Night 4: Results

Monday night: time for chocolate!!!


Having found my gold and white cake recipes, it was time to move onto my favorite type of cake: chocolate. Growing up, my Mymama (my name for my grandmother) made the most delicious chocolate fudge cake. Of course, that's the one I wanted to start with and it was an easy decision to make!


Mymama had given me her recipe (from memory) years ago but I was curious to see how it matched up with the versions my mom and aunt had. Fortunately by piecing all three together, the correct recipe was found. I have copied it here for you below. The cake was truly moist and flavorful and the icing was to die for. We shared it with a group of friends last night and seconds were passed to everyone. 


Now, before we get too deep into the details of the recipe, I have to share a funny on myself. Like any good baker, I thoroughly read the ingredient list before I started making the recipe. On the ingredient list it said PET milk. While at the grocery store, I looked on the shelf and grabbed the can of milk that had a pet's face on it (a cow) and bought it. The first round I tried to make the icing, I couldn't get the sugar to dissolve! I can be impatient in the kitchen, so I then thought, maybe I didn't let it cook long enough over the heat. For round two of icing, I copied the exact same method but gave it even longer to melt and yet, the same result happened, completely grainy base! After two attempts, I have learned that the issue is usually caused by human error (me). I re-read the recipe and then promptly Googled PET milk, which OF COURSE is evaporated milk, NOT sweetened condensed milk! For the third round, I made the icing with the right milk and it turned out beautifully. What a gaffe!


Back to the cake baking and making! Mymama recommended icing the cake pretty quickly after the icing is made and I now understand why, as it cools, it really becomes like fudge and is thick and not easy to work with. I would let the icing sit for a max of 2 minutes after it is made and then start applying it to the cake.


This cake baking session was also the first time I had utilized the tips from Bakerella: 1) to wrap the cakes immediately after they have been cooled from the oven about 5 minutes and 2) use a sugar water spray to keep the cake moist. Of course, they worked!


Mymama's Chocolate Fudge Cake

16 oz. can Hershey Syrup

1 stick butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 cup self-rising flour (I also learned self-rising flour has baking powder & salt in it; if you only have all-purpose flour, not to fear as you can mix your own, see link here: Homemade Self-Rising Flour

4 eggs

Cream margarine and sugar. Add eggs one at a time and beat well.  Add syrup and then flour.  Bake in 2 layers at 350. Mymama did not give a time for baking. I started watching mine after 20 minutes and it came out at about 24 minutes. As always, test the middle for zero crumbs, with a toothpick. 

1 ½ cup sugar

6 T. butter

1/3 cup PET (evaporated milk)

7 oz. jar Marshmallow cream, but use 1/2

Pinch salt

6oz semi-sweet chocolate chips

Mix sugar, butter and evaporated milk in a medium size pan and stir over low heat. After everything begins to melt/mix, boil 1 minute until no grains of sugar are showing. Remove the pan from heat and add ½ t. vanilla, 6 oz. choc. chips and ½ of a 7 oz. jar of marshmallow cream.  Stir and then spread onto your cake.

Night 3: Search for the Great White Cake

Night 3 of baking commenced today and thankfully, my sous chef was back in town and by my side to help (that would be my husband :) 

I'll go ahead and cheat the details below by saying: WE FOUND TWO WINNERS! First was recipe 1 (I will call it white wedding cake) and the second was recipe 2 from Bakerella (Moist Yellow Cake). I paired it with the buttercreme icing I made on Monday night and what a delicious treat!

Here is what I'll be working on this week:

1) perfect chocolate cake recipe

2) designing the bakery's signature royal icing pieces and colors

3) trademarking my future bakery's name

4) we'll see; any plans past three can be hard to keep during a long work week :)

Details from Night 3 - quest for the perfect white cake: 

Recipe 1 from: Can You Stay For Dinner (The Very Best White Cake).

