Growing up!

My friend Lesline is graduating Nursing school and asked me if I would make cookies for her graduation party! I was so excited for her to graduate and I was excited that she asked! She found a picture online of what she wanted the cookies to look like, they were scrubs and hearts with a life line. I used my sugar cookies recipe that I used for my halloween cookies.

I was really happy with how they turned out!

Lesline was so excited about them and they were a hit at her graduation party!

I can’t wait until I graduate in May!

-K

Fall’s not over yet!!

Just because thanksgiving has come and gone doesn’t mean that fall is over. The first day if Winter is December 21st so until then pumpkin is welcome to stay! I had the weekend after thanksgiving off so what else was there to do but bake! And just because I’m still enjoying fall doesn’t mean I’m not super excited for Christmas, so to set the mood I put on a Christmas playlist on spotify!

I baked pumpkin bread and of course what goes better with pumpkin than chai!

Pumpkin Chai Bread

2 cups butter *softened
2 cups sugar
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground chai tea
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 15oz can pumpkin
3 cups flour
1 cup white whole wheat flour
2 Tbsp milk
7 oz chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and grind the chai tea in a coffee grinder.

In a large bowl beat the 2 cups of butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds

Add sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and the chai mixing until combined

Add the eggs and the vanilla until combined

Mix in the pumpkin

Slowly mix in the four 1/2 cup at a time, I also added 2 Tbsp of milk here as well

By hand mix in the walnuts

Divide the mix into two bread pans (I buttered and floured mine which helps the bread come right out of the pan) and sprinkle the top with a little bit of cinnamon and chai.

Bake for 1 – 1 1/2 hours checking every 10 minutes after the first hour. Let cool in the pans for 30 minutes before slicing

This pumpkin bread is so delicious!

As for my Christmas baking music, Michael Bublé is and will always be my favorite for anything, but I also enjoy She & Him and my most recent find……. Pentatonix version of my favorite Christmas song, little drummer boy!

If you didn’t notice my old school mixer, it’s as old, if not older, that I am and is on its way out. That’s why I’m asking for a nice new beautiful Kitchenaid mixer for Christmas! Kohls has a really good deal going on at least for the next day or two so I’m hoping to get it before Christmas. It sure would help with the Christmas cookie baking! Even with that, I’ll still be sad to see my mixer go, there’s a sentimental attachment that goes with it back to my moms baking 😥

What are you asking for for Christmas?

– K

Thanksgiving and a Knights Blackout Friday

Every year since I was 2 (with the exception of one) my family has always had thanksgiving at my cousin Lauren & Leon’s house. It’s my favorite family tradition!! Leon hunts and always tries to have fresh turkey and other treats for us such as venison and gator depending on how well his hunting season goes, but there is never a shortage of food or leftovers!

Lauren & Leon live in Umatilla which is about an hour and a half away from where I live in orlando and since my sister is back from Pittsburg we drove up together. The family was all there with the exception of my Aunt Lois who is older and having a hard time with her memory. The food was as good as ever, we didn’t have any venison or gator this year but I was very pleased that Lauren made my Aunt Lois’ onion caserole! It’s my favorite thanksgiving dish! I was even lucky enough to be sent home with a whole caseole to myself (1of the 3 that were made).

Lauren & Leon live on a lake in between orange groves and every year there’s always shooting practice in the side yard. This year it was switched up a bit and there was skeet shooting down by the lake. I hadn’t shot guns at thanksgiving until this year, but I have gone to a gun range with Maria and her dad a couple of years ago, which I’m pretty good at.

I went up to shoot twice and each time I missed all 3 targets, but I’m glad I gave it a try, and I wasn’t disappointed because it was my first time shooting skeet and my first time shooting a Remington which isn’t easy (at least not for me).

I always love seeing my family and am always thankful for them because they are a constant part of my life. The women in my family are amazing! They’re beautiful, smart, inspirational, and strong. I truly couldn’t ask for better women to look up to!

I didn’t do any Black Friday shopping but I did go to the UCF game against USF with my friend Kristy! And as per the title of this post, it was a blackout game (all students wear black for support of UCF) not in the drinking fashion.

We did a little tailgating and enjoyed the game, WHICH WE WON!!!!

I had a great holiday full of family, friends, and good food, all which I am truly thankful for everyday!

Hope yours was as good!
Happy thanksgiving!

– K

Vermont Maple Bacon Scones!

I have been dying to use the Vermont maple syrup that I bought in Massachusetts, I hadn’t made scones in a while and maple scones sounded so yummy but I wanted to add something else to them. I decided to go with bacon to make Vermont maple bacon scones! They were so good and didn’t last very long!!

Vermont Maple Bacon Scones

2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 cup unbleached white flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
3/4 cup unsalted, butter *cut into chunks*
1 egg
1/4 cup Vermont maple syrup *the best kind there is!!!*
1 1/4 cup heavy cream
6-9 strips of bacon *I used apple wood smoked to balance the sweetness of the scones, you can always add more or less bacon*

Cook your bacon, cut it into tiny pieces and set aside. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Start by mixing the dry ingredients well in a large bowl before adding the cold butter cut into chunks. Use a pastry blender or your hands to mix the butter into the dry ingredients until it is mixed into coarse crumbs.

