The Fat Girl's Guide to Living

Image by A|ina

I’m not sure, but this may be the most adorable image in our FGG Girls Flickr group to date. But “adorable” doesn’t quite cover it: I love the sass and sensuality depicted here, the confident curves, and the bright pop of coral color. This photo is also a great example of how to craft a fun, sexy self portrait that tells a story while leaving an element of mystery: what expression is she wearing, and what lucky person gets to lick that spoon? Next time you take a self portrait (if you’ve never taken one, what are you waiting for?) find a way to incorporate some of these elements and see your curves in a new light. For inspiration, there are plenty of great examples in our FGG Girls Flickr group.

Chicago photographer and artist Alina Smith, the subject of this week’s self portrait, is a good friend and a regular FGG reader. When she’s not taking lovely self portraits, she creates fine art images for clients using film and a variety of photographic processes. As with baking cookies on a winter afternoon, there’s something uniquely satisfying about creating things by hand. Smith takes her creativity a step further by exploring media and photographic processes that are falling out of favor, as others are doing through the resurgence in popularity of Polaroid and Lomo cameras. (Check out this gorgeous collection of Polaroid photos, “For the Love of Polaroid“  by another friend and FGG reader, Bonnie Underwood).

A few years ago, I started baking cakes from scratch for my husband’s birthday, but in recent years I haven’t taken the time. I miss getting “into the zone” while working with my hands to create something I simply can’t get at the grocery store. And while it’s hardly a lost art, I’d also like to finally start a vegetable garden this year, including asparagus, garlic, tomatoes, herbs, and fresh greens using heirloom seeds where possible – just like I did with my father and he did with his mother. One of our missions here at FGG is to encourage everyone – ourselves included – to live our lives to the fullest, and that includes periodically stepping up and snatching items off that “someday” list.

I’m going to pull gardening and baking for special occasions into my here and now. What about you? As the hours of  daylight slowly lengthen and we can almost sense those first whispers of spring’s arrival, what can you uncover, create and put out there into the world using your own two hands? Share your ideas and projects in the comments section.

Last week, Peony shared some tips with us on how to have a lovely, low-pressure Valentine’s Day. As part of the Valentine’s Day fanfare, most of us are looking for a dessert that’s impressive, but won’t find us spending hours in the kitchen. This, my friends, is just the thing — cute little two-bite brownies, filled with cream cheese and topped with a maraschino cherry.  They’re perfect for sharing and, for those of you with a significant other in your life, how sexy would it be to feed these to each other?

Even better, you can whip these cuties up in no time flat. If you don’t feel like making the brownies from scratch, you can substitute brownie mix (look for a fudgy variety). No matter which way you decide to go with these, you’ll end up with an amazing little treat that’s perfect for Valentine’s Day or any other occasion. Enjoy, and Happy Valentine’s Day!

Tuxedo Brownies
(adapted from Alice Medrich’s Pure Dessert
and The Pampered Chef Celebrate! cookbook)
Brownies:
8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into several pieces
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
scant 1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon (1.2 ounces) all-purpose flour

Position oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350˚F. Spray two mini muffin pans with non-stick cooking spray.

Place chocolate and butter in heatproof bowl and set over a pan of almost-simmering water. Stir frequently until mixture is melted and smooth and warm. Remove from the pan and set aside.

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, salt and vanilla with a hand-held mixer on high speed until the eggs are thick and light colored, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the warm chocolate. Fold in the flour.

Using small scoop, place a level scoop of batter in each cup, filling 2/3 full. Bake 12-14 mins or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and edges are set (do not overbake). Remove from oven and immediately press tops of brownies with a mini tart shaper to make indentions (if you don’t have a tart shaper, you can use the back of a measuring spoon or your thumb to gently press down the center of the brownie). Cool in pan briefly and then loosen edges and gently remove brownies from pan. Cool completely on a wire rack while making the filling.

Filling and toppings:
4 squares white chocolate for baking — 1 oz each
4 tablespoons heavy cream
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup powdered sugar
48 maraschino cherries
melted semi-sweet chocolate for drizzling(optional)

Microwave white chocolate and milk uncovered on medium power in 20-30 second increments, stirring in between, until melted and smooth. Cool slightly. Combine cream cheese and powdered sugar; mix well. Gradually beat in white chocolate mixture until smooth.

Fill a decorator bag fitted with rosette tip with cream cheese mixture. Pipe mixture into cooled brownie cups. Place cherries on top. Drizzle with melted chocolate. Place in airtight container and refrigerate for 1-3 hours before serving.

Yield: 4 dozen

Looking for more great recipes? Visit my blog at
http://culinography.wordpress.com

Many of us have a lot to be thankful for this holiday season. We here at FGG are thrilled to have the opportunity to get to know our community of new friends, and we hope you’re having as much fun as we are! As the year comes to a close and we take stock of our good fortune, it’s also important to remember that there are many people in our communities who are struggling through difficult times and need a little help. That’s why this year I chose to get involved with a great non-profit called Drop In & Decorate (more on my party tomorrow over at Culinography).

