Survey Results from Box mix vs. Scratch

Here are better images of my graphs on the last post:

Box Mix Versus from Scratch the Battle Rages On!

Have you ever needed to make a cake on short notice? Here’s your scenario, your cousin’s sister’s second stepbrother’s great aunt is coming over for a visit. And you know she really loves homemade cake. She’s coming in one hour and you don’t have half the ingredients to make one. However, you do have a box of marble cake mix. Which leads you to question, whether using the mix is cheating or not? Is there some stigma against using box mix? From my own experience most bakers hate the thought of using it for one reason or another. Some argue about the preservatives, while others feel that it’s not made from the heart. Like some sort of equation for baking:

From scratch ingredients + a lot effort = Cake made with Love
Box mix + a little effort= Cake made with deception and lies

Let’s be honest we’ve all done it from one time or another. So, why take shame on passing that box mix off as your own. You simply got the recipe from your good friend Betty Crocker for a $1.99, or maybe a $1.50 if you met her at Wal-Mart. The matter is you’re not the only one that uses box mix. “According to The New York Times, Betty Crocker, a General Mills brand, leads the $382 million market for cake, cupcake and pie mixes, with a 38.1 percent share” [2]. Even though these are boxed mixes, they started out as recipes from scratch at one point. Harry Baker, for example, invented the Orange Chiffon Cake, in the 1920s. He was just a California insurance salesman turned Hollywood caterer, who later sold his recipe to General Mills, according to the Oxford Companion [1].
We must accept that cake mix is a part of our culture, whether we like it or not. For example, Betty Crocker has been around since 1921 and was known for giving baking advice to General Mills consumers [5]. This is interesting since she is not a real spokesperson, but a character created by executives of General Mills to add a more personal touch to their brand. The last name “Crocker” came from a retired executive named William Crocker and the first name “Betty” was chosen because it sounded endearing. You can see how much her image changes on each ad:

It wasn’t until around 1945 right after World War II that the very first Betty Crocker cake mixes came out. They’re flavors were Devil’s food and Party. We can really see a huge surge in cake mix around the 50’s:



“In the 60’s, newly liberated women were admitting "I hate to cook," so along came even easier mixes. But not too easy. When consumer tests showed that women felt guilty adding only water to make a cake, those crafty Crocker technicians reformulated the recipe so housewives would have to add eggs” [3]. Today cake mix is used in almost every American household across the nation. To read up on more box mix history go to: Learning to Love Cake Mix or History in a Box by Lenore Skenazy

There are two main benefits from baking from scratch, time and cost. When you are in a pinch for time box mix will help you out. Mainly since everything is already premeasured out, all you have to do is follow the directions. As for cost, lower-income cooks use box mixes because they can be less expensive than buying the ingredients for cakes made from scratch. The US economy has taken a rough toll on many households. Leading to many bakers having to cut corners in recipes. “Homemakers with children aged 6 to 11 are 47 percent more likely than average to be heavy purchasers of baking mixes. They are 81 percent more likely when their children are aged 12 to 17. Cake mixes are more popular than mixes for brownies and cookies. Six in ten homemakers purchase cake mixes occasionally, according to Mediamark Research Inc” [4]. I’ve also conducted my own research on boxed mix to find out what are peoples general opinions on using it. I collected about 20 surveys online and here are the results:(For better images of my graphs click on the label at the bottom of this post "Survey Results")



I can vouch for these results since I am guilty of using box mix now and again. I usually like to bake from scratch, but I couldn’t help myself when I saw Ina Garten’s Coconut Madeleine mix.I bought it at Sur la Table for $7 and gave it a try. And if you are are wondering where I got the pan go to Bed Bath & Beyond they were on sale for $14.99:

Madaleine's from a Box

I was shocked because it tasted like something made from scratch! It even had bits of coconut in it! Bits of Coconut! However, even thought this was from mix there was a lot of effort that went into these cakes. The trick is to alternate mixing the melted butter and cake mix, plus beating the eggs. It was like baking from scratch, but simpler. Instead of coating them with powdered sugar, I melted a half a bag of Nestle chip with 2 teaspoons of shortening. And simply coated them with melted chocolate, which went really well with the coconut flavor. My friends and family enjoyed them a lot, they even thought the madeleines were made from scratch. As a whole, regardless if the cake is made from scratch or from mix, it’s the thought that matters. The mere fact that you are giving friends and family a treat they will love makes no difference from where it comes from. It’s all made from the heart!

