This is the sort of cake you should bring to a new neighbor or serve after a casual meal with friends. Not too elaborate, not too big but impressively delicious.

One of the things I enjoy about blogging is how it connects me with friends and acquaintances creating additional interaction outside of phone calls and gatherings. We are in a busy stage of life juggling work and little kids as are many of my friends. Without having to orchestrate calendars, blogs create interaction on both the writers and readers terms. Some say that online “socializing” makes people more lonely and less personable. For me, it creates a level of connection that I would not otherwise find time for.
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I began eating kale for health reasons and now my palate is sharing the pleasure.

Originally, I added kale to my diet to benefit from all the vitamins, anti-oxidants and fiber it offers. Last year, I planted a variety of kale in my garden knowing that if I had an abundant, organic harvest, I would find more ways to eat it. Originally, I only used kale in soups. The leaves took on the flavors of the broth and I basically pretended it was spinach.

When I grew brave enough to eat kale on its own, I made  crunchy kale chips. The oven roasting morphs the leaves into brittle, thin chips. They go down easy. As time passed, I discovered that I wasn’t all that interested in altering the raw kale or disguising its hearty, leafy texture. Surprisingly, I have even begun craving kale in its most natural state.
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Another sweet treat from my Spice Islands Flavor Explorations. Bookmark this one with the Homemade Cinnamon Graham Crackers for your summer campfires.

Marshmallows are a happy food. They glue together Rice Krispies Treats, float in hot cocoa and perch on the end of skewers around cozy campfires. Just thinking about the sweet, cloud-like cubes and their squishy texture probably brings a little smile to your face, or at least tickles a comforting, nostalgia nerve.

My recent experimentation with graham crackers opened my eyes to just how much better homemade versions of the usual store-bought treats can be. With dozens of graham crackers around the house, my thoughts immediately jumped to marshmallows. Perhaps you have guessed where I am going with this. Imagine sandwiching homemade marshmallows between two homemade cinnamon graham crackers with a square or two of quality chocolate. S’more heaven!
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Time to use the frozen rhubarb since the new crop is bursting up from my garden.

I am behind on a lot of things lately: work piling up, overdue on cutting both our lawn and my overgrown hair, embarrassingly late thank you notes still waiting to be addressed, and neglecting this blog!

A few weeks ago, I managed to plant some greens in our garden so we will be eating our own organic salads soon. While tending to our edibles, I noticed that the rhubarb is already up and some stalks are nearly ready for harvest. It reminded me that I had a few bags of frozen rhubarb in the freezer from last year. I meant to enjoy the chopped rhubarb all winter in muffins and breads but the bags were buried and forgotten in my meager one-drawer freezer.
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Reporting live from the Time Out Chicago 2012 Eat Out Awards was a new experiences full of lessons to learn.

The Chicago Blogger Network was asked to cover the action at this year’s annual Time Out Chicago Eat Out Awards, where they honor chefs and restaurants with a variety of accolades. Five of us were invited to sit at a press table and exclusively announce the winners live. It was my first event of the sort and I certainly learned a lot.
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In one day, I peered into the crater of a volcano, saw monkeys, heard toucans, spied iguanas and crocodiles sunning themselves, met my first poison dart frog, had a snake cross my path and swung through the rainforest.

It was a really good idea to take this business trip to Costa Rica because when I had a one day break from meetings, I fit a lifetime of adventure into 12 hours. I’ve found that all the good things people say about Costa Rica are true. The people are friendly and the biodiversity is incredible. I somehow escaped the rain, protected myself from sunburn and didn’t get a single bug bite.

Though this blog is normally about food, we will file this post under “conversation around the table.” I’ve enjoyed the beans, rice, plantains, coffee and fruits but the people and the landscape really stole the show.
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“Cheap beer? Are you kidding me!? The least you could have done was put me in here next to a nice bottle of  Champagne.”

All day Friday, this scene in my refrigerator made me giggle. I imagined a number of spoiled, demanding comments emanating from the princess Barbie cake, her hand raised in protest.  Last year on Mini Whipped’s birthday,  I wrote about my efforts to create a pink paradise for her starting with pink pepto-bismal colored pancakes all the way through to the triple pink cupcake dessert. This year, I surprised her with this princess cake. It wasn’t quite the home run I expected.
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My most recent post on the Spice Island’s Flavor Explorer blog leaves me missing my high school metabolism.

There are some recipes that nag at me because I can’t get them quite right. For years, my ideal cream cheese brownie recipe was just beyond my grasp. Finally, after dozens of tweaks, I have finalized a batch that properly satisfies my sweet tooth.

When I was in high school, I dated the same guy for a number of years. His mother was a wonderfully warm woman who had beautifully manicured nails, perfect makeup and sometimes wore “princess Leia” buns on the sides of her head and pulled them off. One of her specialties was chocolate cream cheese brownies. After school, we would descend upon the pan of rich brownies dotted with tart cream cheese reservoirs and speckled with chocolate chips. Ahh… a teenage metabolism. I ate multiple brownies without a second thought.
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Thank you everyone for your interest. I used my favorite random number generator at and it chose Jen, #83, as the winner. Your comments and interest are so appreciated. If you didn’t win and you are interested in The Bonne Femme, you can purchase it here at Amazon where it is on sale for $16. I don’t think you’ll be sorry! (I am not paid to plug this book, I swear!)

This new cookbook is a favorite and will likely become tattered and stained with use in the years to come.

When I receive a new book, I wait until I have some quiet time to myself before peeking inside. Then, I sit down with some scraps of paper that serve as page markers and I flip through from beginning to end. Immediately, I get a sense about how well the book fits my cooking style.

After an hour, I had barely made it through the first half of this book because I found myself reading every word, dissecting each recipe and scheming dinner parties or weeknight meals around each. Before I reached the main courses, I had run out of my pile of page markers and realized there was no sense in marking – everything looked good to me! I rarely feel this way but I think that I could cook my way through this entire book.
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Spilling the beans.

I have not been posting regularly and haven’t shared many recipes. Every time I start a post, I end up staring at the screen, typing a few sentences, deleting them and then snapping my laptop closed. The past month delivered some major life changes and things have not been easy. I was reluctant to be overly personal on Whipped but our current situation is all consuming so it has proved impossible for me to post without acknowledging our circumstances.

In January, I wrote about some major life changes I was putting in place. I followed through and I slowed down my work, started writing more and truly found balance between motherhood, blogging and professional endeavors. That lasted about a month. And, because it was short lived, I think I will always put that month on a pedestal as one of the happiest in my life.
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Some kitchen tools hold a special place in my heart.

Do you have a kitchen tool that you feel a particular affinity for? I have a few in my cupboards and drawers that give me an extra smile when I pull them out for use. This microplane is relatively new to my kitchen and has quickly risen to the top of my list.

The main reason I favor this small grating device is the sensory experience it creates. It is an aromatherapy maker. I use it to grate citrus zest, ginger root, parmesan cheese and fresh nutmeg. The wonderful smells waft up and envelop me while the microplane does its work. Compared to a box grater, the grated ingredients are much more delicate. I even adore the soft patch that it leaves on the citrus skin after having expertly removed its fragrant, oily outer layer.

Do you have a love affair with a kitchen tool?  Come on, admit it…