Carnation Cupcakes

Easter weekend: synonymous with copious amounts of pastels and foods. In my family, the classic meal involved smoked turkey and a lamb cake, with side dishes galore. 


This year, we did things a bit differently. I brought home guests. Well, brought one and saved another from the wreckage of an airport. Anyways, two guests and a desire to bake was my focus. Luckily, Aaron saved the day with his GORGEOUS carnation cupcakes. It deserves a blog post.


The Recipe: Carnation Cupcakes
Makes 24 of the most beautiful pieces of art that you can eat!

• 1 box of cupcake mix [choose whatever you'd like! We used funfetti, but I imagine you could use anything] and the ingredients that go with that
• 1 jar of pre-made icing [or the equivalent of homemade goodness. We used white, but you could probably use any color]
• 1 package of mini-marshmallows
• 72+ Colored oval candies [We chose sour Jelly Belly candies, but Aaron normally used Good and Fruity]
• Sugar
• Plastic bags [one for every color]
• Food dye
• Wax paper

1. Cook your cupcakes. Make sure you put enough batter in the tins so the cupcake will come over the edge of the papers. This means filling it about halfway. Better too much than too little.
2. While those cook and then cool, make the dyed sugar! Using small sandwich bags, put about 3 inches of sugar in, then add 2-3 drops of food dye. Mix and match to make it fun! Mix up the dye in the sugar, then spread the sugar out on some wax paper. Thin out the layer of sugar, or it will dry in clumps. Don't throw away the bag! You can save it.
3. When the cupcakes and sugar are cool and dry, respectively, it's time to start decorating. Put the sugar back in the bag it was in.
4. Ice a few cupcakes at a time, but not all at once. You don't want the icing to dry. 
5. Cut the mini-marshmallows in half at a diagonal [corner to corner]. The inside will be sticky. Toss a handfull in the colored-sugar of your choice and shake it up. The inside of the marshmallow should be covered in sugar.
6. Starting on the outside of the cupcake, place the marshmallows on the cupcake, colored-side facing the center. Work your way around the edge, then start the second tier, then the third.
7. Fill the center with your colored oval candies.
8. EAT or place in a air-tight container. The marshmallows go stale quickly.

The Process:

Do not take on this project unless you have a couple hours free and don't mind making a mess. I also wouldn't make these alone, though cooking alone is never fun...

The process of decorating took 2-3 hours. Most of that time was just tediously spent sticking marshmallows to icing. During that time, we had some nice conversations, jammed out to music and took some "artsy-photographs."Some of the time, however, was wasted wondering what kind of color combinations we could make. Honestly, that was the hardest part.

It's pretty messy. Sugar has a way of getting absolutely everywhere, no matter how many paper towels you work over. That said, it was still fun and relatively simple. Just very, very time consuming.

The Result:

The perfect pastel treat for the family. My soon-to-be cousins loved these, though that may be because I told them they were cupcakes covered in marshmallows and sugar.

Really, though, it is a GORGEOUS treat perfect for Easter, a bridal shower or just a gathering with friends. Plus, the hours spent decorating these are a great chance to have good conversation and pretend you're a good artist. 

Until the next time someone let's me wreak havoc on their kitchen...

Salut, mes amis.

Pizza Party

The Recipe: Pepperoni Pizza Roll-Ups
Feeds 2-3 girly appetites 

• 1 tube of Crescent Rolls
• 2 sticks of mozzarella cheese (quartered)
• 16 pepperonis (quartered)
• Garlic salt and italian spices 

1. Preheat oven to 375º.
2. Separate the crescent rolls into 8 different triangles. Cut up the cheese sticks and pepperonis into quarters. Place two pepperonis (8 quarters) and 1 quarter of a cheese stick on each roll.
3. Roll up the crescent rolls and tuck the corners in to prevent pepperoni escapes.
4. Sprinkle the tops with garlic salt and italian spices (roughly two shake of each, just a light dusting).
5. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.

The Process:

So simple, even I could do it! 

Really, this was not a terribly difficult recipe. You may get a little greasy from the pepperonis, but it took only about 5 minutes to toss these together. Don't bother spreading the pepperonis out, since they all end up clumped when you roll them together. Just have two rows of pepperonis at the thick bottom end of the crescent roll and put the cheese on top.

Tucking in the edges ended up being the best idea. Kept the cheese from melting out and burning on to the cookie tray, and kept the pepperonis in when you took a big bite of it.

Keep your eye on these little snacks, though. 

The Result:

Fan-freaking-tastic. Literally, these snacks were WAY worth the time put in. If eaten when warm, the cheese is melty and absolutely fantastic. It's pretty much a pizza roll, but more buttery and definitely more delicious. Plus, this meat doesn't look sketchy or fake.

