{recipe} peach lemonade

a few weeks ago i made these strawberry shortcake scones {recipe to come next week!} and peach lemonade.  it was one of those unbearably hot sunday afternoons where i just couldn't sit by the pool anymore, and nothing sounded better then some fresh squeezed lemonade.  

the recipe can be found here, but i would highly suggest adding more peaches then just the four it called for.  don't get me wrong, this lemonade was amazing, but the lemons overpowered the peaches a little.  next time i'll probably use less lemons and more peaches.  

instead of store bought lemonade, i made homemade lemonade using this recipe.

i also had to make the lemonade using entirely bottled poland springs water.  we had a major water crisis when a pipe exploded and the entire county was told the water was contaminated.  obviously i decide to make lemonade when that happens.  obviously.  

what's your favorite drink for cooling off on a hot summer day?

p.s i'm currently in the process of redoing the "recipe" section on the right of this blog.  i'm going to be making it a whole lot easier to find recipes on here, and it's all part of the process of updating this blog! it's taking me some time, but be on the lookout for that hopefully in the next few weeks! xo

Peach Strudel Bars

Have you ever gotten in the mood for something sweet, but not chocolate? No? Okay, so maybe I'm just crazy.  But last week I wanted something caky but not chocolatey.

Strudel Bars are probably the best alternative to your traditional chocolate dessert.  I knew I wanted to make something with peaches, since they are in season and I had a ton sitting on my counter.  These peach strudel bars were what I decided on and they are beyond amazing.  Next time I'd love to add some blackberry's or raspberry's, but they were delicious with just the peaches.

A few notes.....

*I actually used four peaches instead of two.  I think any less and there wouldn't have been enough.  You could totally even use five if you had enough.

*I squeezing the juice of half a lemon on top for a little extra flavor, and next time I would even add another half.

*I added a hint of vanilla into the base, and it was a great addition.  

** In other news, please say a big prayer for my grandma tonight.  she's one of my best friends and my role model.  today she had a mini stroke while at the beach, so she's in the hospital right now.  she's doing better and she's most likely going to be released tomorrow, but it's still super scary and a lot to handle considering everything that's happened in the past month or so.  i'm well aware of how fragile life is, and i'm just praying hard that everything is okay with her.  so if you could keep her in your thoughts and prayers i would really appreciate that. xo**

{Recipe} Nutella Cheesecake Brownies (and a giveaway winner!)

These brownies are outstanding.
Simply, wonderful.
They're airy, delicious, and the cream cheese balances the nutella perfectly.

Nutella Cheesecake Brownies
Here

You'll Need:

For Brownie Layer:

1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cocoa powder
1/2 cup nutella
1/3 cup flour

For Cheesecake layer:

8 ounce cream cheese
1/2 cup nutella
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs

To Make:
In a bowl, mix all the brownie ingredients.  In a different bowl, mix together all the cheesecake ingredients.  Scoop the brownie batter into a 8x8 inch pan.  Spoon the cheesecake batter on top and smooth.  Bake in oven set at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes.
The brownies should be set at this time, but a toothpick won't come out dry.
Enjoy!

And the winner of the soap giveaway is.....

#5!
Congrats Janelle!
Send me an email at
purplemonkey732 (@) aol (dot) com
and i'll get you in touch with the seller :)

thanks for everyone that entered!  it was the biggest giveaway EVER! xo

{Recipe} Honey Granola

First off, thank you thank you to all my twitter friends who prayed for my family today.

If you follow me on twitter, you know my sister had a health scare late this morning.

We were swimming laps when she got out of the pool to take her inhaler.

We both have exercise induced asthma, but her's is more severe then mine.

Next thing we all new, she had fainted and it looked like she was having a seizure.

There's nothing scarier- nothing- then seeing someone you love go through something terrible.

It only lasted maybe 10 seconds, but it was terrifying.

We brought her to the ER and luckily my Uncle is the Head of the ER there, so we were seen immediately.

