Inspire. Create. Bake.

Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-25T07:48:00.000-06:00

Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-18T07:28:00.000-06:00

Sarah's senior pictures

2012-01-16T19:39:00.001-06:00

I linked up at:
sweet shot tuesdays - life with my 3 boybarians
tuesdays around the world - communal global

New Year. New Beginnings.

2012-01-01T11:38:00.000-06:00

2011 was a roller coaster of a ride. I do love roller coasters, but not so much in life. 2012 is full of promise, aspirations and serenity. Thankful for a new year!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-12-07T08:42:00.000-06:00

Kelley family photos

2011-11-30T07:48:00.000-06:00

I met the Kelley family through friends. I think they choose the best weekend for photos. All the leaves had changed, colors were vibrant and the grass was still green. We tried doing candid shots which I think turned out rather nicely. I had a great time shooting this family.

Toolbox cake: The end of an era

2011-11-24T07:48:00.001-06:00

I think this is a good cake to end my fondant/cake exploration journey on. I planned on doing just one cake a month, but even that was too much. I'm ready to start something different. I really want to pick up a paintbrush and start painting again. I've said that several times over the years. Now is the time. Stay tuned.

This cake was make for a friend's grandpa who turned 80. He was a handyman and often worked on lawnmowers. A toolbox and the number 80 built from wood is the direction I was going.

Carrot cake was made for the old school toolbox.

This was my first time using Rice Krispie treats as sculpture pieces. It was a little daunting at times, but I worked through it and of course ate what I didn't use.

The 80 was red velvet cake.

Close-up shots. Every piece was covered in fondant and painted with food coloring.

"Nails" in the wood

Halloween costumes

2011-11-02T08:21:00.001-05:00

This was my third year hanging out with this fun group for Halloween. I feel very fortunate to be able to hang out with so many kids on Halloween. I had so much fun when I was a kid trick or treating, I love to relive that with others.

Lily as a cat

Audrey as a witch

Izzy as a skeleton

Tucker as wolverine

Sawyer as catwoman

Porter as the hulk

These two girls were my little buddies. They wanted to hold my hand at all times while trick or treating. I love that.

Prepping for trick or treating in College Hill.

The triplets' grandma and grandpa at their candy stations.

Izzy's mom Maranda made the top half of her skeleton costume. She did a great job!

I linked up at:
tuesdays around the world - communal global

Shine Like Stars band

2011-10-25T07:40:00.000-05:00

Over the summer I took some photos for Shine Like Stars, the rockin' worship band at City Life Church. They've been using these photos for their website and for promotional materials. Most of these were taken in downtown Wichita. These are my favorites from the shoot.

It started raining during the shoot which was really fun to capture.

We all had such a fun time on this shoot. Give them a listen and see what they are all about.
Shine Like Stars - slsworship.com
Last week, I did a photoshoot with them for their Christmas EP. I'll post those when the cd is released, and give a few away on my blog!

They would also love your help. They have the opportunity to open for the Rock and Worship Road Show at Intrust Arena in Wichita. All you have to do is click on the Facebook link below and like the video. Thanks for your help!

Shine Like Stars Facebook Link

I linked up at:
tuesdays around the world - communal global

13th birthday cake

2011-10-22T08:49:00.000-05:00

Hello friends. Have I been MIA or what?!?! As you may know, when life gets busy, my blog is usually the first thing to go. I started a new job the beginning of August and have been super busy. But the good thing is, I really love my job, so I don't mind. I do miss blogging though. So here I am all bright-eyed and bushy tailed.
In my last cake post, I mentioned I wouldn't be doing cakes anymore due to time issues. But here I go blogging about a recent cake I've made. I decided I'll do one cake a month if I'm asked. It will help keep my fondant skills up to par.
This cake was made for my good friend Jen's daughter, Kayla, who turned 13. Kayla picked out the colors, cake type and polka dot theme. It's a neapolitan cake.

White, chocolate and red velvet

Lemon blueberry cheesecake cookies

2011-09-08T08:26:00.000-05:00

I've made these twice this week for birthdays, if that gives you any indication of how tasty these are. I found this recipe on Pinterest. The combination of lemon and blueberry must be a popular one. I've seen recipes for pancakes, cupcakes and beverages lately, and yes, I've pinned them all. The combination of sour lemon and subtle sweetness of the blueberries makes for quite the pair. These cookies are not overly sweet which I like. The added cream cheese in the center helps meld the flavors even more. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. They are best served right out of the oven, or warmed up for a bit in the microwave. Makes about three dozen cookies.

Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Cookies
Recipe from: Hot Polka Dot

INGREDIENTS

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar zest of 1 lemon
3 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
3 c. flour
1 c. blueberries
3/4 pkg cream cheese, cut into 1 tsp cubes

DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until it's light and fluffy. Blend in the lemon zest, juice and eggs. Make sure to scrape off any bits of zest that stick to the mixer paddle.
In a separate bowl whisk together the baking soda, baking powder, salt and flour then mix into the wet ingredients. Gently fold in 3/4 c. of the blueberries so as not to burst any. Refrigerate the dough for about 15 – 20 minutes to make the dough slightly stiff.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and position rack in the center. Line your baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside.

While the cookie dough is chilling in the fridge, roll 1 tsp. cream cheese (or however much you think you can fit inside a cookie) into small balls and flatten slightly, these will be pressed into the cookie dough.

