Cakes, Cakes, Cakes

  Prepare to be inundated with cakes! Delicious cakes!

  That should have been my mantra for the month of January. My birthday was on the 14th, and I had a hankerin' (yes, an actual hankerin') for a cake with lime flavors. I have no idea why, but that's what I wanted. The cake pictured above is the one I made.
  I had heard about using soda with cake mixes instead of water, and how you could add subtle flavors that way. My original intention was to try making my lemon cake with a lemon-lime soda, and then using lemon frosting. Well, as it turns out, the supermarket didn't have any lemon cake. Now, before you vilify me for using a boxed cake mix, you should know that I do cut corners from time to time. If you're interested in making your own cake from scratch, more power to you.
  The only cake they had that I could use for the flavor I wanted was plain white. I had looked at a recipe that talked about using Jell-o to flavor cake batter, so I grabbed some lime Jell-o mix and went to work.
  The fantastic recipe I used came from Sugar Baby Aprons and was, in fact, a key-lime cake. I went a little bit of a different way with my version, using their frosting only as a filler between my two cake tiers. For the outside frosting, I made a simple classic buttercream, the recipe for which can be found at Savory Sweet Life.
  As you can see in the picture below, I also added a bit of green food coloring to the batter to really prepare people for the lime taste.

  I have to say, this recipe was fantastic, and I would definitely make it again. It's more of a summer cake, but here in southern California, it never really feels like winter.

"But you said cakes. CAKES- as in plural." Yes, I did. Unbeknownst to me, my sweet girlfriend had picked up a birthday cake for me as well:

  This chocolatey deliciousness came from Gelson's Supermarket- a place where I often admire the artistry on display in the bakery. The frosting was a light whipped-cream variety, and the cake was moist and very flavorful.
  Then came a baby shower for a friend of ours on the weekend. They bought two sheet cakes, which was one too many, so I "took one for the team" and volunteered to bring about 3/4 of THIS cake home:

  It was tasty, but certainly nothing special. If you've had one store-bought sheet cake, you've had them all.

  Lastly, just because this post is all about cakes, I'll leave you with this crazy experiment with fondant that I did back in 2010:

  That was my first and only time working with fondant, building edible flowers, and all that jazz. Everything came out fine, but it was a LOT of work. That's the only reason I haven't attempted something like that again. Well, that, and there's typically nobody to eat such a creation except me, and I'm really trying to be a bit healthier (this cakey month notwithstanding). You can see a step-by-step article about how I made that cake at my old blog here.

  Until next time, fellow diners!

Hearty two bean chili

  If you're looking for something really filling and full of delicious protein to keep you warm during these winter months, then here you go! I had mine with crackers, but as I was eating it, I realized it would have been so much better with a nice thick chunk of buttery cast iron skillet cooked cornbread. Next time!
  I was actually looking for a recipe that I had from years ago for a similar two bean chili, but couldn't find it. This one is very close, but still missing something. I omitted the green pepper, and used red wine instead of the juice this recipe calls for, but still, for the life of me, I don't know what's missing. If I ever find that other recipe, I'll be sure to post it. Meantime, enjoy this one. It's pretty good, too!

Original recipe is here.

Gluten Free Chocolate Brownie Cookies

  Get ready, because these are the gooiest, chocolatiest cookies you're likely to have!

  When I was mixing the large amounts of dry ingredients with the relatively small amount of wet, I became concerned that everything was too dry, and wasn't going to work. I added a small amount of water, which then made things too runny. By adding back in more powdered sugar and more cocoa powder, I was able to get things to a cookie-dough like consistency.
  I fear, though, that this is the reason my cookies didn't bake up quite as light as I was expecting, and may have accounted for the somewhat "too chewy" edges. It wasn't enough to spoil these delicious beauties, but I would be more careful the next time around.

The complete recipe can be found at BonAppetit.com.

The best peanut butter cookies ever

  Yeah. If you like a good peanut butter cookie- and I mean REALLY good, do yourself a favor and make these. The complete recipe can be found over at My Baking Addiction.
  I made these a couple weeks ago, and took them in to work, where they were promptly devoured by the hordes. Some were even taking them home to share with their families!
  I've always like peanut butter cookies, but these punch it up with a really moist cookie, and that sinful chocolate coated half. Throw those new year's resolutions out the window, just this once, and make a batch.

Cinnamon and coconut pancakes

  I found this great recipe this weekend while searching for something tasty to make for a gluten free breakfast. It's dairy and gluten free, but if you have an allergy to eggs, it's not for you. It was very easy to whip up, but I think I would adjust the recipe next time. You will need:

•2 large eggs
•3 tablespoons full fat coconut milk
•½ mashed ripe banana (about 2 tablespoons)
•½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
•½ teaspoon vanilla extract
•1½ tablespoons of Bob’s Red Mill organic coconut flour
•½ teaspoon cinnamon
•¼ teaspoon baking soda
•1 small pinch of salt
•ghee or coconut oil (for frying)


  The directions are pretty simple- mix all the wet ingredients in one bowl, the dry in another, then combine. Use the coconut oil to grease up your cooking surface. The original recipe and step by step instructions (and pics) can be found over at Nom Nom Paleo.
  Now, about my wanting to "adjust" the recipe for next time- basically, my batter seemed a little too runny. As a result, The pancakes were hard to flip and didn't cook quite right. I would probably add a little more of the coconut flour to thicken things up. Other than that, these were delicious, and much appreciated by the lovely lady I made them for!

Lentil, kale, and sweet potato stew

  I found the recipe for this fantastic lentil, kale, and sweet potato stew over at Dough-eyed Girls, and it's a winner in this household.
  Originally, I was looking for detox/recovery soups for my girlfriend- and this definitely fits the bill- but it's so good, that it's become a staple around here. The other bonus, of course, is that it's free of the common allergens: gluten, soy, dairy (providing that you buy lentils that are certified gluten free, such as "Tru Roots").
  Whether you're looking to clean some toxins out of your body, or just enjoy a hot bowl of very nutritious and hearty stew/soup, I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

A great food allergen app

  Are you allergic to gluten? How about soy or dairy? Nuts? For those suffering from any or all of these common allergies, shopping for safe food can be tricky. While your best bet is to always buy fresh, sometimes you just can't- sometimes it's expensive, or sometimes you need something in a can or a bag for a recipe.
  My girlfriend suffers from several allergies, and we've found that the ShopWell app is really handy! You set it up by entering your allergies and your personal details (sex, age, etc) and then you simply use the app to scan barcodes on the food in question. The app will not only tell you if the food contains any of the things you're allergic to, but it also tells you whether the food is a good match for you based on nutritional content. The app is free, and can be found here: http://www.shopwell.com/home/mobile

  Happy eating!