Baked Mozzarella Cheese Sticks

Hope you had a wonderful Christmas celebration with your family.  Did Santa treated you well this year?  I certainly hope so.  My Brother hosted our family Christmas gathering at his place for the first time.  It was warm and wonderful.  We had a pot luck style party so we all brought a dish or two to share.  I’m really thankful to spend time with my family, to eat, talk, laugh, share, drink, and then eat some more.

As I promised last week, I’m sharing an appetizer recipe with you in case you’re hosting a party to ring in the New Year.  Let me present to you, Baked Mozzarella Cheese Sticks!  These are not just special occasion party food!  My kids love them so much that they asked me to make them every once in a while.  Best of all, they are super easy to prepare.  You can also prepare these ahead of time and keep them in the freezer right before your guests arrive.  They only take 10 minutes to bake and will turn out perfect every single time.  Have you checked out my video tutorial above?  You can even have a little competition to see whose melted cheese stretches the longest!

I hope you enjoy today’s video tutorial and recipe.  If you haven’t done so, please subscribe to my YouTube channel here.  You’ll be the first to know when I have new video tutorials published.  Last but not least, I want to wish you and your family a healthy and prosperous 2016 that is also filled with good food and great companies!  Please take care, until next time!  Cheers!

Tools and ingredients used:

Mozzarella String Cheese (Click here for more information)
Panko Bread Crumbs (Click here for more information)
Marinara Sauce (Click here for more information)
Organic Cooking Spray (Click here for more information)
Calphalon Nonstick 2-Piece Baking Sheet Set (Click her for more information)
Cooling Rack (Click here for more information)

Classic Bundt Cake--From Scratch

Did you have a chance to check out the Frosted Cranberries recipe and video tutorial from last week?  If not, simply click here to check it out.  Those cranberries make the most festive and gorgeous garnish on top of this Classic Bundy Cake?  Don't you agree?



It’s amazing how a few little edible gems and some fresh mint leaves can turn this simple cake into your best holiday dessert!  It’s gorgeous enough for the celebration, yet simple enough for everyday enjoyment.  Best of all, this cake can feed a village!  And yes, I make this cake quite often.  




This Classic Bundt Cake is wonderful when it’s freshly out of the oven.  You get the slightly crispy edges along with moist and tender interior.  But as I said, it’s a huge cake, and a small family like mine definitely won’t finish it all in a day, no matter how much we love cake!   The great news is, this cake freezes really well.   I usually let it completely cool to room temperature.  Slice the whole cake into desire thickness (usually around 1 1/2-inch).  Then, lay the slices flat into a tightly sealed freezer safe ziploc bag, and into the freezer they go.



 When I’m ready to serve them again, I take the desire number of slices I want.  Then, they go straight onto a non-stick saute pan.  You don’t need to grease the pan nor defrost the cake ahead of time.  Put on low heat and warm up the cake on both sides until the edges turn slightly golden brown and crispy.  You’ll get a nice crispy outer crust and super tender interior!  I say, they’re even better than the day it came fresh out of the oven!  Give this method a try and I’m sure you’ll love it too!



Last but not least, I want to wish you all a Blessed and wonderful Christmas!  It’s a wonderful time for most people, but please also remember that it could be hard for many out there who miss their loved ones.  Life is full of unexpected events.  So, cherish what you have and the people around you.   Give them an extra kiss, a tighter hug, and don’t forget to tell them that you love them!   
I’ll be back next week before the new year and share a fun appetizer/snack with you in case you’re throwing a party to ring-in the New Year!   Stay tuned!







Tools and ingredients used:

Classic 10-inch Bundt Cake Pan (click here for more information)
Mikasa Something Borrowed Desert Plates (Click here for more information)
10-Inch Ribbon Cake Stand (Click her for more information)
Calphalon Nonstick 2-Piece Baking Sheet Set (Click her for more information)
KitchenAid Stand Mixer (Click here for more information)
Cake/Pie Server (Click here for more information)
Small Forks for Dessert (See similar product here)
Kerrygold Pure Unsalted Butter (Click here for more information)
Cooling Rack (Click here for more information)

Frosted Cranberries (Candied Cranberries)

Are you ready for the holidays?  I can’t wait to spend some time with my family and friends.  We all need some time off, I guess.  Today, I wanted to share this easy recipe with you that will make your holiday treats a lot more festive! Say hello to these Frosted Cranberries!  They are gorgeous, festive, edible jewels, in my opinion.  Best of all, they are quite easy to make.  Be sure to check out my YouTube video above for the step-by-step instructions.   

These Frosted Cranberries are made with the fresh ones, not frozen.  If you’ve tried a fresh cranberry without anything else, you know they taste super sour.  That’s why you usually see them dried or turned into sauces.  For the same reason, these frosted edible jewels are perfect with the sugar coating!  The sweet and tart taste balance each other out really well.  I used some vanilla sugar in the soaking syrup (click here to see the vanilla sugar recipe).  Or, you can simply use regular sugar.

So besides eating these candied cranberries as is, you can also use them as a festive holiday garnish for your cakes and treats. 

They turn a regular bundt cake into a festive holiday centerpieces!  The Frosted Cranberries are also great in punches and cocktails!  I’ll post the Classic Bundt Cake (picture above) recipe on my next post.  So please stay tuned!

Thank you for stopping by today. I hope you enjoy the post and the recipe.  Until next time, please take care and stay warm!

Snowflakes Chocolate Peppermint Bark

When I was at the dentist earlier this week, the hygienist asked me if I’m ready for the holidays.  I immediately answered, “oh yes I am, more than ready!”  She was quite surprised and said, “oh, so you’ve finished all your holidays shopping?”  I paused for a few seconds and said I haven’t even started yet!  I guess I’m mentally ready for the holiday and time off to hang out with my family.  But the reality is that majority of people would associate the holidays with gifts and presents!  I can’t blame them though, especially these days the holiday is pretty much commercialized.     



