Tart Lemon Bars-Guest Post with Confessions of a Baking Queen

Hello my friends! I have ANOTHER fabulous guest poster for you todayyy and you are in for a treat! Her name is Elizabeth and she is a BAKING QUEEN! Seriously...I go to her site and I am GUARANTEED to drool. And get extremely hungry. But I love her so I keep on going back and going gagaaaaaa. She's so pretty and so fun and so adorable and her food is soooooo ahhhmazing...!!!

Oh and-you guys remember Hayley? Hayley and Elizabeth are like buds and Hayley and I are buds and I just feel like the 3 of us would be the bestest of friends if we could all 3 just get together. So...yeah. Needs to happen. We're all fabulous and young and bake yummy things!

Anyway. I'll let Elizabeth take it from here:

Hey y'all its Elizabeth here from Confessions of a Baking Queen! This is my first guest post evvvvvvvah so be gentle with me here. I was so happy to help the beautiful Kayle as she embarks on this huge move, I have lived in the same house my whole life so moving just sounds too cray cray for me!! I have done tons of traveling and that packing is hard enough for me. And then the thought of moving out of state and then moving out of the city, ugh that just sounds dreadful. But I am sure your move will go tots smooth Kayle :)

Speaking of traveling I  got back from Australia a few weeks ago. While I was there I was hit with a craving for lemon bars, yet some how I never came across one. So naturally as soon as I got home Lemon Bars were the first thing I made. I was going to make Raspberry Lemon Bars, which I probably will do one day but I went with a Tart Lemon Bar instead. Be sure to check out my blog for some berry lemon bars soon.

I am happy to say these were a huge hit with my family and co workers. In fact, I thought I lost these photos so my sister was over joyed because that meant I was going to re make the recipe right away, but I found the photos ;) She was bummed, but I am sure it wont be long until these bars are made again...

Thanks for having me Kayle, good luck with the move .. and then the wedding!!! XOXO

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Apple Banana Smoothie

It's week 3 of the Knockout Peanut Butter Smoothie Sweepstakes!

(Read my posts from week 1 and week 2)

Sum up: Peanut Butter & Co and Rocky on Broadway have teamed up with four food bloggers (including me!) to bring you 4 different smoothie recipes a week. From April 14th-May 9th, with 4 week-long entry periods, you're invited to vote for your favorite PB smoothie recipe at Facebook.com/peanutbutterco and www.KnockoutPeanutButterSmoothie.com for a chance to win two tickets to see Rocky on Broadway and a year’s supply (50 jars) of Peanut Butter & Co. peanut butter. Winners will be randomly selected, totaling four winners by the end of the promotion period. There is no purchase necessary to enter the sweepstakes. Certain restrictions apply.

Rocky on Broadway (which opened March 13, 2014 at the Winter Garden Theatre) brings the story of Rocky Balboa (from the famous Rocky films) to the Broadway stage. I was lucky enough to see a preview and I LOVED IT. If you want to read more about Rocky on Broadway visit www.ROCKYBROADWAY.com (you can also refer to my post from week 1!).

And, to give you a bit of background on Peanut Butter & Co-they began in 1998 as a little sandwich shop here in NYC (which I've been to!) and now it's one of the fastest growing natural/specialty food companies in the US. Their ten varieties of all natural, flavored peanut butters (made exclusively from USA-grown peanuts) are available in over 15,000 supermarkets and specialty retailers. GOODNESS.

“Whether you’re training for a boxing match or fueling up for a busy day, peanut butter smoothies can make everyone feel like a champ!” said Lee Zalben, Founder & President of Peanut Butter & Co. “We’re so excited to be partnering with Rocky on Broadway, which is sure to be a knockout hit!”

All of this means 4 new smoothie recipes from me (featuring one of Peanut Butter & Co.'s peanut butters)!

So far I've shared these two smoothies:
Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Green Monster Smoothie
Honey and Pretzel Peanut Butter Smoothie

And today?? The most fruity fresh tasting of all the smoothies. This one incorporates apples and bananas and then...I mean...because I had to...my favorite: Dark Chocolate Dreams peanut butter! Sweet and light and lovely! I'm so sad Michael wasn't able to try this one, it would have been his fave, I am sure!

Click here to view the recipe!

Disclaimer: I was provided with product, tickets to a preview of Rocky on Broadway, and monetary compensation for my participation in this program. However, I was under no obligation to write a review and all opinions, as always, are my own.

Chocolate Raspberry Ganache Pie

I'm a mean old lady...

It's taken me over a month to share this recipe with you. And that's not cool, guys.

This pie was Michael's birthday dessert this year and it could not have been a better choice. First: it represents 2 of Michael's favorite flavors, dark chocolate and raspberry. Second: THIS PIE IS SO EASY IT'S INSANE! Oh hey, can you use a microwave and do you have a refrigerator? Yes? Fab. You can make this pie.

Now, I mean...I can never really make anything too easy for myself. So I made my own crust (although honestly, that's pretty simple too....although I did make my own cookies to make my own crust....#ihaveaproblem). But you can totes just buy one. No judging here. This is a safe space. But yeah, anyway, throw some stuff in a microwave, stir it, pour it in your crust, refrigerate, and you have yourself an amazing pie!

A pie that, I might add, prompted my friend Molly to call me a "goddess". So yeah. It's impressive.

And OF COURSE the birthday boy loooved it! He told me so, repeatedly. The ganache gives you the most amazing, silky, texture and then there's a beautiful raspberry glaze on top to give an extra punch of fruity flavor. And there's nothing more delicious (ok that's prob. a big statement but....it's up there) than a cookie crust!

You're gonna love this one.

Blueberry Lemon Sour Cream Quick Bread-Guest Post with Kristin of Baker Bettie

Hey there world! I'm still hanging out in Ohio, but don't fret, I have left you all in capable hands! Today you get the utmost honor of a guest post by Kristin, AKA "Baker Bettie". I was lucky enough to hang out with the amazing lady last month, and I love her even more now (didn't know that was even possible!) Not only is she all cool and pin-upy, and a fabulous photographer, and a genius about the science of baking (I have learned so much from her blog!), and a girl who makes me laugh out loud with the stories she shares, she's also just a cool chick who is super nice and sweet and fun to hang out with! We declared ourselves best bloggy friends. Hooray!

Hello lovely readers of The Cooking Actress! My name is Kristin and I am the lady behind the blog/food/camera over at Baker Bettie. I know, I know. If my name is Kristin what is up with the Bettie thing, right? I often refer to Baker Bettie as my more confident pinup baking alter ego. But over time, the blog has transformed Kristin and Bettie into one and the same.

I am so excited to be guest posting here on Kayle's fabulous blog. I believe Kayle and I first became blogging friends way back in 2011. We immediately bonded over our love for vintage fashion and, of course, our mutual food obsession. We finally got to meet in person a few weeks ago and spent a fantastic day in the city exploring a bunch of foodie sites.

I have only a handful of very close friends. You know the kind. The ones that you know you will stay close to for the rest of your life. The ones that you are truly deep down excited for when big life events happen to them. I made these friends when I was young and they have stuck around. It is difficult to make those kinds of friends once college ends. It is just hard to make that kind of connection again. But Kayle and I hit it off right from the start. And once I figured out her name is pronounced "Kay-lee" and not "Kale" it has felt like we have known each other for years. She is just about as sweet as they come!

Recently I started a series on my blog called Back to Bake-sics. In each post I broke down the science of various different baked goods to create very simple and adaptable recipes. One of my favorite basic baked goods is quick bread. I make it frequently in all kinds of ways. It is so easy to make it savory or sweet and flavor it with pretty much anything you imagination can come up with. Check out this post for the basic recipe and to understand how it can be easily adapted.

