Life of Larisa or LOL

...equals disastrous cake. Oh. My. Gawd. I'm just going to stick with baking, the occasional cooking, and reading. I think I'll devote even more time to reading now that it is beyond clear these hands are not creative. I admit, half way through, maybe even less, I gave up on my cake. It was just not happening. And when the instructor boldly announced that "basket weave" is the EASIEST of all the decorating techniques we had learned...I knew I was really just taking the class to eat cake. I don't like to fail and fail I did. Miserably. The non-basket weave basket weave I did on my cake was very much like something a small child would do. Ultimately I went with that small child element and created a circus of a cake with the ever scary clown topper. The colors were not right. The design was not right. The execution of technique was not right. Sigh. Everyone else turned out some really cute stuff though. Enjoy the cake montage.

The same kid that acts up for mom, won the coveted award at his school today---Citizenship. At least he behaves somewhere. Isom and I are very proud. I relied on Isom to take pictures of the momentous occasion...you see there is only one picture in this post--- one I took . We're gonna have to work something out for Gabe's graduation. Multiple blurry photos won't suffice. The awardees received a goodie bag filled with a pencil, eraser, bumper sticker, and snack. We sat in the cafeteria with our good citizen while he enjoyed the true reason he behaves consistently well at school---an M & M cookie. Wonder where he gets that from?

Happy Birthday (belated) to Danica. I think she (and her sister Mia) are Gabe's oldest friends (the ones he's known the longest). He first met Danica when he was in my tummy. Hard to believe she recently turned nine. She decided to celebrate her year before double digits by singing her heart out...krazy karaoke style. You've never had a headache until you have experienced twelve or so kids singing Hannah Montana/ Miley Cyrus , or whoever she is, off key, multiple times in a row. Powered up on their version of Starbucks (Fanta Fruit Punch), the kids had a blast. In classic Gabe fashion, he didn't get warmed up to sing until five minutes before the party was over. He, Isom, and I did a very poor rendition of CARS by Gary Numan (yes, the kid loves classic 80s). Cupcakes, Pizza, and singing...perfect start to turning 9...or 35?! February. Krazy Karaoke...

This was my favorite demo yet. It didn't involve preparing meat and it involved baking! Mai Ly and I were stuck in the nose bleed section again, but the smells (and taste) were not lost on us. The biggest take away lesson? How to make Pumpkin flavored mochi ! I'm not always a huge fan of mochi...but this cute pumpkin cakelet was perfect in every way. I need to try the recipe out before serving to others, but I'm hopeful for a potluck item at Thanksgiving...or in lieu of cupcakes (gasp) for Gabe's class at Halloween. I will need to purchase a few items before the mochi extravaganza can begin---the cute fall baking sheet and Mochiko . If you're gonna make fall inspired mochi, then it needs to be in the shape of mini pumpkins and acorns right? Mai Ly has already successfully prepared a batch (where's mine?!). I'm hopeful it will be her contribution to the October Cooking Club.

Four ladies. Four dishes. Almond and apricot biscotti. Tomato and mozzarella bruschetta. Crab sushi. Artichoke and spinach dip. And a bonus of stuffed mushrooms (these were better than the ones from last week). The theme (if you hadn't picked up on it yet) was appetizers. And yes, biscotti totally counts (the Mayo Clinic said so). My two favorite dishes of the evening were the crab sushi and the artichoke dip. I love anything you can sink a chip or a cracker into...these dishes really lent themselves to that love. Next month's theme centers around Halloween---orange and black. I have a feeling my problem will be trying to narrow down all the possibilities... Oreos are black. Pumpkin is orange...I see a dessert trend. Mmm. I'll keep you posted on next month's turnout. Please share your ideas for great "cook club" recipes...and a name. Cook club isn't doing it for me.

...and the second grade (we think) photo of me has been found. Don't you love the vest? My teeth were brutal too...a year later I had a mouth full of braces. Thanks Tutu for emailing this old photo.

I was hoping to find a picture of me from second grade to make a comparison, but after walking 5.1 miles this morning, I decided I am too lazy to search really hard (or at all) for one. So, here's a picture of Gabe for all the world to see. Second grade. 2010. Wacky teeth. An attempt at "cool" hair. He's still a cutie and even though he is in the "I hate mom/I love dad" phase right now, I've decided I'll still keep him. He's doing good in school, still loving Legos , is surely the next Lance Armstrong (he rides a bike like a champ), and is still the best little swimmer I know. No after school activities yet...he changed his mind on playing basketball and isn't ready to revisit Cub Scouting, so for now we are laying low and enjoying sarcastic seven---a welcome change from sassy six.

Did I mention that I wanted to go to Pastry Chef school? Well, I did...until this evenings cupcake decorating class. Today we learned (well, the rest of the class learned) how to make icing flowers---roses, apple blossoms, and daisy's (pain in the butt). I had no idea it would be so difficult...trying...laughable. Of course this week I was seated next to the star pupil. The instructor actually let out an audible chuckle at not one, but several of my frosting flowers (darn daisy's). I can't blame her...at least I am providing some sort of amusement. I win for class clown...although that wasn't the initial goal. I am truly in awe of all the cakes I have seen, eaten, devoured with frosting flowers. It is a fine, fine art. The good news is I didn't break any frosting bags, I didn't get rained on, and I scored front row parking. Oh, and I got to eat a cupcake!

These were made by Isom . I chopped the mushrooms to go inside the mushrooms... I tasted them. Having participated with those two things, I felt I was therefore qualified to blog it. The bacon is soy bacon by the way...I have not reverted back to meat. Surprisingly, stuffed mushrooms are not something I really like. The ingredients are good, the idea is good, but somewhere along the way---it's all lost in translation. I thought Isom's effort was good...and blog worthy. We've been into mushrooms lately. Gabe has not. He takes every opportunity he can to notify us of his distaste for the "slimy, chewy" things. And, being the stellar parents we are, take every opportunity to incorporate them into every meal.

Pesto. Crab. Mushroom. Tomato. Red Bell Pepper. Yellow Bell Pepper. Orange Bell Pepper. Feta cheese. Grape Seed Oil. Boil noodles. Mix chopped veggies. Stir in bowl. Dinner. YUM.

I watch entirely too much t.v. All I can think about while writing this post is how a future intern for Kelly Cutrone (Kell on Earth) ended up being fired, before even really being hired, because she couldn't keep her mouth, well, her fingers shut. She posted something on the Internet (she was excited!) and poof she was DONE. I know the Factory Outlet at Waikele isn't as "celebrity" as Kelly Cutrone, but still. The thought occurred to me, so of course I had to share it. I need to add a new "category" to the Blog called "job-ing". As part of my "to do" before turning 35 (groan), I decided to apply to at least three jobs (in hopes of getting a call back, interview...JOB). So far, I have applied to: 1. Borders (I re-applied) 2. Old Navy 3. Ralph Lauren 4. Gymboree (well, I filled out the application anyway) 5. Williams Sonoma (holding on to the application...rejection is scary) 6. Apple (about to do it...right after I finish this)

Thanks to Michelle, book club (although I can't remember what we decided to call ourselves...a side effect of good red wine) is underway again. Just in time for fall. At our recent re-gathering over sweets, pupus, and wine, we decided on our first book we will read together--- The Descendants by Kaui Hart Hemmings . A local, female author. A book about Hawaii (even if it is fiction). I had heard good things about this book from several other people and it was already on my "to read" list. I'm so glad we started book club off again with a good read. It was a page turner. I finished it over the span of a couple of days. I keep thinking about the characters and what I might do if I found myself in their shoes---always a sign of a good book. I found the writers sarcasm, wit, and especially the portrayal of the dad (and main character) to be very well done. I'm always impressed when female writers capture the male train of thought (and vice versa). There were

I finally piped out frosting on a cupcake. Over a year of baking, and this whole time I've been spreading and sprinkling and clumping and anything but the proper technique. Tuesday's cake decorating class was a focus on the mini cake we love---the cupcake! We received three perfect cupcakes as the canvas for our frosting creativity. Everyone around me came up with something clever and fun. I stuck with simple (or boring...whatever you wanna call it). These tie dyed beauties were the work of two sisters that sat beside me. They quietly and patiently shared their decorating supplies and came up with the most fun color combination in the group. Below, my new cake decorating pal, Lisa created a mini garden on top of her vanilla cupcake. Unreal! Mai Ly created a cute dolphin for Arwen, but in my haste to get to the car before a Manoa shower hit, I neglected to take a picture (please tell me you got a photo Mai Ly?!). Next week it's back to cakes, regular sized ones th

I'm totally off my game! I did not take a picture of my delicious crepes! Manoa is one of the cutest places on Oahu. From the houses, to the shops, to the restaurants. Manoa also holds a special place in my heart since I lived and went to school there from eighteen to twenty-four...don't do the math...it's disappointing how long it took to finish UH. Today, after a purse tour of Ala Moana with Lehua, we decided to have lunch from La Crepe Cafe . It is Manoa's version of a French hole in the wall cafe---complete with accented workers. It's very cute in an unfinished, bohemian way. Lucky for me, they had a lunch combo for under ten bucks. The lunch gods have been in my favor this week. I selected the veggie crepe and the "Romeo and Juliet" crepe---a medley of banana, Nutella, and strawberries. It's name is perfect because it is all about LOVE. So yummy. I ate my dessert crepe first and followed it with the spinach, tomato, and cheese filled cre

It's not the most glamorous looking plate of food, but I was really happy to have discovered such a great deal ...all this (and a drink too) for $6 (plus tax). Thanks to Mary for texting me (I'm so happy she has texting now) to see if I was free for lunch. I can't remember the last time I ate at Taco Del Mar . I think I thought it was too expensive for what it is...well, I have to take that back. I had a yummy fish taco and a yummy veggie taco and I am completely full...and it was all under ten dollars. Not bad. They weren't skimpy tacos either. Guacamole, sour cream, tomatoes, cheese, cabbage, salsa, the works. I'm so glad that marketers everywhere have deemed Tuesday "taco Tuesday". Mexican food lovers should get a deal (on tacos) on Tuesdays. This Taco Tuesday was exceptionally good. What would be a good Wednesday food deal?!

