Je suis une fille.

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 11:18:52 -0800

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 11:18:19 -0800

God Save the Queen Songs that have defined my study abroad...

Mon, 26 Nov 2012 02:03:00 -0800

God Save the Queen

Songs that have defined my study abroad experience in London. TIME TO DANCE!

Keep Calm and Save the Queen

Fri, 21 Sep 2012 01:32:00 -0700

Keep Calm and Save the Queen

#ShoppingProblems

Mon, 03 Sep 2012 12:39:00 -0700

#ShoppingProblems

Go where the people dance.

Mon, 20 Aug 2012 18:17:00 -0700

Go where the people dance.

gofuckingnuts: Likes | Tumblr on We Heart It....

Mon, 13 Aug 2012 18:03:20 -0700

gofuckingnuts:

Likes | Tumblr on We Heart It. http://weheartit.com/entry/32691734

4th of July Berry Cupcakes My first attempt at decorative...

Sun, 01 Jul 2012 20:43:00 -0700

4th of July Berry Cupcakes

My first attempt at decorative cupcake making was not an easy feat. My friend and I were so excited to try this recipe on Oprah’s website but ended up accidentally making our own version instead. Had we been able to locate a considerable amount of reasonably priced red and blue M&M’s and perhaps had a little more patience, we could have achieved similar results as shown on Oprah’s site. However, we all know that baking doesn’t always work out how we want it to and sometimes our end result may come out as quite an interesting surprise.

Ingredients

24 vanilla cupcakes , baked in silver foil liners
2 cans (16 ounces each) vanilla frosting
Yellow food coloring
1 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup each red and blue candy (M&M’s, Jelly Belly)

Directions

Tint the vanilla frosting with 3 or 4 drops of the yellow food coloring and the cocoa powder to make a light brown for the piecrust. Spread some of the frosting on top of a cupcake, leaving 1/4 inch of the cupcake edge exposed. For the filling, arrange about 25 like-colored candies close together on top of the cupcake. Repeat with the remaining cupcakes and like-colored candies. (Yes, stick with candy on this one. We made little balls of fondant but realized that 20 or so mini balls of fondant stacked on top of a cupcake is not very appetizing…cinnamon redhots are a good substitute for red M&M’s if you want to save some money and time)

Spoon the remaining light brown frosting into a ziplock bag, press out the excess air and seal. Snip a small (1/8-inch) corner from the bag. For the lattice crust, pipe 4 or 5 lines across the top of a cupcake, about 1/2 inch apart. Pipe 4 or 5 more lines, on the diagonal. Pipe a beaded edge around the top of the cupcake. Repeat with the remaining cupcakes and frosting.

Want to make your own frosting? Try our recipe.

Vanilla Cocoa Frosting:

1/3 c. soft butter
3 c. confectioners’ sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
4-5 tbsp. milk*

1 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder

Blend butter and sugar. Stir in vanilla and milk. Beat until frosting is smooth and of spreading consistency. Add cocoa powder.

*More milk may be necessary if consistency is not as desired.

Whole Wheat Blueberry Crumble Bars Okay, so I’ve become a...

Thu, 28 Jun 2012 22:35:00 -0700

Whole Wheat Blueberry Crumble Bars

Okay, so I’ve become a little obsessed with baking lately. It’s summer; the season of no homework and fresh, plentiful Costco fruit (which my household of three have no chance of ever finishing.) I’ve made good use of my time by looking up recipes on pinterest and food gawker and trying them out. However, I keep stumbling onto smitten kitchen’s food blog.. which has so far impressed me with fabulous, delicious dessert recipes. After indulging in a few too many sweets this week, I decided to make these sound and feel healthier by adding some whole grain flour to the mix. It turned out great and I recommend you try it out too!

Ingredients:

1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (if you don’t have this, then 3 cups of APF will suffice)

1 cup cold unsalted butter (2 sticks)
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon salt
Zest and juice of one lemon
4 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 cup white sugar
4 teaspoons cornstarch

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 9×13 inch pan.

