Just like cupcakes, donuts and macarons, these foodie trends always come in waves. And I honestly think this is the current one (if not one that has been going on for quite some time and I’m just now catching on…). Lately I’ve been seeing this book popping up everywhere and once I took the time to scan through it, I found the recipes to sound mind-blowing delicious. Avocado, cantaloupe, lime pie, and mexican chocolate ice pops? Count me in. Needless to say, I recently ended up ordering that book. And this book. And this one. All-out popsicle obsession, ya’ll. You’re either in, or you’re out. 

I also ordered some standard and more accommodating popsicle molds while I was at it, but originally went for these Tovolo re-usable stick molds. I love the modern but 50′s retro look they have, and the fact that you never have to purchase wooden sticks for them. But they only accomodate about 6 molds and for this first batch I ended up with a bit more leftover batter which could have made at least 2 more pops. No biggie, I just wanted some additional back-ups just incase, and for whenever I desire to have multiple flavors available.

Anywho, these 4-ingredient Peanut Butter Oreo Cream Pops are AH-MAZING! They were super simple to make and are healthy, delicious, tangy, creamy, chocolatey, and satisfying to the sweet tooth. Who doesn’t love peanut butter and chocolate together? Or rather chocolate wafer oreos, for that matter? I used some Nancy’s honey yogurt plus some vanilla soymilk, and voila. You have delicious popsicles! These are a hit! 

Peanut Butter Oreo Cream Pops

From: Adapted from Serious Eats

Ingredients:

• 16 chocolate wafers, divided
• 3/4 cup smooth peanut butter (I used natural Jif)
• 2 cups honey plain yogurt (I used Nancy’s)
• 1 cup vanilla soymilk

Directions:

1. Combine 10 (reserve 6) of the chocolate wafers with the peanut butter, yogurt and soymilk in a blender. Process until smooth and the wafers have turned the mixture chocolatey brown. 
2. Turn off the blender and add in the remaining 6 wafers but crunching them up into big chunks with your hands as you add them to the batter.
3. Pour the batter evenly into popsicle molds and freeze for at least 4-6 hours or until firm (overnight recommended). To unmold, run outside of mold under warm water for several seconds and gently pull handle. Enjoy!

(Makes 6-8 popsicles)

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I wouldn’t be giving fair credit if I didn’t say this recipe idea wasn’t mine. A few weekends ago after eating breakfast on a lazy Sunday morning, I mentioned to my boyfriend I wanted to bake something but I didn’t really have any ideas (unusual, right?). So, naturally, like a good boyfriend does, he suggested brownies. I’ve already perfected the right brownie recipe so why try to reinvent the wheel when you don’t have to? I kind of poo-poo’ed the idea until… “What about sweet potato brownies?”. Genius, right?

So, thanks to Google having a million paleo/gluten-free sweet potato brownie recipes (I’m serious, that’s literally all I could find… not complaining though), this is what I came up with. They turned out super moist, chocolate-y and just a hint of the sweet potato starch. And the best thing is they’re actually really healthy. There’s no wheat flour or butter, just coconut flour and oil. Plus you’ve got some cinnamon, carob chips, raw honey, and cinnamon to make it oh so delicioso. Not one square brownie was wasted.

Sweet Potato Carob Chip Brownies

From: Crossfit Lando’s Paleo Sweet Potato Brownies

Ingredients:

• 1 sweet potato
• 3 eggs, whisked
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1/3 cup raw honey
• 1/2 cup carob chips
• 3 tablespoons coconut flour
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Bake the sweet potato. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees, use a fork to puncture holes all around it, then throw in the oven for 40-50 minutes.
2. Once your sweet potato is soft and cooked through, peel off the skin and mash it up in a bowl. And turn your oven down to 350 degrees.
3. Now add the wet ingredients: coconut oil, honey, vanilla, and whisked eggs to the bowl and mix together.
4. Then add your dry ingredients: coconut flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and carob chips.
5. Mix well.
6. Pour into an 8×8 glass baking dish coated with oil.
7. Bake for 30-35 minutes.
8. Let rest to cool a bit. Cut into squares!

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A few times I year, I get a seasonal hankering for a solid cheesecake. Not quite sure what it is about that fluffy, rich, dense, white creamy goodness, but it sure hits the spot when the time is right. I decided to embark on a little spin of a semi-”traditional” strawberry cheesecake, except this was more soufflé-like and light and airy. And being on a cardamom rose kick like I usually am, I infused those ingredients into the mix.

I modified the crust by using graham crackers instead of flour, sprinkled ground cardamom on it once baked, and added so much rosewater I was afraid it would turn out too floral-y, but it was just right. In fact, if I were to make it again I would add a bit more. Maybe even a bit of rose petal jam. And for the crust, I would make a ground pistachio shortbread crust. Ideas, ideas, ideas. Regardless, this turned out so delicious. I had never separated egg whites from the egg yolks in a cheesecake recipe before, but this made it a little fluffier and not as rich as most traditional cheesecakes. It’s a really great method, and I actually quite love the cracked effect on the top of the cake once pulled out of the oven. Top with some rosewater whipped cream, powdered sugar and some fresh strawberries, and you’re golden! Enjoy.

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Portland’s summer weather has finally arrived (at least officially in my book), and it was around 85 degrees out today. Living on the third floor of an old vintage apartment building, the ventilation and heat is a bit of an issue from time to time, so whenever I’m in that conundrum, I turn to my handy dandy blender to try to cool off of course!

I felt inspired to use some of the ingredients I had just purchased at the grocery store today to start making some healthier breakfasts and drinks, such as chia seeds, spirulina, cacao nibs, peanut butter powder, dates, and fresh strawberries in the mix. And this is what I got: a Chocolate Chia PB&J Smoothie.

It may sound a little bit strange, but I assure you it’s totally delicious. Tart, chocolatey, chunky (from the cacao nib, date and chia seeds), sweet and smooth. This makes two servings so make sure you got a special someone around to share it with, or just halve the recipe. I was really glad how this turned out on the first try, and was excited that it made exact proportions to fill up two mason jars! It’s the little things… here’s a little description on some of the “super foods” that made it into this wholesome, nutritious shake:

-Chia seeds: According to The Green Smoothie Bible, chia seeds are regarded to have the highest amount of omega-3 essential fatty acids, essential for the functions of the nervous system, brain, skin and joints. It’s also considered a complete amino acid, helping to form skin and muscle tissue. They’re also high in protein and fiber! And here’s my favorite one: tryptophan–a key amino acid responsible for helping to induce sleep, relaxation, and to regulate mood and thyroid metabolism. When added to liquids or smoothies, they thicken and take on a gelatinous consistency. (Hence why you can also apparently make jam out of them.) Oh, and by the way, if that freaks you out, at least know that they’re tasteless.

-Spirulina: AKA micro-algae, boost immunity and has antibacterial/antifungal/antiviral properties. They help improve mental capabilities, detoxify the body, fight cancer and are anti-inflammatory. Also considered the easiest of all other micro-algaes (ie. chlorella, AFA, MMP) to digest. In addition to chia seeds, spirulina also contains essential fatty acids (mostly omega-6),

-Cacao nibs: Cacao contains hundreds of nutrients, phytochemicals (chemical compounds that occur naturally in plants), and antioxidants. In its raw form, cacao has one of the highest antioxidant values of any plant in the world (similar to the acai berry)! It’s also low in fat, high in fiber, and is rich in more of those awesome omega-6′s. Mostly rich with magnesium and iron, it is great for bone and cardiovascular health. And apparently the reason cacao makes us feel so good is that it contains substances such as PEA (phenylethylamine), a “love chemical”, as well as tryptophan. Convinced to eat more cacao now?

-PB2: I have been wanting to try this peanut butter powder out for years now and finally took the plunge today. It’s basically a dry form of peanut butter that you add to liquids and it retains the same flavor as regular PB but is low fat and high in fiber. I was super excited to try it out in this smoothie today since I regularly add peanut butter to practically all of my smoothies. You get the flavor, but miss some of the creamy, crunchy (if that’s how you roll) goodness. I liked it, for sure, I just need to experiment with it a bit longer!

As you can see, it contains lots of healthy, yummy goodness. Enough with the talking, let’s get to the recipe! 

Chocolate Chia PB&J Smoothie

Makes two 6-8 oz smoothies (kitty not included)

• 1 frozen banana
• 8 fresh strawberries, stems removed
• 2 ice cubes
• 2 Tablespoons PB2 powder
• 1 Tablespoon cocoa powder
• 1 Tablespoon raw cacao nibs
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla whey protein powder
• 1/2 teaspoon spirulina
• 1/2 teaspoon chia seeds
• 2 dates, pitted
• 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• raw honey, to taste

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend away! Pour into two individual servings. Enjoy!

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Yesterday the weather cleared up a bit in the afternoon, so my sweetie and I decided to do a little photoshoot at the back of our apartment complex just for fun. I also figured it would be helpful to take a few profile photos for each others’ blogs and for work purposes, especially for my mans web development side projects. Plus it’s just nice to have some extra photos lying around for artistic purposes. I am really pleased how they turned out, and isn’t he just the handsomest? I’m so lucky…

All images edited with VSCO FILM.

Kylie’s Wearing: landscape shirt/UO (many years ago), Shorts/Foreign Exchange, Navajo Wrap Sweater/Spool72, Green Clogs/Ugglebo; Jonathon’s Wearing: Striped Shirt & Jeans/Target

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Before I completely forget to post these photos I took during our trip to Chicago nearly 6 (…or 7?) months ago, I decided it would be nice to post them now. Looking back at them now, I think I saw and did a lot of stuff for only being in the city for less than 24 hours overnight, being that we opted-in for ordering room service for the first time (yes, a first for both of us!) amidst all of the wonderful 5-star restaurants. We stayed at The Hard Rock Hotel at the tail end of our Michigan trip, before we flew back home to Portland. I drove into the city and let’s just say I nearly had a panic attack and insisted that I not be the one driving us out to the airport. Enough was enough. I had no idea Chicago would be as chaotic and spastic as I imagined it. Pedestrians walking out in the middle of the street when cars are coming, cars not stopping, cars hardly obeying any traffic laws, driving you off the road. I thought California drivers were terrible… holy moly. Anyway, it was nice to experience it for a bit, but it felt a bit like Vegas to me. I can only take cities like that in small doses. One night was enough, and I was ready to fly home! Hope you enjoy the photos.

Since it was around Christmas time, they had a Hard Rock gingerbread house in the lobby.

We stayed on the Madonna level! This was one of her costumes from a concert tour.

Deep dish personal pizzas at Giordanos! Pretty effin delicious, I must say.

Loved the embroidered guitars on the pillows!

Ordering room service for the first time! Grilled cheese, French fries, and caesar salad. Nothing too fancy, but it was the whole experience of ordering it and watching Kitchen Nightmare marathons on the flatscreen TV that was utterly, fantastically indulgent.

Disclaimer: we did not drink any of that stuff, I took them out of the mini fridge so we could refrigerate our pizza leftovers and the automatic sensors thought we drank them so we had a $70 hotel bill for all of those drinks! Be careful of those mini bars!! Not smart at all! I was so mad about that.

Oogly eyes!

A past coworker from Shopper’s Corner moved to Chicago and worked at this pie spot called Bang Bang Pie Shop and hooked us up with slices of peppermint chocolate and sweet potato marshmallow pie with a side cup of the best hot and piping apple cider I’ve ever had in my life! It was super chilly that day so the cider was extra yummy, but they spiced it so well. Anyway, I was so excited to see a familiar face in a city where I knew absolutely no one! It was so awesome to see her. Plus on top of it all, it was such a cute bakery, I was so impressed. They had biscuits and a jam topping bar and so many lovely pies! I wanted to take an entire candy cane peppermint pie home with me in my suitcase it was that good! I highly recommend checking them out if you’re ever in the area.

How rad is that?! A Rosie The Riveter painting on the side of a donut shop! Glazed & Infused was so darling, although I didn’t get a donut. I really should have, though.

We ate lunch at Bigstar, which was in the area of Glazed & Confused and DavidsTeas. I had a beet/tangerine/pumpkin seed toastada. It was pretty yummy although I could’ve done without the semi-pretentious service and red onions.

How intense does that look?! I love picking up baking inspiration and ideas. Someday I will make an ombre cake…

They sold Vosges in the Chicago airport… of course.

Had a yummy airport lunch at the Tortas Frontera before heading home on our flight.

Geeking out. That’s about all I have time for at the moment. Night night!

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Oh my gosh you guys, I have been dying to post this recipe ever since I made it last weekend. YOU NEED TO MAKE THIS ASAP. If you love milkshakes, key lime pie and cardamom with a kick (aka. gin), then you need this in your life. It’s super creamy, slightly sour and herbal (not to mention alcoholic) and it’s freaking deeelicious. Have it on its own for dessert, paired with a juicy burger, or really any time of day (you could make it virgin too) and you’re golden.

This is part 2 to the cocktail marathon I was on that day. The reason I was keeping it for so long was that I was waiting to hear back from a site that I was hoping to publish it with, but I haven’t heard a response so I say heck with it, here’s the darn recipe! I can’t hold out on ya’ll any longer.

Have any of you ever heard of Imbibe? I’m kind of a little bit in love with their cocktail recipes and magazine. I’ve never purchased it, just thumbed through it at Powell’s a few times, but have definitely bookmarked more than a few of their ideas that they got from other peoples ideas. This is one of them. I modified it just a bit, so play along.

Have any of you ever done a “tethered” photo shoot? That’s what I did here. I had never done it before and had always been curious to try it. It’s so much fun! But it does take some preparation and finagling. It’s helpful to have a close dining chair nearby to set your computer on and a USB cord that is long enough to withstand torquing your camera in all sorts of angles and not come off. I used (and regularly use) Adobe Lightroom 4, along with VSCO Cam actions. Some software programs will easily let you tether a shoot, some not so much. So far, Lightroom has been my go-to for all photo editing. I hardly ever use regular Photoshop anymore. Lightroom is so much faster! Although for every shot I took, it took about 10 seconds to process, which isn’t a big deal, but if you have melting ice cream and want to make sure your photo looks as good as it does on your LCD screen, it can be a bit of an issue. Regardless, this was super fun to try out. I probably don’t be doing all of my future food photo shoots tethered, but when I have the extra time and am in the mood will do it. It saves future uploading time also!

A few things I modified from the original recipe: I doubled the amount of vanilla bean ice cream (because that’s always the sensible thing to do), added some lime zest, reduced the gin a bit (I had another cocktail to make so I didn’t want to get too out of control), added some bitters (totally the best secret ingredient ever!) and a dash of cardamom spice, which I think made this absolute perfection. Honestly, this is seriously addictive. After you make this the first time, you’ll crave one every day of your life. No joke. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. This is the perfect summertime treat! Now get to it!

Boozy Key Lime Pie & Cardamom Milkshake

Makes one 12-oz. milkshake

Modified from Imbibe’s Key Lime Pie Milkshake, Originally by Ben Johnson of West Egg Cafe Atlanta, GA

• 2 cups vanilla bean ice cream
• 1 1/2 oz gin
• 1 1/4 oz fresh lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh lime zest
• 3 graham cracker sheets/rectangles
• 3-4 dashes Underberg bitters
• 2-3 dashes ground cardamom, plus extra for sprinkling on whipped cream
• 2 ice cubes
• whipped cream, for topping

Combine all ingredients in a blender (except whipped cream) and blend until smooth. If the ice cubes don’t cooperate and blend, don’t worry, just let them sit in the milkshake. It’ll keep it cool and frosty. Top with whipped cream and sprinkle with extra cardamom. Maybe even a little lime zest too if you’re feelin’ it.

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Last Friday, I went on a cocktail crafting spree. It was just one of those Fridays where I needed to do something creative. Make a fancy cocktail, take some pictures of a fancy cocktail, edit pictures of fancy cocktails… you get the picture (no pun intended). I made a deeeliciously boozy milkshake and then this immediately after. I wanted to start off a little easier on you all, so this was my first choice to post: a Cardamom Rose Gin & Tonic.

I don’t know about you, but rose and cardamom are two of my favorite things. I absolutely adore rosewater, and recently picked up this Royal Rose Simple Syrup at The Meadow a few weeks ago, desperately holding out to buy it for so long. It wasn’t until I was thumbing through my cocktail pin board looking for inspiration and something new to try that I came across this recipe from Design*Sponge that was posted several years ago. It literally was love at first sight.

Now I’ve never really been a huge fan of gin. I ordered a gin + tonic on my 21st and didn’t enjoy it very much. But I’ve always been intrigued by Hendricks, mostly because it’s infused with hints of cucumber and rose. I’ve always wanted to take the leap and invest in a bottle but was afraid I’d never drink it. Luckily, living right behind a liquor store has made it too terribly easy to convince myself to continually stock my liquor cart with a variety of spirits, so I went ahead and splurged a little. And boy, I’m so glad I did. I ended up really liking this. I now like gin. Thank you rose simple syrup, grapefruit, lemon, cardamom and bitters! You really made this into a wonderfully refreshing and floral summer drink. It’s just too good! I felt like someone at a fancy cocktail bar made this for me, but I made it all myself! And so can you!

Cardamom Rose Gin & Tonic

Slightly modified from Design*Sponge‘s Behind the Bar: Apothecary

Makes one 6-8oz cocktail

• dash of ground cardamom
• 1.5 oz of Hendrick’s gin
• .75 oz of rose syrup
• .25 oz of fresh lemon juice
• 1 oz fresh ruby red grapefruit
• 3 dashes of Peychauds bitters
• lemon/lime sparkling water or tonic water, to top off

1. In a shaker, add all of the ingredients (except the sparkling water).
2. Add several ice cubes.
3. Shake for 20 seconds.
4. Strain over fresh ice in glass.
5. Add the sparkling water, to top.
6. Garnish with a fresh lemon wedge. Voila!

(Also, for those of you that are curious about where to purchase the birch tree paper straws, click here!)

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I cannot believe I still haven’t posted these photos from my trip to Michigan last December. I posted a few from Grand Rapids, MI a few months ago, but that was only 1/3 of what I saw. Way overdue, I think. It has been nearly 6 months! I’m terrible. Anyway, it was my first time visiting, and we mostly stuck around Holland, Saugatuck, and Grand Rapids. We were there for a week to see my boyfriend’s family and friends, and then spent our last day in Chicago before we flew back (those pics will be next… some of my favorites!). Luckily missed the snow, even though I was kinda sorta looking forward to it! I had a blast taking tons of pictures, as you will shortly see. Lots of flatland, wood and skinny trees. And more.

The post Michigan, Part 2 appeared first on The Baking Bird.