They ran tests, and she's fine, but is going to be seen by some doctors when we go home to NJ.

The doctors at the hospital said it could have just been dehydration that made her faint, and said that although it could have been a seizure, it most likely was just fainting and that sometimes fainting spells can have seizure-like movement.

All, in all, we're counting our blessings right now and I am so thankful that she is okay!  

Second, a big hello to all my new followers!  Thanks for stopping by and be sure to leave a comment with your blog/website so I can check you out :)

I pretty much have a list of recipes I've made in the past few weeks, so I figured it's time to start sharing!

I love Danielle's blog- she has a pet parrot, makes her own jewelry out of bullet shells that she shoots herself, and enjoys afternoons spent jumping on her trampoline.  How cool is she?
She posted a homemade granola recipe on her blog a few months ago and I HAD to make it.  
It turned out amazing!

Honey Granola

2 cups whole rolled oats
1/4 cup honey (I used a little extra- I Love honey)
about 1/8 cup olive oil
pinch of salt
1 tsp (and extra) brown sugar
1 tsp (and extra) cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


Mix it up and spread it on a baking sheet. Bake for 10-11 minutes!!
You can mix in fruit or nuts as you wish.

Enjoy! xo

{Recipe}: Samoa Cupcakes

 A few weeks ago I saw these cupcakes on Pinterest and new right away I had to bake them.

The verdict?  While they didn't taste like the girl scout cookie, they actually tasted better.  The mix of coconut in the batter and the caramel icing created a flavor the was purely decadent.  And dangerous.

Samoa Cupcakes

Recipe from The Novice Chef

You'll Need:

For the batter:

2 cups sugar
1 and 3/4 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoons coconut extract {I omitted because I searched high and low for this and could not find it in any food store.  Low and behold you can only imagine what I found yesterday at the one store I didn't look.}
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup boiling water

For the Buttercream:

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 pound confectioners’ sugar
1/3 cup caramel topping; plus more for drizzling {see below}
1 teaspoon salt

{I usually do a pretty good job at eyeballing my buttercream, but this is the measurements used in the recipe.  Remember the caramel I told you to set aside from the Homemade twix bars?  Works great here!}

For the chocolate drizzle:

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup cold water
a pinch of salt
a splash of vanilla extract

Directions:

1)  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  For the batter, combine sugar, flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl.  Add eggs, milk, oil, extracts and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.

2)  Stir in water and fold in coconut.

3)  Line about 2 dozen cupcake cups and fill with the batter 2/3 full.  Bake for 22-25 minutes.

4)  For the buttercream, cream the butter in the electric mixer.  Add vanilla, salt, and caramel syrup and combine.  Add the sugar, mixing after each addition.  Taste along the way; the more sugar you add the thicker your icing will be.  If you want you can add more caramel.  

5)  Once the cupcakes have been taken out of the oven and cooled, frost them.  To make the chocolate topping, mix the sugar and cocoa powder in a saucepan until the lumps have dissolved.  Add water and salt and stir over medium heat.  Bring to a boil for a few minutes.  Continue to stir.  Remove from heat, let cool, and add vanilla.  Drizzle over the cupcakes

enjoy! xo

Homemade Twix Bars + a Day of Silence

Last year I made homemade Twix Bars, but I don't think I ever posted them because I didn't like the way they turned out.

They were such a mess, and although I didn't like their taste, my swim friends did.

Monday was my friend Caroline's birthday, so on Sunday morning I made homemade Twix bars using a different recipe.  

These were incredible.

It's actually not that complicated to make, although it does require some patience.

Twix Bars

Recipe from King Arthur Flour

Caramel recipe from Giver's Log

You'll need:

For the shortbread:

2 sticks salted butter, softened

1 cup confectioner's sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups flour

For the caramel:

{you can melt store bought caramel with heavy cream if you want; i just prefer making my own}

2 sticks unsalted butter

1 cup light corn syrup

2 cups heavy cream

2 1/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

For the chocolate layer:

3 cups milk chocolate

Vegetable shortening (optional) *I used 1 tablespoon butter for every cup chocolate*

Directions:

For the shortbread:

1)  Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.  Line a 9 inch by 13 inch pan with parchment paper.