These little cakes have an almost perfect white color. They taste light, fluffy and delicious. The only odd thing about them is that they don't separate from their cupcake wrapper very easily...odd? The recipe was for 12 cupcakes but this one made 60 mini cupcakes.

Recipe 2 from: Bakerella (Moist Yellow Cake).

Form the start, I knew I would like this recipe because you whip the butter and sugar for 7 minutes, like a frosting! The batter is yummy (and zero calories, right?). Since this recipe makes enough for three 8" layer cakes, I made two trays of mini cupcakes and two 8" layer cakes. Now, I'm just waiting for the minis to come out of the oven.The buzzer just went off and they look perfect and smell delightful.

Recipe 3: I got this one from my dear friend Emily. There isn't a link to this one, I'll post it at the bottom of the blog. Unfortunately, my food processor is broken, and I did not make superfine sugar. Instead, I added confectioners sugar which made the cake very unsweet. The texture was good though, as was the coloring.

Recipe 4 from: Sweetapolita (an Old Fashioned White Cake). I tried one of hers the other night and they weren't what I was looking for (not enough flavor). I was anxious to see how this one turned out but unfortunately, it was not very good either. The texture was a little too thick as well.

The more I bake, the more I learn about baking (yes, a novel concept but in the south they say: edjecadud LOL). For example, here are my lessons from tonight:

1. I am on a quest to find the perfect baking time for mini cupcakes. As of Night 3, that appears to be about 8 minutes and 5 seconds. 
2. I learned from Bakerella, that you should drop the cake pan of batter to get the air bubbles out (about three inches in height).
3. To make great egg whites, they should be as close to room temperature as possible. In fact, for any type of baking, it sounds like room temp for eggs in general is best. 
4. In using all of these eggs, most recipes only call for egg whites...NOW, what to do with all of these unwanted egg yolks? Last week, we made homemade custard () but we can't do that every week or I'll gain all of my lost weight back!
5. Bakerella (gosh, she knows all!) also advised the following two tips to keep your cake as moist as possible: a) to wrap the slightly cooled cake in saran wrap to capture moisture and 2) create a sugar water mix to spray on your cake layers to create ongoing moisture throughout the life of the cake. The funny thing about this mix is that hummingbirds would love it, as it's quite close to the concoction we make for them (sans red dye).
6. Superfine sugar - no, it's not good looking sugar. Actually, it is granulated sugar crystals that have been ground into even finer sugar crystals. You can make your own via a food processor. Powdered sugar is not interchangeable for superfine sugar. 

Recipe for Test #3:

Dry ingredients...

2 and 3/4 cups of flour

1 and 3/4 cup of super fine sugar

2 teaspoon of baking powder

3/4 teaspoon of salt

  

Wet ingrdients...

3/4 cup unsalted butter

5 egg whites

1 cup of milk

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 teaspoon of almond extract

Cream butter and then add egg whites one at a time untill mixed. Add milk, vanilla, and almond extract. Sift all dry ingredients, then add to wet ingredients.  Fills two 8 inch rounds!  Bake 325- 350 for 20 to 30 minutes!

Night 2: Results

Night 2 was a success!

1. The salted caramel buttercreme on the banana cupcakes with salted caramel drizzle was so good.

2. I made banana cupcakes with chocolate chunks and banana icing. The recipe called for cream cheese in the icing which I think competes with the peanut butter flavor. Separate from the cupcakes, it tastes fine but together, I think it's a little off. For the next recipe, I will try a pure buttercreme with peanut butter.

3. I also decorated the white cupcakes and 10" round cake layer from last night with royal icing flowers from my friend, they're lovely!

Roasted Cod Dinner & Night 2 of Baking

Yum yum yum! I made a roasted cod recipe tonight for dinner and it was delish and super easy. Aka = winning combination!

I did omit the garlic bread crouton and the anchovies and it still tasted refreshingly great and it also was filling. Cod was the type of fish I used. Here is the link to the recipe.

