Chocolate Cake/Cup Cake

Chocolate cake is I think, one of the most, if not the most known dessert of all times. But the best part is that there are millions of recipes from millions of different people. I think that happens because maybe at the beginning everyone had the same recipe only that as time went by there were some people who decided to add more sugar, take some flour and so on, and that’s why we ended up having the different recipes.

I think that it happens because of the different taste we each have, and I think the best way to knowing if you like something the way it is or not, is by trying it and finding out by yourself. The great thing about recipes is that most of them can be transformed or modified to fit your likes. Sometimes it´s sad that things are changed and they are not what they used to be, but it´s even more important that you enjoy what you cook and what you eat.

This is the recipe I have:

Ingredients:

3 cups flour
2 cups brown sugar
3 / 4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
A pinch of salt
a splash of vanilla essence
3 / 4 cup oil
1 cup milk with lemon or vinegar
1 cup hot water
2 cold eggs

Preparation:

Sieve the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.
Mix first all dry ingredients.
Add eggs, oil, vanilla essence and buttermilk.
Add hot water last.
In the buttered mold (or cup cake recipient) put a sheet of paper.
Put the mixture there, and let bake at 350 degrees for 35 or 40 minutes.
For the frosting you can use Betty Crocker frosting.

You can decide if you want to change something, and also decide if you want to make it into a real cake or into cup cakes. For the decoration I used nonpareils, but it´s really up to you and the occasion. It was fun making it.

Pretzels Religious?!

In 610 A.D a monk in northern Italy or maybe southern France came up with pretzels. At first they were soft because they were made of bread dough. The monk saw there was left over dread dough and decided to twist it around until he got the perfect shape.

That shape was of a child´s arms folded when making a payer. The children would get pretzels as a reward when they learned their prayers, because pretiola in Latin means reward, but when it got to Austria and Germany the pretiola became pretzel. It would be really funny if one of the kids made a prayer asking for a pretzel instead of having to learn and say the other prayer, people should be able to pray for whatever they want, in this case a pretzel.

But that’s not all, pretzels have done much more than just brighten children’s days, they have also been part of weddings and even war.

Believe it or not, pretzels were used to “tie the knot” between royal families, so in weddings they had the tradition of wishing on a pretzel. To do this they would (bride and groom) hold the pretzel side by side and make a wish. Then they would pull and the one that ended up having the bigger piece of the pretzel would have its wish come true. Most of the time both the bride and the groom would wish for happiness and so they would usually get their wish anyway. I think that after doing that they would probably eat the pretzel right away.

Around 1510 A.D. the Turks tried to go over (and even under)Vienna´s walls and that way be able to conquer them, but in the middle of the night there were Viennese pretzel bakers that were still awake baking some pretzels, heard a weird noise outside, so they ran and told the people about the attack of the Turks and were able to save the city. Everyone was extremely happy with them, specially the king, who decided to have a special coat of arms to thank the bakers for their bravery, so the shield was decorated with a lion and a pretzel. Since then it has been the baker’s emblem.


I think all this is just so amazing. Who would have ever imagined a pretzel could actually mean and do so much? Because after all, this has been the one with the most stories to tell. We definitely have a lot to thank to the pretzels and understand that after all, pretzels are NOT just pretzels.

Pretzels

The truth is that I am not a very big fan of pretzels, but my brother is, and because he knew I haven’t posted in a while (because I really don’t know what recipe would be fun to make) he told me I had to do pretzels. It was fun, well actually everything was a total disaster at first because I wasn’t in the best mood ever you know, homework and other stuff just didn’t help… so the cooking environment want the best one, and I thought it would be nice it I gave you a tip, or the secret (as others call it) for having a good outcome when cooking.

Some might think that when you cook, you will be able to relax because it will help you take your mind off of things, and it probably works for you, but sometimes when you are really, extremely stressed out and feel that not even cooking will brighten, or better sweeten your day, then it’s just not the right time to cook, because believe me things just don’t come out the way they should.

