Mrs. Regueiro's Plate

Strawberry Muffins

2012-05-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday!!!

I absolutely love living in SoCal. We are very fortunate to have sunny weather for probably 11 months of the year, enjoy fantastic places to eat everywhere and anywhere we want (gourmet food trucking anyone?), and the awesome farmer market finds available year round. There are a million other reasons why I love living in SoCal, but those are my top three. Right now, strawberry season is in full swing, and I have been enjoying strawberries by the pints. You would think I might have turned bright red from all the strawberries that I have been enjoying, but there is nothing as tasty as a summer ripen strawberry.

I finally got a chance to bake up these sweet muffins from Shawnda's blog. She has been teasing me for weeks with her strawberry posts and I have been itching to make every single strawberry recipe. Sadly, most often I'm enjoying strawberries all by their lonesome, or maybe sometimes mixed in with blueberries. Nothing too elaborate when you're a busy newbie mommy, but I finally had some quiet time this week and I had a little bit of mommy cooking time to bake up these sweet treats.

Can you believe that Elena is almost a month old? Time is flying by and she is growing away so fast. We have been enjoying these strawberry muffins for the past couple of days for a quick breakfast snack or after my nursing sessions. They are cake-like with little bits of sweet strawberries and a fantastic way to use up strawberries!

Strawberry Muffins
Adapted from Confections of A Foodie Bride
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
3 cups + 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

10 Tablespoon unsalted butter, cubed and softened

3/4 cup sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1 1/2 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt

Generous 1 1/2 cup chopped strawberries (~8 oz by weight, after hulling)

Turbinado sugar, for sprinkling tops (optional)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare your muffin pans with desired cupcake liners or spray with non-stick spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the 3 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of the stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Make sure to scrape down the sides and bottom as needed.

Add the eggs in one by one and mix in the vanilla and almond extract.

Mix in half of the dry ingredients, followed by a third of the yogurt. Add remaining dry ingredients in two batches, alternating with the yogurt, until incorporated.

Toss strawberries with the remaining 1 tablespoon flour and add to the mixer, mix until incorporated. Batter will be thick.

Using an ice cream scooper, or 1/2 cup divide into prepared muffin pans. Sprinkle muffin tops with turbinado sugar if desired.

Bake for 8 minutes at 400 degrees, then decrease oven temperature to 375 degrees and bake for 12 more minutes until golden brown. Or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let muffins cool in the pan before removing and transfer to cooling rack.

Will keep for at least 3 days in a closed container.

Yield: 20 to 22 muffins

Review: Absolutely scrumptious and quick and easy for this newbie mommy. Make them for your next breakfast, brunch or get together!!

And here's a sweet picture of Elena and Eric. She is definitely daddy's little sweetheart!!

Apple-Cinnamon Coffeecake

2012-05-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

Heeeeeeeellllllllllooo!!!!

I'm slowly finding my way around the kitchen again after my maternity hiatus. Since I had minor complications in labor, Elena was born via c-section. It was not my birth plan, but we did what was best for the safety of our baby. I haven't been able to cook a meal these past couple weeks until recently. My wonderful husband has been super dad: Eric has been cooking all the meals, taking care of the cleaning around the house, and even doing all the shopping. He's one awesome daddy and doing plenty of diaper duty, too. My main goal has been taking care of our sweet baby girl and getting plenty of rest while I can.

I was really excited to celebrate my first Mother's day this past weekend. We celebrated by going out to breakfast and doing some light shopping at Ikea. I had been dying for some eggs Benedict, and I finally got my fix at one of my favorite restaurants. Stupid runny eggs and the raw eggs in the hollandaise sauce aren't allowed on a pregnant woman's diet - I have been patiently waiting to indulge on my favorite foods again. From my mother's day breakfast, I was served a tasty apple cinnamon muffin that came with my meal. It was a little tart, cakey and oh so tasty. I couldn't stop thinking about it that I had to find something similar and make a batch at home. The simple flavors of apple and cinnamon are like apple pie but with a cakey touch and this is made into a coffeecake that you can't resist it.

Perfect way to start your day!

Apple-Cinnamon Coffeecake
Adapted from Life & Kitchen
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
Cake:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon apple spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup low-fat milk
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup diced peeled Granny Smith apple (about 1 apple)
Cooking spray
Topping:
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup sliced almonds

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Make a well in center of mixture.

Combine milk, melted butter, vanilla, and egg, stirring with a whisk; add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Fold in apple. Pour batter into a 9 or 8 inch cake pan coated with cooking spray.

To prepare streusel, combine brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon; cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Then mix in the almonds. Sprinkle streusel evenly over batter.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack before serving. Serve immediately.

Yield: 8 servings

Review: This apple-cinnamon coffeecake was definitely a winner with me. It was sweet and moist. This was really easy to prepare and great for breakfast or snacking while I'm nursing. And how can you not be in love with this sweet little baby? She's the most beautiful baby ever, and yes I'm a little bias, but she's my sweet cookie. I love her so SOOOOO much!

Introducing Cookie & Cookie's Up Themed Nursery

2012-05-03T04:00:00.000-07:00

Sorry that I have been away, but Eric and I are proud to announce that we have a beautiful baby GIRL!!!

Elena Antonia was born on April 27 at 9:08am, weighing at 6 pounds and 6 ounces and 20 3/4 inches long. She took us by surprise and graced us with her presence 2 weeks early before her due date.

Funny thing, I had just started my maternity leave that day and later on the same night - I went into labor! I guess she really wanted me to start my maternity leave right! We are quickly adjusting to our new roles as mommy and daddy and so happy to have her part of our lives.

Eric and I both agree that she is the best thing to happen to us. She makes us a family.

Finally here is Elena's almost-finished "Up" themed nursery. I am in love with how everything turned out. I found cloud decals from Amazon and circle ones that we found on clearance from Target to recreate the Up style. Decals can easily transform a room without having to change the paint. We had a neutral paint color for the room and didn't want a pink or blue nursery. We already had a rocking chair and updated it by replacing the chair pad. My bedding is Skip Hop from Babies R'Us.

At my baby shower, Eric and I created canvas art using the Up house. It was guestbook thumbprint art, and everyone who has visited us, or has been to the baby shower has touched this painting. I also painted my very own Paradise Falls. Plus, Pinterest inspired me to do some easy crafting with crayons. It's adds a nice splash of color to the room.

We have a simple changing table that we bought from a friend with some canvas storage bins. I love monkeys so I had to incorporate a little bit of that into the room as well. Plus, we have a matching dresser to our beautiful crib. There are a couple Up pictures that I printed from the movie and put them in some simple frames. We plan on adding some of our Up themed maternity pictures to the room as well. Also, we are planning on adding Alphabet wall decals to spell out Elena's name on the wall above the window.

I'm hoping to recoup as fast I can and get back into blogging and cooking, but this little sweet cookie of mine makes me love my new job as her mommy so much.

Elena brings me so much joy and I have so much motherly love to give to her. There have been "why me" moments like during her nightly clusterfeedings where I'm so tired and want to sleep. Or maybe when she's crying for her poopy diaper to be changed, and the moment I turn around - she's peeing on me as well. You gotta laugh and enjoy it all. She depends on her mommy and daddy to give her everything that she ever could need, and we will do anything to give it to her. I absolutely love being her mommy. This is the best job that I could ever have.

P.S. All of these pictures were taken with our Iphones, and most of them edited using Instagram. Easy photo-editing for this mommy saves me time!

Espresso Creme Brulee

2012-04-25T10:00:00.000-07:00

Creme brulee. It's a simple and fancy dessert that you can prepare with a day's notice. Plus, it's one of my favorite desserts to make and enjoy. It's rich and delicate custard dessert, and you can't help but smile when you say creme brulee. It's always a crowd-pleaser in my opinon and I love breaking into the caramelized sugary crust and the cracking sound of the crust....it's music to my ears.

I had made these creme brulees earlier this month to serve to my family. I'm ashamed to say it was from Good Friday dinner, which was almost 3 weeks ago. I'm a little bit behind in blogging, but it's because I've been busy finishing up cookie's nursery and nesting and resting while I can. (Pictures coming soon.) Right now, I'm at 38 weeks and I'm at that anxious stage where I'm constantly thinking "is this it?" or is this "labor pains or braxton-hicks?" Either way, cookie is still baking away and I'm still up and around in the kitchen and thankfully this is my last week of work before I start my maternity leave.

This dessert was simple enough to prepare the night before with a couple ingredients, and make sure you have enough butane in your blowtorch or use a broiler to caramelize the tops. I think everyone enjoys the little fire show from the blowtorch as a teaser of what's to come. One of the best parts about this dish, you can use all the leftover egg whites to make macarons. (Peanut butter & blueberry jelly and meyer lemon). Double win!

Indulgent and creamy!

Espresso Creme Brulee
Adapted from The Pastry Queen
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
1/4 cup whole milk
2 3/4 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon espresso powder
1 vanilla bean
7 large egg yolks
2/3 cup plus about 1/2 cup sugar
Chocolate-covered espresso beans, for garnish

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Lightly coat six 6-ounce ramekins with cooking spray.

Prepare the custard, by adding the milk, cream, and espresso powder into a 1 1/2-quart, nonreactive heavy-bottomed saucepan and warm over medium-high heat. While the cream mixture is heating, use a sharp paring knife to slice the vanilla bean pod in half lengthwise. Separate the beans from the pod by scraping the inside of the pod with the edge of the knife. Add the beans and pod to the heating cream mixture. (Or substitute and use vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract.) Bring to a boil and immediately remove the saucepan from the heat.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks and the 2/3 cup sugar until well combined. Continue to whisk while slowly pouring the hot cream into the egg mixture. Blend thoroughly. Pour the custard through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the vanilla bean pod and any bits of overcooked egg.

Place the prepared ramekins in a baking pan with sides that are at least 2 inches high. Pour the custard into the ramekins, filling each halfway. Transfer the baking pan carefully to the oven and fill the ramekins as close to the top as possible without spilling. Fill a measuring cup with hot tap water.

