Candy Man!

  One thing I absolutely love to do around the holidays is make candy. When I say I love making it, I mean I love that once it's made, I have homemade candy to eat. 

  A must around this house is English Toffee, and as of last year, Idle Isle Nut Balls. Idle Isle is a small restaurant and candy store (now two separate buildings) that have been here in Brigham City for 90 years. Their Nut Balls are a toffee-flavored creme center that is dipped in chocolate and rolled in crushed, toasted almonds. I'm sure the hate mail will soon be rolling in after what I am about to say, but Idle Isle Nut Balls don't really do much for me. Their creme centers are very sweet (too sweet for me) and don't have a lot of toffee flavor. I love the concept of the candy, however, so I began a quest to create my own Nut Balls. My sister came across a recipe last year which we used, and enjoyed very much. To my dismay, I was unable to find my copy of the recipe this year (she had given her copy to my father) and we couldn't find it online anywhere. In my search, I came across a recipe on this blog called McEwen and McEwen. The recipe has all the key factors to re-creating Idle Isle Nut Balls except one particular flavor I believe Idle Isle uses in their creme center, rum extract. So, I set to work making the creme filling, testing for flavor as I went. After the filling had time to chill sufficiently in the fridge,  I tasted again; perfection! The filling set perfectly and had just the right amount of flavor, without being over-the-top sweet.

  Rachel's (at McEwen and McEwen) recipes on her blog read as more of a novel, so I have typed the recipe in standard format for you. I would encourage you to visit her blog though, because she has a great sense of humor and it's a lot of fun reading her posts. With that, I leave you to enjoy your holiday season as much as I plan to enjoy mine! 

Merry Christmas!

English Butter Toffee

2 sticks unsalted butter 

1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup sugar 

6 oz. (1 ¼ cups) semi- sweet and/or milk chocolate chips
1 T. light corn syrup 

¾ cup sliced almonds, toasted & divided
3 T. water  

  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. 

  In a large, heavy 4 ½-quart saucepan combine butter, sugar, corn syrup and water. Heat over medium heat, stirring often with a wooden spoon until butter melts. Cover and heat to boiling over medium high heat; boil 1 minute. Remove cover, place candy thermometer in pan and cook over medium high heat until syrup reaches 290-300 degrees F (candy should be a caramel brown color), stirring often after mixture reaches 250 degrees F. to prevent scorching. If mixture begins to darken at sides of pan, reduce heat to medium to prevent candy from taking on a burnt taste. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla and half cup almonds.

 Working quickly, pour toffee onto prepared parchment-lined pan. Spread out until candy is evenly distributed, about ¼-inch thick. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. As chips begin to melt, spread melted chocolate evenly over toffee. Sprinkle remaining ¼ cup almonds on top. Let cool until chocolate sets. Break up toffee with the point of a sharp knife. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. Yield: about 1 pound.

Note: The chocolate will become white and powdery after a few days, so if making for a gift it is best to make and give the same day.  

  Alternatively, sometime you can find Ghiradelli candy-making chocolate bars at Sam’s Club and other stores around the holidays. This chocolate is designed to keep well without turning white and powdery. Just melt a portion of the chocolate and spread over toffee.

Not Idle Isle Nut Balls

1 lb. light brown sugar

6 Tbsp. milk

1/4 c. unsalted butter

1 Tbsp. corn syrup

1 can sweetened, condensed milk

1 Tbsp. vanilla extract (or more, or less, depending on your tastes)

1/8 tsp. almond extract (or more, or less, depending on your tastes)

1 tsp. rum extract (or more, or less, depending on your tastes)

2 lb. powdered sugar

approx. 2 lb. Ghiradelli Melting Chocolate

1 lb. whole almonds, toasted and crushed (I pulsed the nuts in my food processor)

   Place brown sugar and milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Heat until sugar begins to dissolve; add butter and corn syrup and turn the heat up to medium-high. Bring to a full, rolling boil and boil about 80 seconds. Remove from heat; stir in sweetened, condensed milk and extracts. Pour sauce into the bowl of a stand mixer and slowly beat in powdered sugar. Once all the powdered sugar has been incorporated, turn up the speed on the mixer and beat until smooth and slightly cooled (about 2 minutes). The mixture will be slightly runny at this point. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 3 hours. 