After the dough is chilled, roll 1 heaping tbsp. of dough into a ball then flatten it slightly into a disc shape. Place a cream cheese ball into the center and form the dough around it creating a ball again, then flatten slightly. With the remaining 1/4 cup of blueberries, place a few on top of each cookie before baking.
Bake for about 10 - 13 minutes until the edges brown slightly. Transfer them to a cooling rack and enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-07T06:03:00.000-05:00

Gluten-free marshmallow smothered brownies

2011-09-06T07:22:00.000-05:00

Don't let the gluten-free part scare you. These are rich, creamy and delectable. I brought this to a friends house for an after dinner dessert and between the four of us, we almost finished the entire pan. It's reminiscent of smores with the toasted marshmallow fluff and the chocolate chip brownie. We used a hand-held butane torch to achieve this golden brown amazingness. This recipe made it into my top ten desserts (for the time being).

Gluten-free Marshmallow
Smothered Brownies
ADAPTED RECIPE FROM DOUGHMESSTIC

INGREDIENTS

1 package Bob's Red Mill GF Brownie Mix

3/4 c. browned butter

3/4 c. warm water

1 egg

1 tbsp. vanilla

1/3 c. milk chocolate chips

2 c. marshmallow fluff
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 9x9 baking pan with non-stick spray. Set aside.
Place butter in a pan over medium heat, stirring often until butter changes to a darker golden color. (It took me about ten minutes).
Whisk the water, egg and vanilla together. Add it to the brownie mix with the browned butter and stir just until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 30-34 minutes or until center is almost set. (Brownies will continue to cook in the pan).
Top the hot brownies with the marshmallow fluff, and spread around for even distribution.
Place under a hot broiler, watching closely, or use a kitchen torch until top is browned.
Best served hot.

My first maternity shoot

2011-09-05T11:56:00.001-05:00

My poor blog has been neglected as of late. I started a new job about a month ago and have been super busy with life. I'm ready to jump back into it though. I have so many food recipes waiting for me to blog about. This is going to be a busy week on here!

My friends Carrie and Dave were in town visiting and asked if I would shoot some maternity shots of her - of course I said yes. She's 31 weeks pregnant and it was super humid out, but we had a great time on the shoot. These are my favorites from the day.

I linked up at:
sweet shot tuesdays - life with my 3 boybarians
tuesdays around the world - communal global

Jalapeno bacon bites

2011-08-20T11:45:00.001-05:00

I found this recipe through Pinterest. It's a quick and easy snack to make when you need something for a get together. To really save time I bought the precooked bacon. It's not as flavorful, but works best in a time crunch. I'll have to try peppered bacon next time. I like that some of filling came out during baking. It gives you a little glimpse as to what's inside.

Jalapeno Bacon Bites
RECIPE FROM AISLE TO ALOHA
INGREDIENTS
Package of crescent dough
4 oz. cream cheese
2 jalapenos
5 strips of bacon

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Slice the jalapenos in half lengthwise. Clean out the seeds, rinse and chop into 1/2 inch pieces.

For the bacon - If using precooked, cut into small pieces. If your bacon needs cooked, cut into pieces before frying up. This will give you a consistent shape.

Roll out the dough. I found it easiest to cut a piece of the dough off and reshape it into a circle. (see picture below)

On each dough circle, add a dollop of cream cheese, a piece or two of jalapeno and bacon. There is no exact science to this. Place as much on the circle as you think will fit.

Bring the corners of the dough together and twist them at the top so the filling doesn't come out.

Bake for 10-12 minutes. Serve warm.

I linked up at:
sweet shot tuesdays - life with my 3 boybarians
tuesdays around the world - communal global
tasty tuesdays - for the love of blogs

Black Tea-Blackberry Sorbet

2011-08-09T22:16:00.000-05:00

Check out the site where I found this recipe, honeyandjam. Her photos are incredibly gorgeous. (I need to step up my game). Honey and Jam also talks about the inspiration for this recipe. Sorbet is very easy to make. My first was cherry sorbet, and this recipe was next in line. The addition of black tea really enhances the flavor profile of the sorbet. The only boiling involved is for the tea. The blackberries are pureed, pushed through a sieve and added to the tea. The hardest part is waiting on the ice cream maker to freeze the sorbet. I was tempted to drink the mixture. If you're curious - vodka is added to the mixture to keep it from freezing too hard.

Black Tea-Blackberry Sorbet

RECIPE FROM HONEY AND JAM

INGREDIENTS
2 cups water
2 regular tea bags
1 cup sugar
3 cups fresh or frozen blackberries (if frozen, let thaw completely)
1 tbsp. vodka
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

DIRECTIONS
Bring water to a rolling boil. Remove from heat, add tea bags and allow to steep for five minutes.
Remove tea bags, add sugar and heat until the sugar dissolves. Allow to cool completely.
Puree blackberries in a food processor, then push through mesh sieve to remove seeds. Add vodka and lemon juice. Add to tea, then pour back through sieve.
Process the mixture in an ice cream maker, according to manufacturers instructions.

black tea + water

macro shot of blackberries

pureed blackberries

I linked up at:
sweet shot tuesdays - life with my 3 boybarians
tuesdays around the world - communal global

Roasted okra

2011-08-08T11:19:00.002-05:00

I love okra but only know of a couple ways to prepare it. The potential slimy texture I avoid at all costs. I came across a roasting recipe that stated the high cooking temps will get rid of the okra slime. Slime really isn't a great word when it comes to cooking. It should only be mentioned when speaking of the movie Ghostbusters. Back to the okra. I was pleasantly surprised after preparing this batch. It has a slightly crispy skin and full of okra flavor, and the spices give it a nice kick of heat. Overall, a healthy snack choice to have around the house.

