Merry Christmas!
I had so many recipes planned for December! Sorry I have not had a chance to post very much. I have had a very very busy month. I was with my company for 11 years and I suddenly had a great opportunity to make a very big career change. The beginning of December I moved to a new company and started a completely different career! On top of that I have some very big news!!!!
Patrick proposed! He surprised me with my mom’s original engagement diamond which is what I’ve wanted since I was a little girl. It has just been a whirl wind ever since!
I think I’ve taken maybe 4 days off this entire month.
The cool thing is I still have been creating recipes and pictures so I will have tons of content for the new year!
I hope you all understand why I needed the sudden time off!
With 2016 coming to a close I wanted to make a fresh citrus cake. I have tons of white chocolate left from my holiday baking so I made some whipped white chocolate buttercream. Usually dark chocolate is my go to, but I really wanted to step outside of my comfort zone. This cake is light and sweet. Perfect for bringing in the new year with some champagne or sparkling grape juice!
This year has been so amazing. I had a lot of great new recipe creations and just as many failures, but I learned so much. Sharing recipes and stories with all of you has been so much fun! Patrick got me a new kitchen aid mixer over the holiday and I have been in the kitchen non stop! Next year is going to be packed full with new recipes!
Sprinkles and edible glitter will definitely be making a big appearance in the upcoming months. Cake decorating has never been my strength. My plans are to try out a lot of new techniques. I love watching videos on different icings or cupcake fillings. If you ever need to get sucked into the Youtube world try looking at Scranline’s channel. He has the most creative sweets I have ever seen!
Kelliericecakes.com is officially one year old this September! Three years ago I started on this blogging adventure. I wrote about beauty, day to day life, food, home hacks, anything on my mind that day. Last September I finally took my food blog vision and made it a reality. I launched Kelliericecakes.com. Since then I have learned so much. Not only about food, but about photography, styling, and editing.
Over the year I have studied every part of lighting that I can get my hands on. I know my food speaks for itself, but I want you guys to be able to see the food the way I see it. I am constantly in the kitchen creating. So far I have only posted my favorite recipes. I have so much more in store for kelliericecakes.com and I cannot wait to see where this year goes!
In honor of this special day I want to link a few throw back recipes! In case you missed them I highly recommend you try these out!
The past two weeks have been packed full with special memories. My best friends came into town to help me celebrate a huge milestone in my life. The big 30. I had such a great time that I feel like it still has not hit me… I am no longer in my twentys.
Ten years ago I moved to Georgia and started with my current company. Back then I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life. Freshly 20 in a new city. Now I have a vision for my life and I would like to believe I am on the right path.
Kelliericecakes.com is coming up on a year old and has brought me so much joy. I love creating and sharing.
As I have gotten older my group of close friends has shrunk tremendously, but I think that is okay. The people I have kept in my life are my family and they are the ones that push me to pursue my dreams.
I just want to say thank you for sharing my recipes, beauty videos and my life with me! I can’t wait to see what the future brings.
One of our first dates when we moved was to Pappadeaux. Â They were advertising a shrimp bruschetta as an appetizer. We were thinking fresh tomatoes ,basil, grilled shrimp, and toast. To our surprise they delivered a platter of grilled shrimp, garlic bread, lemon wedges, and piping hot marinara sauce smothered in goat cheese. That combination to this day is still one of our favorites.Â
Since then I have tried different combinations to recreate those flavors. This is one of my favorite versions. Sauteed garlic and pepper shrimp over fresh linguine. Marinara with herb goat cheese broiled on top. Fresh lemon juice squeeze over everything with fresh cracked pepper. This dish is so fresh and rich at the same time. If you are feeling extra fancy garlic bread would be perfect on the side.
Rich marinara and goat cheese topped with sauteed shrimp over linguine.
Ingredients
1 pound of medium peeled shrimp
1 tbsp fresh shopped garlic
1 tbsp butter or olive oil
fresh cracked pepper
crushed red pepper
salt
1 cup of marinara
4 ounces of herb goat cheese
fresh linguine (dry works I just prefer fresh)
Fresh cracked pepper
1 lemon
basil
Instructions
Prepare the pasta and set to the side.
In a saute pan heat the butter/oil.
