tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13567127747295500992023-11-16T10:18:40.158-08:00a single orange rolls onto the stageKristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16648024834569186000noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1356712774729550099.post-570007181001134392012-09-05T13:36:00.000-07:002014-03-11T23:24:24.321-07:00Lemon Cupcakes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ufeLANlKwJ8mKr1ILlIYAIRPAKbgEceScE4MGEi6JrEnoA4swQsPOZV9EnSSbEi_OiLB450-70SUY781bsOjsdkJWiUZfhPnL5nbET5emjXghxOwRrBLqU2yvHmY_mEhzloDN-rhDJhm/s1600/lemon+cupcake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ufeLANlKwJ8mKr1ILlIYAIRPAKbgEceScE4MGEi6JrEnoA4swQsPOZV9EnSSbEi_OiLB450-70SUY781bsOjsdkJWiUZfhPnL5nbET5emjXghxOwRrBLqU2yvHmY_mEhzloDN-rhDJhm/s400/lemon+cupcake.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Curd Filling and <a href="http://alonelyorange.blogspot.com/2011/05/retro-post-cinco-de-mayo-margarita.html#more">Cream Cheese Frosting</a>. </div>
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What did you do today?</div>
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<b>Lemon Curd Filling</b></div>
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<i>Here's What You Need:</i><br />
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
1 1/2 Lemons, Zested and Juiced</div>
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3/4 Cup Sugar</div>
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2 T Butter</div>
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4 Egg Yolks</div>
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<i>Here's What You Do:</i></div>
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1. Make Cupcakes and Let them Cool</div>
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2. Put all of the ingredients in a small saucepan and cook on low low heat for about 10 minutes -- at least until everything is melty and lemony and incorporated. Stir almost constantly.</div>
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3. Take your pot off the heat and stir the curd (gently -- don't break your arm off) as it cools. </div>
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4. Use a piping bag and pastry tip to pump your cupcakes full of lemon curd. Or just eat the lemon curd. Because it's delicious even though "curd" is on the list of worst words for awesome things ever.</div>
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Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16648024834569186000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1356712774729550099.post-15099712624157960192012-09-01T10:59:00.002-07:002014-03-11T23:34:54.220-07:00Peach Shortbread Bars<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifB5RsHwftgI_Iz0v5a8GpuIu6ralicfLVwTHvv2q7Fdg7DKRS_DwsvSaYwolkt69G2ob82Y4niiZ1dEFPVIx-b1zuGQ4KXbvJhHQyh0HIF1qa-a3kxT4jGHKuNcPkSgW6VNPpFIyaHBJq/s1600/IMG_5260.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifB5RsHwftgI_Iz0v5a8GpuIu6ralicfLVwTHvv2q7Fdg7DKRS_DwsvSaYwolkt69G2ob82Y4niiZ1dEFPVIx-b1zuGQ4KXbvJhHQyh0HIF1qa-a3kxT4jGHKuNcPkSgW6VNPpFIyaHBJq/s400/IMG_5260.JPG" height="266" title="Peach Shortbread, Photo by Kristen Eliason" width="400" /></a></div>
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When I'm stressed or bored I really like to bake. Something about the warm oven and focusing on something else for a while {in this case, slicing peaches and browning butter} helps me to relax and reimagine my life as something that's really, really good.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglki9T-Ue0bxQjdhjcBf_1BUN6w2FFhqb3DSzgSphf5ptoXws7YeXIwBrQDuw5Vw79DP5Zw9fElhS3CNCObpSSOcE9lFFVgrCgrxFNMcp_c-K5RPk1syd8lFxeFlm8g5P0bsaLNCzoxxxL/s1600/IMG_5249.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglki9T-Ue0bxQjdhjcBf_1BUN6w2FFhqb3DSzgSphf5ptoXws7YeXIwBrQDuw5Vw79DP5Zw9fElhS3CNCObpSSOcE9lFFVgrCgrxFNMcp_c-K5RPk1syd8lFxeFlm8g5P0bsaLNCzoxxxL/s400/IMG_5249.JPG" height="266" title="Peach Shortbread, Photo by Kristen Eliason" width="400" /></a></div>
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And so yesterday, when I was at my Maximum Stress Threshold, I started to brown a cup of butter over the stove. I picked peaches and breathed in their summery smell. And I dove into yet another amazing recipe from <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2010/09/peach-shortbread/">Smitten Kitchen</a>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZN1OeaIFpSLDx8UvRdTaOKoXfhuZi_SsqXa-WpbdhgFkDj2gSmpVSBmRZ6G_LK9iXfO4CTKMwwGWjKwGK-rbNihwCG-LxLt3xAePe1IUB9rofUqxuy4Q64Hr4KP_rmvSmE5BmH6slKeZJ/s1600/IMG_5256.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZN1OeaIFpSLDx8UvRdTaOKoXfhuZi_SsqXa-WpbdhgFkDj2gSmpVSBmRZ6G_LK9iXfO4CTKMwwGWjKwGK-rbNihwCG-LxLt3xAePe1IUB9rofUqxuy4Q64Hr4KP_rmvSmE5BmH6slKeZJ/s400/IMG_5256.JPG" height="266" title="Peach Shortbread, Photo by Kristen Eliason" width="400" /></a></div>
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What she doesn't mention -- or at least something that was true for me -- is that these are a lot better the next day. For breakfast. Or lunch. Or, you know where this is going...any time. They're better when they're cool than when they're piping hot. At least that's what I thought.<br />
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<b>Peach Shortbread Bars</b><br />
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<i>Here's What You Need:</i><br />
<br />
1 Cup Butter<br />
1 Cup Sugar<br />
2 3/4 C All-Purpose Flour<br />
1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon<br />
1/8 teaspoon Nutmeg<br />
1/4 teaspoon Salt<br />
1 Large Egg<br />
2 Sliced Peaches<br />
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<i>Here's What You Do:</i><br />
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First off, if you have time, brown the butter. Put it in a pot and stir it until it boils, gets clear, and then browns. Careful not to burn it too much. Then pop the butter into a container (I used tupperware just fine, but if you have a glass dish or pyrex measuring cup, that might be better -- don't want anything to melt...) and then put the butter in the freezer for 30 minutes.<br />
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Preheat your oven to 350, or thereabouts. Grease up your 9x13 pan.<br />
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Then get out a medium-large bowl and mix up the Sugar, Flour, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Salt. Use a pastry cutter to blend in the (now cool) butter and the egg. The mixture will be crumbly<br />
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Press 3/4 of the mixture into the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan. Arrange peach slices over the top. Then top with the rest of the crumbly mixture.<br />
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Bake for 30 minutes. If you need to eat it hot, pop a scoop of vanilla ice cream on there. Or wait for it to cool and for the peachy flavors to sweeten up. You'll love it.<br />
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k.<br />
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<br />Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16648024834569186000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1356712774729550099.post-48999000692875494302012-08-13T21:09:00.001-07:002012-08-13T21:12:40.714-07:00Triple Berry Buttermilk Bundt CakeYesterday I baked what I thought was going to be a beautiful buttermilk bundt cake, full of raspberries, blackberries and blueberries...<br />
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Not so. This is what happened instead:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhua4UA02YYAeoGeZTAU2ZM4W_77eGTF2b9WUwuYIozYp1cTGKjtm3k61ghEY1sFwCNlPKrJs8zua2qzNMzF-DQ2D3WDGve6U7jBmtPy548ICdi-vr2NNUe06MY_ZSZpZkLsXpZ658msVNq/s1600/IMG_5182.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhua4UA02YYAeoGeZTAU2ZM4W_77eGTF2b9WUwuYIozYp1cTGKjtm3k61ghEY1sFwCNlPKrJs8zua2qzNMzF-DQ2D3WDGve6U7jBmtPy548ICdi-vr2NNUe06MY_ZSZpZkLsXpZ658msVNq/s400/IMG_5182.JPG" title="Bundt Wreck, Photo by Kristen Eliason" width="400" /></a></div>
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Right at the clutch moment, the cake stuck to the sides of the pan and basically imploded. I tried cutting the cake into pretty pieces and arranging them artfully:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrNwCjn2o_EEh9IMJkzsSqtkpdAOJ76Noau5y5gDMeAAQC0pwoSZLVvX0l11dqbX-3ykKN4Drkrdc-MFOrfGLT8oho-E0svItowCt_Y3GNNFIuatFaCcaQmgQXeLx73Dg-zxvUunzWvff6/s1600/IMG_5181.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrNwCjn2o_EEh9IMJkzsSqtkpdAOJ76Noau5y5gDMeAAQC0pwoSZLVvX0l11dqbX-3ykKN4Drkrdc-MFOrfGLT8oho-E0svItowCt_Y3GNNFIuatFaCcaQmgQXeLx73Dg-zxvUunzWvff6/s400/IMG_5181.JPG" title="Buttermilk Bundt, Photo by Kristen Eliason" width="400" /></a></div>
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Which started out alright, but ended up like this:</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrIMuDhKUzZBV1BEDqIOJhKFnldpj36gq4sp5ItcGPPc29wkQFNUxOAsDKlJpDA8oGA3NAzA3BO57FvSPI5vcxJ0WgkLtksagjQeMOn7hJV8JaD0fOsvh3iQgR8CtSYCWGeS9buMnuVejA/s1600/IMG_5185.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrIMuDhKUzZBV1BEDqIOJhKFnldpj36gq4sp5ItcGPPc29wkQFNUxOAsDKlJpDA8oGA3NAzA3BO57FvSPI5vcxJ0WgkLtksagjQeMOn7hJV8JaD0fOsvh3iQgR8CtSYCWGeS9buMnuVejA/s400/IMG_5185.JPG" title="Buttermilk Bunt, Photo by Kristen Eliason" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Very Sad Lump of Cake</td></tr>
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So today I got back on the horse, and after a long nap I tried again. I washed berries:</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoMmTvzsCpow4BoXlkBB-ZFN36Fk3sS-rXdDUh7fxSF7yBiFNXw3jHMSxXo3SIq43Mw8xnvAopgrY0yKKqSy73CMt14JDz2jgIUiJuf_oeafVxkeUmU3Zg-7v9SoXhElP5hPgP4c7ojvXe/s1600/IMG_5170.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoMmTvzsCpow4BoXlkBB-ZFN36Fk3sS-rXdDUh7fxSF7yBiFNXw3jHMSxXo3SIq43Mw8xnvAopgrY0yKKqSy73CMt14JDz2jgIUiJuf_oeafVxkeUmU3Zg-7v9SoXhElP5hPgP4c7ojvXe/s400/IMG_5170.JPG" title="Berries, Buttermilk Bunt, Photo by Kristen Eliason" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Juicy</td></tr>
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I measured and sorted:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWrcHQoaObO7q9jnQkX0UacLWq526lGdYohQoz5RPWe6_rv2CFWZh4zwROSP-HIDOde3JcB1kPbun-922eghyphenhyphenVCqPXeCHqovFio9JaaoTIXS2beSuRjqDJ9gg8Ib3b_TPaaleQqkfCQkzf/s1600/IMG_5171.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWrcHQoaObO7q9jnQkX0UacLWq526lGdYohQoz5RPWe6_rv2CFWZh4zwROSP-HIDOde3JcB1kPbun-922eghyphenhyphenVCqPXeCHqovFio9JaaoTIXS2beSuRjqDJ9gg8Ib3b_TPaaleQqkfCQkzf/s400/IMG_5171.JPG" title="Berries, Photo by Kristen Eliason" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweet</td></tr>
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I mixed a new batter:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuE4F0qclxYEexhNY1-KStifX5geUfExpMiLOGl0pn2Tujla776FyxE5BS-gPmYzlbi6EEuX-jEEOi0cmxDibF4YmwscjnjHXhS7f_ypxusflF7Qv5Z032JzrcQawVleTtQ8omrA8PWbnb/s1600/IMG_5179.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuE4F0qclxYEexhNY1-KStifX5geUfExpMiLOGl0pn2Tujla776FyxE5BS-gPmYzlbi6EEuX-jEEOi0cmxDibF4YmwscjnjHXhS7f_ypxusflF7Qv5Z032JzrcQawVleTtQ8omrA8PWbnb/s400/IMG_5179.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj86f65hL6cDKKTHSe7rBgxWDydTP58uMLJ7WA94QytGW8N_Rwn2ploiFio2BKdNR8XQclq2kBPzwVfwbDZkZ_07EkigoC86v3mIr2uzEw32QxGQ9nmnsysNSfgHfqopJEwxsm7OT8LxH5N/s1600/IMG_5180.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj86f65hL6cDKKTHSe7rBgxWDydTP58uMLJ7WA94QytGW8N_Rwn2ploiFio2BKdNR8XQclq2kBPzwVfwbDZkZ_07EkigoC86v3mIr2uzEw32QxGQ9nmnsysNSfgHfqopJEwxsm7OT8LxH5N/s400/IMG_5180.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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And this time, I baked the cake at 325 for 90 minutes. Choirs of angels were singing from inside my oven, so I knew this is what would happen:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJn7EA_vX0PSDTqXOuqdYm_htnw_Eq1OKpVISWKfo9u4IcyiYwg6Dq5FC47rS14GDbmqSJApyaBHVOFJLhVJuBLXTrhCvDWdCghGMay64Z8V2qxr3UMH9DrsejEsz9BwXHYxuj1akFfEVr/s1600/IMG_5187.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJn7EA_vX0PSDTqXOuqdYm_htnw_Eq1OKpVISWKfo9u4IcyiYwg6Dq5FC47rS14GDbmqSJApyaBHVOFJLhVJuBLXTrhCvDWdCghGMay64Z8V2qxr3UMH9DrsejEsz9BwXHYxuj1akFfEVr/s400/IMG_5187.JPG" title="Triple Berry Buttermilk Bundt, Photo by Kristen Eliason" width="400" /></a></div>
