Teeny, tiny buildings of Charleston

Charleston, SC  

Teeny, tiny buildings. I love them. You know I do.

In other news, I didn't make my 10,000 steps today. It's already getting dark too early. I headed in at around 6,500 steps so must assume I walked 3,500 during the period that my phone was charging at work rather than logging steps.

In tastier news, I made these individual sized Fruit & Cream Cheese Breakfast Pastries for brunch yesterday and they turned out exactly as advertised and were easy-peasy with prepared puff pastry.

Love my weekends, I do

King St., Charleston, S.C.

What a lovely sunny day! Everyone is outside. Girls in bathing suits are laying in Marion Square, I had to dodge boys carrying surf boards on King Street and hop over skateboards laying on the sidewalks.

I've been invited to a cookout this evening and slipped up and offered to make dessert. What was I thinking? My day to day life at home is so simple now, I barely cook anymore and my oven hasn't been turned on all summer.

My policy is not to skimp with dessert so I experimented with a Tres Leche Cake and I've tried this one from Coastal Living magazine: Tres Leches Boston Cream Cake. Wowza! You can't really go wrong with condensed milk, can you?

In the good news category, the students who rent behind my house played a prank today and saran wrapped a car. I could hear them laughing and taking pictures. Definitely an improvement from last year's crop who liked to break through my fence and vandalize my yard. This is good!

You can't hurt brown sugar and butter...

Broad & East Bay St., Charleston, SC

I am not allowed to make pralines when I am alone. House rules. Some people can't drink alone but it's brown sugar, cream and butter I can't be trusted with. I had friends over before one of the comedy festival shows a few weeks ago so the rules were off. As long as I make them for other people and then eat the leftovers it's cool. If guests only eat two and I eat the rest of the batch it wasn't premeditated so it doesn't count.

Charleston Pralines
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
dash of salt
2 cups coarsely chopped pecans

Combine the sugar, whipping cream and water in a heavy saucepan; bring to a boil - stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium and cook stirring occasionally, until the mixture reaches soft ball stage (236 degrees). Remove from heat, stir in butter, vanilla and salt. Beat with a lucky wooden spoon until mixture is creamy and begins to thicken. Stir in the pecans. Work quickly to drop by teaspoons on to a greased wax paper or foil. Cool. Scrape the pot. Lick the spoon. Yum.

If you toast the pecans for a few minutes in a warm oven it takes the chill off and makes it easier to mix them in with the candy.

If you don't have company coming over any time soon, Market St. Sweets has praline samples out and that helps. Sometimes a taste is all you need. It's on my regular walking route so I have to wear disguises. Hair up, hair down, french braid, ball cap. Stick on mustache. I don't want to appear greedy. My goodness! Free samples today?! Thank you! How kind.