There are few flavor combinations I love more than blueberry and lemon. Especially in the summer. These flavors just feel like summer. I like to think of blueberry and lemon as sort of a lifelong friend of flavors, as silly as that may sound. It just always comes through for me. In muffins, or biscuits, or cookies, or of course bread.
This bread is ready to go into the oven within 10 minutes and comes out incredibly moist and flavorful. I also think this would be awesome with raspberries, blackberries or cherries. Or a combination sounds pretty awesome too! You could even pair it with a different citrus. Orange, lime, or grapefruit?! Oh, the endless possibilities!

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Popsicles and @ZokuHQ Review

Don't forget Google Reader is going away! Follow my blog on Bloglovin

Generally, I don't like fruits in my desserts. This is the exact opposite of Michael, he pretty much could always do with a strawberry or raspberry or some such thrown in. Where we meet in the middle is chocolate covered strawberries. Ahhh yes. Nothing better than that, really, now is there? I remember for our 1 year anniversary (which was a picnic at Chelsea Piers) we had chocolate covered strawberries that I made and they were pretty much a major highlight of the day.

Now I know you're probably thinking "Yeah, Kayle, those are great. But um...we're looking at pictures of popsicles."

You're absolutely right. We are. Because, thanks to homemade magic shell and the Zoku Single Quick Pop Maker, I was able to make chocolate covered strawberry popsicles. Welcome to summer.

Oh hey and these popsicles are likely to be way better for you than the kind you buy at the store. We're talking just strawberries and water...and then chocolate. Yes, you can add sugar (Michael requested it), but you don't need to. They're refreshing, pretty (hello pretty pretty red color!), and just like "ahhh."

Can't you just imagine lounging by a pool, enjoying your super tasty chocolate covered strawberry popsicle?

Yeah, me too.

And, since it's just Michael and I, the single quick pop maker worked out perfectly. We were able to make 2 or 3 popsicles at a time, and just stored the rest of the strawberry mix in the refrigerator between popsicle uses. Also, if we made more popsicles then we wanted right then, we could just throw the extras in an airtight container and put that in the freezer until we get a hankerin' for some frozen goodness.

Let's talk about the popsicle maker that made this all possible, shall we?

The Zoku Quick Pop Maker (one of many Zoku products) freezes pops in as little as 7 minutes (usually it takes me around 15, but it's hot in my apartment) and is super easy to use! You just need to keep the pop maker in your freezer for at least 24 hours before using (I usually just always keep it in there), put in one of the 3 popsicle sticks your kit comes with, and then pour in whatever juice, etc. you're using to make the popsicles. Then you just wait for a little while. Once ready you use this cool, aptly named, "Super Tool" to loosen the popsicle, and you lift it out. Put on a drip guard (which also comes with it) in case you're messy, like me. And we have popsicles! Woot!

The pop maker comes in red, blue, orange, lime green, or violet (like my pretty maker) and is BPA and Phthalate Free. My new best friend, guys. I'm having so much fun thinking of fun new popsicle ideas!

If you're looking for more Zoku pop maker info or great recipes, check out Zoku's blog, pinterest, twitter, and facebook!

Mini Raspberry Swirl Cheesecakes

I know I've been a terrible tease.

I shared all those photos of the deliciousness that I made for Michael's birthday, and I haven't shared any of the recipes yet. I'm truly sorry.

I promise-I will eventually get around to posting them all! 

In the meantime, if there are any that you're absolutely dying to have, like, right this second-let me know. I'll make sure to put them on here A-tothe-SAP.

So. Cheesecake. Not my cup of tea. Just being honest-I'm not a fan.

That said-I'm aware I'm a minority on this. And Michael, like, completely loves cheesecake. So, I decided to be nice, and make him these adorable mini raspberry cheesecakes for his birthday. And boy, these have lasted! Warning: this recipe makes A LOT. Be prepared for tons of leftovers. That, or make these for a big party or something. I'm serious. We just finished the last of them. His birthday was almost a month ago. Yeah. I also had a really hard time just baking the large volume (#1-I only have 1 muffin tin and #2-only so much room in my oven), I had to do multiple batches and that led to some difficulty. And, after the first batch all sunk down and cracked, I decided to do a water bath for the rest-which is annoying, but I completely recommend you do. All of the difficulties were worth it, though, when I saw how much Michael loves them! Michael likes the size a lot-they're great portions. He says the graham cracker crust is really good and the consistency is nice and fluffy and light-not too heavy like some cheesecakes can be. And there's raspberry-which he really loves. So, all in all, a winner :). I definitely recommend you try these sometime!

