Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Trail Mix

This Christmas I'm giving away homemade gift baskets. One of the yummies I plan to include is my Trail Mix that all my friends absolutely love! Making your own mix is economical and you get more control over what you add. Best thing though is that there is no cooking, roasting, or baking needed, as all I do is combine a bunch of items I love and voila, Trail Mix!


Mix all your favorites then pour them into pint jars and add a little fabric square for the finished effect and there you go!



Trail Mix
Makes ~6 cups

2 C Granola of your Choice
1/2 C Sesame Sticks

1/4 C Each of the Following:
  Hazelnuts (Chopped)
  Pistachios (Shelled & Halved)
  Pumpkin Seeds
  Sunflower Seeds
  Banana Chips
  Dried Cranberries
  Dried Mango
  Dried Pineapple
  Dried Golden Raisins
  White Chocolate Chips
  Milk Chocolate Chips

-Chop up all Dried Fruit & Banana Chips into 1/3 inch pieces.
-Mix all ingredients together and store in an airtight container. Will keep for about 2 weeks.
-For Gluten Free, Omit Sesame Sticks and make sure Granola is GF!

(total cost for my last batch, which was 1.5 times this recipes, was only $7!!!)


Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Chicken Matzah Ball Soup

During the rainy weather, or when I'm not feeling very well, a big 'o bowl of soup is my go to meal. Though I'm not a huge, huge fan of simple chicken soup, I do make it once or twice a year. In my opinion though, its a dumpling or rice noodle pho that really warms my insides.



This soup isn't either a dumpling or rice noodle, but it is better than both of  those. It's a variation of Matzah Ball soup but with the added yumminess of ground chicken. I still kept it very simple to make because I love the taste of Matzah balls, but also if you are down with a cold it can be made relatively quickly, which is a plus. Though feel free to add anything to it as you desire!


Chicken Matzah Ball Soup
Serves 4-6

1 Package Matzah Ball Mix
2 Eggs
2 Tbsp Oil
1/2 lb Ground Chicken
6 C Chicken Stock
1 Carrot (Peeled & Sliced)
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 Zucchini (Chopped)
2 C Fresh Spinach (Washed)

Optional add ins:  Thyme, Oregano. Corn

-Mix Matzah Ball mix, Eggs & Oil according to package instructions & refrigerate for 5 mins.
-Add Chicken to the mixture until fully combined and refrigerate 10 more mins.
-Bring Chicken Stock, Carrots and S&P to a boil in a med pot.
-Take Chicken-Matzah mix and scoop about 1-2 tablespoons into your wet hands and form into a ball then dump into boiling Stock. Repeate with remaining mixture.
-Toss in Zucchini and cook for 20 mins, covered.
-Add in Spinach, making sure to stir all spinach into the soup and cook another couple of mins.

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Gorgonzola Fingerling Potatoes, as easy as 1-2-3!

I love wine, so much so that I've worked for winemakers at tasting events and I've been part of the bottling crew for Kathryn Kennedy Winery for the last 4 years. But ever since I got pregnant and subsequently gave birth to my son, I have cut down dramatically on drinking wine. I really do miss it, but as a nursing mom, you just gotta hold back on the booze. And to top it off, Anastasio isn't much of a drinker so there's no one to share a bottle with when I do have a craving.

So it isn't every week that I decide to crack open a bottle of wine to indulge, but when I do, I go big! I finally opened up one of my 2008 Kathryn Kennedy Contra La Marea bottles made with organic grapes. I've been meaning to for a while now since it's been about 3 years since last I tasted it and was very, very happy that I did. Talk about smooth red wine, oh amazing. I talked Ana into a glass and he completely agreed, good stuff, though I won't go into the tasting explaination cuz even though I sometimes work in the wine industry, I haven't the first clue on how to explain a tasting, and I've been trying for many, many years!


If you're really interested check out this site

Since I opened this $85 bottle of wine (yes I said eighty-five-dollars) I really wanted dinner to be special. Funny thing though is that I had know idea what I was gonna make and very minimal ingredients on hand. But search through my cupboards and refrigerator I did and this is what I came out with; Shredded Chicken Pasta with Red Pepper Cream Sauce & Gorgonzola Potatoes.

