IN MY KITCHEN, SPRING 2026

Posted in 1 by sallybr

In My Kitchen posts are hosted by Sherry, from Sherry’s Pickings. Please visit her site to see what everybody else is sharing this month. I join four times each year, on the first day of January, April, July and October. If you are a food blogger, consider taking part of this fun event. It is a chance to share those little things you bought or received as gifts and that make your life in the kitchen easier.

The picture above was made by my friend and cookie magician, Haniela as a virtual Bday gift to yours truly. I just adore it… March is a busy moth for the Bewitching Kitchen: both Star and I celebrate our Birthdays just a couple of weeks apart, but there is also my sister Nyrma, and our grandkids Greenlee and Leo. March people are great people, even if I say so myself. Don’t you agree? 🙂 I knew you would…

Starting with a gift…

From The Haydens, a surprise gift that arrived in the mail, in fact they also sent one to Phil with “King of the Grill”, so that pretty much settle our placement in the Kingdom! THANK YOU!

In our kitchen…

I first learned about this lower-carb, high protein pasta in a food blog. Much to my surprise, doing a search online I realized that our Wal-Mart store carries several shapes. Of all the brands I tried, this is the closest to the real thing. Shiratake noodles have zero carbs and almost no calories to speak of, but they will not leave you happy and satisfied. Brami pasta will. It is made from lupini beans and it also contains wheat, but much less than a regular type.

In our kitchen…

A super flavorful oil that I got after a recommendation from Martin, winner of Great American Baking Show a couple of years ago. He used it in a bread, which is fantastic and I urge you to try. Super simple to make, by the way. Check his recipe here.

And this is my delicious version of his bread….

In our kitchen….

Speaking of bread, I can’t tell you how much we love this little baby! I have tried all sorts of knives that promise to deliver as far as slicing a hearty loaf of sourdough goes, but nothing compares to this. I highly recommend you get one. Ordering info here.

You can see it in action here, and it is sooooo cool!

In our kitchen…

I eat A LOT of eggs, love to have a fried egg with sourdough for lunch. Do you “need” a silicone ring? Probably not, but isn’t that super cute? I like this one because it allows me to put a lid on the pan, which helps create steam and properly cook the egg white. I hate a slimy white, don’t you? You will find the rings here.

In our kitchen…

These are my favorite sprinkles for the time being… They are not hard, and have a fantastic shine. Great on cupcakes! I found them at Hobby Lobby, and they were on sale, lucky me!

In our kitchen…

I just love a stamped cookie, because it makes decorating so easy… The square ones are part of a set with several different adorable shapes. Check them out here. The second one I got at a store in etsy, but it is not available anymore. I have a very soft spot for anything mandala.

In our kitchen….

Still on the subject of stamped cookies, I gave myself this new one as a Birthday present. You can find it on KitchenVixen’s store at etsy. I adore it!

In our kitchen….

I’ve been seriously considering expanding my horizons into the chocolate world. I bought this little mold which has a very interesting feature: it is holographic! So the surface of the chocolate bar will have a special color effect. Apparently the effect lasts for quite a few uses, and even when it fades it still makes nice looking bars. I just got them last week, now I will go through my normal inertia phase, before attempting something new. In any case, stay tuned. Sooner or later I’ll put this baby to use!

Not quite in our kitchen, but close enough…

I need to show you one of the many hidden qualities of my hubby… This little tricycle belonged to him as a very young boy, maybe 6 years old. He carefully refurbished, weeks of work, finding small pieces online (mostly on eBay). replaced the wheels, which was quite a tricky task. Isn’t that amazing? So many details! SORRY, LADIES, HE’S TAKEN!

In our kitchen….

How could I possibly resist getting this blanket? Star seems a little puzzled, but as you shall see later in this post, she and the Royal brother ended up giving this purchase two paws up!

Speaking of the pups, they’ve been anxiously waiting
to tell you all about their adventures
since last time we met…

They’ve been indulging in one of their favorite activities, which is watching TV with Dad. It does not really matter what is on the big screen, although Prince seems to be quite fond of golf and anything with active quadrupeds. Horses and bears are high on the adrenaline-inducing list.

