D'oh!

I call these little goodies Homer's doughnut.

Again I used a store bought vanilla cake mix and vanilla frosting which I doctored with a touch of maple syrup for a yummy doughnut taste.

To make these delicious d'oh!-nuts simply follow the cake mix directions and add maple syrup to it.

I used a 1/4 cup.

I say go with your taste buds on this one because you may want more of a maple taste or less.

As for the frosting do the same as with the cake mix.

I used 2 tablespoons.

Sprinkle with colorful sprinkles or if you're feeling naughty crumbled bacon;)

Up to this point I've been inspired by cartoon or stop motion characters-we'll I should say real characters because I've made these for people I love and who inspire my creative side. I know a real life Coraline, an energetic high jumping Mario and dare I say, a Homer:)

Enjoy.

Rolling fondant is not a pain when you do it for the ones you love.

My adorable golden tousled nephew requested Mario Bros. inspired cupcakes for his birthday.

I have to say I had a blast making them, I had my ipod on shuffle and boogied in between frosting and painting. Most importantly the little guy was happy:)

I've gotten more comfortable with fondant. I just sprinkle my tabletop with a couple tablespoons of powdered sugar and roll it out. I've begun to collect cookie cutters in different shapes to use as cutouts too! Although for the top of the mushrooms I just rolled a bit of fondant in the palm of my hand and pressed down on them until they were little mounds. Like my daughters cake I used store bought cake mix, but an incredible cook I know gave me the lowdown on how to doctor store bought cake mixes:)

In my defense, I am not a baker.

My daughter is a Coraline fan. I just realized that initial statement is sort of an understatement.

(see picture below cake)

For her birthday she requested we make a cake in the fashion of Coraline's sweater. It was my first time using fondant. My advice is read the directions carefully and make sure your kitchen is not too hot, otherwise the fondant will stick to e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g! It didn't happen to me, but I watch plenty of Ace of Cakes episodes to know better!

I mixed the color myself, using store bought frosting and a concentrated dark blue gel color from a local party supply store, although next time I think I'll use icing instead of frosting. The frosting was goopy, but the gloss was nice. The cakes were yellow & chocolate store bought mixes with a fudge filling.

My birthday girl was over the moon about her cake.

And I think Duff Goldman would be impressed:)

Low on energy? No prob!

I could have this for lunch or dinner, breakfast too:) This is beyond easy to make & oh so good. Not your ordinary grilled cheese I assure you, it's creamy & crunchy. I use my own lemons for the acidic element in this dressing.

Get yourself some:

plain white bread

butter or mayo

1 slice of your fave cheese. I suggest provolone, swiss or gouda

1 slice of american cheese

a little grainy mustard

Spread butter or mayo on your bread insert your cheeses & mustard then close.

Grill!

Then get yourself some:

spinach

bacon

feta

purple onion

Grab a bowl n' toss.

Finally get yourself some:

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 teaspoon grainy mustard/dijon

1 garlic clove crushed

salt & pepper to taste

Pour all of the ingredients in a jar, make sure you place lid tightly and shake for about a minute.

*I did not specify quantities for the salad ingredients because you may want to make yourself a smaller or bigger salad for a group. The dressing should be plenty for four small salads.

The dressing recipe is really easy to double, triple etc.

Because it's warm enough to grill in Cali.

This was my juiciest burger yet. It's slightly sweet, but also savory. It caramelizes beautifully. I guess it's got an asian flair, but something about this blue cheese combo just sings to me.

To make you will need:

1 1/2-2 lbs. ground beef or turkey

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce

1/2 teaspoon of tumeric

1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon of pepper

a pinch of salt

crumbled blue cheese

If you wear rings, take them off before you mix, trust me!

Grab a bowl. It's time to mix you up some burgers!

This is very easy. Just place your ground beef or turkey in a bowl & add all of the ingredients then mix.

Divide the meat into 1/4's. Take one 1/4 and make an indentation then fill said indentation with blue cheese, now encapsulate the blue cheese by sort of folding the meat over it. Easy? Yeah!

Repeat with the rest & grill.

Your buns. To toast or not to toast? That's up to you.

I like sandwich thins, un-toasted:)

The rest is up to you...garnish as you please.

I like to keep it simple with romas, more crumbled blue cheese & onion.

You might want to try it with a slice of grilled pineapple or slaw.

My Peanut Slaw

shredded cabbage (1 bag of) or half a cabbage shredded

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

1/4 cup mayo

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon sesame oil

1/4 teaspoon peanut butter

salt & pepper to taste

2 green onions chopped

chopped peanuts, optional

Place cabbage in a large bowl. Mix all ingredients (minus the chopped peanuts & green onions) in a bowl with a whisk until everything is nicely incorporated. Nice arm work out:)

Pour as much dressing as you wish over the cabbage. Mix. Fold in green onions & peanuts.

-You can also mix the dressing in a jar, I like that because I rarely use all the dressing at once & can keep & refrigerate it in the jar.

Enjoy.

One meal three different ways.

BBQ Turkey meat loaf, veggie trio & mashed butternut squash/potatoes for me.

BBQ Turkey meat loaf & taters for Bella.

Turkey meat loaf, taters & baby carrots for Andy.

Perfect afternoon snack.

There is nothing like a refreshing fruit salad on a warm afternoon. Add a fresh herb to mix it up a little. I like cilantro, thyme or mint.

A few things I can't do without, right now.

Cinnamon. Lightly dusted over fried plantains or brussel sprouts smothered in brown butter.

Kosher Salt. So nice and mellow. A welcome flavor to practically anything, even chocolate. I like to sprinkle a pinch in my coffee maker over freshly ground coffee to tone down the coffee's acidity.

Lemon Squeezer. Mine is not this cute, but surely works better:) For easy lemon or lime juicing. There's nothing like fresh lemon juice in your cocktails or dressings.

Grapeseed Oil. Great for frying, great for you. Food is light & crispy. I swear!

Welcome to beet!

I am a virgin blogger so please bear with me:)

My first posting is dedicated to my Grandma, whom was better known as Mama Cuca.

Mama Cuca was a magnificent cook and though she masterfully minced many veggies and meats throughout her life she was never one to mince words;) So on a crisp day I made this soup and decided to brave her critique. To my surprise she enjoyed it and asked for it on other occasions.

To make this soup you will need:

8 carrots peeled and cut into thirds

2 small or one medium potato peeled and chopped

1/2 of an onion, chopped

1 clove of garlic, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon of olive oil

chicken or vegetable broth

1/2 teaspoon of peanut butter

A pinch of curry powder

Salt & pepper to taste

Sliced almonds lightly toasted

On medium heat place olive oil into a pot with onion and garlic, lightly saute until the onion is translucent. Add carrots and potatoes, saute for about 1 minute then add broth (just enough to cover your veggies). Add salt & pepper. Cook on low heat until you can put a fork through your veggies, (about 20 minutes).

In a blender, place some of your veggies, peanut butter, curry powder and broth and blend until smooth. Repeat as needed-Don't overfill your blender! Pour the soup back into the pot.

Okay now... Toast the almonds on a small skillet...

Serve soup in your favorite bowl garnish with almonds & olive oil and enjoy!