I'll post the pasta recipe soon, but for now you don't want to miss out on these potatoes. Super, Super easy to make (only 3 steps) and really not much to it. But they are packed with a creamy flavor that isn't overpowering so this side dish can accompany many, many main dishes.

so sorry for the blurry picture, crying baby didn't allow me the time to take a better one:-(


Gorgonzola Fingerling Potatoes
Serves 2 (can be doubled/tripled)

1 Tbsp Butter
1.5 C Fingerling Potatoes (Washed & Sliced into 1/4 inch slices)
1/3 C Heavy Cream
2-3 Tbsp Golgonzola
Salt & White Pepper to taste

-Place butter in an appropriate size baking dish and place in over as you pre-heat to 350 degrees.
-Once oven is heated & butter is melted, add Potatoes to dish and toss to coat.
-Sprinkle with S&P, then Cream, then Gorgonzola (do not mix in) and bake at 350 for about 30 mins.

Friday, November 30, 2012

Pumpkin Muffins with Cream Cheese Filling

We'll I finally got around to cooking all of my sugar pie pumpkins from Rodini Farms. Ended up with 12 cups of pumpkin puree. So of course I froze some and baked with some, and I still have the Jarrahdale and Cinderalla to bake up! So hope you don't mind the many pumpkin recipes to come along in the near future:-)

So far I've made my favorite pumpkin pie, recipe to come soon, and I had a craving for pumpkin cheesecake. I even went out and bought these mini springform pans from my favorite local shop, Le Chef in Aptos...alas, and I don't know why, but I ended up making these pumpkin muffins with cream cheese filling instead and they were just delish!

Fancy Instagram Shot:-)

I dramatically changed my version from the original, especially with the sugar,  as the original called for 3 & 1/2 Cups of sugar for 24 muffins! Can you believe that, my jaw just dropped to the ground when I read all the reviews about how many people loved them. I wouldn't have even been able to take a bite of one, as that's over 2 Tbsp & 1 Tsp of sugar per muffin, (think 7 sugar packets!) gross. Plus, I totally left off the crumble topping because it would have been total overkill (though the reason for it is to hide the bubbly cream cheese, I really didn't want the extra sugar).



BUT my rendition came out pretty darn good and I will definitely be making these again. Moist, just the right spice, a little whole wheat flour to give some density and a combination of mashed bananas and homemade sugar free apple-pear sauce really round this recipe out nicely.


Pumpkin Muffins with Cream Cheese Filling
Makes 2 Dozen Muffins

1 - 8oz Package of Light Cream Cheese (Room Temp)
3/4 C Powder Sugar
1 3/4 C Flour (Non-Bleached) (I used Organic All Purpose)
1 C Whole Wheat Flour
2 Tbsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking Soda
4 Eggs
1 C Unrefined Sugar
1.5 C Pumpkin Puree
1/2 C Mashed Ripe Banana
1/2 C No Sugar Apple-Pearsauce (or no-sugar applesauce)
3/4 C Oil

-Beat Cream Cheese & Powder Sugar until well combined.
-Place in a piping bag and put in refrigerator until well chilled (a few hours).
-In a bowl, whisk Flours, Spices, Salt & Baking Powder, set aside.
-In a mixer, beat Eggs then add remaining ingredients until well incorporated.
-Slowly mix dry ingredients into wet until just combined (make sure to scrape the bottom of bowl when mixing.
-Pour about 2 Tablespoons of batter into lined muffin pans, then pipe in the cream cheese filling and top with more batter until cream cheese is covered.
-Assemble remaining muffins and bake at 350 for about 20 mins (mine were done at abut 21-22 mins).
-Let cool before eating and keep in sealed container in refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Soyrizo Potato Scramble

One of my favorite breakfast dishes growing up was chorizo with eggs. This Mexican dish was a staple in my house growing up, and so was lard. Yummy goodness, I tell you. Gosh, I don't think I've cooked with lard in over 20 years! Hummm, opps, I digress...


But one thing I've come to like is soyrizo. There are some brands that aren't very good, but this one, found in a local Hispanic market right next to regular & beef chorizo, isn't half bad.


Of course, it doesn't have pork, which gives chorizo that yummy kick, but as an alternative, the spices are spot on and the dish never leaves you feeling like you've missed out. Only big diference is the lack of salt, so you have to make sure to add some in when making this dish, this isn't necessary with regular chorizo cuz it's pretty salty as is.


