Becca's Topsy Turvy Tales

Need Valentine Day inspiration??

2011-02-08T09:49:00.001-08:00

Check out my new post at From Becca's Home to Yours!

2010-09-22T18:57:00.001-07:00

http://frombeccashome.blogspot.com/

2010-09-21T10:20:00.000-07:00

More notable cut-outs

Mice....

Real mice make me go "eeek!" But there's something about these mouse cutouts that I love. Maybe it's the fact that I think they are kinda cute and they are not real... I'm definitely not fond of the real kind.

I put my mice around my fireplace tiles so it looks like they're scampering up to their hole.

I'm thinking of adding some more mice to the top shelves of my fireplace.... it seems a bit bare to me. What do you think??

I think I have some more tracing and cutting to do! If you'd like to do this craft you should try it! It's so simple! Click here for the Martha Stewart template. Then trace your template on black paper or black card stock. Remember my painters tape tip, it works great for the mice too! When you go to store your adorable mice for next Halloween separate them with wax paper and store in a manila envelope to prevent bending. Enjoy!!

Halloween is in the air.... or rather on my walls!

2010-09-20T13:20:00.000-07:00

This post is from my blog: http://frombeccashome.blogspot.com/

I love, love, love Halloween. I'm basically a holiday nut if I'm being honest. But I think I'm so obsessed with Halloween because it's the first of the big 3 holidays in my book... ya know... Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Those are the 3 holidays that I go all out! I just couldn't restrain myself this past weekend and I took the decorations out. Some of the first decorations to come out were the hand made ones. Last year I spent a lot of time cutting paper.... and I must say I think it was worth it. I cut bats out of card stock last year and I taped them to my walls. This is what they look like:

....And yes, that is a handmade "Happy Halloween" banner. I'll show you how I made it in a later post. And of course I had to make a hanging bat. We named him Henry. I'm not sure why but he's special since he hangs up side down. This year he's by our back door curtains.... he moves every year :)

To be honest, these bats took some time to cut out. But once they're done I really think they are worth it. I think it's an easy and affordable decoration too! I highly suggest you give it a try. All you need is some black card stock, scissors and tape. To get the bats to stick to my satin wall paint I had to use painters tape (aka the blue tape at your local hardware store).... and a lot of it. But it comes off really easily without damaging the walls! I got this idea from the Martha Stewart magazine. And I give this one 2 thumbs up! Martha Stewart used to have the bat templates available online, but she recently removed these since she's now selling packs of the pre-made bat cave silhouettes. The easiest way to make this at home would be to search online for a bat silhouette, find one you like, print it out, and trace the outline onto card stock. I hope you find this little craft as fun as I did.

A New Course....

2010-09-19T08:26:00.000-07:00

I'm starting a new blog! It'll be full of tips and tricks and reviews of crafts and baked goods I've made. I'll be teaching you how to make the items yourself. If you've been following my blog here please follow my blog there. I'm really excited about it and will be putting in most of my efforts and focus into it. Thanks!

http://frombeccashome.blogspot.com/

Picking Apples

2010-09-14T09:00:00.000-07:00

On Sunday we went to "Riley's at Los Rios Rancho" in Oak Glen. This is our 3rd annual trip to pick apples as a family and it didn't disappoint. The kids even got to pet some goats....which they enjoyed a lot!

And this year was a "bumper crop" which basically means they have a lot of apples. A LOT! It was amazing! There were a ton!

Overall it was a wonderful day and we got lots of great pictures....which is basically why we do this..in addition to the memories :)

Getting Ready

2010-09-10T09:51:00.000-07:00

This weekend we'll be making our annual trip to Oak Glen. It's this little town in the mountains with a whole lot of orchards. We go there in the fall to pick apples as a family. The grandparents and aunts and uncles come too! It's a big family tradition that we top off with a big piece of apple pie! :) This is the weekend that means fall is officially here (for us). It also means that next week I'm going to be making a whole lot of apple pies and maybe I can sneak in a pumpkin pie- oh how I just adore pumpkin pie. Yummm..... least to say, I can't wait for Sunday. Fall is my season and I'm so ready for it to be here.

...more apple pictures to come next week!

Breathe

2010-09-09T10:22:00.000-07:00

Some days I feel like I'm caught in a rip current. Life is crashing down all around me and I'm trying to go one way yet getting pulled in the wrong direction. After struggling for so long anyone's arms and legs will get tired....it's days like this that it's nice to stop and just breathe. Realize it's all ok. I'm ok. I'm here, now. Every moment is a moment that has passed...one foot forward.

Decisions, decisions....

2010-09-04T08:13:00.000-07:00

With all the changes that have been going on I've been exhausted. Exhausted and I've been thinking.... I'm thinking about taking a break from the baking business for a bit. I've felt like it's been taking over my life for a while. I love my customers and I love making the cakes but I'm missing out on time with my kids. It kinda hit home when my son got home from school this week and said, "mommy will you play with me?" and I had to sigh and then say "mommy can't right now, she has to go make a cake." It's like this every week. And I just am thinking to myself, "how much longer is he going to want to play with mommy?".... probably not much longer. My husband works hard so I can be home with the kids and I feel like the point of him working is so I can be here for the kids, so what am I doing? I'm going to take a break and focus on the family for a bit :) Before I know it both kids will be in school and I'll have more time on my hands to bake....and I'm not quiting completely...just slowing it down a lot :)

First Day of Kindergarten

2010-09-01T10:14:00.000-07:00

This past Monday was my oldest son's first day of kindergarten. I must say it was a crazy day. There was a lot of emotion on that day. I wasn't one of the mom's who was sobbing- but I did shed a couple tears. My son was very excited, I think it the transition was harder for me than it was for him. I was really tired the second day of waking up at 6 am. I was not used to the early morning schedule, although day 3 has been a little bit easier. I think all in all I'm getting used to the morning traffic and school parking. But it's still a little weird :)

Butterfly & Roses Cake

2010-08-28T11:42:00.000-07:00

I did this cake this week and thought I'd share it with you guys. It was a very symbolic cake since it was a cake made for a family who lost a loved one. They get together and remember her on her birthday. It was a very touching cake to make and I put as much love into it as I could.

Sometimes when it gets really crazy and busy it's easy to take it all for granted. I think it's good to take a moment to slow down and think about the important people in your life. And it's even better to tell those people that they are important to you...

A Cyclone

2010-08-25T11:27:00.000-07:00

I've started reading "The Wizard of Oz" to my 5 year old son. I believe that kids should learn the classics and be exposed to them at home as well as at school. He's loving it by the way :)

One point that he was very interested in was the cyclone. Since we live in southern California we don't really talk about them. But we are very skilled in the Earthquake drill and my kids have experienced multiple earthquakes.
As I was explaining to my son about tornadoes and cyclones I thought about my life. Sometimes it seems like the floor is shaking, just like an earthquake. Other times it seems as if my life has been swept up in the air and tossed about. Where will I land? What land will I land in? Will a good witch will grant me safe passage? Right now it's one of those moments where the cyclone has lifted my life in the air and everything is getting tossed about. I felt a little hopeless when it started but now I'm excited to see where I'll be when I land.

Life is just getting so busy. My son's starting kindergarten on Monday. I'm not ready to let go. He's in soccer and really learning some great lessons. I've become the "Team Mom" and I'm really, really not sure how that happened. My daughter is not a baby anymore- I just keep telling her she'll always be my baby no matter how big she gets. I'm learning how to let go and learning that I'm not as strong as I thought I was. My cake business has been growing, but I'm thinking about slowing it down a little. At least until both kids are in school. These days I feel like I'm being pulled in all different directions. How does one person balance it all?

A great analogy would be a tight rope walker who's balancing people on her shoulders and those people are jumping around and dancing. The tightrope walker also has multiple ropes that are attached to her and are pulling in different directions. Like I said, I'm in a tornado. Exciting and terrifying all at the same time. Now all I have to do is try to keep my feet on the ground.

Jack Skellington Cake in buttercream

2010-08-21T11:00:00.000-07:00

This cake was for a customer's husband's birthday. I thought it was fun, definitely different than my typical birthday cakes. And I love Halloween so this was a little bit of a treat for me to be able to do something like this. Anyway...the cake is a chocolate cake with oreo crumb filling and vanilla buttercream filling. It started out covered in smooth buttercream and I piped on all the details- this part took a long time.

Aside from taking a few breaks for hand cramps it went really smoothly. And the finished cake looks like this:

Around the sides of the cake are quotes from the movie "The Nightmare Before Christmas". They say "What's this? What's this?" and "I can't believe my eyes!" Both are memorable quotes from the movie.

Baking Secret: To achieve the right shade of black buttercream- use cocoa powder and black gel food coloring.

Every baker has her day...

2010-08-18T09:07:00.000-07:00

Yes, I create cakes as a job. Yes, I always deliver my cakes on time. Yes, I'm proud of my work....but it doesn't always go as smoothly as it seems. If you've ever watched "Ace of Cakes" or "DC Cupcakes" then you've probably witnessed their stress or one cake collapse. It's just part of the business. When you work with sugar it doesn't want to stay- it wants to pull away, separate, melt, etc. So here I am admitting I've had my fair share of mishaps, forgotten steps and fondant failure. When that happens it ends up like this:

But as I've told myself hundreds of times, "it's just cake. It's not the end of the world". Go ahead and get any tears out you need to. Give yourself a little break. Then come back and start over. I know it's not what you want to happen, but it just does. And it's ok. This is why I watch cake shows - as horrible as it sounds it's nice to see them stress out and see their $1,000 creations collapse. It makes me feel better :)

But it's usually fixable. In this case my fondant didn't go on right....grrr...yes, still a lil bitter about it. But I went back and removed all fondant and cut the cake underneath (a crucial step). This is what it looked like- a bit bare:

But it turned out like this:

Hopefully this will inspire someone not to give up. Everyone has challenges, but you can work through them....even if it keeps you up till 2 am multiple nights in a row. In the end, it'll all work out and maybe it'll turn out beautiful.

Whimsical Cake and Summer Days

2010-08-16T09:35:00.003-07:00

This chocolate cake filled and covered with vanilla buttercream was a simple birthday cake I had due on Saturday. Kinda a fun birthday cake :) The swirls make me think of fun and carefree times.

Although, I think I'm already thinking of fun times since my son's school starts in 2 weeks. I'm feeling this urge to get in as many fun summer experiences as possible before the school year starts. Definitely going to the beach this week!

