Today is Brian's Mom's Birthday!  Happy Birthday!  Brian's mom is awesome and I am so excited to celebrate with her later!  I also can't wait to become part of her family later this summer! #LegallyPflaumed (yes that is our wedding hashtag and yes it is super amazing).

To celebrate, we are going to get some delicious pizza at Lou Malnati's for dinner.  I was also asked to make my chocolate chip banana bread.  I was really excited to bake this because I haven't in ages and it is so good! I seriously have the best banana bread recipe ever.  Of course there are chocolate chips in it and for this birthday celebration I went with some milk chocolate chips.  This recipe holds nothing back.  It has white flour, sugar, and chocolate chips.  There are also TONS of bananas in it.  This is actually the only way I will eat bananas.  If you want, you can substitute the flour for whole wheat or add in other mix-ins like fruits or nuts, but if you want something just plain yummy, I would stick with the original.  We are celebrating a birthday so you need to get a little crazy!

You can find the recipe HERE.

Enjoy :)

Happy Birthday Brian: Caprese Avocado Breakfast Sandwiches

Today is Bri's 25th birthday!!!  I want to wish him a very special birthday.  I can't believe that this is the age we will be when we get married in less than 8 months! Bri is so special to me and I love him so much.  I want today to be a great day for him.

I woke up WAY before him this morning and went to my zumba class.  Then, I picked up some stuff that I needed at Mariano's and headed home to make him a little brunch.

I made Caprese Breakfast Sandwiches and he said that it "really hit the spot."  Then, we sat down to watch the Bears game.

I am not a huge fan of watching football, so I started baking some Cookie Dough Frosted Brownies.  This dessert was Bri's request for his birthday treat and I'm pretty excited that it was what he wanted.  These brownies are SO good!

Tonight we are going to Jerry's Sandwiches for dinner with both of our families and it is going to be awesome.  I am always totally overwhelmed by their menu and I never know what to order.  I usually go with a last minute, gut reaction decision.  This means that I have tried a lot of different stuff at Jerry's and all of it has been great!  I can't wait!

Today is already super awesome and it is only going to get better...Happy Birthday Bri!

Caprese Breakfast Sandwiches

For one sandwich:
2 pieces of whole wheat bread (or one for an open face sandwich)
4-5 grape tomatoes, halved
1 avocado
1 tbsp lime juice
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper
pinch of garlic powder
1 tsp balsamic syrup
2-3 slices of fresh mozzarella
2 eggs

Directions:
1. In a bowl, mash the avocado with the lime juice, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Set aside.
2. Toast the bread using a toaster or toaster oven.  Place on a plate.  On one slice, spread some avocado mixture and place the halved tomatoes on top.  On the other slice place the slices of mozzarella.
3. In a lightly greased pan over medium heat, crack the eggs and let cook until egg white parts turn white.  Flip and let cook for another 30 seconds-1 minute.  Place eggs on top of mozzarella side.
4. Drizzle some balsamic syrup over both sides and then put together for your sandwich!

Enjoy :)

Happy Birthday Mommy!

It's my mommy's birthday today!  She's officially 60!!!! I can't really believe that because she certainly doesn't look/act like it!  I am writing this because I want to wish her a very happy birthday and I hope that she has an amazing day.

Last night, we had a lovely meal at Longitude315 in Highwood.  Afterwards, we went to Cellar Gate for some drinks and to enjoy some live music.  It was a special night and it was a wonderful way to celebrate my mom.

Tonight, we are head to Mexique for dinner.  This place is AMAZING.  I mean, the food is just fabulous.  Bri's sister had her wedding reception at this place and I am very excited to be going back.
Good food is my absolute favorite way to celebrate and today is an extra special day.  My mom is the most amazing person that I know and I love her so very much.  She was the world's nicest mommy as I was growing up and now she is the world's greatest friend/advisor/teacher to me.   I love you Mom!

Red Velvet Cookie Dough and Brownie Parfait

It's my birthday! I decided to share this treat today because it is one of my favorite treats that I have made! But first, let me tell you all about the fun birthday events I have been up to!