I also roasted slices of zucchini and boiled green beans. All vegetables were supplied from our Harvest Share basket from the Farm, by the Cobblestone Project: http://www.cobblestoneproject.org/.

On a different note: BAKING! I took my confetti cupcakes to work for a few of my friends (with trusted pallets) to try. I also sent a few home with a coworker who has three children at home, their opinions mean a lot! So far the feedback has been that the icing is delicious and everyone liked the cake too. I still may try a few cake recipes but it's good to know one is OK to use and to continue to perfect.

Tonight...I plan to:
1) bake banana cupcakes and ice with a salted caramel icing
2) ice the 10" round cake I baked
3) relax...my back is killing me!

I'll post results back later!

Night 1: Results

Here is the verdict:

1) icing - AHmazing!

2) cake - not quite right. I will continue to adapt/search

I'm going to take them to work tomorrow to poll a few additional people for their opinions.

Fluffy Vanilla Cupcakes and Icing

I have an addiction to the ease of using cake box mix. In my bakery, I can't use it! I want to ensure that every item is made from scratch.

Therefore, I had to google some recipe ideas to see if I could find the perfect solution to my problem.

Tonight I am trying my interpretation of Sweetapolita's fluffy vanilla cake with whipped vanilla bean frosting: http://sweetapolita.com.

I am looking to accomplish the following tonight:

1. delicious mini cupcakes
2. a perfect layer cake 
3. delicious cake squares that can be used for petit fours and icing that can melt onto the petit fours
4. determine if this cake and icing freezes well 

I've Missed Blogging!

Believe it or not, absence has made my heart grow fonder! I have missed blogging and can't believe it has been as long as it has.

I guess I can't technically tell people I have a blog, if I don't keep it up!

I'm sure all of you understand with a full time job, how it can suck the energy out of you from wanting to turn on your own computer and connect. That's what has been going on with me, yet, that's neither here nor there today. I'm back and so excited because drum roll please...dah dah dah (makes me think of Christmas Vacation doing that!)...I've decided to start working on opening my own bakery! Now, this will be a long (thorough) process but I can't get it out of my mind. I've been thinking about and dreaming of this almost every day lately.

What I will be working on:
1) refining my key recipes
2) securing the name of my bakery (I will share that once it's mine) :)
3) selling baked goods out of my house (after I get a license) to develop a clientele
4) once a clientele is established and I am making $, I will look into finding a physical location locally
5) I will also need investors to help get me started, that will be fun!
6) once I secure a location and investors, we will start the process of opening a bakery in Northwest Arkansas! I'm hoping to find a location off of the downtown Bentonville square

I'll continue to post my progress as I go! Please post your ideas and suggestions too, I would love to hear them. Happy Baking!

Invitations Made Easy

Y'all, I have found the most AHMAZIN' way to order invitations. Yes, the paper kind that are old-fashioned but still so fun to send for a special gathering.

The worst parts of getting invitations are: 1) they're expensive and 2) you have to wait (for them to print, ship to you or go pick them up and then mailing them, after you go buy stamps).

Never fear, a fantastic website is here! cardstore.com Although it's been around for about 10 years and has since been aquired by American Greetings, cardstore.com is a great find. They have lovely and affordable options for every occasion and I haven't even gotten to the best part yet: they will print and mail your invitations to your guests, for you! It truly made invitation ordering as easy as 1-2-3.

Here is an example of a fun, seasonal card for a summer gathering:

I used the website for the first time a couple of weeks ago for my sister's lingerie shower invitation and it was a time-saving, wonderful experience. I have another shower to host at the end of May, and will be using this great shop again.

Thank you cardstore.com!

I love shopping discount apps

For those of you who have not discovered premium brand, discount shopping apps, please continue to read-on!

I have found hautelook.com and fab.com to be a very fun, unexpected and impulsive way to learn about fabulous products at great prices.

Just today, I purchased a lovely colorful horse print (maybe for a future kids room???).

