Springtime

I have gotten so lazy when it comes to this blog! I have much more to post than recipes (and a queue of about 20 recipe posts that still need to be made) but can never find the energy to do it.

These are colza flowers, used to make oil. They are all over the roadside here; it’s even hard to concentrate on driving when I pass them! Very expansive fields of bright flowers–who could look away? I assumed they were weeds since they grew seemingly overnight and are very tall, but a friend that lives in France corrected me. I think they will get quite a bit taller before they’re harvested, so hopefully I will get to enjoy them for a bit longer.

Gold Dior earrings. Joseph bought these for me a few weeks ago, completely unexpected! I’m glad I married someone with good taste in jewelry  The gold is perfectly gilded, but the lettering caught the reflection of my camera in the middle photo.

I’m so glad it is getting warm out finally. The winters aren’t too bad here, but they are definitely longer than what I’m used to in Texas.

I bought these soaps in Paris last month. They are all different flavors, but they somehow work wonderfully together. Now my bathroom smells amazing!
The brown is vanilla; green is green tea; red is strawberry; yellow is magnolia; purple in the back is labelled “mure” and I’m not quite sure what that means just yet.

A post I made about my December trip to Germany was recently featured on the new travel website, Ruba.

Authentic Travel

Brownie Cupcakes

I became famous among my friends for my cupcake brownies. Throughout high school there wasn’t a birthday party where I didn’t walk in carrying two dozen of these! For as long as I can remember my dad topped off brownies with vanilla icing (though in my household we didn’t wait for them to cool completely, so the icing was always runny). Everything is better when made into a cupcake, right?

I’m breaking one of my rules and recommending you stay away from anything made from scratch for these. I’ve made them many times and the only way to really get the “Brownie Cupcakes” taste I grew up enjoying is from box mix brownies and canned frosting–really! It is the only way to do it. Some how box mix brownies taste amazing in cupcake form, and adding canned vanilla frosting takes them to a new level.

Follow directions on brownie mix; I like to add a handful of chocolate chips to the batter. Be sure to coat the cupcake tin with grease and don’t fill them as much as you would with cake batter. Bake according to directions on the box or bag, shortening the baking period. Don’t overcook! My general rule of thumb is that I take them out of the oven when I start smelling them from the next room. Let cool on wire rack before topping with canned vanilla icing.

I like using Betty Crocker’s Rainbow Chip icing, but since that wasn’t available here, I just topped them with M&M’s. The results were great!

Wonderful Paris, France!

Warning: this is going to be a pretty big post.

I recently took the greatest trip I have so far–I spent four days in beautiful Paris! It was lovely and wonderful, and I can’t wait to go back again! The city is huge, but in four days I got to see nearly everything I wanted.

April 4

One of the first things we saw in the city:

How adorable is this hotel? I’m not normally the “take-a-photo-of-your-Best-Wester-suite” type of gal, but I couldn’t resist taking a picture of this cute French room. Much better than a Best Western, in my opinion!

The Arc de Triomphe–this was much bigger than I anticipated. I guess I was expecting it to be around the same size as the arches I’ve seen in Rome, but of course Napoleon went all out on this one!

Every time I walked through gravel my nice leather boots looked hilarious! My husband thankfully found a rag to clean them off–but not until our second day.

Another shot of the Louvre with the glass pyramid in front.

And then from inside the pyramid! I actually thought the pyramid looked pretty ugly and out of place, but it does take nice photos.

Our first day there I just had to see the Eiffel Tower! I’ve always thought it was beautiful, but I never expected it to be so big! Pictures can not adequately describe how gigantic it is.

We sat in the grass as we watched the sun set while the Eiffel Tower gradually lit up.

By the time the sky was dark, the tower was a solid orange color. In person it looked like it had completely transformed into an orange that looked perfect with the blue sky–as if the metal had actually changed colors.

April 5

The perfect way to do breakfast in France!

A corner (a very small corner–the palace is enormous) of the palace of Versailles

The palace itself is huge, but it’s dwarfed by the actual gardens. You could easily get lost there–now I can understand how Marie Antoinette wondered around for days on these grounds.

My favorite photo from the trip–looking from the Apollo Fountain onto the palace.

The grass was so bright his shirt was so blue that I tried to coax Joseph into portraits (somewhat unsuccessfully).

After eating lunch on the grass, we walked to Petit Trianon (a smaller palace), behind which I found the cutest thing I have ever seen–a little faux farming village built for Marie Antoinette, called “Hameau de la reine.”

Apparently this was built simply for fun and because she enjoyed playing dress-up. Joseph joked that if I were a queen I would have the exact same thing built for me.

The front of the same building in the photo above

Can you tell how happy I was to get to see this?

There were even animals! I saw chickens (one that even looked like Marie Antoinette), goats, sheep, cows, and a big fat pig.