That’s why you have to know everything is better when you have a good attitude and cook with love, I know it sounds cheesy, but when you actually do it, you will realize I am right. It´s probably a lame tip, but whatever.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 tablespoon oil
2 tablespoons sugar
1 pinch of salt
1 egg, lightly beaten and divided into two portions
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups water
Sesame seeds

Preparation:

First dissolve yeast in warm water, add oil, sugar, salt, half the beaten egg and 1 cup of flour.
Mix for 20 seconds and let rise in a bowl for 30 minutes.
Add the remaining flour and continue mixing until it forms a ball.
Put dough on a lightly floured board and knead for 2 minutes.
Then cut dough into 12 parts and make each a string of around 40 cm.
Mix baking soda in 2 cups of water, and soak each string in the solution (baking soda and water).
Make a pretzel shape with the string and make sure the ends are well pasted.
Place them on a lightly oiled pan and let there for 15 minutes.
Combine the remaining egg with cold water and brush pretzel with a brush.
If you like, sprinkle with sesame seeds and bake at 200c for 15 minutes.

So even if you, like me, don’t really consider yourself a pretzeler give it a try. They were actually not that bad, but if for some reason you believe they are, I am pretty sure that someone else will eat them.

Believe It or Not, a Rice Krispie Can Make a Difference

It probably doesn’t, but the point is that there is a difference in the year and the person that came up with this wonderful marshmallow and rice krispies mixture.

Everything started in 1928, when Mildred Day and staff of the Kellogg´s home economics department invented this amazing treat. They decided that it was a great way for the Camp fire Girls to raise funds.

I know what you are thinking right now “it sounds pretty normal to me”. Sorry to pop your bubble, but it’s not. Just continue reading and you will probably understand.

Everything started in 1939, when Mary Barber and staff of the Kellogg´s home economics department invented this unforgettable treat. They decided that on 1940 they would publish the recipe of the Rice Krispies Treats on their Kellogg´s box.

No. I didn’t do a mistake, that’s just what I found. Randomly confusing huh? YES.

I really don’t know what happened, but this has been the recipes history I have searched the most, and that’s because I find two completely different stories of how and who came up with it. Some web sites are sure that it was Mildred Day, while others reaffirm it was Mary Barber. The years are different, but they were both from the same company and had exactly the same position. I tried looking them up by their names, but that was no help at all. It appears that Mildred is a school teacher and Mary was a poet. They also appear on facebook, but that’s probably someone else that has those unlucky names. Yes, sorry if that’s you, but how sad is it to not find the exact history of a recipe or maybe even your favorite dessert?

It’s not my favorite, I was just existed for doing something so easy and yummy, but the truth is that it ended up being very complicated and confusing, but anyways, the sticky sweet flavors are still the same.

It seems as if a rice krispie doesn’t make a difference… but I bet a marshmallow does.

Rice Krispies

This is like the easiest and fastest recipes ever, plus its really good and a total classic. On Sunday someone gave one to my brother and I just felt that I had to do it. Today I finally did, and guess what it was so fast that I think I should have done it on Sunday, no matter how much homework I had. I seriously took me like 5 minutes.

The magic begins with the:

Ingredients

3 tablespoons of butter
4 cups of rice krispies (this are the original Rice Krispies from Kellogg´s, but you have something similar maybe you could try it. It’s cool to experiment.)
1 package marshmallows which would probably be equivalent to 4 cups marshmallows

and it continues with the:

Preparation

First, melt butter in a saucepan over low heat.
Add marshmallows and let them melt completely.
When it looks like a mixture, remove pan from fire.
Add rice krispies and stir until completely covered in the mixture.
With a spatula pour the mixture into a previously greased container.
Let cool, and then cut into squares.

And no matter what happens next, the magic never ends.

It actually doesn’t, no matter if you finished eating them, because guess what?! If you like them you can actually do more!! Isn’t that just so cool? It is, and if after making them and eating them for the 20th time and you don’t feel bad yet, then you could try the new combinations. I feel your excitement already!

To prolong the magic:

You can either change the marshmallows for caramel, or add condense milk before you add the rice krispies, or syrup, peanut butter, MM´s, chocolate chips, nuts, or whatever makes things more magical for you.
Yes, it can even be love.
Even though that is something every recipe should already have. :)

Marriage dessert… Yeah, don’t think I forgot about it... Even though I did... Ops

Sorry for not posting sooner… it’s just that there has been so much in my mind lately. So when I looked it up, I didn’t really find anything, just marriage cakes. So I decided it was better to call and ask my grandma.

She said that it´s called marriage dessert because it is made up of two important parts: the blackberries and the custard, just like a couple at marriage, they have each other to complement each other. Too much each other… but that’s just the way things are.

