Top 5 posts of 2012

Well the best way to wrap up the first month of a New Year is to recap the highlights of 2012. So here they are the top 5 posts of 2012. 

Birthday Cake Pops

I made these cake pops for a friend's birthday. I love cake pops because: 

1. They are small &  super cute 

2. It's just like a cake but smaller so you can enjoy 1 or 2... 

3. Not as time consuming to make as a cake :)

Happy Birthday!

Sugar Cookies Recipe

I'm so glad that this recipe made it the Top 5 posts because this is the best sugar cookie recipe ever!! It never fails, it's easy to make and  it's so yummy! I've made this recipe so many times I actually remember the recipe to heart. If there is only one recipe you'd choose to try, make it this one. There is no better time than now to try them, I'm sure someone you love would like some Valentine's Day Sugar Cookies!!

Alton Brown's Sugar Cookie Recipe is the Best!!

A cute little explorer named Ainsley!

I made these sugar cookies, using the sugar cookie recipe above, for my friend's sweet little girl's 2nd birthday party. I made my own cookie template for Dora's face.  I got the idea to make a plastic cookie templates. Now I hand cut cookies using templates for those cookies that you just need to make but can't find the right cookie cutter. She has an awesome tutorial for making SweetSugarBelle Lego Heads, if you click on the link it will take you there. Actually I made the Lego heads and the cookie template worked so well that it has become my new go to. I've used this technique so often and I love it! It saves me money and space. I have so much cookie cutter clutter and still find myself not having one that I'm looking for so I just make one.

 Dora the Explorer

Roses are red....How to make rolled fondant roses!!

With Valentine's day right around the corner, these mini roses would be a pretty addition to any cookie and cupcake. Made them from scratch or just spruce up some store bought ones either way your loved ones will be so impressed. What a great way to show someone how much they mean to you. 

I use these mini roses all the time. It's a great way to use up any leftover fondant, place them in mini ziploc baggies to keep fresh, they last a very long time but rarely do :) 

And the top post of 2012 is....

You're never to old to play with Legos

I mention earlier that I had made these using SweetSugar Belle Lego Head's template, it was the first time I tried this technique. I've been hooked since. I love the fact that I can make my own free cookie templates anytime. 

I made these Lego Head for a sweet boy named Matteo. He was turning 6 years old and had a Lego theme party. All the kiddos got these cookies as party favors. This year Matteo had a Sponge Bob Square Pants theme Birthday party. 

  I made Sponge Bob heads and Patrick cookies for party favors. I used the cookie template to make Patrick. I always look forward to making Matteo's cookie favours, it keeps me young & hip, even though I usually have to Google the subject to find out what it is. Okay I'm not young and hip but I get to live vicariously through the cookies, cupcakes, cake pops and cakes I make for all the kids. That's my story and I'm sticking to it! 

~ Sponge Bob Square Pants & Patrick~

Sponge Bob

Patrick

Thanks to all of you for taking the time to visit my blog. Hopefully you found a recipe or two that you made and enjoyed. I've been busy in kitchen, this year, and I hope you stop by to check out my new creations. 

Thanks for stopping by,

With Love,

Katya

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year....2013!!

Wow! What a busy year it's been, the last couple months have been so hectic, it seemed like there just wasn't enough time to get everything done. But the great thing about Christmas is even if everything isn't finished, you can stop everything, relax, and enjoy some time with family/friends. Christmas is a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus. A time of healing and renewing strength. Over the years I've learned that Christmas doesn't have to be perfectly planned, sometimes midst the chaos the best memories are made. 

There is always so much delicious food to eat... turkey, cranberries, stuffing, tarts, cookies and bars. If you're anything like me, you overindulge during the holiday knowing full well that come January 1st dieting 101 is mandatory.

 I just wanted to take a moment to wish each and everyone of you a Merry Christmas filled with love, laughter and many great memories. May 2013 be a year filled with hope, health and goodwill.

