Bake.Pray.Love

June 16th and 17th

2011-06-19T14:00:00.001-07:00

June 16/17- Hang with New Friends/Go to New Restaurant

I hung out with new friends, who I won’t name on here to protect privacy. On Wednesday we were at FSU Wesley and got to talking, which turned into a trip to Yogurt Mountain for froyo.

Then we made plans to try Latin Xpress Cafe – this little latin restaurant in the same shopping center as Planned Parenthood and a US Marine Corp office… bound to be a winner.

If you check out their website and menu, it’s pretty simple stuff. I ordered the Pollo Asada Lunch, which came with yellow rice, black beans, and maduros. It was delicious! Like I’m not sure if I’ll RUSH back but it was really authentic! I’ll probably have to go back on a Wednesday when I get a free drink and side item :)

annndddd my computer’s going to die. sorry for the lame post!

xoxo Maddy

June 15th

2011-06-15T21:12:00.001-07:00

June 15- John Daly

I don’t have a picture, but this is a drink and it’s yummy. Let’s try this…

Sweet Tea = Good
Lemonade = Good

Sweet Tea + Lemonade = Arnold Palmer = Very Good

Alcohol = Good (Usually)

Arnold Palmer + Alcohol = John Daly = DELISH.

andddd I just went to google a picture of “John Daly” and this is what I got…

so there’s that. Apparently the drink is named after this Golf Player with a track record. yum.

now I feel weird that this guy is on my blog…

xoxo Maddy

June 14th

2011-06-14T22:21:00.001-07:00

June 14- GTS Total Body Fitness Class

I’ve been trying to take advantage of my school’s gym because I realize I will not have anything like it when I graduate in December. (Yes…I know I’m a little behind in the “Shape Up for Summer” game) One of the classes that actually fits into my schedule is this one entitled: GTS Total Body. The description is this:

This 45-minute class features the award winning Gravity Training System for a total body resistance workout. The GTS tower provides eight levels of resistance to challenge both the beginner and advanced user while they work against gravity. Come and try the hottest new piece of fitness equipment in the industry!"

Okay… I’m not strong. Like I’m not a weak girl but this class kicked my ass, arms, legs, etc. But I loved it? I’m sure I’ll be sore tomorrow, and I’m sure there are harder work outs out there, but this was nice because you’re constantly changing around the contraption (shown above) which definitely made my ADD happy. Some classes get so boring. Also, the instructor plays good music.

I’m sure I’ll be back next week. How else am I going to transform into Jillian Michaels? (don’t answer that.)

xoxo Maddy

June 13th

2011-06-14T21:59:00.001-07:00

June 13- Arctic Zero

In a perfect world, this pint of ice cream would actually be satisfying for 150 calories. In a perfect world, I would still like the taste of diet foods. In a perfect world, this would taste like a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup. In a perfect world, I would also look like Leighton Meester and have her job/wardrobe/fictional love life with Chuck Bass.

Do you see where this is going?

I came home from my catering class ready to eat this whole pint while watching The Voice and the MTV Movie Awards Show I missed weeks ago. Unfortunately, it was ~~gross~~ boring and needed some doctoring. I’m down with getting my creativity on, so I blended it in the Magic Blender with some milk, nutella, and MnMs. Please tell me how something can still taste bad after all that? And how I still ate it anyway.

My fault. I’m an idealist.

xoxo Maddy

June 12th

2011-06-13T22:25:00.001-07:00

June 12- Nasty Protein Powder

I made a smoothie on Sunday because normalllyyyyy I like them. Even if I get crazy with ingredients. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end and now smoothies make me want to vom. All thanks to this:

I almost dug the packet I used out of the trash to photograph but then saved myself. Not worth it.

This was gross and made my tummy hurt. Never again.

xoxo Maddy

June 11th

2011-06-13T22:05:00.001-07:00

June 11- Play Racquetball

I looked just like the guy on the bottle.

Racquetball is so much harder than you think.

xoxo Maddy

June 10th

2011-06-12T11:41:00.001-07:00

June 10- 1 million new things at work

So this is kind of a cop-out as far as “new things” go, but I have worked 40 hours in the last 4 days, so it’s been a little hard to do cRaZy exciting stuff. However, my boss has been teaching me a lot and giving me more responsibility which is always neat. I also had a training one day, where I really didn’t learn anything, but made these which was pretty cool…

Another AWESOME thing I’m trying to do is to get recycling at my work. We go through SO many bottled drinks and everyone just throws them in the trash. I’ve decided to start collecting them and bringing them home with me, since I have recycling. It’s a start I guess.

xoxo Maddy

June 9th

2011-06-11T11:14:00.001-07:00

June 9- Work Out in Work Gym

The place I work at happens to have a gym in it, and while I usually work 3 to 11 shifts, for some reason I always want to work out after that. So the other day I finally brought clothes and headed up there after my shift.

One of the guys I work with decided he wanted to be my trainer so he made me do the elliptical for 20 minutes first. Meanwhile he just left and told me to keep going until he got back. Luckily the TV’s made it easy to just watched the adorable Neil Patrick Harris on Letterman. He finally returned and gave me some weight stuff to do.

He was having me do that side crunch thing where I kill my love handles? Anyone know what I’m talking about?

This more realistically displays my feelings. I did that for awhile, did some crunches, and then peaced out. I need to start looking up actual workouts so I don’t just spend 10 minutes taking pictures of myself.

xoxo Maddy

ps- I love my new Nike shorts.

pss- Go buy one of the shirts I’m wearing and support a great cause.

June 8th

2011-06-11T11:03:00.001-07:00

June 8- Make/Eat Kale Chips

I’ve seen these on blogs everywhere and have always wanted to try them, but mostly just doubted they tasted like potato chips or as good as sweet potato fries.towel dried, oven set to 375 degrees, spray pan with PAM

spread out kale, spray with PAM and salt/pepper

cook 10-12 minutes until crispy, brown colored

eat plain or with ketchup, add more salt if you’re a salt fiend like me

Okay, so overall these were alright. Like I might make them again some time, but honestly they make my stomach hurt and I would rather eat vegetables a different way. Just be happy I eat them mom and dad.

xoxo Maddy

ps- can’t stop listening to Super Mash Bros.

June 7th

2011-06-09T10:53:00.001-07:00

June 7- Get Justin Bieber to Follow me on Twitter

one word: FAIL.

Starting at the bottom and reading up: I tweeted the first one and then was busy all day. Tweeted that second one to him at like 8 PM. Gave up around 10 PM and moved on to Adam Levine, who didn’t tweet back or follow either. #embarrassing

But don’t worry. I’m giving myself all of June on this one… so I’ll get back to you.

#neversaynever.

xoxo Maddy

June 6th

2011-06-07T12:08:00.001-07:00

June 6- Cut up a Mango

1st of all, FSU Dedman School of Hospitality makes all students take an Intro to Food and Beverage class and a Catering Management class. That explains why I’m even in a kitchen cutting up 10 mangoes.

2nd- They takes themselves very seriously which explains my full uniform, hat, etc.

Oh by the way, cutting up 1 mango is whatev, cutting up 10 mangoes sucks.

xoxo Maddy

June 5th

2011-06-06T12:03:00.001-07:00

June 5- Go to an FSU Baseball Game

FSU is in the NCAA tournament (and kicking ass) so I wanted to see a game really badly. My cousin and I went to the game late in the 5th inning and knew it was about to rain, but figured we would see how much tickets were and stay until the game inevitably got delayed. Well we ended up “borrowing” people’s tickets as they left and like 10 minutes after we sat down they announced the rain delay.

Being the stubborn girls that we are, we decided to just stay and watch the storm instead of getting caught in the herd of people leaving the stadium. The storm went from the clouds you see above…

to this…

It was seriously one of the coolest things ever. We just sat under the (metal) awning watching the lightning storm and hoping not to die. haha

This look is called wet-dog chic. Also ignore the fact that we chose such a day to wear white t-shirts. One of the guys waiting out the storm was like “Hey girls in the white shirts… can you go check if it’s still raining?” – props for cleverness.

xoxo Maddy

June 4th

2011-06-04T11:33:00.001-07:00

June 4- Shotgun a beer?

welp. that happened. haha

xoxo Maddy

June 3rd

2011-06-03T11:28:00.001-07:00

June 3- Used My Crockpot!

For my birthday a few weeks ago I was trying to figure out what I wanted and randomly thought of a Crockpot. I just found a recipe for salsa chicken which seemed easy enough for my first go around. Basically it was a can of Rotel and 8 frozen chicken breast tenders, cooked on low for 8 hours, then shredded with a fork.

Easy peasy! I’ll let you know how it tastes. I just packed some up to take to work with me. Which I need to go get ready for. See ya!

xoxo Maddy

June 2nd

2011-06-02T18:02:00.000-07:00

June 2- Tom Brown Park/Craig's Killer Coffee

For the past couple days I have been thinking about parks and wanting to be outdoors, walk around a lake, see puppies and families, etc. Lucky for me, Tallahassee has one of the "nation's best parks" (or so the sign says...)- Tom Brown Park. So this morning I set out to find the part of the park labeled Lake Leon and walk around it.

Let me start by saying this park is located by a prison. As in, the prison and the park are next door neighbors. Anyway, as you drive in, the park is beautiful as you would expect. The area I was looking for was easy to find and well labeled. But as I parked and walked up, this is what I saw.

You can see more clearly in these pictures that they are doing some kind of work on the lake and it's clearly not at it's finest.

On the plus side, I did get to see some wildlife. Herro little turtle :)

And to make up for my lackluster day at the park I tried a new coffee shop on my way home. Craig’s Killer Coffee is this tiny little place attached to a video store. Craig makes his own muffins, quiche, cookies, and sometimes pizza that he sells, and he has so many kinds of tea and coffee. He took my order (iced coffee) and was nice enough to add splenda, milk, make it super strong, etc. Loved it.

PS- How funny is this picture? I was like ohhh just being all cute at the pond. Never mind. Just pipes and stuff.

xoxo- Maddy

reJuvenating June :)

2011-06-01T14:21:00.000-07:00

I get it. I haven't blogged in a year and 4 months. And a hell of a lot has happened in that time (go figure). But I decided to try something new for every day in June, and what better way to document that then through the ole blog.

Since last time I blogged...
-I am attending Florida State University in Tallahassee, FL.

-I am graduating in December with my degree in Hospitality Management.

-I am spending the summer here working and taking classes, dreaming of the beach.

So if you still follow me for some weird reason or are just stumbling upon my blog, that's what I'm up to. I'm sure I'll add more as I write of my new experiences, but thanks for reading!!

June 1- Spin Class

I'm out of shape. Probably not by worldly standards but by my own for sure. I also will not be allowed to use my school's gym after I finish classes so I'm trying to take advantage of the gym here. It only took me over a year to figure that out... awesome. So I found myself at my first spin class this morning.

side note: I totally suffer from anxiety before a new class. Will the teacher be nice? Will anyone talk to me? What if I totally mess up?

I walked in and the room was like a rave? Neon lights, glow in the dark stars, house music... que anxiety/nerves haha. But luckily the teacher welcomed me right in and set me up on a bike (clearly I looked like I had never been before). The class was interesting... at first I was thinking the class was easier than I thought, then I got distracted because I couldn't really understand the instructor over the music, then I finally started to sweat and chug water.

It was a good class. I guess I just need to try again to see how I really liked it. I liked that the class was 40 minutes and that the teacher had so much energy. What I didn't like was my @$$ hurting like hell the whole time and that the class didn't really have a set pattern or progression? Does that even make sense?

So tell me...

-Have you ever taken a spin class?

-What other things should I try this month?

xoxo Maddy

That’s So You: Day 16

2010-02-27T21:35:00.001-08:00

Michelle Obama

One word: Class.

Another word (that isn’t technically a word): Presh.

Final word(s): Totally in love.

That’s So You: Day 15

2010-02-27T21:01:00.001-08:00

Chris “Cricky” Bowden

This is my handsome cousin Christopher. He is a firefighter on Marco Island and just all around an amazing person. This is a weird inspiration for me to do because I can’t really put into words all of the ways I love him and am proud of him. He is a genuine loving person and always treats me like his only little sister :) I am so proud of his accomplishments as a firefighter and that he just got engaged! He has so much love in him and you can see it in the ways he interacts with his brothers, family, fiancé, friends, etc. I can’t wait to see everything he does with his life! Love you Cricky.

That’s So You: Day 14

2010-02-19T15:44:00.001-08:00

Jennie & Harry Coiner

These two lovebirds are the reason for Valentine’s Day. I wish I could say enough to do these two justice, but I will try. I think the best way to describe them is as “The Grandpa and Grandma” of our church. They are visible every Sunday morning and Jennie is known for walking through the aisles and saying hello to everyone. Jennie was also my preschool teacher at my church, so she has pretty much known me my whole life. I love that I can talk to them anytime and they genuinely care about everyone in their life. Their relationship is the kind everyone dreams of and you can tell that God is in the center of their love for each other.

