Football is not like the measles...it won't go away

Remember when I was soliciting for votes to win the guest spot on Adam's Sports Blog?

Well, your votes helped and I WON!

Read my guest post here!

...two more days till the BYU football season begins. Expect some fun treats like the ones above!

**photos by Trevor and Lesley Winn**

Tuesdays with Dorie - Chocolate Banded Ice Cream Torte

I took a break this week from my online baking group, Tuesdays with Dorie. Be sure to check out the other group members on the blogroll. In in the meantime here's a sampling of some group members' tasty versions. The recipe can be found on page 288-289 of Dorie Greenspan's "Baking: From My Home to Yours" or on  Food, Family and Fun by Amy. Thanks Amy, for choosing such a great recipe. I hope to try it soon!

Photos from left to right from: Amy of Food, Family and Fun,  , Something Sweet by Karen and

The Way the Cookie Crumbles. 

I'll be back next week for sure. Get ready for Chunky Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Chocolate Chipsters!

Silly Feet

I love my new Silly Feet silicone baking cups by Wilton!

They make me feel like a kid

...and I've come up with a billion cupcake characters I want to make!

Plus Wilton has some great ideas of their own in the 2009 Wilton Year Book.

...yes that means I've got it in my hands now!

***photo from Sur la Table***

Related Posts:

- Wilton 2009 Yearbook

- Wilton

- Cupcakes

- Baking

- Books

- Cookbooks

Tuesdays with Dorie - Granola Grabbers

Another Tuesday...another goodie.

Granola Grabbers were the treat of choice for the Tuesdays with Dorie Baking group. Michelle of Bad Girl Baking chose the recipe and it can be found on her site or page 82 of "Baking: From My Home to Yours" by Dorie Greenspan.

Cookies were a godsend this week because I think my head would pop off it were a cake or cupcake recipe. I think I've reached my quota for cupcakes this month. (if that is even possible, right?) Plus I'm not tempted to eat a gazillion cookies when I bake them, so my jeans will fit properly.

I liked this recipe. It was so full of different flavors and textures. You bite in through a crunchy top and bottom to a chewy center, then flavors dance around your tongue--first hearty oatmeal, then sweet coconut, next is salty peanuts and smooth almonds and last my favorite I get a hint of raisins, blueberries or if I'm lucky a sour cherry. Yes, TWD members I splurged and added dried blueberries and cherries. I couldn't resist.

This recipe was a nice change of pace from my usual baking routine and from any cookie recipe I've made. Give it a try. Oh, and be sure to check out the blogroll of other bakers and their granola grabbers!

{I heart Tuesdays}

Related Posts: 

-Tuesdays with Dorie - Blueberry Sour Cream Ice Cream

-Tuesdays with Dorie - Black and White Banana Loaf

- Cookies

- Books

- Cookbooks

Vote for Becky, TODAY!

I'm in the running to become the next guest blogger on my husband's blog, Adam's Sports Blog.

To familiarize yourself with the competition see this post and this one.

Head on over to Adam's blog, read the teasers and if you find me worthy VOTE FOR BECKY!

The poll closes in the next 24 hours.

Here's the link! Go and vote, por favor!

Happy Olympics

Red Velvet cupcake with cream cheese frosting.

Beijing Olympic logo made a la me, using Wilton Candy Melts.

These were so fun to make and so smooth!

Let's hear it for Olympic cupcakes!

...head on over to my Flickr page for more Olympic cupcake goodness!

A Whopper of a Cupcake

Malted Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

aka Whopper cupcakes

...i made from this cupcake cookbook, i told you I loved it!

These ones above are the mini version i came up with...

more to come!

In-Drawer Spice Rack

Need more counter space?

This is the perfect solution.

Find one online at Williams-Sonoma here or here , The Container Store and other home/kitchen stores.

Trust me, these are great! You'll feel oh-so-much more organized.

Wilton Watermelon Cake

(A Slice of Summertime, scanned from Wilton 2008 Yearbook page 18)

I've been meaning to make this watermelon cake by Wilton all summer.

I may play around and try this uncut watermelon version or a little watermelon cupcake!

Betty Crocker even has her own version.

What do you think? Should I? If so, which version?

Glorious Day!

I was so delighted to find my photo featured on Cupcakes Take the Cake this morning! Nothing is as sweet, well actually there is one thing--partaking of the goodness that is a Magnolia Cupcake.

Head on over to THE cupcake blog, Cupcakes Take the Cake to see the post. Rachel asked "What do you think about the downtown Magnolia Bakery's policy of imposing a maximum (12) number of cupcakes you can buy at one time?"

Hip-hip-hooray! To see more of my Flickr photos head on over here...or enjoy the flash slide show on the right side panel of PD!

{Cupcakes really do take the cake!}

Fun and Funky Paisley

If you're looking to add some funky spice to your kitchen life, click your way on over to Swizzlestix. Swizzlestix is a design pad that embraces a retro-modern feel; it's a mix of hip and cool with a splash of fun. Swizzlestix's tantalizing colors and geometric swirls will hypnotize you into a modern world with a retro past, touts designer and owner Marcia Copeland.

Swizzlestix has a good variety of designs, and my eyes were immediately drawn to the paisley patterns--especially the orange waist apron. I've felt lukewarm about waist aprons in the past, but after seeing the orange paisley one I want to host a party just so I could slip that thing on over my favorite pair of Citizens.

These products have major goodness potential and who knows? They may even inspire a bright orange paisley cupcake!

I haven't laid my hands on them yet so I can't tell you much about length, fit or fabric feel...but the design itself is enough to make me send you over there.

Head on over to the Swizzlestix site or Etsy shop. Don't miss the placemats and pillows...and don't be surprised if Swizzlestix makes its way back to Project Domestication this winter, they've got some super-cute holiday patterns and cards.

Tuesdays with Dorie - Blueberry Sour Cream Ice Cream

Blueberry Sour Cream Ice Cream was the choice for this week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe, chosen by Dolores of Chronicles in Culinary Curiosity.

This was my very first time making ice cream--and I'll say if I would have known it was so simple, I would've been making it for years! 

I was a big fan of the recipe from the get-go, so I didn't change anything. I used fresh blueberries, Meadow Gold Dairy products and made it in a Lello Dessert Maker.

The verdict? Amazing. I loved the custardy texture, it was definitely rich... and I'd make it again. In fact, I've already had requests.You can find the recipe on Dolores blog or on page 434 of "Baking: From my home to Yours" by Dorie Greenspan. Now go check out what the TWD blogroll to see what the other members came up with.

Provo's Farmers Market

I took a little trip to the Provo's Farmers Market on Saturday.

Absolutely loved it!

It feels great to support local and enjoy fresh goods!

Some of my favorites included: lavender lemonade from Young Living Farms in Mona (so subtle yet aromatic!), banana peppers from Genola and some apricot almonds. I've since enjoyed the banana peppers on my salads and in sandwiches! I also see a future purchase of lavender for some cupcakes. I hear Nigela has a great recipe that I would love to play with.

The market runs every Saturday from June through October, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Pioneer Park: 500 West 100 South, Provo

Click here for a list of vendors!

Cupcakes Cookbook

I heart this cookbook.

I've only tried one recipe but am in love.

Muchos gracias Shelly Kaldunski.

Find it at Williams-Sonoma or online.

{thank me for the cover... it was to be found nowhere online so i finally scanned it}

p.s. vote for the next flavor of cupcake I make (see right side of screen!)

Tell me... Must-have Makeup

Tell me...if you could keep only one makeup product, what would it be?

While you think about it, please enjoy this picture of pre-domestic Becky circa 1987. Looks like I was loving this preschool makeup set! 

Also, be sure to check out this post by one of my fave bloggers and her battle with makeup here and here.

Tuesdays with Dorie - Black and White Banana Loaf

Today marks my very first official bake with the Tuesdays with Dorie baking group! 

I was so happy to find TWD, this is going to be such a great outlet for baking. Besides, we all know cookbooks are underused. And how amazing will it be to say "I've tried every recipe in that book!"

This week Ashlee of A Year in the Kitchen chose the recipe. We made the Black-and-White Banana Loaf, it can be found on page 232 of "Baking" by Dorie Greenspan or on Ashlee's blog.

I was very pleased with the outcome of the loaf. It was perfectly moist and decently marbled. I was concerned about the moisture of the cake because there was a lot of discussion from the group about having soggy middles due to using too many bananas. The big debate was the correct measurement for 1 1/2 bananas (which is what the recipe called for). Make sure to check out others' loaves from the TWD group here, just scroll down to see the members' links.

To find out more about the TWD click here.

Next week: Blueberry Sour Cream Ice Cream

Chili-Lime Rub

An A++ goes out to Williams-Sonoma's Chili-Lime Rub.

Rubbed it on some chicken tenders and had the hubby pan-fry them up.

Made sides of fresh green salad and taboule.

yummm.

"Get Domestic" -- The First Ever Project Domestication Blog Event

That's right, you read correctly, Project Domestication is hosting its first ever blog event. 

Here's the scoop: Project Domestication will host regular activities in an effort to help us all become a little more "domesticated."  Activities range from a number of domestic projects including cooking, baking, cleaning, decorating, shopping, sewing, children's activities, organizing and more!

I'll post the activity on any given day, then all of us will have one month to complete the activity. Then I'll do a roundup at the end of the project period and post pictures and links of everyone's project.

Now, for the first-ever "Get Domestic" blog event we are going to attempt 

Meringue Chantilly

The recipe comes from Barefoot Contessa. 

I have always wanted to make my own meringue and recently saw an episode where she made a similar dessert. 

Now, the main point of this blog event is to learn how to make the meringue, so please, please feel free to make any adjustments to the berries and whipped cream. {I for one, am considering using fresh berries}

Here is a list of alcohol substitutes if you'd like to use her recipes and prefer to not use alcohol.

"Get Domestic" Guidelines:

After you've completed the activity do the following:

1) Take a picture of your finished project.

2) Create a blog post about it with picture and commentary before midnight, September 2.

3) Include a link to Project Domestication within the post

4) Send an email to projectdomestication@gmail.com before midnight, September 2 with the following information. 

Blogger's Name

Blog Name and Link to Blog Entry (project post)

Picture of Your Entry 

***You can participate even if you don't have a blog, just send an email with all the information minus blog details and I'll include you in the round up.***

Let's do it! Let's Get Domestic!