Recent Cakes!

Inn Towne Birthday! One of the guys enjoys fishing so I helped him catch a delicious one. Notice the almost-unnoticable fishing pole. :)
Another Inn Towne Birthday. It's been a hot summer. Who doesn't love ice cream cone cupcakes?
These haven't even been delivered yet! Dora cupcakes for Andi's birthday. :)
These haven't been delivered either. Green Bay Packer cupcakes for Cristian's Birthday.
Dad turned 50 on the 19th! Had to rub it in a little! :)
Despite his face, he loved it. :)
Our good friend Ashley got this cake for her birthday.
Hall pass and chalkboard are not edible. :( But they're cute!
I loved how these little apples turned out.
Ken's birthday was July 12th. In June he started becoming addicted to the show "Swamp People". If you haven't seen it, it's a bunch of super-southern guys who make a living hunting gators. They bait them, pull them in and then one of them wrestles the gator until the other can shoot it in it's one unarmored spot on the top of its head. In short, it's insane. But the accents are hilarious - one guy needs subtitles - and he's speaking English. So anyway, I make Ken a gator for his birthday.
Look how cute his little nose is.
Vicious. :)
Top Shot. This was also my first try piping. I made the scales that way. Not as bad as I thought it would be.
I told him before we did any birthday stuff there was a critter in the apartment he needed to kill. When we walked in the door, I handed him the gun and yelled "SHOOT IT SHOOOOOOT IT!" - the mantra of his favorite Swamp People guy. You can see by his face that he was THRILLED with his gator hunt and his fake shotgun.

My parents brought over a Dairy Queen log cake. It was a perfect fit! Happy Birthday P.Bear. I love you.




7:03 PM | | 1 Comments  

Salmon BLTs

Salmon BLTs


Season 4 2-oz pieces skinless salmon fillet with salt and pepper. Cook in olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until opaque, 2-3 minutes per side. Spread 4 slices toasted bread with mayo. Top with lettuce, tomato, salmon and cooked bacon.

Ken really liked this sandwich. I did not. I'm a bit of a purist when it comes to certain things, but since I love salmon I thought this would be a nice marriage. Nope. Still can't mess with a simple BLT.

6:59 PM | | 0 Comments  

Pork Tenderloin Medallions and Balsamic Reduction

Pork Tenderloin Medallions


1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp minced shallots
1 garlic clove, minced
1 c balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 tsp dijon mustard
Cooking spray
1# pork tenderloin, cut into 12 slices
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

1. Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add shallots and garlic; saute 2 minutes. Add vinegar and next 3 ingredients; cook until reduced to 1/2 cup.

2. Heat a large skillet to medium-high heat. Coat pan in cooking spray. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Place pork in pan; cook 2 min on each side. Add balsamic reduction; cook 1 minute, turning pork to coat.

For Grilled Peaches:
Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add 4 peach halves to pan; cook 2 min on each side. Cut each half into 3 wedges.

For Wild Rice Salad:
Cook 1 c fast-cooking white and wild rice per directions, omitting seasoning (I used brown rice because we had some). Stir in 1/4 c chopped green onions, 2 Tbsp chopped dried cherries, 2 Tbsp chopped pecans (I skipped the pecans).

Yield: 4 servings

From Cooking Light Magazine July 2011

Ken's Rating: *****
Chalsea's Rating: *****
Easy and Yummy!

6:51 PM | | 0 Comments  

Hashbrowny Cheesy Egg Bake (make-ahead)


Hashbrowny Cheesy Egg Bake

3 Tbsp oil
2# hashbrowns
1 onion
1 green pepper
1 red pepper
2 c cubed ham
10 eggs, beaten
salt and pepper
1 1/2 c cheddar cheese

1. Heat oil in a large skillet. Add hashbrowns, chopped onion and peppers. Cook until potatoes start to brown.

2. Spray 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Spread in Pan. Top with ham and pour eggs over top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

3. Gently stir to cover all ingredients with eggs. Sprinkle with cheese.

4. Refrigerate overnight.

5. Bake, uncovered at 375 for 35 minutes.


Yummy! Seth was staying with us for a weekend wedding and I didn't want him to drive home hungry, but I also didn't want to get up at the crack of dawn to make a good breakfast. Ken majorly raved about this one, too. Make-ahead egg bake, you rocked.

