October 24, 2012

OUT TO EAT: homeroom

Going to homeroom has been on my TO DO list for AGES. Last week I finally went with my friends Dana & Denise and all I could think was “WHY DID IT TAKE ME THIS LONG?!” We had such an amazing meal and our friend Allison (who owns the restaurant with her friend Erin) was able to hang out with us a little bit. Girl talk, mac +cheese and homemade oreos….what more could you ask for?

I’m pretty excited that I live much closer to the Oakland now. There’s really no excuse not to go. I just hope that Cooper likes mac & cheese one day…because they’re so dang kid friendly too!

recipes, Uncategorized

October 22, 2012

Coconut Chai Coffee Cake

Coconut Chai Coffee Cake. This recipe had me at Coconut…really. Anything with coconut and I’m ALL IN. Especially when it comes to cakes, rice & bars.

Major bonus points for CHAI, COFFEE & CAKE. Three glorious things that start with the letter C.

Crunchy coconut topping gets a kick the the pants with chai spices. It’s like drinking tea and eating cake at the same time.

Coconut is already kinda buttery but when it’s mixed with butter…OMG. Fist pumps. Angels sing. Hallelujah. I just can’t STOP EATING THE TOPPING, get it away from me. Yeah..that.

This recipe comes from Aida Mollenkamp’s Keys to the Kitchen Cookbook. I am utterly OBSESSED with it. It’s one of those cookbooks where you find yourself marking almost EVERY. SINGLE. RECIPE to try. Not only does it have a ton of recipes, there are SOOO many great tips & tricks packed into this beautifully designed cookbook. It’s a graphic designer’s DREAM. Oh, and guess what?! I have an extra copy, so if you would like to win one for yourself, leave a comment below telling me one of your most useful tips in the kitchen! I’ll pick a winner at random on Wednesday October 24th. Good luck and let’s eat the heck out of this cake together, mmkay?

my everyday life, Photography

October 21, 2012

My Everyday Life: Week 42

Here’s what this past week looked like:

I taught two Food Styling classes this weekend with my Maj. I absolutely love working with her.

Uncategorized

October 19, 2012

I love lists, Friday!

I feel that this waffle iron was made for me.
I had Molly. I really just loved her clothes best. I don’t do Victorian. HELLO striped PJS!
The sweetest letter to the sweetest babe.
Spiced Pumpkin Ice Cream made with Coconut Milk? Sign me up!
This recipe looks awesome, but seeing inside Heidi’s suitcase is even better!
Top 5 things Restaurants Should Never Serve Again. They’re not wrong.
Oh yeah. I’m totally going to do this during the holidays.
This Glass Pendant DIY is gorgeous. I love ombre!
Trick or Treat Halloween Cookies. Love these.
I might have to donate my GAP pants now.
All of my favorite things in one dish!
The Art of a Bar Cart. I’m setting up a Bar in a Closet right now!
I LOVE Lisa’s new blog design. Black, white & YELLOW goodness.
It’s great to see people being kind, isn’t it?
27 Reasons Why Woman are Wonderful. Pretty much!

RUT-TOBER. It’s the name of the latest Joy the Baker podcast. We need your help and we need to stop discussing the fact that it was our 69th episode. Ew.

Aida Mollenkamp wanted to know what my Key in the Kitchen is. You can read it here!

My Bites Around the Net:

Sara from The Little Bite made my Curried Chicken with Coconut Rice.

Vanessa from Just The Tip made my Baked Artichoke Squares

The Guy & The Girl from The Guy and His Girl made my Baked Pumpkin Pecan Doughnuts.

Victoria of Victoria Sponge Pease Pudding made my My Brussels Sprout Bacon Pizza.

recipes, Uncategorized

October 17, 2012

Tiny Taquitos w/ Avocado Cilantro Sauce

It’s PARTY time today. A bunch of us food bloggers are having a virtual baby shower for our dear friend Lisa from With Style & Grace.

Lisa & her husband are about to bring a baby boy into the world and for this party, I decided to make these chicken taquitos from the new book, Tiny Food Party by my friends Teri & Jenny of Spoon Fork Bacon.

Taquitos are a hot commodity at our house. Both Casey & Cooper looooooove them but I’ve never made them from scratch before.

This recipe is simple, extremely straight-forward and the perfect solution for a fun party like a baby shower. With the right adobo sauce, they’re gluten free too.

They’re crispy, crunchy and the filling is exceptional. The chicken is spicy with a touch of sweetness from the honey. The avocado cilantro sauce push them over the edge! HOLY DELICIOUSNESS. We actually had a Mexican themed co-ed baby shower when I was pregnant with Cooper. Too bad I didn’t have this recipe back then. I’m sure this would have been a real hit with all of the guests. They could have played a game of guess how many Tracy could eat (answer 21).

And for the lady of honor, I’d serve some of my Cilantro Limeade because it tastes pretty darn close to a cocktail. You deserve the very best, Lisa!

recipes, sponsored

October 15, 2012

Mini Apple Pie Cheesecakes

While everyone is focusing on pumpkins right now, let’s binge on apples. Let’s be different.

Different is awesome, don’t ya think?

Today, I bring you one of the most delicious desserts I’ve ever made according to my husband.

These are very very powerful words; They’re not to be taken lightly.

What’s better than apple pie? Apple pie CHEESECAKES. Don’t worry, I’ve made them small.

That means we can eat more of them, right? Cool.

These Mini Apple Pie Cheesecakes have a nutty/buttery graham cracker crust with a hint of cinnamon. The cheesecake component is flavored with delicious apple butter and once set, the cheesecakes are topped with a gooey/cinnamon-y walnut apple sauce. I totally just unbuckled my pants re-reading that sentence. They’re SO DANG GOOD, people.