IT'S COMING...

Well, next week is quickly approaching and I'm getting anxious about baking all of these cookies! How am I going to get it all done between work... packing... tutoring... last minute shopping... wrapping...organizing presents... and errands?!

I.Don't.Know 

But...I'll figure it out!

Now, I'm not one of those people who makes the dough and freezes it in order to make the actual cookies another day. If that was the case I wouldn't be stressing out. I would have made all of the doughs this week.  I'm too afraid doing that will ruin the cookies and they will not turn out the same. I need the fresh, homemade, just came out of the oven taste with MY cookies. There is nothing better than making the dough and seeing the end result minutes later.


FIRST UP (on Tuesday): Chewy Gingerbread & Peppermint Cookies

Both new recipes...wish me luck!

CHRISTMAS COOKIE COUNTDOWN!

I have finalized my Christmas cookie list this year! I'm going to be a busy busy baker! Here is what to expect:

1.Rugelach

2.Chocolate Candy Cookie Cups

3.Marshmallow Chocolate Fudge

4.Snowballs

5.Peppermint Cookies

6.Chewy Gingerbread Cookies

7.Italian Knot

Ritual AJ Visits During The Week Dinner...

Since we started dating, AJ and I try to spend a weekday together...Wednesdays....ahhh...it's "our" day. Anyway, trying to become domesticated...I started cooking dinner for all of us on the night he visits.  Baking can only get me so far...we will all be fat and unhealthy if I do that, right? I realized I HAVE to learn how to cook real food.

Over the weekend his grandma gave me MANY MANY old recipes to look through that she didn't want anymore.  I took some that looked tasty and tried one last night. It was actually very easy and we all ate it...every bite!

The Meal:
*Pasta (any kind will do)
*Tomato chunks (or diced) with light creme and spices (& parm cheese)
*Baked Asparagus cut into pieces... the Bethenny Frankel way
*Baked chicken dusted in Panko (for crunch)

It was REALLY yummy! AND EASY!!!

Thanksgiving Baking

This year I was going to spend Thanksgiving with AJ's family...so that called for some serious baking! I decided to make pumpkin squares (HAD to make something pumpkin) and cupcakes of course. The question was what type of cupcakes to make. It's always such a tough decision.

I decided on cookies and cream cupcakes.  They were easy to make and I couldn't wait to put them on my cupcake tower (that I bought for my mom years ago and she never used...so now it's mine) to look all fancy. For Christmas I picked out a set of 40 or so tips for icing cakes etc (but I won't get it until X-mas :(  ).....so I had to go with the old plastic zip lock bag for this one. They turned out AWESOME!!!

The Sugar:
*Chocolate cupcakes
*Marshmallow filling
*White icing
*Oreo crumbs

The Snapshots:

Next, were the pumpkin squares.  I'm obsessed with everything pumpkin so I knew these would be delicious.  They were definitely time consuming and a lot of work, but ended up being fabulous. 

The Sugar: (recipe from Betty Crocker)

*Crumbly, buttery bottom layer (bake for 10 mins)

*Soft, pumpkin and brown sugar middle layer (add to hot crust)

*Crumbly top layer with pecans (bake again)

The Snapshots:

The top and bottom layers get soft after it cools

 Upon your first bite, the nut flavor hits you like BAM! Then, you begin to taste the pumpkin. It's amazing...

So, after all of the work my final decision is that I would DEFINITELY make both of these recipes again. What to make next....TONS of Christmas cookies!!!!!

White on White

"Wait, I can totally do this myself!!!" That's what I thought after the heavy debate of whether to go to the famous Pink Cake Box in town for some 30th Anniversary cupcakes...or the choice of doing it myself.

I decided to go for it and make some white on white wedding'ish cupcakes. They turned out better than I had even hoped! Although they took hours to make, the reaction everyone expressed made all of the hard work worth it. Everyone loved them and they were all (yes, all) gone in 1 day. Needless to say, I am going to continue trying out some fun cupcake ideas.

The Sugar: 
-white cake cupcakes
-white frosting
-white frosting filling
-white chocolate shavings on top
-pearl decoration accents

The Snapshots: (courtesy of AJ until I get a new camera)

Some Sugar and Snapshots

Welcome! I've decided to pair my love of food and interest in photography into a blog...we'll see how this goes.  I have always loved to bake and recently have taken the time to push myself to see what I can really do with my talents.  I think I'm pretty good if I do say so myself :)

After meeting AJ I really wanted to bake yummy desserts for him (isn't the best way to a man's heart through his stomach?)...and show him what I could do in the kitchen. I did this quite regularly at first and realized, 'hey, I'm enjoying this!"  He definitely inspired me to learn a few new things about cooking and baking. Plus, he loves everything I make (at least he tells me that :p). It's great to have someone who loves sweets and food just as much as me!!! <3

As far as cooking goes, I'm working on that one.  I'll be posting lots of photos of my new creations on here as well as recipes I find that are super mouth watering and delicious!

This blog will also be a place where I share some of my favorite restaurants...since I LOVE to eat out!

Let's share some recipes!!