Last week there was a sale on fab.com for the beautiful melamine items from frenchbull.com. I purchased a few items for cheap, cheap, cheap - what a find!

A few weeks ago, I purchased the most fun portable cheeseboard (plus an extra to use as a gift for a friend).

They start new sales each day. My only recommendation to them is: add more photos of your wares! The more  details I can see on the fly (vs. having to do extra searches online), the faster I will buy your products and probably more of them at that.

Happy shopping!

Grilled Kabob Bar

Last Sunday we hosted a couple of our dear friends, Jon and Emily for a Sunday evening of grillin'. One of the easiest and most delicious meals to make in the summer is kabobs.

Cory and I like to have guest participation in meals and decided to do a kabob "bar." We set out all of the fresh ingredients and everyone could assemble their kabobs with what they wanted. Due to the addition of raw meat, we did have one designated chicken person.

Our selection included: red onions, vidalia onions, yellow squash, zucchini squash, cherry tomatoes, red/green/orange bell peppers, mushrooms and chipotle-lime marinated chicken. The chicken marinade is FANTASTIC and the recipe link is below.

Chipotle-Lime Grilled Chicken

Having Fun (OMG really?) Maintaining My Weight!

Friends,
I'm sorry it has been so long since I have posted any recipes or updates! To be honest, we have been crazy busy. With what you say? For one, selling our first house, also, with all of this gorgeous weather, we have been outside a ton, jogging, walking the dogs, riding our bicycles and enjoying nature. Some nights, we'll look up and it's already 9pm!

I am still doing well on the "adapting" part of my life-style changing diet. At about 1,200 calories per day, I can intake the food I need to maintain a healthy thinking attitude and to exercise like I want to. Cory has been incredibly supportive as well, even picking up the "my fitness pal" app habit, to support me as I use it. By the way, it is a wonderful app! Link to the My Fitness Pal app.

Here are a few useful tips I have discovered during my adapting back to food:
1. Continue to drink 64oz of water per day! I have found that when I start to get the snacky/munchies, I'm most likely slightly dehydrated and can have a glass of water and feel fine.

2. Also, when feeling snacky, I get out of the kitchen! Sometimes, just having the option of an refrigerator or pantry door to open, can trigger "I'm hungry (but really not)" feelings.
3. When finishing a meal or again, feeling snacky but knowing you're not, go for a piece of gum. I've found some great flavors out there that suit every taste need: Trident Cinnamon is wonderful for anything, Trident Original gets the food taste out of your mouth, Extra Desserts are nice when you want something sweet. I haven't ventured out to try the Apple Pie or Strawberry Shortcake yet but the Orange Creme Pop and Mint Chocolate Chip are good.

4. If you have tried the ideas above but are still hungry, you really might be! Instead of going straight for the carbohydrates (fruit included), reach for some fresh veggies. Our nutritionist encourages us to definitely 6 servings of vegetables today. Once you try to plan that in, it is quite a challenge. I've been able to accomplish this too! Some of the new snack veggies I am loving: sweet baby peppers, sugar snap peas and baby carrots. Sam's Club sells a great value pack of all three (separately of course).

5. Another food Cory and I love, but couldn't afford to eat in the past calorie-wise, was peanut butter. The fat content was too high. Then, I took a work trip to Springfield and discovered PB2 at a Dillon's store. WOW, this stuff is awesome. If you truly love peanut butter, you are going to love this stuff as it tastes like pure peanuts. This type of peanut butter removes 85% of the fat that comes from oil by processing the peanuts like normal, dehydrating them and you buy it on shelf as a peanut butter powder. After you bring it home, you mix it with water to your consistency of choice and voila, a healthy peanut butter! They also offer a chocolate peanut butter. Look it up to find out more on the Bell Plantation Website. It's most cost effective to purchase from their website vs. Amazon, at least that's what we found in our research.