My grandma also told me that there was no special meaning in eating it in Easter week, that it was just a dessert that had become a tradition in the family, and in many other families here and in other Latin American homes.

Anyways, that what I was able to find out about this one. I am not sure if all this was really that interesting… but I do know you should make It and taste those two delicious flavors that would definitely brighten up your Easter week… sorry for posting this late, but don’t worry it will come again… next year.

Marrige Dessert

No, I didn’t name it like that, but a random someone did. Why? I don’t know, they just did. You might be wondering why I am making such short sentences. (Even thought that one wasn’t so short), but the truth is I’m not really in the mood to make long sentences… ok whatever, the effect is already fading off.
So this recipe is a very traditional one, especially here. They usually do it for Easter week, and even though I don’t really celebrate it my grandparents and all those that came before them did. To know more about its meaning and why it’s so important, read the history of this delicious dessert.

Ingredients:

1 ½ bags of milk
Half teaspoon of cinnamon
200g corn flour
1 ½ cup of white sugar
1 pound blackberries

Preparation:

(for the custard)
Boil milk.
Add cinnamon.
Add the corn flour.
Mix constantly, until you feel (and know) that if you put it on a plate and put it upside down, it will not fall.
Serve in small soup plates.
Set aside and let cool off.

(to make blackberries sweet thing to put on top)
Make sure to wash and remove the leaves from the berries.
Boil some water with the berries.
Draw water.
Add sugar and mix softly.

When custard is ready to serve, get plate with custard and flip into another plate.
On top, add some blackberries.
And last but not least, enjoy!

Mango Ceviche History – Total Failure

Ok. I am confused.
And sad.

So I thought it would be easy to find the history of mango ceviche on the internet, but the truth is that it wasn’t. I got this recipe from mom, that got it from my aunt, that was giving to by a friend, and I forgot the rest. It was hard to ask that random person how they got the recipe, so I decided to search on Google. You know, like going to Google and typing “history of mango ceviche” and then clicking on the first link that had the words history, mango and ceviche on it, but when it opened it had nothing to do with what I was looking for, so as any other person would have done, I went to the next link, and found that the ceviche was supposed to have fish. I never knew mango ceviches had fish, but when I looked at the link below, and the one beneath that one and so on, all of them seemed to talk about mango ceviches with fish. That was exactly what I wasn’t looking for.

Then I found a page that agreed with me. It made me feel special. She said that ceviches didn’t have fish and could have anything you wanted to put… but I still didn’t find how the mango ceviche I know how to make came to be… it’s actually a sad story. I thought maybe my followers (by the way, I love you, thanks for following!) would be disappointed at me and would never feel like looking at my blog again, but then I realized I should be positive and think that maybe they would understand that we all make mistakes and that sometimes that helps us to be better… so, sorry and try to understand me… I didn’t know mango ceviche had fish, but guess what, now I do.

Mango Ceviche

You have probably realized I have mostly been posting sweet things, but the truth is that life is sweet for some, and others need to add the sweetness to theirs and the only way to do that, it to eat sweet things. But today I have deiced I should also post other flavored things, because that’s what cooking is all about! There are many types of food and flavors, and no matter how much I might love sweet desserts, there is much more to having a good meal with only sweet ingredients in it. This is one of my favorite snacks/appetizers to share with others, its sometimes sad having to share this deliciousness with others, but sometimes everything is better when you share.

Ingredients:

2 semi ripe mangos
1 small onion
2 lemons
1/3 cup of ketchup
½ cup of mayonnaise
1 little garlic
some pepper

Preparation:

Chop mango into small cubes.
Chop onion, garlic too.
Mix everything very well.
Can accompany with crackers or small toasts.

Not only is this very tasty, but as well very healthy (haha that rhymes). It also fits every occasion, from a very formal-elegant one, to a just-hanging-out-with-friends type of occasion. Just bite into that juiciness of mango, and other mystery ingredients (you will obviously know the mystery ingredients, but others won’t) that will brighten you and make your day.

Lemon Dessert

I know the name might sound random, but the truth is that I really don’t know its real name. It has been in the family for a really long time, and they have always called it "lemon dessert". It has actually always been one of my favorite desserts... well it’s not like it’s my favorite, but it’s just so common and well known around the house that it does become a favorite, but I prefer chocolate anyways...
Because I have always seen it here and in is a family recipe, I really didn’t think there would be anything about it on the internet. There is probably something about this dessert on internet, there is everything on internet, but I am actually feeling kind of lazy to go look for it at this time of the night, so for now let’s just make it simple and go straight to the point. There is no real history on this dessert, it’s been in my family and I am being nice and sharing the recipe. Which is the following.

