Meet Diane from Created by Diane

There are millions of blogs about  photography, food, recipes, cooking, baking, parties, crafts, knitting and I mean literally if you are thinking about that one thing…somebody is probably blogging about it at this minute.
So if you were just  thinking about Diane, editor of Created by Diane, it is your lucky day as Diane is sharing her passion for food with us today, in my 10 Question Interview.
 
 
Diane is a girl with the New Jersey heart and California Mailing Address.
She is a foodie, she cooks, bakes, decorates and entertains…
Do you want to know why she loves silicone spatula so much…?
 
Meet Diane from Created by Diane
 

 

1. What are you famous for among your friends and family?
 
 
Diane : ” It’s a toss up between my Italian Cookies(recipe) and Cupcakes. One favorite is Lemon Ricotta Cupcakes, although my mom says it the meals I create she loves most.”
 
 
 
Photo © Created by Diane
 
 
2. You have 20 minutes to make a dessert for unannounced guests. What would you make?
 
Diane : ” I’d make these cupcakes and just need a couple minutes to frost them when cooled. I made these very quickly and was so glad they were delicious were made without oil and looked pretty too.”
 
 
 

Photo © Created by Diane

 
 
 
 
3. I’ve noticed some of your Designer Cupcakes have fondant decorations, do you make your own fondant as well, if not what brand do you use?
 
Diane : “Using fondant the first time here I purchased it from Wilton, it was easy to work with, but not so great tasting. I knew I had seen marshmallow fondant for years so I decided to give it a try making Marshmallow Fondant(tutorial) and found out it was easy and tastes just like marshmallow. It’s great to cover cookies with as I did in the how to make it post as well as to cut out shapes with a cookie cutter for fondant decorations on top of cupcakes too.”
 
 Photo © Created by Diane
 
 
 
4. Your Favorite Dessert Flavor?
 Diane : ” When I was a younger my first response to this question would have been chocolate. Although now I would have to say I gravitate more toward the vanilla side. Custard, Rice Pudding, Cheesecake with that wonderful aroma of a vanilla, makes me want have some right now.
I could never understand as a child why there were so many lemon flavored desserts…now I know. They are delicious, it just took my taste buds a while to realize it.”
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
5.  Diane, I know you are  a Jersey girl, living in California. What do you miss the most about New Jersey?
 Diane : I miss the FOOD!
Really I know how it must sound. Silly? Right. I miss the family owned food places that I could always count on to make great quality food and care about the service they offered. Where I live I have to drive an hour and a half to get food items I miss most.
 
I miss Italian bread, bagels, it must be the water like everyone says. I miss having great pizza whenever I want, along with great Chinese food.
 
 
 
  Photo © Created by Diane
 
When I moved to where I live now people would recommend pizza and all sorts of places. I’d try them and end up throwing the whole pizza out! It was gross. Sadly there was a place that opened a few years ago and they made NY style pizza but it closed, I believe because so many people where I live eat “fast food style pizza”.
 
When I visited NJ a few years ago I was surprised having been gone for so many years and the owners of familiar places still remembered me.
 I also miss soft serve ice cream and frozen custard, and how they rolled your cone in sprinkles, covering the whole thing. Along with food at the shore while walking on the boardwalk, French Fries with vinegar, Sausage Sandwiches, the all the fresh seafood you could think of.
 
 
  Photo ©Created by Diane
 
I also miss the Sub Shops that know how to make a sub sandwich. I haven’t had a decent sub in years and the place I love makes the best pork roll, egg and cheese sandwich for breakfast. Pork Roll actually comes from NJ.
Last but not least I’ll mention Diners, I wrote about some of the items I miss most from Diners.
 
Like I said I could go on all day about the food I miss, I’m just so glad to be able to share my food thoughts with my husband, as he misses it all too.”
 
