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Blog, Cookbook Club, Lifestyle

July 2015 Cookbook Club Wrap-Up

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Well, this book is ridiculously fun. Sprinkles! is bright, colorful, and it feels like you’re at a party just going through it! But my fave party? The recipes varied from ridiculously easy (like the dipped waffle cones) to more complicated/time consuming (like the banana split trifle cake). They even teach you how to make your own sprinkles at home! (Although I prefer the Geeky Hostess sprinkles, myself!)

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The recipes go beyond basic instructions and serve as inspiration. I tweaked the recipes based on my preferences, and had fun trying different types of sprinkles with them. I was even inspired to photograph my recipes like hers. If you have a copy of the book, you may see some similarity with how she stacks her dipped waffle cones and how my Instagram turned out!

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I’d highly recommend this book for anyone who wants some fun excuses to use all of their sprinkles. At $13.12 on Amazon, it makes a great gift with a bottle or two of Geeky Hostess sprinkles as well! 😉 For more info on the recipes I tried, check out my Instagram (@GeekyHostess) and search for #GHCookBookClub.

Have you read Sprinkles!?

Blog, Recipes

How To Make Patissez’s Nutella and Salted Pretzel Freakshow Shake

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Patissez, a small bakery in Canberra, has created a monster. They’ve created and sell “Freakshows,” gigantic milkshakes topped with baked goods and spilling over with decadent ingredients like salted caramel, fudge, vanilla cream, and Nutella. The pictures have been everywhere the last few days, and when I first saw them, I stopped dead in my tracks. The milkshake was so ridiculous and messy and amazing and I had to have it. Unfortunately, plane tickets to Canberra are a bit out of my price range for a milkshake. So what’s a girl to do? MAKE HER OWN.

A photo posted by Pâtissez (@patissez) on

Three of their milkshakes incorporate baked goods made in house, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to compete with that. But one of them, the Nutella and Salted Pretzel shake, uses ingredients any of us can find at our local grocery store. Plus, who wouldn’t be up to the challenge of using half of a container of Nutella for one milkshake?

The tricks to this shake is to go big, get messy, and make as much as you can from scratch. Making homemade vanilla whipped cream gave it a nicer color, flavor, and texture than using the pre-made bright white stuff from a can. When it all came together, I stood back in awe. I felt a bit like Dr. Frankenstein: giddy at my monstrous creation, and thrilled that I had done it. But after consuming just a fifth of it? I had wondered what I had brought into the world. This shake is rich, huge, disgustingly delicious, and it should not be for one mere mortal. Please, drink responsibly and share this with your entire family.

Ok, enough disclaimers. Let’s get to the recipe.

Nutella and Salted Pretzel Freakshow Shake

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups ice cream
  • Nutella. Just bring the whole container to this party. You’ll use a little under half of it.
  • 2/3 cup milk
  • mini pretzels
  • vanilla whipped cream (see recipe below)

Directions:

  1. Place the ice cream, 1/3 cup Nutella, 2/3 cup milk, and 6 mini pretzels in the blender. Blend until smooth.
  2. Take a mason jar and make a stripe around the inside of the jar with the Nutella.
  3. Cover the outside rim of the jar with Nutella–enough where pretzels can be pushed into it and stick.
  4. Place mini pretzels on the Nutella-covered rim of the jar in a decorative fashion.
  5. Pour the milkshake into the mason jar. Leave some room at the top for a cleaner experience, fill it to the brim if you want “milkshake waterfalls” to pour out everywhere.
  6. Place the vanilla whipped cream in a ziplock bag and cut off one of the corners, making a makeshift piping bag. Pipe the whipped cream on top of the milkshake. Don’t be afraid to go above the jar and over the sides a bit!
  7. Using a spoon, plop small amounts of Nutella onto the top of the whipped cream. Stick mini pretzels into the little Nutella pockets you’ve made.
  8. Crush 2-3 pretzels into dust and sprinkle it on top of the milkshake.
  9. Add some fun straws for flair, and enjoy!

