You want to impress? Well here's an easy one: Apple Dumplings

Hi Everyone,
I'm slowly getting into the groove of things after a much needed vacation, cleaning and back to school stuff. I'm not going to keep typing here, as all I want is for you guys to try my Apple Dumplings recipe. I've given this recipe to my childhood friend when we visited Hawaii just this past July, and it was a big hit I was told, as my childhood friend had 3 in one sitting (Sorry Ed, had to tell).
Anyhow,  here it goes. Oh, and by the way, this recipe is not for someone who is cutting calories, don't tell me that I did not WARN you!

Here's what you need:
Servings: about 16-18 dumplings
2 Granny Smith Apples
1 Grands Crescent (Big & Buttery) Pillsbury Crescent Rolls or the Original kind, either is fine.
1 c sugar
1 tsp of cinnamon (I just eyeballed this one)
1 stick of butter
1 can of Mountain Dew (yes, you read that right)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. (175 degrees C). Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish. Peel and slice the apples then cube them, I prefer not too chop it too small, as I prefer to see the apples when I eat.

2. Next, open the canister of the crescent rolls, place apples on the crescent rolls, starting from the tip, and slowly roll it, you will notice that the 2 ends will stick out, don't worry, too seal, just tuck them under. There's no wrong way of rolling this up.

3. Continue rolling until all crescent rolls triangles are used and place them in a 13 x 9 pyrex glass dish.

4. Set the apple dumplings aside. In the meantime, in a large pan, melt the butter.

5. Once the butter is completely melted, add the cinnamon and sugar and let it melt as well until all are combined and becomes this beautiful caramel color. No need for it boil! Just until they are mixed well.

6. Remove from heat. Pour the mixture over the apple dumplings.

7. Now, for the "secret" to this recipe. Add a can of mountain dew! Yes, I know it sounds weird, but trust me, it totally blends well with this recipe. If you have a liter of Mountain Dew at home, just pour 2 cups of it or just until it reaches the top of the pyrex dish.

8. Next, bake at 350 degrees F for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Your house will smell so good when you bake these!

9. Remove from oven, Vanilla Ice Cream is a MUST when you eat this. When I have guests for dinner,  I'll prepare the uncooked wrapped apple dumpling and refrigerate, I usually like to bake it while we are eating dinner, so that way, after they are done, I can serve the apple dumplings straight from the oven, it's warm!!

ENJOY!!!

 Cheers,
Darlene

I'm Back and w/ the word NUTELLA

Hi Everyone,
Gosh, it's been quite a while since my last post on here. I do apologize. But now that I'm back, I would like to share with you such a very easy dessert that even your guests for dinner will be amazed by it and (hint: baking no required).
I've always been a fan of this creamy, chocolate spread jar in the grocery stores called Nutella. I would say I'm not a Huge fan of it, but it is very tasty and oh so yummy! I remember first trying it when I visited my cousin in Canada back in the late 80's and had asked what are they spreading over bread? Well, after one bite, I immediately fell in love with the taste of it. I did not know later on that it's a hazelnut spread, thank goodness I had no reaction to it at the time! I always thought it was just plain ol' chocolate spread.. lol

Going back to what I mentioned, it's a dessert that your guests think that you've been in the kitchen the whole day just to do these Mini Nutella Cakes! Did I say it required NO BAKING?
Ok, I bet you want to get started and impress your guests! So here we go:


NUTELLA MINI CAKES (derived from www.thepioneerwoman.com) :

Ingredients:
1 Sara Lee Pound Cake - this particular recipe, I used an all Buttery one (too much butter is good right?)
1 container of Nutella (Hazelnut spread)
Round Cutters
Cool Whip (Optional)

1. Remove the Pound cake from the container and slice it in the middle like so:

 2. Next, take your round cutter, and press down the cake and gently remove it from the cutter

 For this pound cake, I was able to press about 3 rounds.

