Author Archives: Katherine

Bake Brave for the World Baking Day Challenge!

Sunday is World Baking Day! For this year’s celebration, take on the baking day challenge by baking something you’ve never baked before! The World Baking Day website provides 100 recipes you can choose from at different levels of skill. Whether you “cross your fingers and bake” or you say, “I bake therefore I am,” there’s a recipe there to suit your tastes and baking experience!

To celebrate the occasion, I picked out a recipe called Carmela’s Lemon Loaves! At baking level 67/100, it’s quite easy to make, and very refreshing for the summer too. It has a moist crumb, the texture of a nice quick bread, and it’s full of bright, lemon flavor from its zesty inside to it’s citrus frosting.

World Baking Day - Carmelas Lemon Loaves

Here’s the recipe, re-created in American conventional units, and with a few slight modifications. Hope you enjoy this delightful dish, or another one of those great desserts at the World Baking Day website, for yourself!

Carmela Loaf Slices with Frosting-2

Carmela's Lemon Loaves

Ingredients

For the cake:

1 1/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 1/2 cups flour
lemon zest from 1 or 2 lemons

For the frosting:

confectioner's sugar
lemon juice

Directions

Cream sugar, eggs, and zest in a medium-sized bowl.
Add flour, baking powder, and stir until combined.
Pour in 1 cup of milk and vanilla extract and mix. Then, whisk in the melted margarine. Once it's all smooth, pour the mixture into prepared loaf pans. _(I used two regular sized loaf pans, but the original recipe calls for a mini loaf pan!).
Bake them at 350°F for approximately 30 - 40 minutes (depending on the size of the pan you're using), until they're golden brown.
If you want an icing to go with it, combine a bit of confectioner's sugar with lemon juice. Add enough confectioner's sugar to get the texture you want and mix until the icing is smooth. Drizzle it over your loaf as desired!

Carmelas Lemon Loaves for World Baking Day

Sensational Sweets for Chocolate Chip Day

Happy National Chocolate Chip Day! Today, the classic chocolate chip cookie and other delectable chocolate-studded delights, get the royal treatment with these phenomenal recipes! Let your inner chocolate lover out and bake up one of these sweet treats today.

Soft and Chewy Snickers Chocolate Chip Cookies from Averie Cooks

Mint Chocolate High Hat Cupcakes from Lydia Bakes

Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownies from Penguins and Cupcakes

Potato Chip Chocolate Pie from Tastes of Lizzy T

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Cake from Dieter’s Downfall

Coconut Chocolate Chip Bars from Jen’s Favorite Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cake from The Fit Housewife

Mixed Berries and Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding from Haidee’s Kitchen

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups from Sugary Sweets

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Swirl Cookies from Like Mother Like Daughter

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5 Neat Household Uses for Salt

Salt is essential to food, to cooking, and to taste. There are probably very few, if any, kitchens that don’t have at least a little salt on hand all the time. And, to put the cherry on top of an already vital item, salt can be used in all kinds of handy household applications too! Save time, money, and a lot of potential headaches too by checking out a few of these tips and tricks.

Sea Salt

Prevent grease from splattering
The next time you’re frying up a plate of bacon or cooking up golden pan-fried chicken, add a dash or two of salt to the pan before adding the fats! The salt will help keep the grease in its rightful place in the pan, and not all over your stove top (or worse, you!).

Remove garlic or onion odors from your hands
It can be hard to get the smell of garlic or onions off you after handling them, but the simple combination of water and salt works great. Wet your hands, add a little salt, scrub your hands together, and rinse! Alternatively, a solution of vinegar and salt works well too. Salt can be rough and drying though, so be sure to use a dab or two of moisturizer afterward too.

Cleaning spills in the oven
Food bubbling over in the oven can be a messy problem. At my old apartment, the smoke detectors would deafen you for days if so much as a birthday candle was blown out within 10 yards of it, so when an errant drop of sauce or pie filling hit the hot oven bottom, an unhappy time was had by all. Instead of spending ages on your hands and knees scrubbing away burned-on food, add a good amount of salt to the top of the spill while it’s still liquid. It’ll stop the smoking and burning, and bake into a crust that’s much easier to clean!

Prevent cut fruits from browning
You can prevent unwanted fruit browning by dipping your cut fruits in lightly salted water! You only need a little salt for it to work, so no need to be heavy-handed. It’s a neat trick that could save you a run to the store if you don’t have lemon juice or vinegar on hand.

Extend the life of your cheeses
Salt is an important component in cheese-making in general, as it helps slow the growth of bacteria. That property makes it great for storing cheeses (among other foods) too! If you want to keep your cheeses fresh and mold-free for longer, wrap it in a cloth that’s been dampened in salted water before popping it into the refrigerator.

