Firetrucks

Recently at my job, one of my coworkers resigned. He worked for us full time but was also a fireman. He accepted a full time job traveling the world training other firefighters. As a going away give, I made him these!

Cute hey? I was inspired by a picture on google images. Sadly, the original source is unknown. Thanks whoever you are for this great inspiration!

The cupcakes were vanilla and the frosting was vanilla almond buttercream.

Good luck at your dream job John!

Who needs White Castle??

Tis the season to be grillin...and that got me thinking. There is nothing like a hot summer day and freshly grilled hamburger. But what if you could have your hamburger and a hamburger cookie?!

The cookie sliders were born! In regular and mini versions!

Aren't they cute together??

Chewy sugar cookies filled with chocolate buttercream, green tinted coconut and some "mustard and ketchup" royal icing.

Then again, what burger is complete without fries?!

These mini's just make me giggle.

So....do you want fries with that?!

Turning 30....

Recently I read a blog post about a woman who is planning 30 parties before she turns 30. (Is this you? I cant find the link anymore!) I was intrigued. I am going to be 30 in January. I know I cant pull off 30 parties in less than 7 months, but I can pull off at least 7 really great parties between now and then! My goal is to create a new theme each month with as much DIY fun and budget friendly creations as possible.
My first challenge party is coming up!! Here is the invite:

My parents own a greenhouse. This year they supplied me with an abundance of plants and flowers for my yard. I plan to show them off by having a fantasy garden party called "Enter Eden". This a ladies only event: friends, food, fun all surrounded by flowers!
Photos to come!
While I'm on the subject of turning 30, there are loads of websites out there with things to do before you turn 30. Boy I wish I would have found this stuff sooner! Just for fun, here is one list. Of the 30 things on the list, I've accomplished 22 of them. Guess I'd better get cracking!

Stay tuned for more updates!

Martha Saves Dinner!

Martha Stewart is my hero. She is a genius. I follow her site and read her magazine religiously. Martha emailed me (I believe the email subscriptions are sent directly by her!) this great recipe for an Asparagus, Snap Pea and Avocado Pasta. Sounded delicious and easy. Turns out, it was! Here is how to make it....

Gather your ingredients:
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2 inch lengths
1 pound sugar snap peas
1 pound bow tie pasta
4 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 avocado, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint, parsley or basil
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese


I chose to use fresh basil cut from my garden.


Prep all of your ingredients.


In a large pot, boil salted water. Cook asparagus until bright green. Add in peas and cook another 30 seconds. Remove veggies with a slotted spoon.


Return water to a boil and add pasta. (I'd like to point how challenging it is to photograph while pour pasta into hot water!)


Cook pasta according to box directions. Drain the pasta but reserve 1 cup of pasta water.


In pot, combine asparagus, peas and garlic with 2 tablespoons of butter. Cook, tossing until tender. (2 minutes or so).


Add remaining butter, cooked pasta, avocado, basil, cheese, and pasta water. Toss to combine.

Season with salt and pepper, serve with additional cheese.

This dish was easy and delicious and a different twist. The avocado really adds something special to it. Thanks Martha!
(See original recipe here.)

Strawberry Cheesecake Shake

I was cruising through recipes on fitness websites and stumbled across this one. I am not a big fan of smoothies or shakes, but I thought I'd try it out anyway. I mean, it did have cheesecake in the name! It turns out, it was delicious! A perfect strawberry delight for a summer afternoon.
Here's what you need:
1/2 cup 1% milk
1/2 cup Lowfat Cottage Cheese
5-6 spoonfuls of sugar (original recipe calls for 6-8 packets of Splenda. I'm not into artificial sweeteners so I used spoonfuls of sugar)
1/2 tsp. Vanilla or Almond Extract
2 cups Frozen Strawberries

Start out by...


Adding milk, cottage cheese, sugar and extract to the blender. Blend until smooth.



Add frozen strawberries a few at a time. Keep blending until smooth.



Pour into glasses and enjoy! Its healthy and delicious too! Check out the nutritional info:
Servings: 2, 1.5 cups
Calories: 118
Fat: 1.3g
Carbs: 18.1g
Protein: 19.4g
Fiber: 3.1g
Sodium: 259.2g
Calcium: 13.1g

Spring Tulips

Earlier this spring my parents, who own a greenhouse, brought me a van-load of plants and flowers to landscape my yard. I figured, the least I could do was send them some cookies!



I tried a new technique on some of them. I attempted to make 3-D petals using fondant. I need some practice, but I like the effect.



Thanks Mom and Gary!

Tres Leche Cake

Not too long ago David and I went to the Cinco De Mayo Mexican Beer Tour Kick Off Event at Old Chicago. During kick off events they provide a themed dinner. This was Mexican theme so they served enchiladas with tres leche cake for dessert. I had never experienced Tres Leche Cake before. I was instantly in love. I had to learn how to make this. Turns out, its quite easy, and delicious!
Here is your ingredients list:
1 Cup All-Purpose Flour
1-1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/4 tsp. Salt
5 whole eggs
1 cup Sugar, Divided
1 tsp Vanilla
1/3 cup Milk
1 can Evaporated Milk
1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/4 cup Heavy Cream
ICING:
1 pint Heavy Cream, for Whipping
3 Tbsp Sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 pan until its good and coated.
Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.

Seperate eggs. Place yolks in mixing bowl with 3/4 cup of sugar. Mix on high until it is pale yellow. Stir in 1/3 cup milk and vanilla.

Pour egg yolk mixture over flour mixture and gentle combine. Set aside.

Beat egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form.

With mixer still on, pour in remaining 1/4 cup of sugar. Beat until egg whites are stiff, but not dry. Fold mixture into batter gently until combined.
Pour into prepared pan and bake 35-45 minutes. Insert a toothpick, if it comes out clean, your cake is done.

Invert cake onto a rimmed platter. (I didnt have a big enough one so I used a rimmed baking sheet covered in wax paper) Allow cake to fully cool.

Combine condensed milk, evaporated milk, and heavy cream in a small pitcher. Seperate out 1 cup of the mixture and discard. Pierce cake with a fork all over the surface. Pour remaining milk mixture over entire cake. Make sure to get the sides of the cake was well.

Allow cake to soak in the mixture for at least 30 minutes.

Whip 1 pint heavy cream and 3 tablespoons of sugar until thick. You should be able to spread it like frosting.

Cut into squares and enjoy!
Easy and delightful. I think this is a great cake for summertime too. Its got a light feel to it, and its a refreshing change. Yum!