Back from vacation :)

Hello everyone!
I'm back from the beach and super excited to get back in the kitchen! I am going to attempt to make swiss meringue buttercream tomorrow!!!
On the sports front, I'm PRAYING the NFL lockout will be over ASAP! It's gonna be a fun weekend at the station :)

DC Sports Recap, 7/16-17

Nationals @ Braves
Game 1 (7/16): Nationals win 5-2
Nats starter John Lannan (6-6) got his first two hits of the season in last night's victory over the Braves, which also gave him his sixth win on the year. Lannan gave up 2 runs in 5 2/3 innings, while his counterpart Tommy Hanson (10-5) gave up 5 in 5 1/3. Hanson failed to get his 11th win, which would have tied his own previous record of 11 wins in one season, which he set as a rookie in 2009. The Nationals had 9 hits, including Wilson Ramos's two run homer in the sixth.

Game 2 (7/17): Nationals lose 8-9
The Braves capitalized on a late-game surge to beat the Nats in today's game. Nationals starter Tom Gorzelanny left the game in the 3rd inning with a twisted ankle, and is listed as day to day. The loss went to Ryan Mattheus (2-1), the win to Craig Kimbrel (3-2) after Braves starter Jair Jurrjens went five innings. The Nationals displayed their often spectacular offense, with second baseman Danny Espinosa getting 3 hits and 2 runs, including a 2 run homer in the 6th, his 17th of the season. The Braves got 5 runs in the 5th, and a Freddie Freeman single to right gave the Braves the winning run in the bottom of the 9th.

Orioles vs. Indians
Game 1: Orioles win 6-5
O's starter Alfredo Simon (2-2) had his longest outing since September 2008, going seven innings. Simon gave up only 3 hits as the Orioles broke their 9-game losing streak and got their second win of the month. Indians starter Carlos Carrasco (8-7) went seven innings and gave up 5 hits and 3 runs. Nick Markakis got his eighth homer of the season in the sixth inning; he scored a total of three runs and got one RBI. In other Orioles news, they placed DH Vladimir Guerrero on the 15-day Disabled List with broken bones in his hand.

Game 2: Orioles win 8-3
The Orioles capitalized on four home runs from Nick Markakis, Adam Jones, Matt Wieters, and Robert Andino to take the fourth game in the four game series against the Indians. Both teams got 10 hits on the night, but the Indians were only able to score 3. O's pitcher Mark Hendrickson got the win, his first on the season, with three innings pitched. Indians starter Jeanmar Gomez got the loss, his second of the season, after pitching 5 1/3 innings. Here's hoping the Orioles can take this momentum into their series against Boston starting tomorrow!

DC Sports Preview, 7/16

Here's a preview of the games I'll be covering tonight at the station :)

Nationals @ Braves, 7:10 pm

John Lannan (5-6, 3.64 ERA) will face off against Tommy Hanson (10-4, 2.44 ERA) and the Braves tonight at 7:10 pm. It will be Lannan's first start since suffering what seemed to be a devastating injury on July 8, when he took a line drive to the nose. Fortunately, only part of his cartilage was broken, and he won't even need to miss a start. Lannan has a record of 3-0 with a 2.82 ERA in his last 4 starts against the Braves. Hanson is 0-1 in 2 starts against the Nats, and is trying to match a career high in wins, which he set at 11 in 2009 as a rookie.

Orioles vs. Indians, 7:05 pm

The Orioles are hoping to avoid a 10-game losing streak for the second straight season. The O's have lost 9 in a row, including their last 5 games at home; they are 6-23 since June 11. The Indians won the first two games of this four game series, and are sitting atop the AL Central, 1 game ahead of the Detroit Tigers. The O's will send Alfredo Simon (1-2, 4.85 ERA) to the mound against Carlos Carrasco (8-6, 4.28 ERA) tonight, as the Indians pitcher makes his first start against the birds. O's designated hitter Vladimir Guerrero will most likely miss his third game in a row tonight with a broken bone in his hand.

DC United @ FC Dallas, 8:30 pm

After defeating their rivals, the New York Red Bulls, last weekend, the men of DC United will look to take their momentum into the game against FC Dallas tonight. DCU, which has a record of 5-7-5, is ranked 6th in the Eastern Conference, and FC Dallas is in 3rd in the Western Conference, with a record of 10-4-5. This will be the second and final time the two teams will meet this season; the May 7 game ended in a draw, 0-0. They will square off at 8:30 pm at Pizza Hut Park in Dallas.

Confession Time

Dear {Blog} Diary,
I have a confession to make. It may be shocking, I know, but I'm just going to come out and say it:

I'm not a fan of DC sports.

I know. I've lived in DC my entire life, I'm working at a TV station covering DC sports, and I can't even call myself a fan.

I like the Nationals, and the Capitals are cool, but my devotion lies elsewhere...

I fully expect you to mock me endlessly for the following information. Go ahead, I've heard it all.

