#FrostyVoxBox

So a few weeks ago Elizabeth and I got our very first box of goodies from Influenster in the mail! We're so excited to get to try out these products and let you all know what we think about them. In our box we got:

• Candy Cane Lane Green Tea from Celestial Seasonings
• Boots No7 Repair and Protect Serum
• Fruit Vines Strawberry Bites
• Eco Tools Full Volume Styler Brush
• McCormick Thyme
• New York Color Expert Last Lipstick, Sugar Plum
• Just Let it Go Rimmel London Eye Makeup Remover

To be honest, I really thought that some of these products were going to be subpar, but I was really surprised to actually like all of the products. Stay tuned in the next couple weeks to catch our reviews of each product.

Coca Cola Cupcakes with Ganache Icing

After heading to Atlanta to get my visa, I'd been thinking about making coca cola cake. Of course, since I love cupcakes, I decided to modify a recipe to make cupcakes instead. You can't necessarily tell that these cupcakes have coca cola in them, but you can tell that there's something different about them.


Based on this coca cola cake recipe by Linton Hopkins.

Makes 12 cupcakes

Cupcakes

Ingredients

1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
2 oz. butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 TBS cocoa powder
1/2 cup Coca Cola
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. In a saucepan combine the butter, oil, and Coca Cola. Allow the mixture to boil for about a minute. Then, remove it from the heat.
3. Combine the flour and sugar in a mixing bowl.
4. Add the Coca Cola mixture to the contents of the mixing bowl. Stir.
5. Add baking soda, sour cream, cocoa powder, and vanilla. Stir.
6. Add eggs, and mix until well combined.
7. Transfer the batter into the cupcake pan. Fill each liner about half full.
8. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool before icing cupcakes.


Ganache Icing

Ingredients
3 TBS melted butter
2 1/2 TBS cocoa poweder
3 TBS Coca Cola
1 - 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 tsp vanilla

Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl. Start with 1 cup of powdered sugar. Add more if necessary. The icing should be soft, but not runny. Ice the cupcakes once they have cooled.

Enjoy your cupcakes!

Book Review: An Everlasting Meal

 

When I first picked up Tamar Adler's An Everlasting Meal, I was not sure what to expect. It has a foreword by Alice Waters which is obviously a strong endorsement, but flipping through the pages, I found little that looks like a traditional cookbook.

However, this is exactly what the book is--a cookbook, meaning that it is a book that actually teaches the reader how to cook rather than just giving recipes to be followed.

Here are the reasons why I enjoyed An Everlasting Meal.

- This cookbook is meant to be read rather than simply flipped through.

- Adler's cooking philosophy is that nothing in the kitchen should be wasted.

- Every chapter stresses that ingredients used in each meal should build part of the next meal.

- You are encouraged to understand the cooking process and make it your own.

- The sections present the basics of cooking in a way that shows how they all relate to each other.


If I were to sum the book up into one statement, it would be - no fuss, just delicious meals.

If you were only going to buy one cookbook, this would be the one that I would suggest. An Everlasting Meal is highly practical for everyday cooks, but at the same time, the writing style elevates the book to something more than ordinary.

BTCG: Microwave Treat Recipes

Welcome to the second post in our Back to College Guide.

One of the strangest things for me about living in a dorm was not having a kitchen.  While some dorms do have kitchen access, most college students living on campus are usually stuck with just a fridge and a microwave.  There are endless types of microwave meals available, but these aren't the only options you have.  It's actually possible to cook some pretty tasty things using just a microwave.

Here's a few ideas for microwave cooking that we've gathered from different sources.  These all make a single serving, so even if you have a full kitchen available, you can use these recipes for when you want a treat, but don't want 23 extra cookies hanging around afterwards.

Recipe for Single Serve Brownies by Christi at Love from the Oven

Single Serving Deep Dish Chocolate Chip Cookies by Sophie at My Happy Place

One Minute Chocolate Cake in a Mug by Katie

Nutella Mug Cake by Angie McGowan on Babble

Mug of Mac and Cheese by the Naptime Chef on Babble

Quick note:  So far, I've only tried the first two of these, and they've turned out well.  In these recipes, I usually replace an egg with 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil and 1/2 tsp baking powder.  Then, you can undercook the cookies without having to worry about getting sick.