That’s So You: Day 13

2010-02-19T15:30:00.001-08:00

*sorry I disappeared… luckily I have some great friends who are holding me accountable :)

Aunt Liz

This is my aunt who most people say looks shockingly like my mom. Even though they are a few years apart, they often get asked if they are twins. This summer when I interned in Marco Island (where she lives) I was lucky enough to have her there to be my sub-in mommy! She is an inspiration to me because she works very very hard at her job and is always in a positive mood. She also raised my 4 cousins, ALL boys, who have turned out to be amazing, loving, gentlemen. It was so nice having her around this summer and I love that I got to be her only daughter :)

That’s So You: Day 12

2010-02-13T16:32:00.001-08:00

Erin Ritz
"on a boattttt"

Erin and I have been friends for a long time, but have gotten a lot closer since we are the only people left in our town lol. She is amazing and puts up with my boring self. I love that we can sit at my house and eat icecream and watch tv to occupy ourselves. She has inspired me to do my own thang and not care so much about what others may think. She doesn’t care that she is obsessed with Hilary Duff, Gossip Girl, The Hills, and Britney Spears. Or that she hates college and has no clue what she wants to do when she grows up. Just little things like that, where she does she wants, just make me feel better that I have some of the same obsessions and such haha. She also just happens to have the best laugh on the planet :)

That’s So You: Day 11

2010-02-13T15:46:00.001-08:00

Nicole Linington
"on her honeymoon"

Nicole and I grew up together in the same church. She is seriously the nicest person I have ever known. Not a mean bone in her body. She has inspired me to be a kinder person and to be my own person. Throughout youth group I remember feeling so lucky that she was my friend even though I was 3 years younger than her. I love being able to catch up with her randomly and we always have the best times together (usually reminiscing about youth group). I feel like she has grown-up so much over the past 3 years (she’s married, so obvi) and I can’t believe she is about to move into her own home! Love you :)

That’s So You: Day 10

2010-02-10T13:48:00.001-08:00

Caleb Herrick
"where he looks tan and we both look decent haha"

The biggest way Caleb has inspired me is with his loving heart and his ambition. We kind of grew apart during the end of high school and college since I am 2 years older, but recently reconnected and it was like no time had passed :) He plans to go to France in the next year to continue his education in French Euro-Business. I didn’t even know that was a major, but it absolutely suits him. He is trendy and smart and is going to do so great over there. Caleb also continues to hang out with me even though I tend to do really stupid things when we hang out and make a fool of myself. Luckily he loves all of that about me and still says we can get married and listen to Sufjan Stevens all the time… if I come to France :)

That’s So You: Day 9

2010-02-09T16:03:00.001-08:00

Jad Denmark
"with his beautiful daughter"

Jad was my youth director throughout most of high school. Over those years he really helped me to claim my faith for myself and define it. He is a very spiritual, loving, compassionate person and inspired me to live out my faith in real way. His passion for serving and the way he views Christianity are so special and unique and I am blessed to have him in my life. Since graduating high school he has continued to support me and check in on my life, encouraging me to work at a Methodist summer camp and to get involved at our church. Sadly, he moved away to continue his education, but it’s nice to know he is just a phone call away if I need anything. He also shared his beautiful family with me and let me babysit his kids, whom I love dearly :)

Who has inspired you? My wife, Shelly is a continual inspiration to me. I feel blessed to get to see her and talk with her every day... see sappy! Other than being my life companion, my wife etc. she is an inspired woman, her gifts, her compassion, her intellect, her love, her deep desire justice and reconciliation continue to amaze and inspire me. Henri J.M. Nouwen has continually enriched, uplifted and convicted my life. His writings especially "life of the beloved" have been and continue to be transformative! And most recently one of my professors has been a powerful inspiration. Dr. Strawn at Candler School of Theology. He is a old testament scholar but more than that he deeply loves his subject, cares about his students and loves his job. That is a phenomenal combination!

That’s So You: Day 8

2010-02-08T20:42:00.001-08:00

Jennica Hill
"in New Zealand"

This post is super special because this girl is my best friend. Today is also her 21st birthday!!! Jennica and I have known each other since 1st grade and grew up together in church and school. It wasn’t until our senior year that we got really close though. She inspires me in so many ways and has been beside me through some of the hardest years of my life. I feel like the best way to describe how she inspires me is by helping me “come out my shell”. If it weren’t for her I probably wouldn’t listen to better music, eat weird food, educate myself in politics, choose boys for something other than looks, etc. haha! I can be very superficial and materialistic, and she is great about making me want more and want to know more. We can have conversations about absolutely nothing and understand each other on a level that is unreal. I can’t imagine my life without her in it and can’t wait to live with her next year at FSU! Happy Birthday love :)

What is your biggest dream? To at least visit every continent, but hopefully visit every country in the world and make an impact on people's lives throughout my journey.

‘That’s So You: Day 7

2010-02-08T08:43:00.001-08:00

Pam McMillan
"at Starbucks"

Pam has inspired me in many ways, but one of the biggest ways is through her listening/counseling skills. Whether she believes it or not, she is really great at giving advice and listening to stories and problems. She is actually the one who inspired me to do this project and helped me come up with my idea. I put a link in my first Experimonth post to her blog about her adventures of “unitasking”. Pam is also a very big advocate for helping girls with self-worth issues, which is something I really admire about her. She has a heart for that and I think she is going to help so many people in her life.

What do you want to achieve in the next year? I have a lot of small goals- Ride in a Kayak from Sunrise to Sunset in a State Park, Read the bible from cover to cover, Perform my poetry at an open mic night. I have a bunch more, but those are some of the more interesting ones. Ultimately, I want to take steps this year to become a better version of myself. I'll never be perfect. But I want to make the most of life. I feel like the best way I can do it is by taking risks and actively developing good habits.

That’s So You: Day 6

2010-02-07T22:01:00.001-08:00

Clare Valdivieso
"Mozambique?"

Omg this girl. Clare is a huge inspiration for me. I have only known her about 2 years and I feel like everyone needs someone like her in their life. She is so uplifting and positive and shines so bright when she enters a room. Anytime I’m around her I feel like I want to be a better person. She cares so much about others and always willing to serve. She also dresses really cute and has a beautiful voice :)

That’s So You: Day 5

2010-02-05T12:21:00.001-08:00

Elyse Sibley
"with her brother :)"

Elyse and I have known each other since she was born. Our parents are best friends and we have grown up together. There are so many ways this beautiful girl has inspired me and continues to inspire me. She is mature beyond her age. Even though she is younger than me, I feel like I could go to her for advice. She is confident. She is independent. She makes decisions for herself and respects herself. I know that it seems repetitive but it’s all so true. She inspires me to be my own person and to know that the things you go through in your childhood don’t have to shape who you are today. She asks me the questions I don’t want to ask myself. I can’t imagine not having her in my life to look up to and dream with. She is going to do so many great things in her life. Love you Elysey.

Who has inspired you? Brenda, my dance instructor.

That’s So You: Day 4

2010-02-04T17:14:00.001-08:00

Susan Hotho
"at the beach with her hubby :)”

My mom has inspired me to be nice, to think of others, to be a better Christian, to say how I feel, to work hard, to hardly work, to have what I want, to love my body, to be respectful, to be polite, to be cleanly, to dress cute, to cry when you need to, to be my own person, to fall in love, to relax, and to follow my dreams. And I’m sure I’m missing something.

What do you hope to achieve in the next year? Balance! I love spending time with my family and friends but over the last 6 months I have been so busy at work that I feel like my life is out of whack. Life is too short and I am missing opportunities for love and laughter. One of my favorite places to relax is at the beach!

That’s So You: Day 3

2010-02-03T20:22:00.001-08:00

Jerry Hotho
"at Silver Glen”

This is my dad. He has influenced my life in a lot of ways but the one that sticks out to me is his practicality. From money to politics, he is very smart about his decisions in life. This has rubbed off on me (in positive and negative ways) and has really shaped me as a young adult. I know we don’t see eye to eye on everything but I’m glad we can talk openly about things.

Who has inspired you? Jacques Cousteau. He established the foundation for my views on the balance of nature.

That’s So You: Day 2

2010-02-02T18:20:00.001-08:00

June Gardner
”at her favorite place: her home on Long Island.”

I’ve never had a very very close relationship with my grandparents and I’m lucky if I see them once a year. This is my grandma on my mom’s side and this picture was taken about a month before my grandpa, her husband passed away from cancer. What inspires me most about her is how well she raised my mom and her siblings. There are 7 of them, born over a 15 year span and to this day I still believe my grandma would drop everything to give them what they need. She has also continued to smile and stay positive after losing the love of her life. She still laughs at all of our silly family jokes and maintains her role as the matriarch of the family. I see so much of her love and kindness in my mom and know that so many other people have been touched by her as well.

EXPERImonth: That's So You.

2010-02-01T21:02:00.001-08:00

Recently I have been feeling like my life is pretty boring. I’m stuck in between moving out in the summer and being happy in my current situation. While searching for things to keep me entertained and partially sane I came across Experimonth, a project started by a few of my friends to learn more about themselves and try something new. I’m all about bettering myself and growing so I was really excited when my friend Pam offered to help me come up with something to do. After an hour of brainstorming we came up with this:

For the month of February, I am going to pick a person each day that has influenced/inspired my life. I am asking each person to send me a photo of them at their favorite place and I plan on writing a post each day about how each person has influenced me. I also am asking each person to answer a question about themselves.

And if you’re wondering, Pam is taking on uni-tasking, and my friend Noel is going to try being a vegetarian for the month. Click their links to read about their adventures this month!

So without further ado, my first inspiration:

Mat Hotho
"at his favorite place: the living room where he plays Guitar Hero."

It seemed appropriate to start with my brother Mat because he is one of my closest friends, but also because he was sitting on the couch as I was figuring out my experiment. haha! Ever since I was little I have looked up to my brother. He is smarter than anyone I know, generous, understanding, and lets me dress him. But the biggest way he inspires me, is through his knowledge of the Bible and religion. After graduating with a degree in Religion & Theology, I feel like I can come up to him with any question and he can answer it. He is so patient with helping me understand things and is going to make an amazing pastor one day. Love you :)

Who has inspired you? Rob Bell-I don’t know where I’d be spiritually right now if it weren’t for finding Rob’s material. That’s not to say I’d be in a bad place or spiritually depraved. Rather I feel that reading and listening to Rob’s heart and soul laid out in his books and sermons has inspired me to approach my faith and my ministry in radically new ways.

CrAzY CaMeL DeSsErT HuMmUs!

2009-10-22T17:08:00.001-07:00

About a month ago, I heard about Crazy Camel Hummus and asked Chuck to send me some to sample! He gladly sent me each of the 6 flavors but they were spoiled when they arrived. Before I could even email Chuck, he had already emailed me and said that a few packages he had send out had been spoiled and that he would be sending me a whole new set. Wow! Talk about great service!

I’m sure you’ve seen Crazy Camel floating around the blog-o-sphere. It was started by Chuck, an executive chef, whose “picky teenage daughter” tried regular hummus that he had made and didn’t like it! She said “Can’t you add some peanut butter to this?”

It comes in 6 different flavors and is gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, and high in protein and fiber. It also has half the fat of regular hummus!

One night I set up a tasting sesh for my family to try out each flavor and printed out a review sheet for them to write comments on. I put out graham crackers, grapes, and apples and we tried out each one.

Maple Walnut

We all really like the maple flavor. It was definitely my favorite, and I really want to try it on pancakes or waffles! Papa H wished it had actually walnuts in it because he thought it tasted like walnut extract. He wanted a more “nutty” flavor and actual nuts pieces.

Peanut Butter

We all had a different take on the PB flavor. Brother H thought the hummus flavor was overpowering and not very good to begin with. Mama H wishes it was sweeter, while I feel like it was too sweet and almost artificial. Papa H doesn’t like real PB (weirdooooo) so he actually liked this a lot.

Pumpkin Pie

This flavor was so good! We all agreed it was one of the best. Brother H and I both said it was just like pumpkin pie! Papa H says it’s an “epicurean delight- almost as good as the real thing!”

bahahaha love this picture

Toasted Almond

Ohhh gosh! This one had all of us a little grossed out. Well everyone except Mama H. She thought it was good, while all of us had worse things to say. Brother H said “Ever eaten rat poison? Literally gagged 10 times.” Dad thinks it needs chunky almond in it and didn’t like the aftertaste.

Carmel Apple

This was another one we all liked a lot. It has actually pieces of apple in it and was really good with graham crackers. Brother H didn’t really like it though… he said he could really taste the hummus flavor over the apple.

stuffing.my.face.

Chocolate Mousse

Chocolate Mousse was best described as Brother H said- “good concept/ bad chocolate”. It was a little bitter and overall not as amazing as it sounds.

Sooooo, if you can get your fingers on this stuff- do it for sure! I just can’t personally recommend the Toasted Almond or Peanut Butter =(

Hope everyone's having a great week!!!

<3 Maddy

Blog Action Day

2009-10-15T13:42:00.001-07:00

Today is Blog Action Day- “an annual event that unites the world's bloggers in posting about the same issue on the same day on their own blogs with the aim of sparking discussion around an issue of global importance.”

The organizers of this chose climate as the global issue to address and wrote up this amazing description to portray the importance of getting involved.Climate change affects us all and it threatens more than the environment. It threatens to cause famine, flooding, war, and millions of refugees. Given the urgency of the issue of climate change and the upcoming international climate negotiations in Copenhagen this December, we think the blogosphere has the unique opportunity to mobilize millions of people around expressing support for finding a sustainable solution to the climate crisis.

My bestfriend is currently interning for Greenpeace in San Francisco and will be in L.A. on October 24th to support this cause.

You can also go HERE to find an event near you. =)

PB ‘n Chocolate Bread Pudding Bonanza

2009-10-14T13:33:00.001-07:00

What’s NOT to love about this recipe. PEANUT BUTTER + CHOCOLATE + HEALTHY = ♥

Oh did I saw healthy? YUP. This delicious dessert is from the Hungry Girl cookbook! Which is why I can’t give you the recipe =( But if this looks good to you, run out and buy the cookbook! There are TONS of awesome looking recipes in it!

