Song of the Week: Yael Naïm's New Soul

The Song of the Week is back - for real this time! Now that the iMac is up and running in the kitchen again, I'm back to listening to music while I cook. The plan is to share my favorite Song of the Week each Saturday. Seems like a nice weekend activity, no? :)

All of our computers are Macs. I love them. But it is kind of rough when your computers are cooler than you. And the Mac commercials are definitely cooler than I am. Today's Song of the Week is from one of those commercials. Which means you've probably already heard it, but I still think it's great and this is my blog so I can do what I want. Hee hee.

I was slow in discovering Yael Naïm's song New Soul. With DVR on our cable box, I NEVER watch commercials. Nate had fun teasing me because I hadn't heard this song when the rest of America already had it memorized. So, in case you're like me and haven't heard it yet, be sure to check it out. It is a happy little song.

My favorite song on Yael's album album is called Far Far. Love it. The rest of the album is very cool, too - a mix of French, English and Hebrew (Yael is Israeli and hit it big in France) with interesting and different music.

New Soul is this week's official Song of the Week, however. Here's why: last night when Cate and I were making dinner, it was the first time she'd heard the song. She loved it and sang the "la la la las" like there was no tomorrow. It was SO CUTE. Plus, right after Anna was born, Nate dubbed it Anna's song. This song will always do my heart good.

Quick note: I've improved my links in the Song of the Week posts. If you click on the names of the songs/artists it will take to you to the Amazon MP3 download, where you can preview and purchase the songs easily. Amazon MP3s are DRM-free, which means once you buy the song it doesn't track how many computers you have it on. Very cool. Plus a lot of them are less expensive than iTunes. Double cool.

Truffles cont'd...the secret ingredient

While my attempt at chocolate truffles may not have been stellar, I did forget to mention something I discovered that I HAVE to share with you all...something I did RIGHT.


I've always heard that coffee enhances the flavor of chocolate. I'm not a big coffee fan, so usually when a chocolate recipe calls for it, oops, I left it out. However, I decided to give it a try this time around. Let me tell ya, what they say is true. The truffles do not taste like coffee at all AND the chocolate taste is so much richer. (As if you need to make truffles as rich as possible...but if you're gonna go, go all the way, right?) ANYWAY...it's true, it's true. The coffee definitely gave the chocolate taste more depth. It's an amazing little trick.

For all you coffee drinkers out there, yes, I used nasty instant granules. I know, I know. NASTY. But when you only need 1 tablespoon in a recipe AND you know you're not going to taste the coffee anyway...well, instant granules here I come.

If your truffle recipe doesn't have coffee in it, you could probably just add 1 Tbsp and be safe. I would just add it at the end when you add in the other flavorings, like liqueur or oils.

So far my friend Dottie is the only one to share a recipe and truffle techniques (thank you, Dottie!!). I know there are more experts out there! Get over to my original truffle post and help me out already! :)

Wanted: Truffle Teacher

I ventured into the world of chocolate truffle making the other night, with mixed results. The truffles TASTE great, but are far from culinarily artistic perfection. I thought today I'd share what I did along with my questions, hoping you can teach me the right way to do this!


Want the job as Truffle Teacher? All you have to do is post a comment! I'm mostly concerned with technique, but of course if you have a good recipe please share that as well!

For reference, THIS (click here) is the recipe I primarily used (although I referenced a few others as well).

Okay, the Truffle 101 Discussion Group is now beginning.

Jane Observations:
- When they say finely chop the chocolate, they mean FINELY chop the chocolate. I just had a few small pieces here and there (see pic), but they were just too big to melt in the heated cream.


- You can store your finished truffles in the fridge for weeks, but eat them at room temp - so much better when they are nice and soft.

Jane's Questions:
- I wanted to do some hazelnut-flavored truffles. I split the recipe in half and added ~1 1/2 tsp of hazelnut oil, but you honestly cannot tell that they were flavored. Has anyone used hazelnut oil in a similar situation? How much should I use?

- When should you form your truffle balls? One recipe said to leave the mixture out for 1 hour then make the balls. I did that - the chocolate was still so soft it was nearly impossible to work with. Another recipe said to refrigerate for 1 hour then make the balls...so I put the mixture in the fridge for 30 minutes. When I tried to make the truffles I actually BROKE the melon baller the chocolate was so hard. It was the biggest pain making the balls (which is why mine look so lumpy). What technique do you suggest? Do you use a melon baller, fingers, two spoons? HELP!


