Holiday Favorites

From top left:  Candy Centered Chocolate Cookies// Chocolate Crackle Cookies// 
Pecan Rolo Pretzel Bites// Oreo Truffles// Soft and Chewy Gingerbread Men

Merry Christmas my friends.  

Christmas is coming in five days and that feels a little bit shocking.  Mostly shocking because not a bit of extra butter or sugar has whipped itself into any holiday baking this year in my kitchen.  I've had my fair share of caramels and cookies and chocolate covered things.  I just can't say I made any of them myself.  It's been a wonderful but very busy month, which has not left time for the all important gingerbread man. 

I still have high hopes of doing some baking this year, but in the meantime I wanted to share some of my past favorites.  Hope you are having a very merry Christmas season.

From my little kitchen to yours... Merry Christmas.  

Orange Rolls

Finally, it's December.

I don't think I have ever said that before, but last week just really threw me for a loop.  A whole extra week in November after Thanksgiving?  It just didn't feel like the holidays.  I mean it's still 80 degrees here, but there's no telling how long that will last.  At least we can flip the calendar and start counting down.  So let's start baking treats that only seem legal during the holidays.

Giveaway! Lucky Girl Hair Tie Holiday Set- Closed

No matter what skills you have or don't have in the kitchen, there is one thing that will ruin any meal... yep, that's right, hair in your food.

Kind of a gross concept so let's not dwell on it.

Let's just move on to the solution.  Sure any plain old rubber band will work but I like to take any opportunity to jazz things up.  Enter Lucky Girl Hair Ties.  The ties are showing up all over the place, but you can't beat the selection and price of this Etsy shop.

UPDATE- WINNERS
Congrats to Brittni and Shelley!

Ham & Cheddar Potato Soup

When you send your husband to the grocery store and there is a severe and expensive mistake made in the deli department, it is hard to know who is to blame.

Cranberry Apricot Brie

There are two situations that you could in find yourself in on this Thanksgiving Eve that could make this recipe quite worth your while.

Perfect Pumpkin Pie with Rum Whipped Cream

It seems as if I have disappeared again.  But this time, the delay has come from an important culinary cause... finding the perfect pumpkin pie.  It actually started with pumpkin donut holes in October, which finally got discarded after 3 variations were still not the best.

I moved on to this important Thanksgiving staple in hopes I could find a perfect combo by the big day.

A Wedding Cake Roller Coaster... the novel.

Here's to hoping that someone out there subscribes to the wonderful saying better late than never. 

To catch you up to speed or jog your memory, I made a wedding cake for 150 people this summer.  With few baking skills to claim and an ambitious attitude, I took on this project and it turned out to be quite the undertaking.  Without further ado, here is the wedding cake story...

bun(s) in the oven.

I'm pretty sure last weekend will become a permanent life/food memory.

Definition of life/food memory:  When you eat something amazing that happens to be on a perfect day so that the combination of the day and food will forever be remembered if you ever taste the food again.  

Examples: 

Eating a clown cone from Baskin Robbins... immediately takes me back to my eighth birthday where I chose to have these cones instead of a cake.  Really great decision and the day is forever engrained in my head.  

Having a bite of Texas cornbread (need to share the recipe soon)... immediately envision my mushroom haircut-self, wearing a cowboy hat and my favorite red boots, on Go Texan Day in first grade thoroughly enjoying our authentic Cowboy meal. 

Are you with me?  Come on, I know you have some. 

I made these cinnamon buns on a day that I will never forget.  I felt good/normal for the first time in three months, and it was one of the first fall afternoons in Houston where you have to be happy because you are not sweating when you walk to your car.  It is totally engrained.

Now back to that three months of not being here.  Where have I been might you ask?  Trying my hardest to get through each and every day while feeling so nauseous, I wanted to do nothing but cry... not even eat.