It's not exactly a high-class meal, like our dijon chicken. This was a squindrup and squandrup night, finishing up some rice dishes that were at least a month old. Sissy and I both had 2 and shared with the roomies, so there was just enough for 3 people if we were eating another dish with it. I would definitely say it's more of an appetizer than a meal, but I would make a million if I could have that as the only meal for the rest of my life.

There is not enough space in the world to describe my love for pepperoni.

Bon lundi! À la prochaine.

MacGyver Cooking 101

The Recipe: Nutella Cookies (from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody) made in a college dorm kitchen
Makes about 30 cookies

• ½ cup butter/margarine 
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• ½ cup Nutella
• 1 egg
• ½ tsp. vanilla
• 1 ½ cups flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 1/3 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Cream butter with an electric mixer about 1 minute (or with a fork) until smooth. Add in both sugars. Beat on high speed about 3 minutes (or with a fork) until light & fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
3. With the mixer on low (or with a fork), add the egg and Frangelico (or vanilla). Then add the Nutella and mix well.
4. In a small bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, and mix on low speed (or with any utensil) until incorporated. Increase the speed to medium and mix just until the dough is smooth. Fold in chocolate chips.
5. Using a small ice cream scoop (or your clean hands) form the dough into balls and place on greased cookie sheet. To prevent my cookies from spreading too much, I stuck the cookie sheets in the freezer for about 10 minutes before baking. 
6. Bake 6-7 minutes (or 7-8 if baking from freezer). Let cookies cool about 5 minutes and transfer to a rack to cool completely. 

The Process:

This. Was. Quite the hullabaloo, actually. 

I was going to say debacle, but a quick visit to my Dictionary App said that the negative connatation wasn't just my lack of English knowledge, it was the actual word. So let's just say it's havoc. Seven freshman (eventually eight) trapped in a tiny dorm kitchen with minimal supplies? We mixed the wet ingredients in cereal bowls and the whole thing in a punch dish. Thus, chaos.

Overall, it worked well. Our Zumba-master was a pro at creaming butter with a fork, and managed to work in the Nutella and eggs as well in an average-sized cereal bowl using only a fork. Though, it deserves to be noted, mixing Nutella is a TASK. The goop is thick and hard to deal with, but working it in with the sugars and butter prevailed and we had a delicious concoction right there.

Dry ingredients are basic - make sure you mix the salt and baking soda up a lot so it doesn't all end up in one space! One patch of bitter is no good. 

The cooking ended up being where the chaos in cooking and not just cramped space was. At first, we looked to our two teaspoons to help us make the cookie balls, but we caved and just ended up using our hands like if we had made cake balls. The first batch, which we did not freeze at all and let cook for about 5 minutes, since our oven is notorious for cooking quickly, spread out like no body's business. The ends were crunchy, the middle practically raw, and it was not the best result. 

The second try didn't yield much better results, even after giving the dough a 10 minute time-out in the freezer. The cookies looked thick and fluffy at first (5 minutes in), but after letting them cook for two minutes more (so sue us, we got caught up in conversation), there was nothing we could do to save them. They already showed the signs over over-cooked, with the edges crisp and the center quickly cooking. We rushed to save them, and managed to salvage them for the people who like not-totally-gooey cookies. 

The third batch, which we had kept in the freezer until this point, about 25 minutes in, were the best. We turned down the heat to about 300, then pulled them out when they looked somewhat cooked on the edges, but still thick and fluffy. As they finished cooking and cooled on the tray, we watched them flatten out, but they were definitely delicious. We did not use mini-chocolate chips, so the dough definitely flattened around the bigger chocolate chips and left yummy lumps in our cookies.

The Result:

Sure, fresh out of the oven, they kind of looked like old, wrinkly cookie-people. However, they were delicious! I wouldn't declare this cookie recipe a total success, since there seem to be a few kinks to work out, but it's something to invest in.

We are planning on trying again sometime in the future, and hoping to maybe add more flour. The dough seemed pretty runny or thin at some points, and we think adding more flour may solve that problem. However, even the website examples that we took this recipe don't seem particularly thick, so maybe that's just the cookie.

Overall, it was a fun experience. Even if the Nutella isn't an obvious flavor at first bite and the cookies at first looked a bit unappealing, it was fun and low-maintenance compared to last weeks entire meal. Cooking/cleaning/eating was really a pleasure for everyone involved, and I was happy to make a meal with such great friend. A special shout out to my roomie, just because she loves food blogs. C:

Until next time, probably when the sister and I reunite over a stove. Stay safe in this cold weather that's all over the news!


Quick Note I found this recipe on Erin's Food Files, so thanks for giving me access to cookies using my favorite food of ALL TIME.

