Bakie Me Sweet

Breakfast at The Biscuit Head

2015-08-31T13:17:00.000-07:00

We went up to Asheville a couple of weekends ago to celebrate our 8th wedding anniversary and while we were there, we had to make a stop at one of our favorite eateries, The Biscuit Head Cafe.

This place is one of a kind. It's named after the famous biscuit-head biscuits, that are the size of a cats head, which are served with almost every meal! At first glance, there's a long line, a packed house, and the aroma of flavors that you just can't resist! The moment that I set foot in the door and we officially have a number for our table, I make a b-line for their jams and jellies.

If it were socially acceptable, I would immediately begin placing the spoon directly out of the jars and into my mouth, but...you can't do things like that. So I go ahead and fill up a few of their cute little paper cups with all of the jams, jellies, and relishes, one little heart can desire.

We usually get a sausage and eggs, something or other. (Their siracha maple sausage...Um, yeah, you had better not leave without trying it...trust me!) This time, my hubby got the special, (don't ask me to tell you what it was, because I don't remember). My brain usually shuts down right around the time as we're standing in line, and this little message is the only thing that transmits:

"The Biscuit head cafe...

Siracha, maple sausage...

with some eggs....

jams & jellies....

....and a biscuit too, of course." If you ask me my name while I am standing in line waiting for a seat, I will probably just vaguely stare back at you, softly chanting the above message.

"Biscuit head cafe, siracha maple sausage...

Have a good day, y'all!

Spectacular Summer Pies {Cooking Class}

2015-08-27T06:11:00.003-07:00

This summer, I had the privilege of joining several wonderful ladies for an afternoon of cooking and learning the art of the perfect pie crust!

Now, if you're anything like me, you've got your pie filling down. There isn't anyone that can light a match next to what you've got cooked up, inside the pie, but the crust.....well, you'll leave that to Mrs. Smith's or Betty Crocker. #truestory

See, until now, I've never really felt like I had a tight enough grip on a really great-tasting pie crust to even dare make one from scratch to go with my pecan pies, sweet potato pie or my sweet bean pie. I just let the store-brands do the talking for me. You know what I'm saying...

Well, I went to this class for my birthday & without me ever even telling the other ladies there, they just immediately kept saying, "Alright, you do this. YOU need to practice rolling out the dough", etc, etc.

It was just the practice that I needed and they were a lot of fun too.

It's hard not to turn the tables over with people that are so kind and generous. In reality, these ladies really were as sweet as the pies that we were making.

By the time that we were done, we had each had a turn practicing our crust, for full crust pies.

Our pinch, to get that perfect little edge.

Making little hand-held pies filled with some of the sweetest and freshest ingredients.

I swear, even after all of the years of experience that I have in the kitchen, I am always open to learn something new!

Happy Baking!

"Waffles for Mom" Cooking Class

2015-08-20T19:40:00.002-07:00

This past Mother's Day weekend, Sophia and I got to go to a very special cooking class held at the Williams Sonoma Store in South Park,hosted by the very talented Chef Cynthia Goch.

Sophia got to learn some hands-on techniques, while I watched, for making homemade waffles topped with fresh apples and a even a delicious smoothie on the side! Her little smile was, priceless. And Chef Cynthia Goch was extremely knowledgeable and patient while the kids got to try out all of the different equipment and to measure out their ingredients.

I loved how the each took turns on the apple peeler and stirring the waffle mix. You could tell that they were proud of themselves and what they were doing.

The store was also full of lots of colorful deliciousness that my camera couldn't help but capture. They were curds, recipes and tablescapes, everywhere.

Bravo to Chef Goch and my little Sophia (and all of the other little chefs).

It was one AMAZING breakfast!

Tips for Making Curds & Cobblers

2015-06-15T10:47:00.002-07:00

I want to take a minute to re-visit one very important, and sometimes over-looked step when you're making homemade curds or cobblers. Part of the basis of your unique and quality, really creamy curds (or cobblers) is that you want to have absolutely NO LUMPS, whatsoever. And the key to getting that super smooth and silky texture is going to happen when you're prepping your dry ingredients.

Before you ever even add your liquids or strained fruit juices to your thickening agent (which in our case is either going to be a flour/sugar mixture or a cornstarch/sugar mix), you have got to make sure that the flour agent and the sugar have been completed mixed, a thoroughly blended like it is in this pic, below.

Now, I need you to pinkie-swear me, that you will not, absolutely not, by any means, skip this step and allow a lumpy curd to be served on your table.

Do we have a deal?

If so, please take a minute to go back over this recipe, and practice the curd part of it, and see how smooth and delicious your curd comes out when you have slowly but surely stirred each and every part.

Okay, Mama is done. Have a Happy Monday friends!

xo- Bakie

Chicken Kabobs & Ribbon Zucchini

2015-06-08T21:13:00.000-07:00

So much of cooking is doing some that is innovative for your very own family. I am a firm believer that when we put our best foot forward, that it should be to our family first, and then to everyone else, out from there. That is where I prepared this meal for dinner for my little bunch. It was literally a regular week night where the chicken was up, and I did want to serve something that we had, had before.

One of the easiest ways that I find to take your meat (or any veggie) to another level is to #1- change it's shape. So here we go. We're just starting off with your standard chicken breast. I find that I like the breast meat of the chicken served best on skewers. As you'll notice, the standard skewers that you find in your local grocery store may not fit on the inside of all of your pans. In my case, it didn't but on an outdoor or stove-top grill, you have a safe bet. For indoors, and pans with a rim, you will have to break a portion of the skewer off to measure down to the size of your pan.

