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Category: fab faves

  1. Tuesday, May 15

    Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

    Before I get into today’s post, I want to address those of you out there who read “banana cake” and thought, “Eh, doesn’t really sound like something I’d be that into.” Trust me, it is. I was skeptical myself before I took my first bite…but seriously, this cake is heavenly. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way…

    Yesterday was my sister’s birthday. She’s kind of in love with the banana cake from Icing on the Cake, so I was planning to get one for her little party we threw last night. And then the saddest thing ever happened (okay, maybe not ever, but certainly when it comes to birthday cakes it was!). I called to order the cake yesterday morning only to discover they are closed on Mondays. Noooooo!!!! Since we were all craving the cake, I decided I would just have to make one myself and hope that it even paled in comparison to the one we would be missing.

    I started digging around the Internet for banana cake recipes. I found one on Food.com that looked more than promising. The person who posted the recipe said it was the best banana cake ever…and one of the commenters said that to say it was the best banana cake ever was an understatement. Sounded good to me!

    The cake was awesome. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still going to go to Icing on the Cake because it’s always better when someone else makes the cake for you, but seriously, the cake I made last night TOTALLY hit the spot. And now, if we ever move, I won’t have to mourn the loss of banana cake from my life…I’ll be able to whip one up if I need to!

    On a side note, this cream cheese frosting was PERFECTION. My sister said next year I could just stick the candles in a mound of that frosting and she’d be happy. Done and done.

    Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
    From Food.com, with modifications and notes from me
    - 1 1/2 cups ripe bananas, mashed (Jane note: mash the bananas REALLY WELL…no lumps!)
    - 2 teaspoons lemon juice
    - 3 cups flour
    - 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
    - 1/4 teaspoon salt
    - 3/4 cup butter, softened
    - 2 1/8 cups sugar
    - 3 large eggs
    - 2 teaspoons vanilla
    - 1 1/2 cups buttermilk

    Frosting
    - 3/4 cup butter, softened
    - 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
    - 1 teaspoon vanilla
    - ~3 1/2 – 4 cups powdered sugar

    Preheat oven to 300°.

    Grease and flour a 9 x 13 pan or two 9-inch round pans. (Jane note: For the round pans, I actually had some leftover batter – you want to fill the pans up about halfway – the cake grows when cooking)

    In a small bowl, mix mashed banana with the lemon juice; set aside.

    In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.

    In a large bowl, cream 3/4 cup butter and 2 1/8 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then stir in 2 tsp vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk. Stir in banana mixture.

    Pour batter into prepared pan(s) and bake in preheated oven for about 45 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and cakes are lightly browned.

    Remove from oven and place directly into the freezer for 45 minutes. (Jane note: if you are making two rounds, let them cool in the pan 5-10 minutes, pop them out of the pan onto cooling racks, THEN put in the freezer. The original recipe claims this immediate freezing step will make the cake very moist…I also like doing this because then my cake is ready to be frosted more quickly.)

    For the frosting, cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add powdered sugar and beat on low speed until combined, then on high speed until frosting is smooth. (Jane note: the recipe calls for 3 1/2 cups of powdered sugar…I used a bit more butter and I didn’t measure the sugar as I added it – just kept adding until it was the right consistency.) Spread on cooled cake.

    Posted by Jane Maynard at 3:31 pm   14 Comments
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  2. Thursday, May 10

    Le Creuset, How I Love Thee

    This giveaway is now closed. Thank you!

    It’s almost Mother’s Day. Do you know what you’re getting your mama? Or have you told your husband what you want? I’ve decided that if I were to get a box that says Le Creuset on the outside, I would probably be more excited for it than a little turquoise box with a white ribbon and bow. Not kidding.

    In anticipation of today’s giveaway, Le Creuset gifted me with a Round French Oven and a Heritage Covered Rectangular Casserole. The day that box arrived on my doorstep I was GLEEFUL. Because, you see, I’ve been coveting Le Creuset from afar for many years. I cracked the box to discover the beautiful cookware that I was expecting…and I used both pieces that very night when making dinner!

