking the city

we stopped at fallingwater on the way home...i've been wanting to visit this amazing house
since i was probably 13 years old...daddy would be proud!

Needless to say, I'm having major weekend withdrawal. But I suppose I can't avoid reality forever...

the only way emo would be cool again

2008-09-02T15:17:00.001-04:00

my new favorite comedy duo

2008-08-28T10:29:00.002-04:00

So these guys are Clarke and Dawe, from down under! (another reason to go) Yesterday Jordan's mom sent us a video of these guys (or one of them) doing s sketch about the front of a ship falling off. We totally thought it was real until i found all these other hilarious videos. Ok maybe not everyone's cup of tea but i know all those Charlie Rose fans will love it.

i submitted a teeshirt to threadless!

2008-08-14T00:55:00.001-04:00

cats are kinda creepy

2008-08-05T18:18:00.000-04:00

The Dramatic Cat - Watch more free videos

must drink more milk

2008-07-31T18:21:00.002-04:00

Stupid? Maybe. but it totally made my day

2008-07-22T16:59:00.001-04:00

My friend Kirsten at work passed this along to me. It's the look on the cats face that gets me the most. .... As you can tell there's a lot of hard work going on down here in Miami.

just 8 days away!

2008-07-22T08:53:00.002-04:00

i can't wait! only 8 days til i'm in sunny florida!
i can almost taste the key lime pie!!

this is my new summer/beach hat! awesometown here i come!

P.S. checkout my atlantic city weekend! so super fun!!
http://flickr.com/photos/alliedale/sets/72157606285758755/

i 'aint lion

2008-07-22T08:46:00.002-04:00

i saw this video on the today show this morning and it made the lady host cry! haha...try to ignore the ridiculous soundtrack choice! wild animals are awesome...remember that time you wanted to move to texas and own tigers?

gay for barack!

2008-07-22T08:41:00.001-04:00

My friend Deb and her friends started up this new teeshirt site!
http://www.barackobamatees.com/

go check it out and order a fun teeshirt to support and show your undying love for barack! do it now!

i need to move to NY

2008-07-17T16:14:00.000-04:00

my cub is half full

2008-07-08T11:52:00.000-04:00

i saw this in a dream last night and thought it was the most clever thing in the world. until i woke up. drawing courtesy of eric.

oh chocolatey goodness!

2008-07-07T23:39:00.003-04:00

photo credit: scotty b.

If you need a major chocolate fix, this is the one. Don't get eeked out by the addition of the beer. you can't taste it at all, but that combined with the sour cream makes this cake super-moist! you will definitely need a hefty glass of milk with this one! a definite finger-lickin' crowd-pleaser!
major plus: 5 extra bottles of beer to drink while you bake, and wait around for it to cool. our time-killer of choice: sushi and wedding crashers!

Chocolate Stout Cake (from smittenkitchen.com)

1 cup stout (such as Guinness)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream
6 ounces good semisweet chocolate chips
6 tablespoons heavy cream
3/4 teaspoon instant coffee granules

Cake prep:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter or spray a bundt pan well; make sure you get in all of the nooks and crannies. (Some people even go so far as to brush the inside of their bundt pans with melted butter–you cannot be too careful!). Bring 1 cup stout and 1 cup butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.

Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in large bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Transfer cake to rack; cool completely in the pan, then turn cake out onto rack for drizzling ganache.

Ganache:
For the ganache, melt the chocolate, heavy cream, and coffee in the top of a double boiler over simmering water until smooth and warm, stirring occasionally. Drizzle over the top of cooled cake.

Muffin Time!