- What is your favorite flavoring and in what quantities should they go into the recipe?

I THINK that was all the questions/troubles I had. Seriously, if you've made truffles and they came out, tell us what you did!

Even though my truffles don't LOOK as pretty as I would have liked...it's not stopping us from eating them! :)

ProFlowers Giveaway Winners!

I'm happy to announce the winners of the ProFlowers gift card giveaway!

Cora, who said: Chocolate, strawberries, and flowers....Jane you sure know what's important on V-Day.

Lori, who said: Bring on those chocolate covered strawberries!

Congratulations, ladies! I know you'll put those $50 gift cards to good use! Please send me an email at weeklydinners@gmail.com to claim your prize!

Even if you didn't win the gift card, you're still a winner...get 15% off your orders by visiting www.proflowers.com/pr

Thank you all for entering and for all your great comments - I read every one of them! :)

Week 56 Menu

Tonight is leftover night...I went out to get Cate some food and found this on the dinner table instead...


Cate and her dad were busy making snowmen. It was so cute. Hey, if there's no dinner on the table, this sure is a good substitute.

By the way - several of you have commented in the last few weeks about using my recipes (beef stew, tostada goop for enchiladas, pizza dough, to name a few...check the Recipes: Main Dishes page for recipes). I love the positive feedback and I'm so happy the recipes are working for you - yea! :)

I have a LOT of carry-overs on my menu from last week...I think I must have been half asleep when I went to the grocery store since I forgot half my ingredients! You may be wondering what we ate at all, and, to be honest, I don't really remember. We didn't starve, so that's good.

MONDAY:
- Either hamburgers or BBQ pork
- Chips
- Salad

TUESDAY:
- Beef Stew (Cate's current favorite)

WEDNESDAY:
- Pat's Oriental Chicken Salad
- Mini egg rolls (from the frozen food aisle, of course!)

THURSDAY:
- Leftovers

FRIDAY:
- Breakfast for dinner
- Fruit
- Hashbrowns

SATURDAY:
- Eat out

SUNDAY:
- Chicken Salad sandwiches
- Chips
- Fruit & Salad

Share your menus! And, if you haven't entered the ProFlowers giveaway, you have a few more hours... :)

ProFlowers Giveaway Reminder!

Don't forget to enter the ProFlowers gift card giveaway! You have until Midnight tomorrow (Sunday, 2/17) to post a comment...click here to enter!


Nate and the girls sent me roses for Valentine's Day...aren't they beautiful? (Yes, they are from ProFlowers!)

A Chocolate Valentine for You!

Time for your chocolate valentine! Seriously, what is Valentine's Day without chocolate?


Adrianne made this beautiful Chocolate Ganache Tart (click for recipe) today. She even shared a few slices with us! Adrianne and I did a little taste test during the photo shoot...it's sooooo rich and sooooo good. I'm going to be a good girl and eat ALL of my dinner tonight...don't want to miss dessert!

Happy Heart Day!

May your Valentine's Day be filled with loved ones...love notes...


...and pretty paper hearts.

Featured Recipe: Banana Crumb Muffins

My friend Adrianne sent me this awesome Banana Crumb Muffin recipe. Cate and I made them last night. They're awesome. Nuf said.

ProFlowers Giveaway!!

Remember my yummy chocolate covered strawberries from this weekend?


Now's your chance to get some of your own! I'm so excited for today's giveaway!




ProFlowers is giving away TWO $50 gift cards that can be used for any of their amazing products. That's right, two of you lucky readers will get to shop to your heart's content! Flowers, plants, gift baskets, yummy treats...including those awesome strawberries! What could be better?

To enter the giveaway, simply enter a comment on this post by Sunday, 2/17, Midnight PT. I will randomly select two names and announce the winners on Monday, 2/18. Make sure you let your honey know about the giveaway...if they enter and win, you still win! :)

And in case you still need a gift for your Valentine this week...be sure to visit www.proflowers.com/pr for a 15% discount! Just in time for the big day!

Good luck to all on the giveaway!!

Make sure to leave your name on your post.

Week 55 Menu

No reason behind today's picture except the oranges are pretty. :)


I apologize in advance...but I need to do just a LITTLE venting... mostly because I didn't get the opportunity to vent AT the person who deserves it. Actually, I may not even need to vent. I just need to describe what I saw today: a person driving a Prius throwing trash and a cigarette butt out their window. I guess littering doesn't hurt the environment?!?! Oh wait, that's venting. Sorry. I'm done.

