Ashley Brooke

Strawberry Cake

2010-06-22T21:23:00.000-05:00

This is Pioneer Woman's Strawberry Shortcake Cake (and her photos, not mine.)

It is by far the best strawberry cake I've ever made or had... I think because it really does remind me of strawberry shortcake. You should try this for sure. Or anything Pioneer Woman makes for that matter... all of her recipes look so good, and her blog is just so funny.

I'm looking forward to keeping up with her blog. (And trying to keep up with MINE too!) I actually considered canceling my blog because I've neglected it the last few months, but then I reminded myself, I'm doing this for me and it's supposed to be something I enjoy... if I'm only able to pop in every now and then, oh well!

So I will be back, hopefully sooner than later :)

-ash

Edible ink

2010-02-13T22:27:00.003-06:00

Beautiful job Bakerella! I have always wanted to try this icing method... edible ink printed onto frosting sheets and applied to sugar cookies.

Especially with the darling vintage images you can find:

Like these at Intimate Weddings and Rolling Pin Productions.

Aren't they sweet?

If you're reading this...

2010-02-10T23:18:00.002-06:00

...I'd like some of these for Valentine's Day <3

February already?

2010-02-09T21:15:00.005-06:00

Well, the month of January absolutely flew by... After the craziness of graduation and Christmas, I moved to a new city for a new job and have a new routine...

So I've just been busy adjusting and have enjoyed every minute of it. It was time for a change of scenery :)

Anyway, here's proof that we actually did get around to making those Christmas cookies I mentioned before... It may have been after the fact, but my niece and nephew couldn't have had more fun.

And since then, the only other thing I've managed to bake was for our Super Bowl party...

more football cake bites... requested by Chris and Allen.

35 footballs gone in 2.5 days. I'd say they were a hit.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

2009-12-30T18:43:00.005-06:00

Or as Paula Deen calls them, "Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies."

These are really simple to make and I just love how they look once they crack in the oven!

I was disappointed because my niece, nephew and I had made plans to bake and ice sugar cookies for Christmas, but we were greeted with a blizzard instead. In north Texas, we aren't accustomed to weather like that so it through a lot of people's Christmas plans off... Including my family's. We had to have Christmas on the 26th instead- It was strange postponing our usual Christmas brunch and opening of gifts, but like my mom said..

"I guess it was God's way of slowing everyone down to appreciate what it's really all about."

Our cookie date will be rescheduled, but in the mean time they can just enjoy these yummy cookies.

Just be careful not to overbake these. (In my oven they took only 8-10 minutes instead of the suggested 12) They might look underdone when you take them out, but they finish baking on the pan and harden up as they cool.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

(aka Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies: recipe courtesy Paula Deen)

2 dozen cookies

Ingredients
1 (8-ounce) brick cream cheese, room temperature
1 stick butter, room temperature
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (18-ounce) box moist chocolate cake mix
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Beat in the egg. Then beat in the vanilla extract. Beat in the cake mix. (*The batter will be very THICK, it's supposed to be that way!)

Cover and refrigerate for about 2 hours to firm up the dough so that you can roll the batter into balls.

Roll into tablespoon sized balls and then roll them in confectioner's sugar. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake 12 minutes (Or less if your oven cooks fast like mine.) The cookies will remain soft. Cool completely and sprinkle with more confectioners' sugar, if desired.

Christmas favorites

2009-12-28T14:23:00.001-06:00

Two small gifts I'm excited about:

A Sandra Lee Grilling cookbook- and although grilling in winter may not be ideal, there are some excellent looking recipes you can do with a grill pan in here!

I can't wait to try some of the marinades and rubs... she has some interesting combinations.

And:

A Janet Hill print of her painting "She Liked the Pink Ones."

Unfortunately a print will have to do because I cannot afford her originals...yet :)

But after matting and framing it will still be a great piece to hang.

I want to get two more that are similar in size to create a set.

I am definitely going to go after this one:

It's called "Heels"

Janet Hill is such an inspiration to me, I love her colorful work.

Go see her new website, Janet Hill Studio.

Bella Cosa designed it beautifully.

Have a great week

<3 Ash

What a relief!

2009-12-18T00:35:00.004-06:00

I put off this blog post for too long. I kept meaning to update things but sometimes a break away from the computer is nice... I have had a lot of things going on lately and it's been good to just sit back and relax once they were done.

...So what's happened? (As if anyone is truly anticipating my update :)

Well I'll just share the two most exciting things:

I graduated college! Finally, after 5 long years.

And secondly, I got all of the fraud charges taken care of with my cell phone company! This is huge. I mean, I've been dealing with it every week since Halloween and quite honestly, I thought I was getting the run around.

The grand total: $ 952.00

And it was all credited back to my account. We are talking ringtones and games here. That a 16-year-old girl downloaded in 36 hours... Isn't that just ridiculous?

I had my doubts, but it all worked out. Thank you God!

So I got a new phone (feeling that my old one had been violated, haha) and spent a great Thanksgiving holiday with family and friends stress free.

I'm going to share a recipe I made for Thanksgiving. It's a favorite of both my mom and I, and we like it at Christmas too... Sweet Potato Casserole.

(By the way, if you aren't sure about sweet potatoes, just give this a try, it's almost like a dessert it's so delicious!)

But really, how can you not like sweet potatoes? mmm!

And no, unfortunately I did not take these photos.. I borrowed them from Cooking Light.

What's a post without a couple of pictures?

Anyway, here is the yummy recipe:

Enjoy and I will be back soon!