Roasted Okra
INGREDIENTS
1/2 lb. fresh okra
olive oil
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
A few dashes of cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. Chesapeake bay style seasoning

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Rinse okra and pat dry. Slice off stems from the okra. Place okra in baking dish. In a small bowl, combine the spices and mix well. Sprinkle over the okra followed by a drizzle of olive oil. Using your hands, mix okra together making sure the spices and oil cover the entire surface of the okra. Make sure okra is in a single layer before placing in oven.
Bake in oven for 15 to 25 minutes or until browned, stirring a few times during baking. Remove from oven and sprinkle with a bit of salt. Best served warm but can also be enjoyed at room temperature.

A few of my favorite things

2011-08-03T09:40:00.000-05:00

There are two sites that I go to every single day. I love everything about them, and I want to share them with you. Fab.com and Pinterest.com

"Daily design by everyone."

I came across this site a few months ago before it launched. I wasn't really sure what to expect but the small glimpses I saw were intriguing. Now I am hooked. Everyday at 11am ET different items are posted and I check them out ... every single day. Fab.com offers daily design inspirations and sales up to 70% off retail. This is innovative, modern design. Some items are very pricey but I still enjoy browsing through them. The items offered are anything from modern furniture, Milton Glaser prints, lighting to high tech toys, wallpaper and jewelry. The list is endless. It's a similar concept to Etsy, but items are discounted and most of the items I've never seen before. It's inspiring design. The catch is, you have to be invited. But have no fear. Here is a link from me to you so you can get in on the action. You will not be disappointed.

http://fab.com/ibzxp1

A glimpse at some of the items listed from yesterday.

The sales generally last for three days, unless they sell-out before then.

A quick view at some of the items that will be listed in the next few days.

.......................................................

"Pinterest is a virtual pinboard. Collect the things you love."

I have spent many hours on this site. Such a simple idea and well executed layout. I have so many blogs/recipes/ideas that I've came across and saved them a bookmark folder on my Mac for years. But it's just a list of URLs. A list that I really don't want to go through, especially when I am trying to find a specific recipe. Then Pinterest came along. I can categorize all my bookmarks, but most importantly, WITH PICTURES. I am a visual person and love to see what I've pinned/bookmarked. Not only can I visually see my pin, but I can see the people I follow pins and pins in specific categories. So addicting. You should join me on this ridiculously awesome site. The catch is, you have to be invited, and I would love to send you an invite. Just list your email in the comment section below or send me an email at "inspirecreatebake at gmail dot com". Happy Pinning!

A small snap shot of my category boards. Currently I'm up to 24.

This is what it looks like in one of the boards. This category is DIY & Crafts.

You can post comments to go with the picture as well.

Baked green tomatoes

2011-07-30T10:08:00.003-05:00

During my stay in South Carolina, Julie made fried green tomatoes. I've had them a few times before, but hers were delicioso! Last week I was at the farmers market and picked three up. I wasn't fast enough to cook them though. You can see in the picture below I have a good green one, a green-yellow and a yellow-red. They went ripe on me. I was still determined to prepare them regardless of the color change. The recipe below is just enough for three tomatoes.

Baked Green Tomatoes
INGREDIENTS
3 green tomatoes
2 egg whites
2 tbsp. milk
salt and pepper
1/3 cup flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup panko
a few dashes of:
onion powder
garlic powder
creole seasoning (I use Tony Chachere's)
cayenne pepper
cooking oil spray

DIRECTIONS
Rinse the tomatoes and hull the stem.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Slice the tomatoes a little more than a quarter inch.
In one tray, add the egg whites, milk, a pinch of salt and pepper; beat with a fork.
In a separate tray, add the flour, cornmeal, panko and a few dashes of onion powder, garlic powder, creole seasoning and cayenne. Mix well.
Coat the tomato in the wet ingredients and then the dry making sure all surfaces of the tomato are covered.
Spray cooking oil on the baking sheet. Place tomatoes on sheet and spray the tomatoes. Place in oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, flipping over once during baking. After you flip the tomatoes over, spray them with cooking spray and return to oven.
Remove from oven and sprinkle salt on each tomato. Best served hot/warm.

Sophie Grace

2011-07-25T23:49:00.000-05:00

I love her little head tilt. My very good friend's daughter turned two several months ago, and I was fortunate enough to take her pictures. She is about as cute as it gets. I love her facial expressions and curious two year old behavior.

This is her hardcore baby gangsta pose, I'm thinking her mama taught her this.

I linked up at:
sweet shot tuesdays - life with my 3 boybarians
tuesdays around the world - communal global

Cherry sorbet

2011-07-21T07:09:00.000-05:00

I'm back from my South Carolina vacation to bring you some yummy sorbet. During my stay, I asked my niece Breyya what kind of sorbet she thought sounded best to make. Cherry was her answer, and that's what we made. It's rich, sweet and creamy and was very easy to make. The hardest part was waiting for it to set so we could devour it!

