"The Earth Laughs in Flowers" -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ever since I can remember, my parents and grandmother used to garden, every year, in order to provide food for our table. They planted EVERYTHING! Tomatoes, potatoes, green beans, squash, cucumbers, lettuce, etc. Anything you can think of, I'm sure they've tried it, and with success.


Maybe it's the new generation problems (probably is the new generation problem), but my sisters and I somehow managed to miss this "green-thumb" gene. Not from lack of trying, mind you, but there were times where we tried growing even a small cactus, and that cactus decided that it was dryer than the Sahara Dessert and wilted into nothing. Plus, growing up, we weren't exactly the outdoors people. No matter how often our parents tried, they couldn't get us off our butts to help them garden, only on the occasional mulch laying or harvesting of vegetables. We all understood the concept, like what needed to be done, but it took a little while to get us to actually do it well.

In the last couple of years, especially after attending culinary school, I've realized how embarrassing it was to not know what a cucumber plant, or a tomato plant, or even a broccoli plant looked like. I cook these items every day, and yet, I had no idea where or how they came. I knew I had to educate myself. I started spending more time in my parents garden, as they patiently re-taught me (because I'm sure they had already before) all about gardening. The composting (kudos to my cousin for this one, too, Ms. Organic Agriculturist), the watering, the planting, and even harvesting. I even googled and youtube-d a lot of information so that I can do it the right way, the first time.  I started feeling confident in my skills and I think my plants have felt it, too.

So needless to say, I started my own garden this year. The ever so kind Mr. Whittington and Mr. Matthews came with their heavy duty tiller and broke the ground for me. April was a very wet season, but we managed to get it broken down and dried before the planting season. In May, I went over to Caldwells Greenhouse and bought me an assortment of tomato plants (Roma, Cherry, Oxheart, and Mortgage Lifters), peppers (Banana, Sorrano, and Jalapenos), and Herbs (Parsley, Cilantro, Basil, and Mint). My dad and Ms. Leah also gave me extra herbs and plants to add to my garden. I was set for the year.

Left First Column: Peppers
Second Column: Oxheart and Cherry
Third Column: Mortgage Lifter and Roma,
Fourth Column: Herbs, Sunflowers, and Morning Glories  

On the first day of planting, I worked on the row of peppers. It took me a while, but as I got the hang of it, I was able to work quicker, finishing the tomato plants in half the time I did the peppers. Next day, I had to leave for a business trip, and when I came back, Hines had put up a beautiful, sturdy, chicken-wire fence around the garden so that animals would stay away. Other than birds, I haven't had an animal problem, yet. I'm thankful for his work and everyone's help and advice on starting my garden. It's been a joy so far and as they continue to grow, I can't wait to share with you all the fruits of my labor.

Happy Birthday West Virginia!

This Saturday, June 20th, marks the 152th birth date of West Virginia. For two years, the loyal unionists from the trans-Allegheny region of the Virginia General Assembly pushed for the secession and creation of their own states, separating themselves from the political elites who chose to join the Confederate States of America. On June 20th, 1863, they were successful and West Virginia was born. For many years after, the people celebrated the date, and in 1927, it officially became a state holiday. 

As someone who grew up in Indiana, lived and worked in North Carolina, Florida, Georgia, and New York State, I can only say wonderful things about the state of West Virginia. Yes, there are a LOT of hills and valleys here, but hey, that make's for an interesting drive rather than flat, corn country. The people truly make this place worth visiting, as there are kind, friendly people every where. Not to mention, if you are a nature lover, like me, there are over 20 State Parks for you to visit and enjoy.

West Virginia Day Piece*
"Autumn Flame"

Every year, the Blenko Glass Company celebrates the birthday by creating special birthday pieces, only selling a set number. This year, they concentrated on the beauty of West Virginia trees and seasons.