Sweet Potato Casserole

FOR THE SWEET POTATOES

2 pounds sweet potatoes
Salt to taste
Vegetable oil spray, for the baking dish
1 cup granulated sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, melted
1/3 cup milk
2 large eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

FOR THE PECAN CRUNCH TOPPING

¾ to 1 cup chopped pecans
¾ packed cup light brown sugar
¼ cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons butter, melted

1. Prepare the sweet potatoes: Peel and quarter the sweet potatoes. Place them in a saucepan, add cold water to cover and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat, cover the pan, and let simmer until the potatoes are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain the potatoes, then mash them with a potato masher.

2. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly mist a 13 by 9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish with vegetable oil spray and set the dish aside.

3. Place the mashed sweet potatoes, granulated sugar, 8 tablespoons of melted butter, milk, eggs, vanilla, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium-low speed until just combined, about 2 minutes. Spoon the sweet potato mixture into the prepared baking dish and smooth the top with a spoon or spatula.

4. Make the pecan crunch topping: Place the pecans, brown sugar, flour, and 3 tablespoons of melted butter in a small bowl and stir with a fork to combine. Scatter the pecan mixture evenly over the top of the sweet potatoes.

5. Bake the sweet potatoes until the pecan topping begins to brown and the potatoes are bubbly, 25 to 30 minutes.

Can't wait!

2009-11-21T16:59:00.001-06:00

Well, the holidays are here this coming week, ready or not :)

It has definitely snuck up on me, but I am excited- I love to bake Thanksgiving and Christmas treats...

Especially iced sugar cookies!!! You can make so many different variations - How about those Thanksgiving dinner cookies above??? Too cute!

And my neice and nephew love to help their "Aunt Ashy" in the kitchen... they are so funny and sweet!

So, I looked around online (like I always do) for fun, new ideas and look what I found!

The most precious sugar cookies ever.. for both Thanksgiving and Christmas!

Where did I come across these you ask?? Well a blog post directed me to them on the blog, A Wedding Story. She too (Elizabeth) loves Eleni's "playfully unique cookies" and she is quite talented in the cookie decorating department herself! Go see for yourself!

Anyway, I can't wait to get busy on some cookies soon- I will share the outcome of course!

Until then though, have a good weekend!!

<3 Ash

Spotlight: Chotda

2009-11-17T01:26:00.001-06:00

I was browsing along on Flickr when I came across Chotda's photostream! You must go see her beautiful work- it's so colorful and she photographs so many different subjects...

from heirloom tomatoes,

and cake,

to gorgeous scenery,

and even puppies!

She has a blog too, The Scent of Green Bananas... you may have heard of it, but it's new to me, and I'm so glad I found it so I can just soak up the beauty of her images....

They make me want to paint, right away!

Go see her blog- but also go see her on flickr... you can browse through all of her sets/collections and really get a good look :)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

2009-11-13T22:38:00.005-06:00

I'm here! I haven't forgotten about my blog- I have just been occupied with other things... work, school and my internship being the most time consuming. And let me just add, there are only 4 weeks until I graduate!! (Even less really, because of Thanksgiving break). I am soo excited and ready. It's been a long time coming and I can't believe I will finally be DONE with school :)

Now, for these yummy cupcakes... I made them for my boyfriend's birthday, he just turned 24 also! Remember his cake last year... well he tried to get me to do something very specific this year too-

Boone Pickens Stadium...

Right after I finished laughing at him, I told him no. I enjoy a challenge, but like I have the time right now to construct THAT.

So, he got these instead...

They aren't exactly a stadium, but he liked them :)

And it gave me a chance to try out a recipe I'd saved a while back. They were pretty easy and tasted like a peanut butter cup, mmm!

Here's the recipe if you would like to try them:

Peanut Butter Cupcakes

adapted from TLC Cooking

1/3 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/4 cups milk

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 18 standard (2-1/2-inch) muffin pan cups with foil baking cups.

2. Beat butter and peanut butter in large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until smooth; beat in sugars until well mixed. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
3. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in medium bowl. Add flour mixture to peanut butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

4. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling 2/3 full. Bake 23 to 25 minutes or until cupcakes spring back when touched and toothpicks inserted in centers come out clean.

5. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove cupcakes to racks; cool completely before frosting.

***I filled my cupcakes before frosting with a little bit of a peanut butter and butter mixture. Warm about a 1/2 cup of peanut butter and 2 tbsp of butter in the microwave and with a piping bag, fill each cupcake.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting

4 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4 to 5 tablespoons milk, divided
3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

Combine powdered sugar, cocoa, 4 tablespoons milk and peanut butter in large bowl. Beat with electric mixer at low speed until smooth, scraping bowl frequently. Beat in additional 1 tablespoon milk until of desired spreading consistency. Spread or pipe onto cupcakes.

Just take a deep breath...

2009-11-03T21:28:00.005-06:00

Can I please just run away and go to a place of peace?

This week has started off terrible and has yet to get any better :(

I don't mean to complain, and this blog is not to vent my personal thoughts, but I have had enough lately.

My weekend I mentioned before... you know, the one I was looking so forward to? Well, it turned out bad in the end... really bad. Someone stole my cell phone and charged almost $800 onto my account.

Why are people so mean sometimes? I can't even begin to wrap my mind around it.

Anyway, the worst part is that the cell phone company might try to hold me responsible! I am just sick about it.

Ok- enough about that... and I won't even get into the rest.
I am just going to pray things will get better (I know they will...) And I'm also just going to think happy thoughts (Or I might lose it, haha)

*The image above is from a new blog I've found (well new to me). It's called Foodbeam. You really should go have a look... there are some great photos and recipes.

Well, have a good night.

P.S. If I ever happen to find your phone, I promise to return it safe and sound.

-ash

Friday Flowers

2009-10-30T13:13:00.000-05:00

flickr

I can't believe tomorrow is Halloween! Where has time gone??? The last couple of weeks have been so busy with school and work, I feel like it's flown by.

I am so glad it's Friday though- it could honestly not get here fast enough. Once I make it to 5 o'clock I should be able to slow down and enjoy the weekend, yay!