6:45 PM | | 0 Comments  

Soft Pretzels (bread machine)

Soft Pretzels


1 pkg dry active yeast
1 Tbsp sugar
3 c flour
1 c water
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp oil
1 egg white, slightly beaten
desired toppings (I use kosher salt, garlic salt/powder, and dill)

1. Place ingredients in a bread machine pan in the order suggested by the manufacturer. Select Dough setting or White Bread/Manual setting and then press start. After the machine has completed the second rising cycle, it will beep.

2. Remove the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 4 parts. Divide each fourth into 3 pieces. Roll each piece into an 18 inch rope.

3. Shape rope into a circle, overlapping about 4 inches. Take on end in each hand and twist at the point where the dough overlaps. Carefully lift ends across to the opposite edge of the circle. Tuck ends under the edge to make pretzel shape. Moisten with a tiny bit of water and press ends to seal.

4. Place on a greased cookie sheet and let rise, uncovered, until puffy - about 20 minutes.

5. In a 3-qt saucepan, combine 2 qts of water and 1/3 c baking soda. Bring to a boil.

6. Lower 1 or 2 pretzels into the saucepan; simmer for 10 seconds on each side. Lift from water with a slotted spoon and return to greased cookie sheet. Let dry briefly.

7. Brush with slightly beaten egg white. Sprinkle with desired toppings. Bake at 425 for 4 minutes. Turn cookie sheet around and bake 4 more minutes until golden brown.


Yield: 12 pretzels

SOOOO good! These are pretty easy but they do take some time. Plan it for a housework day or a lazy day at home. :)

6:32 PM | | 0 Comments  

No-Bake Lasagna with Ricotta and Tomatoes (I used bow-ties)

No-Bake Lasagna with Ricotta and Tomatoes

Total Time: 25 minutes

1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
7 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3 c red and yellow cherry or grape tomatoes, halved (2 pints)
2/3 c chicken stock
8 lasagna noodles (we had bowties in the pantry so I used those up)
2/3 c small basil leaves
1/2 c reduced-fat ricotta cheese
1 oz Pecorino Romano cheese, shaved (right. I used shredded Parm)

1. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. Cook garlic until pale golden, about 3 minutes. Add 2 c tomatoes and 1/2 tsp salt. Cook until soft, about 7 min. Add stock. Simmer until saucelike, about 1 minute. Add remaining tomatoes. Cook until warm, 1-2 min.

2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain.

3. Toss pasta in skillet to coat. Stir in basil, reserving some for garnish.

4. Divide pasta among 4 plates. Top with any remaining sauce. Dot with ricotta, and drizzle with remaining tsp of oil. Top with shaved cheese and remaining basil. Sprinkle with pepper.

Yield: 4 servings

From www.marthastewart.com

Ken's rating: ****1/2
Chalsea's rating: *****
This was easy and delicious! I love ricotta cheese. It is quickly becoming one of my favorite things.

6:08 PM | | 0 Comments  

Summer of Mojitos

With the crazy cheap mint at the farmer's market ($1 for enough mint for a week!), and these lovely HOT summer days, we made a billion mojitos. Next year, I'm totally growing mint.


Here's our approximate mojito recipe:

1. Muddle a few wedges of lime, 1 or 2 Tbsp sugar, and 10 mint leaves.
2. Add ice about 2/3 up.
3. Add about a shot of Bicardi Limon.
4. Fill the rest with club soda and another lime wedge. Don't forget the bendy straw!

