What Items are You Eyeing??

Can 2Bit be honest in a moment of consumerism?

{Anthropologie}

2Bit is all about the sales and deals in life. We just hate paying full price for things, even more so, knowing they will drop more on sale.

{Anthropologie}

This is a most joyous day for 2Bit Cara. I have been on a quest for a warm, waterproof, black winter coat with a sturdy hood...One that would last the test of time, simple yet fulfill its purpose. I saw THE one back in January- a black/waterproof/ down-filled Marmot coat BUT, it was on sale from $279 to $219!! 

For some of you, that might have been an adequate sale, but not for cheapskate, me! It was so hard to walk away, but I knew there had to be a better deal at the end of winter, so I was willing to look for something cheaper.. But, being a nanny, I get some down time, esp. when the lil muffin is sleeping. Browsing online yesterday I found my coat for $139 with NO tax or shipping cost! The scavenger in me mentioned waiting for it to go on sale even more, but Mr Hubby Hochhalter, who was probably so sick of me talking about it said, "Don't you dare! You have been obsessed with this coat. That's a great sale." He didn't have to tell me twice...

What items are you eyeing?? 2bit loves to fantasize with other consumers....

{Anthropologie}

Below:
A couple items I'm willing to hold out on OR get when I get around to it..

Brown, preferably cognac colored
boots...

                  

             A sleek black or tan purse...         

              Liquid Eye Liner...

Climbing shoes....Yay.. hubby Hoho got these for me so we can climb together. What a man!!
 

A turquoise nose ring...

Random, I know, but we be always needing fridge magnets...

Etsy is full of geniuses...

Lastly...

I have been holding out to find the perfect diamond cross necklace since 8th grade.

 

OR 

They are all WAY too much mula...

While on the subject of "too much mula," if I had an endless amount to spend on jewelry, I would buy these Rosemark items:

{$6,125}

either of these...

and throw this in too...

{$1,895}

A girl can dream, right?

2Bit is curious, what's in your materialistic dreams?

King Cake

On dis da fattest of Tuesdays, 2Bit's a sayin a big Happy Mardi Gras ta ya'll! Dat is da 2Bits tryin a tawk like dey do down dere in Nawleans. 

Here at 2Bit, we like to do things right, and since we are stuck in this 2bit town instead of actually being in New Orleans and GOING to Mardi Gras, doing Mardi Gras right in Lexington means makins ya a King Cake! 

This cake is a staple of Mardi Gras. It is shaped in an oval ring and colored with purple, green and yellow icing or sprinkles. 2Bit would equate it to a delicious cinnamon roll rather than a cake, but either way it tis delicious. The filling consists of either cinnamon and sugar, cream cheese or both if you're 2Bit... For some reason, you are supposed to put a baby in the cake. Not a real one, just the plastic kind or some other non-human / animal baby. 2bit can't imagine how this became part of the tradition, but you can google it for 2Bit if your curiosity can't control itself. 

All parts of this recipe are great, together or individually. 2bit has found a go to icing recipe from it. It tastes like an icing should, sweet and yummy but not too powdered sugary. The bread would make a great sweet bread too. 

Original recipe found here my recipes

Yields 2 cakes (2Bit halved the recipe)

Ingredients:

• 1  (16-ounce) container sour cream
• 1/3  cup  sugar
• 1/4  cup  butter
• 1  teaspoon  salt
• 2  (1/4-ounce) envelopes active dry yeast
• 1/2  cup  warm water (100° to 110°)
• 1  tablespoon  sugar
• 2  large eggs, lightly beaten
• 6  to 6 1/2 cups bread or all-purpose flour
• 1/3  cup  butter, softened
• 1/2  cup  sugar
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

The Glaze:

• 3  cups  powdered sugar
• 3  tablespoons  butter, melted
• 2  tablespoons  fresh lemon juice
• 1/4  teaspoon  vanilla extract
• 2  to 4 tablespoons milk

• Create striped rows alternating purple-, green-, and gold-tinted sparkling sugar sprinkles OR with purple, green and yellow icing.

Directions:

Cook first 4 ingredients in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring often, until butter melts. Set aside, and cool mixture to 100° to 110°.
Stir together yeast, 1/2 cup warm water, and 1 tablespoon sugar in a 1-cup glass measuring cup; let stand 5 minutes.

Beat sour cream mixture, yeast mixture, eggs, and 2 cups flour at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until smooth. Reduce speed to low, and gradually add enough remaining flour (4 to 4 1/2 cups) until a soft dough forms. (If you don't have a mixer, just use a wooden spoon and then your hands to get the last BIT of flour incorporated).


Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic (5-10 minutes). Place in a well-greased bowl, turning to grease top.
Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 hour or until dough is doubled in bulk.

Punch down dough, and divide in half. Roll each portion into a 22- x 12-inch rectangle. Spread 1/3 cup softened butter evenly on each rectangle, leaving a 1-inch border. Stir together 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon, and sprinkle evenly over butter on each rectangle. Beat 3/4 cup sugar; 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened; 1 large egg; and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Spread cream cheese mixture evenly on each dough rectangle on top of the cinnamon and sugar layer, leaving 1-inch borders.

It is ESSENTIAL to create rectangles with your dough or else it will be uneven when you roll it up... Look at 2bit's uneven roll, learn from 2Bit's mistakes.

Roll up each dough rectangle, jelly-roll fashion, starting at 1 long side. Place one dough roll, seam side down, on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bring ends of roll together to form an oval ring, moistening and pinching edges together to seal. Repeat with second dough roll.

Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 20 to 30 minutes or until doubled in bulk.

Bake at 375° for 14 to 16 minutes or until golden. Slightly cool cakes on pans on wire racks (about 10 minutes). 

It taint too pretty but it sure was mighty tasty..

To make the glaze:

Stir together first 4 ingredients. Stir in 2 tablespoons milk, adding additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until spreading consistency. 

Drizzle Creamy Glaze evenly over warm cakes; sprinkle with colored sugars, alternating colors and forming bands. Let cool completely.


*To create colored sugars yourself, take regular sugar, place in three separate bowls and mix green, yellow and purple (red and blue) food coloring in the sugars. For the purpose, mix up the colors to create purple before putting it on the sugar.

Get those beads and enjoy!

Whole-Wheat Cheesy Biscuits

Cheesy biscuits- are good with stew; Cheesy biscuits bid others adieu

Cheesy biscuits- great with jelly; Cheesy biscuits- get in 2Bit's belly

Cheesy biscuits-are oh-so-scrumptious; Cheesy biscuits- are whole-wheatalicious! 

What You Need:

6 tbsp butter, cut into 1/2 in. pieces

1-1/2 oz light cream cheese, cut into 1/2 in. pieces

2 c all-purpose flour

1 c whole-wheat flour

2 tsp sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 c parmasen/ mozzarella cheese

1-1/4 c buttermilk, chilled

*Make 16 biscuits; 2Bit halved the recipe.

{Recipe adapted from America's Test Kitchen}

Preheat oven at 425

Place chopped cream cheese and butter in fridge/freezer to make cold.

Combine dry mixture with butter and cream cheese in a bowl and mix until small clumps form... Or pulse in a food processor-just make sure the cream cheese and butter are frozen so they don't gum up your machine. Add gated parm/mozz cheese to flour mixture.

Combine buttermilk and dry mixture with rubber spatula, until no longer sticky; then knead. (2Bit made her buttermilk with the ratio of 1 tbsp lemon juice per 1 cup milk. Leave at room temp until thickened, about 10 min., then use.)

Onto lightly floured surface, pat out dough to about 3/4 inches thick. To cut out biscuits, use a glass... or biscuit cutter, if you're into that. 2Bit's not that sophisticated...

Place on greased cookie sheet or pizza stone and bake 12-15 min. Rotate baking sheet half way in if necessary, and lower temp to 400.

You can add extra cheese on top before baking. 2Bit forgot to do this but they were still delicious...

 Jam? No thank you!.. This Bit is a jelly girl...raspberry, please!

Red Velvety Erica!

Happy Birthday to 2Bit's dear friend, Erica Fox!!

2Bit has some fabulous memories with mrs Erica from way back when we all used to live together...

at Jesselin...

Perhaps you remember this lovely poem

An Ode to Jesselin:

We stayed up all day and all night like Bono,

Except for Erica, when she had mono.

The house always seemed to be in disarray, 

Joy fell through the driveway....

We managed to stay away from obesity;

Despite Cara's cookies and the many jars of pb.

Twas the best of times, twas our own little slice of heaven;

We will always look fondly on our memories of 167.

We hope you have had a very blessed day and 2Bit knows that all your wishes will come true, starting with a delicious Red Velvet Cake...aahem...

Happy 26th Birthday, Erica!! 

Lentil Soup

Lentil soup is a Hochhalter staple... 

Lentils are cheap, versatile, easy, filling, high in fiber and extremely healthy...a miracle bean, really! 2Bit loves them b/c you can go so many ethnic directions be it Indian, Mediterranean or French... This recipe is more French.

What You Need:

2 c. Green lentils (you can use red too; green are just cheaper)

7 c. Water or Chicken/Vegetable Broth

3 tbsp olive oil

1 Onion, chopped

2 Carrots

1-2 Tomatoes, diced

3 Tbsp Garlic, minced

3/4 c cooking white wine
1 tsp Better than boullion mushroom(optional)

2 tbsp Balsamic vinegar

Spices:

Salt & pepper to taste

1 tspCumin

1/2 tsp Cayenne (Oh how Bit C loves cayenne)

1 tsp Thyme
1 Bay leaf

As much as we all want to skip the step of rinsing the lentils, breaking a tooth on a small rock or marble just ain't worth it.

This recipe feeds about 4-5. We like to have left-overs.

Chop up all the veggies that contribute much of the marvelous flavor.

Sautee olive oil and veggies together in a skillet. Add spices, vinegar, wine etc and allow it all to caramelize.

This is how they should look after cooking about 25 minutes. If you are unsure of their readiness, just try one to make sure they'r soft. Cook to your liking.

Veggies are ready to add to soup.

You can make it as soupy/brothy as you want...

Garnish with mozzarella, feta cheese, of whatever you please!

Cheesy Biscuits you want??....

Cheesy biscuits shall be the star of 2Bit's next post, so stay tuned for the recipe...

Happy Anniversary

Best of Wishes

to

Mama Jill and Davey Gravy

2-18-06

Congratulations for 5 wonderful years!!

What a handsome couple you are!

We are thankful for how compassionate and nurturing you two are!

Both of your laughs light up the room.

Dave, you bring such joy and laughter to our family. And we can't thank you enough for putting up with our crazy bunch.

We are so blessed to call you our family!!

Blessed are you...

2Bit was reading from Matthew 5 this morning and tried to imagine for a second what our world would be like if we actually lived the way Jesus says to?
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth. ³⁹ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.⁴⁰ And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. ⁴¹ If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. ⁴² Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you."


Ponder that! Can you imagine??