making life delicious blog
I’ve had to work very hard on my mixing skills. When I first started cooking I was convinced that a hand mixer was the perfect solution for all mixing and in my enthusiasm I would beat all batters to death then wonder why my muffins looked and tasted like hockey pucks. I didn’t have Dorie [...]
I realize this is not a traditional St. Patrick’s Day recipe by any means, but it is a tasty way to use Guinness Stout, the king of Irish stouts, in your baking. Guinness and chocolate are a perfect pair, and they work especially well with the spicy ginger, pepper, and smoky cinnamon. The gingerbread only [...]
When I was a kid thought of upside down cakes as “dump cakes.” You know, you dump the cake out of the pan and stuff runs everywhere. It seemed reasonable at the time, even if it sounded less than palatable to the average ear. My boys think upside down cakes are magic, and I had [...]
This week marked the end of the first quarter for school and the teachers had work days to prepare report cards and attend staff development. Oh, how I remember those days! Even though I was an early adopter of electronic grade books—I kept all my grades in ClarisWorks spreadsheets on my first Mac—I always had [...]
Michael’s birthday was last weekend, and when I saw The Daring Bakers challenge for this month, I immediately announced what his birthday cake would be. “Whatever you want to do, Sweet Pea,” was his response. Thank goodness he’s so flexible about food! And thank goodness for chocolate ganache because it not only tastes good, but [...]
It’s that zucchini time of year. If you planted it in your garden you may already have a trickle coming in, but if not don’t fret, you will have some very soon and the trickle will turn into a flood. Zucchini plants are very prolific and sometimes leave gardeners feeling overwhelmed with the harvest and [...]
In November we made a Lightening McQueen cake for Bob the Builder’s birthday, and at the time Top Gun repeated over and over how he wanted a Mater cake for his birthday. Well, two months ago he changed his tune after becoming obsessed with airplanes. “Mommy, Daddy, I want a crashed airplane cake. Mommy, you [...]
When Ivonne and Lisa, the venerable founders of The Daring Bakers, choose a challenge, you know it’s going to be a challenge. Think Buche de Noel (Yule Log Cake), or in this case, think…L’Opera! Yes, Opera cake. Until now I’ve never tasted or made one, though I’ve seen them in posh bakeries, but I do [...]
It truly is a perfect cake for a party or any gathering. Flavorful, luscious, and relatively easy to make. Morven of Food, Art, and Random Thoughts chose Dorie Greenspan’s Perfect Party Cake from Baking: From My Home to Yours for The Daring Bakers March challenge, and it was a most delicious challenge. I couldn’t keep [...]
When I was a little girl, my mother used to make a bunny cake for us at Easter. She cut the instructions for assembling the cake out of Parade magazine in 1968 (photo below), which showed a finished cake as well as diagrams for cutting two round cakes into the shapes necessary to make two [...]
It's spring in the U.S. and the following foods may be in season in your area:
artichokes, fennel, fiddleheads, radishes, broccoli, rhubarb, kale, cresses, spinach, spring lettuces, chard, cabbages, chives, cilantro, collards, tatsoi, mustard greens, spring onions, asparagus, rosemary, wild garlic, ramps, strawberries, blueberries, cherries
Eat fresh seasonal produce to stay healthy and help your food budget.Learn more about seasonal and sustainable cooking at Sustainable Table - In the Kitchen.
