Strawberry Layer Cake with Grand Marnier Frosting

Serves: 6     Time out of the day: 2 hours -I was taking my sweet ass time, so probably closer to 1.5 hours

Gather Up:

For the Cake:

1 ¼ cups sliced strawberries

2 ¼ cups flour

2 ¼ teaspoons baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 ½ cups sugar

½ cup butter (soft)

2 large eggs

2 large egg whites

1 cup buttermilk

cooking spray

For the Frosting:

1/3 cup cream cheese

1/3 cup butter

2 tablespoons Grand Marnier

3 cups powdered sugar

For the Decorating:

12 strawberries

Preheat oven to 350°.

Start on the cake:

Place sliced strawberries in a food processor; process until smooth.

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt, stirring with a whisk. Place granulated sugar and 1/2 cup butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one. Beat in egg whites. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Add pureed strawberries beat just until blended. *If you’d like, at this point you can add red food coloring. Just a couple drops. I omitted this though.

Divide batter between 2 (8-inch) round cake pans coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until baked through. Cool in pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely on wire racks.

Once the Cake is cooled, start on the frosting:

place cream cheese, 1/3 cup butter, and liqueur in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until blended. Gradually add powdered sugar, and beat just until blended.

Place 1 cake layer on a plate; spread with 1/2 cup frosting.

 Top with remaining cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake.

 Cut 1 whole strawberry into thin slices, cutting to, but not through, the stem end. Fan strawberry on top of cake just before serving, if desired. 

Cut remaining 11 strawberries in half. Garnish cake with strawberry halves, if you so please. 

Enjoy :)

Recipe Credit: http://www.cookinglight.com/?xid=logobar-mr

Festive

Happy St Patrick's Weekend Kids

Avocado Chimichurri Bruschetta

Gather up:

            2 Tbs. lemon juice

         2 Tbs. red wine vinegar

         3 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbs.)

         ¾ tsp. salt

         ½ tsp. red pepper flakes

         ½ tsp. dried oregano

         ¼ tsp. ground black pepper

         ¼ cup olive oil

         ¼ cup chopped cilantro

         ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

         2 avocados, peeled, pitted, and cubed

         6 ½-inch-thick slices whole-grain or ciabatta bread, toasted

In a small bowl, throw in the lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, salt, red pepper, oregano and black pepper. Whisk in the oil. Then add cilantro and parsley and stir. Gently fold in the avocado cubes.

Serve next to toasted bread.

I could have made this with my eyes closed. So easy. Yet it looks impressive and is an awesome starter dish.

Recipe Credit: Vegetarian Times 

tina turner veggie slider

simply the best. get it.?

Forest Room 5 in Denver, CO has nailed it.

When I get around to trying my hand at a ‘from scratch’ veggie burger, this will be the one to beat.

it's in the details

Ice.

Tequila.

Pre-made margarita mix.

and a little more tequila.

Rub a slice of lime around the rim of the glass.

Roll the edge of the glass in mixture of salt and orange zest.

ok. So that last part is really important.

Roll the rim of the glass in a mixture of Salt and Orange Zest.

this is what the kids these days refer to as a "game-changer."

Avocado Toast

This is the first meal the vegetarian ever made for me. And since then, it's the go-to whenever we're short on time/groceries. It's also the go-to if we just want something fail-proof.

Toast a few slices of french bread

Mash an avocado

Slice a tomato

Layer

Add Sea Salt

Being a vegetarian is easy

Top Shelf

I'm slowly turning into Martha Stewart