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The cake released perfectly. Oh, did I mention that I greased the heck out of the pan? I did that too.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvsb014ajl3JbQnLG4WHPpWoGAq9Lp1RxkepWZ1L3eqyMMaJW5JbsuYB5jBFyjsgxdPiB4yeXudLUrdwoYksNiYM8yvHU8Xo6jzeJcUD1LvSNs3ftxKNjUHwv3V_ncyMnAswnYPSM1_ulB/s1600/IMG_5194.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img alt="" border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvsb014ajl3JbQnLG4WHPpWoGAq9Lp1RxkepWZ1L3eqyMMaJW5JbsuYB5jBFyjsgxdPiB4yeXudLUrdwoYksNiYM8yvHU8Xo6jzeJcUD1LvSNs3ftxKNjUHwv3V_ncyMnAswnYPSM1_ulB/s400/IMG_5194.JPG" title="Buttermilk Bunt, Photo by Kristen Eliason" width="400" /></a></div>
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And then I drizzled lemon glaze over the top. Yep. Feeling 100% better about life right now.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjBnLVnSANku_PRtAJt5etHeEmMZjKXeMKhLDnSeeY1Jpz7uGqT6tpihn0mxaBrIhSXAAD2k6ve0qUOvYerMnVaNrc3kIeuGxSy2YjZ8m5ISUkZDGOhGfRwMXHHV2mkZHrPeGUb9Bb7f53/s1600/IMG_5188.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjBnLVnSANku_PRtAJt5etHeEmMZjKXeMKhLDnSeeY1Jpz7uGqT6tpihn0mxaBrIhSXAAD2k6ve0qUOvYerMnVaNrc3kIeuGxSy2YjZ8m5ISUkZDGOhGfRwMXHHV2mkZHrPeGUb9Bb7f53/s400/IMG_5188.JPG" title="Buttermilk Bunt, Photo by Kristen Eliason" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glory Hallelujah</td></tr>
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<br />
Buttermilk Bundt. Adapted from <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2012/06/triple-berry-summer-buttermilk-bundt/">Smitten Kitchen</a>.<br />
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Here's What You Need:<br />
<br />
Cake:<br />
2 1/2 C Flour<br />
2 t Baking Powder<br />
1 t Salt<br />
{Sift together in medium bowl}<br />
2 C Sugar<br />
1 C Butter<br />
Lemon Zest from One Medium Lemon<br />
3 Eggs<br />
1 t Vanilla<br />
3/4 C Buttermilk<br />
2-3 C Berries!<br />
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Here's What You Do:<br />
<br />
1. Grease your bundt pan. Grease it again.<br />
2. Preheat the oven to 350.<br />
3. Cream the butter, sugar and lemon zest. Add the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla. Add 1/3 of the dry ingredient mixture, then 1/2 the buttermilk, then 1/3 of the dry ingredient mixture, then the rest of the buttermilk, then the rest of the dry ingredient mix. Basically alternate, mix, alternate until it's all in there.<br />
4. Coat your berries in about 1 T of flour. Carefully add them to the batter.<br />
5. Spoon the batter into your GREASED UP bundt pan.<br />
6. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, then rotate the pan, and turn the heat down to 325. Bake for another 50-60 minutes (I checked every 5 minutes for the last 15 mins, just to be sure). The cake is not done until a toothpick comes out clean. Note: If you under bake this cake, you will have a pile of delicious cake crumbs, like I did on day 1. Just let it cook all the way.<br />
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Glaze:<br />
Juice from that naked lemon that you zested.<br />
1 T butter<br />
Enough Powdered Sugar.<br />
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1. Melt the butter in a bowl. Add the lemon juice and whisk in the powdered sugar until you have the consistency that you like. Voila!<br />
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You should make this cake immediately because it says, "Summer," and even if it flops, it's delicious.<br />
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<br />Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16648024834569186000noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1356712774729550099.post-71056646904469386432012-07-10T11:59:00.000-07:002014-03-11T23:31:03.432-07:00Blueberry Boy Bait PreviewYou are going to die. Assuming you like blueberries. Also assuming that you're a human (the spam-bots that roam this blog have little appetite for lightly sweet summer cakes).<br />
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This deliciousness is equal parts awesome name and awesome taste, and I promise that you can do almost nothing better with a basket of berries.<br />
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More pictures and a recipe forthcoming!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaV8EGcDh2N1FOVQNMmyTVZOzpMiRXESkrWGqDcxwnqhJX7WF1iV8hbhaeuId2qJo4BvOfhV2Z3xnrPG_8bfyzLxIgMtT0gJXX7lMU2PcIIwFMiQaO-VCxwUlopcwEBGuz9tTOXuT4djuY/s1600/cb07baaec61a11e1aaec22000a1e88af_7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaV8EGcDh2N1FOVQNMmyTVZOzpMiRXESkrWGqDcxwnqhJX7WF1iV8hbhaeuId2qJo4BvOfhV2Z3xnrPG_8bfyzLxIgMtT0gJXX7lMU2PcIIwFMiQaO-VCxwUlopcwEBGuz9tTOXuT4djuY/s400/cb07baaec61a11e1aaec22000a1e88af_7.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16648024834569186000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1356712774729550099.post-9072760853928494962012-06-07T09:33:00.002-07:002014-03-11T23:31:56.313-07:00Check it outMy friend OG sent me this lonely orange shout-out this morning. My first fan e-mail! I'm so flattered.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVUFHJLCsLhs0ulU2022hcXn1MCFGJXfor8T7MdY3sI_cOMXtPuceJz9RuyiLBdj25znJqV5Zqmu0HU0EokNicvVOsNMhznXZosyheQvSUvq49EasHXvmNNhKnOPvgD3ru77uN0uUbuesp/s1600/A+lonely+orange.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVUFHJLCsLhs0ulU2022hcXn1MCFGJXfor8T7MdY3sI_cOMXtPuceJz9RuyiLBdj25znJqV5Zqmu0HU0EokNicvVOsNMhznXZosyheQvSUvq49EasHXvmNNhKnOPvgD3ru77uN0uUbuesp/s400/A+lonely+orange.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16648024834569186000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1356712774729550099.post-44985463009318429182012-06-06T09:13:00.000-07:002014-03-11T23:26:36.189-07:00How to ruin a perfectly lovely cake<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFzvwRQMfRW0Uu9hync9gx06bHOgMI-39yT-DCGd6bttvJ5aGVergGxulpyMBYNiO3w0aCn30L_dUtcdx8ACAiiszzh53HKYvLjG_HwJADwSFTCPh39LacLQBj-2SWxMIq37-a-_5fVKyt/s1600/Cake+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFzvwRQMfRW0Uu9hync9gx06bHOgMI-39yT-DCGd6bttvJ5aGVergGxulpyMBYNiO3w0aCn30L_dUtcdx8ACAiiszzh53HKYvLjG_HwJADwSFTCPh39LacLQBj-2SWxMIq37-a-_5fVKyt/s400/Cake+4.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carefully Measure Three Cups of Amazing Fruit</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirqGHtL0-5NfG8vTvtgr2ZGLeruxzQ9zodcU1_DHlCq4AU1lIQvqH0NBWY3gakkmW_46wmZ9GQFwUheip9rP5kAOlZfu6gfotYQoYkSrQynYy-aQanjK8R2hzaiMV17KGUFoIwAy8VuOE1/s1600/Cake+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirqGHtL0-5NfG8vTvtgr2ZGLeruxzQ9zodcU1_DHlCq4AU1lIQvqH0NBWY3gakkmW_46wmZ9GQFwUheip9rP5kAOlZfu6gfotYQoYkSrQynYy-aQanjK8R2hzaiMV17KGUFoIwAy8VuOE1/s400/Cake+3.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prepare a Batter with Butter, Vanilla and Lemon Zest. Add Berries and Good Karma.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVjOVe70C_JLPqcN7w9M0qQWL5OC9PPIY9TAD5qH8bSqOpcPlONCs7Y49BAdvY-9qfbWbDNw6DqTBXkuDeAY0LLjJEWwrN-JSD1_Dw8rsnoxYB6LqHWec1NaiYJNeg1oZaMmtRSy-YELvy/s1600/Cake+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVjOVe70C_JLPqcN7w9M0qQWL5OC9PPIY9TAD5qH8bSqOpcPlONCs7Y49BAdvY-9qfbWbDNw6DqTBXkuDeAY0LLjJEWwrN-JSD1_Dw8rsnoxYB6LqHWec1NaiYJNeg1oZaMmtRSy-YELvy/s400/Cake+2.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bake to Perfection.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirv6Tew53ITdNnb66gPTOh7RWfs69A-VnMaxvFnaHn9-dEmnpwu4AaSqxtqZW1oIbKFGdM8zmLY9jg0yP34PAEdZTXhVeVNsbbanHMBnT7UJVezJHBUGUaIQbu7_KOEvolicflninphtOg/s1600/Cake+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirv6Tew53ITdNnb66gPTOh7RWfs69A-VnMaxvFnaHn9-dEmnpwu4AaSqxtqZW1oIbKFGdM8zmLY9jg0yP34PAEdZTXhVeVNsbbanHMBnT7UJVezJHBUGUaIQbu7_KOEvolicflninphtOg/s400/Cake+1.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Attempt to Take the Cake Out of the Bundt Pan.<br />
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Cry. Wail. Sob. </td></tr>
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<br />Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16648024834569186000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1356712774729550099.post-2617464523525696422012-06-02T20:36:00.000-07:002012-06-02T20:36:12.838-07:00Fairy CupcakesThis is definitely one of my favorite projects to date: Tinkerbell Cupcakes for a perfect fairy birthday party. I think birthdays should be special, especially when kids are little and things are still magical. Here's my little piece of magic.<br />
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I piped out the white chocolate outlines of these wings, then let them cool on a board covered with wax paper. Then I filled the fairy wings with <a href="http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&q=knox+gelatine&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.,cf.osb&biw=1276&bih=639&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=12441018060099246780&sa=X&ei=6djKT_GlGcnW2gXOjc3ZCw&ved=0CGoQ8wIwAg">gelatine</a> and edible pearlescent glitter and let them dry for two days. They might not have needed that long to dry, but I wanted to be careful. </div>
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I also made these little Tinkerbell wands, which took a ridiculous amount of time, but look how cute they are. </div>
