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Sunday, August 25, 2013

Blueberry Bundt Cake






I don't often get the time to bring out the lovely cookbooks I received as wedding gifts and try new recipes. I am happy to have just finished studying for and taking the bar exam and am excited to start an internship on Capitol Hill next week. In celebration of my last true days of relaxation, I wanted to make a desert that celebrated the end of the summer season. I went with a recipe for blueberry cake from one of my favorite recipe books: "The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook", which was given to me by a dear friend for our engagement party. If you are a frequent reader of this blog, you can guess that along the way I made some "baking blunders", but all in all, this recipe turned out looking respectable and tasting sweet.

I will warn you that this recipe is chock full of butter and sugar. I am usually one to make lighter recipes that are packed with fruits and whole grains, but once in a while, It's alright to treat yo' self!

Ingredients:



  • 3 sticks of unsalted butter (Yes, you read that right: 3!) at room temp.
  • 1 & 3/4 cups of sugar
  • 6 eggs 
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
  • 3 & 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons of baking powder
  • 1 cup of sour cream
  • 3 tablespoons of whole milk
  • 1 pint of fresh blueberries (and some extra for decoration)
  • 2 quantities of cream cheese frosting (recipe below)
  • A 10 inch ring mold, greased and dusted with flour. (I didn't have a 10 inch ring mold, so I used a good old fashioned bundt pan, and it turned out just fine).

Preparation Tip:
  • Baking has the potential to be a frazzling experience, especially if you find yourself still fumbling for ingredients while simultaneously stirring your batter. I like to portion out all of my ingredients ahead of time to avoid the last minute search for vanilla extract. Portioning also allows time for the butter to warm to room temperature.


Directions:*
  • Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
  • Add the sugar and butter in your electric mixer. Make sure to use the paddle attachment. Mix until light and fluffy.
  • Add in the eggs one at a time. Be mindful to scrape excess ingredients off the side of the bowl.
  • Add the vanilla, flour and baking powder until the ingredients are mixed well
  • Add the sour cream and milk. Mix so that the ingredients are well combined and the batter appears light and fluffy.
  • Stir in blueberries and mix by hand.


  • Transfer the batter into your greased and floured bundt pan. Smooth over the mix with a rubber spatula, and bake for 40 minutes or until the cake is golden brown.



  • Let the cake cool in the mold for a bit, and then turn it out onto a wire rack. Allow it to cool completely.
  • When your cake is completely cooled, transfer it to a serving plate (I transferred it to my badass cake stand) and frost it! Decorate with blueberries, and if you are feeling extra sweet (I wasn't)...add a light dusting of confectioner's sugar.


Baking Blunders (Beware!)

As I said earlier, baking is bound to be accompanied by blunders when I'm in the kitchen. Amazingly, I only made two this go around, which is a vast improvement from my last baking post!

Baking Blunder #1: You sunk my bundt cake!

As you can see from the picture, the inside ring of my bundt cake became sunken in only minutes after being taken out of the oven. After searching around, Food Network gave me some answers. The simplest explanation was that my cake just wasn't done yet. The shape of the cake when I took it out of the oven should have tipped me off. Cakes rise around the edges first, so if the middle has not risen enough yet, don't take it out. It's bound to sink. I also should have inserted a skewer into the middle of the cake. After the cake sunk, I did just that, and the skewer came out with a bit of batter still clinging to it. I also found some interesting facts on oven temperature to consider here

My fix? I threw it back in the oven for a little over 10 minutes at a slightly higher temperature. It baked through, and while it didn't look as gorgeous as I had hoped, it was fully in tact and would still be delicious. 



Baking Blunder #2: Who Needs Grease and Flour?

I forgot to grease and flour my bundt pan. Given my recent hand surgery, I needed to bring in some extra muscle to remedy this particular baking blunder. My husband eventually coaxed the cake out of its shell, but it sustained some crumbling edges. My fix? Icing! The best part of an iced cake is restorative power of icing. I was able to cover up the crumbles with ease, and nobody knew the difference (unless they are reading this, of course).