It should be a really good one- I'm going to the OSU/Texas game in Stillwater for Chris's birthday! Maybe I'll bake something for Halloween when I get back (I have an idea in mind!)- as for now though- NO time.

Happy Weekend!

Ash

Chocolate Peanut Butter bars...

2009-10-26T23:41:00.002-05:00

...aka Special K bars! These are so simple to make and they are pretty darn good too. At first I was worried because I stuck them in the freezer to harden the chocolate before cutting, and before I knew it, they were rock solid. (My dad was like mmm, let me have one... then he couldn't even bite into it, haha!) But I let them thaw out completely and they softened up.

(My mom said she even heated her's a little, like 5-10 sec, in the microwave and that they were even better warm!)

Want some? Here's the recipe:

Special K bars

adapted from cooks.com

1 c. sugar

1 c. light Karo syrup
1 1/2 c. peanut butter (I used crunchy)
6 c. Special K Cereal

Chocolate Topping:

2 Hershey's candy bars
3/4 c. peanut butter

Bring sugar and syrup to a boil but then immediately turn heat down to low. Add peanut butter, stirring until melted completely. Pour over Special K and mix well. Put in a buttered 9 x 13 inch pan. (Put wax paper on top and smash down to flatten into the pan) Melt Hershey's bars and peanut butter together in the microwave, then spread on top.

That's it, enjoy!

Happy Birthday to ME!! :)

2009-10-24T15:52:00.013-05:00

flickr

I'm 24 today!

*Thank you everyone for the wonderful birthday wishes! I truly appreciate you taking the time :)

I had a GREAT birthday by the way... My boyfriend threw me a little surprise party with family & friends! I was shocked and so excited- no one has ever done anything so thoughtful and special for me like that <3 He planned every detail with our moms- how cute is that!

I think I'll keep him :)

-ash

Doodle dee doo

2009-10-21T16:37:00.003-05:00

This is the result of major boredom in class today. The faces are a little strange, I know. I wasn't too terribly focused on the subject matter as you can see, just passing by time.

It's dark outside and pouring down rain which makes me just want to stay inside and doodle or paint the day away...

Aren't Owls Cute?

2009-10-19T16:07:00.015-05:00

graphite on cardstock

TGIF Flowers

2009-10-16T15:50:00.013-05:00

image via flickr

I'm so glad it's Friday. Finally.

I'm off to finish up the projects I've been working on, along with the million other things I have to get done...

See you soon!

Happy Birthday Dad!

2009-10-13T23:12:00.008-05:00

It's been a little bit since my last post, but I have lots to share with you soon I promise! I have paintings that are coming along, drawings, and some cupcakes too (remember the Bake It Pretty order I put in???)

Anyway, this is my dad's German Chocolate cake I made for his 54th birthday. I made Trisha Yearwood's recipe again, but I filled and decorated this one a little different. (I wasn't too pleased with the look of the last one, still a little too much like a giant cheeseball!)

But this one was much more attractive and was more yummy than the last... maybe it's due to all of the extra ganache I spread onto the sides :)

Here's the recipe if you want to try it! (The only difference with mine is that I added chocolate ganache, decorating it differently.)

German Chocolate Cake
Trisha Yearwood

Ingredients

4 ounces sweet dark chocolate
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup warm milk
2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 medium egg whites
2 cups sugar
5 medium egg yolks, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup buttermilk, well shaken

For the coconut frosting:

1 cup sugar
4 medium egg yolks
1 1/4 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
10 ounces fresh or frozen and thawed grated coconut
1 1/2 cups finely ground pecans

Yields: 12 servings

Preparation

Prepare the chocolate by melting it in the top of a double boiler, stirring until it is smooth. Add 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) of the butter and stir until it is melted and blended. Add 1/4 cup of warm milk and stir until smooth. Set the chocolate aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Line the bottoms only of three 9-inch cake pans with circles of parchment paper, or grease each pan bottom only with solid shortening and dust lightly with flour. Sift together the sifted and measured flour, baking soda, and salt.
Whip the egg whites until stiff using the wire beater of the mixer. Transfer the beaten whites to a separate bowl and set aside.

In the mixer bowl, cream the remaining 1 1/2 sticks of butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the melted, cooled chocolate and the vanilla. Mix well.

With the mixer on very low, stir in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk. Do this by adding about a third of the flour and slowly stirring it in completely. Then add about half the buttermilk and stir it in. Continue adding flour and buttermilk in this manner, ending with flour. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and stir again. With a long-handled spoon or spatula, fold and stir the beaten egg whites into the batter until the batter is smooth with no visible clumps of whites.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake for 30-40 minutes. The cake is done when it begins to pull away from the sides of the pans and springs back to a light touch. Cool layers in the pans for about 8 minutes.
Run a knife around the edges of each pan and turn the layers out onto wire racks that have been sprayed with cooking spray. Cool layers completely before frosting.

To make the frosting, combine the sugar, egg yolks, and evaporated milk in the top of a double boiler. Stir with a wire whisk until the yolks are fully incorporated. Add the butter. Place over simmering water and bring to a boil.

Simmer for 12-15 minutes longer, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens. Add the vanilla, coconut, and nuts. Cool.

To assemble the cake, place one layer on a cake stand and spread with frosting. Frost each layer completely, top and sides, as it is added to the cake.

Enjoy!

Friday Flowers

2009-10-02T18:57:00.006-05:00

image via flickr

I'm not sure why but I have been especially drawn to sunflowers lately.

Isn't this just beautiful?

I want to Bake It Pretty, too!

2009-09-29T14:24:00.011-05:00

That's right... I too have fallen in love with Bake It Pretty. I just HAD to order myself a few things, which I rarely do online with stuff like this, because I don't want to allow myself to go crazy!