It seems like every day life just is just getting busier and crazier. My son starts soccer this week, my daughter starts dance in 2 weeks. Sheesh! Welcome to Becca's Transportation Service for her children - lol! Well, I guess the best way to tackle this is just say "Bring it on life! I can still be carefree, fun and artistic even when life gets crazy." Well, at least that's what I'll tell myself :)

It's done!

2010-08-13T11:42:00.000-07:00

Phew.... once I stepped back from the table and admired the wedding cake I had just assembled I wanted to jump for joy. There is a lot of work and a lot of stress that goes into a wedding cake. And this cake just happened to be delivered on Friday the 13th.... (insert twilight zone music here).

As you can imagine the stress goes beyond the date on the calendar. It's from the being up late at night baking the cakes, filling, icing and trying to make them look perfect. It's from the bumps and turns on the road while the wedding cake is in the back of the car. It's from those late night calls from the bride worrying over the table cloth being under the cake properly. All of which is totally understandable....and yet it all went smoothly.... thank goodness.

The venue that the bride picked out was gorgeous. The room had 2 full walls of windows that looked out onto the marina. Absolutely gorgeous. I really hope this couple has a very special day. And I REALLY hope they like their cake :) I already got a text from the bride saying it looks amazing which totally made my day. Now, I think it's time to relax, at least before tonight, when I start on a chocolate cake.

Lots of cake...

2010-08-11T15:20:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of posts recently. I'm working on a wedding cake right now so it's a little crazy. Yesterday the base of the cake was baked and filled and crumb coated.

Today I found out from my dentist that I have a wisdom tooth twice the size of a regular molar in my lower jaw that's pushing against my other tooth, oh joy. My kids are calling it my elephant tooth and they think it's hillarious. After my lovely dental appointment I was back to baking. Today I might be able to finish the cake. We'll see how the cakes come together. It's always an adventure that's for sure. More pics of cake to come soon (and not just crumb coated ones)!

My mad scientist cake leveling tool....like I said, adventure...

Back to Reality

2010-08-09T10:29:00.000-07:00

Disneyland was wonderful. And between running from this show to that show and standing in lines and pushing a stroller up a hill it was enough to make me forget everything for a day. Today every single one of my muscles hurts. But it was worth it. We saw Fantasmic for the first time and it was absolutely amazing. I totally get why people camp out for hours before the show just to get a good seat. But my favorite part of the day was in the New Orleans area.

It is home to "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "The Haunted Mansion". Which I consider two of the best attractions at Disneyland. It also has really yummy food and amazing building decor.

I'm not sure if I'd really call it architecture- because who knows how it was built. But walking around that area definitely feels like you're walking around New Orleans.

Right now I wish I could go back and sit under the large shade trees and just watch the water fall from the fountain. So relaxing...

Beautiful Prep Time

2010-08-07T13:37:00.000-07:00

Right now it's the "calm before the storm" as I like to call it. Next week is the start of a very busy few weeks for me. I have lots of cake orders coming up and a wedding cake due next Friday. It's too early to do much about these cakes. So this is my mental prep time. I'm basically doing all the possible laundry, vaccuming and anything that might get left by the way side during the busy time. I also started on the wedding cake bow. It will be the topper for the wedding cake with cascading ribbon down the sides of the cake. A simple, yet elegant design. Here's the bow so far:

For never having made a bow before I think it's not too shabby - and honestly, it looks even better in person. The key is in getting a ribbon that has wire in it. You can make the wire hold almost any shape. Agenda for tomorrow will be a complete mental holiday....aka...Disneyland. I've learned that I handle stress and what I call "go-go-go syndrome" if I've had a good rest. And no I don't mean sit on my couch rest- although that's nice. Sometimes I just need a day or two to clear my head and then I can be more productive :) Maybe tomorrow's your mental holiday as well- if so enjoy!

Homemade Ice Cream Sanwiches

2010-08-04T10:50:00.000-07:00

Recently I went to a BBQ where the desert was ice cream sandwiches. The kids devoured them and the adults loved them too! I thought I'd make my own ice cream sandwiches for a game night I was hosting. I decided to start with the ice cream. I made it from scratch starting with boiling the cream, milk and vanilla.

I whipped the eggs and egg yolks with sugar till it was pale and fluffy. I incorporated the boiled milk mix into the egg mix (tempering the eggs).

Once it was all in one bowl I transferred it back to the pot and continued to cook the mix on med- low heat until it thickened (enough to coat the back of a spoon).

I placed plastic wrap directly on top of cream mixture (to prevent "skin" from forming) and chilled the mixture in the refrigerator . Once chilled, I poured it into my ice cream maker. 30 min. later it was ready to be spread into a shallow baking pan (like a cookie pan). I lined the pan with freezer paper- wax side up.

Then I spread the ice cream into the lined pan. I let the ice cream set in the freezer for a couple of hours. Then I used a biscuit cutter to punch out perfect circle shaped ice cream serving to go inside of the cookies.

All in all the process took a couple hours but it was worth it. You can't find ice cream that rich and creamy in the grocery stores. It brought back memories my parents' big ice cream maker that you had to hand crank. Thank goodness for Cuisinart! But truly, homemade ice cream is the best. And I offered this delicious treat along with some of BECCA'S blue BAKERY recipe cookies. I made the "Basic Chocolate Chip Cookie" with milk chocolate chips and I made the "Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies" with a hint of nutmeg, dusted with sugar. This was a treat for my hubby as well because I only offer cookies at the bakery during holidays. So he was very excited to be able to munch on a chocolate chip cookie while it was "not in season".

Jet Cake

2010-08-02T15:41:00.000-07:00

Tonight I have a "jet cake" due. A neighbor of mine has a boyfriend who flies jets and wanted to give him a special birthday cake. So.... she asked me if I could make a jet cake and I said I can make a jet cake however you want it. We decided on a small fondant jet that would sit on top of the cake. The cake would be decorated to look like the sky so it would look as if the jet was flying.

I must say it made me nervous that this guy flies jets for a living and here I am sculpting one from scratch. I hope it looks somewhat like what he flies. But more than anything I hope he likes his cake and I hope my customer does too!

I literally just finished it. Last night when my family and I got home from a work BBQ we put the kids to bed and I heated up the oven. I must say I was pretty impressed with my multitasking. I had the cakes cooking in the oven while I was on the elliptical- something I don't usually do- but I know the baking time on this cake like the back of my hand, so I wasn't worried. Usually I finish all cakes and products the day before they are due -- just in case anything goes wrong.... which happens frequently when you work with edible product. But the customer is actually taking this cake on a little road trip to Vegas! So I wanted it to be as fresh as possible when they cut into it. How awesome is this cake? Not only does it have a cool jet on it- but it gets to go to Vegas as well! This is one lucky cake!

Wedding Cake Tasting

2010-07-28T10:44:00.000-07:00

With wedding season comes tastings! And most of them start off like this. I've made mini cakes and a whole lot of fillings and icings. It may not look like it at this step in the process but it took hours of work just to get to this point:

After the "assembling" is complete it's time to cut. It's very important to have straight, uniform pieces. I start with a tall, well stacked cake. Then I take an apple corer and remove a small circle of cake from the middle of the cake. Then I make about 1" pieces. They are approx. 2 inches long and 4 inches deep. This is the standard size for wedding cake pieces. And yes- there is a method to cutting wedding cakes. For ex. a 6 inch round cake can easily feed 8 people and could maybe feed 10.

After cutting the cake comes the plating. Which means I'm almost done! This is my favorite part because I get to see the final product. I must say I really enjoy seeing all the uniform pieces of cake layed out. Maybe it's my OCD or just my love of cake. Hmm... anyway- the bride and groom seem to like this part too :)

In the above picture:

*Oreo cake with vanilla buttercream

*Amaretto cake with almond buttercream

*Bananas Foster cake with a rum/brown sugar caramel layer and vanilla buttercream

*Lemon cake with a lemon cream cheese frosting and a layer of strawberry buttercream

6 years...

2010-07-26T13:16:00.000-07:00

6 years ago I made the best decision of my life when I married my husband. I had no idea how many difficulties or adventures were in store for us -- it’s been one crazy ride but I

wouldn’t change a thing. We've been through a lot and sometimes it seems more like 20 years rather than 6 and other times it feels just like yesterday. My husband has been my rock, my support and he still makes me laugh. He’s blessed me with 2 of the most precious children whom I love more than life itself. I find that each year I love my husband deeper and deeper. I thought that when I married him I couldn't love him any more than I did that day, boy was I wrong.

‎

I think marriage is a journey. It forces you to be brutally honest about your own short comings and makes you vulnerable. I think it's a lesson in trust as well. And it's always 100%. There is no 50/50 in marriage. Each person has to give 100% and sometimes when the other person trips up, it's all about giving 110%. When I look back at the past 6 years it's been so crazy wonderful and I'm so excited to see what the next 60 years hold for me and my beloved.

The Ups and Downs of Wedding Cake Season...

2010-07-24T09:13:00.000-07:00

So most of you know that my "real" job is a baker. For those of you who don't know that, well, I bake. I started my own home run bakery last year and it's been an amazing journey. And there have been a lot of long nights spent covered in powdered sugar. When the end of summer comes around it begins a wonderfully stressful time I like to call "wedding cake season." In addition to actual wedding cakes that I am doing I have brides who are planning their weddings for next spring. Which means, lots of cake baking for tastings too. I actually don't mind the tastings at all. It's typically a fun time for the bride and groom and I enjoy talking to someone who's just as excited about a cake as I am! I know, I'm a little cake obsessed :) But I figure that's a good thing in a baker.

Now, I'm off to go bake. And wash....lots of washing involved with all this baking. Thus, the yellow rubber gloves. They look real cute when my hair is pulled up and covered with a cap and I have on my apron. A sight that I'm very grateful no one has ever witness except for my kids and husband.

And I should have some new cakes up on my bakery blog soon : http://beccasbluebakery.blogspot.com/

Classic Comfort: BLTA

2010-07-20T08:25:00.000-07:00

This has got to be one of my all time favorite sandwiches! I grew up eating a lot of BLTA's, so to me it's comfort food. Living in Southern California helped fuel my love of this sandwich because we had a large supply of avocados year round. Now that it is summer - avocados are in season throughout the country so I thought I'd share this simple, classic and yummy sandwich.

