Thursday, February 4, 2010

Pretty Pretty Zebra


Here's a cupcake that caught my eye... the design... PERFECT!

The black and white go perfectly with the Zebra cuppycake wrap... I love it.. I wish I knew the flavor of the icing, chocolate? Maybe Chocolate Mint? Oh I hope it's mint!

What do you think?? Pretty perfect? Or not so much?

Thursday, January 28, 2010

In Season now - POMEGRANATE



Oh wow... How good does that look. I feel in love with Pomegranates about a year ago, and now that they are back in Season, you know I'll be stocking up! Anyone have any good recipes to try? They are good alone, but I'd love to mix it up a bit!

Portion Control - The Rules To Live By

Anyone ever heard of a little book called "Why French Women Don't Get Fat"? Probably one of the most insightful books I have ever read. Mainly, it's about eating well, and eating smart. Nothing too new, but I did come across this article today which adds to that notion. Try it out, see how it goes and let me know if it works for you!
Courtesy of Cooking Light
Before Eating, Divide The Plate
Here’s a simple rule to portion a plate properly: Divide it in half. Automatically fill one side with fruits or vegetables, leaving the rest for equal parts protein and starch. This way, you begin to see what a properly balanced meal looks like. Spaghetti and meatballs? Steak and potatoes? They’re only half a meal, incomplete without fruits and vegetables.
Pre-Portion Tempting Treats
The bigger the package, the more food you’ll pour out of it. When two groups were given half- or 1-pound bags of M&Ms to eat while watching TV, those given the 1-pound bag ate nearly twice as much.
Head Off The Mindless Munch
Five minutes after eating at an Italian restaurant, 31 percent of people couldn’t remember how much bread they ate. If you’re worried you might do the same, have the bread removed from the table.
Downsize The Dishes
If you’re one of the 54 percent of Americans who eat until their plates are clean, make sure those plates are modestly sized. On a standard 8- to 10-inch dinner plate, a portion of spaghetti looks like a meal. On a 12- to 14-inch dinner plate, it looks meager, so you’re likely to dish out a bigger portion to fill the plate. When researchers gave study participants 34- or 17-ounce bowls and told them to help themselves to ice cream, those with the bigger bowls dished out 31 percent more ice cream.
Limit Your Choices
The more options you have, the more you want to try. In one study, researchers gave two groups jellybeans to snack on while they watched a movie. One group got six colors, neatly divided into compartments; jellybeans for the other group were jumbled ­together. Those given a mix ate nearly two times more. Use Your Power For Good
Most homes have a “nutritional gatekeeper” who controls 72 percent of the food eaten by everyone else. The person who chooses food, buys it, and prepares it wields power. If that’s you, take advantage of it.
Avoid A See-Food Diet
Office workers who kept candy in clear dishes on their desks dipped in for a sample 71 percent more often than those who kept their candy out of sight.
Turn Off The Television
The Vast Wasteland leads to vast waists. It’s not just the couch-sitting. TV distracts you from how much you’re eating, and the more you watch, the more you’re likely to eat. In a study comparing how much popcorn viewers ate during either a half-hour show or an hour-long show, those who watched more television ate 28 percent more popcorn.
Think Before You Drink
Pour cranberry juice into two glasses of equal volume: one short and wide, the other tall and thin. Most people pour 19 percent more cranberry juice in the short glass because the eye is a poor judge of volume in relation to height and width.
Serve Good-For-You Foods Family-Style
Not all portion-control strategies are about eating less. You can have as much as you want of some foods. Place the foods you want your family to eat more of―salads and vegetable sides―within easy reach on the dining table. In a soon-to-be-published study, Wansink found people who kept baby carrots in plain sight ate 25 percent more during a day.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Super Easy - Superbowl Food




I love peanut butter and chocolate... It's better than anything... Almost better than Bailey. So when I came across this recipe, I had to share it!



From Everyday Food
Ingredients
4 ounces white chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
12 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted roasted peanuts, chopped

Directions:

Line two 12-cup mini muffin pans with paper liners; set aside.
In a microwave-safe bowl, combine white chocolate and peanut butter. Microwave, until almost melted, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, stirring halfway through. Set aside to cool slightly.
Meanwhile, place semisweet chocolate in another microwave-safe bowl. Microwave, stirring once or twice, until almost melted, 2 to 3 minutes.
Dividing evenly, use a spoon to layer semisweet chocolate and peanut-butter mixture into liners, beginning and ending with chocolate; sprinkle with peanuts.
Place muffin pans in freezer until peanut butter cups are firm, about 15 minutes. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Makes 24.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

The Ultimate Din Din!






Sooo, this was my Valentine's Day 2009 Layout!
I made the best German Chocolate Cake, in the shape of a heart of course! Want the recipe?
Okay... Here you go! Courtesy of Rachael Ray and Trisha Yearwood

4 ounces sweet dark chocolate (see Shopping Hint below)
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup warm milk
2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 medium egg whites
2 cups sugar
5 medium egg yolks, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup buttermilk, well shaken
For the coconut frosting:
1 cup sugar
4 medium egg yolks
1 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
10 ounces fresh or frozen and thawed grated coconut
1 1/2 cups finely ground pecans, walnuts, or almonds
1/4 cup warm milk
Yields: 12 servings
Preparation
Prepare the chocolate by melting it in the top of a double boiler, stirring until it is smooth. Add 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) of the butter and stir until it is melted and blended. Add 1/4 cup of warm milk and stir until smooth. Set the chocolate aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Line the bottoms only of three 9-inch cake pans with circles of parchment paper, or grease each pan bottom only with solid shortening and dust lightly with flour. Sift together the sifted and measured flour, baking soda, and salt.
Whip the egg whites until stiff using the wire beater of the mixer. Transfer the beaten whites to a separate bowl and set aside.
In the mixer bowl, cream the remaining 1 1/2 sticks of butter and sugar together until fluffy.
Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the melted, cooled chocolate and the vanilla. Mix well.
With the mixer on very low, stir in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk. Do this by adding about a third of the flour and slowly stirring it in completely. Then add about half the buttermilk and stir it in. Continue adding flour and buttermilk in this manner, ending with flour. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and stir again. With a long-handled spoon or spatula, fold and stir the beaten egg whites into the batter until the batter is smooth with no visible clumps of whites.
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake for 30-40 minutes. Bake on the middle rack of the oven, allowing at least 1/4-inch clearance between the pans and the oven walls. The cake will rise above the pan edges as it bakes but will not spill over and will settle back down as it continues to bake. The cake is done when it begins to pull away from the sides of the pans and springs back to a light touch. Cool layers in the pans for about 8 minutes.

Run a knife around the edges of each pan and turn the layers out onto wire racks that have been sprayed with cooking spray. Cool layers completely before frosting.
To make the frosting, combine the sugar, egg yolks, and evaporated milk in the top of a double boiler. Stir with a wire whisk until the yolks are fully incorporated. Add the butter. Place over simmering water and bring to a boil (see Note below). Simmer for 12-15 minutes longer, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens. Add the vanilla, coconut, and nuts. Cool.
To assemble the cake, place one layer on a cake stand and spread with frosting. Frost each layer completely, top and sides, as it is added to the cake.
Note: You can also make the frosting in a regular saucepan, but be sure to stir it constantly, as it scorches quite easily. Also, you must use the finely grated fresh or frozen coconut, not canned or shredded, to be able to spread the frosting on the sides of the cake easily.
Shopping Hint: For those cooks who use a lot of sweet baking chocolate, the chocolate used in this recipe can be purchased in bulk online at www.cocoasupply.com. Choose La Equatoriale – Dark Chocolate Coverture. The cost, including postage, is half what you would probably pay in grocery stores. Share the large bar with your friends who bake.

Okay - Back again - Maybe


Hi Guys!




I have missed my blogging adventures. Let's try this again!




Thursday, January 8, 2009

Honor The King!

Via examiner.com

"Searching for a tasty way to observe Elvis Presley's birthday today? Then head on over to Sprinkles in Beverly Hills (www.sprinklescupcakes.com, 9635 Little Santa Monica Blvd., 310-274-8765) and savor one of their limited edition peanut butter cupcakes available today only!
Aptly nicknamed "The King", this Sprinkles exclusive creation is a moist banana cake with peanut butter frosting (one of Elvis' favorite flavor combinations), topped with a gold star! You can also place your order online at
http://www.sprinklescupcakes.com/order/order_cupcakes-1.php or by phone at 888-220-2210.
Long live the King of Rock 'N Roll!
Until our next food find....may all your food finds be fabulous!"


Go on guys! Get some Elvis cupcakes! Let me know how they are!!

Photo Credit: Examiner.com