    For real, have bell peppers ever looked more stunning? I think not.

    And I can’t WAIT to try baking artisan bread in my French oven. My friend Lindsay swears it’s the best thing ever. I’ve eaten her bread. And she’s right.

    Want to gussy up your stuffed peppers just like me? Now’s your chance! Le Creuset is giving away a Heritage Covered Rectangular Casserole in Marseille Blue (retail value $90) to one of you very lucky, randomly-selected people. Winner’s shipping address must be in the U.S.

    Here’s how to enter!

     

    You must leave separate comments to get the extra entries. All comments must be added before Midnight PT on Wednesday, May 16.

    Good luck!

    Posted by Jane Maynard at 11:47 am   423 Comments
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  3. Thursday, April 26

    Gearing Up For Baby: Stroller and Car Seat Update

    It’s been a while since I’ve done a Gearing Up For Baby post because, well, I’m not really gearing up anymore! Baby is here and we are in the groove! (P.S. How is he 7 months old already? Oh my…)

    I do want to do a quick update on the strollers and car seats that I reviewed before Owen was born. Thought it would be nice to let you know how they’ve been working when used with, you know, an actual baby.

    I LOVE the Orbit Baby travel system. Hands down best travel system I’ve ever used, and I’ve used quite a few. Owen and I took a trip to Utah a few months ago and I decided to take the Maxi Cosi travel system on the trip instead since it was smaller. While I had been enjoying using the Orbit system up until that point, it wasn’t until I used another system that I realized just how awesome the Orbit really is.

    Here are my follow-up thoughts on both systems.

    Orbit Baby

    • The soft handle is even greater than I thought it would be. It makes carrying the car seat sooooo much easier. It’s also super easy to flip up and down – no buttons to push. Love it.
    • The rotating base of the car seat is so handy for so many reasons. I could tell it would be, but now that I use it daily, it really is a fabulous feature.
    • The paparazzi shield is also really great. Use it all the time.
    • The sidekick skateboard for Anna is perfect. Again, use it all the time. She loves it, I love it. And it looks like a real skateboard, which makes it ultra cool.
    • The car seat is heavy. For sure. But all the other stuff makes up for it. And, again, the soft handle makes all the difference. I would much rather carry this heavier car seat with the flexible handle than a lighter one with a hard handle…because, let’s face it, car seats feel heavy no matter what.
    • Warning: If you use this system, people will talk to you. ALL THE TIME. I am not exaggerating when I say that every single time I use the car seat and stroller base in public, people either ask me about it or I overhear them talking about it. I really truly am not exaggerating. I even did a 10 minute demo for a couple at the mall last week. So, if you are not a natural extrovert, look at the stroller as a way to hone those skills! ;)
    • Orbit just came out with a toddler car seat that fits into the infant car seat base so you can continue to have the rotation benefit. Very cool – I’m telling you that rotation feature makes life so much easier. And the Double Helix stroller is coming out this fall. They’ll even have an upgrade kit for people like me who already have the single stroller so you can turn it into a double.

    Maxi Cosi

    • I love the Mila stroller. I use it now in place of my Maclaren. It folds and unfolds easily, doesn’t take up much space, it has the most user-friendly brake system on a stroller that I’ve ever seen, the storage area is big and easy to access (hasn’t been a problem having the access point in the front, which I had wondered about), and it can stand on its own when folded. It is a great stroller!
    • When the car seat is attached to the stroller, it actually feels a little wobbly. I’m not worried about its safety at all, it’s just, well, wobbly.
    • The car seat is fine. Pretty standard. It’s nice and light, which is probably my favorite feature. Everything else about the car seat is pretty basic and similar to other brands.

    If you are looking at travel systems in the Orbit price range, I highly recommend the Orbit. I have enjoyed using it so much and it really has made life a lot easier in so many ways! The Maxi Cosi is in a lower price range and is a nice system…definitely a good option and I like it MUCH better than the Peg Perego system I had with Anna. That said…I heart Orbit 4ever.