 3. Next, take the cake that you just pressed and slice again in half like the pic below:

4. By Using a slanted knife, if you don't have one, a spatula or buttered knife will do, spread the Nutella onto the sliced round cake like so:

5. You can stack three on top (pictured below) depending if you want three or 2 stack mini cakes

 6. Now that you've seen these cute mini cakes all stacked up, I know it's tempting, but this needs to go in the freezer for about 30 minutes or so until the Nutella settles.

7. In the meantime, you can either make your own version of "cool whip" or if you want to make things easier for you, you can just visit the grocery store and buy Cool Whip. I personally don't like the taste of Cool Whip, I usually make my own. In this particular recipe, I was experimenting on the TJ's whipping cream. As you can see below, all you do is wait for it to be room temp before taking your hand mixer and beating it for about 10 mins.

Note: I did not like the TJ's brand, one I thought it was too light and the whipping cream was too soft. So again, I recommend you buy Cool Whip or make your own.

 Once the 30 minutes is up, and guests are ready to have dessert, cover the mini cakes with your Cool Whip! See how pretty these turned out? What do you think my fellow Bloggers? Doesn't that look so delicious?
Note: Since the Nutella can be hard after coming from the freezer, I've noticed that before you serve it, let it sit for about 10 minutes before serving that way when your guests slices it, it's not hard, it should be soft.

Enjoy! If you do make these, send me some pictures so I can post it on here, or on my facebook and twitter feed!

Thanks for reading,
Darlene 

The BEST Cookie Mix: Brand: Momofuku Milk Bar

Hello! Happy Friday to you! I'm sorry that I have not  been on here. Let's get right to it. Last month was my birthday and my sister gave me this very cute attractive cookie mix named Momofuku Milk Bar. She had asked me if I've heard of this place when I visited New York last summer. I said "nope". Anyhow, she explained to me briefly the story of these delicious cookies that this bakery serves. Basically, Momofuku Milk bar is a bakery in NYC. They offer cookies, cakes, cereal milk, pies and more.

Christina Tosi is the baker of Milk Bar. She is a 2012 James Beard Rising Star Chef of the Year. If you want to read more on her bio, click here http://milkbarstore.com/main/press/

My sister gave me 2 boxes with 2 different flavors. One being CORN Cookie and the other a COMPOST Cookie Mix.
I opted for the Corn Cookie Mix first as I did not have the other ingredients at the time for the Compost cookie Mix. I normally don't like store bought cookie mixes as you know they taste so artificial. As for these, the ingredients are nicely packaged, labeled and all natural.

So, even though it was a prepared cookie mix, there were still directions that you had to follow to a tee in order to come up with the exact cookie they sell at the Milk Bar.
By reading the directions carefully, I was able to achieve the taste, texture of the cookie!!

By far, this has to be the BEST cookie mix I've ever tried. They sell them at Williams Sonoma. Click the link below: http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/momofuku-milk-bar-cookie-mix/?pkey=e%7Cmomofuku%7C2%7Cbest%7C0%7C1%7C24%7C%7C2&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_-Feature_Recipe_Rule-_-

1. When you open the box, it comes with the packaged ingredients, and a small card with Instructions. All you do is just ADD butter and eggs. That's it! Simple.

It came w/ pre packaged fine sugar, & corn mix. All you Add are  1 egg and 2 sticks of unsalted butter (Both Egg & Butter Has to be Room Temperature - VERY IMPORTANT

2. Mix the room temperature butter and sugar. 

3. Next, Add the corn flour

Make sure you follow and beat on Med High for 10 Minutes until you notice that increased it's volume

4. Once done, shape into balls and place on top of a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, Cover w/ Plastic Wrap and chill for about an hour (Don't worry, the instructions are in the box!) I was able to stretch the chilled dough to about 14 balls instead of 12 which is what the recipe called for. Any extra dough you have left, you can chill it for about a week, wrapped in saran wrap.

5. After about an hour, remove from the refrigerator and place in the oven for about 13-16 minutes, following the directions carefully here is what you will end up! It was definitely a big hit w/ my co-workers and my hubby & son! You just have too, I mean have to try this cookie mix! 

