the key is to never stop moving.

be the next you

you will never look back and regret the moments you were unapologetically you

back in the kitchen!

back with a couple more recipes that have (mostly) worked in my favour! give one a try and let me know if you do!

http://www.cookingclassy.com/2015/02/salmon-and-asparagus-in-foil/

well, it doesn't get easier than this one. blaze and i did this for the family when in kauai. it's pretty straightforward, but:

-we bought fish with bones by mistake. luckily it's easy to debone. youtube it if you're not sure how

-also, double all the seasoning (minus the lemon). this seems to be a reoccurring theme with cooking and baking in general 

result was nommy and got all around five stars.

http://thefrugalgirls.com/2014/04/crockpot-monkey-bread-recipe.html

wait...it does get easier. i think that IS the theme of my recipes in general right?? i followed the directions pretty literally, and the results were bomb. somehow it always impresses people, probably due to the fact it comes out of a crockpot, and it's gone in an instance!

http://mywholefoodlife.com/2014/09/07/paleo-pumpkin-pie-cupcakes/

this one was a bit more special. i struggled a bit, and it was kinda unique, but mostly everyone liked it. there were some changes to be had.

-i used less banana and more pumpkin (an idea i got from reading comments)

-i was super generous with seasoning 

-i also added dark dairy-free chocolate chips to the top of them when done. two or three since they were small.

the whip went well-make sure you give it a good mixing.

these need to be cooked for quite awhile AND refrigerated for quite awhile. the longer the better. even though i followed the blog's timing i think letting it bake and sit longer would've helped with firmness.

overall, would do all these recipes again (and have with several of them). happy baking!

I'm tickled pink that things aren't going my way

Cuz that would be boring

Spent my last cent on cheese and champagne

What a wonderful morning!

Nevermind she declined to the first date

It was only on my birthday

Never mind all the lines on the highway

Gimme time to reflect a bit cuz

I'm just having a good day

Having a good day

Having a real good morning

I'm just having a good day

Having a good day

Having a real good morning
-benj heard

december

 

five days till one of the best days of the year <3

my latest in the kitchen

when it comes to the kitchen, i'm no chef. practising legit cooking and baking has only come with marriage, and it's been quite the journey. i've discovered that i actually quite enjoy experimental baking and have had great feedback with it, but it might be awhile before i feel that way with meals.

regardless, i'm always trying new things, so although i'll never be at the level of publishing my own creations, i'm definitely in the position to review. check out some of my latest favourites (and maybe one or two i didn't like)!

keep in mind

*i like it simple      *i like using ingredients i already have at home       *i like it quick

and really, who can argue with that?

DESSERTS

pumpkin brownies: it may almost be xmas, but pumpkin is still in right? tried out these pumpkin brownies for our going away party, but used my family recipe for the brownies instead. no, it did not turn out nearly as pretty (no pix sorry). yes, people quite enjoyed it. personally i wouldn't make it again. it was easy enough but it would pretty hard to make it look as cute as my ladies @ beautiful mess did.

http://www.abeautifulmess.com/2015/10/marble-pumpkin-brownies.html

cotton candy cupcakes: did this for my lil sis's bachelorette party. whenever i see cotton candy i think of her; she's got a crazy sweet tooth (like yours truly) and loves her cotton candy. i stressed and stressed over this one. i actually went between both these recipes to make mine, and was heartbroken when i felt like the end result wasn't cotton candy-ish enough. HOWEVER the feedback was amazing (i'm a little hard on myself). everyone at the party and my family were obsessed. definitely gotta make these again.

the cupcakes themselves were the least cotton candy flavoured though i put in over a cup's worth. i would suggest to even double that, but don't expect the flavour to stand out.

the icing was what was really loved. i melted the cotton candy into milk, again using probably double what suggested. then after it was all mixed, i added a ton more cotton candy chunks into it.

don't overmix either parts! or else the cotton candy totally disappears. 

http://browniesandbows.blogspot.ca/2011/02/cotton-candy-buttercream-frosting.html

http://bakingdom.com/2011/07/honeydukes-candyfloss-cupcakes-and-an-awesome-harry-potter-giveaway.html (didn't use icing recipe from this)

it also made for an adorable display... if only i had better than an awkward birds' eye view.

'paleo' brownies: i know there's a million recipes out there like this right now (flourless! only takes two ingredients!), but honestly half of them taste like dirt, so i'm excited when i find a keeper.

it definitely contained more sugar than i hoped, so i scaled back a couple teaspoons on the maple syrup and about a quarter less of chocolate chips. i only had peanut butter on hand (wompwomp) but luckily the pb had pretty much no sugar in it. i think what also made this recipe better than a lot was that you mix all the ingredients while heating. i kept it on low the whole time, trying to be quick with adding things in, and then quickly spatulaed (that should be a word!) it into a pan greased with olive oil. used my oven on convection, and tried to spread the batter out, so it was done in a little over twenty minutes. take it out while it's slightly still moist (the top should be totally done), and let it cool.

my family was surprised that they all loved it! 

http://easypeas-y.blogspot.ca/2012/03/paleo-brownies.html

-teen

hi!

no, we're no longer boogie boarding among these glorious pacific waves, but yes, things are just as fun (though a lot less warm).

life has been nothing out of the usual. and let's be real about what usual means here; happy, sad, amazing, sucky, hilarious, a little crazy, some great highs, a low or two, and most importantly, always an adventure.

i'm on a creative growth spurt and in a season with lots of opportunity to cultivate it right now. i may try to narrow down what this writing space means to me, i may not.

excited to share as things come along :)

xo

teen