 
 
  Photo © Created by Diane
 
 
 6. I don’t know about you but I have plenty of kitchen disaster under my belt, is there a kitchen disaster you’ll never forget ?(if not, you are my new HERO)
 Diane : ” The disaster that comes to mind has to be where I was hurrying to cut skinless boneless chicken breasts that I was thawing. Rushing to make Chicken Mozzarella for dinner and well I save you the gore and I would up getting several stitches in my thumb. OUCH! Lesson learned, make sure it’s thawed completely before cutting.
I have been known to drop a glass bowl of black icing all over the floor making for a fun clean up. I freak out when things don’t go my way in the kitchen, so there are always minor outbursts when they happen. I was piping icing with a cloth type piping bag and apparently it wasn’t completely dry. I was using red icing and moving right along when. I turned around and it looked like a blood bath all over the kitchen, I was piping so quickly that I didn’t notice my hands and the counter were covered in red icing seeping out of the bag and the heat from my hands just seemed to make it worse.”
 
 
 
 
7. What are you making for dinner tonight?
 Diane : Baked Potato Soup I make it often, but this time I actually baked the potatoes first and it was fantastic.”
 
 
Photo © Created by Diane
 
 Photo © Created by Diane
 
 
8. When decorating cookies, what medium do you decorate with? Royal Icing?
 
 
Diane : ” I have used Royal Icing, but prefer the taste of glaze icing of powdered sugar, corn syrup, and water on the cookies I make. I do use both and have found positives to each.”
 
 
 
 Diane’s Favorite CookiesItalian Cookies
  Photo © Created by Diane
 
 
 
9. I read on your blog that you are using Lorann Oils, just recently I bought a product from that line, but not oils, are they really as concentrated as they say? I’d love to give them a try.
 Diane : ” They are quite concentrated, I only need a few drops to flavor icing. They suggest 1 tsp of their oils to 1 tsp extracts. They don’t contain water and can be used in chocolates and candy making as well. Lorann’s has a huge selection of flavors, last time I counted over 60.”
 
 
 
Photo © Created by Diane
 
 
10. I ask this a lot  and you are no exception. Name 3 of your favorite utensils you couldn’t do without in the kitchen?

 

Diane :
  • ” Tongs, I have a pair of tongs I love and every time I buy a new pair they pinch my fingers. I wish I had two of the ones I love.
  •  Silicone spatula, what did we ever do without silicone in the kitchen? Funny story, my mom made fudge when I was young and the spatula melted into the fudge and she figured it melted down, we searched and could not find the end of the spatula. A month later her friend gave her a gift…it was the piece of spatula that had melted off. That was over 30 years ago and we all still laugh about it today. I guess that’s why I love the silicone spatulas so much (I fear something like that happening)
  •  Reamer, I have a wood reamer I use almost everyday, I don’t know how I would get all the juice from the lemons or limes if I didn’t have such a handy tool. It’s quick and easy.
 

I would have said measuring cups and measuring spoons, but truth be told, if I didn’t have them, Id just guess at the portions and pray that my baked goods would come out good.”

 To Die For Egg Nog Cupcakes

Photo ©Created by Diane

Diane, I really enjoyed having you over,  you had me laughing so hard at your spatula story, aren’t the kitchen stories the best ?! And as for your kitchen “disaster”, I’m feeling a lot better knowing I’m not the only one who goes through these things.
I’m glad to know you a little better, and I’m sure our readers will do to.
If you haven’t already, stop by Created by Diane to checkout her latest adventure, I’m sure she is whipping up something fantastic right this minute.

~

Note : All the photographs  above are  the property of Created by Diane
Please Do not Reproduce in anyway without owner’s permission.
Thank you.
 

 

 

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6 Comments

  1. I love this post! Ditto me for lemon deserts, diane, lol. I used to despise them, but now I'm all about lemon. You are a wonderful cook

  2. Though I know a lot about Diane's goodies, it's nice to learn more about Diane, the person:) The spatula story is a funny one!

  3. Wonderful interview! I am a long time fan of her blog and so glad she introduced me to yours. Happy New Years 🙂

  4. Hani, You are so sweet to have featured me on your AMAZING blog. It was a joy to answer your questions you sure have a knack for great questions 🙂

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