June 20, 2012

Boozy Frozen Peach Pops

SUMMER BUCKET LIST ITEM # 1

Make Boozy Ice Pops

STATUS: DONE

If you don’t know what I’m talking about, you should listen to the Joy the Baker Podcast! Joy & I talked about our summer bucket list for 2012 a few weeks ago. To fill you in, this summer I want to paint my toes a super girly color (I’m totally a dark gothy nail polish kinda girl), have a BBQ, make/eat s’mores and make boozy ice pops. There may or may not be an impromptu laundromat dance in that bucket… I’ve got work to do!

There are a few things to note about putting booze in ice pops. It’s ALLLL about the ratio. In my internet research, I found that you need 2 cups juice to 2 oz. of alcohol. If you mess with that ratio, you’re bound to get a frozen pop that doesn’t freeze. Boozy slushies do sound kinda good though… You also have to freeze them for at least 12 hours. Booze just takes longer to freeze!

This peachy orange strawberry flavor combo was fantastic. It’s refreshing, sweet and full of good fruits. You don’t really taste a ton of booze (I think it’s the Cointreau that masks it a bit) but there is something a little “adult” about it. You’ll see.

If you’re looking for a more Boozy Susan experience, serve your frozen peach pops with ANOTHER cocktail. Dip it in there! You could also take the sticks out and blend up the pops with more booze in a blender. Consider this recipe a gateway drug to more boozy frozen pops this summer.

We’ve got your number, SUMMER!

recipes

June 18, 2012

Peach Shortcakes

When you hear the word shortcake, you immediately think strawberry, right?

Get over it! Peach shortcakes are the way to go! I mean…strawberry shortcakes are absolutely delightful but PEACH shortcakes are so unexpected. When you’re baking to impress, unexpected is the way to go!

This is the dessert I made for Father’s Day yesterday and for the 5-10 minutes it took for my family to eat this dessert, I heard nothing but silence. Silence is a good sign. Silence means that everyone is too busy enjoying what they’re eating to carry on a conversation.

If you’re a person who likes quiet (ahem, ME), this is the dessert you make when all you want is 5-10 minutes of peace. The best part is that you’re eating something good in that time. Buttery shortcakes are topped with orange spiked peaches, creamy ice cream and finished with little sprigs of MINT. Uh huh.

Silence is golden. So are peaches. Get on it.

my everyday life, Photography

June 16, 2012

My Everyday Life: Week 24

Here’s what this past week looked like:

I like watching people exercise on the Marina. It looks like they might collide.

Uncategorized

June 15, 2012

I love lists, Friday!

Bundts and hilarious writing. That’s my friend L.M. for you!
I loved this current food photography style post! Informative & FUN!
This is house porch parties come together.
The secret meaning of the lines on a SOLO cup. Interesting.
My husband would appreciate the tray of candy bars in this movie night post!
Pillow DIY!! When I get in the decorating zone, I’m gonna exploit this.
Mango Lassis are on my TO-DO list! Cooper LOVES them.
There was a time in my life where I did things like this… wait. I still do…
HEIDI! You had me at Kale.
When I don’t know what to eat for breakfast, I turn to Jen for inspiration.
I could send you one of these birthday cards.
I have a denim shirt that’s BEGGING for this DIY.
Bauble is a funny word. I want to make a bauble necklace!
Confession: I have such a blog crush on Rebecca. I seriously stalk her website.
Aaaaaaand I watch EVERY video Sarah James makes. I can’t help it.
Buns!! The prettiest wheat brioche buns I’ve ever seen.

On this week’s Joy the Baker podcast, Joy & I talk SUMMER CAMP! We’re starting a new camp & calling it Camp Awkward!

On this week’s High Straightenence, I organize my Linen Closet. How cute are those bins from Target?! (They’re on sale right now! Snatch some up!)

MY BITES ON THE NET:

Olie Pants made my Angel Hair Pasta with Chili & Lemon. YUM!

Courtney from Cook Like a Champion hopped on board my Brussels Sprouts Bacon Pizza train!

Diane, A Broad adapted my Blackberry Goat Cheese Squares with extra fruits!

recipes

June 13, 2012

Coconut Cake with Berries & Cream

Do you ever look at the serving amount on a recipe AFTER you’ve made the recipe and think

UHHH…UMMM…WOOPS?