Add enough water to the baking pan to reach three-quarters of the way up the sides of the ramekins.
Bake the custards about 1 hour. Check periodically to make sure the custards are not browning or bubbling. If they are, decrease the temperature to 250 degrees. The custards are done when just set (they should tremble slightly when shaken). If they still looks liquidy, return to the oven for 5 minutes longer, or until set.

Remove the ramekins from the baking pan and cool for 30 to 40 minutes. Cover tightly and refrigerate at least 3 to 4 hours. The custards will firm up in the fridge.

Just before serving, use about 1/2 cup sugar to top each custard with a thin layer of sugar. It is important to spread the sugar evenly and to make sure the sugar layer is thick enough. If you have a kitchen torch, use it to caramelize the sugar. If not, preheat the broiler. Place the ramekins 4 inches from the flame and broil, watching carefully, until the sugar is caramelized and lightly browned. Garnish with chocolate-covered espresso beans and serve immediately.

Yield: 6 servings

Review: Absolutely sinful and luscious. I loved this twist on the classic dessert, and it was a light enough dessert to have after the heaviest of meals. Thankfully, most of my guests were coffee lovers, and happily enjoyed their desserts.

Baked Tex-Mex Pimento Cheese Dip

2012-04-19T10:57:00.002-07:00

Everyone's favorite question to ask me lately: What do you crave during your pregnancy?

I really don't have a solid answer to that. Eric hasn't made any late night trips to pick me up a pint of ice cream or go out searching for my favorite gourmet food truck. I haven't experienced any weird food combinations like pickles or anchovies either. However, my default answer has been milk. For some reason, my craving for milk satisfies all of cookie's needs. For breakfast, I usually eat about 2 bowls of cereal and that keeps me at bay until my mid-morning snack time. Later at night before I head to bed, I love a hot cup of milk. Funny thing, it's like clockwork every night because I know it's time to hit the bed when I feel cookie's kicks wanting his/her daily dose of milk. It's like the calming of the storm afterwards, and the kicks are gone after I have drank my glass of milk.

I can tell you that most often enough when I have been meal planning these past couple of weeks, I have been searching for quick and easy meals that are highly satisfying and comforting. A couple weeks ago, when we hosted Good Friday dinner. This easy to prepare Baked Tex-Mex Pimento cheese dip was comfort food at it's best. The simple combination of jalapeno-pepper, extra-sharp cheddar cheese with roasted bell peppers and jalapenos. It's a great combination of Tex-Mex and Southwestern, plus it's a bowl of cheesy delicious-ness that you can't stop dipping into.

Baked Tex-Mex Pimento Cheese Dip
Adapted from Pink Parsley
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
8 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 cup chopped roasted red bell pepper, reserve 1 tablespoon for garnishment
2 jalapeno peppers, seeds and ribs removed, chopped finely
8 ounces extra sharp cheddar, grated (about 2 cups)
8 ounces Pepperjack cheese, grated
1/3 cup minced green onions, about 2 to 3 white and green parts
1/3 cup minced fresh cilantro
1 teaspoonWorcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (more or less to taste)
salt and pepper to taste
tortilla chips, for serving

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish.

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients for the dip, reserving 1 tablespoon of each cheese for topping. Mix well with a spatula or wooden spoon. Adjust seasonings if necessary, and spoon mixture into the baking dish.

Top with the reserved cheese and bake 20-25 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Garnish with additional cilantro and diced red bell peppers if desired.

Serve immediately with tortilla chips.

Yield: 2 ½ cups

Review: It's a bowl of cheesy-goody-ness that you must make STAT! You might want to make two batches just in case it disappears before your eyes. Your family, friends and you will thank me later for it. ;-)

Peanut Butter & Blueberry Jelly Macarons

2012-04-15T19:30:00.000-07:00

Peanut butter and blueberry jelly are one of my favorite combinations in a sandwich. How can you not love peanut butter and jelly? YUM! You can probably say it's been my default breakfast or second breakfast of mine. It's one of those pregnancy cravings that I have been enjoying these past couple of months. It's a nice throwback to those childhood days. Recently, a bunch of food blogger friends wanted to challenge themselves in a macaron challenge. I knew this was the flavor combination that I wanted to try and duplicate in a macaron form.

I have loved macarons ever since the first taste of them from Bouchon Bakery a couple years ago. It was love at first bite. I haven't baked macarons in awhile, and I thought the macaron challenge might inspire me to bake up something fun and delicious. These macarons were a bit challenging because I haven't worked with peanut flour before and my batter was slightly off than I liked when working only with almond flour. However, the peanut flavor really shined through when mixed with the almond meal, and these macarons were definitely a playful spin on a fancy cookie.

It's peanut butter and jelly macaron time!!

Peanut Butter & Blueberry Jelly Macarons
Adapted from Tartelette
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
55 grams peanut flour, or roasted peanuts, ground fine
55 grams almond meal, or slivered almonds, ground fine
200 grams confectioners sugar
20 grams freeze dried blueberries, ground fine
2 teaspoons blue food coloring, gel or powder *optional
25 grams granulated sugar
3 large egg whites, room temperature

Filling:
Peanut Butter
Blueberry Jelly

Preparation:

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or baking silpat mats.

Sift together confectioners sugar, almond flour, peanut flour, ground blueberries in a medium bowl.

In the bowl of the stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites until they appear foamy, about 1 minute or so. While the mixer is running, add the granulated sugar in a slow stream and continue mixing until egg whites are creamy and frothy. Do not overmix the egg whites.

Add the sifted dry ingredients to the egg whites all at once. Add in the blue food coloring. Using a spatula, fold in the dry ingredients together with the meringue. Fold the batter about 50 strokes or so, until the mixture resembles a thick pancake batter.

Place the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip and pipe small rounds onto the prepared baking sheets. Carefully smack the baking sheets on the counter a couple times, to remove any extra bubbles. Let the macarons set for 30 to 60 minutes, until the shells have hardened a bit.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Bake the macarons for 15 to 17 minutes, depending on the size some may require more or less time. Allow them to cool, then transfer to a cooling rack.

When macarons have cooled, spread a small layer of peanut butter on one macaron shell and blueberry jelly on another and sandwich together. Refrigerate for 24-48 hours. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Yield: 16 to 20 cookies

Review: Not my best batch of macarons but definitely a sweet and playful spin on the classic macaron. I bought my peanut flour at Trader Joe's in the baking section, and if you are unable to find peanut flour - you can make your own by grounding up roasted peanuts. Nutty, sweet and blueberry-delicious!!

Biscoff Cookie Dough Balls

2012-04-13T09:30:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday!

It's a wet day here in SoCal, and the gloomy April showers are here. I really wish I had my vegetable garden blossoming away because the rain would be so beneficial, but Eric and I have been so busy preparing for cookie's arrival that my garden is lacking. However, for now my tomatoes from last season are sprouting new flowers as well as my citrus trees. If I manage to find time in the next 4 weeks before cookie's estimated due date, maybe I will have some vegetables come summer. (Can you believe that I'm 36 weeks already?!?! EEKS!)

For the most part, I have been baking goodies and starting to freeze some meals in anticipation for cookie's arrival. I know the lack of blog posts are quite evident, but be rest assured that I'm still cooking in the kitchen. I even prepared Good Friday dinner last week: my go-to recipe of fish tacos and an awesome cheese dip and irresistable creme brulee that I'll be sharing next week. It's exhausting growing a baby, but I'm really looking forward to the day of meeting our little one soon enough, too.

These biscoff cookie dough balls are probably in my top sweets list right now. Biscoff butter is sorta similar to Nutella and peanut butter, it's a sweet cookie spread that you can eat by the spoonfuls from the jar and not feel guilty about it. (I'm totally guilty of this by many occasions.) Anything made out of a cookie, made into a luscious cookie spread - has to be something brilliant and awesome. If you have had a biscoff cookie, it's a buttery, brown-sugar cookie that has a bit of spice to it. It's heavenly, trust me. It's one fantastic cookie made into a creamy cookie spread and then you add a bit to your basic chocolate chip cookie dough recipe. You have one cookie that you can't stop eating byt the platefuls. Mmmmmmm.

Make these soon and get your spoon's ready for some biscoff love!

Biscoff Cookie Dough Balls
Adapted from The Novice Chef
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
6 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 egg, room temperature
1/3 cup Biscoff spread
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare your cookie sheet pans with a baking silpat or parchment paper.

In the bowl of the stand mixer, cream together butter, Biscoff spread, and sugars until well combined. Add egg and vanilla and beat until thoroughly combined (be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl).

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Add half of the dry mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until it starts to come together.

Add the remaining half of the dry mixture to the wet ingredients, and mix until well combined. Do not overmix. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Using a small cookie scoop or a tablespoon, scoop cookie dough onto the cookie sheet. Place them evenly spaced apart at least 1 1/2 inches apart. The cookies do not need a lot of space and they will not spread out.

Bake for 10-12 minutes. They are dough balls, not cookies. You want them to be soft on the inside.

Remove from oven and allow to cool and set for 2-3 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack.

Enjoy immediately! Best enjoyed warm.

Yield: 2+ dozen

Review: Simply sensational, and addicting. If you love peanut butter, you're going to love Biscoff. I found my Biscoff spread at Cost Plus World Market, but Trader Joe's has a similar version called Specaloos. It's the same thing, and you can easily substitute it.

Cookie's Maternity Pictures

2012-04-09T06:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter celebration and enjoyed lots of delicious food and scrumptious sweets. too. Over the weekend, I got a chance to view my maternity pictures with Renee Browne of Sprouts Photography. It was a special themed "maternity shoot" because we had tied in cookie's "Up" themed nursery to go along with an "Up" themed maternity shoot.

All of our maternity pictures are absolutely amazing, and I cried happy and joyful tears the moment I saw them. For all my local Orange County friends, Renee Browne, is absolutely a pleasure to work with and the photographer to choose if you're searching for those precious family pictures.

For a wonderful treat for all my readers and friends here's the wonderful slideshow that Renee put together for us. Click on the link to view:

Sprouts Photography

Eric and I can't wait to Renee in our home to take pictures of the "Up" themed nursery & cookie once she or he arrives. ;-)

Carrot Cake Cheesecake

2012-03-30T07:45:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday!!