*Note: You might be wondering why I did not choose to cut the skewer down before starting with the meat? The reason is because, I still wanted to use the pointy part to pierce through before they were ready to go into my pan.

I took my chicken kabobs to the next level by implementing one very simple trick:

Changing the flavor.

If you always use salt and pepper, or salt, pepper and a little bit of garlic that switch things up a bit. For this particular meal, I went with powder garlic and dried oregano. If you have fresh, that is great too, but it is not always the most convenient that have handy. No fresh herbs on hand, have no fear. You're just going to hit your "creativity" button into play and come up with something awesome. Sound good?

They tasted as good as they looked and everyone was surprised to see that we were having this fun dish literally in the middle of the week, and...just because. :-)

Now, I added another fun element to our dinner: zucchini. And not just any zucchini. Again, like I said, switch it up! Cooking for your family is supposed to be fun and invigorating. What greater joy in the kitchen should one have then to know that the meal that you have placed before your family was nourishing and that the time and energy that you have put forth was a sincere expression of your love? (Okay, maybe I am just super-passionate about food but there is a science to it, I tell ya!)

My zucchini has a similar creative flair to it. Again, something different. We eat zucchini from time to time, but never like this. (I think that I may be on to something). This night, I peeled all of the skin off of it, and then for the part that remained, I just ran my peeler down each side in vertical strokes leaving me with medium-thickness zucchini ribbons. It was AWESOME! (Alright, there I go again, getting too happy about food but I can't help it!)

The moment of truth: my family LOVED it! My girls loved most that the chicken was on a stick and the my husband was just please that we were having a meal like this, again, in the middle of the week and for no special occasion. He LOVED the way the zucchini turned out. It really was something special!

So what are you doing with dinner this week to change things up? Are you going to grab one of those spices that you've never even used? Or how about family pizza night? Rather than making that same old pizza crust, why not through some herbs into it? Or even make a up a compound butter to go with bread at dinner?

Bon Appetit!

xo- Bakie

Orange Juice Breakfast Donuts with Strawberry-Blueberry Curd!

2015-06-05T06:23:00.003-07:00

I love a good homemade doughnut. And since it is National Doughnut Day, we're making our own. The ingredients are simple and delicious and it's probably stuff that you already have on hand. We'll start with:

Ingredients:

2 sticks of butter

1 3/4 cup sugar

3 eggs

3 cups of self-rising flour*

1 cup of orange juice

1 teaspoon of vanilla

Optional: Confectioner's sugar

Now this is actually an Orange Cake Recipe that I adapted from a cookbook that we received some years ago. If you'll note, that my recipe above adds 3/4 cup more flour that it calls for. That will hopefully give us a more rounded doughnut than mine turns out to be. Also, using Crisco shortening can give you a bit more "airy-ness", if you will. :-)

Tip #2: Always make sure that if there' flour, salt, or baking powder that is needed to be added to the mix that you have fully added it, and blended it together before added it to your battered mix. With all of that being said, let's go!

Directions:

Cream together the butter and sugar.

Add the eggs one at a time and beat for two minutes after the third egg is added.

Now once you begin to get that pretty yellow color mixed in there from your eggs, you're going to begin adding (alternatively) your flour and your orange juice. Starting and ending with flour. (So, flour, orange juice, flour, orange juice, flour). That's simple enough, right? :-)

And when you're done, you should have a yummy, creamy looking batter that is ready to go into your greased doughnut pan.

Just like with cupcakes, one full ice cream scoop, does the "do".

And all you need is one to fill the cavities on your pan. Doughnut pan found at Target. :-)

Bake for 12 minutes on 350 degrees and your good to go.

Now for our delicious curd!

You'll need:

2 cups of fresh berries

1/2 cup water

4 tbsp all-purpose flour

1 cup of sugar

3 egg yolks

2 whole eggs

4 tbsp of butter (chilled & cubed)

Directions:

Bring the berries and water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Turn down the heat to low and simmer until the berries are soft and separate easily, (about 5 minutes). Transfer the mixture into a sieve and pass through using a spoon to help mash the berries. Discard the pulp and reserve the juice.

Place the flour and sugar (already blended) into a clean saucepan and slowly pour in the berry juice. Whisking constantly. When thoroughly combined, add the whole eggs and egg yolks and continue to cook until thickened.

Once the curd has formed (after about 7 minutes) remove from the heat and stir in chunks of butter.

Allow about ten minutes to for the curd to cool and in the mean time, go & sprinkle your doughnuts!

Flaky, butter, orange, doughnut cake goodness. Oh, I'm not telling stories here, people.

I mean, I figured, that I just take one more bite, I mean...you know, for the camera, and all. ;-)

Well, I'm guessing that if I had just one more bite before lunch, it wouldn't hurt anything...

I mean breakfast, breakfast that's right. So let's do one bite for breakfast, and one bite for lunch. and a bite for snack. And...ut oh, what just happened, here?

Err...I think that you had better go ahead and make (and eat) these!

Happy National Doughnut Day, Y'all!

xo -Bakie

The things we do for love....A Mulan-themed Birthday Party!