Cherry Sorbet
Adapted from Gina's Weight Watchers Recipes
INGREDIENTS
2 lbs cherries
1 cup water
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp. sugar or agave
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
DIRECTIONS
Stem the cherries and remove the pits. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the cherries with the water, sugar and lemon juice.
Cook until the cherries are very soft and cooked through, about 10-15 minutes.
Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
Refrigerate to chill throughly.
Puree the cherries and their liquid and run the mixture through a fine sieve.
Once the cherry mixture is chilled, freeze according to your ice cream maker's instructions.

My beautiful helpers. Breyya (on the right) had her friend Alexis over. They helped pit the cherries.

Cherries after the cooking.

Ice cream maker awesomeness. I'm thinking my next flavor to make will be blackberry.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-20T07:14:00.002-05:00

On holiday

2011-07-17T09:16:00.000-05:00

I'm currently in South Carolina visiting my niece Breyya. I'll be back on Wednesday with some new blog posts and pictures. I wish I could bottle up the sound of nature here. It's music to the ears. Here's a link to my trip last year. It's such a beautiful place to be. We didn't make it to Myrtle Beach this time around, but are headed back to Lake Murray for the day. This is one of my favorite shots from the lake last year.

My first wedding cake

2011-07-14T08:23:00.001-05:00

Wedding cakes are intimidating. It's more of the thought of something potentially going wrong with the cake and then what options are left after that?!?! I was asked many months ago by a friend if I was interested in making her wedding cake. She's a graphic designer as well, so I knew what I was in for. (My perfectionist ways had to be just that). I was honored for her to ask me, and of course I said yes. I was very excited to create my first wedding cake. She wanted to keep it simple, use her colors of brown and blue, and somehow incorporate the flower design from her invitations.

I baked many many carrot cakes the evening before. I was worried it wouldn't be tall enough, so I baked a few more that morning.

I began icing each layer with cream cheese frosting - a must for carrot cake.

I rolled out the fondant and started covering the cakes. This is by far the most intense part of the cake making process because I want that fondant to be perfect on that cake. Flaws and wrinkles are not my friend. I'm happy to report I had zero issues with the fondant. It really couldn't have went smoother for me - literally.

Next was the fun part of creating the flowers. I created a sheet of the line art flowers and began rolling fondant out into thin ropes. A little more tedious than I had anticipated. I shaped each flower and placed it in the freezer until I was done with all of them.

I placed each flower on the cake with my "glue" mixture made of fondant and water. I wrapped in layer in ribbon and used very small pins to keep it in place.

The finished product. The bride bought the cutest cake topper - two little birdies. She found them on Etsy.

Here's the cake - delivered and set up.The cake was really uneventful as far as mishaps which I couldn't have been more thankful for. There are a few things I would have changed with this cake, but I'm not going to mention those because I am still happy with the way it turned out.

I linked up and at these fabulous blog hops:
Coffee Talk
Feature Your Sassy Sites

Stuffed strawberries

2011-07-12T08:23:00.000-05:00

Over the fourth of July weekend I made a couple of dessert items to take to my friend's house. I've been wanting to make stuffed strawberries, and this seemed like the perfect time for them. The recipes I found weren't exactly what I was looking for. I decided to try it on my own and not follow a recipe which I need to do more often. It's really easy to rely on recipes, but it's time to get out of my comfort zone. I knew I wanted cream cheese in there so I started thinking about what would go well with it. (Cream cheese is one of my favorite things on this planet). Cinnamon and almonds sounded like great additions, and that's where I started. These turned out exactly the way I had hoped. Savory, sweet and nutty — I'm already craving more.

Stuffed Strawberries
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1 package cream cheese, softened
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1 tbsp. heavy cream
1 cup powdered sugar
2 lbs. strawberries
DIRECTIONS
Rinse strawberries and set aside on a paper towel to dry. In a food processor (I used my magic bullet) combine sliced almonds and cinnamon. Blend to a medium-fine consistency.
In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth with a mixer.
Add heavy cream and almond extract. Beat well.
On medium-low, gradually beat in the nut mixture, then the powdered sugar. You want the mixture to be creamy but thick enough to be piped and to hold its shape in the strawberries. More or less powdered sugar may need to be added.
Using a paring knife, hollow out the center of the strawberry going around the stem in a cone shape. Cut approximately 1/4 inch off the tip of the strawberry so it can stand up on its own.
Add the cream cheese mixture to a piping bag fitted with a wide star tip. Fill strawberries with the cream cheese mixture. Keep in fridge until serving.

I linked up at:

tasty tuesdays - for the love of blogs

sweet shot tuesdays - life with my 3 boybarians
tuesdays around the world - communal global

Owl Cake No. 2

2011-07-10T07:51:00.001-05:00

I created another owl cake last month. The request was to make it exactly like my first owl cake. In my last princess and the frog cake post, I mentioned I wouldn't be doing cakes much anymore but had a few more lined up. Here is the first, and the next one is a wedding cake! This owl cake was fairly easy to produce, since I knew exactly what needed to be done this time around. The owl cake is my favorite out of all the cakes I've made. Compared to the other owl cake I made, I'm pretty sure they could be twins.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-06T07:15:00.000-05:00

Celebrate good times

2011-07-05T00:43:00.001-05:00

Jake and I spent the 4th with friends this year — the same place we spent last year. A lot of good food, awesome company and plenty of fireworks on display. I prefer to watch and take pictures of sparkly things instead of shooting fireworks off myself. I might as well get a blog post up tonight while others are still shooting off their fireworks. They are bound to stop eventually, because I don't think I can sleep through it.