Thank you all for stopping by to visit my blog and supporting me throughout the year.  I do hope that you found a recipe or two that made it to your "must make" list.

Here's a few pictures of my latest Christmas creations....enjoy~

I love Snowmen...can you tell??

These are my favorite sugar cookies, find the recipe here.

My Christmas flyer....

Assorted Christmas Cookie Box that I was offering this year:

25 assorted cookies:

5-Snickerdoodles

5-Gingerbread cookies

5-Almond Roca cookies

5- Chocolate chip cookies

5- Beautifully Decorated Sugar Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Amlond Roca Cookies

Snickerdoodle cookies

Of course I had to make some cake pops. I made my favorite Christmas cake pops: Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and Frosty the Snowman cake pop. Click here to visit an earlier post that features a tutorial on making Snowman cake pops.

Then I made these super cute cupcakes, thanks to Pinterest for helping me find the inspiration for them! 

~ Christmas Snowmen Cupcakes ~

Mr.Snowmen

And last but not least I made these delicious Chocolate Covered Cherries

You can enjoy these chocolates right away  the centers will be rich and creamy, or you can wait approximately 4-5 days and the centers will become a wonderful liquid center. Either way these chocolates covered cherries are so yummy! Try and see if you can wait long enough for the centers to liquify.   

I'm happy to say that one of my wonderful Christmas gifts was a new camera, which I immediately tried out by taking pictures of my decorated Christmas tree. Can't wait to see what this new camera can do. I guess I have no excuse for posting many pictures of my baked goods :)

Sometimes I get caught up in the challenges of life and forget how truly blessed I am. There have been many Christmases  that have ranged from the good, the bad and the down right ugly. But regardless of the situation we're in, the birth of Jesus brought hope, love, truth and salvation to all of us. We can be truly happy at Christmas! No matter what may be happening, we know that we are his children. Let us never forget the true meaning of Christmas.

Thanks for stopping by :)

Happy New Year!!

Love Katya

Lemon, ginger and garlic cold remedy and immunity booster drink!

Okay so it's that time of the year again , no not Christmas, although that is coming up faster than I can prepare for. Happens ever year somehow I always run out of time getting ready for Christmas but that's a whole other story. I talking about cold and flu season. This immune booster drink is the perfect helper  It tastes good, is easy to make, it's all natural and most importantly it works. If you don't want to spend this winter indoors being sick then this wonderful delicious immunity booster drink is for you. Ever since I've started taking this drink (3years) I haven't had a cold or flu, that only makes this drink worth while.

You need fresh lemons, lots of fresh raw garlic, I used Russian garlic it's the best, fresh ginger and unpasteurized honey. You can leave out any of these ingredients if you like but you really get the best results when you use all of them and fresh ingredients is best :)

Lemons - Lemons are high in vitamin C which help support the immune system. The juice's  anti-inflammatory qualities help soothe sore throats. 

Honey - Honey is a great immunity system builder. Thanks to it's antimicrobial properties honey not only soothes the throat but it can also kill certain bacteria that causes the infection. Honey cures most coughs, colds and helps clear congested chest. It's best to use unpasteurized honey because the pasteurizing process removes many of the help benefits.

Garlic - Garlic is a natural antibiotic  Numerous studies have proven  it to be a bacterial, fungal and virus killing machine. Garlic promotes healthy immune system function, and strengthens the body's defenses. Do worry about garlic breath with all these health benefits it's worth while and worse case scenario pop a breath mint :) 

Ginger - Ginger helps stimulate perspiration  which cleanses the system and brings down the body temperature. Ginger is helpful for settling upsets stomachs, as well as nausea  vomiting and cold sweats. It also helps soothe a sore throat.

As you can see all these wonderful, natural and healthy ingredients pack a powerful one, two, three, four punch in combating any cold or flu. Try this recipe today and prevent any cold or flu bug from attacking you or your loved one. This immunity booster drink can be taken all year round just as a general immune booster.     