2) Beat the butter, sugar, and vanilla.  Add in the flour.  Beat at medium speed until mixed.  

3)  Lightly press the dough into the pan.  Prick the dough with a fork to allow steam to rise.  Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the shortbread is golden. *I had to bake a little longer*

Let cool.

For the caramel:

*I never use a candy thermometer.  I usually can tell by thickness and taste, and when the color turns deep golden brown.  My caramel this time turned out a little thin because the brown sugar made it hard to tell when it was done, but that was okay.  I'll just link the recipe so that you can see what to do with the thermometer.*

If you choose not to do it with a thermometer, you should wait until the caramel thickens before taking it off the stove.  You can use regular sugar instead of brown sugar to help see the color changes.  As soon as it turns a deep golden, it's done.  Remember, it will go from being perfect to burnt in a matter of seconds, so it's important to watch it closely and stir constantly if not using the thermometer.

4)  Once the caramel has cooled a little, pour it over the shortbread layer and put it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.  You'll probably have some caramel leftover (don't pour it all one!), but just place it in a container and save it!  You'll need it for another recipe next week :)

For the chocolate:

5)  Heat the chocolate over medium heat.  Mix in the butter to make it less thick.  Let it cool. 

6)  Slice the caramel/shortbread down the center of the pan, and then into your individualized portions.   With a spoon, spread the caramel over your shortbread and caramel top.  Place back in the fridge *or freezer like I did* until you are ready to enjoy! 

--------------

Tomorrow, my AP Art class is heading to a local community college for the Arts Festival.  I'm really excited, because it will be a whole day of listening to different artists speak, participating in workshops, and exploring the world of art!  Plus, it's going to be 70 degrees here tomorrow, which I am beyond happy about.

Tomorrow I am also participating in the blog day of silence in honor of Japan.

For Japan With Love was started by Lucia of Utterly Engaged and Lydia of Ever Ours to raise money for Japan following the tragic Tsunami and Earthquake that happened a week ago tomorrow.

They are participating in fundraising efforts where all the money will be donated to ShelterBox.

If you're looking for a good place to donate, check them out.

They are also sponsoring the blog day of silence.  

So tomorrow, March 18th, I will not be posting.

Most of the blog world probably won't be.

It's about taking the time to remember this horrible tragedy.  

For more information, or to get the badge and participate, check this out.

xo

I'll be back on Saturday.  Enjoy your Thursday night/ Friday! xo

Apple Pie Cupcakes

My swim team has come to love my baking.  Not just love them, but request them.

It's actually kind of funny.  I actually kind of love it.  I love baking new recipes and having them decide whether it goes into the "bake again" pile or the "toss recipe" pile.  

I made these on Thursday night.  And apparently, they're the best things ever.  

So I'm sharing the recipe with you because, well, if I didn't that'd be mean, right?

Apple Pie Cupcakes

Recipe from Alpine Berry

You'll Need:

For the Cupcakes:

2 1/4 cups flour
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon *I added 1 Tbsp because I like cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
2 sticks + 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp  lemon or orange zest *I used lemon
1 cup whole milk

For the apple topping:

3 tbsp unsalted butter *You could probably use 2 tbsp. I had to use paper towels to absorb some of the butter after they were cooked because there was way too much.

1/3 cup sugar

3 apples, peeled, cored, and sliced thinly

Cinnamon Frosting:

*I used a mixture of many recipes.  I've made frosting enough times to know how it should taste, so I kind of don't follow one recipe*

3 sticks softened butter 

1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar *I used 4-6 cups*

1/2 tsp. cinnamon *I used 1 tsp.*

*I added 2 tbsp. milk*

To make the apple topping:

1)  Over medium heat, place the butter and sugar in a pan.  Stir to dissolve the sugar.  Add the sliced apples and cook for up to 10 minutes, or until they are lightly caramelized.  

