Pudgy and delicately sweet, this French toast is a breeze to make and it’s something I’m looking forward to eating in bed this weekend.

http://youtu.be/PzCwsScIYLs

5.0 from 3 reviews

French Toast

 

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

15 mins

 

Author: The Squishy Monster

Serves: 1

Ingredients

• 1 room temperature egg
• 2 tb room temperature heavy cream
• 1 ts vanilla extract
• ¼ ts of fine salt
• ½ ts pumpkin spice {or cinnamon}
• ½ tb raw honey
• Zest of an unwaxed clementine {or ½ unwaxed orange}
• 2 slices stale brioche/challah/etc
• 1 tb butter

Instructions

1. In a shallow dish, whisk together all the ingredients except the bread and butter.
2. Soak each side of the bread for 2-3 minutes.
3. In a pan/griddle, melt the butter and cook each side for 3-5 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with jam, whipped cream, fresh berries, maple syrup or all of the above.

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Happy weekend, friends!

Love,

Your Squishy Monster ^.~

It’s definitely strawberry pickin’ season around here and after making my jam, strawberry cake, and strawberry ice cream, I found myself still greedily returning back to our local strawberry farm, clutching a basket to stuff it with more.  Needless to say, it’s been a strawberry party everyday.  Another one of my favorite ways to enjoy fresh berries is by muddling them into fresh lemonade.  As I took a sip in between my recent strawberry flurry, I decided then and there that I’d like to bake this sweet and tart flavor up into a cookie.  A quick poke around the net yielded pre-mixed box cake recipes which is all fine and dandy but this recipe blends in real crushed strawberries and the high note of pulpy, juicy lemons.

httpv://youtu.be/-GeaBp5kxgs

4.3 from 3 reviews

Strawberry Lemonade Cookies

 

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

12 mins

Total time

22 mins

 

Author: The Squishy Monster

Serves: 2-3 Dozen

Ingredients

• 1 stick soft unsalted butter
• ½ c granulated sugar
• ½ c brown sugar
• 1 room temperature egg
• Zest of 2 lemons
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 4-6 crushed strawberries
• 2 c unbleached flour
• ¼ ts fine salt
• ¼ ts baking powder
• ¼ ts baking soda
• ½ c powdered sugar

Instructions

1. In the first bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy.
2. Blend in the egg and add the zest and juice.
3. Blend in the crushed strawberries. I personally enjoy chunks, which also prevents the batter from being too wet.
4. In the second bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
5. Slowly add the second bowl into the first. Mix just to combine to avoid over mixing.
6. Scoop out dough and roll into the powdered sugar. The more you pack on, the more of a “crackle” look you achieve later.
7. Bake at 350 for 11-13 minutes.

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Love,

Your Squishy Monster ^.~

I was enjoying a pb&j for lunch the other day when I decided I wanted these for dessert.  I know, I’m crazy but by this craziness, I bring sweets for my sweets {and I’m corny too, didn’t you know}?  These are a hybrid peanut butter cupcake-brownie base injected with fresh jam, swirled with a creamy peanut butter buttercream.

httpv://youtu.be/fLct2WiRrYw

Peanut Butter & Jelly Cupcakes

 

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

Author: The Squishy Monster

Serves: 1 Dozen

Ingredients

• 1 c unbleached flour
• 1 ts baking soda
• ½ ts fine salt
• 1 c sugar
• 1 c peanut butter
• ½ c canola oil
• 2 room temperature eggs
• Jam/jelly
• 8 oz peanut butter
• 8 oz softened unsalted butter
• 1 tb heavy cream
• 1½-2 c powdered sugar

Instructions

1. In the first bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
2. In the second bowl, cream together the sugar and peanut butter.
3. Stream in the oil and drop in one egg at a time.
4. Bake in a lined cupcake tin at 350 for 17-19 minutes.
5. Cool and fill with jam/jelly (using a pastry bag fitted with a small round tip, insert into the center of the cake and fill).
6. In the third bowl, cream together the peanut butter and butter. Tip in the cream and blend for 2 minutes.
7. Sprinkle in the sifted powdered sugar and blend well.
8. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a tip of your choice. Swirl onto cooled cupcakes.

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{Peanut Butter & Jelly Cookie Recipe}

There will be a new video everyday this weekend for all you beautiful people!!