I think you can email me for the recipe if you really want it. It could be our little secret ;)

Hope you’re having an amazing week bloggies!

<3 Maddy

PS- LOVES IT! =)))))))))))))

Do I really need to graduate?

2009-10-06T08:05:00.000-07:00

Just kidding. But seriously... college is a joke sometimes. I am sitting in the library between classes bored out of mind. The only thing keeping me going is the fact that I'm going to go get Starbucks in like 30 minutes. Holla.

Here is something to keep you slightly entertained? Hopefully a little bit.

25 things you may or may not know about me

1) I am listening to Jack's Mannequin and forgot how much I love his music. If you've never listened to them go do it now. Seriously.

2) I cut my hair off last November to give to Pantene Beautiful Lengths Campaign and I really miss having long hair that went into a ponytail and was easy to do anything with. (I also still need to send it in.)

3) People have said I look older with short hair...but I pretty much look 15, so maybe now I look 16? (BTW...I'm 20)

4) I think airports are really fun and one of the best parts of traveling.

5) I went to UCF my freshman year and the only thing I liked was Rosen School of Hospitality and Heather, Austin, & Katherine. Now I go to USF-St. Pete and the only thing I like is Shari & Orysia. And I want to transfer again. hahaha
6) For as long as I can remember, I have gone to Marco Island atleast once a year. I absolutely love it and want to take everyone I know there.

7) I have this really bad theory that skin cancer is inevitable for me living in Florida and growing up at the beach... so sometimes I don't wear sunscreen? I know! It's really bad!

8) I like to drink Coke Zero and Wild Cherry Pepsi but I think they taste 100x better out of a fountain machine thingy.

9) I have a little bit of an urge to be a runner. So many people say its the best thing in the world and I wanna see what the fuss is all about. ps- I hate running.

10) I have a really amazing family. Atleast twice a week we are able to sit down and have dinner together and we always end up sitting at the table after we've finished, just telling funny stories or talking about our days.

11) I'm a Christian and love learning more about my faith and how to apply it to my life. But I really wish my actions portrayed that more often.

12) I used to say that I could eat icecream everyday for the rest of my life. Especially gelato and soft-serve. And thennnn I found frozen yogurt and have officially died, Rachel Zoe style.

13) One time, my friends Jennica and Merien and I got locked out of Jennica's house and we slept on her garage floor with her 2 dogs. That was after we found the hidden key that got us into the garage and searched all around the outside of the house for the key to get into the actual house and then ate Taco Bell and those little Dibs icecream things. We ended up sleeping in her garage on random soft things (like innertubes and toilet paper) until her step-dad found us in the morning! haha

*I so wish I could find the picture I wanted to put here... absolutely incredible.*

14) I like to drink decaf Lipton tea every night before I go to bed. It's yummy and makes my tummy feel good.

15) I love to sit at Starbucks and people watch. I could do it everyday if funds and time would allow. =)

16) I sang in choirs all through middle and high school and really miss being able to perform on stage.

17) I want 2 babies. A boy and then a girl, preferrably 2 years apart.

18) I have never had a real boyfriend. and every one knows middle school doesn't really count.

19) My brother Mat is one of the best people I know. I know I make fun of him a lot, but he is really an amazing person inside and out. I'm really proud of everything he has done with his life already. And I think he is going to make an amazing pastor one day =)

20) I want to travel to Italy and Greece before I die. Both places seem so beautiful and would have really yummy food =)

21) I'm WAY too obsessed with Gossip Girl. If I could be Blair when I grow up, I would. And I may or may not have snapped a secret photo of her dad's house on Marco Island...just sayin'.

22) My friend Erin has the best laugh in the world and I love that we can sit and talk about nothing (MTV, celeb gossip, Facebook-stalking) and eat icecream and never get bored of it. We get together every Monday to watch Gossip Girl and have been re-watching old episodes. I know, we're pretty crazy kids.

23) On my To-Do List: Robert Pattinson & Justin Timberlake. I would marry either in half a heartbeat. <3

24) When I grow up (or graduate) I want to work in a really pretty hotel in the Convention and Sales industry. I think it will be fun to plan events, weddings, trade shows, etc.

25) I'm really interested in being a vegetarian. Right now I only eat poultry and shrimp, but I'm afraid to make the switch because I don't like tofu.

The first time I tried to do this, I accidently x-ed out of the screen. I really considered not doing it again but like I said, I'm really bored. (I also saved this to a draft like 16 times as I was writing)

Leave me comments or fun facts about yourself =)

<3 Maddy

Ps- Sweet giveaway if you are a creative cooker! http://thespecialktreatment.wordpress.com/ks-cooks/unbake-off/

Blueberry Crumble

2009-10-02T20:27:00.001-07:00

I hope you enjoyed Papa H’s guest post. He was really excited to write it, so if you haven’t read it… go do it now! I’m sure you will see more of him. =)

Speaking of Papa H, his fave fruit is blueberries (bloobs) so I made him this dessert to enjoy while I was in Marco Island finishing the last week of my internship. It’s a little healthier so Papa can keep his waistline in check ;) It’s a very easy recipe so you should give it a try!

Blueberry Crumble
adapted from diet.com

-4 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
-1 tbsp sugar
-3 packages instant oatmeal (they suggest one with maple & brown sugar, but I used Kashi vanilla)
-2 tbsp cinnamon
-3 tbsp butter, softened

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a pie plate, toss the blueberries with sugar.

In a small bowl, combine oatmeal, cinnamon, and butter until it forms coarse crumbles.

Bake until it’s bubbly around the edges and the top is toasty brown, about 30-35 minutes.

He said it was very good, and my cousins liked it even more with ice cream!

Hope you have a fab day! <3

Santa Fe Taqueria

2009-09-29T18:08:00.001-07:00

Here is a guest post from Papa H. He went to Oregon a few weeks ago and dined at a restaurant with his mom (Grandma H) while out and about and wanted to post it on BPL =)

*************************************************************

Greetings and salutations BakePrayLove readers! This is Papa to the H here! As Maddy said, I was visiting Portland with my mom whose experience with Mexican food has been limited to Taco Bell tacos (‘TBT’) and similar chain/fast food offerings. So I thought I would enlighten her with some authentic south of the border fare.

Courtesy of the amazing Restaurant.com, I was able to score a $10 gift certificate to the Santa Fe Taqueria in the trendy Pearl District for $3. You gotta stay savvy in this economy. We arrived 20 minutes before they opened and they were still setting up umbrellas for outside dining. We decided to stroll around the Pearl District while waiting for them to open. I texted Maddy about how cool it was here. She was jealous, but I assured her that we would try to visit again with whole family next year.

Once they opened, we snagged a table in the sunlight to stay warm. After waiting for what I felt was too long for someone to come serve us, I realized it’s the type of place where you order at the counter and pick up your food when it is ready. (yes the 70’s were good to me!) The restaurant has an ENORMOUS menu with a wide variety of meats, sauce combinations, and vegetables prepared in the traditional Mexican fashion.

I chose the closest thing to a TBT for Mom, while I explored more exotic choices – Fish Burrito and Shrimp Ceviche. We got the obligatory bowl of chips and salsa as well. Mom’s tacos (ground beef, served open-faced on fresh warm flour tortillas) came out first but looked a little sparse, so I asked them to add extra onions and cheese which they willing did. The open-faced soft taco was a new concept to Mom, so it was a little messy at first, but she got the hang of it! She enjoyed the unique cilantro flavor and the savory seasoning of the meat.

Next up was my burrito. It was MASSIVE and garnished with a dollop of fresh guacamole and sour cream. I attacked it with with a knife and fork and at once remembered why I’m not usually a burrito fan- too much beans and rice. If I had it to over again I would have chosen the fish tacos, because the fish was grilled and quite delicious.

The Shrimp Ceviche was presented well and tasted very, very good. Mom even wanted to give it a try, in spite of her very picky palette so this is an accomplishment in itself! *It was full of seafood, onions, tomato, etc.* I didn’t have the heart to tell Mom that ceviche usually contains raw seafood, but now that I think I about it, I highly doubt that their shrimp was actually raw. Either way, the flavors were spot on! The chips & salsa – chips were freshly made and lightly salted, salsa was simple and homemade, similar to my own recipe. I’ll have to share that with you sometime!

Dining outside in the Pearl District had it’s pros and cons. Being in such an urban environment, we had a variety of people walking by, from homeless to young professionals to skater dudes to locals just out for some fresh air. On the downside, I had forgotten that dining outside anywhere in Oregon this time of year, you will likely be accompanied by house flies, or worse yet in this case, yellow jackets! So Mom spent a good portion of her meal swatting at the yellow jackets, while I tried to convince her to leave them alone before she gets stung.

I highly recommend the Santa Fe Taqueria to anyone wanting authentic flavorful Mexican food at a good value. But be forewarned that you may want to eat indoors!

Lets Ketchup.

2009-09-19T20:09:00.001-07:00

mmk. I’m lame-o for not posting. No excuse except that I’ve been a lazy college kid. Forgive me?

Posts to come ASAP!
-review of a restaurant in Oregon from Papa H
-review of Crazy Camel Dessert Hummus
-review of GrassRoots, a vegetarian/vegan restaurant by me
-Pumpkin Bread!!!!!! (its almost fall!!)

So hold me to it. Give me sh!t for being a bad blogger. I thrive under pressure haha

Lots of love. <3

ps- Just watched Dirty Dancing tonight. RIP Patrick Swayze =(

pss- watch this video. ob-sessed.

German Butter Cake

2009-09-09T14:50:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago, Papa H and Mama H went up to Long Island to visit family. While they were there, an old friend of the family brought over this breakfast pastry/dessert/anytime of day treat. (His name is Hooper, how cool is that?) Now Papa H is pretty good about eating healthy, but he straight up jumped on this cake. And actually snuck one into his bag to bring home. Crazy? We know.

So I set out to make this infamous cake for my dad when they returned. Actually, I came home one day and the recipe was laying on the counter right where I would see it. Ohhhhh I get it Dad ;)

You can find the recipe on About.com here. I’m not going to retype it because I just followed it word for word.

*This is the dough while it was resting. This is the part I think I messed up because the cake part wasn’t as flaky as Papa H remembered.*

I don’t remember what this step was but I will take this moment to say that I didn’t “roll” the dough out. I used my fingers to spread it thinner and then once it was in the pan, I stretched and spread it to fit the pan. Does that even make sense? lol

This was fun. You had to use the back of a spoon or your finger to dimple the dough! I used my finger, obvi.

You top the dough with a cinnamon-sugar mixture and then put 9 tablespoons of butter on top.

This is the butter and cinnamon sugar all melted together after like 2 minutes in the oven!

And this is the final product after it had cooled and all of the butter and sugar had soaked into the cake.

So this particular recipe is a work in progress. If anyone tries it and had better results, please let me know! In the mean time, I will be stalking Hooper to find his infamous recipe =)

Kim’s Light Bagels = <3

2009-09-02T15:19:00.001-07:00

Okay, this may sound weird but you know how certain foods can bring you back to a memory or whatev? Bagels are TOTALLY one of those things for me. These are a few of my fondest memories with bagels.

1) Driving to work with my dad for “Take Your Daughter to Work Day” and picking up Einstein bagels for the drive in. I always got a poppy seed bagel with cream cheese.

2) Eating bagels at home or in New York (BEST BAGELS EVERRRR!) and having them with cream cheese or butter, and honey. Sounds weird, but so good!

3) Going to Panera with like 20 people every Sunday and getting an everything bagel and an IC Caramel. We always took up like the WHOLE back section with our group.

At some point in time, bagels went out the window and I considered them a treat rather than a delicious breakfast choice. And then I got the opportunity to try Kim’s Light Bagels.*cue angels singing*

Kim’s Light Bagels were created by Kim Bensen, a lady who has lost over 200 pounds and wants to help others be healthy as well! On the website is says: “I love bagels, but don't want to waste a quarter of my daily calories on one! Hard as I tried I couldn't find a bagel tasty or light enough to fit my weight loss plan, so I came up with my own.”

I emailed with Kim (how cool is it that I was emailing with the owner of the company, not a customer rep?!) and she offered to send me some to try. Imagine how surprised I was when 6 bags of bagels were delivered! She sent me all of the flavors: Everything, Cinnamon, Onion, Blueberry, Plain, & Wheat. I wrapped one of each bagel up and brought them with me back to Marco Island for my last week there.

Everything - “You gotta be a little bold when you bite an everything bagel. Ours will blow your socks off without expanding your waistline. Go ahead … be bold!”

(ignore the fact that I can’t spell)
Calories: 110, Fat: 1.5g, Fiber: 4g, Protein: 5g

The everything bagel was very good! It had a lot of flavor and almost met that of my beloved Panera everything bagel. I don’t remember if I put butter or cream cheese on this one, but I imagine cream cheese would be better. The only thing that would have made this bagel any yummier would be to have yummy stuff on the outside… but I see how that’s not really that easy to do with packaging.

Cinnamon - “Loaded with bursts of cinnamon woven throughout.”

Calories: 110, Fat: 1g, Fiber: 5g, Protein: 7g

Mmmm. I love this bagel for two reasons: I love cinnamon, and I don’t like raisins. I’ve always despised cinnamon raisin bagels or bread because raisins gross me out, so these are perfect! They are sweet without over doing it (ummm… Panera Cinnamon Crunch bagel?). I enjoyed mine toasted with butter and more cinnamon in top like the cinnamon toast I made when I was younger. D-Lish!