This wonderful month of March is almost a day being over, and I can't believe it! Eric and I have been really busy these past couple of weeks: finishing up our home renovation projects and nesting for cookie. Everything is finally coming together because living out of boxes is never fun, and cookie's nursery is halfway completed. We have the crib and dresser assembled, and the bassinet is ready to go in our bedroom, but there are tons of laundry to be washed and to be folded and put away.

I'm a little overwhelmed on where to put everything for cookie or feel that we don't have everything that we need but it seems that we got plenty of diapers, blankets and a couple of outfits to keep us prepared for the first couple of weeks. I figure once cookie is here, we'll adjust and figure out what's missing. Currently, I'm at 34 weeks, and 3 days right now. These next 6 weeks will fly by because we are jam-packed with activities. Hospital tour, our 4 year wedding anniversary, my sister's bridal shower and a couple of birthdays and celebrations and hopefully we'll have the reveal of our sweet nursery and maternity pictures, too.

This scrumptious dessert is another sweet treat that I prepared for my husband. If you remember from my last post that I had made him the gorgeous Kitchen Sink Carrot Cake for his birthday. I had made that dessert to share with our friends at his Mustache Bash, and this was his actual request for his birthday to share with the family- a carrot cake cheesecake. He wanted the best of both worlds - cheesecake and carrot cake all in one. We have never had this dessert at the popular chain, The Cheesecake Factory, but I figured if my girl, Nikki, had made it - it was definitely a winner.

Happy Birthday again to my wonderful husband, Eric.

Carrot Cake Cheesecake
Adapted from Pennies On A Platter
Printable Recipe
For the cheesecake:
16 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon flour
3 eggs

For the carrot cake:
3/4 cup veggie oil
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
8 oz can crushed pineapple, packed in 100% juice, drained well, reserve juice
1 cup grated carrots
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

For the Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting:
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon reserved pineapple juice

Preheat oven to 350˚F and grease a 9- or 9 1/2- inch springform pan.

For the cheesecake batter, the bowl of the stand mixer, cream together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add in the flour, eggs and vanilla until fully incorporated and no lumps remain. Make sure to scrape the sides down if needed with a spatula, and set aside.

To prepare the carrot cake batter, combine the oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and spices. Stir into the egg mixture and mix well. Add the pineapple, carrots, coconut and walnuts. Stir until just combined.

To assemble the cheesecake, pour 1 1/2 cups of the carrot cake batter over the bottom of the prepared pan. Drop spoonfuls of the cream cheese batter over the bottom layer of carrot cake, using up 1/4 of the batter and reserving the rest for the top layer. Top with large spoonfuls of remaining carrot cake batter. Repeat with remaining cream cheese batter, spreading evenly with a knife.

Bake for 50 to 65 minutes or until cake is set and cooked through. Cool completely, then cover and refrigerate. When the cake is cold, prepare the Pineapple Cream Cheese frosting.

Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting:

In the bowl of the stand mixer, combine the cream cheese, butter, sugar, vanilla and pineapple juice. Beat until smooth. Add additional juice or sugar to desired spreading consistency. Frost the top of the cheesecake. Grate fresh carrots on top for additional garnish, if desired. Refrigerate 3 to 4 hours before serving.

Yield: 10 to 12 servings

Review: Absolutely creamy and luscious. Like Nikki, I wanted more of a cheesecake layer to be evident. She had suggested baking the cake and cheesecake layers separate and then assembling it all together. My husband loved the swirled effect of cheesecake and carrot cake all in one because it gave him the best of both desserts. This would be perfect for the upcoming Easter holiday or any carrot cake/cheesecake lover in your life. ;-)

Kitchen Sink Carrot Cake

2012-03-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

I have been a very horrible food blogger lately. I apologize a million times over, but it's been a busy 3rd trimester for cookie and I. My husband and I have been busy working on a couple home renovation projects. Or Eric's been working on them, and I've been supervising. That's the extent of my help lately because I have been feeling extra slow these days. Cookie's nursery is coming together slowly but surely, and I'm hoping everything will be ready in less than a month or so. We have less than 7 weeks to go before I am full-term. Eeks!

Despite, the hectic-ness of our crazy life, I did manage to throw together a birthday party for my wonderful husband with the help of our dearest friends, thanks again Adrian and Monica. And I baked up a beautiful carrot cake for all of us to enjoy, too. Eric's ultimate favorite cake is carrot cake, and I have made a few different variations for him in the past couple of years (tropical carrot cake, carrot cake with marshmallow fluff). I had my eyes set on this cake the moment that I got this fantastic cookbook from Joy the Baker. I was lucky enough to meet up with Joy during her book tour and get her awesome autograph, too. I had already met her from a previous encounter back in November at the Foodbuzz Fest.

Birthday boy was happily delighted with this gorgeous carrot cake. He was so lucky that he got two birthday cakes, and I'll share the other sweet treat next week. This gorgeous cake is utterly scrumptious and very moist, and the perfect cake to enjoy for any birthday celebration or for the upcoming Easter holiday.

Kitchen Sink Carrot Cake
Adapted from Joy the Baker Cookbook: 100 Simple & Comforting Recipes
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk
1 cup sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups grated carrots
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1/4 cup raisins or dried cranberries (optional)
1/4 cup chopped & toasted walnuts (optional)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10- or 12-cup Bundt pan or two 9-inch cake pans and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.

In the bowl of the stand mixer, cream together the eggs, yolk, and sugars. Mix until combined and add the oil. Add the crushed pineapple and vanilla, and mix until combined.

Add the pineapple mixture, all at once, to the flour mixture. Fold together with a spatula. When almost incorporated, fold in the carrots, coconut, and (if desired) raisins or cranberries and walnuts. Fold until evenly blended. Pour cake batter into prepared bundt pan and bake for 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Let cake cool in pan for 15 minutes before inverting on a wire rack to cool completely. Frost with cream cheese frosting. If baking with cake pans, bake for 35 to 45 minutes.

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 bar cream cheese, 8 ounces, room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
pinch of salt
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In the bowl of the stand mixer, cream together the cream cheese and butter. Scrape down the sides of the bowl if needed. With the mixer on low, add the salt and powdered sugar followed by the vanilla extract. Beat until almost incorporated and the mixture is velvety soft.

Use immediately by spreading on cake. Garnish with extra walnuts and freshly grated carrots.

Review: Sinful and one of my favorite carrot cakes yet. Buy your copy of Joy the Baker cookbook ASAP because it's filled with lots of eye-catching desserts and plenty of droolworthy recipes. You might be able to meet Joy on her book tour if you can. Meet her because she's pretty freaking awesome, too.

Spicy Dr. Pepper Shredded Pork

2012-03-12T18:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday! I had the most amazing weekend and I can't stop smiling from all of the awesome-ness of it. Cookie had his/her first baby shower thrown by my aunt and cousin. I'll share pictures from the shower later on but just know that it was simply perfect.

Slow cooked meals on Sundays are a must-do for everyone. Most times, I do not like to start preparing dinner until an hour before I want to eat, but I wanted to be ahead of the game and finish my crazy list of errands and spend some time with my girlfriends. This dish was highly recommended by a girlfriend of mine, thanks birthday girl, Elisa! She had made this meal for her family, and they all loved it. Plus, the short list of ingredients needed for the dish was inexpensive, too.

As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program, I recently received a coupon to buy any of Alexia products of my choice. I couldn't make up my mind so I purchased two tasty options: sweet potato fries and sweet potato puffs. I knew it would pair perfectly with the spicy Dr. Pepper shredded pork. Ree had served her version with tortillas, but I opted for sweet Hawaiian bread rolls to have a playful spin on sliders. The spiciness of the chipotle peppers is very faint and not too overpowering, it's almost like sweet and spicy carnitas.

Simply scrumptious.

Spicy Dr. Pepper Shredded Pork
Adapted from The Pioneer Woman
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 onions, sliced into quarters
1 pork shoulder, 5 to 7 pounds, cut into large chunks
1 can (7 ounce) chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
2 cans Dr. Pepper (about 20 to 24 ounces)
2 tablespoons Brown Sugar
Kosher Salt & ground black pepper

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Heat a large dutch oven (about 7.5 quart) or large roasting pan over medium heat. Melt the butter in the dutch oven and add the quartered onions. Saute until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Generously salt and pepper the pork chunks and add into the pan.

Add the can of chipotle peppers, Dr. Pepper, and brown sugar into the pan. Stir to combine. Make sure there is enough liquid to coat the pork shoulder. Let the pork simmer for 10 minutes until small bubbles start to form. Cover with the lid, and place into the oven.

Cook for at least 4 to 5 hours, making sure to turn the roast a couple times during the cooking process. Resist the urge to nibble on the shredded pork because one sniff will make your stomach growl. Meat should be fork tender after 5 hours.

Shred meat in dutch oven, using a tong and forks. Discard any fat, if possible. Keep warm on the stovetop until ready to serve.

Serve with warm sweet Hawaiian bread dinner rolls, or warm tortillas.

Best enjoyed with Alexia Sweet Potato French fries.

Yield: 18 servings

Review: Absolutely fantastic, and a perfect meal for the family on a Sunday night. We served my in-laws, our best friends and ourselves this meal...with enough for leftovers for today! I have to buy another batch of french fries because everyone loved the delicious pairing of sweet potato fries and spicy pork.

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Best Turkey Bolognese

2012-03-07T14:30:00.000-08:00

I will admit there are days that I do not want to make dinner after coming home from a long day of work. At the end of the work day, I love coming home and take a mini nap until Eric comes home. Honestly, I'm too exhausted to prepare a meal or sometimes we use our back-up plan of easy frozen dinners. This third trimester has me feeling up and down lately, and I would love to say that my husband cooks dinner instead, but Eric sometimes works 10 to 12 or crazy 18 hour work days. (I could never be an engineer!)