West Virginia Day Companion Pieces *
"Summer Shade"

West Virginia Day Companion Pieces *
"Spring At Last"

The Buffalo Diner will be on site, Friday June 19th, providing food for the employees, as well as those standing in line for their beautifully, hand-crafted glass piece. Each piece is unique and lovely, and it is an event sought after by many. In honor of these beauties, I created a few cookies to match the pieces. If you are one of those waiting in line for that special glass, try the treats out and have a good time. 

These are my attempts at copying the color scheme of the Blenko glasses.
Plus a few originals. 

*Photos courtesy of Blenko Glass Company, posted on their home page http://www.blenko.com/

Baby's everywhere!

I love babies.

There, I said it. I admit that every time I see a picture of a new born baby or ones of the babies growing, I swoon. It definitely gives me baby fever, but that's another story, for another time, far into the future. With the help of Facebook, I get to see my friends, family, and other's babies grow up. Let's face it, if you're a new mom and/or dad, you've posted at least 10 pictures of your baby already. 

Cake for the expecting mother. LOVED making this!

What I love, more, than, seeing pictures of babies on Facebook, is making Baby Shower cakes for the expecting mommies. They are so much fun, and you can't help but get excited with the to-be parents. Recently, I had a chance to make one and I wanted to share with y'all. 

You can't have a party without matching cupcakes!

Buffalo Diner's loyal customer and friend came in and asked for a Baby shower cake and food for her daughter's new boy. She specifically asked for a belly cake, with a baby foot sticking out of the side, and the cake to be in a blue, brown, and white dress. Challenge accepted. And I made matching cupcakes to go with! It was a blast to make, even made Hines blush a little as I was molding the fondant onto the cake. haha. But the point is, it turned out great. Thanks for letting me make this cake. Can't wait to meet baby Landon. 

Celebration of the decade

I've come to realize that, from March through November, there is at least one or two birthdays to celebrate in each month. That makes for a very busy Summer through Fall, but honestly, it's a blessing to have so many people to celebrate. Family members, friends, co-workers, EVERYONE! And, in the month of May, we get to celebrate my good ol' dad!

Doesn't that look scream "SURPRISED"??

This year, it was an even more important birthday for him as he's hitting another decade, 60's. It's once in a life time, right? My sisters, the crafty party planners that they are, planned out a whole surprise party in honor of the man who cared and loved us all. I even surprised him by showing up!

He was amused by his golf cookies I made him.

I left Buffalo at 6:30am in order to arrive in Columbus by 11am. I surprised him, we ate lunch, and then surprised him again with our planned adventure of Zip-lining. (If you have never been and live in the Brown County State Park area, definitely try the Explore Brown County. It was so much fun, even in the bit of rain that we got.) After 2 hours of fun, we all headed home in separate directions. My dad, thinking he's going to relax until dinner with family, was actually going to get his last surprise in a couple of hours. My sisters and I all started working to get her house ready for the party. Decorations, food, cake, cookies, everything needed to be perfect! The guests all started to arrive around 6pm and we had coordinated with my mom to bring dad over around 6:30pm. It was ALL planned out. The ruse we used for him to come over? "It's Luna, the dog's birthday, too, so we have to celebrate it at my (my sister's) house". No one knew the wiser.

A golf ball cake wouldn't travel well in the car, so I made cookies instead!

When he walked through the door, it was pretty clear to see he was surprised. Even the kids were all into surprising their "Ji". In the end, I think we all had a great time and we can put another successful birthday party under our belt. Thank you to all who came and took part in the celebration. And thank you to my Buffalo Diner family, for letting me go and participate in my dad's birthday.

My family is a goober

Happy Mother's Day!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Mother's Day yesterday. West Virginia sure cranked the heat up for the morning, but a quick shower made it nice and cool. Thanks weather!

Since college years, I have not been able to be home much for Mother's Day and spend time with my own mommy. Skyping and calling helps to connect and celebrate the woman who made me who I am, but it still doesn't do a physical hug justice. I do miss you mom and I hope you had a wonderful, albeit busy and full of adventures, day celebrating you and moms everywhere.

