Chocolate Almond Upside-Down Cake

Can you smell Christmas in the air?? I love the holidays. Mostly because of all the cookies, holiday drinks and jolly-ness that everyone seems to have. Although, not so much about my birthday and Christmas gifts all rolled into one. Too bad my birthday is at the end of the year. I never get two separate gifts and all my friends are usually on holiday in some exotic warm place :(
Wow. I whine. A lot.

Now for some interesting facts on how retailers use psychology to make you spend more!
Sometimes I can't help being enamored by the extravagant window displays or the huge signs that say "up to 80% off". And then I get home and I think, "Why on earth did I get that?"
Your Five Senses on Overload
SIGHT: Christmas colors red and green influence our mood and spending! Did you know that waitresses wearing red receive 14-26% higher tips and eBay shoppers bid more aggressively for products shown on red vs. blue backgrounds?

SMELL: Oh that holiday scent of pine, peppermint and gingerbread. These smells can evoke feeling of happiness, physiological arousal and creates more alert shoppers who will shop longer.

HEARING: Studies show that nostalgia elevates positive moods and helps people feel better about themselves and what they're buying.

TOUCH: Retailers carefully design stores with merchandise roadblocks and sneaky displays. Physically holding products can create a sense of psychological ownership and drive "ZOMG I NEED THIS" purchase decisions. You see how Apple does this to you?
Research also shows that waitresses who touch restaurant patrons earn more tips (!!) and customers drink more when "innocently" touched by female bartenders.

TASTE: I admit that I go around Costco and get free food samples... Sampling drives people to want more of anything that's rewarding.

Read the full article here ... and now onto an easy Christmas Cake to Bake!

Chocolate Almond Upside-Down Cake
From Martha Stewart with slight tweaks

Apple 'n' Oats Muffins

Wow! It's been almost a month since my last post. I feel bad and now I'm back to stop this procrastination and laziness... hopefully it'll last. Anyhoo, I'm in Virginia now and I just went apple picking in Charlottesville! I'm so glad I came down to visit bubs when the weather was not too cold for my Californian blood. The leaves are all kinds of colors and it was so romantic :) We picked fuji and pink lady apples. They seriously taste crazy fresh and sweet. Very unlike the old apples you'll find in supermarkets. So here's a recipe putting apples into my favorite breakfast item...muffins!

Give The Bonding Hormone to cheating men!
I first learned of Oxytocin as the hormone that triggers uterine contractions during child labor. But after some classes at Georgetown and reading this article, oxytocin is also super important in pair-bonding in couples. The levels of the hormones increase in humans after they enter a romantic relationship and after good physical contact with that partner (as in petting and holding hands...or more...). This study gave intranasal delivery (shot up the nose) of oxytocin and showed that it could improve communication in couples, emotional reading from facial expressions and increase trust!

Even more impressive is that there is now evidence that oxytocin can help maintain monogamous relationships. Married men given the hormone stayed FURTHER AWAY from attractive women than men lower oxytocin. Wow... we need to jump on this band wagon ladies..

Apple 'n' Oats Muffins
Makes 11-12 muffins

Reese's Pieces Oatmeal Cookies

Hope for Acne-ridden teens (and adults)?
I'm glad that somehow some of my mum's clear skin genes made its way over to me. Although, during my awkward teen years, my raging hormones gave me pimple-face and I did all kinds of things to try to get rid of my zits. I'll have you know that a paper published last month, in the journal of the American Society for Microbiology found acne-fighting viruses that may zap your zits away!

These viruses called bacteriophages were found on the faces of flawless skin and helped to keep the acne bacteria under control says Laura Marinella at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. They even found the enzyme that the viruses use to kill acne and that could one day become a schmear-on cream ointment. Yay for good viruses!

However, with medication comes mutations and bacterial resistance :( Will we have super acne in the future?! D:

On the side note, I've been eating way too much candy in preparation for halloween and hibernation. Here's another cookie recipe I've been gorging on. Although, I made it healthy and eat them before working out.

Reese's Pieces Oatmeal Cookies
Makes 24 cookies

S'mores Cupcakes

I thought I might enlighten you guys with cupcakes this time. I haven't made anything sweet and sugary in a while, but since it was my brother's birthday, I went and made him these S'mores Cupcakes (best sister ever). Somehow, I've fallen into this role of making my brother a birthday cake every year. First it was red velvet, then honey chocolate cake, but this time I went the easier route and made cupcakes. He engulfed these. Seriously. I turned my back and at least 5 were gone :O

I'm also posting this recipe for my friend who's ill but wants to eat these as soon as she can. Talking about ills and chills...
HOT TUB FOLLICULITIS: What's in your hot tub?
Now I know it's summer and a hot bubbling whirlpool is the last place you want to set foot in, but for other reasons, I would think twice before jumping into a vat of bacteria and bugs. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is found to contaminate hot tubs because it's nice and warm, withstands chlorine and live in this layers of slime inside the water system. Blech. Dr. Claire Panosian Dunavan, an infectious diseases specialist at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, say they're also found in hospitals and can cause ignited fevers, pustules, itchy and irritating skin rashes. Luckily, it goes away after a week, but do you really want to walk around red, itchy and angry?