Okay, a menu. Hmmmm. I am having "cooker's block" today. Here goes nothing!

MONDAY:
- Squiggly pasta, as Cate likes to call it...probably with the Knorr packet for Herb & Garlic pasta sauce, and chicken
- Salad
- Bread

TUESDAY:
- Pat's Oriental Chicken Salad

WEDNESDAY:
- Breakfast for dinner...Panckaes
- Fruit
- Hashbrowns

THURSDAY:
- Leftovers

FRIDAY:
- Hamburgers
- Chips or Homemade Fries (if I'm feeling adventurous)
- Salad

SATURDAY:
- Eat out

SUNDAY:
- Beef Stew (Cate's current favorite)
- Yummy bread

Can't wait to see what you've got!

The Goods: Awesome Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Oh my goodness. My friend Karen is the best. She sent me a dozen chocolate covered strawberries from ProFlowers this weekend. Chocolate covered strawberries are one of my greatest weaknesses when it comes to dessert. Seriously, if I have a good chocolate to dip them in, I can eat a whole container of strawberries no PROBLEM. It's healthy if it's fruit, right?


Since I am a connoisseur of this delectable treat, I thought I'd let you know these puppies from ProFlowers are DANG GOOD. Huge sweet strawberries, good quality chocolate. And since they look so pretty on the plate (plates that Karen gave to me, by the way...that girl has good taste), of course I had to share them with you. Enjoy!

Why Backing Off Pays Off

Cate and I spent the morning making Valentine's Day cards. That is one good way to spend a morning.

I thought her cards were too cute. I started to take a picture of her chubby little hands working on a card that was lying on the table. Cate grabs the card right when I get the camera, ruining my otherwise perfect shot.

Mom: "Cate, I would like to take a picture of that."

Cate: "No, this way is better, Mommy."

She was right.

Featured Recipe: Stuffed Shells

Last night we were spoiled big time. Our good friend Brittany brought us dinner because we had a baby...8 weeks ago. She felt bad that she didn't get dinner to us sooner, but that's silly. It was AWESOME getting dinner now. What a treat, and still a huge help. Just because Anna isn't a few days old doesn't mean we're not tired or in need of a yummy meal. :)

ANYWAY, Brit made us the BEST stuffed shells I've ever had. Click through for the recipe: Spinach & Pancetta Stuffed Shells w/Asiago Cream Sauce. You all really must try them! Brit also brought blueberries & whipped cream for dessert. She added a bit of hazelnut syrup to the cream in addition to sugar and vanilla. It was AWESOME. Good tip, Brit!


BIG THANKS to Brittany and all of our friends who have brought meals over since Anna was born. I can't tell you how GRATEFUL we are and how great all your food was!!!

I also need to share another Brittany creation with you today. We went to her house for the Super Bowl, where we had lots of fun (despite the game) and lots of great food. What I really wanted to share with you was Brittany's table runner: real grass! That's right, in honor of the Super Bowl, she actually bought sod and put it on her table. It was an adorable and affordable idea for a Super Bowl party. I forgot my camera, but Brit let me borrow hers to grab a couple shots...much to everyone else's annoyance. "Hold on! You can't eat yet! I need to take tons of pictures of the food that's quickly growing cold!" Yup, I think everyone was wishing Brittany didn't have a camera for me to use. :) Oh, and that's my guacamole and chex mix!

Here Comes Lindsay Claus...

Okay, I know that title was DUMB. Couldn't think of anything better. I just wanted to wet your whistle with this pretty picture and a promise of great things to come...


Enter Lindsay Claus. Okay, that's not really her last name, but it may as well be with the gifts she has to share with us. My new friend Lindsay recently moved in next door. She loves to cook and does crazy things like grind whole spices and make her own corn chips. Yes, I consider that crazy. Come on, you guys know me by now. I doubt sincerely I'll ever fry up even one homemade corn chip in this lifetime. But that doesn't change the fact that I think it's AWESOME. She has some great recipes to share, and her cooking makes for some even greater photography, what with the beautiful ingredients and cookware galore.

I have a few Lindsay features lined up, however, I need to go through the hundreds of pictures I took and pick just a few to share. Until then, I thought I'd share this shot of her beautiful spices in their beautiful containers.