Onion - “A mild onion flavor in every bite. Use these bagels to make bagel chips or croutons..”

(please don't be jealous of my sweet-ass plate from Target)
Calories: 110, Fat: 1g, Fiber: 5g, Protein: 7g

The onion bagel was very good. As you can see I had it in a sandwich and this was such a fun way to switch up lunch! The flavor was similar to the everything bagel, but it was a lot more onion-y (obvi). The flavor also got a little lost in my sandwich so what do I know? lol

Blueberry - “Packed with blueberries for a berrilicious flavor. Are they a breakfast? A dessert? One thing for sure, they're delicious! Kim's personal favorite.”

Calories: 110, Fat: 1g, Fiber: 4g, Protein: 5g

So I don’t remember exactly how I ate this bagel. I think I did half with butter and cinnamon, and half with butter and strawberry jam? I don’t remember, but my cousin tried this one too and it was her favorite. I love all of the little pockets of real blueberry!

Plain - “They’re great right out of the bag. But at only 110 calories you can afford to put a little something on ‘em!”

Calories: 110, Fat: 1g, Fiber: 4g, Protein: 5g

I know this picture looks weird… but this is the delicious-ness of the cream cheese + honey combo. I swear every single one of you needs to try it. As for the bagel- it was a plain bagel, so nothing crazy going on here, but it was v. good.

Wheat - “Kim's wheat bagels are packed with a hearty wheat flavor. Perfect for sandwiches…”

Calories: 110, Fat: 1g, Fiber: 4g, Protein: 5g

Last but not least, the wheat bagel. Similar to the plain, but with a little more oompf. haha! I made a sandwich out of this bagel (obviously) and it was veryyyy delish. Kim was right, saying these are “perfect for sandwiches.”

WHEW! If you got through all of that, I’m proud of you. Go check out Kim’s website to order some bagels for yourself cause these are bangin’! Compared to the other brands out there (rhymes with Schwestern Shmalternative?), these have so much more flavor and seem a little bigger. That’s what she said.

I’m outie. Going to a bible study and have tons of school work to do! Booo!

Questions:
-What's your favorite flavor of bagel and bagel topping?
-Any fond bagel memories to share?

PS- My cousin tried some of the bagels when she was here and this is her review via text: “Meg liked the everything bagels and i liked the blueberry ones. But they were all super duper tasty. :) ”

Bloob Muffins!

2009-08-28T11:03:00.001-07:00

Bloob = Blueberry. =)

I made these a REALLY long time ago but totally forgot about them. I found the pics on my computer and luckily I remembered the website I got them from. These are the “To Die For Blueberry Muffins” from All Recipes. I think I picked this one because it was rated so well. Does anyone else do that? I like never pick a recipe unless it has comments or is rated really well. I just like to know someone else tried it, I guess. haha!

For the crumb topping on this one, I actually didn’t follow the one in the recipe. Someone commented that the topping sunk to the bottom of the muffins and then gave an alternative one, so I used that instead (see I told you they are important!). I think it was 1/4 cup flour, 2/3 cup brown sugar, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, and 2 tbsp butter. I just used a fork to crumble it together and then put a little over each muffin before baking them.

They turned out very good! Not a very healthy muffin, but just like one you would find in a bakery! Give them a try =)

<3 Maddy

ps- Who started school this week? I can’t believe I’m a freaking junior!

Thai Cuisine!

2009-08-24T13:12:00.001-07:00

I never thought I would be able to cook Thai food myself. I mean its just one of those cuisines that seems so daunting! When I came across this healthy recipe for Thai Chicken Curry, I knew I had to try it. Plus, I knew I could make my brother a guinea pig to try it out.

Thai Chicken Curry
adapted from here

1 14 oz can “lite” coconut milk
3 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. red curry powder
1 tsp. bottled minced ginger
2 tsp. chili-garlic sauce
3/4 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 green pepper, deseeded and chopped
1 cup sliced mushrooms
2 large carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 bunches scallions, chopped into 1 inch pieces
1 1/2 cup snow peas
2 cups napa cabbage
2 cups spinach

Place coconut in a large Dutch oven. Add soy sauce, brown sugar, curry powder, ginger, and chili-garlic sauce. Stir occasionally, bringing to a boil over medium heat.

Chop up all of the vegetables and cut the chicken into 1 inch pieces. Add to the pot and cover to cook for 5-6 minutes.

Stir in the snow peas, cabbage, and spinach, and simmer for 5 minutes.

*Excuse the leftover Tupperware picture. I forgot to take pretty plated ones*

I also cooked up a package of Uncle Ben’s Brown Rice to have with it! These microwave packages are a god-send and make cooking rice SO easy! Loves it.

If you’re looking for an easy dish that is something a little different, try this one for sure! It’s healthy AND delicious!

I also tried some new flavors of Zevia recently! This was the “Natural Twist” flavor which “contains pure, natural, essential oil of lemons and limes”. It was like an all-natural Sprite Zero (which I love!) I also tried the “Cola: flavor which tastes JUST like regular Coke or soda. I added some grenadine to make a cherry-coke and it was amazing.
Alrighty I’m off to tackle school stuff. Coming back from Marco 1 day before school may not have been my smartest idea yet. haha!

<3 Maddy

Berry Oat Bars

2009-08-19T09:31:00.001-07:00

Guess who’s back? Back again? Maddy’s back. Tell a friend. =)

When I was home last week I did a wholllleeeee bunch of baking and cooking so hopefully I can blow up your Google reader with a few posts over the next few days. haha!

*I halved this recipe so keep that in mind with pics*

Berry Oat Bars
adapted from here

1/2 cup butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cup rolled oats
12 oz frozen unsweetened mixed berries, thawed and drained

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 9x13 inch pan with cooking spray. (I used a 8x8 for half)

Cream the butter and sugar together. Add the flour, salt, cinnamon, and baking soda and blend well.

Stir in the oats and mix well. Press half of the mixture into the pan and bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Set aside to cool.

In a microwave safe bowl, defrost the berries and mash lightly with a fork.

Spread the berries over the cooled oat mixture and then sprinkle with the remaining oat mixture. Bake 20-25 minutes. Makes 24 bars.

Tips:
-This recipe would be a lot better with more berries… maybe twice as much.
-I also added a tbsp of raspberry jam to the berry mixture for a little more sweetness. Any flavor would do.
-You might want to put like 3/4 of the mixture on the bottom and just sprinkle with the last 1/4. I think that would of been better.

Let me know if you make these! I think they would be really good but they need a little altering, ya know?

Have a fab day!
<3 Maddy

I suck.

2009-08-17T13:05:00.000-07:00

big time.

I have a ton of things I can blog about but haven't had the motivation to do it right this second. Do you ever feel like that? Like you have 57348693 pictures to organize on your camera, let alone to make a blog post out of them.

But no fear, I have off work Wednesday and Thursday so blogging is definitely on the agenda! This is my last week at my internship (yayyyy!) so I work every other day! (not yayyyy lol)

I hope everyone is enjoying the end of summer! "Talk" to you soon =)

ps- How cool did the Healthy Living Summit look! Jealousssss.

Salt Rock Grill

2009-08-08T18:16:00.001-07:00

In my last post I mentioned going out to dinner for Papa H’s birthday. BTW- Papa H is what all of my friends refer to my dad as because our last name starts with H…not sure where it started but it stuck lol. We went to a place called Salt Rock Grill for dinner, and if you are from the Tampa Bay area, I’m sure you’ve heard of it and/or been there yourself. It’s kind of well-known in Florida.

We had reservations for 7pm and were seated right when we walked in which was very nice. The decor is very nice but I totally didn’t think to take pictures so I borrowed these from their website.

Seriously, go check out their website and look at the tour. There are so many more pictures of the restaurant that show off how gorgeous it is and show the view of the water from the restaurant.

When you walk-in they also have this display case that shows all of the fresh fish, meat, and veggies that they have that night. And right behind that is the big open grill where you can watch them cooking up a storm.

We started out our dinner with an appetizer of hummus. It was a special that night so I don’t have the exact description but it was full of flavor and I think it had olives and red peppers in it? Delishhhh.

Mama H and Papa H got salads with their meals and they looked very yummy. The top one is a Caesar and the bottom one is their House Salad.

For the entrees, Papa H got the “Jumbo Coconut Crusted Shrimp” served with an orange-ginger sauce, with a side of roasted root vegetables. He said it was very good but he couldn’t finish it after all of the hummus and warm bread.

Mama H got a special that included a lamb chop, 4 oz. filet, and 2 shrimp. It came with two sides and she chose garlic mashed potatoes (SO GOOD!) and asparagus. This picture isn’t really that great, but she said it was good so I’ll believe her ;)

I didn’t see anything that stuck out to me so I ended up getting the grilled veggie kabobs and the appetizer of “Medibbean Shrimp” –shrimp sautéed with olive oil, fresh garlic, parsley, Vermouth, cracked black pepper, Kalamata olives and crumbled feta cheese.

This dish was really good, but pretty heavy on the tummy after all of the hummus and bread we had eaten haha! Mama and Papa enjoyed their meals as well, but we were all stuffed when we left.

If you are ever in the Tampa Bay area, definitely check out Salt Rock. Its one of those restaurants that never disappoints and is fun to dress up all fancy for. =)

I’m heading home tomorrow for a week and my brother is begging for baked goods so expect some fun stuff soon! Later loves <3

Mango Pie!?

2009-08-05T09:41:00.001-07:00

This is coming a few days late but I need to wish my Daddy a Happy Birthday! My dad means so much to me and I wish I could of been home to celebrate with him on his day. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to, but I did make him a dessert of his choosing last Saturday when I was home.

My dad love love lovesssss mango. Like I’m pretty sure it’s his fave fruit. So when we went looking for dessert recipes, he jumped on a recipe for Mango Pie. This recipe is similar to apple pie, but it comes out a little different because the mangos are softer than apples… maybe like a peach or blueberry pie?

Mango Pie
adapted from here

2 premade pie crusts
4 mangos (about 4 cups of cubed mango)
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cardamom

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Note: My dad cut up them mango for me cause he’s a pro. I don’t have man hands like him =)

Cut the mangos into cubes, enough to have 4 cups of mango. Combine mango with flour, sugar, cinnamon, and cardamom. (The mixture will break down a bit)

Line a pie pan with one of the uncooked pie crusts and then fill with the mango mixture.

Top with the other pie crust and then use a fork to close the edge of the pie. Cut slits into the top crust to let steam escape. Bake for 10 minutes at 450 and then lower to 350 and bake for 30 more minutes.

We let it sit and cool while we were at dinner (post to come), but I’m sure it would be delish hot or cold. You should for sure give this recipe a try because its a good switch up from the normal apple or berry pie.

<3 Maddy

PS- Thanks for putting up with me being MIA. I’ll put up more camp pics soon!

Reviews x a million + one

2009-07-26T21:30:00.001-07:00

I’m heading off to this beautiful place for the week!

This is the cross on Lake Griffin at the camp I worked at last summer. It is the most amazing place and I can’t wait to get there tomorrow.

So I’m going to put up a few reviews of things I have back-logged and will hopefully post once while I’m there? I can’t guarantee it though. lol

A week or so ago, I got this package from Fiber Gourmet, a company that is “dedicated to creating reduced-calorie, high-fiber products that taste good and are good for you”. Sounds too good to be true, right?

They sent me their Light Fettuccine Pasta, 2 flavors of their new crackers, and a box of Mac-mmm-Cheese (which I’ve had before and love love love!)

The first product I tried was the plain “Lite Cheese Snack”. On the website they claim that these crackers taste just like Cheez-its, but with half the calories.

My thoughts? These were good and you get a TON for 80 calories, 5g of fiber, and 12g of fiber! I feel like they needed a little more cheesy flavor to them though- so I was glad to have the “Lite Nacho Snacks” to try next.

These were SO bomb! They had a spicy, cheesy taste to them and I loved them! It was a yummy snack an hour before dinner when I knew I needed something to avoid eating my hand. haha! I need to get more of them ASAP.

Speaking of cheesy… I made a super yummy breakfast the other morning! I know it looks odd but let me explain…

I received this bar months ago and was waiting to try it cause I ~~was afraid it would be yucky~~ was waiting for the perfect moment. The bar was super sweet on its own so I knew I would have to crumble it into yogurt or cereal to really enjoy it. I ended up mixing it with cottage cheese and it was super yummy and filling!

The stats on these bars are pretty good, but there were some ingredients that made me go HUH?, so I was a little skeptical about that. Otherwise, these bars are a great way to get 40% of your daily recommended fiber without feeling like you’re eating cardboard. High Five for All-Bran! =)

Alrighty I’m out of here so I can get my beauty rest for the long drive tomorrow and seeing the most amazing people on Earth!

Food & Thought

2009-07-21T08:32:00.001-07:00

As I’m writing this I am watching Ace of Cakes and wishing I could make amazing cakes like them! I wrote before about how I was taking cake classes, but I had to stop right before the fondant class because finals and school were taking over my life =(

But enough hatin’ on my life, this post is about happy things like the new health food store I found!! While I’m in Marco Island, going to Naples is like my escape when I’m off work- especially because there is no Target here. Whaddafuh? Seriously, it has to be a cardinal sin to drive 20 miles to the closest Target.

So now I make a total day out of it and hit up the mall, Whole Foods, Target, and my new health food store, Food & Thought Organic Market! Loves it.

I wasn’t expecting anything extraordinary but when I walked in I saw an aisle filled with fresh produce! It was all organic and/or locally grown and priced so reasonably! I ended up buying a Pink Lady Apple and it was probably the crispest, sweetest apple I’ve ever had.