But I've been wanting some for so long, I DID IT! Some big piping tips and colorful, solid cupcake liners: my favorite!

Plus, I haven't had the time to bake anything lately, so I am pretty excited to have these coming my way :)

Go see their stuff for yourself, they have so much to choose from!

Have a good one,
Ash

SPOTLIGHT: Marj at "The Icing on the Cake"

2009-09-25T00:30:00.008-05:00

I am going to start randomly spotlighting people I come across who I find to be amazingly talented and creative! I'm excited to share my finds with you as they come, and I hope you will enjoy it and look forward to checking them out!

First and foremost, a lady that I admire for her AWESOME cake decorating skills: Marj Jenkins! I found her blog, The Icing on the Cake, a while back and was immediately taken with her work (let me just tell you, I search and look at TONS of cakes on a regular basis to get ideas, and not many strike me as her's did... many cakes you see seem to be ALL fondant-covered and decorated these days, which I do not care for. Accents with fondant, and sometimes covered in it are okay, but it gets old seeing fondant-covered cakes!)

Anyway, Miss Marj ices almost all of her cakes smooth in a layer of fresh buttercream- just wait till you see them all, they are SMOOTH! And then she does either intricate gumpaste/fondant decorations or pipes on them beautifully, OR both. After my realization of how much work and time goes into making a cake, I have come to appreciate any cake decorator. But Marj isn't just any cake decorator, she has got this DOWN!

Trust me, go see why I have spotlighted her... you have to look through her galleries, clicking on the pictures until they enlarge so you can check out the smoothness and detail of her work! (Look closely, her buttercream looks like it could be fondant, IT IS NOT!)

Pure talent.

One last thing that makes her great: She is so kind and will respond if you have any questions or comments. And she puts up new posts frequently! (Which is something I think we can all appreciate :)

Great job Marj! Thanks for letting me show off your wonderful work!!

Giveaway: PaPaYa Art!

2009-09-24T10:19:00.005-05:00

So I was checking out a blog update (of one of my favorite blogs: The TomKat Studio) and GUESS what I found! Kim has handpicked a selection of items from PaPaYa Art for a giveaway! (One is the wall hanging pictured above! See Kim's blog to view more of the items selected- You can check out her amazing work while you're there :)
She was contacted by them and asked to host a giveaway for her readers... I am pretty excited, their work is beautiful!
There are several ways to enter to win, FIVE to be exact. Good Luck!!!

Here are the 5 ways to enter! (Enter up to 5 times by doing the following):
1. Hop over to the PAPAYA WEBSITE. Afterward, go to the TomKat Studio's blog & leave a comment with your favorite item!
2. Visit PaPaYa's NEW BLOG and leave them a comment on a post that grabs your attention. Comment on Kim's blog to let her know you did!
3. Post about this giveaway on Facebook, comment with the link!
4. Tweet about this giveaway, comment with the link!
5. Post about this giveaway on your own Blog, and comment with the link! (Basically just let Kim know what you did to enter)

Winner will be chosen on Wednesday, September 30th at 11:00pm (MST). Any entries received after this time, will not be considered. Open to US residents. Retail Value of prize: $75.00.
Winner will be chosen using random.org

Here's another picture from PaPaYa Art that Kim posted to show off the cool stuff they have:

Every girl needs a man...

2009-09-21T22:56:00.004-05:00

The kind that will treat you right. The kind that searches for you with all his heart. The kind that respects you and adores you.

Every girl needs a man who won’t cheat on her. One who can be trusted in a room full of beautiful girls. Because he’s smart enough to know that he already has a girl who has everything that he wants, needs and more.

The right guy will never leave you lonely and wondering. You will always know where you stand with him. He will be your best friend and lover. He’ll call you early in the morning just to say good morning or late at night to say good night and maybe even tell you a bedtime story to make you laugh or talk to you until you fall asleep.

This guy will be the kind that’ll do anything for you, even if it’s just to go to the store to buy you your favorite ice cream. He’ll buy you flowers just because it’s a Wednesday and will notice your hair when you’ve gotten it cut or have gotten all gussied up specifically for him.

You deserve a guy who will cherish you. He’d never be afraid to smile to his friends when you’re around and tell them, “She’s the one”. He’d appreciate you for the things you do for him, even if they’re little… like the little love notes you leave him.

He’ll be chivalrous. He’ll wait for you when you’re falling behind, open doors for you and will walk you to the door to make sure you get in safely. He would defend and fight for you and never bail on you when you needed him most.

The right guy will call you beautiful instead of hot, he’ll kiss your forehead when you’re down and he’ll be the one who will love you for everything you are.

He will be "the one."

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Chicken Vino Bianco

2009-09-20T17:59:00.005-05:00

This is my favorite thing to get at Olive Garden! Actually, in order to get it, I have to ask the waiter to ask the cook if he will make it for me, haha. They took it off the menu for some reason, but every time I have asked, they have made it! (My boyfriend just loves when I am "difficult" like this :)

But it is so worth it, the white wine sauce is delicious. I found the recipe online and I've made it twice so far. You have to try it! (Or you could just go to Olive Garden and ask them to do it for you! :)

Chicken Vino Bianco
Recipezaar.com

Ingredients

4 pieces boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 ounces olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped green onions
1/2 cup small diced tomato
1/2 cup red onion, sliced
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 tablespoon chopped fresh garlic
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, divided
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup dry white wine (I used Bella Sera Pino Grigio)
1 lb uncooked linguine
seasoned flour (for dusting)

FOR SEASONED FLOUR
1 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

1 Heat oil in large saute' pan.
2 Dust chicken in seasoned flour.
3 Cook chicken on both sides until golden brown and internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
4 Remove chicken from pan and set aside.
5 Add 2 Tbsp butter to pan.
6 Add green onion, diced tomato, red onion, mushrooms, garlic, chopped parsley, crushed red pepper, black pepper and salt to pan.
7 Let saute' for three minutes, stirring constantly.
8 Add chicken back to pan.
9 Add white wine, lemon juice and the remainder of the butter. (Not too much lemon! And I put about 3/4 cup more wine to make more of the sauce- it will thicken eventually)
10 Allow to come to a boil.
11 Cook pasta according to directions.
12 Add drained cook pasta to the pan and toss together and serve.