If you want to see a side by side comparison of box mix versus scratch go to: The Kitchn.com

Foot notes:

1. Abraham, Lisa. "Made from scratch: heaven in a cake pan." Akron Beacon Journal (OH) 29 Sept. 2008: Newspaper Source. Web. 29 Nov. 2011
2. Newman, Andrew. “Cake Mixes, Taken Seriously”. The New York Times 11 May 2011: Lexis Nexis. Web. 29 Nov. 2011.
3. Skenazy, Lenore. "Learning To Love Cake Mix - Or History In A Box - New York Daily News." Featured Articles From The New York Daily News. Web. 01 Dec. 2011.
4. Waldrop, Judith. "Scratch And Mix." American Demographics 14.10 (1992): 4. Academic Search Complete. Web. 29 Nov. 2011.
5. "Who Was Betty Crocker?" Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media. Web. 07 Dec. 2011.

Too much Pumpkin? Let's make some Ginger Pumpkin Bread

So, Thanksgiving is over and you realize that you bought too many cans of pumpkin puree. You know… because you though there was a shortage again this year and stock piled your pantry with so many cans you don’t know what to do with them. Well.....at least I know I did, that doesn’t make me crazy just overly prepared, yeah overly prepared. Anyway, it’s November how can you not have some form of pumpkin. Whether it's pie, cake, or even bread. It’s like an obligation to this season! So, if you did go over the deep end this season with buying canned pumpkin, but you don’t want to be subjected to another pumpkin pie, this is the treat for you.

I found this recipe in an old issue of Everyday Food, a monthly food magazine published by Martha Stewart but, you can also find this recipe on Martha’s website. And I love this recipe! I cannot stress that enough; it smells so good in the oven. It has a nice balance of sweetness and spice. Plus, I don’t even like ginger, but really like this. This bread is the perfect comfort food after a long cold day.

So, if you want to spread the bliss with your friends you can buy mini loaf pans like I did. I got these pans from Michael’s craft store. They come in all types of neat colors and patterns for any occasion. They’re only a $1 a piece, but you got to be quick because they sell really quickly. If Michael's has already sold out of them you can instead buy a four pack of paper loaf molds for $6 , these are nice because they do not need to be greased and come with their own wrapping.

Ingredients

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, plus room-temperature butter for pan
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for pan
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree (1 3/4 cups)
3 large eggs
Sugar Glaze, (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter and flour two 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch (6-cup) loaf pans (or 5 mini loaf pans); set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, ginger, and salt.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together sugars, pumpkin, melted butter, and eggs; add flour mixture, and stir until just combined.

3. Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of loaves comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes; invert pans and transfer loaves to a wire rack to cool completely. Glaze, if desired.

Sugar Glaze: Whisk 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar and 2 to 3 tablespoons of water. Drizzle over bread.

For the recipe online: Ginger Pumpkin Bread

For the mini loaf pans: Mini loaf pans

The Mystery of the Missing Butterscotch Toffee Square Recipe

To bring in the Fall season I baked one of my favorites Butterscotch Toffee Squares. Now I found this recipe 5 years ago in a magazine called Relish. However, this magazine is not printed anymore and the recipe is not on their website either. Relish use to come in the Pittsburgh Tribe Review's newspaper on the first Thurs. of every month. I wish they would go back to printing their magazines, since they offered a ton of recipes in each issue. And wasn't just baking, Relish carried a lot of different meal ideas for dinner parties and entertaining. Luckily, I kept my old issue to share with everyone, so this delicious blondie is not lost. The recipe calls for Heath bars, but I use Nestle Butterscotch chips for a smoother texture. They are crumbly on the outside, but soft and chewy in the middle. This is a really simple recipe to make in a short amount of time. You could really throw any type of toffee or chips you want and make it your own. These blondies go really well with a cup of warm apple cider.

Butterscotch Toffee Squares (Yields 16 bars)

Recipe by Jean Kressy

Ingredients:

1 Cup of all-purpose flour

1/2 Teaspoon baking powder

1/3 Cup butter, melted and cooled slightly

1 Cup packed light brown sugar

1 Egg

1 Teaspoon vanilla extract

1 Cup of crushed Heath bars (or Butterscotch chips)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8-inch square pan with foil letting the edges extend over 2 sides. Then Coat foil with spray.

2. Stift flour and baking powder in seperate bowl. Beat butter, sugar, egg and vanilla with mixer until blended. Turn to low speed, add flour mixture and beat just until combined. Beat in candy bar bits or chips into batter. Then spread evenly in pan.

3. Bake 22 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Remove from pan with foil and cut into 16 bars.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween everyone! This is my last Halloween cookie recipe for the month of October, before we jump into November. And they are Ghostly Chocolate Cats and Bat cookies:

Look at the kitty! It's so cute I could just eat it up!

Even this little bat brings a smile to my face! It sort of looks like a batarang from the old 1960's Batman cartoon. I wonder if I could throw it at someone....

This cookie was a perfect addition for my Halloween grab bags. They're like sugar cookies, but made with unsweetened cocoa powder. I got this recipe from Martha Stewart's website, the instructions were easy to follow and it yields a lot. At first I was worries about the texture of the dough, but after I let it firm up in the refrigerator it was easier to work with. You can dot the eyes with whatever you like. I melted some white chocolate chip and dotted them on. The recipe say you can stick pieces of candy in them before they cool down. These cookies are really good with a glass of milk or a steamy cup of coffee. They're chocolately, crunchy, and crisp! My friends really loved them and I think you will too. Here is the recipe:

Ghostly Bat and Cat Cookies

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for rolling and cutting out dough
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
Small candies or sprinkles, for decorating (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, and salt; set aside.

2. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy; beat in egg. On low speed, mix in flour mixture. Divide dough in half, and form into 2 disks, each about 3/4 inch thick. Wrap disks in plastic; chill until firm, at least 45 minutes and up to 2 days.

3. On a lightly floured sheet of waxed paper, using a floured rolling pin, roll dough 1/4 inch thick. (If dough becomes too soft to work with, refrigerate for a few minutes.)

4. Using 2- to 3-inch Halloween cookie cutters, cut out shapes, dipping cutters in flour as necessary to prevent sticking; place on a baking sheet, spacing them 1 inch apart.

5. Bake until surface is dry to the touch, 10 to 15 minutes (if decorating, press candies into dough halfway through baking). Cool cookies 1 to 2 minutes on baking sheet; transfer to a rack to cool completely. Serve, or store in an airtight container up to 3 days.

If you would like to see the recipe on Martha Stewart's site click the link below:
http://www.marthastewart.com/315407/ghostly-bat-and-cat-cookies

Día de Muertos & Sugar Skulls

Did you know in Mexico they honor the dead by offering them treats? Every November 1st and 2nd natives of Mexico will set up an altar in their home dedicated to a loved one that passed away. These altars are usually covered in candles, pictures, flowers, and sweet treats. This tradition has been around for 3,000 years celebrating life and death. The holiday Día de muertos or Day of the Dead originated from Aztec culture and has been passed down from many generations. The celebration itself is bright, colorful and loaded with skulls.

The skulls carry a very strong representation of death and rebirth. Originally,the Aztecs and other Meso-American civilizations kept skulls as trophies and displayed them during the ritual. Today the Day of the Dead is celebrated in different parts of the US, Mexico and Central America. One of the most popular treats that can be found on an altar is the Sugar Skull. Its sugar that has been molded into a skull and decorated with brightly colored frosting and even glitter. On the forehead of the skull is the name of a dead relative and the skull is usually eaten by a close friend or one of their family members. Now I have always been interested in making them, however you have to find the right mold to do it. But, if you are interested in trying to make your own sugar skulls visit: http://www.mexicansugarskull.com/sugar_skulls/instructions.html

And if you would like to find out more about Dia de Muertos visit: http://www.azcentral.com/ent/dead/articles/dead-history.html

Peanut Butter Drizzled Pumpkins

So for my next Halloween recipe I decide to make peanut butter drizzle cookies. These are completely different from your average peanut cookie. First off they are cut outs instead of scoop and drop cookies. Which means, you can shape them into anything you want with some cookie cutters. Since I am doing Halloween themed baking I decided to go with the pumpkin cookie cutter. And Yes! I know, if I make cookies in the shapes of pumpkins shouldn't they be pumpkin spice flavored? Well, who made that rule! I like variety now and then, and peanut butter, lots of peanut butter.
Anyway, the second interesting thing about these cookies is the base of the dough. The base is made of Hershey's melted Reese's peanut butter chips. You don't even need a jar of peanut butter! Just melt the chips in a sauce pot with butter, stir until smooth and there is your peanut butter mixture. Fair warning, this recipe will leave your kitchen smelling sweet and peanuty. The most important part of this recipe was the baking time. If you leave these in the oven for to long they have the texture of biscotti, but if you take them out too soon they'll fall apart. So, be careful with your baking time.

Now, I thought that these would not taste as good as other peanut butter cookies I have made; since it doesn't use real peanut butter. But, to my surprise I was really wrong, they were good. I mean really good. And the drizzle made them even ten times better. That was the one cookie my friends seemed to enjoy the most next to the Witch fingers I featured in last week's post. So, if you would like to give your special little monsters this sweet treat the recipe is below:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
1 cup REESE'S Peanut Butter Chips
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
CHOCOLATE CHIP GLAZE or PEANUT BUTTER CHIP GLAZE (recipes follow)

Directions

1. Place butter and peanut butter chips in saucepan; cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until melted. Pour into large bowl; add brown sugar, egg and vanilla. Beat well. Stir in flour, baking soda and pecans; blend well. Refrigerate 15 to 20 minutes or until firm enough to roll.

2. Heat oven to 350°F. Roll out dough, a small portion at a time, on lightly floured board or between 2 pieces of wax paper, to 1/4-inch thickness. I used the wax paper to avoid a big mess with flour. Keep any extra dough in refrigerator. With cookie cutters, cut into desired shapes; place on ungreased cookie sheet.

3. Bake 7 to 8 minutes or until almost set (do not overbake). Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.

4. Drizzle CHOCOLATE CHIP GLAZE or PEANUT BUTTER CHIP GLAZE onto each cookie; garnish as desired. About 3 dozen cookies.

CHOCOLATE CHIP GLAZE: Place 1 cup HERSHEY'S SPECIAL DARK Chocolate Chips or HERSHEY'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips and 1 tablespoon shortening (do not use butter, margarine, spread or oil) in small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at MEDIUM (50%) 1 minute; stir. If necessary, microwave at MEDIUM an additional 15 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, just until chips are melted and mixture is smooth.

PEANUT BUTTER CHIP GLAZE: Place 2/3 cup REESE'S Peanut Butter Chips and 1 tablespoon shortening (do not use butter, margarine, spread or oil) in small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at MEDIUM (50%) 30 seconds; stir. Microwave at MEDIUM an additional 10 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, just until chips are melted and mixture is smooth. Makes about 1/3 cup glaze.

You can find this recipe online at: http://www.hersheys.com/recipes/5087/Peanut-Butter-Cut-Out-Cookies.aspx

Head Start on Halloween!

I know Halloween is not here yet but, I just couldn't help myself when I came across this witch finger cookie sheet. What could be more delicious than biting into a ghoulish witch's index finger? The pan is Wilton brand and offers two different recipes on the back for nail bitingly good witch finger cookies.

The recipe is actually really simple, but it yields a lot. It's supposed to make only 3 dozen, however I managed to get 40 total which is perfect for handing out to friends in grab bags. But, timing is everything, make sure you make this early in the day or you might be making fingers all night long.

If you really want them to stand out put some food coloring in the dough to change it to that classic wicked witch color. And don't be afraid to really work the dough with your hands, it really helps incorporate all of the ingredients. Also try sticking sliced almonds on the ends of the fingers to make nails. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:
2 sticks of butter, soften
1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon of almond extract
2 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly spray pan cavities with vegetable spray.

2. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until well blended. Add egg and both extracts; mix well. Combine flour and salt to butter mixture. Beat until well blended. (optional- add food coloring to dough and knead until combined).

3. Press dough into cavities, filling 2/3 full. Bake for 9-10 minute or until light brown around edges. Cool in pan for 5 minutes. Turn pan over and lightly tap out. Transfer to cooling rack.

4. Decorate! I used some candy melts as glue and pasted almond slices onto each finger tip.

Take a look at how I made these at the link below:

Witch Finger Cookies

Martha Stewart's Cookies!

If there was one book I would suggest to any cookie fanatic, it would be “Martha Stewart’s Cookies: The Very Best Treats to Bake and to Share”. This book offers 175 cookie recipes from sandwich cookies to basic sugar cookies. This is my ultimate "go to" cookie book. What I really like about this book is the table of contents. The cookies are shown with the page number and are categorized by flavor and texture. Also there are plenty of pictures that show each cookie. In the back of the book there are technique pages that offer step-by-step pictures of how to decorate or roll out the cookies. I am a very visual person, so it helps to know what the outcome of the recipe should look like. I also appreciate how each recipe tells you how to store your cookies and how long before they go stale. Nothings is more disappointing than eating stale cookies.

The only thing I do not care about is how the directions are presented. Once in a while I will find a recipe that forgets to tell you to save a certain amount of an ingredient. I found that that out when I made my peanut butter cookies. It called for 1 and 1/3 cup of sugar, so I dumped it in the bowl. Mixed it together and put it in the oven for 10 minutes. But at the end, the directions said to sprinkle the remaining 1/3 of sugar over the cookies. So, as you can imagine my cookies were super sweet. Other than that, this book is still pretty good. Just make sure you read through the whole recipe.

This book comes in handy for last minute entertaining and offers a wide variety to choose from. The recipes are simple to follow and the cookies are so good!

You can get Martha's cookie book on Amazon.com at the link below: Martha's Cookie Book

Cupcakeology

Did you know that the cupcakes were originally called "number" cakes? It wasn't until the 19th century when cupcakes really became popular in the United States. Food historians are not sure exactly how the name "cupcake" had originated. One of the theories is the way they were made, they were either baked in an actual cup or the ingredients were measured out in cups. Cupcakes were created as an alternative to making one large cake and are also a time saver in the kitchen. It's no surprise that cupcakes are still popular today. Now with even more unique and tasty flavors!

One of my favorites is the Caramel Mud Cake! I found the recipe in Pamela Clark's book called "Cupcakes". When I saw that this recipe called for white chocolate and honey I knew I had to make them. So, I made these for my friend and her roommates when she returned back to the dorms last year. And they absolutely loved them!


Ingredients:

Caramel Mud Cakes

1 stick of butter, chopped coarsely
3 1/2 ounces white chocolate, chopped coarsely
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
2/3 cup milk
1 cup of all-purpose flour
1/2 cup self-rising flour
1 egg

Butter Cream Frosting

6 tablespoons of butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons of milk
Food coloring of your choice

Directions:

Batter

1. Preheat oven to 325 F. Line 6-hole over sized (Texas) or 12-hole standard muffin pan with paper baking cups. You can also use a mini cupcake pan like I did to yield more. I got about 24 mini cupcakes out of my batch.

2. Combine butter, chocolate, sugar, honey and milk in a small pot; stir over low heat, until smooth. DO NOT TURN UP THE HEAT! I cannot stress that enough, you will end up with a burnt gloopy mess. Once the chocolate mixture is smooth transfer into a medium bowl; let it cool for 15 minutes.

3. Whisk sifted flours into chocolate mixture, then egg. Divide among baking cups.

4. Bake large large cakes about 40 minutes, small cakes about 30 minutes. Turn cakes onto wire rack to cool. Frost after finished cooling.

Frosting

Beat butter and vanilla extract in a small bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in sifted powered sugar and milk, in two batches. Beat in a little of desired coloring. If you want two toned frosting, divide frosting into two bowls add different color food coloring to each and place into a pastry bag and squirt. Or, if you don't have a pastry bag use a sandwich bag, put the frosting in and cut the tip of the bag.

For more Cupcake history visit : http://iml.jou.ufl.edu/projects/Spring07/Ayers/history.html

And for more delicious cupcake recipes look for "Cupcakes" by Pamela Clark.

Mobile Journalism and Social Media

I think it is interesting how most journalist do not have to do as much leg work to get a story. That skype and other pieces of social media have replaced the face-to-face interviews. This means that stories are developed and shared online at a much faster rate. The only issue I have with mobile journalism is authenticity. Whether the stories actually true or made up of several rumors online. So, journalist are still responsible for fact finding to produce a reliable story.

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Washington and Greene Counties: Annual Covered Bridge Festival

I really wanted to bring in the fall season. So, what better way to welcome it in, than with the Annual Covered Bridge Festival. This is the place I usually buy some of my ingredients for my fall recipes, come October and November. And I also sample some of the homemade treats made by local bakers, and boy are they good...how can you say "no" to a whoopie pie? ...you can't!

The Annual Covered Bridge Festival happens only once a year on the third weekend of Sept. in Washington and Greene counties. This year marked 41 years of celebrations. There are a cluster of ten covered bridges in that area that celebrate this festival at the same time.Vendors, craftsman, artisans and bakers come to the festival to sell their goods to visitors. These are people dedicated to creating the best for their consumers in quality. Every year I go to the Henry and Ebenezer covered bridges and there are two vendors that I always have to see:


The first vendor I pay a visit to is Nancy's Homemade Goodies. Her tables are literally covered with the sweetest treats you'll ever see.






From peach and apple pies to cookies of all shapes and sizes. Don't even get me started about her apple pie!

Nancy offers a wide variety of homemade baked goods that no one can resist. I had to wait in line before I could even get close to the chocolate gobs. Nancy always bakes the night before and early in the morning, before the festival even starts, so everything is fresh. Its no wonder why there is a crowd around her booth every year. If you would like to try some of Nancy's Homemade Goodies you can email her at : bballmom107@hotmail.com


The second vendor that I cannot leave without seeing is Bee Keeper. Bee Keeper is owned by Perry D. Arlia, a local bee keeper who makes really good honey. And when I say really good, I mean really good! I like to call it liquid gold and I share it with no one.

All of these years I was using run of the mill supermarket honey, until I came across Bee Keeper honey. I never knew what good honey tasted like until I had Mr. Arlia's yellow clover and wildflower honey.

The secret to his honey is that its not imported from three different countries and poured into one bottle. He's bees are native to Washington, Pa which means his honey is fresh and local. I had to wait a while before I could get some more jars of that deliciousness. People flocked over to his booth but, it was well worth the wait.
If you would like to try Bee Keeper honey you can email Mr. Arlia at : p.arlia@att.net

As a whole this year's festival was great! Good art, great food and really amazing people. I can't wait until next year's festival. If you would like to visit next year's festivities, click on the link below for more information: http://visitwashingtoncountypa.com/coveredbridge.php

Journalists and Social Media: How Facebook is Making News

"How Journalist Are to Share News" by Lauren Drell focuses on how journalists are using social media sites to post their opinions and go more in depth on stories. This article talks about what to keep in mind while posting. Like how posts affect engagement, content should be diverse, coverage trends and when to post stories. According to Vadim Lavursik, journalist program manager, and Betsy Cameron, a data analyst, compiled the data to "provide journalists with some best practices and insights on optimizing their engagement and distribution on Facebook to better reach their audiences." This statement is very true since journalist can really connect to their audience through social media.

I like how this article gives percentages on viewer engagement depending on what is posted and when it is posted. It gives you an idea how to better promote stories on your blog. What you post affects engagement such as a question asked. When a journalist posts a questions they are looking for viewer feedback. If a journalist gives a piece of their mind, they are more likely to receive 20% more online engagement from viewers. Asking fans to read up on a topic or inviting them in behind the scenes of what you are reporting stimulates interaction. And being clever by using puns and catchy phrases attracts 18% of viewer engagement.

The only fact that I found to be common knowledge would be the percentages on viewers looking at pictures posted. Of course viewers will be more likely to view a blog if it has pictures. Any visual media will promote engagement, if every post was text only that would be pretty boring. As a whole this article is interesting to read. It gives good tips on how journalist use social media to get their point across. To read this article go to the link below:
http://www.mashable.com/2011/07/18/facebook-marketing-journalists/

The next article I read was "Vadim Lavursik: How Journalist can make use of Facebook Pages". This article focuses on how private journalists are using Facebook to their advantage. It basically states things that everyone already knows about Facebook. Such as, the news feeds, social storytelling, personal vs. professional, and showcasing multimedia. Most people know that new feeds are like having your own newspaper; you can post basically whatever you want. Whether it is a article you read on CNN or what you ate for dinner last night. The idea of social media is to post out information that you would like the public to know.

However, one topic that I did find interesting was building your journalistic brand. How people have shift from the institutional news brand to journalists' personal brands. Prior to the web, the journalist's personal brand was mostly limited to columnist and the TV anchors who enjoy lots of face time. By having a personal brand it makes the readers understanding how credible the reporters are. Basically taking the brand logo away from the journalist and replacing it with an actual face. Both reporters and online readers can openly communicate and talk about the stories they reported. Besides this section on personal branding, this article focuses on too many things that people are well aware of on Facebook. To read this article go to the link below:
http://www.niemanlab.org/2011/05/vadim-lavrusik-how-journalists-can-make-use-of-facebook-pages/

The last article I read on facebook as a news source was " Facebook Journalism 101" which pretty much broke every aspect down to using Facebook as a media source. To the point of giving way too much information. This is like reading a manual about how to use Facebook, most people can learn how to use the site just by using it. Don't get me wrong, this article states the percentages on audience engagement and explains personal branding too. But, it explains too much, also their percentages are a little different from the first article . For example:

• Post that asked questions or user input: +64%



• Call to read or take a closer look: +37%



• Personal reflections or behind the scenes post: +25%

This article is perfect for someone just beginning to use Facebook and has never had any experience with it. It also combines a lot of the information from the first two articles. It is sort of like reading a text book on social media, packed with vocabulary, terms and statistics. I would most likely give this site to a much older person just learning the basics to Facebook. If you would like to visit this site, go to the link below:
http://www.scribd.com/fullscreen/61073681%20(up%20to%20the%20end%20of%20section%20V)

Pie puts the Smackdown on Cupcakes!

According to the LA Times , 2011 is the year of the pie. The trend of baking cupcakes has died and the pies have taken over. Foodies have reported seeing pies popping up on menus in metropolitan cities. Even being offered during happy hour, bars are now creating pie shooters that are served in shot glasses. And who says you can't have pie at your wedding. Pies are slowly but, surely beginning to replace traditional layered cakes. Offering a fruit filled alternative to the classic wedding cake. The US has become pie crazy since the beginning of January, bakeries are now providing a large variety of speciality pies. On average, Americans ordered about 277 million servings of pie from restaurants across the nation. This was a increase of 12 million slices compared to statistics done on 2009's pie eaters.

With this being said, sales in cupcakes have decreased to 18% . While Pasadena's Pie n' Burger sales boosted to 15%, around Thanksgiving a total of 900 pies were sold. At Big Sugar Bakeshop in Studio City, pie sales soared to 18% for their lime-tequila pie shooters. They were a hit for New Year's Eve parties.
I've never drunk a pie before and it sounds really gross. I must admit that pie is versatile; it can be a snack, a dessert, or breakfast food. The big thing now is making miniature pies, since they are easy to carry and quick on the go. Another trend is putting them on a stick, lolli-pies are also trying to make a stand in a pastry world; possibly beating out the currently popular cake pop.

From my own opinion this is no surprise, pies are delicious! You are hard pressed to find someone living in America who has never had a pie. Most people can relate pie back to their childhood, whether its a McDonald's turnover or a homemade blueberry pie from your mother. It's a comfort food that will never die out and it is finally getting the recognition it deserves. However, I am not willing to let the cupcake trend go. I mean what person doesn't like cupcakes?
http://articles.latimes.com/2011/jan/15/business/la-fi-pie-20110115