S'mores Cupcakes
Makes baker's dozen

Ingredients
1.5 cups honey graham cracker crumbs (about 10-12 whole crackers)
0.5 cup all purpose flour
2.5 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
6 tbsp butter + 1/4 cup yogurt (or use whole stick)
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup milk

Few tbsps Nutella Spread
Mini marshmallows

1. Preheat oven to 350F and line or grease cupcake pan.
2. Crush graham crackers using a food blender (pulse) or put it in a bag and crush it manually with your hands or a rolling pin like I did. Measure 1.5 cups of that. There will be some left you can use for decoration. Add the flour, baking powder and salt to the crumbs.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk softened butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the eggs one by one and then add in the vanilla too. If you're going to use the yogurt add here too.
4. Add the graham cracker/ flour mix to the wet mix, alternating with the milk. Mix that up gently and divide the batter.
5. Bake for 20-22 mins. 
6. Let them cool, spread some nutella and top with left over crumbs and mini marshmallows. You can put it under the broiler/oven for less than a minute to get the toasted marshmallow effect. Or use a kitchen torch if you're handy like that.

Happy Birthday lil bro~

Nutella Swirl Cupcakes

I introduced nutella to bubs some time this year. I know. Who hasn't grown up with nutella sandwiches for breakfast?? Poor deprived man-child child. Anyway, we're in Richmond, VA for a quick tour. It's so damn hot right now even I'm sweating, and I don't sweat.

We're off to more BBQ wee! Excited!!

Factoid: Erythropoietin - Your Exercise Motivation Hormone
How much effort does it take to get you off your fat bum and exercise? Don't you just have those days where you want to just veg? I'm guilty. But I might just throw that onto how much erythropoietin (Epo) I have. Epo is a hormone present in small quantities that stimulate red blood cell production so you can supply those limp muscles with more oxygen while you power jog through the park.

Healthy people treated with EPO reported to feel improved mood, physical conditional as well as increased ventilation (yay oxygen). That helps you change how fatigued you feel and enhance exercise capacity. Other nerds from Switzerland this year injected extremely high doses of Epo into mice and even made genetically modified mice to produce Epo in their brains!  Both groups of mice showed more motivation to exercise than the control group.

Maybe they'll find a pill or injection for humans in the future? In the mean time, get off your lazy arse and hit the tread mill :)

Nutella Swirl Cupcakes
Makes a baker's dozen

No need for icing!

Ingredients
1.5 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup white or brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup (or just use all sugar)
2 egg
1/2 cup yogurt (or use another 4tbsp butter)
1 tsp vanilla
Nutella

Preheat oven to 350F
In a large bowl, cream your butter and sugar together. Once the butter is nicely incorporated, add in the maple syrup, egg, yogurt and vanilla.

In another bowl, sift all your dry ingredients together. Add dry to the wet mix and fold until just incorporated.

Divide it into muffin cups and fill up to 1/2 way. Drop 2-3 tsp of nutella on top of the batter in the muffin cups. Swirl it around with a toothpick.

Bake it for 18-20mins

Spaghetti Squash Bake

We are pretty big couch potatoes. Thank goodness we don't own a TV, or our brains would turn into mush from watching the tube 24/7. Because of studying, we've limited our TV time to only when we eat our meals. Yeah, I know... but meal time conversations are over-rated. Our favorite food network show is Diners Drive In and Dives with Guy Fieri. He has literally the best job in the world! Although, it also probably includes heart attacks, myocardial infarctions and hypertension over time :\

Anyway, in the episode he went to this restaurant called The Pitstop and introduced a new recipe for my blog. I couldn't wait to try it. Spaghetti squash is a great alternative to carb-y pasta and this dish can be made vegan (using nutritional yeast) or vegetarian. It's quick if you use bottled pasta sauce or you just have some lying around. And 1/2 a serving will make you extremely stuffed. So remember you're cooking for 2 :) You seriously won't miss the carbs in this dish. Even bubs liked it and he's a steak and potatoes kind of guy.