My mommy, Kiki and Luciana, also a mommy. 

However, Hines and I do live in West Virginia now, which means that at least he is able to spend it with his mom and family. We had brunch at Bob Evans with his mom, headed over to Denise's parent's house for an afternoon at the Johnsons, and finished the day off at his Granny's house. It was a full day, with lots of food and laughter, and it was perfect. It sure is nice being able to celebrate and recognize the hardwork of all the women who have impacted our lives in some way.

There are so many positive aspects of the day, but I do recognize that, for some, it's not a good day. There are those who didn't have a mother growing up, whether it be for financial, death, or emotional reasons, and it must be hard. I read an article about a young mother who lost her battle with cancer not too long ago and left her husband a widow with four children. My heartbreaks to think of the sadness that these family members must feel, knowing that the one person they celebrated with all these times, isn't there anymore. However, the husband has a beautiful message of moving on and celebrating the memories of the woman he loves. Please check out the article here.

I guess what I am trying to say is, please consider those who aren't emotionally ready to celebrate this day. I know I miss my Grandmothers each and every single day. For those of us who do have their mothers or a mother figure, take a moment and remember how blessed you are. Give your mom and grandmothers an extra hug and don't forget to tell them you love them and that they are beautiful.

"Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to Tai"

Galinha Pintadinha Birthday dessert table 

Last week, I had to track on back to Indiana for a post-op appointment for my elbow. Conveniently enough, it was my nephew Ty's birthday!!

Hello Birthday Boy!! 

I was able to be with him, last year, for his Jake the Pirate birthday, and to make it to another birthday (IN A ROW!!) it's like I'm getting back on the "good" aunt book. Not only that, but I definitely took dibs on making his cake. Let's just say I'm getting really good at packing and traveling in my car.

He's super pumped for the Jake the Pirate bike Uncle Hines and Tia Kikko got him

This year's theme was "Galinha Pintadinha" (translated the spotted chicken). Many of you Americans don't know what this is, but it's a Brazilian television show that showcases many short, animated songs. Don't try to understand the songs, trust me. They really don't make any sense, but they sure are catchy. (Think of itsy bitsy spider kind of songs). One of Ty's favorite song is the "Tumbalacatumba" song where the skeletons do numerous activities at each hour. He specifically told me that a Galinha cake would not be a good one without skeletons. Dutifully noted.

Final cake display. Mini Ty on top! Happy 3rd birthday buddy!

So here's the end result of the cake! I incorporated his favorite skeletons and copied a birthday song scene from Galinha. The cake was chocolate with Oreo filling on the bottom layer, and yellow with strawberry jam on top. It seemed as though he enjoyed himself very much, playing with all of his friends, and eating a piece of Galinha cake. Hope you enjoyed his smiling face as much as I did!

Hello, my name is Kikko and I have a bread problem

In light of the Lenten Season, I've come to realize that I have a seriously problem. I am truly addicted to a food item and I can't seem to stop. I've tried all the remedies: wiening off slowly, substituting for another product, even going cold-turkey. Nothing seemed to be working. I truly have a bread problem.

I will say that I've kept my word and not had a bite of gluten since Ash Wednesday (February 18th), but I would be lying if I said it was easy. When you work in a restaurant and Hines makes some of the best Penne Alfredo out there, you can only try not to salivate at the thought. Or when someone orders a cake or pie from me and I have to restrain myself from taking a "tasting" bite to make sure the quality is good (Don't worry, Hines and the girls have all enjoyed doing that job for me). I have succumbed to putting food in my mouth for taste and then spitting it out. Yes, that's what my life has come to. But, hey, I didn't break the rule. It's part of the job.

