In the kitchen: Homemade Tiramisu

One of my favorite desserts to please a crowd. Make sure you're able to keep it refrigerated until it's ready to be eaten. This isn't a cooked dessert and is more about assembly than anything so be prepared to dirty some dishes! Step 1. Brew a pot of coffee or make expresso if you desire. I don't drink either so I used gasp! Folgers Strong Instant Coffee. I boiled 2 cups of water on the stove top and added 3 Tbsp of instant coffee and 2 Tbsp sugar until dissolved, set in a bowl to cool.

Step 2. Over a pot of barely simmering water place a metal bowl with 3 egg yolks and 1/2 cup of sugar and beat using an electric mixer. Warning this is a very messy process and you should have an apron on. Beat for 5-8 minutes or until mixture triples in size and immediately remove from heat. Fold in 16 oz of marscapone cheese when mixture has cooled slightly. Be careful to fold not stir. *Feel free to stir in 2 Tbsp of coffee flavored liqueur in the marscapone cheese before folding in the egg mixture if you desire a strong coffee flavor, I don't really like coffee so I omitted it.

Step 3. In a seperate bowl using clean beaters, beat 1 small container of heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form.

Step 4. Gently fold the whipped cream into the marscapone and egg mixture to cream the tiramasu filling.

Step 5. I couldn't find traditional Italian lady fingers in my tiny town so I used Stella Dora Breakfast Cookies (which I had to break to fit into my oval container). I've heard you can also use Nilla Wafers. I used 1 package of Stella Dora and dipped each into the coffee and layered my dish, top with filling, another layer of coffee soaked cookies, and another layer of filling.

The finished product.

Step 7. Top with cocoa powder or chocolate shavings. The fan from my oven was on when I started sifting cocoa and thats why mine seamed to blow everywhere. Oh well, it was delicious!

Cover your serving dish and let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours before serving.

Birthday Weekend

OKAY - I realize my birthday was um...three weeks ago but I was a lazy butt and never got around to posting the weekend extravaganza so I'll do it late. Maybe I'll want to look back one day and see how I spent my first birthday on the other side of my midtwenties. Friday mom had a big family party with lots of friends followed by midnight bowling. We had to rent 3 lanes for all of us and we had a blast. Unfortunately I gave my camera to other people to take photos and the flash wasn't on so most of the photos are dark. On Saturday night a few friends went out in Raleigh for my birthday and had sushi at SoNo and out afterwards for drinks.

Mom takes one of these obligatory cake photos every year.Lindsay and I, we went to school for 17 years together (kindergarten through college) and she was my college roommate for 4 1/2 years.

These three were taken after dinner. I hate that our one and only group shot is blurry.

Blog Update

Pink elephant alert...the boy and I broke up. I'm not upset over it, we were trying it out living four hours away and we were putting in unequal amounts of effort.

Now for the good news, I GOT A NEW JOB. I've been wanting to post this for a while but I wanted to make sure it was a done deal first. I only have 15 more days at my current job. It's not that I'm unhappy at the hospital but I've wanted a position in a dialysis center from the beginning and I needed experience before I would be considered. I'll be closer to family and friends HUGE PLUS because I've been lonely here. Another plus I can go back to school to finish my Masters! My mom is coming this weekend to help pack so I'm glad I won't have to do it alone. I'm counting down the days!!!!!! The only downside is moving back in with my mom until I can decide where I want to live, I'm looking at a few different towns all super close to work and school.

I had a great time the past couple of weeks, I took a few days of PTO so I could sign my paperwork for the new job and get a few things settled before the move. Saturday was the Triangle Beach Music Festival and I went to Raleigh to stay with my best friend Katie - I honestly think half the state was there, it was incredible. We didn't care about being cute, we knew it was going to rain at some point in the day and there was going to be a lot of drinking / immature people slinging and spilling beer on people. Here is a picture of Katie, myself and Starr. Nevermind the paleness, I purposely didn't self tan because I was nervous about the rain, instead I lathered on SPF 45 which made me look even MORE white.

Sorry this post is everywhere. I really just wanted to update everyone on the big events in my life and try to explain why I've been MIA so much (since February, I was filling out applications and I was busy going home to see the boy as much as possible). There has been so much on my mind, blogging just fell to the wayside.

Holiday Message For Subbies and Friends

Happy Easter!

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16

Crucified. Buried. Resurrected.

ox April and Lilly

Birthday Post

It's my birthday today...and Lilly's technically. When I found her the vet said she was about 5 months old so counting back she was born in April as well and it's easy to remember. Lilly will be having delicious fancy feast tonight and I'm thinking sushi for myself. Maybe some cheesecake for dessert!

My mom is having friends and family over tomorrow night and Saturday I'm going out with old friends so it's a super exciting weekend for me! I'll be back to blog next week.