2)  Remove the apples from the pan.  Let them cool completely.  If you need to dab some of the butter of with a paper towel, that will help.

To make the cupcakes:

1)  Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  The recipe says you'll be able to make 24 cupcakes, but I could only make 20, so line 20 cupcake muffin wells with liners.

2)  Mix flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.

3)  In a mixer, combine butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time, beating after each egg is added.  Beat in vanilla and zest.

4)  On low speed, add flour mixture until it is just barely mixed.  Add milk and mix until just smooth.

5)  Divide batter into tins (about 2/3 of the way) and top with the sliced apples.

6)  Bake for 15-25 minutes, or until a test comes out clean.  

7)  Once done, let cool completely before frosting.

To make the icing:

1)  In the mixer, mix the butter until fluffy. 

2)  Add the sugar and cinnamon.  Add the sugar once cup at a time, and add the milk in between cups of sugar.  You may need to use more or less sugar depending on the consistency and how sweet you like it.

3)  Frost the cupcakes!

Enjoy!  These are amazing and taste just like an apple pie cupcake should! 

Spinach and Lemon Orzo Soup

As a vegetarian, I am always on the lookout for easy dishes that are filling, clean, and healthy.  That being said, I don't just want to eat a salad every night.  I love food, but it has to be good food.  My mom and I are really good at picking out recipes that we will both like to make during the week.  This one is highly recommended.

Spinach and Lemon Orzo Soup

The Kitchn

You'll Need:

2 TBS Olive Oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 large onion

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 package frozen spinach, thawed and drained

1 1/2 cups orzo pasta

8 cups vegetable broth

4 eggs

Juice of 3 lemons

Fresh Parsley, chopped (for garnish)

Fresh Parmesan, grated (for serving)

*My soup came out a lot thicker then soup, more like stew, so if you want you can do 9 cups of broth.  I would also recommend using 4 lemons if you like it really lemon-y.  

1)  In a pot over medium heat, heat the olive oil.  Cook the garlic and onion in the oil until slightly soft.  Turn to medium-high heat and add the pepper flakes, orzo pasta, and spinach.  Heat for 1 minute and then add all the broth.

2)  Bring to a simmer, then turn the heat down.  Continue on the low heat for 15 minutes, or until the orzo is tender.    

3)  Let cool for a few moments.  

4)  Quickly whisk the eggs in a separate bowl.  Add lemon juice and whisk until the mixture is combined, thick, and yellow.  

5)  Add a small ladle of the broth to the mixture and whisk.  Add one or two more ladles and whisk.

6)  Add the mixture to the soup pot and combine.  Return to low and and stir.  

7)  When ready to serve, pour into bowl, and garnish with parsley and parmesan.

Enjoy! xo

Spinach, Feta, and Tomato Quiche

I know I usually post recipes about baked goods, but I have to share this with you.

I've been a vegetarian for 3 years, and during those 3 years I have found that finding good meat free food is hard to find.

My mom made this for me this week and I fell in love with it.  It's filling and tasty.  Between the fresh veggies, the egg, and the feta, this meal is one that I feel good about eating.

Spinach, Feta, and Tomato Quiche

Vegetarian Times

You'll Need:

For the Crust:

6 Sheet frozen Phyllo Dough, thawed

3 Tbs. Olive Oil

1 1/2 teaspoons sesame seeds

For the Filling:

10 oz frozen spinach, thawed with no liquid left

1/2 cup chopped red onion

1/2 cup crumbled feta

10 halved cherry tomatoes

For the Quiche:

2 eggs

1 cup skim milk

Pinch of nutmeg

1)  Preheat over to 350 degrees

2)  Spray a 9 inch pan with PAM.  Lay one phyllo sheet down.  Brush with olive oil and cover with 1/2 tsp. sesame seeds.  Repeat with remaining layers.

