Bake off has begun!

Hello everyone! I have joined Team in Training to help find a cure for blood cancer.

I am baking for the cause. If you can help by selling them at your office or store, please let me know. You will be rewarded with treats of course, but also with a tax write off. You keep the cash for what you sell, then make a donation with your credit card for that amount! You are donating without having to actually give me any money. All it takes is a little of your time. Plus these are so good they will sell themselves! Let me know if you are interested and I will drop off a batch to you.

Will cook for charity!

With this economy it's tough to justify shelling out money. For each $100 donation and the cost of food, I will offer my time to make you dinner. If you invite 4 of your friends it's only $25 per person! With each $50 donation I will bake sweet treats for your next party or event.

Please call me for more details or email to graphicidsf@gmail.com

Click on this link to view my Team in Training page :)

Luau Cupcakes

Just the smell of the frosting reminds me of home and watching the sunset on the beach. I've been so homesick lately that this might cheer me up a bit. I decided to bake this for my Ukulele instructor's birthday. I hope he enjoys this treat as much as I do. Happy birthday Patrick!

This cake recipe was very complicated and time consuming. Next time I will just use a simple white cake recipe and add the strawberry guava nectar.

Strawberry Guava Chiffon Cake

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (sifted)
2/3 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
half a container of Hawaii's own strawberry guava nectar
5 egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
8 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup white sugar

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare your choice of baking pan.
2. Sift together the flour with 2/3 cups of sugar, the baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. In a separate bowl, beat together the oil, water, nectar, yolks, vanilla, and lemon zest until well combined. Pour the yolks into the flour, and mix until the batter is smooth. Beat together egg whites with the cream of tartar in a clean bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add the 1/2 cup of sugar, and beat until stiff. Gently fold whites into batter.
   
3. If baking in cake pans, bake for 25 minutes then run a metal spatula or small knife around the edges of the cake to loosen, and allow to cool in the pans for 10 minutes before inverting onto a cooling rack. For regular cupcake pans, bake for 20 minutes, mini cupcakes about 1o minutes.

Strawberry Guava Frosting

1 stick of butter (softened)
8oz of cream cheese (softened)
half a container of Hawaii's own strawberry guava nectar
4 cups of powdered sugar

1. boil guava nectar until reduced by more than half. Consistency should be as thick as syrup. Let cool to room temperature.
2. Mix all ingredients till smooth.

The Single Girl Dessert Diet

Why is it always harder to pick the healthy choice? I know what's good for me but yet I hesitate and weigh the pros and cons. I can go days, weeks, even months on a healthy streak selecting fresh fruit, fat free yogurt or skipping dessert all together.

To torture myself I could order a chocolate fondant cake just to smell it. Is it cheating to have just a taste, to share a moment with my warm velvety friend?

At some point I give in, devour the entire dish and wash it down with my favorite dessert wine.

A girl's gotta live, even if tears are shed later.

Reisling Kabinett

My new favorite wine - Riesling Kabinett Hauth-Kerpen Wehlener, Germany 1996.

I had brunch on Sunday at Maverick on 17th street in the Mission. I will admit it was my first time ordering a bottle of wine for my first meal of the day. My apartment had been broken into for the second time in two weeks. Not like this makes me an alcoholic. I did however pass out for a couple hours after the meal.

The wine is sweet without being syrupy. Fruity and floral yet light at the same time but still full of flavor. I like wine on the sweeter side, more so than most people. This wine is great with any meal and even good for dry wine lovers!

Recipe for a good life

It's been a while since I've written about my thoughts. These difficult times have really opened my eyes to the amazing people in my life that are so supportive and comforting. My friends, my sister, my brother, they are my reality check. They push me through the day, force me out of bed in the morning and remind me that I am important in their lives. They say they are lucky to have me. The truth is that I am the lucky one. I can't be without them.

As a reminder I made some notes about my thoughts on life.

1) Let go of resentment:
If you never let go of resentment you will never get past the hurt. Resentment leads to rejection which then leads to revenge. If you understand this then you will know the importance of letting go of resentment.

2) Love unconditionally: When do you say when? The answer is never. Love is unconditional.

3) Know what you want: You will attract what you visualize, so envision the what you want and not what you don't want!

4) Learn to see with your eyes closed