Rice Garden

My little girl is growing up so fast and wants to do everything that Mommy does.  So I bought her a Kitchen so she could bake when I bake. Her Nana got her a vacuum to help mommy clean the house. Now I have a garden and she wants to dig in it and pull up all the plants.  Therefore we made a fun little colorful rice garden.

Things needed:
25 lbs of long gran rice
1 bottle of rubbing alcohol
3-4 different colors of food coloring
Gallon Zip lock bags
something to  lay rice on to dry (cookie sheets with edges)
Wooden spoon
Plastic tub with Lid
Sand toys

How to make:

One color = Zip lock bag (double bag) fill with 8 cups of rice, 18 drops of food color, and 3 tablespoons of alcohol  (I had to make two of these bags of the same color to fill my tub)
Zip close both bags and shake until all the rice is covered with the coloring.
Spread out colored rice onto cookie sheet and allow to sit out in the sun to dry. After 15 minutes use the spoon to stir so the bottom rice is allowed to dry.
Pour colored rice into the play tub and add toys to play!!

Cheesecake with Chocolate Ganache and Berries

Oh Heaven just landed at my door step with this dessert!!  I needed to make my good friend Jacqueline a Birthday dessert and she loves.....cheesecake and Chocolate covered strawberries.  Last year I took these flavors and made her a pie so this year I made this divine cake. ::smack lips::

You will need to start by preping your pan, then make crust, filling, ganache, and finish with berries.

Pan:
Spring form pan, wrap the bottom of pan with tin foil and spray the whole pan with Pan pil spray.

Crust:  Preheat Oven 350 degrees

1 1/2 package of Chocolate Maid Graham crackers

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon flour

1 stick of melted butter

Crush crackers into a fine crumble, add sugar and flour mix well. Melt butter then add to the cracker mixture.  Add cracker crumble to pan and press evenly over the bottom, also press some up the sides for a small edge. Place into the oven and bake for five minutes. Remove from the oven, using a spoon press down the crust and set aside to cool. Make filling

 

Cheesecake Filling:    Oven remains at 350 degrees

4 packages of cream cheese/ at room temperature

4 eggs/ at room temperature

1 1/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 zest of a lemon

Using an electric mixer cream the Cream cheese and sugar together, add one egg at a time until well mixed. Incorporate the vanilla and lemon zest and slowly add in the whipping cream. Make sure to scrap the edges of the bowl throughout the mixing so everything is well Incorporated. Pour Cheese mixture into the prepared pan with the crust.

Cover the bottom of the pan with tin foil and return to the oven. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and add the spring form pan to a larger pan. Add some water to the larger pan so that the cheesecake is in a water bath, return to the oven and bake for another 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. (if the middle is still a little jiggly that is fine but if it still moves like loss liquid then bake for a little longer.)

Once cooled cover and place into the fridge (allow to set up for at least two hours). 

 

Chocolate Ganache:

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

3/4 cup Heavy whipping cream

5 Tablespoons powder sugar

 

Add all choc. chips into a microwave safe bowl add 1/4 of the heavy cream to chocolate.  Place into the microwave and heat at 30 second increments until completely melted.  You will need a hand mixer for this part.  Begin mixing the chocolate at a slow speed while adding the remaining cream.  Once the cream is mixed in well start to add the powder sugar slowly.  Your ganache should be thick and if not add more melted chocolate.

Pour the ganache over the top of the cheesecake.  Add cheesecake to the Fridge to setup.

 

Berries:

5 strawberries

small handful of blackberries and raspberries

Lemon and zest

 

Cut all berries into small pieces.

Zest one lemon over the cut berries.

Just add berries to the middle of the dessert just moments before serving.

Raspberry Lemonade Bars

The special treats I made for my Birthday this year where Black forest Parfaits, Key Lime Pie cupcakes, and Raspberry Lemonade Bars.  I got to share my treats this year with family in CO. and everyone enjoyed them.  This post I am going to share the recipe for the bars.

