New York Times Article, Food for the People, Whipped Up by the People

Food for the People, Whipped Up by the People

This is an interesting read I thought. It's an oldie back from 2006 but a good read in my humble personal opinion.  I feel like I relate to it and I have a good feeling I am not the only one up in here!
IF you wanted to appear in a food magazine or publish a cookbook in 2006, to star in a television cooking show or increase the traffic on your Web site, your best move was clear: don't be a chef.

Costa Vita

Dinner time crept up on me quick yesterday and before I realized it was dinner time and I had yet to begin!  This isn't something that typically happens on a Tuesday night but what the heck, we got take out, now what to eat?  It took no time for the kids to decide just what they wanted.
Costa Vida! And so it would be.

If you are not familiar Costa Vida its specialty is Mexican food with a Baja-theme to it. They have everything from tacos, burritos, enchiladas and salads as well as menu for the kids.  My family really enjoys it.  If you ask me a secret they use to get that fresh taste is the way the keep their leafy greens fresh maintaining that crunch you want to taste with your meal.  It's a good thing! Oh and I read where they have for the most part gone gluten free!

A Chocolate Cupcake Birthday

Moist cake like cupcakes, very filling, and very chocolaty mmm perfect!

It was a Happy 10th Birthday and with each year brings a new adventure.

The big day had come, the birthday, the BIG 10!  My small fry has now been on this earth for his very first decade.


Wow!

I love these years, I think they are some of the most exciting and memorable years for kids.  It’s a precious window of time where your imagination, that inner ability you are given to remember, create, dream, and make all kinds of changes  and transformations at any given time is possible!  Where everything seems so much larger so much more exciting and real you can even possess magical powers!  All through the eyes of a child.

But this precious window of time is limited, so I made a wish for my son to enjoy it while it lasts, because as time goes on all of life and the responsibilities with the day to day tasks and deadlines and run around will surround you before you know it!

Right now my son and his friend have decided to go down to the park near a creek that runs along it and build a fort.  They have moved out all sorts of branches and twigs and made what they call the secret fort, and only the 2 of them know where it is at. Well that is except for a third friend they just decided they would allow to know the secret coordinates of the secret fort he is stronger and can move branches that they can not even move if you can imagine that!

They noticed footprints they were not sure what animal it could possibly but they have narrowed it down to a raccoon.  So now they are on a mission to catch the animal they think may be a raccoon, yes they will dig a hole and put branches over it and trick the animal behind the footstep. (now don't worry we watch over them the whole time they are not going to encounter a raccoon!)

They check every chance they get hoping to come across something but still, nothing.  So the devise other angels and put together other ideas.  As a matter of a fact they have decided it would be a perfect idea to spend the night in their fort this summer.  We had to put a stop to that, this is life behind the eyes of a child and his imagination and endless possibilities!

Now about the birthday, the idea… celebrate. With 25 kids invited to a gym filled with tramps and foam pits with monkey bars and the whole nine yards I had to figure out how to make this party all work and bring it all together. The important thing to focus on here for me was simplicity. This was very necessary and I am so glad it turned out excellent and more important for the most part effortlessly.  Everyone had a blast and it was non-stop until the end.  The cupcakes looked time consuming but they were actually pretty quick to design I was pleasantly surprised.  I buy the cake mix in bulk, because I also like to use them to make cookies, it to is a simple way to make something great from me for my family with that little bit of somethin-somethin!

I miss those years, to me they are some of the most exciting and memorable years looking back.  It’s a precious window of time where your imagination that inner ability you are given to remember, create, dream, and make all kinds of changes and transformations at any given time is possible! Where everything seems so much larger so much more exciting and real you can even possess magical powers!

But these powers seem to have a limit, they seem to only last for a limited period of time. So I hope all my kids are and have been able to have them for as long as they can and have some of the best times!

Right now my son and his friends have decided to go down to the park near a creek and build a fort.  They noticed footprints they were not sure what animal it could possibly but they have narrowed it down to a raccoon. So now they are on a mission to catch the animal behind the footstep.

Now really quick like with my intertwining stories without further a dew (not that there is anything over the top or difficult about these at all trust me)!


I give you "The Chocolate Cupcake with Swirls"

Yum-yum

1.  What you will need is 1 package cake mix I use Betty Crocker I always have thought they have a pretty good thing going!  And for the most part you need only follow the directions on the box. 

The Secret to Thai Beef Salad Also Known as Thai Beef Salad

The Secret to Thai Beef Salad Also Known as 'Yum Nuah'

Is there anything more refreshing than Thai beef salad that is excellent in every way!  Thai Beef Salad (Yum Nuah) is perfect for spring time or those hot summer days.  It gives a feast of flavors and textures one bite at a time!  The boys especially love this dish, with the thinly sliced and lightly grilled (or you can also oven broil) beef tossed with a cool crisp mix of Romaine lettuce, red onions, cucumbers, tomatoes and cilantro tossed  together with a special Thai lime dressing with crushed red peppers served perfectly over fresh jasmine rice really hits that spot!

There secrets to this Thai salad is in the special Thai lime dressing (of course) and the the crisp fresh textures from the vegetables.  The secret is to have that fresh crunch from the romaine lettuce, red onions and cucumber.  And you can do this by chilling a dish in the freezer for about 30 minutes, remove from freezer add fresh vegetable ingredients mixed with special Thai lime dressing and allow sit in refrigerator for 15 minutes or so prior to adding the beef.  This will give you that fresh crunch with everybite mixed with the beef.


Serve over jasimine rice.


Jasmine rice



Dirt Bike Cake Recipe

I have to tell you that when I was making this cake it was a challenge for me, a never tried before baking event, so the stress level was on!  For some reason I felt like I was at the race on the line on a dirt bike waiting for the gate to drop and see if I could make whole shot!  Wow what a rush!

 

Our boys like to ride dirt bikes if you dont know very much about it take a look at a little peak into the motocross race.  It was my son's birthday and he wanted to have a dirt bike cake.  First time for me of course, and for me this cake turned out to be a bit of a challenge make sure to give your self time. It was a tall cake when I was finished much taller than I had expected for sure. 

Nothing like testing out a cake idea on your child's birthday!

It turned out awesome and delicious, here is how I did it, I took a recipe from online and built on it from there.  See the directions to make it yourself! 

Sustainable Garden Beginning with Tulips and Daffodils Update





All New Square Foot Gardening

Are we multi-taskers or what!  We are committed and so when we decide to start a project we dive right in!  And it is all slowly but surely paying off.  As a first time gardener, (by the way I am going to be adding that to my resume) beginning last fall and into this year I have been eager to get outside to plant something spectacular. 

Dirt Bike Cake with Whoops

There is something to be said about a cake made at home.  This was a bit of a production I must warn you, but all well worth it!  Take a look and see what you think!

I just wanted to put this one out there.  I am not the everyday sweet baker but I wanted to make this cake.  I couldn't find a bike cake similar to this anywhere and I like the taste of home made cakes better than the store bought ones.

Click here to read about a motocross experience.

Every since I made this cake I have been making cakes instead of buying them, and I will tell you something, it will get eaten!  This cake was inspired by my son and his love for motocross and dirt bikes!  Mission accomplished!

I went a bit to tall, actuall really tall!

I made it with Oreo's whipped cream cake mix icing over snickers for the whoops and a little creative thinking on my part!  I had fun with it and they loved it!  I had people from the party place asking if they could try it they loved the way it looked so much!

Here is the recipe.