That's all for now. We are headed out for a hike with our pups. More to come later on our delicious grillin' out night with our friends Jon and Emily - we're making Chipotle-Lime Grilled Chicken Kabobs, yummmmm.

I'm Proud to be an Arkansan!

Tonight, I will not be focusing primarily on food but rather, the serious incident that our state has had to encounter this week: scandal on the University of Arkansas football team. Our former head football coach Bobby Petrino came under intense University and public scrutiny after the details of what seemed a commonplace motorcycle accident were gradually revealed. As a result, his integrity came under question and investigation. 


Today, a new leader emerged in our state, Jeff Wood. Many may have known him as the U of A's Athletic Director but today, he proved a premium example of what a public figure with great influence and power should behave like. One of my favorite quotes from the obviously difficult press conference earlier today:


"No individual is bigger than the team"


Later, as he became choked up, he discussed how his position is bigger than himself, that he has an obligation to the athletes, the students, fans and the state to provide leadership befitting of the University. You could visibly see the stress and strain this entire situation had placed on Wood, yet, he definitely made his state proud. 


To say this was a defining moment for our state, would be an understatement but I can say that we are definitely going to rally behind the team and this great, Razorback nation! Go Hogs and Pig Souie!


Link to another blog - great letter: http://www.theaccidentaldoctor.com/2012/04/11/934/


Of course, as he was talking about finding another coach, Wood also gave a great shout-out to the SEC by saying: we're the best conference in the nation...booyah!

Grace Point, Sunday Sermon, Easter Sunday 4/8

Finding New Direction Through and Empty Tomb
Philippians 3:2-14

Easter is not a holiday you celebrate; it is a life you live. 

The Romans were expert at killing people by crucifixion - Jesus was fully dead. Josephus said: back in the day, they didn't have enough crosses for all of the people they were killing. 

There are hundreds of eye-witnesses to the resurrected Christ - 
Jesus was fully alive. Over 500 people sighted him in a 40 day period after his resurrection. 

Sir Norman Anderson - the empty tomb, forms a veritable rock on which all rationalistic theories of the resurrection dash themselves in vain. 

HCSB: my goal is to know him and the power of his resurrection...I will somehow reach the resurrection of the dead. v10.

The resurrection was the center point on which Paul was building his life. What is our center point?

You can't control the length of your life but you can control the depth. 
1) the resurrected life gives you a SUBSTANTIVE FOCUS for living. 

Book that 35+ yrs old should read: Half Time, Bob Buford. Transition from success to significance. Does your success have substance to it?

V3-8 Paul was the "who's who, of the Hebrews," he was blameless under the law. Yet, puts no confidence in the flesh.

Quote from Leonard Sweet, Carpe Mañana - "The greater the material fullness, the greater the spiritual emptiness." 

2) The resurrected life gives you a FUTURE TO HOLD ON TO. 
v12-14 - pressing toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 

In my faith, how much am I pushing through my walls? 

Mike said someone shared this quip with him in the gym: PAIN is WEAKNESS leaving your body.

A challenge in pressing forward: to be free from the PAST v13
Quotes:
LP: your past should be your TEACHER, not your MASTER. 
Dutch Sheets - Roll Away Your Stone
Don't settle for SECOND PLACE in the FAITH. 
Henry Blackaby - You cannot go with God and stay where you are. 

Israelites approach the red sea - The Lord said to them (Ex 14:15 - The Lord said to Moses, "tell the people to go forward."). 

Set faith building goals:
Tithe
Serve in a global capacity, sign up today!
It seems those we love the most, we fight with the most. Where are you in communication?
If you have been far from God, turn to him now.  
Surrender your tongue to him.
Maybe you just need to say...YES to God! 

A Splendid Sunday

Our Sunday started with the 7am service at Grace Point Church - it was wonderful and I will post the sermon from the service shortly.

After church, Cory and I basically spent time together enjoying the beautiful day, what a wonderful blessing from God!