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Okay here's a whole bunch of pictures. I got kinda crazy with the camera.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsM4sc6YyjVICeFFSID0A9tWXuGVM2QNkIDDjfhlLjThrl8wuGaSOSMhcCTp_rT1crLPzW2GAGaZMfxqH9Oi__AuGXOdb8BH8lviwbemYGRq3bm5T7atLYS8K-FC5mBsQCJ8ef7IK1IfJL/s1600/IMG_4257.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsM4sc6YyjVICeFFSID0A9tWXuGVM2QNkIDDjfhlLjThrl8wuGaSOSMhcCTp_rT1crLPzW2GAGaZMfxqH9Oi__AuGXOdb8BH8lviwbemYGRq3bm5T7atLYS8K-FC5mBsQCJ8ef7IK1IfJL/s400/IMG_4257.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16648024834569186000noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1356712774729550099.post-74277271705053236072012-05-31T13:10:00.000-07:002012-05-31T13:10:19.963-07:00Fairy Cupcake PreviewOn Friday I'm making Tinkerbell Cupcakes for a little girl's birthday party. I'm so excited to get to do something so unabashedly girlie and cute and fun! I did a practice run on the cupcakes over the weekend. Here's a little preview of the ingredients that (I hope) will make the best Tinkerbell Cupcakes ever.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW5PKL8RUt2pCU3Qqh8VEUywhrsIDXFDN2ZI0K2ZH_QGDbZMNPTjQ4PdQp8264rpOo8pEvDYbcRc3moq40vqIufgqgb7Wb5fgwlcOnL4LRaQPiuUpL2vetCNKTd_hNGQEvnFxO9VGQ3k1u/s1600/5.23.12+Tinkerbell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW5PKL8RUt2pCU3Qqh8VEUywhrsIDXFDN2ZI0K2ZH_QGDbZMNPTjQ4PdQp8264rpOo8pEvDYbcRc3moq40vqIufgqgb7Wb5fgwlcOnL4LRaQPiuUpL2vetCNKTd_hNGQEvnFxO9VGQ3k1u/s400/5.23.12+Tinkerbell.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crafting 3D Tinkerbell Wands</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hand Piped White Chocolate Fairy Wings Filled with Sparkling Gelatine</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCrOwyT1LnlYSHhMe7JvIBFtGz1CabI4ZLrwlOjEwlFyyLwFenytJ1PIbM4Asmr4w2oGKr22ik6sVkm7mgxzuUtdL6QLFslWB-uYKLJRJJ1nfrf3gDxCT87Z4CViy5vDAue_dVcV_H-dgI/s1600/Fairy+Cupcakes+Part+I.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCrOwyT1LnlYSHhMe7JvIBFtGz1CabI4ZLrwlOjEwlFyyLwFenytJ1PIbM4Asmr4w2oGKr22ik6sVkm7mgxzuUtdL6QLFslWB-uYKLJRJJ1nfrf3gDxCT87Z4CViy5vDAue_dVcV_H-dgI/s400/Fairy+Cupcakes+Part+I.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Delicious Vanilla Cake</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYpc9pHNJPxoHencf4k3IrDdHqQjhpHSY4QlTq3oAHF1J1fydDfXhNXpKnpYyGnK7cts2-gPO4Vx6h_yqGeBhcDKt-36z1Ko9_HwAIxMue0Gal29hueuxEcgimbRd9g5cG8Vgi7gvMPjXk/s1600/5.26.12+Fairy+Cupcakes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYpc9pHNJPxoHencf4k3IrDdHqQjhpHSY4QlTq3oAHF1J1fydDfXhNXpKnpYyGnK7cts2-gPO4Vx6h_yqGeBhcDKt-36z1Ko9_HwAIxMue0Gal29hueuxEcgimbRd9g5cG8Vgi7gvMPjXk/s400/5.26.12+Fairy+Cupcakes.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fairy Cupcakes should look like delicious flowers, right?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji78Z6X70u5A7fBrnKrh9SYubL7Ioy7Ebg1FIzpn4g4wZVRFYrz4Ja4hYtSaL3EwhL-5v21sWfvZzAlznUyp2UHpiUdFs1gRsbLLXmSQ5kR18DcAW8tXfWRNclgdXkO-6WPUjV27quNMtZ/s1600/5.29.12+Tinkerbell+Wands+Finished.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji78Z6X70u5A7fBrnKrh9SYubL7Ioy7Ebg1FIzpn4g4wZVRFYrz4Ja4hYtSaL3EwhL-5v21sWfvZzAlznUyp2UHpiUdFs1gRsbLLXmSQ5kR18DcAW8tXfWRNclgdXkO-6WPUjV27quNMtZ/s400/5.29.12+Tinkerbell+Wands+Finished.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finished Fairy Wants on Lollipop Sticks for Extra Magic</td></tr>
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<br />Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16648024834569186000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1356712774729550099.post-7260403131610246322012-05-07T14:42:00.000-07:002014-03-11T23:35:32.988-07:00Chocolate GanacheNot the most glamorous picture, but it will have to do. For my darling, chocolate-addict friend (who is also a huge fan of <a href="http://www.loveneverdies.com/">this</a>! and <a href="http://www.loveneverdies.com.au/">this</a>!) I made this little birthday dessert I like to call "Chocolate Never Dies."<br />
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Fudge cupcakes with dark chocolate chips (60% cacao) topped with dark chocolate ganache. Did you swoon? If not, re-read that last sentence.<br />
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Glad you're back.<br />
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Ganache can be used as a filling, a glaze, or a "frosting" and is just sinfully good in any of its forms. To get the ganache thick enough to pipe out of a piping bag onto cupcakes, I read about six recipes and came up with this. (Most recipes are pretty much the same, so if you already know how to make ganache, prepare to not be surprised by my recipe.)<br />
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<b>Ganache</b><br />
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<i>Here's What You Need:</i><br />
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1 T Butter<br />
1 Scant Cup of Heavy Cream<br />
1 Cup of Chocolate Chips, or roughly chopped chocolate. I used the Ghirardelli 60% cacao chips and it turned out amazingly dark and delicious.<br />
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<i>Here's What You Do:</i><br />
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1. Chop your chocolate, or open your bag of chocolate chips. Measure it out into a medium bowl.<br />
2. In a small saucepan bring the heavy cream and butter to a boil.<br />
3. Pour the heavy cream over the chocolate.<br />
4. Slowly mix the chocolate and the cream until they become one dark chocolately liquid.<br />
5. Once all the cream is incorporated, you can put the ganache in the fridge if you want it to thicken a little faster (takes about 45 mins if your fridge is quite cold), or you can leave it on the counter. I like to give it a stir every 10-15 mins to make sure it's cooling evenly.<br />
6. Enjoy.<br />
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*Note, for runnier ganache, add a little more heavy cream. This would be fantastic poured over the top of a bundt cake or as the coating or center of home made truffles.<br />
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<br />Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16648024834569186000noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1356712774729550099.post-84159152439215236862012-05-03T13:22:00.003-07:002014-03-11T23:36:28.400-07:00Vanilla Buttercream Frosting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ZWQe-Bd2u09HKvcOakGZ-4CoxoCmTaSDzj5-ZhNoCmazaP8_XOjkKmY2JCgWqF6HzntiuvNCmIPOpRgTpWsJGw_SNarIl8k40XXswHEvuODmGDG751vAFb7lIfZovRtxq1hHu4yQMEMh/s1600/IMG_3747.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ZWQe-Bd2u09HKvcOakGZ-4CoxoCmTaSDzj5-ZhNoCmazaP8_XOjkKmY2JCgWqF6HzntiuvNCmIPOpRgTpWsJGw_SNarIl8k40XXswHEvuODmGDG751vAFb7lIfZovRtxq1hHu4yQMEMh/s640/IMG_3747.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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How have I gotten this far without posting a recipe for buttercream frosting? I mean, if the dessert will hold still long enough I slather it with the stuff. The truth? I never really measure when I make frosting. I just taste until it tastes right. Or until Lito (my husband/guinea pig) tells me that it tastes right. I have some rough measurements for you, but the trick to making the best frosting ever is to taste & adjust until it's just right. (Someone please make a Goldilocks joke.)<br />
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Okay.<b> Dreamy Buttercream Frosting</b><br />
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<i>Here's What You Need:</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
1 stick of room temp butter. MUST. BE. SOFTENED. ENTIRELY.<br />
3-ish cups of powdered sugar.<br />
1 Tablespoon vanilla (I use Trader Joe's Bourbon Vanilla when I can't get my hands on real mexican vanilla)<br />
4-ish Tablespoons of milk, half-n-half, heavy cream, whatever's in the fridge. The higher fat content, the yummier, right? Right.<br />
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<i>Here's What You Do:</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
1. Cream the butter in a medium bowl (medium-high speed).<br />
2. Add the vanilla. YUM.<br />
3. Add the powdered sugar and milk in alternating batches. Start with about a cup of powdered sugar, mix it in, then maybe a tablespoon of milk, mix it in. See where you are. If your mixer is going to sieze if you put in any more powdered sugar because the stuff is too dry, add more milk before going on to the next round of milk/pwd sugar.<br />
4. Taste it. Adjust powdered sugar and milk until you have the desired consistency. For piping (above) I like the frosting to be able to "stand up" when I dip a spoon in and create a little peak. Make sense? Message me if you want more muddled instructions.<br />
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You can add flavors/extracts to switch up this basic recipe too -- I've had success adding almond, maple, and lemon. Anyone else tried something awesome?<br />
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Enjoy!Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16648024834569186000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1356712774729550099.post-89647854091753328892012-04-22T17:30:00.000-07:002014-03-11T23:37:27.153-07:00Buttermilk Biscuits<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Finally! The buttermilk biscuits! I've made these about four times in the past month which means two things: 1. They are delicious; 2. They are easy to make. I've been using <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/southern-biscuits-recipe/index.html">Alton Brown's recipe</a>, with a few minor adjustments that suit my kitchen/oven/tastes. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buttermilk Biscuits with <a href="http://alonelyorange.blogspot.com/2012/04/freezer-jam_01.html">Homemade Strawberry Jam</a></td></tr>
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For this little blog post I'll walk you through the steps with helpful pics of what it looks like when I make them. I hope this is helpful!</div>
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<b>Buttermilk Biscuits!</b></div>
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<i>Here's What You Need:</i></div>
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2 Cups Flour</div>
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4 teaspoons Baking Powder</div>
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1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda</div>
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1 teaspoon Salt</div>
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2 Tablespoons Butter</div>
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2 Tablespoons Shortening</div>
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1 Cup Buttermilk, Chilled (I love when it calls for chilled stuff because I never remember to take things out of the fridge in advance...)</div>
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<i>Here's What You Do:</i><br />
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1. Preheat oven to 425. </div>
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2. Combine all dry ingredients in a medium bowl.</div>
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3. Add butter and shortening (see pic below).</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOYmArbDvM7z3r7is3c3XEeDLjLvFwReJAg6rooiycdupy08xN4JqNklhGw08JRjwlAwVtY-tT2_YZwBGqss01z_68vLi8OBgRNciTGjpz_ncZM-v9-iPvOeIOD-EYe6pCdxLrjybTXQJe/s1600/IMG_3763.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOYmArbDvM7z3r7is3c3XEeDLjLvFwReJAg6rooiycdupy08xN4JqNklhGw08JRjwlAwVtY-tT2_YZwBGqss01z_68vLi8OBgRNciTGjpz_ncZM-v9-iPvOeIOD-EYe6pCdxLrjybTXQJe/s400/IMG_3763.JPG" height="263" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Butter and Shortening Added!</td></tr>
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6. Mix with your fingers until the mixture looks like crumbs.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZjiZ3_PyZV_Rb3KoBTfuJ772pSsYHyBTXjqki53TpNgJa-IhNTBcGzjfQ03f5ztrrPjBLgr7BWFNCVJclExYhjM4PEAocLuHiVFxu8ROvXf9mTyK-rJVSuJAMEZ2Be2TE5MfS9CtwksmW/s1600/IMG_3766.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZjiZ3_PyZV_Rb3KoBTfuJ772pSsYHyBTXjqki53TpNgJa-IhNTBcGzjfQ03f5ztrrPjBLgr7BWFNCVJclExYhjM4PEAocLuHiVFxu8ROvXf9mTyK-rJVSuJAMEZ2Be2TE5MfS9CtwksmW/s400/IMG_3766.JPG" height="263" width="400" /></a><br />
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8. Stir just until everything is sticky.<br />
9. Dust the counter with flour, dump out the sticky dough, dust the dough with flour.<br />
10. Pat the dough out into a 3/4" thick circle with your hands.<br />
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11. Then cut out the biscuits using fancy biscuit cutters or a round cookie cutter or a glass cup.</div>
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12. Transfer the uncooked biscuits onto your cookie sheet. They can touch -- they expand up, not out.</span></span><br />