It’s true that I still haven’t done my holiday shopping yet.  Am I procrastinating?  Maybe.   Laziness is also part of it, too.  Knowing that I can purchase pretty much anything online these days is another factor.  Although I might have been influenced by something that I read recently.  I don’t recall the exact wording but it means something like this, “I have the most because I needed the least.”  That really got me into thinking twice over my priorities. 



Will my kids still get gifts from me and Santa this year?  Oh yes they will!  But I guess the gifts will be practical or educational ones, rather than “luxury” gifts.  After all, time spend together as a family is way better than anything that money can buy!  It’s so true that the most precious things in life are usually free, such as love, family, friendship, health, etc.  So, don’t get stressed out this holiday!  Simply enjoy the time you have with your family and loved ones.  But just in case that you are already stressed out, check out this Snowflakes Chocolate Peppermint Bark video at the YouTube link above and I have a tip for you to release some stress!



Back to these Snowflakes Chocolate Peppermint Barks!  My Little Boy loves anything minty!  I created these for him and he loved them so much.  I used an adorable snowflake silicone mold for these peppermint barks (check out the link at the end of this post on where to get it).  It makes these chocolate barks more festive and gorgeous.  Isn’t it?





Please click here to read more on tempering chocolate, detailed in a post that I shared a while ago.  This simple step will not only make your chocolate shines, it will also make your chocolate more stable at room temperature!



Simply put these peppermint barks in little treat bags and tie them up with a pretty ribbon.  These peppermint barks make wonderful homemade treats for your friends and family.  I always cherish homemade gifts and love sharing them as well.




Last but not least, I wish you all a blessed and Merry Christmas in advance.  Stay tuned for more fun and festive treats for the holidays.  And don't forget to enter the current Giveaways: $100 Visa Gift Card Giveaway (Open to U.S. only, ending 12/31/2015)


Tools and ingredients used:
Snowflakes Silicone Mold (click here for more information)
Dark Chocolate (Click here for more information)
White Chocolate Chips (click here for more information)
Small White Cake Stand (see similar product here)
Small Treat Bags (Click here for more information)
Christmas Ribbons (Click here for more information)

Ultimate Paper Airplanes Worldwide Giveaway Winner Announcement

Thank you everyone who participated in The Ultimate Paper Airplanes for Kids book giveaway.  Special thanks to Tuttle Publishing for providing the prize.  We have selected a winner through Random.org!


The winner is Fiona N who siad,

”Yes, I have made paper airplanes when I was a kid, and I really loved them! I would love to win and make them for my son, too!
Thank You for the chance!
Fiona N”

Congratulations, Fiona N!  I’m sure you and your son will enjoy this book a lot! I’ll be in contact with you soon.

If you didn’t win the giveaway, you can still purchase a copy of the Ultimate Paper Airplanes for Kids here .

It’s a wonderful that you can enjoy with your kids.  Plus, the holiday is approaching, it’ll make a perfect stocking stuffer as well.

Thank you all for reading.  Stay tuned for more fun recipes, video tutorials and giveaway soon.

How to Make Raspberry Panna Cotta

I can’t quite believe it’s December already!  Time has past by a little too quickly this year, in my opinion.  Are you ready for the holidays?  If you’re looking for an entertaining, or a made-for-party, dessert recipe, you’ve stopped by at the right place at the perfect time.  Check out these gorgeous Raspberry Panna Cotta and I’m sure you’ll agree.  Click on the YouTube video above to watch the step-by-step video tutorial on how to make them.




The raspberry layer is slightly sweet and tart.  It’s super refreshing and packed with the floral fragrant of raspberries.  It pairs really well with the smooth and sweet vanilla bean panna cotta layer.  The red and white layers are so festive.  These gorgeous colors simply put me in the happy holiday mood. 




We’ve been tuning in to different radio stations when we’re on the road, and the Christmas songs always make me smile.  It’s probably one of the best time of the year for most people.  At the same time, I remember those who are less fortunate out there.  Just last week, I heard on the radio that a couple (whom preferred to remain anonymous) donated 500K to the Salvation Army!  It was probably one of the best news I’ve heard all year long!  That really touched me that there are still generous and kind people out there.  I know most of us don’t have that kind of money to donate, but there are many other things that we can do to help.  From pantry items to gently used clothes donated to your local non-profit organizations; or simply purchase a “Grab ‘N Give” bag at the grocery check out.  These are just some of the many ways that we can give-back to the community.



To me, it’s a privilege that I have the ability to help others, even in the smallest scale.  This holiday season, I want to encourage you to do the same.  It always makes me feel happy to know that a small gesture can bring big smiles on someone’s face.  




Last but not least, thank you for reading and stopping by my blog.  I hope you like today’s post and recipe.  I’ll be sharing more holiday recipes soon.  Stay tuned.

P.S.: Don't forget to enter the current Giveaways:

$100 Visa Gift Card Giveaway (Open to U.S. only, ending 12/31/2015)
Ultimate Paper Airplanes for Kids (Open Worldwide, ending 12/6/2015)






Tools and Ingredients used:

Libby Small Dessert Cups Set: (More information here)
Wilton Mini Muffin Pan: (More information here)
Pyrex 4 Cups Heat Proof Measuring Cup: (More information here)
Vanilla Bean Paste: (More information here)
Unflavored Gelatin Powder: (More information here)
Organic Cane Sugar (Click here for more information)
Wood Print Photography Backdrop (Click here to see similar product)