Weekend Happenings

We had a little break from the rain this weekend and made it up to the LA Zoo. Some of the highlights were seeing the tiger cubs, the Campo Gorilla Reserve, the monkeys, and eating Dippin' Dots.

The giraffes at the LA Zoo.

Mom- stop taking my picture!

Hannah doing a silly face and saying "cheese"!

Red Velvet Cupcakes With Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting

Cupcakes (makes 36 cupcakes / 350 degree oven)
3-3/4 cups cake flour

1/4 cups cocoa

1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder or 1/2 teaspoon cream of tarter

3/8 teaspoon salt

1-1/2 cups buttermilk

3 teaspoons vinegar

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 ounce red food coloring paste

2-1/4 cups sugar

3/4 cups butter

3 eggs

Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder (or cream of tarter), and salt into medium bowl -whisk buttermilk, vinegar, vanilla, and food coloring in small bowl to blend -beat sugar and butter in large bowl until well fluffy, 3 minutes -add eggs 1 at a time, beating until well blended. Beat dry ingredients in 4 additions alternately with buttermilk mixture in 3 additions in the butter/sugar mixture. Scoop into cupcake tins -bake cupcakes at 350 until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes -cool in pans 10 minutes -cool completely on racks .

Frosting
12 ounces or 1-1/2 packages of Philly cream cheese

1/2 stick butter

4-5 cups sifted powdered sugar

seeds of 1/2 vanilla bean

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Bring cheese and butter to room temperature by letting it sit out for 1 or 2 hours - sift powdered sugar into a bowl or onto parchment - beat butter and cheese at medium speed until creamy. Add 4 cups of the sugar and beat until combined -add vanillas and beat until combined. Add more sugar until you get to the consistency and sweetness you like.

*this recipe was taken from cupcakeblog.com

Like Mother Like Daughter

Doughboy. It's Hannah's latest and greatest word.

I could say that I have no idea where she learned this one,

but if you looked in my cupboards you'd know that I was lying.

Thanks Rachel........

Four jobs I've had:

1. teaching piano lessons

2. blending at Jamba Juice- hence my ability to make yummy shakes

3. cleaning office buildings at night

4. assistant pastry chef at 2 different restaurants

Four places I've lived:

1. California- Palo Alto and Redondo Beach

2. Washington D.C.

3. Tokyo, Japan

4. London, England

Four movies that I love:

1. Dead Poets Society

2. Napoleon Dynamite

3. Planet Earth Series

4. Sparky's Magic Piano

Four favorite foods:

1. Salads- especially the ones with lots of stuff on them

2. Blue Ribbon Burger from Red Robin

3. Tea Cakes from Martino's Bakery in Burbank

4. Oreo Blizzards

5. Cheese pizza with pineapple

Four weird things about me

1. I'm left-handed, so's Ryan, and I think Hannah is going to be

2. I've never seen Star Wars- just a few minutes here and there

3. Ryan and I like to make up funny nicknames- I call him Crispy Jones

4. I like to go to bed really early

Four favorite TV shows

1. Top Chef

2. Alias

3. 24

4. Prison Break

Four places I'd love to go

1. Bora Bora to stay in a hut over the ocean

2. New Zealand

3. The Northeast when the leaves are changing

4. China

Does anyone even read this blog? I tag my sisters Robyn and Heidi.

Cinnamon Toast Cupcakes

*

*this recipe comes from Cupcakes! by the Cake Doctor

Cinnamon Toast Cupcakes (makes 20 or so)

1 pkg (18.25 oz) plain yellow cake mix

1 pkg (3.4 oz) vanilla instant pudding mix

1 1/4 cups whole milk

3/4 cup vegetable oil

3 large eggs [jumbo]

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Cinnamon Sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Line cupcake pans with liners. Place all ingredients except cinnamon sugar in mixing bowl and blend with wire whip until mixed. Use electric mixer on medium for two more minutes. Fill each cup 3/4 full (1/3 cup+) and sprinkle the tops with cinnamon sugar. Place pans side by side in oven. Bake 18-22 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then remove to a wire rack and cool completely. NOTE: If using non-stick or dark colored pans, lower oven temp to 325 and bake the full 22 minutes. Don't overbake.

Caramel Pan Frosting

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter [salted]

2/3 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Place butter in heavy saucepan over medium heat until butter is almost melted. Add brown sugar and stir with wooden spoon until mixture is smooth and bubbly, 3+ minutes. Cook, stirring for 1 more minute. Add the cream (room temp is best) and stir until mixture returns to slow boil and is thickened and shiny. Remove from heat and stir in confectioner's sugar. Then stir in vanilla. Remove to a mixing bowl and use beaters to mix frosting until smooth and creamy. Spoon over cupcakes while frosting is still warm.

my view

This was my view the other day when I took Hannah and her friend Sabrina out for a walk. They are very content just to sit next to each other and go for a ride, eating their goldfish crackers and reaching into the others bag to grab some more. It's funny how they talk to each other using their own language interspersed with words that I can understand.

Hannah, hiding from the Mamarazzi

Gypsy Soup

For Christmas Ryan got me the Moosewood Cookbook, a great vegetarian handbook. I love the way the book is laid out, with illustrations by the author and all handwritten. I've tried a few of the recipes so far and on tonight's menu was "Gypsy Soup"......I have no idea why it's called that! But it sure was delicious. Of course, Ryan had to add a healthy dose of parmesan cheese to his bowl but mine was very good without. Here is the recipe:

Gypsy Soup

Yield: 4 to 5 servings

Prep Time: about 45 minutes

Note: chick peas need to be cooked in advance, canned are okay

2 medium-sized ripe tomatoes

2 Tbs. olive oil

2 cups chopped onion

3 medium cloves garlic, crushed

1 stalk celery, minced

2 cups peeled, diced sweet potatoes

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. mild paprika

1 tsp. turmeric

1 tsp. basil

A dash of cinnamon

A dash of cayenne

1 bay leaf

3 cups water

1 medium bell pepper, diced

1 1/2 cups cooked chick peas

1) Heat a medium-sized saucepanful of water to boiling. Core the tomatoes, and plunge them into the boiling water for a slow count of 10. Remove the tomatoes, and peel them over a sink. Cut them open; squeeze out and discard the seeds. Chop the remaining pulp and set aside.

2) Heat the olive oil in a kettle or Dutch oven. Add onion, garlic, celery, and sweet potato, and sauté over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add salt, and sauté 5 minutes more. Add seasonings and water, cover and simmer about 15 minutes.

3) Add tomato pulp, bell pepper, and chick peas. Cover and simmer for about 10 more minutes, or until all the vegetables are as tender as you like them. Taste to adjust seasonings, and serve.