{Please Welcome} Michael from Better Cater

It's so nice to have a guest blogger today! It's been way too long. I forgot how much I love having others guest post on my blog! 

 Today's guest blogger is Michael Sandoval, the online community manager for Better Cater. Better Cater is a software created by caterers for caterers to help them save time and money. Every feature reflects the needs of today's caterer. Michael is a caterer himself from California. During his free time he enjoys traveling, discovering new restaurants, and cooking vegetarian dishes.

 Take it away, Michael!

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Eggs and butters are perennial recipes in making cakes and pastries. But what if you’re allergic to it? And, what if your doctor tells you not to eat those? Don’t worry. You can still enjoy a mouthwatering cake even without these essential ingredients. There’s an abundance of eggless and butterless recipes that you can try out at home. Here are some of the sumptuous, affordable, and easy to prepare cake recipes that will surely satiate your palate. 

Traditional Eggless and Butterless Cake

This traditional cake is yummy without the usually ingredients. Perfect if you’re on a diet or under certain health conditions. 

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups white sugar
• 6 tablespoons chocolate powder (unsweetened)
• 2 teaspoons each of baking soda and baking powder
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups water
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.

Except for the oil, water, vinegar and vanilla, combine all ingredients in one bowl. Mix the wet ingredients in separate bowl. Mix all ingredients together. Beat until smooth and creamy. Grease your pan and pour batter. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and put inside your mixture. Wait for 20-25 minutes before taking out of the oven. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar when cool.

World War I Eggless, Milkless, Butterless Cake                  

Prepare the following ingredients: 

• Raisins
•  2 cups water
• 1 cup cold water
• 2 cups sugar
• ½ cup lard (don’t melt this)
• 4 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon cloves
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla. 

Boil raisins in a large saucepan until they turn plump. Remove from the stove and refill with cold water. Add sugar and lard. Sift together and mix with flour, baking soda, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and vanilla. Grease your loaf pan and bake in preheat oven in 350 degrees. Bake for about one hour.

Eggless, Milkless, Butterless Cake For Lenten

Celebrate Lenten by cutting your fatty diet. You can prepare an eggless, butterless and milkless cake for this season. 

Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 2 cups raisins (seeded)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ½  teaspoon all-spice
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• salt
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon soda
• 1 cup chopped nuts. 

When you’ve got all the ingredients needed, mix water, raisins, brown sugar, cinnamon, all-spice, vegetable oil, salt, and nutmeg. Boil for 3 minutes then set it aside to cool. Add flour and combine with baking powder and soda. Stir until smooth before adding the nuts. If you want to make it taste a little fruity, add grapes, figs, or dates. Grease pan and bake for one hour.

Now, there you have your very own healthy and low-fat cake to indulge! 
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Thanks, Michael! I can't wait to try these recipes!

If you are interested in submitting a guest post, please e-mail me at

cupcakediaries1@hotmail.com.

It would be so fun to hear from you!

Fruit Pizza

Today is my little baby's original due date! My baby who is now almost 2 months old was due to be born today and it just blows my mind to think about how early he was. We sure are lucky parents! He's just the sweetest little guy and we feel so blessed.

Yesterday it hit me that summer is almost over. It's almost August, for crying out loud! It seems like summer is just starting for us because half of our summer was spent in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit with our baby. Two weeks ago today we busted out of there and started celebrating life and summertime!

With summer comes oodles and oodles of yummy fruit and I LOVE fresh fruit in the summer, as I've mentioned a bazillion times before. (Spell check didn't just tell me that "bazillion" was spelled wrong so apparently that really is a real word...?) I love me a good fruit salad in the summer. Or juicing a whole bunch of random fruits together for a yummy beverage.

Fruit Pizza is one of my favorite treats, and especially so in the summer when the fruit is ripe and delicious. I love that this tastes like a decadent dessert but it has so fewer calories with all of the delicious fruit on top. Whenever I see this dessert at a party it's gone in seconds. People just can't get enough! There are a lot of different versions of this dessert. This one is awesome when you want to make it but don't have time to make it from scratch. Easy and fun! I can't wait to make this again soon.


