Monday, February 06, 2012

Just for fun


I just discovered Wordle! This is what it came up with the text from my last few blog posts...I think may have mentioned Nutella once or twice! :-)

Sunday, February 05, 2012

World Nutella Day - 2012

This year marks the third year that I have participated in World Nutella Day! My contribution to creamy, chocolatey, hazelnutty goodness for 2012 is Nutella Gelato. I just sat down to have a bit and it is absolutely amazing!

Swirling in the ice cream machine

Just out of the ice cream machine, headed to the freezer

The crown jewel of my day - Nutella Gelato!
The recipe: Nutella Gelato
adapted from Giada De Laurentiis
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup sugar, plus 1/4 cup
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup Nutella
In a saucepan combine the milk, cream, and 1/2 cup sugar over medium heat. Cook until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl whip the egg yolks with the remaining sugar using an electric mixer until the eggs have become thick and pale yellow, about 4 minutes. Pour 1/2 cup of the warm milk and cream mixture into the egg mixture and stir. Add this mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over very low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture becomes thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 7 to 10 minutes.

Place a strainer over a medium bowl and pour the warm custard mixture through the strainer. Stir in the vanilla and Nutella until it dissolves. Chill mixture completely before pouring into an ice cream maker and follow manufacturer's instructions to freeze. To serve, scoop gelato into serving bowls.

After making the gelato I had four egg whites left over so I decided to try my hand at making meringues.  Bring on the sugar high!!



Bonus recipe: Meringues
adapted from AllRecipes.com
  • 4 egg whites
  • 2 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C). Butter and flour a baking sheet.

In a glass or metal bowl, whip egg whites until foamy using an electric mixer. Sprinkle in sugar a little at a time, while continuing to whip at medium speed. When the mixture becomes stiff and shiny like satin, stop mixing, and transfer the mixture to a large pastry bag. Pipe the meringue out onto the prepared baking sheet using a large round tip or star tip.

Place the meringues in the oven and place a wooden spoon handle in the door to keep it from closing all the way. Bake for 3 hours, or until the meringues are dry, and can easily be removed from the pan. Allow cookies to cool completely before storing in an airtight container at room temperature.

A big thank you to  Ms Adventures in ItalyBleeding Espresso, and World Nutella Day for hosting this awesome event!


Friday, February 03, 2012

The Brick

The Argus C3 Rangefinder, produced from 1939 to 1966, was dubbed "the brick" by photographers due to its size, shape, and weight. I came across an Argus C3 in an antique shop a couple of years ago and, knowing nothing about it, had to have it. I had no idea if it worked, nor did I care. I paid $15 and thought it would look great sitting on a shelf.

My "brick" has been sitting on display in my parents' home on an antique tripod that belonged to my great-grandfather since I bought it (at the time I was living overseas and didn't need the extra weight in my suitcase). This past Christmas I was fortunate to spend around three weeks with my parents and one of the things I did while I was there was give this little camera some TLC, but first I took pictures - lots of pictures using my mom's awesome macro lens. I've dubbed this series "The Argus Rangefinder Collection" and I love how they turned out!

The Argus Rangefinder Collection













What do you think?

Prints, artist-signed notecards, and more are available on my website at http://www.angelaandrieux.com/argus.

Thursday, February 02, 2012

This Sunday is....

Did you think I was going to say something about the Superbowl? Nope! This Sunday is WORLD NUTELLA DAY!!! Chocolatey, hazelnutty goodness is way more important than football! (at least in my world) ;-)



Want to participate? Here's how:

Make a recipe using Nutella. Eat Nutella with a spoon. A big one. Make art with Nutella. Wax poetic about Nutella. Cuddle with Nutella. Strike a pose with Nutella. Re-live your first experience eating Nutella. Offer Nutella as a sacrifice. Have a Nutella-eating contest or a Nutella party!


  1. Do something, anything with Nutella. Make a recipe, take a picture of yourself eating itwith a BIG spoon, make art, wax poetic, re-live your first experience eating Nutella. Have a Nutella-eating contest or even a Nutella party!
  2. Take pictures and/or upload a video then blog about it ON February 5th, 2012. In your blog post, include links to Ms Adventures in ItalyBleeding Espresso, and World Nutella Day as well as the World Nutella Day badge/button (below – right mouse click, Save image…). Please try to post ON FEBRUARY 5 so that we can create a true chocolaty hazelnut wave across the blogosphere on World Nutella Day!
  3. Email nutelladay [at] nutelladay [dot] com with the subject “Nutella Day Entry” and include:
  • Your & Your Blog’s Name
  • Your Post URL/Permalink
Some other ways to participate:
Different than prior years, we’ll be highlighting a selection of the most interesting happenings/recipes/videos/Tweets about World Nutella Day on Monday, February 6, 2012, but in the meantime, please feel free to post this announcement on your blog to spread the word!
And if you want to use an organic or other type of Nutella substitute, go for it! It’s all about the chocolate and hazelnut love!