You'll need : A big jar, I use a 1 gallon glass jar

Food Processor

Spatula

1 1/2 cup honey

8 cups boiled water - cool to room temperature

5  fresh lemon

1 medium sized ginger

fresh garlic as any as you desire

Wash lemons and remove any blemishes, and stem. I leave part of the skin on, the skin contain many vitamins and oils. Peel the ginger and garlic cloves. I use a lot of garlic, I love garlic so the more the better.  
   

Place the honey into the glass jar. Put the lemon, ginger and cleaned garlic cloves into the food processor. Cut the lemons and ginger into smaller pieces in you need to. 

Grind all the ingredients on high.

Pulse until all the ingredients are finely chopped up. The aroma is so wonderful.

Scoop the lemon, garlic and ginger mixture into the glass container with honey already in it. 

Add the 8 cup of boiled water. Make sure you allow the boil water to cool down to room temperature.

Stir the ingredient for 2-3 mins. to combine all the ingredients.

Allow the lemon, ginger and garlic drink to stand and develop for 7 days in the fridge. Shake mixture once a day and continue to let stand for 7 days.  Strain the mixture through a mesh strainer and/or cheese cloth. The immunity booster drink is ready to enjoy.   Pour into smaller glass containers for easier pouring, just give the jar a shake before taking.

 I take 1 ounce shot every day in the morning and/or evening. It's so fresh, and lemony tasting. Anytime I feel like I need a boost of energy I make this drink. I hope you enjoy it!! 

It lasts up to 3 weeks in the fridge.

Wishing you all a healthy cold and flu season.

Thanks for stopping by,

Love Katya

Double Chocolate Strawberry Cake

Last but not least on the berry countdown is....Strawberries!! No they're definitely not my least favorite but I think it's always important to finish with a bang and seeing as it's the last day of September I got the "two birds one stone" going on.

So here's a  recap of  the Great Summer Berry Countdown :

1. Raspberries
2. Red Currants
3. Black Currants
4. Blueberries
5. Strawberries

Click on any of the summer berries I listed and it will take you to my favorite recipe using that berry.

I love strawberries and the best strawberries are the ones picked right from your own garden. You don't need a big strawberry patch to be able to enjoy this sweet summer berry. Actually I up-cycled some old dresser drawers into strawberry containers this year. 

They were perfect, cost nothing to make, and my berries were slug free because they were off the ground. I came across this idea on Pinterest and as soon as I saw it I just knew I had to try it out and I'm so glad I did.

A few weeks later and voila, a nice looking strawberry patch!

If your interested in trying this you can find the pin to the site by clicking here.   I have the everbearing variety of strawberries and they're great because you get fresh strawberries all summer long. I was able to freeze a couple baggies of strawberries for later and still have a few ripening now :) Totally worth it!!!

Red juicy, delicious strawberries are one of the healthiest fruits to include in your diet. Strawberries are an excellent source of  vitamin C which helps boost your immune system. They are very high in potassium and magnesium content, both of which are very effective in lowering high blood pressure caused by sodium. Other benefits of strawberries include: rejuvenates the skin, tighten the skin pores, they act as a cleanser, good for oily skin  and cure acne. Remember, if you can't fine fresh berries, frozen (unsweetened) berries are a great substitute during the off season months and just as nutritious!

            I strawberries!

                                                             

Washed, cleaned and ready to enjoy!

Although fresh berries eaten in the raw have the best nutritional value for your body and are the best for you, sometimes my sweet tooth gets the best of me ;) That's when visions of baked goods, desserts, ice cream and cake made with strawberries dance in my head.

Cute Strawberry Shaped Sugar Cookies.

