May 31, 2011

get your drink on

it's summer! that means it's time to hydrate!

1. strawberry lemonade spritzer
strawberry-spritzer.jpg

2. watermelon frosty

3. vegan coconut cream pie milkshake
coconutpiemilkshake-31.jpg


4. orange juice frosty
citrus smoothie8 Vibrant Orange Juice Frosty

5. guava hibiscus soda!

6. peppermint mocha ice cream shake
[i know this isn't a summer drink, but i'm a sucker for anything minty and chocoltey]

May 15, 2011

build your own bread

with the help of food network magazine i created my own bread recipe. they provided a basic bread recipe and i chose the add ins.
 i dont know what to call it yet. but it is the best bread i've ever had.

pear-coconut-walnut-spice-bread with cream cheese frosting


my recipe:
Mix 1 1/4 cups flour,
3/4 cup sugar,
1 teaspoon each baking powder and salt, and
1/2 teaspoon each baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large bowl;
add 3/4 cup of walnuts kind of crushed and,
1 cup shredded, sweetened coconut

In a medium bowl, whisk 2 eggs,
 1/2 cup vegetable oil,
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
 and 1 teaspoon citrus zest (optional)
Stir 1 cup shredded pears into the egg mixture,
then fold into the dry mixture until just combined.

bake about 55 minutes. cool for 30 minutes. make some frosting.

cream cheese frosting recipe:
Whisk 1 cup confectioners' sugar,
3 tablespoons softened cream cheese,
2 tablespoons milk and ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract.

spread and let set for 15 minutes.

cookie brownies

during the school week i was craving something sweet and something majorly chocolatey. i was torn between chocolate chip cookies and brownies. im the worst decision maker, so combined the two!

chocolate chip cookie brownies
i didnt really like the recipe, but it was a cool idea!

plain yogurt

this morning i sent my dad to the store for plain yogurt. he came back with a huge tub when i only needed a half a cup. so i am stuck with a massive amount of yogurt and the expiration time bomb is ticking. what to do, what to do?

1. plain tart frozen yogurt

2. cucumber yogurt dill

3. banana caramel nut frozen yogurt
dipped pops

4. coconut vanilla frozen yogurt
coconut vanilla frozen yogurt

5. caramelized apple parfait
Caramelized Apple, Yogurt & Granola Parfait Recipe

7. peanut butter yogurt dip

8. asian trifle

9. yogurt panna cotta with honey

10. yogurt dip with sundried tomato and basil

11. baked rice and mushroom cakes with herb yogurt

12. lemon yogurt cake
lemon cake

May 8, 2011

coconuts and corn

this weekend i made coconut cookies for my mom and corn souffle for a class party.

 recipe from martha stewart

recipe from cooks.com

southern roots

my dad was born in oklahoma and has an acquired taste for rich, savory, artery clogging foods. these southern sides weren't too bad:

southern potato salad, deviled eggs, southern baked beans

southern potato salad:
-6 medium red potatoes, cooked and chilled
-2 eggs, hard boiled
-1 cup mayo
-1 tablespoon yellow mustard
-1/4 tsp sea salt
-1/2-3/4 cup sweet relish
-1-1 and 1/2 cups shell maccaroni

mash hard boiled eggs and mayo. then mix everything in a big bowl.

southern baked beans:
-1 large onion diced
-2 16 oz cans of beans
- 3 tbsp yellow mustard
-1/4 cup maple syrup
-1/4 cup brown sugar
-4 tbsp ketchup
-1 tbsp lemon juice
-1/2 lb bacon strips cut into 1/2 in pieces (optional)

preheat oven to 350. mix everything, top with bacon bits. or not. whatever you please. bake covered for 45-60 minutes.

May 7, 2011

maple on my mind

this morning i went to starbucks. there was a very long line so i had plenty of time to stand and stare at all the beautifully tempting deserts and pastries behind the glass. an ominous force pulled my eyes to the maple glazed scones and i knew it was fate. i lusted for it's dark, silky frosting and crumbly insides. it was a love affair short lived, though i do not regret a single calorie.

1. starbucks copycat maple scones
starbucks copycat maple oat nut scones Maple Oat Nut Scones: Starbucks Copycat Recipe

2. pumpkin scones with maple nutmeg icing (vegan and gluten free)
Pumpkin scones that remind me of Starbucks- without the gluten

3. maple cream cookies

4. maple butterscoth macadamia blondies

5. olive tapenade maple tempeh sandwhich (vegan)

6. carrot cake cupcakes with maple cream cheese frosting
(gluten free)

7. apple sauce cookies with maple sauce

May 5, 2011

it is not spring. it is AP exam season! april showers bring in may's long hours of study time and severe sleep loss. im no coffee drinker, but this past week i've been downing lattes like there is no tomorrow. my favorite by far is chai spice. it is universally known that starbucks is not cheap, so i think i'll be turning my own kitchen into an espresso bar.

1. masala chai latte


2. almond milk latte (vegan)
almond milk latte coffee

3. skinny pumpkin spiced latte

4. s'mores latte
S'mores Latte

5. chai latte cupcakes (vegan!)