hi, i'm home.

Hullo, there, people of whom I haven't talked to in a rather long time! How've you been? I've been busy. and also, I have an announcement to make. Okay, so, you know how Jocee and I are like best friends and stuff? Well, it just so happens that Jocee and I are one and the same. So yes, this has been Jocee all along. Now some of you guys have gotten the memo, when others have still been in the dark, but I thought it'd be cool to come clean, you know?

This is a blog about a girl who loves to cook. And in the event that she does cook, sometimes a disaster is bound to happen. And Jocee, I, am that girl. So, I totally got you guys good. I think. I'm not sure. I'm going to pretend I did. I don't know when I'll be posting, not much, unfortunately, since I have to manage Cupcake Dictionary as well, but I haven't died and fallen off the planet.

So, today isn't weird at all! You just found out that Sandra was really Jocee in disguise, der der le fler. And that cupcakes are really, really good. But you knew that, so, I'll leave now. Until next time, I'm going to have a fruit fiesta.
{pee ess: I am in desperate need of a new blog design. Help.}

~Sandra {Jocee}

the sweetie award

What are your favorite sweet things to eat {or drink}?

To drink: Shirley Temple. It's sooo good.  To eat....hmm, apple pie, or this strawberry oreo cream pie that my grandma makes. It sounds weird, but it's SO. GOOD. 

                                Have you ever dreamed that Candyland was a real place?

No, but you never know what will happen!!

If there was a flavored brand of bubbles, what flavor would you get?

Umm....do I get to eat these bubbles? I don't know. I'd say Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, since it's my favorite flavor of ice cream {made by the fantastical Blue Bell}

Have you ever been kicked out of a bakery for smelling something?

Threatened. LOL, just kidding!! No, I haven't. Thank God, my life would be OVER. 

What's your favorite kind of tea?

Chamomile. It soothes....

Strawberry or Red Velvet?

Hmm....I'd have to say....strawberry. Definitely :)

Have you ever poured a jar of sprinkles into your mouth?

Yes, once. They were candy cane sprinkles. It. Was. So. Fun. 

Admit it: you've eaten icing straight of the jar, haven't you?

Why, yes. Yes I have. And I'm not afraid to say it, too!

Have you ever drooled while watching a cooking show?

What do you think I'm doing right now? Hehe :P

Thank you to the Homeschool Diaries for tagging me! I tag anyone who wants to be tagged. 

By the way, before I go, what do you think of this blog design? Do you like it? Do you think I should change it up a little bit? I'm going to have Jocee help me out. I'm actually at her house right now :P

This is Jocee hacking you. I'm awesummmmmmmm

Yes, yes she is :P And now, I'm going to end this post before Jocee starts talking about cupcakes and dictionaries. Later!

-Sandra <3

AND JOCEE. Live, laugh, love, eat cupcakes, people!!!!!! 

Hehe....oh...that...girl....

the epic fail of a chef {AKA: me}

*first, I must apologize for not updating in nearly a month. Sorry! So-so sorry. second, I'm back now! So yay. And yes, that's pretty much all I have to say*

So, about two weeks ago I was over at Jocee's house, and we made Oatmeal Cookies. And let me say that the video below is going to ruin my reputation. I tried to tell her that she couldn't make oatmeal cookies without eggs, baking power and raisins {and vanilla or maybe even almond extract would've been nice, too}, but she hates raisins so we had to do without. Not to mention, her dad loves raisins, so he kinda devoured them. I don't know what it is with Jocee and raisins, but the fact that they are pretty much violated grapes doesn't sit well with her. I must say, that the video turned out to be a success, but the cookies? Eh, not so much.

Those are Jocee's hands in the video. I was kind of the behind-the-scenes person. But! I did get to:

1. Pour the brown sugar into the mixer
2. Film Jocee pouring the butter into the bowl
3. Man the mixer button
4. Cut out the cookies into the ice cream shapes
5. And fight about which font we should use for the video. I have better skills that Jocee on those types of things, but she doesn't want to admit it

Please, don't get us wrong here. The cookies tasted great! But, they didn't really...um...err...look...that great. I blame Jocee, just so you all know. So, since I'm trying to get my baking reputation back:

This usually works better when Jocee does it, but I try ;) 

Much love, 

Sandra <3

the girl with the guilty conscience...

I am a horrible person. I'm so sorry. I haven't blogged in weeks, and I haven't posted recipes or anything!!
The good news is, I made strawberry short cupcakes yesterday for Memorial Day, and filled them with whipped cream and put strawberries on top. 

(not my photo)

The bad news is, my camera is gone. It will be back, but for now, I am cameraless. 

So yes, I make food, I write down recipes, but I don't post them, nor can I take pictures of them. I am the girl with the guilty conscience.

Forgive me. 

Please.

-Sandra

new blog design!!

Do you like it? I like it. Yay, we all like it!! And now, in celebrating, I shall post a picture of my brand new obsession:

I have decided, that from now on, I will not dream in black and white, nor shades of gray, nor technicolor. I shall dream only in Paris. And macaroons ;)
-Sandra 

never satisfied

As my little sister draws countless designs on my arms and I read up on HTML codes and blog headers, I'm thinking: when will I ever be satisfied? (I just realized this is my first meaningful post on this blog)
I always want something...and if I get it, I'm happy for awhile, then I want something else again. It's like an infinite loophole. You know? I do. 
I'm redesigning this blog [AGAIN] and I'm going to an egg hunt today with Jocee!
I think I need some iced tea.
I'm craving these:

I blame YOU, Jocelyn, for this. tsktsktsk.
Byee! Have fun in the kitchen :))
-Sandra <3

that girl luvveessss sweets.

I am happy. Very happy. Well, happy and disappointed. I'm happy because I have alot of announcements concerning this blog, and disappointed because I haven't followed through on those New Years Resolution's I made. It's not New Year's anymore..I should've done them by now!! 
The reason I haven't really been cooking as much as I should lately is:

• I'm juggling several things right now (including that dreaded thing called school)
• My camera hasn't really been working right (evil little troll, but hey! I'm working with it and maybe I'll get a new camera soon!)
• I have a ton of music stuff I'm working on
• I'm lazy. And making too many excuses

So, from now on, I won't make any promises, unless I know I have a plan. Now, onto the happy things about this blog:

• I'm working on re-designing it (maybe sometime in the future I'll get a custom blog design)
• I just discovered weheartit.com and they have countless pictures of...just about anything!
• I'm making this blog a little less formal. I want it to be more casual and inviting, so more people will find it...a little different from the other cooking blogs (and I know this isn't the best)

Maybe that was all the happy news I had...but look at these really cool pictures!

I probably should've mentioned I liked sweets ;) Bye bye, all :))

-Sandra 

*Singing* Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down...

The title has nothing to do with this post. I just love that song. And I like sugar. Alot. 
I'm officially labeling this blog as "under construction" because my friend is helping do some really cool things with this blog, and I'm soo excited!! 


In the meantime, she asked if I could post a picture of these cupcake:

She really likes cupcakes. Speaking of which, check out her blog!! Cupcake Dictionary. Unique name, I know, but just look at it. You won't be disappointed ;)


Stay tuned and have fun in the kitchen!!


-Sandra

New Design!!

That's right! I got a new design!! I was pretty tired of the old one, and my friend Jocee of "Cupcake Dictionary" introduced me to Shabby Blogs, and voila! My blog is great!! I'm still learning, mind you, so it's not perfect. 

Valentine's Day is coming up, and I'm thinking up some new recipes to show you, and I can't wait :) So stay tuned and thank you so much, Jocee!


-Sandra


(Picture property of We Heart It, sadly I don't own this)

Happy 4th, Happy Halloween, Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, Happy Martin Luther King Day and All That Jazz...

So first I'd like to apologize for posting like...well to be correct Eight Months after my last post. I didn't mean to do it, I promise!! But I got really busy and my camera was being an "Evil Little Troll" (That's what I named him) so I couldn't really post anything remotely interesting. Second, Happy New Year!! But it feels like that was a year ago. I don't get it. 


I did have an extremely remarkable Thanksgiving and Christmas, we made the famous "Over the Rainbow Macaroni & Cheese" And spent some great quality time with the family. I had very adventurous excursions with my Aunt and Uncle (more details on that will come soon) and Grandparents, and of course my parents and siblings. 


I did make some New Year's Resolutions for this year, and I wanted to share them with you so here they are:

• Make New Year's Resolution this year
• Post on "Barefoot Duchess" atleast 16x more than last year (I wasn't very specific, I know)
• Finish "14", "Saga of My Heart" and "Until the Last Rose Dies" (Novels I'm currently writing, it's alot of work!)
• Create atleast six new recipes in the following six months
• Read the "Lord of the Rings Trilogy" with my mom (yes, we're just NOW getting around to reading it)
• Google the things I say I will (and sometimes I've sat down and gone to Google but by the time I get there I forget what to Google!)
• Buy a new Laptop, Camera, and iPod (yes, iPod, I actually need one believe it or not)

Also, I'll try to post some more pictures to the blog. Even if I have to force "Evil Little Troll" to work. I hope you have a great day and have great fun in the kitchen!

-Sandra

Ballet Austin Dinner Party

This past Tuesday my mom and I were invited to a dinner party for those interested in joining the Ballet Austin Guild. And I have to say it was the best dinner party of my life!
It was held in a fabulous home, by some very generous friends.

The appetizer was delectable, and the company splendid.
But one of my favorite parts was the dinner.
It was wholegrain angel hair with a type of mushroom sauce. And a classic salad with a mix of Arugula, and, several other kinds of lettuce, tossed with a savory vinagrette, and polished off with toppings of olives and cherry tomatoes.
The bread was, I believe, Ciabatta, toasted with a little bit of olive oil, salt and pepper to bring out the flavor.
Strawberry Delight was given for dessert, and it was by far one of the most fantastic desserts I've ever eaten. It was a meringue, sweetened to perfection, topped with a homemade whipped cream, and fresh, chopped strawberries. The crust was almost like vanilla wafers, and it gave the Delight a flavorful and fabulous finish.

Unfortunately, I left my camera at home so I didn't get to take any pictures.

While there, my mom and I met several people, including the president of Ballet Austin Guild. And by the time the party was over we were all excellent friends. 

So, all-in-all, the food was amazing, the company fantastic, and by far it was the best dinner party I've ever had. I will look forward to joining the guild.

Have great fun it the kitchen!!


-Sandra

It's May!

A lot of things have happened since I last posted. My father had a birthday, my brother is graduating from college, and my sister is growing taller by the minute.

I woke up early this morning, meaning I had some time to brew some Chamomile tea and eat my breakfast before my morning rush began. 
A friend recently had given me a fine china tea cup and saucer. And get this: it's dishwasher safe! 
So I now have china that can be stuck in the dishwasher directly after use. 

This afternoon I will be accompanying several of my friends to attend a picnic at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. 
It will be a wonderful chance to explore many different kinds of flowers and gardens!

What a busy day! But, May is a great month for it!


Have great fun in the kitchen!!


-Sandra

Resurrection Sunday Brunch

This Sunday, my church will be hosting a brunch. My mother and and several other ladies are in charge of the menu. My mother had asked me to help come up with ideas. And we are still trying to figure out what we should bring. 
  We have decided on something like a fruit platter, and I think Baked Honeycrisp Apples would be a nice treat. But there's something missing. The apples are good by themselves but what if there was a topping to give it that extra bite? Any Suggestions? I'm thinking of an Oatmeal Crumble.
If you have any ideas for the menu please feel free to comment. 

Have great fun in the kitchen!


-Sandra

What I Ate Today - Baked Honeycrisp Apples

Hello!

This is my first edition of my new series: What I Ate Today. The recipe I have on spotlight is Baked Honeycrisp Apples. It is an easy, simple, yet delightful recipe for baked apples, that will bring the comfort into your day.
Here's how I made it

• Take 2 to 3 Honeycrisp apples (they are at most grocery stores) and halve them. Spoon out the core with a melon baller (found in the kitchen aisle at your local store).
• After the cores are taken out, cut the apple into thin slices, and set them aside into a bowl.
• Sprinkle about 1/2 cup of sugar onto the apples, then add 3/4 teaspoon of nutmeg, and 3/4 teaspoon of cinnamon. Mix it lightly with a spoon.
• Take an orange, cut it in half, and squeeze 1/4 cup of the juice into the batter.
• Sprinkle 1/4 cup of flour onto the mixture to thicken it, and mix it.
• Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, line the apple slices up, about 5 to 6 in a row. 
• Into the oven, and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the apples are golden brown, and tender but still have a slight, crunchiness to it.

This recipe is simple, fun, and the ultimate comfort food!

More to come!


Have great fun in the kitchen!


-Sandra

And the Winner Is... (continued)

As you all might have known I had a recipe contest held last October (Yes, October). And I had left you all with suspense since the winner hasn't been annouced yet. Well, I say It's high time for the winner to be announced. 
I left you all with my top two choices for a simple chicken recipe: Baked in a Crock Pot by Fightin' Mad Mary or Roasted with an Herb by an Anonymous Reader.

And the moment you've all been waiting for....the winner is...

Roasted Herb Chicken by the Anonymous Reader!

Congratulations! The recipe for Roasted Basil Chicken will be posted soon!

Have great fun in the kitchen!

-Sandra

What I Ate Today

Hello, all!

It's been quite a long time since I last posted. Well, I'm back! And I would like to reveal to you a brand new series in my blog, called: What I Ate Today! 
Every once in a while I will spotlight one of the meals in my day and show it to you, telling you how I made it, and how to improvise with one ingredient or another. Also I might have a Q&A specialty at certain occasions.

Enjoy!

-Sandra