Healthy Lunch I Made Today

• deli turkey, swiss cheese rolled-up in iceberg lettuce
• whole grain brown rice with olive oil sauteed peppers and garlic
• PB1 (the best new product EVER, check it out here) with a sliced apple
• Arnold Palmers (fresh and delish, non-alcoholic)

We went for a refreshing bicycle ride to Crystal Bridges and then walked the Dogwood Trail - the trees were in full bloom and completely beautiful! We had never seen as many people as we out today; it's great to know so many people are taking advantage of such a beautiful place. Here is a photo from our walk.

Fresh Dinner of Mini Sirloin Burgers on Pitettes (mini pitas) and Cory's Greek Deviled Eggs in honor of the Easter holiday (very simple, add chopped olives and crumbled feta to the classic recipe and omit the cayenne pepper/pickles). 

 

As a bonus: look at the new candelabra I bought! Thanks TJ Maxx!

Productive (Rainy) Saturday

Our original plan had been to take the kayaks out on their maiden voyage for 2012 today but the weather had other ideas in mind, which was fine with us! We woke to a slightly cool, fresh air morning (windows open!) 

I settled down to my first breakfast back on food - yay! I enjoyed English Breakfast hot tea, 1/2 c of plain non-fat greek yogurt mixed with stevia and topped with blueberries. Dr. Feezell would have been proud. I also drank water before I started my meal. The 64 oz of water a day habit, is one I really want to keep maintaining. 


Next, I went for a 20 minute jog (a full loop around the neighborhood, including hills!), cooled down with a brisk 20 minute walk and wrapped it up with about 25 minutes of free weight training on my upper body. I was feeling great. 


For lunch, I had a chocolate shake with fiber and again, plenty of water.


As an in between snack, I had 2 slices of Swiss cheese rolled with 4 slices of Oscar Meyer 98% fat free hardwood smoked turkey delifresh slices. 

Dinner was another special treat, salmon with an olive oil lemon sauce (link to recipe here) - approximately 4.8oz. We flash grilled asparagus (lightly brushed in olive oil, freshly cracked salt and pepper) and drank a cocktail of Perrier with fresh blackberries.

Now, we are going to watch one of my most favourite movies, Chocolat, while noshing on some high quality chocolate (E. Guittard Nocturne chocolate bar for me, 1/4 of it; Dagoba - Xocolatl - Dark Chocolate, Chilies and Nibs, 0.5 oz for him). We will also finish the night with a 5oz glass of merlot. Oh delight!

Happy Easter!

New Blog to Follow: Kayln's Kitchen

While I was visiting with my ND physician today, he recommended I Google the following words "Utah, Mediterranean and South Beach diet." He said this would lead me to a great website that has healthy but filling recipes also based on the various levels of the South Beach diet. 

Here is what I have found so far:
Cotter’s Borlotti Bean, Zucchini and Roasted Red Pepper Soup
Easy, Herbed Sugar Snap Peas (I'm wondering if you could use olive oil instead of butter here, I bet so).
Za’atar Roasted Cauliflower  (If you're wondering what za'atar is, like I was, here is the definition from wikipedia. Basically, it is an herbes de provence but from India. Za'atar is generally prepared using ground dried thyme, oregano, marjoram, or some combination thereof, mixed with toasted sesame seeds, and salt, though other spices such as sumac might also be added).
Brussels Sprouts Chips
Thai Spicy Cabbage Slaw (the color on this is beautiful, as you can see below)
Baked Mustard Lime Chicken
Asian Lettuce Cups with Pork (I'll just use pork tenderloin)
Pork Sirloin with Spicy Peanut Sauce (I'll just use pork tenderloin)
Colombian-Style Pork Chops (Chuletas de Cerdo)  (these sound delicious but make sure to plan ahead because they need to marinate overnight)
Mediterranean Collard Wrap with Hummus, Artichoke Hearts and Sun-Dried Tomatoes (these sound delicious)
Vegan Picadillo Lentil Stew with Sweet Bell Peppers and Green Olives
Cumin Lime Stewed Lentils (I keep hearing Lentils are great - we'll give a few recipes a try!)
Basil Pesto with Lemon (http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2010/08/recipe-for-basil-pesto-with-lemon-and.html)
Baked Pesto Chicken (this sounds amazing)
Balsamic and Onion Pot Roast (with South Beach, you can't have more than 10% fat, which means you must trim the fat off of the chuck roast)


That's plenty for now!