These turned out to be more microwave baking recipes rather than microwave cooking recipes.  I know that there's lots more out there that can be made in the microwave.  Does anyone have any other suggestions for easy microwave recipes?

If you didn't catch last week's BTCG post, why not see our suggestions for DIY Recycled Decorating Projects.  You can also see the third part - Guide to Writing an Essay.

Baked Zucchini

During the holiday season, it can be difficult to find a balance between delicious and unhealthy when it comes to food.  One recipe that is both very flavorful, but still healthy, is one for baked zucchini which I found in Vegetarian and Vegetable Cooking.  I didn't know that I liked zucchini before I tried this recipe, but since pretty much everything is good when there is cheese involved, I decided to try it.  It's a bit early, but if one of your New Year's resolutions is to eat more vegetables, this would be a good start.  Also, I think it would be a good appetizer for a Christmas dinner especially if you cut each zucchini in half.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

4 zucchini

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 oz goat cheese

black pepper

salt  

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Cut 4 rectangles out of foil, one for each zucchini, and brush olive oil on each rectangle.

3. Make a thin slit along the middle of each zucchini, and place zucchini on the rectangle of foil.  You'll want to make sure that the slits are wide enough to accommodate the amount of cheese you plan to place in them.  

4. Place bits of goat cheese into the slits. (I used a lot in each!)  Sprinkle with olive oil, black pepper, and salt.

5. Wrap each piece of foil around a zucchini.  Put on a baking sheet, and bake for about 25 minutes.

Sugar Free Cake

Our answer to any kind of celebration is to bake cakes, cupcakes, cookies, or some similar sugary treat, but not everyone that we know is able to have sugar.  Sometimes it can be difficult to know what to bake for these people.  It just doesn't seem like a real birthday without cake, so our solution was to make a sugar free cake.  I'm sure that you can find recipes for sugar free cakes, but we decided to keep it simple and buy packaged cake mix from Pillsbury.

To make the cake even more fun, we added cookies around the cake's edges.  Hershey's makes sugar free chocolate chips, so we used the recipe on the back of the bag to make our cookies.  Although the cookies don't taste quite like normal chocolate chip cookies, they do make a close substitute.

I think in the future we'll try to make sugar free desserts from scratch instead of from cake mix, but it's nice to know that the mix does make good cakes if we are in a hurry.

Easy Chicken Skillet Recipe with Onions

I got this recipe from the All New Diabetic Cooking Cookbook from the one dish wonders sections. This is a great cook book if you’re cooking for someone who is diabetic or want to cook healthier and avoid calories from sugar. Every recipe has a count of calories and nutrients per servings. I tried this recipe one night because I was looking for an easy to fix meal, but I didn’t have all the ingredients so the recipe became chicken skillet with onions instead of chicken skillet with pearl onions. I’ll include the ingredients they recommended and the ingredients I substituted. I thought my improvised version turned out well. I hope you enjoy!

Makes four servings

Ingredients:

2 cups of water

1 pound small new potatoes (or 1 pound small potatoes*)

8 ounces fresh pearl onions, blanched and peeled, or frozen pearl onions thawed (or 1 small regular onion sliced*)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon chili powder (or 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper powder*)

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (or 1/2 teaspoon basil*)

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 tablespoons olive oil

1. Put water, potatoes and onion(s) and water into a large nonstick skillet and bring to a boil. The burner should be on medium to high heat. Once it comes to a boil cover and boil for about 12 minutes. You may need to reduce the heat a bit to make sure it doesn’t boil over. After 12 minutes stick one of the largest potatoes with a fork. If the potatoes is soft and easily pierced then it’s ready. Drain the potatoes and onion(s) and set to the side.

2. Mix salt, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper or chili powder, and basil or oregano together. Sprinkle the mixture over both sides of the chicken.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the skillet you just used for the potatoes and onions over medium-high heat. Once the olive oil is heated, add the chicken. Cook the chicken for 5 minutes then turn. Add the potatoes and onions back into the skillet with the chicken and drizzle the rest of the olive oil over the mixture. At this point I added a bit of extra water to make sure the chicken would stay moist. Cover the skillet and cook for five minutes or until you are satisfied that the chicken is not pink in the middle anymore. Let everything stand for 3 minutes and then serve

Cake and cupcake inspirations

Hello everyone!  I hope that your week is off to a good start.

