CATERING BY BITE ME: WEDDING CAKES & CUPCAKES

WEDDING CAKES & CUPCAKES

Please contact me for prices, availability and your vision of your dream wedding desserts!  I can do special diets and as always everything is natural, gourmet and out of this world!!

(2014 Wedding: Lemon/Blueberry Cupcakes; Classic Vanilla Cupcakes & Red Velvet Strawberry Cream cheese Wedding Cake** W/ an assortment of Gluten-Free Cupcakes as well)

CATERING BY BITE ME FOOD

Bite Me Foods Catering

(Mad Hatter Tea Party Mini Cupcakes)

Contact me for rates, availability and food options.  Bite Me Foods are natural and gourmet.  Attention to detail in every item with my personally developed recipes.  Today I had the pleasure of catering the Corvallis Assistance League's Mad Hatter Tea Party.  It was a blast and I received glowing reviews on my food and presentation.  I love the challenge of a themed party.   My rates are affordable and my foods are out of this world!

TRUFFLE REVIEWS

Valentine's Day (Or ANY day truffles!)

Bite Me Truffles

"The truffles are amazing! I gave one to a friend who has been all around the world as a military navy brat and she has had some of the world's finest chocolates but NOTHING was as smooth, creamy, and rich as your truffles!!" Dottie M. Corvallis, OR

Valentine's Special Flavors: Italian Espresso; Peppermint/Chocolate; Walnut; Triple Chocolate and Toasted Coconut!  Bite Me Truffles are all natural with NO artificial flavors ever!  I also use the finest ingredients and pay special attention to detail and presentation.  I like to use packaging that you can reuse.  I have several other truffle flavors available.  Contact me to place a special order.

(From Left to Right: Italian Espresso; Peppermint/Chocolate; and Triple Chocolate!)

DARK CHOCOLATE GANACHE TART WITH SHORTBREAD COOKIE CRUST

Tata's Dark Chocolate Tart with Hazelnut Shortbread Cookie Crust

A decadent, easy to make, guaranteed crowd pleaser.  This dessert is naturally very low sugar (with no added sugar in the chocolate filling) and can easily be made gluten-free.  

GEORGIE'S BEACHSIDE GRILL--FOOD CRITIQUE

Georgie's Beachside Grill

Quality Food, Service and Elegant Atmosphere 

Newport, Oregon

5 STARS *****

(Awarded a rare perfect 5 STAR review!!)

My sweetie and I arrived at Georgie's about 6 PM on a Saturday.  There was a 10 minute wait that landed us in the lounge which ended up being a good thing.  The atmosphere in the lounge is elegant with dim light and a panoramic ocean view.  The main seating area is a bit more bright and busy so I suggest sitting in the lounge.  The bar tender Greg was jovial and served us right away.  The waitstaff is friendly, fast and provided excellent service.  There was also a sense of "family" among the waitstaff at Georgie's it was apparent they look out for each other and worked well as a team.

(My sexy date with our server Willy)

ROBERT'S CROSSING: SALEM, OR-- FOOD CRITIQUE

ROBERT'S CROSSING--FOOD CRITIQUE

(photo credit Robert's Crossing)

3635 River Road South

Salem, OR

Amazing food, elegant classy atmosphere, friendly service and a perfect "date"destination! 

 My guy found this hidden gem on the internet in search of a high end steakhouse in Salem, OR.  We chose this place based on their rave internet reviews.  As we ventured out trusting Siri we began to question whether this place would be a dive or whether we were headed in the right direction as we found ourselves in the middle of nowhere!  But we continued on and were quite surprised when we arrived at our destination.  Robert's Crossing looks like something from Little House on the Prairie with old wood structures but is quite breathtaking once inside.  

SALTED CARAMEL DARK CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

Dark Chocolate Cupcake with Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting and Salted Caramel Drizzle

This is a simple and approachable chocolate cupcake recipe.  However the Salted Caramel Frosting and Salted Caramel Drizzle are fairly difficult to make.  But you can omit the difficult “candy making” steps by buying the Salted Caramel Sauce directly off my blog or finding a comparable product at a high end grocery store.  HOWEVER the work these cupcakes entail IS WELL WORTH IT!  This isn’t even one of my favorite flavor combos but the taste created by using fresh homemade caramel sauce makes this one of the BEST CUPCAKES OF ALL TIME HANDS DOWN!! My favorite cupcake is my Espresso/Dark Chocolate Cupcake with Espresso Frosting but this one is a close 2^nd!!  You can all break up the labor needed for this cupcake by making your Caramel Sauce before you make the cakes and the frosting can also be pre-made and then just brought to room temperature and re-whipped when you are ready to decorate.

