By Katherine Ree

Siren Staff

A RECIPE FOR BEGINNERS

Need something in the morning that’s quick and easy? Can’t use a stove without it somehow bursting into flames? Well go ahead and put your fire extinguishers away because this is easy and fairly quick!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

-A banana

-A Popsicle Stick

-A microwave

-A chocolate bar/chocolate
chips (any brand will do really)

-A freezer

STEP ONE

Put the banana on the Popsicle stick.

If you’re reading this now then hopefully you managed to put a banana on a stick without catching anything on fire! Congratulations. See, I told you this is easy.

STEP TWO

Take either a chocolate bar, or a bag of chocolate chips.

Get a plate and then either place or spread your chocolate chips on onto the plate. For the love of all
things good, please make sure the plate is microwave safe and the plate you picked is big enough.

Now, put your plate in the microwave, and set it to 00:30 (thirty seconds). The plate might be hot! Please be careful!

Now stir the half-melted chocolate, and slip it back in for another thirty seconds.

Carefully take it out once done, and set it next to the banana.  (If needed, do not hesitate to put it in longer)

STEP THREE

This part is kind of messy. Of course by kind of messy I mean really messy.

Take the banana and roll it in the chocolate, covering all sides.

Now roll it in the toping you picked. (Toppings are of course optional)

Then just stick it in the freezer, and wait for it to fully freeze!

STEP FOUR

Clean up.

Yes. An entire step dedicated to cleaning up. Because I know half of you will leave your parent’s kitchens covered from head to toe in chocolate and banana pieces. So please prevent this.

Now you’re done! Awesome job! And you didn’t even (hopefully) catch on fire!

Pumpkin Spice Smoothie

By Kat Ree and Jonnah McClintock

Siren Staff

We all know Halloween and Thanksgiving are right around the bend, and that means preparing for parties by cooking, cleaning, and storing up on candy. Once you’ve got all of that insanity out of the way, take a few minutes to chill out with this yummy AND healthy holiday smoothie.

Prep time: about 5 minutes

*Note: this recipe makes 2 servings, so be sure to share your smoothie with someone else!

What you’ll need: a regular or high speed blender

Step 1: Before you throw a bunch of pumpkin mush and cinnamon (or other various spices) into a blender, I suggest gathering up the real ingredients.

• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (homemade or purchased), frozen if you like
• 1 medium frozen banana
• 1 cup almond milk (homemade or purchased)
•  2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 cup vanilla ice cream
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 cup ice

Please don’t literally THROW your ingredients into the blender.

Step 2: Put the ingredients into the blender FOR THE SAKE OF YOUR WALLS AND COUNTER TOPS MAKE SURE YOU PLACE THE LID ON THE BLENDER. After that, puree to your heart’s content (or until it’s perfectly smooth).

Step 3: Divide your delightful creation into 2 glasses (because you know you want to share this with your friends).

Step 4: Clean up, and enjoy your smoothie!

by Maria Capelli
Siren food columnist

Ingredients you need:

Photo by Emma Garofalo

1 can black beans
1 tomato
1 avocado
1 onion
Tortilla wraps
Olive oil

Other things you need:
Can opener
Cutting knife
A pot or pan
Wooden spoon

What you need to do:

1.Open the can of black beans. Drain and rinse them. Pour a fair amount into the pot. Chop up a bit of the onion into fine dices and mix them in with the beans. *
2. Drizzle olive oil over the mixture and turn stove to a medium setting, letting the ingredients heat up.
3.As the beans and onions simmer, cut up the avocado. Start from the stem and slice down and around until the incision makes a full circle. Pull the two ends apart and carve the pit out. Next, dice the tomato.
4.Check on those beans and onions. Give them a stir.
5.Heat up tortilla in the microwave for about 30 seconds or over the stove to soften it, making it more flexible to wrap.**
6.By this time, the beans and onions will have softened and blended. Shut the stove off and scoop a desired amount on the tortilla. Toss the avocado and tomato in. Wrap it up.
7.Eat!