First, on Saturday, my family and Bri went to dinner at Due Lire.  I had the Tortelli and it was quite delicious.  Then, on Sunday, I ran the Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon and afterwards, went to lunch at D4.  Yesterday, Bri and I went for a little picnic for dinner in the park and now today is the big day!  Today, my family is coming downtown and we have reservations at RPM Italian.  I have never been, but I have heard phenomenal things.  I am pretty excited.  I also baked some of my famous Inception Cookies to bring to my staff at camp today.  I sorta feel like I'm in elementary school again; I'm bringing treats for my class :)

So this dessert basically combines all of my favorite things.  It has brownies, red velvet cookie dough dip, and homemade whipped cream.  I LOVE whipping cream.  I think it is just so cool,  Plus the brownies were the beer brownies that Bri and I made with spent grain from brewing.  This dessert was just outrageously delicious.  

Red Velvet Cookie Dough and Brownie Parfait

Ingredients:

(this fills one large mason jar)

2-3 brownies (I used my Beer Brownies)

Red Velvet Cookie Dough Dip:

8 oz low-fat cream cheese

1 cup non-fat, greek yogurt

2/3 cup brown sugar

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tbsp cocoa powder

2-3 tsp red food coloring

Whipped Cream:

4 oz low-fat cream cheese

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Bake the brownies or use your favorite store bought brand.

2. Make the red velvet cookie dough dip: In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese with the greek yogurt.  Beat in both sugars until well combined and then add in the cocoa powder and red food color.  Mix until well combined.

3. Make the whipped cream: In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese with the powdered sugar.  Add in the cream and beat on high until peaks begin to form.  Continue to beat until you have stiff peaks.  

4. Use a mason jar or other container to layer your dessert.  Start with some crumbled brownies, then red velvet dip, and then whipped cream and repeat. 

Enjoy :)

White Bean Verde Enchiladas

Today is one of my bestie's birthday!!! Happy birthday, Caryn!  To celebrate, we are going to dinner at this fun BYOB Mexican restaurant and then were probably gonna end up doing Karaoke after! I am so excited to celebrate with her and I even made a special birthday dessert!  I can't tell you about that because it is a surprise, but here's what I had going on in the kitchen last night:

Friday night cake baking :)

Last night was pretty chill and it was amazing! I baked, had a glass of wine, and whipped this yummy concoction up for dinner!  I mashed up an avocado with a few squirts of lime juice and some salt and pepper.  Then, I cooked a couple eggs to perfection and put everything on top of some toasted whole wheat toast.  Finally, a few dashes of Frank's Hot Sauce and I was ready for one amazing meal.  It was super simple and I know everyone really into this "toasts" craze.  This is a great recipe to try! 

Avocado Toast with an Over-Easy Egg

Finally, in honor of my excursion to a BYOP Mexican place, I am sharing with you a yummy Enchilada recipe! I am a huge fan of Enchiladas. We make them all the time over here.  This recipe was really easy, totally vegetarian, and super yummy.  Since I am in the mood for some Mexican food, I figured this was the perfect thing to share! 

White Bean Verde Enchiladas

Ingredients:8 large corn or flour tortillas

1 can verde enchilada sauce

2 cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup of your favorite guacamole

1 red pepper, sliced

1 cup shredded, light Mexican blend cheese

1 cup non-fat, greek yogurt (I love Chobani :))

2 tsp lime juice 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 and pour some verde enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9 by 13 inch pan.

2. Dip each tortilla in the sauce so that it is mostly covered, then spread some beans, guacamole, a few pepper slices, and a sprinkle of cheese down the middle of the tortilla.  Wrap the tortilla and place seam down in the pan.  Repeat with all of your tortillas and filling ingredients.

3. Pour the rest of the verde enchilada sauce over the finished enchiladas and sprinkle with the rest of the cheese. 

4. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.  Serve with a little greek yogurt and lime juice.

Enjoy :)

Cancun Day 1 - Happy Birthday Bri!

We have only been here for a few hours since our flight was delayed, but so far everything is fantastic! We are staying at ME Cancun and today is Bri's birthday! I will update you all here on our adventures as we slowly figure out what we are going to do! Right now, I may go back to sleep....it is winter break after all! 

Salmon Roll and Birthday Celebrations!

I saw this recipe on Food and Wine and I just had to give it a try! It was so easy to throw together and I would totally eat this Salmon Salad on its own! My cat was a big fan too!  Every time I took out the container of Salmon Salad, he went crazy trying to get some!  I finally caved and threw him a little piece of salmon just because he was so stinkin' cute!

