Cupcakes!

Cupcakes!!! 

The best cupcakes are easy to spot! perfectly filled paper cups with fluffy

full frosting! They can be any flavor, any color, any style. But there is 

no denying they are the perfect size treat.

So lets talk batter...

Confetti 

Chocolate

Vanilla bean

Strawberry

Buttery Yellow

Red velvet

Lemon

Spice

Rum

YUM!

The trick to perfect batter is the perfect design!

Find basic batter recipes and play with them. 

Make a basic mayo batter, add blueberries!

 Make an applesauce batter, add apple cider instead of water!

Make a store bought cake mix, add lemon zest!

 And don't forget to take them out just before done,

they stay moist and store longer.

Icing!!!

Glaze!!!!

Whipped Cream!!

Sprinkle with powdered sugar!

Any way you top them,

keep it simple.

The best cupcakes are simple, and elegant!

If you are pairing them with a meal, make them light and

fruity. They will be refreshing and a perfect ending.

Cupcakes are meant to be mini cakes.. less hassle than cutting a large cake!

Get baking!

<3 

Crystallized Ginger

Crystallized Ginger

Right now I have some Super Thin Slices of Ginger 

boiling away. I'm loving the aroma it's giving off. 

I'm planning to make Chewy ginger cookies on Friday or Saturday.

Jacob is going to a friends house on Saturday to split some wood.

His friends are great people and I would like to make them dinner.

I'm planning to make two large sirloin steaks with Salt potatoes and 

Fruit salad. But what meal is complete without dessert? 

So, I'm making ginger cookies.

But to make my ginger cookies I need crystallized ginger!!!

So, tonight I am making it. 

I chose tonight, because it needs time to cool, like overnight.

And I'm not sure of our plans tomorrow night. 

So here's how it's done:

Tonight I'm only doing one root of ginger, but you can do

more very easily. Here are directions for any amount.

Use a spoon to peel your ginger root, this takes away as little of the

ginger "meat" as possible. Then thinly slice the ginger. 

Put slices in the a sauce pan with just enough water to cover the ginger.

Boil till the slices are soft.

** The thinner the slices, the less time it will take to cook the ginger

*** the more you cook the ginger, or the more tender it is at this stage, 

the more tender it will be in the end result.

After ginger is tender, strain till water no longer drips from the ginger.

Weigh cooked ginger, measure out an equal amount of sugar and 

place into sauce pan with cooked ginger, and 3 Tbs of water.

Boil.

Continue to boil, stirring frequently, until ginger is mostly transparent.

Water should be mostly evaporated.

Start stirring continuously until all water has evaporated. 

Allow to cool most of the way, coat with sugar crystals.

**** at this point, you can use them for a recipe or like I am, store them

in an air tight container until you are ready to use them. 

<3 

This makes a really nice gift around the holidays. Placed in a glass jar

with a nice note! It's a huge hit, especially for someone who 

might like it with their tea. 

Enjoy!

Potato Knish!

I don't have a recipe for you!

Why?

Because I need a yummy Potato Knish recipe!

There are a few deli's on Long Island,

that have the perfect Fried Potato Knish!!!

When I lived down there, 

I would stop for a Knish once a week.

They are so good.

My favorite ones had a almost bread crumb shell.

So I'm now looking for a place that sells them

up here where I live now. 

And then I want to master them!!!

I want to create the Best potato knish recipe!

If you have never had one, find one near you and try it.

NYC has them on every corner just about!

Wish me luck!

Fruit and Veggies and Our Bodies

http://www.wimp.com/foodbody/

I found this interesting. Something to think about when you cut up your veggies next time.

Mom's Zucchini Bread

Mom's Zucchini Bread

As you all know my mom passed away in June.

So today I wanted to post a recipe she had that is pretty incredible. 

My mom was an amazing cook and she really encouraged me to 

bake and cook whenever I wanted. This recipe is kind of special to me now.

Silly things can somehow gain new meaning. =]

Enjoy!

3 eggs

2 Cups sugar

1 Cup veg. oil

2 oz unsweetened baking chocolate

1 tsp vanilla

2 Cups grated Zucchini

3 Cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cinn.

1/4tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 Cup almonds

bake 350 degrees

1 hour and 20 mins.

<3

Potato Chip Chicken

Amazing Recipe!

So you've all prolly had about every kind of chicken you can find.

Some people haven't tried potato chip chicken so here is the recipe

I used and found to be wonderful.

Potato Chip Chicken

2 large boneless chicken breasts (cut into strips)

Combine Crushed Potato Chips with Parmesan cheese and pepper. 

Dip chicken strips in egg and then roll in chip mixture. 

Bake in a 350 degree oven till cooked through

or 

Fry in 1 cm of olive oil in med heat.

If you choose to fry the chicken strips make sure heat has had 

at least 4 minutes to heat, otherwise potato chip mixture will fall off

of the chicken and you'll end up with oily plain chicken.

I'll post pictures of the desired outcome. 

This is the crispiest chicken I've ever had!

Enjoy!

Gnocchi!

Gnocchi!

I am making my hunny a yummy dinner of homemade Gnocchi and Chicken in a

White wine and Parmesan Sauce! 

For perfect Gnocchi:

Boil 2 Lbs of Potatoes

peal and mash while still hot

add:

1 egg

salt and pepper

mix quickly so the egg doesn't cook from

the temperature of the hot potatoes

add two hand fulls of flour and mix well.

On a cookie sheet slowly add in an additional cup of Flour.

knead in flour and roll out in long strips.

Cut little one inch pieces and roll down fork.

Boil in lightly salted water for 2 minutes.

Pictures to follow!

And once I make the sauce I'll post how I did it.

I'm not completely sure what I'm doing with the sauce yet.

Enjoy

Potato with eggs.

Very sticky at this stage.

 Gnocchi while it's boiling.

 This is the start of the sauce. I'll add that below.

This is the Gnocchi swimming in the Parmesan Sauce.

I made the Sauce by:
Sauteing chopped garlic in olive oil
I added about 1/2 cup of white wine and simmered till the alcohol cooked off.
I then added two tsp butter and 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese.
Poured over the Gnocchi it was very tasty!