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13. Bake at 425 for 15-20 Minutes.</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-NPjg_yAwVMgAvbsT23N0_pKM3N0AkhymFiwTwTYIzY-K3_1SkqUmt-4IDLwxvQVcwGuhdilXq8MLvv6B7J4L5i2sL9TRp-KCtgt9Qtv39jIszRy79ji4NMiAQIPswEbLJXMXZ9LAr5VO/s1600/IMG_3779.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-NPjg_yAwVMgAvbsT23N0_pKM3N0AkhymFiwTwTYIzY-K3_1SkqUmt-4IDLwxvQVcwGuhdilXq8MLvv6B7J4L5i2sL9TRp-KCtgt9Qtv39jIszRy79ji4NMiAQIPswEbLJXMXZ9LAr5VO/s1600/IMG_3779.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-NPjg_yAwVMgAvbsT23N0_pKM3N0AkhymFiwTwTYIzY-K3_1SkqUmt-4IDLwxvQVcwGuhdilXq8MLvv6B7J4L5i2sL9TRp-KCtgt9Qtv39jIszRy79ji4NMiAQIPswEbLJXMXZ9LAr5VO/s400/IMG_3779.JPG" height="263" width="400" /></a><br />
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Yum!Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16648024834569186000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1356712774729550099.post-3065500696521920782012-04-03T19:32:00.000-07:002014-03-11T23:37:49.805-07:00Mini Oreo CheesecakesI am unabashedly fond of Oreos. I love them. And they love me. And they are particularly good as the crusts of these mini cheesecakes. If this recipe sounds somewhat similar to another I posted on this blog... <a href="http://alonelyorange.blogspot.com/2010/10/pre-halloweening-mini-cheesecakes.html">it is</a>. These are even better than I remember. And easier than I remember. Holla at easy and delicious cheese cake!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpNuZbZPVzKWox0GjiRitnpS1SEQo-8oZ1Rz_QL8HWM2-mCND7AIV7I1XeklA2nz96II-5j4o_5ZEfPfOGOqqp8QHYULuybPONiQzVQXf5F9mGvcra-WotxYjhBW2p3Y_cI6Ey1agc7uhH/s1600/IMG_3673+Cheesecake.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpNuZbZPVzKWox0GjiRitnpS1SEQo-8oZ1Rz_QL8HWM2-mCND7AIV7I1XeklA2nz96II-5j4o_5ZEfPfOGOqqp8QHYULuybPONiQzVQXf5F9mGvcra-WotxYjhBW2p3Y_cI6Ey1agc7uhH/s400/IMG_3673+Cheesecake.JPG" height="263" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Mini Cheese Cakes</b><br />
Adapted from Martha Stewart's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Martha-Stewarts-Cupcakes-Inspired-Everyones/dp/0307460444">Cupcakes</a>.<br />
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2 lbs cream cheese (I used two packages of Philadelphia and two store brand)</div>
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1 C sugar</div>
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4 eggs at room temp, lightly whisked</div>
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1 C sour cream </div>
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1 t vanilla</div>
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1 dash of salt</div>
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2 Packages of Oreos. Crush up about 12 Oreos, use 36 more as crusts, and then you still have left overs to dip in milk after all the cheesecakes are gone. </div>
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Preheat your oven to 275. Put paper cups in your cupcake pan. Pop an Oreo in the bottom of each.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRvkUg7rYBhYTwcWY8hgbLtLP_iDWXjRTsrGJkk9YA4sLT_jCdpTcIUDPMMH0p2CkkANu4yKgI9IWWZbLvaykvcS7JyvkyE3R7qsuh2hiGnk0mSGyx9FjCZSlYfwNSBm6FTFL-tK5c9zFR/s1600/IMG_3677+Cheesecake.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRvkUg7rYBhYTwcWY8hgbLtLP_iDWXjRTsrGJkk9YA4sLT_jCdpTcIUDPMMH0p2CkkANu4yKgI9IWWZbLvaykvcS7JyvkyE3R7qsuh2hiGnk0mSGyx9FjCZSlYfwNSBm6FTFL-tK5c9zFR/s400/IMG_3677+Cheesecake.JPG" height="263" width="400" /></a>Mix up the cream cheese for a few minutes and then add the sugar. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the sour cream, then the eggs and vanilla. Toss in your dash of salt. Then hand stir in the crushed up Oreos. I like some bigger chunks in my cakes, so I just chopped them coarsely.</div>
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Bake for 22 minutes, then let them cool on a wire rack. Then put the whole pan in the fridge for four hours. They're worth the wait.</div>
Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16648024834569186000noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1356712774729550099.post-37872992271159224662012-04-02T09:52:00.000-07:002012-04-02T09:52:09.635-07:00Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So <i>while</i> Nicole and I were making the strawberry jam and the biscuits, I mentioned that the jam is also really good on homemade vanilla ice cream as a topping. So we then we had to make vanilla ice cream. We sort of followed our own "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/If_You_Give_a_Mouse_a_Cookie">If You Give a Mouse a Cookie</a>" gustatory logic for the whole evening. It was delicious. We opted to try a new recipe we found online, and decided to add vanilla bean, since I had some on hand. Here's what we ended up with. If you have an ice cream maker in your cabinet somewhere, you should pull it out and give this recipe a try.</div><br />
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<b>Vanilla Ice Cream</b><br />
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<i>Here's What You Need</i><br />
4 Cups of Half & Half<br />
1 Can of Sweetened Condensed Milk<br />
2 Tablespoons of Vanilla<br />
1/2 Vanilla Bean, seeds scraped out (optional)<br />
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<i>Here's What You Do</i><br />
1. Mix Sweetened Condensed Milk and Half & Half. Mix in Vanilla. If you're adding the scraped out vanilla bean, do that too.<br />
2. Pour into your ice cream maker (I have this one with a cold bowl)<br />
3. Turn on.<br />
4. Enjoy with homemade strawberry jam or the toppings of your dreams.<br />
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</i>Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16648024834569186000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1356712774729550099.post-30549051554105042142012-04-01T13:11:00.000-07:002014-03-11T23:38:51.346-07:00Freezer JamNew Kitchen! New cozy town house! New recipes and blog posts! The beloved Kitchenaid mixer is on the counter in its designated spot and biscuits have been made, along with strawberry freezer jam and home made vanilla bean ice cream. I forgot to take pictures of the biscuits, which were phenomenal by the way, so we'll get the blog party started with the amazing strawberry jam my friend Nicole and I made yesterday.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little Jars of Strawberry Freezer Jam</td></tr>
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Doesn't it look great? Strawberries are ripe and delicious out here in the bay area, and on sale at the farmer's market. I picked up a huge flat of berries (enough to make four (or more?) batches of jam) for about $10, and strong-armed my friend Nicole into making jam with me. It's easy, but it's so much more fun to do it with a friend. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prepping the Berries: Washing and Stemming</td></tr>
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We washed and stemmed the strawberries, gave them a rough chop and threw them in the food processor. For one batch of jam, you need two cups of pureed strawberries, which I think is about one medium package of whole berries.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stemmed Berries</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJKI4mZUpKk317Km80_HMKfI8Lb9I3jyOi7DIMKlMXLVgcySoMnlk3_Inuw0qoarXE_QocRZcQDdGC70NUtkErc3Ia5zA2eUzm_ySP4Kx0wnqAE4j1iHhY6p0LDgKJAH2fARPjStTu-41w/s1600/IMG_3649+Big+Red+Box.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJKI4mZUpKk317Km80_HMKfI8Lb9I3jyOi7DIMKlMXLVgcySoMnlk3_Inuw0qoarXE_QocRZcQDdGC70NUtkErc3Ia5zA2eUzm_ySP4Kx0wnqAE4j1iHhY6p0LDgKJAH2fARPjStTu-41w/s400/IMG_3649+Big+Red+Box.JPG" height="263" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Big Red Box of Berries. 12 Dry Pints for $10.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpBjRQ-F8_hkcWotZumtDo08PtuF6yVqHjc_bQMNjNMPEiZp-EPHJ0m2HOBDUhWpL4we5lGmzW6P-f3bVj5H0hFuPZMvskS0o2Qhfxiym7mqh7gVYvGC-FshHY5mrU6V_DduOIfRd8jyqS/s1600/IMG_3652+Mason+Jars.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpBjRQ-F8_hkcWotZumtDo08PtuF6yVqHjc_bQMNjNMPEiZp-EPHJ0m2HOBDUhWpL4we5lGmzW6P-f3bVj5H0hFuPZMvskS0o2Qhfxiym7mqh7gVYvGC-FshHY5mrU6V_DduOIfRd8jyqS/s400/IMG_3652+Mason+Jars.JPG" height="263" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hot and Clean Jars Drying on the Counter</td></tr>
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<b>Strawberry Freezer Jam </b></div>
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(Recipe adapted from Sure Jell Box Recipe)</div>
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<i>Here's What You Need:</i></div>
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2 Cups Pureed Strawberries (You can use a blender or a food processor)</div>
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4 Cups Sugar</div>
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1 Package Sure Jell Pectin (Regular)</div>
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3/4 Cup Water</div>
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6 8-oz. Mason Jars</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSrXLf5mJzYE4TqS5NNaaOWSOjBH_j9WygPGtbUq6NAJQ5BrMJXqjW2OiibH1pKIo2pUXgL3mn-uF8Laj8T_Iwxlu_dTRmfdug_AaNe2Cq4DOQCNn1fAqY9antnGchtT7s7RgbQORJzpcn/s1600/IMG_3656+Filling+the+Jars.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSrXLf5mJzYE4TqS5NNaaOWSOjBH_j9WygPGtbUq6NAJQ5BrMJXqjW2OiibH1pKIo2pUXgL3mn-uF8Laj8T_Iwxlu_dTRmfdug_AaNe2Cq4DOQCNn1fAqY9antnGchtT7s7RgbQORJzpcn/s400/IMG_3656+Filling+the+Jars.JPG" height="263" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pouring the Jam into the Jars (Photo by Nicole)</td></tr>
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<i>Here's What You Do:</i></div>
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1. Prep the berries: Wash, Stem, Chop, Puree. Measure out exactly two cups of puree into a medium-large bowl. </div>
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2. Mix in the sugar. (I do it by hand.) Stir until sugar is incorporated, and then let stand for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. </div>
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3. Bring pectin and water to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil for one minute, then remove from heat. </div>
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4. After sugar/berry mixture has had 10 minutes to cure, add the pectin water. Stir for about 3 minutes until all the sugar is dissolved and it basically looks like runny jam. </div>
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5. Pour into your mason jars. Make sure to leave about 1/2" at the top for the jam to expand in the freezer.</div>
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Voila! The whole process takes about 30 minutes, and you have freezer jam for the rest of the year. </div>
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This jam is perfect on biscuits & toasts, or in <a href="http://alonelyorange.blogspot.com/2010/08/shout-out-to-my-mom-part-i.html#more">homemade strawberry ice cream</a>, or drizzled on top of vanilla ice cream for a delicious extra treat.</div>