But first! I promised to re-cap my birthday shenanigans at some point, so here it goes.  My birthday was on a Monday.  Of course the festivities had to start on the Friday before.  Friday, I went to Ravinia with my parents and a couple friends to see West Side Story with the CSO playing the music.  We got tons of snacks, brought in dinner from City Park Grill, and my mommy got me a red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting!

Saturday, Bri and I went downtown, had dinner at Balana, saw This Is Our Youth at the Steppenwolf, and stayed at Sofitel for the night.  It was really nice and so much fun!

Sunday, I got to see some of Bri's family when we met for dinner at the one and only: Portillos.  I just love that place!

Finally, the big day arrived: Monday.  Monday was a normal camp day for me, but all my campers sang happy birthday and it was really cute.  Then, my mom and I took the train downtown to meet up with Bri, my dad, and my bestie Caryn! We all went to dinner at Kuma's Too and had AMAZING burgers (well, except Bri who got their make-your-own mac n' cheese).  And then, we ended the night with dessert from Margies.  Everything was delicious and I could not have asked for a nicer weekend to celebrate my birthday!

After all that, I needed something fresh and light like this Salmon Roll! I adapted it a bit, so here it how my version went:

Salmon Roll

Ingredients:

1.5 lb salmon filet

salt and pepper

1/2 cup non-fat, plain greek yogurt (I used Chobani)

2 celery stalks, chopped

2 tbsp chopped chives

2 tbsp chopped parsley

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

8-10 whole wheat hot dog buns

Directions:

1. Cook salmon: sprinkle salt and pepper over the salmon filets and let bake in the oven.  I did mine for 15 minutes at 450 degrees.  Once the salmon is cooked, allow to cool.  And then flake the salmon into small chunks.

2. To make the salmon salad, in a bowl, combine the greek yogurt with the chopped chives, parsley, and lemon juice.  Stir in the salmon chunks.  

3.  To serve: scoop some salmon salad into a whole wheat hot dog bun.  It will look just like a lobster roll, but so much healthier!!!

Enjoy :) 

Black Forest Cake

Bri's birthday weekend was a lot of fun.  We spent Friday night together for dinner at Mary's Hamburgers and then rented Despicable Me 2 to watch afterwards.  It was a fun date-night!  On Saturday, we had dinner with his family at Caro Mio which was absolutely delicious and then had a fun night with friends.  And finally, the bday festivities continued on Sunday with dinner at Giordano's and then Black Forest Cake for dessert!

Bri loves the cherry-chocolate combination (not my favorite) and so it was the perfect dessert for his birthday.  Here's the thing though, although this is not my favorite, it was really good and so that is saying something.  It was a perfect cake and even looked pretty! Making desserts look attractive has never been my strong suit and I was really excited about how gorgeous this cake turned out.  This has been a great birthday celebration!

Black Forest Cake
(adapted from All Recipes)

Ingredients:
For the Cake:
2 1/8 cups flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
3 eggs
1 cup skim milk
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tbsp vanilla
For the Cherry Filling:
30 oz pitted sour cherries
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 and 1/8 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
For the Frosting:
3 cups heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup powdered sugar

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 and grease 2 9 inch cake pans
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Beat in the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla.  Divide batter equally into the two pans and bake for 35 minutes.  Let cool completely.
3. To make the cherry filling, drain cherries and reserve 3/4 cup of cherry juice.  In a small saucepan, combine the cherry juice, cherries, cornstarch, and sugar.  Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens.  Stir in vanilla.  Let cool.
4. To make the frosting, beat the cream and sugar until stiff peaks form.
5. Assemble the cake: using floss or a long knife, cut each cake down the middle to form four skinny cakes.  Three layers are for the cake, one is for the crumb topping.  Place bottom layer on a plate and top with a layer of whipped cream.  Spoon about half the cherry mixture over the whipped cream.  Place second cake layer on top and then repeat with the whipped cream and the rest of the cherry mixture.  Leave out a few cherries for decorating and place final cake layer on top.  Cover the rest of the cake with the whipped cream frosting.  Use crumbs from the last cake layer to cover the sides of the cake.  Pipe frosting along the top and bottom.  Finally, decorate the top with more crumbs and remaining cherries.

Enjoy :)

Happy Birthday Mommy! Oreo Coffee Ice Cream Cake!

It is about time that I got back here!