    Links to my original posts about these travel systems, which have more information about the various features:

    Links to the manufacturer’s websites:

    I received both of these travel systems from the respective companies for free to review on the site. I was not compensated monetarily. Even though the systems were given to me, all opinions are my own and I was at liberty to say what I thought about the products, positive or negative.

    Posted by Jane Maynard at 11:32 am   14 Comments
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  4. Friday, April 13

    iPhone Tip Follow-Up

    Remember the iPhone tip about apps running in the background that I shared a few weeks ago? Well….I have an update that I need to share with you today! (If you don’t know what I’m talking about, click here to get the scoop.)

    My friend’s boyfriend is an actual iPhone engineer at Apple. They were talking about this and he has some updated and important information for us. Apparently when iPhone apps are running in the background, they are not eating up battery life or processing power. Well, they can be…if it’s an app that is actually doing something, like tracking GPS, then it could be using up some power, but otherwise, the apps are not killing your iPhone’s life and speed.

    In my defense, our Apple engineer friend said that Genius bar employees are one of the reasons that this myth is being perpetuated…and I did do research online before writing my original post. Every source said that open apps use up battery and processing power. I blame the so called geniuses for all this confusion!

    Regardless of this new information that has come to light, I am still DELIGHTED that I learned the trick. Now that I know how to pull up open apps (just double click the home button), I use it ALL THE TIME. I tend to close apps that that I don’t use often. And the ones I use frequently I leave running. It really is so much faster to double click the home button to pull up whatever is open and get to the apps from there. I love it!

    So what originally was something I thought bugged me turned out to be one of my favorite parts of the iPhone. Of course. Should I have ever have doubted Steve Jobs and my friend’s boyfriend? No! :)

    Posted by Jane Maynard at 8:07 am   4 Comments
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  5. Friday, March 9

    Classy Candles

    Last night we attended a birthday celebration for my friend Wendy. Her husband, Brandon, picked up an AMAZING banana cake from a bakery in Los Gatos called Icing on the Cake. Nate and I have officially found our new favorite place to get cakes in the Bay Area! We’ve really missed Extraordinary Desserts in San Diego…it only took us four years to find a replacement!

    Anyway, Brandon also picked up these candles at the bakery.

    Are they not the cutest, classiest candles you’ve ever seen? They’re called “Tag Party Candles.” I did a Google search and found them several places around the web, including Amazon. In fact, I just bought three boxes. That’s right, three. I never think to buy candles ahead of time and always end up getting whatever candles are at the grocery store, which are usually boring. Boring no more! The Maynards will have beautiful birthday candles from here on out.

    Posted by Jane Maynard at 11:45 am   9 Comments
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  6. Thursday, March 8

    How to create ‘Happy Pins’ on Pinterest

    You know what Pinterest is, right?

    If your answer is yes, let’s follow each other! Leave your unique Pinterest URL in the comments. Mine is http://pinterest.com/janemaynard/ Let’s all be Pinterest buddies!

    If your answer is no, Pinterest is essentially a visual bookmark tool, like having a cork pinboard on the web. AND you can look at other people’s pinboards.

    I must admit, I love Pinterest. And not just because it drives an insane amount of traffic to my site (which it does). Blogging and non-blogging friends of mine are all using Pinterest regularly and are acting on the content they discover through the site. It’s really great!

    As much as I love and appreciate Pinterest, there has been a lot of buzz lately over some of the not-so-fabulous aspects of Pinterest, like credit not given for original content and straight-up copyright violation. If you want to read more about the issues, these blog posts here and here are a fantastic place to start. Bottom line – the kinks have not all been worked out. And I really hope Pinterest does work them out…and quickly.

    Given all the buzz, I thought I would share my two most favorite tips for creating ‘Happy Pins’ on Pinterest. You know, pins that make people happy and do happy things in the world!

