PEAR DELICIOUSNESS!

So last night, at work, I was trying to come up with new creations using Pear Vodka. I usually just have Grey Goose Pear and Cranberry Juice--which is delicious--but I wanted something different. Here's what I came up with. It could be either a shot or a martini.. it is a little sweet so if you couldn't drink a full martini of it then i guess a shot is the way to go!
3 parts Pear Vodka
1 part Triple Sec
1 part Razzmatazz
Splash of Sour Mix & OJ

CHEERS to DEliCIOUSNESSS!!!

...just minutes after giving my boyfriend the Valentine's treat

Needless to say, he thought they were yummy! I'm sure the rest will be gone within the hour.

VALENTINE'S DAY TREATS!!

This creation is inspired by something I found in the HELLO CUPCAKE recipe book. I put the cupcakes in an empty heart shaped chocolate box and lined the inside with coconut flakes and M&Ms for the spaces. I used an assortment of candys and sprinkles to decorate the cupcakes. It is a nice alternative to simply buying a box of chocolate for your Valentine! You can really get creative and come up with a plethora of designs. ONLY ONE DAY LEFT TO VALENTINE'S DAY.... so start baking!

BLACK & WHITE!

I wanted to create cupcakes with a decorating theme so I came up with BLACK & WHITE, since B&W parties are popular these days. In the candy aisle, I tried to find anything that would fit this theme: coconut, the typical movie theatre candy, and crushed oreos. I also had an idea that used marshmallows. I took the marshmallows and sliced them (which was a little tricky since they are so sticky) into thin, flat circles. Then to make them different sizes, I used teaspoons/tablespoons and other measuring devices so I would have large marshmallow circles and smaller ones. They look pretty cool on top of dark chocolate icing. They were hit! Both attractive and yummy!

PASTA PURSES!

I haven't mentioned it yet but i am a HUGE Disney fan. Borderline OBSESSED. So this past fall they decided to close the much loved PLEASURE ISLAND-if you aren't familiar-Pleasure Island was this awesome downtown area with shops, clubs, restaurants, and bars. It is basically one of the only places in Disneyworld for adults to unwind after a long day at the parks. ALSO, my favorite restaurant in the entire world was closed down, Portobello Yacht Club. I have so many memories of visiting this restaurant with my family and friends. There were so many dishes that I loved but my all time favorite had to be these little bundles of joy my friends and I called Pasta Purses. They are a spin off on fiocchi. Fiochhi is cheese and pear fulled pasta purses. I've always wanted to make these delicious little things but wanted to try something instead of the usual pear and cheese fulling. I decided to full it with a mixture mostly made of chicken and ricotto cheese. The mixture was easy to make but creating the 'purses' was definately not! I used dumpling wrappers because they are cheap and easy to work with. In the next couple days, I will be posting a video on how to full and create the pasta purse!

FONDANT!!!

Sooo I've been DYING to make a cake using FONDANT..well today I did. Although I've been sick battling a really nasty stomach bug, I just couldn't help myself. I first made two thin 9" round cakes. I layered them with a pretty lavender colored icing in between. I put more icing on top before it was time to put the fondant on it. I was extremely nervous after I rolled it thin and actually had to put it on the cake. But i was surprised with how well I did! The top is SMOOTH! exceptionally smooth for a beginner like me. I sprayed it with food coloring (i got food coloring that comes in basically a hairspray bottle- it is the coolest stuff ever). Then i made pretty little flowers of all different sized with the rest of the fondant. Some I left white, while other i painted with red food color or spray with the pink hairspray fondant. It's definately not perfect but I think it's a great start to a hopefully long relationship I have with fondant! I took the picture with my blackberry cause I wanted to post it as quick as possible because I am so excited about it!

Carly's Chocolate Caffeinitini

Carly's Ch0colate Caffeinitini is a SUPER DELICIOUS and EASY drink recipe that I created during the holiday season. I love all the flavored THREE OLIVES VODKAS. I decided to make something using the Triple Shot Espresso and the Chocolate flavor. The rimming sugar and shaved chocolate on top add a nice touch and will impress anyone you make this creation for. Recipe Below:

CARLY'S CHOCOLATE CAFFEINITINI
1.5 Ounces Three Olives Triple Shot Espresso Vodka
1.5 Ounces Three Olives Chocolate Vodka
1.5 Ounces Heavy Cream
Rimming is a mixture of raw sugar and cocoa powder
Shave dark chocolate on top for an added effect!

FIRST POST!

HELLO! Welcome to CARLY IS COOKING! I am creating this blog so you can journey with me as I discover everything & anything about the Food & Drink world. I will be putting up recipes that I stumble upon and even some videos of me creating (or trying to create) those dishes and drinks. I will also be blogging about restaurants I visit and some of my favorite Food-related TV shows! Thanks for coming to my page and I hope you enjoy! CHEERS!