I have been really busy getting ready for school and moving to the city!  It has been a crazy and exciting time and I have so much to share.

For school, I have been working on my web page, planning the first day, and thinking about my classroom management plan.  I have gone in a few times to set up my desk and binders and get acquainted with the staff.  I got my own key and had some meetings about benefits.  I must admit, I still feel like I have no idea what is going on, but I am excited.  Next week, new teacher training starts and I can't wait to meet some of the other new teachers and become more prepared for the start of the year!

I have been exploring restaurants like crazy now that I am in a new place and it has been great.  Some of our favorites so far have been Glen's Diner and Margie's Candies.  We have been eating out quite a bit since we want to explore, but I have also been cooking in my new kitchen and I can't wait to share some of my creations.

Today, I have to share my latest dessert creation in honor of my Mommy.  Yesterday was her birthday and we had an awesome night out in the city.  We started out at the Signature Lounge on the 96th floor of the John Hancock building.  The view was incredible.

We had appetizers and drinks and it was lovely.

Next, we headed back to our apartment for dinner across the street at Caro Mio.  This Italian restaurant is known for its HUGE portions.  Also, it is a BYOB so that was fun.  Our dinner was fantastic.  My mom got salmon, dad got bolognese, Bri got eggplant parmesan, I got pasta primavera, and Zack got the crowd favorite: Gnocchi.

Finally, we headed back to the apartment for dessert.  Now, this is where I get excited since I made a dessert that had my mom's name written all over it.  I was inspired by a recipe over at BruCrew for Oreo Fudge Cappuccino Ice Cream.  My mom loves coffee ice cream and oreos! So, I decided to make an Oreo Coffee Ice Cream Cake!  I made coffee ice cream, layered it with crushed oreos and topped it all off with a ganache frosting.  It was delicious!

Oreo Coffee Ice Cream Cake

Ingredients:
Coffee Ice Cream:
14 oz Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 cups heavy cream
3 tbsp instant coffee
about 24 crushed oreos
Ganache Frosting:
12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, beat cream, condensed milk, and coffee until combined.
2. Pour into ice cream maker and churn according to directions.
3. Place half the crushed oreos on the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan.
4. When ice cream is done, pour half over the oreos and spread it out to cover the oreos.  Then, place the other half of the crushed oreos over the ice cream and pour the rest of the ice cream on top.  Place in freezer to harden.
5. Meanwhile, make the frosting.  Heat up the cream in the microwave for 2-3 minutes or until just about to boil.  Pour over the chocolate chips in a separate bowl and stir until chocolate is melted and combined.  Next, pour in vanilla and beat with the mixer until ganache starts to form soft peaks.  Pour over your ice cream cake and place back in freezer until ready to serve.  To serve, just push the springform pan out and cut into slices.

Enjoy :)

22nd Birthday Celebration!

I don't know 'bout you...

Oh! So this is what T Swift has been talking about.  I totally know what it feels like to be 22 now :).

Today is my 22nd birthday! My mom keeps saying that she can't believe how old I am.  Frankly, I can't believe how old I am.  Bri gave me a really sweet card that talked about some of the things that have happened in the last year like running a half marathon, graduation, getting a job, and signing a lease on an apartment.  I can't believe I am old enough to be doing all that! I am so scared and excited about what the future holds and this birthday is a reminder of the fact that I am pretty sure I'm an adult now.

Last night, I had a really fun celebration with some of my friends downtown.  We went to RJ Grunts for dinner and then hit up a couple of bars in Lincoln Park.  It was a great night and we all had a really fun time!

Now, I am getting ready for a little birthday zumba with my mom and then grocery shopping for a birthday bbq!  We are having friends and family over tonight for a grill out and I am excited to keep the celebration going!  I also made my favorite desserts to share: Red Velvet Cupcakes and Homemade Funfetti Cupcakes.  I brought some of these in for my counselors at camp, made Homemade Funfetti Cupcakes for my campers, and now I have leftovers for today's party!

For the Red Velvet, I did the same recipe as the cake version, poured the batter into cupcake pans, and baked them for 12-18 minutes.  12 for the mini cupcakes and 18 for the big ones.  Then, I frosted them with my favorite cream cheese frosting:

16 oz light cream cheese
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/2 - 3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
milk or half and half as needed

Simply beat together and frost!

For the Funfetti, I followed the exact same recipe as last year and they came out super delicious! The campers were raving!