Just before leaving and still a very happy girl (with bad posture)–Versailles was very beautiful!

April 6

The famous Sainte-Chapelle, built of 15 ornate stain glass windows

Notre Dame

Notre Dame from across the Sienne–it looks very different from the side.

As a future librarian and lover of the Jazz Age in literature (Fitzgerald is my favorite author), I was excited to see this famous bookstore, which was frequented by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, and James Joyce, to name a few. You may have noticed Hemingway’s mention of it in A Moveable Feast!

Buildings along the Sienne

April 7

We spent our last day in the small neighborhood of Montmartre before we caught our flight back to Venice.

Sacre Coeur

We didn’t see a show but did get a quick view of the outside of the Moulin Rouge

Who would I be if I didn’t take photos of food?

Macarons!

Very delicious creme brulee

Of all the places I’ve been, Paris has been one of my favorites! This was an overall wonderful trip. If you’d like to see more photos, you can look at my Flickr album by clicking here.

Budapest, Hungary & Vienna, Austria

Wow, I am very behind here! I went on a short weekend trip to Budapest and Vienna last weekend and had a great time. I’d never imagined going to Hungary, but it was very beautiful! I only got one day in Vienna, so I am definitely planning on going back.

Budapest, Hungary

I thought this building was so beautiful. It reminds me of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast.

The streets of downtown Budapest were lined with buildings similar to this one. Very beautiful!

Saint Stephen’s Basilica

The inside of the basilica

Matthias Church

Me in a street in Budapest

Hungary is famous for its lace, so I couldn’t resist this little bit of handmade lace.

Vienna, Austria
The day was rainy, and we only had a few hours to spend in the city. It was beautiful but deserves a redo! Austria is one of my favorite places I’ve traveled to, and I think I need two or three days to fully enjoy Vienna.

The Michael Wing of the Hofburg Palace

Joseph and me in front of the Hofburg Palace

Veal weiner schnitzel–one of my favorite meals!

Apple strudel, to top off my very cliche (but delicious) lunch

Rainbow Cupcakes

I’ve seen recipes for rainbow cakes and cupcakes going around the internet for a while. I’ve never had much interest in them even though I like the way they look, but this morning I woke up really wanting to make some! They are cute and were fun to make–I imagine these would be a bit hit at a birthday party or bake sale!

To make these, prepare white cake batter. You can use a boxed mix, but I would suggest a heavier cake to keep the colors from mixing, like this Martha Stewart recipe listed below.
Prepare whichever recipe you are using as usual. Before pouring batter in a pan, divide into separate bowls. Use food coloring (I prefer gel) to achieve the colors you would like. Then spoon each color one by one into cupcake liners. Many people like to spoon one directly on top of the other to create layers, but I like mine a bit messier. Have fun with it!

Before they baked they looked like this:

After they cool I iced them with a heavy and rich cream cheese frosting.

My recipe suggestions:

Vanilla Cucpakes, from Martha Stewart

3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 ½ cup sugar
4 large eggs
3 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a standard two muffin tins with paper liners. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
2. With an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until combined. Beat in vanilla.
3. With the mixer on low speed, gradually beat in flour mixture and sour cream in alternating batches, beginning and ending with the flour. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups.
4. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean and the top is springy to the touch, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool 10 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely before spreading with frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

16. oz cream cheese, softened
½ cup butter, softened
2 tsp vanilla extract
2-4 cups confectioner’s sugar

Cream together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until smooth. Add sugar and beat until you’ve reached the desired consistency. For a sweeter taste, add more sugar.

The above recipes should make and generously frost 24 cupcakes, 48 mini-cupcakes, or one cake.

My Little Town in Northern Italy

The weather has been perfect around here lately. I love walking around this little town, especially now that I can leave my coat at home and just wear a cardigan!

This is the view from my bedroom window. I love the mountains–living at the foot of the Alps has its perks!

This is one of the main roads in my town. Look at how small the “sidewalk” is! By Italy’s standards, this road is actually pretty big.

Every Italian town is built around a cathedral–if you’re ever in Italy, just follow the signs reading “centro” to find the center of the town. Ours is very simple! There is a line of benches right next to the church where I always see the locals eating gelato.

The clouds were perfect that day!

Ljubljana, Slovenia

Wow, I can’t believe I forgot to blog about this.

My mother-in-law visited last week. She had to do most of her traveling on her own, but we did get to take her to one of our favorite cities, Ljubljana, Slovenia! We went to Ljubljana last winter and were completely unprepared for the cold weather; even though we enjoyed the city, we were miserable! I knew it deserved a re-do and I’m very glad we went back. It’s a beautiful little city to spend the day in and was only a two-hour drive from us.

