Archive of Past Blog Entries

5 Tricks to Tantalizing Treat Trays, #PacificMerchants #Giveaway

Halloween is creeping up on us fast! In a blink of an eye, many of us will be serving Thanksgiving turkey. (And scolding spouses to stop watching football in favor of family time. Not any spouses I know of course!) Soon after, snow may alight in time for Christmas in colder climates. Along with the fall leaves and flurries, the season ushers in holiday parties. I love the festive spirit of this time of year. It’s like we’re given an... Read Full Article209

Japanese Rainbow Rice Balls and Unicorn Cookie Bento for the CakeSpy

Do you ever get dizzy whirling around on a planet where the bad news du jour is served 24/7? Isn’t it comforting that a tap or two of computer keys transports you to a realm where rainbows, unicorns, hearts roam freely? Plus a place where recipes for goodies we all secretly crave reign supreme!  Of course, I’m talking about the virtual home of the Cake Spy aka author/artist Jessie Oleson. Happy News: The Ninja Baker's... Read Full Article210

TheCakeBoss Chocolate Cupcakes, TheNinjaBaker Plum Wine Frosting, #CakeBoss Facebook Event

Quick Quiz: 1. Do you watch Buddy Valastro, the Cake Boss, on TV? 2. Are you addicted to The Next Great Baker show? 3. Do you own the cookbook entitled Cake Boss: Stories and Recipes from Mia Famiglia? 4. Or tried recipes out of any of the myriads of Cake Boss cookbooks? 5. Are you a frequent visitor of Carlo’s Bakery in Hoboken, New Jersey and/or in Las Vegas, Nevada? Diagnosis: You may be a Cake Boss fan if you answered yes to... Read Full Article211

Enchanted Pumpkin Cookies, #CreativeCookieExchange

Blinged out in a pink, poufy prom gown, Glinda asks Dorothy, “Are you a good witch or bad witch?” (In the film classic, The Wizard of Oz.) Besides handing Dorothy the ruby slippers, Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, also offers up gems such as, “If we know ourselves, we’re always home, anywhere.” Pumpkin cookies topped with chocolate witch hats are good! Getting to know ourselves can be scary business... Read Full Article212

Mandarin Orange Sponge Cake, #TheCakeSliceBakers

The Cake Slice Bakers are a group of bakers from around the world. Currently, the challenge is to bake a final recipe from Carole Walter's Great Cakes recipes. The choice of cake rests with each individual baker.  Mandarin Orange Sponge Cake (an adaptation of Carole Walter's Great Cakes' Orange Sponge Cake) was this Ninja Baker's contribution to the Cake Slice Bakers. Everywhere you turn a Mandarin orange... Read Full Article213

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cake Donuts, #SundaySupper

Budget-friendly recipes is the topic of today’s #SundaySupper. (You’re invited to join the chat around the virtual Twitter dinner table. Scroll down for details.) After pouring over pages of potential budget-friendly goodies, I landed upon the site of King Arthur. Photos of their pumpkin cake donuts looked irresistible. Pumpkin cans are aplenty in the Ninja Baker’s kitchen. (Have you noticed canned pumpkin goes on sale during... Read Full Article214

Ramen Carbonara, #WeekdaySupper

Pre jumping-for-Katie-joy on Oprah’s couch, Tom Cruise shared a Carbonara recipe with the Queen of Talk Shows. The movie star was sharing with America the rewards of a nearly impossible mission - the Carbonara secrets of an Italian chef! I don’t recall Tom Cruise’s exact instructions. Except the part about pouring in lightly beaten raw eggs into hot noodles and letting the eggs scramble in a covered pan. As Japanese ramen and... Read Full Article215

Slow Cooker Lemon Poppy Seed Cake, #SundaySupper

Last night I was in the presence of master storyteller and shamisen musician, Kunitoshi Kineya. (The shamisen is a 3 stringed lute, which has entertained the Japanese since the 1300s.)  Whilst sitting on the soles of his feet seiza-style (a killer on the knees!) and strumming his shamisen, Kineya-san transported the audience through the classic Kabuki (Japanese traditional theater) tale of Kurozuka. (An evil witch, a curious porter and... Read Full Article216

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