Chocolate Chip Banana Bars

Yesterday, I shared a great banana recipe! It was for my brothers birthday and he requested something with bananas and chocolate.  A few days before, I asked my friend, Patrick, what his favorite birthday treat would be, and he also said something with banana and chocolate! Isn't that strange?  Maybe those two having the same birthday makes them share some sort of banana-chocolate connection?  Anyways, I found a yummy recipe for Chocolate Chip Banana Cake Bars and whipped them up for Patrick's birthday! He was a huge fan :)

In other news, school went much better today.  I had a great day teaching, the students responded well, and according to an exit ticket, learning and understanding occurred! We learned polynomial division today and by the end students were able to divide polynomials, and began connecting the idea to finding roots of an equation.  It was a fun lesson and the students did really well.  I also got to see some solo and ensemble singing performances today for fine arts week.  It is really cool to be part of this because I have been able to see a lot of my students in a much different setting.  It is neat to see all the amazing talents they have outside of the math classroom.  One of my students sang a solo today that blew me away and yesterday I saw a student in a great jazz concert!  Fine arts week has also made me miss my singing and dancing and I hope that I can get involved in that sort of capacity at my next school...which I am still searching for! In the meantime, here are some yummy cake bars!

Chocolate Chip Banana Cake Bars (adapted from Taste of Home)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cup non-fat plain greek yogurt (I used Chobani)
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 ripe bananas, mashed

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 and lightly grease a 13 by 9 inch baking pan.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in eggs, one at a time, until well combined.  Beat in yogurt and vanilla until well combined.  Slowly beat in the dry ingredients until just combined.  Stir in the mashed banana.
4. Pour into your prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Enjoy :)

Chocolate Chip Banana Cupcakes with Creamy Peanut Butter Frosting

I did not have such a great day yesterday.  I have been feeling super stressed out, my lesson was stressful, and I feel exhausted.  It is a good thing it is Fine Arts week at school and I get to go see some pretty neat performances with my math classes.  On Monday, I saw some highly entertaining group and individual acts and yesterday, I got to see a jazz band concert.  Today I am seeing yet another performance and I can't wait!

These cupcakes are AMAZING.  My mom found a great recipe and then I helped her make it over my Spring Break.  We brought these to my brother for his birthday and him and his friends loved them.  This is such a simple recipe and I am excited to share it with you all because it was so good! Enjoy!

Banana Chocolate Chip Cupcakes (adapted from Baked Perfection)

Ingredients:

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 stick butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup skim milk

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

2 ripe bananas, mashed

3/4 cup semi sweet or dark chocolate chips, dusted in 1 tbsp of flour

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees & line cupcake pan with paper liners.

2. In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, & salt.  

3. In a large bowl, beat the butter & sugar until combined.  Add the milk & vanilla.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition until combined.  Slowly beat in the flour mixture, until just combined.  Slowly add in the bananas.  Once all combined, stir in the chocolate chips by hand.  

4. Divide batter evenly into 12 cupcake cups.  Bake until the tops are golden, about 17-20 minutes.  Remove to wire rack & cool completely before frosting.

Creamy Peanut Butter Frosting

Ingredients:

1/2 stick butter, softened

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

pinch of salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

2-3 tbsp milk

2 cups powdered sugar

Directions: 

1. Cream the butter, peanut butter, salt & vanilla.  Slowly add in 1 cup of powdered sugar.  Then add in 2 tbsp of milk.  Add in the rest of the sugar and add 1-2 more tbsp of milk until you have the desired consistency. 

Copycat Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowls

Who needs Chipotle when you can make this? Okay, who are we kidding?  I need Chipotle once in a while.  However, I did throw together my very own Chicken Burrito Bowl and it was really yummy! I made Chipotle Chicken and Cilantro Lime Brown Rice and then added my toppings and had a great dinner!  Tamara and I decided to do this for Courtney's birthday when we found out that she was craving Mexican food and this was a lovely way to spend a Saturday night.  We had homemade Burrito bowls, ate mini cheesecakes and watched tv.  I love hanging with these ladies and we always find a way to get some good food into the picture!