My favorite teams are: The St. Louis Rams, and The New York Mets.

Yeah. The Rams and the Mets.

Why, you may ask? Well, my dad grew up in California, and was a Los Angeles Rams fan, so when they went to St. Louis, he remained faithful, even after moving to DC 25 years ago. And he was a big Tom Seaver fan, so he liked the Mets growing up.

When I was born and I cried for the first time, my dad said, "Listen! she's saying 'Let's go Mets!"' When he held me for the first time, he said, "It's just like holding a football!"I was doomed from the start. He was a stay-at-home dad from the moment I was born til the moment I graduated from high school, and I credit him with my love of sports, although I simultaneously blame him for making such unfortunate choices in sports team fandom.

Courtesy of: wallstcheatsheet.com

Courtesy of: nflfootballstadiums.com

HOWEVER! Because I know that it's crucial for sports journalists to remain impartial, I will continue blogging about DC sports. This may be a mistake to make this confessional post... But I want to be honest with you, my readers :)

So that's it, that's my big secret. I'll post some baking yumness later tonight :D

Berry Bash Jam

I used this recipe from "The Sweet Little Book of Cupcakes" (recipes from the delicious Sweet Cupcakes in Boston) as a filling for my 4th of July cupcakes.

Berry Bash Jam
Yield: Enough to fill a dozen cupcakes. 
Ingredients:
Blackberries, Raspberries, Strawberries (de-stemmed)- 1/3 cup of each (frozen is fine)
Sugar- 1 1/3 cups
Unsalted butter- 1/8 tsp
Liquid fruit pectin- 3 tbsp (can be found in canning aisle, near Jello. Do not use powderered pectin!)


Directions:
1) Chop berries in a food processor until chopped into a chunky paste (a potato masher is a fine alternative).
2) Put berries into a saucepan and place on high heat.
3) Stir in sugar, then add the butter.
4) Bring mixture to a full rolling boil (one that keeps bubbling even when stirred) and keep on high heat, stirring constantly.
5) Stir in pectin quickly, and return mixture to full rolling boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
6) Remove from heat and pour into a heavy duty container (plastic or glass), cover, and refrigerate.

US Women's World Cup Soccer

Wednesday, July 13, 2011
France 1-3 United States
USA! USA! USA! USA! USA!
The women of the United States FIFA Women's World Cup soccer team have made it to the FINALS for the first time since 1999!!! The US will face Japan on Sunday in Frankfurt, Germany at 2:45 pm EST. In all 22 previous matchups between the US and Japan, the US has come out on top every time.

Now on to the details of today's EPIC match :)
A goal by Lauren Cheney (US) in the 9th minute was the only score for the US until Abby Wambach (the hero of Sunday's US-Brazil quarterfinal match) 70 minutes later with another incredible header! Wambach now has 12 career World Cup goals. Alex Morgan sealed the deal for the US with yet another goal in the 82nd minute, as the US triumphed over the French 3-1.

Abby Wambach

Courtesy of: espn.go.com

MLB All Star Game Lineups

The 2011 MLB All-Star Game is happening RIGHT NOW on Fox!
Here's the lineup for both sides :)

American League
Starter: Jered Weaver (Angels)
Curtis Granderson, CF (Yankees)
Asdrubal Cabrera, SS (Indians)
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B (Red Sox)
Jose Bautista, RF (Blue Jays)
Josh Hamilton, LF (Rangers)
Adrian Beltre, 3B (Rangers)
David Ortiz, DH (Red Sox)
Robinson Cano, 2B (Yankees)
Alex Avila C (Tigers)

National League
Starter: Roy Halladay (Phillies)
Rickie Weeks, 2B (Brewers)
Carlos Beltran, DH (Mets)
Matt Kemp, CF (Dodgers)
Prince Fielder, 1B (Brewers)
Brian McCann, C (Braves)
Lance Berkman, RF (Cardinals)
Matt Holliday, LF (Cardinals)
Troy Tulowitzki, SS (Rockies)
Scott Rolen, 3B (Reds)

DC Sports Recap, 7/9

Nationals vs. Rockies, L 1-2
W: Jimenez, (4-8), L: Marquis, (7-4)
The Nationals let another game slip through their fingers, making it this the sixth game in a row that was decided by only one run, and the third in a row that they have lost. Nats pitcher Jason Marquis seemed to struggle a bit with his rhythm, perhaps because it was his first start with Jesus Flores behind the plate; Marquis lasted 6 innings (a vast improvement over his last outing, which only lasted 1 1/3 innings), gave up 5 hits and 2 runs, and struck out 1. The Nationals demonstrated an excellent handle on defense, but struggled with scoring; they got seven hits off Ubaldo Jimenez, but managed to score only one run.