2015-06-02T19:06:00.000-07:00

So my little girl, who is actually my "biggest" girl now, is turning 7. And what does she want for her birthday? Mulan. Mulan it is! She wanted a Mulan-themed birthday party held at one of her favorite restaurants. So, the first thing that I had to do in my game-planning for this sweet girl, is to bring in Mulan in every shape and form possible without doing a table set up which is something that I would normally do at home. So, for starters, we went with:

Mulan cupcake toppers...

Printed pictures of Mulan in frames. (You'd never know it but kids go absolutely crazy by just seeing random pictures of their favorite character in frames at their birthday parties. Not to worry, I won't charge you for that tip. ;-)

The girls also made little Mulan-themed fans, if you will. (Really just simple 10-inch fans made from 12x12 scrapbooking paper that they got to embellish beforehand).

I had them put these nifty labels on them, too.

In addition to her cake pops, she wanted chocolate cupcakes, frosting with purple icing to match everything else Mulan. Don't mind the Hello Kitty paper there. It had to work, I mean, it just had to work. (Hey, I needed something pink and was short on time, lol!)

All in all, I would say that the girls, especially the birthday girl, had one incredible time. I hope that I have inspired you with some really simple ideas to love on your little one(s) for his/her next birthday!

xo- Bakie

{Digital} Freebies...Never Give Up on Your Dream!

2013-10-30T01:45:00.004-07:00

I seem to really love this girl:) And I have been "directed" to her site a number of times and on a number of occassions. And so finally, I have to just share. Uh? "Where have I been?" I've been here, but I have been busy, stuck in life, and stuck in my head. And so now, I have finally sat down, and so it is, "time to share". Okay....Let's Go!

And here we go!
{*Note: This blog has taken on new life. It started out as just a baking blog and that has now morphed into a baking/cooking/crafting/what's new and crafty/this is my life blog. I hope that you're here to stay for the journey:) xoxo -Bakie}

****

Sketch Me Pretty: 11 Hand Drawn Circle Digital Graphics

I'm totally in love with transferring my sketches into digital graphics (See how to HERE!) I've always loved drawing- it's one of my biggest passions. The great thing about these graphics is that you can use them for anything. Website graphics, digital scrap-booking, chalkboard graphics, printables; the possibilities are endless!

By using these images you agree to my terms of use, which are included in the folder.

To see how to use these graphics in Photoshop or Picmonkey, see my tutorial here.

In this photo I used a combination of the Photoshop tutorial I linked to above, and my method for converting photos into shapes in Photoshop. That tutorial can be found HERE.

- See more at: http://www.welivedhappilyeverafter.com/2013/10/sketch-me-pretty-11-hand-drawn-circle.html#sthash.pqN72wnH.dpuf

40 days...many memories, many moments

2013-08-30T20:12:00.000-07:00

I know what you are thinking...."Where have you been, Bakie?" I know. It has been a whole 40 days since I last posted and for good reason. Last month we found out that my hubby's father was diagnosed with stage IV cancer. And for that, we have temporarily re-located ourselves to the western part of the U.S. to be with him and help take care of him, etc. So there you have it. Like I said before, "for good reason" but with all of that being said, we all must eat. Right? So there will infact be more posts. I have some goodies in store for you. So, stay tuned.... this aficionado has got some treat in store for you.

Happy Friday All!

xo-Bakie

What Two Ladies are Doing this Summer:)

2013-07-20T13:51:00.001-07:00

I had the priviledge of learning about an awesome, awesome, ministry that helps support women in need in a special village in Kenya. On my blog Love Farm Cake I share a one-on-one interview with my friend, Kelly Lessard, as she talks about how she came to learn and be apart of the ministry at the Mercy House.

You can view the entire article here.

Happy Summer!

xo-Bakie

On a Blog..Pictures are EVERYTHING.

2013-07-11T21:10:00.000-07:00

I cannot emphasize that point enough...on a blog, pictures are everything. And I mean EV-REE-THING. It's the picture that "sells" you. When you get a picture or walk past a magazine of some really good looking food, what's the first thing that goes through your mind? "Hmm....that looks good..." And what next, "That must taste good." And that merely based on it's "looks" (it's looks meaning, 1) looks, and 2) lighting and 3) positioning... the cleanliness of the plate and all of the details that are all around. It can't just taste good. It's got to look good. This a (visual) BLOG after all. So with that said, I am going to give you some of my all-time favorite foodie tricks because it's my passion that you see in what I capture both on the plate and on the screen.

Tip #1: Good Lighting/Natural Lighting

Okay, so you're having to take the picture with your cell phone (for whatever the reasons be). Trick number one: don't worry about the background, just get that plate into some natural light. The background is secondary. If I see that odd, doors and windows are closed yellow light, you are not going to sell me as you would if you too your picture with the natural light flowing in, like you see on the cover of so many magazines;)

Tip #2: Get down on the level WITH the food.

Yes honey, stoop down. This is your food after all. Your product and your baby. You have made it, now go and show that thing off, and proud. Stoop down and get on the same level as the counter or plate. Wherever the surface of your food item, I want you down on it's level. Not these wierd above shots. Now don't get me wrong, sometimes there's good in getting an above shot, to show a different angle. (I know what you're thinking...."but you do it..." Yes, but I only and I emphasize only do it to show a different angle.) Why? Because, I want you to approach my plate, not look in at a distance. I am drawing you in with my pictures. And I am not going to do that at a distance;)

Tip #3: NOW, set the plate/setting

This is not the first step. Why? Because you have to "respect the food" and treat it with dignity. And once you've done that then you set the space. And what do I mean? If it's a dish that you eat with a fork, go grab a clean fork and set it on the edge of the plate. Literally, make it look like, all that the reader has to do is to pick up the fork and start eating or...just take a bite. It has to look that appealing and with the first to steps in place, you're good.

