MMMmmmm...Cupcakes!!! Yummy!

Cupcakes,one of my favorite little treats to make anytime any for any occasion. This time I made them for a birthday party. I thought instead of trying to find the "right" recipe I thought I would a use two of my favorite cake recipes!! A Vanilla bean Butter cake and a Mocha-chocolate cake. Both are my favorite.The Vanilla bean Butter cake is a dense, rich cake that is almost like a pound cake with a crunchy "crust" with a Rich fudge frosting. The mocha-chocolate cake had a really light and not-to-sweet white frosting. Yummy!! Not sure if I am going to share the recipe just yet. I am thinking about it! I might get generous and share it! Keep on looking!

This is the Sparkeling sugar I used on the top of the cupcakes! It is from a Seattle based company, India Tree,http://www.indiatree.com/products/decorative/sparkling-sugars.html I love all their fancy sanding and decorating sugars. Check out the website, you will see why I like using them. I bought this one at my local QFC, they carry 5 colors at around $5.50 a bottle but it is worth it!

MMmmmm.... The finished cupcakes! They were a hit!

Creative Puns For Smart Minds!

These are some cute sayings I found on one of my favorite websites I follow,http://thepioneerwoman.com. I really like these and I know you will too!

1. Te roundest knight and King Arther's round table was Sir Circumference. He acquired his size from eating too much Pi.
2.I thought I saw an eye doctor on an Alaskan Island, but it turned out to be an optical Aleutian.
3.She was only a whiskey maker, but he liked her still.

4. A rubber band pistol was confiscated on an Algebra class, because it was a weapon of math disruption.

5.The Butcher backed into the meat grinder and got a little behind in his work.

6.No matter how much you push the envelope, It will still be stationary.

7. A dog gave birth to puppies near the road and was cited for littering.
8. A grenade thrown into a kitchen in France would result in Linoleum Blownapart.
9. Two silk worms had a race. They ended up in a tie.
10. Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.
11. A hole has been found in the nudist camp wall. The police are looking into it.
12. Atheism is a non-prophet organization.
13. Two hats were hanging on a hat rack in the hallway. One hat said to the other, “You stay here, I’ll go on a head.”
14. I wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger. Then it hit me.
15. A sign on the lawn at a drug rehab center said, “Keep off the Grass.”
16. A small boy swallowed some coins and was taken to a hospital. When his grandmother telephoned to ask how he was, a nurse said, “No change yet.”
17. A chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion.
19. The short fortune-teller who escaped from prison was a small medium at large.
20. The soldier who survived mustard gas and pepper spray is now a seasoned veteran.
21 A backward poet writes inverse.
22. In a democracy, it’s your vote that counts. In feudalism, it’s your count that votes.
23. When cannibals ate a missionary, they got a taste of religion.
24. Don’t join dangerous cults, practice safe sects!

Old Pants, New Skirt!!!!

Well, here is a way to turn an old pair of pants or jeans in to a really cute skirt! I used to do this
as a teenager and I had forgotten how cute it turns out! I have been researching it online
and there are allot of people out there with alot of helpful info about doing this! I had recently
been cleaning out my closet and dresser of some old clothes I didn't want any more. I had put them in a bag and not taken them to Goodwill( glad I didn't) I found these old pants and the insert fabric is from an old shirt!! It was a great match!!!
I started out cutting the pants to the desired length. You can leave it long and just trim off the old hem. I like the frayed look on the hem but you can sew a real hem on the bottom when you are done!

Next you have to cut the inner seams leaving a raw edge,again I like the frayed edge!

Here is the beginning of the front insert, I just randomly sewed together some of the pieces till it fit the front and back opening!

Here I fit the panel in to the front to see if it would fit! Notice the mark on the top seam? I marked it with the wrong pen(not a fabric marker) Oops! and had to put some stain remover on it!

I sewed both panels front and back, I sewed them inside out so the frayed edges were showing,Notice I used green thread, That was all I could find and I think It went with the little green flowers in the fabric!I wanted it a little quirky!! The next one I want to do is a Denim with some cherry and Denim inserts!! I will post more pics later! I also finished Michaella's Blanket yesterday! I will add the pics to another blog post. Thanks for looking and enjoy! Try one for yourself, they are fun :)

YAY!!! We have peas people!!! Lettus, carrots and almost Broccoli!

