RECIPE // BANANA MILKSHAKE

You guys, confession time: I have a serious addiction to ice cream. It's my favorite food. My perfect idea of a meal is a hot fudge sundae with a cherry on top. So. Not. Good. For. You. No matter how many ways I try to justify it, I feel better and look better without having ice great at all. Sigh. So what's a girl to do? I've recently discovered a no-ice-cream-involved-but tastes-exactly-like-ice-cream-banana milkshake!  It tastes like ice cream. It looks like ice cream. But there is no ice cream involved and guess what? It's even good for you. Here is my recipe below. Try it. Enjoy it. And let me know if you like it too!

 Kate's Banana Chocolate Peanut Butter To Die For Milkshake 

Ingredients

 2 Frozen Bananas 
1 Tbs of all natural Peanut Butter 
1 Tbs of organic Cocoa Powder 
1 cup of Skim Milk

Throw ingredients in a blender. Blend on high speed. Watch perfection created. Pour into frosty glass. Use a straw. ENJOY!

 ** For all you vegans out there - you can substitute almond milk for regular milk and almond butter for peanut butter and the shake still tastes just as good.

This Weekend: In Photos

If it goes as planned, my weekend should look a little like this:

1. Mark Ronson Concert (and potential backstage passes!)
2. Miike Snow Concert
3. Baking these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies
4. Taking Scout to a puppy-training class with Silverlake-based famous dog trainer, Steve Brooks (as a gift from my very generous and amazing fairy godmother - thanks Beth!)

Will report back on Monday! What are you up to this weekend? Have a great one!

Blood Orange Mojito

While I was perusing the blogosphere this morning I came across Design Sponge's post about this intoxicating looking drink; the Blood Orange Mojito and simply can not stop salivating! These must be made before the summer is over, don't you all think?

Ingredients

2 Bunches of Mint
1 Cup of Fresh Squeezed Blood Orange Juice (you can substitute Trader Joe’s Blood Orange Soda)
2 shots of Rum
2 Tablespoons of Sugar (omit if you use the TJ’s juice)
Juice of 1 Lime
1 cup of ice
1 shaker & Muddler

Methodology

Add mint, lime juice and sugar to shaker.
Muddle the ingredients until the mint is well crushed.
Add rum, blood orange juice and ice.
Shake well and serve garnished with remaining mint and a slice of lime.

Enjoy!

Grown Up Lemonade

It's getting hot outside people. And what goes better with hot than lemon + vodka + fresh mint? Check out this delectable recipe for grown-up lemonade from one of my favorite blogs, eat make read! Enjoy!

Grown Up Lemonade
(makes one cocktail)

Ingredients
1 1/2 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/2 oz agave syrup
2 oz vodka
5-6 fresh mint leaves

Directions
Place all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker along with 2 cubes of ice.
Shake vigorously for 15 seconds.
Pour into a glass.
Garnish with a lemon slice and enjoy!

Magic Juice

I have recently decided that my new DIY-improve-one's-apartment project will be the creation of a vintage style mini-bar in my dining room. I spent a significant portion of the weekend scouring the pages of this awesome book, as well as collecting good cocktail recipes to add to my dinner party repertoire. Here is one of my favorites below, gras a the lovely design*sponge. I can't wait till summer gets here to prepare this!

Ingredients (makes two drinks):
6 hulled strawberries
1 peeled orange
5-7 mint leaves
1/4 peeled cucumber
4-6 oz gin, depending on taste
8 oz fresh lemonade


Methodology:
Dice, then muddle fruits and mint
Pour gin into fruit mixture and let sit for 10-15 minutes
Strain over lemonade and ice
Garnish with fruit slice or mint leaf

You Salty Thang

Hello pumpkinettes! This is Lily from bigBANG studio. While Kate's zipping around the big apple I'm guest-blogging at La Petite Choue for the day. Don't worry, my little crumpets, she'll be back later this week, but in the mean time she has a string of wonderful guest-bloggers lined up while she's away.

