Bloody Brownies

I made something yummy over the weekend. I was test driving a Halloween recipe that I want to have for my party at work. . 

I thought they were delicious, especially with a little vanilia frozen yogurt on top.

 I was flipping through Emilys blog and saw the recipe there. But it originally came from here...

Usually when I'm making a recipe for the first time- I try not to tweak the ingredients list too much... for fear that they won't turn out well. This time around the only changes I made was the use of whole wheat flour and low fat cream cheese.

 Nobody even cared or asked about a difference in taste, winner winner!!

I love when I can substitue healthy iems to make a recipe even better. I give these Bloody Brownies two very enthusiastic thumbs up and I hope you enjoy them for all your Halloween spookiness too.

gobble gobble ♥

This year has been fun. Reflecting on the past 326 days really can boost a person's spirits... because in all honesty you only remember the good things and you do forget the bad. This just further shows you all the things you should be thankful for. And if something bad did happen, I'll think good thoughts for you. I'm in the Central Valley today celebrating with Family from near and very far away. I hope you can spend today with those you love- close friends, family, co-workers, other couples or even just your dog. <3

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone

&& to those of you venturing out for the Black Friday Sales, I wish you good luck.

mmmm...

boyfriend made pizza pie from scratch... pretty cute when he was tossing the dough

Trader Joe's whole wheat pizza dough

layer with eggplant tomato spread

chop peppers, green chilies, ham, mushrooms, broccoli {really, whatever you like}

sprinkle with low cal/fat motz cheese

twist the edge over itself around the circumference

bake at 450 degrees for 15-18 minutes.

grub. x

i can never make up my mind

For the person who finds it hard making decisions, I feel your pain. Sometimes, I have to ask the waiter for advice at restaurants- or have my boyfriend pick a number one through ten to help me decide. When I'm out shopping.. I literally get anxiety if there are two pairs of shoes I like.. sometimes its beneficial because it serves as a reason for purchasing both. But it is hard to go through life having the worst time making decisions. I just don't want to pick the wrong one and miss out!

 I was gifted from my manager this amazing Madagascar vanilla extract and cake enhancer from King Arthur Flour and really wanted to make cupcakes with it. But I really had been craving a chocolate cake... so of course why not make it swirled, duh. I made two different flavors by splitting the batter in half. I decided to use this recipe I found, and it turned out just as fluffy as she promised. I really like an airy cake.  When it's too dense- it's overpowering with the thick layer of frosting on top.

As far as the toppings go, I took it to the next level. I wanted people to have their choice when it came to them. I think I wanted a salty and sweet cupcake, which is where the pretzels came into play. I also had a super chocolate choice, with shavings on top. And a plain, run of the mill, cream cheese frosting- my boyfriend really loves it, so I always have it available (lol, I know). The best part was the fact that they were bite size so everyone could try a few different flavors.



While on a walk <<+weekend treats>>

Had so much fun while I was out this past weekend. Maddie and I took to the Alameda and ventured into the neighborhoods.

The three of us had originally gone out for breakfast at Crema. But then he had to leave from there to a business trip.. and he just got back from a boys vacation. Maddie and I went for a walk, and of course my lens was attracted to everything. I might have gone a little photo happy, but oh well... it happens to the best of us.

Some highlights definitely included a delicious iced green tea chai that was made with the perfect ratio of flavors. Too many gorgeous flowers that I could seriously not get enough of. Vintage shopping and not having anyone tell you to hurry up PLUS a new chambray shirt- that didn't cost 100 dollars... I just couldn't spend that on a regular top. I also enjoyed heading to the used book store, and Maddie enjoyed sneaking peaks at the black cat, who was being so coy..

 

 

Maddie trying to look like a stuffed toy

excited..

I really was finding it hard to decide which book I liked best. Then I saw that the price was so cheap for either, I made the executive decision to get both. I am very eager to dive in to both of them. I think I'll keep the Kitchen Desk Reference close when I'm cooking. It offers great suggestions and FAQ- like if the recipe says "...so many grams of flour" I know that it equates to so many cups, very convenient. I always seem to stumble upon recipes that come from Britain, strange how that happens.

