Lulus.com Fashion Blog » Cooking

Good Eats: Leopard Spotted Cupcakes

Brittany — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 21:58:35 +0000

As Wild Week continues, I wanted to bring you a sweet treat tutorial so you can celebrate with desserts, too! After much research on Pinterest and baking blogs, I found a super cool way to get leopard spots inside of your cupcakes!

Here’s what you’ll need:
Cake mix (I used yellow cake, chocolate cake, and carrot cake mixes.)
Frostings for all of your cake mixes (I used vanilla, chocolate and cream cheese frosting.)
Wax paper

1. Bake the chocolate and carrot cakes as directed on the box. Don’t worry about these being perfect, because you’ll crumble them up into a cake ball mixture next!
2. After the cakes are baked and cooled, scoop them into separate mixing bowls and crumble. Add frosting to each by the spoonful until it is malleable enough to roll into cake balls. Place the mixtures in the freezer for about 30 minutes so that they become easier to roll.
3. Take the chocolate mixture and flatten it between two sheets of wax paper, then break into flat chunks. Roll the carrot cake mixture into tiny ball shapes – they don’t have to be perfect because no two leopard spots are ever the same!
4. Place each carrot cake ball into a chunk of the flattened chocolate mixture and press around the carrot cake ball. Leave some of the carrot cake showing through (this will create the contrasting spots).
5. Prepare your last batch of cake mix. In cupcake tins or a cake pan, alternate a layer of cake balls and a layer of batter, repeating until filled. Note that for cupcakes, you’ll only need 5-6 small cake balls in each cup.
6. Bake as directed on the box and cut down the middle (or take a bite!) to see the wild design in the center!

xoxo

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Make Your Own Sundried Tomatoes!

Sienna — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Everyone knows that tomatoes are really the best in summertime, so what to do the rest of the year when the rain is pouring and you’re craving a tangy tomato?

Well have I got the answer for you! Dry your own tomatoes easily and inexpensively at home, or even on your apartment balcony!

I use a homemade screened box that allows circulation around the drying fruit. Try making your own or just use a cookie sheet!

Plum or Roma style tomatoes work the best but feel free to experiment!

Here is what you need:

1. Hot and dry weather

2. Screened box, food safe platter or cookie sheet

3. Roma style tomatoes

4. Knife and cutting board

Directions:

Slice the tomatoes lengthwise being careful not to cut all the way through the skin. Slice larger tomatoes into quarters and smaller ones in half as shown.

Lay them on your drying surface under plenty of sun for 1-2 weeks, until they are fully dry with no more squishy parts!

Tip: After drying, I freeze the tomatoes for 2 weeks. (This keeps anything from growing on them). Store the finished tomatoes in a sealed jar.

Using Your Dried Tomatoes: Pour boiling water over your tomatoes and let sit for 10 minutes. Use them in green salads, appetizers, chicken salad sandwiches and more!

See tomatoes before (right) and after!

Do you have any favorite ways to use sundried tomatoes?

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Spice It Up With Cinnamon!

Sienna — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Cinnamon: whether it be sprinkled on doughnuts or infused into cookies or tea, this magical spice is a favorite of many.

I have always loved mixing up a jar of cinnamon sugar for morning toast, and December always brings a fresh bag of cinnamon sticks for mulled wine and homemade chai tea!

Primarily grown in Southeast Asia, cinnamon was introduced to Europe in the 16th century. The spice is harvested from the bark of the cinnamon tree, dried into sticks called “quills” or powdered.

(The ever popular cinnamon bears).

According to healthdiaries.com, cinnamon is anti-viral, has shown to lower cholesterol, and can boost cognitive function and memory. It is also a natural preservative!

How do you do your cinnamon?

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Fried Peppers in Five Minutes!

Sienna — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Need a perfect side dish or appetizer for tonight?

Fry up some tantalizing Cubanelle Peppers in no time for the easiest way to serve up the bounty of summer!

Last Summer, while attending an elegant dinner party at a friend’s house, I was introduced to the idea of Frying Peppers. My host told of smuggling pepper seeds back from Brazil just to be able to serve up these beauties all Summer long.

Cubanelle peppers have become so popular these days, you only have to go as far as your local farmer’s market or natural food store to find them.

Now here is the skinny on how to prepare these sweet little gems!

Once you’ve found your Cubanelles (grow them yourself if you have to), simply heat 1-2 Tbs. of canola or olive oil in a frying pan. Toss in the peppers whole and fry for 5-10 minutes. Stir regularly until the skin begins to blister golden brown on all sides.

Salt well and Serve.