So most times, I'm on my own for dinner because I have to feed this growing cookie some decent meals if possible. Eric usually enjoys whatever I prepare when he comes home from his extra long days. (He loves coming home and dinner is ready.) I have been focusing on quick and easy meals that I can make a decent portion that will last us for two meals. However, blogging about the dish is another story and that takes me an another week to get my writing mojo up and going.

Good ole' spaghetti dinners are always a quick meal to make at a moments notice and most of the work lies in the bolognese sauce. It just needs a little time and love to build that wonderful flavor. I will admit that I had made this recipe twice already before I could blog about it. It's that GOOD. I loved the addition of veggies (carrots, onions and celery) and ground turkey in the bolognese sauce. You can usually tell the difference between a hearty ground beef sauce versus ground turkey, but I couldn't tell at all.

Hearty, delicious and perfect for cookie.

Best Turkey Bolognese
Adapted from The Well-Rounded Pregnancy Cookbook
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced finely
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
2 stalks celery, diced finely
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 pound ground turkey
1 cup dry red or white wine, or chicken/veggie stock
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 (28-ounce) can whole plum tomatoes
2 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 (16-ounce) box spaghetti

Preparation:

In a large saucepan or dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery and cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, and cook for 1 minute. Mix to combine.

Add the ground turkey and cook until browned, about 10 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high heat, add the wine, and cook until the wine is almost evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste, tomatoes and their juice, bay leaf, and the salt. Crush the tomatoes with the back of the wooden spoon. Reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour. Add the oregano and thyme and continue to simmer until the sauce has thickened, for about 30 minutes. Taste for seasonings, and add salt and pepper if needed.

As the sauce is cooking, towards the end of the cooking time - cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain well, transfer to bowls and top with the sauce. Serve with freshly grated parmigiana-reggiano.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Review: DELICIOUS! I already made this dish twice, and my husband raved about it so much that I had to make it again. Plus, the 2 buck chuck wine really helped make this dish extra fancy and tasty! The addition of the red wine gives the bolognese sauce that extra rich layer of flavor that most bolognese sauces have and it came from a pregnancy cookbook. Double thumbs up for that! Pin It

Our Virtual Baby Shower!

2012-03-05T06:00:00.000-08:00

I'm so gleefully happy to share this wonderful post comprised of some of my favorite food bloggers/friends/girlfriends. Back when I had first started my food blog in 2007, I had a small cooking repertoire of recipes that I got myself by. I decided to join an online cooking board because it was a great way to chat with other women about cooking mishaps/successes, discuss some cooking goals that I wanted to attain, and it gave me constant inspiration to cook dishes that were out of my comfort zone.

Originally, I had started my cooking blog as a way to document my food journey for the fun of it, but I have realized that cooking has become a big part of my identity. Cooking has been my way to sometimes cope with a good or (sometimes) bad day. Cooking has been the number one way to please my hungry/taste-tester husband. And cooking challenges me all the time to try new cuisines, a variety of dishes from everywhere, and opening my foodie palate to so many wonderful foods.

There have been a number of food blogs that I have followed since I started my journey that I absolutely love and adore that are part of this wonderful post today. I have met a few of them in real life, there are a handful of the bloggers I have made some of their recipes seen on my blog, two are from my wedding anniversary online board and some of the bloggers are also expecting in May just like myself.

This wonderfully themed "Cuban/Filipino" virtual baby shower is hosted by one of my favorite food bloggers, Joelen, of What's Cookin' Chicago. If you didn't know, my background is Filipino and my husband's is Cuban. I have learned all of Eric's favorite Cuban dishes from his mother, and most of my Filipino favorites from my mom, too. Cookie is going to be one awesome future foodie, reaping both of our wonderful heritages.

Thank you again to all the wonderful ladies that participated in this awesome virtual baby shower. Eric and I feel truly blessed and honored that you helped share this wonderful occasion on your blogs.

Jessica of Sunny Side Up In San Diego who I had met back in November for the FB conference. She is such a sweetheart, one of the coolest Canon owners that I know, and the best person to have around when to share a meal and dessert with. She had made a tasty and refreshing "Faux-jito" - totally perfect for this baby shower. I make a wicked batch of mojitos but rum and pregnancy do not mix well. Plus, you have to be super impressed that Jessica made this concoction in her hotel room in Hong Kong. Unbelievable!

Kelsey of Apple a Day is a gorgeous food blogger that I love and adore. Sometimes I feel like we're on the same foodie wave-mind because we seem to love the same dishes. She made this awesome Filipino-inspired Mango Shake. Unbeknownest to her, I had a mango shake this past weekend at a Cuban restaurant and was already trying to figure out how to recreate it at home. This mango shake is perfect for both cultures, and she saved me time on finding a recipe. Delish and thank you!

Nicole of Prevention RD who I had also met in November at the FB conference. I'm always inspired by the beautiful array of dishes that she prepares and I'm in love with her gorgeous dog, Lily. My heart just melts whenever I see pictures of that sweet bulldog. Nicole had made a traditional Cuban favorite of Arroz Con Pollo. It's a wonderful and comforting chicken and rice dish that you can never go wrong with. It's a standby dish that we love to make when entertaining large groups of people. It's perfect for this foodie fiesta shower!

Carrie of Carrie's Sweet Life is a fellow expecting May mommy, who also happens to share Cookie's due date, too! She had made a Cuban-inspired Fruit Ponche that is absolutely delightful for this shower. She's been a great mommy friend to have because we are able to gripe/rejoice about our pregnancy aches and pains as the months have passed. Salud Carrie!

Cara of The Boys Made Me Do It, is from my wedding anniversary board and a fellow cooking board blogger, too. Cara and her chef husband (how awesome is that) had worked together and made these clever Cuban Lumpia Rolls. My husband loves my mom's lumpia, and it's always a dish served at our parties. I loved that they combined both cuisines into one because fusion food is always a delightful and tasty surprise!

Kira of Cook, Pray, Love is a food blogger that I highly admire and adore. We share a love for exotic foods, running and wine. She had made stuffed peppadew peppers with goat cheese. These are simple to prepare for any party and fun little bites for everyone to enjoy. I would need two trays of this, one for myself and one for everyone else. Yum!

Nikki of Pennies on a Platter is another sweet food blogger that I met in SF back in November. (Yes, I met alot of bloggers back in November!) I'm still sad that we didn't get to hang out before she had moved cross country to Mississippi. Nikki had made a Cuban appetizer of Papa Rellenas. These are stuffed with seasoned meat (typically a way to use up any leftover Picadillo or ground meat that you have) wrapped with potatoes and coated with breadcrumbs. Trust me, these would quickly disappear at any of our parties. They are heavenly!

Jessy of Gourmet Day to Day is an food blogger that I absolutely love and adore. She's going to culinary school and doing what she loves. She had prepared this wonderful Cuban Black Bean hummus that I would snatch up in a heartbeat. It's a playful spin on hummus, but with a cuban flair to it!

Stefany of Proceed with Caution, is another expecting May mommy and fellow cooking blogger that I absolutely love and adore. We share an undying love for Glee and I may have helped inspire her to concoct the coolest Glee-themed cupcakes ever. Stefany had made Tostones (fried plantains) with a creamy garlic cilantro dip. Deep fried plantains are like Cuban french fries, you just can't stop eating them after one. These are a great addition to the shower and would be another crowd pleaser.

Brianna of Oishi, is one of the coolest SoCal food bloggers that I'm dying to meet. We share a love for Sriracha, tasty Italian food, and so much more. She had made these mouth-watering Frita Cubana Sliders that I am putting on my food menu for next week. They are made of a mix of chorizo and ground beef and a variety of spices...definitely food pairings that I love to explore and enjoy!

Shawnda of Confections of a Foodie Bride, is a fellow food blogger that I absolutely admire. I can't help but drool whenever I see her food posts because I always wish for taste-a-vision or smell-me graphics. Shawnda had prepared these amazing Cuban pulled pork sliders that would be perfect for this awesome foodie fiesta shower. Pork is a mainstay ingredient that is typically used in the majority of Cuban dishes, and a perfect way to highlight them in a finger-friendly form. YUM!

Courtney of The Granola Chronicles, another amazingly sweet food blogger that I had met at FB in November. She hails from NorCal, and is always sharing her on-going CSA that inspires me to eat more vegetables. Courtney had prepared a trusty Cuban favorite of ours - Cuban Black Beans. Trust me, it's not a party if there are no Cuban black beans available to enjoy. Thanks girl for making sure we had some for our awesome foodie fiesta!

Jen of Beantown Baker, is another food blogger that I love. She is always making plenty of droolworthy desserts despite her crazy engineering career (which I can sympathize since my husband is an engineer as well). She had prepared these perfect for brunch/breakfast/anytime of the day Cuban Sandwich Egg Benedicts. Egg Benedicts are one of my favorite breakfast foods but I haven't been able to enjoy since the hollandaise sauce is made with raw eggs...thankfully this recipe isn't. Oh joyful, come to mama!

Melissa of I Was Born to Cook, is another food blogger that I absolutely love to meet and chat the entire day with. She was an instant shoulder to talk to when times were rough in the beginning stages of my pregnancy. I can't thank her enough for just listening to my gripes of charting, getting pregnant, and being a mommy. Melissa had prepared Cuban pork chops smothered in onions. Oh my goodness, anything smothered with caramelized onions is a winner with me. Swoon!

Sarah of A Taste of Home Cooking, is another food blogger that inspires me. She has these awesome recipe swaps that she hosts that I was part of when I could handle eating. I promise to come back to the recipe swapping when I'm not so busy with the preparations of Cookie and when my energy and appetite is normal again. She had made a Cuban favorite of ours (we have lots of Cuban favorites!) - Cuban Sandwiches. You can never go wrong with a Cuban sandwich!

Cathy of Cathy's Kitchen Journey, is another food blogger that I adore. She is always posting tips and ways to save money that this bargain loving future mama loves. Cathy had prepared Filipino grilled chicken using one of my family's favorite secret ingredients - lemon-lime soda! Definitely a crowd-pleaser with my family.