Cheers,

Darlene

(Post) Son's Birthday Goodies

Hi Everyone,

Remember that post I did about those scrumptious Vanilla Cupcakes? Well, I wanted to show you the end product of it after it's been decorated. As I mentioned, my son's birthday theme was Disney's Cars2! So here are some pictures that I had promised even though it's a couple of days late :)

Vanilla Cupcakes with Disney's Cars2 Cupcake Rings! I ordered them from Amazon

Aside from adding the cupcake rings, I also added these RACE checkered flag picks to the cupcakes too!

These are added on favors. This was just a plain sugar cookie . I did not have time to make my own, so I went ahead and ordered it from an organic shop called Parties "R" Personal

Cheers,
Darlene

Shrimp Cakes w/ Avocado Salsa

Hello Everyone! It's a holiday for me today which equals too some time on my blog! I've been meaning to post this recipe for a long time, it's just that every time I make these delicious shrimp cakes I always forget to take pictures of the steps.

Our family friend Mel was the one who introduced these shrimp cakes to me when I had her family over dinner one night. My husband and I totally love this dish!

It's actually called Spicy Shrimp Cakes that got adopted from http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/spicy-shrimp-cakes-with-corn-avocado-salsa-10000001545774/.

I for one am not too much on making the food spicy however it does depend on what your making at the time. If you want some heat, then you can surely add Hot Sauce to both the cakes and the salsa. I omitted adding that. It will depend on the crowd you will have for lunch or dinner. I guess a little heat won't be bad, you can add some red chili pepper flakes as well instead of the hot sauce or even a jalapeño.

This dish is great for spring parties or summer picnics. You can either eat it as is (the cakes are so flavorful) or with the side of avocado salsa. I've been bringing these shrimp cakes to office parties and are usually a hit! I just brought these to our recent Valentine's Day potluck at work and everyone seemed to enjoy it!

Ok, enough of me rambling on, let's get to the ingredients on how to make these:

• Cakes:
• 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined 
• Cooking spray
• 1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 3 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise 
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons hot sauce 
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg 
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
• 3/4 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs), divided
• Salsa:
• 1 cup frozen white corn, thawed
• 3/4 cup diced peeled avocado 
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped seeded poblano pepper 
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation

1. To prepare cakes, place shrimp in a food processor; pulse 10 times or until finely chopped. Set aside.  
2. **If you do not own a food processor, your other option would be buying shrimp paste already prepared for you at any Asian Markets.  A cuisine art mini food processor will do, it's less expensive to buy. So, it would be great to just have one around the house, that's what I use. I do it small batches as it can only hold so many. 
3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add bell pepper to pan; sauté 3 minutes. Add garlic to pan; sauté for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Place bell pepper mixture in a large bowl. Add shrimp, green onions, and the next 6 ingredients (through egg), stirring well. Stir in cilantro and 1/4 cup panko.
4. Divide shrimp mixture into 10 equal portions, shaping each portion into a 1/2-inch-thick patty. Dredge both sides of patties in remaining 1/2 cup panko. Chill at least one hour.
5. Heat pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add 5 cakes to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove from pan; cover and keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining cakes.
6. To prepare salsa, combine corn and remaining ingredients; stir gently. Serve immediately with shrimp cakes.

Note:

These spicy cakes get their heat from the hot sauce so feel free to leave it out if you prefer a mild flavor. Double the salsa and serve it over a salad or as an appetizer with baked tortilla chips.

Fresh Shrimp, peeled & deveined. I added these to my food processor. Set Aside.

Red Bell Pepper saute'd and added garlic

after red bell pepper/ garlic softened, I added the shrimp paste and the rest of the ingredients

For the mixture to adhere, egg and cilantro was added

lastly, mayonnaise or light mayo (if you want)

I know this is not cooked yet, but you can already smell the mixture of cilantro and the bell peppers!