I love me some colored smoke...

and a very good friend.

Happy Birthday Ashley!

Me and my Jake

I linked up at:
Sweet Shot Tuesdays - Life With My 3 Boybarians
tuesdays around the world - communal global

Jaxon turns two

2011-06-30T09:32:00.000-05:00

Another recent shoot with two year old, Jaxon. He's so full of energy. We spent a lot of time throwing the soccer ball around, and I'd capture him running after it. He's a very active little guy and I'm sure he keeps his parents very busy. With his adorable smile though, I'm sure it's all worth it. The Wasmund's recently added a baby girl to the family. I'm sure he's loving his big brother status.

Little Ben

2011-06-26T13:14:00.001-05:00

If you have followed my blog for awhile this little guy probably look familiar. He turned two a few months ago and we went to old town to take some shots of him in his super cute outfit. His momma really knows how to dress him. Besides the fact that Ben can't take a bad picture, I really loved how these photos turned out. The camera loves him, and well, I do too.

One of my very favorites above.

Those precious eyes.

I linked up at:

sweet shot tuesdays - life with my 3 boybarians
tuesdays around the world - communal global

Oh brother

2011-06-23T06:30:00.000-05:00

Only two weeks later and I'm finally posting about the brothers' photos taken together. If you need a refresher, the previous two posts are Colton and Cutter. Better late than never right? You can always tell how busy my home life is but how much I've blogged. I really enjoyed shooting these two.

The above image is one of my favorite captures I've taken thus far. I love their expressions.

Colton

2011-06-12T19:02:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I posted pictures of Cutter, and today it's his brother Colton. I think he did a great job. He tried to give me several fake smiles but I called him out on it. I think he's going to be a little charmer with the ladies when he's older. Colton was really fun to work with. Next up is the two of them together.

Cutter

2011-06-11T20:41:00.000-05:00

A recent photoshoot with the very fun-spirited Cutter. My good friend Jolynn asked if I would shoot some pics of her boys – of course I said yes. Cutter was full of laughs and funny faces. I captured both the funny and serious side of him. Tomorrow his brother Colton is featured.

Wilted spinach salad with warm feta dressing

2011-06-08T21:54:00.000-05:00

The title really says it all. I've had this recipe for several years and finally decided to try it. When I made the salad, I literally couldn't get it in my mouth fast enough. It's that good. I mixed just enough for my portion, and saved the rest for the next day. Honestly, it wasn't as good on day two. I'm all about leftovers, but something with warming the feta and onions up just wasn't as tasty as the first day. Next time I'll either cut the recipe in half or feed it to more people! Serves 4.

Wilted Spinach Salad with Warm Feta Dressing
INGREDIENTS
9 oz. bag fresh spinach leaves
5 tbsp. olive oil, divided
1 medium red onion, halved & cut into wedges
7 oz. feta cheese, coarsely crumbled
2 tbsp. Sherry wine vinegar

DIRECTIONS
Place spinach in a large bowl. Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a heavy large skillet over high heat. Add onion, saute until brown and softened about 10 minutes. Transfer to bowl with spinach; remove from heat. Add remaining 3 tbsp. oil and cheese to skillet. Stir to melt cheese slightly, about one minute. Stir in vinegar. Season with pepper to taste. Pour over spinach; toss to coat and wilt slightly.
Source: from Bon Appetit Dec. 07

Chicken & sun-dried tomato orzo

2011-06-07T21:35:00.000-05:00

Orzo is a pasta I don't tend to cook with too often, but I really enjoy its texture. It's similar to rice, but in pasta form. I've made this dish several times and keep adjusting the recipe to my liking. Overall it's a very light meal, which is often not the case for pasta dishes. It's full of a well-balanced combination of flavors; from the fresh marjoram to the sun-dried tomatoes. Serves about five people.

Chicken & Sun-dried Tomato Orzo
INGREDIENTS

9 oz. orzo
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil, chopped & divided
2 plum tomatoes, diced
1 cup vegetable juice, low sodium
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 1/4 tsp. fresh marjoram, chopped & divided
1 tbsp. red-wine vinegar
3 tsp. oil from sun-dried tomato jar
1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed (1-1 1/4 pounds)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
9 oz. artichoke hearts, from jar, chopped
1/2 cup finely shredded Romano cheese, divided
DIRECTIONS
In a large saucepan of boiling water, cook orzo until tender, 8—10 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and rinse.
Place 1/2 cup water, 1 cup vegetable juice, 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, diced tomatoes, garlic, 1 1/4 tsp. marjoram, vinegar and 3 tsp. sun-dried oil in a blender. Blend until just a few chunks remain.
Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, adjusting the heat as necessary to prevent burning, until golden outside and no longer pink in the middle, 5 to 7 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate; tent with foil to keep warm.
Pour the tomato sauce into the pan and bring to a boil. Measure out 1/2 cup sauce to a small bowl. Add the remaining 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes to the pan along with the orzo, artichoke hearts and 6 tbsp. cheese. Cook, stirring, until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes.
For each serving, slice chicken and place on pasta with 2 tbsp. of the reserved tomato sauce, a sprinkling of the remaining cheese and marjoram.
Serves 5.
Source: Adapted from Eating Well