5:44 PM | | 0 Comments  

Summer of Strawberries

When strawberry picking was at its peak, we drove a little south to a farm to pick strawberries early in the morning. They kind of took over my Saturday and our kitchen. It was worth it.
We got my dad a food dehydrator a few years ago because he likes to make venison jerky...but he never even took it out of the box. So I snagged it and tried dehydrated strawberries. Delicious!! They take a while, but they're so good!
Just cut the strawberries into thin slices and layer them on the tray. Stack the trays and put the cover on and let 'em go! I rearranged the trays every so often to keep them consistent, but it was pretty painless. Only bad thing is that they shrink significantly so there's not much yield, but it's great if you don't have a plan for some berries. I just store them in the freezer and munch on them periodically.


Strawberry Jam
Makes 10-12 half-pints

2 quarts (8 cups) fresh strawberries, hulled
1 (1.75 oz) pkg regular powdered fruit pectin
1/2 tsp butter
7 c sugar
1. Chop up 8 c berries. Add the berries about 1 c to a large heavy pot. Crush the berries. Add more and more until all 8 c have been added.
2. Stir in pectin and butter. Heat on high, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a full rolling boil. Add sugar all at once. Return to boiling; boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; skim off foam with metal spoon. (I canned that "foam". It makes great ice cream topping!!)
3. Ladle at once into hot, sterilized half-pint canning jars, leaving a 1/4 inch headspace (that's a gap). See below.
4. Wipe jar rims; adjust lids.

5. Process in a boiling water canner for 5 minutes (start timing when water starts to boil). I used a large pot that once was a pressure cooker (thrift sale steal!) I just boiled them for 5-8 minutes. Make sure the water covers the tops of the jars!


6. Remove jars; cool on racks! Beautiful! If you've never canned before, it can take a while for the lids to pop - it's the change in temperature that causes the vacuum seal (uhhh...I think). Be patient! Let them cool as completely as possible before putting stickers on them or putting them away.
7. Enjoy! This jam is absolutely delicious!



Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
The good news is: This pie was delicious!
The bad news is: I can't remember where I found the recipe. Bummer! Next time I'll write it down!


4:51 PM | | 0 Comments  

From-Scratch Cupcakes

Life is crazy sometimes. Lately, I've been having this crazy idea that I should start selling my cakes and cupcakes. I realize I can decorate pretty well and make some cute stuff, but I've always used cake mixes and premade frosting. If I sold them, I'd feel weird using boxed stuff. So for a recent staff meeting, I decided to try out some recipes. My coworkers were so gracious to be my guinea pigs. :) They got RAVE reviews! So maybe a future in cake isn't so crazy after all??






Orange Chiffon Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting (AKA Orange Creamsicles)
Prep Time: 30 min
Bake Time: 18 min

2 fresh large eggs, separated
1/2 c sugar
2 c cake flour, sifted (sub 3/4 c all purpose + 2 Tbsp cornstarch for every 1 c cake flour)
1 c granulated sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 pinch kosher salt (make sure it's kosher or use less salt!!)
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 Tbsp orange liqueur, such as Grand Marnier (No way. I used a tiny bottle of Bicardi Orange)
1 c half and half
1/2 c canola oil
2 fresh egg yolks
2 tsp orange zest, finely grated (I used extra to add a little color as a topping)

For Buttercream Frosting:

3 Tbsp butter, room temperature
2 1/2 c confectioners' sugar
2 Tbsp orange juice
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp orange zest, finely grated
1 1/2 Tbsp milk

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line muffin tins with paper or foil liners.
2. In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat egg whites to the soft peak stage. Gradually add sugar and beat into stiff peaks. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, sift together cake flower, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add remaining ingredients and beat until well combined. Gently fold in egg white mixture.
4. Divide batter evenly between lined muffin tins, filling each a little over half full. Bake until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 18 minutes. Rotate tins halfway through the baking process to promote even baking. Remove from oven and cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.


For Buttercream Frosting:


1. In a small mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar together. Add orange juice, vanilla, orange zest and milk. Beat until light and smooth.
2. Using a small offset spatula, generously frost each cupcake. Serve.