 

fresh

Kombucha Mojito

I made something really yummy... and it was refreshing and crisp. I found this particular flavor of kombucha a few months ago in Fresno and instantly fell in l<3ve. Maqui Berry Mint Mojito Synergy is like a berry  limeade with hints of mint. I knew I wanted to make a cocktail with it. When I bought some a Whole Foods the other day, I knew it was my chance...

So I started with these...

and added some of these.

Then I mixed in a little of this...

Then I filled it up with the good stuff...

cheers xx

Smores L♥ve

It was love at first sight and married by the first bite. I was headed to a good old fashioned BBq this past weekend, and thought that I should probably bring something. I had a a Devils Food cake mix in the pantry and I didn't want to do a plain chocolate cake. I didn't want to do cream cheese frosting. I wanted to do something that smelled and felt like summer.

I decided that a cake modeled after a smores dessert, would be the ideal pick for a summer gathering. I made the Duncan Hines cake as directed on the box in 2 round pans. I got some of the little caramel candies and melted 10 of them in a saucepan with a splash of almond milk.

When the cakes had cooled, I stacked the first half on a plate and poked the top several times with a chopstick. I melted the caramel over the top of the cake. I sprinkled some chopped hazelnuts over the top and crumbled some graham crackers (more on the chunky side, than crumbs) over the caramel. Then I layered the second cake on the first.

For the marshmallow frosting...

1 large jar of marshmallow cream

3/4 cup of powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 almond milk

I chose to drizzle the frosting over the top and completely cover the top layer of cake. I wanted it to flow down the sides, just so it would puddle perfectly on the plate. If you want to frost the entire thing, go for it. For the finishing touch I sprinkled crackers on the top.

My favorite part was the caramel that cooled in the center layer and the chunks of graham cracker stuck on the inside. But really the entire cake was delicious and very moist. I will totally make this cake again, and I won't just reserve it for the summer.

enjoy xx

wine tasting {{part two}}

The winery that we visited after lunch was Darioush and it was breath taking. Right when we pulled up we thought that it looked more like a royal palace than a winery. It was designed and built using many different materials from all over the world, and boasts its influenced design. "Reminiscent of the great noble architecture that once existed, the imagery of the Darioush building evokes Persepolis, the illustrious capital of ancient Persia" The gift shop that is housed inside the tasting room is more like a pop up Barney's Boutique. With uniques finds from Missoni, an assortment of crystal champagne flutes and serving dishes, multiple high profile biography novels, and other classic home and entertaining goods, you could finish up your Holiday shopping in one swoop.

After a beautiful tour of the grounds and the buildings, our host took us down into the cellar where he had prepared a wine and cheese pairing with 5 of their special release and library wines. Out of all of my favorites the Merlot was my favorite and I had to take home a bottle at the end of the night. I'll save it for a special occasion however, before I taste it again. Aside from the wine being delicious, the tasting room was very extravagant. In middle eastern culture the term my home is your home is more of a way of life, than just a saying stitched on a hanging tapestry. Our host made it very clear that the owner wants you to enjoy your time there and everything is put in place to make you feel as welcome as possible. If you're in Napa and you feel like vacationing to another part of the world I hope you get the chance to experience Darioush Winery.

Oreo Hazelnut Truffles

This dessert is so decadent, I don’t know if you should even try it because you won’t be able to limit yourself to just four?? Heaven knows I wasn't able to. I pop them like M&M's- I do like to make them on the smaller side, for that very reason. They are very simple to make and only require 3 ingredients (4, if your are adding a flavor).