My week is certainly starting off well since today happens to be my birthday!  This year, I won't be having a cake for my birthday since I'm without an oven as are all of my friends.  However, since I love making cakes for my friends' birthdays when I'm at home in the US, I have a huge collection of cake and cupcake ideas ready for next year.  Maybe I'll make myself a late birthday cake when I get home if I can't wait until the next closest birthday.  Maybe.  Even if you don't plan on baking soon, please enjoy the beautiful cakes.

Photo via weheartit

I'm loving the Minnie Mouse cupcakes.  After all no one is ever too old for Disney. 

photo via weheartit

These remind me a bit of Mickey's hat in the Sorcerer's Apprentice. 

photo via weheartit

White icing? Check. Colored dots? Check. Layers of pink and white? Check.  I think that's everything that a cake needs to be perfect.

photo from marthastewart.com

This is called the Dolley Madison Layer Cake.  I just really want to try making a caramel cake.  It is understated and not over the top, but still impressive.  Sometimes when I bake, I forget that taste is just as important as looks.

Photo credit naturallyella. 

I've seen several cakes with the rose pattern technique.  I think that learning to do the roses would be a good way to make a basic cake look even more elegant when the occasion calls for something more than normal.

Photo credit - Love. Luck. Kisses & Cake Found via pinterest

This seems like the perfect solution for when you need a cake quickly or if you don't like baking.  Who wouldn't want a cake made of doughnuts?  Extra points if they are Krispy Kreme.

Do you have a go to cake for certain occasions or any cakes that you're looking forward to trying in the future?  We'd love to hear about them.

Have a lovely day!

10 Scone Recipes to Try

As I mentioned earlier I spent my spring break traveling through the UK.  One of my favorite parts of the trip (I had lots of favorite parts of the trip) was stopping by a cafe one afternoon to try tea and scones.  I already knew that I would like scones since my mom likes to make this recipe for Cranberry Drop Scones on Sunday mornings.  She always says that those scones aren't as good as the ones she ate in England though.  This has always confused me since I think the drop scones taste good.  I have to say that now I understand, and I've begun a search for a recipe to recreate the scones that I tasted.

The following 10 scone recipes are some of the most interesting options that I have found so far in my search.  I think that real scones don't need anything other than cream and jam to taste amazing, but I can't help wanting to make scones with other things added in as well.  If you are trying to avoid to much sugar, go ahead and scroll down to numbers 9 and 10 because the rest in this list tend to contain chocolate.

1. Maple Bacon Brown Sugar Scones
2. Blueberry Scones
3. Samoas Scones
4. Chocolate Chip Cream Scones
5. Cookies n' Cream Scones
6. Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Scones
7. Chocolate Cranberry Scones
8. Raspberry White Chocolate Scones
9. Girdle Scones
10. Classic Scones

I think that number 10 is probably the kind of scone that I'm searching for.  Does anyone have any suggestions for me?

Have a lovely day!

Teacake Recipe from Paula Deen

In eleventh grade, my English class read Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, and just for fun our teacher brought us some teacakes in honor of the character in the book Teacake. Our teacher's mother made them, and I am making no exaggeration when I say a crumb fell on my paper and left a mark from all the butter in the cookies. The cookies were amazing, and ever since, I have been in search of a good tea cake recipe. I thought where better to get a teacake recipe than the southern cooking queen Paula Deen?

You can find Paula Deen's recipe for Southern Tea Cakes at foodnetwork.com

So I tried her recipe and the verdict is that while they were not quite what I was looking for, they were still pretty tasty. More sugary than the buttery taste I was looking for, however, they turned out beautifully. Thank you Paula Deen!

Book Review: Beat This! Cookbook

I know that it might seem strange for me to be reviewing a cookbook when I've pointed out that I don't currently have a kitchen and I won't have one again until June at the earliest.  However, Beat This! Cookbook by Ann Hodgman is just too enjoyable not to share.

If you cook often, you know that you have lots of cookbooks that you really only use occasionally for one or two recipes.  On your shelf, this one has the best pie recipe, and this one has the best casserole so you have quite a lot of cookbooks.  What if you had one cookbook with the best of every type of recipe all in one book?