Drop In & Decorate was founded by a fellow food blogger, Lydia Walshin. Their mission is to help people build bridges of caring and respect between groups within their own communities . . . with cookies! Set aside a little time, gather a few co-workers, kids, friends or family, and before you know it, you’re ready to donate cookies to a nonprofit agency serving basic human needs in your community. What a great way to send a little good out into the world–during the holidays or any other time of year!

This experience has given me something I’d been missing out on until this year: the joy of decorating sugar cookies. I’m amazed at the fun I was missing. Not only are sugar cookies easy to whip up (and using things most of us have in our kitchens), but you can also let your creativity run wild with the shapes, icing colors, and decorations. Each one can truly be an original work of art.

Why not spend a little time this weekend decorating cookies? And, if you’re so inclined, consider making someone’s day a little brighter by donating some or all of your creations as part of the Drop In & Decorate initiative. And have fun making, savoring, and sharing your goodies!

Sugar Cookies
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 egg
2 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. In a large bowl/bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until fully combined. Add the flour mixture in three parts and beat until just combined, scraping down the bowl occasionally.

Roll out dough on a floured surface to approximately 1/4 inch and cut into shapes. Place on parchment lined baking sheets and bake for 10-12 minutes. Let sit a few minutes on the sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Yield: 3-4 dozen cookies, depending on size

Royal Icing
(courtesy of Lydia @ The Perfect Pantry)
1 lb + scant 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
5 Tbsp meringue powder
1/2 cup cool water (add more, a teaspoon at a time, if needed for desired consistency)
A few drops of paste food coloring

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, combine first three ingredients and mix on low speed until glossy and fluffy, 7-8 minutes. To color, place some icing in a small bowl or plastic cup, and stir in a few drops of food coloring until desired shade is reached. Royal Icing hardens quickly when exposed to air, so use immediately, or transfer to an airtight container; it will keep overnight at room temperature. Beat well before using.

Yield: 2-1/2 cups, enough for one batch of large cookies.

Looking for more great recipes? Visit my blog at
http://culinography.wordpress.com

Image by Happywalks

Michelle has tempted us with mini muffins and cupcakes in the past, and this week’s photo reveals how sweet it is to downsize our favorite treats (in this case, red velvet cupcakes). I love Regina’s joyful smile here, and her adorable kitchen!

Our FGG Girls Flickr group is growing every week, with amazing images of women sharing their lives, personalities, and curves.

You don’t have to be a professional or even advanced amateur photographer to join – just take photos of yourself truly living. That’s it. Show us your favorite hobbies, new fall sweater, or that cute haircut and color (ahem, Tee!). We started this group as an outlet for us fat girls to see ourselves in a kinder light and appreciate just how fun, adorable and sexy we can be. And even if you’re not feeling particularly fun, adorable, or sexy, give it a shot anyway – you may surprise yourself.

Each week we select one photo from our group as the FGG Photo of the Week. At month’s end, we pick one photo from those weekly entries to win a prize. This month’s theme is COOKING, which should be easy enough to capture in the next two weeks.

So if you haven’t already, join the fun! We look forward to seeing how you’re living.

Man, I love Fridays. There’s a certain freedom that comes with knowing you’ve made it to the end of another crazy week, isn’t there?

I spend much of my week rushing around, trying to manage the unmanageable, as every workday starts the same way: snoozing my way through thirty minutes of exercise and fifteen minutes of getting ready for work. Where does that leave me? Usually late, rushing out the door, and grabbing whatever’s easy for breakfast on the way. Not the best way to honor the most important meal of the day, I know.

Most days breakfast is some combination of fruit, granola, and/or yogurt to be eaten at my desk while I comb through emails and to-do lists. Some days, though, when I’m feeling that urge to stop in at the cafeteria for a bagel or muffin to go with my cup of coffee, I’ll grab one of these muffins from the freezer and save myself not only some cash but also some unknown ingredients/preservatives.

Trust me on this one: make a batch of these banana muffins to enjoy for breakfast this weekend and toss the extras in the freezer. Pull one out when you’re looking for a little something different on a weekday morning (or when you’re looking for a sweet snack in the afternoon). If you don’t have time to let them defrost at room temp, just pop them into the microwave for twenty seconds and you’re good to go. You’ll thank yourself every time a busy morning or sweet tooth moment hits.

Banana Muffins
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large, ripe bananas, mashed
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a standard muffin pan with non-stick spray, or use paper liners. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

Combine bananas, sugar, egg, and butter in a large bowl. Fold in the flour mixture and mix until smooth. Scoop into muffin pans.

Bake in preheated oven. Bake muffins for 25 to 30 minutes. Muffins will spring back when lightly touched.

Yield: 12 muffins

Looking for more great recipes? Visit my blog at
http://culinography.wordpress.com