RC, Author at loveRavayna

0 In recipes

rainbow cookie cake

For as long as I can remember, I have been really into rainbow cookies. As a child, I was notorious for raiding cookie platters at parties to have all the rainbows for myself, and for going straight-up Cookie Monster if lucky enough to find myself unattended with a plateful or bakery box. Some things never change- I’m still obsessed and David is now, too. The kosher bakery in my mom’s neighborhood makes my absolute favorite ones, (White Plains Bake Shoppe if you happen to be in NYC suburbs), and I always scarf them when I’m visiting… And fly back to LA with a box too. But I can’t exactly fly cross country for cookies, and I have never, not once, found these on the west coast, which is a travesty.

So when faced with a craving one day, I went on a recipe hunt. I came across one for a rainbow cookie cake from Adam Roberts, and the game was on, y’all.

I’ve bumped up the almondy goodness a bit, and frankly, it’s freaking delicious. It’s dense (in the best possible way), but super tender. It’s certainly rich, but semisweet chocolate and quality preserves keep it from being overly sweet. It’s a regular on the celebration rotation, for birthdays and holidays, and the leftovers, if any survive, keep beautifully in the fridge- the ganache gets even more decadent.

I always need to level my cakes to stack them evenly. Here, I layered the cake tops with homemade preserves, just as I did the proper cakes, then used a biscuit cutter for some darling little mini cakes. We had some happy neighbors this night.

Rainbow Cookie Cake

(adapted from the Amateur Gourmet)

Ingredients

3 sticks butter, softened, plus more for greasing pans
1 1/2 cups sugar
14 ounces almond paste (two packages)
6 large eggs
1 1/4 tablespoons real almond extract
2 generous tablespoons Amaretto
1 cup milk
3 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
gel food coloring- red, yellow, green
1/4 cup red fruit jam (I used cherry, raspberry works too.)
1/4 cup apricot preserves
1 cup heavy cream
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
chocolate sprinkles, optional

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350′. Butter and flour three 9-inch cake pans, lining the bottoms with circles of parchment.
In a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar till fluffy. Begin adding almond paste slowly into the running mixer- it’s easiest just to pinch off little bits by hand. Once you’ve added both tubes, mix for at least five minutes, until the mixture is smooth and appears lump free.
Add eggs one at a time, then extract and amaretto, then milk, continuing to mix through and fully incorporating each addition. Don’t fret if the consistency goes a little haywire- it’ll smooth out.
Add dry ingredients- flour, salt, baking powder- and mix just until incorporated. Divide batter evenly into three bowls, adding gel food coloring for bright pink, green and yellow batters. Pour each into a prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes, until a tester comes out clean. Let cool completely, then level if necessary.
Peel parchment off pink cake first, and place it on cake stand or platter. If appearances matter, go ahead and line the platter by slipping pieces of parchment under the edge of the cake- it will make the ganache frosting process much neater.
Spread red fruit preserves to edges of pink cake layer, top with yellow layer. Repeat with apricot preserves and green layer.
In a saucepan, warm cream on medium heat just till bubbles form. Add chocolate chips, then turn off heat. Whisk until the chocolate is all melted and the ganache is smooth.
Pour and spread an even layer of ganache all over the stacked cake- an offset spatula is the best tool for the job. If desired, press chocolate sprinkles into ganache. Pull away the parchment around the bottom and take drips and excess along with it. Let set for an hour or two before serving.

August 19, 2015

0 In style

WiW: matched gingham

A sweet pageant mom I know opened a precious online and mobile boutique this summer, Polkadot Pineapple. I ordered this darling two-piece outfit pretty much as soon as I spotted it, and was actually one of their first orders. I’m so into coordinating outfit sets- I love the versatility they bring as seperates and the matchiness soothes my OCD soul.

I should probably have it taken in, or give it a go myself- the fit’s a bit roomy- but I was too excited to wear it to delay. I wore it to a double dinner date with a great girlfriend from high school who was visiting LA. It was so fun getting to visit and catch up and for our husbands to get to know each other! We had an amazing meal at Terrine, chatting till closing.