2008-06-18T21:33:00.003-04:00

Last night Beth and I bought a big bottle of red wine, a wedge of brie, and the ingredients for these delicious spicy corn muffins! They're pretty easy to make and everyone at work loved them! I ate three today...hahah

Spicy Corn Muffins - from Dorie Greenspan's Baking from my home to yours

1 cup all purpose flour - sifted
1 cup yellow cornmeal - stone ground, sifted
3 tb sugar
1 tb baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 cup buttermilk
8 tb unsalted butter - melted and cooled
1 large egg yolk
1/4 cup corn kernels
1 small jalapeno - seeded if you wish
1/4 red bell pepper finely diced
2 tb cilantro - finely chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Whisk together all purpose flour , cornmeal, salt, sugar, baking powder, chilli powder, baking soda and black pepper and set aside.

In another large bowl lightly whisk egg yolk, buttermilk and melted butter till blended. Pour liquid into the dry ingredients. Add corn, chopped cilantro, jalapeno and diced bell pepper to the mixture. Divide batter into muffin pans lined with paper muffin cups.

Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until the tops are brown. Cool muffins on a rack before serving. Makes about a dozen.

R.I.P.

2008-06-13T14:25:00.002-04:00

Today is a very sad day. I have been aching because my favorite food blog, Tastespotting hasn't been updated in two days-and now I know why. I gave it another shot today and all that existed was this tragic message. I have been entertained, delighted, inspired, and tantalized for hours on end by this great site. What shall I do without you, Tastespotting? Where will i find a more beautiful and delicious collection of food images and recipes? My life and tummy just won't be the same without you.

sadfaces!

beth is famous!

2008-06-12T11:21:00.003-04:00

my favorite bethie got her drawing of We Are Scientists on two.one.five's site yesterday! i'm so proud. my little girl is all grown up! hehe

and as a reminder. her stuff is always awesome. beth! i'm still waiting for my stuffed panda!
http://elizabethgarvey.com/

bible fans rejoice!

2008-06-08T22:09:00.002-04:00

Apparently somewhere in Germany they are planning on building a bible-themed theme park! omg i can't wait! there's going to be a life-sized noah's ark, a heaven and hell roller coaster, and even a Tower of Babel panorama restaurant.

Bible-Land!!

hooray!

2008-06-05T16:58:00.001-04:00

summertime yummertime!

2008-06-03T00:17:00.003-04:00

I wish i was better at food photography!

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

For the topping

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
3 cups 1-inch chunks fresh pineapple (about 1 pineapple)

For the cake

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup milk

Make the topping:
In a small bowl stir together well the butter and the brown sugar and spread the mixture evenly in a well-buttered 9- by 2-inch round cake pan. Pat the pineapple very dry between several thicknesses of paper towel and arrange it evenly on the sugar mixture.

Make the cake:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Into a bowl sift together the flour, the baking powder, the salt, and the cinnamon. In another bowl with an electric mixer cream the butter with the sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, and beat in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture alternately in batches with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and beating well after each addition. Pour the batter into the pan, spreading it evenly, and bake the cake in the middle of the oven for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack for 15 minutes, run a thin knife around the edge, and invert the cake onto a plate.

P.S. Ms. Ashley Beecher! Get your tiny butt to philly and come bake up a storm with me! k?

terrifying i think

2008-06-02T23:58:00.004-04:00

I just finished watching Jesus Camp. Man, this movie is terrifying. Its insane how these children have devoted their lives to Jesus, and i really fear ever running into someone like this. These people are pretty much assholes "warriors for the lord" or whatnot-i mean, they're just assholes. This one little girl said she always dreamed of being a manicurist, because she thinks that's the best opportunity for a person to be accepting of the lord. wtf?
Another gem of a scene, the sermon about how Harry Potter is evil, and in biblical times would have been put to death. Boy oh boy-its frightening. A room full of sobbing shaking children-if i didn't have the sound on I would've been apalled-what are these people doing to make these kids cry? It's gotta be wrong...I'm pretty sure Jesus never was recorded as being such an asshole crazy person. idk, i kind of like imagining him just chillin on a hill, talking to whoever would listen. oh and he looks like Willem DeFoe...

Religion is scary. Children are scary. This is the scariest horror movie I've ever seen! haha

should i?

2008-06-01T22:42:00.002-04:00

should i get a kitten?

holy poodles!