This dish can be served with bread, tortillas, huaraches, beans, or as is. If you serve with bread, try a little butter on the bread for some extra richness, you won't be dissapointed!


Soyrizo Potato Scramble
Serves 2-3

2 Medium Potatoes (Diced Small)
1/2 Soyrizo Roll
Salt & Pepper (To Taste)
1/4 C Water
2 Eggs
1/4 C Shredded Cheese (I used Monterey Jack)

-Heat Potatoes in a nonstick pan over medium-high heat for about 10 mins.
-Mix in Soyrizo, S&P and continue to cook for another 5 mins.
-Add in Water and cover pan for another 5mins, stir then re-cover.
-Once potatoes are cooked, mix in Eggs & cook for 1-2 mins.
-Then add in Cheese & stir until melted (about 1 min).
-Serve with Tortillas, Buttered Bread, Beans or as you like.

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Krispie Goodness

I subscribe to a lot of blogs, one of which is extremely popular, the Brown Eyed Baker. Most of her recipes are ok but a little too sweet for me. This rendition of her Avalanche bars is no exception.

Though it's all candy, it does give me a nice break from dipping into the Halloween candy jar, and these Krispie Goodies are far superior to a reese's pb cup anyway;-)


Another plus for this recipe is how silly simple it is to make. Although her recipe calls for use of the microwave, which I totally hate and am against using for melting chocolate, taking the time to melt this on a double boiler really is all the time this recipe takes and not much more than waiting.


My variation of this recipe is due to what ingredients I had on hand, but I doubt it made much of a difference from the original. Still pretty good and gluten free is a plus for my Buddy (who I gave a bunch too).


Avalanche Bark Bars
Makes 12 - 2oz Bars

1 package of White Chocolate Chips (I use Ghirardelli)
1/2 C Creamy Peanut Butter
1 1/2 C Choco Krispies
1 1/2 C Mini Marshmallows
1/2 C Mini Chocolate Chips (I use Ghirardelli)

-Melt White Chocolate Chips with Peanut Butter in double boiler, or metal bowl, over simmering (not boiling) water, making sure the bowl doesn't touch the water.
-Remove from heat and stir in Choco Krispies.
-Let cool for 10 mins, stirring at 5mins then again at 10 mins,
-Then gently mix in Marshmallows & Mini Choco Chips.
-Pour into parchment lined 8x8 pan and cool in the refrigerator for 15 mins.
-Pull out of pan (by pulling out the overhanging parchment flaps) and cut into 2 x 1.5 inch bars.

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Pumpkin Oatmeal White Chocolate Cookies

Ok, everyone is in a pumpkin frenzy so here's a quick recipe I came up with two years ago and am just now blogging about.

I absolutely love pumpkin and I love chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, so marrying the two just seemed like the perfect fit, and it was. The use of white chocolate chips gives this a bit more delicate flavor, but you could easily use milk, semi-sweet or even dark chocolate chips instead!

I make my own pumpkin puree and when I'm lazy, I don't strain it through cheese cloth. Unfortunately for this recipe you really have to, or be safe and use canned pumpkin. The extra moisture won't bake down, you'll just burn the cookies, so make sure to extract as much as possible, it really is worth the effort!


Sorry about the picture, it was taken with an old phone that took shotty pictures:-(

Pumpkin Oatmeal White Chocolate Cookies
Makes 3-4 Dozen

1 C. Butter (room temp or 66 degrees)
3/4 C. ea. Brown & White Sugar
2 Eggs (room temp)
1 Tsp. Vanilla
1 C. Pumpkin Puree (extract as much juice as possible before adding)
2 1/2 C. Flour
1 1/2 C. Rolled Oats
1/2 Tsp. ea. Baking Soda & Cinnamon
1/4 Tsp. ea. Salt, Allspice & Cloves
1 C. White Chocolate Chips

-Cream Butter & Sugars about 3 mins.
-Add Eggs 1@a time, then add Vanilla, then Pumpkin.
-In a separate bowl mix dry ingredients except for chips then add to batter.
-Fold in Chips.
-Bake @ 350 for 15 mins.

Friday, November 9, 2012

Bread Pudding

I finally made it to the Independent Market Place in Marina last week. The theme was Dia de Los Muertos and so I was very excited to go. The place was a little too tight & crowded for me and the Bob stroller, but the sights were lovely. It's definitely more of a place for grown ups (there was a bar smack dab in the center of it) which I actually liked, just not with baby in tow...