*Note: The 2nd time I made this, I cut the chicken into pieces before flouring and it tasted WAY too much like flour. It was much better when I butterflied the chicken breasts and cooked them. (Just cut each breast in half so it's thinner, or you could pound them)

Let me know if you try it! Or if you've had this before and like it... It's excellent!

Chi Omega Cake

2009-09-09T23:57:00.002-05:00

This cake was made for a friend who wanted to show her support during Chi O recruitment.
It's a 3 layer butter recipe cake filled and iced with vanilla buttercream. The letters are thinly rolled fondant and the cake was finished off with fun red & yellow sprinkles around the edges (although they're a little hard to see here :)

Thank ya Nicole for taking a picture for me! (Do you see the trend here lately..? I keep forgetting to take pictures myself)

Anyway, hope they loved it!

xox Ash

It's true

2009-08-27T22:14:00.005-05:00

{tiresome-tumblr, paperschmaper}

Pretty in Pink

2009-08-18T23:03:00.016-05:00

This weekend had me busy making cake, mini cupcakes and tons of cake bites for a shower honoring mommy-to-be and her baby girl!

The vanilla cake was filled with fresh raspberry buttercream and frosted in vanilla buttercream.

(Below is the guest of honor :)

I was disappointed when the icing "puckered" a little on the side, but it wasn't too bad I guess... (see the bottom tier)

Thank you Becky for taking pictures for me! (In my mad rush to get things dropped off, I decided to forget trying to get any good ones myself)
Anyway, from what I hear, the shower was a success and the Mama-to-be was very pleased :)

Now... back to my "puckered" icing problem. Is there some recipe for buttercream that goes on more smoothly?
How do you get your icing smooth? I am open to suggestions if anyone's got any! I am getting better at it with time, but I know there has got to be someone who has a little trick up their sleeve!!!

Thanks!

Delicious {and Easy} Beer Bread

2009-08-01T12:56:00.011-05:00

You will not be disappointed with this quick and easy bread, it is soo good! And there are so many things you can add to the mix (that you probably already have on hand) to make it exactly what you want.

Beer Bread
Recipe from Foodiefarmgirl.blogspot.com

Makes One Loaf

Basic Beer Bread Mix:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon fresh baking powder
1 tsp salt
14 ounces beer (or add 2 oz water to 12 oz beer)

Optional glaze: 1 egg & 2 teaspoons water, beaten (I omitted this and brushed melted butter on top after 35 minutes of baking, it softens the crust a little)

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl (mix thoroughly). Slowly stir in beer and mix just until combined. Batter will be thick! Spread in a greased 8-inch loaf pan , brush with egg glaze if desired, and bake until golden brown and a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.

Cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool 10 more minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Flavor Variations: (Add any additions to the mix before the beer)

Garlic & Herb: Add 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, and 2 minced garlic cloves (or 1 teaspoon garlic flakes) to the basic mix. For fresh herbs, use 1 chopped Tablespoon of each.

Dill & Chive: Add 2 Tablespoons fresh dill (or 2 teaspoons dried dill) and 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives to the basic mix.

Italian: Add 1 teaspoon each dried basil and oregano (or 1 Tablespoon each chopped fresh basil and oregano), 2 minced cloves of garlic, and 1/2 cup finely grated parmesan or romano cheese to the basic mix.

Other Additions: Any dried or fresh herbs; 1/2 cup freshly grated asiago (or other hard cheese); 1/2 cup finely chopped onion, 1/2 cup chopped scallions; 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, 1/2 whole wheat flour or 1/2 oats in place of 1/2 of the all-purpose flour. Or practically anything else you can think of--use your imagination.

Hope you will give this one a try! Have a good weekend,

Ash

A little inspiration

2009-07-29T17:23:00.010-05:00

image via SheWhoEats.blogspot.com

image via Amy Butler Design.com

image via Chris Stott.com

image via Target.com

image via SheWhoEats.blogspot.com

Just some pretty pictures to share with you today. When I find photos/artwork that I love (for whatever reason), it helps to motivate me and seems to spark up some creativity!
Anyway, I am needing inspiration to get me going on some paintings that need finishing up. I'm ready to start a new series I'm excited about, but it would probably be a good idea to finish what I have started, huh?

Is anyone else out there like this... Starting projects and then having a hard time getting them completed...?

Well off I go, wish me luck!

-Ashley

Black Bean & Corn Salsa

2009-07-28T14:07:00.011-05:00

Oh yum! You have to try this delicious salsa; it's SO good and easy to make! I found the recipe on Lynda's Recipe Box. The big pieces of avocado are what drew me in :) She has lots of great recipes so you should stop by her blog for sure.

I brought this dip to my boyfriend's parent's house for a cookout and they all had seconds, even thirds! (I thought you didn't want to eat black beans and corn, Christopher??)

Anyway, give this one a try, you'll love it!

