today I finally got to try out the cake ball at the olive branch here in waco.  I have been reading all about them on leah's blog and I couldn't wait to try them.  so, when mike said he wanted to have lunch at olive branch today, I was all for it, not only for the great food, but so that I could finally try the cake balls.  mike got me one of each of the ones they had today, peanut butter and caramel and chocolate and strawberry.  they were as wonderful as I had hoped, wonderfully moist cake (the peanut butter and caramel one even had peanut butter inside) and delicious coating (frosting?).  I can't wait to go back and try all her flavors!

today is national margarita day and I didn't want the day to pass without me mentioning it here.  I did celebrate in the traditional way with a strawberry margarita at chuy's.  now the question is did you celebrate national margarita day?

this past saturday, we went to austin to celebrate mike's 30th birthday and as usual we really enjoyed the food in austin. for lunch we went to one of our favorite places to eat, zax's pints and plates. we shared a blue cheeseburger and a salad and it was wonderful as usual. for dinner, mike wanted sushi, so we went to maiko sushi lounge and it was amazing. we started off with their hot rock, which is a hot rock that you cook beef on, it was an interesting experience and very tasty. we also had their calamari which has to be the best calamari that I have ever had. the group then shared a sampling of sushi and I had their chicken teriyaki (since I don't eat sushi). the food was all very good and unfortunately, we were too stuffed for dessert, but it looked really good on the menu.

we went to chuys today for lunch and I have to say that I continue to be impressed with our chuys here in waco!  I had the strawberry margarita to start off with and as usual, it was amazing, I think the best margarita in waco.  we tried the creamy jalapeno dip with the chips and I was really good, I will definitely be asking for that again next time I go there. I then had fajita which were just as great as I remember.  we finished off with tres leches cake which is the still the second best that I have ever had (mine is better!).

so on my way back from college station, I stopped at cocoamoda for a treat.  for mid-afternoon, they were really busy.  the food was wonderful as usual!  I opted for the blackberry crepes and they were magnificent; light and tender crepes with a wonderful blackberry sauce!  both boys just opted for some ice cream, which went great with my crepes.  of course I got some truffles and chocolate covered orange peel to bring home to michael.

I love the new cherry dr. pepper so I thought this year for my cherry cookies I would make these.  these cake-like cookies flatten in the oven before they puff up again.  makes 3 dozen cookies.


1 stick butter
1 1/4 c brown sugar
1 egg
2 c flour
1/4 ts salt
1/2 c dr. pepper
2 ts vanilla
1 c candied cherries, chopped

1. preheat oven to 375 and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. in a large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter, add the sugar, and beat until light and fluffy. add in the egg and mix until well incorporated.
3. sift the dry ingredients together and add to the creamed mixture alternately with the dr. pepper, starting with the flour, then the dr.pepper, and finally the remaining half of the flour, mixing slowly.
4. add the vanilla and cherries and blend well
5. drop onto the prepared cookie sheets and bake in oven preheated oven for 10 - 12 minutes, until browned.

don't be tempted to use anything smaller than a 3-qt. pot for this delicious caramel fudge-like candy. you'll need the volume when the hot, sugary liquid foams up during cooking.

4 tablespoons unsalted butter; more for the pan
2/3 cup coarsely chopped pecan pieces
2 cups sugar
pinch salt
1/2 cup light karo syrup
1/4 cup half-and-half
1/4 cup whipping cream
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla extract

1. butter an 8x8-inch baking pan. line the pan with a piece of parchment large enough to hang over two sides. butter the paper, too, and tuck it flat against the pan. put the chopped pecan pieces in a handy spot where you'll be working.
2. combine the sugar, salt, karo syrup, half-and-half, cream, and butter in a heavy-based 3-qt. pan, stirring with a wooden spoon over low heat until the sugar is completely dissolved. this can take a while, and it's hard to see; you should feel the texture (rub a little between your fingers or run your finger along the mixture clinging to the spoon) to be sure all the sugar is dissolved.
3. turn the heat to medium and cook, stirring, until the mixture foams to a boil. add the baking soda. lower the heat and stir like mad. the mixture will double in volume and then gradually subside and begin to take on a golden hue. after the mixture settles a bit, put in a warmed candy thermometer. continue to stir constantly, scraping the sides, and cook over medium-low heat until the thermometer registers just 240°f. watch very carefully, as the thermometer will hover at 239° for a while and then move up. you must remove the mixture before it passes 240°f.
4. remove the pot from the heat and take out the thermometer. continue to stir quickly. the candy will look like a loose caramel sauce. add the vanilla (watch out, it may sputter) and stir carefully to incorporate. add the pecans and continue stirring quickly. don't take your eyes off the mixture at this point. watch and feel it as it begins to thicken, lighten in color, and become harder to stir. when it has thickened enough to leave a path on the bottom of the pan while you're stirring, it's just about ready. the moment you notice that the mixture is just beginning to lose its glossy shine, turn it out into the buttered pan. don't wait until the mixture looks completely matte or it will be too dry when you try to cut it. if you stop stirring at the right moment, the mixture will firm up almost the second it hits the pan. too soon, it will never be anything more than caramel (although very good caramel); too long, it will harden in the pot.
5. as soon as the candy cools (15 to 20 min.), cut it into squares. it will probably have tiny bubbles on top. it may well crumble when cut. if it doesn't harden immediately, just let it sit for several hours, even overnight, and it may harden. if not, you have great caramel.