A few of my accessories are treasured gifts, new and old. The bracelet was one of too many birthday treats from Erin in Palm Springs, and I received the delicate pearl necklace as a bridal tea gift. My sapphire ring and hoop earrings are beloved heirlooms, inherited from David’s grandmother and mine, respectively. And the shoes were definitely a gift from the sale gods- I found them on ridiculous clearance, at Burlington of all places.

loveRavayna

August 12, 2015

0 In recipes

toasted fruit and nut muesli

This toasted cereal is a favorite around here. Chock full of nuts, seeds, and fruit, it’s gently spiced, not-too-sweet, and totally crave worthy. I love including jars in care packages and gift baskets, and I generally double, if not triple, the recipe when I’m making a batch.

I have a tendency to snack on this muesli by the handful- I can’t help myself! I also keep it simple- bowl, milk, spoon. It makes a scrumptious topping for hot cereal, the perfect textural contrast. And most mornings, a bowl of greek yogurt, homemade preserves, and this muesli is David’s first breakfast.

One of my favorite things about this recipe is that it’s infinitely adaptable to mood, taste and pantry contents. Use whichever nuts and fruits you’d like. I’m sharing my current favorite mix, but every blend I’ve tried has quickly vanished from the pantry. Let me know your favorite variations!

Toasted Fruit and Nut Muesli

adapted from The Garden of Eden (via Whole Living October 2012)

Ingredients

1/3 cup boiling water
1/4 cup whole millet
2 1/2 cups oats (not instant)
3/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes or chips
1/3 cup raw sunflower seeds
Scant 1 cup raw mixed nuts (I use slivered almonds and whole pepitas)
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup agave nectar
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp ground ginger
A few dashes of each allspice and cinnamon (or pumpkin pie spice)
1 heaping cup dried fruit (always golden raisins and tart cherries, blueberries also this batch)

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 325ºf. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, pour boiling water over millet, cover, and let sit for 30 minutes.
In a large bowl, mix the drained millet, oats, coconut, seeds and nuts with the maple syrup, agave nectar, olive oil, salt, and spices. Stir to coat.
Spread the muesli mixture out onto the baking sheet. Bake, stirring every 10 minutes or so, until the mixture is golden, about 30 minutes.
Let the muesli cool and then add dried fruit. Stir to mix. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

August 4, 2015

1 In travel

a Palm Springs weekend

To celebrate my thirtieth birthday, two of my best friends and their respective husband and boyfriend joined David and I for a weekend in the desert. We’d originally tossed around ideas like a big Vegas to-do or a winery daytrip, but my birthday falls right in the midst of my crazy season at work, so I really just wanted to relax.

While we’d typically stay at the Ace or the Saguaro, we rented a lovely house in Palm Springs on AirBNB for this trip. With lots of indoor and outdoor space, privacy, and amenities, it was the perfect home away from home.

We spent the majority of our time laughing and lounging in and around the pool. There were lots of Pimm’s Cups, many bottles of rosé, and soca music in the sunshine.

The cornhole and card games got seriously competitive. The smack talking, even more so.

Heading to stroll, shop, and have brunch at Cheeky’s (bacon flight and blueberry corn pancakes for the win), Erin and I couldn’t help but laugh at our color-coordination.

I adore firepits- they take me back to my Girl Scout days. So we ended each night with a fire and some s’mores.

I always find people’s roasted marshmallow preferences so curious. I like mine totally molten but barely tan- David capitalizes on all the ones that go up in flames.

We had cocktails at Bar en route to my birthday dinner at Birba. We go every time we’re in Palm Springs- the pizza there is incredible. It’s so popular now, but it was great despite the crowd, and the timing of our late dinner worked out perfectly to have birthday cake at home for dessert.

I prepped three layers of this lemon-blueberry goodness at home in LA, double-wrapped it, and brought it along. A hand mixer and homemade bourbon vanilla made quick work of some delicious cheesecake whipped cream frosting.

It was topped with the most outrageous little firework-candle hybrid. It bloomed and spun and played happy birthday (for hours) and was so ridiculously over the top. Might need to become a birthday tradition.

We capped the weekend with brunch at Workshop Kitchen + Bar before hitting the road back to the city. That lobster breakfast burrito was just scrumptious, as were the huevos rancheros and blue crab benedict.

And of course, no road trip to the desert is complete without a stop (or two) at Hadley’s for date shakes and wasabi sunflower seeds.

