M-Cups are a very unusual set of measuring cups designed by Fred Studios. These cups have a design inspired by matroyshka dolls, also known as Russian nesting dolls. The traditional dolls – typically made of wood, but here made of food-grade plastic – split in two at the “waist” and open to reveal another, smaller, doll inside. Fred’s M-Cups are shaped like the traditional dolls and neatly stacked together, but are a little more useful than your average doll set, as each doll splits into different measuring cups. The largest has a 1 cup measure for its upper hald and a 3/4 cup measure for its lower one. The medium has a 2/3 cup measure for its upper half and a 1/2 cup measure for its lower one, while the smallest doll measures 1/3 cup and 1/4 cup. The set makes a cool countertop decoration when not in use. The matching M-Spoons also have a matroyshka doll design that matches the M-Cups, although they “nest” like regular measuring spoons do. The five spoon set includes 1/4, 1/2 and 1 teaspoon measures, as well as 1/2 and 1 tablespoon measures.
These matroyshka-inspired designs are fun and would make a great addition to anyone’s kitchen, so I am giving away a matching set of M-Cups and M-Spoons! These make great stocking stuffers, but one lucky reader will win the set as an early holiday present.
To enter the contest, just leave a comment below and mention your favorite holiday treat to bake – whether it is something simple, like kid-friendly rice krispy treats, or something elaborate, like a classic buche de Noel. The contest ends Sunday at midnight (12/11/2011) and one winner will be randomly selected from the entries. Don’t forget to fill in your e-mail on the comment form (it will not be made public), as that is how I will contact the winner, and good luck!
Update: This contest is now closed. The winner will be announced shortly!
You can eat pie any time of year, but fall is really pie season for me. It’s the time of year when apple pie seems to taste its very best and when hearty chicken pot pies are the perfect comfort food. Pies are tasty whatever filling you pile inside, and they can be fun to make and serve, as well. A new pan from Chicago Metallic that makes four individually sized pies caught my eye and so I’m giving away a Chicago Metallic Individual Pie Mold Pan – also known as a pot pie pan – to one lucky reader!
To enter the contest, just leave a comment with your favorite type of pie below – whether it is sweet or savory – below. The contest ends Sunday at midnight (9/18/2011) and the winner will be randomly selected from the entries. Don’t forget to fill in your e-mail on the comment form (it will not be public), as that is how I will contact the winner, and good luck!
Here are a few pie recipes ad tips for inspiration:
Update: The contest is now closed! Julie A was the randomly selected winner. Congrats, Julie!
For the last two years, I’ve had the opportunity to be one of the judges for the Threadcakes Cake Contest and I’m happy to say that I’m back to judge for the third year in a row! The cake contest challenges people to create edible works of art in the form of cakes inspired by Threadless t-shirt designs (such as this popsicle t-shirt I recently featured in a giveaway!). Threadless, if you’re not familiar with them, is a t-shirt company that uses amazing user-submitted art for their clothing.
The rules for the contest are very simple. You must bake and decorate a cake inspired by one of the MANY Threadless t-shirt designs, take lots of photos and post your entry to the contest by Monday, August 15th, 2011. Entries will not be judged on the quality of the photographs, but it is important that the photos allow the judges to clearly see how cool your cake is. There are both 2D and 3D cake categories, and there are lots of amazing prizes to win.
So, browse through the designs at Threadless for some inspiration and take a peek at last year’s gallery to see how people interpreted the tees into cake then. There is no limit to the number of entries you can post and there will even be some “surprise” weekly prizes given out to make things more exciting. Good luck – and I can’t wait to see the final entries!
Eating a popsicle on a hot summer day is a great way to cool down, and wearing a t-shirt printed with a big popsicle design will also help keep you cool – although you still might want the real popsicle to go along with it. This Summertime Treat t-shirt features a huge chocolate-dipped, multi-flavored popsicle on a bright blue background. There is even a little joke printed on the “stick” of the popsicle – although unfortunately, you can’t eat the rest of the pop to find out the punchline. I picked up two of these cute Threadless t-shirts (which are now out of print) some time ago to give away and never got around to it. But better late than never – especially when it comes to a giveaway!
To enter the contest, just leave a comment with your favorite type of popsicle or ice cream bar – whether it is a simple fruit juice pop or a decadent chocolate-dipped number – below. The contest ends Sunday at midnight (7/10/2011) and two winners will be randomly selected from the entries. Don’t forget to fill in your e-mail on the comment form (it will not be public), as that is how I will contact the winner, and good luck!
Here are a few homeade popsicle recipes for inspiration:
Update: Thanks for playing, everyone. This contest is now closed. Congrats to Shannon and Lisa on their wins!
Ice cream cakes are a delicious dessert and can be even better when they come in a smaller, cuter cupcake size. This is party because you can actually be more creative with cupcakes than you can with full sized cakes, as my own Root Beer Float Cupcakes demonstrate because they work perfectly in a cupcake package. So, I was honored to be asked to judge Cupcake Project and Scoopalicious‘s 2011 Ice Cream Cupcake Contest, where I had to sort through 60 entries of over-the-top ice cream cupcakes to pick out my favorites.
All of the entries were fantastic, and I have to encourage you to check them all out (or at least most of them!) when you have a few spare moments or are looking for some inspiration for a summertime treat. As a judge, I had to pick out my top three cupcakes and they’re presented here in no particular order. My picks were based on the combination of flavors and the overall concept of the cake. Thanks to everyone who participated and thanks to Cupcake Project and Scoopalicious for asking me to judge, along with Jessie Oleson from CakeSpy, and Naomi Robinson from Bakers Royale. I only wish I could have made everyone a winner! Since I’m only one of three judges, the grand prize winner will be chosen out of the narrowed field of favorites by the end of the month.
My first pick is the S’mores Cupcake Ice Cream Sandwiches, pictured at the top of this post, made by by Stephanie of 52 Kitchen Adventures. I’m a big s’mores fan and thought that this combination was a very imventive way to combine s’mores and cupcakes. No traditional frosting here, but definitely a lot of flavor in a very easy-to-eat package.
Cake Flavor: Chocolate
Ice Cream Flavor: Marshmallow
Frosting Flavor: N/A
Toppings: Graham cracker crust
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