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Pumpkin Ice Cream
So, I have to admit that as I write this tonight, I’m wearing two pairs of socks, a gigantic sweater and I’m sitting under a blanket drinking a huge mug of extra-hot coffee. It’s definitely not ice cream weather right now. Isn’t it funny how the first cold night of the season brings out the cold-drama? I’m pretty sure that 42 degrees in mid-January is going to feel like a heat wave, but tonight it’s awful. And I want nothing to do with ice cream…
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Honey Beer Bread
I’m kind of a beer snob. I have a very short list of beers that I’ll even drink. So, when I saw this recipe I wasn’t totally excited about it. I know that beer does wonderful things for chocolate cake and batters for deep frying, but bread? For some reason though, I kept coming back to this. After further consideration, I decided that beer would probably lend a great, malty flavor to this bread and that it was worth a try. Turns out I was…
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Mickey Mouse Party
My little nephew turned one year old yesterday. He’s just the cutest, cuddliest, happiest kid ever. He’s the result of my {Lemon Drop Cupcakes} from a year ago, the first time we experimented with the secret lemon-juice-theory recipe. Who knows if it worked, or if this little guy was just ready to come into the world, but I can’t imagine my life without my favorite bald-headed monster. My sister hosted a big Mickey Mouse party and we all had a great time. I thought you…
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Tomato & Basil Bruschetta
Two quick things today. One is related to the picture above, and one is a story that you must endure to get to the yumminess. So, first of all, my four year old says the cutest-ever things right now. She’s right between that baby-talk and big-kid speak…and she makes up words and misuses words all of the time and it’s so stinkin’ adorable that I can’t even stand it. For instance, instead of “accident,” she says “ax-ca-dent.” Like, “Sorry, Mommy, but it was just an…
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Lemon Pudding Cake
Now that St. Patrick’s Day is behind us, I feel like spring is in full swing. The warmer-than-normal winter has our yard turning green, our daffodils blooming and our trees budding a few weeks ahead of schedule. This time of year I want to be outside with my hands in the dirt – planing, pruning and trying my best to remove all signs of winter. And while I spent a good part of my weekend outside, I think you all know me well enough by…
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Versatile Chocolate Cake
Just a quick update to add pictures of the Birthday/St. Patrick’s Day cake I made for my Mother-In-Law’s belated birthday party. She loves this chocolate cake, but my 5 year old wanted a green cake. So – we compromised. A four-layer chocolate cake with milk chocolate ganache filling, frosted with green vanilla buttercream and decorated with green M&M’s. I definitely prefer the chocolate frosting over the vanilla frosting, but this was still yummy. Recipe and more details to follow.
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Butterfly Cupcakes
This past weekend we celebrated my baby girl’s second birthday with two family parties. For me, it was a busy weekend of cleaning, cooking and keeping the girls entertained but it was all worth it. I loved just watching how happy my girls were to be surrounded by everyone who loves them. It wasn’t about the presents, the food or the decorations. Especially in the wake of the tornado destruction in Joplin, MO and Reading, KS, I found myself counting my blessings. It was a…
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Little Coconut Cream Pies
It’s funny, growing up I didn’t realize that it wasn’t normal to have six or seven pies at a holiday dinner for nine or ten people. Pies were just part of the deal. And of course, everyone has their favorite pie…and you HAVE to have pumpkin. And a fruit pie (or two). And chocolate. And pecan…you get the picture. It wasn’t until I married my husband and he started attending our big holiday meals that I realized that it was uncommon to have a 1:1 people-to-pie ratio. …
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Lemon Drop Cupcakes
So, my sister is VERY pregnant. She’s not due for another 9 days, but she’s done. I can’t hardly blame her, she works on her feet all day long, and then chases a 22 month old around all night. The girl is always on the go, and quite possibly the hardest worker I know. Except maybe my Dad, but I suppose that’s where she gets it. Since I’m just as anxious to meet my new nephew as she is, (ok, probably not AS anxious. But…
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A Pantry Makeover Part 4: Glidden Paint
Several weeks ago, we took on the daunting task of updating and renovating our walk-in pantry. When we built our house five years ago, pantry functionality and design was, unfortunately, not high on our priority list. Given how frequently we use that little room, it’s really a shame we put it off so long. My friends over at Glidden® paint made the process so much easier. After submitting a few of my inspiration photos to their online My Image Inspiration tool , I was actually able…
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Summer Sauvignon Blanc Party – Part Two
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Sonoma-Cutrer Vineyards. All opinions are 100% mine. A few weeks ago, I posted about planning a wine tasting party. Did you miss it? You can read more about it here. The party went off without a hitch, and we had a great time. The wine was delicious, the appetizers were tasty, and it was a fun night with my friends. The wine on our tasting menu consisted of: 2013 Sonoma-Cutrer Russian River Ranches Chardonnay,…
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Easy Creme Brulee
I won’t make you listen to any more stories about my rough week. If you remember from a recent post, my daughter starts 1st grade tomorrow. And since I don’t have a time machine or (apparently) the ability to will time to slow down, I have put on my best happy face and hopefully hold back tears until I’m out of the school parking lot. OK, one more story. But technically, this isn’t a story, it’s really just information that you need to know…