Happy Easter and have a great weekend!

Hip, Hip, Hooray! I Get to Eat!!!

Hallelujah, I have reached my goal weight by losing 31#s and I am proud to say I weigh a healthy 125# and my BMI has dropped from a high of 28.5 to 22.3. I am very thankful for the New Directions Weight Loss Program and the impact it has made on my life. This is definitely a fresh start to a full and active life. Not only have I benefited but my husband has too. By eating healthier foods and becoming more active, even Cory has become more trim. 


Tonight is the first night for me to eat a real dinner and of course, we are only making the best: beef tenderloin and a mixture of vegetables to grill after lightly brushing with olive oil. No more basic motor oil for this Ferrari body!


Tuesday is my first 1:1 appointment with the ND nutritionist, Casey. I can't wait to meet with her and review the recipes I have compiled. After attending the multiple classes ND offers, I'm curious to see if I've picked ones that will take our eating habits the right direction while we cook and even while we are out in the busy world, eating on the fly.


Cheers to a happy, new beginning to a healthier me!

Pesto Pasta

Last night I made Cory a filling Italian pasta dish. Spaghetti tossed with pesto, pan fried prosciutto, freshly chopped basil and roma tomatoes. As an appetizer, I served him baked/sliced scali rolls brushed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, topped with fresh basil from our garden and finished with a slice of roma tomato and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

A very quick and easy dinner plus, it was a great way to use up ingredients in our refrigerator!

Crock Pot Lasagna

Y'all, this is the easiest and most healthy lasagna recipe I have ever made. Just give the lasagna about 4 hours to cook on low and you'll have a delicious meal ready to eat as you walk into your door at home from a long day at work. Pair with a freshly tossed salad and french bread and you're good to go!

Link to recipe.

Tip for leftovers:  it's best to eat this item fresh the night it is made, as the noodles can become gummy when reheated.

Hooray for Nashville!

I'm so very excited. I found out this morning that I get to go on a day trip to Nashville (my hometown) for a work tomorrow. It will be so fun to see what is going on in the grocery/bakery scene. There will be plenty of inspiration pics to follow.

The best part though: getting to have lunch with my parents, woohoo!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Today has been a lovely Saturday in Bentonville, AR. We got to sleep in until 11am and we woke up to gorgeous spring weather. The sun was shining but not too warm, there was a nice breeze blowing all day and so we headed out first thing for a casual bike ride.

Now, we are outside enjoying the party lights on our back porch, the chirping of the crickets and smelling the delicious corned beef that is slowly cooking on the stove. Tonight, we are trying our hands at a traditional Irish dinner, for the first time.

The Irish Soda Bread just came out of the oven and I think it was a good first attempt! It's a very dense bread, and I might try another recipe next year (link).

We are also in the process of making corned beef and cabbage. I am using the allrecipes.com recommended recipe (link).

I'll be sure to post pics later tonight of our creations!

Inspiration Domination!

Maybe it's the wonderful spring weather or all of the fun stuff going on in our lives but I'm getting fully inspired! Pinterest, Food & Wine magazine and more have really gotten my creative juices going! I cannot wait to be off of this diet and while learning how to properly manage my food intake and excercise, experimenting with more recipes!

