Posted on No Comments on 30 Before 30

30 Before 30

30 Before 30 So…Spoiler Alert: I’ve recently realized that my 30th Birthday is only a year and a half away. Crazy! Aging has honestly never really bothered me. I’ve alway felt older than my age and growing older certainly beats the alternative, right?

Well 30 is inevitably on its way and as a result I’m seeing an influx of 30 Before 30 lists from friends on Facebook, Pinterest and other social media platforms. Seeing everyone’s aspirations has planted a little seed in my mind. These last couple of weeks I have been rolling my own goals for the next year or so over and over in my mind. I’m jumping on board with the 30 Before 30 craze and have compiled my own list below.

  1. Move out of the great state of Texas. Apparently people do live elsewhere…
  2. Visit Europe with my husband.
  3. Take our Second Honeymoon in Costa Rica.
  4. Start (and actually keep) a journal.
  5. Take a cake decorating class.
  6. Go Ziplining.
  7. Read the entire Bible.
  8. Get out of school debt.
  9. Become fluent (or close to it) in French.
  10. Experience motherhood.
  11. Donate blood.
  12. Go see a movie by myself.
  13. Become a returning volunteer for the same organization.
  14. Go camping.
  15. Shoot a gun.
  16. Be able to run a 5K.
  17. Take my son to Disney World.
  18. Do something that terrifies me.
  19. Leave $100 tip at a restaurant.
  20. Learn a dance with the husband.
  21. Master the art of baking bread from scratch.
  22. Get certified in CPR.
  23. Establish a real, grown-up skincare and makeup routine.
  24. Invest something in the stock market.
  25. Take up yoga (even if it’s only with DVDs at home).
  26. Paint a work of art that I would actually want to hang in our house.
  27. Spend $100+ on a purse or statement piece.
  28. Take a week off from the Internet and TV. Totally unplug.
  29. Buy our first house.
  30. End my twenties with no regrets.

I have already tackled a few of these, which I will cover in an upcoming post. And although this blog’s main focus will continue to be on food, I will be posting a few updates as I go on my own little journey to 30.

Posted on No Comments on Cream Cheese Frosting

Cream Cheese Frosting

cream cheese frosting

With so much love in the air this week I haven’t been able to set up a real photo shoot to save my life, so my apologies for the 10pm iPhone photo. This is real life.

I have never been a fan of red velvet cake…and yes, I am aware that that probably makes me crazy. I’m sure that part of my reluctance to make red velvet anything is the thought of the murder scene that my kitchen will quickly turn into. Red counters, spatulas dripping red, and oh your hands as your trying to rinse off all of the red batter in the sink.  *shivers*

Really not a fan…but red velvet cake is one of the hubby’s favorite treats. So this year as an early Valentine’s surprise I whipped up a box of red velvet cupcakes and topped them with a new homemade cream cheese frosting recipe. The frosting was delicious if I do say so myself and the cupcakes disappeared in no time. This cream cheese frosting recipe is definitely a keeper! I may have to try it on a carrot cake for Easter… Hmm…

Ingredients:

  • 2 (8 oz.) packages of cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

  1. In a bowl, cream together cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy.
  2. Mix in the vanilla.
  3. Slowly stir in the confectioners’ sugar.
  4. Frost your favorite cake or cupcakes and enjoy!

Recipe from: All Recipes

Posted on No Comments on Homemade Chocolate Cake

Homemade Chocolate Cake

chocolate cake

Admittedly, I’ve always been more of a cook than a baker. I am much more likely to go for recipes that doctor pre-packaged cake, brownie mixes, etc. than to put the effort into baking from scratch. This is definitely something I hope to change this year…

After whipping up this delicious and moist (yes, I know how that word makes so many of you cringe) chocolate cake over the weekend, I discovered that sometimes the reward of baking from scratch is totally worth the effort. This cake was quick to throw together and a the perfect treat to celebrate Valentine’s Day a little early.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1½ teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup milk
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup boiling water

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Spray two 9-inch cake pans generously nonstick cooking spray.
  3. Add flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk or mix to combine well.
  4. Add milk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla to flour mixture and mix together on medium speed until well combined.
  5. Reduce speed and slowly add boiling water to the batter.
  6. Beat on high speed for about 1 minute to add air to the batter.
  7. Distribute cake batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans.
  8. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until an inserted toothpick into the center of the cake comes out clean.
  9. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes, remove from the pan and cool completely.

Recipe from Add a Pinch