Brunch Favorites for a Fabulous Mother’s Day

What better way is there to show a hard-working mom how much you care than by treating her to a fabulous meal cooked with love? Let her enjoy the day sleeping in or taking a nice, relaxing walk (or whatever else it is that Mom’s like to do when they’ve got a spare second of free time) while everyone else gets their hands on deck to help fix a family meal of brunch favorites, sweet and savory. Give your loved one a meal she’ll never forget (in a good way!) and check out these fabulous recipes!

Homemade Granola from Once Upon a Chef

Fried Potatoes and Eggs from Leite’s Culinaria

Nutella Stuffed French Toast from Food52 (Photo by Show Food Chef)

Herb Cream Cheese Soft Scrambled Eggs from 101 Cookbooks

Bacon Banana Pancakes from Homesick Texan

Puffed Pancakes with Berries from Baked Bree

Mushroom and Bacon Breakfast Skillet from Joy the Baker

Spinach Gruyere Quiche from Once Upon a Chef

Brussels Sprouts Breakfast Hash from How Sweet It Is

Spring Breakfast Tart from Camille Styles

Potato Cakes from Serious Eats (Photo by Sydney Oland)

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Sweet Sangrias that Taste like Summer

The warmer the days get, the happier you’ll be to have a cool glass of sangria at your side! Whether you favor the lighter, more delicate taste of a white wine sangria, or the deep, fragrant flavors of red wine variations, there’s a delicious option here for you. Feel free to get creative with the fresh fruits and berries you add to these lovely cocktails! If you need some ideas (or just want a surefire win of a recipe), check out the drinks below!

White Berry Lemon Sangrias from Kitchen Treaty

Blood Orange Blackberry Sangria from Fabtastic Eats

Fruity White Wine Sangria from Adeline and Lumiere

Guava Sangria with a Touch of Sage from Santa Barbara Chic

Burnt Sage and Blackberry Sangria for Two from Stir and Strain

White Sangria Sparkler from Figgy and Sprout

White Sangria with Apple and Mint from The Clever Carrot

Hawaiian Wine Coolers from Adventures in Cooking

White Peach Sangria from Foodie Crush

Citrus Iced Tea Sangria from Pizzazzerie

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10 Kick Hass Avocado Recipes

A good avocado, perfectly bright green and tender as butter, is a truly exceptional fruit. Mash it up with a touch of lime, onions, and cilantro and you’ve got yourself a batch of delicious guacamole. Whisk it in with fresh lemon, garlic, and olive oil, and you’ve got a smooth avocado cream that’s incredible over pasta. On top of that, there’s almost no salad or sandwich that can’t be bettered with a slice or two! Here are a few simple recipes that will thrill the avocado-lover in anyone.

Fried Avocado Sandwiches with Bacon and Lemon Aioli from Cooking for Keeps

Avocado Cream Spaghetti from Somewhere Over the Kitchen

Shrimp, Avocado And Red Grapefruit from Low-Carb, So Simple

Avocado Sunrise from Beth on a Diet

Simple Avocado Egg Rolls from Let’s Go Sunning

Avocado, Corn and Tomato Salad from A Family Feast

Avocado Poppers with Coriander-Lime Mayo Dip from Amuse Your Bouche

Poached Egg and Avocado Sandwich from Voluptuous Delights

Creamy Avocado Mac and Cheese from Cooking in Socks

Spicy Crab & Avocado Salad from The Culinary Chronicles

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Copycat Blue Box Macaroni and Cheese

Who knows how many gourmet macaroni recipes, complete with rich, velvety sauces and crispy baked panko-crust toppings, have been turned down in favor of the infamous blue box? Countless kids across the country (and plenty of adults) are inescapably drawn to boxed macaroni. Maybe it’s the happy, vibrant, neon orange color. Perhaps it’s just familiarity: a taste of childhood that’s comforting and cozy and nigh universal. It’s a frustration to parents, spouses, and discerning diners everywhere that their best, creamiest macaronis are met with furrowed brows and disappointment.

The Original

Here’s a “homemade” macaroni and cheese that’s a perfect starter recipe for weaning your reluctant eater off of his or her blue box blues!

Boxed macaroni gets its taste from powdered cheese, so to mimic the particular tang of it, you’ll have to use a lower-quality cheese than you may be accustomed to. However, the method used for this cheese sauce is similar to making any kind of homemade macaroni, so you can start adding more of the cheeses you like as you go!

