Bake It Pretty: Gimme ALL THE FOOD!!!

I took this recipe (and maybe like two others for today, for now anyways) from Pinterest in an act of showing some delicious no bake food recipes as well as the treats. After all, a balanced diet is all about helping us stay alive...and we need to be alive and in good health in order to enjoy all of those bad ass treats, no? YES!

Baked Gnocchi w/Roasted Tomatoes & Basil

Although the recipe is baked in the Pinterest post, you can honestly brown them in a LIGHTLY BUTTERED SAUTEE PAN or you can buy the frozen kind and boil them, like regular pasta: the choice really is yours in how you choose to prepare this dish. As well, the tomatoes can be sliced, seasoned and sauteed or they can be roasted/broiled: the combo of how to prepare this dish are endless, and it should all take under 30 minutes total.

Apple, Arugula, Brie & Pancetta Flatbread

I don't eat pork (Pancetta is Italian smoked bacon) of any kind...but that doesn't mean that you don't! So what if you want to die early, with arteriosclerosis hardening your insides?!!! When you're making and eating this delicious beast, the die will be worth it...unless you make one simple substitute and swap out the Pancetta for TURKEY BACON. Less fat, less salt, crispy, full flavor, and you can enjoy this appetizer (or meal, depending on how big you make it) without fault. YAY!!!

Portuguese Scallops

This plated dish is a personal favorite of mines. Growing up Portuguese, there were tons of seafood (baked, fried, broiled, and pan seared) to be eaten and enjoyed...along with Italian food for variety. Thus, I had the opportunity to indulge in all sorts of Scallop based dishes, but this one happens to be a favorite. The owner of said dish, "Through Oana's Lens", left their recipe on the post, and since this is a pretty difficult one to "wing it" in the kitchen, I will be posting it below. Cook it, eat it, enjoy it, and thank me for being ever so gracious to have shared this with you.

Bien Provecho!!!

Seafood

1 lb	Sea scallops, fresh

Produce

5	Garlic cloves
2 tbsp	Parsley, fresh

Condiments

2 tbsp

Lemon juice, fresh

Pasta & Grains

2 cups

Rice, cooked

Baking & Spices

1/4 tsp	Black pepper
1 tsp	Salt

Oils & Vinegars

2 tbsp

Olive oil

Beer, Wine & Liquor

1/3 cup

Port wine

Busy Day Snack Hacks...because The Struggle is REAL.

I often find myself the victim of an oncoming onslaught of snack attacks with nothing readily available to snack on. The longer I wait, the stronger it gets, and that's why an entire Talenti jar of candy from Saturday night is now empty in my bedroom. The struggle is REAL, and I am here to help you fight this war...and WIN. After all, it was Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita, RIP) who said "fighting not good, someone always get hurt...but if must fight...WIN." Paint on your under-eye war stripes, strap on your Kevlar, and let's get this party started right. Leggo!!!

Donut Chips by Pure Wow Blog

 

1) Donut Chips. Putting it blankly, you take donuts that have been store bought and remove from their container. You spray your waffle iron with non-stick spray (preferably butter flavored), place the donuts into the iron & press for up to a couple of minutes, then remove and let cool. The result? A beautiful hybrid that is too pure and good for this world.

 

 

 

Pumpkin Pie Peanut Butter Cups

 





2) Pumpkin Spice Reeses Cups. These homemade chocolate bombs can be either half pumpkin/half dark chocolate, or you can mix the pumpkin pie puree with peanut butter and then pour them into the dark chocolate molds and then freeze for several hours. This, being a no-bake recipe, is helpful to keep on hand for those times when the craving just hits you and you have nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, and only one option: these. Go elevate your basic white girlness and make these asap. I did you all a solid and left the link to the recipe above, so go ahead and have at it.

3) Nutella Stuffed Crescent Rolls. In about 12-14 minutes, you will have buttery, flakey, ooey gooey goodness coming straight out of your oven. If you want to take the healthier route, sub out the Nutella for smashed bananas and strawberries, but either way, the results are phenomenal. Go ahead. You'll thank me later.

4) Strawberry Banana & Nutella S'Mores. You had to know that this was coming. I mean, it's Nutella, and therefore, it will be in everything that there is when it comes to desserts (at least in my house. I don't know how you roll.). Again, if you want a "healthier" option, nix the mallows & nutella but keep the bananas and strawberries. Sprinkle on a few bits of dark chocolate chips and voila! Goodness worthy of Dionysus himself...and there was no naked bacchanalia involved in the process of obtaining these deviant and decadent delights.



Bien Provecho!

Why So Secret?

Well, I'm glad that you asked. I have a mildly successful (and growing) blog on WordPress that I began back in January. Between that blog, classwork, and finding paid work, I just needed another creative outlet that I didn't have the pressures and requirements to promote, where I was just doing this for myself and no one else. Plus, I like food and drinks, I have no real recipe measurements, but yet I still want to give my recipe ideas to the masses, so this was the safest route to go.

 

 

I strive to hand out recipe remixes and easy does its' so that I myself and anyone who ever reads this blog can find comfort in knowing that you don't need fancy ingredients (although they will be enjoyed, because this is a foodie blog and I believe that fancy ingredients are rule #5 in the handbook of food blog ownership) in order to make and bake delicious goods.