It has been nearly 11 months since I’ve moved to Portland and wow, what a wild ride it has been. Adjusting to my own set of rules, figuring out my “coping skills”, being away from all that I knew, friends, family, familiarity. I don’t feel like the same girl I did a year ago. It feels so far away. A year ago today, I was completely stressed out about graduating from dental hygiene school, finding my board patient (which I found a week before I graduated… talk about S-T-R-E-S-S!), taking (and traveling to) all of my exams, passing those exams, packing, driving, moving, waiting for my belongings to be delivered, unpacking, settling in, achieving licensure in the state of Oregon… I can’t believe I did all of that. Sometimes it blows my mind when I actually take the time to sit down and think about what I did, and all of the hurdles I jumped over. That pat on the back is more than overdue and well deserved. So far I’ve done a pretty darn good job managing my adult life, despite the hurdles, setbacks and sacrifices. The anxiety about not having a permanent job can really get to my head at times, but I just remind myself of all of the wonderful things I do have, such as my skills, assets, and qualifications, and that finding the right job is only a matter of time, not a matter of if. I have a roof over my head, live in a wonderful neighborhood, love my apartment, love my location, have two wonderful kitties, great health, a fridge stocked full of yummy food, supportive family and friends, and a loving, supportive and nurturing partner. Looking over these photos reminds me of all of that. Gratitude.

I made those Peanut Butter Chocolate Kiss Blossom cookies yesterday for the first time! I remember when my mom used to make them all the time when I was a kid, especially around the holidays. They’re a total Christmas gifting cookie. So I sent my grandparent’s in California a cookie care package full of them and a few of those Candy Cap Mushroom Macarons.

Dottie on her lady period stealing the heat pad away from mommy.

Feeding Swayze some fresh, raw spinach. He’s going to turn into my big and strong Popeye kitty!

Brunch this morning: An Ode To Elvis (pancakes layered with Nutella, bananas, bacon and topped with eggs). I honestly wasn’t much in the mood to order this, but nothing on the menu sounded very good and I ended up feeling like I needed an insulin pen after this. I really should know by now that I can’t do straight up pancake carbs/sugar in the morning. Give me veggies and protein!

Saw the tail end of Portland’s Fashion Week with the Eyes + Edge team. It was a pretty slow night so I didn’t stay too long to catch much of the fashion, but ADX is a pretty lovely space!

My new favorite restaurant, Tortalandia. I had a Prickly Pear margarita that was bright purple and some super yummy sweet potato fries and a chicken burrito!

I hadn’t had a manicure/pedicure in over a year and my cuticles were definitely feeling it. Sometimes you just gotta treat yo self to one and a rosewater latte (genius idea, right?).

Having too much fun with the new A Beautiful Mess app. Especially when this little stinker is involved. After all my meals and tuna sandwiches.

Even though she peed in the empty litter box as I was in the middle of emptying it, she’s still pretty stinkin cute.

What I have been searching for all my life–Good, Bad, and The Ugly soundtrack on VINYL. For only a dollar! Seriously, best find ever. And it plays perfectly.

Photobombing my delicious salad. Paws out kitteh!

Delicious late-night dinner at Lardo. DIRTY FRIES! Fried sage, rosemary, pork belly, and sweet pickled peppers. Seriously, I don’t really like regular french fries or potatoes, but I always go for these. There’s actually an unleashed version of these fries online. See recipe here.

Swayze stinker tongue! I love it most when they stick their tongues out. Especially when sleeping.

Swayze trying to get in on some peanut butter Captain Crunch. Nice try.

Baby geese! Spotted on my run along the Willamette river a few weeks ago. I squealed.

I love imported beer, especially from Thailand.

Searching endlessly for wide rice noodles to make pad see ew with.

Korean Hawaiian food cart food at Namu on Belmont. So yummy! Especially the powdered donuts!

Learning about Invisalign at a lunch and learn at work. Fascinating stuff.

The southwest park blocks on a beautiful, sunny morning in Portland.

These two hungry gremlins.

Toilet paper terrorist!

Too cute. I can’t handle it.

Trail running Forest Park is a favorite. I need to go out there more often.

Delicious burgers and sweet potato fries on hot days.

My favorite photo of them together yet.

Hope ya’ll are having a great weekend!

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