Homemade Chipotle Burrito Bowls

Cilantro Lime Brown Rice

Chipotle Chicken

Homemade Chicken Burrito Bowls

Ingredients:
For the Chicken:
2 1lbs. chicken breasts
2 tbsp chipotle adobo sauce
3 1/2 tbsp lime juice
1-2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 tsp chili powder
For the Rice:
canola oil
1 cup brown rice
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
juice of 2 limes
zest of 1 lime
fresh cilantro
1 14 oz can black beans
Toppings:
Mexican Cheese
Salsa
Guacamole
Sour Cream

Directions:
1. For the chicken, place in a ziplock bag with all the marinade ingredients   Place in fridge overnight or at least 2 hours.  Dice chicken and cook in a pan with a little bit of oil.
2. For the rice: in a medium saucepan, heat 1/2 tbsp of canola oil and saute the garlic and onion over medium heat until onion starts to become translucent.  Add in the rice, lower heat, and stir to combine.  Pour in the broth, juice of 1 lime, lime zest, and the salt, bring to a boil, then lower heat and cover and let simmer until rice is cooked, about 10 minutes.  Once rice is cooked, stir in juice of other lime, black beans, and fresh cilantro.
3. Build the bowls: Place rice and chicken in a bowl, top with whatever toppings you want!

Enjoy :)

Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

With Spring Break right around the corner, I am having a hard time staying focused!  This is actually okay as I have already come up with a plan for every class I teach this week and I am on top of grading! Plus, I am really motivated to keep up with my half marathon training and this is helping me stay on track.  I am super busy, but in a good place!

Also, I have a great recipe to share today! This is perfect for Easter since it features a bunny's favorite food: carrots!  I recently made mini Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting for my friend, Lauren's, birthday.  This is one of her favorite desserts...I made her a cake last year.  And so I wanted to do something "sweet" for her again this year.  Also, how cool is this? I had these mini cupcake papers that you do not need to put in a cupcake pan! They stand up on their own!

Lauren's birthday was a fun night out complete with dinner and cupcakes for dessert.  Lauren says that they are the best dessert I have ever made...quite the claim! I love my Mom's Carrot Cake recipe, so I made half of that, made cupcakes instead of a whole cake, and then whipped up some amazing frosting.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients: 
1/2 Carrot Cake Batter
8 oz low-fat cream cheese
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tbsp cinnamon

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 and prepare cupcake pans.
2. Make carrot cake according to directions and fill cupcake wells about 3/4 full.  Bake for 20 minutes and let cool.
3.  To make the frosting: beat butter and cream cheese until creamy and well combined.  Slowly mix in powdered sugar until light and fluffy.  Mix in cinnamon.  Frost cooled cupcakes!

Note: The frosting is not super thick and is more like a glaze.  For a thicker frosting, add another cup of powdered sugar and 2 tsp milk.

Enjoy :)

Happy 1st Blog-iversary!

Today my blog is one year old!

I can't believe and entire year has gone by since starting this whole project. A year ago, I was just starting off in the school of education.  I had just pierced my ear (you know, the one that got infected a month later), I made a great pumpkin pie for a Thanksgiving Dinner with my learning team, and I decided to write a blog post about it.

My friend Max thought of two really great names: CollegeCulinista and BinomialBaker.  Now that I am more involved as a math teacher, and a few short months away from graduation, BinomialBaker it is and will stay.

I love this blog.  I really can't explain it, but it has been a source of fun, stress relief, and development for me.  Writing blog posts has helped me to think through a lot of things going on in my life.  Documenting recipes has helped me create lasting memories of my adventures in the kitchen with friends and family.  Overall, this blog has helped me through a lot and taught me a lot about myself.

People are always asking me what this is all about or why I do it.  To be honest, I'm not sure.  At first, it was just a journal, but now I think it has grown into something more.  I have always loved creating food for others and my sweet tooth has helped me to come up with some really fun food adventures.  Writing about them has just become a fun way to remember.  I have never been a writer.  In fact, in high school, one of my English teachers discouraged me so much in writing that I began to fear and hate it.  I am still not fond of writing, but this blog has helped me to recognize the power in writing.

I have come so far in the past year.  I have learned so much about food and cooking.  I have expanded my Foodie network to meet tons of other great bloggers.  I have learned about life as well.  Since starting a food blog, I have become more active and even lost the last 10 pounds I was going for to reach my goal.  I have also developed as a student and teacher.  I went from being a math nerd, to practicum student, to student teacher.  This journey has helped me to shape my philosophies regarding teaching and now I feel prepared to share my views on helping students learn.