If it's a Thanksgiving or a Christmas meal, if you have it, go ahead and grab a nice holiday napkin, fold it, and set it under the plate just to the left.

Got an idea for a breakfast in bed, write a little "possible note" to your honey, and fold the card at the top and set it next to the plate (on the right) to give your reader an idea of what they can do to make someone feel special. In fact, your reader might even say inside, "my I'd feel good if that note/meal was prepared for me". It's the reader's feelings and experience that you are giving and the story in essence that you are telling with your pictures.

Won't you try these tips out today? Okay, even if you're going to take a picture of your food with your phone, I want you to find a window, and make sure that it's during the day, put the plate on the counter, bend down with your phone at eye-level and then snap your picture and email it to me (bakiemesweet@gmail.com) I can't wait to hear from you!

Happy Day!

xo-Bakie

Restaurant-Style Burger, Right-at-Home

2013-07-09T11:47:00.003-07:00

One of the things that I love best about being able to cook at home, is eating food that you can make yourself to taste just like something that you'd have at restaurant. And that is exactly what we did with these burgers.

For a lazy evening, we decide that we're eating in and that means, making dinner at home. Out walks the ground beef, on, turns the grill. My hubby grilled these for me but if he wasn't a grill-handler, we could make these same 4 patties indoors.

All you need for your burgers:

~One package of 93% lean ground beef

~Some all meat seasoning*

(*We like to use a combo of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and chili powder, all mixed up in a container or a baggie and we shake it on just about anything;)

After are burgers were done, we grabbad few whole wheat buns (trying to make it restaurant-style so the whole wheat buns made it feel like something special), some dijon mustard, lettuce, a nice thick slice of tomato,

And these 100 calorie guacamole packets. LOVE! Okay, these little pre-made guacamole packets took our burgers to THE.NEXT.LEVEL!

Okay, add some bbq potato chips on the side, and you're good. So happy that we're eating in tonight!

What are you making? Do you have any restaurant favorites that you like to re-create at home?

Happy Eating Everyone!

xo-Chemeeka

Patriotic Berry-Rich Smoothie

2013-07-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday to you! I hope that you had a happy & safe post-holiday weekend:)! I thought that this smoothie would be a great way to kick-off the week & a Monday morning at that;) One of my little ones, has been begging, and begging me to make a smoothie. So I have finally gotten around to it. And so here we go....Easy, fresh, tasty and did I say, "healthy?" Oh yeah. Who is with me?

I have to admit that as much as this smoothie was healthy, it is tasty. Here's what's in it:

1 1/2 cup lowfat milk

1/2 uncooked regular oats

1 cup frozen blueberries

1/2 cup sliced strawberries

1 tablespoon of molasses (for good measure...er....something like that;)

(Well the blog name is Bakie Me Sweet after all:)

I could not find the bottom base to our blender so, in the food processor it goes. I just pulsed this on medium speed. And there we have it. Easy enough, right?

For me, it is the perfect start to a Monday morning. *Note: you could also substitute in 1/2 cup of plain unseasoned silken tofu for the 1/2 cup of lowfat milk. Just as good, and would make it a touch creamier.

And there you have it. A great smoothie for a great start to your week:) What are some of the things that you like to drink or make (besides coffee) that gives a real boost to the day? I hope that you're having fun grabbing some of these recipes.

Happy Monday to Ya!

xo-Bakie:)

Star-Spangled Blue Velvet Cupcakes-in-A-Jar

2013-07-04T00:37:00.000-07:00

I thought that I would re-post this fun, delicious and need-I-say portable treat for you to try:)

Happy 4th of July Everyone!

xo-Bakie

* * * *

There's nothing like a portable treat when you're ready to enjoy yourself at a barbecue or picnic. For this 4th of July I have decided to make my version of cupcakes-in-a-jar with blue velvet cupcakes-in-a-jar. The recipe is super easy & promising to be a colorful treat! Just start with:

Ingredients

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 cup buttermilk

2 eggs

1 teaspoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder

2 tablespoons royal blue gel paste food coloring

1 tablespoon purple gel paste food coloring

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a cupcake or muffin pan with 24 regular-size cupcake liners.

Place the oil, buttermilk, eggs, vinegar, vanilla, and sugar in the bowl of an electric stand mixer and beat with the paddle attachment until thoroughly mixed. Sift the flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder together and slowly add to the mixer on low speed. Scrape down the bowl thoroughly, as needed. Add the food colorings in a steady stream until desired shade is achieved; it should appear bluish-purple. Beat for another 3 minutes. Scrape the bowl one last time and mix for 30 seconds by hand.

Fill the cupcake liners two-thirds full with batter and bake until they form a semi-hard crust on top, about 25 minutes

Once they are cool, I slice them in half. You will have a stack of tops and a stack of bottoms.

Place 1 bottom in each jar. Put a layer of the frosting.

Take the top of the cupcake and place on top of the layer of frosting.

Beautifully frost the top of the cupcake.

Add sprinkles between the layers for that extra festive touch :)

For a double decker, cupcake and frosting add another cupcake, repeating the first three steps. Lastly, attach a small wooden or plastic spoon with baker's twine & you're good to go! This treat is easy, sweet, and has very little clean-up. Bon Appetit everyone!