BLTA (which stands for Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato and Avocado):

I start out with sprouted grain bread. If you don't have that a hearty whole wheat or multi-grain would be great too. Then I add sliced avocado on one side and a smear of mayonnaise on the other side. I prefer to use a mayo substitute but do this to your taste so if you love the real thing, use it. Then I stack on a few tomato slices and some organic mixed greens. When I was growing up my mom used crunchy iceberg lettuce and it is a great substitute for mixed greens. Lastly add on some crispy bacon. When I make this sandwich I use Morningstar Farms Veggie Bacon Strips since I'm a vegetarian. But pick your bacon according to your taste. My kids love the turkey bacon, and I'm sure some thick cut hickory smoked bacon would be great too. Hope you can make this sandwich your own and pass on some BLTA love. Enjoy!

On The Back Patio

2010-07-16T16:00:00.000-07:00

The heat is continuing to rise here in San Diego. And the humidity is up too. If you can believe it we had a real summer storm last night. The thunder clouds moved in late in the afternoon and the showers started soon after. And even though it was raining, the a/c stayed on in this house. And by 9 this morning the clouds were gone, the sun was out and our a/c had already kicked on. It feels very comfortable in the house but the second I opened the door to take the trash out, I felt like I had walked into a sticky hot, hot wall of air. Not a very comfortable feeling at all. I have a feeling we'll be spending a lot of time in the pool this summer. But one of my favorite parts of summer are the nights. The sunsets are so gorgeous this time of year. There is nothing better than sitting on the patio with a good glass of wine and just unwinding from the day.

(yes, I did drink the one on the right- had to "test" it for you)

And I was just introduced to some new wine called Cupcake. Perfect for me, a baker! Actually if you go to this wine's website: http://www.cupcakevineyard.com/ they have cupcake recipes to pair with your wine! Recipes on their website include:

*Lemon and Rosemary Cupcakes with Toasted Hazelnuts (pairs perfectly with Cupcake Vineyards Reisling)

*Dried Fig, Walnut and Cinnamon Cupcakes with Orange Zest (pairs perfectly with Cupcake Vineyards

Sauvignon Blanc)

*Chocolate Blueberry Cupcakes (pairs perfectly with Cupcake Vineyards Malbec)

I might have to bake some of these cupcakes. Wouldn't it be fun to throw a cupcake & wine tasting party?! Oooo- yum!!!

Summer

2010-07-14T10:41:00.000-07:00

The sun has finally come out here in San Diego! The air conditioner switch is actually at the on position today. It's getting seriously warm here and I'm not the only one who's noticed. The flowers are soaking up the sun too.

Living in such a beautiful area it's so easy to take all the gorgeous flowers for granted. It is so beautiful here. Even the streets are beautiful since they're lined with professionally maintained trees and an abundance of flowers. I'm so blessed to live next to a city known as "the flower capital of the world". Very blessed.... and I'm soaking up all the blessings and sun today.

DIY- Home Improvement Projects

2010-07-12T09:44:00.000-07:00

This past weekend my husband and I tackled our bathroom lighting issues. The lights above our vanity were horrible. Only 3 lights would actually light up on each fixture. They'd constantly flicker and the sides of the metal backing appear to be rusted. How can they be rusted??? Our place isn't that old! So they are now out! After we installed our new light fixtures I realized we can see every little speck now. Yikes! But honestly, what do you think? Here's the side by side with the old and new:

(did you notice how only 3 lights work on the old one?)

My wonderful hubby ♥

(I'm not sure if you can see the yellow glue marks on the wall- the old light fixtures were GLUED to the wall. Yes, glued! Who does that?!?! )

Summer in San Diego

2010-07-09T11:45:00.000-07:00

There are so many things I absolutely adore about summer. One of them is all the fresh fruit in the markets. This is a very good thing because my kids can eat fruits and berries like there is no tomorrow. Last week we stumbled upon some of the most perfect peaches I've ever had. My husband and I were getting ready to check out at the store and a heavenly smell came wafting through the air. What was it?? Peaches. Fresh, ripe, soft and so ready to be eaten peaches. I couldn't resist so I grabbed a crate of peaches. And when we got them home they did not disappoint. Juicy, soft and so sweet- just how you'd imagine a peach tasting. I was going to take a couple of the peaches and make peach ice cream but this is how it looks today:

So I think I'll just eat these instead :)

Recovering

2010-07-07T09:00:00.000-07:00

Hope you all had a wonderful 4th! Ours was jam packed with food, family and fun. I actually made homemade icecream for the first time in my life! I used cream and eggs- oh yea - this was the real deal :) It was also very time consuming.... but worth it. I can honestly say that it was one of the creamiest ice cream I've ever had. So yummy! Although my favorite part of the 4th was when we all went out onto our upstairs balcony to watch the fireworks. Duke included :)

He was watching too:

Then we got up on the 5th of July and did it all over again for my son's birthday. It was a very fun weekend- although I'm kinda glad it's over. As the mom and household manager I was worked to the bone last weekend. Cooking, hosting, entertaining, smiling, playing and cleaning- oi! I'm beyond ready to put my feet up and have a little R&R.

Happy 4th of July Crafting!

2010-07-02T12:05:00.000-07:00

The 4th is just around the corner. Today was my day to finish up all those last minute crafts for the 4th. I did finish the paper bag decoration. And I actually made more. It's absolutely amazing what can be done with paper bags, some tape, twine and a stapler. Here are the pics. And I wish all of you a very Happy 4th of July!!

Really?!?

2010-07-01T10:39:00.000-07:00

Is this what my life has been reduced to?? Paint stroke..... after paint stroke...... after paint stroke? I mean when you think about it, it's kinda impressive. I've single handedly painted my entire house. It sounds good in writing, but I'm so sore and stressed about company coming this weekend. Today I will put the paint away. I'm officially moving into crafting mode. Our neighborhood is putting on a 4th of July parade and my kids need to decorate their wagon. Where are those paper bags?? I think a couple red, white and blue triangles might be perfect :) I'm definitely going to post pics of the finished wagon project!

Painting

2010-06-28T11:25:00.000-07:00

In case you've been wondering where I've gone off too...I've been painting. Yes, painting. The kind of painting that's non-stop, shoulder aching, sweat dripping, all day painting. I'm using the fact that family is coming into town next weekend to help me stay motivated. I literally painted all last week! And for those of you who are questioning me- yes, we have a lot of white walls! Or...had. When we first moved into our place it was covered in primer. The entire place.... it's been a long process painting all these walls. I'm sure we could have hired someone to do it- but that's so easy. Where's the fun in that? I finally am finished with most of the painting so I can turn my focus to cleaning and crafting. Here's the before and after of my son's room. He was so excited - it was awesome to see his face light up when I told him it was time to paint his room :)

Before:

During:

With help:

After:

Bananas Fosters Cupcakes

2010-06-23T22:34:00.000-07:00

Ever since I did these cupcakes for my hubby's birthday they've been very popular with customers. It's a banana cupcake base topped with a rum (yes rum)/brown sugar/butter glaze. And then they are topped with a double vanilla buttercream. They are delicious!

Anyway... I had an order due today and I thought I'd share a basic secret: It's all about the tools. You do need to have some skills, but in order to get beautiful cupcakes you also need the right tools. If you use canned frosting and are trying to make a cupcake look pretty by using a butter knife- that is hard! And if you can achieve beauty from canned frosting and a butter knife... then you have skills!! It really helps to have your frosting be the right consistancy. I make mine from scratch and I also pipe when it is at room temperature. If it's too cold it won't pipe properly. If you don't have a piping bag (you should get one if you bake frequently) you can use a ziplock bag. Fill the bag and cut off a little bit of the corner. But it is essential to purchase the proper piping tips. Feel free to e-mail me questions because I could go on forever :) Anyway- with proper tools your cupcakes can look identical to these.

Evicting old "tenants"

2010-06-21T12:09:00.000-07:00

We have some big events coming up in my house and lots of family coming to visit. I'm guessing if this year is anything like the previous years I'm going to be one crazed mama come the 4th of July. So I'm preparing super early this year. Starting with taking a deep breath.... breathe in.... and out.. Last week I managed to kick out some "tenants" from my upstairs cabinets. They haven't paid rent or been seen in over 2 years. So they are gone. Which made room for....space. I managed to shift some of my other "tenants" around and now they are all nicely categorized and folded. It's such a wonderful feeling - proper management - or what I like call organization. I refrained from taking pictures of the eviction process, it wasn't pretty. I had no idea how many past due "tenants" there were hiding in those cabinets. It's slightly embarrassing considering that I'm the property manager. I vow to never let that happen again!

I Love too much!

2010-06-18T13:32:00.001-07:00

I realized that this new posting series was becoming challenging for me to pick something to write about. I just have too many things and places and people, etc. that I love. Ultimately this posting series would have gone on forever. So it's now done. But before it's completely gone....I must say that I love my family more than anything in the world. They are the reason for everything I do. They are amazing and the best. I feel very lucky to have such a great family. I love my family

♥

I Love....

2010-06-18T13:32:00.000-07:00

Where else can you buy amazing furniture and stock up on Lingonberry preserves?? I love walking through the showroom that has been perfectly laid out by professionals. It makes me think I need to buy everything in the room because if I just buy one piece it will never look that good in my house. But alas, I find a great piece, without feeling like I had to purchase the entire room. And the best part about IKEA is the price. Always affordable! Then as we're leaving the showroom they have the cafe... and it just happens to be super cheap too. To make it better, kids eat free at IKEA now through July 4th.

But one of my favorite things at IKEA is stocking up on all the yummy swedish food. My husband has Swedish in his family line and we try to honor some of the traditions and IKEA makes it soooo much easier for me. Now I'm off to go make some Lingonberry bread

♥

I Love....

2010-06-15T13:10:00.000-07:00

Art...

I'm an artist myself and love to surround myself with artwork. Recently my husband and I acquired a very unique piece. It's a collage of wine labels. The artist who does these pieces is a local artist named

Jeff Adamoff.

His pieces are displayed throughout the nearby cities. He also does collages for triathlon participants using color copies of their medals in the collages. Each pieces are truly unique. And I must say I love my

wine label collage

♥

I Love....

2010-06-12T15:50:00.000-07:00

Weekends...

Ahhh....time to kick up your heels... or better yet- take off your work heels and put on some dancing heels. It's a time for sleeping in and looooong mornings spent ignoring the sun and staying in pajamas. It's coffee with your sweetheart while not rushing. Leisurely scanning the paper. Time spent with family and friends. I love the weekends. Hope you have a great weekend... maybe even a weekend you love

♥

I Love....

