June 21, 2010

firsts: father's day

David made my first Mother's Day very special so I wanted to make his first Father's Day equally nice. William was very cooperative and took a three hour afternoon nap so that David and I could spend some time together and we even got to take naps of our own - real luxury around here! Then I splurged and bought some Filet Mignon for dinner which I made with an herb garlic butter on top and served with roasted asparagus with parmesan as well as roasted tomatoes drizzled with balsamic vinegar. I also made a salad with toasted walnuts and goat cheese.

Dinner was nice and I love this picture I took of David and Will. I love these two so much. I am so grateful for David. I knew he would be a great dad long before he became one and I'm so glad he proved me right. He is patient, fun-loving, protective and loves to play with William even if he can't throw a ball yet. When I think about how lucky I am to have a husband who has given me so much and how great my life is right now, I get a little scared thinking about the inevitable trials in my future. I guess I just have to be grateful for what I have right now and have faith that those trials will be blessings at some point in my life.

Even though we're still on our diet we decided to be naughty and have a treat - Angel Food Cake with Vanilla Whipped Cream topped with Fresh Strawberries and Blueberries (P.S. these locally grown blueberries are the best I've ever had). It was so good and we each had a delicious slice and then gave away the rest - the temptation to eat it all was so strong but we prevailed! In case you want to make your own little slice of heaven, here's the recipe:

3/4 cup cake flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
12 large egg whites, room temperature
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Put the oven rack to the lower-middle position in the oven and preheat to 325 degrees. Whisk the flour and 3/4 cup of the sugar together in a medium bowl and set aside.

Whip the egg whites in a large bowl (this will expand a lot so it's important to use a large bowl) with an electric mixer on low speed until foamy. Whip in the cream of tartar and salt until the whites form very soft, billowy mounds. Increase the speed to medium and beat in the remaining 3/4 cup sugar, one tablespoon at a time until the whites are shiny and form soft peaks (here's a picture of what soft peaks should look like). Beat in the lemon juice and extracts.

Sift 1/4 cup of the flour mixture over the egg whites, then gently fold in using a large rubber spatula. Repeat with the remaining flour mixture, 1/4 cup at a time.

Pour the batter into the prepared ungreased pan and smooth out the top. Cut through the batter with a knife and tap the pan on the counter several times to settle the batter.Wipe the pan clean and then bake until golden brown and the top springs back when pressed firmly (about 50 minutes). Remove from oven and immediately turn upside down and let cool completely (inverted) for 2 - 3 hours.

Once cool run a serrated knife around the sides and center of the cake to loosen. Gently tap the cake upside down on the counter to release the cake.

3 comments:

  1. oh WOW the sentence regarding your inevitable trials hit home. I have been married for 35 years this fall and I remember so well thinking those same thoughts. It was so good being married to my best friend that for nine years I kept saying this is so easy and fun. Then the trials did come, but you know those foundation years were so wonderful that we weathered all the storms. I hope your storms are few and swift. Enjoy these moments, because they will be your memories and I know you will treasure them for a lifetime!

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  2. I think that sometimes too... like, my life is so great that trials have to come at some point, right?

    I'm also curious to know what you've done with your diet... we too love food and would have a hard time giving up all of anything, even for a short while. It seems to be working well for you though, so I'd love to know.

    Glad your father's day was great!

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  3. What a nice Father's Day! My mouth is watering right now! The filet mignon looks so delicious! And homemade angel food cake is my favorite!! I can't wait to see you this week! Par-tay!!! :)

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