Click here to try my delicious sugar cookie recipe 

I made quite a few sweet treats with strawberries this year but the most recent one I'm going to share with you is Double Chocolate Strawberry Cake. This cake is scrumptious, it's a rich and moist chocolate cake with a sweet strawberry filling and a creamy chocolate buttercream  This cake taste exactly like a chocolate covered strawberry. You gotta try seriously ~

~ Double Chocolate Strawberry Cake ~ 

Chocolate Cake

You can find this recipe in the October 2012 Canadian Living magazine. This cake is moist, delicious and easy to make.

3 cups all purpose flour

2 cups granulated sugar

2/3 cup cocoa powder

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups water or milk

1 cup vegetable oil

2 tsp vanilla

3 tbsp cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Greased two 8-inch cake pans with oil and line bottoms with parchment paper. I usually trace the cake pan into the parchment paper and cut out perfect rounds to fit in the bottom of the greased pans.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Mix in 2 cups water/milk, oil and vanilla, stir in vinegar  Beat until smooth about 2 minutes.

 Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool in pan on a rack for 20 minutes. 

Run a sharp paring knife around cake edges to release and invert onto rack to cool completely. 

Strawberry Filling

1 1/2 cup fresh or frozen strawberries

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 tbsp corn starch

Wash, dry and slice the strawberries. Place berries into a bowl. In a small bowl combine sugar and corn starch. Sprinkle  strawberries with sugar/corn starch mixture and stir to combine. Let stand at room temperature until juices are released, approx. 1 hour, gently stir once in a while. 

Place the berries into a small strainer and allow the juices to drain into a med size pot. Place the strainer with berries into a plate for later. 

Cook the strawberry juice, sugar and corn starch mixture on med-high for 2 minutes till comes to boil and thickens. Stirring constantly.

Remove from heat add the berries, stir to combine the berries and filling together. Place back on heat for another 60 seconds. remove from heat and let cool completely stirring occasionally.

Making the filling this way is a bit more time consuming but the end result is a strawberry filling with nice individual slices of strawberries instead of mashed up berry filling.  

Chocolate Buttercream 

3/4 cup cocoa (sifted)
1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
3 1/2 cup icing sugar (sifted)
1/2 evaporated milk
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla

Sift cocoa and icing sugar together. Place into mixer bowl. Add butter (cut into cubes)  and vanilla. Slow start beating on low, mix and slowly add evaporated milk in a thin stream. Increase speed once all the icing sugar is incorporated, add enough milk until the buttercream is light, fluffy and creamy spreadable consistency.

Assembling cake:

Cut each 8 inch cake in halve with a sharp serrated knife. Place one of the halves on a platter. Apply a dollop of buttercream all over the first layer and spread evenly with an offset spatula. Spread approx. 2 tbsp of cooled strawberry filling over the chocolate buttercream leaving an inch space from the edge. 

Hungry yet??

Repeat layering with remaining cake layers. Place the cake in the refrigerator to cool and set for about 30 minutes.

  

Then completely cover sides and top with remaining chocolate buttercream. Chill cake for at least an hour. Serve as is, garnished with fresh strawberry and/or decorate as desired. 

It really won't matter to your friends and family how to decide to decorate this cake because it's all about the taste and once they try it they will be speechless!! 

I made this cake for a special little boy that loves Super Mario. After I covered the cake completely with chocolate buttercream and fondant. I decorated it using Super Mario theme and characters.

Super Mario Bros Cake

Luigi

Mario

Gumba, Star and Fire Power!

and inside this decorated cake is a delicious double chocolate strawberry cake.  

Well I hope I've inspired you to try some of my favorite berry recipe. Now it's time to say goodbye to summer berries and hello to apple cider, changing colours of the leaves, crisp air, pumpkins and caramel apples. Even though I hate to see hot summer nights go, I'm looking forward to autumn..... 

After all  it's my favorite season and I can feel it in the air. Apples and pumpkins are at there best and I've got some great ideas for these delicious fall ingredients already. Just you wait and see.  

Source: Uploaded by user via Katya on Pinterest

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

Love,