This Sunday is Easter and I am excited to say that my bread hiatus will be ending soon. And it's not just bread that I've missed so much. I've missed the cookies, cakes, pastas, sandwiches, and even Soy Sauce. Yes, I have not been able to use soy sauce. Not even on my birthday where Hines took me out for sushi. The things I sacrifice. But, I feel good in knowing that I have avoided temptation and truly come to terms with my bread problem.

In three days, I will be commemorating the Rising of Jesus, the pinnacle meaning of his existence and why we celebrate this day every year. I will be commemorating this beautiful day with an Oreo cookie, some sort of Pasta and a nice sandwich. Ahhh, it's going to taste wonderful.

Ombre is my new favorite color scheme!

Enjoy these cupcakes that I've made, (Totally has gluten in it) because I sure will be, too!

Blackberry Filled White Cupcakes. Look at those colors :)

Blackberry White Cupcake
makes 15

Ingredients:

Cupcake: 1 box of your favorite white or yellow cake mix
Favorite butter cream icing
Filling:
1 cup Blackberry (frozen is fine, or fresh)
4 Egg Yolk
1 cups Sugar
2 cups Milk
1/4 cup Cornstarch
Dash of Salt
2Tbsp Cold Butter
1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract

MOP:
Cupcake
-Bake the cupcakes according to the box instructions. Fill the cupcake liners 3/4 of the way. Pre-heat the oven to 375F. When ready to bake the cupcakes, turn the oven down to 350F. This allows for the nice dome, risen look you want on the  cupcakes.

-Let cool.
Filling:
-In a sauce pan, mix the egg yolk, sugar, milk, salt and cornstarch with a whisk. Bring to stove top and mix on medium-low heat. Stir, using, also, a spatula to get to the corners of the pan. You don't want the mix to burn. Continue to stir until the custard starts to thicken. Cook until bubbling. about 1 minute, continuously. Pour mixtures onto a cookie sheet pan lined with plastic wrap. Quickly cover with another layer of plastic to avoid skin. Place in the cooler for at least 2 hours.

-Meanwhile, pulse the blackberries until nice and smooth. I left the seeds on, but if you are not a fan of berry seeds, you can run it through a strainer and use the juice.

-Mix your cold custard and blackberry together until homogenous. Spoon into a piping bag with no tip. It'll be easier this way.

Assembly:
-Cut into each cupcake in an upside down cone, making a hole. Pipe filling into the cupcake. Replace the cut piece on top. This also helps to create a nice domed look. Color your icing to what you like. I went with blue to purple, as seen on the pictures. Pipe over each cupcake and you are finished! Decorate with small sugar balls or sprinkle, or leave as is.

-Enjoy!

One-Armed Bandit

New and delicious "Russiata"

Many of you may know that I, Kikko, recently underwent surgery to operate on her elbow. I had cubital tunnel surgery, a situation where the ulnar nerve kept moving back-and-forth over my elbow, causing irritation and inflammation. (If you so choose to be educated in this matter, here is a link). Resting would be the most conservative option, not using the arm much and keeping in a straight position, but that's impossible when my livelihood depends on my hands and its functions. The doctor stated that surgery is an option, where they relocate the nerve so that it doesn't move between the elbow and will lessen the inflammation. Being young and impatient and with a hands-on career, I opted for the surgery. Both of my arms are affected by this syndrome, but I only operated on my left elbow, my weaker arm, and to assess whether its worth risking my good hand in the future. Plus, if I had done both at the same time, I would've really looked like Frankenstein (not that I don't already).

Counting down the days!!

I've never been in a cast before. As a child, I grew up with scrapes and bruises, and occasional stitches in the mouth (another story for later), but was blessed to never had broken a bone. I was in a boot for a couple of weeks, but that was removable. This time, I have a splint from my upper arm to my forearm, and dressing holding everything but my shoulder and fingers immobile. Now you have an image of me trying to type this blog post, all awkward and slow. Might as well be typing on a type writer. But, the good news is, my woes will be over after  this Friday when they remove the dressing, and stitches, and start me on therapy. Until then, I am succumbed to one-armed activities. Good thing drinking is one of them!

