Mardi Gras Checkerboard cake

*So, here is my disclaimer stating that Mom did almost all the work here (I helped tint cake and icing, and acted as "supervisor" lol) But she said I had to include it on my blog lol*

So, Mom finds a checkerboard cake pan set, and immediately buys it. Then tells me we've got to make it. So of course I say why not?  Then I start to read the directions, and a sense of dread sets in, because there's NO WAY we can screw this up! *evil laugh*

Now, Wilton tells us we need 3 cake mixes. Mom and I know better, so we only used two. I mean, think about it. This is a three tier cake. You can make two nine inch cakes from one cake mix. (FYI: two was JUST enough. Going with three would give a certain freedom, and certainly make tinting your cake easier. We had to divide our 2 boxes of mixed cake batter into three containers).

I think we used every measuring and spooning apparatus in Mom's kitchen (and she has a ton!).

Mom also decided to label the colors 1, 2, and 3. In the long run that made it more complicated. If all else fails to look at what you've already done to make sure  you don't repeat the same color in the same spot.  So you fill each ring with a designated color. This is seriously a pain.

THEN when you are all proud of yourself for managing to pour the batter in, it tells you to lift the divider out. I seriously squealed in fright the whole time while Mom laughed at me.

But it worked! Mom did mention you lose quite a bit of batter on the divider (yet another reason we probably should have used three...lesson learned). After arguing, confusion, can careful study we got all three poured properly!

I had to turn off the oven light and run Mom out of the kitchen because she kept staring at the cakes lol but they baked fine. Look how pretty the first layer is! (This is after she leveled it off)

And now to ice the cake. We used 3 containers of icing for this bad boy. If you use 3 cake mixes you will need 4 for sure (she went thin on her icing between layers). This is how fancy pants people who take cake decorating classes ice a cake. (definitely not the DC method lol)

She can even ice with help lol

Finished product!!!

I noticed the slight slant to some of the checkerboards. It isn't super noticeable, but there must be a trick to the removal of the divider.  All in all Mom did a great job!

Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-cherry coke cupcakes!

(yeah, I have BEEN singing that to cherry bomb for days lol)
So, today I finally revisited the Cherry coke cupcakes I found on Pinterest here
Once again, I find the recipe to be ridiculously complicated for a DC like me. Cake made from scratch, special coke float icing. Not happening here.

I used a Pillsbury Devil's Food cake. I replaced 3/4 cup of water from the recipe with coke, and about 1/4 of the water with cherry juice.  So I just added enough water to get the amount of water required (about a 1/2 cup, making 1 1/2 cups of liquid total). For the icing I used Betty Crocker whipped fluffy white.  The recipe says to put about 5 cherries into each cupcake. The first time I tried this I put 3 halves and it was just too much.  I would say if you still wanted to try and add cherries to the batter, make sure you chop them finely. Otherwise you follow the rest of the baking instructions for your cake mix. I topped them off with stemmed cherries. FYI: adding stemmed cherries necessitates refrigeration, but I am quite fond of the icing when refrigerated. It is your choice.

Homemade Lasagna

Lasagna is a very rare meal for us, especially since we watch our sodium intake, we don't buy the frozen ones often (have you ever read the label?!).  When I first pondered making it myself I figured it would be too hard, hubs thought it would be too expensive, but guess what? It's not! So here is my lasagna recipe for dummies!

Easy Lasagna
1 box of lasagna noodles (I like Barilla)
1 lb ground turkey
2 jars Classico Tuscan-inspired olive and garlic sauce (or sauce of your choice)
1 15 oz container of ricotta cheese
2-4 cups Sargento 6 cheese Italian blend (or cheese of your choice)
(all these quantities are definite...you can definitely add more or less of anything)

Preheat oven to 375
Boil lasagna noodles and brown and season your meat to taste.
Mix 2-3 cups of shredded cheese with the ricotta.
In a 9x13 pan, add a thin layer of your sauce. Then add your lasagna (I use three noodles). Add a layer of meat with sauce, then layer of lagsagna. Add all your ricotta and shredded cheese mix. Then top with a layer of lasgana. Then add the rest of your meat with sauce. Top layer of lasagna, then top with remainder of the tomato sauce. Then top with last cup or so of shredded cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 5 minutes.  And done!!!

I am that crazy lady in front of you at Target.

Soooo. I may have bought *cough* 13gingerbreadhouseattargetbuttheywere90%offisaved$119! Mom and I plan to make gingerbread house for EVERY holiday. And before you ask, yes, they do expire but who actually eats a gingerbread house? Lots of DC fail to surely come from this (on my part).

zebra cake

So, it begins with this zebra cheesecake I found on Pinterest.
Zebra Cheesecake *this is where the pin leads to*


At first I was entranced by its "zebraness" and immediately decided I NEEEEDED THIS! Then I read the recipe. This very talented woman handmakes fancy things like Japanese cheesecake. I just scrolled until she showed me how to do the zebra.  So I will show you the DC (domestically challenged) way to make a zebra cake.

I decided to use Pillsbury white cake and Pillsbury devil's food cake (which are my favorites and I figured would show stripes the best). I mixed my cakes just like the box said and had some cupcake tins standing by for extra.

I used baking spray on my springform pan to prevent sticking. Next to add batter.  The cheesecake recipe said to use about three tablespoons of batter at a time.

Start with first batter in the center of your pan. I used a ladle in the beginning but as you go it seems easier to do separate spoonfuls. Let the batter spread some then add your next in the center.

Now, being DC, I was trying to scoop meticulously and carefully (ie slow) and so it wasn't centered and it was taking FOREVER. Here's where I thank my mom, who came in and just sloppily scooped in batter finishing it up before the end of next week! lol (the picture above is where I stopped) In the end, if you look close, the center looks better than the outside, meaning her technique worked.  So moral? Don't worry about being all neat.

And out of the oven! (I have you know my mother was very anxious to remove the sides of the springform and cut the cake...I swear it wasn't be being impatient!) Cutting this cake is as exciting as opening presents on Christmas day.

Success! Now, I guess this cake could be iced. I had some icing standing by in case it looked really bad, but it really didn't need it.  I did have enough left over batter to make about a dozen cupcakes.  I dabbled just slightly with the cherry coke cupcakes. I plan to revisit those soon, so I'm saving the link for then.

Channelling my inner Martha

Damn you Pinterest.  I mean, WHO ARE these people that come up with this stuff on Pinterest? Who thinks of this shit?!  Pinterest serves to remind me that I am NOT Martha Stewart (or the people who work for her).  I want to be crafty SOOOO BAD, yet I am not.  I desire to knit cute things, bake spectacular treats, make awesome out of ordinary stuff, paint pretty things and have a house with all kinds of nifty decorations. I have great ideas, just not the skill (or I could be less self depreciating and say the time).  So my goal in 2012 is to find ways to be crafty without having to be Martha.  Finding cool stuff and simplifying it for those of us who are "domestically challenged."  Let's just hope this doesn't end up looking like a display for kindergarten art. :)