I like to give them as gifts at holiday time or as special gifts for close friends who just cant get enough. They are also great as hostess gifts… because you can whip them up fairly quickly, if you are invited somewhere last minute. I always try to decorate my packaging, because I believe presentation is just as important as the item you created. I like to make my packaging look effortless, not over the top or over done…

 

All you need for the truffles is a large package of jo-jo’s from trader Joes (they are the equivalent of Oreos, but I like the texture of them better) some non fat cream cheese and chocolate chips, I like dark. This time around, I made hazelnut truffles and used the Justin’s Hazelnut Butter for the filling.

Grab 2 gallon sized plastic bags and put all the cookies into one and then put that bag into the other, this part can get messy if you don’t double up. With a rolling pin, crush all the cookies then shake the bag and repeat. Do this until all the cookies are crushed into crumbs- NO LUMPS!! Pour your crumbs into a bowl and add two Tablespoons of the cream cheese and start mixing. Add more cream cheese if the mixture is too stiff. If you are adding a flavor, like a butter or bananas, put one Tablespoon of cream cheese and one Tablespoon of the other ingredient at a time. Again, if it is too dry add one spoonful of each ingredient until it forms the consistency you’re looking for. You want it to be moist enough to roll into balls and stay together, but not loose their shape after you set them down on a tray.

 

Let them chill in the refrigerator for a half an hour or so…. You want them cold when you drop them into your melted chocolate. I just put the bag of Ghirardelli chocolate chips into a pan and let them melt (set your range on medium). Drop 5 or 6 in at a time, roll them around so they’re fully coated and pull them out with tongs. Put them back on your baking sheet and back into the fridge. I like to put sprinkles on top for color, but they taste just as good when they’re plain.

I used clothing boxes and formed a holder out of aluminum foil to set inside. Tissue paper was rolled for the edge where the foil doesn’t quite meet the box. Then I just tied some red raffia around the top after I boxed them up. Perfect!! xx

Homemade Cinnamon Chai French macarons

So, I debuted my macarons the other night on my twitter/instagram and I had a lot of responses asking for the recipe... so I suppose I could share...

I started with this recipe here . My sister had mentioned to me the other day, a cupcake recipe that she wanted to try. When I heard the flavor combinations, I thought it would be just as good as French macaron. Now I had never made the cookie.. but I didn't think that it would be too hard, which it wasn't.  I looked up a few recipes and landed on the one I just shared with you. The only thing I changed was that I added cinnamon to the dry ingredients and pumpkin pie spice and cardamon... just a sprinkle of each. 

Confectioners’ (Icing) sugar: 2 ¼ cups (225 g, 8 oz.)
Almond flour: 2 cups (190 g, 6.7 oz.)

Granulated sugar: 2 tablespoons (25 g , .88 oz.)
Egg whites: 5 (Have at room temperature)

1/3 Teaspoon of cinnamon

1/3 Teaspoon of Cardamom

1/3 Teaspoon of Pumpkin Pie Spice

Turn the oven on to 200 degrees, grab your lined baking sheet.

I mixed the dry ingredients together in one bowl. And then mixed the egg whites with the blender and made it into soft peaks (when you lift the beater out they make a peak and the fall over) in another. Then I added the sugar in with the whites and did it in three batches. I beat the eggs until it formed into hard peaks (you can guess what that means.)Then I mixed the dry ingredients in with the eggs, in 3 batches.

Pipe the mixture onto the baking sheets, about 11/2 inches wide.Bake them for 5 minutes. I did them in a circular pattern and then helped it to even out.  Then take them out and raise the temperature to 375 degrees, return to the oven and bake them for 7-9 minutes. Watch to make sure they don't get too dark- they don't taste the same.  

Grab a sauce pan and pour your heavy cream in. I bought a 1/2 oz of chai tea at Whole Foods, but I think if you open two tea bag it should be about the same. Steep the tea in your cream for 3 minutes of high, 'till bubbling, then let it sit off the heat for 1/2 hour. stir it ever so often so it doesn't clump. Then add in your white chocolate chips and let everything melt/blend together. use the cream to bind two cookies together, and VoiLa you have a French Macaron!!