Ingredients:

1 can milk cream
1 can condensed milk
1 / 2 cup of lemon juice
zest of a lemon

Preparation:

Mix the cream and milk (not with blender) with a spoon.
Add the lemon juice.
Mix and decorate with lemon zest.
Let rest in the freezer for 3 hours and then it’s ready.
It can be eaten alone or with pieces fruit such as bananas, strawberries or melon.

Yeah, you can try with many different fruits. As I said before it’s a family recipe, many have it and they all like to eat it with different things, so you can do the same. Its good alone, but when fruit is added, there is this new yummy flavor in it… it’s hard to explain. Just try it.

Welcome The Traveler, I Call It: Chapati

Chapatis aren’t really from anywhere around here. They have traveled a lot to get here, and just in case you don’t want to believe the long journey they’ve had to overcome, we (the chapati in my hand and me) will tell their adventures. They are originally from far, far away, and have been in this planet long enough. India is their home, but they have been able to travel because back then, when Indians had to move in the British Empire, they went, and eventually spread into Asia, mostly South East Asia, but also Africa. Now a days they are known as one of the first modern foods that has globalized this world. In Kenya they are a traditional food, even though they visited those lands in the 19th century, when the Indians had to work in the railway in Kenya-Uganda.
And now they are waiting to travel to your kitchen and amuse you as they have been amusing many others all around the world.

Chapati!

Don’t judge something you don’t know and have never heard of. Chapati is very easy to make, it’s like bread, but mush thinner and quicker to make. It’s an international food and you should really enjoy having this recipe, I bet not everyone knows that a chapati is. It’s Indian, but to read more about its origin and whereabouts, read its history, (soon to be posted).

Ingredients:
3 cups of wheat flour
1 cup of warm water
1/3 of a cup of oil
1 tablespoon of salt

Preparation:
Mix all ingredients in a bowl.
Make balls that are medium size (not too small, but not too big).
Flatten the balls with a rolling pin; make sure they still look round, and are flat.
In a pan, put the chapatti, and let it gild. Then flip and do the same.
Continue doing this until you run out of dough.
Then it is ready to eat. You can eat it with whatever you want, it can be maple syrup, cheese, or anything you can possibly imagine. Just have fun and enjoy it at any time of the day.

Milkshakes True Identity

Everything started in 1885, when milkshake used to have whisky, it also had milk powder, barley and wheat flour, and it was first invented by William Horlick in 1887. At first it was made for the children and the invalids, but that one had eggnog, but was pretty much the one we now know. It was a good start, latter on in 1992, a Walgreens employee in Chicago, named Ivar "Pop" Coulson, took a malted milk, which back then used to be milk, chocolate, and malt, and he added ice cream, (two scoops to be exact) and it became so popular so fast that it became a very demanding drink between the young adults everywhere! Who would have ever imagined a Walgreens employee could become so famous and loved for having added two scoops of ice cream to a milkshake! I would have never imagined it from someone like him.

Milkshake Recipe

Milkshake is actually very easy to do… and so good :), and it’s so fast you could do it everyday for breakfast!! Did I mention it’s delicious? Cause it is… and you can pretty much add whatever you want, there is for everyone’s likes and dislikes, (hopefully not dislikes though, I hate having to eat something that’s not tasty or has a very weird texture, or the way they made it…) anyways, the important thing about this recipe is that you can put any of the options that are about to be mentioned, or you can just add whatever you feel like dumping in there, or in other cases whatever you find first in your fridge. Just in case, be careful to not add something really random that you will probably regret when you are about to drink the milkshake and see it a weird gross greenish thing floating in there.
If you do this for breakfast, make sure to be awake and actually knowing what you are doing. Today I was sleepy and kind of slow. I spilled some milk… haha, mom got mad, but I at least that helped me wake up…

Ingredients:

2 cups of milk
(This is the part I was telling you about a while ago… you can choose to add ONE of these… or whatever you feel like doing, but make sure to have fun!)
½ mashed banana
2 tablespoons orange juice
¼ cup chocolate mix
1 tablespoon melted jelly
½ teaspoon flavoring
Or other mashed fruit
Sugar (you decide, it’s up to you, but I recommend 2 to 4 tablespoons)

Prepare:

Add milk, a “flavor” or what you chose to add, sugar.
Shake or beat until blended.
Serve and enjoy! (2 serving)

It’s extremely easy to make, so if unlike me, you have enough energy to make one every day for breakfast, do so! There are plenty of things you can add to vary every time you feel like enjoying one! It you ever add something and think it just tastes like heaven, be sure to comment on this recipe so we can all enjoy your amazing imagination and cooking abilities!