2008-05-27T22:59:00.000-04:00

my favorite sealab episode.

2008-05-27T11:31:00.000-04:00

eri eri awesometown

2008-05-22T09:50:00.003-04:00

i love how she can render cartoons really well, but they're still slightly deformed. which also reminds me of this.

http://themonsterengine. com/art. html#monster
this guy takes drawings that kids do of superheroes and monsters and re-paints them to look professional. its so cute!the weird thing is, i just picked this one at random, turns out the kid that drew its name is alyson. teeheehee.

i think this should speak for itself

2008-05-20T10:23:00.000-04:00

i need butter on everything!

2008-05-14T11:20:00.001-04:00

must. buy. season 2-3 on dvd. now.

Today I found this Necessary

2008-05-13T23:29:00.000-04:00

shmitten kitten

2008-05-09T09:43:00.001-04:00

anyone not in philly won't get this site for the most part. but my friend kathleen linked me to it, and i find it enjoyable. little drawings of philly characters and their traits. amusing!

http://www.shmittenkitten.com/

i love a man in a sexy white pompadour

2008-05-06T17:12:00.002-04:00

This fine gentleman is named Wayne Cochran

Free Cone Day!!!

2008-04-29T13:55:00.001-04:00

Sorry I didn't let you know sooner, but I just finished off a delicious Chocolate Therapy cone. (and the meter was already full so i didn't even pay for parking!)

some foods of late

2008-04-22T19:36:00.002-04:00

Me and Scott put some shrimps on the barby. And they were delicious.
Shrimps and Chili pepper rub. Put it on a stick and grill and yum.

In other food news. I stayed up making these beauties last night.

Strawberry and White Chocolate Cupcakes

2 cups sugar
1 pack strawberry jello
1 cup butter
4 eggs
2 3/4 cups flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup whole milk
1 tbsp vanilla
1 cup mashed frozen strawberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together butter and sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time. Combine flour and baking powder in separate bowl and stir into batter alternately with milk. Blend in vanilla, jello powder and mashed berries. Divide into cupcake papers (cake is dense and doesn't rise very well so fill papers just about full-cakes will sink a bit after removing from oven). Bake for about 25-30 minutes.

Icing

1 pound white chocolate
1 3/4 cup butter
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar

Melt chocolate in bowl resting above just-about-boiling water. Make sure bottom of bowl is not touching the water or chocolate will burn. This will melt nice and slowly, just stir as it melts. Remove from heat and let cool but not set. Cream butter until fluffy and add melted chocolate and vanilla. Blend in powdered sugar. Keep in fridge until cupcakes are fully cooled and frosting is good consistancy for spreading.

Enjoy!

babies

2008-04-16T12:11:00.005-04:00

If you insist on posting pictures of the ugliest animals on earth then i'll have to respond with pictures of one of the cutest animals on earth. look at this tiny baby!!! and shes got the goof eyes and smush face and all that good stuff.

now she's a spotted monster but these are from the good ol' days

I need to open a new window without gaging

2008-04-16T10:36:00.001-04:00

eric made me do it

2008-04-15T17:08:00.001-04:00

but its gross. indeed.
this chimp has no hair.

Newport Guitar Festival

2008-04-13T17:22:00.009-04:00

Today Jordan and I went to a vintage guitar and luthier show. It was super fun, good excuse to use my camera.

Paul Reed Smith Guitar

"Dragon" neck inlay

luthier tools

Jordan Plays a 1950 Stratocaster, $15,000 guitar right there.

Art By Erica

2008-04-10T16:31:00.004-04:00

this is what my little sister drew for me inside my birthday card. you know what? she's a better illustrator then i am.

of course this was coming at ya

2008-04-10T16:16:00.001-04:00

I love you!

2008-04-10T15:46:00.003-04:00

Hey Kiddo - Just a happy little birthday note for you. Hope your day has been going well. Are you the proud new owner of a time share on the Jersey Shore? Hope so!

