Cinco De Mayo Churros

Cinco De Mayo Churros

Friends! Happy Cinco De Mayo! Later tonight, a friend of mine is hosting a queso party. I thought, hey, that makes sense...It's Cinco De Mayo. So I decided to make a dessert for the party. The first thing that came to my mind was...churros. YUM!

A few years ago, I tried making churros, and they were pretty good. The only downside was the super complicated recipe and it took forever. So this time, I tried it again but with a different recipe. Turns out that it's pretty much the easiest recipe to exist to mankind. I made these in fifteen minutes flat and I had all the ingredients. Friends, that never happens. Ever. Not only are they super easy to make, but they taste even better! This fried dough is crispy on the outside but soft and doughy on the inside. The sweet cinnamon and sugar coating, makes this melt in your mouth. So go celebrate Cinco De Mayo and make some of these churros!

Simple Churros

(makes 20 little churros)

Ingredients: 

1 cup water

2/12 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons vegetable oil (or canola oil)

1 cup flour

2 quarts oil for frying (I only used about 2 cups in a very small pot)

1/2 cup granulated sugar 

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions:

1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine water, 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar, salt, and 2 tablespoons oil. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Stir in flour until mixture forms a ball. 
2. Heat oil in deep-fryer, deep skillet, or a small saucepan (I used a small saucepan, because I definitely didn't have that much oil) to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Pipe strips of dough in hot oil using a pastry bag with a star tip or you can use a gallon ziplock bag and just cut a hole out of one of the corners. I also used scissors to cut the pieces from the tip of the bag. Make sure the oil covers the strips of dough. Fry until golden; drain on paper towels. 
3. Combine 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon. Roll drained churros in cinnamon sugar mixture.
4. Eat them all. 

For more about more authentic Mexican food, check out my good friend Andrea's blog here!

The Weekly Arrangement 5.1.15: Million Trees NYC

The Weekly Arrangement 5.1.15
Million Trees NYC

This weekly arrangement comes from the woods! This, my dear friends, is garlic mustard. During a service project with Million Trees NYC in Manhattan, my group was assigned to weed up the garlic mustard because it can inhibit the growth of the little trees we would be planting. BUT garlic mustard isn't fully a villain, turns out you can cook with it too! I really wanted to take some home and try making pesto with it, but I didn't. Oh well, maybe I'll grow it in a garden one day. Read more about garlic mustard here! 

Side note, Million Trees NYC was definitely one of the best organizations I've volunteered with thus far. I was helping to plan a service project for a group of twenty school friends. My friend Cassidy said that every time she emailed Janelle from Million Trees for information, she would respond within five minutes answering all of Cassidy's questions. Even if she did not respond within five minutes, she would respond within the next day and apologize for lack of timeliness. Not only were they very prompt, but they were extremely kind and organized. So organized. Even that is an understatement. 

We showed up for the Stewardship Day project at 9am sharp. We were broken up into groups with a Million Trees NYC leader for each group. They kept us busy the whole time, and it was so much fun! At the end, it was nice to take a step back and see the product of your day's work--planted trees, weeded ground, and a very hungry stomach! Afterward they provided lunch, a souvenir water bottle, and a reusable tote. Million Trees is a great organization. They certainly have their act together! It was an honor to be a part of their goal of planting one million trees in NYC. They will plant their millionth tree this fall! Help them out and go volunteer here! 

Fun fact: It actually smells like garlic.

I just liked this picture. 

This was one of the many trees that was planted. Million Trees NYC is a great organization and you can volunteer in all five boroughs! It was a whole lot of fun--so if you're interested, you should definitely sign up. (Picture featuring: the one, the only, Kirstyn.) 

Top 9 Best Desserts in NYC

Top 9 Best Desserts in NYC

1. Peter Pan Donuts: 1 for $1.10 or 12 for $11.49. Peter Pan donuts are quite the steal. With a wide range of flavors and items, you can't go wrong with these scrumptious and sweet treats.

2. The Spot: desserts range from $3-$15. Their desserts are fun, unique, and finger licking good! If you go with a friends and split some desserts, it's perfect! Featured here is the Golden Toast with sweetened condensed milk ice cream. I also recommend the Green Tearamisu. 

