Baseball Cakes

This weekend, I decided that I felt like doing some creative baking. Thus, I looked around for a few ideas and found some helpful sites. I knew that I wanted to make a friend a birthday cake (or set of, as it turned out), so I themed it in a way that would appeal to her.

What I ended up creating is the following: a Red Sox baseball cap, hot dog in bun, hamburger in bun, and fries.
I'll be posting the pictures that I took during the entire process later. Just to let everyone know, this was my first time ever working with shaping cakes or really getting into design. However, everyone thought that it looked very realistic, particularly the tray of 'fried food,'so I feel pretty good about it.

the completed project

Hot dog bun: coconut pound cake
Hot dog: mocha cake
Hamburger bun: yellow cake
Hamburger: chocolate-mocha cake
Cap visor: chocolate
Cap: swirl cake (of all the leftover cake batters)
Fries: coconut pound cake

After making sure I had all of my ingredients (always important), I began to make the cakes. It is important to look at what you have for pans (or simply things that shape well and are fine for the oven) and decide how your pans and the needs mix. Since this took so long, I took pieces of paper, labeled with what part it was for and the type of cake it should be, and put them in the respective pans.

For mine, I used the following pans: small round, 8" round, small glass bowl, large ceramic bowl, and loaf pan.




Later on, I'll update with the exact description of how I did it. I've been meaning to do so, but honestly I've had no time! I'll put up the recipes for each cake, pictures, and how I did it.

Let me know if anyone has any ideas, particularly for football themes or for butterflies. I'm not too concerned with them, but I love hearing other people's ideas!

Lemon Delightfuls

These tasty treats are nice and small (the way I make them) for pop-in-your-mouth melting deliciousness. It is a nice amount of lemon flavor - not too overpowering, yet not too hidden. They are definitely different, but in a good way. I like them as a snack while studying, since they are small.

This recipe was made one day when I was sitting in my apartment and really wanting something lemon flavored. However, I also felt like being a bit creative. I'm not huge on making cookies alone, as I have bad wrists (and I make everything purely from scratch, no blender, no mixer, etc.). So, I looked online and read through a number of lemon cake and lemon cookie recipes. I had some reason to be making more cookies, though, so I adapted a couple of cookie recipes to make this new one. I hope it gets enjoyed by others!

I've only made it a few times, and not recently, so I apologize if I mistype anything here. If you have any questions, just ask me. I'll be correcting and/or changing anything the next time I make them if I feel like mixing it up a bit.

Lisa's Lemon Delightfuls

Ingredients

12  tbsp  butter (1  1/2 sticks)

9/4 cups flour (2  1/4 cups)

1    tsp    baking soda

1             eggs

1/2 cup   granulated sugar

1/4 tsp    vanilla extract (I just add a few drops in)

1    tsp    lemon extract (I put in ~100 drops - more is better here)

If you don't have baking soda, or one of the other ingredients, you can take it and the egg or flour out (depending upon what it is). I've made it before with these ingredients and it came out well as well: 16 tbsp butter, 3/2 - 2 cups flour, 1/2 cup sugar, drops of vanilla, and lots of drops of lemon extract. Toss in some flour if you have it, or not if you don't.

Put the butter in a microwavable bowl, in small chunks. (I usually cut it up with a knife.) Put this into the microwave to melt it for a few seconds - be careful to not put it in for too long. (I'd give a suggested time, but everyone's microwave and settings work differently.) In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, and eggs. (You can do this whenever, but I like to get this going while waiting to touch the bowl again. Be careful not to let it cool too much beyond the point of being able to touch it, however, since the sugar must be able to melt in, essentially.) Mix in the sugar until mixture appears creamy. Add in vanilla extract; mix. Combine the two mixtures together by folding the butter and sugar mixture into the larger flour mixture. Finally, add the lemon extract by adding drops and mixing all throughout the bowl. You should be adding a decent amount, about 60-130 drops depending on your bottle, size of the drops, etc. (It also depends on how much you love the flavor of lemon.) Mix a bit more; it should be a bit creamy, yet smooth and difficult to move. Roll small balls onto the cookie sheets (don't forget to spray/grease them) - each ball should fit into the space made when you roll your index finger down your thumb and back to the webbed space between the two. Space them adequately on the sheet; I usually put them about 4 x 4 or 4 x 5 on the typical cookie sheet.

I don't have any pictures of these, because I've never really taken any in the past. I will the next time that I do, though!

Due To Technical Difficulties...

Unfortunately, due to some technical difficulties, one of the add-ins I had put on this blog has to be taken down now. The idea of it was for people reading to be able to ask and answer questions or share ideas freely at the bottom of the page. Frustratingly, however, it is not allowing anyone to do so and, instead, asks for one to log in or sign up - with no way to do either. Since a) I don't want anyone to have to sign up to use this and b) you apparently can't even if you or I wanted to do so, I'm just going to take this down for now. If anyone has any thoughts on this for the future or would very much like something similar up, let me know and I'll look into it further. For now, however, we'll have to go to the comments section.