  Remove from the fridge and beat until fluffy (mixture should be the consistency of very stiff cookie dough). Using a small cookie scoop, scoop mounds of mixture onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Using your hands, roll mounds into round balls. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 4 hours or over-night.

  Melt half the chocolate in a deep bowl, let cool about 20 minutes. Place the toasted almonds in a shallow bowl. Prepare a cookie sheet with fresh parchment paper. 

  Working in small batches so the centers remain frozen, dip the balls in melted chocolate (I use chopsticks for this part. Just stick the sharp end of the chopstick halfway into the creme center. Once the candy is coated with nuts, it should slide nicely off the chopstick), then roll in nuts and place on cookie sheet. 

  Continue the process, melting additional chocolate as needed.

  Yields: 85 Nut Balls

Who Needs Mistletoe?!

  One of my family's long-standing Christmas cookie traditions is "Kiss Cookies". There is a variety of cookies we make every year around the holidays, and "Kiss Cookies" is always one of them. This is a basic peanut butter cookie that is rolled in sugar and topped with a Hershey's Kiss.

  I would recommend devouring as many of these delicious cookies as you can handle while they are warm from the oven. Once you've had your fill, they keep nicely for up to a week (I would recommend storing in a tin lined with parchment or wax paper) at room temperature, or several months in a Ziploc bag in the freezer.

  So, bake enough to have some now and later!

  I use the cookie recipe found here, but bake the cookies for about 12-14 minutes (Do not over-bake or they won't have a nice chewy center), then top each cookie (pressing lightly into the cookie) with a chocolate kiss, once removing the pan from the oven; remove cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely before storing.

There's Something In the Air

  I absolutely love Christmas-time and the Holiday Season. I love the smells that fill my home as I bake, and I love making candy around the holidays. 

  I recently was asked to bring a dessert to a gathering. I was torn between taking cookies and cupcakes (I have my favorite holiday cookie recipes, which I'll soon be sharing). I have a favorite cookie recipe that involves a chewy chocolate cookie rolled in crushed peppermint. I decided to morph that with a recipe I saw on "Baker's Royale" for Toffee Crunch Cupcakes; the result was Peppermint Crunch Cupcakes.

I actually baked these in mini muffin pans.

-First, bake up a batch of Devil's Food Cupcakes. 

-Then, follow the instructions in the Toffee Crunch Cupcake recipe for making ganache.

-Follow the instructions in the Toffee Crunch Cupcake recipe for making Caramel Frosting, but omit the caramel sauce. In place of the caramel sauce add 1/8 teaspoon peppermint extract.

-Crush peppermints to equal about 1 cup.

-Follow the remainder of the instructions in the Toffee Crunch Cupcake recipe for assembling the cupcakes.

Note: The Devil's Food Cake recipe makes almost four dozen cupcakes. The frosting and ganache recipes will cover about two dozen cupcakes. 

  I took two dozen Peppermint Crunch Cupcakes to our event and frosted the other two dozen with my Buttercream Frosting recipe (the recipe is listed beneath the recipe for "Granny Cookies"), to which I added about an 1/8 teaspoon peppermint extract. I then topped these cupcakes with crushed peppermints. These cupcakes were taken to a special event for our niece who just turned eight years old. I wanted something simple for her, with just a slight touch of Christmas.

Caramel Apple Deliciousness!

Sorry about the lighting, I used my in-laws camera.

  I began my weekend intending on making an apple pie (something I didn't get to have over Thanksgiving). By Sunday I realized I had neglected to buy vanilla ice cream to go with the pie I would be making that day-I am the type who simply can not eat apple pie unless it is "a la mode". Being unable to go to the grocery store, I set out on a cyber-hunt for apple recipes. My hunt yielded dozens of delicious-looking results, but at last I settled on one; a variation on Annie's (from Annie's Eats) Caramel Apple Cheesecake Pie. I varied the recipe by making little tartlettes instead of one large 9" pie. I did not have graham crackers so I made my traditional double pie crust, rolled the crust out, then used a cookie cutter to cut disks to fit my tartlette pan. I also changed the recipe a bit by omitting the pecans (I simply didn't have the time to worry about them, but they would have been delicious on it), and using only 4 apples since I knew I couldn't fit that many into each tartlette. Aside from those very minor changes, I followed her directions exactly (right down to the homemade caramel). Delicious!!!