I’m so very spoiled that my beloveds were willing to spend vacation days and dollars, to fly and drive to shower me with gifts and good wishes. The weekend was the perfect balance of relaxation and revelry, a fabulous way to welcome my 30th year, and definitely this birthday girl’s wish come true.

loveRavayna

July 27, 2015

0 In recipes

our daily bread

Number four on my #15in15 list was to conquer homemade bread- mischief managed! After trying and tweaking a handful of recipes, I’ve landed on a no-knead bread that is easy enough to make consistently, tasty enough to enjoy, and healthy enough to justify. It’s not fancy in the least- it bakes in Pyrex bowls for crying out loud- but I’ve been making a batch every couple of days for the last few months, and it’s a slam dunk for our family.

We eat an unreasonable amount hot from the oven, use it for toasts and tartines (salted butter-homemade preserves, avocado-lemon-Aleppo, Elvis toast, and goat cheese-honey-fleur de sel are our favorites). It makes delish grilled cheeses and other sandwiches, and leftover bits and ends become croutons, bread salad, or and bread puddings.

Some recipe notes:

I bake this bread in the second-largest size of this Pyrex set, a 4 cup volume. Any oven-safe bowl of similar size will work.
Seriously, butter your bowls generously. It’s crucial for getting the loaves to release easily- we’ve eaten more than one loaf squashed from being pryed loose. If using a glass bowl, you want the butter to be thick enough to be opaque.
I buy my yeast in bulk on Amazon, and keep it in the freezer- way thriftier and lasts forever.
Speaking of yeast, I’m including directions for proofing the yeast, which isn’t necessary if you’re certain your yeast is fresh or you are using instant yeast- I skip that step for speed and ease most days.

Everyday Bread (adapted from Alexandra Cooks)

Ingredients

365 grams (3 cups) all-purpose flour (do not use bleached)
120 grams (1 cup) whole wheat flour
1.5 teaspoons kosher salt
2 cups warm water
2 to 3 teaspoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons active-dry yeast
room temperature butter, about 3 tablespoons

Preparation

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flours and salt. In a small mixing bowl, dissolve sugar in warm water. Sprinkle yeast over top, and let stand 10 minutes or so, till it’s a bit foamy. Stir yeast-water-sugar, then add to the flour bowl, and mix until all flour is absorbed.
Cover bowl with a tea towel or plastic wrap and place in a warm spot to rise for at least an hour, until doubled. In our house, the sweet spot of timing is about 80 minutes, and since our kitchen is drafty, I use the microwave as a rising cupboard.
Preheat oven to 425ºF.
Grease two oven-safe bowls (such as the pyrex bowls I mentioned above) with at least a tablespoon of butter each. Use two forks to punch down your dough, turning it over and into itself, and scraping it from the sides of the bowl.
Then, use your forks to divide the dough into halves, and place a portion in each greased bowl. This can get a little messy, since the dough is slippery. It works well to imagine a divider line and use the forks there to pull apart the dough, and then quickly scoop one half out. I sometimes weigh and even out the bowls if they look unbalanced.
Set the dough in a warm spot to rise for 20 to 30 minutes, until it has risen to just above the top of the bowls.
Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 375º and bake for 15 to 17 minutes longer. Remove from the oven and turn the loaves onto cooling racks. If you’ve properly prepped the bowls, they should slip right out. Let cool for 10 minutes before cutting.

July 18, 2015

0 In style

WiW: transitional neutrals

Every so often, I’ll be sharing a recent outfit as a part of this series. I’m not trying to paint myself as some avant garde, fierce fashionista, but I love looking cute without going broke, and often it comes together nicely.

Getting dressed in LA can be tough this time of year. It’s been chillier than it seemingly should, which is inopportune- I want to be wearing summer sundresses with bare limbs. But with leftover June gloom spilling over into July, it goes from sweltering to bracing in a gust of wind or the passage of a cloud.

This outfit satisfied my need for the whites and lights of summer, with enough coverage to keep the shivers under control. It was perfect for a busy recent day- pulled together yet comfortable for a day of meetings and client consults.

Stop and smell the roses, darlings!

loveRavayna

July 9, 2015

0 In life

experiencing more

As a blogger over at Weddingbee, I had the incredible opportunity of growing friendships with some crazy talented women. Though our weddings are mostly memories, I’m lucky to have these incredible gals as friends and inspirations.

Like Emery. When she’s not cracking me up with some flawlessly-timed truth, she’s writing amazing YA novels that are so realistic and relatable, I feel 17 again (in the best possible way). She’s also motivating me to not be such a shrinking violet, with her #15in15 challenge. You can read her post about it here. To summarize, it’s a challenge to try new things or make improvements, in active (rather than passive) endeavors.