Vanilla Whipped Cream

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream, cold
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3 tablespoons powdered sugar

Directions:

  1. Begin whisking the cream in a cold bowl. (If using a mixer, work up to using one of the faster settings)
  2. Slowly add the vanilla and powdered sugar while continuing to mix the cream.
  3. Mix until stiff peaks form.

The beauty of a milkshake is that it’s easy to experiment and fix your mistakes. Want it thicker? Add more ice cream? Want it thinner? Add more milk. Need more Nutella? Add more Nutella. (Or just lick the edge of the jar, for goodness sake. There’s SO MUCH Nutella everywhere.) I made all of the shake’s ingredients in denominations of 3s so you can easily increase or decrease the size.

If you could make your own flavor of freakshow shake, what would you include? I think mine would be a banana cookies and cream shake with chocolate whipped cream, multiple oreos, and an entire banana. Cause why not?

Blog, Fun Food, Lifestyle

You May Be at SDCC, But I’m Relaxing with Adagio Teas

 

Adagio Collage

I’m gonna be honest with you. Missing SDCC this year has been rough. It’s my first time in 4 years not attending the mega-con, and last night, while the Geeks Go Glam Party and Wootstock were going on, I couldn’t do anything but stalk my Instagram and Twitter feeds, seeing what all of my friends were up to. I was pretty sad to be missing one of the best weeks of the year. But this morning, with the help of Adagio Teas and their amazing Fandom Blends, that feeling changed. Instead of waking up sharing a hotel room with 4 other girls, feeling exhausted, sore, and hungover, mentally prepping myself for another day of heat, lines, and wall to wall people, I got to wake up in my own bed, well-rested and refreshed, ready for a productive work day at my computer. I got to head downstairs and make a wonderful Avengers-themed tea, and there were NO LINES anywhere. NONE!

Hero Recovery Tea

So let’s hold up for a second and talk about these teas. This line, called “Hero Recovery” is based on the Avengers characters, and it’s just the cutest thing in the world. My fave blend is Captain America’s (or “Stars and Stripes”) because it aptly smells and tastes just like apple pie. Yum! Avengers not your thing? They have a bajillion other fandom blends available, and if you don’t see one you like, you can make your own! (I’d recommend trying any by Cara McGee–she seems to know her stuff and her art is so cute!)

So I may not be at SDCC, but that isn’t stopping me from enjoying some geekiness form the comfort of my own home. I look forward to a cozy weekend sampling more of these cute teas, wearing my geekiest t-shirts, and digging into a new pile of comics. (I just read my very first issue of LumberJanes and LOVED it! I’m hoping to pick up some more asap!)

Are you also missing SDCC? What are you doing to cope?

(Special thanks to Adagio Tea for gifting me these goodies to try! You’ve made this week much easier!) 

Blog, Cookbook Club, Lifestyle

Cookbook Club July 2015: Sprinkles!

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Welcome to the Geeky Hostess Cookbook Club! Each month I’ll pick a cookbook and try various recipes from it. I’ll post pictures of the outcomes on Instagram and share my thoughts on social media. Based on permissions from the author/publisher, some months may include giveaways, free recipes, and interviews. You can join along by getting a copy of the book and sharing your thoughts with #GHCookbookClub! 

SPRINKLES! Honestly, I’m surprised it took me this long to feature this book. The author, Jackie Alpers, was one of the Geeky Bakers featured in my Geeky Sprinkles Kickstarter, and as soon as the Kickstarter hit its goal, I purchased a copy of the book as a congratulatory present to myself.

If you backed the Geeky Sprinkle Kickstarter and want some fun ideas on what to do with all those sprinkles, this book is made for you.

