pina colada bars (using cake mix).

I posted a recipe for snickerdoodle cheesecake bars some time ago, also using cake mix. Although homemade baked goods are favorable most 100% of the time, cake mix does have its role in baking. Oftentimes for bake sales, you don't want to spend a lot of money. Or there's just not enough time to make from-scratch dessert.

For these instances, cake mixes work wonderfully. One of the reasons they work so well is not just because they're pre-packaged, but because they're versatile! I Googled extensively on how to manipulate cake mixes into interesting creations. I didn't find as much as I expected. 

In order to increase the doctoring-cake-mix database the Interweb, I thought I'd start adding some of my recipes. I made these pina colada bars for a friend's bake sale, and apparently they sold out first, if that says anything. 

parasite (in foot) cake.

Okay. Give me a chance to explain.

I'm in a Parasite Ecology class/lab. Recently, the class was assigned this creative extra project sort of thing that we could do for a chance to win a large fish to dissect in lab. Large fish = more parasites for my partner and I to isolate!

The result of my attempt? this cake.

I actually initially wanted to write a blogpost on this endeavour to validate the fact that I didn't just find a picture online - that I actually baked, shaped, and created this beauty (if that's what you'd like to call it).

mango coconut cream cake.

With school starting soon, lots of things need to get done. I went to the bicycle shop today to get my bike repaired (a tube in the tire needed to be replaced). I packed half my clothes. I hauled my MCAT books up from the basement, although I still haven't made a decision on whether a retake is happening or not.

I also went to the dentist to get my teeth checked before a semester of stress eating and potachos healthy eating. I also learned how to use those little floss picks. I've never flossed before though, and the past few times I have, my gums start bleeding immediately! It sucks! I know it's normal, but I'm so wary of pushing my flosser vertically down between my teeth.

I need to get over it. Just like I finally got over any doubts I had about chiffon cakes with this cake.

carrot cake whoopie pies.

I've been having the weirdest dreams. Usually, they're random, but lately they've been reflecting what goes on during my days ... and I have to say, it kind of worries me.

Two days ago, I was volunteering at a hospice. I chatted for a while with this 100 year old lady who was so so sweet and kept giving me life advice that was pretty applicable (except for the part where I have to marry my [nonexistent] boyfriend, have kids, and stay at home to raise them). I also chatted with and kept company to some people who unfortunately had dementia. That night, I dreamed I was losing my memory and had to be placed in a nursing home .. at age 21. 

Another night, I was reading a novel (House of God) that has to do with the psychological breakdown of a medical intern. I'm pre-med, mind you, and am not looking forward to the lifestyle detailed in the novel. You can imagine the depressing dreams I had that night. 

As a result, I decided I need to start focusing on more positive things, things I know make me happy. I would say carrot cake whoopie pies make me happy.

heart cupcakes.

Hi.

Did you have any delicious treats on Valentine's Day? Chocolate, maybe? I hope it was dark. 60% and above only, please.

I was treated to a lot of Reese's pb cups, Lindt orange chocolate, sugar cookies, and a hilarious valentine's card. I know it's a controversial holiday, but it's nice to see all you have to be thankful for. Your love doesn't only extend to a significant other! Remember your siblings? And the (brave, let's be honest) people who raised you? I'm sure they deserve your appreciation, too.

hummingbird cake: birthday edition.

(Pictures coming soon ... actually that's a lie, we finished the cake off yesterday. Oops, sorry!)

My birthday was in January. My roommates made me a cake ... it's tradition, we've talked about this.

First we went out to Jose Tejas for a belated birthday dinner. The wait was pretty long, as they don't take reservations (why), but it was soo worth it. Their food? Very good. I recommend the swordfish tacos veracruz, with fresh mango salsa and grilled avocado. I also recommend at least one margarita, preferably strawberry. Delicious and dangerous if taken on an empty stomach. 

The very fun night ended with us chilling till late, talking and joking around while picking out of this cake, in traditional fashion. 

review: Crumbs caramel apple cupcake.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

I thought of something today, while consuming my body weight in delectable victuals and then later, in my food-induced comatose state.