2010-06-10T15:34:00.000-07:00

Duke. My very own Marmaduke. He's big and cuddly and doesn't realize he weighs 150lbs. I love great danes, always have, probably always will. But Duke is very special to us. He loves to hang out with us. He's always trying to cuddle up next to us, which is kinda funny considering how big he is.

When it's story time for the kids, he'll creep into their room and lay by the door. Once the story is over he returns to his own bed.... which is actually a microsuede chaise lounge. The best part about Duke is his heart. He has a very big heart (literally). He's such a love. And like most sweethearts who wear their heart on their sleeve, he wears his on his chest. Isn't that cute?!

He's definitely an important member of the family. And he's always aware of where the kids are. One night my daughter Taylor decided to get out of her bed and try to sneak downstairs. She made it half way down the stairs. Duke started whining and then he went half way up the stairs. I didn't know what his deal was so I ignored him. I know, it was a Lassie moment and I wasn't tuned in -- well, that's life for ya. He proceeded to curl up next to her and stayed there till I came and picked her up and tucked her back into bed. Just another reason he has an irreplaceable spot in my heart.

And if you are wondering just how big he is, here he is in comparison to our 2 seater couch. 6-8 cups of food a day. And all heart....well, all heart unless you are a delivery boy. His number 1 job in his mind is to protect. But once he sniffs you thoroughly and decides that you are ok- then he won't leave you alone till you give him lots of pats and love.

I Love Duke

♥

I Love....

2010-06-09T09:22:00.000-07:00

...and I crave California Pizza Kitchen's "The Greek Pizza". This is my little slice of heaven. I get it with the vegetarian option- which means big slices of avocado on top instead of chicken. This pizza is almost like a chop salad. First off, there's no melted cheese on this pizza. It's the original CPK crust with some greek sauce on it (yum). The a topping of chopped: tomato, cucumber, red onion, kalamata olives and some crumbled feta cheese. That is then sprinkled with a lemon vinaigrette. Oh my gosh heaven. I have severe cravings for this pizza! The flavors are so unique and fresh. I think I'm in love

♥

I Love....

2010-06-07T09:03:00.001-07:00

Smashbox Jet Set Waterproof Eye Liner. This stuff is amazing. It stays ALL day and ALL night and is still there when you wake up...and if your too tired to apply new makeup because you had a long night... it'll be there for you that day too. It literally stays till you remove it. I refer to it my "heavy duty" eye liner. It's gel based and will stay blendable for 60 sec. but after that it's going to stay, even through tears! You can line your inner lower eye lid and expect it to be there 10 hours later. Amazing.... how did I ever think my other makeup was good? Ahhh.... I'm in love

♥

New Post Series

2010-06-04T08:59:00.000-07:00

Next week, I'll be starting a new series of posts about "things I love". Some of these things are stuff I've recently stumbled on and can't live without. Some are just random. Some have been with me through the thick and thin. The point is you'll learn a little bit more about me. And who knows... maybe you'll discover something you love

♥

Ladybugs Galore!

2010-06-02T10:33:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I had 50 cupcakes due for a customer. The theme for her daughter's birthday was ladybugs. So I made some ladybugs out of fondant and placed them on top of the cupcakes. For those of you who are curious about the red fondant....I actually used pink fondant and airbrushed it with red food coloring. This cut down the time and effort involved in kneading fondant. And I think they turned out really cute. My customer was very happy with the cupcakes and I even got to see a picture of the birthday girl eating a cupcake :)

Paper Bag Craft (4th of July Decorating)

2010-05-29T09:54:00.000-07:00

Finally! I have a moment to get started on that 4th of July craft! So what can I do with some colored paper bags and a stapler?? I think I can make a really cute decoration.

1) I started with paper bags colored red, white and blue.

2) I stapled one side of the paper bag to one side of another colored paper bag. I want the side of the bag to be able to stretch open. I stapled about an inch in from the top.

3) I continued stapling the different colors together until I got this:

Now I need to get some double stick tape to apply at the base of the bags. See how there are some gaps? I'd like them to be flush with each other. But I think this is a pretty good start for some bags and staples. You might just have to wait till the 4th to see the final product :)

Spilling Secrets- Baking

2010-05-26T10:38:00.000-07:00

For those of you who follow my bakery blog: http://beccasbluebakery.blogspot.com/. I just finished up a microphone cake for a customer. That is why I have not been able to create my paper bag craft.

I'm not sure how many of you have tried to achieve grey and black icing at home. It's not easy. It's actually quite easy to obtain a purplish grey. But getting a true grey??? Want to know the secret?? You have to use silver. If you use black you'll end up with a purple tone. But silver has a bluish undertone that will give you that "true grey". Now about black.... I think it's easier than grey personally. All you have to do is use a black food coloring gel. I use gels a lot because it won't dilute the frosting whether it's buttercream or royal icing. You can buy gels at your local craft store. Hope that helps all you bakers out there!

A Dream Vacation

2010-05-24T14:22:00.000-07:00

http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/

Last night we booked a Disney Cruise! Starting in 2011 Disney will be offering cruises out of LA. Which means that a family such as mine doesn't have to pay 2,000 dollars to get to Florida. That is a very good thing. Going on a Disney cruise is such a dream for my husband and myself. Cruising is something we love to do. My husband and I actually met on a cruise about 8 1/2 years ago. To say the least, cruising is very special for us, it's like reliving the romance all over again. We've always been interested in the Disney cruises, especially because we have 2 young children who love Disneyland. And last night we checked out my sons school schedule and found a Disney cruise leaving out of LA during his spring break! Wooo-hooo!!!! I'm just beside myself with excitement. I'm ready to be pampered and dress up in fancy clothes and dance the night away! I guess it's time to hit the workout hard! I have a good 6 1/2 months to get in shape so I think I can do it. And now I have super-motivation!

Craft Planning

2010-05-22T09:04:00.000-07:00

I have to run some errands this weekend and while I was looking through the ads I noticed a lot of red, white and blue. I realize it's not even June yet- but the 4th of July is quickly approaching. Ok...so it might not be speeding here. But if you're planning on making some hand made decorations it'll be here before you know it. For those of you who know my holiday obsession- I'm still allowed to make and buy decorations for the 4th of July. My husband has put a ban on buying decorations for certain holidays. And in all fairness I do have a lot of storage bins in the garage filled with nothing but holiday decorations.

I need to come up with a few ideas for the 4th of July. I try to make it a special holiday in our house because my son was born on the 5th of July. So I try to make those two days super special for him. Here's what I have so far: Paper bags. Are you laughing yet? I'm serious. I'm going to make something really cool out of paper bags. What am I going to make? Not sure yet... but I'm sure after a weekend of brainstorming I can come up with something. I saw these bags while I was at the store and I think I can turn them into something cute.

Pick Strawberries Day

2010-05-20T12:05:00.000-07:00

Did you know that May 20th is pick strawberries day?? I swear I'm not making it up! If you don't believe me you can Google it. I believe it's considered one of the Food Holiday days and not a national holiday. Which means those of us who work 9-5 can't get today off. But it might be fun to go to your local strawberry field and pick some this weekend. We live close to the Carlsbad U-Pick fields which is a great place to go. I highly recommend it if you've never been.

This year we've tackled the rabbit problem and have successfully grown strawberries in our backyard. Our neighbor outwitted their rabbits by placing a dome of chicken wire and painters tape around their plants. I wish I had a picture of that....it's very comical. We outwitted the rabbits by planting our strawberries in a pot and suspending it from a bird feeder. It seems to have worked and the kids love getting warm, ripe strawberries from our backyard. For that matter I do too! Yum....

A New Taste for an old Favorite

2010-05-18T08:58:00.000-07:00

I love oil and balsamic vinegar. It's one of my favorite things in life. Along with a really good glass of wine and some outstanding food. I recently came across some interesting flavors in oils and vinegars. I came across Lucero. If you're wondering who they are visit their website: http://lucerooliveoil.com . They are Californian olive growers and have produced some award winning oils. And they have some surprising flavors in their repertoire. Some flavors of their oils include Lemon (which I purchased) and mandarin. And here's where it gets really interesting. Flavors for their balsamic vinegars include: blueberry, fig, red apple, peach and wild cherry. I purchased the blueberry. It's not overpowering, just a hint of blueberry flavor. It goes amazingly well with the lemon olive oil. I must say I have never tried that flavor combination before when pertaining to oils and vinegars. It's heavenly. It made my weeknight meal feel like an escape. And anything that can do that is worth sharing!

Minor Disasters

2010-05-14T13:48:00.000-07:00

Here's your mental image: tan goop flying through the air. It came bounding over the kitchen ledge and hit the tile in the dining room. That tan goop was a rum-caramel. And it got everywhere. My one saving grace was that my husband came running in and immediately started helping. I think he saw the tears starting to form and it scared him..... although he did get mad when I got the camera to take pictures.... oops :)

Why I was making a rum - caramel concoction? My hubby asked me to make him bananas fosters cupcakes for his birthday. I made the banana cupcakes first. Then I melted butter, brown sugar and rum together to make the sauce in which I usually use for bananas fosters. I layered the sauce on the cupcakes to form a caramel type layer then topped with vanilla buttercream. They turned out so yummy. I was even impressed! Which is hard to do because I eat a lot of cake. Here's pics of the cupcakes after we cleaned up the kitchen:

I topped the cupcakes with a fondant circle with birthday wishes and a bowling ball. He decided that he wanted to go bowling for his birthday. I must admit it was fun, even though I am horrible at bowling. I think I almost threw the ball a couple times into the gutter, and no- not on purpose!

Playing Hooky

2010-05-13T08:37:00.000-07:00

My hubby is a very reliable man. When he is actually sick, he doesn't take a sick day. He "powers through" as he would say. But yesterday, he took the day off in the middle of the week. And where the best place to go in southern California if you're taking the day off?? You might have said the beach, fair guess, but my hubby doesn't like the sand. Well... we went to Disneyland!!!

We had such a fun time. We just got our year long passes so I've been going a lot. But it was fun to go with my hubby during the week. Recently I've been discovering so many fun facts about Disneyland that I never knew before. For example.... you can get free ice water in a cup with a lid at any of the food places. I never knew that. I'll post more fun facts later, and I think I might have to do an entire post on the New Orleans area. I love that area. The buildings really look like New Orleans. And the beads hanging off the railing. All the shade. It very well might be one of my favorite places in Disneyland.

I think everyone needs to play hooky every once and a while, whether you're playing hooky at Disneyland or whether you're just play hooky from your household chores for a day. Hope you all have a wonderful Thursday.

Swim time

2010-05-10T13:30:00.000-07:00

As my crazy schedule settles down and the kidos get back to feeling better it's time to go to the last swim class. My kids go to swim school in the spring to get ready for summer swimming.... at least that's the goal. My oldest one, almost 5 years, is actually starting to get it.

This year was Taylor's first year. She's only 2 1/2 and she wasn't too thrilled about getting her hair wet.

But she is holding her breath and I think the overall experience is good for her. Maybe in 2 more years she'll be swimming on her own too. At least I hope so! It'd be so nice to not have to get in the water every single time they want to go swimming. Right now, if they want to go it means I have to go. I really need to start working out again! I will not be posting pictures of me in the pool- lol!

Sick days....

2010-05-05T12:29:00.000-07:00

I always forget that when my schedule gets crazy my kid's schedules get crazy too. If you have kids then you know that schedules are important to kids. They typically wake up at a certain time, eat at a certain time and sleep at a certain time. If one of these events gets thrown off schedule then a meltdown is bound to happen. If more than one of these events gets thrown off schedule then all hell can break loose. Or in my case.... your kid can get sick. I have a sick 2 1/2 year old princess and it's not a fun thing. In addition to trying to care for her I also have to keep my almost 5 year old entertained as well. Oh the joy of sick days.... what is a mom to do?

Here's my list of sick day suggestions:

1) Pull out the Legos. I love Legos. Kids can build with those for hours.

2) Make popsicles... or just pull some out of the freezer. Either way it makes kids happy and gets liquids into the sick ones.

3) Watch movies with popcorn. There's something about popcorn that makes movies better- don't you think??

4) Color. I know, this is standard. I pull out the Crayola Wonder markers and let my kids color while sitting on the couch. This way the sick one can still color and rest. If you don't know- Crayola Wonder markers only work on special paper- the kids can rub the markers on the couch with no affect whatsoever.

5) Playdough ....... as a last resort. I'm not sure if I'm the only mom who's not so fond of Playdough. In my defense, the stuff gets crumbly after a while and gets all over the place. And it honestly is a pain to pick it out of the carpet.

If all of the above ideas fail, here's some unusual ideas:

1) Dye paper with tea and make a pirate treasure map with your kids- they can pick out a treasure to place at the end.

2) Fill a shoe box with items. Cut a hole in the side. Have your child try to guess what items he/she is feeling in the box without looking inside.

3) Place different types of beans in a large bowl. Get small bowls and spoons for the kids. Ask them to separate out the different types. For some reason my kids find this activity fun, your might too.

Ok. Off I go to pull out some popsicles :) Wish me luck!!!

Finished :)

2010-05-04T10:37:00.000-07:00

It has been a very busy week for me. I had large bakery orders due. And short deadlines. Add in 2 kids and a hubby and a dog- it makes for insanity. The good thing is I pulled through. I survived. I honestly am so sore all over.... who knew baking could be such a great workout! LOL! I guess when you are on your feet in the kitchen all day... literally all day.. and have a lot of stress it can make your muscles hurt. Well, the best part was that my customers were very happy. Which makes it all worth while. Here's some pics of the finished Alice in Wonderland cake, one cake I had due last weekend.

2010-04-30T00:59:00.000-07:00

I'm posting this at 12:59am. Tired is an understatement. Thank goodness all aspects of this cake are done. It's not completely assembled but it's done. It'll be assembled on site. Now... onto cake #2 due Sunday, actually Sat. night because I have another order due Sunday. Can I scream insanity?!? Anyway- here's pictures of me loosing my mind :)

The White Rabbit:

Alice
The back of the topsy turvy cake. Figurines will be assembled on top:

Blue Caterpillar

2010-04-27T22:23:00.000-07:00

Ok- so the blue caterpillar is done. Now I just need to do Alice (kinda a major one) and the white rabbit. The white rabbit makes me nervous. So many details on that one. I think I might start him tomorrow.

I'm sure some of you die hard Alice in Wonderland fans are wondering where the pipe is. Well, it's for a 5 year old's birthday. I didn't think a pipe was appropriate. But I think that the caterpillar's personality comes through anyway.

Cookies

2010-04-27T16:15:00.000-07:00

Cookies are tedious and time consuming... I'd rather be doing fondant work. But alas, I must do what the customer wants. Here's some of what I've been working on. Some of the cookies are still wet, but I do need to work with fondant now so I wanted to get pics up right away.

Baking Craziness

2010-04-27T10:36:00.000-07:00

This past week has been a little bit insane for me. My little sister in law was visiting last week so we were out of the house a lot. And this week is filled with a really big cake order and cookie orders. So I'm totally busy and stressing. Lots of stuff to do! My kitchen looks like a bakery bomb went off- there's powdered sugar everywhere- and when I say everywhere I mean everywhere! I have 50 or so cookies covered and wrapped securely. Royal icing bowls. Yep. Just insanity. Then add in the kids and their activities. It's enough to make a woman loose her mind! I'll post pics soon of some fondant figurines I'm going to be doing. I'm sculpting Alice, the White Rabbit and the Caterpillar from Alice and Wonderland! I'm looking forward to that! But in the mean time I'll leave you with a link to a really cute food blog I found: http://epicute.com/

Family Traditions: Ebelskivers

2010-04-21T10:40:00.001-07:00

Do you know what an Ebelskiver is?? It's a puffy Danish pancake. And it's a ball shape. It can be filled too! It can be a very yummy breakfast or a delicious desert! Our whole family loves them and I think yours will too!

My husband's grandmother made Ebelskivers when he was a young boy. He had wonderful memories of them and insisted I buy a pan when we got married. I eventually inherited his grandmother's Ebelskiver pan which we were both very happy about. There's something special about using his grandmother's pan to pass on a family tradition to our kids. Here's a picture of my kid's breakfast this morning:

yum....

To make Ebelskivers you need an Ebelskiver pan. They sell them at Williams-Sonoma. This is a picture of my cast iron pan. I haven't seen any of these on the market. The one I purchased from Williams-Sonoma was a non-stick pan and much lighter. It worked great though! The pan is what makes the shape and it looks like this:

And here's a scrumptious recipe from Williams-Sonoma:

Cinnamon-Bun Filled Pancakes

With their fragrant cinnamon-sugar filling and drizzle of cream cheese frosting on top, these pancakes evoke all the sweet flavor and nostalgia of that bakery favorite: warm cinnamon buns. The pancakes make a comforting dish on cold winter mornings.

Ingredients:

For the cinnamon filling:

1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 Tbs. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes,
at room temperature

For the cream cheese frosting:

3 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 to 4 Tbs. milk

For the pancakes:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. granulated sugar
4 eggs, separated
2 cups milk
4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for cooking

Directions:

To make the cinnamon filling, in a bowl, still together the granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt. Add the butter and, using the back of a spoon, mash the butter into the flour mixture until all of it is absorbed into the butter, forming a paste. Set the cinnamon filling aside.

To make the cream cheese frosting, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat together the cream cheese and butter on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the confectioners' sugar, reduce the speed to low and beat until combined, 1 to 2 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add 3 Tbs. of the milk and beat until combined, about 1 minute. The frosting should be thick but still pourable; add more milk if needed to thin it. Transfer the frosting to a small bowl; set aside.

To make the pancakes, in a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and granulated sugar. In another bowl, lightly whisk the egg yolks, then whisk in the milk and the 4 Tbs. melted butter. Whisk the egg yolk mixture into the flour mixture until well combined; the batter will be lumpy. Using an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on high speed until stiff but not dry peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the whites into the batter in two additions.

Put 1/8 tsp. melted butter in each well of a filled-pancake pan. Set over medium heat and heat until the butter begins to bubble. Pour 1 Tbs. batter into each well. Spoon 1/2 tsp. of the cinnamon filling into the center of each pancake and top with 1 Tbs. batter. Cook until the bottoms are golden brown and crispy, about 3 minutes. Using 2 skewers, flip the pancakes over and cook until golden and crispy, about 3 minutes more. Transfer the pancakes to a plate. Repeat with the remaining batter and filling.

Drizzle the pancakes with the frosting and serve immediately. Makes 35 to 40.

San Diego Perks

2010-04-19T15:59:00.000-07:00

A definite perk of living in San Diego is that if you live here long enough you get to know some famous people. My hubby somehow gets to know a lot of them because he's in the shipping business in a very nice part of town. One day I told my hubby that I wanted to skateboard again. I must have been feeling rambunctious that day! It's been maybe 10 years or so since I've been on a skateboard. Well, he says "I'll ask a friend if he has any extra boards." I'm thinking yea right... I say"who?" He says, "I'll ask Bucky Lasek." I'm thinking are you joking me?! Do you even know him? But I just say, "o...kay" while trying not to let any sarcasm creep into my tone. Guess what, a few weeks later my hubby, Jordan walks in the door with two signed skateboards by Bucky Lasek. WOW! Insert mental image of me standing in the kitchen with my mouth hanging open like a codfish.

We put trucks, which are basically the wheels, on one. We mounted the other one on the wall. It's now a conversation piece, and I have to say, I think it's a pretty cool one at that!

Broccoli & Cheddar Soup

2010-04-15T09:59:00.001-07:00

There's something about homemade soup that is so comforting. And most soup recipes don't have a ton of ingredients, which is great for a weeknight meal. Tonight's dinner Broccoli & Cheddar Soup with Beer Bread (recipe for easy beer bread: http://beccastopsyturvytales.blogspot.com/2009/12/beer-bread.html). Due to the demands of my Facebook friends :) here's the soup recipe:

Broccoli & Cheddar Soup:

2 cups of chopped cooked broccoli (I use frozen and just steam it)

1/2 Stick of butter

1-2 large Shallots (you can substitute any medium sized onion)

1 garlic clove (put through a press or dice it really fine and smash with a knife)

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

scant 1/2 tsp. salt

ground pepper to taste

1/3 c. flour

4 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock (I use Wolfgang Puck Veg. Stock and water it down a lil- bc it's really dark, rich stock)

1 c. milk

1 1/2 full cups grated cheddar cheese (I like Sharp Cheddar)

Cook and chop broccoli and set aside. Melt butter in a large soup pot, add chopped onion/shallot, cook over med-high heat until onion is tender. Stir in garlic, nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste. Cook for a moment, then sprinkle in flour, stirring until well blended. Keep stirring and cooking for about 2 minutes (get's rid of floury taste). Slowly add your stock. Stir constantly, then bring ot a boil, reduce heat and simmer about 5 minutes until thick. Add the milk, then the broccoli, bring to a simmer, turn heat to low, and stir in cheese and keep stirring until melted. It's ready to serve. Serves 4-6. But if you really LOVE soup- double the recipe :)

Recipe adapted from a Susan Branch Recipe.

Great Book Update

2010-04-15T09:41:00.000-07:00

Back in January I did a post series called Rainy Day Spotlight. I posted on some unique books that I love. One of my posts was on the Feather Series by Abra Ebner. Which is an amazing series and I highly recommend it! Well, she's been hard at work and recently released the first book in her new series Knight Angels. I plan on picking up my own copy very soon! Here's a link to her website: http://www.knightangels.com/

I recently read her other book called Parallel. I recommend this one too! It's a great book and totally unique! I'm not a huge sci-fi fan so I was hesitant at first to read a book that involved any time travel. Silly me. It's a love story! It's a brilliantly laid out love story! The characters in the book are figuring out the story and clues while the reader is. Fair warning: Parallel will suck you in and you might have trouble putting it down. This book is great for mature teens and adults. Pick it up!

My day...

2010-04-13T18:43:00.000-07:00

When I have a cake order due I stress. I hate sitting and waiting. I need to be doing- aka- baking. Until I can get in the kitchen and be productive I stress. Must be the control freak in me... The next 3 weekends are full with cake/cupcake orders. This week, lots of stressing. Next week will be less stress but very busy. I need to get started on the fondant figurines due May 1st. Add on a custom cookie order of about 50 cookies and I can feel the late night exhaustion already. This might be my last weekend of sanity.... I say might because I have 2 birthday parties, one luncheon with friends, a grocery shopping trip and a lil-sis in-law arriving at the airport this weekend. Might be a sane weekend.... I'm not counting on it.

Where's the cherry on top of my day???? I nearly brake my finger trying to shake a paint can. Yes, I feel like a complete imbecile. How on Earth can I sculpt with a finger cast on?! It's hard enough typing with this finger brace. And yes, I have a brace because it's pretty bad. I'm actually not 100% sure it's not broken. But if it is- it's broken in a reasonably ok spot. I should be ok to sculpt by next week. I managed to smash my wedding ring finger at the end of the finger. First thing my hubby said was "GET THE RINGS OFF NOW!" My response: "oh yea, thanks babe." followed by some pathetic mice like squeaking noises.

Spring Cleaning

2010-04-12T12:43:00.000-07:00

Finally! It's hit me! If you're wondering what I'm talking about it's spring cleaning time! During the winter I do all the typical house chores. But come Jan-March the clutter starts to bug me. I can't bring myself to go super commando organization freak on it though. I need that energy that hits me in spring. And it's finally hit me! Yay!!! All this week I'm going to organize my house. It feels good to have everything in it's place and labeled. I love that. It doesn't last very long -- only for those first few weeks. It makes me very happy though. Here's my new favorite friend: my blue sticky tape and a good sharpie marker.

Here's a pic of a clean area in the playroom. I'm so happy there's one clean corner...now to tackle the rest!

And a pic of how many storage bins I have already organized. Some have holiday decorations in them. And this is only maybe 1/5 of how many I own in my garage. Now that I say that I wonder if I have a storage bin obsession. Hmmm...

Shucking Peas

2010-04-09T12:27:00.000-07:00

I have lots of memories from my childhood. Some of them involved our annual trips to Texas. I was born in Texas and all our family is in Texas. Each year, usually around Christmas we'd load up the car and take one heck of a long road trip to Texas from California. Some of my most favorite times were when my mom's whole family was squished into a little 2 bedroom house about the size of a double trailer. The black eyed peas with ham hock would be cooking on the stove. There'd be tons and tons of food. My Grandby (we always called my Grandma this) was convinced we were too skinny (always an ego boost). And my little white haired Great Granny would be rocking away in her rocking chair making a blanket while chewing on her toothpick. She was as blind as could be yet somehow she still managed to make blankets that had beautiful images on them- I have no idea how that's possible. And she'd periodically go check on the black eyed peas. Again... amazing. My Grandby would give me the job of shucking peas and I'd sit on the little kitchen floor and happily shuck peas. I loved those times. That itty bitty house was filled with such amazing smells and so much love.

I got word last night that my Grandby is in kidney failure. This morning she's incoherent and just being made comfortable. The doctors say it could be any time. When my mom called this morning to let me know Grandby's status, she said she was able to talk to her last night. And she said my Grandby is excited to see Paepaw (my Grandpa who passed almost 20 years ago). She said he was coming for her and she was so excited to see him. This was when I started bawiling.

I hope I can live a life like she did. I hope my kids and grandkids have happy memories from my house filled with family and food. I wish my kids could've met her, I regret that they didn't get that chance. Someday, when it's my time I hope someone I love will come to get me. Grandby - I know you can't read this but I love you so much. I'll miss you more than I think anyone knows. Your hand print will always be on my heart.

Dinner tonight

2010-04-07T11:32:00.000-07:00

Tonight's dinner I'm branching out. I'm cooking with polenta and chickpeas, not my typical repertoire. I typically make polenta a couple times a year and when I came across this recipe it looked intriguing. I read through this recipe and it looks like it could be really yummy! I'm not sure if my kids will eat it- but I'll make some chicken nuggets as backup- lol! Anyway, it looks quick and easy which is perfect for a weeknight meal! This recipe is by Fat Free Vegan Kitchen.http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2010/03/polenta-with-lemony-asparagus-and.html

This picture is from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen

Polenta with Lemony Asparagus and Chickpeas
(printer-friendly version)

Polenta

2 1/4 cups water
2 cups vegetable broth or “no-chicken” broth
1 cup polenta
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried basil

Chickpeas

1/2 medium onion, chopped fine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (or canned, drained and rinsed)
1/2 cup vegetable broth or “no-chicken” broth
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon lemon zest (peel), freshly grated
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon arrowroot or cornstarch
1/4 cup water

Asparagus

12 ounces asparagus, ends trimmed and stalks cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 teaspoon lemon peel, freshly grated
lemon juice, to taste
coarse or flaky salt (such as Maldon), to taste
4 teaspoons pine nuts (lightly toasted)

Bring the 2 1/4 cups water and the 2 cups vegetable broth to a boil in a pressure cooker. Add the polenta while stirring. Stir in the garlic and basil, lock the lid in place, and bring to high pressure. Reduce heat but maintain high pressure for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let pressure come down naturally. Stir well, salt to taste, and keep warm until ready to serve. (No pressure cooker? See note below)

While the polenta is cooking, sauté the onion in a medium-sized sauce pan until it begins to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and drained chickpeas and stir for another minute. Add the broth, basil, and pepper. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the lemon peel and juice. Mix the arrowroot or cornstarch with 1/4 cup water and add it to the pan. Cook over medium low heat until slightly thickened. Keep warm.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and blanch asparagus for 2 minutes. Drain well and toss with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of lemon zest, and coarse salt to taste. Divide the polenta among 4 plates, and top each with a quarter of the chickpeas and asparagus. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of toasted pine nuts over each serving.

NOTE: To make polenta without a pressure cooker, use 2 cups broth and 1 cup water. Bring liquids to a boil in a heavy, deep saucepan, and slowly stir in polenta, garlic, and basil. Reduce heat and simmer gently, stirring frequently to prevent sticking, until very thick (about 30 minutes). (Be careful and use a long-handled spoon because mixture can bubble and spit hot corn meal on your hand.) Add salt to taste and keep warm until ready to serve.

Servings: 4

Clean up

2010-04-05T10:27:00.000-07:00

I know a holiday is over when my china is stacked up on the table waiting to go back into the china cabinet. When I see it sitting there it brings back all the wonderful memories from the day before. I absolutely love holidays!

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter. Ours was filled with chocolate, candies, great food, wine and an absurd amount of stickers :) But just like China, stickers don't stay out forever. Eventually I pick them up off the ground and peel them off the windows. They signify a happy time. And I don't mind cleaning them up. I know that my kids won't be into stickers forever and that this is a special time in both theirs and my life.

As a side note: The deviled eggs should be paired with salmon- otherwise limit the amount tarragon, it can be a bit overpowering. But the other food was awesome! The soup is so delicious! And the salad is to die for! Seriously, that's my new favorite salad ever! The roasted potatoes and artichokes were really yummy. And I did use the Pillsbury bread stick dough for the rolls. I rolled Parmesan and thyme into the dough as I was rolling them into rolls. I think my brother in law ate 6 of those- and I can't blame him, they were pretty darn great if I do say so myself :) We all could barely manage a bite of the berry napoleon because we were all so full when it was time for desert. Now off to plan the next big adventure!

Happy Easter!

2010-04-03T11:23:00.000-07:00

It definitely feels like Easter in our house. Last night I hard boiled 60 eggs. I know what your thinking- 60 EGGS!?!?!? I heard from my sister that I am crazy. I'm sure this might be a tad much but last night my hubby ate 4 of them. And this morning he took 2 to work. That means I'm down to 54. Then, the kids dyed 12. Now I'm down to 42 usable eggs to make deviled eggs with. Let alone, should my hubby want some hard boiled eggs after Sunday....see? It's not that many. And we have family coming to our Easter feast tomorrow. Trust me, they'll be gone!

I love Easter! I also love all the veggies that are available in the spring. I found artichokes on sale and that made me so happy! It's the little stuff for me....which now that I said it sounds kinda pathetic. On a side note- the Gorgonzola Vinegrette is delicious. I made it last night and actually found myself wanting to eat the dressing! Amazing. If you missed that blog post the recipe is at:http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1973627

If you want to do a fun Easter craft with your kids, here's what we did this morning. We made hand flowers. All you need is some pipe cleaner and some paper.

1) Traced the kids hands on paper. 4 hand prints per flower.

2)Cut out the hand prints.

3) Erase any pencil lines.

3) Arrange the hands in a cross pattern ( + ) that way it's even petal distribution.

4) Poke a hole in the middle and put the pipe cleaner through.

5) Create a stem and a stamen with the pipe cleaner. Very easy to do.

Regardless of what crafts or recipes or traditions you do for Easter. I hope you all have a wonderful Easter!

Wild Animal Park

2010-04-02T10:24:00.000-07:00

Here's some pictures from our trip to the San Diego Wild Animal Park. This park is so peaceful and has so many different plants. It's kinda like gardens and a zoo all in one. It's gorgeous.

My son's favorite animal:

My hubby's favorite animal- Okapi:

One of my favorite birds (it's like 4 feet tall) - The Secretary:

San Diego Zoo

2010-03-31T09:17:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we went to the world famous San Diego Zoo! We met up with my sister and her husband to celebrate my sister's birthday. To say the least, it was amazing!

(Komodo Dragon- look at that venomous saliva dripping from his mouth- eeek!)

I never understood why it was considered world famous until I tried visiting other zoos. I was kinda shocked at how small they were. Then it dawned on me that the zoo I was visiting was actually really nice. I was just used to the "extreme" San Diego Zoo. When the "extreme" is the norm, you know you are a spoiled San Diegan. After realizing this, I was very grateful that I was able to go with my family to the Zoo.

(Giraffes here are very easy to see- and you can feed them around noon for about $3.00)

There is such a large diversity of animals at the San Diego Zoo. It really is a GIGANTIC zoo! And fair warning- there are lots of steep hills. Be prepared to meet your entire weeks quota of exercise in one day! Totally serious: I could barely move the next day- my legs and arms were so sore! Since I realize not all of us can go to the San Diego Zoo I'll be posting pictures today and tomorrow....tomorrow I'll blab about the Wild Animal Park.....which I did yesterday.... I'm not trying to torture myself I swear. Our passes are about to expire- so I had to go one last time.

(There are beautiful plants here, forget going to a garden. The zoo practically is one. Notice the humming bird!)

They just added the Polar Bear Plunge (http://polarbearplunge.sandiegozoo.org/#/content-home/info/exhibit) and the Elephant Odyssey (http://www.elephantodyssey.com/exhibit/) which are unlike any zoo exhibits I've ever seen. Amazing!

(Rhino's have a big and open exhibit with lots of toys. And if you plan in advance you can sign up to interact with them!)

(Hyena- reminds me of the Lion King- although this one looks sleepy)

(Some type of Kangaroo)

Easter Brainstorming

2010-03-29T10:39:00.000-07:00

Now that the Bakery orders are done, I can focus all creative vibes on Easter. I'm seriously thinking about doing some crafting..... hmmm....ok, thought about it. Not doing any - LOL! I think I'll limit all self-inflicted craziness to the cooking. I only have one week! Actually, 6 days to be exact. And I'm planning to do some CRAZY cooking! I was looking through my "Cooking Lite Magazine" and found an amazing Easter spread. I'm definitely doing some of the dishes. Check it out:

Deviled Eggs with Smoked Salmon and Herbs:

Recipe:http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1973624

These sound really yummy but to help cut some of the cost I might leave out the salmon. It still sounds good to me with all the fresh herbs.

Carrot Soup with yogurt:

Recipe: http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1973626

I'm not sure how this will turn out. I don't usually make soups like this one at home. But I figure since it can be made a day ahead- if it doesn't turn out that good I can toss it.

Asparagus and Spring Greens Salad with Gorgonzola Vinaigrette:

Recipe: http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1973627

Is it just me or is it kinda scary to make a gorgonzola vinegrette at home!? But I like the idea and it sounds divine. Truth be told, it actually looks easy. Now I just hope I can find white asparagus.... maybe it's always been in the stores- I've just never looked for it.

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes and Baby Artichokes (I can't wait to eat this!):

Recipe: http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1973628

YEA....I might have to make about 5 of these - because I think I could eat that entire picture. So yummy!!!

No-Knead Overnight Parmesan and Thyme Rolls:

Recipe: http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1973629

These rolls remind me of the Pillsbury bread sticks rolled up. I'm wondering if I could make a parmesean and herb mix and just roll it into the Pillsbury bread sticks. I'm thinking that might be easier.

And to finish off this feast, I've ordered a honey baked ham. Only a quarter though since I think 3 people will be eating it. For those of you who know me well, I will not be eating the ham. I'm a vegetarian. I'm what's considered a lacto-ovo-vegetarian. I still eat eggs and dairy. But to be honest, I'm slowly starting to incorporate more soy and less dairy. But no ham for me. I believe being a vegetarian is like a religion. You can't force people into it. People have to choose it. So in my house I offer both vegetarian dishes and meat dishes. I hope my kids become vegetarians, purely for health reasons but I think they need to grow up with a turkey on the table at Thanksgiving. I'm sure I've just started an issue with many vegetarians, sorry. Just trying to be the best mom I can be. And that means giving my kids an option.

All photos and recipes are from: http://www.cookinglight.com/entertaining/holidays-occasions/easter-dinner-menu-ideas-00412000067094/page14.html

Cake done.

2010-03-26T20:35:00.000-07:00

Phew...

Where have you been all my life?

2010-03-25T16:59:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure why I've avoided Satin Ice fondant for so long but I have now discovered it. It is amazing! It is easier to mold than other fondants. I used to use Fondx.... which does taste better than Satin Ice. But when applying large sheets on top of cakes Fondx cracks easier. This discovery came just in time for an order due Sat. I can show a few pics but I can't show the really awesome stuff yet. I want it to be a complete surprise. The elephant still has powdered sugar all over him.

Quick weeknight meal

2010-03-24T18:48:00.000-07:00

One thing I love about spring is all the fresh vegetables. This past weekend we went to a produce market. It's was this small market with locally grown produce. I loved being able to buy the veggies and know that they came from a mile away. Some were even picked that morning! Doesn't get much fresher than that! I got lots of super fresh veggies and my pocketbook got lots of great deals - everyone was happy!

I picked up some mushrooms, garlic, asparagus and basil at the market on Sunday. It's now Wed. and I knew I needed to start using some of the vegies because I knew they weren't going to last forever. So I threw together a delicious meal using these ingredients. The only things I added were orzo pasta (although any pasta would work), olive oil (I always have that on hand), I added a can of diced tomatoes (although fresh ones would have been great) and I also added a couple parmesean shavings at the end (I had it on hand too).

What I did:

I put E.V.O.O (extra virgin olive oil) in a pan on med-high heat, added sliced mushrooms, then added minced garlic. I wanted the mushrooms to absorb all that garlicy flavor :) Toss around in the pan and cook them for maybe 5-7 minutes or till they start to get light golden brown. Don't burn your garlic! If they aren't golden brown it's ok- turn the heat down because it's important not to overcook your garlic. I added a can of diced tomatoes and cooked for a couple minutes more then added chopped basil. Let simmer for a minute or so and done. Spoon over cooked orzo and serve. I added some parmesean shavings ontop of mine....because I love cheese :) But it's optional- do what you want. I steamed my asparagus on the side and it went really well with the pasta. Some diced up chicken would go really well too. Or some fish! It's so versatile and took maybe 15-20 minutes. Love it!

My own frog prince?

2010-03-23T13:53:00.000-07:00

This is not a real frog. Nope. He's clay. If he were a real frog I would not be stooping down to take a picture. Because the second I brought my face down close to the frog- he'd jump which would scare the bejeezes out of me. I don't like jumpy things. But I do like my little clay frog. I nestled him next to the strawberry bush. And I can honestly say that he makes me happy. Seeing a cute little frogy next to my strawberries just makes me smile. I have no idea why. I guess it really is all about the little stuff these days :) Another reason I love this frog, besides the fact that it is not real, is that my kids like to come outside and look at it too. So funny that they like the statue too!

Getting Crafty

2010-03-22T09:57:00.000-07:00

I love creating. But when my kids came along all crafting came to an abrupt halt. Maybe it's because now when I try to do anything the kids seem to be all over it- literally. If I turn my head for a second and next thing I know there will be glue in my daughters hair. Then not only do I have to finish my craft but I have to go wash my daughters hair immediately. Kinda puts a damper on the creative vibes.

With all this sunshine bouncing around I decided to go for it and craft! I started with something super simple.

Yet... the kids still tried to "participate". Hence, the dog toy on the table. I think the next time I attempt this it will be at night.... after the kids go to bed. Which I will be doing soon! I'm planning a big Easter dinner and I need to start planning my table decorations :)

For inspiration I always turn to Martha. I might not do all the crafts or recipes that she suggests but she always has so many ideas. It always gets my creative vibes flowing. I think these are really cute. But should I really give out thank you baskets? Seems a little overkill for family. Maybe I can turn these into place cards...hmmm...

For more Martha inspiration go to: http://www.marthastewart.com/photogallery/easter-crafts-and-treats#slide_1

The Weekend!

2010-03-20T13:43:00.000-07:00

Calla Lily from my garden- they pop up in the spring and I think they're beautiful. It also seemed fitting for the first day of Spring.

I'm so happy that this weekend is here. It's been a busy week! I'm really looking forward to this weekend for many reasons.... Here's a small list:

1) Hubby time

2) St. Patrick's dinner at my friend's house tonight

3) My sister is visiting tomorrow!

4) We're going to the World Famous San Diego Zoo to see the baby panda (we're so spoiled)

5) I'll have groceries in the house come Monday

6) We might figure out what to do with the rest of our yard

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Regardless of wether you are planning on being super productive or planning on being lazy and having lots of P.J. time. I vote for lots of P.J. time :)

The Princess and The Frog

2010-03-19T08:53:00.000-07:00

This week Disney's "Princess and The Frog" was released on DVD. This was the first movie we took our own little princess to see in the theaters. But it was big princess (me) who fell in love with the movie. In all fairness, the kids did love it.

This movie is amazing! It's about how hard work and ethics create success. And about the balance of work and fun. The animation looks like it was done by hand and not by a computer. Which I honestly think adds some of the magic to the movie.

I'm such a sucker for Disney movies. I know they have evil villains but.... isn't that life? I'm not going to shelter my kids from that. Besides, I always loved when The Beast defeated Gaston from "Beauty and the Beast". So today will be a movie day..... I might even stay in my jamies most of the day if I'm lucky. Added bonus of having bought the blue ray DVD: (that is currently on sale at Best Buy) it comes with a book! Yay books! To order your own :

http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/princessandthefrog/

After the movie - visit these sights to continue the magic!