Sprinkles! starts off with an introduction into the world of sprinkles. Guys, there are SO many different kinds out there. Once your mind is spinning with new knowledge and you’re properly drooling from all the pics, you get to the recipes. They’re divided into three different sections:

  • Breakfast Sweets
  • Cookies, Cakes, And Pies
  • Snacks And Party Fare

She ends the book with recipes for your own sprinkles, but I’m really excited to play around with the Geeky Sprinkles while trying out the recipes. Make sure you grab a copy of Sprinkles! and remember to use hashtag #GHCookBookClub on Twitter and Instagram so I can see your pics and reviews! (Or just follow the hashtag to see my pics!) Need some sprinkles to get started? Grab some Geeky Sprinkles here. Don’t forget, all sanding sugar and glitter crystal bottles are on sale for $5 each!

Blog, Cookbook Club, Lifestyle

June 2015 Cookbook Club Wrap-Up

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I’m back from NYC and the Fancy Food Show and am catching up on some of the posts that should have gone up while I was gone. It’s just hard to get to your computer when New York City is calling your name!

Between weddings, cons, trips, and holidays, the summer becomes very busy (and fun!). Because of this (and an ongoing Seattle heatwave), I didn’t get to try as many recipes as I would have liked in The Geeky Chef Cookbook. However, I look forward to playing around with the book a bit more in the future!

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The recipes I did try were a lot of fun. The Hunger Games Cheese Buns were absolutely delicious, and The Futurama Slurm was delicious, refreshing, and easy to make. The best part of this book is that you have so many fandoms in one. I don’t need to keep 40 different cookbooks on my shelf to cover my bases for upcoming parties, I can just keep this one!

Check Instagram for the hashtag #GHCookBookClub for more info on the recipes I tried this month. Then, pick up a copy of the book from Amazon and let me know what you think!

Did you try any recipes from this month’s pick? What were your thoughts?

A Geeky Home, Blog, Geek Lifestyle

The Unicorn Files on Kickstarter

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If you like geeky ladies, geeky homes, gorgeous pics, and fun interviews, then this Kickstarter is for you. The Unicorn Files is a project focusing on debunking the myth of the “female geek” by interviewing and photographing these women in their homes. They’re creating a book of all of these photos, and you can now pledge for it on Kickstarter!

I did a photo session with The Unicorn Files last year, and it was a blast. Terra and Nate are wonderful to work with, super sweet, and very passionate about the project. I can’t wait to see what the finished book will look like, and have been loving the preview pics they have up on the Kickstarter page! It’s ridiculously fun to see these geeky women in their own homes. My voyeuristic side always wants to know what type of environment people live in and how they decorate their space. I really enjoy this peek into their lives.

Backing this project will not only get you a copy of the book and other goodies, but it will show your support for geeky women-run businesses. I’d say it’s a win-win. You can see more on their Kickstarter page!

Blog, Events

GeeksGoGlam: This SDCC Party is a Must!

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Are you attending SDCC? Then you’ve gotta hit up Geeks Go Glam, the party that almost had me buying a plane ticket out to San Diego.

Hosted by The Nerdy Girlie and Being Geek Chic (some of my favorite geeky sites!), the party is an excuse to pack your formal dresses and tuxes. Think of it as “Nerd Prom.”

According to the event page, “There will be live music, a tea party offering of tea, coffee and delicious snacks, a photo booth, a raffle with amazing prizes from your favorite chic nerdy retailers and lots of dancing with other glamorous geeks.”

I won’t be there myself, but I’ve sent some Geeky Sprinkles to adorn some of the treats. So if you attend, keep an eye out and send me some pics!

Tickets are $15 at Brown Paper Tickets. Will you be attending?

Blog, Lifestyle, Weddings

Wed.is: A Registry by Geeks for Everyone

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If you’ve recently gotten engaged, you may have started the arduous task of figuring out your wedding registries. The tough thing with most of them is that they limit you to just one store. Nathan and Kaylee weren’t loving that limitation when they got engaged, so they do what any geeks do: started working on a better option.

They created Wed.is, a registry that allows you to add items from any online or physical store. Now you can add some items from Amazon, or ThinkGeek, or the local Mom & Pop shop down your block, all to the same place! (Heck, you can even register for some sprinkles…) Guests can also donate to a cash fund or split the price of gifts with other guests.

