Baking From Scratch. Sort Of.

When it comes to the kitchen, I'm what you might call an "easy" chef. WHOA! Get your mind out of the gutter, not that kind of easy!  I mean, I don't like things to get too complicated.  I like minimal directions, ingredients that already exist in my cupboards and timely outcomes.  SO, it's safe to assume that when it comes to baking, I'm generally a cake out of a box kind of girl.  Yellow, vanilla, chocolate, funfetti...I'll try all of them, and in lots of different forms.  But, I don't usually venture into "from scratch" territory.  It goes back to a carrot cake I made (tried to make) years ago that may have wound up with several cups of salt instead of sugar... My point being, that I steer clear of those recipes that have a ton of particular measurements of a ton of specific ingredients, cuz it can get confusing fast.

That being said, I've been playing on Pinterest, looking for a light, Springy dessert to bring to Easter dinner at my boyfriend's sister's house, and I found this delicious looking Strawberry Cream Cake.  However, no box cakes involved here...it's from scratch.  And, it calls for things like whole milk, and parchment paper, and unsalted butter. I mean, do you keep that stuff in your kitchen?  Maybe you do, but I don't.  Still, it met my qualifications of having not too many steps and being not overly time consuming, so onward I went...with a few changes.  Turns out, with a little help from Google, you can substitute whole milk with other low-fat milks, like the 1% I had in my fridge.  But, I actually added a spoonful of vegetable oil to beef up the fat content (it's Easter dinner, not going for any low-cal dessert here).  As for the unsalted butter, turns out you can use regular butter or margarine, but maybe ease up on the amount of salt the recipe calls for.  And while the recipe may call for lining the pan with parchment paper, I actually had this sweet silicone pan, which I greased and floured, and figured I could peel off.  So my substitutions in place, I got to work...

Here's what it's supposed to look like:

Credit: Thanks Winona's and Martha Stewart!

And, here's how it looked going into the oven:

And, here's the final product:

 Not too shabby, if I do say so myself! I had no issues with skipping the parchment paper, the cake came right out. As for the other substitutions, I couldn't really cut into it before dinner... But, I will say the batter was pretty tasty, and the whipped topping was pretty easy to lick off my fingers, and who doesn't love strawberries??  It sure LOOKS like it will taste delicious all together, but I'll have to give you the final ruling after it gets dealt out at dinner. Fingers crossed!  And, Happy Easter! 

A Girl's Necessities To Face The Day (Well, THIS Girl's...)

Welcome ladies and gentlemen, thanks for clicking on me! I thought I'd kick things off on my blog o'clues with something short and simple, yet VERY important... Makeup. Check those giggles, how you get your face ready is no laughing matter, am I right ladies??

My daily armor!

While I could easily spend hours playing with shadows, blushes and brushes, there are times when you just need to run out of the house. And as much as I can appreciate the "natural" look, I am not one of those lucky girls who gets to splash on some water and look radiant. I AM lucky enough to wake up with dark circles under my eyes, blotchy skin, and a few faint scar spots from squeezing a pimple or two over the years. So, relying on my long-used advice from Aunt Becky on Full House when DJ tried makeup and wound up looking like a hooker - "The best way to wear makeup is to look like you're not wearing any at all" - here are the 3 items I use as my base for more and are the least I'll leave the house without...

1. Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Dark Circle Eye Roller - This little stick is a miracle worker. It rolls on cooly, soothing those puffy eyes and masking those dark circles. It comes in a few different sking shades, creating a great base for a little concealer...IF you even need it! It runs about $10 - $12, but it lasts FOREVER! Love it.

2. Cover FX Pressed Mineral Foundation - I HATE foundation. It always feels heavy, seems to never blot on right, and with my sensitive skin, can easily lead to break outs. I picked this up at Sephora in preparation for my brother's wedding, wanting coverage that would last all day (through the dancing, crying, picture taking and eating) and look fairly natural. At about $30, this stuff is a little pricey, but SO worth it! I didn't need alot to create a smooth, even complexion, and whoa, did it last all day! Plus, it never felt like I was wearing foundation at all! Goes on like a powder and feels like nothing. (By the way, Sephora is a GREAT place to check out new stuff. I explained what I was looking for to the consultants, and they were super helpful, trying several products on me to find the perfect color and texture. I maaaaay have ended up leaving with a few other fun things...)

3. Cover Girl Professional Super Thick Lash Mascara - So, as long as I have a balanced, natural complexion, I will actually leave the house without any eye shadow, or blush, or bronzer or eye liner. But NOT without a few swipes of mascara. It just gives you the little definition you need to, in my opinion, look human. Unfortunately, a few years ago I started having major issues with mascara. Basically, shortly after applying it, I would want to claw my eyes out! No matter which kind I used, my eyes would itch non-stop, which made them water, which irritated the corners...I was a mess. Except for this stuff. It's the only kind I can wear all day without any problem. And it has to be the pink one. I don't know why, but I am doomed if Cover Girl stops making it. Thankfully, it's incredibly affordable and available in most grocery stores and pharmacies, because, like I said, I don't start my day without it.

Check out my sweet complexion
and bold eyes! And my adorable
BFF Chaddy. :)

So, there you go, the 3 items I refuse to face the world without. Makeup-wise, that is...my hair is a whole other story, perhaps in a blog post to come. But, when it comes to my Cuddleshrub mug, those are bare minimum. No one but my closest friends and family get to see the blank canvas (and unfortunately, one unlucky maintenance man who woke me up this morning...). Hopefully, my experience with them clues you into something to try...hit me up with your favorite, absolutely necessary makeup ways and woes. Maybe you can clue ME in to something fun and fabulous!