Add in the shrimp and garlic.
Top with cracked pepper.
In a separate pan heat the marinara and top with goat cheese.
Once the marinara is heated put in the oven and broil the cheese until bubbly.
Top the linguine with the cheese and marinara.
Add shrimp.
Squeeze the lemon juice over the shrimp.
Add cracked pepper and basil.
Serve!
3.5.3208
Once you try this combo there is no going back. I really have not found anything else that delivers this perfect amount of spice, tang and texture. Try and it let me know what you think!
If you really cannot stomach the thought of goat cheese – Parmesan works too. Not as good as the goat cheese… but it will still go great. This dish will also work without the pasta. You can serve with bread on the side!
Today I am bringing you the best chocolate cake I have ever made. So light and moist with a fudge-like flavor.
What you need:
1 3/4 cup of AP flour
2 cups of sugar
2 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup of boiling water
1 cup of 2% milk
3/4 cup cocoa
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350. Put all ingredients into a bowl and mix on medium until just combined. No more then 2 minutes. The batter will be VERY thin. (Seriously, to the point that you think no way this creates a cake) Pour into two greased 9 inch baking pans. I drop mine onto the counter to get the air bubbles out. Bake for 30 minutes until just set.
Now for the icing! Â I saw a few pictures online recently of tie dye cakes that I was really excited about. I love the pinks, purples and blues. I have had a jar of tie dye butterfly sprinkles that I have been really wanting to use, but how often would I really have the opportunity?
I used a basic vanilla buttercream, filled the layers and did a quick crumb coat then put the cake in the fridge. I divided the remaining icing into three bowls. I mixed in the different colorings then pulled the cake back out. I randomly covered parts of the cake with the icings and used a metal spatula to cover the entire surface. This mixed the colors just enough to tie dye. I used my piping bag with a star tip and put all the remaining icings inside. When you push the icing through the star all the colors swirl together creating this magical cake.
This cake was a huge hit with “P”s kids. It definitely helped me express my inner child 😉
Adapted from the original Hersey’s chocolate cake recipe.
Want to know what products I used for this recipe?
How many more times can you hear about how much someone loves fall time? You are about to hear about it one more time! The season brings very sentimental memories for me. It started in highschool. Football, pumpkin patches, hot chocolate, haunted  corn mazes … then as I grew it became more about salted caramel lattes and makeup. (Side note: Pumpkin spice lattes have been a serious trend the past few years. When did it start trending that PSL was uncool? I am not saying it has to be starbucks or even a latte, but I am team pumpkin spice all the way!)
“P” and I met last fall- so if I was obsessed with the season before it is times ten now. Cool crisp air, cozy blankets, changing leaves… these all remind me of when we first began dating. Somehow anything cinnamon or brown sugar reminds me of warmth which in turn brings me to these “fall” inspired banana cranberry muffins.
You can make them even healthier by skipping the streusel topping. I will not be doing that, but you can. 😉
The first time I experimented with this recipe I did not even get to try one. That’s right… 12 muffins… zero for me. “P” sampled a few then gathered them up and shared with his office. They are incredibly easy to make and I assumed their disappearance meant they were good enough to make again.
What you need:
4 very ripe bananas
1 tbsp of honey
1/2 cup of sugar
1 cup of AP flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
3 tbsp melted butter
1/2 cup dried cranberries
Streusel topping:
3 tbsp cold butter
1/2 flour
1/2 brown sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 12 muffin tin with non stick spray or fill with liners. Mix sugar, honey, egg, and cooled butter with the banana. Add in the flour, baking power, baking soda, salt, and cranberries.
Very important not to over mix. Fill the muffin tins 3/4 of the way.
For the streusel mix all the ingredients until it forms little crumbles. Sprinkle on top of each muffin. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
These are just as good the next day. I like to individually wrap them to keep them extra moist.
 As much as I try I just cannot go a week without pizza. I even considered a cheese-less kale pizza to try and justify my cravings. This pizza has half the fat of a pizza from a local chain and is bursting with flavor. The mild garlic olives infused with the spice from the jalapenos and splash of sweet from the banana peppers. Such a winning combo. I added in a few boarshead pepperonis because they are my all time favorite.