3)  Press the sheets into the pan and cut the edges.  In a bowl, stir the spinach and onions.

4)  Sprinkle the feta cheese on phyllo dough. Top with the spinach and onions.  Top with the tomato slices.

5)  Whisk the quiche ingredients together in a bowl.  Add salt and pepper.  Pour over the crust.  Set on baking sheet and bake for 45-50 minutes.

Enjoy!

Simple Oatmeal Sugar Cookies

My neighbor is a huge baker like I am, and is constantly bringing over recipes and treats for me to try.

These are my all time favorite sugar cookies.

They're simple to make and amazing.

I thought I'd share them with you.

I don't have the exact recipe, but these are pretty similar, just take out the cinnamon and vanilla in the recipe they have.

You'll Need:

1 1/2 cups oatmeal 

1 cup flour

1/2 cup margarine

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup fine sugar

Powdered Sugar, for dusting

1)  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2)  Whip the butter until fluffy.  Add margarine to the butter, and combine.

3)  Add the oatmeal, flour, and sugar.  {if you want, you can add cinnamon and vanilla, but I think it's fine without it}

4)  Make tablespoon balls of the mixture, and place 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet

5)  Flatten balls with your palm

6)  Bake for 10-12 minutes.

7) Take out the oven, and let cool.  Once cool, sprinkle with powdered sugar.

yes, i did put this on the lid of my tea.  it tastes amazing with tea.

Enjoy!

And don't forget about the giveaway!  it's still pretty empty.... and awesome!

Lemon-Raspberry Cupcakes

On New Year's Eve, before my friends came over to celebrate the night, I had a sudden urge to make Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes.  

It might have been the fact that I saw similar (and gorgeous) raspberry cupcakes on Kara Lynn's blog.

It also might have been the fact that I've been a little tired of all the thick, filling desserts that happen around the holidays.  

Raspberries and lemons, to me, are the perfect combination of tart and sweet.  

This cupcake recipe includes Raspberry preserves in both the icing and as a filling in the cupcakes.

Double the yum!

Lemon-Raspberry Cupcakes
From Things Alauna Makes

You'll Need:

For the cupcake batter:
2 sticks salted butter
3 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
the juice and zest of two lemons

For the icing:
{i had to double the icing recipe because there wasn't enough icing}
4 sticks butter
4-6 cups powdered sugar
4-6 tablespoons raspberry preserves

For filling/ decoration
Raspberry preserves
One container of raspberries

1)  Mix the baking powder, baking soda, and flour in a bowl
2)  cream butter in a mixer until fluffy.  slowly add in the sugar until light and fluffy
3)  gradually add the eggs, beating to combine
4)  alternate adding flour mixture and buttermilk, starting and ending with the flour
5)  beat in lemon juice and zest
6)  spoon into cupcake tins about 3/4 of the way.  bake for 18-20 minutes at 350 degrees.  {i had to bake them for more like 25 minutes}
7)  for the icing, cream the butter
8)  slowly add the sugar until icing is created
9)  add in preserves until you achieve a raspberry taste and pink color

Once cooled, cut a cone shape out of each cupcake, and spoon in preserves.  replace the cone.
top with the icing.  add a raspberry to each for garnish!

and enjoy :)


and don't forget about the giveaway!  it's pretty awesome :)

Oh Baby Baby

Wednesday night I was simply minding my own business.

I swear, I really was.

I was reading Jenna's blog, and came across her recipe for Oh Baby bars.

I have never had Oh Baby bars before.

But I had to make them.

Right then and there.

There was no time to waste.

And oh goodness, they were amazing.

So easy to make, and so enjoyable.

I ate one.  or two.  okay, maybe it was three.  

I brought the rest to swim practice before I gained 5 pounds, and everyone raved about them.

Oh Baby Bars

from Eat, Live, Run

You'll need:

4 tablespoons brown sugar

2 2/3 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

3/4 cup crunchy peanut butter

14 ounces milk chocolate

8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate

2 tablespoons butter

Blend together the sugars, butter, and peanut butters.  Press into a 9x13 inch pan lined with parchment paper.

Melt to chocolates and butter in a microwave safe dish in the microwave.  Melt in 20 second intervals, stirring in between, until smooth.

Pour the chocolate over the peanut butter mixture.  Place in the fridge for an hour to harden.  

Cut into squares.

Indulge.

*You may be wondering why everything is doubled here and it's not at Jenna's site.  I didn't have enough batter or chocolate to fill the 9x13 inch pan, even when I pressed it very thin, so I had to make a second batch.  it's easy to make so it's no big deal, but i'd thought i'd note that.  it could be due to the fact that I used mainly crunchy peanut butter, but you never know.

What's For Dinner? Tofu Picatta

in my 3 years of being a vegetarian, i've learned a thing or two about meals.

1) it's either a hit or miss with vegetarian dishes.  and trust me, there can be some pretty bad vegetarian meals.

2) when going out to eat, you have to be ready for either

a) a limited menu.  you learn to LOVE salads

or

b) being the really annoying, difficult person who changes up the entree

"hi, yes, I'd like the chicken bacon salad with no chicken and no bacon."

3) sometimes, grilled cheeses and french fries from five guys is a suitable dinner option

4) ice cream is most certainly a suitable dinner option.  its dairy. 

in my three years, i have found a few favorite dishes.

this being one of them.

it's a spin off of my favorite chicken dish from my meat loving days.

tofu picatta

you'll need:

extra firm tofu

olive oil

white wine

butter

flour

salt & pepper

baby tomatoes 

mushrooms

lemon

capers

1) skin one large lemon.  thinly slice and take out seeds and pit.  set aside.

2) slice tofu.  sprinkle each side with salt and pepper.  then, drench each side throughly in flour.  set aside on platter.

3) in a large saucepan on high heat, simmer the two tablespoons of olive oil.  place slices of tofu into pan.  cook each side until golden brown, about 1 minute on each side.

4) take tofu out of pan and set aside on a platter.

5) lower the heat.  add 1/3 cup white wine.  be prepared for a lot of simmer.  (now would be a good time to turn on the fan)

6)  add mushrooms and let them sautee in the pan.

7) add about 3/4 of a stick of butter to the pan.  the "brown bits" from the white wine and olive oil should still be in the pan.

8) once butter is melted, add capers and lemons.  stir.

9) add tomatoes.  stir until both mushrooms and tomatoes are soft.  

10) add a splash of olive oil.

11) add salt and pepper to taste.  

12) add tofu back into pan.  keep on low heat for 2 minutes.  serve. 

*makes 2 servings, although you may want to double the sauce recipe if you like extra sauce like me*

this is perfect with some nice rice pilaf or potatoes!

i mine this tonight, and all you need to do is add some nice parmesan cheese and you have a meal!

*i didn't have any mushrooms, so those were sadly eliminated tonight.  it was still amazing though!*

(with my iphone, not my new camera.  i'm still figuring that thing out)

enjoy:)

Muffin Mania

In the last month, I have made two different kinds of muffins.

the first, chocolate chip cinnamon muffins 

one word- YUM

the cinnamon made it a not so ordinary chocolate chip muffin.  

i used the recipe from here

i, of course, switched it up a bit by doubling the cinnamon and the vanilla

i also recommend baking the muffins for 19-20 minutes instead of the time suggested in the recipe.

on saturday, i made donut muffins!

or as i call them, glazed cinnamon sugar muffins

from here

some changes:

3/4 of nutmeg instead of 1 1/4

3 teaspoons vanilla

3 teaspoons cinnamon 

(the nutmeg is overpowering, so i added more cinnamon to even it out)

sprinkle on top of muffins once there glazed:

mix together 4 tablespoons cinnamon and 2 1/2 tablespoons powdered sugar

sprinkle on top of each muffin

these were incredible!  they got rave reviews.  