I've got a bun in the oven too and it has completely taken me under for a full three months.   So if any of you out there have experienced "morning" sickness morning, noon and night I can totally sympathize with you.  Hallelujah, it is gone for the most part or at least only hits me in waves.  So as you can see, these buns were made on a very historic day for.  Living through three months of misery and finally feeling semi normal again and wanting to cook was a huge and wonderful day in my book.

This surprise little bun is due on April 10, 2013 and we couldn't be happier.

Until then, let's make cinnamon buns!

Avocado Cucumber Soup

I owe you a story... and oh, is it a long one. 

I just have this one problem.  I've been so hot lately I just can't think.  

It's blazing outside and I'm totally blaming my slowness and total lack of concentration on this blasted heat. Yep, I blame the heat for my exhaustion that leaves me little to no energy to do anything but lay on the couch, drink Coconut La Croix and watch Real Housewives reruns.  It's simply not my fault.  

Wedding Cake Project....Complete!!

Hallelujah.  Praise the Lord.  Amen. 

Summer Berry Pie

I'm in frosting up to my knees.  The Wedding Cake Project is closing in on me in less than 48 hours.  My house has been a hot box for the past couple of days baking layers and layers of cake.  Note to self, next time you agree to bake a multi layered cake, make sure it is in the dead of winter.

Enough about me, let's talk about you and how you need to get in on the best thing going right now... summer berries. Back to me real quick... prayers I need lots of prayers. 


It might be past the primetime of the summer for red, white and blue but this little pie is still perfect all summer long.

French Muffin Minis & Syrup Dippers

French muffins + syrup dippers... brunch buffets just got so much more fun. 

If you've been here awhile, you might remember the week before Thanksgiving a couple of years ago where I decreed that I would be back all week long with my favorite Thanksgiving sides.  Well, I only came through with one salad recipe and the rest of my great ideas got eaten way before photographs could be snapped.

Why are you talking about Thanksgiving in the middle of the summer?!
Well, I happened to remember really trying to sell you on getting yourself a set of these little glasses and I promised you that the uses were endless.  Here's one more recipe to add to the bunch.  So if you didn't jump on the band wagon the first time, get yourself some glasses.  I see nothing but more combos in the future. 

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy. 

French Muffin Minis + Syrup Dippers

French Muffins, sliced in half (click here for recipe)

Maple syrup or regular syrup
Powdered sugar

Place french muffins in the oven set on low or 200 degree F heat until ready to serve.  Squeeze syrup into half of the shooter glass. Place one french muffin half on the top of each glass.  Dust powdered sugar over each french muffin and serve. 

Wedding Cake Project: Week 2 & Week 3

Okay, so here I am playing catch up as usual.  But these were pretty major steps so I wanted to catch you up to speed on the Wedding Cake Project.   It's time to focus on something major. The taste! Let's get real... What's the last wedding cake you can remember the design and detail of? Now what about the taste? In the long run, you only remember what your favorite cakes tasted like, not what they look like. I know, I know the bride will definitely remember what it looks like and I'm focusing on that too... just not this week. One thing at a time... please, I can only think about one thing at a time. 


I started off with an almond sour cream cake and a chocolate version of the same cake. This will be the only cake at the wedding so we are going to alternate white cake and chocolate cake.

I am happy to announce we have settled on the white cake. However, the chocolate cake was not nearly chocolatey enough.   I made three different ultra chocolatey cakes to see what was the favorite. 

look up!

Hey hey hey.

It's been quite the rainy day here in Houston.  Perfect for watching movies back to back and rummaging around on the web.  Just a little update...there is finally a little recipe index! Just look up at the little bar above this post.  I am a little OCD when it comes to recipe organization so I have plans to make quite a few more sub categories, but it's a start.  Alright, back to the movie marathon.

Happy Sunday.