They also had a lot of those specialty items I know you girls love, like raw nut butters, cookbooks, gigantic bottles of agave, and organic wine!!

*Note the hottie in the back of the agave picture: This guy was hilarious! It was definitely his first time in a health food store and he was totally overwhelmed by everything. My favorite was when he was standing in front of the yogurts and trying to pronounce Oikos, Fage, and Chobani. haha!*

This store also had a juice and smoothie bar, and a special menu with items they make each day. They have a fish, fowl, and veggie entree, multiple sides and a soup. Plus sandwiches, salads, and a quiche for breakfast. I totally need to eat there soon! Check out there website to see their menu for today! I love how it changes and everything is so fresh =)

PS- Next time I go I want to try a juice! Any suggestions from the website? I was thinking about making my own instead of doing one of theirs. Let me know some of your favesies!

Cookie Monster!

2009-07-18T20:18:00.001-07:00

This was pretty much me the other day.

My cousin is a firefighter and I have been wanting to make cookies for him and bring them during his shift. At his station they work 48/96, which means he works 2 full days and is off 4 full days. It’s a pretty sweet deal if you ask me.

When I saw this recipe for Flourless Peanut Butter cookies, I knew it would be quick and delish to throw together for the guys.

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies
based on this recipe

1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup chocolate chips (or peanut butter cups)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients. *Keep in mind I doubled this recipe to make plenty of cookies for the firefighters so it looks like a lot more*

Drop dough by well-rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake 10 minutes. Allow to cool on baking sheet.

These cookies could not be any easier! I got 70 cookies out of this when I doubled it! And the guys loved them. I brought this Tupperware full for them, and my cousin texted me like 20 minutes after I left saying they were gone haha! Try them ASAP!

ps- I posted this at WalMart the other day. Made me smile =)

Happy Baking <3

xoxo Gossip Girl

2009-07-16T08:48:00.001-07:00

I have spent all day watching Gossip Girl instead of studying for finals. smart, right? It’s pretty legit. I got the first season for the birthday and have been re-watching it all summer.

Speaking of finals, I need to make this quick so I can get back to studying Geography. 8th grade much? Yeah it sucks.

I’m going to review a few of the new products I got around to trying this week from my fab package!

“Cheating with Chocolate” S’mores 100 Calorie Pack

I broke into this 100 calorie snack after I had eaten ice-cream one night. I was still craving something sweet so I grabbed these. The nutritional facts are pretty good for a snack and there are quite a few in the bag.

They are about the size of a quarter each and drizzled with chocolate. They’re also very yummy and do taste like a s’more! I ended up smearing PB on a few and that was even better! haha! but when does PB not make everything better?

Tomato Basil Multi Grain Crisps

Both of these flavors were actually tried by my Uncle Jack and Aunt Liz. The only “flavored” chip I usually like is cheddar so I brought these over to their house to try. He is a chef so his opinion on food is pretty legit if you ask me ;)

With both varieties they said that the flavors were very good and spot-on. But they did say that you can’t eat very many at a time. My aunt mentioned that they might be more bearable with a sandwich to balance it out.

Garden Veggie Straws – Lightly Salted

Mmmm. I LOVED these straws! I love veggie chips and these are so yummy! They’re made with potatoes, tomatoes, and spinach – but it’s not really like you taste those flavors as you eat each color. If you’ve ever had the Whole Foods 365 Brand ones, these taste just like those. They are perfect for killing a salty-craving without the greasiness of chips.

I admit, they do look a little fake when they’re photographed, but they taste REALLY good, I promise! haha

Okay, I’m back to studying. You know, just living the life =)

HUGEEE PACKAGE

2009-07-08T13:18:00.001-07:00

dirty minds… ;)

I got a package of yummies to sample from Sensible Portions! I’m so excited to try the pita chips with hummus! and the veggie chips!

Look forward to reviews as I get around to sampling everything!

Hope everyone is having a fab week. I worked like crazy last week and finally have a few days off.. but I have no idea what to do with them. Does anyone else ever feel that way? haha maybe it’s just me.

La Casita- Marco Island

2009-07-03T17:00:00.001-07:00

Hola! Como esta? I’m finally doing another restaurant review! About time, right? So what gave me the urge to suddenly do a review?…

My daddy came down to surprise me this weekend!

It was honestly such a surprise and so amazing how it all played out! I called him (on the work phone) to ask for help getting the printer working. He was trying to help me and then it was just pointless so we were talking about random other stuff. Normally I would have already walked out to my car but since I was on the work phone I couldn’t. I was just standing in the back office and he suddenly just walked in! I was so excited and was like screaming haha!

So then since it was like 6:30 we decided to just grab dinner together! I had a few places on the island I wanted to try and was craving Mexican food (when am I not.. lol) so we ended up at La Casita. I wish they had a website FO REAL.

*Sorry in advance for the yucky-bad-lighting photos*

The interior of the restaurant is decorated so great! It’s less “commercial” Mexican decor and more “traditional” in my opinion. I felt like I was in Mexico… or at least in a Disney-esque Mexico. haha

We were seated in a a great little booth that was actually in an alcove. If I weren’t with my dad it would be a really cute place for a date haha!

When we were seated we were immediately served chips and salsa. The chips were warm and fresh and the salsa was so yummy! This is my favorite part of eating at Mexican restaurants, so its always good when they’re yummy. Daddy ordered a margarita as well and he said it was “refreshing without the usual bite of a margarita”. He finished it so I guess it was good ;)

For our meals I ordered the taco salad with shredded chicken (YUM!) and added pico de gallo and guacamole. It came in a huge fried tortilla shell, but I’m not all about that so I poured the salad out onto my plate.

Daddy ordered the Tilapia Veracruz which was tilapia sautéed with peppers, onions, jalapenos, green olives, and tomatoes. It came with your choice of side and he chose rice and beans obvi…the other choices were french fries (i just wrote friends? haha) and baked potato. Totally random.

We both really enjoyed our meals! As you can tell, we both cleared our plates haha. My salad was very good but could have used more tomatoes on top and black olives! I love black olives and they told me they don’t have any =(

Daddy liked his meal and said that not being a fan of tilapia, this was the best tilapia dish he’s ever had. He also loves Mexican food like me, so that probably helped.

Overall, La Casita was very good and the only thing I could complain about was the service. Our server was pretty short with us whenever we asked questions and I saw her blatantly on her phone in the dining room. Come on… take it to the back at least. lol

If you’re ever in the Marco Island area or know anyone who is, I would definitely suggest La Casita! Having tried the other mexican restaurants on the island, it is by far the best!

<3 Maddy

ps- I put this up at the grocery store last night!

MMMMnM Brownies

2009-06-25T09:08:00.001-07:00

Brownies are one of my favorite desserts next to ice cream (or on top of icecream!). I’m definitely one of those people that LOVES the edge pieces too. Is anyone out there an edge-fanatic like me?

These brownies are even more special because I made them with the “Lower-Fat” recipe on the side of the box. I didn’t even know it was there until I bought this box, but it subs oil for applesauce, and uses 1 egg and 2 tbsp water.

It’s funny cause I made them without telling anyone what I did and they were like “These are so good! What mix did you use?” haha! They really do make fudgy, delish brownies!

Lower-Fat Brownies
adapted from the Duncan Hines Box

1 box Duncan Hines brownie mix
1 large egg
2 tbsp water
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a baking pan with non-stick spray. In a bowl, combine all of the ingredients and stir until combined. It will seem like not-enough liquid, but it comes together.

If you’re a BAMF like me, sprinkle a packet of MnM’s on top to make them really, really delicious!

Place in the oven for the appropriate amount of time that the box says. I used a 9x13 pan so I put them in for 25 minutes. I like to do less time so they are really ooey-gooey in the middle.

If you love brownies, give this recipe a try for sure. Sometimes you need that quick fix brownie, and why not make them just a little bit less fattening.

You know you’re gunna go back for another one anyway ;)

<3 Maddy

Cookie S’more Bars

2009-06-11T14:36:00.001-07:00

I have a friend named Derek who I have been friends with since we were babies. We went to different schools but have remained friends and he LOVES when I bake things for him.

Like literally once a week I get a request for cookies or brownies or a cake. Haha! And like all boys, he can eat like a whole batch of cookies and still be a skinny bitch =)

So one of the many things that I have made for him are these Cookie S’more Bars. I had bought a roll of pre-made cookie dough on sale and ended up with these after a little experimenting!

Cookie S’more Bars

1 package cookie dough (chocolate chip, sugar, peanut butter, whatev!)
1 cup (ish?) chocolate chips
3 cups mini marshmallows

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13 pan with foil and spray with cooking spray. Spread the cookie dough evenly in the pan. Bake for 16-18 minutes or until golden brown.

Immediately after you take it out of the oven, sprinkle the chips over the cookie. Let sit for a minute or so, and then begin spreading the chocolate around to melt more.

Set your oven to broil. While it heats up, sprinkle the marshmallows evenly over the chocolate. Put the pan back in the oven until the marshmallows are golden brown. (Watch closely! It doesn’t take long for them to burn!)

Let it cool for about an hour and then cut into squares or triangles (or just eat out of the pan with a spoon if your name rhymes with B-erek!)

I hope you try these because they really are delish! Let me know if you do!

<3 Maddy

Donuts & Cookies!

2009-06-06T11:57:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody! It's the weekend yay! Unfortunately for me, my weekend includes working today, but nothing a little blog-stalking won't get me through =)

Just popping (almost wrote pooping haha) in to tell you about these give-aways!

Go to Healthy and Sane for a chance to win Holey Donuts! (or don't...I really want to win haha) I've been wanting to try these forever and keep entering contests hoping to win haha

Also! Go to Christy's Kitchen Creations and Delectable Dining for a chance to win Father's Day Cookies! These cookies look delish and I know any father would be excited to get them!

Edited to add: Healthy on the Run!!! 100th post giveaway! I think I'm going to do this to if I ever get to 100 posts and can figure out what to giveaway =)

Have a fab weekend!
<3

Healthy-ish Banana Bread

2009-06-02T11:53:00.000-07:00

While most of the time this blog is about yummy desserts and baked goods, I try to live a pretty healthy lifestyle outside of my sweet tooth. I also try to put the best foods and ingredients into my body. That being said I was v. excited when I guest post-ed for Melanie and she suggested I bake something using wholesome, natural ingredients. With a few bananas laying around, I knew banana bread would be PERFECT!

This recipe was mostly modified from a family recipe, so as I go I will give you a few suggestions to alter it even more, make it better, etc.

Health-ier Banana Bread

¾ cup all purpose flour
¾ cup white whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. cinnamon
½ cup honey (original recipe called for a cup of sugar & after cutting it in half these were still v. sweet!)
1 egg + 3 tbsp. egg white
¼ cup butter melted (you could substitute part of this with applesauce to lower the fat)
3 mashed bananas

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine all purpose flour, wheat flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Stir with a spoon to incorporate.

I have a feeling you could of used even more whole wheat versus all purpose and been fine.

In a separate bowl, combine the honey, eggs, and melted butter. Mash the bananas and add those to the wet mixture.

This is the honey I used… You could also use agave or another natural sweetener.

Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture. Stir until incorporated. This recipe could make 2 7x3 loaves, 12 muffins, or about 36 mini-muffins. Baking times are:
-loaves 55-60 minutes
-muffins 25-30 minutes
-mini-muffins 15-18 minutes

My dad took the loaf to work and he emailed me saying everyone loved it! Like I said before, these are a very yummy snack, and I’m sure you could healthify them even further!

I hope you try out this recipe! It really is delish!

<3 href="http://bakepraylove.blogspot.com/">

MTV Movie Awards

2009-05-31T22:24:00.001-07:00

Okay I’m gunna break down a few things from the MTV Movie Awards, just for myself. If anyone else has anything to say, feel free to comment and tell me how you feel =)

Andy Samberg did an amazing job hosting! He was hilarious (and not too bad on the eyes) =)

You all know my obsession with this lovely lady. Lleyton Meester looked absolutely gorgeous and I love that she was featured in the show more than others =)

Dear Kristen,
You do not deserve to stand 1 inch from Robert Pattinson’s face. In the future, please keep your hands off my man. I understand why you got cast as Bella though…you couldn’t even hold the trophy to carry it off the stage. You are annoying (and a little coked out) and I am not a fan.

Love,
Maddy

Ps- Converses to the movie awards? Way to be a 13 year old.

No Words. I just pray that this was a huge set-up and no one told Eminem. He flipped sh*t.

Zac Efron looked sexy as hell. I can’t even stand it. How did he end up with V. Hudge? Really? She’s a little annoying IMO. He could do way better.

ps- I’m pretty sure he had no idea what award he was accepting after the Bruno-Eminem thing. haha!

Miley Miley Miley…. FYI- Did you borrow that dress from your mom’s closet? and “IM ON A BOAT!” - That would of been funny…2 months ago. Nice try.

HAHAH. This was cute.

Jim Carrey was hilariousssssss. I’m loving his glasses too! “mmm someone please overturn prop 8” (in reference to Robby lol)

And last but never least. Hubby looked hot as usual and I LOVEDDDDD the New Moon preview. I’m SO excited for it to come out! But K-Stew was annoying (as I said before) and I wish he realized what he was missing ;)

I gotta say I felt a little bad that Twilight won every freaking award. Slumdog was really good and so were some of the other movies. I mean whatev works, but they pretty much stole the show. lol

Please leave me comments with your thoughts. I thought it was a good show and would love to know what YOU think! =)

<3 Maddy

Birthdays, Blenders, Moving.. Oh My!

