When I first learned how to carve a pumpkin, I mean really carve one – I was working in one of my first architecture firms and we were having a design competition (of course). Not wanting anything ‘crappy’, they taught us all the basics of carving, and I’ve never looked back. Every year I think about what I’m going to carve, but don’t get down to it ’til right before Halloween.

The Baby is waaaaay into Batman. So of course he wanted one carved into a pumpkin. I’d done Batman before, so this time I thought I’d do it with a little extra oomph. Action pose!

To start off, just print out something from the computer. Line weight and positive/negative space will help you out immensely – the simpler the better. (Or you can always freehand something, which is how I did the Peter Pan pumpkin.) Tape the image to the pumpkin.

Now this is how *I* do it, I don’t necessarily recommend it, it’s just an old school way of doing it. I use and x-acto knife and punch holes (like tin-punching) all over the lines I want to carve. I even made a video, here:

I don’t know why the Baby is yelling “AGUA, AGUA!!” in the background. I guess he wanted water? You never know with him. Sometimes he just yells BACON for no reason. Anyway, after you do all that punching…

I trace the punched areas over with a pencil. I accidently got a shot of the sign on my desk in the back and it cracked me up, so I left it in the picture.

After you have your image on the pumpkin, start carving. Just go for it. I use and x-acto for everything only because I am comfortable with it. It gets tiny clean lines done easier and let’s you scrape away mistakes fairly easily. When you cut, your pumpkin will weep. It’s sad. No, seriously – with every cut, the juice will weep out, just dab at it with a towel and keep going.

Now, I clean out my pumpkin AFTER I’ve carved it. Weird I know, but I find it easier. Because here’s the trick – after you’ve taken out the guts and seeds, really scrape down the area behind the image you’ve carved. Try and get a 1/2″ to 1″ thick wall, but leave the rest of the pumpkin walls thick. Why? That way when you light it from the inside, your image will pop a lot better.

Here’s your final image, now…light it!

It’s simple. Just pick something easy. 5 minutes into this one I was questioning my sanity, but only because I knew exactly how I wanted to to look. Thin outlines are time consuming. Pick something easier, with a lot of negative space. A LOT. Once you do one, they’ll just keep getting easier, I promise!

Every year I say I’m probably not going to do a pumpkin.
Yeah. Right.
Then I can’t help myself.

I’ve made Peter Pan:

Julius the monkey from Paul Frank:

PLEX from Yo Gabba Gabba:

Batman:

And even…MYSELF.

If you want to see the process of how I did these, go to: Pumpkin Carving how-to.

Apparently Yoda’s off the carbs, because it’s just pieces of ham and cheese today, tho – in star shapes, of course. It’s amazing how just 2 minutes with a small cookie cutter can make the world a cuter place.

I wanted to make something cute and seasonal. A giant stash of candy corn proved to be just the inspiration.

ingredients:
White cupcake batter
yellow gel dye
orange gel dye
buttercream frosting

So I’m not going to give you a white cake recipe because you should have one, but if god forbid you decide to go with a box mix, well – just don’t tell me about it. Don’t get me started.

Once you have your NON- box mix batter (heh) separate it into two bowls. I like to use gel dye because it doesn’t take that much and give you a strong color. Dye one half of the batter yellow, the other orange.

Prep your cupcake pan by filling the liners 1/3 of the way with yellow. Then go back and top that off with 1/3 orange. Bake as your recipe directs.

Once cooled you will have a lovely two tone cupcake, resembling the bottom of candy corn! Now for the white top – make up some white buttercream, and get your mini sous chefs to decorate with candy corn!

These are a very easy way to make cute Halloween treats and the kids love to help!

I got a special invite to the VIP opening night party for the Three Apples – Hello Kitty exhibit at the Royal T Cafe in Culver City. It’s Hello Kitty’s 35 anniversary so there was a big party with tons of press, celebrities (Paris Hilton and Kimora Lee Simmons showed up) and of course…sweets!

What’s a birthday without a cake – three of them: strawberry, vanilla and chocolate!

In honor of Hello Kitty’s anniversary, here are some of my favorite Hello Kitty recipes that I’ve done in the past. Enjoy!

Mochi Waffle – *moffles

Hello Kitty Fondant Cupcakes

Hello Kitty Baked Pasta

This is a simple way for kids to create something fun AND tasty.

ingredients:
1 screw top jar
2 Tablespoons instant pudding
5 Tablespoons milk

Any kind of instant pudding will do, heck make your own if you like. I was drawn to these retro boxes – Chocolate for the Baby, and of course Vanilla for choco-allergic Kid.

I found these screw top jars at my cake supply store, but I suppose you could use baby food jars, tho they are rather small. Anything that closes TIGHTLY is good. Remember, there is potential for your kids to do some damage here.

Fill the jar with the instant pudding, carefully add the milk. Close the lid tightly then hand it over to your kid and let them SHHHAAAKKKEEE ITTT!!!

Basically until everything is combined or their tiny arms can’t take it anymore. Carefully open the lid, and eat.

Well it certainly is winter here in Los Angeles. Can’t you tell by the shorts and tank top that I’m sporting? YES it’s 80 degrees in October and man am I unhappy about it. I thought I’d trick the weather by making wonderful fragrant Fall spice cakes in cupcake form.

It didn’t work. I’m still sweating.

ingredients:
2-1/2 cups cake flour
3-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1-1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1-1/2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup whole milk

cinnamon buttercream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prep a cupcake pan with liners.

In a bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: cake flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg and cloves. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer beat the butter and sugars. Slowly add the eggs, and then the vanilla.

Alternate the dry ingredients with the milk, to form a nice batter.

Spoon the batter into the prepped cupcake pan, filling the cups about 3/4 full. Bake for 15-17 minutes depending on your oven. Check with a toothpick.

Let cool on a wire rack. I like to top these with cinnamon buttercream because I think it fits the spice flavors perfectly.

When the FoodLibrarian told me she was going to do 30 bundt cakes in 30 days – well, first I said she was nuts, then I started singing “I like big bundts and I cannot lie”. So I made her this logo to surprise her. Hopefully I’ll get a bundt cake out of it.

Follow her 30 days of bundt cakes – here.

Frozen yogurt is all the rage here in Southern California which is pretty stupid if you ask me – suddenly it’s 1991 again, but whatever, my kids LOVE IT. To show them how easy it is to make at home I had them help me out in the kitchen. Since I STILL I had a bunch of cherries in the freezer, this flavor was a no-brainer. This recipe is super simple, and just as good if you ask me. Course I only had one flavor. Um…and no toppings. Or fancy bowls. Or rockin’ music playing overhead. BUT IT’S JUST THE SAME AS A FANCY YOGURT PLACE I TELL YOU. Ugh. Forget it.

ingredients:
2 cups cherries
2/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1-1/2 cup vanilla yogurt

In a blender, combine cherries, sugar and lemon juice. Get a tiny sous chef to help you.

Once blended, fold the fruit mixture in with the yogurt.

Add to your ice cream machine per directions. Spoon into a freezer safe container and freeze until you are ready to serve.

You can change the fruit up in this, or add topping, but straight out of the carton ain’t bad either.

Food that looks like something else is fun, but maybe not when it’s snails. I love these faux-cargots cause they crack me up – but the concept of a roll-up or wrap is nothing new. They are perfect for packing in a school lunch and the Kid loves anything in a tortilla!

Faux-cargot recipe, here.