Well here we are, we have Peas!!! and a few other veggies! I am so

excited to see my little veggie garden growing and actually

living!! Geoff and I get a kick out of going out and looking at the

new growth!! I am getting impatient watching all

my goodies grow!!! As soon as we harvest, let me

know if you want to come over and have a salad.

I have never grown a garden and now I can feel the same

feeling people who garden all time feel!! Enjoy the pictures

and I will keep you posted!!!

It looks so pretty now!!

Our yard is looking really nice! Cleaning out the flower beds, lay down beauty bark and moving some plants around really made a huge difference! It looks so good now and I will have to give Geoff a huge pat on the back for doing this. Yes! He did this and he did such a great job!!! I usually lay out a blanket in the sun and keep him company while he toils away in the sun!! I know, I probably should help but I really don't like to get dirty and do yard work!! Yuck! He gives me a hard time about it but i usually just smile at him! Then he says "just hang out with me and keep him company". I am good at doing that!!!

Spring Flowers in my front yard!!!

I Just wanted to post some pictures of the front yard! We have come a long way from when

we moved here. It was over grown and had'nt been trimed in about 2 years.

After alot of sweat and heard work (I will have to give Geoff

most on the credit, I don't like to work in the dirt! Yuckie)

Enjoy the pictures and I will be posting more of the back

yard very soon :)

These things are too cute!!!!!!

Look what fun things I found on the Real simple Magazine website!!!

I love these little critter mugs :)
bags!I would love to take my lunch in these too cute !!

What day woud'nt be made better with Chocolate Fondue!!

Cupcake carriers!! I wish I would have thought if that.

These little stickers you can put on your office supplies are the Greatist :)

My First Year Planting a Veggie Garden!

Well here it is, the beginning anyway!Above I

started out with peas and carrots. Below, we

continued with three kinds of lettuce,

and Broccoli. We will be adding strawberries

in a large pot I have in the back and the rest

of the garden will be planted with green beans

and jalapeno peppers.Tomatoes will be added

next week. I am really excited to see all my work

grow and enjoy all the fresh veggies. Homemade salsa is on the top of my

list.

In May, I will be planting Collard Greens,

cantaloupe,and sweet basil in a plot

I still have to clean out.

I will keep everyone up to date on what happens.

I am really excited!! I am not very good at

growing anything, so I am really eager to

see how things are going to grow!

Let's Celebrate Spring!!!

Flying a kite in the sunny spring time!!

Pink Cherry blossoms are my Favorite flower

of spring!
Ah,Spring- when the world is renewed once again.

The ephemeral beauty of cherry blossoms, whose blooms are so fleeting,

is a distinctly spring time joy. Here, we celebrate

the soft pink flower and other beauties unique to this time of the year

-the first harvest of spring vegetables, the arrival of

songbirds,and the gardens brimming

with color!

" The air and the earth interpenetrated in the warm gusts

of spring;the soil was full of sunlight....and

the grass underfoot had a reflection of the blue

sky in it" ___Willa Cather

" To cultivate a garden is to walk with God, to go hand in hand

with nature in some of her most beautiful processes, to learn something

of her choicest secrets, and to have a more intelligent interest awakened

in the beautiful order of her works elsewhere"

I guess it's my turn!

Tag- You're it!!! Let others know a little more about yourself by re-posting and tagging your friends. Re post note as your name "1) What is your favorite salad dressing? my Homemade bluecheese

2) What is your favorite sit-down restaurant? Cafe Mia

3) What food could you eat for 2 weeks straight and not get sick of it? Chicken salad w/bluecheese dressing

4) What are your pizza toppings of choice? Chicken Garlic5) What do you like to put on your toast? Peanut butter

6) How many televisions are in your house? 5( too many,I know)

7) What color is your cell phone? black

8) Are you right-handed or left-handed? right

9) Have you ever had anything removed from your body? A child & parts of my knee

10) What is the last heavy item you lifted? I don't lift heavy things, Thats what Geoff is for