2. In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup sugar, 3 cups flour, and baking powder. Mix in salt and lemon zest. Use a fork or pastry cutter to blend in the butter and egg. Dough will be crumbly. Pat half of dough into the prepared pan.

3. In another bowl, stir together the sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice. Gently mix in the blueberries. Sprinkle the blueberry mixture evenly over the crust. Crumble remaining dough over the berry layer.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until top is slightly brown. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

I have heard this this recipe will work if you half it. I know 4 cups of blueberries may sound like a lot, so half it and see if that is more manageable. Good luck trying to cut in egg in half though :)

I got this recipe from Smitten Kitchen.

Lemon Blueberry Yogurt (& Sour Cream) Loaf For the longest...

Thu, 28 Jun 2012 17:51:00 -0700

Lemon Blueberry Yogurt (& Sour Cream) Loaf

For the longest time, I have been hesitant to try the lemon blueberry combo that has created quite the sensation lately. However, the pictures of lemon blueberry cupcakes, crumble bars, and loaves on pinterest finally convinced me that this was something I had to try. And boy, am I sure glad I did. While you may be used to hearing this recipe be referred to as simply “Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Loaf”, I ended up using both an equal mixture of light sour cream and light plain yogurt because I was running low on yogurt! However, the cake was spectacular with the sour cream and yogurt hybrid and I suggest that the decision is entirely up to you :)

Loaf:

1 1/2 cups + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt OR 1/2 sour cream + 1/2 yogurt if you are in a desperate situation like me :)
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (approximately 2 lemons)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen, thawed and rinsed

Lemon Syrup:

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup sugar

Lemon Glaze:

1 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease bottom and sides of one 9 x 5-inch loaf pans; dust with flour, tapping out excess.
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, sugar, eggs, lemon zest, vanilla and oil. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix the blueberries with the remaining tablespoon of flour, and fold them very gently into the batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake 50 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing loaf to a wire rack on top of a baking sheet.
While the loaf is cooling, make the lemon syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir together the lemon juice and sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved. Once dissolved, continue to cook for 3 more minutes. Remove from the heat; set aside.
Use a toothpick to poke holes in the tops and sides of the warm loaf. Brush the top and sides of the loaf with the lemon syrup. Let the syrup soak into the cake and brush again. Let the cake cool completely. (I omitted this step because I thought my cake was already too moist and citrus-y, but I regret it. It was not citrus-y enough so next time I will be sure to include this.)
To make the lemon glaze, in a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and 2-3 tablespoons of the lemon juice. The mixture should be thick but pourable. Add up to another tablespoon of lemon juice if the mixture is too stiff. Pour the lemon glaze over the top of each loaf and let it drip down the sides. Let the lemon glaze harden, about 15 minutes, before serving.

Recipe from Sweet Pea’s Kitchen

Strawberry Cake Looking for a light, easy summer recipe? This...

Thu, 28 Jun 2012 17:41:00 -0700

Strawberry Cake

Looking for a light, easy summer recipe? This strawberry cake is the perfect fit and may even replace your favorite strawberry shortcake recipe. I made this for my dad’s small coworker party, and it was a huge hit!

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk (I used nonfat)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pound strawberries, hulled and halved

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease a 10-inch pie pan or 9-inch deep-dish pie pan (please be cautious as your cake may overflow with a 9-inch pan!)

Whisk flour or flours, baking powder and salt together in a small bowl. In a larger bowl, beat butter and 1 cup sugar until pale and fluffy with an electric mixer, about 3 minutes. Mix in egg, milk and vanilla until just combined. Add dry mixture gradually, mixing until just smooth.

Pour into prepared pie plate. Arrange strawberries, cut side down, on top of batter, as closely as possible in a single layer. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons sugar over berries.

