I'll Be Seeing You

It is time. 

I have decided that this will be my last post. My life, as it stands now, does not allow me the flexibility to give PicturePerfectPassionPhood the attention I feel it deserves. The truth is, I've known that this decision was a long time coming, but being my stubborn self, I just didn't want to believe that up keeping PicturePerfectPassionPhood was impractical.

When I began this blog, I desired to explore blogging, baking, and myself (not necessarily in that order). I have learned a lot from this blog, from other bloggers, and all about baking and cooking. In fact, I am now in school working on my graduate degree in Food Science.

PicturePerfectPassionPhood will continue to be live and non-password protected so that you may always use as a reference. Where you can find me from here on will be on my personal Facebook page, where I will post photographs of my latest kitchen concoctions. All inquiries (recipes, catering requests, etc.) can be accessed by Facebook messaging me or emailing me. 

Should I arrive at a point in my life when I get the opportunity to pursue PicturePerfectPassionPhood once more, I most definitely will and those who have made inquiries will be the first to know about it.

Thank you for humoring me and welcoming me into your lives this entire time. I have received many kind words and encouraging comments since PicturePerfectPassionPhood has launched. I could have never dreamed that I would be so quickly accepted by such wonderful individuals.

With hopes that this will not be the last time we communicate, I'll be seeing you :)

Contact pertaining to PicturePerfectPassionPhood:

facebook.com/pkraikittikun

pkra23@yahoo.com

Contact pertaining to my other life:

kraikittikunphotography.blogspot.com

 

Homemade Ice Cream without a Machine

Hi there!

I think I'm due for a post. This recipe comes just in time for summer. It's homemade ice cream without a machine! It's quick, it's delicious, and it works! I was a little skeptical at first, but I was able to get two different flavored batches in the freezer in 20 minutes! 20 minutes is definitely record time for me to do anything, ever!

Enjoy!

Homemade Ice Cream without a Machine: Basic Recipe

Ingredients:

2 cups of heavy cream

1 can of sweetened condensed milk

Directions:

Add your  mix-ins to the condensed milk.

Whip the cream  until stiff peaks.

Fold the two together.

Transfer to a large enough container.

Freeze.

That's it!

Vanilla Ice Cream with Sprinkles

To the condensed milk, I added 2 tablespoons of vanilla extract, and 2 tablespoons of sprinkles. Follow directions basic recipe, above.

Mint M&M, Chocolate Chips, and Walnut Ice Cream

 To the condensed milk, I added 1/2 cup of chopped mint M&Ms, 1/2 cup chocolate chips, and 1/4 cups of chopped walnuts. Follow directions from basic recipe, above.

Joan’s on Third

I met up with my friend from high school for breakfast. When a friend tells me that the location will be up to my choosing, I try to choose somewhere we’ve both never been before. This time, I chose Joan’s on Third.

I knew it would be a cute place with a great atmosphere and it did not disappoint. For those who have never been, Joan’s on Third is a few blocks away from The Grove. When walking inside, it appears as though it is only a market place, featuring a refrigerated case filled with cured meats and a variety of cheeses. It also has shelves of spices, rice crispy treats (made with cocoa puffs and fruit loops too!), honey samplers, sticks of marshmallows, and more! After you browse around, you will find menu boards hanging in three locations – one for sandwiches, one for breakfast, and one for drinks. Registers are also scattered around, depending on what you want to order. We went for breakfast, so I went to the breakfast register, which also included orders for the bakery and lattes. I ordered the French toast and Irish Steel Cut Oatmeal.

To take home, I got the Nutella poptart (I might have to make one of my own some day), which had such a delicious pastry crust, and a Cloud. Have you ever had a Cloud? I’ve always seen them around online, but I’ve never had one. Let me tell you, if you like heights of fluffy frosting, this is the dessert for you. If you can’t get your hands on one, here’s a recipe you might try. 

After filling up, I went back in to take some photographs of everything I missed. As I suspected, they’re one of the  many places that don’t allow photographs to be taken, but I managed to sneak in their Valentine’s Day tablescape before they caught me…such a rebel, right – =). Back to the table, look at all the wonderful goodies…I love all the pinks…there were pink meringues, and pink lemondrops, and gumballs, and brownies…oh my heaven!

After breakfast, we weren’t ready to part ways, so we went The Grove to do a little shopping. It’s been a while since she’s gone to The Grove, so it was perfect! We had a fabulous morning of just girl time. If you’re even in the LA area, make sure to stop by Joan’s on Third.

Cruise to Mexico

I just returned from a week long cruise to Mexico with my family and sig-o! It was our first time cruising and we were oober excited. Let me just say that starving is nowhere on the itinerary. You can get food any time! The buffet and restaurant is accessible for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Want a midnight snack or any other time snack? No problem – just head to the 24 hour ice cream station or pizza bar. Don’t want to leave your room? No problem – there’s 24 hour complimentary room service! It doesn’t get any better than that for a foodie like me.

When we docked, I began my search for where the locals ate.We found ourselves at El Pollo de Oro (The Golden Chicken). It was located in the city of Cabo San Lucas, about a 10 minute taxi drive from the port. The food was delicious. I had the combination plate with a chicken taco, cheese enchilada, chile relleno, and carne asada. I found a new hot sauce – Valentina! Bye bye Tapatio and Cholula…you’ve been good to me, but it’s time we part ways.

Our cruise line, Carnival Spirit, fed about 2400 people the week we went. To see how this HUGE operation is run, we took a behind the scenes tour of the restaurant’s kitchen…amazing!

Enjoy!

P.S By day 4, my dad needed to have some noodles in his system...any noodles will do...even cup o' noodles!

Last Minute Gifts…Peppermint Bark Cups

 

I always prefer to make something for friends and family rather than shop for them. I find it difficult to shop for such a large group of people…how can you possibly know what they all want without asking (I’m big on surprises)? When I make things, I get to do what I love, from the heart, and the gifts usually can’t be bought in stores. Also, I think people appreciate the effort. This year, I made peppermint bark cups. They are super easy and super cute! I was able to watch a 1.5 hour movie on my laptop in the kitchen and make them at the same time. And, I was able to finish making them before the movie was over! This recipe is so easy, I’m not even going to write down a formal recipe because I didn’t really follow a recipe. I just eyeballed everything. Happy holidays!
First, line a mini cupcake pan with mini cupcake liners

Next, melt some chocolate chips (I used nestle Toll House Semi-Sweet) in 15 second intervals in the microwave. Make sure to slightly shake the chips in between the intervals at first, and then, stir them in between intervals after the first 45 seconds. Once the chocolate is nicely melted, scoop some into the pre-lined cups, filling about 1/5 of the cup, to create a nice base layer.
Find some peppermint flavored white chocolate and repeat as above. I originally wanted to find peppermint kisses, which a co-worker had purchased, but I couldn’t find them in the stores, so I opted for the next best thing – Andes peppermint crunch.

Top with crushed candy canes.
Allow the chocolate to set for a few hours. The slower you allow it to cool and set, the better. Enjoy!