5 Ways To Improve Your Baking

Baking really is about being precise and using the right ingredients.  Here are 5 things you can start doing that will immediately improve your baking.

1.  Use room temperature ingredients (unless the recipe says otherwise.... like pie crust).  If your eggs or butter are not room temperature they will not incorporate all the ingredients together and your cookies or brownies can be tough.  I set mine out the night before.  You also do not want the butter to be melting.  There really isn't a short cut to this..... just planning ahead.

2. Try using "Baker's Sugar." C&H makes a really great ultra fine sugar that is perfect for baking.  Because the grain is so fine it makes your batter blend together so well. You should be able to get this at your regular grocery store.

3.  Not all ovens are created equal! Use an oven thermometer to make sure that you have the correct temperature (even if you have a really nice and expensive oven).  In baking there is a huge difference between 325 degrees and 350 degrees. You can get one at places like Williams Sonoma, Target, Bed Bath and Beyond....

4.  Don't over mix the dry ingredients.  You want to make sure that the wet ingredients (butter, eggs, vanilla, etc.) are well combined, but once you add the dry ingredients (flour, baking power, baking soda, etc) you just want them to be incorporated. Over-mixing causes toughness in the finished product.

5. Set the timer for less time than the recipe calls for.  I know it sounds funny, but I under bake a lot of things.  That's how they stay soft.  Example: If I am making chocolate chip cookies and the recipe calls for 10-12 minutes for cookies I would set it for 9.  At that point I take them out of the oven and check the bottom of the cookie.  If they are starting to brown and starting to "set up" then for me they are done.  If not, then I put them back in for 1-2 minute increments.  (Note: This is a tricky piece of advice because timing on baking can be influenced by things like the weather. If its a damp day or dry day. Sometimes you have to bake for more time than the recipe calls for.  I set the timer for less time just in case!) Basically..... don't keep them in for 10 minutes just because the recipe says to.  Use your judgement and it will make you a better baker :)

Accessories Under $100

Some of our latest accessory must haves - all under $100!

1. Gap Neon Border Scarf - $29.95  2. Dogeared Collection Gold Dipped Wire-Wrapped Pyrite Earrings - $62

3. Spike the Punch Black Chain & Quartz Necklace - $37  4. Kendra Scott Tela Cocktail Ring - $48.97 (On Sale!)

5. GiGi New York All in One Bag - $95  6. La Mer Collections Wrap Watch - $88

7. Basta Surf Headband - $75  8. J.Crew Sunflower Necklace - $68

9. Ellen Allen Serapis Scarf - $75

In The Nude

Nude shoes are one of the best staples to have in your closet's shoe selection.  They go with everything and they make your legs look longer because they don't cut them off like a darker color might.  They are classy, but sexy at the same time.  A good way to turn some heads.... even at the office!

Steve Madden Blush Multi

Ivanka Trump Ivory Patent

Badgley Mischka Nude Satin

Aldo Camel

Steve Madden Bone Leather

Diane von Furstenberg Crisscross Heels

Honey Cookies

In my efforts to have less processed white sugar and white flour in my diet I still want to be able to bake!  I bought some amazing honey at the Santa Monica Farmer's Market and thought it would be great to make cookies with this natural sweetener.   I adapted a recipe I found on "The Kitchn" for Honey Cookies.  With no added sugar I substituted the white flour for whole wheat and left out the dried fruit.  I really wanted the honey to be the star.  I do think that these cookies are best the day they are made.... actually best right out of the oven!! They are soft, light, fluffy, and a perfect little pillow of honey. 

Honey Cookies

3/4 cup honey

1/4 cup butter

1 egg 

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

In a stand mixer combine the butter and honey until well mixed.  Add the egg and mix until well combined.

In a separate bowl measure out the flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.  Whisk together and add to the wet ingredients with the mixer on low until just combined.  Do not over mix.

Drop tablespoon-size balls of dough onto cookie sheets covered in parchment paper.  Bake for about 9 minutes, or until the edges turn slightly golden.

Sweet Tooth: Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

I was reorganizing my kitchen during my time off last week and found this recipe from the August 2007 issue of Martha Stewart Living in the back of a cookbook. I had pulled it back then and never got around to trying it out, until now. These are a little different, with the addition of sour cream and letting the dough spend some time in the freezer before baking. They were super easy, turned out so good and made a small enough batch (just over a dozen) to last my husband and I for a week without wasting anything.