So to make this week go by quicker, I tried to think of a recipe that was so easy you could make it with one hand. Hopefully, no one will ever have to go through this misery, but if you do, you can have comfort in knowing you can, at least, make one thing while you're cast-ed. And hey, it's gluten-free*!

*If you have severe celiacs disease and/or have spoken to your doctor, opt out Kahlua as it may contain traces of gluten from the wheat based alcohol it uses.




"Russiata"  makes 2 drink

Ingredients:

1.5 oz Rumchata (mix of Rum and Mexican drink Horchata)
1.5 oz Favorite Vanilla Whip Vodka
1.5 oz Kahlua
4 oz Milk
Ice Cubes
Shaker
Cocoa powder for decoration
Cinnamon for decoration
Martini Glasses

MOP
- Pour all the ingredients into the shaker. Shake until the mixture is cold and frothy

- Dust cocoa powder on a plate or sheet tray. Wet the rim of the martini glasses. Dip onto the cocoa powder. Pour your drink into the glass. dust lightly with cinnamon.

-Enjoy!!

Lenten Season

Every year, Lent begins on Ash Wednesday (this year on February 18th) and ends on Easter Sunday (April 5th), 40 days and 40 nights of Christian/Catholic observance of Jesus Christ walking through the desert. I, a Catholic, practice giving up an item/ thing that is hard to live without, as a way to understand Jesus and his strength to avoid temptation by the devil. In the past years, I have given up anything from Facebook to food. Food is a popular item to give up, usually a treat that is a favorite. Everyone knows how much I love chocolate, ice cream, and meat, and I have given those items up once or more times in my life. Needless to say, I ended up with chocolate ice cream for breakfast on Easter morning, but who's to judge. This year, I wanted to take a step further and try at giving up something I truly love, bread and pasta; more specifically, gluten.  

The idea came from my co-worker, Denise, who, in wanting to take a step into a healthier lifestyle, decided to eliminate gluten from her diet. As morale support, and because I still needed an object to give up, I vowed to follow the trend with her. Let me tell you one thing: IT IS HARD!! Anyone who's worked in the kitchen knows that you eat what you cook and usually what you can get your hands on. If you don't, you will go hungry and irritable, and no one likes you (okay, maybe that was just me)

Snickers commercial anyone??

Lent has only been 2 weeks and I never realized how much I would miss flour and anything made with it. Put in a baker who has to use the stuff everyday, and it is torture staring at my baked goods case. At least I know I am truly working on my self-control by being able to find alternative foods to eat instead of a sandwich. Good thing I'm Japanese and love my rice!

In the next couple of weeks, I'll be posting foods that are gluten-free friendly, but still delicious. I still have a standard to uphold, of course. Today, I have a flour-less chocolate cake to share. Living in West Virginia, I definitely got some weird stares. "How can a cake be flour-less??" But everyone who tried it said they loved it. Please excuse the lack of picture as smarty here forgot to take one (too busy eating the cake), but a picture will come. For now I will give you this picture from Epicurious who took a beautiful picture of this creation. I made mine with berry sauce, blueberry, strawberry, raspberry, and blackberry, cooked with red wine. Let me know what you all think. 

FLOUR-LESS CHOCOLATE CAKE

1- 10" cake

Ingredients:

8 oz Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

1 cup (2 sticks) Melted Unsalted Butter

1 1/2 cup Sugar

6 Large Eggs

1 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

4 Cups Frozen Berries (or 1 cup of each of your favorite berries)

1/2 bottle red wine (Fruity or spicy, I used Shiraz, Pinot Noir will work too)

1 cup sugar

MOP:

-Pre-heat oven to 325F

-In the microwave, melt the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl, using 30 second increments, until chocolate is melted. Mix butter until both are equally melted and homogeneous. With a wooden spoon, mix sugar into the chocolate mix. 