Beat the egg lightly and add it with the maple syrup and heavy cream, mixing thoroughly, do not whip!

Using a ice cream scoop, scoop out the dough onto two cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. Leave about 1 ½ inches between scones.

These scones were Maria approved! 😉

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, scones should be golden brown.

After baking you can drizzle maple syrup on top before serving for a nice presentation and little bit more maple syrup!

What’s your favorite thing to put maple syrup on?

– K

Palm Beach Chic Pt. 3

The third day was the last day of the conference. We woke up and got straight to work getting ready for breakfast. Once again we welcomed attendees as they came in for breakfast and were able to sit and enjoy it.

Since this was the last day and we still had not been to a break out session, we were able to choose one we would like to go to and Nickalette and I chose one on colours and design. It was interesting to learn about the different colour pallets and which colours work well together in different ways.

After this, we finished setting up for lunch, lunch was the big finally to the conference! It was all out inspired and themed Lily Pulitzer!

The tables were set up with 5 difference colours and 5 different patterns, it was a bit much at first but once it came together and the lighting dimmed it down some, it turned out really great!

Palm Beach Chic Pt. 2

Monday we woke up bright and early to start working. First thing we had to do was to welcome people as they came for breakfast. After this we got to sit in on a general session for a bit until set up for lunch began, then we guarded the doors of the general session and guided people to leave out the back, not out the side where lunch was being set up.

There were two seatings for lunch so we welcomed the attendees and took their lunch tickets to make sure they were in the first seating. After everyone was seated we were able to go in as well to eat lunch.

After guarding and taking tickets for the second lunch seating, Nickaletta and I were able to attend the general session with Matthew Robins.

His presentation was on inspiration, and it was very inspirational. Matthew’s work is amazing! He showed us things he was inspired by and how he made his inspiration and vision come to life.

After this, we spent the rest of the day getting things ready for the third days breakfast and lunch.

-K

Palm Beach Chic Pt. 1

I have a lot to catch up on in my blogging world, I have been busy with a lot going on and a lot of school work. So that this post doesn’t get too overwhelming it’s going to be in 3 parts.

I am a member of the Association of Bridal Consultants student chapter at UCF. As you have seen I try to attend the ABC meetings monthly, but for November the monthly meeting was their National Conference! I had the opportunity to volunteer for the conference which was in Palm Beach this year.

I woke up bright and early Sunday morning to drive down and arrive at 10 A.M. The other volunteers from UCF (Gabriella, and Mariana) and I got to work with some of the floral arrangements for that evenings event. We took pieces of hydrangeas and placed them in glass containers filled with water beads. We did the same thing with roses, something new I learned about handling roses is if you blow on the center and use your fingertips to gently press the center you get a beautiful open rose look.

After we finished with those flowers we helped cut roses and gently fold the rose petals back for the floral arraignment by the banquet doors for that evening. Gently folding back the roses petals until there is a little bulb left in the middle gives the roses a completely different look! It was beautiful! Unfortunately I don’t have a picture of those.

Next we headed over to the convention center and started working on placing menu cards in the napkins for Tuesday’s breakfast. The inspiration for the set up was Lily Pulitzer. I really liked the pattern and colour combination of the design for this breakfast created by Mercedes Dos Santos at MeKaSo Creations.

After finishing the napkins we guarded doors, directed people to the next area and stayed busy. That night was the White Party! By the afternoon two of the volunteer had to head back to Orlando and it was Alanna, Christine and myself left. After we guarded the doors to the White Party so no one could sneak in early, we got to enjoy the party for ourselves!

In the waiting area they had a Florida Postcard photo set up with a live model inside!

They had live models inside as well.

The room was lit in blue (which my camera didn’t capture) but it looked amazing! There was a beautiful bar set up by Mark Kingsdorf with Just Bars, which had our floral arrangement put together earlier that day, set up on the bar.

Here are some of the photos taken from the ABC Facebook. Photos are by BGPictures.

The Dj’s control board was a touchscreen! The Dj could write a message and have the screen flip it around for us to see! It was very cool.

Sunday night’s White Party was the perfect opportunity for me to network with people from all over the nation, I graduate soon and who knows where I will end up! I met some great people!

Photo credit to Allen from Allen Jay Images.

Have you ever been to an ABC meeting or annual conference?

– K

Spooky Things!

Halloween is my favorite Holliday! Maria and I got all settled into our new place just in time to throw a halloween party! Pinterest provided plenty of inspiration.

Growing up Halloween was always special at our house, my mom always went all out with decorations and for the first 5 or 6 years made my sister and I’s costumes! I found a lot of inspiration from Pinterest but there’s one thing I was always impressed with from my childhood. The witches cauldron!

Start with a medium (size varies by your table size, party size, and how much punch you might need) plastic witches cauldron, you can find these at party city.

Add dry ice to your cauldron. Be careful with the dry ice!!! It is dangerous and can cause severe burns! Use thick gloves or metal tongs to handle the ice. And place a plastic punch bowl inside.