FOOD CRITIQUE: SAM'S STATION CORVALLIS, OREGON

Sam's Station

Best French Toast in Corvallis!!

(Photo credit--Sam's Station Website)

1210 NW 29th Corvallis, OR

I hadn't been to Sam's Station in years and I have been three times in the last two weeks seeking their amazing French Toast and delightful Americanos!  Usually I won't order espresso or coffee drinks at breakfast establishments as their coffee is typically awful.  The espresso at Sam's is rich, full-bodied and not acidic! They roast their own coffee (fair trade and organic!) and do a superb job at it.  Corvallis seems to be lacking an outstanding breakfast establishment--Sam's Station is the closest thing.  My two main complaints about Sam's is one their menu is incredibly limited and doesn't contain my typical breakfast out menu items that I want to order (i.e. waffles, eggs Benedict, a meat lovers breakfast, or hash-browns) and then the price which is on the high end.  You can expect to pay around $15 plus/ a person for breakfast and a coffee.  They do state that they use local meat and produce whenever possible and their food upstanding food quality shows it.  Even with the limited menu and spendy prices I leave a happy customer won over again and again by their French Toast, Espresso Drinks and friendly service.  

HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN ALL PURPOSE GLUTEN-FREE FLOUR MIX

tata'S ALL PURPOSE GLUTEN FREE FLOUR MIX RECIPE

I recommend Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten-free baking mix for all your gluten-free baking needs.  However buying a pre-made Gluten-free flour mix can be expensive (Bob's is about $9 for 5 cups!).  You can make your own for a lot less money and it is super easy!  I have provided two of my favorite recipes.  The first recipe is one I typically use for making cookies, cakes or any other goody that you can substitute the traditional flour for equal parts of this gluten-free mix.  The second recipe I provided I typically use for bread making, tortillas etc.  Experiment with both recipes and let me know what you think.  My gluten-free Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe uses the first version of this recipe.  

CHEWY GLUTEN-FREE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Tata’s 

Gluten-Free Chewy Chocolate Chip/Hazelnut Cookies 

YUMMY GLUTEN-FREE/DAIRY FREE PUMPKIN BREAD

Gluten-Free Dairy Free Pumpkin Bread

This recipe is SUPER easy and delicious!  You can easily make this in the morning and have it ready for breakfast!  It takes about 8 minutes to make and then 40-50 minutes to bake.  The recipe is naturally dairy free however if you prefer dairy you can make that substitution.  Also if you can't eat eggs you can use a product called "egg replacer" (just follow the directions and then substitute for the eggs).  You can dress up your Pumpkin Bread by adding: chocolate chips, grated coconut or chopped walnuts.  And lastly this Pumpkin Bread is not overly sweet and does not give you a sugar crash like many Breakfast Breads.  Enjoy!

FOOD CRITIQUE: Fisherman's Market Eugene, OR

Fisherman's Market

830 West 7th St. 

Eugene, OR

http://eugenefishmarket.com/

Overall:     4   1/2 stars

Presentation:  4 stars

Taste:  4 stars

Creativity: 4 stars

Atmosphere: 5 stars

Price: 4   1/2 stars

TWO STEP YUMMY CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

SUPER EASY MOIST DELICIOUS DARK CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES WITH VANILLA BUTTERCREAM

A friend requested a simple chocolate cupcake with vanilla buttercream for her husband's birthday party.  I have a hard time doing "simple" when it comes to my finished products but in the end I created a simple yet delicious and gorgeous cupcake!  The cake has two simple steps--it's hard to mess this one up!  These are a great cupcake to make for your next celebration or you can order them from me via my "price list" label on my blog.  

SUPER LOW SUGAR CUPCAKES FOR THE LITTLE ONES

SUGAR FREE BANANA CUPCAKES W/ LOW SUGAR CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

My friend asked me to come up with a super low sugar dessert for her 3 year old's birthday.  So I went with a banana cake that has no sugar and is simply sweetened by the bananas.  And choose a cream cheese frosting where the cream cheese can be the majority of the frosting base rather than the sugar.  In 12 cupcakes there is only 1/2 cup sugar total (which is WAY less than any breakfast muffin)!!!  But don't expect the same sugar overload sweetness of regular cupcakes.  This cupcake is plenty sweet for kids but for adults expect the sweetness of a breakfast muffin on the less sweet side.  Thus why I made a separate batch of dark chocolate/salted caramel cupcakes for the adults!!  This recipe is really easy and can be made a couple days prior as long as you store your cupcakes in an air tight container.  Because this recipe is so simple it is a great one for the kids to make with a little guidance.  Have fun!

FLUFFY GLUTEN FREE BREAD THAT DOES NOT TASTE LIKE CRAP :)

Light and Fluffy Gluten Free Bread 

Tata's "One Bowl Keep it Simple" Gluten-free bread recipe

Gluten-free bread is all to often dry, dense and not very tasty. In addition most homemade gluten-free recipes are usually very complex and temperamental. So my approach to Gluten-Free bread is "keep it simple" and don't settle for dry/bland.  This recipe makes a light, moist and flavorful White Sandwich style bread.  An old family friend approached me and said "I/My blog Bite Me claims I can make anything gluten-free"and challenged me to develop a Gluten-Free bread that is moist, light and rises like gluten bread.  Bam here it is for you Phil!  This bread is VERY easy to make which makes me love this recipe even more!  I call this my "One Bowl Keep it Simple" recipe because you literally dump everything into one bowl, mix, bake and eat!!

TATA'S SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE

   HOMEMADE SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE

 This sauce is difficult but doable.  Just follow the instructions exactly.  You will need a candy thermometer. This sauce is perfect to keep in the refrigerator for ice cream sundaes, use as topping on pie, cupcakes, cake etc. or package it up and give it as gifts!  I use this sauce as a drizzle on my Salted Caramel Dark Chocolate Cupcakes.  If you want to omit this step you can order this sauce directly off my blog (see the label: price listing) or find a comparable product at a high end supermarket.  

CARROT/MANGO DREAMSICLE SMOOTHIE

Tata's Carrot/Mango Dreamsicle Smoothie

Just made this one up today.  I was hungry but didn't want a full meal.  I wanted something that was light, refreshing but high in protein.  This smoothie hit the mark on all of those things plus was delicious!  So with a full satisfied belly I will blog about this smoothie and share the love!  This is a "treat" smoothie you can feel good about giving the kiddos--with no added sugar!  This smoothie can also easily be made paleo and is by nature gluten-free!

OLD SKOOL CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY PECAN TORTE

OLD FASHIONED CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY TORTE WITH PECANS

This cake is a lot easier than it sounds and could easily be made gluten-free as it only has 1/2 cup flour in the whole thing!  See below on how to adapt it.  This is a show stopper and a unique flavor combination.  It's a great potluck contribution--that's why I made it this time!  It is best made with homemade jam.  Thanks aunt Kellio for your homemade blackberry jam!  I didn't have raspberry jam so I substituted it for Aunt Kellio's blackberry jam-DELICIOUS!!  This cake is light while being rich.  It's actually a nice summertime version of a chocolate cake with the fresh berries and lighter style cake.  This cake is a good choice if you need a dessert that can all be made in one day...or really just a few hours rather.  Have fun with this one!

What is a Torte: 

There is a lot of confusion about what constitutes a torte.  A torte or is a rich, usually multi-layered, cake that is filled with whipped cream, buttercream, mousses, jams, or fruits. Ordinarily, the cooled torte is glazed and garnished.  

KICK ASS HUMMUS

Tata's Homemade Hummus

I am always disappointed in store bought hummus.  They are usually watery and skimp on the tahani or quality olive oil and taste bland.  My version of hummus is none of those things!  It is rich, creamy, flavorful and full of the good stuff i.e. tahani, olive oil, fresh garlic and lemon juice.  It is great as a spread or as a dip for crackers and raw veggies.  You can also add it to sandwiches.  The other nice thing is it is SUPER EASY TO MAKE and way less expensive than store bought hummus.

This is my favorite way to eat hummus (see picture above) with fresh veggies from the local farmer's market.

PALEO DARK CHOCOLATE CUSTARD

Tata's Dark Chocolate Paleo Custard--

That Tastes Amazing!!

So I think most paleo desserts taste like crap and leaves me feeling deprived and pouting "that doesn't count as dessert!" But this one can fool you it's paleo and is divine!  And this dessert is SUPER easy to make!

Monarch Butterfly Birthday Cake

Tata's Monarch Butterfly Cake:

Milk Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Filling and Vanilla Butter Cream Frosting

I received a special order for a Monarch Butterfly Birthday cake for a 4 year old's birthday.  This was a blast to make but I am not going to lie the MOST time consuming cake I have ever made with 3 hours of frosting and decorating and about 2 hours of additional prep.  But you can break this cake down over a few days.  Such as making the cake ahead of time, wrapping the layers in plastic wrap, and freezing them.  You can make the frosting ahead of time and you can break the decorating into two days: day 1 being the crumb layer and day 2 being the decorating.  Also you can adapt this cake to be any color/type of butterfly you'd like.  You can also simplify the cake by using your Vanilla Butter Cream as your filling and avoiding the extra step of making the Cream Cheese Filling.  But in my opinion the labor and effort this cake takes is well worth it!  And most importantly have fun! OR YOU CAN JUST ORDER ONE OF THESE CAKES OFF MY BLOG!!!