I have a pseudo scientific tip for the ladies this time! Enjoy.
Interesting Tip: Marry a Man with a LONG Ring Finger
A man with a longer ring finger has apparently been exposed to more testosterone in the womb. Dr. John Manning of Rutgers University. A person with high testosterone levels have been associated with being more logical, decisive and ambitious. But then too much testosterone means highly competitive and aggressive people douchebags. That's why women are such a good balance :D

So ladies, it's great if you meet someone at a bar and his muscles are rippling and he looks like a cross between Johnny Depp and Brad Pitt. But remember to look if he's got those "man" qualities with a long ring finger. If it's short and stubby... watch out. He could be a huge sissy.

Spaghetti Squash Bake
Adapted from the Food Network

Ingredients
1 Spaghetti Squash cut lengthwise
4 oz Mozzarella + Parmesan shredded (I also used 2% sharp cheddar)
1 tsp Rosemary or basil

Sauce
1/2 lb ground turkey (optional for vegetarians)
1 onion diced
3 cloves garlic minced
1 zucchini small
1 cup mushrooms sliced
1/2-1 can diced tomatoes (fire roasted)
4 tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp Rosemary or basil
1 tsp Oregano (or italian seasoning)
pepper + salt

Preheat oven 350F.
Slice squash in half, scrape out the seeds and place fleshside down in a baking dish

Add 1/4 inch water. Bake for 40-50 mins or until tender.
While that's baking, let's make the marinara sauce!

If you already have left over pasta sauce or if you're going to use ready made pasta sauce, then you can skip this step! Or jazz up bottled sauce with vegetables and meat if you like. I actually doubled the recipe here to make leftover sauce for future meals.

Dice your onions, mince the garlic, slice zucchini into half moons, slice mushrooms.

In a large skillet, saute garlic and onion in 1 tbsp of olive oil. Add the turkey if you're a meat eater and cook until just brown. Add zucchini, mushrooms and tomatoes and cook for another 5 mins. Add your seasoning herbs, pepper and salt to your liking.

I added tomato paste and let it simmer for about 8-10mins to make it more saucy.

Your spaghetti squash should be nice and soft. Careful because it is hot! You can scrape the strands inside and then transfer it to a bowl.

Using a fork, rake the flesh to create the "spaghetti" strands.

Mix in about 3/4 cup of the sauce, 1/2 of the cheese and remaining fresh rosemary.

Put it back into the squash shells, top it off with some extra sauce and remaining mozzarella and parmesan. Crack some fresh black pepper on top. Bake until the cheese begins to melt and bubble and create that lovely crust. About 10-11 mins.

HMM!

I added some sharp cheddar cheese under the mozzarella

Lemon Raspberry Cake

Hooray for four day weekend!! I'm currently writing this blog post at a Korean hair salon. No, I'm not getting my hair did. But bubs is. His hair is high maintenance. Haha omg he's going to kill me. I feel that only korean people can cut my hair. I don't get it. But it gets MESSED up if some white person touches it. I guess they just don't understand that I have thin wispy hair and not luscious locks like Lucy Liu #aznjealousy.


I decided to bake a spring time cake using lemon and raspberries. Berries are so delicious right now and this cake is so light and airy. Hmm.. You can always use other berries like blueberries or blackberries. Whatever you fancy. It is a great cake for afternoon teas and for sharing with friends :)


Now onto my short health factoid of the day!


Bring water into exams, get 100%
Last month, at the British Psychological Society Annual Conference held in london, a research group presented their study on students' ability to perform in exams when they brought water to the test day. Apparently, they found out that just by bringing a water bottle into an exam correlated to an improvement in their grades. Holy moly. I always bring my water bottle to exams. But, I don't think it has made me any smarter... unless that's all the best I can doOOooo  :(


Anyhoo, drinking water during an exam can alleviate some anxiety. So, listen to your Uncle Sam. "Stay hydrated. Stay in school. And stay classy."


Um yea...


Lemon Raspberry Cake

Ingredients
5 tbsp margarine/ butter softened
3/4-1 cup white sugar (I like to err on the less sweet side, but I feel that most people will use 1 cup!)
2 large eggs
3/4 cup plain yogurt (or lemon yogurt if you really like lemon)
Juice of 1 lemon + zest (about 2-3 tbsp lemon juice and 1 tbsp zest)
1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/4 cup flour
1.5 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup raspberries cut in half

Preheat oven 180C/ 350F.
In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until nice, light and creamy looking.
Add the eggs 1 at a time, then add in the lemon juice and zest, and finally the yogurt.

In a different medium sized bowl, stir in the dry ingredients together (flour, baking powder, salt). Gently stir in the dry mix with the wet stuff in the large bowl. Remember to only mix until moistened!

