About Me

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Mount Pleasant, SC, United States
Charleston, SC is home to my husband & I along with our dog, Ferris. Cooking is my obsession. Here you will find recipes & pictures of my journey from home cook to executive chef.

Monday, December 15, 2008


Last night's cupcakes are a thing of the past. There were some weak complaints about trying to watch calories when I brought them to the office today...but there were empty cupcake wrappers on many desks before the 6pm.

White elephant gifts for tomorrow night's party: check. Thank you, Starbucks! Big surprise, I know, we bringing coffee as gifts.

If anyone is looking for a good holiday wine, check out World Market. Virgin's 2006 shiraz has a rating of 98, and is on sale for $7.99. Getcha some! Nathan described it as having a medium body--not too light or too heavy, just right. It's pleasantly dry for something of its price range, with a bit of caramel in the bouquet.

The shiraz goes nicely with Donkey Kong Jenga. Ha. Nathan won this game during a guest spot on the Video Game Outsiders podcast a few weeks ago. Rules are similar to the original version, except that each player is in charge of a Mario who must climb to the top to rescue the princess from DK. The player who knocks over the tower still loses. There were some ballsy moves, but I won in the end. We'll chalk Nathan's loss up to the shiraz, ha ha. He may have been at a disadvantage from the start, not knowing about the many hours spent playing Jenga in the Roberts household. We're getting warmed up for some killer Boom Blox action at Christmas!

F
erris is gearing up to go to the office in full Holiday costume this week. Maybe he'll end up going as Tiny Tim, since he has a hard time walking straight in the reindeer suit. He got quite a reception as Rudolph yesterday when we went to visit his daddy at work, spreading cheer to the baristas working on a hectic Sunday morning. Hopefully our little guy will gain the same celebrity status here that he enjoyed back at the 'Bucks in the Columbiana Mall. Doesn't he look excited?

Sunday, December 14, 2008

peppermint cupcakes


i braved the baking isle at the walmart for more holiday baking ingredients. it was a zoo: moms not watching the 8 kids they brought with them, shortages of much-desired items, and a rough game of bumper carts...needless to say, i gave up & finished my shopping at publix. sweet publix did not disappoint. my efforts yielded 2 1/2 dozen peppermint cupcakes. yum. expect those at the office tomorrow. there's no way i am letting those sit around the house...i will eat them all!
We did dome taco soup this afternoon. the addition of refried beans & 1/2 cup chicken stock made a huge difference. our homemade hot sauce also played a supporting role. it's not much to look at, but packs huge flavor. tasty leftovers ahead!