DIY: How to make Pom Poms

This little kitchen has been keeping itself busy.  Between the catering, throwing parties for family and friends and the ever important wedding cake deadline that is slowly creeping up on me, time is going faster than I could have ever imagined.  I had big plans of reminding you about the perfect Fourth of July pie and equipping you with cold soups that make this summer heat seem not so oppressive.  But between the long days of cooking, many nights have been spent on these little fluff balls to spice up parties and gatherings.  And I promise to be back with cold soups and other goodness soon.

For now, let's pom!

parties: Father's Day in the Backyard

We had quite the backyard party to celebrate Father's Day.  With a brother I love who is a father of two and a dad I adore, I decided we should celebrate them both.  This menu would work at your backyard parties all summer long. 

4 Weeks + A Wedding Cake

Well, let's just cut to the chase.

I'm making a wedding cake.

Let's hit some hard details with a little q&a first so we are on the same page.  Below is a sample of the many questions I have been asked in response to this news.

Have you ever made a wedding cake?  No

Do you have the equipment for this?  Um, kinda.

Do you know how to stack multiple cakes and make perfectly smooth icing?  Hmmm, no.

Are you insane?  I like the term optimistic better.

Oh, and we have exactly 4 weeks to make this happen.

So far, I have enrolled in Wilton icing classes at Michael's with my friend Katie.  Now I have to admit, I didn't exactly see Michael's craft center as a place to learn cutting edge technique, but it was all I could find in June.  And so far, it's turning out to be perfect.  I needed the basics and they totally know what they are talking about.

Week 1... we started with icing technique.  I have mastered the star shape.  Too bad that has nothing to do with wedding cake design.  Who cares... it's a start and I learned a ton about the essential tools I'm going to need.

I need support.  Major.  I feel supported just be putting this out there so I'm going to keep the updates rolling for the next month. You might not be crazy enough to take on a wedding cake, but I will also share what I learn about perfectly icing a cake. Who doesn't need that skill in their tool belt?

And one more thing... if you have an inkling of experience in the wedding cake (or any monumental cake) department, any and all tips being accepted (and begged for) starting now! Leave a comment or if you quite a bit to say or don't like comments... email me... ashleaktaylor@gmail.com.

Mini Potato Boats + Father's Day Food

Father's Day is upon us.  Here's what you should do...

Invite your pops over.  If he is not a Southern Baptist minister, crack him open a beer. Find him a cozy chair to settle into and hand him the remote to channel surf for a couple hours.  Don't worry, you don't have to be a witness to the channel surfing.  You will be busy in the kitchen cooking up a storm.  Let's make man food and make our dads proud (and full).

Green Eggs

Mr. Hungry and I come from two different worlds.  

In his world, no one would ever dream of squeezing the toothpaste tube anywhere but from the bottom.  Everyone is very relaxed and laid back; however, there are methods to dishwashing....very meticulous ones at that.  Staying up extremely late is the only way to live. Eggs are best eaten in their most natural state... sunny side up or possibly scrambled... unfussy with nothing more than a splash of milk or touch of salt and pepper.

In my world, one uses the toothpaste that is nicely sitting at the top of the tube.  Schedules are made to pack the most possible things into one day.  Going to bed at 9:00 p.m. is an absolute treat.  Eggs are best when they are dolled up with cheese and spinach and stuffy things like artichoke and garlic... not to mention they must lose their yolks.

Welcome to my world.  This is how we prefer our eggs.  

There is a great breakfast place in Houston called Baby Barnaby's (if you've been to one of the many Barnaby's, you need to venture into Montrose next to the original Barnaby's and only serves breakfast.  It's an experience).  They make green eggs like none other.  While I will never get close to the original, these are pretty darn good.  

Green Eggs
Recipe Notes
I prefer mine with just egg whites so I use 4 eggs instead of 3.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup spinach, roughly chopped
1/2 cup artichoke hearts, chopped
1 tablespoon milk
3 large or extra large eggs
1/2 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste
Step by Step
In a medium size bowl, crack eggs and add milk.  Use a fork to whisk the mixture together.  Set aside.