I like to add Panko breadcrumbs to the mixture  as well ( about 1/2 c)

Depending on how big you want the cakes to be, here they are, formed into round patties and covered w/ breadcrumbs. I chilled this batch for about an hour, however, 30 mins is ok.

After 30 mins or in the fridge, pull them out and pan fry them until golden brown. 

The above is the prepared Avocado/Corn Salsa!

I do apologize in advance for actually not having a picture of both dishes on a nice plate, I got so excited eating these at the Office Potluck party and I totally forgot!! This recipe is definitely a crowd pleaser, I promise!!

Ciao,
Darlene

Off the Path... Couture Gel Nail Polish

Hello everyone! It's a gorgeous warm day today where I am. I've been putting this post for quite some time as I'm busy preparing for my son's 7th birthday party & of course you have work and being a mom. I took advantage of this alone time as my husband and son are out biking enjoying the sunshine!

Anyhow, I'm going off the path here as my Header reads... the post does not involve baking or crafts but about Nail Polish! I'm sure I'm not the only one who puts on nail polish and after like 5 days (that's if your lucky) to still have it on you? It is quite a hassle to remove it then re-apply again.

So one day at work, My Co-worker was talking about this particular machine that you put the polish then you insert your whole hand and wait for like 2 minutes, re-apply coat then repeat all under the UV light. I got so curious that the same day, I went to the closest nail salon and thought I'd give it a try!

Well, believe it or not, my nails did LAST give or take about 14 days!!! No chip. No Re-Applying. My kind of thing! I found myself to keep going back to the nail salon but after much calculation, I realized if there is anything out there that does the same thing BUT I can do it at the comfort of my own home?

After researching and reading reviews, I came across a product called Couture Gel Nail Polish! to be honest I was skeptical at first but I said what the heck? if this can save me money in the long run I'd be really happy.

So I did click on the order button and just couldn't wait until the shipment arrived! Shipping was super fast! I saw the box on my front door and did not wait another minute to open it. The box comes with the machine, 1 top coat, 1 base coat, a beautiful and cute bag, 3 colors of your choosing, tools for the cuticles, a buffer and file, manicure stick and cute small bag, 4 UV lights that you will insert into the machine.

The directions were super, I mean super easy! Since it was my first try using it, it took me about an hour and 15 minutes, I know it was super long to do it, but mind you that was my first try. All in all,  after using it ever so often, I've gotten my manicure AND pedicure in about 45 minutes tops! Not bad huh? PLUS it's in the comfort of my home.

Couture Gel Nail Polish has the Most beautiful Colors! I'll be showing you just one of many great colors they have with the pictures below this post.

Here's the directions for BOTH Manicure & Pedicure:
Clean Hands (no lotion), Buffer. Push Cuticle back. Apply Top Coat. Cure for 2 minutes in the machine. Apply Nail Polish (not to thick). Cure for 2 minutes in the machine. Apply Base Coat. Cure for 2 minutes in the machine. Get free lint tissue and dab 70% rubbing alcohol over nail to remove the tacky residue from the Base Coat.

To remove:
Take your hand and soak in 100 % Acetone for about 10 minutes, after 10 minutes have passed, take your manicure stick and scrape the polish off. You will see it curl and it will peel away. After scraping it off, wash your hands well and towel dry and you can start to re-apply again.

Fresh from the box!

Inside of the machine with the UV lights that you install 

pardon my nails, I'm not a nail model! however, this is the Base Coat that I'm showing

Here I am "curing" my nails under the light!

Here's the TOP & BASE Coat

I bought these gloves separately just to protect my skin from the light

You can choose to cure in different times, I choose the 120 secs

I just love this color!!

See how GLOSSY they get after rubbing a free lint tissue with 70% rubbing alcohol!

Here is the final color! this may  not be a good photo, I'm a little embarrassed about my cuticles! but hey, I'm a Newbie to this :-)  I'd rather do this than visiting a nail salon frequently. This is just me though :-)