  Now, because I did not use all the apples I had purchased for my pie, I decided this morning to tackle one of the other yummy-looking recipes I found on "Annie's Eats"; Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls. As I type this post, I'm still drooling from the roll I helped myself to not twenty minutes ago. If you like apples at all, or even if you don't, you must try this recipe! There is so much deliciousness baked into these rolls, it's amazing! I must admit, I used my own cinnamon roll dough recipe (mostly because it's familiar and I know I can't mess it up), and I doubled the apple filling because my dough recipe makes almost double the amount of rolls as hers. That aside, I again followed all her directions (using some of my leftover caramel from last night).

  I'm crazy over apples and after all the recipes I found yesterday, you better believe there will be more apple recipes coming your way soon (once I drop the pounds I gained from the last two days and can afford to put some back on)!

A Disappointment

  Remember my affinity for all things pumpkin? Well, when I found this recipe for Pumpkin Cake Doughnuts, I was determined to try them. I did, and was sadly disappointed. The doughnuts didn't have really any pumpkin flavor to them at all. They tasted alright, but like what? A sweet deep-fried something?

  So why am I posting about this recipe? Because I am now on a quest to find a delicious pumpkin cake doughnut. A doughnut I can devour and share with others who are equally in love with pumpkin!

  I'm asking for your help. If you have a favorite pumpkin doughnut recipe, PLEASE share it with me! If you have a recipe others have tried and say is incredible, PLEASE share it with me!

My New St. Patty's Day go-to Bread

  I was at my local supermarket the other day when I spied some 5-oz. cartons of organic spinach on clearance for just $1 each! Of course I had no idea what I planned to do with them, but for $1 I knew I'd figure something out. Yesterday I got online and started looking for new spinach recipes when I came across this recipe for Rustic Spinach-Feta Bread. I just so happened to have some feta in my fridge left-over from something else, so I got to work making bread.

Photo Credit-Saveur

  A note about the recipe. It is intended to be a starter dough for making one loaf at a time over a period of several days. Since I had only a small amount of feta, I did a quarter of the recipe and made one loaf from start to finish. The results were phenomenal. The bread is incredibly moist with a chewy crust that's heavenly. The cheese in the dough creates sort of a very faint sourdough flavor (our guests had no idea it had feta in it until I told them). Also, I made some fresh ricotta for the Baked Spinach Lasagne (I made my own meat sauce and added 1 cup ricotta to the bechamel. Yes, I made my own spinach noodles, and yes, they were fantastic!) I served alongside the bread, so I used ricotta whey in place of the water in the bread dough.
  All-in-all the bread was a huge hit! Because it comes out a pleasant, faint green color I will be using this recipe on St. Patrick's day in place of the ever-ready green food color.

Speaking of Pumpkin...

  Pumpkin Cheesecake to be exact! I made this incredible dessert a couple weeks ago for a girl's night. Pumpkin cheesecake is my all-time favorite pumpkin dessert, and a dessert I've been trying to perfect for some time. I think I've finally done it. The results I had this time were phenomenal (if I do say so myself!) Here's my recipe:

Pumpkin Cheesecake Topped with Pralines and Chocolate Chips

1 lb. cream cheese, at room temperature

3/4 c. brown sugar

3 large eggs

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. cloves

1/8 tsp. ginger

dash allspice

1/8 tsp. salt

1/2 c. whipping cream, whipped to soft peaks

single pie-crust

softened butter for pan

  Place chunks of prepared pie crust in portions throughout a 9" spring-form pan. Press the crust into an even layer, on the bottom and halfway up the sides of the pan. Bake at 350 degrees about 12 minutes; remove from oven and allow to cool (after removing the crust from the oven, fill an oven-proof dish halfway with water and place it on the lower rack of the oven off to one corner). Once cooled, use a pastry brush to brush butter from the top of the crust to the rim of the pan (this will prevent the cheesecake from sticking to the pan).