These were absolutely refreshing and delicious. They were the favorite and disappeared quickly. However, the frosting was NOT frostingy. Mine turned out like a glaze. I'm not sure if I screwed up or if the recipe is screwy. I "frosted" the cupcakes and put them in the fridge for a bit to set it. After that, I took them out and they stayed - no melting. Still tasted great, but not a buttercream frosting like expected.




Coconut Cupcakes with Seven-Minute Frosting
Prep Time: 25 min
Bake Time: 20 min


1 3/4 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 c sweetened shredded coconut
3/4 c unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/3 c granulated sugar
4 extra-large eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 tsp pure almond extract
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
3/4 c buttermilk
1 1/2 c sweetened flaked coconut, for garnish



For Seven-Minute Frosting:


2 c granulated sugar
2 large egg whites
2 Tbsp light corn syrup
3 Tbsp cold water
1 tsp pure vanilla extract



1. Preheat oven to 350. Line muffin tins with paper liners.

2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder. Using a food processor, pulse shredded coconut until finely ground, whisk into flour mixture.

3. In a large mixing bowl, with an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in eggs, almond, and vanilla extract, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. Reduce speed; add flour mixture in thirds, alternating with buttermilk, beating until completley combined.

4. Divide batter between lined muffin tins, filling them 3/4 full. Bake until cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 min. Rotate tins halfway through baking to promote even baking. Remove from oven, transfer to wire racks to cool completely.



For Seven-Minute Frosting:



1. Using the top of a double boiler, combine sugar, egg whites, corn syrup, water and vanilla. Place over boiling water and beat with an electric mixer on high speed until peaks form, or for 7 minutes. Remove from heat.

2. Using a small offset spatula, generously frost each cupcake. Garnish with flaked coconut. Serve.


These were my favorite. I love coconut. And I love almond extract. The combination was heavenly. Add some AMAZING frosting, that was more like a sweet meringue, and HOLY CUPCAKES! Fantastic!!

3:05 PM | | 0 Comments  

Fresh Cherry Pie

Fresh Cherry Pie
Prep Time: 25 min
Bake Time: 55 min + cooling

1-1/4 c sugar
1/3 c cornstarch
1 c cherry juice (didn't want to spend a ton so we used Juicy Juice Cherry)
4 c fresh tart cherries, pitted, or frozen pitted tart cherries, thawed
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp almond extract
Pie Crust

1. In a large saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch; gradually stir in cherry juice until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat. Add the cherries, cinnamon, nutmet and extract; set aside.
2. On a lightly floured surface, roll out half of pie crust to fit in a 9-inch pie plate. Transfer pastry to pie plate; trim even with edge of plate. Add filling. Roll out remaining pastry; make lattice crust. Trim, seal and flute edges.
3. Bake at 425 for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 375; bake 45-50 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Yield: 8 servings

From Taste of Home Annual Recipes 2007

Ken's rating: *****
Chalsea's Rating: *****
Holy YUM! I don't really like cherry pies (so why did you make one?), but I had a whole bag of cherries that I knew I couldn't hoover before they'd go bad. We were headed to our friend's house for dinner and I thought this would be great. It WAS! I'm thinking that maybe I just don't like that crappy cherry pie filling because this pie was spectacular!


2:49 PM | | 0 Comments  

New Cakety-Cakes!

Cake Balls! Emily came to visit and we made these delicious Black Forest Cake Balls! Yumm. Makes me want to make some just looking at these.
Another InnTowne birthday means another fun cake. Greg got a gumball machine. :)
I made some adorable little piggy cupcakes for the Memorial Day church picnic. Made from scratch this time! Key lime pie cupcakes with a cream cheese frosting. Delish! Good thing I tested one the night before because I didn't get one at the picnic!
How can you deny this piggy's cuteness? :)
This next one was the most involved batch of cupcakes I've ever met so I've included in-progress pictures. Here is a picture of my garden's humble beginnings. The start of radishes, lettuce, carrots, and peas.
The carrots are beginning to take form.
Followed by the lettuce.
Radishes follow suit.
And here they are "planted"
Another, sort of blurry, close up
Yes, blurry and sideways, but finished!
The finished product!!! Color is a bit screwed up in this picture, but you get the idea.