11) Have you ever been knocked unconscious? no

12) If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die? No way

13) If you could change your name, what would you change it to? I like my name :)

14) Would you drink an entire bottle of hot sauce for $1000? Yes, then I would die if a stomach ache

15) How many pairs of flip flops do you own? 0, but in the summer I will buy mabey 5or6

16) What’s your goal for the year? Get a job and go to SSCC's professional Baking and Pastry school

17) Last person you talked to? Geoff before he left for work

18) Last person you hugged? Geoff

19) Favorite Season? Summer

20) Favorite Holiday? Thanksgiving

21) Favorite day of the week?Weekends with the kids

22) Favorite Month? December

23) First place you went this morning? Bathroom,then Kitchen to make coffee Do you always answer the phone? nope

25-27)Where'd these questions go? someone didn't want to answer them so they just deleted them. Where's the fun in that???

28) If you could change your eye color what would it be? I love having very dark brown eyes

29) What flavor drink do you get at Sonic? never been, don't think we have one around here

30) Have you ever had a pet fish? Yes

31) Favorite Christmas song? I try not to think about Christmas in March

32) What's on your wish list for your birthday? I had my wish, Dinner with the kids and family

33) Can you do push ups? No, Why would I!

34) Can you do a chin up? again, WHY!!!

35) Does the future make you more nervous or excited? I'm excited

36) Do you have any saved texts? Yes,

37) Ever loved a dog like its your child? Miss My Louie, I love this picture of him!

38) Do you have an accent? No

39) What is the last song to make you cry? Can't think of the name right now, but its good

40) Plans tonight? Make dinner, clean,play on the computer,work on my blog

41) Have you ever felt like you hit rock bottom? Once

42) Name 3 things you bought yesterday? Starbucks,groceries,(way more then 3 items)T.P

43) Have you ever been given roses? yes

44) Current hate right now?Not having a job, and looking for a job!

45) Met someone who changed your life? Yes

46) How did you bring in the New Year? At home

47) What song represents you? Not sure

48) Name three people who might complete this? Not sure

49) What were you doing 12 AM last night? Ummm..Sleeping
50) What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up?I did'nt program the coffee pot so it would be ready when I got up , so I have to go make it!
I tag whoever reads this & hasn't done it yet :)

A Friend Loveth at all Times.

I have had a dear friend since I was 17, her name is Alice. She is such an encouragement and someone I could talk to about anything.Remember hanging out in our jammies and watching movies all day and eating goodies? I was going through some papers and I found a sweet poem she wrote for me. It was a highlight in my day. We have been there for each other through good times and bad. Now that I live in Seattle, we can't get together like we used to,remember Tea and cookies at my house??? Yummy! If you have a sweet friend like I have, please keep them close and talk to them often. Love you Alice, you will always have a shoulder to cry on and a friend to laugh with!

"Forever Friends"

A true friend I found in you,

You're there no matter what I do.

When I fall I know you care

You help me up, my burdans share

I hope I'll do the same for you

When you're down, I'll be there too.

You know on me you can depend,

My only "true" forever friend.

~Alice~

Three Desserts using Pound Cake.

I recently found an article in Real Living magazine that uses kitchen staples to give them a new twist by adding different ingredients to spice them up.I am using a 6oz pound cake in these recipes. Each will serve 6 people

Pound cake with oranges,honey and Rosemary.

Cut away the peel and the pith of the oranges and cut out the segments. In a medium bowl, gently combine the orange segments, 2Tbs Honey,and 1/2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary. Slice cake and top with orange mixture. Enjoy. Whip cream would be nice on the top.

Glazed pound cake with crystallized ginger

in a small bowl,whisk 1 cup of powder sugar 1tablespoon powder sugar to form a thick but pourable glaze(add more water if necessary)Spread glaze over the cake letting it drip down the sides.Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of chopped candied ginger. Let the glaze set for 20 min. before serving.

Toasted pound cake with whip cream and almonds

Heat oven to 375* Spread 1/2 cup of sliced almonds on a rimmed baking sheet and toast, tossing occasionally, until golden. 5 to 7 min. Heat broiler.Slice the cake into 1 inch thick pieces and broil till golden brown,about 1 min. per side. In a medium bowl,beat 1 cup of heavy cream and 1/4 cup of powdered sugar until stiff peaks form.Top cake with whip cream and top with the toasted almonds.

