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Archives for April 2020

More Disney Magic coming to the kitchen….

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Happy Hump Day, foodie friends!

Did you happen to catch my Be Live TV chat with Alesia House of I Book Travel For U ? If you didn’t, keep reading!

I’ll be working with Alesia to offer first class Disney travel planning (and sweet Disney treats) to clients looking to book a Disney vacation in the future. Learn more about Alesia and her agency here.

I’m so excited to be the go-to Disney girl on Alesia’s dream travel team!

I look forward to the day when I’ll be able help you plan your next (or maybe FIRST visit) to the most magical place on Earth.

For more info on how I can help, email me at gina@IbooktravelforU.

In the meantime, visit my shared instagram account with my BFF Melissa www.instagram.com/sweetdisneydelights , an account that shares our love of all things Disney World (and a little of Disneyland Paris, as well as the Disney Cruise Line!

As always, the Kitchen is open for all your Disney themed desserts.

Have a great night !

Gina

Junk food and wine pairings, courtesy of the Curly Girls!

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So, we are all still living in a quarantine world, socially distancing, and using Zoom for virtual meetings, family reunions, and happy hours.

This is probably a good time to revisit a past Curly Girls episode where Ann Marie and I paired wines with favorite junk foods. I didn’t have to bake a thing for that one! It was all guilty pleasures taken straight out of our pantries and grocery store snack food aisles! We discussed how these pairings are perfect for date night or movie night IN, fast food dinner at home (what’s faster than wine and a bag of chips?) or a late night guilty pleasure snack.

Curly Girls Junk food and wine pairing suggestions!

Ann Marie and I had a great time coming up with our favorites. I thought I’d share here, since we are all in a wine and “snacky” kind of mood these days.

In no particular order… I present to you, our findings !

The Curly Girls junk food and wine favorites!

Goldfish crackers: Riesling

Cheetos:/Doritos: Pinot Noir

Potato chips: Bubbly!

Funions: Riesling

Slim Jims: Cab Franc or Lambrusco

Chips Ahoy cookies : Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Merlot, Zinfandel, Rose. Wow, it pairs well with LOTS!

Nutter Butters, Peanut Butter Toasty : Cabernet Sauvignon, Port

Oreos: any cream sherry, like Harvey’s Bristol Cream or a Malbec or Zinfandel

Milk Duds: Zinfandel

Skittles: Riesling

I hope this list is helpful (or at least brings a smile to your face!) If you try any of our suggestions, let me know !

Cheers to today my foodie friends!

Gina

A little Disney magic in the kitchen today

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Happy Wednesday, foodie friends!

You are going to find a heaping sprinkle of pixie dust in today’s post, as I’ve done not just one but TWO in-home recipes with a Disney theme!

The first is an easy version of the “grey stuff” , a popular dessert served at the Be Our Guest restaurant in Magic Kingdom.

The first time I tried it, I knew I had to figure out how to make it myself!

I’ve made it a few times, but this quarantine time has provided more opportunities to experiment with it. This version can be used as a creamy dip or spread on toast, crackers, cookies, fruit , or pretzels. Those are just my ideas, I’m sure you can find your own favorite dippers.

The “grey stuff”

Try the “grey stuff” yourself, at home!

Ingredient list for the “Grey Stuff”:

4 ounces butter, softened

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

3-4 tablespoons milk

2 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

10-12 crushed sandwich cookies (I used Oreo)

Combine all ingredients in mixing bowl except crushed cookies. Blend together until smooth and creamy (you can use stand mixer or hand mixer ) .

Gently fold in the crush cookies, until blended and grey in color! Serve in bowl as a dip, or keep in container and take out of fridge as a spread.

You can also use this to top cupcakes!

My next Disney at home treat is something I call “Mickey’s Magic Mousse” and its a cute little mason jar layered with chocolate mousse and Oreo crumbles. The magic is in how fast it disappears!

There’s a not-so-hidden Mickey on top of this jar of mousse!

For the mousse you’ll need :

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons sugar

1/3 cup prepared coffee

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

In a saucepan, add 1/4 cup of the whipping cream, the sugar and the coffee. Cook over medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved and mixture simmers; remove from heat.

Now add the chocolate chips, stir until chips are melted. Add in the vanilla. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until serving time.

In the meantime, whip the remaining 1/2 cup whipping cream with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Fold into chocolate until blended.

To serve, you can layer in a mason jar, alternating layers of mousse and crushed Oreo cookies. Or, serve in bowl and top with crushed cookies. You can add the not-so-hidden Mickey of top by using chocolate chips for ears and a chocolate candy disk for the head.

Enjoy!

