"Darth" Chocolate Cupcakes with Sith Lord Red Velvet Frosting for Star Wars Day

Dun dun dun dun da-dun dun da-dun. Dun dun dun dun da-dun dun da-dun.

Dun dun DUN dun dadada, dun-dun. Dun dadada, dun-dun. Dun da-dun dun da-dun.

That was my attempt to transcribe the Imperial March into text. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, allow Chuck and Morgan to demonstrate:

This was one of my favorite scenes ever. *sniffle* I miss Chuck

Anyway, happy Star Wars Day, you guys! May the fourth be with you!

I originally had something completely different planned to post today, and then I realized what the date was. May 4th. May the fourth. It's Star Wars Day and I was going to post "how to make monkey cupcakes." Monkey cupcakes. On Star Wars Day.

You guys, last year I interrupted my Doctor Who series with a Star Wars Day recipe because I just couldn't bring myself to post something for the wrong fandom on Star Wars Day. And I nearly posted a completely non-geek related tutorial on Star Wars Day.

If I hadn't noticed my mistake, I would have had to hand in my nerdy baker card. I wouldn't have been able to stand the shame.

Luckily, I was able to save face with these cupcakes. I was racking my brain for ideas when I thought, "Dark side... dark chocolate. Dark chocolate cupcakes." And then I figured I could top them with Darth Vader chocolates, because obviously I own the Darth Vader silicone ice cube tray (Hi, I'm Kim, and I'm addicted to silicone ice cube trays), and then I thought, "well, then they'll be Darth chocolate cupcakes," and I giggled for about five minutes straight at that.

But then the frosting worried me. If the Darth Vader heads were chocolate, the frosting couldn't be chocolate, because then you couldn't see them. But what other color could possible represent the Dark Side?

Then the answer was simple. Red, like a Sith Lord's light saber. Red velvet frosting.

These cupcakes are enough to tempt anyone to the dark side. The cakes themselves are light, tender, and fluffy, but still have a rich chocolate flavor. I used Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa Powder for the cupcakes, because the dark side needs dark cupcakes, and I think that helps give it an extra chocolate pow.

And as for the red velvet frosting, I really just took my favorite chocolate buttercream recipe and added red velvet emulsion. The emulsion adds flavor as well as color, and guys? It's fantastic. I loved the chocolate frosting by itself, and the emulsion just took it to the next level. (It also photographed a lot brighter than it is. In person, the frosting is more of a rust/brick color. I'm looking at these photos, thinking, "it kind of looks like I frosted the cupcakes with ketchup.") I'm not a red velvet aficionado, so I can't really say how true it is to the red velvet flavor, but it's good and that's really all that matters.

Come to the dark side. We have cupcakes.

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes

Yield: 12 cupcakes

Ingredients

1 cup cake flour

½ cup Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa Powder (or regular unsweetened cocoa powder)

¼ tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. salt

1 cup sugar

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1 large egg

½ tsp. vanilla extract

½ cup buttermilk

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda. In a separate bowl with electric beaters, beat the butter and sugar together at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the egg and the vanilla, beating well after each addition. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour, alternating with the buttermilk, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary until everything is well incorporated.

Divide the batter evenly between 12 cupcake liners. Bake 15-18 minutes, or until the tops spring back when lightly pressed. Allow to cool completely on wire racks.

Recipe by Kim

Red Velvet Frosting

Ingredients

6 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

3 cups powdered sugar

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

⅓ cup milk

1 tbsp. red velvet emulsion

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions

In a small mixing bowl, mix together the powdered sugar and cocoa powder. In a different bowl using electric beaters, beat the butter on low speed. Add the emulsion and vanilla. Gradually add in the sugar and cocoa, alternating with the milk. Beat on high speed until smooth.

Recipe adapted from Hershey’s Homemade

Homemade Strawberry Cake Mix

Warning: This post contains words that are not actually bad, but that you might not enjoy explaining to your kidlets. Continue at your own peril. I don't have a choice; this is my life

Did you guys know that I apparently have a really sexy phone voice? I always thought I sounded like a small child, but apparently that's not the case. Practically the first time G and I met, she informed me I had a "porn" voice. Just recently, an exec she's friends with was in her office when I called him to tell him his visitors were in the lobby. He hung up with me, turned to G and said, "You know, she could make a lot of money as one of those phone sex operators."