2009-05-22T20:15:00.001-07:00

Hewwo! =)

I am sorry I have been a little MIA lately! The past couple weeks have been busy with my mom’s birthday, a mini-trip, my birthday, and then moving!!! I got an internship for the summer in Marco Island and just moved down on Wednesday! I’m super excited cause I have family that lives here and already am in love with the island =)

Plussssss, my favorite celeb goddess grew up here! Talk about fate!

Anyway, for mommy’s birthday I made her a chocolate cake with chocolate ganache. I always use this recipe for the ganache and it’s perfect!

Then I went to Melbourne to celebrate MY birthday!

don’t worry. she’s got a dress on ;)

When I got back, we celebrated my birthday with family and my mom made me a delish banana-peanut butter-chocolate-pudding-pie. I have no idea, but it was delish. Thanks mommy!

Oh and btw, one of my gifts was a Magic Bullet! I was so excited because I’ve probably watched that commercial 20 times all the way through. Don’t pretend you haven’t too!

So does anyone have any recipes or suggestions of what to make in this bad boy!? Or name suggestions? lol

I was already thinking of salsa and smoothies, obvi. =)

And now I’m in Marco and will be baking things up as soon as I can get settled and get to the store! Hope everyone is getting excited that its summer!!

Guest Post by yours truly

2009-05-14T07:49:00.001-07:00

I had the wonderful opportunity to guest post on Ms.MelonCauliflower’s blog today! I made some delicious, health-ier banana bread/muffins. It really was DELISH and I suggest you all run over to her site to check it out. Here’s a few pics to persuade you further ;)

Happy Baking!!

(t-minus 3 days until my birthday!!!!!)

The Perfect Fan =)

2009-05-10T11:33:00.001-07:00

Does anyone remember that ridiculous song? Ohhhh Backstreet Boys. So classic.

Happy Mother’s Day! This morning we all went to church and then went to Guppy’s, one of our favorite restaurants! We were lucky to get there a little after they opened and still get a beautiful seat outside on the patio. I really wanted to take pictures of our meal but forgot… so I promise an extensive review next time =)

Hope everyone has an amazing day! We’re off to the beach =)

BIRTHDAY!

2009-05-07T21:43:00.000-07:00

Is in 10 days =)

Yay!

“So Elise… you’re bawling right now”

2009-05-04T21:50:00.001-07:00

Haha! Has anyone seen this video? Poor poor girl. But so so funny. lol

Okay anyway, I made these delish cookie bars tonight because my friends were coming over to watch the Hills and Gossip Girl =)

I got this recipe from this book which I got for $4 cause I’m a ballerrrr. Its a really amazing cookbook when you want to be kinda lazy and use some mixes or boxed stuff, whatev.

Chocolate Chip Cream Bars
recipe from “Off the Shelf Baking”

1 18-ounce roll of refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough (although I’m pretty sure you could use any kind and get yummy results)

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened (mine wasn’t softened… no one died)

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x9 inch baking pan with foil and spray with cooking spray. Using a knife, cut the roll into 4 equal parts. Press 3 parts into the bottom of the pan, set aside.

For cream cheese filling, beat cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium until smooth. Add sugar, eggs and vanilla, beating on low until combined. (I suggest scraping the sides of the bowl during this as well)

Spread filling evenly over crust and dot with remaining cookie dough.

Bake for 28-30 minutes or until top is lightly browned and filling is no longer jiggly. Cool and cut into bars. Store in refrigerator!

My friends thought they were alright…

Love those two. Okay going to bed! Almost done with exams =)))

SWINE FLU!

2009-05-03T15:48:00.001-07:00

idk. just seemed appropriate =)

I’m working on a new post with some delish goodies but in the mean time, salivate over these yummies!

*ooeey-gooeey ganache*

Momma took these to work for some birthdays. She hasn’t completely mastered the “food-porn” plating but we have hope ;)

so much love.

2009-04-25T15:13:00.001-07:00

There is nothing in life more painful than losing a loved one,
the love is there forever though,
we never really lose them only from the physical plane,
because where love exists there can be no loss.

Jenna, all of our thoughts are with you today, praying for your family. Know that heaven gained an angel today and he will be watching over you every moment forward.

Chocolate is for lovers <3

2009-04-21T17:23:00.001-07:00

-side note: Didn’t even think about how these are heart-shaped when I came up with the title. I’m genius. =)

I was shopping around a local health food store and saw these cookies on sale for 99 cents! Yes please. Immediately in the cart.

But I also have this really great habit of buying things like this on sale and then having them sit in my pantry for a few months before I let them come out to play again. Not this time! The minute I got home I got to making these.

The only ingredients to add were 6 tbsp melted butter, 1 egg, and 1 tbsp water.

and then it looked like this…

After a rolled the dough out (pain in the ass), I got to cutting the dough into heart shapes with the free heart-shaped cutter that came with the mix!

Are you kidding me? SO adorable.

I sprinkled the tops of them with raw sugar and off into the oven they went.

THEN I got the genius idea to use up some dark chocolate and melt that on top of a few that had just gotten out of the oven.

I don’t know if there is some fancy term for what I did but basically I broke off a piece of chocolate and melted it on top of the cookies right when they came out of the oven.

So if you get a chance to try Arrowhead Mills products definitely do it! These are delicious AND organic.

or if you make cookies, try melting ooey-gooey chocolate all over them as frosting =)

Happy Baking!

yoga makes me happy =)

2009-04-10T08:41:00.001-07:00

So I know there are many bloggers out here who blog about their exercise and yoga practice, etc. And honestly, I am not the type of person who likes to work out everyday. But I have recently gotten into yoga and o-m-g. This morning I literally rolled out of bed (~~went pee~~) and got on my yoga mat. I did Gentle Hatha 1 from Yoga Downloads and it was incredible. I don’t know if it was because it was the first thing I did so I had nothing else on my mind, but it really put my in an amazing mood and my body feels so light right now =)

Okay…yoga ramble is over lol

Recently my old youth director and his wife asked me to bake their son’s birthday cake. I usually babysit for their kids and love them to death so of course I said yes! He was having a pirate party and so I began looking for pirate cake ideas and treasure maps, anything that might work.

I saw this and knew that that was what I was making:

Totally kidding. I wish I could make that cake. Maybe someday ;)

So I actually found a reasonable cake I could make and decorate and got to it!

I made chocolate buttercream for the filling and the sides. And I made white buttercream for decorations and the top of the cake.

After those base coats were done, the fun began!

I used blue gel icing to swirl into the white for the water, and used left over brown to make the edges of the sand, the little island, and to put a shell border around the bottom of the cake. I also used leftover brown to write “Happy Birthday Lleyton!”

The rest of the white icing was dyed red to make an X marks the spot and a little trail.

Last I added a few fun details like the “sand” – crushed up Cheerios, a few plastic palm trees, and a pirate ship obviously!

it took me FOREVER to figure out how to draw that. 674396739 Google image searches later… lol

I absolutely love it and hope that Lleyton and his parents did too! Sorry for the millions of pictures I just can’t get over how cute it is =)

Happy Baking!

Mail Tiiimmmmeeee!

2009-04-07T14:05:00.001-07:00

I just got back from New Jersey for the weekend for my cousins wedding! His bride and him looked amazing and it got me all excited to get married one day =)

When we got back I was so excited for the mail because I knew I had some yummy surprises coming!!

The most exciting of them all was of course Gina’s Macaroons! We did a little swap and I sent her some bars in exchange for these little morsels of yumminess!

I also received my free Barney Butter sample! I can’t wait to try these out. Everyone seems to love them!

Then I also got new Rachael Ray and Food & Wine magazines! ANDDDDDD my free Kashi frozen entree coupon. I’m thinking the Mayan Harvest Bake? Or the Southwest Style Chicken? Which ones have you tried and liked?

I love getting fun stuff in the mail =)

In other fun news… here is my latest cake from the Wilton Cake Class- Course 2!

We did a basket-weave around the sides of the cake (which is an oval if you can’t tell). Then we did a rope border around the bottom and top edges.

The flowers were made in the previous classes out of royal icing and we let them harden up until we made this cake. These are violets, primroses, apple blossoms, roses, and daffodils.

We also made these birds with color-flow icing and let them harden before putting them on the cake. How freakin’ cute?

I’m loving these classes and can’t wait to do fondant next! =)

Happy Tuesday!

Blah Blah Blah

2009-03-27T21:21:00.000-07:00

Everytime I fail to post, I say sorry (to my millions and millions of fans obvi) and say I'm going to post again soon. And everytime I don't.

Soooooo. This is just me saying hi. I have not died. And I really do have some fun things to post if my like would slow down for 3 seconds and let me get there.

Happy Baking!

ps- Can you believe it's almost April!?

Belleair Grill & Wine Bar

2009-03-08T19:01:00.001-07:00

Like I mentioned in my previous post, I promised you all a restaurant review! This past Friday my family went to the Belleair Grill & Wine Bar for my brother’s 23rd birthday. My parents had been a few times before and suggested it for Mat’s birthday. Plus we had a coupon =)

When we walked in and had made a reservation so there was no wait. It didn’t seem too busy though for a Friday night- I don’t imagine anyone had a tremendous wait.

My family brought in 2 bottles of wine because they only charge $10 for a corkage fee! My parents had done this before and said it was the most cost-effective way to go. While they enjoyed wine, I had a nice crisp glass of water =)

We decided to split appetizers and the first we chose was the “Jumbo lump crab cakes with whole-grain mustard aioli”. These were very good but were a little too bready for me. My parents liked them though. *Picture another crab cake on there… I forgot I was taking pictures*

The second appetizer was “Bruschette chopped tomato, basil & garlic; olive tapenade; white bean with truffle oil; with grilled garlic bread”. We also dug into this too fast for my camera to capture all of it. There were 2 more toasts with the white bean spread on them. This was very good! Everything was very fresh and flavorful but our favorite was the traditional for sure!

We all ordered salads as well. Mat, Mom, and I got the Mixed Green salad, and Dad got the Marinated Artichoke Salad.

Mixed green salad with grape tomatoes, mushrooms, red
onions and olives served with house vinaigrette with bleu
cheese crumbles or poppy seed dressing

Marinated artichoke salad- Mediterranean olives, grape
tomatoes, red onions, arugula with lemon-basil vinaigrette
and shaved asiago

Both of these salads were delish! I really liked Dad’s because of all the olives, but the poppy seed dressing for the Mixed Green salad was amazing!

We all ordered something different for our meals and everyone said they liked their decision.

Mat ordered the sea scallops- “ Sea scallops sautéed in balsamic-brown butter reduction, with diced tomatoes, fresh parsley, celery root mash”. Dad had ordered this the first time he came to this restaurants and highly recommended it.

Dad’s order was a special. Something like baked Halibut with a sweet potato puree (AMAZING!) and asparagus. He liked it but said the fish was overcooked and that happened to him last time as well (with salmon). I would say the dish was redeemed by the sweet potato puree though. Seriously, I have to figure out how to make this.

Mom ordered the pork tenderloin- “Grilled pork tenderloin filled with gorgonzola and dried cranberries with cranberry-Port wine sauce, garlic mashed potatoes”. She said it was “very tasty” and she thought the filling was “a perfect blend of flavors”. (love quoting her like this haha)

I went back and forth between the shrimp and chicken, but ultimately decided for the chicken- “Chicken breast marinated with fresh herbs and balsamic vinegar, with asparagus and mushroom ragout”. The marinade that they used was amazing and the chicken was really moist. I tried a little bit of the potatoes but honestly was not impressed.

Unfortunately we did not get to have dessert because we had cake waiting at home, but it looks like they have some yummy options. Dad and Mom have had the tiramisu and panna cotta before and really liked them.

All in all, it was a very delish meal and I would recommend giving it a shot. I don’t know how soon I will be back, but my parents look forward to going again so it might just be me.

If you just read that all the way through, let me know how you liked it. Should I add more pictures? Describe the decor? Gimme ideas =)

<3 Maddy

Playing Catch-up

2009-03-04T11:36:00.001-08:00

Okay my latest goal is to blog more frequently. Let’s see how this works out.

In recent newssss. I got to meet up with some lovely ladies in Tampa last week at a place called Datz Deli! It was really delish and all of these girls were so sweet and amazing. Here’s a picture of all of us (stolen from Caitlin).

From L to R – Courtney, Meghann, Caitlin, Jenna, Ashley, Ryan, and Jenna’s friend Jenny

New Blog Feature

It was so funny seeing them whip out their camera’s for their blogs and also got me thinking about what I want to do to be more involved in blogging. Soooooo I have decided to start including some restaurant reviews! Every Thursday Pops and I usually go out to eat and we like to try new places, so I thought that would be a fun addition!

This Friday we are all going to Belleair Grill for my brother’s birthday, so look forward to my first review from there! =)

Cake Decorating Class - Part 2

I have been meaning to post this for awhile but have been super busy with school so I’m sorry! Here’s the rest of the class and the cakes my classmates made too.

*simple drop flowers & shell border*

I didn’t really like how this cake turned out so I don’t have a lot of pictures of it. However our FINAL cake was really fun and I have my pictures plus the one’s by my classmates.

And tonight I start Course 2! I can’t wait!

If you’ve stuck through this rediculously long post… thank you. haha! Hopefully I’ll be updating again soon =)

Love Maddy <3

Quickie ;)

2009-03-03T10:30:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to say hello and that I will be updating tonight. I worked all morning on updating my layout and getting it all pretty =)

Things to discuss:
-Blogger Meet-up
-Cake Class
-Recent Bakings

Have a great Tuesday!