Frozen Strawberry Yogurt Pie

NOOOO! Summer is almost over! (There's only a month left!) I hate fall! Nonononononooooooo! I want sun and blue skies! And warmth! And sundresses and shorts! And flowers and green trees and just happy summertime! I dread the leaves and everything dying and the gray skies and colors shifting from blues and yellows and pinks to oranges and browns. I abhor the idea of wearing a jacket and boots instead of a tank top and flip flops. I am not looking forward to September, nononooo.

To try to hold on to summer a little longer, I'll share a super summery dessert recipe that I recently made for my Michael.

Like me, he hates fall. Loves summer. Especially summery desserts. Michael loves anything "refreshing" and is obsessed with berries-especially strawberries. A couple weeks ago I decided to make myself a s'mores treat (that I'll share later), and Michael is not a s'mores fan. So, I knew I'd have to make him his own special dessert. I also had some extra Greek yogurt lying around that I needed to use up. When I saw this recipe I knew it was sure to be a winner-and I was right! Michael says this may be the best thing I've ever made him. He says, "It's like a cheesecake...but frozen...and more refreshing. So pretty much-perfect." It's everything he loves and wants and needs in a dessert. I've scored major girlfriend points. :D.

Red White and Blue-Berry Shortcake Cupcakes-Guest Post with Kristina of Whipped

OK, so I have one more amazing guest post for you before I'm back! This is just as exciting as the last one. Kristina from Whipped is here to share a great 4th of July themed recipe for you! I have to tell you, Kristina is not only an amazing blogger with gorgeous photos, a fun and friendly voice, and scrumptious (plus healthy?!) recipes, but she has also become my BFF--best foodie friend. She's moving to NYC this September for culinary school and I CANNOT wait! Michael is worried I may leave him to spend all my time with her. But then again, he wants her to be at the apartment all the time so she and I can both feed him goodies. Spoiled boy :P Anyway! These cupcakes/shortcakes look so perfect for summer (you can even wear a bikini after eating one, I say it's ok!) and Michael positively drooled over these when he saw the photos! (They're refreshing and have berries so he's obviously ALL OVER THIS!) Now, read the rest of this post, enjoy the wonderousness that is Kristina, then go check out her blog and read every morsel of awesomeness on there! And while you're at it, you should really keep up to date with her through the twitter, that facebook, and of course pinterest!  And I will be back in full force next week! Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Raspberry Jam (Pectin Free)

The boyfriend loves raspberries.

He also enjoys having jams/preserves. I pack his lunch for work everyday, and I oftentimes make him a PB&J with whatever jam/preserves we have. For awhile, we had some that were given to us by his family. Then we ran out. Around this time, I also had a couple bags of frozen raspberries leftover from something or another. Also around this time, I think I was reading a blog post with a jam recipe. And I was like, "Whoa-that's it? That's all jam is?!" So I had the brilliant idea to google a raspberry jam recipe. Then I learned about pectin. I don't have pectin, and don't particularly want to buy any, so I made sure to search for pectin free recipes. And then I found one. This recipe makes a lot of jam, but I only had enough raspberries for a half batch-so that's what I made. It came out perfectly! I was (and am) so proud of myself! 

Mixed Berry Milkshake

 You may remember that post I wrote about some 2 ingredient vanilla ice cream I made. You might also remember, I mentioned I made it to use in a milkshake. I figured you've waited long enough to see that very shake. As I've mentioned, multiple times, Michael loves fruity/refreshing sweet things. Me, not so much. When I saw this recipe I knew it would be right up his alley. Michael looooves berries (especially strawberries. Can I say how depressed he is that they're not in season right this second?) This shake is super simple, super pretty (lookit! It's purple), a great excuse to use some of that 2 ingredient ice cream, and it can have whatever berries you fancy! So, the sky is the limit! Yes...I do feel cruel posting this in the middle of winter when this is obviously a summer drink, but, well....just file it away for later. Or just buy frozen fruit! They're perfectly good!

