just dance

Holy, You are still holy
Even when the darkness surrounds my life
Sovereign, You are still sovereign
Even when confusion has blinded my eyes
Lord I don’t deserve Your kind affection
When my unbelief has kept me from Your touch
I want my life to be a pure reflection
Of Your love ...

So I come into Your chambers
And I dance at Your feet, Lord
You are my Savior
And I’m at Your mercy
All that has been in my life up to now
Belongs to You
You are still holy
-Rita Springer

Last night, this song moved me. I'm sure this song was probably written in the midst of more pain and suffering that I have ever experienced - yet confusion is confusion. As I wonder where my life is going and why God has allowed me to live on this earth, it's comforting to hear Rita sing that in presence of darkness and confusion, her solution and resolve is to enter His presence and dance. Not to work harder or create some master plan to figure things out. God is holy regardless of circumstance and will carry us through to the end.

So just dance.

spiced pumpkin cake

In the quietness of Sunday afternoon, I want to share with you this delicious spiced pumpkin cake with whipped cream cheese frosting courtesy of Not So Humble Pie and Bake!: Essential Techniques for Perfect Baking.

Spiced Pumpkin Cake
yields 2 8" or 9" cake rounds

Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons freshly ground nutmeg
1 cup golden brown sugar, firmly packed
2 cups canned pumpkin puree (16 oz)
5 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/4 cup vegetable oil

Preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare two 8" or 9" round cake pans with a light coating of non-stick spray and then line the bottoms with parchment.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. Once sifted, give it a good mixing with a whisk to ensure everything is evenly distributed and then set aside.

In a second large bowl, add the brown sugar and a third of the pumpkin puree. Combine the two with a spatula, pressing firmly to ensure there are no rogue lumps of sugar. Once lump free, add the remaining pumpkin and oil. Blend with a whisk and then add the eggs, one at a time, stirring with the whisk to incorporate after each addition.

Add the dry ingredients a third at a time, blending after each addition.

Divide the batter between your two pans and place into the oven on a lower-middle rack. Bake for 40-45 minutes until risen and firm to the touch.

Let the cakes stand in the pans on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Then unmold onto the racks and turn right-side up to cool completely.

Once cool you can begin on Ms. Humble's whipped cream cheese frosting.

Ms. Humble's Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
Yields enough to frost a 8" or 9" double layer cake.

Ingredients
1lb (16oz) full fat cream cheese, softened but still cool
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup cold heavy cream (use the ultra heavy 40%+ cream if you can find it)
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

Sift the powdered sugar and add the cream cheese to the bowl of your mixer with the paddle attachment. Beat them thoroughly until fluffy and completely smooth/lump free. In a separate bowl, beat the heavy cream to nearly stiff peaks, then add the whipped cream into the cheese mixture, scrape down the sides of your bowl and quickly and briefly beat to combine. Do not over beat.

Assemble your cake by trimming any humps off the top of the cake and place trimmed side down on your serving platter. Tuck strips of parchment under the cake to protect the platter during frosting, if desired. Dollop a generous amount of frosting onto the first layer--about twice as much as seen below--and smooth into an even layer, about 1 cm thick.

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Couple of tips: 1) DO follow the instructions to be generous with the frosting for the filling. Plenty to go around. 2) I did not find it necessary to cut off any of the humps of the layers. I turned 1 upside down, and the 2nd layer I placed with the rounded part face up. The frosting can fill in the uneven parts.

Unfortunately, my friends and I enjoyed this cake so much I didn't even stop to take a photo of the final creation. It's that good. And...I accidentally used 2 15 oz CANS of pumpkin puree instead of 2 CUPS. Funny thing is, I actually didn't realize this until I looked at the recipe again after the cake was consumed. Oops. I guess this recipe is very forgiving.

Enjoy! And thanks, Not So Humble Pie for sharing! This was a true fall treat.

again

I think it is time to begin again.

One photo at a time. One thought at a time. One step at a time.

Here we go!

ode to summer

Fall came so fast I didn't even get to say goodbye to summer. So though it's 3 weeks late, I wanted to pay tribute to the summer by posting some of my favorite photos from this past season.

yogurt marinated pork chops w/ nectarine salsa

Hi, from San Mateo!

Every day I think, "This is the day I will post about my move to the Bay Area." And then...life goes on. Like it usually does. So while I procrastinate about this post that might never (ever) come, I will post about PORK CHOPS. I live at home (yes, I know its pathetic), and one of my duties is to cook once a week. Little did my family know they would become guinea pigs for new recipes from the interweb. There have been some near disasters, but tonight was a winner. I combined 2 recipes together (this one and this one) to create yogurt marinated pork chops with nectarine salsa.


Yogurt at first glance did not sound very appetizing as part of a marinade, but it made an excellent tenderizer and I couldn't even taste it after it was cooked. Here is what I did and what you can do too!

Ingredients

4 thick-cut bone-in pork loin chops (I used "blade cut")
1 head roasted garlic (cut the top of head off, put in foil with a little olive oil and place in the oven at 350 degrees for 45 min)
1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 tablespoon cumin
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/2 tablespoon pepper

Salsa
2 nectarines, pitted and diced
1 ripe tomato, seeded and diced
1/4 cup diced onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Salt to taste

1. Place the chops in a shallow dish in one layer. In a small bowl, mash the roasted garlic into a paste. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well to combine. Pour over the chops and rub into both sides. Let stand at least 30 minutes, turning a couple times to ensure an even marinade.

2. Chop up the salsa ingredients and refrigerate 30 minutes to blend flavors.

3. Grill pork chops over medium heat until done, about 10 minutes per side until lightly browned and juices run clear.

4. Serve pork chops topped with generous spoonfuls of salsa!

I highly suggest marinating the pork chops overnight. It made the meat super tender, and the next day I only had to make the salsa and grill the pork chops. And, it was delightful with a side of whole wheat cous cous and a bed of arugula with a splash of lemon, olive oil, coarse salt and cracked pepper. It also helped that my dad grilled the meat on the bbq, but I'm sure it would be fine grilled in a pan.

ENJOY.

P.S. I have an unhealthy crush on KevJumba. He's 20. That's disgusting.

photoshop wonders

I had the pleasure of taking engagement photos for Richard and Nancy, a couple that I met at Evergreen LA. James was my 2nd shooter, (insert extremely amused and hearty laugh, since he is a much better photographer than I), and did all post processing afterward. So, I haven't really seen the need to invest time and energy into learning Photoshop since I've only taken photos for my personal enjoyment. But after I saw what James did to my photos, I think I might have to drop some dough. Check them out.




He seriously transformed my shots. Thanks, James! Also, big thanks, to Richard and Nancy for being such an easy going couple and following my often haphazard directing. It was fun!

recyclables for haiti

After 5 months I finally cashed in my recyclables for a grand total of $43.25. Again, not much but it's something. This time I donated to World Vision to the Haiti Earthquake Relief fund. Things in the media have died down about Haiti, but it doesn't mean the people have stopped hurting. Thank you to:

Grandma
Auntie Joy
Mom
My roommates - Jenny & Jenny
My co-workers - Gina & Susan
Gus S.
Tina L.
Matt S.
Sam Y.
Win & Melody L.
Greg & Charissa P.

You guys rock.