With the said, feel free to comment away! I would greatly enjoy for this to become an interactive blog, full of people loving their time in the kitchen. Ideas flowing freely amongst people with a similar joy is such a fabulous thing to be a part of, and it is, in fact, a reason that I created this blog. (Plus, comments help me to know readers' thoughts.)

Check This Blog Out: Baking Bites

The Baking Bites blog  is definitely one to check out when you have some time. It has articles on different types of foods to bake, techniques, and items of the kitchen. Basically, it discusses everything related to baking! If you click to the full article, you will find the recipes.

I really am enjoying this site, particularly the way it is setup so that I can run through and find the meals of the week, go by topic, look at kitchen essentials, and the like. It offers many options without a lot of fuss or overpowering "look at me!" to it. I also like the viewpoint of many of these articles.

Some good posts I've seen so far:

5 Foods to Eat Before You Die, adapted from The Food Blogger's Guide to the Globe
Sourdough - I think making sourdough bread is definitely something I'd like to eventually try... you know, when I get around to it. Making bread is a bit of a difficulty in a school apartment, which is where I am the majority of the year and hence where I do most of my baking and cooking.
Sourdough Banana Bread - combining two great breads is either disaster or awe-inspiring... another one to try for myself?
Baking Cookies in the Car? - I was intrigued... Chocolate Chip Drop Cookies, I believe
Strawberry Lemonade Bars - this one had my attention immediately!

Food Blog Ethics

I was looking at blogs today and saw a few things on Food Bloggers Ethics. There's even a site for it, which I found via The Skinny Gourmet. This got me to thinking about my take on it, and if there may be anything wrong with said take.

I'm still standing by my original plan: I'll post my own recipes and link to others. By my own recipes, I mean ones that I have either created entirely on my own or have changed significantly. Significant changes, in my opinion, change the outcome of the product - the taste, the look, the texture, etc. I like The Skinny Gourmet's mention of three alterations, which I feel like I have heard previously, and I think that it generally is a good idea to follow. However, sometimes one can throw in three ingredients or alter a recipe three ways without changing it significantly, so I really feel as though it is a case-by-case type of thing. If it is inspired by a recipe elsewhere on the internet or from a book, I'll cite that. If I can't find it, I'll tell you and hunt it down if I can. (I can only imagine that happening with a few recipes, such as when my friends and I make something together and I don't know where the recipe is from specifically.) If you question anything, ask me. Anything that is linked, I probably haven't made myself, unless I've stated that I've made it without alterations.

Check This Blog Out: The Skinny Gourmet

While in my second review of this blog, I haven't loved absolutely every single recipe on it - because, let's be honest, when can you love all the recipes on any site? - I am looking forward to trying out most of them. The Skinny Gourmet  discusses relevant topics, such as conserving water in daily life and the bloggers' code of ethics in terms of recipe reproduction, along with posting some decadent photos and recipes. She's been at this for quite some time, so I only looked back to the beginning of 2009. (That seemed like a good time to remember, since she has posted a "Best of 2008," so I'll be able to easily identify where I left it.)

Here are some of the ones I think are either interesting or definitely worth a try:
Tangerine Buttermilk Pancakes - I love love love pancakes, so variations on them are always welcome! This seems like just the right zest to spice up the normal pancakes, and I can definitely see myself playing around with it to create some fun new recipes, too.
Blueberry Scones with Pistachio Dust - Different things to try for breakfast are always worth a try, since I think breakfast is the most fun to both create and eat.
Salmon Salad - Fish is one of the best things to eat, so I enjoy seeing how different people make it.
Presto Pasta - Pasta in many different ways. I eat pasta a lot, so learning of fun and new ways to make it? That's definitely worth it!
Tortilla Espanola - I grew up with Spanish foods, so I try to make them a lot. I say try, since many of them (like flan), have to be made just perfectly. (I've yet to try flan. I'll admit it: it is the one food I am scared to try. If anyone has any suggestions as to how to make it or an amazing recipe for it, let me know. I will be forever grateful.)
Vegetarian Moroccan Stew with No-Knead Bread - I like the looks of this and can't wait to see how it turns out when I make it. I'm trying to expand my cooking experiences, skills, and my taste buds!
Chamomile Kumquat Tart - Can I just say how amazingly delicious this both sounds and looks?
Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese and Summer Fruits - I don't like lettuce (I know, I'm strange), so I am always looking for: a) salads and appetizers to make for others and b) appetizers to enjoy with others that don't involve lettuce, which aren't too crazy and can be fun and playful.
Wasabi Brisket - This just looked too good to pass.
Not Your Ordinary Smoothie - Who doesn't love a great smoothie? However, we know how expensive and wasteful they can get to be, not to mention how bad for us! This is all about the leafy greens, which is both a great way to increase your intake of those (yes, you... I know you've been slacking!) and have a smoothie without feeling all that badly about it.