Wed.is costs a one-time fee of $20 to use, but because they like fellow geeks and want to help out other engaged couples, they gave me two coupon codes to pass along to you! Want to win a free registry? Enter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog, Disney, Recipes

Dole Whip Cupcakes

Dole Whip Cupcakes

Last weekend I volunteered for Cupcake Camp, a benefit for Relay for Life. The event brought a variety of amateur and professional bakers together to create Disney-themed cupcakes. When I first heard the theme, Dole Whip was the thing that instantly came to mind. I knew we would be outside on a hot day, and the idea of a refreshing pineapple cupcake sounded fantastic. What I didn’t know was how perfect it would be. We had our cupcakes displayed in direct sunlight, and the cute little cocktail umbrellas actually kept my cupcakes looking good while everyone else’s melted around them. Form AND function!

Cupcake Camp

 

If you’re not able to get to a Disney park or Hawaii for the real thing, make these cupcakes for a nice and light pineapple treat. I originally tried a from-scratch version, and it just didn’t turn out as well as this doctored cake mix version. So what do ya know, these are pretty simple to make as well!

Dole Whip Cupcakes

Ingredients:

  • 1 box yellow cake mix
  • Ingredients needed for yellow cake mix, minus the water
  • 10 oz.  plus 2 TBS crushed pineapple in juice, separated
  • 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • Dash salt
  • Maraschino cherries (1 for each cupcake)
  • Cocktail umbrellas (1 for each cupcake)

Directions:

Prepare the yellow cake mix as is directed on the back of the box, but instead of water, use 10 oz. crushed pineapple and juice. Fill cupcake tins about 2/3 of the way with the batter, and bake as directed on the back of the box.

Remove cupcakes from the oven once a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Transfer cupcakes to wire racks.

While the cupcakes are cooling, make the frosting. Mix the butter in a mixer until fully smooth, then slowly add the powdered sugar in, one cup at a time, until it is all mixed. Add 2 TBS of crushed pineapple and juice, and the vanilla and salt. Mix for about 5 minutes or until the frosting has a beautiful, whipped consistency.

Swirl the icing into a soft-serve shape on the top of the cooled cupcakes. Stick a maraschino cherry on a cocktail umbrella, and stick that into the top of the icing. Enjoy! (For an even more Dole Whip-ish experience, chill the icing before decorating, and eat immediately.)

Are you a fan of Dole Whip? What other Disney treats would make good cupcakes?

 

Blog, Cookbook Club, Lifestyle

Cookbook Club June 2015: The Geeky Chef Cookbook

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Welcome to the Geeky Hostess Cookbook Club! Each month I’ll pick a cookbook and try various recipes from it. I’ll post pictures of the outcomes on Instagram and share my thoughts on social media. Based on permissions from the author/publisher, some months may include giveaways, free recipes, and interviews. You can join along by getting a copy of the book and sharing your thoughts with #GHCookbookClub! 

I’m really excited for this month’s cookbook. Why? Because it’s brand new (just released on May 19th!) and includes over 40 different fandoms in its collection of recipes. The Geeky Chef Cookbook features over 60 recipes . You’ll learn how to make Slurm from Futurama, 1Up Mushroom Cupcakes from Super Mario Bros., Lembas from Lord of the Rings, Fruity Oaty Bars from Firefly, and yes, even Soylent Green. (Spoiler: It’s not people.)

The book is divided up into the following categories:

  • Beverages: Non-Alcoholic
  • Beverages: Alcoholic
  • Snacks and Appetizers
  • Soups and Stews
  • Entrees
  • Cakes and Cupcakes
  • Desserts

The recipes vary in difficulty, but I think there’s quite a few in there for beginners as well as some for those of us who want a bit more of a challenge. Grab a copy of the book and join the Geeky Hostess cookbook club by trying some of the recipes and sharing your thoughts on Instagram and Twitter with the hashtag #GHCookbookClub. I can’t wait to try these recipes out and see what you think as well!