It was pretty crowded that day, compared to the first time we went. You can see the castle on the hill in the background.

Old Ljubljana. Doesn’t it look perfectly picturesque?

I love these crazy roofs!

We went for a stroll around the castle and found a spot to view the city from.

My husband Joseph and his mother Lezlee.

The little chapel inside the castle. I love that it was nearly empty!

There was a big fruit market on Saturday. Everything looked amazing! We visited Ljubljana on a Sunday last year and saw a huge antique market; we are still regretting not buying a old sewing machine we spotted! I think I will plan a trip to Croatia where we can swing through Ljubljana on a Sunday to visit the market again.

I love owls!

The Slovene Parliament is adorned with naked people!
Off topic: I remember seeing a series of paintings of naked people doing farm work. I believe it was in Austria (maybe Innsbruck?)–would any of you remember what I’m talking about? It has been driving me mad trying to remember where I saw that!

We ate at the delicious restaurant Gostilna Sokol–I would highly recommend it! Slovene food is one of my favorites.

The Ljubljanica river at night.

Right now we are planning an April trip to Paris. I’m so excited!

Grandmother’s Rings

Over the last few years my mathernal grandmother has been giving me some of her most meaningful jewelry and it’s very special to me. When I started high school she gave me her high school ring, when I started college she gave me her college bracelet, and when I got married last year she gave me her wedding ring.

Luckily I am the only one in my family with limbs small enough for her jewelry to fit, but we also have similar tastes! I’ve heard that I’m a lot like she was at my age, and I don’t at all find that hard to believe.

My grandmother went to the same high school I did, graduating 59 years before me. Most of my family has gone to the same school. I wore this ring all throughout high school. The school colors are blue and white, but the ring is adorned with her (and my) birthstone–Ruby.  I wasn’t interested in any of the class rings that were for sale when I was in high school, but I think my grandmother’s is beautiful and of my taste, so it worked perfectly as a third-generation class ring.

Her ring on the left, mine on the right
When I got married my husband was deployed and we hadn’t even thought of rings. My grandmother lent me hers and I loved it so much that when we got around to buying our own I wanted mine to be similar. After a couple months with the ring she assured me she would like to keep it. My grandfather is no longer alive, and I feel so honored that she gave me something of so much sentimental value.

I am a very sentimental person also and can definitely be trusted to care after these things! I don’t wear much jewelry unless it has a special meaning to me, and family heirlooms are used often when given to me.

I bought these pearls in Okinawa, Japan when I was 16. They are two separate necklaces that can be twisted together–one pink strand, and one white strand.

Truffles in time for Valentine’s Day

I’m not the biggest fan of Valentine’s Day but I can’t resist a chance to make desserts!

Many thanks to Bakerella for the idea–she posted her red velvet cake balls a couple months ago and I’ve been dying to try them. The were super easy and look and taste great!

I used a strawberry boxed cake for one half and red velvet cake (made from scratch) for the other half. I mixed them up so now I have a real assortment and never know what flavor I’m biting into!  I put mine into heart-clad min-cupcake liners.  Now I just wish I had a heart-shaped box to put them in!

Red Velvet Cake Balls from Bakerella
1 box red velvet cake mix (cook as directed on box for 13 X 9 cake) I made half a red velvet cake from scratch and also half of a boxed strawberry cake
1 can cream cheese frosting (16 oz.)
assortment of chocolate bars, to melt
wax paper

1. After cake is cooked and cooled completely, crumble into large bowl.
2. Mix thoroughly with 1 can cream cheese frosting. (It may be easier to use fingers to mix together, but be warned it will get messy.)
3. Roll mixture into quarter size balls and lay on cookie sheet. Should make 45-50.
4. Chill for several hours. You can speed this up by putting in the freezer for a few minutes.
5. Melt chocolate in microwave.
6. Roll balls in chocolate and lay on wax paper until firm. (Use a spoon to dip and roll in chocolate and then tap off extra.)

I used white, dark, and milk chocolate and colored half the white chocolate pink. To decorate, put contrasting color chocolate in ziplock back; cut a tiny hole in one bottom corner and quickly drizzle over chocolates.

In the Wabe Revamping

Some of you may have noticed there’s been a bit of a lull at In the Wabe over the last few weeks. Honestly, I have been a bit upset over the way it’s panning out–it’s turning out a lot different than my original idea. So I am going to be revamping!

There will be a few changes here, and In the Wabe is going to become a bit more of a personal blog. I’m keeping all the recipes, but I will be posting some personal entries in between the food posts. I’m hoping this will make my blog more interesting and more enjoyable for all of you!

Do you want to see how excited I am about this?

These are my very first jumping photos! I realize the second photo looks a bit like I’m sitting on the back of the couch, but I swear I was mid-jump!

This is what my living room looks like without a maniac jumping on the furniture: