Magnolia Ice Cream Party

Spring has sprung in Santa Cruz and we're taking full advantage of it. Few things make me happier than moving our table outside and eating on our deck. For one, we happen to have a great ocean view. And then, there's the less vacuuming factor that always makes me smile. Yay[!] for spring, and dinner parties, and friends, and cool tropical flavor ice cream.

Magnolia sent us a box of goodies to explore. We explored every single one, it took no effort at all. The avocado is rad. Ube (sweet potato) was also pretty great. Starting April 1st these cool flavors will be ready to ship - something to look forward to.

Has spring sprung where you're at?

Our current thing

If you see Maria please refer to her as bunny rabbit. Pretending like she's a certain animal for weeks on end is her thing.

We all have out thing.

My current thing is to get crazy organized. This has been my thing for a while now, and finally I feel like I'm getting a pretty good grasp oh how to make it happen. We have a budget. We have a food budget (I know!). I have gotten rid of things I don't use and added a few things that have helped me save money, save space, and save time.

The Magimix by Robot-Coupe Food Processor is a new addition to our kitchen, complimentary of Magimix, and it is an absolute thing of beauty! I already had a food processor. In fact I had two. One was big and one was little. I mostly used the little one and occasionally I would bust out the big one. Bust out is a bad way to describe it. Bust out makes it seem fast. It wasn't fast. I have a small kitchen with limited counter space, so the big food processor was tucked away in a hard to reach cabinet. I wanted something that was more accessible and the Magimix by Robot-Coupe Food processor fulfills my need because it comes with 3 different bowls, 3 different sizes, and they fit inside each other, so now I have a big, medium, and small food processor all in one, on my counter, with an added bonus.

This is the bonus.

Carrot juice! Lots and lots of carrot juice. Carrot juice is my other thing. Carrot juice is one of my absolute favorite things. A close contender is passion fruit juice, but in order for passion fruit juice to taste good you need a whole bunch of sugar. With carrot juice you need carrots. And it tastes so good, so so so good. I could put pictures of me jumping up and down to show my excitement but mini-me , bunny rabbit is cuter. The juice extractor and smoothie attachment for the food processor is a mega bonus. It makes it so that our 25lbs bag of carrots do not go to waste and helps me save time and money from trips to the store to buy carrot juice. Plus, fresh carrot juice is a lot tastier than any store bought stuff. I guess that's true for most things.

And because we believe that all good things has a popsicle version we're converted to carrot juice popsicles.

So basically here is a quick rundown of our current happenings.
// our daughter is on sabbatical and in turn we have a bunny.
// a 25 pound bag of carrots is a common sight in our house these days
// new food processor / juicer = good addition to our kitchen
// carrot popsicles are the bomb and since we live in sunny California I'm thinking of making a bunch of these for our big Easter egg hunt

So tell me, what's your current thing?

Maggie Austin Cake

I have a crush on pretty cakes. I can't make one to save my life and truth be told pretty does not always translate into delicious. But I am sure these taste delicious, they must, though I would probably cry a little if I had to cut one of these into slices and ruin it's perfection.

Guess what Maggie Austin, the creator of these cakes was before turning into a pastry chef. A ballerina of course. Just look at all that frill, doesn't it remind you of tutus? I think these are the prettiest cakes I have ever seen. They are so girly, so gentle. And no Maggie Austin does not only turn tutus into cakes, she also turns polished stones into cakes, and artwork you would frame and hang on your wall into cakes. Her portfolio is amazing.

Does your heart go pitter-patter for pretty cakes too?

5 Foodie Gifts for the Single Ladies

Since I'm a mommy and since I write so much about my kiddies, I'm always a bit surprised that anyone besides mommies would be interested in Kitchen Corners, but as it turns out some of my most loyal readers are rad single ladies. Girls, this gift guide is for you because you know how to eat and you know that eating solo can be a real treat.


One
What: Zoku Single Pop Maker
From: Williams-Sonoma
Perfect For: The college student with the tiny freezer.
Cost: $24.95

Two
What: Perennial Mini Colander
From: Anthropologie
Perfect For: The girl who likes to cook pretty.
Cost: Between $12.00

Three
What: El Paso Quesadilla Maker

From: Sears

Perfect For: The workaholic.

Cost: $19.99

Four
What: Prep and Store Bowls - Set of 4
From: Urban Outfitters
Perfect For: The hyper organized chick.
Cost: $14.00

Five
What: Geometric Mustard Hand Printed Tea Towel
From: Amy Sullivan
Perfect For: The hip girl with the hip kitchen.
Cost: $18.00

Holiday Gift Guides 2011
// 5 Eco-Friendly Holiday Gifts for Little Foodies
// 5 Gourmet Gadgets for the Holidays
// 5 Food Gifts for the Holidays

Christmas Tea

Oh Christmas. Today Enzo put on a Christmas CD and we were all surprised. We listened to Frosty the Snowman like 50 times. No joke. It was on repeat. I thought about telling him to just turn-it-off-puh-lease but held back and let him have his Christmas moment for the year. Did I mention it was super hot today? It does not feel like Christmas at all. I still have no idea what I'm giving Baby Maria. Enzo is getting private chess lessons. We like giving experiences. You can read my 5 Ideas for Memorable Non-Store-Bought Gifts on Inhabitots to see what I'm talking about.

I know exactly what I want for Christmas but I'm not getting it because it's far away in a Trader Joe's supermarket. For me eating is an experience.

The second thing I want for Christmas is Christmas Tea. I adore tea and I adore this idea.

// Images via Core77 spotted on Notcot

Truth and Lies Food Poster

Oh how this poster rings true, this and all of Justin Barber's Truth and Lies Posters. Found via Abduzeedo.

5 Gourmet Gadgets for the Holidays

It's Monday and that means it's time for one more quick gift guide.
This week lets look at some gourmet gadgets, fun and useful tools for avid cooks.


One
What: The OCD Chef Cutting Board
From: Think Geek
Perfect For: The cook who believes in recipes and follows them to a tee.
Cost: $24.99

Two
What: Copper Mixing Bowls
From: Cutlery and More
Perfect For: The hard core foodie who likes to beat egg whites by hand.
Cost: Between $93.95 - $154.96

Three
What: Batter Dispenser

From: Fresh Finds

Perfect For: The cook who always volunteers to make the cupcakes for the party.

Cost: $14.95

Four
What: Marble and Oak, Mortar and Pestle
From: Design Group
Perfect For: Mortar lovers. They do exist. I've become one of them.
Cost: $395.00

Five
What: Spaghettiometer
From: Timber Green Woods
Perfect For: The cook who likes to brag about his pasta.
Cost: $9.95

Gourmet gadgets are the funnest! Are there any of these you'd like under your Christmas tree? Are there any other gourmet gadgets you would add to the list?

P.S. Here is a list of past Holiday Gift Guides
// 5 Food Gifts for the Holidays

iPhone Cutting Board

An iPhone cutting board that can be used as landscape or portrait. How many people can you think of that would love this? I can think of at least a dozen.

Mugs on SVPPLY

Do you love Pinterest? So do I. And now I'm digging SVPPLY too, another fun way to bookmark products - for gift ideas, for future purchases, for inspiration, for pure eye-candy.

check it out

// Upcycled Modern Stacking Mustache Mugs
// Mr. Tea Pink Teacup and Saucer
// Suspended Animation Cup and Saucer

Moleskin Recipe Journal - Products I love

There are only two things I actually enjoy buying - food and books. I guess I'm nerdy that way. Before coming to Brazil I bought the Moleskine Recipe Journal and I just went online to see if they are still for sale, and the answer is yes, yes they are. *Sigh of relief* I'm seriously thinking of buying a life supply of Recipe Journals just in case Moleskin stops making them. Don't you hate when a product you love is no longer to be found?

For the past couple of years now we've become Moleskin addicts. Christian uses his Moleskin planner every single day and I use my Moleskin recipe journal daily too.

In addition to being able to write down a recipe I love,

// That there is a Northern AND a Southern Hemisphere Food Calendar
// The temperature conversion chart (in Brazil I use this all the time)
// That there are plenty of blank pages with tabs (very important) where I can jot down things like the menu for the week, blogging goals for the month, ideas for Kitchen Corners, money spent, money earned, etc
// That there is an index where I can write down the recipe title and know exactly what page it's on
// The double pocket on the back which fits receipts, clippings, notes, etc.
// Stickers. Yes, there are stickers.

If Moleskine ever stops making their passion collection I might cry. Oh, and for all you expectant mother's I just saw that Moleskin came out with a baby journal. I know!

Here's a short little video.

Have you ever owned a Moleskine planner or journal? Are you as passionate about them as I am?

Teacup Lamps

Oh boy, how lovely are these teacup lamps? I already have a thing for plates, I had quite a few on my
wall, now I can totally see myself starting to have a thing for teacups as well.



Not only would I hang these up in my kitchen but I would also hang it up in a bedroom. I think these teacup lamps would make any little girl's room instantly pretty.

What about you, would you ever use teacups as light fixtures?

Foodie Posters

Christian and I spent Saturday night looking over every post on Colassal. Basically that was our date night. And boy was it fantastic. I love looking at cool things with Christian, it makes for great conversations.

Back in California we have a life size poster of Maria sleeping. It's the first thing you see when you walk into our home. Now I want this gigantic soft-serve poster on our wall too.

Other foodie posters that made me smile and why ...

Chicago Hot Dog poster :: Did you know I lived in Chicago for 7 years? Yep, I sure did and the Windy City sure taught me how to love hot dogs. True story.

The Ingredients of a Hot Pocket ::  Christian has this cousin named Isaiah. Isaiah is hilarious with a capital H. He does a stand up comedy piece about Hot Pockets and the many creepy ingredients of this classic microwave food. It's so funny! If we were doing Secret Santa this year and on a lucky draw I got Isaiah I would buy him this poster. For the past two years someone in our family drew Isaiah's name and we've always gotten him a t-shirt. Boring! This poster would be the perfect opportunity to redeem myself.

American Gastronomy Map:: I've lived in Cobb Salad, Cranberry, Popcorn, and Hawaii. The bummer about this poster is that they did not include Hawaii or Alaska. No fair. Though I would still love to have this poster hanging on my wall. According to the map where have you lived?

Hello Weekend!

I'm loving these new Levi's Shirts. I'm also loving that they're for a good cause. Levi's has partnered with food activist Alice Waters to celebrate 40 years of the "Delicious Revolution." The proceeds from the sales of these shirts go towards the Edible Schoolyard, a national organization that integrates garden and kitchen education into grade school curriculum. What do you think? Would you wear one of these?

Here are some other cool products I found this week that made smile

// iPad chef sleeves
// recycled bicycle chain bottle opener
// a teaspoon that wrongs out your tea bag
// ilcami carafe
// swiss army knife chocolates
// citrange

and in case you missed it here's what went down at Kitchen Corners this week

// a recipe for key lime oreos
// shell measuring spoons
// a cookie cookbook giveaway, which you can still enter
// a list of things I want to do before I leave Brazil
// Entenmann's Big Book of Baking giveaway, which you can still enter
// a peak inside my head during dinner time

It's raining and even a bit coldy down here. It even sorta-kinda feels a little like Fall weather. Oh and I figured out how to make snickerdoodles without cream of tartar. Smiles all around.

Hope your weekend is nice and cozy.
See you on Monday

Shell Measuring Spoons

I spotted these shell measuring spoons over at Lydia's kitchen and pantry board. Lydia has good taste.

It's a quiet day today. I'm recovering from a stomach bug and the kids are both taking an afternoon nap. I think they're coming down with something too. No fun.

Somehow the tranquility of feeling better, sleeping children, and a gray afternoon has got me in the mood to try a little DIY project. I wonder if I can find some shells on the beach and turn them into measuring spoons. Either that or Anthropologie needs to get their act together and start selling these spoons again.

What to serve at your next climate change conference -Polar Ice Cube

Here is a perfect example of how design and food can come together to create a political statement. Monos Polar Ice are two simple ice molds, one makes a polar bear on a glacier and the other makes two penguins on a glacier. Once the ice is put on your drink the mini glacier starts to quickly melt away, depicting the sad reality that many Arctic animals are facing right now. Bravo to the designer Atsuhiro Hayashi.  

Anyone putting on a climate change conference any time soon? These would be perfect to serve at an event like that.

{Spotted on Spoon and Tamago via Notcot}

A Guide to Whisks

1. Whisk Hanging Lamp
2. Personalized Stainless Steel Whisk
3. Egg Whisk
4. Kuhn Ricon Silicon Rainbow Whisk
5. Ici Batter Whisk
6. Curved Tong Cherry Whisking Fork
7. Silicon Ball Whisk

I'm a whisk gal. I have two in my kitchen and that's saying a lot since I had to stuff whatever I could in my suitcase to bring to Brazil. Most things got left behind, my whisks did not. My favorite whisk is Mr. number seven, the silicon ball whisk. I use it for everything. I love the nonstick little balls at the end, it makes my batter so much better (sorry I had to).

I've heard number five, the ici batter whisk, is the bomb. Have you ever used one like that before? It's supposedly great for delicate batters and whips up beautifully fluffy pancakes. I want one. In fact I would gladly have all of these starting with number one hanging from my kitchen ceiling.

Here is a glossary of different types of whisks. Makes me wish I had one of each kind.

Are you a whisk person or do you just use a wooden spoon for everything? If you're a whisk person do tell me what your favorite whisk is.

Kitchen Bull

The Kitchen Bull is a combination of a knife board, bookshelf, and cheese board all in one classy carved bull. I spotted the Kitchen Bull on Outblush blog a while back and am now in a phase where simple organization is really appealing to me.

How would you like to have a bull in your kitchen?

Birthday Platters

Baby Maria's birthday was great. I made a bolo gelado which translates to cold cake. I've never seen cold cake in the US before so maybe you're not familiar with it. When I was little bolo gelado was the trend for birthday parties. I have to say I felt kind of old making it for my daughter but I enjoyed eating it just as much as when I was 5 years old. Basically, it's a great cake to serve at parties because it minimizes messes. It's a very moist cake that you drench in milk and coconut milk and then you cut it into squares and wrap it in tin foil. When it's time to eat you just unwrap the foil and use the foil to hold your piece of cake, basically mess free.

The whole time I was making the cake I was wishing I had a pretty platter to serve the wrapped slices on. Particularly I wish I had these pretty platters from the cute esty shop Ampersand. How cute is that bunting platter?

Ampersand is a two women shop based out of Kansas. Carrie and Morgan are graphic designers and good friends, what a great combo. I not only love their platters I also love their prints. Their shop is filled with nostalgia and color and the best part is that they have a killer blog.

What would you serve on top of that bike platter? I'm thinking mini sandwiches, what about you?

Weekly Wrap Up

{image adapted from Inspiring the Everyday}

This has been a busy week. We're finally all moved in, though we still need benches for our big table, right now we only have two chairs for a table that is 7 feet long. Comical! I'm also doing some housekeeping stuff on my template. I've been working with Ana and Erin and I'm excited to launch the new and improved Kitchen Corners. Coming soon, I promise. Have I told you how slow our internet connection is? I haven't because by the time I'm done typing the connection has dropped. No joke. O.K fine it's not that bad, and when it is I just close the computer and head to the beach. So really, it's not that bad.

And when the internet connection is good I do this; I write and I read. Here are some posts I read this week that I loved.

// Coconut Panna Cotta
// Pretzel Rolls
// Back To School Dinner
// Apple Tarte
// Fig, Coconut, and Blackberry Ice Cream

and here are some things I wrote this week that I hope you enjoyed.

// A birthday post for my baby girl
// A pulled pork fried rice recipe that I finally got around to posting and now I'm craving
// Southern Living just came out with a home decorating book which I'm giving away and which you can still enter to win.
// My dream garden.
// A list of LEIF products I want.
// And another giveaway which you can still enter, perfect for parents interested in the topic of school lunch.

Anything you've read or published this week that you'd like to share? Feel free to put links in the comment section and I'll be happy to check it out.

Have a lovely weekend my friends.

Mobile Garden

I spotted Bacsac's Mobile Garden Containers yesterday at ReCraft and was overjoyed today when Christian came home with seeds to start our herb garden.