Someone should invent a service available annually on Thanksgiving day that rents wheelchairs. This way, if you eat too much and can't follow the crowd as it shifts from the kitchen/dining room to the family room, you can just make your youngest sibling or one of the more lively of your family members to wheel you over!

This is even more applicable if you go out to eat. You know how there are volunteers as the hospital to wheel patients out of out-patient? Volunteers to wheel stuffed patrons out of the restaurant. Bam.

I'm not sure how well this will catch on. In the meanwhile ... eat away! Thanksgiving is not over yet!

owl cupcakes! (+ other Halloween-themed ideas)

Do you have any plans for Halloween?

I'm not a fan of the holiday. My favorite part are those thick Reese's peanut butter cups shaped like pumpkins! And the candy corn. Brach's has my back. 

Despite my general aversion to Halloween festivities, I did think writing a piece on Halloween-themed finger foods for the university newspaper would be a fun idea! These adorable cupcakes were featured.

cornmeal buttermilk cake + chocolate frosting.

Haha.

That's my response to life right now. Junior year started a week ago, and I just realized I have zero expectations for the year. Initially that seemed kinda sucky.

But then I recalled a conversation I had too many times with too many people last year about how unspontaneous and boring our lives had become. I felt like an old person who had nothing to look forward to in life.

So maybe this unpredictable-ness is a good thing!

citrus carrot cake + dulce de leche cream cheese frosting.

I have a carrot cake recipe I swear by.

This isn't it. One day, I promise I'll put it up, but for now, I wanted to try something a little different - this citrus carrot cake!

There were oranges and carrots in the fridge. I could've left them there to be eaten plain or, in the carrot's case, be made into muthia or grated into a wrap .. but cake is so good. And do you ever just do things because you feel like it?

coconut cream pie cupcakes.

It's summer.

Okay, well ignore the rain that's been the backdrop of the past couple days.

But in general, it's hot. Tan lines come very easily. Tinted moisturizer is used in lieu of heavy foundation. Shorts are established as an outfit staple, and ice cream becomes a daily indulgence.

Don't you also feel like eating lots of tropical & refreshing things? Like papaya? And watermelon? And acai juice? Mmmm. These coconut cupcakes are an example of a perfect summer dessert.

layered chocolate birthday cake.

I just backed up my computer. I feel so accomplished .. for two reasons. One, it's break. Almost everything qualifies as productive. Fix my hair? Awesome. Change my clothes? Go me. Leave the house? Woah I'm wild! And will need to sleep by 10pm to compensate for the exhausting day I had.

Secondly, I feel like backing up a computer is something that's always advised to do, and no one really does it.

I'm trying to do things I should be doing more. Like backing up my data. Not eating PBJ's everyday. Exercising. Stimulating my brain. Keeping up with responsibilities. All these things juxtapose what I said earlier, my idealized vision of break.

But long term .. they'll help me, right?

chocolate cake + coffee buttercream.

It's April 28. The year of the Dragon. As classes wind down, the apathy rises.

Sounds so dramatic, right? Reminds me of Edgar Allen Poe. He was quite the depressed individual .. his work was so macabre. Have you seen the commercials for the movie based on his short stories? I can't watch the trailers. Too creepy.

But anyway. The amount of work I need to do and the time I'm actually spending working ... theoretically should be a direct relationship (with a correlation coefficient of 1, if you want to get precise) but that's not working out so well. The number of times I bake does go up, though!

cookie dough stuffed chocolate cupcakes, with cookie dough frosting.

I can't believe it's Tuesday! This week was supposed to be crazy filled with work. I haven't yet done said work ... which is probably an issue.

I did make these beautiful cupcakes as promised on Monday night, however.

vanilla browned butter cake with truffle frosting.

It's been a long (very) Fat Tuesday. Fat, because my roommate and I totally went HAM on the bread pudding served at the Mardi Gras dinner at the dining hall tonight. And then Andrea and I devoured half this browned butter cake in approximately 30 minutes, max. Long, because I had an exam this past Sunday and today, and a ton of other things on top of that. Thankfully, that higher power up there was looking out for me and caused the physics page to crash today. And so my physics online homework was delayed!