The beautiful birthday girl with her Monarch Butterfly Birthday Cake!!

TATA'S LEMON "NON-MERINGUE" PIE WITH STIFFY WHIPPED TOPPING

Tata's Lemon "Non-Meringue" Pie 

So here's the deal: I don't like meringue and my bro requested a Lemon Meringue Pie for his birthday so I made my version--Tata's Lemon "Non-Meringue" Pie With Stiffy Whipped Topping with homemade whip cream.  It's way better--I promise!!

WIN A FREE DESSERT (UP TO $40 VALUE) FROM BITE ME

Here is your chance to WIN A FREE DESSERT from Bite Me 

(up to $40 value) or a dozen Homemade Dark Chocolate Truffles ($24 value!) and support a great cause.  

Some friends of mine house burnt down and they lost everything.  There will be a fundraiser with a raffle for James and Emily whose house burnt down.  The fundraiser will be on May 9th from 12 PM to 3 PM at Kim Crouse Lemaster​ and Larrys.  OR donate cash directly at http://www.gofundme.com/tcmvrs?fb_action_ids=10206931234862161&fb_action_types=og.shares&fb_ref=undefined   You can also donate household items, clothes etc. just shoot me an email for details or for directions to the fundraiser.

TATA'S LEMON BLUEBERRY WEDDING CAKE

Lemon Blueberry Wedding Cake

This cake is quite labor-some but you can break it down over a few days or substitute the time consuming candied lemons for raw lemon slices.  However I recommend making the candied lemon slices.  They are edible and add a nice tart/sweet layer to the cake as well as a classy decoration.

White Chocolate Raspberry Wedding Cake

White Chocolate Raspberry Wedding Cake

I am doing the wedding cake for my brother Johnny's wedding this summer!  His lovely bride picked a few flavors and this being one of them--White Chocolate Raspberry Cake!  But since Raspberries are not in season yet I am making this trial run with Strawberries and then will be using Raspberries from their garden for the wedding.  This cake has several steps and is more complicated than most.  But I have broken this recipe down and adapted it to make it more approachable.  Enjoy!

I AM OPEN TO TRADES!!!

I traded this triple Dark Chocolate Cheesecake to my peeps at OfficeMax that always go above and beyond! Those guys treat me so good so I treated them to this beauty. I am open to trades hit me up via a message on this blog (under my pic on the right hand side).   You can find the recipe for this cheesecake under desserts titled Dark Chocolate Cheesecake with Dark Chocolate Ganache Topping. And if you haven't already subscribed to my blog you can do so on the email bar above my picture on the right side.  Submit your email to the "follow blog" bar and you will receive future recipes, reviews and more!

Will work or "Trade" for Venison or Elk!!!! Seriously I Will Trade You a Treat of your Choice for Wild Game!!!

Super Easy Cherry Cheesecake

 I traded this beautiful Cherry Cheesecake, pound for pound for venison and elk!!  

A lot of people think that cheesecake is really complicated to make.  This recipe and these directions will make it accessible to ANYONE to make this Cherry Cheesecake!  Enjoy.

Cooking With Kiddos: Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
Made with love by Betsy, Bella and Tata! 

***These are fairly easy to make and super fun to make with kids!  Also using dark chocolate makes these treats fairly low in sugar as the whole recipe has only 1 ¼ cup added sugar.  These are naturally Gluten-free and can easily be made dairy-free if needed.   Enjoy!!

Everything has a PRICE!!

So while I do not have an official ordering component set up on this blog keep in mind everything has a price! Just shoot me a message on my blog.  Under my photo there is my email contact information for "special orders" and to contact me.  

I delivered this beauty, Tata's Banana Cream Pie, as a special order birthday surprise today and had very happy and satisfied customers as you can see in the picture below.

Roger (the birthday boy)-said "Best banana cream pie ever ... well since the Emil Villa's Original Hickory Pit in Mill Valley!"