Orioles @ Red Sox, L 0-4
W: Lackey, (6-8), L: Simon (1-2)
The Orioles lost their sixth straight game, as Red Sox pitcher John Lackey got his groove back. The win lowered Lackey's ERA from 7.47 to 6.84, and gave the Red Sox their fifth straight win. Following the previous night's bench-clearing brawl, tensions were expected to be high, and both sides were warned after Lackey hit Derrek Lee in the seventh (Nick Markakis was also hit in the sixth). Former closer Alfredo Simon, making his first start since April 14, 2009, gave up 8 hits and 3 runs in 4 2/3 innings. The Orioles got 4 hits but did not manage to score any runs.

DC United @ NY Red Bulls, W 1-0
Talk about payback!
DC United's Dwayne De Rosario made his first trip back to New York's Red Bull Arena since being traded on June 27th, and he brought the pain. De Rosario scored United's only goal of the game in the 61st minute, his first in two games since being traded (he has four goals overall on the season). Following the game, the midfielder admitted, "'Scoring against them felt great... You just want to do what you can to show what they gave up"' (courtesy of ESPN.com). DC United improved to a record of 5-7-5 with the win against the rival Red Bulls.

Yummy Chocolate Frosting

Dark Chocolate Frosting, courtesy of Sprinkles Cupcakes
Ingredients
Butter (unsalted)- 1 1/2 sticks
Salt- a "pinch"
Confectioners sugar- 2 1/2 cups
Vanilla- 1/4 tsp
Bittersweet chocolate- 3 oz, melted & cooled to room temp

Directions
1) Beat butter and salt on medium speed in an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
2) Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the confectioners sugar; beat until incorporated.
3) Add vanilla and beat until creamy & smooth.
4) Stop mixer and scrape down sides of the bowl.
5) Add chocolate and beat (medium speed) until incorporated.
6) If frosting does not have a spreadable consistency, add milk, 1 tsp at a time.
DO NOT OVERBEAT! Overbeating will allow too much air into the frosting, and it should be dense & creamy.

Preview of tonight's DC games :)

Hello there!
Here's a preview of tonight's games that I will be covering at the TV station.

Nationals vs. Rockies, 7:05 pm, MASN2


Courtesy of: Fox Sports



Jason Marquis will face off against Ubaldo Jimenez tonight, as the Nationals hope to end their four-game losing streak against the Rockies. Marquis, coming off his shortest outing since last September, will hope to improve on the 1 1/3 innings pitched in last Sunday's 2-10 loss to the Pirates. Marquis is 5-3 with a 3.89 ERA against Colorado (7-3, 4.11 ERA overall).

Orioles @ Red Sox, 7:10 pm



Courtesy of: Fox Sports



Tonight's game features Alfredo Simon (1-1, 4.64 ERA) going against John Lackey (5-7, 7.47 ERA) and the on-fire Red Sox, who are going for their fifth straight win. Emotions ran high at last night's game, as the benches cleared following an altercation between designated hitter David Ortiz and O's pitcher Kevin Gregg (both were ejected). Both teams are still waiting for any possible punishment. The O's hope to end their current five-game losing streak, in which both their offense and defense have been seriously lacking; they have been outscored 50-18, and their starters are 0-4 with an ERA of 12.00, having given up 36 hits in just 18 innings. It will be tough going for the struggling Orioles, as Red Sox starter John Lackey is 10-4 with a 3.05 ERA in his 17 career outings against the birds.

DC United @ NY Red Bulls

DC United (4-5-7) will take on the Eastern Conference leading Red Bulls (6-3-10) tonight at Red Bull Arena. The last time the two teams met, on April 21st, the Red Bulls defeated United 4-0 in front of 18,052 fans at DC's RFK Stadium. The longtime rivals will square off tonight at 7:30 pm.

Super Sweet Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Here's the second part to my posts about the birthday cake I made for my mom :)
*Please be warned, this is not for the faint of heart! It's incredibly sweet and sugary!*
Adapted from Sweetapolita- http://sweetapolita.com/2010/10/classic-vanilla-butter-cake/

Super Sweet Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
Yields: Enough to fill & frost a 3 layer, 8" cake!
Ingredients:
Unsalted butter- 1 cup, softened, not melted!
Confectioners sugar- 6 cups (see? I told you it's sugary!)
Whipping cream- 1/2 cup
Pure Vanilla extract- 2 tbsp
Water- 1 tbsp
Salt- a "pinch"

Directions:
1) Beat confectioners sugar and butter in an electric mixer on a low speed using the paddle attachment (2 minutes).
2) Switch to the whisk attachment. Add whipping cream, vanilla, water, and salt. Whip on a high speed until smooth and fluffy (4 minutes).
3) You can add more water (1 tsp at a time) if the consistency is too thick, just make sure you whip it again for 30 seconds after!

A side note, I found that this frosting was really good for frosting, but not super great for decorating- I was going for a hydrangea design, and I probably should have used a swiss meringue buttercream for the actual flowers. Oh well, live and learn! This is still an incredibly delicious recipe :) Many thanks to Sweetapolita for the inspiration!