-Crack and beat eggs into separate bowl, until all mixed. Add to the chocolate mixture, mixing with the wooden spoon. Sift and add the cocoa powder.

-Spray a 10" spring-form pan with oil. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Pour batter into the pan and spread evenly. 

- Place pan into the oven and bake for 20 min. Rotate the pan and bake for additional 20 min. The center may seem wet when inserted by toothpick, but it will set. The outer crust should be crisp and baked. 

-Let chill at room temperature for 15 min. 

-While cake is baking, place berries, wine, and sugar into a small sauce pot. Set on low heat and stir occasionally. Cook until sauce thickens and becomes syrup-y. 

- Slice a piece of cake, dust with powdered sugar, and pour a spoonful of the berry sauce on top of the cake. Serve to any of your guest and it will be an instant hit!

Post Valentine's Day never tasted so good

Valentine's Day.

Origin: During the reign of Emperor Claudias II, he obligated young knights and soldiers to leave their families for long battles. To ensure success, the Emperor commanded that all marriages be banned, allowing for the soldiers to focus more on the battle than their families at home. Not a believer in such tyranny, Roman Priest Valentine secretly married young couples. He continued the Christian ceremony until the Emperor became aware and ordered his imprisonment. While in jail, he was visited by many of the young couples he had married, whom brought flowers as a show of appreciation to the Priest. He also fell in love with the daughter of Roman Judge Asterius, who was prayed and healed by Saint Valentine. Right before his execution, on February 14th, he wrote a letter to his lover, with the famous line, "from your Valentine".

The memory of St. Valentine lives on in our annual celebration on February 14th. People who celebrates this holiday typically show their love through flowers, hearts, and cards with the words "from your Valentine". For some, it may not be the most significant of days, almost to the point of detesting, but for others, they share love and happiness with their significant other.

This year, I had seen many anti-Valentine's Day Meme on the internet, but you can't deny the fact that you get a ton of candy this time of year and all the cute holiday dessert ideas. I tested many different kinds of Valentine's Day confections, and I found the most success with the "Red Velvet Cheesecake". I first got the idea from my sister, who had made the recipe and posted on her blog Sweet Tooth Lulu. After a few tweaks for the Diner, I made them both in cake form and cupcake form. I couldn't keep them in the case! Hopefully everyone can smile about this recipe, enjoying every morsel, whether with a significant other or with your favorite spoon and comfy sweater.

Cupcake, my cupcake, so red and so luscious 

The inside look of the decadence 

And we all thought we were going on a diet haha

RED VELVET CHEESECAKE 


10" cake or 12 large cupcakes (cupcake recipe will be in italicize)






Ingredients:

Cake:
1 Box of Duncan Hines Red Velvet Cheese Cake (or use the Swans Down Red Velvet Cake Recipe*)

*One of my favorite recipes for cake. Use it for any other recipes calling for Red Velvet Cake





Cheesecake: (all ingredients room temperature)

20 oz Cream Cheese
1 1/4 cups Sour Cream
1 cup Sugar
1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract
2 whole eggs
3 egg yolks
1/3 cup Heavy Cream

Topping:

8 oz Cream Cheese (Room temp)

4 oz Butter (room temp)

4 cups Powdered Sugar

8 oz Heavy Whipping Cream

MOP:

Make the Cake:

- For the cake version, bake the Red Velvet Cake in two 10" pans, following the box or Swans Down recipe. The cake will be thin. Let cool, wrap in plastic wrap, tight, and place in the refrigerator over night.

When making the cupcakes, make sure to have the cheesecake finished first.

-Mix the cake batter according to instructions.

-Pre-heat oven to 350F.

-Line large cupcake pans with cupcake liner.

-Fill the cupcake liners to a 1/3 of the way up. Using a smaller scoop or spoon, grab a 1 Tablespoon
size of your chilled cheesecake and put in the center of the cup cake. Pour more batter on top until
3/4 of the liner is full.