And a Happy 4th of July!

-Chemeeka

DIY {Fabric} Yarn Wreath (4th of July)

2013-06-24T07:25:00.005-07:00

The 4th of July is coming and it's time to make a wreath, y'all! It seems like the perfect occasion to make us a little wreath....well, ANY occassion is fit enough for me to make a wreath. (Sometimes, I am just looking for an excuse to have to make a wreath, lol.) So, let's get started:) This wreath is super easy and honestly, I first saw it here on Pinterest. And just knew that I had to make one!:)

For my door, I used the following

Supplies:

* spool of deep red yarn

* spool of rich navy blue yarn

*spool of ivory colored yarn

* 18 inch foam wreath base

* 12 inches of burlap or ribbon for hanging

*packet of white foam stars (mine came in a three pack of silver, gold and white & for this project I just use the white.

I chose a premium brand of yarns. There were were some that were of a thicker band but I wanted my yarn to almost look "silky". So I made sure that the yarn that I chose was thin, deep and rich in color and even had a little shine to it. (You'll see when we get to the end...)

Okay so first I watched a YouTube video on this and I was so glad I did because I noticed a couple of things:

(1) If you're doing a yarn wreath, you must, absolutely MUST use a foam wreath base. No a wire wreath base, or a twig wreath base. Absolutely not. With wrapping a yarn, no other base, (except one that is COMPLETELY smooth, like a foam base will do!)

Second, when you're wrapping a yarn wreath DO NOT unravel your spool of yarn. Keep it rolled and wrapped up & only pull out enough of the yarn for that cycle it around the wreath.

Watch this video to see what I mean.

Next after I got this rotation going I went around and around. Now, you see that we are trying to make this wreath in the similitude of the American flag. So you want to have the blue cover the top left quadrant, just like it does on the actual flag. And then on the bottom left quardrant and all of the right side of the (top and bottom quadrants) we're going to make our "stripes". If you watched the video, you saw that you tie your yarn at the beginning point before you begin wrapping.

As you go, these little knots will be at the beginning and the end of all of your white and red sections. Turn your wreath over before you at the hanging ribbon and stars and cut off any loose ends, above the knot. If you cut "below" the knot, your yarn is likely to unravel, so don't do it;)

After you're done cutting off any of the loose ends, you're good to go with applying your stars.

These stars have a sticky back and so you just peel off that sticky back and take your time pressing them all around the navy blue part of the base. You're making up your stars section because you already have your stripes done. (*Back note: Use your discretion as to how thick you want each section of white (or ivory) and deep red to be. It doesn't have to be perfect, just rhythmic:)

And there you have your wreath! Happy Independence Day!

So what are you doing for this 4th of July? Does your family have any special

"crafty" family traditions? Making this wreath could be your first:)

Happy Crafting Y'all!

xo -Bakie

Bourbon Chicken & Sweet Potato w/Quinoa

2013-06-22T04:43:00.000-07:00

How many different ways can you say, "yum"? "Yum", "yummy" & "yumm-o". There are several ways, and I am saying them all when I bite into this! Perfect meal for the weekend, fast dinner, or just a romantic dinner for two but....I hear you..enough already! Let's get down and get this recipe.

Bourbon Chicken
It's simple and as easy as pie! P-I-E. All you need is a rotesserie chicken from your local grocery store. Yes ma'am. Short cuts. Glorious short-cuts. De-li-cious shorts cuts. Somebody say it with me, "Shortcuts!" Next grab your:

Soy sauce (1/2 cup)
Honey (1/4 cup)
Powdered Ginger (1/2 tbsp)
Olive oil (2 tbsps)

And you are working it right now, like seriously. (You know when you go to the mall and they hand you that little piece of bourbon chicken on the end of the toothpick. Well, here it is! Just chopped up your chicken from the store and cover it in this sauce. But wait! I am getting ahead of myself.

Step 1: Chop up the roteserrie chicken from the store, keeping on the skin, and removing the bones.

Step 2: Make up your sauce (recipe above) and set it aside.

Step 3: Steam 1 1/2 cups of fresh chopped kale greens. Set aside.

Step 4: Peel, chop and boil 2 small or one medium sized sweet potato. Set aside.

Step 5: Sautee one cup of frozen bell pepper slices. Preferably, yellows, oranges, and reds or oranges, greens, and reds. (You get my point. Just keep it colorful & if it's already sliced and from the freezer section- like at Trader Joes- you're going to get a much better price then buying it fresh.)
Set aside.

Step 6: Make up your red quinoa. This is easy enough to find. Trader Joes will have it but also check your local grocery store. (Prepare, half a cup of quinoa, with one cup of water (or chicken stock). Set aside.

In a large bowl, toss your quinoa, sweet potatoes, red pepper blend (again, the red preferrably for color), your kale greens and your chicken. Make sure that your sauce is warm and then drizzle it over and toss again. Delish! Just like what you see in this photo:)

So what are you making this weekend? Anything special? Try this recipe and I am sure that you will make the tastebuds in your home, very, very, happy;)

Happy Cooking Everyone!
xo Bakie

Hello Strawberry Salad!