Photo by Emma Garofalo

*Cheese is a nice addition. Peel some apart and add it to the pot. Keep a close on it.
**Warming up the tortilla is optional. Either way, you will be able to wrap it without much trouble.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing

by Maria Capelli

Siren food columnist

Share these with that special someone or protest tastefully by yourself!

Most of the ingredients were purchased at a store, like the red velvet cake mix for instance. Make sure to check the box’s instructions for materials you may need.

IT’S EASY:

1 Duncan Hines Red Velvet mix

Cream cheese icing

Cupcake tray

Cupcake liners

And if you want . . .

Spinkles

Glitter gel or squeeze-on icing

PROCEDURE:

The procedure is fairly simple. Follow the steps on the side of the cake box – mixing, whisking, stirring. I used a cookie scoop to get the right amount of cake mix to fill each cupcake spot on the tray.

Bake at 350 degrees. Check on the cupcakes every so often to see how they are rising. Don’t leave them in the oven any long than 15 minutes. Once out, allow them some time to cool. Dab on some icing and decorations to top them off.

By Maria Capelli

Siren Food Columnist

What is Halloween without something sweet? This recipe is one of my favorites, partly because it isn’t limited to any holiday or season in particular. Just let the cut outs speak for themselves. If I can do it, so can you.

They're great for Halloween or any time of year!

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened

3½ cups all-purpose flour

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 egg

1½ cups of sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon almond extract

Procedure:

Cookies: Before you begin, keep in mind that everything should be at room temperature. In a large bowl, beat butter and cream cheese until well combined. Add sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg, vanilla and almond extracts; beat well. In a small bowl, combine flour and baking powder. Add dry ingredients to cream cheese mixture; beat until well mixed. Divide dough in half. Wrap each portion in plastic wrap; refrigerate about 1 ½ hours. Preheat oven to 375◦. Roll out dough, half at a time on lightly floured/powder sugar surface. Cut out with cookie cutters. Use parchment paper. Bake for 12 minutes at 375◦.

Almond Frosting: In a small bowl, beat 2 cups of sifted powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons softened butter and ¼ teaspoon almond extract until smooth. Mix in 5 teaspoons of milk more or less for desired consistency. This frosting can be tinted with food coloring.

Make "I Egg To Differ," a great new sandwich!

By Maria Capelli

Siren food columnist

I’ve decided to contribute my own original recipes and dishes to The Siren because I know all too well what kids resort to when it comes to snacking and cooking for themselves. Personally, I’m sick of popping open that bag of chips after school, or skipping breakfast. I challenge you to put down that pop can, click on the stove, and step into the new world’s food triangle.

What are two activities teenagers today most popularly take part in? Social networking (whether you’re a blogger, a Tweeter, a Facebooker, what have you) and eating. So, I thought, if you’re going to eat, why not eat something simple and satisfying?

I Egg To Differ

What You’ll Need:
Ingredients:
1 egg
1 slice of cheese (here I used American, but any kind works)
1 slice of toast (preferably whole grain or wheat; this is 15 grain)
1 slice of tomato or 1 whole grape tomato, chopped
Extra virgin olive oil (you could also grease the pan with butter; olive oil takes less time and gives it a richer taste, I find)
Supplies:
Cereal bowl
Nonstick pan
Spatula
How To Make It:
1. Crack the egg into a bowl and beat until fluffy. Add a pinch of salt and pepper.
2. Heat up a nonstick pan on high. I dribble a bit of olive oil, but butter works just as well. Before pouring the egg in, make sure the butter has spread all over the surface.
3. Stir eggs around the pan gently. Once they begin to take form, flip them over to cook through. Now would be a good time to throw your bread in the toaster.
4. Lay a slice of cheese on top of the eggs and allow it some time to melt. Drop the slice (or slices) of tomato into the pan as well to heat up and simmer.
5. By the time your toast is finished, the cheese should have melted decently and the tomato should be warm. Flip onto a dish and serve with some fruit or yogurt and juice.