I linked up at:

tasty tuesdays - for the love of blogs

sweet shot tuesdays - life with my 3 boybarians
tuesdays around the world - communal global

Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-25T08:02:00.002-05:00

The Cook kids

2011-05-24T07:13:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year again when kids start showing up on my blog. This is my first shoot of the season. They may look familiar to you from last year. Karis was just 9 days old when she met my camera, followed by Collin and the oldest brother Colden. Such sweet kids. This shoot was mainly for Karis since she's grown so much since September.

I linked up at:

sweet shot tuesdays - life with my 3 boybarians
tuesdays around the world - communal global

Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-18T07:18:00.000-05:00

Cookies & cream cupcakes

2011-05-11T07:20:00.000-05:00

A crowd pleaser for sure — these were the first to go at Ekklesia. I wish I had taken a picture of the cupcake cut on half. There are Oreos in the batter and on the bottom. This recipe was found on Annie's Eats. If you haven't explored her page yet, you are missing out on some wonderful recipes. I am already thinking about when I can make these again. This recipe makes 24.

Cookies & Cream Cupcakes
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE CUPCAKES
24 Oreo halves, with cream filling attached
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 stick of unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 2/3 cup sugar
3 large egg whites, at room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup milk
20 Oreo cookies, coarsely chopped and quartered

FOR THE FROSTING
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
2 lbs. powdered sugar, sifted
2 tbsp. heavy cream

FOR THE GARNISH
Oreo cookie crumbs
24 Oreo cookie halves

DIRECTIONS

FOR THE CUPCAKES
Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line two cupcake pans with 24 paper liners. Place an Oreo halve in the bottom of each liner, cream side up.
In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt; stir together with a fork to blend and set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer combine the butter and sugar and beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Blend in the egg whites one at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in the vanilla extract.
With the mixer on low speed, beat in half of the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Add the milk and beat just until combined, then mix in the remaining dry ingredients. Fold in the chopped Oreos with a rubber spatula until evenly incorporated, being careful not to over-mix.
Evenly divide the batter between the prepared cupcake liners. Bake for 18-20 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pans 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

FOR THE FROSTING
Combine the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Blend in the vanilla extract.
Beat in the powdered sugar until incorporated and smooth, 1-2 minutes.
Add the heavy cream to the bowl and beat on medium-low speed just until incorporated, then increase the speed to medium-high and whip for 4 minutes until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

FOR THE GARNISH
Frost the cooled cupcakes as desired. Sprinkle with Oreo crumbs and garnish with Oreo halves.

Source: Adapted from Annie's Eats from Beantown Baker

Red velvet cupcakes

2011-05-10T07:18:00.000-05:00

In search of several cupcake recipes for last weekend, I usually stop at Annie's Eats first. She has several fun options to choose from. With a special ingredient added, these cupcakes were super moist and tasty. My friend Joyce filled me in on a little something she adds to the batter - mayonnaise. Whaaat? Yes. You can't taste it. It's pretty amazing. You should try it next time you make cupcakes. It makes the cake super moist. 1/2 cup will do for any recipe.

Red Velvet Cupcakes
INGREDIENTS

FOR THE CUPCAKES

2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tbsp. cocoa powder
1 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups canola oil
1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp. (1 oz.) liquid red food coloring
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. distilled white vinegar

FOR THE FROSTING

1 block of cream cheese, softened
5 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted

DIRECTIONS

FOR THE CUPCAKES

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.
In a medium bowl, combine the cake flour, sugar, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt; whisk to blend.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the eggs, vegetable oil, buttermilk, mayo, food coloring, vanilla and vinegar. Beat on medium speed until well blended. Mix in the dry ingredients on low speed and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes.
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared liners. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through baking, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 18 minutes. Let cool in the pans 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

FOR THE FROSTING

Combine the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until well combined and smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Mix in the vanilla extract. Gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar until totally incorporated, increase the speed and then beat until smooth. Frost cooled cupcakes as desired.

Adapted from: Annie's Eats from Apple a Day

I linked up at:

tasty tuesdays - for the love of blogs

sweet shot tuesdays - life with my 3 boybarians
tuesdays around the world - communal global

Lemon cupcakes with cream cheese frosting

2011-05-08T12:51:00.000-05:00

This is my new favorite cupcake. I made these last weekend with my friend Naomi. The church service we go to, Ekklesia, was celebrating its two year anniversary and we were asked to make cupcakes, of course we said yes. We made three different kinds, and this was my favorite. This past Friday my friend Joyce and I got together to make four dozen to give away for Mother's Day today. Baking with friends is such a fun experience. Plus the dishes are clean before we even finish decorating! These are not overpowered with lemon flavor but just enough to keep you wanting more. Did I mention the frosting has cream cheese and lemon in it? Nuff said. This recipe makes 24 delectable lemon cupcakes.