But the usual routine is…. once dinner and dishes are done, it is time for our humans to watch TV laying on their yoga mats with us. Big party, made even more special with a blanket that celebrates the best dog breed in the known universe: The Black Dotted Heroes!

Once we are all settled and ready, we each get a special chewy for the evening. We await that moment with great anticipation, and if Dad takes his time to deliver the goodies, here is the look he gets…

But, overall life has been pretty awesome… Star practices her power naps on a regular basis….

Prince shows quite a bit more class and dignity as he indulges in that activity, like the Royal being he is….

Star does not care, Discombobulated is often a middle name she carries with pride, much to her brother’s amusement!

But let’s face it, even Royals can act a little quirky at times…

Anyhoo, life is for the most part pretty awesome in the Kingdom,
but sometimes things do not go quite the way the pups expect…

And when they rough play around the Kingdom, things can get messy…

For more on that tricky subject, watch the video below…

But who can get mad at these two adorable beings for more than a few seconds? Particularly when they promised to never ever again mess up with the rug….

And when the apologies come with kisses, now that is even better!

That is all for now, folks, we are headed to warmer temperatures, which means more time outside, more walks off-leash, more fun and games!

SEE YOU IN JULY!

ONE YEAR AGO: In My Kitchen, Spring 2025

TWO YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, April 2024

THREE YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, Spring 2023

FOUR YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, April 2022

FIVE YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, April 2021

SIX YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, April 2020

SEVEN YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, April 2019

EIGHT YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, April 2018

NINE YEARS AGO: First Monday Favorite

TEN YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, April 2016

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Spring has Sprung with Suzanne Goin

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Chai Brownies

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: Pomegranate-Molasses Glazed Carrots

FOURTEEN YEARS AGO: Braised Brisket with Bourbon-Peach Glaze

FIFTEEN YEARS AGO: The Real Vodka Sauce

SIXTEEN YEARS AGO: Spring Rolls on a Spring Day

3Apr2024

IN MY KITCHEN, SPRING 2024

Posted in In My Kitchen by sallybr

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In My Kitchen posts are hosted by Sherry, from Sherry’s Pickings. Please visit her site to see whateverybody else is sharing this month. I join four times each year, on the first day of January, April, July and October. If you are a food blogger, considering taking part of this fun event. It is chance to share those little things you bought or received as gifts and that make your life in the kitchen easier.

Starting with gifts….

As you will notice, my friends know very well what moves me…

In our recent trip to Brazil, my sister Norma and my niece Camila offered us these super special gifts, inspired by our beloved pups… Notice the black patch on the eye… Reminds you of someone? And yes, my sister did the embroidery… amazing, right?

From our friends Lorne and Wasu, a super cool Birthday gift for this humble baker! Decorating pens (and also a nice bag of vanilla pods from Madagascar!). Thank you, thank you, thank you!

The best Birthday cards ever, from my dear friend Elaine! Look at those cutie pies!

From my friend Caro, a Birthday gift to warm my heart forever… It is already hanging in our kitchen, of course!

Yet another Birthday gift, from The Haydens, this super special (and with the right amount of flexibility) spatula to inspire my bakes! THANK YOU!

In our kitchen…

We have dreamed of a Marzocco espresso maker for what seemed like forever. Finally, the husband took a deep breath and ordered one. It does take a while to arrive, as they build the machine, test it, and then finally ship it from Italy, but wow, we are totally in love with it! Here you see the very first espressos we made…

In our kitchen…

A concha press, which I intend to try very soon… I do have a recipe in mind, so stay tuned for a blog post once I go for it.

In our kitchen…

I finally caved and bought containers to proof bread dough, from King Arthur. They come in sets of two, and are the perfect size for most baking projects. On the left you see dough for kolache after overnight fermentation, and on the right the initial stage of fermentation of pizza dough. I am totally in love with these containers… Link to get them found here.

In our kitchen…

Total impulse buy from yours truly. I could not resist it. Do we entertain a lot? No. I have no explanation for falling into temptation. If you have a good therapist to recommend, contact me ASAP.

In our kitchen…

I do a lot of chicken parmigiana and have always wanted to get a nice set of pans to use as “breading station”. They are perhaps just a tad too big, but the advantage is that things stay contained and by the time I am done, there is no mess on countertops. I found mine on eBay, they don’t seem to be available anymore, but they are also on amazon, although quite a bit more expensive. Check them out here.