What you need:
For the dough:
1 Cup of AP Flour
1/2 packet of active yeast
1/2 cup of warm water
1/2 tsp italian seasoning
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1/4 tsp salt
For the toppings:
banana peppers
jalapenos
garlic marinated olives
boardshead pepperoni
mozzarella
pizza sauce of your choice
How to make it:
Preheat your oven to 375.
I used a bread machine and just dumped all the ingredients in the machine on the dough setting. This dough does not need more then 20 minutes of rise time. We are making a fairly thin crust. Â If you do not have a bread machine just mix your sugar, water, and yeast together. Let sit for 2 minutes then add the rest of the ingredients.
Roll your dough out as thin as you prefer. I did about 1/2 an inch thick.
Top your pizza with the sauce, cheese, peppers, olives and pepperoni. Bake for 30 minutes or until the crust has a deep golden color and cheese is bubbling.
Fall is my favorite time of year, well second to Christmas! I love decorating for the seasons, but it can definitely get expensive. I always make a list of items I need for a season update, but then end up walking around trying to justify $20 worth of smell good pinecones. I decided this year would be different. I wanted a pottery barn look for cheap and I wanted to go with a color theme that could transition into winter.
 These candle holders are a very sturdy black iron. I picked them up at the pottery barn outlet for less then $20. The leaves and white pumpkins I found at Michaels. It is always better to check the sales before buying. When you go late September/ early October you can find pumpkins for 60% off.
  This vase I found at Kirklands. It is actually a hurricane. I removed the candle holder. The flowers and lemons are from Walmart.
 I knew I wanted to try and get a lot of white pieces. White candles, blankets, pillows, flowers, ect… This will make it really easy to move into winter. Once it starts getting colder I am going to pick up about 4 more white blankets. I want them to all have different textures. This will give the living room a cozy feel. I honestly usually have about 5 pillows on the couch. P and I end up squeezed into a corner of the couch while the pillows take over. For the sake of my relationship I scaled back to 2 per chair. Pillows are the most expensive pieces usually. I change my mind so often I knew I could not justify $30 a pillow to get the cozy white feel that I wanted. I waited until the Hobby Lobby decor sale. They already have great pillow cover prices, but on sale you rarely spend more then $5 per case. All 4 of these cases are from Hobby Lobby and are still available on the website! The gray and white blankets are from Home Goods. Blankets and pictures frames are the best deals at Home Goods.
 Finally, the scarecrow. I usually only have one of these. I found these leaves, flowers and the scarecrow pick at Michaels. The vase is old, but also from Michaels.
I hope I inspired you to decorate this season while saving a few bucks! I will update as I add more pieces!
  Honey butter is one of my favorite indulgences. The richness of the salted butter combined with the sweet smooth honey flavor just cannot be beat. This brings back memories of Sunday dinners when I was growing up. My mom usually paired a comforting bowl of chili with corn bread twists and hot honey butter. I wanted to spice things up a little bit and added some jalapeno. It ended up being the perfect balance of salty, sweet and spicy. This entire meal was built around this jalapeno honey butter to be honest. Just try not to eat it all! Savory toast smothered in this butter topped with crispy chicken breast. The side dish possibilities are endless.
What you need:
For the jalapeno honey butter-
1 fresh jalapeno – seeded, ribs removed, and finely chopped
2 tbsp salted butter
1 tbsp honey
For the chicken-
2 chicken breasts
2 cup of flour
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp italian seasoning
1 egg
1 cup of milk
peanut oil for frying
Sourdough Bread
Directions:
For the honey butter:
Melt the butter and mix in the jalapenos and honey. Once combined place in the freezer for 10 minutes.
For the chicken:
I preheated a deep fryer with the peanut oil at 375. Mix together the egg and milk. Add chicken and soak while the rest of the ingredients are put together. In a separate bowl mix together flour and spices. Drop chicken into the flour mix and cover entirely. Fry the chicken until internal temp is 155 (the chicken will continue to rise to 165 once you let rest). My chicken was about 1/2 inch thick and took around 15 minutes to fry. Remember to flip the chicken half way through for even coloring.
Let chicken rest for at least 10 minutes then slice in half.
Toast the sourdough bread and top with the chilled butter.