I told G she should ask him what his basis for comparison was.

But these are both people I know and work with and attempt to embarrass me on a regular basis. I take what they say with a grain of salt, you know? It's the random strangers that have finally convinced me. This one time, I had a guy call in to ask for the company's website (because he didn't know how to Google?), and he told me I had a "pleasant accent" and then lingered on the phone telling me all about his exciting job as a Macy's buyer in upstate New York, then followed that up with, "Are you about medium height? 5'3", 5'4"?"

W.T.F. Also, no. (He even tried calling back, but the phone was really busy at the time, and I had an excuse to keep him on hold until he hung up)

And the other day, I had this caller that I was getting annoyed with, because he would not accept the fact that the person he was looking for was not listed. He asked for my name, and I thought he was going to ask to speak to my manager (they do that sometimes, because I'm obviously lying to them for my own nefarious purposes), and said, "Kim, your voice is so sweet."

Umm, thanks?

He then asked for my cell phone number. I tried to let him down gently, I did, but he kept pushing, telling me how "sweet" my voice was, and about how he's an account manager, "Your voice is just so sweet, I would really like your cell phone number, please, or your email address."

I finally told him that I had a call on the other line and I had to go (lie, but if Bossman has a problem with that, he can deal with it), and the guy laughed and started to say something else, and I just hung up. SO CREEPY.

PRO-TIP: Trying to pick up the phone operator makes you seem kind of pervy.

What does this have to do with cake mix? Absolutely nothing. I just thought you'd be amused.

Anyway, strawberry cake mix: whaaaaaaaaaaat. I think I've outdone myself this time.

This cake mix utilizes powdered strawberries. Not strawberry flavored powder. Not strawberry drink mix. Real, actual, organic strawberries that were freeze-dried, and then ground up. Now this is a real specialty item, but you can totally make it yourself using this tutorial from the Cupcake Project, or this method from I Run For Wine. I haven't tried either since stores near me don't really carry that much in the way of dried fruit, and leaving the oven on overnight to dry my own kind of freaks me out, but you've got options if you can't find the powder.

I, on the other hand, have a homemade mix obsession, and therefore if I see a powdered ingredient, I snatch it up, no questions asked.

Now, don't go thinking this mix is going to be like Duncan Hines or Betty Crocker strawberry cake mix. It neither tastes not looks the same (I did add a little powdered red food coloring that I had leftover from the Red Velvet Cake Mixes, but you can see that it still leans more towards brown than the hot pink of the boxed mixes). This is a strawberry-flavored buttermilk cake, moist and light, and not too sweet. I adapted it from my Strawberry Cupcakes to make it a little more mix friendly, and it's good.

The strawberry flavor isn't huge, but you can't miss it, and it's a lot deeper and more real than from the boxed mixes. If you want a real strawberry punch, I'd suggest mixing in about a cup of diced fresh strawberries.

Strawberry Cake Mix

Yield: Approx. 6 cups dry mix

Ingredients

2½ cups flour
2 cups sugar
⅓ cup powdered strawberries
2½ tbsp. dry buttermilk powder
1 tsp. red food coloring powder (optional)
¾ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 cup butter-flavored shortening*

Directions
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all ingredients except the shortening. Using a pastry cutter (or pulse in a food processor) cut in the shortening until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place up to 3 months. (To extend the shelf life, store in the refrigerator or freezer).

To bake: Combine the mix with 1⅓ cups water, 2 eggs, and ½ tsp. vanilla extract. Bake at 350 degrees F 20 minutes for cupcakes, 30 minutes for 2 9-inch round cakes. Cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting and serving.

*If you'd prefer, cold butter can be used in place of shortening. Just store the mix in the freezer.

Recipe by Kim

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Waffles

I've been in a sort of waffle state of mind lately. I keep thinking about waffles and making them. I keep wondering, "would this be a good flavor combination for a waffle? Would this work if I added it to waffle batter? I wonder if I can put these in the waffle iron."