 

 

 

Bien Provecho!

Homemade Sugar Donuts

So, yesterday I was asked to make those at home donuts that I made once before, almost a year ago. I did, and they were simply MAGICAL!!! Crispy and airy to crunch, but not too crunchy, these homemade treat bombs were an utter delight!

 

 

 

 

Recipe:

Can of store bought biscuits, the plain kind work best. Canola, corn, or hell even coconut oil will work as we are frying these suckers and need heart friendly ingredients. As well, you'll need some sort of circular cutter to remove the center and form the biscuits into donuts....so, yeah. Get on that.

 

 

Directions:

Take the 8 discs and proceed to flatten them out. Once to your desired flatness, use a small circular cutter to remove the center. Set aside and repeat on every disc. As far as your cooking device goes, pour enough oil into the pan so that the donuts will fry and float, about 1-1.5 inches from the bottom. Once hot, use a METAL SLOTTED SPOON (as a plastic one will bubble...LEARN FROM MY MISTAKES, PEOPLE?!!!)to both insert and remove the donuts, which will literally take 3 minutes to cook on each side. Let drain of their oils, cool off for a bit, then dip them in sugar and cinnamon while still warm, so it sticks. Sit for a new 5 or so minutes, then serve.

 

 

Bien Provecho!

The Return of the Pumpkin Spice Everything!!!

Hello!


Tis the season to bake everything in Pumpkin Spice! Thus, in this post, I will be bringing you guys a few of my favorite all natural yet totally delicious Pumpkin Spice Pie flavored treats. From pop tarts, to cakes, to (yes) even a drink or two, this post is inspired by all things 'basic white girl', ugg boots and yoga pants OPTIONAL. Without further ado, let's go!

Pumpkin Spice Bread Pudding

This GLORIOUS dessert-for-breakfast dish, linked above to the direct recipe, is marvelous, mouth-watering, coma-inducing...and all things AUTUMN wrapped up in a pretty and delicious treat. If you don't quite understand how this works, you can either bake it the morning of (which I assume is part of the original recipe/instructions on the Love & Lemons website), or do it "overnight style" which doesn't involve baking/heat, yet yields just as yummy the result. If you wish, I will post an alternate recipe below, for my fellow finicky eaters who still yearn to indulge in this delectable seasonal fare.


Brioche Bread
Almond Milk, Vanilla/Sweetened, or Dark Chocolate (for added decadence)
Pumpkin Pie Puree, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Coconut Sugar


Instructions (measure out according to your liking/needs):

Dice Brioche slices into cubes, then set aside in a cool glass bowl. Then, empty some (or all, depending on your needs) of the Pumpkin Pie puree into a separate bowl and add in the cinnamon, coconut sugar, and JUST A PINCH OF NUTMEG (I'm so for serious on this one because a tiny nutmeg goes such a long way, and it's flavor can totally ruin a dish if left unsupervised), stirring until completely combined. Grab your baking dish and butter the interior, then place the cubes of Brioche into the pan. Cut a ton of this so that there is an overflow, because it will all "bake" down whilst working itself out overnight. Once the cubes are in the dish, pour in your milk till it covers the cubes but isn't "overflowing". Next, smear a bit of the puree mixture onto the top, just enough for the flavor to sink into the cubes and all over the pan during the sitting process. Place into oven for 5+hours (hence the whole 'overnight' thing), and once you wake up, it should look similar to the above picture. Smear on some more puree to your liking, add whatever you want to the top (whether it be confectioner's sugar or dark chocolate chips) and heat a little until it melts then serve alongside Mimosas...because it's Mimosas, and they seriously go with everything.

Vegan Pumpkin Pie Spice Ice Cream

 

 

This, right here, in all of its deliciousness...should be criminal. It really should be illegal, but alas, it is very much legal, and can be made right in your very own kitchen. Linked above is the recipe and website of origin, but I found this on Buzzfeed, so please go thank their writers for showing us all this lovely masterpiece of frozen delight.

 

 

 



Pumpkin Spice Hot Cocoa

This right here will undoubtedly remind me of all those frigid New England mornings at the bus stop waiting for my ride to school inside of Dunkin Donuts because we would've gotten frostbite otherwise. It's hot cocoa, with pumpkin spice, and all of the warmth of a cozy winter morning, so naturally, every basic white girl will be drinking it this season...and I will be, too. Hell, why not be basic for the winter? That time of the year all but demands us to wear ugg boots, fleece lined leggings, layered sweaters, and faux fur hats/mittens/coats. Let's all be basic white girls, shall we?? WE SHALL!!!!



Bien Provecho!

Welcome to Bake It Pretty!!!

Hello, World!

This is my first post on my secret (Sshhh) foodie blog, and I couldn't be happier. My main blog, which is on WordPress, is slowly gaining me success both as a writer, photographer, and freelance journalist, all while keeping me sane during school. I won't be posting to this blog TOO often, just enough to share both recipes that I've made (including my most recent ones) as well as my favorite recipes from Pinterest. Please enjoy my blog, subscribe, etc., but mainly, just let me know what you think!


Bien Provecho!

(Source: Pinterest)