Daring Bakers’ Challenge: Edible Containers – Sweet

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baking, balsamic vinegar, blackberries, Daring Bakers, desserts, easy, fruit, gluten-free, healthy, pear, recipes, strawberries, vegan

The April 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Evelyne of the blog Cheap Ethnic Eatz.  Evelyne chose to challenge everyone to make a maple mousse in an edible container.  Prizes are being awarded to the most creative edible container and filling, so vote on your favorite from April 27th to May 27th at http://thedaringkitchen.com!

I am so embarrassed!!

Remember the last Daring Cooks’ Challenge aka Edible Containers – Savory?  We were free to do whatever we wanted for the fillings and containers.  We were also told that this month was the first that Daring Cooks and Daring Bakers were being given the same challenge, so I assumed this meant that the DBs would have the same freedom.  This means that I didn’t really read the instructions very carefully.  It turns out that we were supposed to use one of the two provided maple mousse recipes and construct an edible container for it.  While I used an edible container, I totally did NOT make maple mousse.  Fail! 

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Wordless Wednesday: Freshly Squeezed

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grapefruit, Wordless Wednesday

Usually I try to stay away from food-related WWs.  However, I liked this a lot, and didn’t think my last post needed yet another photo…

For more WW, click here.

Pink Grapefruit Yogurt Bundt

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baking, bundt, cake, desserts, easy, grapefruit, recipes, spring, yogurt

I finally caught Bundt Fever back in November when I made a zebra bundt cake for Mary the Food Librarian‘s I Like Big Bundts Roundup celebrating National Bundt Day.  (Did I use the b word enough in that sentence?)  Standard bundt cakes are usually too big for my needs, so when I spotted a half-sized pan several months ago at a nearby shop, pangs of want were planted deep within my soul.  This is me pretending to be melodramatic.

A couple weeks ago, the Groupon of the day was for that shop, and I didn’t think twice about it.  Don’t you love how they help you save money on money that you probably wouldn’t have spent otherwise?  That little bundt pan (there was only one left! fate!) was mine. 

Pimp My Easter Basket Roundup!

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baking, candy, Easter, ideas, Pimp My Easter Basket, roundup

Hey, you guys!  Are you ready??  It’s time!

That’s right, it’s the Pimp My Easter Basket Roundup that we’ve all been anxiously anticipating!  (right?)

People actually participated in this little bash of ridiculousness brought to you by Victoria, Mary, and me.  No way!  Now we get to show you who did what (I think more or less in the order of how we received them). 

Pimp My Easter Basket: Malted Milk Ice Cream with Robin Eggs

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candy, chocolate, desserts, Easter, ice cream, malted milk, Pimp My Easter Basket, Robin Eggs, Whoppers

Being a part of Pimp My Easter Basket, I’ve come to a realization: I am not really a fan of most Easter candy.  The majority (like Cadbury Eggs and Peeps) are overly sweet, yet somehow I manage to eat them anyway if they’re around.

Robin Eggs are no exception, though they’re definitely higher up than Peeps (everything is higher than Peeps…).

Last summer, I purchased The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz and have made a couple recipes from it, but oddly enough, neither were for actual ice cream.  Never did I imagine that the first ice cream I’d make would be Malted Milk Ice Cream.  It’s not that I have anything against malt, it was just an unknown flavor to me outside of Whoppers. 

Wordless Wednesday: Noon and Dusk

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bluebonnets, spring, Texas, tree, Wordless Wednesday

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One Hundred! and Striped Jelly Bean Shortbread Cookies

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baking, cookies, desserts, food coloring, FOTC, jelly bean, recipes, shortbread

9 months.

Probably the first thing that comes to mind is the amount of time it takes for a baby to cook.  It turns out that that’s also how long it takes for me to generate 100 posts!  (Annnd, I’m one person shy of I now have 100 followers on twitter! )  One could call this blog my baby, I suppose, so it’s all connected in some bizarre-o way.

I’m not sure that I ever thought I’d go this far with this endeavor, but honestly believe that I wouldn’t have without the amount of support, enthusiasm, and encouragement I’ve received from you.  /sappy moment  And a special shout out to my trusty little camera: I thought I’d lost it last week while making my dish for the last Daring Cooks’ challenge, but am so relieved to report that uncooked rice is a miracle grain.  Phew!!!

In honor of this occasion, I’m going to share something that I made a year ago which I’ve been saving up for this time of year.  Perfect timing for Easter this weekend! 

Daring Cooks’ Challenge: Edible Containers – Savory

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baking, cooking, Daring Cooks, leeks, NZ, pie, potatoes, recipes, savory, vegetarian

(Is it a food blogger faux pas to have the same very obvious plate two posts in a row?)

Renata of Testado, Provado & Aprovado! was our Daring Cooks’ April 2011 hostess.  Renata challenged us to think “outside the plate” and create our own edible containers!  Prizes are being awarded to the most creative edible container and filling, so vote on your favorite from April 17th to May 16th at http://thedaringkitchen.com!  (Note: this entry isn’t eligible, but go vote for others!)

I am totally late posting this!  It feels super lame to make excuses, but I have a few…  I was  having trouble coming up with ideas for this challenge even though I have some for the sweet challenge.  Then earlier this week, I thought of something after being inspired by the first few pages in the DC forum.  Being the procrastinator that I am, I was planning to do the challenge on the 13th, then post on the 14th.  (typical…)  The problem with this was that I thought the 14th was on Saturday for no apparent reason, and didn’t realize this until Thursday….the 14th.  Gah! 

Pimp My Easter Basket: Deviled Cadbury Eggs

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apples, baking, Cadbury Eggs, chocolate, Easter, frosting, peanuts, Pimp My Easter Basket, recipes

With a challenge with a name like Pimp My Easter Basket, one must keep both mind and tastebuds open.  After all, Easter candy is a bit crazy as is (why is that anyway?):  fluorescent animal-shaped marshmallows, chocolate eggs with all sorts of fillings, and jelly beans that put any rainbow to shame.  Things are bound to get out of hand.

And yep.  The idea for Deviled Cadbury Eggs was actually one of the first that popped into my head for PMEB.  Honestly, it kind of grossed me out, but that didn’t stop me.  I was just going to make a buttercream frosting similar to this one at Culinary Concoctions by Peabody, but then thought there needed to be more components.  When making normal deviled eggs, I like to add relish and maybe a little diced celery or red pepper.  This got the wheels turning… 

Wordless Wednesday: Very Vintage…

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Brahms, Texas, truck, Wordless Wednesday

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