    1) Pin the ORIGINAL source. When I’m out and about pinning, I always make sure to pin the original source. If I have to dig for it, I do, and then I pin. If I can’t find the original source, then I do not pin the page. That’s right, no matter how much I love something and want to remember it, I bid the page adieu. Pinterest is too powerful to be sending traffic to people who are stealing content. And just think how HAPPY you are making that wonderful person who created the content to begin with when you send some traffic their way. They deserve it!

    2) Always click through on your pins! When you pin or re-pin something, CLICK THROUGH to the site! I don’t let myself pin something unless I have actually visited the original site. So, go ahead, click through and take a look at that article or blog post. Send the lovely person who made that lovely “something” some lovely traffic. They worked hard to create that content for you. They deserve the love. PLUS…if the pin is awesome enough to be a pin in the first place, just think how awesome the entire blog post or article will be!

    Are you ready to go forth and pin responsibly? I know I am!

    A few final notes:

    And, to end this pinteresting post (ha ha), my own plea to Pinterest. Please figure out the kinks. We love you! We want to keep using you with happy hearts and clear consciences. Here are my two cents, in case you’re wondering…please have the site download thumbnails instead of full-size images. That would solve so many of the problems. And when someone clicks on a pin, please direct that person to the link (a la Tastespotting and FoodGawker) rather than to the unique url for that pin. By creating a timestamp for the pin (like on Twitter), one could still click through to a unique url for the pin, but the real goal is to direct people to the content and that’s what a click on a pin should be doing. Just sayin’.

    Happy Pinning!

    Posted by Jane Maynard at 7:15 am   36 Comments
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  7. Tuesday, February 14

    Any Excuse to Eat Chocolate…Happy Valentine’s Day!

    You know I’m always looking for a good reason to eat chocolate. One might say I have a problem. Whatever. Chocolate is good for the soul.

    I was hoping to whip up something chocolatey for a post today, but Owen isn’t feeling very well and we’re heading to the doctor in a bit. (I’m sure he’s fine, no worries…probably an ear infection, poor little guy!) Even though the day is not going as planned, I can’t leave you completely chocolate-less on Valentine’s Day! So, I’m reposting a recipe from a few years ago.

    Oh how I wish I had time to make these truffles today. THEY ARE SO GOOD. I think that’s really all I have to say. Have a Happy Valentine’s Day!!

    Scotch Truffle Hearts
    Recipe contributed to the Scharffen Berger book Essence of Chocolate: Recipes for Baking and Cooking with Fine Chocolate by Alice Medrich. From the book: Since we began Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker, Cocolat founder Alice Medrich has been a constant help, ready to lend a hand with everything from bean tasting to recipe tasting. We’re especially honored to have Alice’s chocolate recipes in our book because both of us are fans of her chocolate confections, which she first began selling in Berkeley in the 1970s. These chocolates have a thin dark shell around a decadently soft center, underscored with the warmth and fragrance of a single-malt Scotch. Alice recommends that you mix this ganache gently with a spatula rather than vigorously with a whisk. Because the chocolate coating is not tempered, the hearts must be stored in the refrigerator to keep them from discoloring or blooming. Enjoy them cold, right from the refrigerator, or let them sit at room temperature for a half an hour or so, to bring up the flavors of the chocolate and the Scotch.

    - 7 ounces 62% semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
    - 1 cup heavy cream
    - 2 tbsp. single-malt Scotch
    - 12 ounces 82% extra dark chocolate, finely chopped
    - 2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder (optional)

    Line an 8X8 inch 2-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, overlapping the top slightly, and set out a fine-mesh strainer.

    Place the 62% chocolate in a medium bowl and set aside.

    In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a boil. Pour the cream over the chocolate, and stir gently with a heatproof spatula until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Do not whisk or splash the mixture by stirring too briskly, or the texture of the chocolates will be cakey and granular. Add the Scotch and stir just to incorporate. (Jane note: I left out the Scotch b/c I didn’t have it on hand and they came out very delicious just the same!)

    Strain the ganache into the prepared pan. Tilt the pan to level the ganache. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight.

