Dinner

You know whats nice......after coming home from a long and hard day not having to lift a finger in the preparation of dinner. When you are the person making dinner for everyone every night it is so nice to have dinner made for you once in awhile.
Tonight my dad made dinner, now granted it was just a simple beef strogenoff, but it was so delicious and relaxing. I appreciated that act of kindness so much and it made my evening that much easier to deal with, settle down and unwind.

So please, if you have someone in your life working hard in everything and for everyone, make sure they know they are appreciated inc in awhile.  A simple act of kindness goes a long way! :)

♡A

Red Velvet Oreo Cream Dream on a Stick

Yay! 2nd place...
Red Velvet brownies topped with oreo cream and then a chocolate gnash and Oreos crushed on top.

I made this for a Sweets on a Stick competition today at school.
I was delicious but a total mouth full. Really rich. 

I was happy to come in second although it didnt not place first I am satisfied with the out come all from scratch and will definitely be making this dessert again.

♡A

Success

Since the success of my mind ion cake I have had a handful of people approach me from social media, my family, friends and even through work to see if I will make cakes for them and their special occasions.  I am thrilled that my hard work is paying off and people like my work. It is bringing all new possibilities and opportunities. 

I will be experimenting in my free time (HAH!) more with rolled & pourable fondant, marzipan,  & modeling chocolate.  Have a few events coming up and my mond is racing with ideas! :)

Also, if anyone has tips on how to price and scale the sizes, please contact me! :)
Thanks!

Back to thinking about baptisms, mario & hunting....hmm quite a bunch watta ya think??

;)
♡A

Ps: Sweetology

It's totally a struggle to eat healthy when I have an awesome job like this!
Being surrounded by yummy cakes, cupcakes,  cookies, an awesome candy wall & sprinkle dispensers how could it not be? I work at this new place where you get to create and design your own decorations to a cake, cupcake or cookie. It is really a neat idea, we being the "sweetologist" get to teach you the basics of icing and then its free range to you and your imagination! A DIY vibe with a sweet drinkery to relax in as well.
Wish me luck!

♡A

Weekend hunger

With eating healthier lately as it gets to the weekends it can get a little tricky. With no steady schedule,  work, family to cook for. Its hard. Although,  I am proud to say that surprisingly thus weekend I tried to stay on track and didn't do too bad. :)

How was everyone's weekend? :)

♡A

Minion Cake!

So it was a success but slight fail, overall it came out good for my first time for normal fondant. I tried a few different recipes and for some reason I dont know why and will do further research on the ways to get my fondant not so soft and where when I picked it up to drape it it would fall apart, almost crumble. 

But through hard work and help from my bf we made this cake.
It is a white cake with vanilla buttercream icing and strawberry & cream filling between layers. :)

Fajitas

Mmm my bf had the brilliant idea to bring home all the fixins' for homemade fajitas tonight for dinner.  We like cooking in the kitchen, it is fun and we appreciate it more. We communicate, joke, decide together new ways to make things and usually come up with something great! & tonight this was our twist, we had pineapple  teriyaki steak, garlic/butter chicken & scam style shrimp with a variety of peppers and onions.  :)

We really enjoyed making dinner tonight, hope it inspires yall to cook more with you significant others. :)

HAPPY COOKING! 

♡A

Fondant problems

Working with fondant can be tricky.  I have found this out the hard way myself with fondant.  Working with marshmallow fondant I found out came out okay but when I wrapped it around the cake it sweat really bad. I tried making homemade fondant for a birthday cake im making and assembling this weekend & it tasted great but was really soft and wouldn't roll out and wouldn't crumble if I tried to pick it up. I amd going to test some more ideas today and see if I can fix this.

They say that you should use Crisco on your fingers while working/kneading the fondant. Also, I was adding more and more powdered sugar to enhance the flavor and try to thicken up. However,  they do say cornstarch works better, so maybe if I knead a little in it will stiffen up but not too much or change the flavor.

I will keep yall updated if you're there....
;)

♡A

White cake

Experimenting with different recipes to homemade scratch white cake. Some have been horrible, let hope this one turns out better! :) have a minion birthday cake to make this weekend! 
I have in this one made a meringue with my egg whites to fold in after all the other ingredients have been mixed well with my kitchenaide stand mixer which I love! :)

WISH ME LUCK!

♡A

Snack Time! To indulge or not indulge...