7:34 PM | | 2 Comments  

Beef Fillets with Portobello Sauce, Spicy Mashed Potatoes, and Oven Roasted Carrots

Beef Fillets with Portobello Sauce


2 beef tenderloin steaks (uh, expensive. We bought cheaper meat.)
1/2 c dry red wine or reduced-sodium beef broth (I used the broth)
1 tsp all purpose flour
1/2 c reduced sodium beef broth
1 tsp EACH: steak sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and ketchup
1/2 tsp ground mustard
4 oz fresh baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp salt
1 Tbsp minced chives, optional

1. In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, brown steaks on both sides over medium high heat. Remove and keep warm.
2. Reduce heat to medium. Add wine or broth to pan, stirring to loosen browned bits; cook for 2-3 minutes or until the liquid is reduced by half. Combine flour and broth until smooth; whisk into the pan juices. Add steak sauce, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, and ground mustard. Bring to a boil.
3. Return steaks to the skillet; add mushrooms. Cook for 4-5 minutes on each side or until meat reaches desired doneness. Sprinkle with pepper, salt, and chives.

Ken: *****
Chalsea:*****
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Spicy Mashed Potatoes

2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 Tbsp milk
1/4 c crumbled goat cheese or feta cheese
3 Tbsp minced fresh cilantro
2 Tbsp chopped green onion
2 Tbsp diced, seeded jalapeno pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 c shredded cheddar cheese

1. Place potatoes in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until tender. Drain.
2. In a small mixing bowl, mash potatoes with milk. Beat in the goat cheese, cilantro, onion, jalapeno, and garlic.
3. Spoon into a 2-cup baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 15-20 min or until heated through.

Ken:*****
Chalsea:*****!!
Big time YUM here! I could eat these every day.

Oven Roasted Carrots

2# baby carrots
4 small onions, quartered
6 cloves garlic, peeled
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp white vinegar
1-2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

1. Place carrots, onions and garlic into 2 greased 15x10x1 baking pans (I used one). Drizzle with oil and vinegar. Sprinkle with thyme, salt, pepper and gently toss to coat.
2. Cover and bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes. Stir. Bake, uncovered for 10 minutes; stir again. Bake 10 minutes longer or until carrots are crisp tender.

Ken ****
Chalsea: ****
These were really good, but not much different than the roasted carrots I usually just throw in the oven.

7:20 PM | | 0 Comments  

Just for fun: Hobo Dinners!

Hobo Dinners!

You all might remember these from camping days! I am not much of a camper...at all. Especially when it's raining. So with rain in the forecast for Memorial Day (chalsea does a happy dance), I decided we'd build a great big fort in the living room, hook streaming netflix up to our tv, grab a box of wine and cook camping food! It was super fun. We made hobo dinners in the oven and smores in the microwave. And I didn't have to wake up smelling like smoke or covered in dirt. Fantastic. :)

7:16 PM | | 0 Comments  

Simple Salisbury Steak

Simple Salisbury Steak


1 egg
1/3 dried breadcrumbs
1 can cream of mushroom soup, divided
1/4 c finely chopped onion
1 # lean ground beef
1/2 c milk
1/4 tsp salt
1-1/2 c sliced mushrooms

1. In a bowl, combine the egg, bread crumbs, 1/4 c soup, and onion. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into six patties. In a large nonstick skillet, brown the patties on both sides; drain.
2. In a bowl. combine the milk, salt, and remaining soup. Stir in mushrooms. Pour over patties. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-20 min longer or until meat is no longer pink.

From Taste of Home Cookbook

Ken's rating: *****
Chalsea's rating: *****
These tasted really good, but I could NOT get them to stay in patty form! They completely crumbled apart. So I ended up serving them like a chunky gravy over potatoes with some roasted carrots. Maybe you'll have better luck.

7:11 PM | | 0 Comments  

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