Sponsor Spotlight: Kayle from The Cooking Actress

It’s that time again for another sponsor spotlight and this month we are featuring one of my favorite people in the food blog world – Kayle from The Cooking Actress!

Kayle’s the best, we’ve met a couple of times in person since she’s a Queen’s gal and I swear it was like we had known each other for years the way we just gabbed on and on.  I figured since I already know Kayle so well, this time around we’d do a little Q&A, so you can get to know her too.  

Peanut Butter Truffle Chocolate Chip Cookies

Before we get to the Q&A portion of this post, let’s talk about the picture of these cookies above.  The fact is my girl Kayle makes some good food, but she and I are both known to be cookie monsters – so it was a no brainer to pick a cookie recipe to try out and feature. 

I present to you perhaps the best mashup of a peanut butter and chocolate chip cookie that anyone could every think of – Chocolate Chip and Peanut Butter Truffle Swirled Cookies!!

Peanut Butter Truffle Chocolate Chip Cookies

Soft and chewy, with chocolate chunks and at the right spot a gooey peanut butter truffle. Like I said, the best combination cookie ever.  In fact, I was so proud of myself because I exercised control and froze half the batter in dough balls to have when this cookie craving strikes again!

Peanut Butter Truffle Chocolate Chip Cookies

Now that the first important part is out of the way.  How about we learn about Kayle?

Before you go don’t forget to visit Kayle’s blog to say hi!

Q: Let’s start with the obligatory question: How’d you get into food blogging, and why?
 A: I was kind of in a boring icky place in my life-living with roommates who hated me, very few friends who lived near me, and missing my (at the time long distance) boyfriend. I had gotten really obsessed with reading food blogs and making food so I thought…maybe it would be fun to give my own a shot! I honestly did not think anyone would read it…and no one did for awhile, lol!

 Q: If it was your last day on earth, what would your perfect meal be?
 A: Oh my lord…ummmm…..let’s see….delicious garlicky mashed potatoes (pref. the kind they serve at Ruby Tuesday), a perfect thick completely fat-less filet mignon cooked medium rare, buttery, fluffy rolls, a perfect bowl of mac n cheese and then lots of cookies and chocolatey goodness for dessert. We’d be here all day if I specified 😛

 Q: What is the thing you’ve made that you’ve been the most proud of?
 A: It’s probably a 3 way tie. First is the cheddar biscuits I made-when I made those it was my first time ever making anything as “advanced” (to my mind) as biscuits made from scratch. I still love this recipe and make it all the time. Second is my perfect, all-butter pie crust: I found this recipe in a panicked fit on my first Thanksgiving with Michael and I was amazed by how wonderful and amazing this pie crust is (and that I was actually able to make pie crust)-and Michael likes it just as much as his mom’s, which is HUGE! I use it whenever I make pie, now. And lastly is my whole wheat thin pizza crust-this recipe was finagled by me from a few different recipes, and I love it. I use it whenever I make pizza and I always feel super awesome when I tell people “Oh yeah I make homemade pizza, with homemade pizza crust. Nbd.”

 Q: What are your favorite recipes that you’ve blogged?
 A: Eeeesh this is hard. There’s like…too much to choose from! Ok, I’m just gonna give the 2 that jump to the top of my head. One of Michael’s and my favorite recipes to eat is: Just Chicken Pot Pie. It’s so incredibly yummy, one of our favorite meals. And the other recipe is my Brown Butter Dark Chocolate and Marshmallow Cookies-these cookies are one of the first recipes that I’ve ever really developed, and they are some of the best I’ve ever tasted! Adore these, always and forever 😛

Q: What kind of stuff did you cook/bake growing up, when you were just a little Kayle?
 A: My mom didn’t like me in the kitchen much, I made too much of a mess (not much has changed there :P). However, I always helped my dad stir the Bisquick pancake batter on Saturday mornings. I used to sometimes make blueberry muffins (Jiffy, from the box) and pretend I was on a cooking show. I used to make Kraft mac & cheese (and add pepper in), and Knorr Butter Noodles (adding in some garlic powder, etc. to make me feel important). Best of all, though, every time my grandma made homemade pasta, I would help her roll out, then cut, the noodles-using her old crank pasta machine. I still do that every Christmas Eve.

 Q: What’s your favorite thing that has come out of food blogging?
 A: Food!!! I’m only kind of kidding. My growing comfort in the kitchen has been wonderful. I’ve also always had a fondness for writing, so it’s been nice to have this outlet. Most of all, though, I’ve really treasured the relationships I’ve made. I’ve never been a person who’s had a lot of friends, but I feel like there are so many people out there that I know, and that know me, through this crazy/amazing blog community we have, and I adore that.