Have a sweet rest of the week!

Gina

Happy National Cheeseball Day!

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Let’s face it, foodie friends. We are ALL looking for something to celebrate these days. I have never been good about keeping up with “International/National fill-in-the-blank day ” , but times have changed. I have a little more time to look up these facts and share them with you, lol.

I’ve been ready for this day since October, then again at Christmastime. My cheeseball is NOT your typical one though. It has a theme. No surprise, it’s Disney theme.

One of my favorite movies to watch the last three months of the year (every year) is “The Nightmare Before Christmas”. So on Halloween, I break out my “Jack Skellington” cheeseball recipe, and all my Disney peeps at our party rejoice! It’s Jack, in all his cheesy deliciousness!

And since the movie is really about two holidays, I can take this appetizer into the Christmas season as well!

The Jack Skellington cheeseball works from Halloween until Christmas!

Of course you an use the recipe year round (without the face) or , get your Disney on and decorate yours to look like our favorite Pumpkin King!

It easy to whip up, and great for an afternoon snack, party appetizer, or as addition to a cheese platter!

Jack Skellington Cheeseball

You’ll need the following ingredients :

2 8 oz. packages of softened cream cheese

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup cooked bacon, crumbled or bacon bits (I use bacon bits, and I like to add a little extra. Everything’s better with bacon!)

1/2 tbsp worcestershire sauce

Black olives (some whole, sme cut into halves, for the facial features)

Parchment or Wax paper for easy molding

Add all ingredients into a stand mixer (or large mixing bowl with a hand mixer) mix well.

Place combined ingredients on your parchment or wax paper, pick up with your hands and form into a ball. Make it as round as possible.

Place your cheeseball on a plate or serving platter, and get ready to decorate!

Make the details of Jack’s face out of the olives.

Place in refrigerator for an hour (covered) to set.

Once set, it’s ready to serve. Add tortilla chips or pretzels (I love the holiday shaped ones!) carrots, crackers or slices of baguette around your creation.

Hope you’ll try this around YOUR kitchen table this weekend!

Happy National Cheeseball day, friends!

Gina

Microwave Mug Brownies for One

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Good Morning, foodie friends! If you caught my FaceBook Live yesterday, you saw me make this quick and easy treat.

I adapted the recipe from the March “Brownies in a Year” post that makes four mugs of chocolate brownie goodness.

Microwave Mug Brownie

So, if you are in the mood for a warm mug BROWNIE, make this recipe ! If you are so inclined, top yours with whipped cream, ice cream, Baileys, or Kahlua! Enjoy!

Microwave Mug Brownie (one serving)

One mug, lightly greased with butter/butter spray

In your mug, add:

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 Tbsp. cocoa powder

pinch of salt

1 egg yolk

3 Tbsp vegetable oil (I used butter olive oil! )

3 Tbsp. coffee

1/4 tsp. vanilla

Mix together until blended, microwave for 1 minute and 30 secs.

Let me know if you try it, and post pics to social media… dont forget to tag @fromginaskitchen!

Gina

Homemade Vanilla Extract

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Hello foodie friends!

Today’s tip is something I made over on Instagram a few weeks ago. Homemade vanilla is brewing in my pantry, and here’s how I did it:

Homemade Vanilla Extract:

Mason jar large enough to hold 8-16 ounces of alcohol (rum, bourbon, or vodka)

Alcohol of choice

5-10 vanilla beans

For every 8 ounces of alcohol, add 3-5 vanilla beans, split. For my sized jar I used 16 ounces of rum and 10 vanilla beans, ends trimmed off.

Completely cover the beans with the alcohol. You can chop up the beans if necessary to fit in the jar.

Infuse in mason jar for at least one month. Store jar in cool, dark place , shaking from time to time. You can taste test your alcohol after the 4 weeks, and let infuse longer if you want stronger flavor.

You can decant finished product into pretty bottle, and remove the beans OR you can keep the beans in original jar and top off as you use the extract. If you decant, get small bottles and give as gifts! Tie with ribbon and a tag!

My extract is at the halfway mark, so check back for a report on the finished product.

I hope you take some time to try this in YOUR kitchen this week!

Gina

In the Kitchen this week!

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Happy Easter Monday , foodie friends!

I hope you had a blessed Easter! I know for us all it was a very different way of celebrating, and that’s ok. We have to take one day at a time in the “new normal” we are all living in. Take care of each other and reach out virtually to check in with loved ones near and far! And don’t forget to do something fun in YOUR kitchen!

Not sure if you caught me on FB Live last week (Friday to be exact) as a guest of PWC Moms. I demonstrated a few quick and easy ways to decorate Easter cupcakes. But really, these cuties can be considered spring themed as well. Watch here !

Farmers Market Menu:

The City of Manassas Farmers Market will be open this Saturday for pre-order, pre pay orders only. On the menu in the Kitchen this week:

Artisan brownie trays, baked with olive oils from Manassas Olive Oil Company .
Trays are 8×8, will serve 1-12 or more depending on how you cut them!  Each tray is $20 plus tax.  You can ask for traditional chocolate, blood orange, or chipotle cinnamon. 

Spring themed sugar cookie mixes, and make your own brownie mixes. $6.50 each.

Starting next week you can customize the cookie cutters in your kit!

Depending on availability of butter in the area, all-butter pound cakes (new larger size) could be on the menu. $7.50 each 

All Butter Pound Cake
NEW Larger Size !

ORDERS MUST BE PLACED BY WEDNESDAY APRIL 15th, and payment received by the 16th. 

The market is open at 10am in the parking lot across from Baldwin Elementary.  Pick-up between 10am-10:30am or by special arrangement.  

Place your order at fromginaskitchen@gmail.com

Have a sweet week, foodie friends!

Gina

FB Live on PWC Moms Friday, April 10th

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Want to watch a live demo of me in my home kitchen? Well, you are in luck!

I’ll be online Friday, April 10th at 11 am over on PWC Moms showing you fun and easy ideas for Easter cupcakes.

If you’d like to follow along and decorate your own, make sure you have the following on hand :

Unfrosted cupcakes and vanilla frosting (either store bought or homemade)

For the bunny cupcakes, you will need:

large marshmallows
a pair of kitchen shears/scissors
pink sanding sugar
candy eyes
pink candies for the nose (jellybeans, m&ms, skittles are examples)
shredded coconut is an option as well
piping bags and Wilton tips #10 and #2D or, if you can’t find Wilton brand, any open tip or star tip will work.
toothpicks for positioning frosting on eyes

For the sheep, (NOT PICTURED) we will need:
unwrapped mini reese peanut butter cups
candy eyes
mini marshmallows.

BONUS- if time permits we will make the candy egg nest cupcake design as pictured above!

My favorite banana bread recipe (and it should be yours, too!)

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It’s “Tip Tuesday” in the kitchen, and I have a great one for you!

My go-to idea for softened bananas (if we don’t throw into a morning smoothie) is always banana bread. But not just any banana bread… it’s Martha Stewart’s banana bread.

Stay with me here, it’s EASY! You probably have everything you need on hand, and here’s a secret- it calls for sour cream, but when I’m out I substitute greek yogurt and it still comes out moist and delicious!

I found the recipe years ago in one of my favorite cookbooks, pictured here.

My favorite banana bread recipe can be found in this trusty old gem!

I was excited to see the recipe in a FB post last week! If you don’t have the cookbook (it’s on page 106 if you do) click here .

You know how I love to share the kitchen sweetness. This makes one standard loaf of bread, or several smaller loaves perfect for gift giving.

Oh and if you DO have a copy of the book, try the recipe for Bourbon Bread, found on the same page. You’re welcome!

Hoping you are staying healthy and safe around YOUR kitchen table.

Gina

April Brownie of the Month

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Happy Sunday, my foodie friends!

Well, it’s a strange world we are living in these days. I hope this post finds you and your family safe at home and doing well.

It should be no surprise to any of you that I’m using my indoor/at home time doing what I love- baking for family and friends. In this time of social distancing this extroverted baker is adapting to “porch drop pick ups” and sweet ding dong ditchings!

Today’s post is the 4th installment of Food Network Magazine’s “A Year of Brownies” . It’s perfect for April, and even more perfect for this season we are all in.. as in “when life gives you lemons”, make lemonade (or a brownie!)

Lemon-White Chocolate Brownie

I know many of you are having a hard time finding flour and sugar right now. Don’t even get me started on that or on the TP shortage we are all living through right now. If you are lucky enough to have flour and sugar (and TP, lol) on hand, you may need to only grab the white chocolate (I used white chocolate chips) and lemon juice .

You can find the recipe here.

I think they are the perfect pairing of sweet and tart. They remind me of a chewier version of my popular lemon squares.

With Easter being a week away, I think this is a delicious new dessert to add to you dinner menu, or make a batch and drop some off with neighbors and friends. It’s always good to share the love when you bake!

Enjoy this recipe around your kitchen table, and don’t forget to let me know if you try it! You can find me on FB, IG, Twitter (@fromginaskitchen) , LinkedIn and via email fromginaskitchen@gmail.com.

Now more than ever it’s good to stay home, around YOUR kitchen table!

Gina