It’s that easy, really, and your dinner guests will be so impressed!

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Basil Breakdown

Sienna — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 04:00:00 +0000

Basil, Pesto, Summertime.

They all go together like t-shirt, jeans and sandals.

It’s peak harvest season and I wanted to take the opportunity to share a little bit of knowledge on basil and my simple (and slightly addictive) Pesto recipe!

Grow it:

Basil is one of the easiest herbs to grow and can be grown outside, or indoors in a sunny window, and let me tell you, a little goes along way. The only downfall is that it is an annual, so you have to replant each year.

Tip: pinch off any flower buds that form in able to extend the producing life of the plant!

Season it:

Try putting a couple of leaves in your sandwiches, chop up a little fresh into your pre-made spaghetti sauce, or layer tomato and mozzarella for a perfect appetizer. Last weekend I mixed shredded mozzarella with my homemade pesto and stuffed small tomatoes with it. Twenty minutes in the oven and my dinner guests were oh-so-happy!

Make It:

Homemade Pesto

Ingredients:

2 C. packed Basil leaves

Olive Oil

Juice from 1/2 a Lemon

1/4 C. Walnuts

1 or 2 Garlic Cloves (peeled)

2 Tbs. Parmesan Cheese

Salt & Pepper

Directions: Place basil and lemon juice in a wide-mouth quart jar, or a deep mixing bowl. With an electric hand blender* start grinding the basil and slowly drizzling in olive oil until it is almost smooth (you will use approx. 1/4 oil). Add walnuts, garlic and cheese. Blend until fairly smooth, trying not to overblend. Salt and Pepper to taste. Enjoy!

*I love to use my handy hand blender but a traditional blender will work, it just takes a little more effort to stop and scrape down the sides repeatedly.

Last Stop: Freeze any extra pesto in small containers and enjoy your summer love all year long!

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How to Make Fresh Pickle

Sienna — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +0000

‘Tis the season of abundant gardens and Farmer’s Markets full of delicious fresh produce! In my household, when the cucmbers hit, it’s time to start a’ pickling. This year I’ve planted a special variety called Parisian Picklers, along with a few lemon cucs. We put away a lot of dills for the rest of the year, but for a special treat, I’ll make a jar of fresh pickles to be nibbled on at will. Unprocessed pickles will last in the fridge for a few weeks, but they are often snatched up before that day ever comes!

You can easily make your own at home, and relish the flavors as they change and meld over a number of days!

All you need:

Glass canning jar or plastic tupperware (something that seals up well)

Fresh young cucumbers or lemon cucumbers (1/2 lb.)

Rice Vinegar

Water

Salt

Sugar

Directions: Thinly slice your cucumbers.

In your jar, add a few tablespoons vinegar, and a little less water, a half spoonful of salt, and an equal amount of sugar.

Stir until salt and sugar dissolve.

Add your cucs, seal and shake the jar until everything is coated.

Put them in the fridge and taste them the next day. Season to taste.

Continue shaking the jar every couple of days. Voila!

Variations: Do what YOU like!

Try adding fresh herbs, garlic, onion, less salt for a low sodium pickle, lemon juice, or alternative sweeteners.

Let me know how you do!

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Movie Review: Julie & Julia

Kathleen McHatton — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 00:02:00 +0000

A movie that cherishes a love of food doesn’t come along all that often. Therefore, it’s a good time to appreciate the delightful flick, Julie & Julia — a movie that will not only have you raving, but your stomach growling.

While this movie is about food — and I mean a lot of delicious food — it is also about self discovery.

Based on two true stories, Julie Powell, played by Amy Adams, is a lowly cubicle worker who can only looked forward to depressing call after call in her frustrating job. The thing that makes her happy is cooking and knowing that she can come home night after night, follow a recipe and create something tasty.

Investing in her love of cuisine, Julie is inspired by her husband to write a blog about cooking, but not just any blog: a year-long cooking challenge to make every recipe in Julia Child’s famous cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

This is where Julia Child’s story comes in — the Julia Child before she became famous. This Julia, played by Meryl Streep, was a bored housewife in Paris. In a desire to use her talent and excitement for learning, she signed up for a challenging French cooking class. Here, Julia discovered her talent in the kitchen, as did those around her, all while her ever-supporting and ever-adoring husband (played by Stanley Tucci) stood proudly by her side.

Julie and Julia’s stories meet in an interesting way that you’ll just have to see for yourself

Ultimately, this story is about finding happiness and joy in simple pleasures. It definitely made me want to slow down, eat a few less take-out meals, invite a few friends over and cook a fantastic meal.

Mmmmm….what’s for dinner?

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