I probably would toss the berries in 1 tbsp of flour before adding to the batter so it doesn't sink to the bottom. Fold in the raspberries gently too so you don't pop and streak red everywhere!

Bake for 40-50mins or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let it cool in the pan for 10 mins before you cut and serve it.

You can always decorate it with some icing sugar on top. Also, I only have a cake pan out here, but I'd use a loaf pan next time.

Studded with raspberries Hmm!

Savory Oatmeal Cookies - Parmesan & Rosemary

My friends know that I don't drink coffee, don't need to sleep much, don't need to take naps and I will function just fine. Jelly? 

But now I've started drinking coffee and taking naps because bubs does. It's like yawning. Napping is contagious. What I'm trying to get at is that...I have no idea...haha. I just wanted to say something about coffee before I introduce you to my factoid of the day. 

Factoid: Humans are Predisposed to Spill Coffee

In an experimental study conducted at UC Santa barbara, we apparently are just built to spill our drinks due to the way we walk, liquid sloshing engineering and other complicated dynamical phenomena :P They tested the extend of spills for various walking speeds and the liquid levels in the cups. So we spill coffee either by accelerating too much for a given fluid volume and generating a swirl in the cup by the way we walk.

So...when I spill my drinks at a bar, I shouldn't blame it on the booze? Haha

Anyway, I had 1/2 a block of cream cheese left after making the Jalapeño Cheese Poppers and wanted to use it before it went bad in the fridge. I love oatmeal cookies and I love savory and not too sweet desserts. So I stumbled across a recipe for savory oatmeal cookies. And I know cream cheese makes baked goods oh-so-fluffy. Also, we have tons of Rosemary plants growing next to the library at Georgetown, so I make bubs pick them up haha. So students at Georgetown, whenever you need some Rosemary there are sprouting all along NRB building and DML!

Savory Oatmeal Cookies with Parmesan & Rosemary

Loosely adapted from The Kitchn

Ingredients
1 cup quick cooking oats
1/4 cup warm water
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup cream cheese (or 1/2 cup sour cream, whatever you have left over)

1 cup flour
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
3 teaspoon rosemary (fresh)
1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

Preheat oven to 350F.
Pour into a medium size bowl 1/4 cup of water. Microwave that for maybe 30 sec so its warm. Mix in 1 cup of oats to it and mix it good. It should be pretty doughy and thick.

In a large bowl, mix the olive oil, sugar, egg and cream cheese. Add the oatmeal mix to this.

In another medium bowl, mix the dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking soda, fresh rosemary, parmesan, pepper).

Add the dry with the wet and gently fold until everything is incorporated.

Dollop about 1 tbsp onto a parchment paper lined baking tray and flatten then to 1/4 inch thick. Try to keep it roundish in shape (or not, however pretty you want to make it). Sprinkle on some more sea salt and crack some fresh black pepper over the cookies.

Decorate with rosemary leaves if you like again.
Bake 16-18mins.


Makes around 25-30 cookies.

These are pretty subtle tasting cookies with a sort of soft biscuit like texture. Great for mornings or afternoon teas!

Another variation would be to cut out the oatmeal and add 1/2 cup more flour for a crunchier and crispier cookie. Try dunking that in some balsamic vinegar reduction. HMMmm...

Great with some jam, honey or a smear of soft goat cheese!

Chocolate Banana Maple Cake

I like to eat my own baked goods because I know how much butter has gone into it and I can adjust the sweetness of it. When I eat a cookie that's soft and chewy, I can bet at least 2 sticks of butter and a cup of sugar went into making them. When I eat a piece of decadent cheesecake, I know that's a pound of butter, cheese, sugar, and if it's frosted, that's another pound of butter, powdered sugar and food coloring. Yeah, I'm guilty of eating all those goodies...I like to indulge myself once in a while. What can I do?

So sometimes I come up with ways to justify eating a ton of sweets! Which leads me to my factoid of the day for you in this journal article. It will make you want to eat that evil chocolate cake sitting in your fridge.

Factoid: Too little sleep activates Fat Genes
It's a well known fact that your BMI is highly heritable and we have a lot of genes that are involved with satiety, fatty acid storage, energy use and metabolism. If you're sleep deprived, it'll activate the expression of those genes that promote obesity.

So which devil would you choose? Study more, maybe get an A and get fat fat fat or go to sleep, get a B anyway and be slim.

Eh, I prefer sleeping... besides this cake is healthier than your average fair. But you'd never know because it is SOO delicious.

