Favorites of the Month!

December is a month of celebrations and there have been tons of them for Cakes by Amber Love! I have been super busy all month with orders and projects - I've worked with a few new clients and some very faithful ones from the past! I also had my 5th Annual Cookie Exchange with a group of girls that I absolutely adore. This year we did a little switch up and included things other than just cookies so I made super cute Christmas shaped rice krispies!

Here's a highlight of some of my favorite cakes and treats that I have had the pleasure of creating lately:

This month also included an adorable pancake pop breakfast bar complete with every topping one could want on their morning pancakes!

Aren't they to die for?!

As the month is wrapping up I love looking back on all the fun things I've created and celebrations I've got to be a part of.  I think that's my favorite part of what I do - there are definitely those stressful scary moments that come up - but the finished product is always always worth it!  That first moment a client lays eyes on their order is the greatest feeling a baker can have!  They share their ideas and visions with you and you have the power to make that vision come to life!  It's truly an amazing feeling and I love love love it!  I can't wait to see what fun projects January has in store for me!

As always, I'll be sure to keep you guys updated!  Thanks for stopping by! :) 

Recipe Remakes - Part 1

My love for being in the kitchen isn't just about baking - I REALLY love cooking food too! You can definitely consider me a serious Foodie. My cooking ranges from the tried and true family recipes that I will always love, to Saturday morning Food Network inspirations, to yummy things I've tried in restaurants that I recreate in my own kitchen.

This will be my first Recipe Remake post! How exciting! :)

Today's Remake: Chicken Kitchen's Deluxe Chop-Chop.

Now if you aren't from Miami you might not be familiar with the Chop-Chop phenomenon, but we have several places you can find them or variations of them - Chicken Kitchen, Pollo Tropical, Three Chefs and a Chicken, Chicken Grill, etc. As you can see they are all about the Chicken! A Chop-Chop is basically a bowl of rice (yellow, white, brown, or lo-carb aka lettuce!) with chopped up chicken breast and toppings (tomato, lettuce, black beans, cheese, and sauce). The sauce is a BIG part of this meal. There are a few different options - but there's really only one worth mentioning.... the curry mustard. OMG, it is SO good! It's really not a complete meal without it, ask anyone! Don't worry - today's recipe remake has the sauce, so I've got you covered!

Chicken Kitchen Deluxe Chop Chop -

- Chicken Breasts*
- Rice (I'm using yellow today!)
- Desired toppings (let's do lettuce and tomato - that makes it the Deluxe!)
- 2 tbsp mayo
- 1 tsp yellow mustard
- 1/2 tsp curry powder
- Maybe 2 tbsp water (depends on how thick you want it)

1. Cook the chicken and the rice to your liking. I usually season my chicken with salt, pepper, and lemon pepper seasoning and just plop it in a hot pan with some olive oil in it. For the rice I like it a little mushy so I do 1 cup of rice to about 1 1/2 cups of water, little salt, and a spoonful of olive oil in the pot.

**Once the chicken is done let it rest for a few minutes before you cut into it so the juices can reabsorb and you don't end up with dry chicken.

2. Mix the mayo, mustard, and curry powdered - check the consistency and add water if you want it a little thinner. Set aside until ready to use.

3. Chop up your veggies and drain your beans if you are using any.

4. Place finished rice in the bottom of your bowl - I like to use a pasta bowl because it's a nice dome-like shape and that makes me happy - top with chicken and your veggies and then COVER in curry mustard sauce! Trust me, you won't regret that!

*Note: The amount of ingredients really just depends on how many people and how hungry you are! :)

It's really a simple dinner and it's so tasty! Also much cheaper than eating out and I usually have everything I need to make it on hand. Try experimenting with different rices and toppings! The possibilities are really endless! Chicken Kitchen serves it with half of a pita, which I like to do too when I think about it on the way home and have time to stop to grab them. It's also really good topped with fresh salsa! But the curry mustard is the classic topping for any Chop-Chop!

I hope you guys enjoyed my first Recipe Remake! Many more soon to come!