-Place in the oven. Turn oven down to 325F and bake for 15 minutes. Rotate the pan around and bake for another 15 minutes or until the cake, when pressed with your finger, springs back naturally (like a sponge) I don't like using the toothpick test on this cupcake because of the cheesecake center.

-Remove from the oven and let cool for 10-15 minutes. Remove from the pan and let chill another 15 minutes before topping.

Make the Cheesecake: (for both cake and cupcake)

-Pre-heat oven to 300F.

- Spray 10" spring form pan with oil and line with parchment paper (bottom is most important). Line the outside of the pan with aluminum foil to ensure no water seeps in. Set aside.

- In a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese with a paddle attachment until smooth. Scrape the sides of the bowl, ensuring there is no cream cheese lump. Add the Sour cream, sugar, and extract. Beat until combined. On slow speed, add the eggs. Beat until combined, scraping the bowl every so often. (DON'T FORGET THIS STEP! Scraping the bowl is very important for a uniform and very smooth cheesecake). Add the Heavy Cream and beat until combined.

-Make sure all ingredients are homogenous. Pour into your prepared spring form pan.

-Place the spring form pan in a larger pan (can be cake pan or large roasting pan that completely surrounds the spring form pan comfortably, without any tilting). Place the pans inside the oven. Pour hot boiling water into the larger pan to form a water bath. Water should come up to the height of the batter inside the pan. Lower the temperature to 250F.

-Bake for one hour. Turn the oven off and leave the door closed (DO NOT TOUCH!) for another hour. This ensures perfect naturally cooling, which means no cracks and smooth texture. Carefully remove the spring form pan from the water bath, remove the foil, and let set for 15 minutes at room temperature.

-At this point, if you are making the cake, wrap the cheesecake, still inside the spring form pan, with plastic wrap and place in your freezer over night. For the cupcake, the refrigerator will simply do.

Make the Topping:

- In a stand mixture, beat the cream cheese with your paddle attachment until smooth. Add the butter and continue to beat until homogenous and there are no lumps. Add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, until your cream cheese icing is made.

- In a separate bowl, beat the heavy cream into stiff peak whipped cream.

-Add a 1/3 of the whipped cream to the cream cheese icing and mix, by hand, with a spatula, until the mixture is uniform.

-Fold in the rest of the whipped cream, in two batches, until the topping is fluffy and smooth.

-Put the topping inside a piping bag fixed with your favorite star piping tip.

Assembly:

For the Cake:
-Remove the cake from the refrigerator. Make sure the tops of the cakes are level to ensure a uniform cake look. Place one of the 10" cakes on a dish or cake board.

-Remove the cheesecake from the freezer. Run warm water on the outside of the pan to ease release. Remove the sides. Remove all parchment paper. Flip the cheesecake onto your cake that's on the dish. Remove the bottom of the spring form pan and the parchment paper. Place the other Red velvet cake on top of the cheesecake.

-Using the topping that's in the piping bag, pipe the top of the cake in your favorite decorative form. I only decorated the top of the cake, leaving a naked cake visual. To finish, drizzle chocolate sauce (I used Hershey's Chocolate Syrup) as an added touch.

For the cupcake:
-After the cupcakes have cooled down, place them on your favorite serving dish.

-Using the topping that's in the piping bag, pipe the top of the cup cakes in a rosette form. To finish, drizzle chocolate sauce (I used Hershey's Chocolate Syrup) as an added touch.

When your family goes on vacation without you...

It's a mountain of goods my friends

Anyone's family ever decide to go on a big family trip to somewhere and you weren't a part of the adventure? You either had to stay home because you're sick, or couldn't get away from work, or just didn't have the money. Well, 2 out of the 3 things applied to me, and it just so happened that the first did as well, right at the week they all left. Sigh. The vacation Gods were not in my favor this year.