And so I proceeded to use the remainder of my time researching HTML. Because I wanted to add a Recipe Index to my blog and didn't realize it was so easy! You just go on "Pages" on your dashboard and make a page with whatever name you want.

But here's the tricky part. You need to make sure to SHOW your pages! This is the most difficult part. But I'm warning you guys now. Cause I'm such a tech pro. I'm soo ready to answer questions to work in the computer labs. And also prepared to bake enough cakes until they accept me just for my food.

nutella cheesecake layer cake + truffles.

Remember Andrea? We've made awesome french toast (I actually made her a heart french toast on Valentine's Day morn teehee) & gone secret santa shopping together, and she also decided what my last surprise birthday cake would be. Well, today's her birthday, and that means one thing: make a more awesome birthday cake than the last one.

Which is kind of extremely difficult, considering this was the cake from Andray dray's birthday last year ..

inside-out german chocolate cake.

So I have awesome friends. Who I do awesome things with. And who also make me awesome birthday cakes! I'll let Danielle do the rest of the talking - yuppp. This is a guest blog post!!

I'm in the black dress; Danielle's wearing red!

Hey friends!  This is Yat's suitemate, Danielle, and she asked me to do this guest post… she likes to show me off sometimes.  Not really, but after helping bake her birthday cake, I have been given the honor to make an appearance on here (so much pressure!). 

Celebrating Yat’s birthday is fun, because her birthday is over winter break, so we try to make it a surprise.  And when’s the best time to make a massive cake?  Obviously in the middle of finals when we’re all stressed to the max and can use the cake to 1. Honor our friend’s birthday, and 2. Eat all our feelings away. We’re nothing if not efficient.  Andrea found a recipe for this beautiful inside-out German chocolate cake, and we decided we would bake it in the small time frame between our organic chemistry final and our friends’ holiday party.  So to give an idea of what went into baking this masterpiece, I will tell it in the form of a dramatic narrative.

pink buttercream cupcakes.

There is so much history behind these cupcakes. The simplicity these convey is a facade for the events that occurred while they existed.

Earthquakes, ants, disasters galore! 

Let me explain.

buttermilk chocolate cake: revisited.

School has begun. Which means I most definitely will not have time/resources to post as frequently as I had the pleasure of doing this summer.

I actually surprised myself this entire summer, with the extent to which I was posting. As I mentioned in my introductory blogpost, I started a tumblr in my senior year of high school that kind of fizzled out.

It's funny, but I remember starting this blog at the end of my freshman year - a terrible time, due to finals, studying, stress, etc. But this blog is like an outlet for me. I can say whatever I want. I can get my randomness out on here instead of bothering my suitemates. I also find that the amount I talk about food to people & on Facebook has also decreased.

See, this blog is making me a normal human being!

And although I doubt many people visit here, one of the few comments I have received has already influenced me.

yellow cake with chocolate frosting.

This past Friday was my last day at work at a pharmaceutical packaging & manufacturing company. I feel like many people would expect me to be jubilated at this & at the prospect of returning to school in about a week. However, I am anything but ecstatic.

I truly enjoyed work. The people, the proximity to my house, the sense of a schedule, and the feeling of being busy - I really liked it. 

I would get up at 6:15 am everyday and make myself completely presentable, and half an hour later, I would (hopefully) be on my way to work. I would arrive at 7, don my lab coat and "hair net cap" (which I just looked up because I never knew the name), and make my rounds around the entire company. I would greet the other QAs and continue offering my help to any area that needed it. When I left on Friday, I felt like a true member of the company. My tasks and the results of my findings were actually helping the company. The stuff I was doing was important. And the fact that I got along excellently with everyone and that everyone could be hilarious at times was also a plus. 

But now work is over. A coworker who jokingly makes fun of my (lack of) Gujarati accent brought me Pista Peda - yes! We had an awesome lunch out at a Mexican restaurant with really good food. And now school is about to begin - aka organic chemistry is about to begin its slow, year-long torture upon my poor self. 

But there is hope, yet.