To celebrate such a wonderful year, I have decided to make the cake of my dreams.  Red velvet is my favorite kind of cake.  It is such a tasty cake and the traditional cream cheese frosting makes it a hit.  I can't say no to anything with cream cheese frosting.  Then, a layer of cheesecake just made sense to me because it would go so well with the cream cheese frosting.  Also, this is a red and white cake which is perfect for me being a Badger! Now, I love cake and all, but I really can't eat an entire one all on my own.  So, I shared it with the sisters of Delta Theta Sigma.  This cake really is about everything that is important to me: food, education, and friends.  It was perfect.

Red Velvet Cheesecake Layered Cake

For the Cheesecake: (adapted from Joy of Baking)

Ingredients:
16 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tbsp flour
2 eggs
1 egg white
2 1/2 tbsp heavy whipping cream
1/2 tbsp lemon zest
1/2 tsp vanilla

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 10 inch spring-form pan with parchment paper.  Grease the sides of the pan.
2. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with the sugar and flour until well combined.  Scrape down the sides and beat in the eggs and egg white, one at a time, until well combined.  Scrape down the sides and beat in the cream, lemon zest, and vanilla.  Beat for 2-3 minutes.
3.  Pour the mixture into your prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes.  After 15, lower the temperature to 250 degrees and continue to bake for 60-65 minutes.  The cheesecake should be firm on the edges and slightly wobbly in the middle.  Let cool for 1 hour.  Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least a few hours or overnight.

For the Red Velvet Cake: (adapted from Joy of Baking)

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups cake flour
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup skim buttermilk (1 tbsp white vinegar with 1 cup skim milk, stir and let sit for 5 minutes)
2 tbsp red food coloring
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp white vinegar

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease and line 2 9 inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
2.  In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, and salt together.
3.  In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar on high until light and fluffy.  Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until well combined.  Beat in the vanilla.
4.  In a measuring cup, mix the red food coloring with the buttermilk.
5.  Alternate adding in the flour mixture with the buttermilk mixture in three additions starting and ending with the flour mixture.  Beat until just combined.
6.  Mix the baking soda with the vinegar so that it fizzes.  Using a spatula, fold this mixture into your cake batter.
7. Working quickly, divide the batter between the two pans and place in the oven for 25-30 minutes.  Let cool completely.  Once cool, wrap the cakes in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 1 hour so that they firm up and are easier to decorate.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:
16 oz cream cheese
1 cup butter, at room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tbsp half and half

Directions:
1.  Beat the cream cheese with the butter for 3-4 minutes or until well combined and fluffy.  Slowly beat in the powdered sugar, 1 cup at at time, until well combined.  Beat in the vanilla and half and half and continue to beat for a few minutes.  Frosting will be fluffy.  Place in fridge until ready to use.

Assemble the cake:

1. Spread a little bit of frosting in the middle of your serving plate.  Place the first layer of red velvet cake on top of the frosting.  This will help the cake stick and not slide around.  Spread an even layer of cream cheese frosting on top of the cake.
2.  Place the cheesecake on top of this layer and spread and even layer of cream cheese frosting on top of the cheesecake.
3.  Place the final layer of red velvet on top of the cheesecake layer and spread cream cheese frosting over the top.
4.  Frost the sides of the cake and decorate as you like.  I ended up sprinkling mini semi-sweet chocolate chips on the top and around the bottom.  The little kick of chocolate took the cake to a whole new level and it looked pretty!

Enjoy :)

Happy Birthday Mommy!

Yesterday was my Mommy's birthday!

I really wanted to do something special for her and so I decided to make her favorite cupcakes in cake form!  Her favorite cupcakes are my Skinny Mocha Cupcakes.  She just loves that the cake is "healthy" and the frosting, well, mocha is one of her favorite flavors! Typically, her birthday cake is an ice cream cake with coffee ice cream, but I wanted this year to be a little more special.

I used the same Skinny Mocha Cupcake recipe, but make 3, 8 in. cakes, and then layered them up with some amazing mocha buttercream.

So pretty! Usually, the treats I make are not the most aesthetically pleasing, but  really loved how this turned out!

Three layers of amazing chocolate cake and mocha buttercream! It was the perfect cake for my mom and she loved it!  Happy Birthday Mommy!!! I love you!

This post is featured on Foodie Friends Friday