2013-05-07T01:12:00.003-07:00

Boy do I love my strawberry salad. And even better, I love strawberry season! Well strawberry season is here & it's a official with our local Strawberry Festival that was underway this past weekend:)

What's so great about strawberry season? I'll tell ya. You've got super fresh. sweet. delicious. yummy. you could never have enough of these DELICIOUS strawberries. And one of my favorite things to make (besides desserts of course:) with this yummy strawberries is my strawberry salad. And I'm calling it my "Love My Salad: Strawberry Salad". Why? Because you'll love it. Whispering to you: trrrrusst mmmeee:) And what's even better are that the ingredients to make this salad are easy and accessible. I'll be giving you the tools, to make this salad, again & again.

I'm taking:

A bowl of fresh strawberries (2 cups sliced)

a 4-ounce of container of crumbled bleu cheese (gorgonzola will do too!)

1 1/2 cups of candied pecans

3 cups of fresh mixed lettuce greens

one small sweet onion or red onion, thinly sliced

**My (secret) vinegrette**

(don't worry, I will give you the recipe;)

To make the candied pecans you simply just melt, 1/4 cup of unsalted butter in a sautee pan, and then add to it a 1/3 cup of dark brown sugar, half a tablespoon of kosher salt and your pecans. ( I know what you're thinking..."do I really need that much salt?" The answer is, you do! The reason being that between the crunchiness of the pecans, and the sweet butteriness of the brown sugar and butter, the amount of salt here, just works. It really does. You'll see what I mean.

Set the pecans aside and let's get our vingrette done. Go ahead and mix up 1/3 cup of olive oil, 1/3 cup of rice wine vinegar (the plain one), 2 tablespoons of sugar, 1 tablespoon of french dijon mustard, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of salt. And stir. Now, about here (at this point) is where I would usually warn, "Do not dress your salad until..." but Barefoot Contessa has taught me a thing or to. So, hold onto your vinagrette. No need to panic. Your salad is not going to go wilting all over the place. But you don't want to dress it now. At least not until I tell you the right way to dress a salad ahead of time. It can be done. You'll see. (Keep reading:).

Okay, now in a large bowl, you will want to toss (and add these in, in the order that I tell you):

Your greens (mixed lettuces)

your onions

the strawberries

the pecans

the bleu cheese crumbles (or gorgonzola).

Now toss, without the vinagrette.

Now once everyone in the salad bowl looks happy, just take a third of your vingrette and move all of the salad to one side and pour it, only into the bottom of the bowl. And do NOT toss it again UNTIL you are getting ready to serve it. Otherwise your salad will wilt. What to do with the remaining vinegrette? I like to drizzle most of it (at least half of what's remaining) over the salad and toss right before people eat.

It's one of those salads that's really delicious when you eat it fresh, but you've got to really be in love with it to try and take a bite out of it the next day. You know what I mean;)

So do you love my salad? Think that you'll give it a try this strawberry season or next? Whisper: You can even make this one in the off season....I won't tell anybody.

Bon Appetit & Happy Strawberry Picking!

xo- Chemeeka

Every Cooks Must Have {Recipe} for Pound Cake

2013-04-02T20:23:00.000-07:00

Any fashion editor will tell you, there are several "must-haves" for every woman's wardrobe..those key things that she need keep handy and be able to call on to really work it on any day! Well the same goes for us cooks, home-cooks that is. There are six or seven key components that any wife, mother, cook, should have in her go-to wheelhouse. Like a recipe for:

1) a good dip

2) the perfect one-pot wonder

3) her slow cooker speciality

4) "I'm in a bind but the kids are hungry" (ie, breakfast for dinner or grilled cheese sandwiches & soup)

5) great mashed potatoes

6) a good spaghetti sauce

and last but not least

7) a killer pound cake recipe

Now I know what you're thinking..."who even makes pound cake these days?" But you and I both know, long gone are the days were granny's pound cake is readily available where you can just walk over and get a slice. Now, we're the mommies and sometimes granny lives, really, really, far away and by the time you convinced her to make and mail it...well, you know where I am going.

You need to have (in your cooking arsenal of "I got this!") a really good pound cake recipe. Until recently, I've found one. And a really good one at that. This is simple, yet delicious. Buttery and tender, yet sweet. And not too sweet. And oh, did I say that you'll be really, really proud of yourself, when you make this little nellie and knock it right out of the park? Yeah.

So here it goes,

Southern Pound Cake recipe as adapted by Chemeeka Sparks

You'll need:

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) of unsalted butter (at room temperature)

3 cups of sugar

6 large eggs

3 cups of flour

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/4 baking soda

8 ounces of sour cream

1/2 teaspoon of lemon extract

1/2 teaspoon of almond extract

1/2 tablespoon of grated orange zest

With an electric mixer on medium speed cream unsalted butter until light and fluffy. Slowly add in granulated sugar until combined. Next, add your eggs one at a time, continuing to combine until the yolk disappears, before adding the next egg. Once all of your eggs have been added, set the mixture aside and in a separate bowl, mix together your dry ingredients.

Alternating with your sour cream, begin adding your dry mixture to your butter, sugar, egg mixture.

Starting with your flour mixture you should be adding, dry/sour cream/dry/sour cream/dry/sour cream/dry all of your flour and sour cream have been added. Next stir in your grated orange zest and both of your flavorings.

Grease and flour a 12-cup tube baking pan, and pour in your cake mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 mins or until a tooth inserted comes out clean.

Top with your favorite pie topping or fresh berries that have been mascerated with one tablespoon of granulated sugar per 2 cups of fresh fruit and Bon Appetit!

