Template Envy

Vanessa Contessa has been up for less than 6 months and I already felt like the shabby stepsister to all of my friends cute blogs. So I've had my first blog facelift (I'm sure it won't be the last!) Let me know what you think!

101 Things To Do With Your Cupcake Stand--The Easter Edition

My mom got me one of those super fun cupcake stands for Christmas a few years ago and for the most part it sits in my pantry waiting for some occasion to have cupcakes. After dyeing Easter Eggs with Sydney yesterday, I have found another use for it. A little leftover Easter grass and 18 Easter Eggs later... we have the Easter Egg Tower! Syd loves it and she shows off her favorite one to me and her dad about every 5 minutes. So for all you out there with a cupcake stand you have no idea what to do with, break it out for the Easter Eggs!

Reason Enough to Celebrate Easter...

I wait all year long for these bad boys....

Bad Habits

Compliments, once again, of my hilarious brother in law.

Treat of the Week #6

Bananas are funny. I always feel like its very important to buy them, but for the most part they always just go bad. They enter my house under the best on intentions, I have visions of banans slices on cereal and smoothies galore only to be left with black bananas attracting fruitflies. On Friday the 6 overripe bananas I had sitting on my counter guilted me into baking. But I guess you could say, life seems to give me forgotten bananas, so I've finally remembered to make banana bread. Here is the easiest banana bread recipe EVER and it always comes out perfect. I usually double this so I can make two loaves at a time, one simply just goes too fast in our house. There are a few variations I have tried and love that are listed at the end of the recipe for you experimenters.

Quick and Easy Banana Bread


Cream together (I just put it all in with my whipping attachement on the kitchen aid and let it go!)

3 bananas
1 c. sugar

Add to above:

1 egg
1/2 c. melted shortening, butter, or oil

Sift together and add, stirring all together, until just moistened:

2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda

Optional: Add - 1/2 cup walnuts. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Let cool and serve with butter or cream cheese.

Variations

Use macadamia nuts instead of walnuts
Spread with nutella instead of butter
Add to the batter a ½ tsp each of cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice for a spicy bread great in the fall.

The Pirate Predicament

I learned last week that there are some things you will just never be able to explain to a 4 year old--ever. Sure, your thinking, you'll never be able to explain exactly why cupcakes for dinner really is that bad (come on-- you know you've done it) or why it's important to get out of your pajamas at some point in the day regardless of whether or not you are going out eventually. Nope, I got a doozy last week. I got to try my hand at explaining human trafficking.

Looking back, the cupcake subject seems like a breeze compared to the one I was faced with at (of all places) Disneyland. There we were, enjoying our favorite ride in the park, when all of a sudden something caught Sydney's eye. For any of you familiar with the ride "Pirates of the Caribbean" you might already know the spot I am referring to. In the middle of all the plundering and pillaging, there in an auction going on, for brides. In the scene, several women of all shapes and sizes are lined up and tied together as the pirates bid for their hand. This is not the first time Sydney has noticed the ladies. Normally, she comments about the women being caught or captured, but on this trip, the smart little cookie put it together. I was struck dumb when my sweet little daughter exclaimed, "Mom, they are SELLING those ladies! WHY? Why are they selling them?!"

What's a mom to do? For those of you who don't know my daughter, let's just say that a quick, "I'll tell you later" or a "Just don't worry about it" simply would never suffice. Sydney's tenacity to stay on a subject rivals the fiercest of bulldogs and here I was, on a boat full of strangers in the middle of piratical pickle. Here's the rest of the conversation:

Me: "Well, the pirates want to have brides, so they are buying one."
Syd: "Why do they have to buy one? Can't they go on dates?"
Me: "No, they can't go on dates"
Syd: "Because pirates are too busy?"
Me: "Yes pirates are busy."
Syd: Because they sail in ships?
Me: "Yes. Hey look at those cats!" (1st attempt to divert the conversation)
Syd: "Wow, cats, do the ladies cost a lot of money?"
Me: "I don't know, probably"
Syd: "Do they buy them with treasure?"
Me: "Yes, I think so"
Syd: "Do the ladies have to live on the ships?"
Me: "I don't know Do you see the treasure?" (2nd diverson attempt)
Syd: "Why were the ladies tied up?"
Me: "Because they didn't want them to run away."
Syd: "Why would they run away?"
Me: "Not everybody likes pirates." (we are now exiting the ride)
Syd: "Yeah, I bet pirates like to give princesses a lot of smooches."
Me "They probably do."
Syd: "Can we ride it again? Right now?"
Me: "Absolutely not."


Now, let me say that yes, we will ride "Pirates" again. Heck, its our favorite ride! I mean, come on, who doesn't love pirates? I just hope next time, I won't have to explain any more about the joys of becoming a pirate bride.

Treat of the Week #5

The Spicy Maya Brownie has opened a floodgate. Now, all I want is brownies all the time. So I'm back on a quest to discover the perfect brownie recipe. If any of you have one, send it my way (it just might make treat of the week.) In the meantime, here's the first attempt at the perfect brownie. I doubled this batch and sent most of these to work with my husband for a company picnic on Friday; apparently they didn't last too long.
Triple Chocolate Brownies

1 cup sugar
½ cup butter, melted
2 eggs
½ tsp. vanilla
2/3 cup flour
½ cup baking cocoa
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
½ cup white chocolate chips
½ cup semi-sweet chips
½ diced walnuts

Mix together sugar, butter, eggs, and vanilla. Combine flour, cocoa, powder and salt and sift. Add flour mixture to the sugar mixture and combine. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts until just incorporated. Spread into a greased 8x8 pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes. Toothpick should come out with moist crumbs, not completely clean. DO NOT OVERBAKE (brownie will come out dry-and who wants a dry brownie, YUCK!) Cool completely before cutting.

For any of you starting our with the whole brownies from scratch, not from a box endeavor; here are my three best tips:

1. Always use good vanilla. This pretty much goes for ANY baking, but just dig deep, suck it up, and buy the real vanilla extract. It's so worth it and you really can taste a difference.

2. ALWAYS sift your dry ingredients together for brownies and cookies before combining with the sugar and butter. For years I thought this was a wasted step and just a way to dirty another bowl, but then I finally started adding this once I realized pretty much every recipe asked you to. It makes a world of difference. The dry ingredients incorporate better, and since you are not mixing so much, the final product comes out more moist and tender.

3. Remember, you are not making whipped cream, you are making brownies, the ingredients do not need to be beaten into submission, just combined thoroughly. If you beat the brownie batter, they will turn out tougher and drier. Use no more than a medium speed on your kitchen aid and cranking it up faster does not mean you'll get to eat a brownie that much sooner.