So when the insomnia monster hit, it was no surprise that I decided to use my not-sleeping time to make waffles.

The only question was what kind? I'd been playing around with the idea of a pizza waffle, but that just seemed too complicated for my no-sleep addled mind. Then the idea came to me: peanut butter. You don't really see peanut butter waffles that often, and it sounded really good to me at the time. I decided to use whole wheat flour to help give it that crispness and heartiness, buttermilk for a good rise, and chocolate chips because, well, duh.

The waffles came out just as I had imagined: crisp, chock-full of peanut butter and chocolate chips. The waffle itself isn't overly sweet, so syrup, powdered sugar, or honey is a must on these puppies. Or you can eat it like I did, with strawberries, extra chocolate chips, and a chocolate peanut butter drizzle (a spoonful of peanut butter and a few chocolate chips melted together in the microwave). I used fruit so that's the healthy way to eat it, right?

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Waffles
Yield: 4 waffles

Ingredients
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together the buttermilk, peanut butter, egg, and vanilla extract. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until a batter forms (some lumps are fine). Fold in the chocolate chips. Cook in a waffle maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Recipe by Kim

Homemade Red Velvet Cake Mix

I know, I know, it's kind of early to be doing a Christmassy themed post. But I have my reasons, and they're good ones too. Most importantly is that if you make your gifts like I do, now is the time to start.

Also, I was invited to be a part of a Christmas Round Up over at Cake Whiz, and I wanted to do something super awesome. I mean, have you seen Abeer's cakes? Hello gorgeousness! And I've pinned a bunch of her decorating tips since we all know that's my weakness. I certainly didn't want to provide anything substandard, you know?

When I got to thinking about and researching Christmas treats, I was seeing a lot of red velvet recipes, made with cake mix. I also saw a lot of gifts from the kitchen. Cookie mixes, drink mixes, scone mixes. Cake mixes.

Me and my homemade mix obsession decided that I was going to mixify red velvet cake.

But apparently, mixifying red velvet cake is not a thing that people normally do, because I couldn't find a recipe for a mix online. And my Old Reliable cookbook didn't have a recipe for me to adapt. *GASP*

Red velvet cake isn't a thing I usually make. The epic amounts of food coloring in it have made me a bit wary of trying, (most call for 2 oz. That's 4 tablespoons. A quarter cup of food coloring) so I didn't have a reliable base recipe. I found this Waldorf-Astoria Red Velvet Cake recipe online that had consistently good reviews and nothing out of the ordinary in terms of ingredients, so I baked it up, unmixified, to test it.

(Instead of two oz. of food coloring, I used 2 tbsp of LorAnn's Red Velvet Bakery Emulsion and 2 tbsp vegetable oil. As you can see, the color did not suffer at all, and the emulsion gave it a slightly fruity undertone)

That mouse is my favorite ornament since I was little

It was good, moist and tender. I usually prefer a little more cocoa flavor, so I'd probably increase that if I ever make it again. I whipped up some cream cheese frosting, which refused to stiffen, so I crumbed a couple of the cupcakes to edge it in. And then I added holly sprinkles, since it kind of looks like a wreath.

And then I mixified it.

Pretty common in terms of mix ingredients: flour, sugar, shortening, buttermilk powder. I added food coloring powder, which can be found in candy making and cake decorating specialty shops, like my favorite place in the world, Candyland Crafts. I think Wilton also makes some, so you might be able to find it in Michaels or JoAnn's. Or you can order it online.

The only thing I had trouble substituting was the vinegar. I ended up using cream of tartar, since it's acidic as well. The internet was little help in that regard, but it told me that I could substitute vinegar for cream of tartar in meringues so I figure the opposite should work in a cake mix, right?

Right.