In our kitchen…

This was not cheap, but it is a game changer for cookie decorating. It is from The Sweetest Tiers, and available on etsy. I am so glad I bought it, because I can finally use stencils with Royal icing and get perfect results. It also works great for air-brushing. Excellent quality product.

In our kitchen…

A gift I offered my beloved husband. We have oysters often when in they are in season, and he works super hard to get them ready for us, so these gloves make his job a lot safer. You can order them here, several sizes (I have one to use with my mandoline).

In our kitchen…

These are too cool! I saw them online and realized I could not live without them. Ok, at least I could not bake brownies, loaf cakes, sheet cakes without them. You clip them to the edge of the pan to hold the parchment paper folded away from the surface of the cake. Works like a dream! Order them here.

In our kitchen…

This is a simple gadget recommended by America’s Test Kitchen to sharpen knives. We love it so much we bought a few to take as gifts to family and friends in Brazil. All our knives are back into great shape, and it is so simple to use! Ordering info and a video showing how to use it can be found here.

Take a look at this old knife we’ve had for 10 years!

In our kitchen…

These are licky-pads for the pups… You smear peanut butter or cheese (from spray cans) and let them have some fun. Unfortunately, Osky does not care for them, so we got a set of four, but two would have been enough. Many styles, sizes and shapes available online, just google them.

Speaking of pups…

Well, I guess I have no choice but to allow them into my blog.
Reluctantly, I shall do so…

As you may have read in my last post, we had a fun backyard party for our Little Shiny Star, as she turned one year old on March 25th. Check out the festivities and the special cake recipe baked by yours truly with a click here.

During this year of life, and 9 months with us, Star has been one amazing pup! Fun, loving, full of personality and enough energy to power the known universe… Sometimes, just sometimes, she does get in a bit of trouble… Particularly when faced with uncooperative dog beds, mud, and wool gloves left too close to her territory.

But how on Earth could we resist such a face?

Oscar begs to differ…
That face? If you want irresistible, I’ve got irresistible for you!

Oh, THAT is hilarious!!!!

Star does have a point. Clearly, our boy was in desperate need of grooming…

But grooming did happen, and right after that ordeal was over, what can only be explained as The Grooming Miracle! A very rare image of Osky laying next to another, lesser canine. Mind-blowing stuff.

It is far more common for our Dominant Alpha Male to claim all beds for himself…

Yeah, let me bark very clearly now:

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Prince and Star are just inseparable, and bonded in ways that make us so happy! They are great golf companions, both outside and inside!

They hang out together 24/7 and will often fall asleep in the exact same position, after getting exhausted from playing hard…

We could not get a more compatible pair of pups…

Yes, for sure! Clouds only gather on the horizon because Prince is a slow-chewer, and well, his sister does not take well to the fact she is done with hers… So we close this post with one small example of the Opera Singing we go through, pretty much on a daily basis… Wanna move in with us? Never a dull moment, my friends… Never a dull moment…

That’s all for now, folks!

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ONE YEAR AGO: In My Kitchen, Spring 2023

TWO YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, April 2022

THREE YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, April 2021

FOUR YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, April 2020

FIVE YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, April 2019

SIX YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, April 2018

SEVEN YEARS AGO: First Monday Favorite

EIGHT YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, April 2016

NINE YEARS AGO: Spring has Sprung with Suzanne Goin

TEN YEARS AGO: Chai Brownies

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Pomegranate-Molasses Glazed Carrots

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Braised Brisket with Bourbon-Peach Glaze

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: The Real Vodka Sauce

FOURTEEN YEARS AGO: Spring Rolls on a Spring Day

1Apr2023

IN MY KITCHEN, SPRING 2023

Posted in In My Kitchen by sallybr

In My Kitchen posts are hosted by Sherry, from Sherry’s Pickings. Please visit her site to see whateverybody else is sharing this month. I join four times each year, on the first day of January, April, July and October. If you are a food blogger, considering taking part of this fun event. It is chance to share those little things you bought or received as gifts and that make your life in the kitchen easier.