 Q: What’s your favorite spice?
 A: Probably garlic powder, I reach for it more often than I would care to admit (but less often than Michael likes to say I do :P)

 Q: Sweet or savory?
 A: Sweet!! No, both, I could never live on only sweets. Sometimes I just need some fried chicken or something.

 Q: Favorite drink?
 A: Water. I’m serious. Max Brenner’s Italian Thick Hot Chocolate is a strong 2nd place, though.
 
 Q: Cake or Pie?
 A: Depends on the kind-in general I err towards pie, though.

 Q: Cookies or Cupcakes?
 A: COOKIES!

 Q: If you could model your dream kitchen, what are a few things you’d
 NEED?
 A: KitchenAid stand mixer! And an island! Lots of space, lots of light and happiness. If I could have an electric oven but a gas range, that would be amazing (I find electric ovens to be more predictable and do a better job with baking, but I prefer the control of a gas range). 

 Q: Favorite kitchen tool/gadget?
 A: Hmmmm, I use like rubber/silicone spatulas a lot. I’ve also become very fond of silicone mats. Someday my answer to this question will be KITCHENAID STAND MIXER!

Q: Show us a picture of your kitchen!
 A: I decided to just take a picture of my kitchen as it is, without picking up….so yepp. There ya have it. My lil kitchen, that I sort of love.
 

kitchen

 Q: What’s the most annoying thing, to you, about working in a small kitchen?
 A: I never have enough counter for stuff. I’m constantly squished. 

Q: Non-food related questions–What’s your favorite color? Your favorite animal?
 A: Red! African elephants!

Q: What’s a brief rundown of a day in the life of Kayle?
A: Ha! I don’t really have a normal schedule but I’ll attempt to generalize: If it’s a normal weekday–Wake up at 7AM when Michael’s alarm goes off. Head into living room and turn on computer. Check facebook and emails, etc. If it’s a posting day I put up the blog post and do the fb stuff etc. Submit to food sites. Check out my google reader and sort through that. At some point make Michael his lunch and make him and myself breakfast (him=toast and chocolate milk me=who knows depends on the day, sometimes a banana). Help Michael get out the door with smooches. Lay in bed. Watch TV. Read blogs. Edit photos. If making food, make food. Deal with taking photos and updating stuff as needed. If this is a day where I’m not working or doing anything like that I may go to the grocery store or do laundry or something. Michael will get home anytime between 5:30 and 8 PM. Have some semblance of dinner ready for him. When he gets home we eat and watch some shows (currently the show we’re watching as a couple is Buffy. I’m re-watching, this is his 1st time watching it). Lots of computer stuff continuously happening. Get in bed around 10 PM. Maybe read a bit, or just go straight to sleep. The end. Sometimes I work. Sometimes I film. Those days, and weekends, run a smidge differently. 

 Q: What is your biggest dream?
A: Become a very successful (and wealthy :P) actress, be married to Michael, have 4-5 children, and just be happy :).

Q: Where do you want to be in 5 years (in general life and bloggy-dom)?
A: I would like to be married to Michael, living in California (unless I’m so rich that we can live in Ohio and I can leave as needed to work :P), doing well with the acting, pref. with a kid or 2, ya know. In bloggy-dom I’d like to just see the blog keep going the way it is and growing the way it has. I’m quite content.

Q: How much do you love Susan, and why?
A:Like…so much. She took me to Chelsea Market. She was the 1st blog friend I ever met in real life-it was like I could finally talk about food and not have the other person fall asleep! Plus-um isn’t she so amazing and cool and funny and she wins stuff because she makes such AMAZING food! I’m in awe of Susan, yes sireee 🙂
 
 
 

 

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10 thoughts on “Sponsor Spotlight: Kayle from The Cooking Actress

  1. Jessica | Oh Cake

    Haha! How much do I love this sponsor spotlight? Two of my favorite bloggers just dishing – I feel like I’m listening to this conversation while having cookies with both you & Kayle. 🙂

    And Kayle – I heart you even more now that I know you make your Kraft mac n cheese with extra pepper and that you love rubber spatulas. My old sous chef Spike used to live & die by the rubber spatula – a lesson that stuck.

    Awesome spotlight!

    Reply
  2. Nancy @ gottagetbaked

    I loved this interview. What I wouldn’t give to fly to New York and hang out with you two awesome ladies! It’s nice to get a glimpse into your world, Kayle, with the pic of your kitchen. And I’m praying to the foodie gods that you’ll get your Kitchenaid stand mixer soon – it’s my favourite thing in the whole wide world (no exaggeration!).

    Reply

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