Red Velvet Cake Mix
Yield: Approx. 5 cups dry mix

Ingredients
2¼ cups cake flour
1½ cups sugar
4 tbsp. dry buttermilk powder
2 heaping tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tbsp. red food coloring powder
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. salt
½ cup butter-flavored shortening

Directions
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all ingredients except the shortening. Using a pastry cutter (or pulse in a food processor) cut in the shortening until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place up to 3 months. (To extend the shelf life, store in the refrigerator or freezer)

To bake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Combine the mix with 2 eggs, 1 cup water, ¼ cup vegetable oil, and 1 tsp. vanilla extract. Line 2 muffin tins with paper liners, and fill about ⅔ of the way (about 2 tbsp.) with batter. Bake 15-20 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes our clean. Cool completely on wire racks. Makes 24 cupcakes

Tip: If you can't find food coloring powder, replace 2 (or more) tablespoons of the vegetable oil with regular red food coloring

Based on the Waldorf-Astoria Red Velvet Cake, found via Food.com

Homemade Devil's Food Cake Mix

So, I kind of have a new obsession.

I have a lot of those, don't I? Icebox cakes, silicone ice cube trays, Benedict Cumberbatch...

(My mother and I have decided that he would make the perfect Mr. Rochester. So, Hollywood, can you make a non-sucky movie version of Jane Eyre and cast him? I would be very grateful. Kthxbai)

But this new obsession is actually super useful. It's easy, it saves time in the kitchen, it makes for great gifts, and it's pretty frugal. It's all about the homemade mixes, baby.

I've made homemade mixes in the past, but the obsession really started with my peanut butter cookie mix. Even the most adamant of scratch cooks can agree that mixes are convenient and so much easier. But unless you buy the super expensive, all natural, organic, gourmet, hand crafted cake mixes from fancy shops, they also tend to taste pretty artificial and are loaded with mystery ingredients and preservatives. And there are so many recipes out there for cake mix "fixes" and making cake mix taste "homemade," that I think we can all agree that cake mixes don't stand up to the real thing.

But there are also a lot of really cool recipes that use mixes for things completely other than their original purpose. Honestly, how many cake batter recipes are there out there? Cake batter ice cream, cake batter cookies, cake batter marshmallows, cake batter fudge. The original inspiration for making my peanut butter cookie mix came from a pin I'd found on Pinterest about how to make any cookie mix into cookie dough frosting. I thought that would be really cool to do with peanut butter cookie dough, and I decided to do research to see if I could find a recipe for a homemade mix (mostly because I didn't feel like going to the store). When I couldn't find one, I decided that had to be rectified, and an obsession was born.

The main issue with mixes is that you can only use dry ingredients, and it needs to be shelf-stable. This is why most mix recipes are just flour, sugar, salt, and leavenings. But if I'm making a mix, I want it to be comparable to the ones you buy at the store. I don't want to still have to cream the butter; I want to make it in a bowl with a whisk. So I cut in butter-flavored shortening. Now, I know shortening weirds a lot of people out, they don't like the taste, they're worried about trans fat, they think it's made by the devil. You can buy non-hydrogenated shortening if you're worried about trans fat, and shortening actually contains less saturated (bad) fat and more unsaturated (good) fat per serving than butter. Of course, any fat that's solid at room temperature is high in saturated fat, but I never claimed I was giving you health food.

Besides, the recipe I based this on, from- you guessed it- Old Reliable, calls for shortening and not butter.

If it's simply a taste/texture issue, then you can use cold butter instead, but you'll have to store the mix in the freezer.

Then, whenever you want devil's food cake, it's just as easy as the ones you get from the store. Mix, oil, eggs, water, and some ninja vanilla extract. Regular vanilla is fine if you can't find the ninja.

Get it? Get it? I made a funny.

Mix, mix, mix. The batter is pretty liquidy. I would suggest only adding half the water at first, so you can make sure all the lumps are out.

Pour, pour, pour.

Bake, and you got cake! XD This cake rises like nobody's business, so you could potentially get three thin layers out of it, but I only have two cake tins, and I was too lazy to make a third layer. I ended up splitting the layers anyway.

I usually make a kind of "Fauxstess" cupcake/cake with this recipe. Fill with Marshmallow Whoopie Pie Filling, frost with Fudge Frosting.