I love, love, love this recipe and hope that you will too. Happy Spring!

xo-Chemeeka

Printables for Spring!

2013-03-12T08:00:00.000-07:00

I have more goodies! I cannot help myself. With Easter just around the corner, you could always use a little extra paper or wrapper to make things fun. Find these and more in my shop!

St. Patrick's Day Printables!

2013-03-11T02:12:00.001-07:00

I am so excited to share my latest venture with you. And even better, just in time for St. Patrick's Day! Since I have a love of all things sweet, and that includes the "paperie" kind of sweet, I felt it only natural to marry my creative and crafty, side to my "design" side, and the sweet tooth in me jumped in and it became one BIG PARTY!

I am launching my new shop online (Etsy.com) and it is called, "Papered Sweet", your new go-to shop for inspiration, party-fun, and of course, seasonal & party themed DIY printables. Check over at our sidebar on the right for our "Papered Sweet" button and link:)

Cheers,
xo Chemeeka

Spring Corn & Ginger Chowder

2013-03-05T11:40:00.003-08:00

Spring is in the air. And along with the spring comes the sunshine, warm sunny days, flowers are blooming, and all that is bright. I like to take that same brightness and incorporate that into some of my dishes. One quick and easy way to bring the outside in, and get that "burst" of brightness is to add ingredients like the ones I am using in my Spring/Summer Corn & Ginger Chowder.

We're starting with:

* one cup or half of a can of yellow corn

* one can of coconut milk

* a can of cream of mushroom soup

*1/4 cup of fresh chopped lemongrass

* one cup of chopped ginger root

* one cup of sauteed portabella mushrooms

* a tablespoon of ground ginger

* salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, combine can of coconut milk, can of cream of mushroom soup, half can of yellow corn, tablespoon of ground ginger, a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper. Stir and bring to a low simmer 4-5 minutes over medium to low heat.

Now this chowder is going to bring you layers and layers of flavor. Your basis is going to be the coconut milk, cream of mushroom soup, corn and ground ginger. That is going to give us our jumping off point:)

While you're letting your basis for this chowder simmer, sauteed in a medium fry pan your sliced portabella mushrooms.

I always have a trick that I use for the perfect sautee: three minutes sear, two minutes steam. Just remember that:

Three minutes sear,

Two minutes steam.

And what that simply means is this, I sautee or sear let's say my asparagus or mushrooms, or squash, whatever it is in olive oil on high heat. And then I turn the heat off, add 1/4 cup of water to the pan, and cover it with the lid, and just let that baby steam. Give it two minutes and essentially, you are done to perfection! Works for me on asparagus, brocolli, you name it. And of course if it's a green veggie you can blanche it, but that's another post;)

So go ahead and add your mushrooms and let's get to working on our lemongrass and fresh ginger, our spring flavors.

In a perfect world, you'd walk right into your average supermarket and pick up some fresh lemongrass but in a the instance that they're out of it or it's not in stock, the bottled stuff will do. Two tablespoons to be exact.

Now we can't skimp on the ginger. The crunch and layers of flavor that this fresh bit is going to add is going to be Un-believe-able! Trust me. Take the time to peel it. *Tip: Cut off each one of the little nubbies on the ginger root before attempted to peel. Keeps you from having to dig into every little crevice with your peeler;) Once your done peeling, go ahead and give your ginger a rough chop and add it to the pot now with your other ingredients.

Once your chowder is complete and has simmered now for about 15 minutes with continual stirring you can tranfer it to a medium-size crock pot and let it simmer on low for the next 4-5 hours.

The brightness and layers of flavor in this chowder are sure not to disappoint. What are you making these days that shines, "spring"? Try this chowder & let me know how much you loved it. Oh, and did I mention that....you won't miss the meat:)

Happy Cookin' & Happy Spring!

xo-Chemeeka

Inspired by a Fellow DIY blogger

2013-02-28T11:31:00.001-08:00

I have been fascinated these days with so many things....Pin-spiration, Inspiration, and overall just being a mom and learning how to be more, frugal, crafty, original and just down-right wife, mom, & family-FABULOUS has just got me going!:-) Lately, I have been hanging out here. And I just looove what I have stumbled upon in the way of fonts on Mrs. Smith's site.

There are so many WONDERFUL things that you can do with fonts but before we get to that. Let's have a little freebie. I bring you 15 fabulous fonts as seen on The House of Smiths website:

The House of Smiths, top 15 Fabulous Fonts!!!

Mrs. Smith shares:

I'm a font JUNKIE! It all came about when we decided to start up our vinyl shop business about 5 years ago. I just couldn't get enough of all the beautiful fonts that so many talented people had to offer me! I have thousands of fonts stored on my computer, but these 15 are definitely in my "favorites" category :)

ENJOY!

Please note: Some fonts listed are free for personal use! You can find them at dafont.com, fontsquirrel.com and 1001freefonts.com. While others may need to be purchased through various online font sites such as losttype.com, scrapnfonts.com, myfonts.com, veer.com and more.

Quicksand Dash, JFFerulle, Sketch Block, Peach Sundress, Pharmacy, Before the Rain, ROD, CK Cursive, Disco, JB Cursive, SNF Darcy Vaudevill, Learning Curve, LD Announcement, SNF Daphne Light, Lavanderia Delicate.