3. Levain Bakery: Aka THE BEST COOKIE ON THIS PLANET! These cookies are also massive--and massive is an understatement. One cookie= $4.Well worth it. Featured below is the Chocolate Chip Walnut cookie. Watch them make these cookies here!

4. Ferrara's: anything from cookies, cakes, cannolies, and gelato. The prices are varied. But just about everything is amazing-I mean look at those cookies and tarts! 

5. Chatime: Questionably dessert, but delicious nonetheless. My friends and I always go here after we eat a meal in Chinatown. For $3, you can get the best Pearl Milk Bubble Tea out there (the smoothies are pretty yummy too!) If Chatime was any closer to where I live, I would be broke. 

6. Brooklyn Farmacy: the most retro a cute, little restaurant can get! Every thing here is great. That is all. (My personal favorite is the Banana Chocolate Chip Ice Cream!) 

7. Brooklyn Bridge Ice Cream Factory: For $4-7 you can get some of the creamiest, homemade ice cream on this planet. Also, the view is spectacular. I like to run down by this area just to have an excuse to get ice cream (I mean, I just burned off all those calories from running anyway, right?)

8. Serendipity 3: Featured here is the Frrrozen Hot Chocolate, which can be purchased for $8.95. It is probably the best frozen drink you will ever have. Also, it's very large--so either 1) bring a friend to share a meal and dessert with because there is a $8 per person minimum or 2) bring an appetite and beware of the brain freeze. Yes, I have finished one of these puppies on my own. No shame. 

9. Schmackary's: Each cookie is $2.75. This cookie bakery takes a twist on the classic cookie. Some of my personal favorites are the Classic Chocolate Chip made with sea salt and apple-wood smoked flour and the Maple Bacon made with bacon, maple syrup, toffee, and sea salt. 

The Weekly Arrangement 4.17.15

The Weekly Arrangement 4.17.15

My dear friends! Hello! So this past Sunday, my roommate, Voleak, and I decided to go Washington, D.C. for the day. The week leading up to Sunday, I was day dreaming about the cherry blossom trees in just about every class. I've only seen them in pictures and could only imagine their sweet smells and subtle pink colors contrasting against the baby blue sky. I had been watching the cherry blossom live cam throughout the week to see when they blossomed. {Yes, yes I was a little over-obsessive about these trees. And yes, there was a live cam for the cherry blossom trees. I have come to acceptance and have no shame.} Cause apparently, they come and go really fast and I did not want to miss them. Any way, we were talking about going for about three days, but actually went through with buying the bus tickets the night before. Thank goodness for MegaBus and NY2DC for their low bus fares and enabling this dream to be a reality. And let me tell you, the cherry blossoms definitely exceeded my expectations. I just don't know how something could be so beautiful! Well, I hope you enjoy these pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them!

Featuring: Cherry blossoms

Featuring: dogwood tree (much bigger flowers than the cherry blossoms but just as beautiful)

Featuring: Cherry blossom trees and Thomas Jefferson Memorial 

Featuring: more cherry blossoms and the Washington Memorial

Featuring: dogwood tree

Mini Cherry Cheesecake Tarts

Mini Cherry Cheesecake Tarts

Well, this past Sunday my roommate and I spontaneously bought tickets to Washington, D.C. to see the cherry blossoms during their peak dates. It had been a dream of mine to go see them for the last three years and I finally did it. It was divine. So in inspiration of the beautiful cherry blossoms, I decided to make these little, fluffy cherry cheesecake tarts. Not only are they just about the easiest things to make, but they are just the perfect combination of sweet and gooey balanced with the buttery graham cracker crust. I could easily eat about 5 or 6 of these things. No shame. 

Featuring: roommate's shirt. 

