Cake in a Jar!

Cake cake cake cake.

This is a throwback post...from two years ago when I was getting ready to celebrate my first blogiversary. I'm going through all my drafts and finally publishing some!

I decided to bake...CAKE. Because what's a party without cake?  I decided any old cake wouldn't do. How about rainbow cake...baked in jars...topped with glitter and sprinkles??? Good. I'm glad we're on the same page.

 

This is super simple. Celebrations can be stressful and sometimes I think the simpler the better. I chose to use Funfetti cake mix for this because 1) funfetti. no explanation needed. 2) nothing says party like sprinkled cake - seriously even the box says happy birthday 3) i'm a busy girl.

You can use any kind of cake. Any kind! I split my batter into three different bowls and chose three different colors. Pink, purple, and lime green. The jars I used are smaller than normal mason jars. Those would take forever to bake. I used small Kerr jars. I layered the batter very carefully. My best friend and I took two different layering approaches and I loved them! DO NOT FILL THE BATTER TO THE TOP. We filled the jars about 3/4 of the way full and that was too much. I would say go for half full.

Bake low and slow and use a sheet pan. 325 degrees. I would check your cakes between 25 and 30 minutes. Baking time will vary depending on the size of your jars.

Once your cakes have cooled, frost those babies! AND THEN. It's sprinkle time. I used edible glitter first. So sparkly and so pretty. I really wanted the glitter to stand out so I used hot pink sprinkles as well! I think the sprinkles add even more sparkle and shine.

That's it! So simple, but so fabulous! I hoped you enjoyed this post! (okay seriously past me was just so cute)

Bacon Wrapped Tater Tots Recipe!

In my defense, this post is not my fault. When your boyfriend goes to the store and brings home ingredients to make this, you shrug you shoulders and secretly jump for joy! If you're on a diet/going paleo/trying to not suffer from high cholesterol, you should just skip this post. It would be for the best. If you're like me and consider this covering your main food groups - protein, vegetables, and dairy - then read on my friends!

These are easy, delicious and pretty outrageous.

Ingredients:

• frozen tater tots 
•  your choice of bacon
• shredded cheese - we used sharp cheddar

 What To Do:

• preheat your oven to 400 degrees
• let your tater tots come to room temperature - or pretty close
• line a casserole dish or baking pan with foil
• start by laying your first bacon piece flat. put a tater tot on one end. wrap the bacon around your tot until it's completely covered - you can totally do this without laying the bacon down - I was trying to be as basic as possible
• leave a little extra bacon and cut the excess - we were reminded that bacon shrinks, so a lot of ours came undone as you'll see a little further down
• use the excess bacon to wrap another tot and repeat 

• place these in the oven for 20 minutes

• if your bacon isn't crisp enough, feel free to broil for a minute or two
• take your tots out of the oven - we gathered ours in a pile - and sprinkle with cheese

•  pop back in the oven until the cheese is melty and delicious about 3-5 minutes
• ENJOY!

We served ours with a side of sour cream. These were so good. Four of us shared them straight out of the baking dish! These are perfect for a snack, a treat, a party, or just because!

Turn 12 Bar and Grill // Monterey, CA

Woo hoo another restaurant review! This one is for Turn 12 in Monterey, CA.

My roommates and I have wanted to try this place out for awhile. We always walk by it late at night when we are heading back to our car from an evening downtown. We always forget about it and ALWAYS say we'll try it some time soon.

Well, we did! We went for lunch this week and we were totally impressed!

The atmosphere was fun. The prices were fine. The service was good. The food was delicious!

This place is totally decked out in racing things inspired by Laguna Seca Raceways. Lots of pictures on the walls. There's even a racing game set up in the middle!

Fun Fact #1: There is 11 turns at the Laguna Seca track. Turn 12...get it?
Fun Fact #2: their bar is the longest in Monterey.

We started out with the truffle fries. Yummmmm! They were crispy and delicious and didn't taste too oily.

I had the tomato basil soup with sour cream and croutons. I loved the sour cream and croutons. I wasn't a big fan of the soup. I didn't really know why until Jarad pointed out that it was kind of sweet. So maybe that was it?

For lunch, I ordered the beef short ribs with mashed potatoes and vegetables. My favorites! I loved it!

The boys each ordered the breakfast pizza. It was huge! It is totally share-able. There was eggs right in the center of the pizza. They cut around the eggs, which is a brilliant idea because the eggs didn't make the whole thing soggy. I'm a little too picky for everything that was on it, but it was really good. The crust was my favorite!

They also offer brunch and dinner! I definitely want to go for both.

If you ever get the chance, I highly recommend stopping into Turn 12.


Turn 12 Bar and Grill
400 Tyler Street, Monterey, CA 93940
http://www.turn12barandgrill.com/

*This post was not sponsored in any way. I just love good food.*

It Ain't Easy Being Cheesy (Pizza Roll Up Recipe!)

This past Sunday, I went to my aunt's house for a gift exchange and appetizers. She was already making various dips and nachos, so I couldn't bring my usual go-to choices. I decided to make the crescent roll pizza roll ups that I've seen so many times on Pinterest.

THEY WERE SO EASY AND DELISH. The kids loved them. The adults loved them.

I bought enough ingredients to make 16. Obviously, you can make more or less depending on your needs.

Ingredients:
- 2 cans of crescent roll dough (I used Pillsbury)
- 1 16 oz package of mozzarella string cheese (you will cut each stick in half)
- 1 package of pepperoni
- pizza sauce for dipping (ranch would be good too)

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray your baking sheet with PAM. Or use foil.

1) lay out your dough
2) place two pepperonis on the wide side of the dough
3) place one half cheese stick on top of the pepperoni
4) start with the wide end and roll the dough just like you normally would
5) bake for 9 minutes
6) serve fresh out of the oven with your  choice of dipping sauce


I wish I would've taken pictures of the process, but I'm sure you get it. I didn't think these would be good enough to blog about!

These were simple and quick. They would work for parties or even daily snacks and lunches! You can even add other ingredients to spice things up a bit! I kept them simple since we have so many kids in our family.

THAT CHEESE THOUGH.

What's your favorite go-to recipe for parties? Share your links in the comments below! 

From Scratch Restaurant // Carmel, CA

The Barnyard shopping center in Carmel, CA

I promised myself that when I moved to Monterey, I would blog about all the fun things I was doing and all the delicious food I was eating. Well, I failed. Surprise! However...J and I decided to try a new place for breakfast. It's called From Scratch restaurant in Carmel. IT WAS SO GOOD. We ate there Saturday morning and loved it so much. We went back Sunday morning for breakfast. Oops :)

From Scratch was featured on Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives and we know why!

The menu is simple. They have a lot of create your own options, which I loved. I'm a picky particular eater.

On Saturday, I ordered their breakfast skillet. It starts with potatoes on the bottom, then eggs, then 4 toppings of your choice, annnnd then cheese. Holy moly. I ate 1/4 of it. The cheddar biscuit on the side was deeeelish. I ordered a hot chocolate as a day date treat and it was amazing.

On Saturday, J ordered their sausage biscuits and gravy with a side of bacon. He was in HEAVEN. He literally sat there with a dreamy look on his face, repeating "I love it here."

On Sunday, we both ordered the traditional eggs benedict and they were PERFECT. The english muffin was perfectly grilled, the ham was delicious, the egg was poached perfectly, and the hollandaise was mild and lightly poured on top. I haaaaate soggy food and I was so happy with how this dish was executed.

I apologize for the vertical pictures - they were not cooperating. I'm sure you still get the idea.

The food was delicious. The staff was friendly and hard working. We want to make this an every weekend tradition! 

When in Carmel, visit From Scratch! You won't be disappointed. 

Cake Pops Make The World Go Round

I want to start posting more baking things on here. I decided to start with a tip on how to make cake pops round - the easy way! I was going with the whole "deliciously homemade" look for awhile, until I decided there had to be a better way. Cake pops are fantastic whether they are lopsided or cracked or perfectly round, but since we eat with our eyes first, I gave in.

I probably should've taken pictures of the baking process, but I didn't want to insult anyone's intelligence. You just bake a cake like you normally would. When it is cooled, add about 3/4 can of frosting and mix it with your hands until it forms a dough. Then place the dough in the refrigerator for a couple hours or in the freezer if you are pressed for time. I usually opt for the freezer because I'm impatient and often in a hurry.

Stuff You Need:

• box cake mix and can of frosting
• chocolate melts of some sort
• sticks - I use wilton

So! Your cake is baked and all mixed up with frosting. You have your dough in front of you and you are ready to go... right?

1. Take a piece of your 'dough' - you can use a scoop from Wilton or OXO or whatever you prefer. Sometimes I use the scoop and other times I eyeball it. I eyeballed it this time. Take the piece and make a ball, it doesn't have to be perfect!!! Now, flatten it. See told you.
   
2. Flattening the dough will eliminate the chances of cracked cake pops. Step 2? ROLL ROLL ROLL as fast as you can. Seriously Do it quick!
   
   
3. You should have a pretty round ball of cake pop goodness - if you rolled quick enough. Roll all of the cake balls out and set them on a plate or tray. Then place them in the fridge or freezer. Time varies for this. I like the freezer best. I will leave them in there for about an hour or even longer if I have to leave to do something.
   
4. Take your cake balls out of the fridge or freezer. Bust out your Wilton sticks and left over frosting. Dip one end of the stick into the frosting and then stick that same side into your cake ball. Do this for all of them. Work quickly. The cake balls have grown up to be pops! I like to put my cake pops back in the freezer  for 15 minutes (even longer of you have the time or something else to do) for good measure. Nobody wants a floating cake ball in their cup of dippping chocolate.

 
5. NOW! The fun begins.

 

Right before you remove the cake pops from the freezer, you have to melt your chocolates. You can use chocolate chips or any sort of baking chocolate, but I like candy melts because they melt great and come in pretty colors. I melt mine in a coffee cup because it's deeper than a bowl. I put them in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stirring between each 30 second interval. I do this twice.

6. Dip your little heart out. Slowly submerge the cake pop into the cup of chocolate. Cover the cake pop with chocolate and slowly pull it back out. Tap the stick on the side of the cup to get the excess chocolate off. Do this for all of the pops. I set them on saran wrap. This prevents sticking.

7.  While the pops are still wet, you can cover them with sprinkles! This is totally optional of course, but let's be real. Sprinkles make everything better.

 

 You are done! Cake pops are a lot of work, but they are so worth it. If you have any questions, please email me!

Extra Tips:

• Boxed mix & canned frosting works best. It's against by making religion, but just do it. 
• If you are making small pops, use the skinnier Wilton sticks. For large cake pops, use the thicker Wilton sticks.
• DO NOT buy the little melting boxes from Wilton. They will burn and start to catch fire in your microwave. They are coated with this weird waxy stuff and yeah just don't.

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Pumpkin Dip Recipe

I probably should have done this post before Thanksgiving, but truth is... I didn't even try the recipe until that morning!

I saw one variation on one of my favorite blogs, here and also a few on Pinterest. I kind of just went for it!

What you will need :

• 14.5 ounce can of pumpkin (I used pure)
• 1 container of Cool Whip
• 1 box of vanilla pudding mix (just the powder)
• A couple dashes of pumpkin pie spice
• A couple dashes of powdered sugar

Mix it all together and enjoy! I served mine with mini graham crackers. You could use Nilla wafers, graham crackers, a spoon (if you're like my family), or I think it would be great on a bagel or even in coffee.

This dip is SO easy and yummy! Light, fluffy, just the right amount of pumpkin. It was a hit with my little sister and my mom. You know it's good if mom asks to keep it when you leave! :)

Make it for Christmas. Make it for yourself. Just make it!

Egg Cup(cake) Recipe

Various recipes for egg cups have been circulating around Pinterest for months. I finally gave in and made them. I’m in love!!! They are so easy to make, easy to take, and delicious! They are made in cupcake tins and clean-up is almost nonexistent! I made enough for my dad and I to have one each day for work. I kept these ones super simple, since I wasn’t sure what to expect. Next week, I’ll be doubling!!

What You Will Need:

• Cupcake tin (perfect right?)
• Eggs or liquid egg whites
• Various veggies and/or meats (ex: mushrooms, squash, bell peppers, ham, spinach, etc.)
• Cheese (optional)
• Seasoning of your choice

What You Do:

       1)      Sautee veggies in a pan (I had mushrooms that I needed to get rid of, so I used lots)

2)      Spray your cupcake pan with Pam

3)      Scoop veggies into the bottom of each little section

4)      I cracked one egg in each one (I took the yolks out. Next time I want to try liquid egg whites)

5)      Sprinkle cheese if you are using some (I used very little)

6)      Season to your liking (pepper and tabasco sauce for me)

7)      Give it a little stir

8)      Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes

Despite my initial worries, they came out of the pan just fine. Phew! I let them cool and then wrapped them up and put them in the fridge. When it’s time to eat, you can heat them in the microwave for a minute, or cold is good too! If you come up with any delicious flavor creations, let me know! Enjoy! J