 





As promised, the cream cheese icing recipe is below. It's super easy and quite delectable:

Ingredients:
  • 2 and 1/3 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter, at room temp.
  • 4 oz cream cheese
Directions:
  • Mix the sugar and butter together in your electric mixer using a paddle attachment. Use a medium slow speed until the ingredients are well mixed.
  • Throw in the entire block of cream cheese and beat until completely mixed.
  • Turn up the speed to medium-high and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy. Do this for at least 5 minutes. Don't over beat, or you'll end up with frosting soup. 

How'd it Go?

Our blueberry bundt cake was a huge hit and almost all that tasted it couldn't help but go back for seconds! I kept it to just one piece last night, but couldn't help but pair a small piece with some coffee this morning for a delicious and relaxing Sunday breakfast in bed. Cheers until next time!












*These directions were not taken directly from any cookbook. So as to avoid any copyright issues, I've fashioned the directions myself. (This is what happens when lawyers bake cakes and blog about them!).




Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Turning Your Beauty Routine Bright Green



When the Light Turned "Green" for Me:

I had been hearing about the potential dangers hiding in my makeup and beauty products for years, but in an effort to "keep it simple", I ignored the articles, news reports, and eco-beauty campaigns so I could continue on with my comfortable routine, purchasing my name-brand cosmetics, applying daily, and looking like myself. Ignorance was bliss; as long as I didn't know just exactly what was lurking in my lip-gloss, I would be just fine.

This approach didn't last too long. As I became aware of more articles on just exactly what toxins and metals some of my favorite beauty products contained, I decided that it was time to make a change. I came to learn that there was lead in my lipstick. While the FDA has stated that these trace amounts of lead are not safety concerns, are they considering women that apply lipstick 20 times a day, or children that want to put on mommy's makeup? (See what the NYT has to say). While these "traces" of lead may be non-dangerous for some consumers, why take the slightest risk on one's own body when there are greener and healthier alternatives? There were also parabens in some of my favorite beauty products. While it is not my intent to be an alarmist about the potential dangers of toxic parabens, I do wish to be someone that encourages others to be conscious about the goods they consume. While it is our prerogative to choose what beauty products are perfect for us, it is best to be well informed about the contents of the products we use daily. I have chosen to apply products to my body that are less risky and more eco-conscious. It just feels better.

Helpful Tips:

This blog post is not about scaring you into the world of green cosmetics, it's about encouraging you to learn what is in your makeup and beauty products. If you choose to live a little greener, I have some cost-conscious and helpful tips to help you along the way. For me, turning my beauty routine green was a long process. It is something that I am still figuring out, as you'll see in my reviews below. I've been lucky enough to get some tips from eco-conscious friends, and was directed to a great website called "Project Green Prom." Don't be fooled by the word "prom" or by the fresh-faced 15 and 16 year olds on the homepage. If you are 16, 26 or 70, there are some great tips on the site on how to be more conscious about your beauty routine. The following tips are my contribution to the ever-growing movement:


I will start by saying that you do not need to overpay for your green cosmetics. While some eco-friendly cosmetics can be a little pricier, there are some cost-efficient options sitting right on the shelves of your nearest Whole Foods. This face wash by "Desert Essence" gets the job done. It contains tea tree oil, licorice root extracts, sea kelp and many other unexpected and natural ingredients that leave my face feeling clean.  Also, looking for the "leaping bunny" picture on the labels of your products, which means that there has been no animal testing of this product. 










This ShiKai "all natural" shower gel was also found on the shelves of my local Whole Foods. It contains a good combo of oatmeal and aloe, and is certified organic, with a cute little "leaping bunny" on the back. The cucumber melon is my favorite so far.















 Another cost- friendly way to go "green" is to use Burt's Bees products. While it is hard to find 100% all natural Burt's Bees products, most of their products are 98-100% all natural, which works for me. The daily moisturizing cream for sensitive skin has been a great replacement for my paraben packet previous moisturizer.

I had also switched to using Burt's Bee's 100% natural lip gloss and 100% natural honey lip balm, but while doing some last minute research for this blog post, I found that I had been remiss. Apparently Burt's Bee's lip gloss does contain trace amounts of lead, even more so than some of your more name-brand items! What's a girl to do? 