The ingredients:

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

7 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar

1 large egg, room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3 tablespoons sour cream

3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

3/4 cup milk chocolate chips

**I live with a non-chocolate lover so I just used about a cup of semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Whisk together flour, salt and baking soda

3. Beat butter and sugars with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy; beat in egg and vanilla

4. Reduce speed to low; add flour mixture in 2 batches, alternating with sour cream and beat until just combined; stir in chocolate chips by hand

5. Cover and freeze for 10 minutes

6. Using a 1-1/2 inch ice cream scoop or a tablespoon, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment, spacing cookies about 2 inches apart; flatten slightly

7. Bake until centers are set and cookies are pale golden brown, 12-14 minutes

Recipe from August 2007 issue of Martha Stewart Living

Product To Try: Aveda

Aveda makes two amazing products to aid in the health of your hair.  "Damage Control" is perfect to spray on your hair before you dry it in order to protect from heat.  "Damage Remedy" is used before you dry your hair as well and it makes your hair really smooth because it fills in the damaged hair and repairs it with quinoa protein. People are always wondering why their hair is dry and they cannot get that smooth look. If you aren't using something to protect your hair, then it will become damaged from the elements,  resulting in a dull, lifeless look.  When the right products are used to protect and recover the cuticle, that is when you achieve that shiny smooth hair!

Spring Nail Trend

At the Long Beach Hair Show they always reveal what the next trends for hair, nails, and make-up are for the upcoming season.  Last year was all about the "cracked" nails.... this year the two trends that I saw were "swirl" nails AND "newspaper" nails.

Swirl Nails 

They had a little bowl of water and added the nail polish color to the water and swirled it.  They would then put tape around the nail and dip it in the water.  I definitely recommend looking up how to do it on YouTube!


Newspaper Nails

howdoesshe.com has a great tutorial on how to do this!

All photos from google images   

Brace Yourself

We are loving the look of the layered bracelets! You can layer as many as you want or keep it simple with a single wrap bracelet.  It makes a nice finishing touch to an outfit.

1. Serefina Triple Wrap C Bracelet

2. Chan Luu Beaded Wrap Bracelet

3. Gorjana Leather Triple Strand Wrap

4. Chan Luu Beaded Wrap Muilt/Natural Brown Bracelet

5. Gorjana Parker Leather Wrap Bracelet Rose Dust

Happy Weekend!

Image via Pinterest

This was a week of love, fashion and kindess - with Valentine's Day, NY Fashion Week and Random Acts of Kindness week all taking place this past week. I'm looking forward to a slow weekend of making great breakfasts at home, some online shopping and searching Pinterest for some Easter ideas (first Easter with a baby, so I'm thinking ahead!) What are your plans for this weekend?

Here are some fun links from the week and inspiration for this weekend ahead:

• Get a great recap of Fashion Week here - our favorites? Tory Burch, BCBG, Rachel Zoe, Tibi and Alice + Olivia
• J.Crew collab with Manolo Blahnik? Yes, please.
• New mascara to try: Diorshow New Look
• Even though Valentine's Day is over, these are still a great weekend treat

Also, stay tuned for our latest Success Story, coming next week! 

Curls

There are so many curling irons out there and it can get really confusing as to which one to get, which one does what..... and why!  Here are a few items that I find helpful.......

Chi Orbit (I just call this one the hot stick) There is no clamp so you simply wrap your hair around the rod.  This way you are not really curling your ends so your result is more of a beachy, messy, Rachel Zoe type of look.  

The Hai Flat Iron is a great way to get your hair smooth, but you can also do curls with it.  Starting at the top of the strand and twisting your way down.  I recommend either asking your hair stylist to teach you this or watch a video on youtube.  It does take practice.

This is a typical curling iron by Hot Tools...... I recommend that people who are doing their own hair at home purchase an iron with the clamp and covered tip instead of a marcel that swivels with no tip.  Those are better for professionals in the salon who are working on someone else's hair (they are hard to use on yourself).  The larger the rod the larger the curl..... the smaller the rod the smaller the curl.  A one inch diameter rod it a good place to start.  For the best curl start by clamping at the top of the strand and twisting your way down instead of clamping the bottom of the strand and wrapping it up.

This Spiral Styler by Conair will give you super curly hair.  If your hair is very long it will look like mermaid curls.  Unlike a regular curling iron you would start this one out by clamping the hair at the bottom of the strand and wrapping the hair up by following the coil.  It's easy once you get the hang of it.

Those are some irons to choose from based on what curl is desired.  If you have any questions feel free to email thehssfeed@gmail.com or ask via twitter www.twitter.com/mariaprovenzano

Tassel Earrings

1. Oscar de la Renta  2. Urban Outfitters  3. Cassie Graham Fashion Jewelry (Etsy)

4. Jenny Jenny  5. Luxe Rachel Zoe  6. Eddie Borgo

I've been seeing more and more of these tassel earrings on people lately - first on one of my good friends and then, again, at an Alberta Ferretti fashion show I was lucky enough to attend here in Houston. Here are a few that I've found so far. My favorites are the Eddie Borgo pair - but I may go for the Cassie Graham pair and the black leather pair from Urban Outfitters so I can get both without feeling too guilty!

Valentine's Day Decor

Love celebrating love with these cute products from Etsy!

Wood n' Stitches Be Mine Wood Block Set

Wants and Wishes Cupids Post Printable Valentine's Day Collection

Bekah Jennings Love Sweet Love Banner

Aedriel Originals Love and Lust Plates

Sweet Treat: Heart-Shaped Cheesecakes

This super easy cheesecake recipe is perfect for Valentine's Day when you use the sweetheart molds, but you can also use a standard muffin pan to make these for any occasion. The recipe is from King Arthur Flour - one of our favorite resources for mixes, products and recipes!

Crust:

1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 tablespoon confectioners' or glazing sugar, sifted

2 tablespoons melted butter

Filling:

1 cup cream cheese (1 large package), at room temperature

6 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

grated peel of 1/4 lemon

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/16 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

2 tablespoons sour cream

Instructions:

1) Preheat the oven to 325°F. Place heart molds on a baking sheet (or prepare a standard muffin pan)
2) To make the crust: Combine the crumbs and sugar.
3) Add the melted butter and stir until evenly mixed.
4) Press the crumbs firmly into the bottoms of the heart molds, or 8 cups of the standard muffin pan.
5) To make the batter: Using an electric mixer, mix the room-temperature cream cheese, sugar, and flour at low speed until smooth. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl at least twice during this process to be sure no cheese is sticking.
6) Mix in the lemon zest, vanilla, and salt. Add the egg, mixing until incorporated. Stir in the sour cream.
7) Divide the filling among the heart pans or muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full. Gently tap the pan on the counter to level the batter.
8) Bake the cakes for 16 to 20 minutes, until set around the edges.
9) Remove from the oven, and cool for 30 minutes or so before refrigerating. Cover and refrigerate for several hours before unmolding cheesecakes.
10) Just before serving, garnish with fresh berries or fruit pie filling and whipped cream, if desired.

Random Acts of Kindness Week

Random Acts of Kindness Week is February 13th-19th!  We used to participate in this week when I was in high school and it was so much fun.  You just do one random act of kindness each day of the week for someone else.  Please visit randomactsofkindness.org for more information!

Random Act Idea: Leave a thank you note!

(Image from Sugar Paper... one of my favorite stationary stores)

A handwritten thank you note is the nicest way to let someone know that you appreciate them  It's even better when it isn't for something specific like a present.  Write a note to your mom for always taking the time to listen, a your friend who is always there when you need them, a teacher who takes extra time to help you learn.... anyone for anything you appreciate them for! 

You can order from Sugar Paper  at sugarpaper.com

Visit the Random Acts of Kindness website for more kindness ideas!

Splurge vs. Steal

Getting a pretty floral shoe into your collection for spring or an upcoming vacation is totally attainable no matter your budget. Check out the slingback splurge from Manolo Blahnik or these wedges for under $100 from Nine West.

Guy Style: UNTUCKit

All of our guys could use a little style help now and then and here's one of the latest guy style finds that I've come across. For a casual look, I'm a fan of an untucked button down with jeans and boots but so many shirts are too long or just awkward when untucked. Enter UNTUCKit. The UNTUCKit shirt was created to solve a problem that a lot of guys have - unless you're really tall or thin, untucked button down shirts just don't work. My husband got two of these for Christmas and I love the casual look, the quality of the shirts and options they offer in colors. Check out the whole UNTUCKit collection here.