Getting close to the time of after lunch hunger but before dinner can be hard sometimes when you have had a small lunch. For me there is that tempting bag of chips, or popcorn or maybe even candy. Mmm I love candy!  STOP! No Easter candy for me. I have found a sweet alternative that is a better, healthier choice for me.
They are adult fruit strips I have found at Target. Made by Archer Farms Simply Balanced they come in a variety of flavors and today I am having the Pomegranate real fruit strip.

They have all sorts of healthy snacks and I am always trying something new, I encourage you to do the same. Take out that little "harmless" extra snack for a slightly healthier version at least. Thats my thoughts on it at least.

♡A

Product Review-Hutzler

So as I have previously said, we are trying to eat healthy so bringing a lunch to school has been helping.  I do not like to put my dressing on before because by they time I get to eat it it gets soggy. YUCK! no thank you!
So, at the grocery store the other day I found this cute little ball for my dressings. It is by a brand named Hutzler & you open put the condiment of choice in and then ready to use open the small cap side and the bottom is rubber so you just push or squeeze it out. Its awesome!
I was afraid it would leak so I put it in a plastic baggy this morning but nope, no leaks and now I (& you) know it is study as well!

I have attached pics and a link to where you can purchase online of your store doesn't offer these nifty little contraptions for you yet.
Enjoy!

♡A

http://www.gourmac.com/flavorball.html

Eating Healthy

We don't eat horribly but we do need to eat better. So we decided to start taking salads to school & work everyday now.  They are hardy enough with different variations of vegetables that they fill us up. That along with taking daily walks is my plan to start getting back in shape. 

NACHOS

The blues game is on & we made homemade nachos with real cheese and not artificial creamy cheese. When you make nachos at home I suggest using these lime tortilla chips to add a little twist! Even with the homemade salsa the lime chips give it a zing that is sweet and sour at the same time with the spicy flavors.

Well I'm missing the game so ttyl8r!

GO BLUES!

♡A

Food scented products

Food is such a big thing in our world we even have food scented bubble soaps and lotions. 

You find food inspired products in everything. 
Of course little ones love these kond of things due to they make them so artificial & sweet smelling.

Candy

When they want easter candy for breakfast & you don't have a valid reason as to why they can't because you did the same thing when you were younger. .....
It happens, & stinks when you go to many easter parties. This should be fun....

Easter! Jalapeno & Prosciutto Deviled Eggs Recipe

Hey y'all!
Hoppy Easter!

Hope you all are enjoying this beautiful weather! Just wanted to post a simple recipe to deviled eggs with a twist my boyfriend and I decided to whip up today for our families!
He loves spicy food and we decided to do something a little different along with the traditional versions. 

I have posted some pics to help show you how we did it

To make:

-Boil your eggs then let then chill in fridge for a while.
-Once they have cooled peel and slice.
-Get all the yolk out.
-Mix with mayo or miracle whip ( we like the olive oil miracle whip its a little sweeter), mustard of your choice & chopped jalapenos.  We used the jar kind because to add a little more spice we added the juice its in as well!
-Make and mix to whatever consistency you like.
-After this step you are ready to pan fry the Prosciutto slices in a skillet just like bacon. Cut into small pieces for toppings later on.
-Now, you can either use a pastry bag with a tip of choice or if you dont have one you can also do like I did below and make shift one with a zip lock & cut the bottom corner:) easy as pie.
-fill eggs, top with Prosciutto & paprika
-chill & lastly, ENJOY! :)

Hope you have fun like we did and you and your family enjoy this recipe. 

Oh & ps: if you get tired of chopping or topping just have your boyfriend be your commis like I did;)
Hehe! Jk. He likes to help & we had fun

♡A

Pie

Mmm ever been to O'Charleys?  I love that place, really good rolls and food. The other night we got pie for dessert and boy was it good! Heres a pic of the one I chose! Mint Chocolate Cream ! :) Yi m! It was so rich and heavenly.  I couldn't even eat it all in one sitting had to bring home leftovers of the pie alone! Thats okay, I'm not complaining ;)

♡A

Free Food

Today we had a meeting with our school mentors to get to know them more and if we needed anything we could go to them for help. At this meeting we got free food! There's always free food somewhere around this culinary school! Granted, this wasn't school made but hey, im not complaining!  Free chocolate chip muffin! Heck yah! & Also, a classmate bought the wrong pretzel flavor and didn't want them so she gave them to me! SO good. :) that's all. 

