chalk it up!

loving these chalkboard ideas!

in the bedroom

in the bathroom

LOVE these globe/map ideas. perfect for a kid's room.

i love maps!

to show you love someone

in the kitchen

to stay organized

in the office or library.

sweet & spicy mac & cheese

imagine sweet potatoes in a gooey mac & cheese,

with a spicy chipotle kick, and crumbles of chorizo....

yes, that is what i ate for dinner last night.

comfort food at it's finest!

loved this dish from cooking light.

it would be a great side for a BBQ or any potluck

it's pretty spicy, so for those of you that don't love the heat,

i would reduce your chipotle chile.

enjoy! :)

ingredients

3 medium sweet potatoes (about 2 pounds)

1 cup fat-free milk

1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons chopped chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce

3/8 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (about 3/4 cup packed)

8 ounces uncooked whole-wheat macaroni

1 tablespoon olive oil

6 ounces fresh Mexican chorizo, casings removed

1/4 cup chopped green onions

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

i obviously didn't use the cilantro because i detest it...

but to each his own :)

directions

*this recipe takes about 1.5 hours, only because you need about

45 minutes - 1 hour to bake your sweet potatoes.
plan ahead and do something else in the meantime :)

1. preheat oven to 425 degrees

 

2. pierce potatoes several times with a fork; place on a foil-lined baking sheet.

bake at 425° for 1 hour or until tender.

cool slightly; peel and mash in a large bowl.

3. stir in milk and next 4 ingredients (through cheese)

4. cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain.

add pasta to sweet potato mixture; set aside.

5. preheat broiler to high.

6. heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. add oil; swirl to coat.

add chorizo to pan; cook 4 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble.

place chorizo in a small bowl.

7. spoon sweet potato mixture into pan; sprinkle evenly with chorizo.

broil 2 minutes or until lightly browned and crisp.

sprinkle with onions and cilantro.

8. enjoy! :)

soulmates.

i'm a sucker for a good infographic.

maybe you don't even know what that is.

enlighten yourself.

i just stumbled across this...

the proof that we are soulmates

how could you not love this?

hello!

s'more cupcakes!

i was so jazzed to try these s'more cupcakes

i just love those classic flavors mixed together...

the graham cracker crunch, the gooey chocolate, and the melted mallow.

YUM! reminds me of summer :)

i found this amazing recipe on martha by the owner of trophy cupcake.

i mean, HELLO, trophy has the best cupcakes in all of seattle.

perfect :)

in classic christine fashion, i tweaked the ingredients just slighty,

but overall this was an AMAZING cupcake.

you'll see that my frosting didn't set up as much as i had hoped,

but it was delicious nonetheless.

cupcake ingredients

2 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon cocoa powder (not dutch-processed)

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

1 cup whole milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup boiling water

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (from about 20 squares)

1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted

9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

frosting ingredients

8 large egg whites

2 cups sugar

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

directions

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees.

line 2 standard muffin tins with cupcake liners; set aside.

2. sift 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar, flour, cocoa powder,

baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into the bowl of an electric mixer.

using the paddle attachment, mix ingredients together on low speed.

(i don't have an electric mixer... whisking these ingredients worked just fine!) :)

3. in a large bowl, mix together eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla.

add to flour mixture and beat on medium speed for 30 seconds.

scrape down sides of bowl and continue mixing on medium speed for 2 minutes.

add boiling water and stir to combine; set cake batter aside.

                                       

4. place graham cracker crumbs, remaining 1/4 cup sugar,

and melted butter in a large bowl; stir until well combined.

tip: a rolling pin is always a great tool in crumb-making! :)

5. place 1 tablespoon graham cracker mixture

into the bottom of each prepared muffin cup.

use the bottom of a small glass to pack crumbs into the bottom of each cupcake liner.

reserve remaining graham cracker mixture for topping.

6. place 2 teaspoons chocolate in each muffin cup.

transfer muffin tins to oven and bake until the

edges of the graham cracker mixture is golden, about 5 minutes.

(you can see that i used chocolate chips instead) :)

7. remove from oven and fill each muffin cup three-quarters full with cake batter.

sprinkle each with remaining chocolate and graham cracker mixture.

8. return to oven and bake, rotating pans halfway through baking,

until tops are firm and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes.

transfer muffin tins to a wire rack and let cupcakes cool in pan for 10 minutes.

remove cupcakes from pan and let cool completely.

9. place egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar in the

heatproof bowl of an electric mixer.

set over a saucepan with simmering water.

whisk constantly until sugar is dissolved and

whites are warm to the touch, 3 to 4 minutes.

10. transfer bowl to electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment,

and beat, starting on low speed, gradually increasing to high,

until stiff, glossy peaks form, 5 to 7 minutes.

add vanilla, and mix until combined. use immediately.

11. place frosting mixture into a large ziploc bag, cutting one corner.

squeeze frosting in the desired pattern and amount on the top of each cupcake.

with a torch, carefully toast the top of each cupcake, careful not to light paper liner on fire.

(this was rather dangerous if i do say so myself, haha.

you can also place the cupcakes under the broiler until toasted.)

overall, wonderful flavors!

loved this cupcake :)

airmail.

is this maybe the cutest thing you've ever seen?

great gift idea. thank you nordstrom!

cream puffers

one of my favorite people turned 30 this weekend!
my dear friend emily woo, who just moved to capetown last month
is the most amazing woman, cook, and friend :)

in honor of her bday, and to make her feel a little closer to home,
i decided to make some delicious homemade cream puffs.

(recipe courtesy of all recipes)
(makes 10 medium cream puffers)

puff ingredients

1 cup water
½ cup butter

1 cup flour

¼ teaspoon salt

4 eggs

filling ingredients

2 - 3.5 oz. package vanilla instant pudding

1 cup milk

2 cups heavy cream

directions

1. preheat oven to 425 degrees

2. mix together pudding, cream and milk,
pour into a large ziploc bag and chill in the refridgerator until needed

3. in a medium pot, bring water, butter, and salt to a boil
stir in flour until the mixture forms a ball
(i used a wooden spoon, and cooked it for another minute after the ball had formed)

4. important: let cool for 10 minutes

5. add eggs one at a time, mixing feircely with your wooden spoon

6. drop about 1/4 cup onto ungreased baking sheet

7. bake for 20ish minutes

8. important: use a toothpick to poke a little hole in the side of the puff
to let the steam escape while cooling.
remove from baking pan and let cool on a wire rack...
this will ensure your puffers don't get soggy.

9. after the puffs have cooled, cut a little slit in one of the side...

they all have their own personality, so location can vary :)

10. now for the filling...
cut a small 3/4" section off the corner of your ziploc bag
squeeze into the puff until full

VIOLA! perfect cream puffers! :)

happy birthday emmy!!!