Kate's been my best friend since we bonded over a bag of Terra chips in the middle of a thunderstorm freshman year of high school. (Any gal who relishes a good thunderstorm over a bag of sweet potato chips is A+ ya-ya material in my book.) As most of you know Kate is a woman of many talents, but one of her supreme gifts (much to the glee of everyone around her) is her ability to make the *perfect* chocolate chip cookie. I've attempted to recreate it for you, this time adding a little sea salt for some pizazz. Kate's with me in thinking that chocolate + salt = a divine combination. Happy almost-weekend!

BEST-EVER CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES with SEA SALT:

Preheat the oven to 375. Grease or line 2 cookie sheets.

Whisk together:
1 cup plus 3 Tbs all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda

Beat in a large bowl until well-blended:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

Add and beat until well combined:
1 large organic egg
1/4 tsp fine salt + 1/4 tsp fancy sea salt
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Stir in the flour mixture until well-blended and smooth. Stir in 1 cup chocolate chips.

Drop the dough by heaping teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart on the cookie sheets and sprinkle a few course sea salt crystals on top. Bake, 1 sheet at a time, until the cookies are just slightly golden on top and the edges are brown, about 8 - 10 minutes. Let stand briefly, then remove to a rack to cool.

Bon appetite!

Blueberry Crumble Bars

Yeahhhh, I'm going to have to make these. As soon as possible. As in this Sunday. Won't you join me?


Ingredients

1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cold unsalted butter (2 sticks or 8 ounces)
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon salt
Zest and juice of one lemon
4 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 cup white sugar
4 teaspoons cornstarch

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 9×13 inch pan.

2. In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup sugar, 3 cups flour, and baking powder. Mix in salt and lemon zest. Use a fork or pastry cutter to blend in the butter and egg. Dough will be crumbly. Pat half of dough into the prepared pan.

3. In another bowl, stir together the sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice. Gently mix in the blueberries. Sprinkle the blueberry mixture evenly over the crust. Crumble remaining dough over the berry layer.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until top is slightly brown. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Coconut Cake

Is it Saturday yet? I say that only because I have decided to attempt to make Barefoot Contessa's delicious Coconut Cake this weekend and I can't stop dreaming about it! I will let you know how it turns out. In the meantime, click here for the recipe and try it out for yourself! Your loved ones will thank you . ..

(Thanks Lil!)

P.S. I ended up making this and it turned out to be the most delicious thing I've eaten in a WHILE! Check out the lovely picture Ms. Bree took of the cake PRE chow down session!

Blueberry Lemonade

How delicious does this look? I simply can't wait to make this this weekend!

Strawberry Mojitos

I am counting down the days till the weekend so I can make these!

Strawberry Mojitos:
18-24 fresh strawberries
1bunch fresh mint
12tablespoons brown sugar
3 limes, wedged
24ounces Captain Morgan's rum
Place 2-3 strawberries, 3 mint sprigs, and 2 tablespoons brown sugar in a shaker.
Squeeze 3 lime wedges over glass and then drop in wedges.
Mash together with a spoon.
Add ice and rum.
Cover and shake.
Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with a strawberry.

Chocolate Malt Sandwiches

My mouth has been watering over Martha Stewart's Chocolate Malt Sandwiches made with a secret ingredient: malted milk powder! Over the long weekend I plan to dive in and give them a whirl. The ingredients are listed below and click here for easy instructions! Enjoy!


Ingredients - Makes about 1 1/2 dozen

For the Cookies
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/4 cup plain malted milk powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup creme fraiche
3 tablespoons hot water

For the Filling
10 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup plain malted milk powder
3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons half-and-half
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Pink Lemonade Spritzer

Here is it! My very first recipe post. I thought I'd start off simple with a summer treat that is delicious and easy to make. I made this last week for my friends and it was a hit!


Pink Lemonade Spritzer Recipe
1/4 cup citron vodka
4 tbsp. pink-lemonade mix
1 1/2 cups pineapple juice
1 12-oz.can lemon-lime flavored soda
Pink sanding sugar for garnish
8 cups of crushed ice

Voila!