Right now, I am looking at decadent dessert ideas (no, not part of a balanced food menu, but still, you know at heart I'm in love with baking):

Cadbury Creme Egg Cupcakes: recipe to inspire

This website is awesome! I have already gotten so much inspiration from it: link to inspiration

Cake Batter Bars (recipe)

Ultimate Overnight Waffles (same link as the kids banana bread below)

Kids Banana Bread in fun shapes - love this idea (recipe)

Lemon blueberry cupcakes from theregoesthecupcake.com (link)

Make your own custom water bottle labels: (link)

Beautiful flower cupcake bouquet (link). 

Fresh strawberry souffles: link

Such a cute Happy Birthday cupcake set-up: link

Spaghetti Meatball bites: link

That's all for now folks, I'm searching for accessories now! :)

Watching the Bachelor Finale!

I tried so hard to resist watching this season but just couldn't. I rooted for Ben on the last season of the Bachelorette and of course, had to be clued into the drama surrounding all of his potential mates.

Although I am really hoping he picks Lindsey because she's so authentic and engaging. Ufortunately, I just have this bad feeling he's going to end up picking Courtney. Bummer but we'll see.

Who are you rooting for?

A Baby Shower for Presley Belle

One of my dear friends, Brittany, is expecting her first baby...it's a girl! Taylor, Julie and I hosted a baby shower for her this morning to celebrate the soon to be new mom and her bundle of joy.

(I bet you can't guess who the mom to be as she's still so tiny but now has a bump). BTW, I don't know what was going on with my hair but ugh, oh well!

Taylor is decorator extraordinaire, all of the adorable decorations you see are her brain child. She also ordered the cutest waterbottle labels from etsy...they were a huge hit!

I crafted the simple brunch menu for the day. We noshed on chicken salad in phyllo pastry cups, parmesan pepper shortbread, fruit kabobs with freshly whipped cream, blueberry and banana nut muffins.

Our sweet treats were handmade and decorated sugar cookies (my special recipe), salted brown butter crispy squares and french vanilla cupcakes.

Photos and recipe links:
Chicken Salad - from epicurious, I tailored it some and had an "oops" moment and  learned something new!
Chicken Salad Recipe - I bought store rotisserie chicken to make my salad which meant the chicken was pretty fresh but not too moist. I omitted the nuts, as I do not like them but the combination of mayonnaise, plain yogurt and dijon mustard was delicious. These were one of the first bites to go! My oops moment came when Cory taste tested this and said it was too salty. Oh no, what to do! I didn't have more chicken and I didn't want to add more white to the salad. After researching, I found out you can add a little bit of brown sugar and it will help alleviate the saltiness without adding a sweet taste. I tried this and it worked; oops averted!
Mini Phyllo Cups Recipe - who better to learn from than Paula Deen? I didn't follow her recipe exactly because I left out the garlic and herbs but the execution was spot on. I did almost burn the cups though as the recipe said 10 minutes in the oven at 350 degrees but at 8 minutes, they were golden brown. Just make sure to watch them, as they will bake/burn quickly.

Fruit Skewers and freshly whipped cream

I had the most difficult time finding skewers in any stores (Walmrat, craft stores, etc.), I finally settled on some clear acetate, short skewers from Hobby Lobby and they worked perfectly with my fruit tray. 

Sweetened Whipped Cream - if you don't want to go to the trouble to make a fruit dip, freshly sweetened whipped cream works great.

Parmesan Pepper Shortbread

My aunt recommended this delicious recipe for me to make. I should have put a better description on the card, as I believe the appearance didn't entice enough peope to try these but trust me, they are delicious! They are made with a traditional shortbread recipe but you add freshly grated parnesan cheese, pepper and lemon zest to create a small bite that will treat your taste buds. They were very easy to make and you can either roll and cut them out like I did (don't over roll the dough, as it can be quite flaky) or follow the recipe and roll into little balls.

Parmesan Pepper Recipe

Here are some photos of the sweet treats I made from scratch and my own special recipes :)

More photos of the decorations:

All in all, it was such a fun and wonderful way to shower our friend and her baby with love!