When the work day is done I will contact you about super special secret (not really secret but whatev) birthday present!

laser cats! 3D

2008-04-08T11:38:00.001-04:00

this is just cute. and i love the mixture of real cats and stuffed cats.

Cute stuff on the internets

2008-04-04T11:50:00.002-04:00

http://www.darlingclementine.no/

greeting cards and other cute stuff i wish i did.

I like playmobiles. And i'm wearing pirate-boots today.

2008-04-04T11:49:00.001-04:00

you dig?

2008-03-28T12:58:00.002-04:00

http://audio.skeyelab.com/howtospeakhip/

really worth a listen. its fantastic. dig?

giggle

2008-03-20T15:22:00.002-04:00

Momma's Chicken Marengo!

2008-03-16T22:25:00.002-04:00

1 pack of split chicken breasts
1/4 lb. sliced mushrooms
1 clove of garlic
1 can whole peeled tomatoes
1/3 cup sliced carrots
1/2 tsp thyme
1 bay leaf
1 chicken boullion cube
flour
salt/pepper
egg noodles

Brown chicken in skillet with olive oil. Remove from skillet. Add mushrooms and garlic, cook over low heat. Add carrots, tomatoes (crush with spoon once in skillet), thyme, bay leaf and boullion cube. Return chicken to skillet, add salt and pepper. simmer for 30 minutes covered. Mix about 2 tbsp water with 1 tbsp flour in small cup until combined. Add mixture to skillet to thicken sauce. Add more flour/water mixture depending on how thick you want your sauce. Serve over egg noodles (we used whole wheat noodles=just as good!)

There Will Be Bud

2008-03-11T13:37:00.002-04:00

everything about this is awesome. the guy nails the voice and it is so freakin clever! don't think you gotta be a pothead like me to appreciate

a little munchie munchie/a little cutie cutie

2008-03-10T21:31:00.006-04:00

Last week, me and scott made my favorite soup. Tom Yum! Indeed! I love thai food.

http://www.realthairecipes.com/recipes/hot-and-sour-soup-with-shrimp/

And here's the delicious turkey chili we made while at my dad's house upstate!

1 can whole peel tomatos
1 package lean ground turkey
1 can black beans
1 can kidney beans
1 large onion
2 cloves garlic
1 small can corn
1 1/2 bell peppers
2 tablespoons spicy mustard
about 3/4 cup beer
sliced jalapenos to taste
chili powder to taste
cumin to taste
salt/pepper to taste

Sautee the chopped onion and garlic in the bottom of a stock pot with olive oil. Add ground turkey and stir until cooked through. Add the can of tomatoes and chop up a bit. Add the rest of the ingredients and stew until it gets all meaty delicious zesty and hot! Add as little or as much seasoning as you want-just taste as you go!
-Serve with cheddar and sour cream!
-Serve the next day on hotdogs with melted cheddar!
-Serve the next day on pizza with melted cheese and crushed tortilla chips on top!!

Now check out these cuties!!

I sure hope those pretty genes are from my side of the pool!

Little bro aint so little anymore!

Look at these crazies

Smile Scottie!

The Orchid Fest.

2008-03-04T20:13:00.005-05:00

This time of year there are a bunch of orchid festivals all over the city. The best one is this one, at Fairchilds Garden. Jess (from boulder, co) was in town over the weekend, so we went out bright and early Sunday morning. But I still think I shoulda gone to the star wars thing.

star wars time

2008-03-02T17:11:00.009-05:00

We went to the Star Wars exhibit at the Franklin Institute last weekend. fun! It was mostly great just watching Scott and Josh geek-out. hehe. since that night i've had the urge to watch the entire saga...it'll happen soon i'm sure. dorks.

d-d-d-dance

2008-02-28T00:23:00.001-05:00

new album is being recorded as i type this

for your enjoyment

2008-02-27T09:50:00.002-05:00

CLICK HERE AS MANY TIMES AS POSSIBLE!!!!