    Transfer the pan of the ganache to the refrigerator to soften for 20 minutes. Choose a baking sheet of dish that will fit in your freezer and line it with parchment paper.

    Place a sheet of foil about 12 inches long on your work surface. Remove the ganach, using the foil that you used to line the pan to help lift it. Invert it onto the clean sheet of foil. Peel the foil from the bottom.

    Using a 1 1/2-inch heart-shaped cutter, cut out hearts as close together as possible to avoid excessive amounts of scraps, and transfer to the prepared pan. (Jane note: I found a set of heart cutters for fondant made by Wilton at Michaels – the hearts were 3 sizes, which was helpful in making a lot of hearts with little scraps. The leftover chocolate I rolled into round balls to make a more traditionally-shaped truffle.) If the ganache becomes too soft to work with, cover with plastic wrap and return to the freezer to harden.

    Once all of the hearts are cut, cover with plastic wrap and freeze until very hard, at least 4 hours or overnight. (At this point the hearts can be placed in a an airtight container and frozen for up to 2 months.)

    TO COAT THE HEARTS: Choose a baking sheet or pan that will fit in your refrigerator and line with parchment paper.

    Melt the 82% chocolate and stir until smooth. Cool to 100-105 degrees F. (Jane note – I melted the chocolate over a double boiler. The chocolate was quite warm and took some time to come down in temperature. At 109 degrees it started to harden, so I would recommend working with it around 115 degrees – I had no problems with it melting the truffles.)

    Put the bowl of melted chocolate next to the prepared baking pan.

    Remove the hearts from the freezer one small batch at a time. Place a heart in the center of the bowl of chocolate and, using a dipping fork or table fork, flip it over and push it under the surface of the chocolate to coat completely. Slip the fork under the center and lift the heart out of the chocolate, tap the fork on the side of the bowl so any excess chocolate drips back into the bowl, and then wipe the bottom of the fork on the edge of the bowl and set the heart on the prepared pan. Repeat with the remaining hearts. (Jane note: These directions were spot on and it was actually pretty easy to do if you follow them.  I did need to zap the dipping chocolate twice in the process to remelt it a bit.)

    Use a small fine-mesh strainer or shaker to dust the hearts with the cocoa. Refrigerate for 1 hour, or until the chocolate has hardened. (Jane note: the chocolate hardened FAST…so if you’re going to put toppings on (cocoa, powdered sugar, decorative sugar crystals, sea salt) you gotta get them on there quickly!)

    The hearts can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Makes 30-36 hearts.

    Posted by Jane Maynard at 12:01 pm   3 Comments
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  8. Thursday, February 9

    Random Little Techy Tips

    Okay, I know this is a food blog. You’re expecting food. But today I need to share two little techy tips. The first is an iPhone thing that’s still kinda blowing my mind…not because it’s all that life changing, but because I can’t believe I didn’t know it. And another little trick for your computer (Mac or PC) that’s been around forever and a bunch of you probably already know but some of you don’t and need to! Figured if we’re getting techy, may as well throw it in.

    Random iPhone Tip: (The following applies to the iPad as well!)
    Did you know that when you open an app on your iPhone and then click the home button you are not closing the app? It stays open and runs in the background. I know, crazy, right?

    Wanna know how to close an app? You double click the home button and a bar appears at the bottom and shows every app that is open and running in the background.

    Press and hold one of the apps (like when you want to move apps around your phone), and a little minus sign will appear in the top left corner of each app icon.

    Just tap the minus sign and then the app closes down.

    Hit the home button, the minus signs disappear and everything stops wiggling, then hit the home button again to go to your regular screen.

    Every single app I have on my phone was running when a person I was sitting next to on the plane showed me this little trick.

    Theoretically the apps open faster when they’re running in the background, but I honestly don’t see a difference in speed if I open them from closed or from a running-in-the-background state. I was thinking last night, though, that if you want to flip between apps without first having to go to the home screen and potentially needing to flip through multiple screens, then this actually could come in handy. Of course, I’ll have to retrain my brain to use the phone that way, but it does in fact save you a couple of clicks moving between apps. For example:

    I’m in Facebook looking at how cute the pictures I took of my kids are. Suddenly I need to go play a little Words with Friends.