Anyway, they had artisan breads, cupcakes, cookies, pies, jams, textiles and food. I had the most yummy dry rub smoked brisket, really it was the best I've had in a very long time.

I also bought a loaf of sourdough from a local bakery. The ladies at the booth were really nice but I didn't realize, until I got back home and cut into the loaf, just how rock solid it was! We couldn't even eat the darn thing. So I decided, instead of giving this $7 loaf to the chickens, that I'd turn it into bread pudding for us to enjoy.


Definitely the perfect density for bread pudding, this dish turned out delish, though a little too sweet. So next time I'll cut down on the sugar, as shown in my recipe below. The original recipe called for 2 cups sugar and I used 1 cup sugar & 1/4 cup honey, which was still too sweet!! I also omitted the glaze cuz as I stated before, it was already too rich.

But next time I find myself with a too tough piece of bread, I'll definitely be making this again!


Bread Pudding
Serves 4-6

1/2 Loaf Sourdough (~4 Cups Cubed)
2 Eggs (Whisked)
2 1/4 C Milk
1.5 Tbsp Butter (Melted)
1/2 C Honey
1/2 C Sugar
6 Tsp Vanilla
1/2 Tsp Cinnamon or Nutmeg
1/4 C Candied Nuts (Chopped) (I used Toffee Almonds)

-Place Bread Cubes in a baking dish and set aside.
-Wisk Eggs in a large bowl then wisk in remaining ingredients.
-Pour over bread, yes, drown them good, then bake at 325 for 55 mins (until golden brown)
-Bread will float over mixture so gently pat down with a spoon or spatula then top with nuts.
-Let sit about 5 mins before serving & enjoy!

Adapted from The Pioneer Women

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Foodie Penpal

Hey Everyone,

October was the second time I participated in Foodie Penpal! I'm totally late on this write up cuz I got distracted with being made Race Director of the Surf City Cyclocross Series last minute and had a race to put on in less than 6 weeks! (it went well btw:-)

My foodie penpal was Dani in New Jersey (I hope she's ok from the storm!), and I received this wonderful box from her:



The smells coming from the spices and chocolate, oh my they were amazing! Yum! I especially can't wait to try the mulling spices, oh and the local honey! How fun is that!


And most wonderful of all were these:


I wonder what type they are? Anyone know??? I love apples and to receive these beauties that are so different from what we have around here is so exciting. Dani suggested I hollow them out then bake with the cinnamon, definitely will do!

*UPDATE: Dani is fine but has been without power for 7 days and her home town has been destroyed, my heart breaks for her. If you are so inclined, please donate to the American Red Cross to help those on the east coast recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Sandy.
Oh and the apples are Arkansas Blacks!


Being part of Foodie Penpal has been so fun but this will be my last time. Shipping is just too costly as I keep getting people on the east coast, which was fabulous and am so for it, but it cost me $18 to ship my box of goodies through usps and that's just wrong (and not really in my budget). So I'm thinking if anyone wants to start a "Local" foodie penpal, I'll set it up and handle it, just let me know!

Friday, November 2, 2012

Advent Calendar

With the leftover material and scraps from Maiyo's Stocking Project I decided to make an advent calendar to match. It will consist of 24 little houses with a pocket on each to hold little goodies. Then it'll be strung on holiday ribbon to match!

With the remaining felt cut out 24 rectangles measuring 3" x 4.5" Then cut the tops off the rectangles using a 45 degree measurement:



















From the quilting fabric cut out 24 squares measuring 3" x 3". (using 4 different fabrics I cut 6 squares from each)














Press down top side by 1/4" then sew across. Do this to all squares.














Then press down remaining sides by 1/4" and place on a felt house and sew the three un-sewn sides to make a pocket:



















Now for the Numbers. You have a few options:
1-Buy numbers (either iron-on or sew-on)
2-Write numbers on with fabric paint
3-Hand stitch the numbers on. (this is what I did)


















Then I completed by attaching them to holiday ribbon:

Monday, October 15, 2012

No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake


Last weekend we went to the Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival and it sucked. A glorified, overcrowded art & wine festival, it was almost impossible to actually find any 'pumpkin' food, let alone pie or cheesecake. I think I saw 2 signs for the sought after and reason for being there pies but I never actually found the tents.