Love,

Your Squishy Monster ^.~

I’m one self-professed donut addict but with these soft and tender donuts that are baked, you won’t feel too guilty on your fourth one

httpv://youtu.be/Uj17G0bXbtU

Gingerbread Donuts {Baked}

 

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

20 mins

 

Author: The Squishy Monster

Serves: 1 Dozen

Ingredients

• 1 c unbleached flour
• ½ ts baking powder
• ¼ ts baking soda
• 2 ts pumpkin spice
• ⅔ c brown sugar
• 4½ tb canola oil
• 1 ts molasses
• 2 room temperature eggs
• 2 ts pure maple syrup
• ½ ts pumpkin spice
• powdered sugar

Instructions

1. In the first bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder/soda, and pumpkin spice.
2. In the second bowl, cream together the sugar, oil, and molasses. Drop in one egg at a time.
3. Combine the two bowls, taking care not to over mix.
4. Fill a donut baking pan and bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.
5. In a third bowl, whisk together syrup, spice, and enough powdered sugar for a thick glaze consistency.

3.2.2807

{Homemade Pumpkin Spice}

Loving Autumn,

Your Squishy Monster ^.~

Before I saw these ripe blushing babies, I could smell them.  I bet the world could be a nicer place if it was scented with the perfume of fresh and sweet peaches.  Unless you’re a peach-hater, is there anything like biting into the soft flesh of a fat peach, so juicy that it dribbles down your chin and splats into a sticky mess?  That sounds like the most yummy mess to me.  To extend the pleasure that these beautiful peaches lent me, I gathered them up into a past time that always puts me in a blissful state and swirled it all into a peach cake, a peach upside down cake that is.  Echoing its natural syrupy way, it pairs beautifully with the pale amber of the caramel crusted top and has the loveliest peach flavor that blooms inside of the cake as well.

httpv://youtu.be/rcwqKM8LaWM

5.0 from 7 reviews

Peach Upside Down Cake

 

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

45 mins

Total time

55 mins

 

Author: The Squishy Monster

Serves: 6

Ingredients

Topping

• Fresh sliced peaches
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1 c brown sugar

Cake

• 1½ c unbleached flour
• 2 ts baking powder
• ½ ts fine salt
• 6 tb soft, unsalted butter
• 1 c sugar
• 2 room temperature eggs
• 1 ts vanilla extract
• ½ c fresh peach juice

Instructions

1. In the cake pan, melt the butter and stir in the sugar. Allow it to blend together and bubble.
2. Arrange the fruit slices on top of the caramel.
3. In a large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together.
4. In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and sugar for about 5 minutes.
5. Mix in one egg at a time with the vanilla.
6. Blend in the juice.
7. In 3 separate additions, sprinkle in the dry mixture and mix to combine. Don’t over mix.
8. Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes.

3.2.1753

{Recipe for pineapple upside down cake}

Next up, a Korean punch recipe.

Love,

Your Squishy Monster ^.~

This year, our garden is providing us with an abundance of zucchini and summer squash and grilling them alongside our meat is an easy go-to option nearly every weekend, but when I’m craving an altogether different way to enjoy them, I like to whip them up into something sweet, like this zucchini bread.  Softly spiced, warm and tender, with just a few flecks of telltale green bits, it’s also an easy way to get your kiddies to {secretly} enjoy these veggies too.

http://youtu.be/FQ-wyjeyrLA

5.0 from 2 reviews

Zucchini Muffins/Bread

 

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

40 mins

 

Author: The Squishy Monster

Serves: 2 Dozen

Ingredients

• 4 room temperature eggs
• 2 c sugar
• 1 c canola/veggie oil
• 1 ts pure vanilla
• 2 c shredded zucchini
• 2 c unbleached flour
• 2 ts baking soda
• 1 ts baking powder
• 2 ts cinnamon
• 1 ts nutmeg
• 1½ ts salt

Instructions

1. In your first bowl, break up your eggs and sprinkle in your sugar.
2. Slowly stream in your oil and vanilla to your “egg mixture,” and then, your zucchini.
3. In your second bowl, sift together your flour, soda, powder, spices, and salt.
4. Combine your two bowls in three separate additions, taking care not to over mix. A few lumps are fine. Stir/blend just until your batter comes together.
5. Scoop into muffin tins and bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or into a loaf pan at 350 for 50-60 minutes.

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My other favorite was to enjoy zucchinis?  Zucchini gratin.  What about yours?