Heat olive oil over medium high heat in a nonstick pan.  Add garlic and spinach.  Saute spinach until leaves wilt, about one minute.  Add artichokes and stir to heat through, about thirty seconds.

Add egg mixture and scramble with a spoon.  Continue to cook eggs, scrambling with a spoon.  When eggs are cooked through, add cheese and mix into eggs.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.  Cook until cheese is melted.

Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Makes 2 servings.

French Muffins

English Muffins + French Toast Recipe = French Muffins

Think back to the last time you had an english muffin.  Remember how spongy it was with lots of holes and crevices? Now imagine soaking that little guy in eggs, milk, sugar and vanilla.  It might make you wonder how French toast got so popular.  It has nothing on French muffins.

Texas Sheet Cake Cupcakes

Mr. Hungry recently told me that I smelled like the inside of his Grandmother's purse.

I guess that's the kind of brutal honesty you get after four years of marriage.

One can only imagine what treasured opinions will be shared after 5, 10, 30 years of marriage??

But I cannot say I was offended... or even disagreed.

Oven Roasted Potatoes

It's a funny thing that happens.

The louder things get in my kitchen, the quieter things seem to get around here.

It's just totally backwards, but I see no end to that reality.  Until Apple comes up with a way for me to blink my eyes to take a picture that is instantly sent to my iphone and computer, I will most likely never catch up.

There are several types of cooking that take place over here.  There is the slow cooking, which is what gets photographed and posted.  Step by step is considered and the lighting is adjusted.  It usually involves a glass of wine and sending Mr. Hungry to the grocery store a couple of times because I forgot ingredients.  But it doesn't matter because time is not important. It's my therapy and I like it that way.

And then there is what has been happening as of late.  I seem to be moving at a speed that leaves not even seconds to place something down and take pictures of the food that I am making.

So without wasting any more time on my excuses for being away, I can share with you a list of things I have learned and a recipe for potatoes you are going to need for the rest of your life.

Oatmeal Caramelitas

I am not a test taker.

Never have been, never will be.  I get hives.  I don't know how to study and I stand by the fact that cramming as much information in your brain is unhealthy and has no chance of sticking for the long term. 

Group projects are something I can get behind.   I work best in groups and I think it's the most real life thing you can do in school.  Does anyone have a job where they sit by themselves all day long and are not allowed to reference the internet or phone a friend for collaboration? 

If you do have this kind of job, I'm sorry.  I'm a people person... this would do me in. 

The best things in life come out of collaboration as far as I'm concerned.   

Cookbooks have proved to live up to my claim.  My favorite cookbook happens to be a collaboration and this one is on its way to the top of my list. 

Sugar, Sugar is a collaborative cookbook where the authors ask others to submit recipes and the stories that go along with it.   

This book is a treasure chest of sweet memories and perfect recipes. 

Oats, chocolate, nuts and creamy caramel couldn't be more perfect for each other. 

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Oatmeal Caramelitas
Recipe from Sugar, Sugar
Recipe Notes
If you love chocolate, you can add more chocolate chips.  If you are a caramel purist, you can take the chocolate chips out all together or reduce to a half cup so you have a stronger caramel. flavor.
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
2 cups quick-cooking oats (or instant)
1 (14 ounce) bag Kraft soft caramel candies, unwrapped (about 50)
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (see recipe note)
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)
Step by Step
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a 9 by 13-inch baking dish with butter or cooking spray.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.  Place the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or place ingredients in a bowl to use a  hand mixer.  Beat on medium speed until creamy.  Slowly add the flour mixture and blend until incorporated.  Use a wooden spoon or spatula to fold in the oats.  The mixture will be crumbly.  Transfer half (about three cups) of the mixture to the baking dish.  Use your fingers to gently press and spread the mixture evenly on the bottom of the baking dish.  Bake for 10 minutes to set.

While the first layer is baking, place the caramels and milk in a small saucepan.  Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the caramels are melted.  Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.