I'm branching out even further. Now, not only I am I baking cupcakes, taking a cake decorating class, making salads and pastas...I have discovered dips. Yes, the perfect potluck item. The library is really proving to be a great recipe and cookbook resource. Each week I find myself getting excited by the prospect of what discovery I may make. It also keeps me from getting bored with the cookbooks that are mine. This past week I stumbled onto a book devoted to dips. I love to dip. I was excited to be in the kitchen making something that didn't require the use of the oven. September is brutal here. Hot. Humid. No time for extensive baking (although, I still do). I made a delicious veggie and cracker dip for the resurgence of our book club. To recreate it, you will need: Softened cream cheese Buttermilk Thyme Oregano Basil Cilantro Salt Pepper Dump in a bowl, mix, and DIP! Impress yourself.

I made this up entirely...the recipe that is. I did not make these based on some recipe I found in a book. I am announcing it because these instances are few and far between. Also, there seems to be some confusion, as of late, (okay, one post/comment on Facebook) as to whether I am baking things from boxes or from scratch. Well, it's not from a box, so that just leaves scratch. These little tarts were inspired by the previous berry tarts I made. I had some left over canned (still not a box) peaches and some apricot preserves, so I decided to heat the two together and place the mixture into my remaining dough. I really should be writing my recipes (winning and otherwise) down. I think I forgot what temperature and for how long to bake these things...a few bubbled over...there was smoke...and a little bit of a smell. In the end these guys were edible and yummy... Phew. Baking disaster narrowly averted...again.

...has been made. Even my husband is NOT reading my blog. I caught him just looking at the pictures. Uh, this is not a magazine or a children's book. I obviously need something more to spice things up. Let me know your suggestions for more riveting text. I am fresh out.

Take some time to think.

It's really a tragedy that I had no idea how easy making lasagna could be. Pasta is a staple in our home cooked dinner meals, but I had never conquered lasagna. I love it. Everyone does. Today, however, I made it instead of warming up some frozen concoction called lasagna. Thanks to Lehua for showing me the ropes. We roasted zucchini , red bell peppers, and onions in salt, pepper, and olive oil. We mixed ricotta cheese with pesto and egg. We boiled our noodles and shredded our mozzarella cheese. Putting it together was fun. Layering the noodles, cheeses, sauce, veggies. The process was a bit long...we had a cute one year old distracting us, lunch break, and The REAL Housewives of D.C. was on in the background. It was a full pasta making morning. We popped our dishes in the oven and the end result was a fully prepared home cooked meal for my boys to enjoy later...It's later, and our dinner was scrumptious...just like our tiny helper---Dahlia. As you can see, she

Despite two busted frosting bags, sticky fingers, and sharing the room with NON-BEGINNERS--my first cake decorating class was a blast. It was nice having someone there I knew, ( Mai Ly ) and nice having a sarcastic/witty instructor. And of course taking home the cake creation . I was proud that I did a fairly decent job of not having a "crumby" cake...that is, letting the chocolate show through the frosting. I did have the aid of the instructor in getting my cake in shape (it first appeared as a big white mound). I learned the names (of which I can't spell and forget now) of several cake decorating tools, the recipe to the perfect butter cream frosting, that there is such a thing as butter extract, that when people say "beginners" in reference to cake decorating---they really mean "professional", that I can't think creatively on the spot, that a warm, wet knife does wonders for smoothing out frosting, that I don't like the number 16 tip, an

Just when I was in a reading slump. Thank you Tobi for recommending I check this young adult series out . The one positive thing about my back "going out"---an excuse to lounge around reading this trilogy. I was able to let my imagination whisk me away to Panem. I bought the last of the books at Borders. Literally. The last one they had. They had sold out of a series I hadn't even heard of before walking in to browse. I chatted briefly with the sales girl---had she read it? What did she think? She, an adult like me, loved the first book and was hungry for more. Hmm, two people who love reading recommending the books, sold out (except for one lone pack). The decision was made. I had to have them. Worst case scenario, it was bad and I would give it to someone else, sell it, donate it. No harm done. Well, I won't be giving it to anyone...if you're nice, you can borrow it. Suzanne Collins found a way to incorporate books and t.v. that I love into one

Before and after. Good thing I had some of my homemade whip cream to put on top of these cute little mini pies. This was what came of the aborted pie mission. I only have one pie/quiche pan so...cupcake pan to the rescue! With a beer glass, I cut the pre-made dough (I had no idea there were two per box) into tiny pre-made crusts, and placed them in the muffin pan. This recipe was not in a book. Kimi must be my current baking muse. While the quiche we baked together was in the oven, I got to combining canned cherries (it was all I had), the triple berry frozen medley from Costco, sugar, and cornstarch. I cooked them in a small pot on medium heat until it looked right. Irritating huh? I used to hate these types of cooking instructions. "Looked right.". "Smelled done." "Dab of this." Infuriating. Not specific enough. But it is. I get it now. The more time spent in the kitchen, the more you realize your senses are there to tell you when to take