Bake cake for 10 minutes then reduce oven temperature to 325°F and bake cake until golden brown about 50 minutes to 60 minutes. Use the toothpick test to determine if ready or not. Its OK if the strawberries are gooey. Let cool in pan on a rack. Cut into wedges and serve with a dollop of lightly whipped cream.

Recipe from Smitten Kitchen

Texas Roadhouse Rolls (Copy-Cat Recipe) Although I have never...

Thu, 28 Jun 2012 17:24:00 -0700

Texas Roadhouse Rolls (Copy-Cat Recipe)

Although I have never been to Texas Roadhouse, I have heard great things about their rolls and trust that this recipe closely mimics the yummy goodness that these buttery buns have to offer. While I have been to Texas numerous times and have eaten at to die for restaurants, I very well know that Texans don’t mess around when it comes to making great food. Screw the diet and try these rolls!

Ingredients:

1/4 ounce active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
2 cups milk
3 tablespoons of melted butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 quarts all-purpose flour
2 whole eggs
2 teaspoons salt

Directions:

Soften yeast in warm water with a teaspoon of sugar.
Scald milk; cool to lukewarm.
Add yeast, sugar and enough flour to make a medium batter (this took me about 3 cups)
Beat thoroughly.
Let stand until light and foamy.
Add melted butter (which has been cooled), eggs and salt.
Beat well.
Add enough flour to form soft dough (a little over 2 cups maybe)
Sprinkle small amount of flour on counter and let dough rest.
Meanwhile, clean and dry bowl; grease clean surface of bowl.
Knead dough until smooth and satiny.
Put in greased bowl; turn over to grease top.
Cover; let rise in warm place until double in bulk for about 30-35 minutes (I set it on an open oven door)
Punch down.
Turn out on floured board.
Divide into portions for shaping; let rest 10 minutes.
Shape dough into desired forms.
Place on greased baking sheets.
Let rise until doubled.

Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes; reduce temperature to 350 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes more.

Cool on rack.

I got this recipe from Food.Com

It was a beautiful day.

Mon, 28 May 2012 17:24:00 -0700

It was a beautiful day.

Better than Sex Cake (healthy style!) A few easy substitutions...

Sun, 27 May 2012 12:40:00 -0700

Better than Sex Cake (healthy style!)

A few easy substitutions will reduce the calorie count of this delicious dessert and give you the same great taste!

INGREDIENTS:

1 box yellow cake mix

4 egg whites instead of 3 eggs

1/3 cup applesauce

1 can of crushed pineapple

1 3.4 oz box of sugar-free, fat-free vanilla pudding

1 cup of whip cream or light cool whip

1/4 cup of shredded coconut

INSTRUCTIONS:

Grease rectangular pan and set oven to 350 degrees
Combine and mix ingredients to make the yellow cake batter and pour into pan. Use 4 egg whites and 1/3 applesauce instead of the cake box’s recommendation of 3 large eggs and 1/3 cup of oil.
Put in the oven and cook for 30 minutes
Once ready, puncture holes in the cake while still warm and pour can of crushed pineapple on top of the cake. Try to get as much pineapple juice as possible to seep into the punctured holes.
Prepare vanilla pudding according to directions on the box. Put in refrigerator.
Once the cake has completely cooled, take out the vanilla pudding and layer on top of the crushed pineapple.
Add whipped cream or cool whip topping on top of the vanilla pudding layer
Toast 1/4 cup on coconut in the oven. Sprinkle on top of cake.
Refrigerate overnight for best results or 3 hours before eating.
Enjoy!

rmanabat: Alaska Airlines Guy Pop Art

Sat, 26 May 2012 20:45:36 -0700

rmanabat:

Alaska Airlines Guy Pop Art

If I ruled the world.

Fri, 25 May 2012 14:28:00 -0700

If I ruled the world.

Give people a second chance, but not a third.

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 08:26:01 -0700

Give people a second chance, but not a third.

bboldandbeautiful: stun

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 08:22:52 -0700

bboldandbeautiful:

stun

Photo

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 08:21:36 -0700

Photo

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 08:14:16 -0700