Apple Pies… Since that time around?!

Apples pies or tarts were actually around here since the Middle Ages! Isn’t that just so cool? Before, they weren’t exactly like we know them, they didn’t have sugar and they weren’t really meant to be eaten. You must be wondering why they did them anyways, but don’t worry. Back then, like around 1381, they didn’t have that much sugar and the one they and was extremely expensive, but some cooks of King Richard II, presented it to Queen Elizabeth, latter on, and that was the first officially known apple pie. So to make the long story short, apple pie used to be much different to what we know, but through the decades, we have been able to have the wonderful and delicious combination on apples, sugar and flour that we all love.

Chocolate Chip Cookies... a mistake?!

Who would have ever imagined that chocolate chip cookies were a mistake? Near Whitman Massachusetts, Ruth Wakefield used to do butter cookies for her guests in 1937. One day she decided to add a piece of semi-sweet chocolate and see what happened and how they reacted. To her surprise, they loved it! And she had to publish the recipes in the newspaper, they became very popular.
That, I think is just awesome! Who would have ever imagined something so good and famous would have just happened by adding an innocent, yet the most delicious sweet thing ever… chocolate!?
Thanks Ruth Wakefield, I really don’t know what I would do without chocolate chip cookies…

Last minute changes!!

I have deiced to change something’s in this blog. I have realized it is much harder to post “life” recipes than what I had expected. As I said on my first post, it does have to do with all of us, but we all have our life to live and we are free to decide how to that. It is nice when they give you tips or ideas once in a while, but I don’t consider myself the expert of living the best life or anything like that, I am still trying to live mine. So there will be some changes about those recipes. Now, instead of having those life things there will be some background information on the recipes! Have you ever wonder who came up with chocolate chip cookies or how long ago have apple pies been around? Well I have, and I decided I should share those answers with you. We might have life as something in common, but we also have queries or questions we share, so come back soon to find more delicious, easy and fun to make recipes, but also to learn more about food mysteries!
;)

Apple Pie!

Pies are delicious, and are good for you! They have a very nutritious fruit. Apples!

Ingredients

¼ pound of butter
2 teaspoons of sugar
A pinch of salt
1 tablespoon of baking powder
2 tablespoons of milk
1 ½ cups of wheat flour
2 eggs
4 or 5 red apples
Brown sugar
Powder cinnamon

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
Blend butter and sugar until gets creamy.
Add flower little by little, eggs, salt, milk and baking powder. Mix well until dough doesn’t stick to your hands.
Divide dough in two equal halves and roll one of the balls to form the pie crust and put it in the pie pan, previously buttered and floured.
Peel apples and take off cores. Cut them in slides and set them over the base.
Sprinkle sugar and cinnamon. Then repeat the process until there are no apples left.
Put pieces of butter and cover with the rest of the dough (second half) making sure everything is covered.
With a fork, poke softly over top and take to oven for 30 or 35 minutes.

1st Recipe! Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Chocolate Chip Cookies are very common and well known, but they are simple, easy, fun and DELICIOUS!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup dark sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup butter
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups chocolate chips

Preparation:

1. Blend butter with sugars. Add eggs and vanilla.
2. Combine flour, baking soda, salt and chocolate chips.
3. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls onto baking sheet.
4. Bake 18 minutes at 300 F.

As you can see it´s really fast to make, so don´t hesitate and run do your own!
Go watch your favorite T.V show while you enjoy some just-made cookies and milk! :)

HEY!

I am Melisa. I like to cook and I love all the many different flavors that exist. How awesome is it that every single thing has a unique texture, color, smell, etc? When I created this blog I decided it should have something everyone can be familiar with and I decided that should be life.

So that’s what you will find here! Recipes; that are not only to cook delicious and simple, (but fun to make) desserts, salads and much more, but also some short and but very important life lessons, or how I like to call them recipes, that will hopefully help.

Hope you learn and enjoy! :)