...who almost missed her own challenge and all? Yep, that would be me. I am the host of this month's Daring Bakers challenge and I almost didn't get the challenge done. You see, my ankle isn't all that fond of being stood on for long periods of time, and well, this cake is a little time consuming. Deciding what to do for the challenge is quite a daunting experience. It's your one chance to try to pick something that will be difficult enough that people feel challenged by but not overwhelmed by. Something that taste good and they will actually eat. And something that says a little something about you the host(pink is my favorite color and strawberries are my favorite fruit). I chose this Strawberry Mirror Cake mainly for the fact that, here in the states, it is Summer, and this cake said Summer to me. Even though it uses a ton of eggs you wouldn't really know it. It is light and airy and scented with strawberries. Other than standing on my ankle and it getting mad and swelling up, I … [Read more...]
Minty Fresh…
Since my husband is so picky, I often have to try out my experiments on other people. More often than not, it is usually referees. One referee in particular gets a lot of snacks. One, he is young and has no one to bake for him. Two, he contributes money to help with the cost of the baked goods(so unlike a 20 year old...he was raised right). Three he eats pretty much anything I throw his way, with much enthusiasm(the kind I wish my husband would show). Sadly for me, he is leaving this week. He got a job offer to go work in Chicago for junior hockey and eventually I suspect the AHL and then the NHL. He is a funny kid and I will miss working with him as he usually makes the night seem to go by quicker for my husband and I. In light of him leaving, I had a small baking frenzy, making his favorites and also trying out something new since one of my guinea pigs is leaving. I had made some mint cookies at Christmas time and I remember him really liking them so I wanted to make something mint. … [Read more...]
Spice Girl…
I always have buttermilk. I always throw out buttermilk. I always find a recipe I want to make using buttermilk after it has expired. Well, as I went to my fridge to get a glass of milk, I glanced at the expiration date on my buttermilk....today. Crap. Determined not to waste another $3.50 on unused buttermilk, I went sifting through my “will make someday” pile in search of any and all things made with buttermilk. What I came across were these. These muffins come from one of the few chain restaurants that I like, Mimi's Cafe. Mimi's is one of the few things I miss about Arizona(besides my friends). It was the site of my husband and I's(bad English I know) first date. I ate there about once a week. It was around the corner from my apartment and they were open until 11pm. It was the only place that I know of that didn't get upset or rush you out if you showed up to eat at 10:55pm. They have pretty good food, but it is their salads and muffins I love the most. And when you order a … [Read more...]
Smile for the camera…
“Like Peanuts”....and with that my 15 minutes of fame had come and gone...at the age of 3. This just as easily could have been one of my random facts, but since I knew I was making peanut butter cookies for my hubby, I thought I would wait it out. Yes, many moons ago, my mother and I starred in a hidden camera commercial for Jif peanut butter. A routine trip to the grocery store and answering the question, “what kind of peanut butter do you use?” lead us to be seen almost daily during the soap opera time for 3 months. My mother correctly picked out Jif in a blind taste test, and we amazingly said all the right things. When I took a taste and they said what does it taste like, I said “like peanuts”(cue the salivating advertising guys). My mother thought nothing of it at the time and took her free jar of peanut butter. They never told her it was for a commercial of course until months later when they contacted her. There are few brands I am loyal to, Jif is one of … [Read more...]