Brady of Branny Boils Over, is a food blogger that I highly admire and adore. She recently added back meat back into her diet and what's even better is that she prepared Eric's favorite Cuban dish, Ropa Vieja. It looks absolutely amazing and it is dish that I look forward to sharing with Cookie when the time arrives. Simply gorgeous!

Jey of the Jey of Cooking, is another food blogger that I adore. We've made dishes from each other blogs - she's made my awesome fish tacos, and I've made her Caramel Appledoodles. I was delighted to see that she had prepared Mojito cookies...so fitting for my little cookie right? Mojitos in cookie form, absolutely brilliant idea...and I'll have a plate of those for myself with a large glass of milk. Yum!

Jessica of My Baking Heart, is a sweet Texan food blogger that I had met in SF back in November. (It's a long list of bloggers that I had met, right?) She and Momma G were an absolute delight, and are the sweetest mom and daughter duo that I had ever seen. Jessica unbeknownest had made a childhood favorite breakfast of mine, Champorado. It's as if my mom had told her my favorite dish! It brought me to happy tears that she had made this classic favorite of mine, I need to make this STAT! It's a chocolate rice porridge that is absolutely indulgent and addicting!

Cate of Cate's World Kitchen, is yet another food blogger that I had met at FB in November. I always look towards her blog for inspiration for my Meatless Mondays posts, and I highly admire her love of running. Plus, she has the cutest little precious daughter ever, Ellie - I swear she's a mini-Cate. Cate had prepared these delicious Filipino inspired Cupcakes with Mango Buttercream. I go absolutely crazy for everything and anything mango. Sinful!

Stephanie of Macaroni and Cheesecake, is a food blogger that I absolutely love. We were assigned as secret cooking sisters on our cooking forum, and we have bonded and connected in so many ways. We both have a love for Bobby Flay, inspire each other to make some tasty desserts and yummy dishes, and always support each other's blogs. Stephanie had made these indulgent Tres Leche Cupcakes. I always have a soft spot for Tres Leches because it's so moist and delicious, these are absolutely perfect for the virtual baby shower.

Becky of Because Chocolate Can't Get you Pregnant, is my bestie from wedding anniversary board. We actually share the same wedding date, and we have shared numerous meals together, she's a constant in my life via text/email/twitter/words with friends, and is an occasional houseguest whenever she is working at her LA office. I usually cook for her whenever she stays the night, so it was a switch for her to participate in a foodie shower. Becky had prepared an easy to prepare Mojito cake, quite perfect for team green. Another tasty Cuban inspired concoction that we would love to enjoy!

Melissa of Delicious Meliscious, is another expecting May Mommy and fellow food blogger that I absolutely love and adore. She has been another great mommy friend to be pregnant with, she's has been very helpful and told me that yes I'm crazy for registering for a diaper genie/baby bullet and other wasteful baby items. She has prepared my most favorite Cuban treat Pastelitos de guayaba y queso (Cuban pastries with guava and cheese). I could eat these by the dozen and very similar to pop tarts, but 1 million times better. They are flaky treats filled with yummy goodness of the guava and cheese. Absolutely addicting.

Finally, Joelen of What's Cookin' Chicago, the hostess with the mostess. I had met the lovely Joelen back in November when I went to FB conference. I had been following her blog for as long as I can remember and we always told each other that we would meet someday. I think of her like a big sister (Ate - it means big sister in Tagalog). Joelen had prepared a tasty concoction of Filipino and Cuban inspired beef and potato empanadas. They are similar to meat pies, but 1 million times better. They are the savory version of what Pastelitos are, another crowd pleaser for this awesome foodie fiesta.

Thank you again to all the wonderful ladies that participated in our virtual baby shower. Check out Joelen's blog for the full round up as well. I know that it was a challenge to step outside your comfort zone and cook something Filipino or Cuban inspired. But you all did an outstanding job, and I truly wish that we were all together to enjoy the wonderful spread of delicious foods. I would be in a little food coma right about now after eating all these yummy foods, and cookie would be reaping all the benefits of it all, too. 9 more weeks to go until Cookie arrives, and is already feeling the foodie love from my awesome food blogging community. Truly amazing,

Take your guess, is cookie a boy or girl? Let's wait and see come May 9th or so!

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Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

2012-02-29T06:00:00.000-08:00

I can't believe this month is practically over, and March is around the corner. I love my birthday month and might have celebrated a couple times over. Plus, I'm already dreaming about my next year's birthday with cookie in tow. Things surely will be different with a little one around, and I can hardly wait. A future little kitchen helper/taste-tester will be gladly appreciated.

Lately, I have been in love with the color pink, and maybe it's because I'm leaning towards cookie to be a girl, but I know that there is a 50% chance that cookie might be a boy, too. Cookie has 10 more weeks to bake and I can't wait to meet him/her. I baked up these peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip cookies because I had randomly picked up some pretty in pink M&Ms at Target. Eric and I aren't big on Valentine's Day, but I still baked them for everyone to enjoy something sweet. They are simple enough to prepare and look extra pretty with the pink M&Ms. However, they would look just as pretty with regular colored M&Ms, too.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted from Picky Palate
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
1 cup butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup rolled oats
1 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 (9.90 ounce) bag Peanut Butter M&Ms

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare the cookies sheets with parchment paper or silpat baking mat.

In the bowl of the stand mixer, cream together the sugars and butter until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and mix until combined. Scrape the sides down as needed with a spatula.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients until combined. Add the rolled oats and chocolate chips. Mix until combined. Add about 3/4 bag of the Peanut Butter M&Ms.

Using a small cookie scoop, scoop dough onto prepared cookie sheet placing them at least 1 inch apart. Press cookies down slightly and add additional M&Ms to the top.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until slightly golden. Remove from oven, and let cool on cookie sheets for 10 minutes before placing on cooling rack.

Yield: 3 dozen cookies

Review: I love any cookies with M&Ms, and you can interchange any flavored M&Ms to your liking. But I love the little bursts of peanut butter mixed with the sweet chocolate chips. Make sure to have a tall glass of milk to eat with all those cookies!
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Buffalo Chicken Casserole

2012-02-24T07:30:00.000-08:00

This wonderful dish is way overdue to be posted on my blog. I may have taken this picture a couple weeks ago and totally forgot to blog about it since the madness of Superbowl, my birthday, and so much more. It's the evil pregnancy "forgetful" syndrome that I might have been experiencing lately. Please forgive me, and add this dish to the list of things to make for next week's dinners.

Cookie (Baby) news update: I'm happy to report that I'm currently at 29 weeks and in my third trimester. Time is flying super duper fast these days. Cookie and I are doing just fine and dandy, and I even passed my glucose test with flying colors. Cookie has been super active these past couple of days, and I feel kicks and punches all the time. Plus, Eric and I are finally working on the nursery, and I might even get to see the crib built this weekend! Yipee! I promise I'll show the final reveal of cookie's nursery when everything has been completed.

This dish was actually a kitchen mishap that I managed to salvage. I had originally wanted to prepare buffalo chicken enchiladas, but my forgetfulness got the best of me and I neglected to warm up the tortillas before adding the filling. The tortillas were breaking apart as I was prepping them, and I was not happy with an ugly-looking broken enchilada. Plus, I was using corn tortillas instead of flour because it's what I had on hand and in a flash I decided to forgo the enchiladas and make a layered bake similar to a lasagna. The end result came out just as tasty as the enchiladas would have been.

Delicious kitchen mishaps are bound to happen, right?

Buffalo Chicken Casserole
Adapted from How Sweet It Is
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
12 to 15 corn tortillas (6 or 8-inch)
1 pound chicken, shredded and cooked (or use leftover chicken from here is perfect)
3 (8 ounce) tomato sauce cans
1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce (or more if desired)
1 cup monterey jack cheese, shredded
1/2 cup blue cheese
1/2 cup queso seco
1 bunch of green onions, chopped, white and green parts
1 (6 ounce) green chiles pepper can, diced
Sour Cream, for garnishment

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9x13 baking dish and coat with non-stick spray.

In a medium bowl, combine the tomato sauce and buffalo wing sauce. Mix until combined. Taste and add more if desired. Set aside.

In another medium bowl, mix all the cheeses together until combined. Scoop 1/2 cup of the mixed cheese into a small bowl. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine together the cooked chicken with the 3/4 of the chopped green onions, add the mixed cheeses. Add 1/2 cup mixed tomato buffalo sauce. Mix until combined.

Add an even layer of the tomato buffalo sauce on the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Add a layer of tortillas on the bottom. Add a layer of the mixed chicken/cheese mixture (half of the container). Add another layer of tortillas. Add the rest of the chicken/cheese mixture. Top with another layer of tortillas. Add a layer of the tomato buffalo sauce on top of the casserole. Add the reserved shredded cheese. Top with the diced green chiles.

Bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Garnish with the remaining green onions. Serve immediately, and add a dollop of sour cream if desired.

Yield: 6 servings

Review: Buffalo chicken goodness in a casserole! We loved this kitchen mishap because it allowed me to make a foolproof recipe. Enchiladas would have been the ultimate comfort meal, but this casserole gave the same desired end result. It's similar to a lasagna, but using buffalo chicken components. Sometimes you have to think fast in the kitchen when you make a mess, and be thankful for the yummy results! Pin It

Berry Oven Pancakes

2012-02-21T08:30:00.000-08:00

I will have admit that there are a couple of dishes that I had made in the beginning stages of my cooking journey that I had slight troubles. Cooking eggs without burning them, roasting a 14 pound turkey without buying a pre-made one, making a pot of rice (not overly mushy) on the stove (rice cookers don't count) and preparing the perfect pancake without burning them. Some dishes took a little practice to make perfect, but I like to think they were all part of my learning curve for tasty dishes and not disasters in the kitchen.

Besides, whenever kitchen disasters occurred you should always have a back-up plan. (1): Instruct your husband to pick up some take-out food. (2): Have a frozen meal always stocked in your fridge/pantry.

These berry oven pancakes are practically foolproof for anyone and you will not need a back-up plan. There is no need to watch over them while they bake on the stove, or count the number of bubbles forming on top in order to flip them. They are effortless to prepare because they bake in the oven. You can easily prepare this meal in 20 minutes or less. Make some coffee, bacon and eggs to add more to your meal if you want, too. But these berry oven pancakes are the perfect way to start your morning or end your night.