Remove the crust from the oven.  Sprinkle the chocolate chips and pecans (if using) evenly over they top.  Carefully pour the caramel mixture on top of the chocolate chips and nuts, and spread evenly.  Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture over the top.  Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned.  Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature.  Then refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until the bars are set.  Cut into two inch squares.

Sunrise Smoothie

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you."

So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."

Matthew 28:1-10 

He has Risen.  He has Risen, Indeed. 

Happy Easter.

This smoothie is a tad reminiscent of an old fashioned creamsicle.  It is refreshing and comforting all at the same time.

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Sunrise Smoothie
Adapted from Peace Meals
Recipe Notes
If your smoothie is a little thick, use the milk to thin it out a bit.  Almond milk is my first choice, but any milk will work.  Depending on how sweet your fruit is, you might want to add extra honey to taste.
Ingredients
2 cups frozen mango chunks
2 cups frozen peach slices
6 oz. low fat plain greek yogurt (or regular low fat yogurt)
1 1/2 cups fresh squeezed orange juice
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 cup almond milk or regular milk, if needed
Step by Step
Combine all ingredients in a blender.  Blend until smooth.  Smoothie will be thick and you might need to use a spoon to push down the fruit between blending.  Add the milk if the smoothie is too thick.

Serve Immediately.

Makes 2 to 3 servings. 

Crispy Hash Brown Cakes

There is something about a weekend breakfast at a little greasy diner that I love so much. 

Mr. Hungry usually orders a breakfast plate... eggs, bacon and hash browns.  I like some sort of scrambled egg whites with cheese and maybe some grits and a good biscuit.  I love grits so I always go with that carb option, but only because I know I can sneak some hash browns off Mr. Hungry's plate. 

Now that you know more than you ever needed to know about our breakfast habits, let's get to the point.

There is nothing monumental or fancy about these breakfasts. Pretty standard food we could choose to make at home.  But Mr. Hungry loves good hash browns and they seemed to always to turn out tasteless and mushy in my kitchen. 

Until now that is. 

These little hash brown cakes have a crunchy crispy exterior with a bit of soft buttery potato inside.  

There is exactly one major secret involved in getting these incredibly crispy potatoes.  Wringing every ounce of water out of these spuds.  It was quite shocking to see how much water is in a potato. 

When you think you have all of the water out.  Wring a few more times.  Im talking squeeze-until-your-biceps-hurt kind of wringing.  

After that, all you need is a good cast iron skillet and a generous amount of butter.

These hash brown cakes are kind of like my hair.  

 

They start out a very unruly mess and all over the place, but with a generous amount of product... butter... and quite a bit of shaping and care, you can pull together a somewhat presentable hash brown cake. 

Nice and crispy too.  Hopefully not like my hair. 

Crispy Hash Brown Cakes

Slightly adapted from The Kitchn
Recipe Notes
There are two keys to crispy hash browns.  Wringing all of the water out of the potato and generous amounts of butter.  When you think you are finished squeezing all the water out, squeeze again.  I can barely believe how much water is in a potato, but get it out of there if you want crispy cakes.  Half way through the cooking my potatoes had absorbed the whole tablespoon of butter so I added more half way through to make sure both sides got crispy.  Add butter as necessary. 

Ingredients

1 large (8 to 10 oz) russet potato
1/4 teaspoon salt
Black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons butter, more if needed
Equipment
Cheese grater
Dish towel
Skillet, preferably cast iron
Spatula

Step by Step
Cover your surface with a clean dish towel. Peel the potato and discard skin.  Using a cheese grater, grate the potato over the clean dish towel.

Gather the dishcloth and twist the neck until you form a tight package. Over the sink, squeeze and wring the potato as much as possible.  Squeeze one more time just to make sure you have gotten every last drop.

Heat the skillet over medium-high heat. Melt the butter and then add the potatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss the potatoes to coat them with butter and then divide them into portion sizes using a spatula. Flatten each portion with the back of the spatula to maximize contact with the hot pan.