PS: You can also find the #15 font here: Circus Font

- See more at: http://www.thehouseofsmiths.com/2012/03/house-of-smiths-15-fabulous-fonts.html#sthash.bj8U344q.dpuf

xo Chemeeka

Valentine's Day Dinner for Two!

2013-02-10T12:43:00.001-08:00

Oh, how I love Valentine's Day! Besides Christmas, it is my favorite time of year. And other than chocolate, cards, and flowers, nothing says Valentine's Day more for me than a delicious meal:) So this one is easy. If you're eating in this year, simple and accessible ingredients are sure to produce a fantastic result. On the menu:

Spinach & Feta Stuffed Chicken breasts, with asparagus and brown rice with a

Chocolate Creme Brulee custard (for dessert).

Ding, ding, ding...we've even got dessert on the list and you can make this at home in a jiffy!

For your stuffed breasts you will need:

Two boneless skinless chicken breasts

Two scallions, chopped

One cup of fresh or frozen spinach (if frozen, chopped & drained)

1/2 cup feta cheese

In a saute pan on medium high heat, saute you spinach and scallions until soft. Add salt and pepper to taste. Once cooled, mix in your feta cheese.

Slice your chicken breasts horizontally, center of the side to form a little pocket to place your filling. Stuff each breast with about 1/2 cup of your mixture. Place both breasts in a pan or on a lined cookie sheet in an oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. While you're waiting on your chicken breasts you can go ahead and get your brown rice ready.

If you are not a fan of brown rice, I think that after you try this recipe you will be! I have been using this for our family for at least the last 12 months. I originally came up with it to please my no-brown-rice-for-me-please protesting family. This recipe did the trick!

No-fail brown rice:

2 cups of water

1 cup of uncooked brown rice

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper

2 chicken stock boullion cubes

In a medium saucepan, add rice, water, salt, pepper, olive oil and bouillion cubes and bring to a boil. Cover pot on place on low heat for the next 30-35 minutes. And perfecto!

Next go ahead and grab two handfuls of your fresh asparagus. Chop off the bottom four inches of the ends and you're ready to go! (I know that four inches seems like a lot but trust me, you don't want eat those ends. They can taste very "woody"). Add them to a saute pan that is already on high heat, and saute for two minutes in olive oil and them turn the pan off, but leave it over the heat, add 1/4 cup water to the pan and a lid and let it steam for another two minutes. Remove from pan, and immediately serve on the plate.

For our Chocolate Creme Brulee custards, add a heaping 1/4 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips to 2 cups of heavy cream in a medium saucepan. Stir and heat over medium heat until your chips are completely melted.

Add your chocolate cream mixture:

5 egg yolks, 1/3 cup of granulated sugar, and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract that has been whisked together.

You will want to add the warm cream 1/8 of a cup at a time, whisking while you add, to temper the eggs (and to keep them from scrambling by the heat of the milk on you;)

Next, fill about 6 small ramekins with the chocolate cream custard mixture. And place them into a large 11x15 baking pan. Fill your 11x15 pan halfway with warm water to give your custards a smooth and creamy texture. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes and allow to cool to room temperature before placing in the refrigerator to chill. Allow 3-4 hours to chill before serving. Garnish with fresh berries. Bon Appetit!

Whether you're staying in or waiting till the weekend to celebrate, this meal is sure to sweeten up anyone's day. So get in the kitchen, get out your apron, pull this recipe up and take a hack at it. You never know....you just might impress yourself!

Happy Valentine's Day to One & All!

xo Chemeeka

Sweets N' Snapshots with Jennifer Louise Photography

2013-01-22T13:04:00.000-08:00

This weekend, one of my dear friends, Jen with Jennifer Louise Photography is hosting a wonderful, wonderful event at a place that serves up on of my favorite treats....you guessed it,

cupcakes! Join Jen & the team at Dottie's Cupcakery in downtown Waxhaw for a memorable

moment and something special:-)

Jennifer Louise Photography is holding mini-sessions, for mommies, daddies, little ones, young & old for Valentine's Day. Let Jen capture you & your sweetie pie. Or get your picture taken to sweeten up someone else's Valentine's Day. You won't want to miss this event!

Everything's Better with {a little Washi tape!}

2013-01-21T12:53:00.000-08:00

Okay, I am looovvving this new & lastest "find" of mine. Haven't heard of it? That's okay:) It's called washi tape. I stumbled upon it while shopping over at Etsy and was smitten right away! Since another family birthday has rolled around and it's time to mail a card I thought, why not? Now let me back up to say that my little sister Chenelle is always sending the sweetest little dressed up cards and packages in the mail. When something is coming from her, you know it even without checking the return address so I figured that I'd send that same sort of love to someone else to brighten their day.

I bought this set of washi tape (and some other...of course! You know that I just couldn't stop at one;) And for this card, since I had a nice blue envelope and a red one, I went the "kraft" route. Looove kraft color. I feel like it's totally making a come back. And so help me God if everyone's packages this coming Christmas aren't "brown paper packages tied up in string...these are a few of my favorite things!" Julia Andrews and I are both dancing upon the mountain top & I am dancing with my washi tape. Okay. Back to reality! But this here washi tape really dressed things up. I can't wait to get some more uses out of it and put on some more things.

Have you tried using washi tape? Ever heard of it to begin with? If not, you've got to get out there and get some. Serious! And start slapping it on EV-REE-THING. I know that I will!

Cheers Everyone!

-Bakie (Chemeeka)