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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UCSB chapter.

Leanne Kridl, a senior at UC Santa Barbara, has spent the past year designing and maintaining her baking blog, onedashdelplaya.blogspot.com. If you are ever in need of a new holiday recipe or if you just like to see the delicious creations that Leanne comes up with, make sure to stop by her blog this holiday season.
 
Her Campus: When did you start your blog?
Leanne:  I started my blog this past summer.
 
HC: What inspired you to create a blog?
L: I love to bake and I always take pictures of the food that I baked so I thought I might as well put up pictures for others to enjoy. Living in my sorority house and going abroad made me realize how much I missed being able to cook my own food.
 
HC: What is your favorite thing to make?
L: I like making cupcakes because they are a good serving size  and they are really fun to decorate and give to others.
 
HC: What will you be making during the holidays?
L: I want to make peppermint back.  Other people should think about trying this recipe because it is very fun, festive, and the best thing about it- no baking is necessary!

 HC: What are some tips for other bakers to try?
L: I suggest that you find a recipe that you really enjoy and then work off of that. I found my favorite vanilla frosting and then I always tweak it or add other ingredients into the recipe.
 
HC: Do you have any favorite cooking shows?
L: I love Cupcake Wars, Chopped, Iron Chef and Top Chef.
 
HC: Do you give away your baked goods?
L: I bake what I think would be good but sometimes I do bake for other people. When all my friends were moving in, I made a huge batch of champagne cupcakes with strawberry frosting to give out. I try to bake people things for their birthdays. For my friend’s birthday, I made a mini yellow cake with chocolate frosting.
 
HC: Do you ever bake with anyone?
L: I bake with my good friend, Coco, most of the time. It’s fun to bake with other people around since everyone has a unique style. Coco is more of a cook so she comes up with her own recipes and is more creative with tweaking recipes while I really enjoy reading directions. I like being precise and organized. While I bake, I become quite the perfectionist.
 
 

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Elizabeth ('12) is studying Communication and Professional Multimedia Writing at UC Santa Barbara. Born and raised in Calabasas, California, she is a valley girl at heart, but loves spending her time in big cities or at the beach. Elizabeth is currently interning at Santa Barbara Magazine, and is also a writer and reporter for the food, arts, and entertainment sections of her university's newspaper. After a semester studying abroad in Europe, she spent the past summer in New York City as an editorial intern at TV Guide Magazine through the highly competitive ASME Summer Internship Program. Aside from previous internships including a local radio station, Elizabeth worked in Los Angeles at FOX 11 KTTV as a production intern for the top-rated morning show, Good Day L.A and FOX 11 News, and was also recently published in Seventeen magazine. An entertainment fanatic, Elizabeth has interviewed E!'s Giuliana Rancic, the cast of Glee, Entourage, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and more. She is also a dedicated member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, and served her chapter as Vice President and executive board member. When she's not editing Her Campus articles, you can expect to find her at the gym, shopping, eating chocolate, or watching any show on Bravo. Elizabeth is preparing for a career in print or broadcast journalism, and loves working for Her Campus!