Waiting For the Last Frost & Planting a Garden

Here in Missouri we all know how our weather is, in a span of one day we can be wearing sweatpants then strip down to shorts & a t-shirt. It's crazy! That being said, in the process of planting a new garden we have had to wait. I have never personally planted one besides the occasional flowers here and there. My boyfriend on the other hand being the handyman and hard worker he is has & also has an appreciation of fresh crops.  He has built an above ground box style garden, tilled it filled it with the correct soil.  I helped too....well is you count bringing him a cold beer & playing in the soil & mud help! ;)
Any who,  we went to the greenhouse & picked up some broccoli,  green/red leaf lettuce,  tomatoes, onions, peppers, parsley,  chives, cilantro and more.

FUN FACT:  Beings that these plants come from a greenhouse I have been informed that they have to be trained in a way to get ready and used to the real weather and soil.  To do this we have been bringing then inside and outside for fresh air in short spurts of time. Also to get sunlight. By doing this we have seen the stems get sturdier and not so flimsy as before.  They will definitely be ready to plant and not fall over and die on us when put in the real world! ;)

Through this process we hope to teach the little one about the hard work and effort it takes to get these fresh herbs and vegetables.  The hard work our farmers do to get this food to the stores for our tummies, it is so easy to just go to the store, but this is a big money saver and learning opportunity.  Hopefully she will expand her pallet a little more as well in the vegetable department besides the occasional carrots and other random veggies.
Wish us luck! As we do to you if you are planning on a garden this spring!

I have attached some of our photos to give you some ideas and for fun.

♡A

Fish Fry Friday!!!!

Being Catholic during a time called Lent we eat fish especially on Fridays up until Easter time. So all the church's have fish fries, which are one of my favorite parts! Yesterday, my family and I went to my church's fish fry & it was packed! My mom, daughter and I tried to find a table while my dad and boyfriend stood in line. When it became time we had many selections, there was cod, catfish, hush puppies, shrimp, Cole slaw, and corn. I got the catfish, shrimp platter with hush puppies and cole slaw. My daughter and I shared a plate as well as a slice of cheese pizza for her.  I wasnt sure if she would like the fish, so the deal was she had to at least try and if she did after eating her dinner she could have a piece of the cake they had for dessert. Well, she ate a piece of fish and LOVED it! Ended up liking it more then their pizza they had and filled up on fish. I was so thrilled that she had expanded her pallet and tried something new and actually liked it! :) with children it is interesting and a pick and choose your battles deal. She ate some of everything and all of what she liked then she got rewarded, now if she didn't eat at all good for me then now dessert would have been rewarded.
Gotta love fresh fried fish Fridays!  :)

♡A

Breakfast

Waking up and getting ready for the day is when I'm ready for a good meal to start my day. If I dont have something I can't function correctly and I'll be a little crabby. So this being said, on my days off I like to make a good breakfast when I have time. Even if its just like I did today, scrambled eggs, bacon, toast with homemade prickly pear jam, homemade buttermilk biscuits & sausage gravy. A big family dinner, and when the rest of the house is waking up to the smell of deliciousness and tummies a rumblin' here comes my 4 year old asking for mini (FROZEN from the box) pancakes & apple sauce. Oh and dont forget sometimes RAMEN NOODLES as well. Crazy right?!
All this good fresh food and she wants stuff that comes from a box. Kids, have a crazy appetite and some are picky eaters. They can go from liking anf willingly trying everything to the next day not trying new things and not liking what they used to eat. Its crazy, but its all a part of developing our sense of taste buds. Its funny, I tell her this and she looks at me, sticks out her tongue and then tries to ask if I can see her taste buds have changed. ....cracks me up!
Well, in the end with kids, you can't force them too much, have them try new foods over and over spread out in time and you never know. However, like I've said in my previous post. We have to pick and choose your battles what is worth it and what isn't .. so for today, looks like its mini pancakes and applesauce for her! :)

♡A

When it comes to food...

Food. One word, but so many things can come to mind when the word is seen, spoken, thought of, or even smelled. To me it is my world and involved with everything in my life. Everything I do has something to do with food. Like this blog for example.....trying to set up a blogger to talk about food. Sounds easy enough right? Welp, not exactly.  The internet and technology can be pain in the butts but we love them. Just sayin'! I love it, but hey! It happens.

Back to food, cooking to me is about exploring and trying new things or always trying to make twist something and make it better than before. Throughout this blog you will find my different discoveries on all different food based matters. I hope you learn some and enjoy new and old findings with me. :)

♡A

Ps: I'm a culinary student,  a young mom,  with a crazy family. So this will be fun, I promise.  :)