Sunday, September 20, 2009

Ina's Berry Pavlova


Mixed Berry Pavlova from Ina Garten

This gorgeous confection was my birthday "cake" this year. I wasn't feeling the traditional birthday cake, and once I saw Ina make this, I knew I had to have it. I'm a huge fan of Barefoot Contessa and I just love Ina. I also saw a Martha Stewart recipe for pavlova that also looked beautiful and delicious, but ultimately I had to be loyal to my contessa. ;)

My mom took on the task of making this. I know it was time-consuming and I am so grateful to her for doing it for me - and it turned out amazing. She did an awesome job.

Pavlova is basically a dessert made from a giant circle of meringue. I've never been a fan of meringue, but this was different. After you bake it, you let it cool, then cover it with a massive amount of homemade whipped cream, and then finish it off with a berry sauce made from fresh berries and a raspberry-flavored beer. (We actually sipped on the beer before lunch and it was very good - it tasted more like a raspberry champagne.)

This combination of creamy flavors makes the pavlova sweet, luscious, melt-in-your-mouth yummy. I loved it.

Actually, we all loved it. And if you need proof - this is what was left of the pavlova after 10 minutes:

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Breakfast can make or break you...

Today I had a family breakfast and my portion totaled about 1350 calories. ???! This left me with hardly any calories for the rest of the day and led to me being hungry and desperate by evening.

What have we learned from this?

1. Don't eat huge breakfasts without considering the calories BEFORE YOU EAT. Don't wait til after you've eaten bacon and donuts to consider the calorie count.

2. When you've had a lot of calories earlier in the day, eat smaller meals the rest of the day. DON'T GIVE IN TO PIZZA JUST BECAUSE YOUR SISTER IS MAKING IT HOMEMADE.

3. Don't eat something in a hurry. Don't grab ice cream or a dessert on a whim. Especially when it's a food you don't even really like. (ugh)

4. Don't eat chocolate several times a day. It just leaves you hungry for MORE. MORE MORE MOOOOOORRREEE CHOCOLATE!