The Copycat

Copycat Blue Box Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients

1/2 box elbow macaroni
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup milk, (and more as needed)
1/2 cup velveeta cheese (or Kraft singles)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
salt, to taste
food coloring, (optional)

Directions

Cook your elbow macaroni as you normally would. (Note: To mimic the soft texture of boxed macaroni, overcook the pasta for a minute past al dente)
Melt butter in a sauce pan over low heat. Gradually and slowly add in the flour, whisking constantly. After a few minutes, a thick, smooth mixture about the texture of frosting should form (this is called a roux).
Drizzle in your milk and continue whisking as you pour. Once the sauce comes together and is fully smooth, remove it from the heat. (Note: The longer the sauce cooks over the heat, the thicker it gets. You want a thinner sauce to properly mimic boxed macaroni, so you might need to add more milk now or later).
While the pot is still hot, add in your cheeses and stir until it's all melted together. It should take about 3-4 minutes. If the cheeses aren't melting well, put the pot back over low heat and mix. If your sauce is too thick, whisk in more milk. At this point, if you want a macaroni that tastes and looks like boxed macaroni, add in 4 or 5 drops of yellow food coloring. (You might need a drop of red too). If you don't want food coloring, don't add it.
Add a touch of salt to your sauce, to taste. (I encourage you to taste the sauce and tweak the levels of cheese as you need to!)
Pour the sauce over your prepared pasta and mix!

Easy Mexican Dishes to Cook for a Crowd

Food is about nourishment, but it’s also entwined in community and culture! Friends and family come together for food, sharing stories and laughter between mouthfuls. Make your entertaining easy, quick, and delicious with these awesome Mexican dishes! Quick, customizable meals like tacos and quesadillas are great for satisfying a variety of diets, and they all go well with a selection of toppings you can just spread out for guests to choose from, like guacamole, sour cream, and salsa! Eat well this week with some of these fabulous, fuss-free dishes.

Chicken Fajitas from Homesick Texan

Chipotle Shredded Pork Enchiladas from White on Rice Couple

Cheese-Stuffed Poblanos with Tomato Sauce from Epicurious (Photo by Romulo Yanes)

Tortilla Crusted Tilapia Tacos with Sea Cuisine from The Naptime Chef

Oaxacan-Style Grilled Corn on the Cob from My Recipes (Photo by John Autry)

Crab and Avocado Quesadilla from Serious Eats (Photo by Yasmin Fahr)

Enchiladas Suizas Recipe With Chicken from Food Republic

Carne Asada Soft Tacos with Guacamole and Corn from Picky Palate

Easy Homemade Tamales from Food 52 (Photo by fralchement)

Roasted Corn and Cojita Quesadillas from Food52 (Photo by MyFareFoodie)

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Shake It Up with Refreshing Summer Margaritas

Stock up on fresh limes, salt, and tequila, because people will be lining up to get their hands on these refreshing margaritas! Whether you stick to the classics – a citrus margarita shaken with ice – or prefer to mix things up your own way, there’s a thirst-quenching recipe here that every adult will love.

Blood Orange Margaritas from Smitten Kitchen

Kumquat Margarita from Serious Eats

Thai Basil Watermelon Margaritas from Food52 (Photo by Bob Vivant)

Mango Margaritas from The Pioneer Woman

Fresh Strawberry Margaritas from How Sweet It Is

Meyer Lemon Margaritas from White on Rice Couple

Peach Margaritas from Camille Styles

Coconut Margaritas from Martha Stewart

Pineapple Serrano Margarita from Baker’s Royale

Red Chile Guava Margaritas from Chow (Photo by Brian McGrory)

Watermelon Margaritas from The Naptime Chef

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A New Look for the Yummly Blog

Exciting news, everyone! The Yummly Blog is sparkling new and looks good enough to eat! Everything from our food blog, the Yummly Dish, to our spiffy About and Career pages is sporting stylish new duds. Take a quick tour of the site with us!

The Yummly Dish
Our food blog, re-incarnated as “The Yummly Dish,” is the go-to source for food inspiration, awesome DIY projects, and fun food facts! In the top header, you can scroll through big, beautiful photos of some of our favorite food posts and discover other ways to connect with us. Shall we be friends? Yes? Excellent!

In the second half of the fold, you can find all of our most recent posts. Just click the “load more” button and older posts will appear automatically! Wizardry, I say. Delicious wizardry.

Further down the page, you’ll find a gallery of our awesome, super talented Guest Bloggers! It’s just another way that Yummly is helping you find great recipes from the best food bloggers on the web. If you’re a food enthusiast with beloved recipes to share, why don’t you write for Yummly too?

Yummly Labs
The Yummly Dish isn’t all that’s new on the menu. If you’re a food geek (like us!) interested in the science behind the food we eat, food trends, and other fascinating food-related data, head on over to the Yummly Labs Food and Data Blog! You’ll get a sneak peek at the super neat data analytics that goes on behind the scenes at Yummly and more.

About Yummly
If you want to learn more about the company that helps feed your company (while keeping you company? too much?), check out our “about” page and discover how mustard helped create a new way of finding great food

Join Our Table! We’re saving a seat for you.
Lastly, if you want to find out more about our awesome team (or snag a seat at our table for yourself), our career page is just the place you want to be. If you want to discuss lunch over lunch, come on by.

What do you think of our new design? Let us know in the comments below!