Well, the claim that Ann Hodgman makes is that every single recipe in Beat This! is the best recipe that you will find for that dish.  Are all of her recipes as good as she says?  I can’t say for certain because I have yet to test any of her recipes for myself (I look forward to doing so as soon as possible, however.)  This new cookbook which was released March 7^th 2011 is the new and updated version of the cookbook by the same name published in 1999, so one would hope that these recipes are even more amazing than the last ones.

The best part of this book is the author’s style of writing.  While some might find her assertions that her recipes are the best slightly annoying, quite frankly I wouldn't want to try a recipe if someone told me that it was just an “ok” recipe.  The way that she describes her recipes is so enticing.  Her recipe for Brussels sprouts makes me want to try them just as much as I want to the brownies proceeding them, and Brussels sprouts aren’t usually a thing that you want as much as brownies. 

Ann Hodgman gives plenty of helpful advice before she gives you the recipe.  For example, she explains why frozen blueberries are actually better to use in pies something that I’ve never heard before.  Chances are that you will also enjoy the way that she gives tips such as “Triangles, by the way, always make a bar cookie look more impressive.”  As you may see, the style of Beat This! is different from most other cookbooks.  In addition to the above, Hodgman chose to arrange the alphabetically by the main ingredient.  This leads to some interesting combination next to each other, but why should all cookbooks be arranged the same way anyway?  I think that it works well for this book.

So if you are looking for another cookbook for your collection, I would certainly suggest Beat This! Cookbook.  Even if you don’t enjoy cooking quite as much as I do, you might enjoy reading through it all the same.

(I received a free version of this book from netgalley.  However, I was not required to review it favorably or at all unless I decided to do so.)

Book Review: How to Squeeze a Lemon

As the subtitle implies How to Squeeze a Lemon: 1,023 Kitchen Tips, Food Fixes, and Handy Techniques , contains many tips and tricks for use in the kitchen.  The book covers a wide array of things that you might find helpful to know related to cooking - from what tools you can use in the kitchen if you don’t have some equipment that you need to how you can rehydrate mushrooms with wine.   The books main divisions are equipment, produce, meat, pantry, techniques, wine & beer, and when things go wrong.    All of these sections contain numerous tips that would be helpful for anyone who likes to cook.  The book does not go into deep focus on any one of these divisions.  However, everyone should be able to find at least a few good tips.  The book is definitely a good, general, all-around reference book without being too specific.  There is also a list of substitutions and equivalents which is perfect for the times when you realize an hour before everyone is supposed to arrive that you’ve forgotten some tiny ingredient needed to pull a dish together.  Although not completely necessary, for someone who enjoys having a bookshelf full off culinary-related books in the kitchen, this book would make a good addition.  This book would also make a good gift for a friend who enjoys being in the kitchen.  

I don't think that this is a book that I'll be putting on my list to buy for myself simply because I'm not in the kitchen often enough to need it, and I generally stick to making things that I know how to make fairly well.  Perhaps I might want it, if I ever become more adventurous in the kitchen, or when I get older and find myself cooking for more than myself more often. 

PS.  I received a free copy of this book from netgalley in order to review it.

Favorite Discoveries of the Week

This spotlight was not supposed to turn into a list a desserts...but it did anyway.  Sometimes, it's just one of those weeks.  Despite the fact that I don't have an oven right now and, therefore, can't make any of these until June at the earliest, it never hurts to be prepared when it comes to desserts.

photos from sophistimom.com, thegingercook.com, whisk-kid.blogspot.com and visionsofsugarplum.com

Did you know that you could make chocolate chip cookies in a skillet?  Take a look at the One-Pan Dark Chocolate Chunk Skillet Cookie (1)  made by Sophistimom.  I have no problem planning an event just in order to make this.

I've been wanting to make macarons for a long time.  While I think that I probably need to start with a more basic recipe, these Lavender Maracrons with Honey Dark Chocolate Ganache (2) by The Ginger Cook look utterly divine.

I haven't had a doughnut since September.  I know this because I bought one in the airport right before my flight to France.  Which means that I really want one like the Yeasted Doughnuts (3) by Whisk Kid.

Cookies n' Cream Kiss Cookies? (4)  Yes, please!  Thank you, Sugar Plum Blog!


There is also one non-food related favorite of the week.