  In a large bowl, with mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese and sugar just until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing between each addition. Beat in vanilla and salt until creamy. Add pumpkin and spices, beat 30 seconds; fold in whipped cream. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 20 minutes. Remove cheesecake from oven and allow to rest 3 minutes (do NOT skip this step). Return to oven; bake 10 minutes longer. Turn oven off, leaving cheesecake inside for 1 hour. Remove cheesecake from oven and allow to sit on the counter until cooled; refrigerate over-night. 

  Run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen cake from sides. Remove cheesecake from pan and top with pralines and mini chocolate chips.

 

Pralines:

Make a half batch of Pecan Pralines by using this recipe from Paula Deen. Make sure to use chopped pecans in place of the pecan halves and spread the mixture on a silpat-lined baking sheet to bake.

 

Because I took this to an event, I did not get a photo of an individual slice.

Pumpkin Custard Profiteroles

  I am admitting to the world today that I have a small love-affair with pumpkin. Have for quite some time. I love anything with pumpkin; pumpkin pie, pumpkin roll, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin cheesecake and now, most recently, Pumpkin Custard Profiteroles!

  I came across this recipe on Bon Appetit and just had to try it. I love profiteroles (better known as cream puffs), and knew in an instant I'd love them filled with pumpkin custard (I mean really, what's not to love?) Boy was I right! These are fantastic! I will admit, I did not have maple sugar nor am I a drinker, so I did not make the "Maple Caramel" called for in the recipe. I did, however, top the profiteroles with a caramel of my own. I also folded half a cup of lightly sweetened whipped cream into the custard just to lighten it up a bit, and then did not top them with whipped cream.

  However you decide to make this delicious treat, all I ask is that you make them!

Applesauce Cake

  I spent the good majority of my day yesterday making applesauce. Smelling the fantastic fragrance filling my home got me in the mood for something sweet, so I decided to use some of my freshly-made applesauce to make Applesauce Cake. I used a fraction of the nutmeg and cloves called for in the recipe. I also baked the cake in a bundt pan rather in 3 round pans, because of my intention to serve it with ice cream. I think the recipe would be fantastic layered with whipped cream as the recipe instructs.
  I served the cake with vanilla ice cream, which I topped with a homemade plum sauce (I boiled, strained and thickened fresh plums)

Wedding Cake

  The wedding is done and over with! It was a beautiful wedding, and I wish my dear friend and her new husband all the best. This was my first completely solo cake, and as promised, here are some pictures.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

  The marathon wedding cake decorating has begun. My friend's wedding is Saturday, and I have already begun the process of baking cakes, making fondant etc. They chose carrot cake as the flavor for their cake top. Because we are doing just a 4" top, there is a lot of batter left over. What better way to use up that batter than to make cupcakes!

  I must say, there has never been a recipe in my life, that I have not shared with someone (or everyone). The recipe for specialty cakes however, I will be keeping to myself. The recipe dubbed "Special Cake" by my grandmother, was created over 30 years ago. She began using it when she and her siblings started a wedding catering business. Her "Special Cakes" rival any bakery cake I have ever tasted in my entire life (and I've had my fair share of cake), and most often is better! My great-aunt's un-buttercream recipe that tops those cakes is the "icing on the cake" (figuratively and metaphorically speaking.)

  So, I will allow you the opportunity to drool over these fantastic Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Whipped Cream-Cream Cheese Frosting, and dream of a day when you might have the pleasure of trying one yourself (insert evil cackle here)!

  In the mean time, I will at least share the cupcake frosting recipe:

Whipped Cream-Cream Cheese Frosting

4 oz. cream cheese

3/4 c. powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 c. heavy whipping cream

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Beat in powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. While beating, slowly drizzle in whipping cream (stopping often to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl) until light and fluffy (2-4 minutes).

As a side note; because of the wedding, I will not be posting for the next few days. Don't worry though, as soon as I'm able, I will have pics of the wedding cake posted.