1/24 He That Can Not Cook Chicken Cooks Rice

The Recipes: Cheesy Rice & Corn Casserole and Baked Dijon Chicken
Casserole for 8 1/2 servings

• 1/2 cup Chive and Onion Cream Cheese Spread
• 1 egg
• 2 cups cooked instant brown rice
• 1 can (15 oz) corn with red and green bell peppers, drained
• 1 cup Mexican Style shredded cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF
2. Mix cream cheese spread and egg in large bowl until well blended. Stir in rice, corn 3/4 cup shredded cheese.
3. Pour into greased 1 1/2-qt casserole; top with remaining shredded cheese. If you're me, add a few shakes more from the bag.
4. Bake 20-25 minutes or until casserole is heated through and cheese is melted.

Chicken for 4 servings

• 1/4 C. milk
• 3-4 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
• 1/4 C Plain, dry bread crumbs
• 1/4 C (.75 oz) Refrigerated shredded parmesan cheese
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• Nonstick cooking spray or vegetable oil or Crisco...whatever you use to grease a pan. 

1. Preheat oven to 475ºF. Spray/wipe 9x13-inch baking dish with the choice from the last bullet (cooking spray works the best, FYI).
2. Combine milk and mustard in a shallow bowl (we used a salad bowl). Combine bread crumbs and cheese in a separate bowl.
3. Dip chicken into milk mixture, coating both sides, then into bread crumb mixture. Place in prepared dish.
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until chicken is golden brown and no longer pink the center.

The Process:

Well, first of all, if you want to make them both at the same time? Turn the oven to 425ºF and book 'em both for 20 minutes. 

To make sure the chicken gets done, you can microwave it before. Ours was totally frozen, and we microwaved it for 10-ish minutes on a defrost setting. It wasn't pink when we were done. I didn't make the chicken dish, so I can't really tell you how it turned out. The only thing I know is SEPARATE RAW CHICKEN BREASTS BEFORE FREEZING THEM. Prep time took about 20 minutes extra before they were frozen together.

Oh, and because I can't cook. What I've learned from my first time cooking follows.

A. "Instant" rice is not instant. It must be cooked in water. How much water is actually important is you don't want to be looking at something resembling white dirt. 

A-2. Brown rice doesn't really look brown. At least, not when I cooked it, but that might be because I failed! Also, if you aren't careful and think 'simmer' means turn the stove down 2 notches, it might boil over. Which makes a mess. Which you should clean up, or your stove will reek of burnt food whenever you turn it on. That's a mess.

A-3. If you use a whole box (14 oz) of instant rice and the can of corn we found (11 oz) [no, neither of those are the right size, but that's fine], you'll need to add some extra corn, maybe a bit more seasoning (and always more cheese).

The Result:

Oh gawd, delicious. I'm a dipping aficionado, and even I didn't need any ketchup or ranch or BBQ sauce for this chicken. It was perfecto. Thumbs up for Sister-dearest, even if it did take 3 times longer than it was supposed to be.

As for the rice dish, despite that fact it was put in my charge, it was actually edible. And by edible, I mean actually delicious. The sprinkling of cheese on the top really made it the best. It gave it...not a crunch, but made it better than super soft, which the rice was because of my intense failure at cooking. I thought it needed a bit more spices, but it was delicious despite that. 

All I can say is this was a fun first venture, and it will be fun to continue the journey. Happy Monday!

Autobiography

I am not a blogger. It's just the truth. Or...well, it was. I am now, since this is technically my blog. Corrupting journalism is my task, though if you read the title, you'd know that's not true.


If you've found my page, welcome! If you're one of my friends, don't stalk me so intensely! If you don't know me, then this will be a journey.


So, true to the name, this is a food blog. Specifically, a blog about the meals my sister and I will make (inconsistently) every Monday. Or whatever meal I make. This is something for those other lovely college freshmen who have never been left on their own and now have to fend the kitchen themselves if they want anything decent. Hopefully, it will persist into the summer, though then it'll probably be om nom everyday.


A bit about me, to appease a little narcism. I am a college freshman, with an older sister who has a place off campus. I love chicken, cheese, and anything involving bacon, so sorry if my recipes (read: the ones I filch from my sister and beg her to let us make) revolve around it. My specialty is baking and dips, so anything that's an actual meal will probably be a disaster. Be prepared for lots of OOPS with those. 


Other than that, I was endlessly amused by the suggestions for this title, which I think are my Google submissions when I cheat at Family Feud. In dollars, how much would you pay for a movie ticket? What is a profession where you're likely to be bitten by a dog? Name the worst kind of shoe to wear in a marathon. 


Well, that's that until next time. Which is probably in half an hour, because we cooked tonight! Au revoir.