Chocolate Banana Mabel Maple Cake

Oozing with chocolate

Ingredients
1 tbsp butter
100g (3.5oz) melted Dark Chocolate (60% Mexican chocolate, otherwise add 1 tsp cinnamon)
1/4 cup Olive oil
1 Ripe banana mashed
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1/2 cup maple syrup + 4 tbsp raw brown sugar

1.5 cups flour
1.5 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup slivered Almonds (Optional)

Preheat your oven to 350F.
Then, melt your chocolate and 1tbsp butter in the microwave at 20 secs at a time. Remember to stir each time so that it doesn't burn. Once that's all fully melted, leave it on the side for a bit.

Whisk all the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt) together in a separate large bowl.





Do melt your chocolate in a large-ish bowl and put in the oil, smashed banana, vanilla, yogurt, egg, syrup and sugar.  (cinnamon if not using mexican chocolate)


Then add your wet ingredients with the dry and stir until JUST mixed. If you've never baked, you don't know the power that is to NOT mixing your batter like crazy. Mix it too much and your baked product becomes a dense dry brick!

Gently fold in your almonds and chocolate chips if you want. Reserve some almonds to sprinkle on the top.

Put it in a 9x11 baking pan, sprinkle almonds and bake it for 25-30 mins. A toothpick poked into the center should come out clean when it's done.

Let it rest for at least 5 mins before you try to cut it and devour it. Because it is a really moist cake so you need to let it cool down to hold its shape.

After that, you can go all cookie monster over it!

Straight out of the oven!

Baked Jalapeño Cheese Poppers

Are you gearing up your liver for Cinco de Mayo?!  Más cerveza por favor! We're making some spicy Mex inspired party finger food. I don't have a potluck to bring it to, but maybe you do. Did you also know that Cinco de Mayo isn't a celebration of Independence in Mexico. I used to date a Mexican so I've been told 235398 times. Terrible. Here, it's a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride. But also to commemorate the Mexican army's victory over ze French in the Battle of Puebla. It didn't really gain popularity until the 1980s when beer (think corona) capitalized and promoted the holiday.

Myth Buster: Our tongues are mapped into 4 areas: salty, bitter, sweet and sour
Busted! The entire tongue can taste these senses almost equally. We have taste receptors or taste buds concentrated on the surface of our tongues that can differentiate between different tastes based on different molecules or ions that binds to those buds. If we get to the deeper biology of things, sweet and bitter taste is triggered by activated G protein-coupled receptors; while salty from Na+/ sodium ions and sourness from H+ protons/ acid entering the cell. Don't ever believe those wine snobs who think you should direct wine to a certain area of your tongue to taste the different tones. Bogus.

Nerdy cooking tip: 
If you think you've over salted your food, just add some acidity like lemon juice. Since they both activate the same taste buds, the lemon juice will interfere with your salty taste receptors and fool your brain.
Thank you science.

Wow, that's 2 myth busters today... Also, don't forget to wear gloves or wash your hands after handling Jalapeño peppers. Or else fire in yo eye!

Baked Jalapeño Cheese Poppers
Prep time: 10mins          Cooking time: 20mins

Hot from the oven!

Ingredients

8-10 Jalapeño peppers - sliced in 1/2 (seeded if you hate spice in your life... haha kidding)

4 oz cream cheese (feel free to use fat free)

3 stalks scallions (chives, parsley, cilantro all work)

1/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar

2 tsp Red Chili flakes (optional)
salt/pepper

1 egg

1/2 cup Panko crumbs

1/2 tbsp Chili powder

1/2 tbsp Cayenne

Salt/Pepper

Start washing your peppers and slice them in half lengthwise. Cut off the tops and deseed them.

Preheat the oven to 350F








In a small bowl, mix cream cheese, cheddar, chili flakes and a pinch of salt and lots of pepper.

Chop up your green onions finely and using mostly the green parts, mix it into your cream cheese mix. You can taste it and adjust it when you want it saltier or spicier







Stuff your deseeded peppers with the cream cheese mix.

In another small bowl, scramble an egg. This will be your binder for your breadcrumbs/ panko.








On a plate, lay out your panko crumb mix (with chili powder, cayenne). Adding paprika is nice too.

I used a seasoned breadcrumb mix of rosemary and lots of pepper. I think the panko would give it more crunch though.

Roll your stuffed pepper in the egg and then roll it around in the crumb mix. Coat it nicely.

Lay them out on a baking tray. You can sprinkle some olive oil over the poppers. But that can be skipped for lighter fare.

Let it bake for 25-30 mins or until you see that cheese oozing out!






Let it cool before you eat it. Or you'll burn the roof of your mouth like I did :(

Happy Early Cinco de Mayo!

Adapted from skinnytaste.com