Here are some seriously cost efficient options that you can find at your nearest drug store. I picked up Physicians Formula Organic Wear bronzer/blush and mascara. The bronzer/blush goes on even and light. It will get the job done as long as you're not preparing for opening night at the Met. You might want to purchase a higher end product for a special night out. The mascara is perfectly fine as well. It has a good brush that separates lashes well. It is not the longest lasting, though, and if you plan on wiping your eyes with your hand for any reason, this might not be the mascara for you. I am still in search of the perfect eco chic mascara. Suggestions welcome!









 Now we get to some of the items that I admittedly splurged on. I am in love with RMSbeauty. If they are selling it...I'm probably buying it. I did not want to get al of my products from this great company as this would be sure to break the bank, so I picked up some essentials instead. I purchased this amazing "un"cover-up, which is perfect for highlights around the eyes and as cover-up for imperfections. While it is a bit pricey, it has lasted me three months already and I'm about half way through it. The secret is only to use it where and when you really need it.

The bottom product is raw coconut cream, which is pretty magical. I use it mostly for makeup removal or as a moisturizing face wash when my skin is very dry. I would warn against using it too much if you have oily skin, as it seemed to add a little more moisture than I was looking for at times. Coconut is a super-product, and this anti-oxidant can be used on face, hair and sunburn! 


Next we have one of my favorite, and slightly more expensive brands, Dr. Haushka. I went on a wild goose chase to find the perfect liquid foundation, and Dr. Haushka's translucent make-up was the solution. Firstly, I've never encountered a foundation that smells amazing. Perhaps it is because among the first five ingredients are carrot, avocado, and macadamia seed oil. Further down the list of ingredients are shea butter, apricot, jojoba and beeswax. Sounds good to me! It goes on almost sheer, but with enough weight to even out your skin-tone. If you're like me and don't want to purchase a pricey item every month, the advice of my pre-school teacher during craft time will go a long way: "A little dab will do ya." Now we are referring to makeup, and not paste, but you get the gist.

I am also a big fan of the volume mascara by Dr. Haushka. It is not waterproof, but it goes on dark and dramatic, and is great as a more high-end counterpart to the OrganicWear mascara featured above

Lastly, we have the Dr. Haushka eyeliner. This is the only product on the list that gets a seriously negative review. While it goes on dark, even and beautiful, even the slightest touch of your eye leads to the eyeliner crumbling and coming off into pieces on your cheek. It is definitely not worth the price, and I am on the hunt for a liquid eyeliner that delivers.


While it was relatively simple to find some great products when switching to more eco-friendly and health conscious bath and makeup products, I have had some trouble with hair products. This "Intelligent Nutrients" hair spray was my best find. It smells like...a field of daisies? Whatever it smells like, it's sweet and subtle, and the spray produces a good hold. Where I ran into issues was with the PureLuxe shampoo and conditioner. While they smelled great and felt pretty "luxe", it was impossible to completely rinse them out of my hair, resulting in a "greasy" look that nobody thought was cute.
That being said, my husband uses the shampoo and conditioner and he loves it...and his hair looks great. Perhaps it is best for shorter, drier hair, as opposed to longer and more moisture prone hair.

While the shampoo did not work for me personally, I still greatly respect this company. Take a look at their philosophy on safe and nutritious product.




 I have tried a few body lotions, and so far, this product from "Nourish" is my favorite. The "fresh fig" scent is pretty delightful, and the price is even better. It is a thicker cream, which means you are getting a lot for your money, and the front of the product says it all: "Organic food for healthy skin."















 After having hand surgery this summer, I was in need of a seriously effective hand cream that would get my skin healthy again. Nubian Heritage's Coconut and Papaya Hand Cream did the trick. Found on the shelf of my local Whole Foods, this product smelled great, was sustainably produced, and boasted a no animal testing policy. Its' first ingredient is coconut oil, which I knew was a good thing, and the certified organic label on the back of the product was the icing on the hand cream...cake.











Lastly, I topped off my eco-beauty mission with a great nail polish. Zoya is free of some seriously dirty ingredients, such as formaldehyde, and there's a large variety of colors to choose from. While you are at it, pick up a Zoya top coat and nail polish remover to make your entire nail routine a healthier experience.