Food for My Family » Tried and Tested

Tried and Tested: Birthday Cake

Shaina — Sun, 17 May 2009 05:25:57 +0000

I’m on a mission to fulfill a Birthday Cake Quest. Niki is looking for a birthday cake for a special little girl, who happens to be turning one towards the end of the month. There is a large spot carved out in each of the hearts of the kids here at our house for her. In fact, Kidney Bean’s first night of babysitting happened at her house.

Looking to avoid the usual food-dye-laden birthday cakes, she is in search of something more on the natural side of things. My mission is to construct the cake she dreams of, in a manner suitable for a one-year-old. I was thinking white chocolate and a buttercream frosting, colored a pink/purple with pomegranates. However, I’m open to suggestions. My recipe searching is underway. Here are a few I’ve found around the web that I’m interested in.

White Chocolate Cream Cheese Cake – bfeedme
Without the pecans, this has potential to be in the running.
Pomegranate White Chocolate Cup Cakes – Simplicious
I don’t know that I’m looking for cupcakes, but perhaps morphed into a layer cake, these would do the trick. Plus, they look incredible. I love the pomegranate sprinkled across the top.
Avocado Buttercream Frosting – Alton Brown
I’ve never made this, and I’m not sure how long it would take for the avocado to start browning, but I am intrigued. I may make a small test batch of frosting and watch it, taste it, watch it some more.
Almond Raspberry Layer Cake – Smitten Kitchen
The almonds probably wouldn’t work for a first birthday, but oh. my. goodness. I want it. In case anyone wants to make it for me, my birthday is in less than a month. I’d take one.
Bittersweet Chocolate Cake – Simply Recipes
Yum. I’m going to have to try this one eventually. It looks and sounds incredibly moist. It’s the kind of thing my mother-in-law would take two bites of and put her fork down, needing a break. That’s why we have coffee. Coffee and chocolate cake. I’ll have to invite her over.

photo by MShades

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Tried and Tested: Cinco de Mayo

Shaina — Sat, 02 May 2009 06:26:11 +0000

Photo by kretyen

Tuesday is Cinco de Mayo, and while it is not the Mexican Independence Day (that’s September 16) and it is celebrated more in America than in Mexico, it’s a chance to make whatever your favorite Mexican dish happens to be and raise a glass in honor of your Mexican American friends.

Here are a few of our favorite Mexican dishes from some of my favorite food blogs.

Pico de Gallo – The Pioneer Woman

Grandma Salazar’s Tamales – Delicious Days

Beef Empañadas – Smitten Kitchen

Carne Asada Tacos – For the Love of Food

and for the less authentic of you

Carne Asada Fries. Bong Not Included. – Matt Bites

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Tried and Tested: Easter Brunch

Shaina — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 17:18:00 +0000

For the past couple of years my dad’s side of the family has been doing an Easter brunch. Then my mom’s side gets together for the traditional Easter dinner fare. Yes, this makes for a looooooooong day. However, there are few things I like more than brunch. It gives me another reason to eat breakfast food in large quantities.

Would it surprise you to know that I usually eat boring things like cold cereal or yogurt and berries for breakfast. Maybe this is why I enjoy and appreciate all the more traditional breakfast brunch items like French toast bake.

Here are a few of my favorites.

Sleepin’ in Omelette – The Pioneer Woman
I made this for my in-laws recently. They key is in the onion rolls and the cream cheese. My kids fought over the leftovers.

Apple Fritters for Breakfast? – No Fear Entertaining originally from The Picky Apple
Easy peasy and worth it. I usually don’t have the time (or the patience) for donuts, but these are quick and delicious.

Egg, Ham, and Cheese Cups – Coco Bean
The color contrast is amazing, and there are no special tools or baking dishes required, just your rusty cupcake pan. (Yours isn’t rusty?) These are definitely impressive when set out for a group, and you can make as many or as few as you need easily.

How to Make Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs – Simply Recipes
What’s Easter without a colored egg or two?

French toast bake
photo by woodleywonderworks

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Tried and Tested

Shaina — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 00:46:23 +0000

Here are a few links to recipes by fellow food bloggers we have consumed recently and loved, loved, loved. They have the O6 seal of approval.

The Best Chocolate Sheet Cake. Ever. – The Pioneer Woman
If you want to fit into your jeans, this may not be the best decision. I could eat half of this in one sitting. By myself.

Corned Beef Hash – Simply Recipes
If you read my One Deal, Five Meals post from St. Patty’s Day, you know that corned beef is occupying my freezer. This provided the perfect addition to the aforementioned Baked Eggs.

Oven Baked Fries with Herbes de Provence – Joy the Baker
My friend, Mandi, sent me this link, and I had to try them. Had to. They were everything I imagined they’d be and more.

Confetti Pasta – nurturebaby
For the Kidney Bean. In fact, he is eating this as I type. Forever grateful for the wonderful recipes.

Scotch Eggs – Cooking, Dunkin Style
Scotch Eggs is a favorite in our home, and the baked versus fried and the ability to control what was going into the sausage portion of the recipe was a huge bonus.

photo by yummyporky

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