Baby its cold outside...Lets bake some cookies!

It's Saturday and the kids are here for the weekend. Its raining outside and we were stuck inside,so michaella asked me if we could make cookies. I love to bake and develop recipes and this is one I had been working on for a little while. I had some dried sour cherries so i decided to try the recipe. We had alot of fun. Michealla is so fun to cook with Her favorite thing to do is to crack the eggs. Later that night we made homemade spaghetti sauce and cheese bread. It was really good.

The First signs of spring in our front yard!

I thought everyone would like to see some signs of spring while we all have to be patient while it rains and snows(I know it's March!!!) I was outside watching, I don't do yard work so I was watching Geoff do it. I noticed some little flowers growing in the grass. Geoff said the squirrels bury them in the winter. So we find them popping up all over the place. So enjoy, spring will be here soon!

Sensible Substitutes, Yummy!

In recent years I have always looked for ways to make my food healthier. I came accross this book that had a few homemade versions of things you find in the grocery store and use often,after some trial I realize these turned out to be really good and very cost effective. So I thought I would share a few. The chocolate syrup is my favorite because you can add a higher quality cocoa powder, which defeats the purpose of being cost effective, but it is really good.Last time I made it i used Calibou cocoa powder, which is 16.oo for 120z at Sur la table. You can use Hersheys and it really does taste butter then the canned stuff. Taco Seasoning
6 teaspoon chili powder
41/2 t cumin
5t paprika
3t onion powder
21/2 t garlic powder
1/8 to 1/4tcayenne powder
Mix all together and store in an airtight container.The homemade mix is much stronger then the store-bought one,so use half as much and adjust to your taste.

CHOCOLATE SYRUP
1/2C cocoa
1cup water
2c sugar
1/8 t salt (dont skip this, it really adds to the flavor)
1/4t Vanilla
Mix the cocoa and the water in a saucepan. Heat and stir to disolve the cocoa.Add the sugar,and stir to dissolve. Boil 3 min.Add the salt and vanilla.Pour into sterilized pint jar and store covered in refrigerator;Keeps for several months.
Hershey syrup:$1.69 for 24oz jar or 7cents per ounce. Homemade: 3 cents per ounce

Cream Soup Mix

2 cups dry milk

11/4 cups of corn starch or 21/2c of flour

1/4c chicken bouillon powder

1/2 tsp powder

1t thyme (optional)

1t Basil

Mix all together, and store in airtight container.If the mix is made with cornstarch,add 1/3 of the mix to 1 1/4 cups of water; if made with flour add 1/2 cup of mix to 1 1/4 cups water. This makes a consentrated casserole consistancy. For thinner soup coninstancy, double the water.

Enjoy

Try these and let me know how you like them. I have a few more to post,so keep checking back.


HOMEMADE VANILLA
1BOTTLE OF GOOD VODKA
2SPLIT VANILLA BEAN POD

Split the vanilla bean pod lengthwise,
put into vadka bottle and store in a dark place
in about 2months it will develope a dark color.
As you use it refill with vodka, It will last for 7
years. I love this and I have been making this for
years. It may take longer to develope the destinctive
dark color. It is way better then store bought. I purchased
vanilla beans at costco. If you are botherd by having a
vodka bottle in your kitchen, buy a pretty bottle and
make it in that. ENJOY!!!

A Beautiful Winter day at the Beach.

Today, Geoff came home from work early so we decided to go down to the Cove. We live in Normandy Park and we have access to a private beach for the owners in the area. So we decided to take bread so we can feed the ducks. It is so fun, as soon as we go to the ducks, they swarmed us. They will even take the food right out your hand, even the baby ducks.We found alot of little crabs, snails and starfish under the rocks on the beach. It was so nice to be in the sun.We love to bring the kids down here there, we love to have a fire and roast marshmellows.There are a couple of little bridges over a protected marsh that sometimes you can see fish spawning. It is such peaceful place to go. Because it is private you dont have alot of kids running around and messy people. It was a nice day and I think we will bring the kids down this weekend to feed the ducks and walk on the beach.