I also liked a bunch of the other posts on her site. Here are a few you should check out when you have some time:
Gift Ideas for Foodies
7 Common Foods the Experts Avoid - While I do not believe everything I hear, particularly since it has been proven that some ridiculous amount of data (it was somewhere between 60% and 80%, which is a horribly vague number, but I don't remember it, sorry) saying things are bad for us and cause cancer, etc. is actually proven false within ten years of release. Isn't that frightening, considering how much emphasis people give to scientific studies? Anyways, I just thought that this was interesting, since these items are not terribly difficult to look at and avoid if you are concerned.

Just Bought

Just the other day, I was at the store and happened to notice some rather low prices on different items I would need returning to school in the fall. You know, new rugs, etc. for the apartment - things that don't really last more than a year in an apartment when you move out yearly. So, I grabbed those for the apartment, since there was essentially no chance of any of us finding them for a lower price. While I was there, I spotted some great prices on baking stuff, too! So, you know what I did, I imagine... walked right on over and bought it! I mean, I had a typical, cheap set of cooking stuff last year (pots and pans), since no matter how much they try, any set of college roommates will ruin pots and pans. Thus, you buy a cheap set and just get them to last until graduation. However, I also had some baking things - but only the basics. This year, I'm excited to say that I'm building up on that. I'll be able to bake so many more things, without having to run out to the store for anything and paying a ton for it! There is, of course, always room to add to one's kitchen, but since I have to move mine multiple times a year, I try to have as much as possible in as little space as possible. It also has to not cost too much money (student budget), not be heartbreaking if someone breaks or ruins it (though few others touch my baking stuff unless they are baking with me), etc. I got some good glassware and other pans, etc. Basically, I'm quite excited and cannot wait to bake with all of it!

I've also been talking to one of my friends, who is moving into an apartment for the first time this year, about what is needed and everything. It's amazing to think about how much had to be bought and figured out then!

Check This Blog Out: Only Creative Opportunities

The blog that I'm looking at currently is Only Creative Opportunities, which posts each week a creative take on a recipe. These weekly recipes is a part of a group called Tuesdays with Dorie.

The most recent post from her is Lots-of-Ways Banana Cake, which is a concept I absolutely adore. I love banana cake and playing with recipes, so why not combine the two? I'm definitely going to try this recipe soon, which was created in a way for one to play around for it, based on your likes and what is in your kitchen when you go to bake it.

The author of this blog, Kimberly Johnson, says that she often makes the bread in the form of cupcakes. I love this! Recently, I bought a mini-cupcake tray, so I think that I'll soon be making mini-banana-coconut-cupcakes. Sounds terrific, no?

Now, I went through the rest of the blog briefly. I'm using this blog as a place to store recipes that I would like to try out in the future/ use again as well as a place to share my recipes and thoughts on cooking and baking. Therefore, I will be posting other recipes and blog posts that I think are interesting to try out in a list here:
Chocolate Malted Whopper Drops - first post, etc.
Chocolate Chunkers
Dimply Plum Cake
Creme Brulee and Brown Sugar Pecan Shortbread
Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Caramel Peanut Topped Brownie Cake
Lenox Almond Biscotti
Pumpkin Muffins
Black Hole Chocolate Cake
Arborio Rice Pudding
Thanksgiving Twofer Pie
Tall and Creamy Cheesecake
Cake Mania - all sorts of cake, including carrot! (I like trying and making different types of cake.)
Cannoli Project - cannolis, clearly
Four Star Chocolate Bread Pudding
Cheesecake
Chocolate Cream Tart
Tartest Lemon Tart
Cupcakes!
Dulce de Leche Duos
Frog Cupcakes - I know exactly who I'm making these for... now just to figure out how to send them across the country!
Blueberry Mojito Cupcakes

Don't those all just sound wonderful? I"m excited to try them out and see what people think.

(I promise that I will soon be posting recipes here. However, since I did not create any part of this recipe on my own, I do not feel right in posting someone else's work on here, particularly without their permission. If the links do not work, let me know.)

New Blog!

Hello!

I decided to make a blog for cooking and baking, since I love to do both. I tend to bake more, since I like it more, so I'll be upfront and say that this will likely concentrate more on baking. However, I do want to improve and expand my cooking abilities, so who knows? I'm going to post some of my found and tried recipes on here, along with some fun ones that I've always used. I'm a bit old school and likely won't be posting any of my grandmother's old recipes, because that simply wouldn't fly, but I'l share pretty much everything else. :)

If anyone has suggestions of other recipes or where to find them, or how to improve my own - definitely share them along the way! I'm all for altering. Basically, any recipe I have is altered by me.

Well, let's have fun!