Us at the Museum
They had an Egyptian exhibit while we were there
They also had a really pretty stained glass exhibit
I found these at the entrance of the museum. I think they are to honor big donors or something like that, but I thought they were so cool and really want one in my backyard someday!The museum was really fun and we have done some other things on Fridays like going to the Outlet Mall (we have a great premium outlet mall about 25 minutes away), running errands, going to see a movie, and other things around McAllen. On Friday evenings, we have started a new family tradition of making pizza together and then watching a movie. Fridays are by far my favorite day because of the good time I am able to spend with Ryan. Here is our first pizza making night.
We love using our baking stone- we registered for this and our good friend Valerie bought it for us!
Ryan is better at cutting the pizza than me :)
Our dinner- it was delicious!
We love using our baking stone- we registered for this and our good friend Valerie bought it for us!
Ryan is better at cutting the pizza than me :)
Our dinner- it was delicious!In September we also accomplished one of the projects we had on our to-do list. We made a headboard for the guest room! I think it needs some buttons or something to add pizazz, but we still like it a lot.
In September my sweet husband also bought me a road bike. I have enjoyed going on bike rides with Ryan and learning how to be a better bike rider (it had been since 6th grade since I rode a bike)! Here is my pretty new bike!!
On September 28, we celebrated Ryan's 24th Birthday!!! The weekend before, Ryan's family came into town and we spent time with Ryan's cousins to celebrate his birthday. We had a cook-out with hamburgers and oven fries. Then we had an amazing cake- my first cake to make from scratch! I thought I would share the recipe from Food Network.
Chocolate Coconut Bourbon Cake
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
5 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 cups hot coffee
1/4 cup bourbon
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup shredded coconut
Chocolate Ganache
12 ounces semisweet chocolate (either blocks cut into small pieces or chocolate chips)
8 ounces heavy cream
2 teaspoons bourbon or favorite extract
1. Place the sifted flour in a medium bowl and stir in the baking soda and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, place the chocolate and the butter. Pour the hot coffee over the chocolate and butter and then add the bourbon. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let stand until chocolate and butter are melted. Remove the cover and whisk to fully incorporate. Set aside until mixture has cooled.
2. Grease and flour 2 8-inch round cake pans. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees.
3. When coffee mixture has cooled, add the sugar and whisk until blended. Add the flour mixture, half at a time and stir until just combined. Add the eggs, vanilla, coconut and whisk until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake for about 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans for about 10 minutes and then cool completely on a rack before icing.
4. While cakes are cooling, make ganache: Place the chocolate in large bowl. Heat the cream in a saucepan just until it starts to boil. Immediately pour the cream over the chocolate, making sure that all of the chocolate is covered. Cover the bowl and let stand for 5 minutes. Whisk the chocolate until dark and shiny and then let cool until room temperature. The more you whisk the icing as it cools, the stiffer it will get. If you refrigerate the icing before you put it on the cake, it will get very hard and you will have to microwave it for a few seconds to soften it to a spreadable state.
5. Frost the cake: Spread the ganache over bottom layer of the cake. Place the second cake layer on top of the ganache. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining ganache.
Here we are with the delicious cake! It has coconut on the top and around the bottom.
Ryan and I with his cousins (From left: Ryan, me, Amanda, Judy, Jesse and Judy's Mom)
Yay!! Happy 24th Babe!
Ryan and I with his parents. We had fun with them in town!
On September 28, we celebrated Ryan's 24th Birthday!!! The weekend before, Ryan's family came into town and we spent time with Ryan's cousins to celebrate his birthday. We had a cook-out with hamburgers and oven fries. Then we had an amazing cake- my first cake to make from scratch! I thought I would share the recipe from Food Network.Chocolate Coconut Bourbon Cake
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
5 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 cups hot coffee
1/4 cup bourbon
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup shredded coconut
Chocolate Ganache
12 ounces semisweet chocolate (either blocks cut into small pieces or chocolate chips)
8 ounces heavy cream
2 teaspoons bourbon or favorite extract
1. Place the sifted flour in a medium bowl and stir in the baking soda and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, place the chocolate and the butter. Pour the hot coffee over the chocolate and butter and then add the bourbon. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let stand until chocolate and butter are melted. Remove the cover and whisk to fully incorporate. Set aside until mixture has cooled.
2. Grease and flour 2 8-inch round cake pans. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees.
3. When coffee mixture has cooled, add the sugar and whisk until blended. Add the flour mixture, half at a time and stir until just combined. Add the eggs, vanilla, coconut and whisk until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake for about 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans for about 10 minutes and then cool completely on a rack before icing.
4. While cakes are cooling, make ganache: Place the chocolate in large bowl. Heat the cream in a saucepan just until it starts to boil. Immediately pour the cream over the chocolate, making sure that all of the chocolate is covered. Cover the bowl and let stand for 5 minutes. Whisk the chocolate until dark and shiny and then let cool until room temperature. The more you whisk the icing as it cools, the stiffer it will get. If you refrigerate the icing before you put it on the cake, it will get very hard and you will have to microwave it for a few seconds to soften it to a spreadable state.
5. Frost the cake: Spread the ganache over bottom layer of the cake. Place the second cake layer on top of the ganache. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining ganache.
Here we are with the delicious cake! It has coconut on the top and around the bottom.
Ryan and I with his cousins (From left: Ryan, me, Amanda, Judy, Jesse and Judy's Mom)
Yay!! Happy 24th Babe!
Ryan and I with his parents. We had fun with them in town!Well, I know this has been incredibly long, but I wanted to share with ya'll what we've been up to the past month. Be looking forward to the next post where I will share with ya'll the changes that have been going on in the Hall household and why we've really been so busy. Now, I'm off to Friday lunch with my husband!! :)
FUN!!! what a way to spend all your fridays - I would love that :) hope your friday lunch was fun :)
ReplyDeleteAwesome update!! Thanks :). That pizza looks duh-licious :). Miss you, friend!
ReplyDelete