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Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16648024834569186000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1356712774729550099.post-13047896353256048982012-03-21T13:35:00.001-07:002012-03-21T13:36:40.736-07:00the great move<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCCqTFqRLKT0UTvTy4ImJJPyZbwCflJE3aqoqIWa3dVBC08vvavx0IdBl7gcTTDlwmQQM4n3zMhYx7EZxUzz4gVL_pXlFpU2pRSK7jr0jSVS-b25IaH8EvrDaOepU1cIQolOI4x7JJ1-cN/s1600/boxes_art_4_2_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCCqTFqRLKT0UTvTy4ImJJPyZbwCflJE3aqoqIWa3dVBC08vvavx0IdBl7gcTTDlwmQQM4n3zMhYx7EZxUzz4gVL_pXlFpU2pRSK7jr0jSVS-b25IaH8EvrDaOepU1cIQolOI4x7JJ1-cN/s320/boxes_art_4_2_1.jpg" width="304" /></a></div>The great move is happening this weekend, which means: I've packed my lovely <a href="http://alonelyorange.blogspot.com/2010/08/mixer-bliss.html">kitchenaid mixer</a> and can't cook anything until Saturday at the very earliest. Let's be honest. It means I can't cook anything for at least a week. And just because my brain is mean and twisted, I am really hankering for homemade buttermilk biscuits. For no explicable reason, I really want to make them. I've never tried them before even! Why do I all of a sudden want to bake them? Who knows. But I'm prolonging the torture by searching for recipes and looking at delicious pictures. Anyone have a recipe they like?<br />
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k.Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16648024834569186000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1356712774729550099.post-37176912942350183262012-03-16T15:09:00.001-07:002014-03-11T23:39:52.715-07:00Yellow CakeMy friend jokingly said she'd trade puppy-sitting over the weekend for cupcakes. I agreed before she'd even finished her sentence because 1) I love making cupcakes; and 2) Brownie needs a play date this weekend while Lito and I are in Napa. She requested Yellow and Vanilla Cake with Vanilla Buttercream. Done and done.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo8Mt_I-nll8HfASyPnLLRDXlB754OY9oX1CmHRno0IlaxG48uCpsgldj-Lb_XRrruYSCzS0kPuPBpFD5LRwkzEFTjB3q8BSPp3DrSOX4qb5ui7v9xQr4tcV9BOM3JzX0v8X6KqxtoDUf2/s1600/IMG_3642.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo8Mt_I-nll8HfASyPnLLRDXlB754OY9oX1CmHRno0IlaxG48uCpsgldj-Lb_XRrruYSCzS0kPuPBpFD5LRwkzEFTjB3q8BSPp3DrSOX4qb5ui7v9xQr4tcV9BOM3JzX0v8X6KqxtoDUf2/s400/IMG_3642.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Meanwhile on the other side of the universe, a friend asked me for a recipe for Yellow Cake. Sort of. So I'm stretching this into an opportunity to share an awesome recipe for Yellow Cake and to show off pictures of hot pink butter cream. Yum!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_BFuTe-YeGSm_1FRl5jDInuuRRqiIfrPImhlx6RWu66O82R5pTdqNEpENVOyrTLVeB_OtO1F-AC9or4xPuosoFt0EitXpkoetOUZtwFNc1OgTtFhran7C0ywhcH_Y_q4plBHyYHyxEs9d/s1600/IMG_3643.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_BFuTe-YeGSm_1FRl5jDInuuRRqiIfrPImhlx6RWu66O82R5pTdqNEpENVOyrTLVeB_OtO1F-AC9or4xPuosoFt0EitXpkoetOUZtwFNc1OgTtFhran7C0ywhcH_Y_q4plBHyYHyxEs9d/s400/IMG_3643.JPG" height="263" width="400" /></a></div>
<b></b><br />
<b>Yellow Cake </b><br />
Recipe Adapted from <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/07/best-birthday-cake/">Smitten Kitchen</a> (Her blog is 100% better/fancier/cooler than mine)<br />
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<i>Here's What You Need:</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
4 cups cake flour (I use the kind in the pink box, because it comes in a pink box)<br />
2 rounded teaspoons of baking powder<br />
1.5 teaspoons of baking soda<br />
1 teaspoon salt<br />
2 sticks of butter<br />
2 cups of sugar!! [sorry I left this out! how could I forget!]<br />
1 tablespoon vanilla<br />
4 eggs<br />
2 cups buttermilk<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV8dVewWRpCSFjP1q6MAnSzYz15wgTB3oNA0YWniHiA2jSrp80PHsq7y8AFLjBrjxSK9YkhBxUp_ZWurHuFv4gZ-8YvhZ80TQqbQc2hKp1qITYtXeasqxOueq-a02u1iLM-Y3kh2KxsCjI/s1600/IMG_3621.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV8dVewWRpCSFjP1q6MAnSzYz15wgTB3oNA0YWniHiA2jSrp80PHsq7y8AFLjBrjxSK9YkhBxUp_ZWurHuFv4gZ-8YvhZ80TQqbQc2hKp1qITYtXeasqxOueq-a02u1iLM-Y3kh2KxsCjI/s400/IMG_3621.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Here's What You Do:</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
1. Set the oven at 350 & get your pans ready. (I pretty much always use the foil, paper-lined cupcake cups)<br />
2. Sift all the dry ingredients in a bowl.<br />
3. In your stand mixer, whip up the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Then add the vanilla. Then add the eggs. Then add the buttermilk. Do not freak out. The batter will look...curdled is the best word for it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvGZKpmIzUMizSJaWCHMNTz2F_J96w_i06eiURNQ_rx-3OpKLZoD8T25TG8pl28nkT4KLiPWDWa_-Y3adlI_U6FVqV-oKxoyYMD_hJIIsIHozwccLPY59FGWt122sDv_sbDYeIEry1lS75/s1600/IMG_3626.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvGZKpmIzUMizSJaWCHMNTz2F_J96w_i06eiURNQ_rx-3OpKLZoD8T25TG8pl28nkT4KLiPWDWa_-Y3adlI_U6FVqV-oKxoyYMD_hJIIsIHozwccLPY59FGWt122sDv_sbDYeIEry1lS75/s400/IMG_3626.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
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4. Add the flour mixture in small batches to the liquid mixture until everything is mixed together.<br />
5. Scoop the batter into your cupcake pans (I use a spring-loaded ice cream scooper). Bake for 17 minutes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOEOLp9CglCz7lIhxAWYhJM6QV7fuwi7ZkNl4JxB9Qqcxof5cXvAozXPmo1Dr3cIUfnQNIP1Dxd_-BYKqknJNmT_44mmU1kfSFtiky7sveE6pcpOVZ3madF6YOVctHtghABq9CnFHFN_Sq/s1600/IMG_3632.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOEOLp9CglCz7lIhxAWYhJM6QV7fuwi7ZkNl4JxB9Qqcxof5cXvAozXPmo1Dr3cIUfnQNIP1Dxd_-BYKqknJNmT_44mmU1kfSFtiky7sveE6pcpOVZ3madF6YOVctHtghABq9CnFHFN_Sq/s400/IMG_3632.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
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6. Nom.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ5sWMqCOlqQK9S2T0ejjgYMB-ZUbT7wFTEIjjPF6OtBmlzulYBMOdYPDgnRS_CGbNB1HVrJ1xODCf7MDudUCWvUodlIJ3O8slwshJtUEK44a4625a-w5C78OGgmjQL80UnlWvbqiwsBB6/s1600/IMG_3645.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ5sWMqCOlqQK9S2T0ejjgYMB-ZUbT7wFTEIjjPF6OtBmlzulYBMOdYPDgnRS_CGbNB1HVrJ1xODCf7MDudUCWvUodlIJ3O8slwshJtUEK44a4625a-w5C78OGgmjQL80UnlWvbqiwsBB6/s400/IMG_3645.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16648024834569186000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1356712774729550099.post-73261419907430145412012-03-10T22:32:00.000-08:002014-03-11T23:41:23.267-07:00Cafe Rio Style Pork SaladYay! Okay! Pork Salad! It's Delicious!<br />
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I found this recipe online -- you can google Cafe Rio Pork Salad and this is pretty much what you'll find. My photos of it turned out to be particularly bad, so I'm stealing this one from Favorite Family Recipes...via google. Sorry for the lack of recent photography, kids. But seriously, I think successfully photographing pork is something I can postpone until later. Right? Right.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfLynnQ8oeoDe-Z_i8XCJ46ghymLLlrjLlRVFr2xfW5BwXrkovmlmW6uxwbWqWXlRaQozRsR2NN90VEjE8Is37_oMWhWsDZ__yqrWvbwnC4aaqLyEcfjQxYqB2mtos7QX-BjHufT2y5f87/s1600/pork.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfLynnQ8oeoDe-Z_i8XCJ46ghymLLlrjLlRVFr2xfW5BwXrkovmlmW6uxwbWqWXlRaQozRsR2NN90VEjE8Is37_oMWhWsDZ__yqrWvbwnC4aaqLyEcfjQxYqB2mtos7QX-BjHufT2y5f87/s400/pork.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div>
So, here's how Kristen makes a Cafe Rio Pork Salad. </div>
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#1. Cilantro lime rice. You can be fancy and make it from scratch OR you can purchase<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Archer-Farms-Cilantro-Lime-9-7oz/dp/B002QO8884"> this box</a> from Target, put everything in the box into your rice cooker, and 20 minutes later (it's like magic) you have cilantro lime rice. Here's the thing: If it's going at the bottom of a salad with the pork & sauce and the tomatillo dressing, it could taste like gravel and the salad would still be delicious. </div>
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#2. Black beans with cilantro and tomatoes. Recipe forthcoming. It's easy and delish. Or if you're in a crunch, just buy a can of BLACK refried beans, because they are also easy and delish.</div>
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#3. Cilantro Lime Ranch Dressing. This stuff is ridiculously good. (Recipe & Instructions Below)</div>
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#4. Lettuce. Get some. (also get cheese, sour cream, guacamole, and salsa and chips. also get some friends because this makes enough to feed about 5 people.)</div>
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#5. The Delicious Pork. </div>
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Okay, here are the recipes:</div>
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<b>Cilantro Lime Ranch Dressing</b></div>
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<i>Here's What You Need:</i></div>
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<i><br />
</i></div>
<div>
1 C Buttermilk</div>
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1 C Mayonnaise (I use the olive oil kind, because it makes me feel better)</div>
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1 Package of Original Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing/Seasoning</div>
<div>
2 Tomatillos, pealed & quartered</div>
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1 Clove of Garlic</div>
<div>
1/2 Bunch of Cilantro</div>
<div>
Juice from 1 lime</div>
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<div>
<i>Here's What you Do:</i></div>
<div>
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Put it all in the blender. Turn the blender on. Transfer into pretty container. Or don't. You pick. </div>
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<b>SuperDelicious Pork</b></div>
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<i><br /></i>
<i>Here's What You Need:</i></div>
<div>
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div>
Roughly 2 lbs of Pork (I used a packaged pork tenderloin -- I've read that other people use boneless ribs or other cuts. I honestly don't really know the difference. I'm new to cooking meat.)</div>
<div>
3-4 Cans of Coca Cola </div>
<div>
1 1/4 C of Brown Sugar, separated</div>
<div>
1 T Garlic Salt</div>
<div>
1/4 C of Water</div>
<div>
1 Can of Red Enchilada Sauce (I use Target's Archer Farms Brand)</div>
<div>
1 Small Can of Chopped Green Chiles</div>
<div>
A Crock Pot </div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
<i>Here's What You Do:</i></div>
<div>
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div>
1. You put the pork in a plastic bag. Pour in 1&1/2 cans of coke and 1/4 C brown sugar. Marinate overnight, or three-ish hours. I've done it in three hours and it was just fine.</div>
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<div>
2. Drain the pork, then put the meat into your crock pot. Sprinkle with garlic salt. Add another can of coke and 1/4 cup of water, and cook on high for about 3 hours. Longer is fine (great if you have, say a three hour engagement on Sunday) but you don't want it to get too dry. </div>
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3. While the pork is cooking, put the green chiles, enchilada sauce, 1 C brown sugar, and another 1/2 can of coke into your blender or food processor and give it a whirl. After the pork is done, drain it and shred it, put it back in the crock pot (if you took it out), and then pour the sauce over the top. Cook on low for an additional 2 hours.</div>
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4. Create the salad of your dreams! Enjoy! </div>
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Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16648024834569186000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1356712774729550099.post-33758029474304881132012-02-29T11:58:00.003-08:002014-03-11T23:42:49.596-07:00Spinach: The Green Monster Smoothie<div class="MsoNormal">