Or just eat as is. This cake is rich and moist, but still manages to be super fluffy. This is seriously the only Devil's Food recipe that I've ever used, and now that I've got the mix, I can whip it up at a moment's notice.

Just a note: because of the powdered buttermilk, I wouldn't keep this more than 3 months unless storing in the refrigerator or freezer. But I don't think it will ever last that long.

Devil's Food Cake Mix
Yield: Approx. 5 cups dry mix

Ingredients
2 cups flour
1½ cups sugar
9 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
5 tbsp. dried buttermilk powder
1½ tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. baking soda
½ cup butter flavored shortening

Directions
In a large bowl, whisk together all ingredients except the shortening. Cut in the shortening using a pastry cutter, or pulse in a food processor, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Store in an airtight container up to three months.

Based on the Devil's Food Cake recipe from The Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook

Devil's Food Cake
Yield: 1 2-layer cake

Ingredients
1 recipe Devil's Food Cake Mix
1¼ cups water
3 eggs
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease and flour, or line with parchment paper, two 9-inch round cake tins.

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients until well blended. (Tip: only mix in half the water at first to eliminate lumps, then mix in the rest. This is recommended, but not necessary.)

Divide the batter equally between the two pans. Bake 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean. Allow to cool completely on wire racks.

Tip: Reduce the bake time by 10 minutes for cupcakes

Based on the Devil's Food Cake recipe from The Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook

Apple Cheddar Scone Mix & 1 Year Blogiversary Giveaway!{Closed}

The Giveaway is now Closed

Do you guys know what today is? It's my one year blogiversary!!!

Well, technically, it was November 28th. But I don't know what I was thinking starting a blog in November. Dec. 8th 2011 was my first recipe post, and from now on, we're going to pretend that it's my actual blogiversary. Okay? Okay.

Since one of my first posts to gain any real traction was my homemade gift sets, I thought it was fitting to celebrate with something along the same vein. Homemade scone mix.

Since this is apple cheddar scone mix, there are really 2 options for making it. Which one you choose will really depend on your recipient and how lazy you are. The first way, the way I made it, is just the dry ingredients. Flour, powdered buttermilk, dried thyme, sugar, and leavenings. Then when making them, you add some fresh apple, cheese, butter, and water.

While I was making it, however, I was thinking, that's really not much of a mix. Chopping the apple is the hardest part. So I thought, why not add in some dried apples as a part of the mix? Then, if you're going to go that far, you might as well add some powdered cheddar cheese, too.

Now, I don't have dried apples or powdered cheese in my pantry. But if I were giving this mix to, say a new mom, or someone who doesn't have too much time to spend in the kitchen, I might go out and get some. Then it'll be butter, water, done. But I'm too lazy to go out and get those specialty ingredients, so I won't be giving it to anyone like that.

And if you're going to go the powdered cheese route, make sure to get quality stuff, like this. No sense in making a homemade mix if you just plan on adding in the junky stuff.

Then just put it in a holiday themed bag or jar, print out some baking instructions, and you're all set. You could add a cute little spatula, or a pastry cutter, or give it with a holiday mug and some good coffee, the possibilities are endless.

For your convenience, I've linked 2 different sets of baking instructions. One with the dried apples and cheese powder, and one with fresh. I've also put them two to a page, because this is super easy to make multiple batches of. Then you make presents for ALL the people.

The scones themselves are pretty darn tasty, with the peppery thyme and the salty cheddar and the sweet apples. Goooood stuff.

But wait, there's more!

My buddy Tracy of Sassy Apron Creations made a special apron just for one lucky Treats & Trinkets reader.

It's cute. It's pink. It has ruffles. And polka dots. I am so super tempted to keep it for myself. I'll have to content myself with the epic awesomeness of the ruffled Batman apron Tracy made for me.

And a second lucky reader will get a surprise box of awesome.


What's in the surprise box of awesome? It's a surprise. Why is it a surprise? Because it's my blog's birthday and I want it to be and surprises are cool.

HOW TO ENTER:

Leave a comment on this post answering one of the following two questions:

What's the best gift you've ever gotten?

OR

What is your favorite holiday treat?