When my cousin got engaged, we were all so happy for her. When the invitation came for the wedding, we just had one stickler, we lived a 9-hour plane ride to a different continent away from them. The good thing about her early announcement was that we had time to plan our trip. My parents, sisters, their husbands, and myself, all knew we wanted to go to Brazil and visit, it all just had to be cleverly done. All of my family were well on their way to creating their plans. I, on the other hand, got my new position at the Buffalo Diner, and with all the moving I did, my bank wasn't all that happy with me. And it would've been impossible for both Hines and I to go together, and not being able to share with him a great part of my life, Brazil, just didn't feel right. Needless to say, while my parents and sisters and their respective family boarded their Delta flights, I was in Buffalo, WV, baking another Red Velvet Cheesecake.

It may be sad, and the only regret I have is to not have been there for my cousin, but I do know that I'm lucky enough to have a family who brings me the goods. And by goods I mean a mountain of candy and local treats we only get to dream of in America.

I definitely broke into all these candies before they made it to my car. 

 The pictures show a fraction of what my parents brought from Brazil. Imagine a group of 15 people, 3 of which are toddlers, raiding each and every aisle of the supermarket store, grabbing anything and everything imaginable; that's my family, pride and joy. Oh and don't forget the image of luggage packed to the brim, and several questionable looks from the TSA Customs person.

Yesterday, being back to work after visiting my family, I had the pleasure of introducing some of the sweets to my dear co-workers. Majority of the questions and comments I got were, "Is it going to kill me?" and "I can't read it and it scares me". I managed to convince them all that I wasn't trying to kill anyone, and to their pleasant surprise, they liked it. My favorites are the BIS ( you can see it in the right hand corner of the second picture) and the Biscoitos caseiros (which translates to homemade cookies). BIS is like a kitkat that has a thinner layer of chocolate and lots more wafer. Crisp and delicious and comes in a variety of flavors. And for the biscoitos, they are like shortbread cookies with assortments of flavors. My favorite cookies are filled with guava paste and they're AWESOME!

As I was basking in the wonderfulness of Brazilian sweets, my dad showed me a cooking magazine he had picked up for recipes. The magazine was for Caseiro-style cooking and it featured recipes from an elderly lady, who I can only imagine had been making those dishes for ages. My favorite is the one below, called Beliscão "Big Pinch". It is filled with the guava paste that I love and it seems so simple to make. I'll definitely be trying it at the Diner. If anyone has questions on Brazilian sweets, definitely comment, or share some of your favorites.

Beliscão 

Beliscão "Big Pinch"

Example of Goiabada "guava paste". I got me a block and it's delicious!

Ingredients

- 4 ½ cups AP Flour plus extra for dusting 

- 1 teaspoon Salt

- 1 cup sugar

- 200g Cold Butter, cut into small cubes

- 3 Tbsp Creme de leite (Located in the Latin section of your grocery store)

- 250g Guava Paste cut into rectangles  (shown on right) 

- Sugar for dusting

MOP

- Pre-heat oven to 350F.

- In a bowl, mix the Flour, Salt, and Sugar. Add the cold butter and cut into your flour mixture until its a cornmeal consistency. I usually use my hand, but you can use a pastry cutter. Add the crème de leite and mix until a dough starts to form. Wrap in plastic and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. 

-Remove from the refrigerator and, using a rolling pin, flatten the dough until 1/4 inch in thickness. Use a cookie or round biscuit cutter to form circles (Use 2 in-2 1/2 in circles). Place a slice of guava paste into the center of each individual round dough. And as the name will describe, bring to opposite sides of the circle above the guava paste and pinch to secure in place. 

-Put each cookie on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Place in the pre-heated oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until the cookie becomes golden brown. Remove from the oven, and let cool for 10 minutes. 

-Now enjoy your new masterpiece and feel pride in tasting a bit of Brazilian goodness.