Indian Food

  I'm a huge fan of Indian food. Over the years, as I have introduced my husband, and then children to it, the ethnic flavors have become a good part of our family's diet. Chicken Makhani is a particular favorite in this household, and quite an easy dish to prepare. Please don't let the ingredient list detour you from making this dish. There are a lot of spices, but the end result is a very mild, well-balanced flavor that is, to put it simply, addicting. All of the spices in this dish can be found in the spice section of your local supermarket and even Walmart. If you're a little intimidated by making this dish for the first time, stretch it over a two day period. Cook and shred the chicken one day, and make the sauce and serve it the next (although I must warn, the smell of the chicken while it bakes may lead to a lack of it the next day-you may find yourself picking at it throughout the day.)

Chicken Makhani

Marinade:

1 c. plain whole milk yogurt                                   1 clove garlic-minced

½ t. salt                                                               1 t. ginger-minced

¼ t. chili powder                                                  ½ t. Garam Masala

½ t. turmeric                                                        ½ t. paprika

2 Tbsp. butter, melted, plus more for basting

8 chicken thighs, skinned, washed, and patted dry

  Combine ingredients in a Ziploc bag and marinate overnight.

  Bake chicken at 350 degrees 35 minutes, in a baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray.

Pour off any liquid, baste chicken with melted butter and Bake at 500 degrees 15-20 minutes, till lightly browned. Let chicken rest at least 10 minutes; peel off the bone.

Sauce:

4 Tbsp. butter                                                 ½ t. turmeric

½ small onion, diced fine                                 ½ t. paprika

2 cloves garlic, minced                                    salt, to taste

1 Tbsp. ginger, minced                                    1 can tomato paste

1 ½ Tbsp. Garam Masala                                   1 t. sugar

¼ t. chili powder (more if you like it hot)         2 turns of the pan of honey (about 4 Tbsp.)

¼ t. ground cumin                                           1 ¼ c. plain whole milk yogurt

1 bay leaf                                                        ½-1 c. heavy cream

¼ t. cinnamon                                                 1 c. cashews

1/8 t. cloves                                                   3-4 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped

  Melt butter in a very large sauté pan (I use my cast-iron skillet). Saute onions until tender (about 2 minutes). Add garlic and ginger and sauté 1 minute. Add tomato paste and cook about 1-2 minutes to bring out a sweet smell in the paste. Add sugar, honey, and all spices; combine well. Add yogurt, ½ cup cream, and previously cooked chicken. Simmer 1 1/2-2 hours (add additional cream to thin to desired consistency). Before serving, stir in cashews and cilantro. Serve over basmati rice.

Basmati rice

3 c. water

2 Tbsp. butter, plus more for cooked rice

½ tsp. salt

2 c. Basmati rice (Can be found in the rice section of most supermarkets)

2-3 Tbsp. chopped cilantro

  Rinse rice very, very well and drain (skipping this step will result in mushy, sticky rice).

  Bring water, butter and salt to boil. Add rice, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer 15-20 minutes, till water is just absorbed (do not overcook). Remove lid, toss rice with cilantro and a little more butter.

  I apologize for not having a final picture, we finished the meal and were cleaning up when I realized I had neglected to take one. That just goes to show how delicious it is-we wasted no time digging in!

Trying Something New

  So, fried catfish is something I have never made. Since my husband has never been a big fan of fish, I have cooked very little of it. Recently, as our kids have gotten a little older, I've decided to try introducing more seafood into our diet (since seafood is something I really enjoy). Tonight's experiment taught me two things; half my family is not particularly fond of catfish, and I'm not particularly fond of cornmeal-battered fish. I have to say that as far as recipes go, this one is a sure hit for someone who likes cornmeal batter and catfish. The flavor is there, it has a nice crunch and the batter sticks to the fish.

  I combined two recipes to create one I thought might go over well.

Fried Catfish

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1⁄4 cup flour
1 tsp. seasoned salt
1/8 tsp. garlic salt
1⁄8 tsp. cayenne (or to taste)
Freshly ground black pepper

4 catfish fillets

1/2 cup milk

1 egg

  Pour oil into a large, deep cast-iron skillet to 3" deep and heat over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking (350 degrees) on a candy thermometer.