REAL TALK: I never really pay attention to serving amounts when it comes to baking. Unless I HAVE to bring something to a party and wanna make sure I have enough. Things get difficult when I make a big batch of something (ahem, COCONUT CAKE) and realize there’s only three of us actually eating it. Whhhhhyyyy are my neighbors out of town?! If the cake wasn’t so amazingly bonkers (first post using the word bonkers!) it wouldn’t be a problem…but now I have the rest of the week to finish it.

And that’s only a problem because I can’t stop myself from eating it. It’s so bad that I have a spoon in my fridge right now so that whenever I open the fridge I can swipe a bite. I’m not sure if that’s me being plain lazy or straight up genius. I’m going with genius.

So what’s it like? Imagine a tres leche cake made with coconut milk and a heavy dose of coconut flakes up in the batter. It’s kinda wet, a little spongy, sweet, creamy and nicely berry topped. It’s super light & refreshing because it’s cold! I think I figured out what you’re making for 4th of July this year. I can assure you it most certainly makes enough for a crowd! Oof.

Inspiration

June 11, 2012

Last Minute Father’s Day Gift Guide

Last Christmas I had Casey do a Man’s gift guide. It was pretty popular so I asked him to do another one for Father’s Day. I know he has #5, #3& #6 already…Maybe I’ll surprise him with something else…If you’re last minute shopping, here are 6 cool items you could easily have overnighted from Amazon. Take it away, Casey!

1. Band of Brothers / The Pacific (Special Edition Gift Set) The Twilight Saga would not be a good gift. Let him know you are thinking of him when you buy two epic mini series from HBO in one box set. Band of Brothers and The Pacific are loved by men, but surprise, ladies enjoy the shows as well.

2. Hamilton Men’s H70655733 Khaki Officer GMT Watch Last gift guide for Men included a Hamilton Dress watch, the Khaki officer has a more casual yet classic look that will not go out of style. This has a 44m face so if he has tiny girly wrists, skip this watch and buy the man some weights instead.

3.Milwaukee 2497-22 M12 12-Volt Cordless Lithium-Ion 2-Tool Combo Kit Hammer Drill and Impact Driver If it’s been a few years since he’s bought a cordless drill, he’s probably still using the old NiCd battery technology. The M12 Lithion Ion technology is compact, light weight and powerful. In addition to this Drill and Impact Driver, there are dozens of other tools and accessories that are compatible, including a heated jacket for him to wear that uses the same rechargeable battery! This kit includes a hammer drill, impact driver (awesome) charger, 2 batteries and carrying case. Lots of power in a small package, using these tools is so much easier without the big bulky battery pack strapped to the handle.

4. Pelican 7060 Rechargeable Tactical LED Flashlight Good enough for the LAPD, good enough for dad. This tactical flashlight is this century’s MagLight. Every man needs one and it will last a lifetime. Don’t let the compact size fool you, it is crazy bright with good battery life. The only downside is the compact size means it’s not an ideal weapon for beating bad guys over the head.

5.The Art of Shaving – The 4 Elements of the Perfect Shave Full Size Kit – Unscented Watch the videos on the website and you too will want to join the brotherhood of the perfect shave. There’s just something cool about the ritual of shaving now. Start with your pre-shave oil which provides lubrication for the razor, lather up using the badger hair brush, go to work using a standard Gillette razor and finish off with the soothing after-shave balm. Inexpensive starter kits or full size kits available.

6.Grado Prestige Series SR80i Stereo Headphones Could you picture him rocking a big set of Beats by DrDre headphones like all the neighborhood thugs? Didn’t think so. He’s a man of substance who only wants the very finest in audiophile grade sound. Discover nuances in familiar recordings that you never heard before with the amazing clarity and detail these provide. The retro appearance is a hallmark of Grado Labs. There’s a reason why everyone I’ve let listen to these has gone and bought a pair or two for themselves, you just don’t find this quality at this price from anyone else.

recipes

June 11, 2012

Frozen Cappuccino

Deconstructed coffee ice cream. That’s what this is.

Espresso, sugar and cream combine forces to make a simple frozen treat that will have people coming back for more.

I can’t imagine a better treat eaten under strings of outdoor lanterns on a warm summer evening. This is how I’d want to have coffee in the morning on a super hot summer day. Can you really blame me?