Simply scrumptious.

Berry Oven Pancakes
Adapted from Back to the Basics
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
1 cup each raspberries, blueberries, and sliced strawberries
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus 3 tablespoons for cast iron skillet
3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Maple syrup and confectioners' sugar, for garnish

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Gently combine the berries and sugar in a small bowl and set aside while you make the pancakes.

Place the cast iron skillet in the oven and place three tablespoons of butter in the skillet (or use smaller gratin dishes. )

In a bowl of the stand mixer, beat the eggs until mixed. Add the milk and mix. Add the flour, vanilla extract, zest of the orange, and 2 tablespoons melted butter and salt into the bowl. Mix until combined. Whisk by hand if batter looks lumpy, if needed.

Make sure the butter in the cast iron skillet has completely covered the bottom of the dish, and add the pancake mixture. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until slightly puffed and lightly browned.

Cut into quarters and add the berries on top. Drizzle with maple syrup and confectioners' sugar if desired. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings

Review: A wonderful and simple breakfast or dinner at home. The pancakes remind me of our favorite pancake house where they serve a dutch oven pancake, it's almost like a popover. It's very light and airy and absolutely delicious. We opted this dish without the maple syrup and confectioners' sugar because the macerated fruit was perfect alone on top.

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Soft Sugar Cookies

2012-02-14T09:30:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

My husband and I don't celebrate this lovey dovey holiday because my birthday takes reign the first half of this wonderful month. Besides we find ways everyday to say "I love you" without the assistance of this consumer ridden holiday. I really don't mind because I may have had three birthday dinners in my name already! Plus, I still have an awesome dinner planned with my wonderful friends this weekend to celebrate my birthday, too.

These soft sugar cookies are simple to prepare, and one of my favorite ways to use those colorful themed sprinkles. I love adding sprinkles or sanding sugar to cupcakes, but it never has the same effect when you put them on cookies. You have probably seen these particular style of cookies everywhere on the foodie bloggy-sphere. Or mainly because they are similar to the Lofthouse style cookies that you can find at the grocery store. Either way, these cookies are a fabulous way to share your hugs and kisses.

Have something sweet today especially these cookies.

Soft Sugar Cookies
Adapted from The Novice Chef
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:

Cookies:
6 cups flour, divided
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups sour cream
Frosting:
1 cup butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar
6 tablespoons milk
Sanding sugar/sprinkles

Preparation:

In a large bowl, whisk 5 cups of flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 to 4 minutes. Make sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula. Add the eggs one at time, mixing until it is incorporated. Add the vanilla and sour cream and beat at low speed until combined.

Add the dry ingredients and mix at low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down the bowl as needed. Dough needs to obtain the right consistency for rolling, so add additional flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until this is achieved (up to 1 cup more flour). Divide dough into two sections. Flatten into rectangles about 1 1/2 inches thick, then wrap with plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge overnight or for at least 4 hours.

When ready to bake the cookies; preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with silpat (silcone baking mat) or parchment paper. Set aside.

Generously flour your work area and rolling pin. With a rolling pin, roll the dough out to 1/4-inch thickness. Using your preferred cookie cutters, cut out with the cutter and transfer to a baking sheet.
Bake for 7-8 minutes, until pale golden. Immediately transfer cookies to a cooling rack.

Frosting:
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and vanilla until light and fluffy. Slowly add in the powdered sugar. Once smooth and creamy, add in milk, 1 tablespoon at a time until the desired spreading consistency is achieved.

Once cookies have cooled completely, frost and add sanding sugar/sprinkles. Allow frosting to set, then store in an air-tight container.

Enjoy!

Yield: 4 to 5 dozen cookies

Review: Tastes just like the store-bought cookies...but so much better! It doesn't taste as sweet, and I love that I can make these cookies for any holiday. Sugar cookies are not my particular forte, and these are simple enough to prepare and frost without the fancy frosting job. I think colorful sprinkles are a way to my heart...and tummy!

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Spumoni Ice Cream Layer Sundae Cake

2012-02-10T06:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to me! This birthday came up quick and sneaked up on me, luckily despite the Superbowl planning madness - I still managed to challenge myself to bake up a birthday cake. Last year's Rainbow Birthday cake was a colorful tribute to my little kiddo days, and I honestly didn't know what I wanted in a cake for this year. I had been scouring fellow blogs and searching ideas on pinterest, too. Plus, my pregnancy taste buds are quite different and it's hard to really pinpoint foods that are easy on my palate.

Then I thought about my 16th birthday dinner party at one of my favorite Italian restaurants, Old Spaghetti Factory. We have been dining at this restaurant for as long as I can remember, and I have always loved that we always ended the meal with their signature spumoni ice cream. Spumoni ice cream is made of pistachio, chocolate and strawberry ice cream all swirled into one and it's always a wonderful treat to indulge on. I did have a birthday cake to go along with my ice cream, but it would have been a thousand times better if the cake and ice cream were combined together. Until now, I wanted the best of both worlds - spumoni ice cream layer sundae cake.

This cake sounds like a mouthful, and it took alot of careful planning to dissect each element that I wanted for the cakes. Plus, I wanted everything from scratch - that's always the foodie challenge I set myself up for. Make sure to set at least 2 to 3 days for preparing all the elements. I made the ice cream the first day, which you can easily skip this step if you choose to use a store-bought version. Bake the cakes the following day, and wait until they are completely cool. Build and cut the cake layers and add the layer of ice cream, and then let it freeze until firm. I highly suggest you wait until the next day to add the layer of frosting and ganache to make sure the layers are firm.

This was definitely one of the most beautiful cakes that I have made and equally an indulgent birthday dessert that I can't help falling in love with.

Spumoni Ice Cream Layer Sundae Cake
Inspired by OSF; Cakes adapted from Sweetapolita; Chocolate Ganache & Whipped Vanilla Buttercream Frosting adapted from Sunny Side up in San Diego; Pistachio Ice Cream adapted from I Was Born to Cook
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
Pistachio Ice Cream:
1 cup salted shelled pistachios
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups whole milk
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
4 egg yolks
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup salted shelled pistachios, chopped
Preparation:

Finely grind 1 cup pistachios and 1/4 cup sugar in food processor. Bring milk and ground pistachio mixture to boil in large saucepan. Remove from heat. Mix in almond extract.

Whisk egg yolks and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in medium bowl. Gradually whisk in hot milk mixture. Return custard to saucepan. Cook over low heat until custard thickens and leaves path on back of spoon when finger is drawn across, stirring constantly, about 10 minutes (do not boil). Strain into large bowl. Chill for about 2 hours in the refrigerator.

Stir 1 cup heavy cream and chopped pistachios into custard. Process mixture in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Place wax paper with the edges hanging over in a round cake pan. Transfer ice cream to cake pan and freeze until firm.

Chocolate cake:
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
6 tablespoon dark cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
¼ cup vegetable or canola oil
1 large egg
½ cup black coffee
½ cup buttermilk
1½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation:
To make the chocolate cake, butter and flour the edges of a 8-inch round pan, shaking out the excess flour. Line the bottom with a round of parchment.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Whisk together and set aside. In the bowl of the stand mixer, combine the sugar, vegetable oil and egg. Beat on medium speed until smooth, about 1-2 minutes.

With the mixer on low speed, blend in half of the dry ingredients, beating just until incorporated. Blend in the coffee, buttermilk and vanilla just until smooth. Mix in the remaining dry ingredients, blending until incorporated.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake, rotating halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edges, then turn the cake out onto the rack and let cool completely.

Strawberry cake:
1¼ cups plus 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1½ ounce strawberry Jello Mix
8 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 large eggs
½ cup whole milk
1½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup strawberry jam
*Pink food gel*optional, if desired a bright pink color

Preparation:
To make the strawberry cake, butter and flour the edges of a 9-inch round pan, shaking out the excess flour. Line the bottom with a round of parchment.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk together and set aside. In the bowl of the stand mixer, cream the sugar, strawberry gelatin and butter until combined. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.

Slowly add the eggs into the sugar mixture one at a time, mixing well after each addition. With the mixer on low speed, add half of the dry ingredients to the batter and blend until incorporated. Blend in the milk and vanilla extract. Add in the remaining dry ingredients, mixing just until incorporated. Add in the strawberry jam and a couple swirls of hot pink food gel and mix to combine.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake, rotating halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edges, then turn the cake out onto the rack and let cool completely.

Whipped Vanilla Buttercream
3 sticks unsalted butter, softened
3 cups sifted powdered sugar
3 tablespoons whole milk
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste (or 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract & scrapings of one vanilla pod)
pinch of salt

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter for 5 minutes on medium speed, until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla bean paste and mix until combined.

Chocolate Ganache
1/2 cup heavy cream
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped

Place chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl. Bring heavy cream to a boil. Pour the heavy cream over the chocolate and stir until the chocolate is smooth and melted. Allow the ganache to cool to room temperature before pouring over cake.

To assemble the cakes:
Torte each of the cake layers evenly. Place the chocolate cake layer on the bottom of the the cake board. Remove the ice cream from the pan and place on top of the chocolate cake. Top with the strawberry layer. Place in the freezer until firm, preferably overnight. When ready to decorate the cake, prepare the frosting and chocolate ganache. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the whipped vanilla buttercream. Pour the chocolate ganache over the cake. Garnish with chopped pistachios, whipped cream and a cherry if desired.

Review: Sinfully delicious and this is one of my proudest cakes that I have ever baked. This cake was oodles of fun because I baked a regular size cake and a mini cake. One for birthday and one to share with the family. Normally, I like cooking savory dishes, but every now and then I get the creative baker mojo in me. I can't wait to share this cake with the family for a birthday celebration this weekend.
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Meyer Lemon Blueberry Tart

2012-02-08T06:00:00.000-08:00

Happy hump day Wednesday!

Today is a super special day....it's my birthday! I'm looking forward to a romantic and quiet dinner with my husband tonight. Eric usually treats me and prepares a fantastic homemade meal at home, but since my birthday falls in the middle of the work week - we're going out for dinner! Plus, I have a birthday dinner planned with the family later this week, and another birthday dinner celebration with my friends. I love celebrating my birthday over and over again - it brings the biggest smile to my face.

However, this gorgeous Meyer lemon blueberry tart is not my birthday cake, but something that I had made to bring over for dessert to a friend's house. I have been busy making my own birthday cake these past couple of days, and I can't wait to show you what I baked up. I already had a sample of it last night, and it tastes sensational. But back to this wonderful tart, it's a no-bake dessert and super simple to prepare. It's like a luscious lemon custard mixed with tart blueberries over a crunchy graham cracker crust.

Bake up this treat if you're feeling a little tangy and tart!

Meyer Lemon Blueberry Tart
Adapted from Prevention RD
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
1 package (9 sheets) graham crackers
10 tablespoons butter, divided
3 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup lemon juice (about 2-3 lemons)
zest of 2 lemons
1 cup blueberries, rinsed and dried

Preparation:

Pulse the graham crackers in a small food processor to a fine crumb or place in a Ziploc bag and beat the crackers fine. (Great way to get your frustrations out!)

In a small saucepan, melt 6 tablespoons of the butter. Mix the graham crackers and melted butter together. Press the mixture into a 10-inch tart pan, patting it down evenly, and pinching the crumb about 1/2 inch up the sides of the pan. Refrigerate until needed.

Prepare the lemon filling by placing your double boiler over a pot of boiling water or use a stainless steel or glass bowl. In the double boiler, add the eggs, sugar and lemon juice. Whisk away until thick, about 10 minutes, make sure to switch hands whisking to distribute the work out evenly. Carefully remove from heat and add in the remaining 4 tablespoons butter and lemon zest. Stir until combined. Let cool cool completely.

Spoon filling into the prepared graham cracker crust. Arrange blueberries over the filling. Refrigerate for at least 2 to 3 hours before serving.

Serve chilled.

Yield: 8 slices

Review: Simply scrumptious. Any recipes that feature citrus have caught my attention lately because I have Meyer lemons that are begging to be used. I have already made this tart twice because it was that yummy!

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Fried Mac and Cheese Bites

2012-02-07T09:00:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I had the worst sugar high food hangover in my life. UGH. Plus, it wasn't even from the Superbowl bonanza foods that I enjoyed on Sunday either because it was from the glucose test drink that I had to endure yesterday morning. I had to fast before my scheduled appointment, which meant no breakfast, no cup of coffee, or no food in my stomach until after 10am. FAIL. After guzzling that sugary fizzy citrus drink, cookie was beating me up left and right. It felt like cookie was practicing baby zumba and boxing all at once.

The nurse finally took their samples, and I went my happy and hurriedly way to enjoy breakfast. But it was too late, my sugary buzz and growing 'need caffeine asap' headache was starting to grow. I spent most of my day in a uncomfortable sugary super high, and when I finally came home from work. I crashed hard, and stayed in bed and rested until dinnertime.

Luckily, we still had leftovers from Superbowl to enjoy for dinner. Nothing seemed appetizing though in my sugary daze, and I really wanted another platter of these savory fried mac and cheese bites. For my Superbowl party, I had re-purposed my leftover four cheese macaroni and cheese and made a tasty appetizer for everyone to enjoy. For a playful presentation, I bought these colorful serving forks in the dollar bin at Target. It was a delightful platter of smack-tastic bites for the eyes and the tummy.

Enjoy!

Fried Mac and Cheese Bites
Adapted from Alton Brown
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
Leftover macaroni and cheese, refrigerated
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 egg beaten with 2 teaspoons water
1 cup panko bread crumbs
Vegetable/Canola Oil for deep frying, preheated to 375 degrees

Preparation:

Prepare your deep fryer or large pot with vegetable/canola oil and heat to 375 degrees.

Scoop about 1/2 cup of macaroni and cheese, and form balls or you can cut into bite size pieces.

Set up three dipping and breading station containers: one dipping container for the seasoned flour of salt, pepper and cayenne pepper, one dipping container for the beaten eggs, and the final dipping container for the panko bread crumbs.

Dredge each ball of macaroni and cheese in the flour and remove the excess. Dip in the egg wash and coat with the bread crumbs. Allow them to rest for 5 minutes so the crust can set.

Very carefully drop a couple of the macaroni balls into the oil and fry until golden brown. Remove and place on a paper-lined baking sheet. Let it rest for 5 minutes until ready to serve. Place on serving platters.

Serve with a side of buttermilk ranch dressing.

Yield: 16 to 20 bites (depending on your macaroni and cheese leftovers)

Review: Absolutely delicious, and who can say no to macaroni and cheese? No one. Plus, it was super easy to prepare especially since I had a deep fryer, and it makes less of a mess in the kitchen because I fry everything out on the patio. I have this tiny Cuisinart that we received from our wedding registry and it really does the trick whenever you need a couple things deep fried. My little growing cookie sure loves his/her savory foods like this and I'll be twiddling my thumbs all week long until I find out the results of my glucose test next week.
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Four Cheese Macaroni & Cheese

2012-02-06T06:00:00.000-08:00

Monday Fun-day. It's the day after the Superbowl XLVI bonanza between the NY Giants and NE Patriots. Did you watch the game or watch the commercials for giggles? I'm all about the entertainment and tasty foods, and mostly hosting the Superbowl party. My most favorite commercial has to be the one with the M&Ms where Ms. Brown (Vanessa Williams) is mocked about the color of shell looking like she is naked and argues that her color is milk chocolate. Then the crazy Red M&M strips down to his brown shell to my most favorite LMFAO tune to "Sexy and I know It." It was pretty clever and hilarious because he also did the "wiggle wiggle wiggle" dance.

My husband and I had hosted a simple Superbowl party with our friends. I made my tasty buffalo chicken tacos, bacon wrapped jalapeno poppers, fried macaroni and cheese bites, and football shaped sugar cookies. Nothing but the best game-style foods right? The fried macaroni and cheese bites were something that I had been wanting to make because I had made this large batch of four cheese macaroni and cheese.

Last year while traveling in Italy, Eric and I had picked up a bottle of white truffle oil while we were in Florence. I really wanted to take a couple truffles home with me, but that would have cost me a small Italian fortune. Truffle oil was the next best thing and easier to pack up in my travel bag. Truffle oil adds an extra smoky flavor that is hard to describe, but was the key ingredient that motivated myself to make this dish. This was one extravagant macaroni and cheese dinner filled with some tasty cheeses, and a comforting meal to enjoy, too.

Four Cheese Macaroni and Cheese
Adapted from Bobby Flay
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
1 pound elbow macaroni
Kosher salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups hot whole milk
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 cup grated fontina cheese
3/4 grated gouda cheese
3/4 cup grated extra sharp white cheddar cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup panko crumbs
1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon truffle oil *Optional*

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare the macaroni to the package directions.

While the macaroni is cooking, heat the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Do not let the butter brown and slowly add the flour and whisk at a constant speed until a roux forms. Cook the roux over low heat for at least 5 to 7 minutes. Add the milk in a steady stream.

Cook the white sauce for 10 minutes and then add the spices, salt, fontina, gouda and white cheddar cheeses until they have melted, about 2 minutes.

Drain the pasta and place into a large 9x13 casserole dish. Pour in the cheese sauce on top. Sprinkle the panko crumbs and parmesan cheese on top and let bake for 10 minutes. Turn on the broiler and let the tops slightly brown the tops for a couple minutes, 3 to 4 minutes.

Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Yield: 8 servings

Review: Cheesy and scrumptious. The magic ingredient here is the white truffle oil. You can easily omit it, but if you like to live dangerous and indulge in the wonder fruit of Italia - you need to invest in a small bottle. You only need a small drizzle of this magic potion because it adds that extra OOMPH wow factor. Trust me. Buy some if you can. Tomorrow, I'll share the simple recipe to do use up the macaroni and cheese leftovers. ;-)

Fun Baby News: Of all the days, I'm taking my 2 hour glucose screening test this fine Monday morning. Let's hope all the tasty foods that I devoured on Superbowl Sunday didn't affect the outcome of my tests. Supposedly the sugary fizzy bubbly will determine if I have gestational diabetes or not. Let's hope for good news. :::Crossing fingers, legs and toes..:::
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Blackberry Lemonade

2012-02-02T08:30:00.000-08:00

It's been a whirlwind of a week, and there has been a bit of a family emergency that has kept me away. Eric's grandmother is currently in the hospital and had a bit of a dizzy spell because she's anemic. The doctors are doing lots of tests to make sure she is okay, but had to undergo a colonoscopy because they were worried about the traces of blood they had found. We are anxiously waiting on the lab results of her latest CT scan and praying for a quick recovery. She is in good spirits and the family is doing everything we can to be there for her.

This was a simple drink that I had made earlier in the week because the abundance of Meyer lemons that I had picked off our tree. Usually when we have lemons - I make lots of lemonade. Lemonade has been one of my go-to drinks since the beginning of my pregnancy, but sometimes I have been a little bored of the repetitiveness of it. This was a refreshing variation by simply adding some muddled blackberries, and they are inexpensive at most grocery stores and farmers markets. I love the gorgeous purple hue that blackberries gave and if you didn't know purple is my favorite color!

It's perfect for entertaining and you can add a little shot of liqueur (rum/vodka/tequila) to make a nice adult version of the drink.

Blackberry Lemonade
Adapted from Food Network
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
6 to 8 lemons (2 cups of lemon juice), plus lemon slices
2 cups water
1 to 2 cups ice
1 cup simple syrup
1 pint of blackberries

Preparation:

Prepare the simple syrup by bringing one cup of sugar and water to boil, stirring until dissolved. Let cool.

In a large pitcher, muddle the blackberries, make sure to smash them completely or it will be hard to sip the fruit through a straw. Stir in the 2 cup of lemon juice, and 2 cups water. Add the ice and lemon slices. Serve in a glass with extra lemon slices if desired.

Yield: 2 Liter pitcher ~ about 6 cups

Review: Refreshing and a gorgeous way to brighten your day. Here's a sweet picture (instragram) of my favorite birthday cousin/twin, and my grandma. They are modeling the flower headbands that I had made while we were in the hospital yesterday. My grandma loved it, and had felt like a little kid. Doesn't she look darling in it? ;-)
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Soft Pretzel Bites

2012-01-25T11:00:00.000-08:00

Lately, I have been craving salty foods more than normal. I guess my pregnancy cravings are starting to really pick up and I'm trying my absolute best to stick to eating healthy, exercising and providing nutritious foods for my growing belly. Can you believe that I'm 25 weeks today? For those that are curious, Eric and I aren't finding out the gender of the baby aka cookie. We want our little blessing a surprise come May. My pregnancy cravings haven't been pickles and ice cream or anything weird, but more salty and sour.

I had recently met up with Jessica from Sunny Side Up In San Diego and she had given me some ideas on my birthday cake that I plan on baking next month. I wanted to highlight something from her blog and I fell in love with from her recipe post on soft pretzel bites and a couple other recipes, too.

It's like my pregnancy cravings were instantly honed on her soft pretzel bites. These soft pretzel bites are easy enough for the immediate cook because I have conquered my fear with yeast a couple times in the kitchen. Yeast may have won more battles (failed recipes), but this might pose a little challenge if this is your first attempt with yeast. (Make sure to give yourself some ample time to let the dough rise). Be careful because these little pretzel bites might be addicting, and you can easily make sweet ones by substituting cinnamon sugar instead of coarse salt for the topping. It's a carb lovers dream come true!

Paired beautifully with my buffalo chicken soup, or make Jessica's beer cheese dip.

Soft Pretzel Bites
Adapted from Sunny Side Up in San Diego
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
Pretzel Dough:
4 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 1/4 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
5 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 Tbsp butter, melted
Topping:1/2 cup baking soda
4 cups hot water
2 egg whites
2 tablespoon butter, melted and cooled
Coarse kosher salt, for topping
Parchment paper and cooking spray

Preparation:

In a measuring cup, dissolve the yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in warm water. Set aside. (Mixture should become foamy - or you have bad yeast or too hot water).

In the bowl of a standing mixture fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour, sugars, and salt on low speed. Turn off the mixer and pour the water/yeast mixture and melted butter into the bowl. Turn the mixer on and knead for 6 to 8 minutes until the dough is smooth. If the dough is too dry you can add extra water, a tablespoon at a time.

Lightly oil a large bowl. Remove the dough from the mixer and shape into a ball. Place the dough ball in the bowl, cover with a clean towel, and allow to rise for one hour (or until double in size).
Note:*I turn on my oven at the lowest temp at 200 while I am doing my food prep. Then I place the bowl in the oven, and turn off the oven with the door slightly open for 30 minutes, then remove it and place on top of the oven for the remainder of the rising time.*

Towards the end of rising time, preheat oven to 450 degrees and prepare baking sheets with parchment paper and cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine the hot water and baking soda. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg whites and melted butter.

After the dough has risen, punch down the dough and then knead with hands for one minute. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and divide dough into 12 even portions. Now you can pick your shape. For pretzel bites roll each portion into a snake then cut the snake into bite size pieces, about 1 1/2 inches in width.

Dip the pieces in the baking soda water and place on the baking sheet. Dab with a paper towel if there is an excess of water. Brush each pretzel bite with egg whites/melted butter mixture then sprinkle with kosher salt.

Bake for 7-8 minutes, or until browned.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Yield: 3 dozen+

Review: Mmmmm, I loved these little pretzel bites. The good thing about these, they don't need to be perfectly shaped. I love the oddness of the shapes and added just enough salt to my pregnancy liking! My little cookie loves salty foods! These did make a huge batch and I shared a batch or two with my friends.

Foodie Fun Bonus: A couple weekends ago I met up with Jessica while I was in San Diego. It was really great to hang out again since the last time we saw each other was the FoodBuzz conference in SF. We ate some yummy tacos, split a peanut butter sundae at Ghiraradelli and talked endless foodie gossip. It was really great to see her one last time before she departs to China. I really love the foodie support that our food blogging community has, and I wish her nothing but the best for her exciting journey ahead. Mostly, I'll be living vicariously through her exciting travels! Pin It

DailyBuzz Moms 9x9: Buffalo Chicken Soup

2012-01-24T08:30:00.000-08:00

The weather in SoCal is like a rollercoaster. This past weekend was filled with grey clouds, ugly rain and cold weather storms. We had a nice downfall of constant rain for the past couple of days, and then for the rest of the week - it's up back to typical awesome sunny 80 degree SoCal days. Rain boots one day, and then flip flops the next day. That's sooooo "OMG" SoCal for ya.

However, there is nothing like a hearty bowl of soup to warm you up on those dreadful rainy days or perhaps bring a little extra warmth on those gorgeous bright days. This recipe is no stranger to my blog and an oldie recipe post that desperately needed to be updated. The big foodie rage right now are these tasty buffalo chicken tacos, but this buffalo chicken soup will make you think twice.

This comforting soup is simple to prepare and can be easily made in one large sauce pot or in a crock pot. It's filled with a variety of gooey cheeses, vegetables, and shredded chicken. This creamy and cheesy soup is almost like having buffalo wings with blue cheese dressing all mixed into one yummy bowl of delicious-ness without the sticky mess. It's definitely a soup favorite in our house and for many days to come. One bowl of this indulgent soup will cure any rainy day blues because it's hearty and nom-a-licious!

Buffalo Chicken Soup
Inspired from TJs
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, about 6 to 8 ounces, cooked and shredded, about 1 1/2 cups
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 to 4 celery stalks, about 1 cup, diced
1 large white onion, about 1 cup, diced
2 to 3 medium carrots, about 1 cup, diced
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon hot sauce, Buffalo sauce
1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese
1 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan
1/3 cup flour
2 tablespoons of Italian parsley, chopped finely

Preparation:

Prepare chicken as you like. I bake my chicken with a little bit of salt and pepper and seasoning, and bake for 20 minutes, until no longer pink. **You can opt to use store-bought rotisserie chicken, too.

In a large sauce pot or dutch pan, saute the carrots, celery and onions until tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the minced garlic, and cook for one more minute. Stir until combined.

Stir in broth, heavy cream, hot sauce and shredded chicken.

In a large bowl, toss all the cheeses and flour together. Mix well. Gradually stir into the soup.

Warm soup until thick and hot, about 10 to 15 minutes. Serve with additional hot sauce, crumbled blue cheese and garnish with freshly chopped Italian parsley.

You can serve this in a bread bowl, or pair it with soft pretzel bites.

Yield: about 8 to 10 servings

Review: Mmmmm, I absolutely love making this soup and I don't make it often enough. I had a small bowl last night because cookie was happily doing some baby zumba...so demanding with food. Afterwards, no more kicks or punches to the stomach, happy stomach = happy baby.

Behind the scenes: Here's a sneak peak of my photo set-up for my buffalo chicken soup. I really try to take most of my pictures with natural light (mainly in the mid-afternoons) which is right around 3 to 4pm. Normally the natural light comes from my front patio that hits perfectly onto my kitchen table (which is to the far left of this set-up) but since it was raining, it was quite darker than normal. My back-up plan - I had to set-up a small table right next to my front patio door to get the best natural light. I laid out a round cheese board as a secondary tabletop with a burlap fabric (used to be a rice bag that I turned inside out), a couple ingredients used in the dish, and a white foam board (with brackets superglued on) at the end of my table. White foam boards are inexpensive and one of the best ways to get more natural light reflected on your food.

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Cheese Enchiladas with Salsa Verde

2012-01-23T09:30:00.000-08:00

The wonderful and awesome weekend has come and go....so very fast. Hurry up Friday and come back, I miss you already.

Eric and I are loving our new Iphones, and we are still figuring out the apps/perks to the phone. Funny story, we were out shopping for our nursery furniture and we were taking a picture of the crib to send to my in-laws when a stranger approached us. He said "oh cool, you are price shopping, too?" We didn't know what he was talking about and he showed us a fun app that lets you scan the bar code and it will find the lowest price for you. (Shop Savvy!) How cool is that?

This dish is perfect for Meatless Mondays and easy enough to prepare at a moment's notice. We had a last minute get together for the football playoffs and I needed something simple for game food. I decided on hard-shell tacos with a beef filling for a group of 8. Tacos are always easy enough to make, but I wanted another tasty option available as well to fill our hungry stomachs. Luckily, I had a container of salsa verde in my freezer from the last time we had carnitas, and I had an abundance of cheeses to use, too. These came together fast and paired nicely with our last minute taco meal.

Fantastic dish to eat by itself or to serve as a side.

Cheese Enchiladas with Salsa Verde
Original Krystal recipe
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups monterey jack cheese, shredded
1 1/2 cup pepper-jack cheese, shredded
1 cup queso seco, crumbled
1/2 cup green onions, diced
1 6 ounce can of green chile peppers, diced
8 to 9 flour tortillas (8 inch)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped finely
Salsa Verde, about 2 1/2 cups

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a large 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray or Misto.

In a large bowl, combine all the cheeses and mix together. Set aside 1/2 cup of the cheese mixture.

In a medium saucepan, warm the salsa verde over medium-low heat. Spread an even layer of the salsa verde on the bottom of the baking dish.

Spoon about 1/3 cup of the cheese mixture onto each tortilla and roll up. Place seam-side down. Repeat until you have used all the cheese and have no more room in your baking dish.

Top with remaining salsa verde, the reserved cheese mixture, diced chile peppers, cilantro and green onions.

Cover with aluminum foil, make sure coat the foil with cooking spray or misto so it doesn't stick to the enchiladas. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Review: Simple and delicious. I had paired this along with the main entree: beef tacos and it was a great addition to the meal. You can taste a little bit of the heat from the salsa verde and diced chile peppers, but the real treat is the mixture of cheeses. Melting and oozing out of the tortilla....sooooo yummy!
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