I was standing at my blender, literally thinking: <i>This is the grossest thing I have ever made. I can’t believe people are getting away with hawking this on Pinterest like it’s some kind of dietary miracle.</i> <o:p></o:p></div>
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I’m a skeptical person by nature, and when I see/read/hear something (pinterest-ed or not), that seems too good to be true, well I typically choose to believe that it’s just not true and move on. But for some reason food-related truths and half-truths are really bugging me right now. I feel like I’m on a crusade to debunk every pin that claims that this DELICIOUS food is also NO CALORIES and if you click on my blog and then make the hidden recipe, you will then magically be TRANSFORMED INTO A SUPERMODEL. And that is how I ended up blending a banana and four cups of spinach. <o:p></o:p><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8YTZBAUdolN7DZBoLBY7w0-tvSKVSi-Fi3cMMTbvdSXIGkbTiINn3bCFcovmj9WI77Y8zM2LOvYPqdQ1FpaQ6JOz5bhiKoZ3Jv03hZCc1xLvyTPPV1TYciTCP7z_fewst_IStVtTmzJbP/s1600/6648508393_32a2713799.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8YTZBAUdolN7DZBoLBY7w0-tvSKVSi-Fi3cMMTbvdSXIGkbTiINn3bCFcovmj9WI77Y8zM2LOvYPqdQ1FpaQ6JOz5bhiKoZ3Jv03hZCc1xLvyTPPV1TYciTCP7z_fewst_IStVtTmzJbP/s400/6648508393_32a2713799.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">[Note: This is not my photo. I'll take one later and post it so you know I'm telling the truth. You can find this image/blog by google searching "green monster smoothie"]</td></tr>
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Dubious Pin: The Green Monster Smoothie (if you have a pinterest account, you’ve seen this floating around). </div>
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Dubious Recipe Instructions: Add Spinach to your favorite smoothie and you can’t taste it even though it looks like Vom.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Back to me standing in front of my blender, salivating with delight at the thought of writing a full blown rant on how wrong everyone is. Pan out: I stop the blender, drop a straw into the blender cup (I’m not getting a glass dirty for this), and tentatively take a sip.</div>
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You can see where this is going. It actually doesn’t suck. The spinach smoothie actually doesn’t taste..bad…it’s kind of good?...it’s…good. Damn. Hot damn this is actually good. My quest was totally derailed, and I have happened upon a way to eat four cups of spinach almost painlessly. Transition shot to me happily jumping on the bandwagon.</div>
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Here’s the way I made spinach not taste like spinach. I haven’t tried all the other ways, but I probably will because let’s face it, I’m not really good at eating my greens and this seems sort of miraculous. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Spinach Smoothie</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<i><br />
</i></div>
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<i>Here’s what you need:</i><o:p></o:p></div>
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1 banana, peeled, cut, and frozen<o:p></o:p></div>
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1 generous tablespoon of creamy peanut butter<o:p></o:p></div>
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½ Cup of 0% Greek Yogurt<o:p></o:p></div>
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1 Cup of Vanilla Soy Milk<o:p></o:p></div>
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4 Freaking Cups of Spinach (or less, if that much doesn’t fit in the blender after everything else is in).<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Here’s what you do:<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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You can see where this is going, right. I put all the ingredients, in the order listed, in the blender and: Blend. After that you can email me and we can exclaim some more about how crazy this is. Crazy because it’s super high in Vitamin A, Iron, and Protein: All things that I’m pretty sure you need for survival. The moral of the story: if you have a blender, your survival is assured; or: maybe don’t hate on every recipe that’s “good for you.”<br />
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Here are the deets:<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaAG5F6gInQbXvbRH83oreJ1HHVHOjYJvoBsuAnuox9Z8UWJ8df8KWF9MvqIQyPSbcnwE-Vmw8uDHh1rxkaBMx4JGEl0gDSi1R-l61yDRZyvI3gtqt8f_yQAiOFrGJsaZP2mjrSMhZfKky/s1600/Smoothie+Capture.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaAG5F6gInQbXvbRH83oreJ1HHVHOjYJvoBsuAnuox9Z8UWJ8df8KWF9MvqIQyPSbcnwE-Vmw8uDHh1rxkaBMx4JGEl0gDSi1R-l61yDRZyvI3gtqt8f_yQAiOFrGJsaZP2mjrSMhZfKky/s400/Smoothie+Capture.PNG" height="355" width="400" /></a></div>
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Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16648024834569186000noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1356712774729550099.post-11452843555166997612012-02-12T18:26:00.000-08:002014-03-11T23:44:05.310-07:00Roasted Acorn Squash with Orange Cranberry GlazeDELICIOUS! Delicious Veggies! Okay, I'm really trying to eat more veggies and fruits, and to get what's easily available at the market. The very best veggie recipes I've found are either from friends or from this amazing cookbook by Mollie Katzen -- you remember the <a href="http://alonelyorange.blogspot.com/2010/11/saladita.html">saladita</a>? Yeah, that was from her book too. Most recent veggie adventure: Roasted Acorn Squash with Orange Cranberry Glaze.<br />
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The final deliciousness: </div>
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In the beginning, there was an acorn squash</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjipJRWN2u_lSP4OSQzeHk39BDwhwQzPjdTciF34pg4eLSw0jSfF9EqBwn3N82Hyl0IeZQo_TpW2M4R7V6nuRYIonUOrmmFKSIxUAaaqxseY2H8ZUWUrouDwKdG6vRQFOlpxETudhHf_NVL/s1600/IMG_3412.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjipJRWN2u_lSP4OSQzeHk39BDwhwQzPjdTciF34pg4eLSw0jSfF9EqBwn3N82Hyl0IeZQo_TpW2M4R7V6nuRYIonUOrmmFKSIxUAaaqxseY2H8ZUWUrouDwKdG6vRQFOlpxETudhHf_NVL/s400/IMG_3412.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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The original recipe calls for two acorn squash, so I went with it, even though Lito and I really don't eat <i>that</i> much squash -- I try to stick to the recipe the first time around and wait until either the second time or the last minute to make changes. Making two squash is fine. I personally liked a little higher ratio of glaze to squash, but knock yourself out with as much squash as you like here.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFeXbbT_AiFjrEu65FUWqAFnP6PjK_dA0p1L5giMfFbJw_H02arTM7qlkGN8fQe8Gem3y_ayjraV1CzzSDAk5p8bWIMQGwwqvByYaA9fPRyf22Umj7M8covAyQ-gSSVD-ZNcgFWf7UjtdN/s1600/IMG_3417.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFeXbbT_AiFjrEu65FUWqAFnP6PjK_dA0p1L5giMfFbJw_H02arTM7qlkGN8fQe8Gem3y_ayjraV1CzzSDAk5p8bWIMQGwwqvByYaA9fPRyf22Umj7M8covAyQ-gSSVD-ZNcgFWf7UjtdN/s400/IMG_3417.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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Acorn Squash In a Tidy Little Row</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilWaQYDoISCBQR3vO8suI-sTMDNlBGtUbklLO1oi42mlZiIOl9wa-VHRoz2Ix28uvMvKGNXdOiZ16DRPsRTN1wOhK5BK7EJcBmb7ALQQWgjntzqcv10_-k6sSEk1gsa0BQVco94BGyLT_T/s1600/IMG_3419.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilWaQYDoISCBQR3vO8suI-sTMDNlBGtUbklLO1oi42mlZiIOl9wa-VHRoz2Ix28uvMvKGNXdOiZ16DRPsRTN1wOhK5BK7EJcBmb7ALQQWgjntzqcv10_-k6sSEk1gsa0BQVco94BGyLT_T/s400/IMG_3419.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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Spooning the Glaze onto the Baked Squash Quarters</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD2ES4DKIIyHLmcwtAB7elL6lW_SQgZI70Og9BIpzuwyTffvaU_e64fsIMXA2_lkgyWRXRJkKp3Rz5x4glDG5vDcIN2Qxfy0MFYW7tqWBlLzvrZJnZ33Z0a2ba5tFUMOOs_mAdBUo7n53Q/s1600/IMG_3432.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD2ES4DKIIyHLmcwtAB7elL6lW_SQgZI70Og9BIpzuwyTffvaU_e64fsIMXA2_lkgyWRXRJkKp3Rz5x4glDG5vDcIN2Qxfy0MFYW7tqWBlLzvrZJnZ33Z0a2ba5tFUMOOs_mAdBUo7n53Q/s400/IMG_3432.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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Bon Appetit!</div>
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<b>Acorn Squash with Orange Cranberry Glaze</b><br />
Recipe Adapted from <a href="http://www.molliekatzen.com/">Mollie Katzen's</a> <a href="http://www.molliekatzen.com/vegetable_dishes_book_promo.php">The Vegetable Dishes I can't Live Without</a><br />
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<i>Here's What You Need:</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
Extra Virgin Olive Oil<br />
1 Acorn Squash, Seeded and Cut into Quarters<br />
Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper<br />
1 1/2 t Cornstarch<br />
1/2 C Orange Juice<br />
1 t Orange Zest<br />
1 t Cider Vinegar<br />
1 1/2 t Honey<br />
1 1/2 T Dried Cranberries<br />
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<i>Here's What You Do:</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
1. Preheat oven to 425. Line a cookie sheet with foil and brush olive oil on it. Brush olive oil on the squash quarters, sprinkle with Salt and Pepper. Put them so that one side is down on the foil & bake for 15 minutes; then flip the quarters on the other side & bake for 15 minutes.<br />
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2. While everything is baking, whisk together the corn starch and just a little bit of the orange juice in a saucepan. Then add the rest of the orange juice, the zest, the vinegar and the honey. Cook it over medium until it goes thick and shiny. Remove from heat and add the cranberries.<br />
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3. Put the wedges on a plate or serving dish and drizzle with the glaze. Chomp!<br />
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<i><br />
</i>Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16648024834569186000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1356712774729550099.post-29106118882018502322012-02-08T22:23:00.001-08:002014-03-11T23:45:01.812-07:00Nutella and Banana Ice CreamOkay, so I saw this recipe on Pinterest and I was reeeallly skeptical -- there seem to be a lot of really too-good-to-be-true pins. Like the one about how Quinoa has more protein than meat. Or the Alan Rickman "All this time" quote, which apparently he never said. The pin said nutella + bananas = life changed.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_sEaXm5vdD-tNchW3blKHms2GxUKJ60dTE3SlFEn-bj6By5Z9-6HxuJIO4xsOwh8pIf2pKtQFdlHXH5lQip63lYUBOM07S8gE6iAwEBJtmNU3JtGUny0MUvArd_rpju1Ibt7jAWU22ZEU/s1600/IMG_3410.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_sEaXm5vdD-tNchW3blKHms2GxUKJ60dTE3SlFEn-bj6By5Z9-6HxuJIO4xsOwh8pIf2pKtQFdlHXH5lQip63lYUBOM07S8gE6iAwEBJtmNU3JtGUny0MUvArd_rpju1Ibt7jAWU22ZEU/s400/IMG_3410.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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So...overstatement? Yes. Life changed? Not entirely. But is this pretty dang good and easy to make? Absolutely. Okay, write this down: 5-6 medium bananas and 1/3 Cup of Nutella. Blend. Freeze. That's it.<br />
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This dessert meets nearly all of my criteria for awesomeness:<br />
1. Easy<br />
2. Easy<br />
3. Chocolatey.<br />
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(We'll get to my other criteria later...)<br />
