Whoo... Pt 2

Ok Happy Bloggy Friends, you can all breathe easy. I made it to Maryland this past weekend with the puppies in tow (and man was that an adventure). Anyway... I'm here, but we're definitely still settling in. Josh is in full swing at work, and I am going to jump strait into the job hunt (we both agreed that I need to make that a number one priority, so if anybody knows about a job opening in the DC area... you know who to tell ;)).
All that to say, my haiatus may last a few more days, but hopefully I'll be back to normal soon.
Have a happy day!

Life is a Whirlwind

Though I feel like I'm running around like a chicken with my head cut off these days, I know that I haven't accomplished all that much. I would love to regale you with delightful tales of fancy free amusement, but I find myself rather boring here of late.
My leaving date is swiftly approaching, and I have so many boring and tedious things to accomplish. This weekend will be filled with cleaning. Since I'm not taking any days off of work before I leave (as in, my last day of work is the day before I leave), I want to get as much accomplished on the weekends as possible so that I don't have as much to do the day before.
The only excitement that I have to share is that I have been plotting, planning and gathering for so many new T3s. I have many ideas rolling around, but without access to my computer (read: a computer that I can load pictures onto easily), I have been unable to keep those up as I would have liked. I am absolutely thrilled that y'all seem to be excited about trying the ganache, though. I know that Oh2122 just put up a wonderful recipe for Grasshopper Brownies in which she used a little ganache... I seriously suggest checking it out.
Anyway... thank you all so much for putting up with my lack of bloggie spirit as of late. You're all so lovely. This won't last much longer, but I won't be able to blog at all again until I'm in Maryland. I'll be filling most of my first couple weeks there with decorating (I am beyond excited about painted walls... you have no idea!), and I'll definitely be posting before and after pics :)
Well, I suppose for now, all I can say is, have a delightful day... I'll see you soon :)

Try This Tuesday

Alright Friends, a couple of things, then I'll jump into this week's T3. We have a house (YAY!). Josh is getting life organized and hoping to move all of our stuff in this weekend. I am still in Louisiana for the next few weeks (long story, job obligations, fear of puppies in a hotel room, etc...). I am still computer-less except for at work, but I wanted to take a few minutes during a break for this post. This brings me to the topic for this week, it may look familiar, but embrace it :)
From your comments on my last T3, I've decided that perhaps I should have started with a project which may feel a little more comfortable for more of you. Perhaps something in the kitchen? So, right now, today (and forevermore), even if you can't have me, you can have ganache. I can hear the squeals of excitement. Now, I know I've already (fairly recently) written a post about ganache. I know that I explained how to do it. Today, I will take you step by step (with pictures), and I would really really love for all of you to try it. I'm telling you... you will not regret it :) Ok, let's begin.
We're going to start with heavy (whipping) cream, and chocolate (you should really use the high-quality baking stuff and then chop it, but I go for the chips cause I'm lazy like that) (you can use any kind of chocolate that you want. I've used semi-sweet, dark, milk, and a mixture of milk and semi-sweet. They all turned out lovely). You will also need a spoon, a heat-proof bowl, and a pot.

From T3

First, you're going to pour some chocolate chips into your heat-proof bowl. You can measure this or not, whatever suits your cooking style. The only thing to remember here is that you must have more chocolate than cream (you can do equal parts of each, but you cannot have more cream than chocolate).

From T3

Next, you're going to pour your cream into your pot, and turn the heat on medium.

From T3

Stir your cream until it just begins to try to boil. This won't take very long, just stir it until it starts looking bubbly.
At this point, take your cream and pour it over your chocolate.

From T3

Some recipes call for you to let it sit for a few minutes at this stage. I like to take my pot, and rinse it out, then turn back to my mixture. You're just going to take your spoon and stir it until it's nice and creamy.

From T3

From T3

At this point, it's probably a really nice liquid. You can use it just as it is if you want (pour it over a cake or brownies, and when it cools it'll make a nice glaze/icing). If you would prefer that it stiffen a little before you use it, cover it and put it in the fridge. I like to add a little extra step. Once it has cooled to the point of being a little chilly, I like to whip it. This makes it into a really great frosting. Just take a hand mixer, turn it on medium, and beat your ganache until it turns pale and little peaks start to form.

From T3

My personal favorite use for this decadent treat is as a frosting for my Betty Crocker Fudge Brownies. It's amazing.

Now, go try it! I promise, you will not regret it :)