One of my best friends is getting married next month, and to help out with her Bridal Shower I made these cookies, and some cake pops. It was a tea party themed shower and I was given free reign on what to make.
Kahlua Cake
I remember tasting a Kahlua Cake at a Christmas party when I was 16. Here I am years later still thinking about that cake. It was so moist, rich, and had such an interesting flavor. It's a devil's food chocolate cake that has Kahlua mixed in the batter.
Sprinkles Of My Life
Is it just me or is August one of the fastest passing months? Well, here we are, stumbling into September whether we're ready or not. Do you hear Christmas music yet? I'm sure it's about to start any day now. I don't know why people complain about hearing Christmas music for a few months of the year. The rest of the time they play the same songs over and over too so it's not any different!
Black Bottom Oatmeal Pie
Before school started Paul and I went to Walnut Creek to do a little shopping. Out of all the places to shop there, where do you think I was most excited to go? Williams Sonoma, and Crate & Barrel. I don't have those stores (or any really) in my town so I was so excited to find them and spend as much time as I could daydreaming in them.
After our long shopping filled day, what did I go home with? A cookbook and a baking mat. Not just any cookbook, have you. It's full of JUST pies! It's the Four & Twenty Blackbirds Pie Book. Full from cover to cover of beautiful pies, and amazing ideas. They even have it sectioned off into seasons, so you're making pies with fresh ingredients according to the season.
German Pancakes aka Dutch Babies
It's hard to know when you're ready for something. Are we really ever ready? I feel like I'm always trying to get to a place that will make me feel there. Always trying to make it there, to that place where I'll be comfortable.
If only I was here, had this, and was doing this, I'd be set. I'd be ready.
Roasted Balsamic Strawberries
Roasted Balsamic Strawberries take your ordinary strawberries up a notch, or ten.
This simple process will give you an extraordinary strawberry topping.
I can honestly say I've never had anything like Roasted Balsamic Strawberries before. But when I saw this recipe on Nerds and Nomsense I knew I had to make it. Roasted Balsamic Strawberries. It sounds so fancy, doesn't it? Something for a sophisticated pallet, for sure. But, making it was a breeze, and eating it, well... too easy!
It's sweet, yet savory. It's tangy, and rich all at the same time. It's something else.
Banana Split Ice Cream Cake
With the summer coming to an end, and a new school year approaching, this cake feels right. It's the big summer send-off. The Ice Cream Social before the school year. Did anyone else do those as a kid?
It's one of those desserts where you get to dive in, head-first, and indulge. Forget the bikinis, skinny jeans, and tank tops. We're headed towards oversized sweaters, and stretchy pants. You deserve to pull out all the stops, and so does this cake.
Skinny Banana Muffins
I think we're due for another "Skinny Muffin", don't you? Judging by the popularity of my Skinny Blueberry Muffins, I'd say people like this kind of thing!
So here's the skinny, on what makes them "skinny". See what I did there? These muffins contain NO BUTTER, and NO OIL. They use bananas and applesauce instead. Also, they are low sugar. The bananas and unsweetened applesauce have natural sweetness, so we only need to add a little extra. I also used a mixture of whole wheat and all purpose flour. You can play with the mixture of flours, and even make them all whole wheat if you want! Each muffin is also LESS than 150 calories!
Chai Tea Latte Popsicles
A few days ago it rained here. In California. In August. What's going on? Rain in the summer might be a normal thing in other places but not here. I'm not complaining though. Waking up to the smell of rained on sidewalks is my favorite thing to wake up to. The quick glimpse of cooler weather and a soft breeze gave me a craving for some autumn commodities.
Since wearing a scarf and boots while it's still over 100 degrees isn't appropriate, I took the logical course of action. Popsicles!
PB&J Ice Cream Sandwich
Let's talk about peanut butter and jelly, okay?
Classic combination.
Sweet and salty / creamy and delicious / childhood memories... need I say more?
Blackberry Ice Cream
Blackberries were on sale, so I made blackberry ice cream. Naturally.
I've made so much ice cream this summer, you wouldn't believe me if I told you how much. Over 10 gallons! Don't believe me? I told you you wouldn't.
Peanut Butter Cookies
I don't know what it is about peanut butter cookies, but they're something special.
Maybe it's because they're not as over-the-top sweet as most other cookies, which makes them easier to eat more of..
Or maybe it's the fact that they're made with peanut butter and so they're extra creamy..
Whatever it is, they're stinkin' good. And we all need a good go-to recipe!
Peach Cobbler
Thick and gooey filling lies below a fluffy biscuit topping, and is baked to golden perfection.
Nothing says sweet summer like a peach cobbler.
Growing up, peach cobblers were my thing (read: thang).
How to Blanch Peaches
Have you ever tried to peel a peach? It can get pretty messy. Slippery, slimy, (and sometimes a bit mushy) things don't tend to behave well when placed under a knife. Fortunately, there's another way.
Banana Cake with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
Fluffy, moist banana cake covered in a smooth chocolate cream cheese frosting.
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
Rich, creamy, smooth chocolatey cream cheese frosting.
This frosting is rich, and decadent. Not too sweet, and perfectly tangy. A wonderful change from the usual super-sweet buttercream. Besides, who doesn't love an excuse to sneak some cream cheese into things?
Watermelon Lime Daiquiri
Fun fact: Did you know that the Daiquiri was one of the favorite drinks of Ernest Hemingway and J.F.K?
There are a few ways to make a Daiquiri. One way is with shaved ice, where you pour the liquid ingredients over the shaved ice. Another way is shaking the liquid ingredients in a shaker with ice, and pouring it into a chilled glass, without any ice. The third way, and the more common way, is the "frozen daiquiri". This is when the ingredients are blended together with ice. That is how I made these.
Almond Joy Ice Cream Cake
Chocolate cake layered with vanilla coconut ice cream, chocolate sauce, coconut and chopped Almond Joy candies.
Good lighting makes me happy.
I'm far from calling myself a "food photographer", but I feel like each new recipe I shoot I am learning more and getting a little bit better. I think I enjoy the photo-taking just as much, if not more, than the baking! It's definitely the creativity.
Red White and Blue Layered Star Ice Cubes
Patriotic Ice Cubes perfect for the 4th Of July.
I'm sure we've all seen those adorable "layered drinks" going around the internet. It's such a fun idea for 4th of July. Layered red, white, and blue, and it's perfect for kids too! My ice cubes are a spin-off of a layered drink. Except you don't have to worry about the sugar content of each color drink (for the layered drinks you have to have varying sugar contents). When you layer ice cubes, you can freeze one layer at a time, and have total control over your layers. Freeze whatever drinks you want! I like this no-fuss layering.
Sprinkles Of My Life
Where did June go?! I can't believe it's almost over! And the 4th of July is in just a few days! Are you ready? What are you doing for the 4th? We're not doing anything big this year. We went to Tahoe last year, (which was a blast!) but this year we're taking it easy. I'll probably be soothing Riley all night because the fireworks scare her so much, poor thing!