This idea crossed my path early this year, so some of the points are in progress or accomplished. Good thing- the year’s half over! They are, as follows:

Experiment with nail art. I’ve been a polishaholic for a while, and I always do my own nails at home, but shiny, solid color is my mainstay. I’m going to be more playful with color and design, maybe even make a salon excursion… It’s just nail polish, after all.
Learn to Dutch braid. I learned how to French braid as a kid, but wanted to step my braid skills up. I’ve managed to master the Dutch braid, now to get good at different applications!
Relearn calligraphy. I attempted to learn calligraphy as a child, but lacked the patience. Revisiting it as an adult, it’s so beautiful and meditative, and I am obsessed. But I don’t even have a set handwriting, so it’s definitely an uphill battle!
Conquer homemade bread. We don’t eat a ton of bread, but when we do, it creeps me out how long it lasts on the counter without mold. I want to find or develop a bread recipe equal parts healthyish, delicious, and easy, so that I can consistently keep basic bread stocked that I feel good about us eating.
Make loveRavayna happen. Man, I’ve been rolling this blog around in my head for years, just letting life get in the way and being a big fat wimp about actually doing it. Enough of that- big girl panties are on, because starting somewhere is starting.
Travel someplace new. “I’m in love with places I’ve never been and people I’ve never met.” I’m constantly wanderlusting, but this year I got to realize a dream trip to Spain and France. Art, food, wine… incredible. Lots of details on that to come.
Live life unscheduled. This is major for me- I live and die by my lists and agendas. Most days, I need them to get it all done, but I want to be better about blocking out time to just chill. And of course, I’m perpetually working on rolling with it when my carefully orchestrated schedule goes to hell.
Make new friends. Other than the one I married, my closest friends are scattered worldwide. I can be so painfully shy, but I want to really push myself to form and invest in new friendships, especially local ones.
Settle skincare. I’ve been on the sunscreen and skincare train for a while, but #thisisthirty and my skin’s starting to show it. I’m going to make some serious efforts in handling my current skin issues before it becomes an avalanche.
Focus on strong not skinny. I’ve been working out fairly consistently for a few years, and am generally pretty close +/- to what used to be my “goal weight.” I weigh in often to regulate, but it’s really important that I prioritize the way I feel in my body, and its increasing strength, over the number on the scale.
Choose happiness. I’m so incredibly fortunate, but I can be a total worrywart and fixate on the worst. I’m making conscious efforts in several aspects to have more positivity in my life.
Get outside. I want to spend some time hiking, at the beach, maybe some vague camping? In general, more time outdoors- I can be too prissy sometimes, and a little grub’s good for a girl.
Streamline stuff. I’m no packrat, but life would be easier if certain aspects were simpler. I’m working on major culling and organizing, and utilizing what I’ve got on hand rather than mindless consumerism.
Rest more. With my crazy schedule, I definitely need more sleep. I’m working on going to bed earlier and optimizing naptime, along with making time to unplug and unwind.
Pursue polish, not perfection. My tendency to perfectionism can simply be too much: energy, effort, to handle. So in life, style, and most other things, readjusting to more reasonable ideals is the idea.

So, there lies my quest. Most of these are pretty abstract and rather long term, but I feel like simply taking the time to evaluate and enumerate these items is a great way to focus, and lord knows I love crossing stuff off a list. I’m looking forward to pushing myself out of my comfort zone, trying new things, being brave, and sharing the adventures along the way!

love,Ravayna

July 3, 2015

0 In blog/ life

because….

… if I had a dollar for every time I thought or talked about starting a new blog, I’d have a bunch of dollars.

… carpe diem and all that jazz.

… I’d rather make than buy, create than consume.

… I take good food seriously- making, eating, and talking about.

… things don’t need to be expensive to feel fabulously rich.

… my beloveds are scattered all over creation; this helps keep them up-to-date on our escapades.

… life is an incredible adventure, so worthwhile is the chronicle.

… a little bravery is exhilarating.

… happily ever after is a work in progress.

I’m far from perfect, and this blog won’t be either. But I’ll be having fun with it, and I sure hope you will too. Cheers!

Thanks for reading- come on back!

love,Ravayna

June 26, 2015

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