Fruit Pizza
Recipe.com

• 1 pouch Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix (1 lb 1.5 oz)
• 1/2 c. butter or margarine, melted
• 1 egg
• 1 c. whipping cream
• 1/2 c. cream cheese frosting 
• 3 1/2 c. assorted fresh fruit (I love that you can't go wrong with this pizza and you can make it with any kind of fruit! Simply pick your favorites!)

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly spray a 14-inch pizza pan or 15x10 inch baking pan with cooking spray. (Or just get out your pizza stone if you have one of those! My pizza stone is one of my must-have kitchen gadgets. But remember not to grease it!)

In a medium bowl, stir cookie mix, melted butter, and egg until soft dough forms. Press the dough in the bottom of the pan. Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely, about 45 minutes.

In a chilled medium bowl, beat the whipping cream with an electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Gently stir the frosting into the whipped cream. Spread over the cookie pizza and arrange fruit on the top.

For High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Use 1/3 c. melted butter and bake 12 to 17 minutes.

Pizza Roll Ups

We're in the process of getting our apartment packed up to move next week. Needless to say, it's been a little stressful around here! Last night I thought I should probably cook a meal for my family for once. I'm normally pretty on the ball with family dinners, cooking something different every other night with leftovers in between. When I opened the fridge last night I realized that instead of a few things for one meal, I had a bunch of different things to make a bunch of separate meals. I pretty much needed to run to the grocery store if I wanted to make an actual meal for my boys. Then I decided to put a couple of things together and make something different than usual. Fifteen minutes later we had these Pizza Roll Ups for dinner! Not only were they super easy to make, but they were really good and really fun to eat. This is a perfect meal for the kiddos!


Pizza Roll Ups
makes 8 roll ups

• 1 (8-count) package Pillsbury tubed crescent roll dough (or your favorite brand)
• shredded mozzarella cheese
• Canadian bacon
• pineapple, diced
• other favorite pizza toppings
• pizza sauce, for dipping (see recipe below or buy your favorite sauce)

Sauce
This is the same recipe for the Copycat Pizza Hut Pizza & Cheese Bread. It was so much easier and cheaper making this than buying a jar of pizza sauce from the store! And it tastes much better.

• 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
• 1 tsp. dry oregano
• 1/2 tsp. marjoram
• 1/2 tsp. dry basil
• 1/2 tsp. garlic salt

 Begin by flattening out each individual crescent roll dough. Place desired pizza toppings at the large end of the triangle. We're Hawaiian pizza fans at our house! I used four pieces of Canadian bacon and a small pile of the pineapple.

 Then sprinkle some of the cheese right over the other toppings.

Finally, roll up each roll from the large side of the triangle to the tip. Press the tip against the rest of the roll to ensure it is sealed shut. Go around and pinch the open spaces of each roll together so the cheese doesn't fall out as it melts.

Bake at 375 degrees for 13-15 minutes or until the tops are a light golden brown.

Serve with hot pizza sauce and enjoy!

Party Time! Olympic Style

It's Olympics time! Woo hoo!! I love the summer Olympics and this year I was especially excited to have something good to watch while I was in the hospital having my baby. Seeing as how he came two months early, that's not going to happen. I guess I'll just have to have a party at home with my boys and all kinds of fun Olympics food! I'll take it!

In case you're looking for a fun Olympic treat to eat while watching the opening ceremonies or maybe a whole slew of ideas for a full-on Olympics party, I've made a list of what I think would be fun to have at my party! 

 Popcorn Torches @ A Small Snippet

I love these popcorn torches! This post is full of all kinds of fun food and Olympics party ideas.

 Berry Trifle @ Party Resources

This trifle was made for a party in honor of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. It would work just as well for the Olympics!

Union Jack Cupcakes @ My Bakes

Did "God Save the Queen" just pop in your head when you saw these cupcakes or is that just me? These would make a perfect opening ceremonies dessert!

 Earl Grey Cupcakes @ Blood, Sweat, and Cupcakes

A cup of Earl Grey tea is a classic British indulgence. This yummy recipe is baked right into these tea cup holders for a fun twist on this tradition.