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Okay, so seriously try this and let me know if you love it and/or if your life is completely changed.<br />
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k.Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16648024834569186000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1356712774729550099.post-82960853762328443932012-02-07T21:35:00.001-08:002012-02-29T13:15:23.152-08:00Eating In Season:Just saw this on Pinterest and I thought it was a great idea. I'm new to eating fresh fruits and veggies, and this guide, I think, is really helpful for getting started. What else is in season right now? Anyone have any good mid-winter cooking ideas?<br />
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<3 k.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp1EouuHacwmQ3hn2Tl7wYYLUC2SnJ566NiOHwouV0xgwrHj7cLoAr-c_r45_UEHWgrZgnKvLC2aEcp4RkZ7Kr-6lfZx2R7qpKLdULZRJ7tjZGtN_rks2WmyeGVKKxx0NTX3-kMCbZ-V6F/s1600/eating+in+season.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp1EouuHacwmQ3hn2Tl7wYYLUC2SnJ566NiOHwouV0xgwrHj7cLoAr-c_r45_UEHWgrZgnKvLC2aEcp4RkZ7Kr-6lfZx2R7qpKLdULZRJ7tjZGtN_rks2WmyeGVKKxx0NTX3-kMCbZ-V6F/s640/eating+in+season.jpg" width="470" /></a></div>Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16648024834569186000noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1356712774729550099.post-5180310185396579282012-02-06T22:14:00.000-08:002012-02-06T22:14:58.466-08:00Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed DressingOkay, if I can get dudes to eat salad during the SuperBowl, then you know that either 1- bacon is involved; or 2- this is a really freakin' good salad. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHKmMt5c-yMuKKx6xB73hcdZuMBQ9swCgcEfB61a6pG79eMf9M9K5o5uMEOlyGeb9AnnHRgGd6UcKFN5fwmaHLy9EKVpxYgh_208fqBcaQ_JpKtYa_GSZMW5zKfLld230FzykqY7zQlMyL/s1600/IMG_3405.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHKmMt5c-yMuKKx6xB73hcdZuMBQ9swCgcEfB61a6pG79eMf9M9K5o5uMEOlyGeb9AnnHRgGd6UcKFN5fwmaHLy9EKVpxYgh_208fqBcaQ_JpKtYa_GSZMW5zKfLld230FzykqY7zQlMyL/s400/IMG_3405.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
I kind of think it's both. This recipe was originally from my Aunt G, who is a pretty amazing chef, and it is my pleasure to share my simplified version of it here!<br />
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Spinach Salad<br />
<i>Here's What You Need:</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
One box of triple washed baby spinach (or wash your own, whatevs.)<br />
1/2 lb cooked & crumbled bacon (or fakon/veggie bacon)<br />
a big handfull of shredded mozzarella<br />
1 C of cottage cheese, rinsed<br />
1 box of sliced white mushrooms<br />
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<i>Here's What You Do:</i><br />
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Mix it, Duh!<br />
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Poppy seed Dressing<br />
<i>Here's What You Need:</i><br />
<br />
1 scant tablespoon of poppy seeds<br />
3/4 C vegetable oil<br />
1/4 C white vinegar<br />
1/3 C sugar<br />
1/8 t powdered mustard<br />
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<i>Here's What You Do:</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
There are probably more sophisticated ways of making the dressing, but I like to put it in a shaker bottle and go at it.<br />
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So there's the scoop. Delicious veggies that I and my husband will actually eat. Ta da!Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16648024834569186000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1356712774729550099.post-88292467249559389522012-01-29T12:09:00.000-08:002012-01-29T12:11:34.746-08:00Snowflake Carrot Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3UTLG_To1do_qCDKaxxd_4zYdexCNrPGnuA_MSZUdQatp6FbyB8FwJgZyAj7_3kCrJEZ-ZSiRO0wh_rXcjgeOTUzd_Uk2TIqXtSQrfriUmErcVPV2MQIHT3U1mfZEx1pNIJts3gIqdaiF/s1600/IMG_3404.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3UTLG_To1do_qCDKaxxd_4zYdexCNrPGnuA_MSZUdQatp6FbyB8FwJgZyAj7_3kCrJEZ-ZSiRO0wh_rXcjgeOTUzd_Uk2TIqXtSQrfriUmErcVPV2MQIHT3U1mfZEx1pNIJts3gIqdaiF/s400/IMG_3404.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>So lately I've had several requests for carrot cake, which I've never tried before because I don't really like it. I think it's a texture thing -- the cake is full of stringy carrots and nuts. I really dislike nuts in cookies, cakes, brownies, etc. We should talk about nuts some time. There are great uses for nuts. Chopped and thrown haphazardly into desserts is not one of them. But I digress. Carrot cake!<br />
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This carrot cake turned out amazingly moist and perfectly warm with more than a hint of cinnamon and clove. Here's a peek at the final cake: Snowy and cool on the outside (January needs more appropriately wintery desserts) and warm deliciousness on the inside.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD4a_D771BJqj4Lv4yCRf36Y_SMK5w4m4tiwKoNKCiSMjrzzisl0FvFoblz7ovvSanyg61NdF6zaWH3z6bcve9x73uRzYse2pJlDowpj_yP0jMGEe6e-qKT7Lr6ZS0rBKVy7cVHPDlp3nU/s1600/IMG_3369.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD4a_D771BJqj4Lv4yCRf36Y_SMK5w4m4tiwKoNKCiSMjrzzisl0FvFoblz7ovvSanyg61NdF6zaWH3z6bcve9x73uRzYse2pJlDowpj_yP0jMGEe6e-qKT7Lr6ZS0rBKVy7cVHPDlp3nU/s400/IMG_3369.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Did I mention that the kicker here, that actually forced me to go for a carrot cake recipe, was that it was our friend Crispy's birthday. Crisp absolutely adores winter/snow/christmas at all times and in all things and in all places. So we went for it!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here's a shot of one of the six-inch rounds that I stacked and later layered with the icy blue cream cheese frosting.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNxLihXSzPon-T84NnGpeG3GdkiHjHPm_YWbus65kO2A-DW_-X60z6l86BQfjfADi1_UIyARuWEOE-BTaQejK3mOgvUedXQ30UF-RivJvZP8MfODKWPA3X_uLQWpYB4l-lcvGFGm1v6xNR/s1600/IMG_3342.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNxLihXSzPon-T84NnGpeG3GdkiHjHPm_YWbus65kO2A-DW_-X60z6l86BQfjfADi1_UIyARuWEOE-BTaQejK3mOgvUedXQ30UF-RivJvZP8MfODKWPA3X_uLQWpYB4l-lcvGFGm1v6xNR/s400/IMG_3342.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Since I had never even attempted a carrot cake, I searched the internet for "best" carrot cakes, and finally landed on Paula Deen's recipe for the <a href="http://www.smithfield.com/recipes/recipe/the-best-ever-carrot-cake-cupcakes">best carrot cake cupcakes</a>. The recipe was really easy to follow and (surprise to me) called for crushed pineapple, which I thought sounded absolutely delish. I made a few very slight modifications to the recipe, but overall, I think it's great.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>[Below] Process: frosting an orange crumby cake with wintery cream cheese frosting.</i> </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIs6ZF3b5Cfi4hxUME9Ckg_0dY-oFlY3r4OXIkpNxLxHfVaXXcaVbFHs0NH5nhiLrCUlwCFaPuYLXImt0TzdZJwJBbq-S1HOJGpOmB0oCwFo9W71mEK_6nRdGm70pO7At4LhIVo48usd43/s1600/IMG_3345.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIs6ZF3b5Cfi4hxUME9Ckg_0dY-oFlY3r4OXIkpNxLxHfVaXXcaVbFHs0NH5nhiLrCUlwCFaPuYLXImt0TzdZJwJBbq-S1HOJGpOmB0oCwFo9W71mEK_6nRdGm70pO7At4LhIVo48usd43/s400/IMG_3345.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ4NCnUBoUeJEH4wv7krhKK-zu35A8K5ZBVHAb53UigRxyNILsLxcz0HrgDBKnjkfaiSecEJV6PYXrpDOfxXytI-52XB1x3ANKIixOoVCQaNqMg0WZ7FW7BffdH578_NmNOfIT89MdYRfb/s1600/IMG_3354.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ4NCnUBoUeJEH4wv7krhKK-zu35A8K5ZBVHAb53UigRxyNILsLxcz0HrgDBKnjkfaiSecEJV6PYXrpDOfxXytI-52XB1x3ANKIixOoVCQaNqMg0WZ7FW7BffdH578_NmNOfIT89MdYRfb/s400/IMG_3354.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Lito and I worked for a couple hours the night before with gum paste and these lovely snowflake punches (you'll remember them from <a href="http://alonelyorange.blogspot.com/2011/12/snowflake-pie.html">this snowflake pie post</a>). We added edible silver glitter, which I'm a little undecided about -- I think in some of the snowflakes it just looks like ash, but I don't know, maybe it adds depth? Anyway, after both layers of cake were frosted, we went to town with these little buddies.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi35bbsDvBjL6iv9LbJ0_COPQfDiZpPZlqvauACkDVe5VvqzGhTlIluON5CBDARVJ9-Zbygwd5f_dSbjt6AhuppG5MWokaQKxbXIiG6D1_ngnQeE8wqMajlz92KBE6YOpWhVpGblYiqxBwJ/s1600/IMG_3374.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi35bbsDvBjL6iv9LbJ0_COPQfDiZpPZlqvauACkDVe5VvqzGhTlIluON5CBDARVJ9-Zbygwd5f_dSbjt6AhuppG5MWokaQKxbXIiG6D1_ngnQeE8wqMajlz92KBE6YOpWhVpGblYiqxBwJ/s400/IMG_3374.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Of course I made accompanying snowflake cupcakes:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdw-Uh6mBF_EBz0hzz1jBrKaY8SmYH4zN9GDDQOCBq_P9j60f-rb2ZG7OPVy_9agHJjaBHQxpFq7pV8BRsyXikMXZGh9IFJc2xs6eMAEQkKNxEqljkHNYvfLEzGobmknV2ugxmFplyyZrQ/s1600/IMG_3385.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdw-Uh6mBF_EBz0hzz1jBrKaY8SmYH4zN9GDDQOCBq_P9j60f-rb2ZG7OPVy_9agHJjaBHQxpFq7pV8BRsyXikMXZGh9IFJc2xs6eMAEQkKNxEqljkHNYvfLEzGobmknV2ugxmFplyyZrQ/s400/IMG_3385.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Happy Birthday to our friend Crispy!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2QPo1NjxK9sgvzQF9IGEYaBZUIycR8Zpe-WDD0J2HwWDFTgfI1OO0qP1G0Gri50hybcip0kDnG6421JT9W8HyEvul3MyPV9CxKdEnjbVkI6GeNuW_CUUK5sXvy6dYwmUblAp4llWQN20f/s1600/IMG_3388.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2QPo1NjxK9sgvzQF9IGEYaBZUIycR8Zpe-WDD0J2HwWDFTgfI1OO0qP1G0Gri50hybcip0kDnG6421JT9W8HyEvul3MyPV9CxKdEnjbVkI6GeNuW_CUUK5sXvy6dYwmUblAp4llWQN20f/s400/IMG_3388.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Chomp!<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Carrot Cake</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>Here's What You Need:</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>*</i>4 Eggs</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>*</i>3/4 C vegetable oil</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">*1/2 C apple sauce</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">*1 C sugar</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">*1 C brown sugar</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">*1 C crushed pineapple (well drained)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">*3 t vanilla</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">*2 C flour</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">*2 1/2 t baking soda</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">*2 1/2 t baking powder</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">*1/2 t salt</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">*2 t cinnamon (ground)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">*1/2 t nutmeg</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">*1/4 t ground cloves</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">*3 cups of grated carrots (note: Paula says to grate carrots on large side of grater. I say: no thanks. Put baby carrots or chopped carrots into a food processor and let her rip. Three cups of carrots took less than five minutes.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>Here's What You Do:</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Okay, so you've prepped your carrots, right? Right. Okay, then preheat the oven to 350, and get your pans ready. I did two six-inch rounds and 20 cupcakes.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, mix up the eggs, oil, apple sauce, white and brown sugar, pineapple, and vanilla. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Switch to the heavier mixing attachment and add the flour, baking soda, powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Add the carrots, carefully on a low speed.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Note: The batter will be runny. Don't freak out. Just bake it up. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Bake cupcakes for 17 minutes, or bake small rounds for about 30 minutes. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Cream Cheese Frosting</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>Here's What You Need:</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">*1 8-oz pkg cream cheese</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">*3 T butter, room temp.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">*2 t vanilla</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">*1 2-lb pkg powdered sugar</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">*milk (approx 1/8-1/4 C)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>Here's What You Do:</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Mix the cream cheese and the butter. Add vanilla and a few tablespoons of milk. Alternate milk and powdered sugar until you have the consistency of frosting you like. Voila!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16648024834569186000noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1356712774729550099.post-69810756735336762532012-01-24T22:09:00.000-08:002012-01-30T23:33:35.402-08:00Valentine Donuts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Okay, so I was at Target and, as usual, I totally fell in love with the adorable Valentinesey Stuff (Heart and Whale-shaped cookie jars? Yesplease!) I'm a sucker for marketing displays and awesome things, so I picked up a Nordic Ware Heart-Shaped Donut Pan! I couldn't find it online anywhere -- it's sort of like <a href="http://www.hsn.com/crafts-sewing/heart-donut-pan-6-cavity_pf-1109713_xp.aspx?&mr:referralID=103d3d61-4719-11e1-b2fa-001b2166becc&rdr=1&cm_mmc=Shopping%20Engine-_-NexTag-_-Crafts%20and%20Sewing-_-1109713=nt">this</a>, though.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAAIuDfBswVDzsNypVin6VhKd7ZM1vzQE6-UGjqFUUMvbphPPS49LgzDEWWdREybyBa-HeQM7JLipR-Qhru_kXXThFW9L6JrskaIol9Ce7iHqbtHGDdBIFfQQUk6_PXJdlUaGeGuuzsDyo/s1600/DPP_0033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAAIuDfBswVDzsNypVin6VhKd7ZM1vzQE6-UGjqFUUMvbphPPS49LgzDEWWdREybyBa-HeQM7JLipR-Qhru_kXXThFW9L6JrskaIol9Ce7iHqbtHGDdBIFfQQUk6_PXJdlUaGeGuuzsDyo/s400/DPP_0033.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As you can see from the donuts, I had a little bit of trial and error with how much batter to put in the pan, and how thick I should make the almond glaze. The thinner donuts with the thicker glaze won out. They're cuter and they tasted better. </div><a name='more'></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Fyy8EY4N2JzZLPuTHqyhaOUxY5DToWuXQxN7TvKndqG4LYNj1xnXa62zoLfxwimxiBjflxxjQ8xAC3ZTgqDqgUN03xgk3GKJR-OSAnZZacnUwHjb0hzyuj8UDfvJAib9PR7o7ZZ0RaJs/s1600/DPP_0004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Fyy8EY4N2JzZLPuTHqyhaOUxY5DToWuXQxN7TvKndqG4LYNj1xnXa62zoLfxwimxiBjflxxjQ8xAC3ZTgqDqgUN03xgk3GKJR-OSAnZZacnUwHjb0hzyuj8UDfvJAib9PR7o7ZZ0RaJs/s400/DPP_0004.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here's a pic of the first batch of donuts -- I overfilled the pan, so the heart-shaped holes are more like impressions. Also, this is the dilemma of this post: I don't know if I like cake donuts or not! I don't think I really do. But I really want to like them because the heart shaped pan! the hearts! The point that I am trying to get to (but failing, really) is that I don't know the following things:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1. if the recipe was good</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2. if I like cake donuts and the recipe was just so-so</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3. if I secretly don't like cake donuts and the recipe was fabu.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">4. if the recipe was just so-so, and I would like cake donuts if I ever had a really amazingly good one.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuMTEhn1wj_hhqBy_q5M9_hoijPszwxxSHgIpUyU__INFjr_HY_ZRy6IBFOz4vIzUBtsXDg-szQhkROXnw4B93iTGlimRmcw4l1hIU4319z-vCwgdAIxODmkiAH3rERmHQQvLnGpH8uxJa/s1600/DPP_0015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuMTEhn1wj_hhqBy_q5M9_hoijPszwxxSHgIpUyU__INFjr_HY_ZRy6IBFOz4vIzUBtsXDg-szQhkROXnw4B93iTGlimRmcw4l1hIU4319z-vCwgdAIxODmkiAH3rERmHQQvLnGpH8uxJa/s400/DPP_0015.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Lito wanted a picture of me demonstrating the dip of the donut into the glaze. Check out my tiny thumb. There it is! </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrInx2rjJLS_PFGbO00m9fU5wZzbOTGiSmoEMX6_eY-APHL3qaFhoBgHOhB-cEGZ6tjFcQxmdA8YOrp6B8NIcprGwScSl0EU_ambNzAa1AavDKBma5Pzo-B99T3QlWul7wkwBJhDYOBam2/s1600/DPP_0024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrInx2rjJLS_PFGbO00m9fU5wZzbOTGiSmoEMX6_eY-APHL3qaFhoBgHOhB-cEGZ6tjFcQxmdA8YOrp6B8NIcprGwScSl0EU_ambNzAa1AavDKBma5Pzo-B99T3QlWul7wkwBJhDYOBam2/s400/DPP_0024.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Okay so back to the dilemma -- I think: probably option #4 is the correct answer. But these at least looked cute, right? So I won't post a recipe until I find a good one. In the meantime, pretend these were SUPER delicious. Or at least as good as they look.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_pfm9viZmu1j5jlFfbTCSHoM_XDdmL6LZGTxOV9BhudaIbUNPpuvGbSzZemHVtLR6Zk0hxP8c-srlQEMkUEgM5BdWK7dt__092mhOsu8fgS6FJjB1mRTkGwhS3ln2-C9qZMiHBaFY_IVT/s1600/DPP_0036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_pfm9viZmu1j5jlFfbTCSHoM_XDdmL6LZGTxOV9BhudaIbUNPpuvGbSzZemHVtLR6Zk0hxP8c-srlQEMkUEgM5BdWK7dt__092mhOsu8fgS6FJjB1mRTkGwhS3ln2-C9qZMiHBaFY_IVT/s400/DPP_0036.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16648024834569186000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1356712774729550099.post-116070713122845032012-01-22T14:08:00.000-08:002012-01-22T14:08:06.280-08:00Elmo!Little M and his mom (and their trusty yellow lab, Isa) take care of Brownie during the week while Lito and I are at work -- so naturally when little M turned two, I had to do something awesome for his birthday. Since he's usually dancing to Elmo or Thomas when I drop Brownie off in the mornings, and since I have this awesome <a href="http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_SPM5233456201P?sid=IDx20070921x00003a&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=SPM5233456201">piping tip</a> and because Elmo is easier to make than Thomas, I made Elmo cakes. Voila!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBB7AbBUCarGDbpVCKCSAzOTktTVzCw8iVl9Djb-ZCOl_J3BYgNbCciiHR58WgVWDS_1T_oaxohNQr31VQW-WqiNlmOTRfpVKedAKj1TxF7CBL-Bn0fQdSFg-ism4I41IotXEKo8x8sZ5P/s1600/DPP_0003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBB7AbBUCarGDbpVCKCSAzOTktTVzCw8iVl9Djb-ZCOl_J3BYgNbCciiHR58WgVWDS_1T_oaxohNQr31VQW-WqiNlmOTRfpVKedAKj1TxF7CBL-Bn0fQdSFg-ism4I41IotXEKo8x8sZ5P/s400/DPP_0003.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Ingredients: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><ul><li>Body: Yellow Cake</li>
<li>Fur: Red Buttercream Frosting (with a whole jar of Wilton "No Taste" red coloring)</li>
<li>Eyes: Sliced Marshmallows and Sparkle Black Gel</li>
<li>Nose: Peanut Butter M&M</li>
<li>Mouth: Oreo</li>
</ul><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU_qy4vPX7KYEAHoAYNyZxHBD4qUaioa2Les4TODbrsHCyAzTTwGgItmceIeB_8W-B0GmjUnobwsCHlykvfwydaqhikvUxXOO7kfZLU7C6xXFUAdv4dp9DzzRw-zZXNX5ViUUABgELJAcb/s1600/DPP_0020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU_qy4vPX7KYEAHoAYNyZxHBD4qUaioa2Les4TODbrsHCyAzTTwGgItmceIeB_8W-B0GmjUnobwsCHlykvfwydaqhikvUxXOO7kfZLU7C6xXFUAdv4dp9DzzRw-zZXNX5ViUUABgELJAcb/s400/DPP_0020.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A couple of things I am happy about:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><ol><li>The fur! The red Elmo fur was actually red, didn't taste horrible (have you tasted red frosting? it's normally pretty gross b/c the coloring is too strong)<a name='more'></a></li>
<li>The M&M noses were the perfect size -- and there were enough orange M&Ms in one box to make 24 (or more?) Elmos.</li>
<li>The mouths -- once I figured out that I should cut a little semi-circle of cake out of the way, I was able to lay the Oreo-half flat. From there on out, Elmo stopped looking non-plussed, and started looking a little happier. </li>
</ol><div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwRWNU3vL8fU9g-LQgmX3Q1ag3xP4j0GC9JgdVwJ7rvsrxjbnDE4VNiD4jBs_0FXZyTpY1ExuoEouadyZN37GwNUiBIdhC-Lut-efK1Ek8fjxAVNnIOL5DWPn5m1HXpMBggznnVdWKpmyw/s1600/DPP_0010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwRWNU3vL8fU9g-LQgmX3Q1ag3xP4j0GC9JgdVwJ7rvsrxjbnDE4VNiD4jBs_0FXZyTpY1ExuoEouadyZN37GwNUiBIdhC-Lut-efK1Ek8fjxAVNnIOL5DWPn5m1HXpMBggznnVdWKpmyw/s400/DPP_0010.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">[Above:] A photo of the mouths after I figured out the cake-cutting trick...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWhz-Uo20BIZXnuGIRZjrBbaVaGIDixsUdV4rFjhl2BVfbkUUxR9UtV0llEgueNKvgFz3kwwfjrv64a9uZU5Gg8uqcDI-j6Z3nLmDYq6Eg4spRi8LrnVoalQQbEFZ9GaOfY6mzSMIDk7va/s1600/DPP_0028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWhz-Uo20BIZXnuGIRZjrBbaVaGIDixsUdV4rFjhl2BVfbkUUxR9UtV0llEgueNKvgFz3kwwfjrv64a9uZU5Gg8uqcDI-j6Z3nLmDYq6Eg4spRi8LrnVoalQQbEFZ9GaOfY6mzSMIDk7va/s400/DPP_0028.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
A couple things I would probably do differently next time:<br />
<br />
<ol><li>Make the frosting thicker from the get-go. It's harder on your hand when you pipe it out of the bag, but it's more fur-like in the end.</li>
<li>Use Necco Wafers instead of marshmallows for the eyes. It bugged me that the marshmallows weren't perfectly round -- they gave Elmo a kind of....not so Elmo-y look.</li>
</ol><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIEQlW6HKgMgJVdRHeB0b3yeLwEBCjS_yRZQ3FgSeQC3Wud0TPdNqXOO7O_693YIhC3N2XhEBS92SAD1ncClvUDj4KxjvH4FWOiMzvjHXKuclYZro_MXkloOLMjvff-YnlHNf5fCzJcTXI/s1600/DPP_0012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIEQlW6HKgMgJVdRHeB0b3yeLwEBCjS_yRZQ3FgSeQC3Wud0TPdNqXOO7O_693YIhC3N2XhEBS92SAD1ncClvUDj4KxjvH4FWOiMzvjHXKuclYZro_MXkloOLMjvff-YnlHNf5fCzJcTXI/s400/DPP_0012.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As an aside, apparently little M asked for Elmo "Pupakes" for breakfast on his birthday. Charmed! Lito and I have been calling the little cakes Pupakes all week...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpQjrUX12VsT-SSZ1ybFGPVn3D6VeLT3aRnvoPpGvApJFdKuBP23_2YTe9m3rgTCReEnqARJuh8pIqQJsk_iFuF3wf7lCeAmABRaKz9eUhW4V4SqgkoWduGLdBicTtnB-nDNMncpYIKVIC/s1600/DPP_0017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpQjrUX12VsT-SSZ1ybFGPVn3D6VeLT3aRnvoPpGvApJFdKuBP23_2YTe9m3rgTCReEnqARJuh8pIqQJsk_iFuF3wf7lCeAmABRaKz9eUhW4V4SqgkoWduGLdBicTtnB-nDNMncpYIKVIC/s400/DPP_0017.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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A row of Elmos:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVVxlMw0vnV96jLJMW7wtzqzuwh5_VEIEoJaSr6JgMohAafp6EnY9h9diA_SBticRkt33JHt9uRGexRMaaOY6UjTVadGBV2XQXRlFj9irn6bZpb9ZVSDMHX_5on9XxC_GFfp2czIomTGcc/s1600/DPP_0018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVVxlMw0vnV96jLJMW7wtzqzuwh5_VEIEoJaSr6JgMohAafp6EnY9h9diA_SBticRkt33JHt9uRGexRMaaOY6UjTVadGBV2XQXRlFj9irn6bZpb9ZVSDMHX_5on9XxC_GFfp2czIomTGcc/s400/DPP_0018.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Ready for Birthday time!Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16648024834569186000noreply@blogger.com0