10 month old rock star

Is it just me or is this going by really fast?

I was carrying her today at the toy store and I realized, she's really heavy now. 

This little bundle of mine is no longer 8 pounds. It's already 12 pounds and 10 months later! 

Contrary to most moms, I don't miss the small Isabella that much, I love what she is now. All these developments and interactions is way too much fun for me. I love seeing every new thing. I love introducing new food and new toys. She has so much character that I don't know whether she'll be more like mommy or like daddy, I'm hoping she's an awesome mix of both! I love watching her observe and stare at everyone and just slowly take it all in, although I should remember to correct the staring in the future. 

I love my little rock star and I can't wait for her first birthday party! 

Yes, she successfully reached the cupcake but wasn't able to eat it.

 I need to bake her something healthy next time.

Red Velvet Cupcakes by Sasha and Tin

I had the great opportunity to witness, this past weekend, what it means to perfect a cupcake recipe. My friends, Sasha Moyer and Tin De Silva have asked me to take photos of their AMAZING cupcakes. They made 4 different red velvet cupcakes, 2 variations from 2 different recipes. FUN TIMES indeed. Even the frosting had to be determined. So who's asking why I want to be a food photographer?

I was able to shoot their progress and of course taste the results. It was almost like being a judge at Cupcake Wars or some cupcake competition. The cupcakes turned out so delicious and we were able to choose a winner! Thank you, Sash and Tin for letting me be a part of a yummy new beginning. So if you want to taste these cupcakes send them an email at sashandtin@gmail.com! I'm definitely a big fan.

PS
Sasha made the red velvet cake for my baby shower last year and I HIGHLY recommend it.

nom nom nom

I waited patiently with these two, Senna and Frisee.

Mmmm. It killed me a little bit that I had to wait for them to cool. 

Here's the amazing red velvet cake from the baby shower 

No Bake Nutella Cheesecake

Busy week means quick recipes, preferably those that don't require too much cooking...  or none at all. I spent this week cooking and shooting for another website that wants to feature me. YAY! I'll share those soon enough, but before that even came about, I'd like to share my little feature over at Pepper.ph. If you want a quick and easy recipe for a party check out the Lasagna Cups I made here.

Now, on to more important business... I found myself what might just be the most fun solution for a frequent craving of mine, Nutella. A no bake nutella cheesecake. Hello, why have I never seen you before??? Of course, I had to try it.

Ingredients

Crust:

-5 Oreo cookies

-10 Belgian Butters Almond Thins

-3 tbsps melted Unsalted Butter

Filling:

-1 package (room temp) Cream Cheese

-2/3 cup Nutella

-1/2 tspn Pure Vanilla Extract

-Fresh Whipped Cream

What to do:

-I'm so tempted to just say, PUT THEM ALL TOGETHER AND DEVOUR but I should show a little more effort, after all it is Nutella.

-Mix together cookie crumbs and melted butter. 

-Divide evenly in small containers, I used small jars.

-Beat Cream Cheese and Nutella until smooth, then add in the vanilla extract

-With a spatula, fold in the whipped cream.

-Spoon in the mix on top of the crust and refrigerate before serving.

-DONE!

Whipped cream topping is optional. 

I should dedicate a Nutella post once a month. It'll keep me from eating it straight out of the jar all the time and help me be more creative about it. 

Recipe adapted from My Baking Addiction.

Mother's Day Popover

In honor of mother's day I took on the challenge of creating one of my mom's all time favorites, the Popover. I call it a challenge because it will be compared to the one that we eat here at Neiman Marcus' The Rotunda. She loves this light, hollow, amazing piece of bread preferably with strawberry butter. If you've never had one, do yourself a favor, go out and get the ingredients if you don't already have it and bake a few! It is surprisingly easy to make.

What to do:

-Preheat oven to 400º

-In a small bowl, whisk eggs and milk.

-In a separate bowl bring together the flour and salt then gently whisk in the egg mixture, set aside.

-Place a piece of butter in the bottom of each cup of the popover tin.

-Place the popover tin on a baking sheet and put it in the oven for 3 minutes.

-On the 3 minute mark, take out the tin and quickly divide your batter among the prepared cups.

-Bake for 25 minutes without opening the oven door.

-Serve IMMEDIATELY.... or do what I do.

-Brush each popover with melted butter then dredge in a cinnamon sugar mix. yum!

ENJOY!

Found the recipe here.

Spicy Maple Pecans

It's sweet, salty and spicy in one bite. What's not to like?

Yummy Pecans:

1 bag of Pecans

1/2 cup Maple Agave Syrup

1 tspn Cayenne Pepper

1 tspn salt

Mix them all together and spread out in baking pan. 

Bake these in a 375º oven for about 30 minutes. 

Make sure to stir every so often, so they don't burn.

That's it!

I have my aunt to thank. You can add them to your salads, cheese plates, ice cream or enjoy them the way we do, as they are! I snack on these almost everyday.... like right now.

Tea Party

I can't wait to have little tea parties with Belle.

My kind of tea:

Black tea steeped for about 3 minutes 

(I use PG Tips)

Half and Half

Sugar 

mmmmmm.

Since summer has arrived, add some ice and if you're up to it, some boba and call it a party. 

No, really. I have this almost everyday... other than Iced Coffee.