Chicken picatta

So yeah, it's not really my field, but I'm okay with the culinary side in addition to sweets... and I wanted to try some new meals that BF and I would both like now that I've moved into his apartment, so I figured I'd start off with this one.

...Success!

I didn't have an ovenproof skillet, but transferring the chicken to a greased nonstick baking dish worked just as well. The green beans are sauteed in olive oil and worked great as an accompaniment, and went very well with the sauce.

Cons: Lemon flavor was a little strong. Next time I will use half as much lemon juice. Pros: Overall, so good I can hardly believe I made it myself, not even very hard, and not a pain to clean up after seeing as it only requires two pans to wash by hand with everything else in the dishwasher.

Seriously, make this. It's so good.

Aaaaaaand cakes!

As promised, the cake table at the "Greatest Day Of Fun..."

First, several sheet cakes representing various campus activities and the school itself. WIGIS stands for "Wildcat Interest Groups for Incoming Students," and yes, the school mascot really does have a lazy eye:

 

All of these flanked the massive, multi-tier affair that my cookie cake toppers adorned. I was largely uninvolved with the creation of these cakes except for the SGA cake (that's my writing) and the main attraction (put red fondant on top tier, and helped three other people apply dots). The mustached chef in back is Emmerich Zach, the man who organized it all and who taught me to make these kinds of cakes and cookies - the Greek, DECA, and Nutrition Society cakes are his work.

 The rest of the cookies got put on trays at either end of the table. Turns out I wasn't even the only one doing the loose ones... so many cookies!

Hungry now. Time to partake of the feast.

Back to the kitchen

Pastry student is graduating with associate's degree this month!

I was also approached last week by a chef instructor, asking for help with making cakes and cookies for a campus event that happens tomorrow, so I spent six hours in the kitchen today putting icing onto shortbread cookies. See!

The ones with wooden skewers in them are cake toppers. The rest are representing the majors offered at this school (Culinary, Baking&Pastry, Criminal Justice, Business, and Fashion), the school's organized sports, some party/spring themed designs, the Johnson & Wales crest with its griffin mascot, and, by request, Snoopy and a camel.

I'll get photos of the cakes tomorrow when everything is set up.

More Fish!

Last time I posted about fish, it was after I made an awesome lime and garlic tilapia.

Today, I made fish again. Simply, the next two pieces out of a total of 7 we bought. (the next experiment will be 3 pieces instead of 2)

Anyway, I found this recipe online and decided that because it was fish wrapped in BACON, what could go wrong? NOTHING, RIGHT?

Lime Butter Garlic Tilapia

Let's start this off with a picture.

Hubby and I have recently decided to add more fish to our diet. We previously ate zero fish and are going up to at least one fish meal per week.  I was a scaredy cat at first and only bought frozen prepared fish,  but decided to confront my fish-fear and buy fresh fish.

I made a meal tonight which was absolutely beautiful and delicious. Here is the recipe.

My First Cake Wreck

Oy vey.

Okay, so we're going to my cousin's for Easter. We usually go every year and everyone brings something.  They didn't ask me to bring anything, but being in a baking mood, I offered to bake a cake.  They agreed, so it was decided.

Sugar Photos, Volume 2

Because a lot didn't get finished until today... some photos of new stuff and the display tables:



And the other class's work -