Mini Cherry Cheesecake Bites
Makes about 18 regular sized cheesecakes or 36 minis  

Ingredients: 

For crust:

1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 cup butter melted

For the filling: 
12 oz. cream cheese
2 eggs
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla
1 can cherry pie filling

Misc.
paper or tin cupcake cups

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375° F. 
2. Mix cracker crumbs and sugar. Stir in melted butter. Put 1 tbsp mixture into each paper cupcake cup. Flatten crumbs with thumb. Place in muffin tins. 
3. Have cream cheese at room temperature; beat to soften. Beat in eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Beat in sugar and vanilla. 
4. Fill cups half full of cream cheese mixture. (They will rise a bit so make sure that they are filled no more than half.)
5. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the tops feel velvety smooth and aren't wet. 
6. Cool in muffin tins. When cool, put about 1 tbsp cherry pie filling on top of each. Tastes best cold. Enjoy!

The Weekly Arrangement 4.10.2015

The Weekly Arrangement 4.10.2015

Greetings again! So I happen to be a bit behind on the weekly arrangement. I apologize for that. But, I was surrounded by so many flowers last week--it was great. So I have many things to share with you. As I mentioned in my last post, last week was interregnum. One of the competitions I helped out with was 3-Hour Art. Pretty self-explanatory. Make an art piece in three hours with the required medium of paint and a canvas. What was the theme, you ask? I Corinthians 15:55. "Where, O death, is your victory? Where O death, is your sting?" (P.S. I go to a Christian school, hence the Bible verse theme.) It was very open ended, but here is the process to our final product. And yes, those are all fresh flowers. 

Featuring: daffodils, pink roses, green mums, baby daisies, and yellow mums. 

Featuring: Far left- mums, daffodils, roses, daisies, carnations. Center- hydrangeas, baby's breath. Far right- ferns, purple and blue dyed daisies. 

In case you ever need to know how to remove a rose head from the stem...

Step 1. Gently hold the head in your left hand. 

Step 2. Place your right thumb on the stem/base of the flower.

Step 3. Twist the base while holding the head in place. The flower's center will come out of the base. Careful, the seeds will make a mess!

Step 4. Voila! You now have a handful of beautiful rose petals. 

Featuring: The name of the house that I'm in--The House of Margaret Thatcher. 

Featuring: super glue. It's pretty super. But let me tell you, that was one sticky situation. I still have super glue on my fingernails. 

The final product and the description beneath. 

In 1 Corinthians, Paul asks us to consider the seed: the fruit does not look like the seed from which it grew. Man is like the seed- "Born in weakness," and transformed to Christ's image, so he can see Christ's glory, unlike the Israelites who did not see Christ's glory, "lest [they] die" (Ex. 20: 19). Through the death of the new Adam, the new law (Jer. 31:31) is alive in man's heart, rather than dead in stone. A new creation is inaugurated through Christ's suffering and victory. 

That's part of the team/some of my good frands, hard at work. (Pun intended.)

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Well, hello there friends! This past week was one long week. It quickly went from normalcy to hectic. The college I attend has this thing called Interregnum--where all students participate in a school-wide competition. We stop school for three days for the houses to compete against each other. (The houses are kind of like sororities or fraternities, but much different. You see, this isn't Greek life. We have houses like, the House of C.S. Lewis and the House of Susan B. Anthony. I'm in the House of Margaret Thatcher--in case you were curious!) 

The competitions consist of performing arts, art, debate, speeches, etc. It's a really complicated and confusing system that I'm still trying to figure out. Regardless, interregnum is a lot of fun, but it can be really draining if your participating or helping out in a handful of the events. For example, at one point during the week, I may or may not have fallen asleep underneath a office desk.

Anyway, without this getting too detailed, there was a celebration get-together afterward in my apartment on Friday night. I realized that I didn't have snacks--and well, snacks are always a necessity. So I resorted to my go to recipe-- the original Nestle Toll House chocolate chip cookies. In between baking batches, I just pop the bowl of cookie dough in the fridge (to let the flavors marry a bit and to make cookie forming easier.) I personally think cookies taste better if the dough has chilled in the fridge overnight. Try it sometime! These cookies are wicked quick, easy, and nearly foolproof. They're truly perfect and scrumptious for any occasion. Certainly not a crumby choice. 

The recipe also makes a ton of cookies and they're great for breakfast!  

Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients: 

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

2 cups (12-oz. package) chocolate chips

1 cup chopped nuts (the cookies taste good with or without the nuts!)  

Instructions: 

1. Preheat oven to 375° F.
2. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets. 
3. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. 
4. Eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.