Cook for 3 to 4 minutes on the first side, flip, and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes on the second side. Cook each side until desired doneness.  Whether that is a little bit soft or overly crispy, you be the judge.  Try to only flip once so that the cake does not fall apart.

Serve Immediately. 

Makes 3 small servings or 2 large servings. 

Peanut Butter Patty Oreo Balls

I found myself hopping out of bed feeling super refreshed after about 5 hours of sleep.

I took one look in the mirror and thought wow, my hair stayed perfectly put together during my slumber.  I slipped on a pair of jeans and had to grab a belt.  I seem to be shrinking.

I walked past my beautiful lawn and sat on a little chair next to all of the sun flowers that had sprouted in my backyard while I picked my perfectly ripened tomatoes to throw in a sauce that I would be simmering all day. 

And then I woke up. 

Oh yeah, that was totally a dream.  Gosh, it was good.  

My dream world consists of...

Cooking all day long with no clean up involved.  

A hair dresser that pops by every morning to style my hair and make it look pretty. 

Gardens that seem to weed and re plant themselves. Birds that find something else to eat besides my homegrown tomatoes.  

Hours in the day to keep everything nice and tidy (and these hours cannot be used for anything else so you will never feel like your missing out while you are reorganizing your bathroom closet).

My reality consists of...

A foot of bush like hair... wavy as all get out... with no morning hair dresser.  

Christmas trees that just cannot seem to figure out heavy trash day. 

Full days of work with precious minutes left to get dinner on the table. 

Gardens that so desperately need a re haul.  

But most importantly, my reality consists of Peanut Butter Patty Oreo Balls that give you that Girl Scout Peanut Butter Patty taste any time of the year.  

Reality just got a little bit sweeter.

Wow, these totally blew me away. 

Never underestimate the power of chocolate and peanut butter combined. 

Today, you should totally drop the task you deem to be way important.  Getting rid of that Christmas tree?  What's another week? Doing laundry?  Put on some old clothes that never see the light of day. Doing your taxes?  Okay, that is important but tomorrow is not April 15th, so what's another day?

Take a quick trip to the grocery store, buy just three ingredients and get to work.

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Mr. Hungry's Thoughts...
And so it is, a house divided.  I loved everything about these.  Mr. Hungry's taste buds did not agree.  To him?  Too mushy.  But that's life, right?  Perfection to him is a coconut cream pie and I would rather skip dessert if that is my only option.  So let's just see where you land.

Here's to hoping you are equipped with a developed and refined set of taste buds like mine.

Peanut Butter Patty Oreo Balls

Recipe Notes
Now don't completely hold me to this being a replica of a Peanut Butter Patty.  You are missing one key ingredient.  In the real thing, there are two layers when you bite in... a crunchy one and grainier peanut butter one.  There is no crunchy cookie layer in this one, but I didn't miss it for one second. 

You use the whole cookie for this recipe.  Leave the icing in the middle when you place them in the food processor.  Dipping in chocolate can be a little tricky.  The method I prefer is to dunk the oreo ball in the chocolate, roll around to coat and then using a fork in one hand and your fingers, scoop the ball out and place on parchment paper. You will probably have a little bit of chocolate left over so melt only half a box at a time. 

Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) package Oreo Golden Sandwich Cookies
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 (8 ounce) packages Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate (I like Baker's brand)
Directions
In a food processor, crush all of the cookies into a fine crumb mixture; place in medium bowl. Add peanut butter; mix until well blended. Roll cookie mixture into one inch balls. 

Cover a baking sheet with wax paper or parchment paper.  Heat chocolate according to directions on packaging.  Dip balls in chocolate and place on lined baking sheet to harden.  (Any leftover chocolate can be stored at room temperature for another use.) 

Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Store leftover oreo balls, covered, in refrigerator.

Makes about 42 oreo balls.