Lemon Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
INGREDIENTS

FOR THE CUPCAKES

2 1/4 cups cake flour

1 tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/4 cups buttermilk

4 large egg whites

1 1/2 cups sugar

lemon zest from 2 lemons

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. pure lemon extract

FOR THE FROSTING

12 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 stick butter, softened
2 lbs. powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. lemon extract
juice of one lemon

DIRECTIONS

FOR THE CUPCAKES

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners.Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, Whisk the buttermilk and egg whites together.

In a mixer bowl, add sugar and lemon zest. Mix together with your hands, rubbing together with your fingers, causing the sugar to become moist and fragrant.

Add the butter to the sugar-lemon mixture and mix for 3 full minutes on medium speed.

Beat in the extracts, then add 1/3 of the flour mixture. Add 1/2 of the egg-milk mixture, and then 1/2 of the flour mixture until incorporated. Add the rest of the egg-milk mixture until well mixed, then add the last of the flour mixture.

Finally, beat the batter for two more minutes for thorough mixing and aerating the batter. Place the batter into the cupcake tins.

Bake for 18 minutes, or until the cupcakes are well risen and spring to the touch.

Cool on a wire rack.

FOR THE FROSTING

Using a mixer, blend the butter and cream cheese together until well combined, about three minutes. Add in the vanilla, lemon extract and lemon juice. Gradually add in the powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached. Decorate cupcakes after they have cooled.

Adapted from: My Baking Addiction

Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-04T06:30:00.000-05:00

Princess and the Frog cake

2011-05-02T07:28:00.002-05:00

Last weekend I worked on one of my last cakes. As much as I love creating these dimensional cakes, they are very time consuming. I am one busy chick, and I'm trying to change that. I still have a few more cakes coming up over the next few months, but it won't be as many as you've seen lately.
This is the frog from Disney's Princess and the Frog. The most challenging part of this cake was getting the fondant to wrap around the pieces. The fondant batch was very soft and would tear easily. I made mini cupcakes for lily pads, plus I wanted to make sure they didn't run out of cake for their guests.

I started out with two domed-shaped cakes and the rectangular cake. Fortunately, the round cakes baked quite tall. I was able to use the halves separately instead of joining them together; one for the head and one for the body.

Head and body

The arms and legs were tricky. The character has very thin arms and legs but I wanted the cake to have some volume.

The frog wrapped in fondant. I thought the final product looked more like a ninja turtle. Jokingly, my friend said why is that cat green?

I linked up at:

tasty tuesdays - for the love of blogs

sweet shot tuesdays - life with my 3 boybarians
tuesdays around the world - communal global

letter lovin' had me a blast

2011-04-29T05:58:00.000-05:00

Posted are letters I've created over the past couple months. I now have some boy-inspired letters in the mix which is fun. My favorite is the hunting one below. Happy Friday to you!

I linked up and at these fabulous blog hops:
Fab Friends Friday
Sit & Relax Weekend
Weekend Blog Hop
Feature Your Sassy Sites

Party hat cake

2011-04-27T00:05:00.000-05:00

Another addition to the cake family. This was made for my friend's daughter, Lauren. My instructions were to not spend much time on it (like the other cakes I tend to make) and to keep it simple. I made a party hat for the mess cake and a three-tiered cake for the rest of the party people.

My favorite part of this cake is the lettering. I wanted it to be more fun than the standard, straight-lined message. I cut out each letter by hand with an xacto blade and played around with the placement.
I haven't covered a cake with frosting in quite awhile since I've been doing fondant work. I should have thinned out the icing a bit so it spread easier and had a cleaner look. But it tasted great, and was happy with it overall.

I linked up at:
where are you wednesday - just married with coupons
mid-week mingle - graphic design by tara

The hunt

2011-04-26T07:18:00.000-05:00

We spent Easter at Jake's moms. I ate a lot of food, watched the kids hunt for eggs, then took a nap. It couldn't have been better.

Morgan could hear the sound of the ocean in her chocolate bunny.

Cole used his as a voice amplifier.

Love his expression.

My favorite pic from the day.

I linked up at:

sweet shot tuesdays - life with my 3 boybarians
tuesdays around the world - communal global

Wordless Wednesday

2011-04-20T07:06:00.000-05:00

Bicycle cake

2011-04-19T07:22:00.000-05:00

I made this cake last month for my friend Carl who turned 30. One of his passions in life are bikes. His wife Sarah asked if I would make a bicycle cake for his birthday party. Of course I said yes. You can find a few pictures of the Heberts in Tandem party on their blog.

Let me start out by saying this cake was intimidating. I wasn't sure how I was going to go about this. I had so many ideas, but none seemed like a viable options. I decided to figure it out along the way.

I started with the easiest part - the wheels. Not much to them.

I went off of the top right picture on the table for a bike reference. I began shaping the structure of the bike.

Covered the cake in fondant

Added in the detail

I like the handlebar grips.

Carl was very surprised when I brought the cake over. Sarah and I kept it a secret. This was my most challenging cake to date. It was worth it though. Happy 30th Carl!

I linked up at:

tasty tuesdays - for the love of blogs

sweet shot tuesdays - life with my 3 boybarians
tuesdays around the world - communal global

Texas travel in photos

2011-04-09T11:48:00.000-05:00

The last of my Texas trip in pics. I spent most of my time in the Forth Worth area. The majority of these shots were taken with my Evo.