Starting with gifts…. quite a few to share!

From the husband, a brand new, bigger and better air-fryer! I am totally in love with this one, the #1 recommended by America’s Test Kitchen. Instant Vortex Plus Air-Fryer. A total game-changer when it comes to air-frying, compared to our old Lolita, which we bought in 2017 (check it out here).

From our friends Lorne and Wasu, several gifts for cookie making, but I am highlighting this one because this is one amazing set of food safe pens. They are all double-sided with a thin and a brush type point, and the set comes with a gold and a silver pen, absolutely fantastic quality. I’ve been using them A LOT.

From my folks in Brazil, a series of cow-thingies. It is part of a family joke. Two kitchen drying cloths and a tea cup. The yellow embroidery was made by my sister Norma, too cute for words!

This is a gift that the husband gave to himself, as he is the barista in our place. When we were at my niece Raquel’s home in Brazil, she and her husband Celso would use this special steamer that Phil totally fell in love with. So he got one and I tell you, it makes the most amazing foam. Ordering info here.

From a colleague from our department, a fantastic apron he bought in India during a recent visit… isn’t that the coolest apron?

In our kitchen…

Pistachio Flour, great for many concoctions, from shortbread cookies to macarons, and cakes. Smells amazing!

In our kitchen…

I have a weak spot for spice mixes, and this one was brough to my attention in a recent episode of Girl Meets Farm. She used it in a carrot cake and I was sold. Check her recipe here, and stay tuned because I shall make it soon! It is also wonderful in sourdough bread, as you will learn in the very near future.

In our kitchen…

I can never resist color. Yet another gentle suggestion from my friend Gary, who told me I needed to have them (ordering info here). I don’t discuss with friends. I follow their advice. His fault. Obviously.

In our kitchen…

As far as unusual cookie cutters, this might take first prize. It is a beetle! It so happened because a friend of mine dared me cookie some beetles. And that’s what I did! I REALLY do not discuss with friends. Cookie cutter available here.

In our kitchen…

These are the original Oreo type cookies. Phil is the one who brought them to my attention, as he remembers them vividly from his childhood days. They are less sweet, more intense in the chocolate flavor, and are also firmer in texture. I have been using them to make chocolate-covered concoctions such as those blogged about recently (see post here).

In our kitchen….

Crystallized Ginger pieces. These are luscious. Of al the brands I’ve tried, these are by far the best. If you are going to use them in cookies, you’ll need to cut in smaller pieces but the flavor you get from them is superior to anything else out there. Click here to order some.

In our kitchen…

Fat-free cocoa powder (ordering info here), my absolute favorite to bake macarons and to make chocolate Royal icing, as you can see here and here.

AND NOW, A VERY IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

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We don’t really know what happened to him. In his place, a fierce, huge, powerful pup showed up, out of nowhere!

With so much energy and curiosity, we followed the advice of some friends and got a little puzzle for Prince to play with. He was quite intrigued to say the least…

The puzzle has two levels. The dog can get the goodies from the outside doors, and once that is empty, he can bang on the top to release some more. Prince got the first level figured out quite quickly, but when Oscar had his chance to play, he surprised us by getting to the second level right away, as you can see in this short video:

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We don’t know if Prince would get to that in a few more rounds of play because thanks to Oscar’s excessive enthusiasm, the toy did not last long enough. A moment of silence. Please and thank you.

The fierce pup has a strange adoration for shoes….

Incredible resilience in tug-of-war games….

And the uncanny ability to generate chaos in all areas of our home, aka His Kingdom…

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Well, Osky… The Annoying One has quite a few things going for him…

He is very liberal with his hugs and kisses…

He enjoys watching the shows we love….

He is a great help with my baking…

Tries hard to keep up with his parent’s day job!

And look how amazing he is at the golf course!

Finally, who could possibly resist those head tilts?

All things considered, we think you can learn to live with His Royal Annoyance…
There is room and love for everybody in this kingdom…

I close this post with a little call from the past. We miss them. We are glad they were part of our pack, but we do miss them still. They were special in so many ways. I could never quite put into words my bond with Buck. I guess it will stay like that. Something only me and that little being were fully aware of. And BogeyQT. How could we ever forget him?