2008-02-23T20:04:00.000-05:00

CLICK HERE to VOTE
for The JeanMarie to play at Langerado!

go for it, and spread the word cuz it ends monday

sexy-ness

2008-02-21T11:40:00.000-05:00

kinda entertaining for 5.3 seconds

2008-02-19T17:59:00.003-05:00

if you keep refreshing this site, you keep generating new "Barack-isms"
http://barackobamaisyournewbicycle.com/

The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins

2008-02-19T14:33:00.000-05:00

I like halflings too, Leonard!

I Believe The Children Are Our Future

2008-02-18T10:20:00.001-05:00

Here it is...My new apartment

2008-02-17T15:47:00.006-05:00

This is what moving in looks like. when you have no furniture. i still don't have a couch, but the place is way better looking than this mess now!
This is the kind of food me and Scott enjoy eating when we have time and money.
This is the kind of food me and Scott like to eat when we spend all weekend (and all my money) at ikea, target and lowes.

My glorious kitchen. In the midst of being used to cook up this crazy sweet potato casserole.
My little dining area. new as of today! and yes, i'm aware i now basically live inside a very tiny version of Ikea.

My bedroom. it's cozy.

so there you have it, Ash. You better come visit and see it in person!

ummmm....yeah

2008-02-15T14:08:00.001-05:00

Straight as an arrow.

2008-02-15T09:42:00.000-05:00

i see your bunny and raise you a polar baby

2008-02-14T16:31:00.000-05:00

cute time!

2008-02-14T15:53:00.002-05:00

I Want This.

2008-02-14T12:21:00.002-05:00

Eames stamps! gimme gimme. and yes, feel free to gimme some of the gorgeous furniture too, i need some! and hey might as well furnish my teenie apartment with a lounge chair that costs about 3 months rent, right?

i dig this

2008-02-13T18:01:00.000-05:00

this one's for you beancake

marihuana

2008-02-13T12:38:00.002-05:00

WTF??

2008-02-13T11:55:00.003-05:00

i really have no idea what this is. some photographer's collection of things involving swastikas. its ridiculous. theres also an artfully done photo of a girl sticking a banana in her ass if you continue to scroll through. the world is a strange place, isn't it?
http://www.adalbertoabbate.com/works/erziehungs/proc7.htm

my friend Rick made my life by sending me this video.

2008-02-13T11:37:00.000-05:00

thanks ricky!!

chick singers

2008-02-12T23:32:00.005-05:00

I've been listening to a lot of chick singers lately. its cute and soothing and pretty. My newest love, is Ingrid Michaelson. This song was on some JC Penny commercial a little while ago-but try to see past that. She also had a song on Grey's Anatomy which i have no problem with. All the songs on her Album "Girls and Boys" are great. i reccommend.

hitchcock's hollywood

2008-02-09T18:22:00.001-05:00

Vanity Fair's Hollywood issue has these awesome Hitchcock styled spreads featuring this past year's chosen celebs. This one's my favorite, but the others are pretty good too!
http://www.firstshowing.net/2008/02/08/vanity-fairs-hitchcock-classics-photo-spreads/

break it! shoot it!

2008-02-08T16:20:00.000-05:00

i just stumbled upon these super sweet photographs taken by a German photographer Martin Klimas.

this is his website: http://www.martin-klimas.de/

but ps. what so you think of this posts title "break it! shoot it!" as an album title? the jeanmarie are in need of a name for their new release. Any thoughts?

A wonderland of flavors!

2008-02-08T14:47:00.002-05:00

Today, me and alex discovered that Doritos produces even more flavors than we thought. Some gems are Pure Paprika, Tandoori Sizzler, "Cool American", and Tapas. These flavors of course aren't made in America, sadly. Go checkout other crazy flavors on the doritos wiki page...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doritos

Rats in the front room, roaches in the back Junkies in the alley with a baseball bat

2008-02-08T12:28:00.000-05:00

We just interviewed Grandmaster Flash for our Recording documentary. He's super cool