yum yum yummy in my tum tum tummmy!

enjoy:)

Summer Snack

while reading one of my favorite blogs, A Cup of Jo, I came across this website which featured frozen chocolate covered bananas with a variety of toppings.

when i was younger, my mom use always make these for us, but instead she would put them on popsicle sticks.

i decided to make the bite size kind this afternoon!

the best part about these treats is they can use whatever toppings are in your kitchen!

i used coconut, graham crackers, and toffee.

they freeze within a few hours and are nice and cold for a super hot day

 it hit 102 today!

here's my version of the recipe

about 1 bag chocolate chips or 2-3 large chocolate bars

3-4 bananas

toppings

1) melt 1 bag (2 1/2 cups) chocolate chips or 2-3 large chocolate bars in a saucepan over simmering water.  do not microwave.  chocolate does burn!

2) slice bananas into 2 inch slices.

3) spoon melted chocolate onto banana.  

4) dip in toppings.  using a spoon, sprinkle topping over remaining areas.

5)  lay finished bananas on parchment paper.

6) freeze for 2-3 hours.

7)  bananas can stay in the freezer for about 2 weeks.  

yum yum yum!

p.s giveaway is open until Friday!

Taste The Rainbow

today was a good day!

a happy day!

the kind of day you don't want to end!

my record player came!

thanks to my sweet guy friend and the wonderful kelly ann {head over and wish her a happy birthday!}- who both recommended this one!-,

i am now the proud owner of this pretty baby!

it was on sale too, so I got my bestie one for her graduation present!

pure love!

yesterday i went to the record store and bought my very first record

i can't wait to play it!

since i'm new to the record playing community, is there a good place to buy records online?

{the place by me is kinda lacking in the department- no Vampire Weekend!}

my happiness over the record player led me to be in the mood to bake!

and what better to bake then some colorful cupcakes?

(inspired by the wonderful chelsea!}

i used the cupcake recipe posted on her blog here

and the icing recipe from none other then Magnolia's Bakery {found here}

colorful batter?  YES

{i couldn't decide on one color- so i picked 4!}

all done :)

and the final product.....

ta-dahhh!!!!

so good!  and they instantly put me in an even happier mood!

Scrumptious

yesterday i was in the mood to bake.

as in, a serious-don't-mess-with-me mood to bake

and so i did.

first thing on the menu?

scones.

i had some peaches in the house, so i set out to make some peach scones

i used my own variation of the peach scone recipe from Visions of Sugar Plum.

the result?

i wasn't overly pleased.

it said to bake for 20 minutes, which I did, but they came out a little burnt, which could have been a huge reason why i wasn't fond of them.

plus, they just tasted a little bland.

i did use walnuts instead of pecans.

added in vanilla, more cinnamon, and more honey.

maybe they needed more vanilla?  more cinnamon?  more honey?  a different glaze?  no walnuts?  more peaches?

i don't know.  

i figured i'd post the recipe anyway.

don't get me wrong, they weren't horrible and will not go uneaten. 

they just weren't my favorite.

maybe you can figure out what they need!

let me know if you do :)

{original recipe here}

Peach Scones with Glaze

Ingredients:
1 large egg
1/3 cup milk
3 teaspoons honey
1/2 cup finely chopped peach, peeled
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts, toasted

1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon sugar, sprinkled on top
Glaze: (optional)
1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon milk
1/4 cup powdered sugar
you can find the instructions on her website.  i suggest baking for 17 minutes instead of 20 to avoid burning.

after the scone incident, i was in the mood to bake something delicious.

i instantly craved chocolate peanut butter cookies.

since i had no peanut butter chips in my house, i knew I would need to make something without them.

i was instantly drawn to these cookies from The Dragon Kitchen.

{recipe here}

HUGE SUCCESS

these were the perfect amount of sweetness and peanut buttery goodness

one mess, and one success.

it's all good :)