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained well
1 1/2 cups fresh, frozen, grilled, or canned corn (drained)
4-5 Roma tomatoes, diced small
1 bunch green onions (scallions) sliced
some diced red onion, or vidallia onion
1-2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced, or other pepper of choice
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
1 diced avocado (I used 2)
1 small can sliced, black olives, optional
about 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1Tbs. canola or olive oil (I omitted this)
1/2 cup diced cilantro, if desired

Dice up vegetables and combine in a large bowl. (I folded the avocado in last to keep it from getting too mushed). Add minced garlic, lime juice and oil and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving. (Although I served mine right away!) You can make this salsa as hot or mild as you like. Serve with lots of tortilla or pita chips (bagel crisps would be good too)

Hope you like it as much as I did!

xox Ash

Cake Mix Cookies

2009-07-27T14:18:00.005-05:00

I wanted to bake cookies yesterday but I had no flour or sugar on hand, (I know I know... who runs out of flour or sugar?) so anyway, I tried a recipe I had come across a while back: Betty Crocker's Cake Mix Cookies.
They are definitely different from your standard chocolate chip cookie, but they are really good! They have a soft, cakey texture and a buttery flavor. The idea on BettyCrocker.com was to use these cookies for ice-cream sandwiches because they are soft and won't freeze rock solid. I'll have to try that next time!

Cake Mix Cookies:

1 yellow cake mix (I used Betty Crocker's Super Moist)
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick cookie sheets). In large bowl, beat cake mix, butter, vanilla and eggs with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth, or mix with spoon. Stir in nuts and chocolate chips.
2. Onto ungreased cookie sheet, drop dough by slightly less than tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart.
3. Bake cookies 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are set (centers will be soft). Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack.

*You can substitute 1/2 cup of vegetable oil in place of the butter (if you happen to be running low on the basics like me :)

Cookie Update

2009-07-24T17:15:00.009-05:00

I want to share with you the wedding photos taken by DeEdra at Something New that include the cookies I made! She made them look so good and the happy bride and groom look so cute holding them :)
It definitely made it worth all the hard work when the bride's mom left me the nicest comment on the original post! You can view it here: UT and A&M Cookies.

Dog Portraits

2009-07-22T16:52:00.013-05:00

Gizmo

Boomer

Molly

Nala

Hank

These portraits I drew last month are simply graphite sketches. Even so, they would be adorable as is after matting and framing! But for these dogs, my plan is to lightly draw them onto watercolor paper and add vibrant colors. (I'll show them finished in another post)

My goal is to capture the dog's character and enhance the most prominent features. There's nothing like a sweet reminder of your pet :)

Anyway, this is what I've got so far. I would love to know what you think!

-Ashley

Friday Flowers...

2009-07-17T15:56:00.004-05:00

image via Nathiya on flickr

Unknown source

...and radishes too! I found this picture of radishes some time ago and fell in love with it. I've been thinking of painting it actually. I can't remember where I found it, but isn't it lovely?

Hope all is well!
xoxo Ashley

Why I need (want) a new camera:

2009-07-13T15:12:00.016-05:00

image via Chockylit on Flickr

Howard Shooter Photography

image via Chockylit on Flickr

image via Chockylit on Flickr

Howard Shooter Photography

Image via Smitten Kitchen

These mouthwatering photos make me dream of the day when I will have a nice camera of my own!
Aren't these pictures just great???
I do the best I can with my little Kodak digital camera, but I NEEEEED one that will help me take close-ups like these!!!! Any suggestions or do you have a camera you love? Let me know!

Friday Flowers

2009-07-10T15:13:00.013-05:00

Image - Sharnel Dollar 2009 My Life-My Loves

I have found that some of my favorite blogs post Friday Flowers: simple and pretty blooms to wish everyone a good weekend. I always look forward to these posts so I thought, why not do it myself & post the little things of beauty I come across?

Happy 4th of July!

2009-07-04T19:03:00.008-05:00

I made cupcake pops for the first time, aren't they cute!? A little cupcake on a stick. . . of course it's cute :)
I got the idea from Bakerella, the only difference is, I used the peanut butter cup mold (like she uses for her cupcake bites) instead of molding the cake with little cookie cutters. I just put a hole in each candy cavity for the lollipop stick, filled it half way with chocolate, then secured my cake bite on top. Once dry, I pushed the stick with the cupcake bite on top out of the mold, and then dipped the top in candy melts. Finally, just top them off with sprinkles and your done!

And here they are all packaged up in cellophane bags and satin ribbon. They are off to a fourth of July BBQ!
Hope everyone has a good weekend :)

Cookie Monster Cupcakes!

2009-07-03T20:24:00.009-05:00

I found a picture of cookie monster cupcakes online a few months back and saved it immediately! I knew the idea would be perfect for my sweet nephew Jake at his 2nd birthday party. He loves his "Cookie"...(that's what he calls his little cookie monster stuffed animal that he sleeps with :)

These are chocolate chip cupcakes with buttercream frosting. I used the piping tip # 233 (usually used to create "grass") and piped cookie monster's fur onto the cupcake. Then I used vanilla candy melts for the eyes, piping a little milk chocolate onto them for the center. And finally, I just crammed in a little cookie where his mouth goes!

And here's a candid shot of the birthday boy at his party! He was so excited to finally see his "blue cake" that he kept asking for. When I held him up to see them on the table he yelled, "COOKIE!" haha :)
I love you so much Jake, Happy 2nd Birthday!
love Aunt Ashy

Coconut Pecan Pralines

2009-06-28T22:08:00.005-05:00

Looks kinda like the icing on the German Chocolate cake I just made, doesn't it? Well I used my leftover pecans, coconut and evaporated milk in this recipe and it turned out great! I just put it all together with a few other simple ingredients and there we have it, a quick & easy praline! It took no time at all (except for the hard part, waiting for them to harden on the wax paper!)

Here's the recipe, enjoy!
(I got it from recipezaar.com, I just added the coconut)

Coconut Pecan Pralines

Yields about 3 dozen

Ingredients

2 ½ cups sugar
½ cup evaporated milk
½ cup light corn syrup
½ cup butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla
2-2 ½ cups chopped pecans
2 ½ cups grated coconut

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients except coconut, vanilla & pecans in large saucepan.
2. Bring to a rolling boil & boil for 3 minutes.
3. Remove from heat & add coconut, vanilla & nuts.
4. Stir by hand 3-4 minutes.
5. Drop by spoonful onto waxed paper and let harden.