Anna & Kristina's Grocery Bag promo reel

I absolutely love "Anna & Kristina's Grocery Bag"! On their show they put cookbooks to the test to prove whether or not an average cook can master sophisticated cuisine from a cookbook. It's really fun to watch these two struggle with recipes or change some of the steps in the books altogether. I think that a lot of beginners who are learning the tricks of the trade can easily relate. You can find this show on the OWN channel and visit their site on: http://www.annaandkristina.com/

Gina's Banana Cupcakes

I went in the kitchen and came across some really ripe bananas. I didn't want to throw them out. So, I did the next best thing. I made banana cupcakes, but not just any banana cupcakes. I made Gina Neelys Banana Cupcakes, moist, delicious and easy to make. For some of you who do not the Neelys, they are one of Food Network's latest additions to their channel. The Neelys show specializes in southern cuisine along with homemade comfort food. This is one of the best banana cakes I have ever had and my family love it too. With that being said, here is the recipe:

Serves:12 Cupcakes
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min

Ingredients
Batter:
1 cup all- purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick of butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 large ripe bananas, peeled, and mashed
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Molasses Frosting:
2 tablespoons whole milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons of butter, softened
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons molasses
2 to 3 cups powdered sugar

Directions
Batter:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 1 (12-cup) muffin pan with cupcake liners.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, add the butter and the sugar. Beat with a hand-held mixer until combined. Add the sour cream and the vanilla extract. Slowy beat in the eggs, 1 at a time. Incorporate the dry mixture and wet mixtures together until throughly combined. Add the bananas and walnuts, being careful not to over mix. Using an ice cream scoop, fill each cupcake liner 3/4 way full. Bake in the preheated oven until the tops turn golden-brown and when a toothpick, inserted in the middle of the cupcake , comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Remove cupcakes from the oven to a wire rack and let cool before frosting.

Frosting:

In a large bowl, add the butter and cream cheese. Beat together until incorporated. Add the molasses and mix well. Stir in the vanilla extract, milk and powdered sugar.

Heavily frost the cupcakes and garnish with walnuts if desired.

And if you want a whole cake instead of cupcakes, simply grease and flour a 6 inch tube pan, place batter in pan and bake for 30 minutes. Once out of the oven let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then flip cake onto wire rack to continue to cool. When the cake is cooled, mix together 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar and 3 tablespoons of water to create a simple glaze. Drizzle glaze over cake. And there you have it!


(Disclaimer: This recipe was taken from FoodNetwork.com)
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/patrick-and-gina-neely/ginas-banana-cupcakes-recipe/index.html

Basic things you should know

One of the most important things any baker should know is how to convert different measurments. So, here is a measurement chart that I use when I am in the kitchen:

Cup---------Fluid oz --------TBSP--------- TSP------------- Milliliter

1C -----------8oz ----------- 16 Tbsp -------48 tsp -----------237 ml

3/4 C -------6 oz -----------12 Tbsp -------36 tsp ------------177 ml

2/3C --------5 oz -----------11 Tbsp -------32 tsp ------------158 ml

1/2C --------4 oz -----------8 Tbsp -------24 tsp ------------118 ml

1/3C --------3 oz ----------- 5 Tbsp --------16 tsp -------------79 ml

1/4C ------- 2 oz ------------4 Tbsp --------12 tsp --------------9 ml

1/8C --------1 oz ------------2 Tbsp ---------6 tsp -------------30 ml

1/16C-------.5 oz-------------1 Tbsp---------3 tsp--------------15 ml


Another important tip you should know is how to substitute ingredients. One of the most aggravating things that can happen while baking, is not having the right ingredients. Ingredient substitution offers a short cut if you don't have the things you need on hand. Below is a link from Diana's Dessert.com with a full substitution chart:
http://www.dianasdesserts.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/bakingtips.ingredientsubstitutions/IngredientSubstitutions.cfm

Welcome to Temptingly Toothsome

Ever see a picture of a cake in a magazine and think "Oh man, that looks really good, I want that", and then you see the recipe and get totally lost? Well, Temptingly Toothsome is here to help. This blog is dedicated to the amateur bakers out there who are not professionals but, adventurous in the kitchen. For beginning bakers who are not afraid of admitting that they could not get the cake out the cake pan. Temptingly Toothsome offers new recipes that are easy, delicious and will be a guaranteed hit with friends and family.