Found an antique mall – of course I had to go in. I would like to own a vintage gum ball machine but they are ridiculously overpriced in my opinion. So I will admire them from afar. My finds are the following items...

Vintage cast iron shapes painted green. I'm going to strip them of color and go back to their natural state. Also, I found a small plastic F to add to my F collection.

Downtown Fort Worth

My friend was driving so I tried to get some shots of downtown from the passenger seat.

On my way back home, I stopped in Ardmore, OK to check out one of my favorite places at night, The Cloverleaf. Everything was glowing red. A previous post will show you shots during the day. Love this place. Too bad it wasn't open.

University of North Texas Campus

2011-04-08T07:21:00.000-05:00

I started out with a graffiti post last month about driving through Denton, Texas. A month later it continues. Time has got the best of me. Nonetheless, the campus is too interesting to not share. The pictures will walk you around campus.

Whoo whoo owl cake

2011-03-29T07:37:00.000-05:00

Whenever life gets busy and slightly overwhelming, my blog is typically the first thing I set aside. I started a new job three weeks ago, and I have projects coming out the wazoo. I plan on posting at least once a week so you can see a little of what I've been up to. One of the projects I completed on Saturday is a cake for a birthday girl who turned one. One a scale of 1 to 10 for cuteness, I think it's a 10. I loved how it turned out.

These are the boob cakes - the start of the owl.

Shaped

Iced and fondant work

I painted the "feathers" with food coloring for a bit of visual texture.

I linked up at:

tasty tuesdays - for the love of blogs

sweet shot tuesdays - life with my 3 boybarians
tuesdays around the world - communal global

Chocolate cake car

2011-03-22T06:24:00.001-05:00

Over the weekend I made a cake for my niece Mariah who turned 11. She's big into Nascar and requested this car.

I wanted to use a bigger loaf pan, but couldn't locate it in my house. I loaded this one up with batter and got a very high car roof which actually turned out for the better.

Shaped and frosted.

Blue fondant for the base.

My friend's daughter Christina is interested in going to culinary school. She came over to help and learn in the process.

Luckily I had a small diecast model to go off of. It was a fun cake to make! I have a few more cakes coming up, so stay tuned for more baking shenanigans.

I linked up at:

tasty tuesdays - for the love of blogs

sweet shot tuesdays - life with my 3 boybarians
tuesdays around the world - communal global
blog it forward tuesday - sweep tight

And the winner is...

2011-03-18T08:19:00.000-05:00

Congrats to James for winning the Riverside 65 CD. I'll have it to you this weekend.
Thanks to all who participated and have a Happy Friday!

A green parade of randomness

2011-03-17T21:35:00.000-05:00

Last weekend, I was a spectator at a St. Patrick's Day parade in the Delano District. It was a nice day out, and I wanted to snap some shots so I decided to go. Parades are nothing like I remember as a kid. Understandable. I took pictures, saw some sweet cars, wondered why people like to dress up dogs, admired some really fun vintage bikes and questioned the redonkulousness of political floats. To each his own I suppose.

This doggie is all kinds of cute. Reminds me of a Sheltie I had as a child.

Interesting.

I love the elegant walk of this greyhound.

An acceptable mullet for a clown.

Not gonna lie, this is a little freaky.

Absolutely gorgeous.

Random child in the street.

Bicycle gang

Pure love.

Maybe one day I will have a baby just like this. Chevelles are my favorite.

Colorful. I didn't know pants like these still existed. I'm glad he can rock 'em though.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-16T07:54:00.000-05:00

Graffiti art

2011-03-15T07:53:00.000-05:00

Recently I took a trip to Forth Worth, TX to see a good friend. On my way home, I decided to make a few stops. The University of North Texas campus is right off I-35 in Denton. I pass it every time I visit and was curious to see it more intimately. The weather was gorgeous, and I've been itching to get out and take photos, so I took the exit. Driving around Denton, I stumbled across some facinating graffiti art. Amazing work and even better to experience in person.

I linked up at:

sweet shot tuesdays - life with my 3 boybarians
tuesdays around the world - communal global
blog it forward tuesday - sweep tight

Riverside 65 album giveaway

2011-03-13T12:15:00.001-05:00

Riverside 65 is a local band that recently had a CD release party at Rock Island Live. I picked up two copies of their CD so I could give one away here!
I would define their music as instrumental jazz rock fusion or pure awesomeness. If you'd like to take a listen, you can find them on Myspace and/or like them on Facebook.
These are pictures I took with my camera phone. My SLR didn't make it with me.
Jace, the guitarist, is so incredibly talented. Watching him play is quite facinating. This album will not disappoint. Enter to win below...

COMMENT TO WIN ~ COMMENT TO WIN ~ COMMENT TO WIN

Enter to win this Riverside 65 album by telling me who your all-time favorite artist is.
For additional entries, leave separate comments for each of the following:
1. Blog about this giveaway.
2. Facebook about this giveaway.
3. Tweet about this giveaway.

You can comment a total of four times.
In one of your entries, provide me with your email address if you don't have a blog or a way for me to contact you. This giveaway will end March 17, 2011. I will use a random generator to pick the winner on Friday, March 18. Good luck and happy listening!