Tata's Dark Chocolate Cheesecake

Dark Chocolate Cheesecake 

with Dark Chocolate Ganache Topping

 So my little bro requested this cheesecake for his college graduation party (Congrats Tommy!!).  This is a decadent succulent chocolate cheesecake! The cheesecake itself has almost a pound of melted dark chocolate in it and then there is the sinfully delicious dark chocolate ganache topping!  I also provided directions on how to make this dessert Gluten-free. Enjoy!

Gluten-Free Hazelnut/Almond Chocolate Ganache Cake

Tata's Gluten-Free Hazelnut/Almond Chocolate Ganache Cake

You will not even notice that this cake is gluten-free.  It is moist and flavorful.  This cake has so many layers and so much going on in it that you probably won't even believe it is gluten-free!  I used an old Hungarian Hazelnut cake recipe and adapted it to suit my brother's needs for a gluten-free cake for his bride.

Kiss Me, Sugar, Apple Pie II

Kiss Me, Sugar, Apple Pie II: Review of my new Corer/Peeler/Slicer

For the full recipe click on the "Recipe" label for "Kiss Me, Sugar, Apple Pie" and "The Best Flaky Pie Crust!"  

So I invested in an apple corer/slicer/peeler and it was worth it!  I cored/sliced/and peeled 12 cups of Granny Smith apples in less than 5 minutes which usually takes me 45 minutes by hand! I bought my corer/slicer/peeler on Amazon for $10 and I have Amazon Prime which includes free 2 day shipping!  

Paleo Dark Chocolate/Coconut Pudding

Paleo Dark Chocolate/Coconut Pudding

I would only suggest this recipe if you are doing the paleo diet or can’t do dairy or sugar otherwise stick with the real deal!! I have to be honest I think paleo desserts taste like crap so I tried to make a paleo dessert that was tasty enough for me to eat!  Hope you like it!

Tata’s

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

***These are fairly easy to make and super fun to make with kids!  Also using dark chocolate makes these treats fairly low in sugar as the whole recipe has only 1 ¼ cup added sugar.  A friend challenged me to make a dessert that is "Dairy free; egg free and Gluten-free."  I provided directions for both this special diet and the dairy version.  Enjoy!!

Tres Leches Cake--Latin Style

Pastel de Tres Leches 

(The Cake of Three Milks)

For Americans this cake is unusual as it does not have the same consistency as one might expect with a cake and frosting.  Rather this cake is light, super moist and as one happy customer stated after trying my version of this cake: "I love this cake.  It tastes like I am eating cake while drinking milk at the same time!"  Tres Leches is the most popular cake in Mexico.  Enjoy!  And while this cake has several steps I have created a recipe that is easy to follow.  Have fun!

Tata’s Key Lime Pie

Tata’s Key Lime Pie

My favorite dessert next to Dark Chocolate Anything!!

Easy to Make: Vanilla Pudding

Vanilla Pudding “Custard”

Ingredients:

A "Treat" Smoothie Packed with Nutrition You Can Feel Good About Indulging In!!

Tata’s Strawberry Colada Smoothie

This is one of my all-time favorite “treat” smoothies.  And even being a treat it is packed with nutrition (see nutritional information at the bottom of this post) and has no added sugars!  The kiddos in my life LOVE this smoothie as does the kid inside of me!!  I created this smoothie for a less sweet version of a Pina Colada and as a superfood treat.  Enjoy!

Best Wheatgrass in Corvallis and What the Heck it is!

Best Wheatgrass Shot in Corvallis

Goes to:

Purple Moon Organic Espresso, Smoothies and Juice—by a long shot!!
(With Market of Choice coming in 2nd)

Located at: 320 SE Chapman Pl (Located in South Co-op Parking Lot) Corvallis, OR

97333

First:  What is Wheatgrass??

It is my favorite way to “eat” my vegetables—by drinking only 1 oz of Wheatgrass a day.  One ounce of wheatgrass juice has vitamin and mineral content equal to TWO and a HALF pounds of leafy green vegetables!  Thus the price of a 1oz Wheatgrass shot is WAY cheaper than buying 2 ½ pound of organic vegetables and so much easier to digest!  *Important to note: if you are new to drinking wheatgrass make sure you have access to a bathroom as it will clean you out!  It is a great natural diuretic.

Wheatgrass is derived from juicing the grass of sprouted red hard wheat berries.  Wheatgrass juice is rich in Chlorophyll. Chlorophyll has a molecular structure almost identical to the hemoglobin molecule of human blood. Chlorophyll in the wheatgrass juice helps the blood carry Oxygen to all the cells.

Wheatgrass is also a natural source of vitamins and minerals (a few of which are antioxidants) including:

·         Vitamins A, E, and B-12

·         Calcium

·         Selenium

·         Magnesium

·         Iron