Showing posts with label Chocolate. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chocolate. Show all posts

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Southern Dinner, Fancied Up

So I discovered a blog last night (and have lost too many hours in my life already...oops) BUT I did however, manage to cook a fun, filling, and fantastically delicious southern meal tonight thanks to those lost hours!

I didn't get around to taking pictures so I'm borrowing the original ones from the original chef and photographer over at How Sweet Blog.



For starters, I made Cheesy Sweet Potato Crisps - I need to work on them a little, but for my first time they weren't too bad.


For our main meal, I made Mashed Potato Pancakes and Parmesan Ranch Chicken Fingers, and OH MY GOSH, they were both delicious!

First off, for those who know my mom, you know she can cook. So, not only does she play a huge part in my love for food, but she always helps me in the kitchen (not that I cook every night, but when I'm there, she's right there with me!) With that said, she was genius and decided to add some garlic and green onions to the mashed potato pancakes. Can we just say, this recipe could win awards!



The chicken fingers were my favorite of the night (putting aside dessert of course). All I can say about these, is MAKE THEM! The dry ranch mix completes the flavor, and since they are baked and not fried, they aren't greasy and filling like most chicken fingers (or any southern meal for that matter).

I have to admit though, we didn't shy away from the fact that we saved a few cals by baking these...so my mom whipped up some of her delicious homemade white gravy :o)  It was so worth it.


We also had fresh green beans as a second side, but there's no special recipe or pretty pictures for that, sorry.

And to complete this overly delicious, flavorful meal, I kept dessert simple by making brownies. Oh, but not just any brownies, I made Oooey Gooey Fudgey Brownies. And boy are these oooey and gooey! I have a tendency to be impatient while dessert is cooling, and always cut into the baked good WAY before it's ready to be cut...maybe I'm a chocoholic...besides the point though. Anyways, I cut into these about 30 seconds after they came out of the oven. Honestly, bad idea. They were so oooey and gooey that they didn't even stay together as a square to be enjoyed. So I tied my hands behind my back...or made my self useful elsewhere, and cut these babies after they were completely cooled down. And again, so worth it! They are still so moist that they could probably sit out for days and still be just as moist!

IMG_1187

I don't believe any picture could do these brownies justice. When they came out of the oven, the smelled good of course, but they didn't look like anything that would knock some socks off. So, along with everything else I made tonight, give these brownies a try! They are SO EASY and quick to assemble, and again, so ooey and gooey that you just might eat two or three and not remember :o)


Wednesday, February 24, 2010

something in the water?


Just about every other woman I know is expecting a little one very soon! One of my best friends, Amber, has an "almost relative" (a longer story to tell at a later time) who had a baby shower this past weekend. Well the grandma-to-be, Kathy, called and asked if I would make the cupcakes for the shower!

I obviously jumped on the opportunity and had a blast! I don't have pictures from the shower, but I do have a few keepsakes of the little cakes...


There were 30 in total - 10 with yellow icing (paler than the pictures show), 10 with green, and 10 with baby blue. 15 of the cupcakes were straight chocolate, request from the mom-to-be, and the other half were my personal favorite, Chocolate with cream cheese filling ~ Yum!

With a ton of help from my Mom tying on all the decorative ribbons, I made a mess in the kitchen but LOVED baking for someone else's enjoyment!

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Cupcake Quiz because I can't sleep



Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Feb 10 = Cream Cheese Brownie Day!


Quite possibly one of the best food holidays created.

Since it's not even the 10th yet, only 10 more minutes, I haven't made any brownies myself...so for now I found the most delicious looking ones I could find online.





Even if you don't like cream cheese, how do these not look amazing!? I probably won't have time to make my own tomorrow, so I'll just pretend for now :o)

Happy Cream Cheese Brownie Day!

Super Bowl

We had a full house for the Super Bowl! I made red velvet with cream cheese icing for the Colts...




And chocolate with peanut butter buttercream, and chocolate buttercream...my favorite!!



Sunday, January 24, 2010

National Championship cupcakes


Because I love my parents and I love cupcakes, I ONLY made these for their UT/Bama BCS National Championship game =) They are black & white and my new favorite flavor I make - Chocolate cake with a cream cheese filling YUM!



Thursday, November 5, 2009

Cake by distinctive details


Peace O' Cake now has legit competition! Cake (by distinctive details) is now opened on the south side of town of Lubbock.


It's in a corner location, but made use of their space by making the counter in the center when you walk in, to the right has their logo merchandise, and to the left is a sprinkles bar to further decorate your little treats. They serve 7 flavors a day, with usually 5 staying the same. Today I couldn't go until 4, but I got their just in time to get 2 of the last ones! They had their signature chocolate, the diner, orange blossom, snickerdoodle, black forest, and velvet elvis left. I got the last snickerdoodle, the last orange blossom, and a signature chocolate. I should have just gotten a fourth one...probably the velvet elvis, but I guess I'll just have to go back another time!

All three were delicious! As I was taking pictures and eating a few bites of each, it was hard to choose my favorite. The signature chocolate is a dark chocolate cake, chocolate chips on the bottom, a small amount of chocolate buttercream, and topped with dark chocolate ganache ~ a chocolate lover's heaven!! The cake was moist and of course all the chocolates were perfect.

The orange blossom was a light, white cake with a hint of orange flavor, filled with raspberry jam like filling. It was topped with buttercream and a smear of the same raspberry on top. Not because it's a cupcake... but this could be a dessert after a heavy meal. It was so light and I felt like I could easily eat the entire thing without feeling gross.

The final lucky cupcake was the snickerdoodle. I love them as cookies, but never get them, I just always think of my mom - When we were little and at the mall with her, me and my younger sister Madison always got the treat of getting an American Cookie Company cookie, and my mom always always always got their snickerdoodle. So I just had to choose that one since I haven't seen her in weeks. It was worth it! It was a moist cinnamon cake topped with cream cheese icing and topped with a layer of cinnamon and sugar. By the time I tried it tonight, the sugar had hardened on top, so their was a great grainy texture when I ate the icing.

Now for pictures??


Signature Chocolate

Orange Blossom

Snickerdoodle

End result - After thinking long and hard, I have to say my favorite of these 3 was the orange blossom. Now as much as I love chocolate, the signature was good, but almost just like any other chocolate cake or cupcake you and find. The snickerdoodle was also delicious, and unique to me, but for some reason the orange blossom is what I'm still tasting and thinking about!

Goodnight and sweet cupcake dreams, Taylor

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Happy National Chocolate Day!

Yep, today's the day when you don't have to feel bad about eating too many pieces of your favorite chocolate bar or taking the larger chocolate cake piece! Treat yourself to a little more and don't feel guilty - Happy Chocolate Day!

I treated myself to mini cupcakes from Peace O' Cake today - Black and White and Cookies and Cream. Black and white is a dark chocolate cake with a cream cheese filling - my favorite!! And cookies and cream tasted just like the ice cream or a delicious shake. If you want to make something yourself, here are a few ideas to get the chocolate melting http://www.slashfood.com/2009/10/28/its-national-chocolate-day/

Thinking about chocolate and all the ways I love it, I have to say this:

Type - Dark


Preparation - chocolate covered fruit



Memory - the chocolate river from Willy Wonka


Chocolate Bar - Take 5 and Reese's



Find yourself some delicious chocolate and remember it's not always bad for you :o)

Enjoy and stay sweet!