Living La Vida Holoka


15 Baking Essentials for People Who Suck at Baking

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Love to bake but feel like you’re not the best baker? Maybe you just need the right tools! Check out these 15 baking essentials to help you become a better baker!

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I consider myself more of a home chef than a baker.  My mom is an awesome baker, but I never really inherited that skill.  Then came this crazy period of quarantine where I stocked up on an extra bag of flour, an extra bag of sugar, and was amazed when I could get my hands on some yeast.  Since this all started, I’ve been baking up a storm!  I did read somewhere that baking helps anxiety and stress.  So maybe that’s why I’ve challenged myself to use this time to become a better baker.  I have to say, it’s actually been working out (*knock on wood*). 

Okay, not everything I’ve baked has been from scratch.  But the majority of what I’ve made has – like Double Chocolate Chip Cookies, Gooey Chocolate Pecan Pie (mostly from scratch except for the pie crust), and even everything seasoned rolls, which I’m super proud of!  Eventually, I want to try making my own pizza dough, sandwich bread, and maybe even one of those pretty braided loaves of Italian bread.  

If you’re feeling like your baking could use a boost, check out these 15 baking essentials!  And remember – baking is totally different than cooking.  Baking recipes need to be followed step-by-step with exact measurements and can take a little patience.  It’s not like we’re rushing to go anywhere these days, so now’s the time to work on your baking skills!

Baking Essentials for People Who Suck at Baking

 

  1. Cookie sheets
  2. Oven mitts
  3. Round cake pans
  4. Loaf pan
  5. Muffin pan
  6. Baking utensil set
  7. Icing spatula
  8. Measuring cup
  9. Measuring spoons
  10. Mixing bowls
  11. Hand mixer
  12. Metal cookie cutters
  13. Wire cooling rack
  14. Silicone baking mats
  15. Rolling pin

These are just a few basic essentials to get you started on your baking journey.  But if you’re feeling really ambitious, you could get yourself a fancy Kitchenaid stand mixer.  I got mine a few years ago during a Black Friday sale.  Even if you’re not a great baker, it’s a nice tool to have in the kitchen!  

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Chocolate Mini Egg Easter Blondies

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Sweeten up buttery blondies with chocolate mini egg candies, white chocolate chips, and rainbow sprinkles to make them a fun and colorful Easter treat!

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So…Easter’s pretty much canceled this year.  Right?  Not gonna lie – I’ve always wanted to spend a quiet holiday at home – just the two of us – so a year without celebrations isn’t such a disappointment to me.  Sure, I miss my family, but we’ve been doing Facetime and I call and text my parents regularly.  Once we get out of isolation, I know we’ll end up having a big celebration anyway to catch up on everything we’ve missed! 

In the meantime, I’ve prepared us for an Easter feast of boneless, sliced ham for two and I was able to get fresh vegetables through my Hungryroot delivery.  As for dessert, I’ve got six more of these Chocolate Mini Egg Easter Blondies in the freezer. 

Chocolate Mini Egg Easter Blondies

 
I made my first batch of these blondies a few weeks ago and wasn’t entirely pleased with how they turned out.  They were a lot thicker and I didn’t have all of the ingredients I would have liked to use.  They weren’t bad.  In fact, we finished them off pretty quickly!  They just weren’t what I envisioned them to be. 

So I placed a Target order for ingredients (thank goodness for delivery and delivery drivers right now) and was able to get everything I needed to remake this recipe.  This time around, they came out the way I wanted them to – full of milk chocolate mini eggs, white chocolate chips, and sprinkles in a buttery, chewy, golden bar!

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Chocolate Mini Egg Easter Blondies

Chocolate Mini Egg Easter Blondies

Ingredients

  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 cup butter, melted
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 cup milk chocolate mini eggs
  • 1/3 cup white chocolate chips
  • 1/4 cup springtime rainbow sprinkles mix

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9"x13" pan.
  2. In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs, sugars, butter, and vanilla together until smooth.
  3. Slowly incorporate the flour and mix in the salt and baking powder.
  4. Once combined, fold in the chocolate mini eggs, chocolate chips, and rainbow sprinkles.
  5. Bake for 30-45 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  6. Allow blondies to cool. Then, cut into bars.

Notes

If desired, press more mini eggs, chocolate chips, and sprinkles into the top of the blondies before cutting them and while they're still warm.

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These Easter blondies are a tasty, colorful treat that kids can help make!  Let them help add the ingredients to the bowl and stir.  Then, pour everything into a baking pan and bake!  Easter might feel a bit different this year, but you can still make it feel special with some homemade Easter blondies!

Swap in these fun mix-ins!

  • Milk chocolate chips
  • Dark chocolate mini eggs
  • Butterscotch baking chips
  • Chopped pecans
  • Easter M&M’s
  • Chocolate bunnies, chopped
  • Chocolate peanut butter eggs, chopped


Did you make these Chocolate Mini Egg Easter Blondies? Share your pics on Instagram using the hashtag #livinglavidaeats. Don’t forget to tag me @lavidaholoka!

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15 Recipes You Can Make with Boxed Cake Mix

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Turn a box of cake mix into a delicious dessert with these 15 Recipes You Can Make with Boxed Cake Mix including an assortment of cakes, cake pops, cookies, donuts, and more!