Michael's Applesauce-Holiday Recipe Exchange: Week Six (Fall Spices).

Why did I ever buy applesauce? It's so easy to make and so freaking much yummier!!!!! When Michael and his mom (my "Mama Maria") started speaking about some sort of cryptic special applesauce recipe that Michael did when he was little-I had to see it. So, my precious Mama Maria scanned it and emailed it to me. CUTEST THING EVER! So cute, I'm sharing pictures of it with you--it has the recipe for the applesauce on it! However, since it was written by a 6 year old, it leaves some little details out, so you can also scroll down and see the more in depth directions written by me right under it. Also, it's Holiday Recipe Exchange time again! (View Holiday Recipe Exchange posts for Week 1-Parts 1 and 2 and Week 3) This week is fall spices-and this applesauce has a very obvious and perfect cinnamon component. Seriously make this-it's amazing freshly made and hot, and also great leftover and cold. It tastes much more like actual...apples...than any other applesauce I've ever had! And, it's in no way difficult to make, and requires very few ingredients (and you almost definitely already have all of them). Go forth and make applesauce! (And go "awww" at the cuteness of my boyfriend when he was little). :D

Breast Cancer Awareness Month (Pink Marshmallows and Pink Lemonade)

  

 October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I've been fortunate enough, thus far, that this hasn't tainted mine or any of my loved ones' lives. However, I have had experience with other kinds of cancers, and I know how important it is to be informed and recognize all those who have suffered. On Foodbuzz I received a request from the lovely woman behind Oh Cake to read her post about her experiences (especially regarding her friend-and breast cancer survivor-Liz), and about some lovely pink marshmallows. She wants to remind everyone to see your doctor regularly, have mammograms, and remember that cancer is beatable-especially if caught early. Plus these facts:

Raspberry Ice Cream "Cake-Pie" (for Michael's birthday!)

September 17th was an exciting day at our household. It was Michael's birthday!!! I've never been able to spend his birthday with him before (he was always in Ohio and I was here in NYC), so I was soooo excited! He hates having a lot of focus and attention on him, so I agreed no presents, no party, no going out-I just wanted to be able to make him dinner. The post about his dinner will follow. This is about his birthday "cake" (tech. a pie). Michael and I have different tastes in desserts, as I've mentioned, so I wanted to make him something that I don't like but that he would. Enter this "cake-pie" (as we came to call it). It has the trifecta of Michael's dessert loves: berries (esp. raspberries), dark chocolate, refreshing (ice cream). He LOVED it! Yay! So, if you're like him at all, you should love this too.

Peanut Butter Cream Pie and Strawberry "Ice Cream"

Finally! I am BACK! We're completely moved in (I might post a picture sometime later) and I love our new place! It's adorable and pretty and wonderful :). And I finally have a kitchen all to myself!!! So, to make up for the fact it's been like a month since I shared a recipe I'm giving you all a double dose! These are the two first new things I've made in this kitchen and they are delicious, yum yum yummy desserts!

Here, have a bite. It's the least I could do.

Yesterday I made peanut butter pie. It's a recipe I've had sitting in my recipe box since I was in high school that I had pulled out of one of my mom's old magazines. It seemed easy, refreshing (a prerequisite for a dessert Michael will love), and it has peanut butter sooo....you can't go wrong. Funnily enough, although I thought the fact that it was chilled would mean Michael would like it, he wasn't very excited, he feared it would be too "rich" (*eye roll*). But I persevered and made it anyway. And I am soooooo happy I did! It is amazing! And when Michael took his first bite, he looked at me with wide eyes and then gave me a big peanut buttery kiss. He approved. It's a super easy to make recipe, requires very few ingredients, and not too bad for you either, especially if you opt for lower cal ingredients (ie. fat free milk, etc.).