When ready, create your punch and add to the punch bowl, then pour hot water into the cauldron around your punch bowl where the dry ice is. This will cause the dry ice to start fogging up and look really cool! Add hot water as needed when the fog dies down, it will cause it to fog back up.

I also made halloween cookies!

Sugar Cookies

1 cup Sugar
1 cup Butter, softened
3 oz. Cream cheese
1/4 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Almond extract
1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
1 egg Yolk
2 cups All Purpose Flour

In a large bowl blend together sugar, butter, cream cheese, salt, almond extract, vanilla, and egg yolk with mixer.

Mix in flour, a little at a time, until well blended.

Roll dough onto plastics wrap or parchment paper and refrigerate dough for two hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees then start to roll out dough, one third at a time, on a lightly floured surface. Using a cookie cutter dipped in flour, cut out cookies as close together as possible.

Place cookies on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until bottoms of cookies are a light golden brown. I find the cookies are best a little under baked. Cool completely before moving or icing the cookies.

I used a simple royal icing to decorate my cookies for the Halloween party.

Royal Icing

3 Tbsp Meringue Powder
4 cups Confectioners’ Sugar
6 Tbsp Warm Water

Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix until smooth. Separate into individual bowls and add food coloring if desired.

For the party Henry was Eyore and I was a witch!

Here are all of our decorations and some pictures from the party! It was a lot of fun and the cookies were a big hit!

What’s your favorite holiday?

– K

Team Swirl Girl

Today is Lesline’s birthday!! Happy Birthday Lesline!

Earlier this week Lesline asked me if I could bake her something for her birthday! Of course I said yes and when I asked if she had anything particular in mind she just told me she liked buttercream icing. That still left me with many options and I wanted to make something I knew she’d like so it took some thinking but then it came to me!!

Jamie and Lesline are a really cute couple and anytime Lesline post a picture of them on Instagram she always puts #teamswirl so I decided to make chocolate and vanilla swirled cupcakes with swirled icing!

For these cupcakes I used two completely different cake recipes (for the vanilla and the chocolate) but you’ll see why later. There’s a method to the madness! Get ready this one is a doozy!

I made the Vanilla cake mix first.

Vanilla Cake:

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter *room temp*
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
3/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup whole milk

In a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together.

In a large bowl, use a mixer to cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition.

Then add the vanilla and mix until well incorporated. With the mixer set to the lowest speed, add the dry ingredients a little at a time, alternating with the milk. Scrape down the mixing bowl after every edition, mix until all is smooth.

Set the vanilla batter to the side, it’s time to make the chocolate!

Chocolate Cake:

2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 cup Hershey’s cocoa powder *unsweetened*
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

In a large bowl combine the dry ingredients.

Slowly add in the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla. Mix on medium speed until well incorporated.

Stir in the boiling water. This with thin out the batter but don’t worry, it’s a good thing! This will help with the swirling of the batters.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line your cupcake pan with liners and grab your two cake batters.

Start by scooping the vanilla batter into the first pan, you don’t want to fill it all the way just yet, just enough to cover the bottom of the cupcake pan (I did each cupcake pan individually but I guess you can do them all at once layer by layer).

Next, drizzle just a little bit of the chocolate batter on top of the vanilla.

After you have the chocolate drizzled on top, take a stirrer of sorts and stir the chocolate into the vanilla, be careful not to mix them complete. The goal is to have a marble effect.

After you do this, add another layer of vanilla on top and repeat so it fills the cups.

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

For the icing, you can use what ever chocolate and vanilla you like but I used Rich’s Bettercream, as is for vanilla and for the chocolate I added Hershey’s unsweetened cocoa powder. The chocolate ended up tasting like a Wendy’s frosty, just not frozen. It was delicious!

I put the icing side by side into a piping bag with a 1M star tip to ice the cupcakes. They ended up looking like chocolate and vanilla soft serve ice cream on top!

They turned out great! They were a big hit!

Have people ever inspired your baking?

– K

Boston!!! Pt. 4 The Harbor

Eventually Sunday came around which meant the last day of my wonderful Boston vacation. Jackie and I made her family’s Christmas morning recipe for apple pancakes with our fresh picked apples! We were trying to think of some thing to do for the day since I had to be at the airport at 5:30 P.M. that gave a good while to hangout and I wanted to soak in as much of the beautiful weather I could before heading back to hot and humid Florida. Since Boston harbor isn’t far from the airport we decided to just spend the day hanging out there, walking around and enjoying the beauty Boston holds.

I would LOOOVE to live in this brick building!!!

I just love brick buildings and there’s no better view than the Boston harbor!

We ate lunch at Boston Sail Loft, they had really good clam chowder! It had such a cute sea side shack kind of feel, it had a great ambiance.

We had come fun with a picture stand, although the sun was blazing in our eyes so it made it hard to keep them open!

We went through some shops where I bought some last minute souvenirs. The day was so relaxing and perfect! The weather was great, I already miss it! The whole trip was a lot of fun, with a lot of adventures!

Where is your favorite place to vacation?

– K