To-Do List: Layer Cakes

I really wish I was good at making layer cakes, but I'm really, really not. I tend to get impatient and try to ice it before it cools properly, and it inevitably ends up looking like a misshapen, messy mass of crumbs and icing. I've made it my goal to learn how to make a lovely-looking layer cake. Here's some inspiration.

How to make a vanilla cake.

 Love the sprinkles on the edges.

Robin's egg blue.

Layer city.

Ombre nakedness.

Incredible Edible Eggs

via Eat Live Run. 

I've been on a big egg kick lately. Scrambled, soft-boiled, poached—you name it, I want it. They're just so easy to make and comforting in their warm gooeyness, not to mention cheap and fairly healthy. These are my current favorite eggy dishes, plus a few I really want to try.

 via Oh Joy!

via No Recipes.

via Lingered Upon.

via A Cozy Kitchen.

summer eats.

My eating habits change when the weather gets warm, and with temps in Charleston already inching near 100 degrees at times, I'm definitely in summer mode. Gone are the red meats, potatoes, or anything that requires too much time at the stove. Last night I just ate sauteed asparagus and tomato/mozzarella/basil bites for dinner and I was more than satiated. My waistline is happy, too — I've already lost a few pounds.

grilled peaches with ricotta cheese.

 

homemade pizza. 

 
mojito melon salsa.

pad thai.

I made Pad Thai for dinner last week, and I have to say I was pretty impressed with myself. Todd, on the other hand, came into the kitchen with a greenish look on his face while I was cooking to inform me he would not be eating the food. The fish sauce was a bit too much for him. While he ate PB&J, I devoured my two servings of tasty homemade Thai food.

I used this recipe from Big Girls Small Kitchen and just added in some shrimp and snow peas. It was ridiculously easy — while the rice noodles are soaking up water, just chop up your veggies and throw it all in the pan together with some fish sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, and egg. Just make sure any sensitive friends are out of nose-range.

dinner this week.

I'm trying to be better about planning meals for the week. If I don't, we end up eating out too much. If I plan it out, I'm actually excited about cooking at the end of each day. Here's what's on the menu this first week of May.

 

barbecue chicken burgers with caramelized onions. Made this tonight. Success!

pad thai.

chicken francaise with lemon caper sauce.

and for snacks ... cilantro lime white bean hummus.

What are you eating this week?

happy easter.

via eclectic recipes.

I'm hosting a little last-minute brunch in the backyard. Wish me luck! What do you have planned this Easter Sunday?

foolproof banana bread.

I'm still honing my baking skills. The last time I tried something a little bit complicated (chocolate cupcakes with Nutella icing), they didn't turn out and I ended up throwing a cupcake across the room. And then my dog ate it, and I worried that he would die from the chocolate. But he didn't.

There are a few recipes that I just can't seem to screw up, though. This banana bread recipe, for example, is so incredible forgiving. Last time I made it, I only used two bananas instead of four. I didn't have enough sugar so I added brown sugar to make up for it. I didn't have butter so I used margarine. I completely forgot the egg. And I threw in a ton of chocolate chips for good measure. As always, it turned out delicious. Next time you have some overripe bananas, don't throw them away. Make this.

fat kid.

I've resolved to eat a bit healthier than usual this week, so of course I'm craving really sweet, sugary treats.

 

These homemade pop tarts on a stick from Babble look bangin'. 

Olivia Rae is killing me with her homemade oreos. 

 

Salted caramel ice cream with candied bacon? Jeroxie is a genius.  

 

And for something slightly lighter, cream filled strawberries from Cafe Johnsonia. 

chocolate croissants.

I think I might make these chocolate croissants tonight for my valentine. And by that I mean for me, since he doesn't really eat that many sweets. They're super easy, but he doesn't have to know that.

play with your food.

Back in September, Ikea released a cookbook using photography by Carl Kleiner. The book is called Hembakat är Bäst (Homemade is Best) and I need a copy.

mac daddy.

I think I've decided to make for my dinner party. Fancy mac 'n' cheese with bacon, spinach, and fontina. Via Good Life Eats.

dinner bells.

 

via.

I've been inspired by Miss Olivia Rae's last post to plan a little dinner party for my girlfriends. Or rather, not overplan a little dinner party. The planning ahead, and the stress involved, is what always gets me. A tasty pasta recipe, a few bottles of wine, and something chocolatey are all we really need. Please let me know if you have any not-too-difficult recipe suggestions.

genius is...

 

Cake batter pancakes with a sprinkles glaze. Perfect. 

watermelon cake.

I must make this sherbet-y watermelon "cake" before the end of summer. Courtesy of Big Girls, Small Kitchen. Always an inspiration.

lemme see your grill.

This post from local blogger Tartelette inspired me to experiment with simple, fresh food this weekend. We picked up a few bags of beautiful produce at the Vegetable Bin (Charlestonians' secret cheap food destination) and fresh pizza dough at the farmers market.

We whipped up some homemade sauce (tip: don't cook it) and grilled a pizza, topping it with fresh mozzarella, basil, and Italian sausage. It took just a few minutes to throw together and it cooked even quicker. The result:

Best of all, it was just breezy enough to make dining on the back porch bearable for the first time in weeks. We grilled up a couple of local peaches and paired them with vanilla bean ice cream for the perfect summer dessert.