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One thing that’s been kind of a bummer during isolation is the inability to just jump in the car and go to the store whenever I get a craving for something.  I was telling a friend how I wished I had thought to grab a box or two of cake mix while I was shopping to stock our kitchen for a few weeks.  Sure, I could also head to Pinterest and make my own cake mix (which I’ll probably end up doing one of these days). But it’s so much easier to just dump a mix in a bowl and throw a cake in the oven! Don’t worry. I’ll make do! 

But if you’re lucky enough to have a box of cake mix sitting in your kitchen cabinet, you’ll be able to make everything from cake, cookies, and donuts to cake pops, cobblers, and trifles!   If you’re having a craving for something sweet, break out the cake mix and get baking!  Oh, and by the way, if you have cake mix that’s about to expire, but you’re not in the mood for sweets, you can freeze an unfrosted cake to enjoy later!  When your craving hits, just take it out of the freezer to thaw and frost! 

Satisfy your sweet tooth while you’re stuck inside with these delicious dessert recipes made with a box of cake mix!

15 Recipes You Can Make with Boxed Cake Mix
  1. How to Make a Boxed Cake Mix Taste Better Than Bakery – Frugal Foodie Mama
  2. Easy Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Holes – Hello Nature
  3. Lemon Blueberry Cake Recipe – Weekend Craft
  4. Pineapple Upside Down Inspired Cupcakes – Simply {Darr}ling
  5. Lemon Cream Cheese Cake – Living La Vida Holoka
  6. Strawberry n’ Cream Cakes Trifle with Vanilla Vodka – Busy Being Jennifer
  7. Easy Chocolate Buttermilk Donuts – Frugal Foodie Mama
  8. Chocolate Kahlua Cake Recipe – My Mini Adventurer
  9. Baked Funfetti Donut Recipe – Weekend Craft
  10. Cherry Dump Cake – Momma Lew
  11. Slow Cooker Strawberry Cobbler with Cake Mix – Growing Up Gabel
  12. Lemon Lime Soda Cupcakes – Hello Nature
  13. Pineapple Angel Food Cake – Living La Vida Holoka
  14. Milk Chocolate Cake Pops – Busy Being Jennifer
  15. Key Lime Bundt Cake Recipe – Cool Moms Cool Tips

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Did you make any of these cake mix recipes? Share your pics on Instagram using the hashtag #livinglavidaeats. Don’t forget to tag me @lavidaholoka!

15 Recipes You Can Make with a Can of Beans

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Canned beans are a cheap and easy way to bulk up meals and add a great source of protein to your diet! Use these 15 Recipes You Can Make with a Can of Beans to make good use out of this pantry staple!

This post may contain affiliate links.  Making a purchase through one of these links helps support this blog.

It’s so weird being a blogger during the Coronavirus pandemic.  I’ve had Easter and spring content (recipes, gift guides, gardening) planned and scheduled for weeks, and part of me has wondered if I should just pull it at this point.  But I want to try and maintain a sense of normalcy around here.  I mean, eventually the dust has to settle.  Right?

So in between those scheduled posts that might not be entirely fitting to our current situation, I’m going to try and publish content that can help make things easier during this crazy time.  Especially when it comes to using what we’ve got so we don’t have to worry about making trips to the grocery store!

We’ve been extremely thankful for our Hungryroot deliveries, but eventually we’ll have to go to the store for some of our everyday essentials.  In the meantime, I’ve taken inventory of our fridge and freezer and I’m trying to make damn sure that we use up every last morsel of food in this house before we have to resort to grocery shopping.

15 Recipes You Can Make with a Can of Beans

 
Thankfully, we have a decent supply of pantry staples in the house right now. When the Coronavirus first started making headlines, I picked up some canned beans just to have on hand.  At that time, we really didn’t know how bad things were going to get.  But now that things are what they are, I could hug those little cans of black beans, chickpeas, cannellini beans, and red kidney beans!

Beans not only have a great list of health benefits tied to them (and they’re especially a great source of protein), they are an easy way to bulk up any meal!  If you need some new ideas for canned beans, I’m sharing 15 of them with you.  These include everything from breakfast, easy lunches and dinners, snacks, and even dessert!  I hope these will inspire you while we’re all toughing it out at home! 

  1. Vegan Breakfast Tostadas
  2. 5 Bean Turkey Chili
  3. Tuscan Meatball and Bean Soup
  4. Chicken & Refried Bean Sheet Pan Nachos
  5. Kale, Chicken, and White Bean Soup
  6. Hatfield® Pork Chile Verde Burrito Bowls
  7. Jackfruit Black Bean Tostadas
  8. Vegetable Stir Fry with Chickpeas
  9. Italian Sun-Dried Tomato and Roasted Garlic Hummus
  10. Chili Lime Air Fryer Chickpeas
  11. Chickpea Puttanesca
  12. Homemade Avocado and Chickpea Burgers
  13. Warm Kale and Chickpea Salad
  14. Caprese Style Quinoa Salad
  15. Chocolate Strawberry Dessert Hummus

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Did you make any of these canned bean recipes? Share your pics on Instagram using the hashtag #livinglavidaeats. Don’t forget to tag me @lavidaholoka!



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