Color Crush: Red

1. J Brand Jeans  2. Kendra Scott Iggy Feather Necklace  3. Guerlain Le Rouge  4. J.Crew Edie Attache Bag  5. Ella B Jewelry Red Coral Initial Bracelets  6. Luxury Rebel Georgia Pumps  7. Wildfox Couture Sweatshirt  8. In Bloom Robe  9. Gryphon Belle Maxi (on sale!)  10. Saucony ProGrid Running Shoes  11. Vince Camuto Flats  12. Kate Spade iPhone Case

Find of the Day

How fun are these bags from Anya Hindmarch?! Perfect beach and farmer's market canvas totes!

Beach bag here and farmer's market bag here.

A Take On "No Bake"

I was recently in need of a quick dessert idea when an unannounced guest came by.  I had no softened butter so cookies were out of the picture, no shortening so my go-to last minute snicker-doodles were not an option, and no peanut butter so I couldn't make my mom's "no-bake" cookies.  I did a quick online search and found a recipe for "No Bake Bar/Cookies" that I luckily had all of the ingredients for.

Chocolate Hazelnut No Bake Cookies/Bars

Ingredients:

2 Cups Sugar

4 Tbsp Cocoa Powder (I like Penzeys Dutch Process Cocoa Powder)

1 Stick Butter

1/2 Cup Milk (I actually used half and half because that's all I had)

1/2 Cup Nutella (I used "Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut Butter")

1 Tbsp Vanilla

3 Cups Oatmeal (I used old fashioned because that's all I had, but I'm sure you could use quick cooking)

Directions:

Add the sugar, cocoa powder, butter, and milk into a heavy sauce pan.  Stirring to combine over medium heat until the butter has melted.  Once melted bring to medium/high heat until the mixture boils.  Allow to boil for 1 minute without stirring.  Then, stir in nutella, vanilla, and oatmeal until well combined.  I like using a wooden spoon. Remove from heat.  With a ice cream scoop (or using two spoons) drop the cookies onto wax paper and let them set in the fridge until they harden.  If you choose to make bars (which I didn't do) have an 8x8 pan sprayed with cooking spray and pour mixture in.  Put in fridge to harden.

Since I did not make the bars I am not sure how long they need to harden for before being cut.  The cookies do not take long to harden, and they were very good that night! I left them in the fridge overnight because the recipe said that they are good cold.  I actually disagree.  Once hardened overnight I transferred them to a sealed container at room temperature and I found they tasted better like that.  I was completely addicted to these cookies!! Definitely a good idea to have in your back pocket. Visit http://dessert.betterrecipes.com/nutella-no-bake-bars.html for the original recipe.

Beauty Obsession: Neons & Nudes

I'm completely obsessed with the idea of neons and nudes for spring. The balance of pretty neutrals with pops of bright pinks and purples is right up my alley and I absolutely love what Bobbi Brown has done with her neons and nudes makeup collection. I'm leaning more toward neutral, nude eyes with black liner and BRIGHT pink lips. 

These are some of my favorites from the collection:

Shimmer Wash Eye Shadow -  Ultra Nude Eye Palette

Ink Liner  -  Sheer Color Lip Gloss

Introducing New for the Night

We all go through phases where we have a love/hate relationship with our closets - tons of clothes but nothing to wear? Worn the same thing to the last three events you went to? Houston-based New for the Night offers the solution with 3-10 day designer dress rental, for a fraction of the retail cost. The concept is based on "southern girl style," with big prints, bold colors and lightweight fabrics. New for the Night stocks dresses from designers including Jay Godfrey, Cynthia Steffe, Tibi, Nonoo, Catherine Deane and Allison Parris. Here's a sneak peak of a few dresses that you can order either online or, if you're in Houston, in store. The concept launches this week so get in early to reserve your dress! 

You can also check out New for the Night's Tumblr and website for more!

Find of the Day

Love this Sachin + Babi Woven Back Top - and at such a steal at Neiman Marcus Last Call!

Happy Weekend!

Groundhog Day was this week and apparently we've got 6 more weeks of winter to look forward to. I'm not sure about you all, but I'm kind of wishing that we actually had a little bit of winter to begin with - something like this dreamy walk in Paris in the snow sure would be nice.

We're looking forward to a fun Super Bowl weekend filled with lots of food, relaxing and, oh yeah, watching the game.

Here are some fun finds and reads for the weekend:

• Jason Wu for Target launches on Sunday - check out the lookbook here and plan ahead for your purchases
• Remember to get your last minute DIY Super Bowl decor at Wants and Wishes on Etsy!
• February Photo of the Day from Fat Mum Slim
• Delish way to start off your weekend - breakfast pizza from Smitten Kitchen

Image via Pinterest