Launch of Pirates of the Caribbean OPI collection - Possibly I get overly excited about OPI nail polish despite the fact that I only own about 2 bottles and I actually rarely every paint my nails.  I think that it has to do with adorable names that the company gives the colors.  So when I found out this week that OPI has a Pirates of the Caribbean collection coming out in May, I had to contain myself.  The names of these new colors? Skull & Glossbones, Stranger Tides, Mermaid's Tears, Steady As She Rose, Sparrow Me the Drama, and Planks a Lot.  You can find out more about them here.

That's all for this week.  I wish everyone a lovely weekend!

Food links

Despite the fact that I am living in France with a host family and only have access to a kitchen with just a stove top to cook in when I don't eat with the family, I still have several food sites and blogs that I check out all the time.  Even though I can't actually make many of the dishes sans an oven, I'm making a list of things to try when I return to the US.  These are the links that I look at most often.


Websites

Tastespotting - This site is a collection of images submitted by people which link to a recipe, article, video, or something similar that's food related.  Just scrolling through the pages of delicious pictures is amazing.  It's also a great way to find new food blogs.
Pauladeen.com - For good Southern cooking, Paula Deen is certainly one of the best.  While the food may not be healthy, no one can argue that it isn't absolutely delicious. 
Southernliving.com - Obviously, I like Southern cooking.  From classics like buttermilk biscuits and shrimp and grits and let's not even get started on the desserts, it's no wonder that the collections of recipes from the magazine are so popular. 
Marthastewart.com - If you know what kind of food you're looking for, then you can always search Martha Stewart's site for a recipe that is guaranteed to work. 
Good Mood Food - While this is no longer actually the name of Donal Skehan's site, I think that it best explains the types of recipes that he makes.  I originally read the Good Mood Food blog, but now that's he has an entire website, I read his kitchen blog on that site.  His recipes are all about good, simple food.

Food Blogs
Bakerella - Since my favorite things to make in the kitchen are sweets, I enjoy this blog alot.  I have yet to make cake pops, but I certainly want to!
Whisk Kid - I found this blog through tastespotting, as is my usual method of finding food blogs.  All of the photos on this blog are perfect.  The list of things I want to try from this blog is entirely too long and mostly desserts.

This list is short, I know, but I'll be adding it to the inspirations page soon where I'll keep it updated with new favorites as I find them.  Any suggestions?  In the future crafting/sewing links and book links will be coming next.

Pesto and Mozzarella Pizza

If you want a quick, but still delicious lunch for one or two people, then this is a perfect idea.  I like to make this pizza for myself for lunch.  I usually have two pieces and leave the other two for later.  You might think that I would get to eat the other half for lunch the next day, but someone else always eats it before then.

Start with a 6.5 oz packaged pizza dough mix.  Prepare the dough according to the directions.  Be sure to go ahead and preheat the oven to the temperature indicated on the package.  Grease a 9 inch cake pan.  Press the dough into the cake pan.  Spread 2 teaspoons of olive oil over the top of the dough.  Then, spread 3 generous tablespoons of pesto over the dough.  If you feel the need to, add more pesto.  Follow with half a cup of mozzarella cheese.  Place the cake pan of dough in the oven for 7 to 8 minutes depending on your oven and the directions on the package.  I find that the amount of time usually recommended is entirely too long for my oven so pay attention because it won’t take long to accidently burn the pizza.  Remove from oven and cut into four slices.  Eat the entire thing by yourself or share with a friend.

Cranberry Drop Scones

This scone recipe is one from my mom.  She says that they are not nearly as good as the ones she used to eat when she lived in England.  I've never had scones in England, so I don't know, but I personally like these scones just fine.

This is one of my favorite breakfast recipes.  It's easy and quick as well as perfect if you have company over and don't want to spend lots of time baking but still want to have a yummy breakfast.

Cranberry Drop Scones

Ingredients:
3 cups biscuit mix (I use Jiffy's)
1 cup milk
2 Tbs sugar
2 Tbs butter, melted
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Preheat the oven to 425 F.
Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl until well combined.
Drop the mixture by spoonfuls onto a lightly greased baking sheet.
Then, put a little water on your fingers and smooth the dropped spoonfulls into little mounds.  This will keep the edges that were sticking out from burning. 
Place the scones into the oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

Makes between 20 and 24 scones.

Counting the baking time, the entire process takes about 15 minutes.  Not too difficult for early in the morning.