<3 Maddy

Cake Decorating Class – Part 1

2009-02-25T22:06:00.001-08:00

Heyyyy lovies =) I’m back. I guess I’m not so hot at the blogging thing. I’m really good at taking pictures with every intent of blogging though! Oh well, I’ll get better.

For Christmas this year, my super amazing uncle got me $75 to Michael’s for their Wilton cake decorating classes. At first I wasn’t totally sure what to do with $75 but it went SO quickly. You can’t blame a girl, Wilton has some of the most amazing cake decorating supplies!

Our first class was spent just meeting our instructor (Hi Bobby!), learning how to make the classic Wilton Buttercream Icing, and learning a few icing tricks. We left with our homework and returned the next week with 2 layer cakes, filled with any kind of filling, and iced as smooth as possible.

*This is the step Bobby suggested where you put a thin layer of icing over the cake and freeze it for 30 min. to an hour. That way, when you go to put the final icing on, the crumbs are frozen into the pre-coat of icing. Smart lady, huh?*

Like I said, as smooth as possible. It was my first one! haha

When we got to class with our cakes, we started on a rainbow design. It turned out absolutely adorable and I could totally see myself making this cake for a child’s birthday party!

I’m absolutely exhausted, so that’s all for now! But I’ll be back soon with Part 2! I promise =)

Happy Baking!

Football Truffles and Secret Cupid

2009-02-11T20:50:00.001-08:00

Hellloooo! I promised I’d be back with the chocolate football recipe and secret cupid fun so here we go! I wish I could say I came up with the genius idea for these football truffles but all credit must go to Miss Bakerella. I followed her recipe exactly and came out with these delicious footballs for Superbowl Sunday. Everyone absolutely loved.

These are definitely a labor of love though so be prepared to spend a few hours making them perfect. These are also the only pictures I can find of them so use your imagination and imagine 40 or so more before they all got eaten. =)

Those ones aren’t exactly the prettiest but you get the picture.

In otha newsssssss- I got my Secret Cupid from the lovely Leslie & Jackson.

Lovvvveeee all the pink =)

2 cute handtowels, lollipops, 2 heart coasters, and that rope at the bottom is a toy for Kenzie from Jackson!

This extremely adorable thing is a dish scrubber. I’ll probable just let it sit by the counter because it’s too cute to use. haha

She also sent me sprinkles and 2 heart-shaped candle holders.

Thank you so much for your gift! I hope everyone has a wonderful Valentine’s Day, whatever you do.

<3 Maddy

Secret Cupid!

2009-02-03T14:37:00.000-08:00

Lee, at For the Love of Peanut Butter, set up a really awesome Secret Cupid gift exchange for Valentines Day =)

I can't tell you who I have but I will post what I get/sent after Valentine's Day! I can't wait to see how it goes. In the mean time, ponder over this delicious morsel of goodness.

Recipe to come soon. Go Steelers! =)

ps- Dear Secret Cupid person who has me,
I love icecream, but unfortunately that won't send in the mail. I also love healthy snacks (Luna White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Barrrrrr) so that I can eat delicious desserts. I also love peanut butter. hint. hint.

Love,
Maddy

Cruising Carrot Cake

2009-01-14T22:36:00.001-08:00

This past summer I went on a cruise with my family and had an amazing time! It was a mix of celebrations- my mom’s and my birthdays, my parent’s anniversary, my brother’s graduation. We went to Grand Cayman and did the fun tourist stuff.

We went to Cozumel and went on a tour of the Mayan Ruins of Tulum.

And we toured Roatan, Honduras while I was on the hunt for a gelato place I had heard of. Unfortunately it was not there, but the island was beautiful!

Along with the shore excursions, we spent a lot of time eating… like every good cruiser does, right? One of the places my brother ended up often was this coffee bar that also had cookies, cake, etc. One day I stroll down there to find him eating a big ol’ slice of carrot cake probably 30 minutes before dinner? Haha

In honor of this piece of cake, I decided to be the best sister ever and make him his own carrot cake when we got home.

Recipe from Group Recipes (thank you Zena824, whoever you are!)

For the cake:

2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 large eggs
2 cups sugar
3/4 cups canola oil
3/4 cups buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups grated carrots
1 (3 1/2 oz) package flaked coconut
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line three 9-inch round cake pans with wax paper, lightly grease and flour pans. (I used disposable aluminum pans and Pam-type spray)
Stir together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Beat eggs, sugar, oil, buttermilk, and vanilla with a mixer until smooth. Slowly add the flour mixture to the egg mixture on low speed until blended. Fold in carrots, followed by coconut and pecans. Evenly distribute the batter between the 3 pans and bake for 25-30 minutes.

For the glaze:

1 cup sugar
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Bring sugar, baking soda, buttermilk, butter, and corn syrup to a boil over medium high heat. Let it boil for 4 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

When the cakes come out of the over, pour glaze over each layer. Allow to cool 15 minutes in pans on wire racks. Then, remove from pans and cool completely.

For the frosting:

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 (8oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
1 (3oz) pkg cream cheese, softened (note that this says 3 oz!)
3 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Beat butter and cream cheese with mixer at medium speed until creamy. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth.

When cakes are cool, spread in between each layer and on the outside of the cake, covering it completely. Garnish with extra pecans.

This cake is so yummy and amazing! And I definitely think it was better than the one on the ship =)

And this is turning into a marathon post so if you’ve stayed in it this long, here is a funny picture of Kenzie for your viewing pleasure.

Happy Baking!

Peanut butter makes everything better!

2008-12-29T09:58:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone has had an amazing Christmas time. Mine was spent with some really fun people and yummy food (most importantly desserts).

I totally forgot about making these until I made a Peanut Butter Pie for a Choir Christmas Party last week! I made them back in October or September and they were de-lic-ious. The recipe is your basic peanut butter mousse with a graham cracker crust, and then a few added yummies =)

Peanut Butter Mousse Cups

For crust:
1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs (24 crackers)
1/4 cup sugar
6 tbsp. butter, melted

Crush the graham crackers until fine and add sugar. Mix together, then add butter, stirring until incorporated. Press into the bottom 6 ramakins.

For mousse:
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1 container Cool Whip (at room temperature)

Mix peanut butter and 1 cup of Cool Whip until light. Then fold in the rest of the Cool Whip, keeping the mixture fluffy.

Pour the mousse into the ramakins and then have fun adding toppings or other flavors!

hot fudge poured on top of pretzel crumbs

sliced banana layered with cinnamon and sugar

starwberry jam warmed up and poured over the mousse

Store in the freezer, covered with plastic wrap until ready to serve.

The recipe can also be made into a pie by pressing the crust into a 9 inch pie pan and pouring the mousse over that. Feel free to decorate with toppings of your choice.

I hope you enjoy this simple recipe. My brother said they weren't that bad... especially given his cup when he was done... lol

Happy Baking =)

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-22T12:09:00.001-08:00

I can hardly believe Christmas is in 3 days!! I was at the beach 2 days ago!

I'm sorry I have been so MIA lately with classes ending and break starting. I have been baking though so expect some goodies to come soon! Have a safe, happy holidays =)

Ooey Gooey Pumpkin Bars

2008-11-14T13:29:00.000-08:00

Another fun baking day! Yesterday morning I whipped these up for a realtor open house. They were like pumpkin-cheesecake bars but warm? Weird description, I know. Either way, snaps to Paula Deen for this amazing recipe!

Pumpkin Gooey (I know why she named them that!)
recipe from Paula Deen

1 box yellow cake mix
1 egg
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking pan with cooking spray. In an electric mixer, combine cake mix, egg, and melted butter. Pat into the bottom of the baking pan and set aside.

1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
3 eggs
1 teaspooon vanilla extract
1 15 oz. can of pumpkin pie filling (I just realized that I used plain pumpkin... oops!)
1 16 oz. box confectioners' sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

Still using the mixer (I didn't wash the bowl out or anything) beat cream cheese until smooth, then add pumpkin. Add eggs and vanilla, mixing until well combined. Beat in confectioners' sugar. Reduce the speed and slowly pour in melted butter. Once well mixed, pour the pumpkin-cream cheese mixture over the cake mixture and spread evenly.

Bake for 40-50 minutes, but as Paula says "Don't be afraid to make a judgement call on the cooking time...You want the center to be a little gooey, so don't bake it past this point!" Allow to cool completely and cut into squares.

I was in a rush to get these to the open house, and actually wanted to serve them slightly warm, so mine were harder to cut. I recommend letting them cool longer. For pretty presentation, top with a pecan half and sprinkle with powdered sugar!

Oh and here's a picture of my weird-o dog =)

Happy Baking! 13 days until Thanksgiving!!!

Muffin Love

2008-11-12T11:40:00.000-08:00

Hello Hellooo! =)

Sorry for not posting anything in awhile. I would make the excuse that I'm busy but thats not true. haha I have had a lot of free time lately and have just been a slacker =( If it makes you feel any better, this post has TWO recipes in it. Get excited.

I did have sometime (amidst my slacking) to make these beautiful muffins for friend's business breakfast. I made about 10 dozen mini muffins in blueberry, pumpkin spice, and banana nut. They were absolutely delish. The blueberry ones are a recipe out of my Better Homes cookbook so I don't think I can post the recipe. (Does anyone know how that works with copyrights, etc.?)

Pumpkin Muffins with Orange Drizzle
from AllRecipes

1 can 100% pure pumpkin
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup dark brown sugar (i used 3/4 dark, 1/4 light simply because I ran out)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Heat oven to 425 degrees F and spray mini muffin tins with cooking spray. Bring pumpkin, ginger, cinnamon and cloves to a simmer in a medium saucepan until puree thickens enough to start sticking to pan bottom, 6 to 8 minutes. (The mixture didn't seem noticably thicker but I let it simmer the full 6-8 minutes) Turn into bowl and whisk in sugar, and oil. Slowly beat in eggs.

In another bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk into pumpking mixture until just combined. (I used a Kitchenaid for all of the mixing, but I'm sure it would be fine by hand)

Divide batter among muffin cups and bake until golden, about 10 - 11 minutes. Let stand then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Orange Drizzle:
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
4 teaspoons orange juice (I ended up using 5 so it was thinner)

Combine ingredients and drizzle over warm muffins. I thinned mine out to make it go further and spread easier.

I got about 45 muffins out of this and according to Mom they were very good! I hope everyone at the breakfast enjoyed them!

Banana Nut Muffins
from SimplyRecipes

3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed (I used 3)
1/3 cup melted butter
3/4 cup sugar (lessened to 2/3 cup)
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 Tbsp espresso or strong coffee (used instant coffee dissolved in water)
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 cup of flour
1 cup chopped walnuts

No need for a mixer!
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and spray muffin tins with cooking spray. Mix melted butter into mashed bananas with wooden spoon. Mix in sugar, egg, vanilla, and coffee. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over, then mix in. Add the flour until just incorporated, then mix in the walnuts. Divide into tins and bake for 10-12 minutes (for minis).

This recipe could not be any easier. It gave me 36 muffins exactly and they were definitely a hit!

Give these muffins a try! They are delicious and not to mention super cute! Happy Baking!

Blondies!

2008-11-03T08:38:00.000-08:00

I don't have too long to write for this one. I'm completely swamped with school stuff this week!

I got the recipe for these out of my Better Homes cookbook. Enjoy!

Sorry so short! I'll post more soon =)

Urban Legend Cookies!

2008-10-25T19:50:00.000-07:00

NEWS FLASH!!!!
Wanted:
for being the worst blogger everrrrrr.

I'm so sorry I have been completely MIA. I have been baking though, so I will try to catch up over the next few days.

One of the things I made in my time away were "Urban Legend Cookies". Have you ever heard of the infamous $250 Neiman Marcus Cookie Recipe? Well there are 2 recipes circulating that claim to be the real one. I am eventually going to cook the other one too, just to see which one I think might be worth that, even if it is a joke.

This recipe came from AllRecipes.com and it is very good. My brother couldn't stop eating them =)

Hope everyone is enjoying this amazing fall weather! Yay for Florida fall! Happy Baking =)

Cranberry Sweet Potato Scones

2008-10-05T14:28:00.000-07:00

Sooooo sadly I did not win my cupcake challenge. But there are more months to come and I'm really excited to try making more cupcakes! Congrats to all the great entries submitted and the winner, Mama Baker!
On to the baking! Right by our house is a 4H farm that grows random stuff. My dad was walking Kenzie (our ~~shoe-murder~~ Airedale in the picture above) by the park and they were clearing out their land for the next crop? I don't really understand it all. All I know is Dad came home with 6 of the weirdest looking sweet potatoes on the planet. I found this recipe and figured it was an easy way to use some up!

Cranberry Sweet Potato Scones
adapted from VegFamily

1/3 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg, whisked
1 cup mashed, cooked sweet potato
1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Beat together syrup and butter until smooth. Add in vanilla, egg, and sweet potato and mix well. In another bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and pumpkin pie spice. Combine flour mixture into wet mixture. Stir in dried cranberries and nuts. (I found this part to be kind of weird; the mixture stuck together so it was hard to combine the cranberries and nuts) Drop onto ungreased cookie sheets and bake for 10 minutes.

Aren't they cute!? And they were a perfect treat to go with this amazing fall weather we're starting to get!

Happy Baking!