Store pralines in an airtight container.

German Chocolate Cake

2009-06-27T13:04:00.013-05:00

I found a delicious German Chocolate cake recipe in a book my mom bought. It's Trisha Yearwood's book called "Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen." She has lots of really yummy and pretty easy recipes in here.

Apparently this is Garth Brook's favorite German Chocolate cake recipe, or so the book says :)
I made this cake, following her instructions exactly, and the only draw back to me was, it took 4 hours start to finish! Maybe it was just my experience, who knows.
Anyway, the cake flour and rich dark chocolate made it dense and delicious!
The only change I made was adding chocolate ganache to each of the layers to lock in the moisture (along with the coconut & pecan icing) and then to make it look less like a giant cheeseball, I piped the remaining ganache around the edges.

Here's a closer look at this delectable icing; evaporated milk, eggs, sugar, butter, chopped pecans, coconut and vanilla, mmm! Everyone really enjoyed it!

Flowers

2009-06-25T15:52:00.012-05:00

This is an 8 x 10 sketch of some random flowers I did in graphite. Once I scanned my drawing into Photoshop, I posterized it with color for this effect.

Click on it to have a better look!

Cookie Dough Brownies

2009-06-17T18:45:00.006-05:00

These chocolate ganache topped brownies are the best I have had in a long time! I got the recipe off of Bakerella's blog. So simple to make, yet SO rich. Have a glass of milk or some ice cream nearby.

I added some chopped walnuts to mine, but they would have been great without them too.
Thanks Bakerella :)

Mickey Mouse Cupcakes

2009-06-17T18:32:00.006-05:00

Here are some of the Mickey themed cupcakes and cookies I made for a little boy on his 2nd birthday. Half were butter recipe and the other half chocolate fudge; all were topped with fresh vanilla buttercream. The polka dots and Mickey ears are fondant.

A Present Cake!

2009-06-04T15:11:00.005-05:00

I finally got the chance to make a present cake. I've seen them everywhere! The pink, green and polka dots were picked by a mother for her daughter's birthday. The fondant bow was a first so it took some time to get it right. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out though!

It's an 8 inch, double layer white cake with vanilla buttercream. I sliced each layer into 2 thinner layers to fill it with more buttercream. Mmmm!
Lastly, I made her a dozen carrot cake bites (carrot cake dipped into white chocolate). Then I just packaged them with ribbon that matches the cake.

I hope she enjoys them! Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday William & Grace!

2009-05-30T15:11:00.006-05:00

Two of the kids I keep had their birthday this week, William turned 3 and Grace turned 7!
They both love cake bites so that's what they got from me! Will's always playing football and baseball so I attempted to make some out of cake... except I realized too late that I had no red for the details on the baseballs so they didn't turn out :(
But here are the footballs!

And I'm sure he didn't mind eating the plain white cake bites that were supposed to be baseballs!
Gracie asked for blue cake bites with pink flowers on them... This is what I came up with:

I made the flowers out of melted white chocolate tinted pink. I just piped the flower on wax paper and once it was dry, put it on top of the cake bite with a dab of melted chocolate!
Happy Birthday Grace! You too Will! I love you both :)

Bachelorette Party!

2009-05-24T17:35:00.007-05:00

My very best friend since 4th grade got married yesterday! She was so beautiful :)
I have been busy with that, finals, other baking orders, etc. so needless to say, I have neglected my blog a little...
I made 150 cupcakes for Midwestern's Mass Communication banquet but was so rushed that I didn't get any good photos... and I've been making cake bites for people like crazy. I'm telling you, everyone loves those things!

Anyway, here are a few pics from Jenna's bachelorette party the other weekend.

The photos aren't the best quality, but you get the idea! I made a chocolate ganache cake piped in hot pink and bra and panty sugar cookies. Oh, and of course I made cake bites too!

I love you Jenna LaRue Hobbs! (Jenna and myself)

Sweet & Simple

2009-05-03T17:32:00.006-05:00

These red velvet cake bites and pink vanilla cupcakes are for my grandmother. She turned 78 today :) Happy Birthday Mimi!!

A Hamburger Cake!

2009-04-26T15:27:00.009-05:00

My brother-in-law, Kyle, has turned the big 30! I had seen a cake made to look like a hamburger and I couldn't wait to make it for him for his birthday!! Anyone that knows him, knows he's always loved McDonald's hamburgers... so it was a perfect fit :)

It's simply three layers stacked, 2 butter recipe for the bun and 1 chocolate for the meat, haha!

Happy Birthday Kyle!! Love you!

Jenna's Bridal Shower

2009-04-26T15:11:00.005-05:00

It's been a while since my last post. I apoligize for that... I have been busy with school and work!
Anyway, here is a cake I did this weekend for my best friend's bridal shower. Her colors at the shower were a soft yellow and pink. The cake is butter recipe with buttercream icing and simple fondant roses.
I also made pink cake bites to match.

UT and A&M Cookies

2009-03-21T17:46:00.009-05:00

It is definitely wedding season! I am personally in two weddings soon and have been contacted to do cookies, cake bites, cakes and cupcakes for other weddings as well. So needless to say, I have been pretty busy!

The latest order was from The Two Clever Chicks (twocleverchicks.com) for 200 UT Longhorn and A&M Aggie cookies for a client of their's.

It took some time and steady work but here they are! Hope the bride and groom were pleased :)

This is the "Gig'em" hand for the Aggies. (I didn't know when I first saw the cookie cutter, so I thought I'd let you know... maybe you have to be more familiar with A&M :)

A Barbie Party!