 

RASPBERRY LEMONADE BARS (Adapted from The Improv Kitchen)
Crust:
9 tbsp butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1 tsp vanilla essence
pinch of salt

Filling:
2 1/2 cups frozen raspberries, thawed
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup lemon juice (about 3-4 medium lemons)
zest of 3 lemons
3 egg whites
1 egg
2/3 cup flour
pinch of salt, extra

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line and grease a 8x8 inch square baking dish.
To make the crust, cream together butter and sugar until light. Add the flour, vanilla and salt and mix until combined well. Do not over mix as this can make the base tough. Press the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until just golden brown. Remove from oven and cool.

To make the filling, place all thawed raspberries in a fine sieve and press them into a large bowl with the back of a spoon. Discard the caught seeds and skin. Add the sugar, juice, zest, whites, egg, flour and salt and combine, until well incorporated.
Pour the raspberry mixture onto the base and place in the oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Cool on the bench before placing in the refrigerator to set completely (about 3-4 hours) Cut and decorate as desired.

 

 

 

Blackforest Parfait

Well another year has come and gone and I'm turning another year older.  I love chocolate covered strawberries so I wanted to make something that had those wonderful flavors in a cake form.  This was a simple and fun treats to make. 
Buy plastic wine glasses to hold the parfait.  This dessert has three components choc. cake, strawberries, and lime flavored whipped cream.

I made a dark chocolate cake and added choc. chips to the batter to add extra chocolate.
Then I chopped fresh strawberries (small bits are the best :))
Make the whipped cream:
* Heavy whipping cream
* powder sugar
*vanilla extract
*lime zest and juice
1.  You will need an electric mixer with a whisk attachment.  Pour the whipping cream into the mixer bowl along with 1 tsp of vanilla and 1 tsp of lime juice, and add also zest from half of a lime.  Turn on the mixer onto one speed above slow.
2.  Allow to mix until it starts to thicken, then begin to add 1 tbs of powder sugar at a time, you will need to add at least 5 tbs but taste to see if you want it sweeter.  Continue to mix until the peaks are stiff.
Build your Parfait: (make sure cake is completely cooled)  Cake/strawberries/cream......repeat. :)

Strawberry Cheesecake

Strawberry Cheesecake with a drizzle of Chocolate

 

 

While I was in Colorado my brother asked me to make Gumbo and a yummy dessert.  I decided a creamy cheesecake with some fresh fruit would be nice after a spicy-Gumbo.  Oh, everyone was drooling all over themselves because of this cheesecake.

 

It is best to make this cheesecake a day ahead so plan as such, but you can make the same day.

Begin with the crust, move to the filling, and finish with the berries.

Crust:    Preheat Oven 350 degrees

Spring form pan

1 1/2 package of Honey Maid Graham crackers

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon flour

1 stick of melted butter

 

Crush crackers into a fine crumble, add sugar and flour mix well.  Melt butter then add to the cracker mixture.

Spray the bottom and sides of the pan.  Add cracker crumble to pan and press evenly over the bottom, also press some up the sides for a small edge.   Place into the oven and bake for five minutes. Remove from the oven, using a spoon press down the crust and set aside to cool.  Make filling

 

 

Filling:    Oven remains at 350 degrees

4 packages of cream cheese/ at room temperature

4 eggs/ at room temperature

1 1/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 zest of a lemon

 

Using an electric mixer cream the Cream cheese and sugar together, add one egg at a time until well mixed.  Incorporate the vanilla and lemon zest and slowly add in the whipping cream.  Make sure to scrap the edges of the bowl throughout the mixing so everything is well Incorporated.  Pour Cheese mixture into the prepared pan with the crust.

Cover the bottom of the pan with tin foil and return to the oven.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Remove from the oven and add the spring form pan to a larger pan.  Add some water to the larger pan so that the cheesecake is in a water bath, return to the oven and bake for another 20 minutes.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool.  (if the middle is still a little jiggly that is fine but if it still moves like loss liquid then bake for a little longer.)

Once cooled cover and place into the fridge (allow to set up for at least two hours).  Do not loosen the spring pan until the next day.

Just before you are ready to serve undo the spring on the pan and remove. 



 

Topping:

1 pint sliced strawberries

1 1/2 tablespoon of sugar

1/2 lemon zest and juice

 

Slice the strawberries and place into a bowl. Add sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest mix well. Put a cover on and place into the fridge to marinate (over night is best).