London Inspiration @ Sweet Designs

This last one isn't exactly a recipe, but it sure brings a lot of great ideas for decorating your Olympics party! This will be the best afternoon tea you'll ever attend.

German Chocolate Cake Bars

My mom LOVES German Chocolate Cake. Since I can remember, we've had German Chocolate Cake every year for her birthday dessert. Even though it was her birthday, she always made sure the cake was frosted partially with regular chocolate frosting and the rest with that wonderfully delicious coconut frosting that pairs so nicely with that cake. Most of the kids didn't like it so she made sure everyone liked the cake in one way or another. I was one of those that loved it so I got to sample the leftover frosting with my mom. That's a great mom right there! She's a very selfless lady. I thought of her when I saw this recipe for German Chocolate Cake Bars. One of the things I really like about these bars is that you don't end up having an entire cake to eat if not everyone likes them. Let's be honest. This kind of cake isn't exactly the most popular of all the cake kids. These bars make it easier to share with neighbors if you happen to come home from a party with a whole bunch of leftovers! But for those of use who happen to like German Chocolate Cake...these bars are heaven! They're so gooey and chewy with all of the German Chocolate Cakeyness I know and love so well. Mmmm!!

This picture is from Good Morning American when Paula came on and made these bars. Yumm!


German Chocolate Cake Bars
Paula Deen

Crust:

• 1 box devil's food cake mix
• 1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 egg

Filling:

• 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1 c. chopped pecans
• 1 c. shredded coconut
• 1/2 c. milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 pan well with butter or nonstick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, mix together the cake mix, butter, and egg. Press the mixture into the bottom of the pan. Bake for 7 minutes and remove from the oven. 

In another medium bowl, mix together the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract, egg, pecans, and coconut. Pour evenly over the warm crust, sprinkle evenly with chocolate chips, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the top is a light golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool completely before cutting.

Creative Ways to Cut a Watermelon

It's that time of year when all the watermelon artwork comes on the scene! These days I don't go to a baby shower without seeing a watermelon baby carriage or to a family reunion without a watermelon hedgehog. It's such a fun trend! So far I haven't jumped on the watermelon-carving train and carved something for myself. But I sure have enjoyed others' hard work and I love seeing all of the creativity out there. Here are a few of the really cute ideas I've seen out there!

 Watermelon Hedgehog @ Knox News

 Watermelon Turtle @ Down Memory Lane

 Watermelon Baby Carriage @ Taste of Home

 Watermelon Shark @ Sun Scholars

 Watermelon Basket @ Home Cooking from About.com

View the video tutorial here!

Watermelon Keg @ She Knows

Hollow out a watermelon, drill a hole in the front, and fill it with your favorite drink to serve at a fun summer party!

Campfire Cones

One of my favorite parts of summer is going camping. Yet for some reason it's been a few years since I've been! I love the great outdoors and sleeping in a tent. Or a trailer, if I have the option, let's be honest! I can't wait for my kids to be old enough to go on their first camping trip. I have so many fun memories of camping with my family.

I love sitting around the campfire with everyone when we're out camping. Whether we're roasting hotdogs, roasting marshmallows for s'mores, or just visiting, it's my favorite place to be on a camping trip. I'd have to say the s'more part is the icing on the cake for a campfire night! Recently I found this fun camping treat that I'm so excited to try on our next camping trip. It's that time of year, so this is a perfect treat for the next time you're getting ready to go camping! Everything inside the cone melts together but the cone stays crunchy. Heaven!

These would work great for a family reunion, girls camp, scout camp, etc.

(Not much of a camper? That's ok! You can make these over a grill if you have one and have a party of your own!)


Campfire Cones
image and recipe via Come Together Kids

• sugar cones
• peanut butter
• mini marshmallows
• chocolate chip
• bananas
• aluminum foil

Other ingredient options I think would be good to put in these:

• caramel
• M&M's
• nuts
• coconut

Here's what to do:
Instructions will vary, depending on the ingredients you use! The marshmallows are going to bind everything else together so try really hard to use those.

1. Chop up the bananas and get mini marshmallows and chocolate chips ready to go.
2. Spread some peanut butter on the inside of the cone. Then put in the bananas, marshmallows, and chocolate chips.
3. Wrap the whole cone in aluminum foil and safely put it over the campfire near a warm spot on the edge where you can easily take it back out. Or if you're using a grill, set it on the rack above the hot coals. (The campsite grills are perfect for this.)
4. Unwrap the cone and check to see if everything is nice and gooey and melted. Time to dig in!

Pineapple Lemonade Punch

Growing up my friends and I totally did the lemonade stand thing. Most of the time it was Kool-Aid that we made, but every now and then we had the full-out traditional lemonade stand. It was wonderful! Granted our moms were really the only ones who supported us, and maybe a few neighbor kids now and then. As an adult, I look back on those memories and smile thinking about how those days were so simple and fun. I miss my childhood!

I'm an adult now and I'm not sure how that happened. All of a sudden I have responsibilities! I recently found this recipe for Pineapple Lemonade Punch that brought me right back to my lemonade stand days. This is such a good drink! It can be used for so many different occasions or just to have around for summer days. It's really easy to make and a winning recipe.


Pineapple Lemonade Punch
image and recipe via  
Froggy and the Mouse

• 1 c. Countrytime Lemonade mix (or something similar)
• 2 c. cold water
• 1 (46 oz) can chilled pineapple juice
• 2 cans chilled Sprite (or another lemon lime soda)

Mix everything together and serve! Throw some lemon slices on top to dress it up a bit.

Creamy Avocado Dressing

Ok, all you avocado eaters! This is the salad dressing for you! This is a very cool and creamy dressing to make your salad even more delish. You're going to have a hard time not eating this all with a spoon before it even makes it to your salad.


Creamy Avocado Dressing
image and recipe Closet Cooking
makes 2 cups

• 1 medium avocado
• 1 small jalapeno (Remove the seeds for less heat and keep them in for more heat.)
• 1/4 c. cilantro
• juice of 1 lime
• 1 green onion
• 1 garlic clove
• 3/4 cupish buttermilk (depending on how thick or thin you want your dressing)
• 1/4 c. mayo (optional)
• 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds, toasted and ground
• salt and pepper to taste

Puree everything in a blender till smooth. Store in the fridge and use within three days. (Why do I have the feeling that last part won't be a problem?) :)

Spinach and Strawberry Salad

I love this salad! It's so refreshing and delicious. It's very easy to put together and it packs a lot of great flavor. I love the sweetness of the strawberries with the crisp greens. This is a great salad for a summer gathering or as a side dish with dinner.


Spinach and Strawberry Salad
recipe and image via Food.com

• fresh or packaged baby spinach 
• crumbled feta cheese
• sliced strawberries
• almond slivers or candied almonds

Dressing

• 1/2 c. vegetable oil
• 1/4 c. balsamic vinegar (or raspberry wine or white wine vinegar)
• 1/4 - 1/3 c. sugar
• 1 pinch paprika
• 1-2 Tbsp poppy seeds

OR use Brianna's Blush Wine Vinaigrette dressing, found at most grocery stores. (I love using this dressing for this salad instead of making it from scratch.)

Directions

1. In a large bowl, toss the spinach with the strawberries and almonds
2. In another bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients and pour desired amount over the spinach, strawberries, and almonds. Or pour Brianna's Blush Wine Vinaigrette dressing over the spinach, strawberries, and almonds and toss together.
3. Sprinkle the feta cheese over top of the salad and serve immediately.

More Fourth of July Treats

We're only two days away from the Fourth of July! Here are a few more ideas for Fourth of July bbq treats if you're still trying to find the perfect one. It's so hard to narrow it down! There are so many fun ideas out there. Have fun deciding what to make!!

 Firecracker Cookies @ Cookin' Cowgirl

 Brownie and Fruit Kabobs @ Mel's Kitchen Cafe'

Layered Fourth of July Drink @ The Sisters Cafe'

Fruit Tart Flag @ Food Network

Strawberry-Filled Donuts @ Design Sponge