Friday, June 10, 2011

Pickering Ribfest


Last weekend I went to Ribfest! I'm not much of a rib person, so I can't exactly judge the ribs. Things were quite expensive though. It was $13 for a half rack of ribs, $5 for a small bag of popcorn, $4 for a candy apple, $5 for a milkshake, and the rides were like $5 each! It was kind of crazy.
The line-ups were also very long. My boyfriend waited in line for at least 30 minutes to get ribs. The live entertainment was really fun! I loved watching the band play, I can't remember their name though. They played family-friendly songs, but I still really enjoyed it.
Overall, it was nice. If it wasn't so packed it would have been much better.
Ribfest was on June 3rd, 4th & 5th.


My boyfriend & I eating corn on the cob! I HAD to get some corn because I just got my braces off last week, and I can successfully eat corn!

Ribfest Website

Only 4 days of high school left!

Its hard to believe, but in only four days I will be done high school forever! Its bitter sweet. I don't want to have to grow up! But on the other hand, I'm going to have so much more freedom in university and things are going to be so different. I won't be treated like a little kid anymore.
This kind of scares me. Next thing I know I'll be paying my own bills!
Its ISU time, so I have been extremely busy working on them. On monday I have two presentations... I am not looking forward to that.
High school was such a journey. When I entered grade nine, I was an insecure, unsure, little girl. Leaving high school I've grown so much. Honestly, I'm almost a different person. I never thought I would be the person I am today. I've met so many people that have changed me in so many ways. It is so crazy to think about how much things change.
I can't wait until summer so I can just relax and have fun with my family, friends, and Connor!

Homemade Oreos



Recipe from: http://www.mybakingaddiction.com/homemade-oreos/
makes 25-30 sandwich cookies

Ingredients
For the chocolate wafers:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa (I used Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 to 1 1/2 cups sugar [see recipe note]
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) room-temperature, unsalted butter
1 large egg

For the filling:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) room-temperature, unsalted butter
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (I used clear vanilla extract)
Optional- Gel dye

Method
1. Set two racks in the middle of the oven. Preheat to 375°F.

2. In a food processor, or bowl of an electric mixer, thoroughly mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda and powder, salt, and sugar. While pulsing, or on low speed, add the butter, and then the egg. Continue processing or mixing until dough comes together in a mass.

3. Take rounded teaspoons of batter and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet approximately two inches apart. With moistened hands, slightly flatten the dough. Bake for 9 minutes, rotating once for even baking. Set baking sheets on a rack to cool.

4. To make the cream, place butter and shortening in a mixing bowl, and at low speed, gradually beat in the sugar and vanilla. Turn the mixer on high and beat for 2 to 3 minutes until filling is light and fluffy. (Optional: Blend in a tiny bit of gel dye until you reach the desired color.)

6. To assemble the cookies, in a pastry bag with a 1/2 inch, round tip, pipe teaspoon-size blobs of cream into the center of one cookie. Place another cookie, equal in size to the first, on top of the cream. Lightly press, to work the filling evenly to the outsides of the cookie. Continue this process until all the cookies have been sandwiched with cream. Dunk generously in a large glass of milk.

Notes:
-I used Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa Powder instead of Dutch Processed.
-I used Wilton Gel Dye to color the centers.
-Once I measured out a rounded teaspoon of dough, I rolled the dough into small balls before baking.

Lemon Cupcake Recipe - Style at home



Cupcakes
1 1/4 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup whole milk

Frosting
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar

Glazed lemon peel
(OPTIONAL)
1 large lemon, washed
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cider vinegar

Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line 12 muffin tin cups with paper cupcake liners.

Make the cupcakes. Sift the cake flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl and using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and sugar until smoothly blended and lightened in color, about 2 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until each is blended into the batter and it looks creamy, about 1 minute. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla and beat for 2 minutes. If the eggs are cold, the mixture may look slightly curdled. On low speed and in 3 additions (3 flour, 2 milk), add the flour mixture and milk alternately, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix just until the flour is incorporated and the batter looks smooth.

Fill each paper liner with 1/4 cup of batter (an ice-cream scoop works well), to about 1/2 inch below the top of the liner. Bake just until the tops feel firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 23 minutes. Cool the cupcakes for 10 minutes in the pan on a wire rack. Remove the cupcakes from the pan onto a wire rack and let cool completely.

Make the frosting. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on low speed, beat the butter, cream cheese, grated lemon peel, and vanilla until smooth and thoroughly blended, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing. Add the powdered sugar, mixing until smooth, about 1 minute, then beat on medium speed for 1 minute to lighten the frosting further. Use a small spatula to spread about 3 tablespoons of frosting over the top of each cupcake.

Make the glazed lemon peel, if desired. Using a vegetable peeler and a slight sawing motion, remove the lemon rind from the lemon in large strips. Trim off any white pith that remains on the rind and cut the rind into matchstick- size strips. Put the strips in a small saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Strain, then rinse the lemon strips with cold water. Heat the water, sugar, and vinegar in the saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the lemon strips. Simmer for 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the strips from the syrup to a small bowl. Cool thoroughly. Arrange several pieces of the glazed peel over the top of each cupcake. The peel can be left in its cooking syrup and stored in the refrigerator for up to one week. The cupcakes can be covered and stored in refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Recipe from: http://www.styleathome.com/food-and-entertaining/recipes/recipe-lemon-cupcakes-with-lemon-cream-cheese-frosting/a/21330/2
Photo: http://www.mybakingaddiction.com/lemon-cupcakes/

Fiji wedding

Fiji wedding by Its A Cake Thing (Jho)
Fiji wedding, a photo by Its A Cake Thing (Jho) on Flickr.

Number cake

Number cake by Its A Cake Thing (Jho)
Number cake, a photo by Its A Cake Thing (Jho) on Flickr.

Exploding Stars cake

For Another Chloe