Voting starts today!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-09-28T14:35:00.000-07:00

So I was loading pictures from my camera and there were MORE pictures of my cupcakes that I didn't even know existed! So here is my friendly reminder to go to http://mkecupcakequeen.blogspot.com/ to vote for me this week!!!

All Gone! =)

Conference Cookies

2008-09-25T21:19:00.000-07:00

Setting: Mom, Dad, Me on outside patio, eating dinner (shrimp, broccoli, and sweet potato fries).

Dad: So I hope you ladies will excuse me tonight. I'll be in the office rehearsing my class for our user conference this week.

Me: Oh. Your teaching at it?

Dad: Yeah. I'm doing excel...blah...blah...Microsoft...blah blah...spreadsheet...blah..(3 minutes later)...I just hope they enjoy it because they said last year they would like more interactive time.

Mom: Well why don't you go through examples with them?

Me: Just give them cookies or something. That's what I always do for class projects.

Dad (bright expression on his face): Why don't you bake me cookies for my class!?

End Scene

So after we finished dinner and all its yumminess, I set to work looking for good cookie recipes. I figured, if I was a bill gatesy-kinda nerdy-suit wearing-conference attending man, what kind of cookie would I want? That was when I decided to look for the big bakery kinda cookies (as you can probably tell from the pictures, my cookies did not turn out very big though). I tried both and didn't really care for the chocolate chip recipe so I'm not even gunna bother putting it here. The sugar cookie recipe, however, was AMAZING! I was picturing cookies like the Publix ones, but these were fluffy and light (and cute).

Paradise Bakery Sugar Cookies
RecipeZaar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
2 cups shortening
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 large egg, beaten
4 1/3 cups cake flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
sugar, for decorating

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Using an electric mixer, cream together the sugars and shortening (I was totally freaked out by how much shortening this was). Mix on a low speed for 30 seconds, then scrape down the sides of the bowl. Increase speed to medium and mix for another 3 minutes. While mixing, slowly add vanilla and beaten egg.

In another bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. On a low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the wet mixture until just combined. Form into golf ball sized balls and roll in any fun decorative sugars you have. Place on a greased cookie sheet and flatten balls slighty with your hand. Bake for 10 minutes until the edges are slightly cracked. You do not want these cookies to brown.

I got creative after they were all done and decided to wrap them individually with plastic wrap, and then printed out cute labels with my blog link to stick on the back. =)

Hopefully some of you reading are previous cookie eaters and will comment to let me know what you thought! Don't forget to vote for my cupcakes on Sunday! Happy Baking! =)

Iron Cupcake Virgin! =P

2008-09-17T18:14:00.000-07:00

I just did my first Iron Cupcake challenge and it was so exciting!!! When I signed up for this it was right after the chili pepper contest, so I waited anxiously for the announcement of this month's special ingredient. BASIL!! (More info here)

I looked around for days for inspiration until I came across a recipe for a chocolate torte that looked delicious! With a little bit of alteration, my Flourless Chocolate-Basil Cupcake was born. I jazzed it up with a chocolate ganache and then added chocolate buttercream frosting to make this amazing cupcake =)

Flourless Chocolate-Basil Cupcake with
Chocolate Ganache and Chocolate Buttercrean Frosting

for Cupcakes:

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces
4 ounces chopped semisweet chocolate
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 packed cup fresh basil (leaves only)
3 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F, and center a rack in your oven. Line a regular muffin tin (12 muffins) with cupcake liners. Melt the butter and the chocolate in a small saucepan over very low heat, stirring constantly. Remove as soon as mixture is smooth. Pour into large mixing bowl. Stir in vanilla and salt to combine.

Make a basil-sugar: pulse sugar and basil together in a food processor until the basil is very finely chopped and uniformly green in color (it will look moist).

Add basil-sugar to chocolate mixture and whisk until smooth. Whisk in eggs one at a time. Sift cocoa powder over mixture and combine completely (you want no lumps). Pour into prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes or until tops are just a little cracked. Let cool for 5 minutes, then transfer onto cooling rack.

for Rich Chocolatey Ganache:
4 ounces chopped semisweet chocolate
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream

Melt chocolate and cream in a small saucepan on very low heat, stirring constantly until smooth. Using a spoon, drizzle the ganache over each cupcake or let it drip down the sides.

for Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:
1/2 stick butter, softened
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
1/8 cup milk

Beat butter on high for 30 seconds. Add cocoa and 1/2 cup of confectioner's sugar, beat until combined. Add the rest of the sugar and milk, beat until combined. I put this into our pastry press and swirled frosting onto each cupcake, but you could just spread it on with a knife too.

This was so much fun and I look forward to doing it again next month! We're competing for some really neat prizes from:

ETSY artist METAL SUGAR

and our lovely sponsors:

HEAD CHEFS
HELLO CUPCAKE
JESSIE STEELE APRONS
CUPCAKE COURIER
TASTE OF HOME

Voting begins Sunday the 28th at noon, at NO ONE PUTS CUPCAKE IN A CORNER! So vote for me pretty pretty please (with basil on top)!

Happy Baking! ♥

Cream Cheese Snicker Brownie Explosion (CCSBE)

2008-09-14T12:46:00.000-07:00

Yummy Yummy in my tummy! I don't even have a story to add for these. I just saw these and knew I had to make them no matter what. On Priscilla's Baking Adventures (one of my fave baking blogs) I saw her make these with Reese's Cups. I switched it up because I love Snickers and opted to not use the melted chocolate chip on top.

Cream Cheese Snicker Brownie Explosion
1 brownie mix box
1 8-oz. cream cheese
1 egg
1 cup sugar
1-1/2 cup snickers cut up (I used 2 snickers almond bars)

Prepare brownies according to the box. Do not "bake", only put the batter into the pan. Beat cream cheese. Add egg and sugar, beat until smooth. Add chopped Snickers. Pour on top of batter, swirl with knife. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 mintues. I cooked them for 25 minutes because I like the fudgy center =)

Let them cool completely. Cut into 16 delicious squares of yumminess!

Happy Baking!

I guess I bake when people are leaving?

2008-09-05T08:01:00.000-07:00

My brother left for Israel (I KNOW!) this past Monday and I asked him what he wanted me to make him before he left. Out of nowhere he's like "German Chocolate Cake!" I was a little surprised, 1) because I don't think he's ever had that before and 2) because I had a better idea and I was really hoping he would say he didn't care what I made.

So off I go to look for a recipe and this is the one I came across. It was kind of labor-inclusive if I must say. It took pretty much all day Sunday AND I had my mom in the kitchen helping me.

German Chocolate Cake with Coconut-Pecan Filling
by the Editors of Cook's Illustrated

For the filling:
4 large egg yolks
One 12-ounce can evaporated milk
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/3. cups sweetened shredded coconut
1 1/2 cups finely chopped pecans, toasted

Whisk the yolks in a medium saucepan; gradually whisk in the evaporated milk. Add the sugars, butter, and salt and cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture is boiling, frothy, and slightly thickened, about 6 minutes.

Transfer the mixture to a bowl, whisk in the vanilla, then stir in the coconut. Cool until just warm, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until cool or cold, at least 2 hours or up to 3 days. (The pecans are stirred in just before cake assembly.)
*When you assemble the cake, the filling should be cool or cold. To be time-efficient, first make the filling, then use the refrigeration time to prepare, bake, and cool the cakes.

For the cakes:
4 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
1/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa, sifted
1/2 cup boiling water
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour plus more for dusting the pans
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened but still cool
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon table salt
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup sour cream, at room temperature

Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position; heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Combine the chocolate and cocoa in a small bowl; pour the boiling water over and let stand to melt the chocolate, about 2 minutes. Whisk until smooth; set aside until cooled to room temperature. Meanwhile, spray two 9-inch-round by 2-inch-high straight-sided cake pans with nonstick cooking spray; line the bottoms with parchment or waxed paper rounds. Spray the paper rounds, dust the pans with flour, and knock out the excess. Sift the flour and baking soda into a medium bowl or onto a sheet of parchment or waxed paper.

In the bowl of a standing mixer, beat the butter, sugars, and salt at medium-low speed until the sugar is moistened, about 30 seconds. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula halfway through. With the mixer running at
medium speed, add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the bowl halfway through. Beat in the vanilla; increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 45 seconds. With the mixer running at low speed, add the chocolate, then increase the speed to medium and beat until combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down the bowl once (the batter may appear broken). With the mixer running at low speed, add the dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with the sour cream (in 2 additions), beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, and beating in each addition until barely combined. After the final flour addition, beat on low until just combined, then stir the batter by hand with a rubber spatula, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl, to ensure that the batter is homogenous (the batter will be thick). Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans; spread the batter to the edges of the pans with the rubber spatula and smooth the surfaces.
this part seems intense, but just read it first and follow along, its not as bad as it seems

Bake the cakes until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool in the pans 10 minutes, then invert the cakes onto a greased wire rack; peel off and discard the paper rounds. Cool the cakes to room temperature before filling, about 1 hour.

To assemble cake:
Stir the toasted pecans into the chilled filling. With a serrated knife held so that the blade is parallel with the work surface, use a sawing motion to cut each cake into two even layers. Starting with the first cake, carefully lift off the top layer and set aside. Using an icing spatula, distribute about 1 cup filling evenly on the cake, spreading the filling to the very edge of the cake and leveling the surface. Carefully place the upper cake layer on top of the filling; repeat using the remaining filling and cake layers.

Be forewarned. This cake is very rich, so only take a small piece. It's delicious though, so enjoy every bite of it! Happy Baking! =)

Camp Cookies!

2008-08-28T17:33:00.000-07:00

This summer I was a counselor at a church camp for 10 weeks. Every Monday before the new set of campers came, we had a really good lunch (better than the camper-camp food). It usually was like grilled cheese, homemade soup, and DELICIOUS cookies. So this was my attempt to make the Chocolate Chocolate Chip ones like theirs. Honestly, they were not as good. I'll be on the look out for a better recipe. But here they are anyway. I found the recipe on RecipeZaar but it is from the Nestle White Chocolate Chip bag.

Ingredients
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup baking cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract in large mixing bowl with an electric mixer. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in white chocolate chips.

Drop by well-rounded teaspoons (I did tablespoon measures and got 48 cookies) onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 9-11 minutes. Let cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes. Transfer to wire racks and let cool completely.

The recipe made about 48 cookies and 1 large one. I enjoyed the weird large one warm with icecream over it. Another nice addition would be to add nuts to it for a little texture difference. Happy Baking! =)

Another try with the ol' loaf

2008-08-25T11:56:00.000-07:00

I decided to try baking a loaf of bread again. Maybe it was perfectionism coming out, maybe it was the 2 brown bananas sitting on my counter? Whose to judge? haha. I used this recipe from Food Network this and it came out pretty freakin good. I brought it up to my church to share with the congregation on Sunday and it was gone pretty fast.

Banana Walnut Bread
From Food Network Kitchens
1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for preparing the pan

1 cup sugar 3 very ripe bananas, peeled, and mashed with a fork (about 1 cup)

1/2 cup toasted walnut pieces

Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl, set aside. Whisk the eggs and vanilla together in a liquid measuring cup with a spout, set aside. Lightly brush a 9 by 5 by 3-inch loaf pan with butter. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or with an electric hand-held mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually pour the egg mixture into the butter while mixing until incorporated. Add the bananas (the mixture will appear to be curdled, so don't worry), and remove the bowl from the mixer.

With a rubber spatula, mix in the flour mixture until just incorporated. Fold in the nuts and transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Bake for 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean. Cool the bread in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Turn the bread out of the pan and let cool completely on the rack.

All in all I think the recipe turned out pretty good! I did have to use whole wheat flour though, so I don't think it was as moist as it could have been. Oh well, happy baking!

Oatmeal Chip Cookies

2008-08-22T13:03:00.000-07:00

My friend left for college yesterday and I wanted to send her off with something sweet. I knew she likes oatmeal cookies but wasn't really in the mood to make oatmeal raisin or something like that. So I dug into my Better Homes cookbook and found this recipe for Oatmeal Chip Cookies.

Ingredients
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a mixing bowl beat butter on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar, granualted sugar, baking powder, baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and cinnamon. Beat until combined. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Beat in as much of flour as you can, stir in remaining. Stir in oats and chocolate chips.

Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet (I used parchment paper). Bake for 8-10 minutes or until edges are lightly brown. Cool on cookie sheet 1 minute, then transfer to wire rack to cool.

These cookies were very good -chewy but crunchy on the edges. Apparently they didn't even make it to her dorm. =)

My first loaf

2008-08-17T09:25:00.000-07:00

So the grocery store near my house was having a huge, blowout, everything-must-go sale and I got some aluminum loaf pans on sale. This inspired me to try to bake some sort of loaf of bread. Unfortunately I realized when I got home, that the pans were a lot bigger than the size any recipe called for. I decided anyway to give it a shot and chose a Cinnamon Swirl Loaf from RecipeZaar.

1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/3 cups sugar, divided
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour *
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter, 1 cup sugar, and egg. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture alternately with the buttermilk. In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon and remaining 1/3 cup sugar.

Pour a third of the batter into a greased 8X4X2-inch loaf pan. Sprinkle a third of the cinnamon sugar on top of batter. Repeat layers twice.

Bake for 45-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

My loaf ended up cooking too long and being a little crumbly, but hey! It was my first try at baking bread. Happy Baking!

*all I had on hand was whole wheat flour but it seemed to work out okay. if nothing else, it made it a little healthier?

Hello!

2008-08-15T11:46:00.000-07:00

I have recently discovered a love for baking and cooking, and I wanted to share my creations with you all! Enjoy =)