  Combine cornmeal, flour, seasoned salt, garlic salt, cayenne, and black pepper to taste in a large shallow dish. In a separate dish, whisk together milk and egg. Thoroughly dredge catfish fillets in milk mixture, then flour mixture. Gently shake off excess.

  Fry catfish in the hot oil, without turning, until golden and crisp (5–6 minutes). Transfer fillets with a slotted spatula to paper towels to drain.

The Best Way I Know To Eat An Apple

  I love apples! I love eating apples, cooking with apples and baking with apples. I think one of my all-time favorite ways to eat an apple though, is dipped in caramel and drenched in chocolate! I only make caramel-dipped apples in October as a special pre-Halloween treat for family and friends. It's a good thing too, because I can polish one off faster than you can blink! Here's my "secret" to caramel apples.

  I only use gala apples for dipping. Galas are crisp, and have just the right sweet-tart-juiciness that you want in a caramel apple. Also, I try to find medium-sized apples (the perfect size for one sitting), that sit upright.

  One 14-ounce bag of caramels is enough for about 6 medium apples. Place un-wrapped caramels in a heatproof bowl over barely simmering water. Add a splash of milk to the caramels (about 1-2 tablespoons) to loosen the caramels up a bit. You don't want too much milk or the caramel will run off the apples once dipped.

  Prep your dipping area: Lay out a piece of parchment paper large enough for all your apples; lightly spray with cooking spray. Press a popsicle stick about halfway into each apple. 

  Plunge apples, one at a time, into the caramel, twisting a little to coat all sides (I leave about a half-inch space around the top of the apple free of caramel-it looks prettier.) Holding the apple over the bowl of caramel, use a spoon to scrape all the caramel off the bottom of the apple (Caramel tends to pool at the base of the apple as it sets-doing this will ensure you don't have too much pooling.) Place apples on the parchment to set.

  Place 8 ounces of milk chocolate and 1 tablespoon shortening in a heatproof bowl. Microwave in 30-45 second intervals, stirring after each, until chocolate is melted and smooth.

  Lay out a sheet of foil large enough for all your apples. Lightly spray with cooking spray. Dip the bottom third of each apple into the chocolate. Let the chocolate drip off the apple, then scrape the chocolate from the bottom of the apple, just as you did with the caramel. Place apples on the foil to set.

  Once you have dipped all 6 apples, add 1 tablespoon shortening to the remaining chocolate in the bowl. Microwave about 20 seconds, until the shortening melts; stir until smooth. Dip a fork into the bowl of chocolate then shake it over the apples to create a splatter effect on the tops of the apples (be careful not to coat the tops of your popsicle sticks). Let apples rest until chocolate has set.

  To give as gifts: Wrap each apple with a square of cellophane and tie with a festive ribbon. Encourage recipients to eat within 2 days of dipping (they are best if eaten the same day).

A Princess B-Day

  My 3 year old wanted strawberry princess cupcakes for her birthday this year. I wasn't exactly sure how to go about it, but who was I to tell a 3 year old no on her birthday? I had come across some cupcakes on a blog recently, that I was anxious to try, so I figured this would be a good opportunity. I used this recipe for Vanilla Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream Frosting (I omitted the filling for this occasion). I made lavender fondant crowns using the top portion of a flower cookie cutter I had, and adorned them with pearl candies. Ultra easy!

 

I've Got My Eye On You!

  So, I've mentioned my new fascination with the cake pops on Bakerella. We are attending a couples-only Halloween party tomorrow, and I decided I absolutely had to make some for the occasion. Once set, I stuck them in individual sucker bags and closed them with silver twist-ties.

Stick 'em in a ceramic pumpkin and they look quite intriguing!

Candy Corn...Sort Of

  Candy Corns have been a Halloween standard forever, so when I came across this recipe for Candy Corn Cookies, I knew they were a must-make. I had a package of Betty Crocker Peanut Butter Cookies on hand (and I'm not a fan of sugar cookies anyway), so I used it. I had to add a little flour to the dough to make it pliable, but they turned out fantastic. Have a look!