    Just double-click. Select Words. Kick a few people’s butts. Double click again. Select Facebook and get back to admiring my own photos.

    Is your mind blown? Mine is.

    {Update 4/13/12: When I originally wrote this post, I included mis-information about the apps taking up battery power and  processing speed while running in the background…I have since been happily corrected, updated this post and wrote a new post with the new information…click here to see it!}

    Random Computer Tip:
    Alt+Tab (PC) or Command+Tab (Mac) is my MOST FAVORITE KEYBOARD SHORTCUT IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD. Just do it and see what happens. Right now. You’re on a computer, right? Okay, see how it brings up all your programs that are open? And how you can continue holding down Alt/Command and then click tab to move through the programs? I’m sure some of you know this. But I’m also sure some of you don’t. And for those of you who don’t, now you do and your life has changed forever. You’re welcome.

    One more random iPhone tip that I just thought of and feel it is my duty to share:
    The front glass on an iPhone 4s is NOT FIXABLE. I learned the hard way and it cost me $250. You could replace the front glass on the 3G models, but not these new fandangled iPhones. You may want to go out and buy a more protective case now, especially if you didn’t buy Apple Care. Just sayin’.

    That’s all my friends. Go and be techy.

    Posted by Jane Maynard at 11:33 am   23 Comments
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  9. Wednesday, January 25

    My New Favorite Rice: Calrose Brown

    A long time ago in a galaxy far far away I mentioned how much I love Calrose rice, the delicious sticky white rice that goes so well with Chinese food. Whenever we have Asian food at home, I lament the fact that my Calrose rice is white because I really like to use brown rice whenever I can. WELLLLL…I don’t know why I didn’t look sooner, but my grocery store carries brown Calrose rice. Woo-hoo!

    I love it. There is a bit of a “brown” flavor to the rice, but I like that flavor and the rice is still nice and sticky. I don’t think I’ll ever cook white Calrose rice again. The brown stuff is healthier and tastes fabulous.

    That’s all for today. Just a small ode to my new favorite rice.

    Posted by Jane Maynard at 10:19 am   17 Comments
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  10. Friday, January 6

    Homemade Tiaras

    Warning: there is no food to be found in this post. Sorry. But I do promise to deliver absolute and total cuteness. Hope that makes up for it!

    I am not a crafty person. I rarely have any “projects” going on, despite the fact that I am a creative, artsy type. But once in a while something catches my eye that I simply must do.

    A tiara for the more courtly princesses.

    As you know, Anna recently hosted a “Hello Kitty Glamour Party” for her birthday. As we prepared for the party, she said to me, “Make sure everyone wears glamour stuff to my party, mama.” I decided I could help Anna’s guests out by providing them with some lovely tiaras. But lovely tiaras are surprisingly hard to come by.

    One of the benefits of editing DailyBuzz Moms is I get to read oodles of fabulous blog posts about oodles of fabulous topics. One of these such posts came from Joy’s Misadventures. Joy described how she put together her daughter’s Halloween costume, complete with a homemade tiara that was the prettiest little tiara I ever did see.

    A tiara for the more whimsical, pixie-like princesses.

    I emailed Joy, found out where she got the stuff, and ordered the supplies straight away! With my Hobby Lobby floral wedding beads and headbands from Target at the ready, my friend Amy and I sat down and got creative. (Please note: I made two tiaras. Amy made seven. That is friendship.)

    Every tiara was unique, whimsical, adorable. I couldn’t have been happier with the result. And they were EASY to put together. Just wrap the wire around the headband. Done! Thank you, Joy, for the inspiration!

    Party tiaras all in a row.

    You’re welcome for making all of your tiara dreams come true.

    Posted by Jane Maynard at 10:00 am   12 Comments
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