Leaving with a very strong craving for pumpkin cheesecake, I came across this recipe on facebook. Not quite a cheesecake, since it's no bake, it sure did hit the spot and take like 1/4 the time it would to make a real cheesecake. Plus my lightened & less sugar version hit the spot for my waistline and the Mister's racing figure.

This picture is horrible, I'll try to take another in daylight, if I remember, and Maiyo lets me have a few minutes to do it:-)



No Bake Light Pumpkin Cheesecake
Serves 4


12 Maria Cookies (crushed into crumbs)
1 Tbsp Butter (Melted)
8 oz Light Cream Cheese (Softened)
1 C Pumpkin Puree
1 tsp Vanilla
8 tsp Sugar (Divided)
2 tsp Brown Sugar
2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 C Whipping Cream

-Melt Butter in a saucepan then mix in the Maria Cookie crumbs. Divide the crumbs into 4 cups.
-Beat Cream Cheese until smooth then add in Pumpkin, Vanilla, 6 tsp Sugar, 2 tsp Brown Sugar and Spice and mix well.
-In another bowl beat Whipping Cream and 2 tsp Sugar until stiff peaks form.
-Fold Whipped Cream into Pumpkin and combine until mixed.
-Divide Pumpkin Cheesecake filling between the cups.
-Top with Mini Chocolate Chips, extra Whipped Cream or Cookie Crumbs as desired (wait until serving time to add cookie crumbs.)
-Cover with plastic wrap and store in refrigerator for up to 2 days.
-Gluten Free Version: use GF cookies or Chocolate Chips for the bottom layer or leave out all together.

Friday, October 5, 2012

Banana Monkey Bread

With the theme of Owls & Monkeys it was almost mandatory that I make a monkey bread and it just so happened that this particular recipe landed in my food mail box the week before the party! I couldn't have asked for better timing or a better recipe!


This one was another big hit, especially with the big boys. Tasting almost like mini-donut holes, though a bit denser, the banana was just a hint of flavor without overpowering, which was wonderful. The kneading took longer than the original recipe called so I would add more flour to the dough ahead of time.

Although the ingredients say this is a quick bread, the process to form these took about 2 hours +bake time. So just keep that in mind when making. Also, I got 20 muffins out of this recipe instead of the 12 noted in the original!


Banana Monkey Bread
Makes ~20 Muffins


Muffins:
3 1/4 C Flour + Extra for Kneading
2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/3 C Shortening
1/2 C Buttermilk (I used 1/2 C Milk with 1Tbsp White Vinegar)
2 bananas, mashed

Coating:
1/2 C Butter (melted)
1 C sugar
1 1/4 tsp Cinnamon

Vanilla Glaze:
I used 1 C Sugar Cookie Icing and added 2 Tbsp Milk to thin it out

-In a medium bowl, stir together the Flour, Baking Powder, Salt, and Baking Soda. 
-Cut in the chilled Shortening using a pastry cutter or fork until the mixture resembles coarse meal
-Add the mashed Bananas and Milk and stir together with a fork just until the dough comes together. 
-Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead several times, adding flour until the dough is no longer sticky.
-Roll dough into tablespoon-size balls. 
-In a small bowl, stir together the Sugar and Cinnamon. 
-In a separate small bowl, melt the Butter. 
-Roll dough balls in melted butter, then roll in cinnamon-sugar. 
-Place 4 dough balls in each paper lined muffin cup.
-Bake at 400 for 15-20 mins or until toothpick lest clean. 
-Let cool about 15 mins then drizzle glaze over muffins and let sit another few minutes.
-Enjoy!

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Foodie Penpal

Last month was my first time trying out Foodie PenPal, basically instead of sending a letter, you send a box of yummy goodies to a random participant. It's actually pretty awesome.

My send to person was Hayley of New York. I asked her about her food interests and she responded sweet & spicy with a gluten free dietary restriction, perfect for me to send some Mexican love. I shipped off a box filled with piloncillo, rosa de castilla, jalapeno jelly (by me), some homemade gluten free oat balls, a jar of coconut oil and a cute mini pumpkin.

