How to Tie Dye Cake

Two weeks ago, for my boyfriend’s birthday, I finally decided try my hand at a tie dye cake recipe  from my “Culinary Couture” Pinterest board. Honestly, I half-expected my cake to look like a poorly-executed Rainbow Brite assassination. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised. Turns out, baking a tie dye cake is, well, a piece of cake.

What you’ll need:

6 different colors of food dye

1 box of white cake mix

2-3 eggs

Water

9″ round cake pan

Direction:

1. Mix the boxed cake mix as you normally would, following the directions on the back of the box.

2. Separate the batter equally into six small bowls.

3. Use the dye to color each of the six bowls with a different color.

4. After spraying the pan with non-stick spray, pour the first color into the middle of the pan. Do not spread out.

5. Pour the second color directly on top of the first, and lightly shake the pan to help the batter distribute evenly across the middle.

6. Repeat step 5 until all of the colors have been used and the batter fills the entire bottom of the pan.

7. Bake according to the directions on the box. Don’t worry if it cracks! That’s what icing is for.

8. Eat all of the leftover batter while the cake bakes.

9. Add the icing and sprinkles.

10. Bam! You’re now the proud creator of a brilliantly-colored culinary masterpiece.

Tips:

1. The colors will darken as they cook, so use minimal dye with the batter.

2. The color will create a marbled effect, so the order of the colors is not particularly important in pouring.

3. If you want to create a layered cake, double the ingredients and cook two 9″ pans simultaneously. Use icing between the layers to hold them together.

4. Don’t worry if your cake cracks! That’s what icing is for.

5. If you’re still feeling lost, check out this great tutorial by Duff.

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Morrocan-Seasoned Quail in Under 30 Minutes

I just had to show off our Disney aprons.

As you likely know, a dear friend and I meet up every month or two to indulge ourselves in a homemade, exotic feast. This time, my roommate decided to join us for extra merriment and cheaper supplies. Now, being college students, we’re forced to work on limited skills, zero space and a tight budget. This week, we were able to make a most delicious, eastern-inspired plate for 4 at under $10 a person. The best part? The whole dinner took less than 30 minutes to make. So whether you’re looking to impress your pals, woo a date or simply treat yourself to a night of delicacies, this one’s for you.

Morocon-Seasoned Quail:

4 frozen quails

2 tsp. paprika

2 tsp. cumin

3 tsp. cinnamon

crushed red pepper

salt and paper to taste

1. Thaw quail and preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Mix spices together in a small bowl and distribute evenly over the quail.

3. Place quails on an ungreased baking sheet and cook for 25 minutes.

“Paint me like one of your French girls.”

Squash Medley:

1 yellow squash (diced)

1 zuccini (diced)

2 tbs. cilantro

1/4 cup onion (chopped)

2 tbs. butter

2 tbs. extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

1. Melt butter and oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

2. Cook vegetables until tender, roughly 5-7 minutes.

Couscous:

1 box of couscous, flavor of choice

2 cups water

1/2 cup oil

1/8-1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes

1. Mix oil, water and couscous spice packet in a large pan.

2. Bring to a boil.

3. Add couscous, cover and remove from heat.

4. Let stand 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.

5. Add tomatoes.

Ginger-ade:

Okay. It’s not gourmet, but it’s delicious.

1 2-liter of Canada Dry ginger ale

1 jar of maraschino cherries

1. For each glass of ginger ale, add 1/8 cup of cherry juice and 3 cherries.

2. Enjoy.

Voila!

You’ve now created a glorious, gourmet feast for 4 in under 30 minutes. You should be feeling impressed with yourself right now, because I’m pretty impressed with you. If you do happen to try this recipe out for yourself, let me know what you think! I’d love to get some feedback.

10 Signs That She Loves You

Okay. So you’ve been seeing this girl for a while, and you think things are going pretty great. Could it be? Does this majestic creature called woman actually care for you? Or is it all in your head? Despite your best efforts, reading her mind is like understanding Sofia Vergara. Hopeless. So, how do you know? By checking for any one of these ten tell-tale signs:

She loves you if…

1. She shaved her legs.

Those battlescars running up her sikly smooth legs are for you and you alone. They’re bloody nicks of love. No woman spends a mind-numbing ten minutes running some scratchy, tetanus-infused razor up and down her legs for her own sake. Trust me.

2. She ironed her clothes.

Aside from your grandma, no woman uses an iron these days. Those ultra-crisp pleats snap “love” every time they swish in the soft summer breeze on that moonlit walk you’re taking.

3. She laughs at your bad jokes.

A woman in love will always offer up a courtesy laugh. Don’t believe me? Try it for yourself. Pick any line from this bad jokes site, and give it a go. If she humors you with a full-on courtesy laugh, you’ve landed the gig.

4. She eats your cooking.

While this rule may not apply to the culinary-inclined, it holds true for the 97.3% of men who consider boxed macaroni gourmet.

5. She cooks for you.

They say the quickest way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, and she knows it. Don’t be fooled by her, “Oh, I just enjoy cooking” line. She knows what she’s doing. Oh, she knows.

6. She sits through Die Hard.

Die Hard, Fast and Furious, the old Bond films…basically if the cover features some ruffian carrying a gun while zipping away in his flashy car, she’s only watching it for you.

7. She brings you to a wedding.

Weddings are like the county fair of the social world: it’s a great place to bring your prized stud, parade them around, and go for the gold. A gold engagement band, that is.

8. She buys you just-because gifts.

There’s a special gene encoded on her second X-chromosome that prompts random gift-giving for those she loves. “Just because” means “just because I love you.”

9. She hangs out with the guys.

As much as she probably loves your friends, she loves her more. If she voluntarily sacrifices a Saturday night to hang with the boys, it just got real.

10. She really, really likes you.

When a woman says she really, really likes you, that’s her working up the nerves to throw the L-card on the table. As long as this statement isn’t followed by “but…,” you’re in the clear.

So, what’s your go-to “I love you” sign? Drop a line in the comments below and be sure to follow my blog for regular updates on this growing list!