Slice Cheesecake and cover each slice with Strawberries and a little drizzle of Chocolate, serve and witness the drooling from your guests.

 

 



Mickey and Minnie Mouse Cake Pops

My two year old LOVES Minnie and Mickey mouse!!  So when a friend asked me to make these cake pops I was excited to work on them.  Then my mom loved them so much that she placed a huge order to pass out to those she works with in Saratoga Springs, NY.  (Hey you all!!)

I was amazed at the many layers these pops took so make sure you have time to work on them.
Things you will need:
Red, Pink, and brown melting Chocolates
Little white pearls
Veggie Oil
Pop sticks
Treat bags
Ribbon
(for Minnie's bows I have a chocolate mold but you can free style the bows)
Bowls and spoons
Also a cake pop holder if you have one

Melting Chocolate:
When melting your chocolate make sure you only melt one color at a time.  They do harden pretty fast so work quickly.  Place 1/2 of the chocolate into a microwave safe bowl add just a teaspoon of Veggie oil in with the Choc. (this helps make the Choc. smooth). Place bowl into the microwave and set for 30seconds.  When the timer goes off stir and if not melted then redo for 15 second increments.

Steps:
1.  Make cake balls with either a maker or press balls together.  I have a maker so it makes the process go faster.

2.  Melt first choc. (red= Mickey, Pink = Minnie),  Add sticks into balls: Dip one end of your stick into the Choc. and insert into a cake ball.  Set upside down to allow the choc. to harden (I place them into the Fridge to move the process along faster)

3. Dip the cake ball into the colored choc. (I use a spoon to help cover the balls. I have found that dipping it upside down will cause the balls to fall off the sticks.) Make sure to allow the excess choc. to drip off.  For Mickey: place two pearls next to each other in the bottom half of the ball.  For Minnie: sprinkle pearls around the bottom half of the ball. (the pearls are heavy so you will have some drip off while setting up in the Fridge)  Set them in the Fridge to harden!

4.  Time to add the ears, you will need melting Choc. coins to make the ears, I used plain choc. but you can stay with the colored chips if you would like.  Dip one chip into the red/pink choc and hold onto the top of the cake ball, wait till it has stuck. (do not press to hard or you will break the cake ball)  Add the other ear and then place into the fridge to set.

5.  Melt your Brown Chocolate: You will need a spoon for this step. With the spoon pour choc. over the top half of the ball with the ears.  Make sure not to cover the pearls with the brown choc. and make sure the front and back are well covered.  Allow the excess choc. to drip off because if you don't it will end up on the bottom half of the ball.  Put into the fridge once again to set.

 

6.  For Minnie mouse make the bows and allow to set then add to her ears.  To add them you will add a little melted choc. to the back of the bow and press onto the ears and then allow to set.
Time to bag and tie off........pass out for a yummy treat!!

Tea Party Baby Shower

I was given the honor of doing my sister's baby shower this weekend in Feb.  I had so much fun designing the set up, planning the menu, and baking everything. 
I had four different areas for the Tea Party:
The opening presents area: With the help of my Grandma Suzi I made month by month bibs and we used those for the garland. 

 

The Sign a diaper/ favors table:  I made a basket with a sign that read "Late Night Diapers, for mommy only"  the guests where to write messages to the mommy-to-be on the diapers.  The favors where little bottles filled with candy and tea pot/ tea cup sugar cookies.

 

 

 

Also to greet everyone there are a very cute Diaper wreath hanging on the front door.

 

The Tea area:  We had a variety of different teas, along with coffee and water.  We asked the guests to bring their own tea cups and saucers.

 

 Then of course we had a wonderful set up of treats and healthy goodies.  For Healthy treats we served: Three kinds of tea sandwiches, fruit and cheese tray, baked brae, and crackers.  For treats we served: brownie bits, mini fruit pizzas, cookie truffles, cheesecake shots, dark choc. raspberry macaroons, and cake.

 

 

I was so blessed to plan and host this baby shower.  May the Lord bless my sister and Hubby with their newest addition to their family.  I know that Kylie will have a very loving home to grow into, I mean how could she not look at her mother.....