Love,

Your Squishy Monster ^.~

With Summer rapidly approaching (June 21st), you can’t help but envision BBQ’s and alfresco dining with a generous portion of grilled meat. Along side the conventional dogs and patties, I also enjoy including some chicken, especially this yogurt spiced chicken. The yogurt gets penetrated really well with the spices and makes for an incredibly juicy and flavorful chicken. The powers of yogurt are both delicious and wonderful. You can whip up something savory like this, make parfaits like my friend Sav from EatNowCryLater did or make some light, refreshing (not to mention almost fat free) garlic yogurt dressing or moist and tender honey banana bread.

http://youtu.be/OgTmSKd9xhQ

5.0 from 5 reviews

Yogurt Spiced Chicken

 

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

Author: The Squishy Monster

Serves: 4 Servings

Ingredients

• 2 lbs chicken
• 1 c full fat yogurt
• 2 tb chili powder
• 1 tb smoked paprika
• 3 cloves garlic
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Combine yogurt, garlic, and spices.
2. Pour over chicken and allow to marinate for at least an hour (preferably over night).
3. Bring your chicken out about 20 minutes before grilling to allow it to come to room temperature.
4. Grill over high heat and only flip once.

Notes

Does not include marinading time.

3.2.2807

How easy is that?

Happy grillin’!

Love,

Your Squishy Monster ^.~

I often get asked, what’s your favorite ingredient?  That’s a toughie.  I’m partial to automatically (and most enthusiastically) exclaiming my allegiance to butter or bacon, but not far behind is the humble egg.  Experts ping pong back and forth on whether or not they’re good for you, but my loyalty to the egg remains firm.

Legend has it that a chef’s hat held as many folds as s/he knew how to cook an egg, a 100-fold hat being reserved only for the heads of the most knowledgeable culinary experts.

Eggs are affordable, versatile, convenient, and yummy!  Not to mention, they’re high in protein and have 13 essential nutrients.

Fresh eggs are the best and lend themselves beautifully in everything from my quiche and steak & eggs to bibimbap!

I’m fairly unhappy when my fridge doesn’t hold any eggs and with an abundance of them, (they had a mega-super-deal on organic eggs this week) I was happy to whip up another satisfying egg based dish.

Smothered with hot, gooey cheese, the yolks underneath are still rich and runny, spilling it’s butteriness onto a bed of robust, herbed tomatoes, happily pooling with more cheese.

(Fyi, I had mine for breakfast, but paired with a salad and some rustic bread, it would also make for an amazing supper)!

What else can you make with eggs?

• My favorite breakfast sandwich: Bacon, Egg, and Jam (crazy yes, but crazy good)!
• Omurice/Fried Rice
• Soft Boiled, paired with Asparagus and Cheese (another one of my fave ways to eat Eggs)
• Frittatas
• Crepes
• Spanish Tortilla
• Deviled Eggs
• Eggs Benedict/Poached Eggs
• Soft Scrambles
• Custard/Zabaglione
• Herbed Egg Sandwiches
• Eggs in a Hole/Egg Nests
• Breakfast Soufflé/Casserole
• French Toast/Bread Pudding/Strata
• Huevos Rancheros
• Egg Drop Soup
• Croque Madam
• Eggs Sur le Plat
• Steamed Eggs
• Loco Moco
• Cheesecake/Flan

Baked Eggs {Shirred Eggs}

 

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

5 mins

Total time

20 mins

 

Author: The Squishy Monster

Ingredients

• 1 tb olive oil {not extra virgin}
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 ts thyme (or basil)
• ½ ts crushed red pepper
• 12 oz crushed tomatoes (I like San Marzano)
• Salt and pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 ts sugar (or ½ c diced carrots)
• Eggs (as many as you like)
• 2 tb cream
• ¼ c parmigiano-reggiano
• Slices of fontina, gruyere, mozzarella, etc
• Fresh tomatoes, toast, parsley

Instructions

1. In a heavy bottomed pot, slicked with oil, soften your garlic, herbs, and pepper flakes.
2. Slowly add in your tomatoes, season, tuck in your bay leaf and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
3. Sprinkle in your sugar.
4. Ladle in sauce on bottom of baking dish and crack as many eggs in as you want.
5. Drizzle over cream and sprinkle over and layer with lots of cheese.
6. Broil at 350 for 5 minutes (less or more depending on how you like your eggs).
7. Serve bubbling with fresh, seasoned tomatoes, buttered toast points, and garnish with fresh flat leaf parsley.

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Wishing you a golden delicious morning, noon, and night!

Love,

Your Squishy Monster

Chai Cupcakes

 

Save Print

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

Author: The Squishy Monster

Ingredients

• ½ c unbleached Cake Flour
• ½ ts Baking Soda
• ½ ts Baking Powder
• ¼ ts fine Salt
• ½ ts ground Cinnamon
• ¼ ts ground Cardamom
• ¼ ts ground Ginger
• ¼ ts ground Nutmeg
• ¼ ts ground Cloves
• 1 grind of Black Pepper
• ¼ c granulated Sugar
• ¼ c Brown Sugar
• 2 tb softened Butter
• 2 tb Apple Sauce*
• 1 room temperature Egg
• ¼ c warm Buttermilk
• 3 Chai Tea Bags
• ½ ts Apple Cider Vinegar

Instructions

1. Sift all of your dry ingredients into your first bowl (excluding your spices).
2. In a separate cup, steep your tea bags for at least 5 minutes. Scoot in all of your spices and let it sit.
3. In your third bowl, cream together your Sugars and Butter. Slowly stream in your Egg.
4. Still working with your third bowl, spoon in your Apple Sauce (if you’re using it) and also slip in your spiced tea mixture. Next, dribble in your Apple Cider Vinegar.
5. Lastly, you want to marry your first bowl with your third bowl–sprinkle in your dry mixture in about 3 separate additions, taking care not to over mix.
6. Bake at 350 for 17-22 minutes for standard size Cupcakes.
7. Cool and frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Notes

*you can omit the Apple Sauce and use ¼ c soft Butter instead. Also, it’s best to grind your own, whole spices in a spice grinder (it makes for a beautifully spiced cake).

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You can top with Buttercream, or my favorite thing to top everything with!  Cream Cheese Frosting.

Dust with Pumpkin Spice or Cinnamon, take a HUGE bite!! (or 3, 6, 12…) and you’re ringing in Autumn the right way, I assure you

Love & Warm & Spicy Kisses,

Your Squishy Monster ^.~

Everyone always asks me what inspires me to make the dishes that I do.  Well to be frank often times, it’s what I’m craving, but not to go without saying that for a foodie like me, inspiration is everywhere and can be pulled from anything.  I have a one track mind in the sense that I’m always thinking about food.  What yummy thing can I put in my mouth next?

The other night, after a long day with the Gabs, I found myself tossing and turning.  Finally, Mister Insomnia won once again and I found Pretty Woman playing on tv.  It’s always a pleasure for me to sprawl out, zone out, and allow the television to suck me into its stories.  In everyday life, I don’t watch it at all.  I find most of it to be rubbish and can’t believe some of the crap that’s considered “kid-friendly entertainment” these days.  *Rolls eyes and groans*  Don’t even get me started on the crap-quality songs that kids innocently gravitate towards.  To them, it’s up-beat and fun when really, Flo Rida wants them to blow his whistle?!

Luckily, tv it did its job and I think I fell asleep on the couch half way through but not without seeing the part where Edward orders Strawberries and Champagne for Vivian because “it brings out the flavor of the champagne.”  Voila!  The next day found me rummaging through the fridge and pantry to whip up something that echoed the sentiments of this classy and seductive pairing.  Despite not having strawberries and only raspberries, it turned out beautifully and it’s something I want to share with you!

Raspberry & Champagne Cupcakes

 

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

Author: The Squishy Monster

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

• 1¾ c unbleached all purpose flour
• ½ ts baking soda
• ¼ ts baking powder
• ¼ ts salt

Wet Ingredients

• 1 stick soft unsalted butter
• 1 c sugar
• 1 ts pure vanilla extract
• 2 room temperature eggs
• ½ c room temperature whole milk
• ¼ c fresh raspberry puree
• ⅓ c room temperature champagne

Instructions

1. Sift your dry ingredients together and set aside.
2. In a separate bowl, cream together you butter and sugar. Tip in your vanilla.
3. Slowly add in your eggs, one at a time.
4. Stream in your milk, then your raspberries, and finally your champagne.
5. In three separate additions, mix in your dry ingredients. Do not over mix.
6. Bake at 350 for 17-19 minutes.

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Here’s how to make the Buttercream.  Just omit the cream and sub in Champagne.

You can find the edible “sparkle or glitter” at your local craft store.  I found mine at Michaels.  Additionally, vodka works better than water.

Love & Fancy Pants Cupcakes,

Your Squishy Monster ^.^