Additional Entries:

• Like Treats & Trinkets on Facebook
• Like Sassy Apron Creations on Facebook
• Follow @TreatsTrinkets on Twitter
• Follow me on Pinterest

That's a total of FIVE possible entries! Remember to leave me a SEPARATE comment for each entry. (If you already follow me on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest, let me know in separate comments).

This giveaway is open to US residents ONLY and will run from 11:30am EST (GMT -5) on Saturday, December 8th, 2012 until 12:00pm EST on Sunday, June 16th, 2012. The winners will be chosen randomly via RANDOM.ORG on Monday, December 17th, 2012.

Please note that all comments are moderated, and it may take some time for your comments to appear.

Apple Cheddar Scone Mix {Printable Verson}

Yield: About 2 cups mix*

Ingredients
1¾ cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. powdered buttermilk
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. dried thyme
¼ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
1 cup diced dried apples (optional)
½ cup powdered cheddar cheese (optional)

Directions
In a bowl, whisk together all ingredients until well blended. Store in an airtight container up to three
months.

*If adding the dried apples and powdered cheese, the yield will increase accordingly.

Recipe adapted slightly from Favorite Brand Name Gifts From the Kitchen

Baking Instructions:
With dried apples and powdered cheese
With fresh apples and cheese

Whole Wheat Chocolate Banana Waffles

I hope all my fellow East Coasters are battening down the hatches: Frankenstorm is on its way. And New Jersey is right smack in its path. Luckily after Irene last year, we know that being this far north does not make us immune to hurricanes, so people are taking the threat seriously. Most of the shore is having voluntary evacuations, and the barrier islands are having mandatory evacuations and will be closed by 4 pm today. If you know anyone in those areas, you should check in with them and make sure they have somewhere to go. This is not a drill, people.

I'm not too worried about me. We live far enough inland that our main concern is the wind and downed trees. It's rare that we lose power (except that one time that lightning hit the transformer down my street-- good times), and we don't really flood. The biggest problem will be getting in and out of town. We are surrounded by rivers, canals, and creeks. After Irene, it was 48 hours before one road was opened out of town.

And the towns around us have barely recovered from Irene. They were literally under water. I saw Main Street turned into a raging river and Millstone turned into a lake.

For some reason, hurricane threats bring out the breakfast foodie in me. Last year I made oatmeal scones before Irene. This year, I made waffles. Whole wheat waffles. Whole wheat chocolate banana waffles. Because with the perfect storm looming on the horizon, you need comfort food.

Now, these waffles aren't hugely chocolatey or banana-y. (Unless you smother them with chocolate syrup and bananas, like I did) They've just got that little hint of sweetness and decadence while still managing to be a wholesome and filling breakfast. I actually really love these with a peanut butter drizzle (melt some peanut butter and honey together in the microwave, then drizzle on top), but that didn't look as pretty. XD

Now, my waffle maker made 7 waffles, but it also doesn't take a whole lot of batter (about 3/4 cup). You might get less depending on the size of yours. The good thing is that I have plenty leftover. I froze them in a zip-top bag, then you can toast them like Eggo waffles. Or, if I lose power, I can toast them on a skillet on my gas stove.

So to all my fellows in Sandy's path, be safe, remember to take appropriate precautions and stock up on water and non-perishables. Make sure you have flashlights and batteries, that phones are fully charged. If you have a smartphone, you can download the Red Cross' hurricane app. Remember what they say: If you plan for it, it won't happen. So let's all make sure to plan for the worst.

And if I make it through without losing power or anything too bad happening, I have something really cute planned for you for Halloween. Stay tuned!

Whole Wheat Chocolate Banana Waffles {Printable Version}
Yield: 6-7 waffles

Ingredients
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
2 cups buttermilk
1 small banana, mashed (heaping 1/3 cup)
¼ cup sugar
2 eggs

Directions
In a large bowl, sift together flours, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together the buttermilk, banana, sugar, and eggs. Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until a batter forms. Some lumps are fine; be careful not to over mix. Cook in a waffle maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Serve with butter and syrup, or peanut butter.

Recipe adapted from The Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook