Recipe Rundown

I have a ridiculous amount of recipes......recipes saved on the computer, recipes saved on my i-phone, recipes in a large accordion style file clipped form various magazines and newspapers, recipes saved on foodgawker.com..........you get the idea, right? There are so many out there that I am excited to try out, and here are some that I've done recently that I was really happy with

Beer and Paprika Beef Stew
I haven't eaten beef in at least 15 years, but it doesn't mean I won't cook it. This had the house smelling wonderful and the kids gobbled it up. I even got an e mail the next day from someone that had ordered this night's dinner telling me that they really enjoyed it (I love getting feedback like that!)

Roasted Cauliflower and Cheddar Soup
great roasted flavor, and who doesn't love cheese?

Yogurt and Honey Waffles
greek yogurt, cinnamon, oats and whole wheat flower made for a great fluffy waffle that the kids really enjoyed

Banana Crunch Muffins
these are absolutely fantastic! great flavor, and a surprising crunch from granola

Pan Fried Gnudi with Browned Butter and Mushrooms
These little gnudi were really good, and surprisingly easy to make. I served them with Lemon Caper Sole and it worked really well together.

Coming up this week for dinners:
Shrimp Creole with Rice and Garlic Roasted Zucchini
Chicken and Andouille Jambalaya
Bacon Wrapped Pork Chops with a Brown Sugar Glaze and Garlic Rice Pilaf
Low Fat Zucchini Pineapple Bread

Birthday Bake Shop

This past weekend we celebrated my daughter turning 2. It rained the entire day with no break, but we had a wonderful time celebrating with friends and family. Since Brianna is not yet old enough to demand a certain theme for her party, I totally took advantage and went with a theme I've been wanting to do for a while; Brianna's Bake Shop!

Here is the birthday girl blowing out her candles

My two cuties enjoying their sweet treats

me and the birthday girl

To keep with the bake shop theme I knew I wanted to do an assortment of different sweets. As a favor for each child to take home I decided to make candy filled ice cream cone rice krispie treats.

I made a batch of rice krispie treats, scooped it out onto a wax paper lined cookie sheet with an ice cream scooper and allowed them to fully cool. Then dip the scoops in melted chocolate or colored candy melts and sprinkle with different toppings. Once the ice cream scoops are set, dip the rim of a flat bottomed ice cream cone in the melted chocolate (this will act as your glue), fill the cone with candies, and attach the chocolate covered scoop to the cone.

I really think they were adorable, and my kids loved ripping into them!

Mini Mint Chocolate and Snickerdoodle Cupcakes

Key Lime Pie Cupcakes

Strawberry Cream Cheese Truffle "Sundaes"

The Birthday Cake
I made the cake look like the front of a bakery with the table and chairs and tiny cakes on the table. The cake was coconut and vanilla layers filled with a coconut swiss meringue buttercream and toasted coconut

New Oven Day!

I can not begin to explain how excited I am for tomorrow.

Tomorrow (sometime between 10am and 2pm) this lovely new double convection oven with 5 burners will be delivered to me! I am so excited to be able to bake at two different temperatures at the same time, and this will make dinner time so much easier.


Here's a peek at what's for dinner this week:
Ginger Maple Chicken with steamed rice and Asian Sesame Slaw
Spicy Orange Shrimp Skewers with Curried Sweet Potato Salad
Grilled Vegetable Lasagna Rolls with salad
If you'd like to be added to the dinner e mail list just let me know!

Cupcake Social

A friend of mine needed 6 dozen cupcakes for a "cupcake social" event at her work this week. I love getting orders from people that let me take charge of what flavors to do, and I was told as long as I included the chocolate cake with peanut butter icing I could do whatever else I wanted! It's always fun to try out new flavors and recipes I've been dying to use. Here's the lineup:
Mint Chocolate cake and icing topped with Andes Mints

Coconut cake and Swiss meringue Buttercream topped with Toasted Coconut

Key Lime Cake and Citrus Cream Cheese frosting topped with graham cracker crumbs

Vanilla Cake with Blackberry Buttercream topped with Blackberries

Chocolate cupcakes with Peanut butter Frosting and Mint Chocolate

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes topped with cinnamon sugar and coconut cupcakes

Away in a Manger

Today was my son's Christmas play and class party. He was Joseph, and he did so well! He loved practicing his song and I'm so glad he didn't get nervous with all the parent attention and camera flashes!For the party I made browned butter sugar cookies and decorated them with royal icing. I really hope the kids enjoy their sweet reward for such a good performance.

Holly Jolly Christmas Treats

I have been busy baking up a storm lately! Here's a preview of all the sweet things I've been making

Four dozen cupcakes for a good friend's work event
Apple Pecan Cupcake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing topped with homemade Pralines

Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Icing

Gingerbread Cupcake with Molasses Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting

White Vanilla Cupcakes with Dark Chocolate Icing and edible Snowflakes

Later in the week, I hosted a cookie swap for our playgroup and I decided to make chocolate s'more cookies
before being baked:

after:
as if the cookies weren't enough I also made an Orange Vanilla Yogurt cake to snack on that morning
over the weekend we went to a small get together and I brought cake truffles and cupcakes
the first are gingerbread truffles, here they are ready to be dipped
gingerbread truffles decorated for Christmas
and chocolate, strawberry cream cheese cake truffles
I also have been baking a variety of cookies to pass out to neighbor's and for my son's teachers
Here are Rum Raisin, Cranberry Coconut Cookies and Nutella Swirls- I think both of these were my favorites this year! SO buttery and delicious
Browned Butter Sugar Cookies
Coconut Krispie Snowball Merinues
Peanut Chocolate Krispies- honey peanut butter krispie treat covered with chocolate

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas!

Dr Seuss Double Birthday!

I had so much fun doing this party! I LOVE Dr Seuss, and to re create my favorite childhood books into sweet treats was really fun. My fabulous friend Kendra had a joint birthday party for her son and daughter and really outdid herself with the decorations.

I don't think there is anything better than when a child gets the first glimpse at their cake

For this cutie I did the front cover design from "Oh The Places You'll Go" in a smash cake
The cake was White Butter cake with Vanilla Icing

For the other smash cake I did "The Cat In The Hat" made of Chocolate cake with Raspberry Almond Cream Cheese Icing

For the cupcake tower I did Chocolate cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting and White Butter Cupcakes with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting. For the toppers I did "Green Eggs and Ham", "One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish" and "Cat In The Hat" figures in fondant and chocolate.

I love the whimsical signs in "Oh the Places You'll Go"

Thing 1 and Thing 2 cupcakes and trees from "Oh the Places You'll Go"

"Green Eggs and Ham"

a couple extra green eggs