Rachael Ray

Winter is the perfect time for “Spring Cleaning.” When it’s cold, sleeting, windy and you have no desire to go outside, it’s ideal for doing tasks indoors. When my friends moved into their house two and a half years ago they were busy doing renovations and planning their wedding, so they never really took the time to get their kitchen cabinets organized. It only got worse when the wedding gifts arrived and they had to make more space for things. Baking dishes ended up being stacked in weird ways. Pots and pans were stacked so high even boiling some water became a chore. And I’m not really sure what happened here (or how they’re able to find anything). I decided to pull everything out of [...]...

Dear Cooks: What’s the difference between baking soda and baking powder? Are they interchangeable? I have always wondered why some recipes - even for the same thing like brownies or muffins - call for one and not the other. Thank you, Brunette Baker Dear BB: Baking soda and baking powder are both leavening agents - they help baked goods rise. Baking soda is actually an ingredient in baking powder. They cannot be substituted for each other because chemically they are different, yet they both release carbon dioxide to help batter rise. Baking soda is a leavener that requires an acidic ingredient in a batter to help a baked good rise. It is also know as sodium bicarbonate. In recipes using baking soda, you will commonly find an [...]...

Evan Rachel Wood Love the daring transformation and that her styling is off her face with some texture, a little different from the traditional pixie. Olivia Wilde The bangs certainly give her more drama and structure to the overall look. I love the square bangs and how they disconnect from the front layers really bringing out Olivia’s cheek bones and eyes. Blake Lively The secret to changing your color is not only identifying what’s fashionable and that you like it but more importantly that it suits your skin tone. This transformation is stunning and her skin is glowing! What I also love is that the color is not too saturated so it has a natural authentic feel to it. Selena Gomez It’s not always [...]...

Always on the lookout for a new muffin, I went to my old friend Joy the Baker’s blog and came across these berry streusel muffins with the right amount of jam (key - not too much) swirled in. A new regular in my repertoire for sure. Joy says any kind of berries (including frozen, which I used here) and jam can be used -added bonus. Raspberry Jam Streusel Muffins (adapted from www.JoytheBaker.com) (click here for printable recipe) Ingredients: 6 tablespoons butter 1/3 cup milk 2 eggs 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 1/2 cups flour 3/4 cups sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 3/4 teaspoon salt 1/2- 1 cup frozen or fresh raspberries (or berry of your choice) 3 tablespoons raspberry jam (or fruit jam of your choice) For the topping: 3 tablespoons cold butter, [...]...

I am always on the lookout for a new bar recipe that is a little bit more upscale than your typical brownie. Think dinner party but your kids will also love them. These grasshopper bars fit that bill - elegant and delicious, and special enough for company. They have three layers and there is some chilling time required, so give yourself some time here. They store well in the fridge so you can make them up to 4 days in advance. Grasshopper Bars (adapted from Baked Explorations: Classic American Desserts Reinvented by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito) (click here for printable recipe) Ingredients For the brownie base: 3/4 cup flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon cocoa powder 5 ounces dark or bittersweet chocolate (60-72%), chopped (or use [...]...

I really don’t like brownie mixes from boxes.  They all have that same “from the box” aftertaste, which to me is a dead giveaway that the brownies are not homemade.  Brownies are not hard to make, but I concede, finding a great recipe is a matter of trial and error. And then there’s the question of what kind of brownie lover you are- Chewy?  Cake-y? With nuts?  Darker? Lighter?  Added flavors like chili powder, mint or caramel swirls entice you? Personally I am a dark and chewy type, and I usually make my brownies by melting really good quality dark chocolate in a double boiler with butter and sugar, eggs, vanilla and I use a small amount of flour to keep the [...]...

When should girls start wearing makeup? I think the the answer is to follow your daughter’s lead and make sure whatever she chooses to wear - be it clothes or makeup - is age appropriate. There is nothing worse than seeing a young girl who is trying to look too grown up. I want to grab her and say “Honey - don’t rush it! There is plenty of time.” I also think there is a fine line between being too controlling and setting some parameters for your kids when it comes to self expression. I used to walk to school with a neighborhood friend in 5th grade whose mother picked out her clothes for school and my friend had no choice [...]...

…Half the fun of discovering a new restaurant is sharing it with people you know will enjoy it. As Rachael Ray’s resident restaurant guru, here’s an inside look at what I report back to Rach about some of my favorite restaurant finds and food experiences!… From: Kappy To: RR Sent: Sunday, January 7, 2012 11:45am Subject: BBQ with Robert Duvall Hey Rach, Well, I didn’t really have BBQ with him, but you have to hear about this insane experience I had. I was in Austin at a friend’s house over New Year’s. I’ve done a lot of the BBQ circuit there…you know, Stubb’s, Iron Works, Salt Lick, Rudy’s, and the rest, but there was one outstanding place I heard about a few years back. It’s called [...]...

“Supermarket Score!” is all about taking a look at the great deals and delicious meals that are hidden in lesser-known yet commonly found supermarket items. Coconut water is getting a lot of attention lately, especially from celebrities who are endorsing it as the “it” drink of the moment - and rightfully so!  Coconut water is the actual liquid that is harvested from inside the center of a coconut (whereas “coconut milk” is a much richer prepared combination of that liquid and some of the meat of the coconut and “cream of coconut” is a sugar’ed-up version of coconut milk commonly reserved for making drinks like Pina Coladas).  Coconut water is an incredible source of hydrating nutrients and has been a staple [...]...