2009-03-21T17:32:00.005-05:00

My precious niece Kyleigh Brooke just turned 5! She and I are very close and I am sad to see her growing so quickly :(
I have made her cake every year (Pooh, Dora & Boots, Ariel and Bunny cakes in the last 4 years) and this year she requested something "Barbie!" I decided hot pink and purple cupcakes would be cute. Have a look...

Ocean Scene

2009-03-16T15:50:00.012-05:00

After visiting Cancun, I had to paint the white sand and beautifully blue/turquoise water. I used many variations of blues and greens to create the shallow waters. Unfortunately, the photo I took does not do it justice.

"Shallow Water" Set of two 24 x 30 paintings, Acrylic on canvas

My Vanilla Cupcake

2009-03-16T15:41:00.009-05:00

I have been in love with all of the "daily painters" lately (dailypainters.com). Some of these amazing artists have been doing food series (Oriana Kacicek, Debbie Miller, Jelaine Faunce, etc). From pomegranites to truffles, all of their work is just delicious.

Here is my first attempt at painting a cupcake. I want to do a food series also.

"Vanilla Cupcake" 11 x 13 Acrylic on canvas

Finally... Some Artwork!

2009-03-16T15:25:00.009-05:00

I have been meaning to post some of my artwork but I have been busy with baking and kept putting it off! So here we go, I will add more artwork, along with posts from baking, just remember to CLICK the LABELS on the right hand side of my page to see exactly what you are looking for!

Here is an untitled 24 x 30 graphite drawing I did some time ago.

Wedding Shower

2009-03-10T20:56:00.006-05:00

Here are the 50 butter recipe cupcakes I made for a wedding shower. I got to use my new cupcake stand for the first time! How do ya like it?
Thank you Tia for taking the photo :)

And I also got to use my new Cupcake Courier, thanks Mom!

My Valentine!

2009-02-15T14:59:00.004-06:00

You will be seeing some new and exciting cupcakes very soon! My boyfriend got me some beautiful flowers for Valentine's day along with this book...

I had seen it before on Bakerella's blog, but I thought I could probably find all of the ideas online... Well I was surprised to see so many ideas I had never seen, all compiled into one book! I am excited to try them out and share them with you :)

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-13T18:49:00.008-06:00

I made 65 iced sugar cookies & 48 red velvet cake bites for 1st graders and their teachers. A cookie for each student and . . .

. . . a half dozen box of red velvet cake bites for each teacher!

More Cake Bites...

2009-01-25T19:27:00.004-06:00

Cake dipped in chocolate. Could a cake bite be any more delicious?

Actually... yes! As if choosing any type of cake (chocolate, butter recipe, german chocolate, carrot, red velvet, etc) & any type of chocolate (milk, dark, white, mint) isn't enough, why not add toppings!

I topped these cake bites with chopped nuts, crushed toffee, coconut flakes and white chocolate. MMM!

Cupcakes!

2009-01-25T18:57:00.005-06:00

These cupcakes were made for Isabella's 5th birthday party! I made a total of 60 chocolate and butter recipe, and topped them with a fluffy buttercream icing. I added a hint of coconut extract to the buttercream and it turned out great!

And one of several cupcakes my niece Kyleigh helped to make a few days later... using the same buttercream, yum!

Iced Sugar Cookies

2008-12-11T22:48:00.005-06:00

Here are some more cookies I have been playing around with! By the way, I found a website that I absolutely LOVE! It's called Eleni's New York... just go to elenis.com and see for yourself :)

And just look how cute they are in cellophane bags tied up with ribbon!

Beer, Anyone?

2008-12-11T21:40:00.004-06:00

I made a cake to look like a mug of Miller Lite for a "repeat" customer... (hey I am proud of that, I am just starting out you know!)

Miller Lite was written on dried royal icing with food coloring markers.

A Mountain of a Cake...

2008-12-11T21:27:00.005-06:00

My boyfriend, Chris, had a very specific cake in mind. It was almost a challenge I think... He requested a mountain cake with Pistol Pete (for the Oklahoma State Cowboys) skiing down the side.

Well I gave it to him! Not too bad I dont think?

The cake was made complete with rolled fondant trees, a sugar cookie Pistol Pete and powdered sugar sifted as the snow!

(Click the image to view details)

Here Comes Baby Cohen!

2008-12-11T21:10:00.005-06:00

My sister's best friend, Kim, is about to have a baby boy! I was honored to help cater her shower. I made a two-tier cake, iced sugar cookies and 75 cake bites!

The sugar cookies were really fun to make... the possibilities of shapes & colors are just endless! I will be doing more of those in the future for sure.

Full of Color!

2008-12-11T21:00:00.004-06:00

I made this cake for a friend of a friend! The word is spreading that I do cakes and such... yay! :)

The cake is butter recipe with tinted buttercream icing and the purple stripes are thinly cut rolled fondant. The letters were done with tinted white chocolate. Not as smooth as I'd hoped for, but better next time!

Baby's First Birthday!

2008-12-11T20:43:00.004-06:00

I got to make Alexander's first birthday cake! I've been a nanny for the past year for a truly wonderful family and he is the youngest of their four children. I made him a 4 layer chocolate cake with chocolate ganache filling and buttercream icing. The lettering and handprint I made with melted milk chocolate and the sides are simply Hershey's chocolate bars broken.

He even got a cake of his own to devour!

Cake, Cake Bites & Cupcake Bites!

2008-12-11T20:09:00.009-06:00

I came up with this two-tier cake design by looking at several wedding cakes. A smaller version of a wedding cake of course! It was butter recipe cake with chocolate ganache filling and buttercream icing tinted pink. Piping in chocolate buttercream. Sweet and simple!

I did coordinating cake bites and cupcake bites. These are simply cake rolled into balls and dipped in chocolate. Milk chocolate and white chocolate tinted pink! Everyone just loves these.

The cupcake bites I learned from Bakerella! She has the cutest ideas and I always want to recreate them :)