The Lean Green Bean

My from person was Julie of Sugarfoot Eats. She sent me this wonderful box:

It had a super cute kitchen towel with cupcake prints and a handy wooden purse spoon & chopstick set, great idea Julie, thanks! For food, she included Stadium Mustard which I can't wait to try and some amazing 'Nuts on Clark" Honey Butter Toffee from her trip to Chicago! She also had a trip to Austin where she went to the actual Stubb's restaurant and sent me this chicken marinade! I've had their yummy pork marinade but can't wait to marinate (this weekend) some chicken, especially cuz it's tomato free!!!


And last, but certainly not least, she sent me a magnet from her tour of the actual house from A Christmas Story! How fun is that!

I'm really liking this foodie penpals thing so I'm already looking forward to this month's exchange and am on the lookout for some yummy treats, if you have any recommendations, let me know! (I'm thinking a bottle of cajeta for sure!)

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Nutella Fudge

For Maiyo's 1st birthday, I wanted to focus on a desert table rather than a cake (which I'm not super fond of) so I made several yummy treats. One of which was nutella fudge!


So simple to make, this fudge came out really creamy, a bit more like truffle filling, but still held its shape like fudge. I'd say it was the best of both worlds.

A little sea salt on top really clinched this as a must keep recipe (I'm thinking christmas presents!) but it would be just as amazing without the salt, so you decide!

I found this recipe through Two Peas and their Pod, who found it on Tasty Kitchen. These are two great sites to check out!

Photos by my amazing friend Juanita Turner

Nutella Fudge
Makes ~130 3/4 inch squares

1 Tbsp Butter
1 can (14 Oz) Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 tsp Vanilla
8 oz Bittersweet Chocolate (I used 4 oz 100% and 4oz Milk) CHOPPED
1 C Nutella (Room Temp)
3 Tbsp Unsalted Butter (Room Temp)
Sea Salt

-Grease then line a 8x8 pan with parchment paper.
-In a double boiler (or glass/steel bowl) add remaining ingredients except for sea salt.
-Place on a sauce pan with 2 inches of simmering water, do not boil and do not let the bowl touch the water.
-Stir with a silicone spatula until thoroughly melted and well combined. 
-Pour fudge into prep'd pan and let sit ~1 hour.
-Sprinkle up to 1/2 tsp Sea Salt and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to set.
-Remove fudge by lifting parchment flaps and then cut with a hot knife into desired square sizes or cut shapes with a cookie cutter.
-2 ways to heat the cutting instrument: 1-running it under hot water or 2-fill a glass with hot water and dip it in. BUT make sure to quickly pat it dry as you do not want water on the fudge! 

*sorry for all the typos, blog post is a bit more readable now:-)

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Owls & Monkeys, My Baby Turns One!

Of course I wanted a very special celebration for my baby turning one, so I came up with a Monkey & Owl theme that went like this:


Monkey See, Monkey Do
We want to Hoot to You
That Baby Maiyo is Turing One
and We're going Bananas
cuz we Want You to Join the Fun!

Hoot Yes or Hoot No, cuz Baby Maiyo Wants to Know!


We had so many wonderful friends, new and old, come and enjoy a very warm sunny day in Corralitos, it was absolutely wonderful. Great food, yummy desserts, lots of games, plenty of fun areas for the kids, it was probably the best kids b-day party ever!
 

Thanks so much to my wonderful friends Dr. Goldi & Ben, for hosting us at your beautiful home and arranging the Boardwalk Game Lady (Thanks Trish!) to entertain all 25 kids (and some parents) in fun times. As they say the 1st birthday party is more for the parents, well with Ben taking over the BBQ and Trish entertaining with games, Ana & I really did get to enjoy ourselves and we had a blast!








Recipes of the individual treats to come soon, for now here's some pictures taken by the talented Juanita Turner!





Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Crazy Time & How to Cut a Mango

Hey, things have been crazy here. Lack of sleep for the last year has finally taken its toll on me this past month and my mommy brain has just gotten worse. I have lots of foodie stuff to blog about but I'm not sure that I'll be able to or when. And with Maiyo turning the big 1 next week, I'll be super busy making all kinds of cute stuff for the party, I just hope I can find time to blog about it afterwards.

So here's just a quick tutorial that someone asked me for and I hope you can follow along with the pictures. If not, send me a note and I'll fix it!




Sunday, August 19, 2012

Banana Peanut Butter & Chocolate Bites

Easy fun treat I found on Pinterest. Funny cuz my best friend emailed my the same pin and asked if I could make some. I don't have time to type up the directions so here's a picture tutorial instead.
So here you go, a nice little bite size dessert.