To make your own Princess tiara:

http://family.go.com/entertainment/article-790053-disney-printable-princess-and-the-frog-tiana-crown-t/

To make your own paper playset:

http://family.go.com/entertainment/article-790057-disney-printable-princess-and-the-frog-playset-t/

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2010-03-17T17:12:00.000-07:00

Eat lots of corned beef and cabbage! And everyone watch out for those sneaky leprechauns!! Hope everyone has a fun and safe St. Patty's Day!

Sun, Dirt, Sweat and Happiness

2010-03-17T16:38:00.000-07:00

I'm so happy that it's spring in southern California. Usually my favorite seasons are fall and winter but this year I am ready for summer! Although now that I think about it I'm not ready for the ants and all the bugs that come with the warmer weather. But the thought of being stuck inside on another cold day is not pleasant either. I'm probably feeling this way because of the endorphins released from the sunshine. Regardless, it's nice. And it gave me the energy to plant today.

Before:

After:

Ok, the truth is that the dead weed picture is a current picture of my "grass". I know, not really grass anymore. But soon we'll be laying fresh sod. The after picture is my "planter" right next to the stone patio and next to the "grass" area. I realized I hadn't taken a picture of the planter before. Trust me, it wasn't any better than my "grass" area. Definitely a HUGE improvement from what it was. I'm hoping the 'birds of paradise' can survive the heat of my backyard. No joke- it gets to be 105 in the summer. It's hot! Fingers crossed they live.....we shall see!

Easter Decorations

2010-03-16T15:02:00.000-07:00

I'm not that into decorating for Easter. I usually leave it up to the Earth. I figure all the sunny days and beautiful flowers sprouting up are enough to welcome in spring. But I found some really cute decorations that I couldn't pass up. The first was an egg tower (?). I'm calling it that for lack of a better name. I love how I have a lot of colorful eggs stacked on my kitchen table (and I didn't have to boil and dye them!)

The second is this set of a Momma and a Pappa bunny. It was so cute with the lil baby bunnies popping out of the basket. I typically stay away from large decorations.....but I went for it with these two. They are almost 2 feet tall each! Kinda crazy - but really cute.

Now that I have some decorations out I'm hoping that the spring cleaning bug will bite me.

Mad Housewife- Cabernet Sauvignon

2010-03-15T15:42:00.000-07:00

This very well might be one of the funniest wines I've seen. A friend of mine brought this over and I laughed so hard. I think I need to go buy a couple bottles just to hand out.

"Somewhere near the cool shadows of the laundry room. Past the litter box and between the plastic yard toys. This is your time. Time to enjoy a moment by yourself. A moment without the madness. The dishes can wait. Dinner be damned. Mad Housewife Cabernet Sauvignon."

http://www.madhousewifecellars.com/index.html

A vacation in my own City

2010-03-13T09:19:00.000-08:00

Why is it that I have lived in the San Diego area for years and I'm still discovering amazing, new, beautiful places? I honestly cannot figure it out.

I'm so glad that I took my friends up on an offer to go to the Oceanside Harbor. I was a little bit leery at first.... usually when I think of Oceanside I think of the pier area- and that area is a little rundown. I'm not sure if I'd feel totally comfortable walking over there by myself with two kids. But the harbor area is totally different. It was gorgeous!

Here are some of the great parts :

It has 2 great kid parks right on the beach (with swings - definite plus!)

It has a marina where you can look at all the different boats (so relaxing)

It also has this adorable little boardwalk area where there are a bunch of little mom and pop shops (and lots of little trinkets- so fun)

And they have amazing fish and chips! Great taste and HUGE servings!

I saw these posts in the sand by the playground and thought they were interesting. I'm honestly not sure what they were at one time. I'm thinking it was maybe a pier? But the water seems a bit low for that. I don't know. I'm sure I could Google it if I was curious enough. But I think it adds some character and makes a great picture :)

My girlfriends and I sat right next to the water and ate some great food! Yea, we had the kids, but it was so beautiful that we honestly felt like we were on vacation. I need to take more trips like that. And I have a feeling that if the weather stays nice I'll be able to do more "at home" exploring.

Mom's Night In

2010-03-11T16:26:00.000-08:00

I am very lucky that I live in a neighborhood with lots of moms. We've all become friends in the past few years. It's always good to have other women to whine to when life gets tough. Which is why periodically we have a mom's night in. Tonight it's at my house. I sent out e-vites last week to "Mom's Whine Night" (did you get the pun?). Basically it's a night where we all get together and vent and laugh. We have way too much wine (but it's ok- because we can all stumble home since we all live in the same neighborhood). And we end up eating way too many goodies. I'm making my homemade roasted balsamic mushroom risotto --it's becoming famous within my group of friends. And I just finished making chocolate cupcakes with a whipped chocolate/espresso buttercream. Yum... I also grabbed 4 bottles of wine to start with- my girlfriend is bringing 3 more (Denise- I'm so glad we planned this!) I cleaned like a maniac all day even though I got the official "ok" to leave the house a mess from at least 3 moms. Not sure why I feel the need to clean constantly. Hmmm... wonder if I have some O.C.D. issues. Well, if I do they benefit my house.

Now I just wait till the kids go to bed. We planned it late enough that the moms could put the kids to bed and then come over. This way the hubbies don't have to actually watch the kids- thus they don't have any reason to object to tonight :) Devious? Possibly... desperate for a cheap night out with the girls? Definitely! I'm off to go dust some more- not that anyone will notice after their first glass of wine. Hope you all have a great night planned sometime soon too!

Cooking with Grandma

2010-03-10T13:08:00.001-08:00

With in the past few years my husband lost his grandparents. And no matter how close you are (or aren't) it affects you. Losing a member of the family can be hard. One thing that makes it easier for me is when I can pass along some special memories of loved ones who've passed. Many times they are shared through stories. Although in my house they are often shared through food :) I love to collect antiques. When I get something that has memories and family value, it makes it all the more special to me.

This cast iron skillet was my husband's grandmothers. It was obviously well loved....which is great for me cause it's seasoned already! If you don't know about cast iron skillets: if you buy them new, you have to "season" it. Oh, and you can't wash it. Interesting, huh? I believe the best way to get a cast iron skillet is to have one given to you. The one I was given is awesome! It's super heavy too - great quality. They just don't make them like they used to. Sorry, I know I'm bragging. Well, last night was the night to break it in.

It was cold and extremely windy yesterday. The kind of wind that cuts through you and chills you to the bone. It also makes my ears ache, not sure why. So I made comfort food! Homemade chili and corn bread in a cast iron skillet. It cooked wonderfully in the skillet and quicker than it usually does. If you haven't tried cooking in a cast iron skillet- go for it! I just melted a little butter in the skillet, swished it around to coat and then poured the batter in. Easy. And now it's creating new memories for my family.

Usually on the weeknights I grab a Marie Calendar quick cornbread bag. Just add 1 1/2 cups water, stir, viola! But, I'll go ahead and leave you with my favorite corny cornbread recipe from non other than the amazing Paula Deen. Fair warning: I haven't made this in a skillet before. But I have made it and it's my favorite.

Corny Cornbread

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Ingredients

1/2 cup vegetable oil, plus 1/4 cup for greasing pan
1 cup self-rising cornmeal
3/4 cup self-rising flour
1 cup cream-style corn, see Cook's Note*
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 cup grated sharp Cheddar, optional
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Generously season a cast iron skillet with up to 1/4 cup vegetable oil. Preheat the pan either in the oven or on the stove over medium-high heat.

Mix 1/2 cup vegetable oil and remaining ingredients together in a large bowl, stirring with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until combined. Pour batter into the preheated cast iron skillet. Place skillet in the oven and bake until golden brown, approximately 30 minutes. If making individual size cornbreads in smaller pans, they will require a shorter cooking time. Alternately, you can make this in muffin tins to make corn muffins, but check for doneness after 15 minutes.

*Cook's Note: Frozen creamed corn is sold in the frozen vegetables section of most grocery stores. It is much better than using canned corn.

This recipe can be found at:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/corny-cornbread-recipe2/index.html

A Day at the Botanical Gardens

2010-03-09T19:56:00.001-08:00

Usually I'm not the garden type. Don't get me wrong- I love going to Home Depot and picking up flowers and plants and planting them. Once they're planted it's instant gratification. But I'm not usually the type who goes for a stroll through the city gardens.

It's extremely difficult to find peace while pushing a 75 lb. stroller while my two year old is screaming that she has to go potty. Yea. Not really a place I visit often.... plus, I try to not ruin it for other people.

Well, it turns out that the Encinitas Botanical Gardens (recently re-named the San Diego Botanical Gardens) has a huge kid area. And it's free the first Tuesday of the month. I'm all about free kid stuff. This place was amazing. I didn't get a whole lot of time to stroll through the flowers and plants but the ones I did see were really beautiful. And their kid area was like a museum.... a kid museum, not The Louvre type. Absolutely amazing! I really liked the random sculptures placed in the plants (yes, like the picture above). They made me laugh. I saw the art - but I found it funny that they were in plants. I don't know why, but they made me laugh.

If you're in the area I highly recommend going. The parking is only $2.00....deal! It was a wonderful day for all of us and the best part about visiting a place like that is it definitely counts as the days workout. If I managed to go to the gardens, you should too! Go and check out some of the beauty that your city has to offer- you might enjoy it! I did :)

Homemade Ravioli

2010-03-03T15:39:00.000-08:00

Insanity? Possibly. I'm not really sure what got into me. The good thing is that it turned out to be a successful adventure. Although fair warning it took a long time!

I started out by peeling the butternut squash and removing the seeds. Then I chopped up the squash into pieces about 1 inch by 1/2 inch. I coated the squash in olive oil. Seasoned with some salt and pepper and some thyme. I also added a splash of balsamic vinegar to give some depth to the flavor. Place in an oven about 350-375 for about an hour. You need to cook it till you can stick a fork in it and it can go through easily. Cooking time and temp will vary from oven to oven so just use your best baking senses.

After squash is cooked and cooled puree it. You can also mash it with a fork or a mash potato masher. All ways listed work. Just mash it up till all big chunks are removed.

To make pasta:

2 cups flour, 3 eggs, 1/2 tsp. salt.

Make a bowl with the flour and whisk eggs in a circular motion. The flour will pull itself into the egg/flour mixture as you continue to stir. Once the dough starts to take shape kneed in the rest of the flour. Kneed it till firm and a tight dough. After the dough is made let it rest at room temp for 1 hour to let the gluten settle.

Once dough is ready roll into a strip. Make sure the dough is not sticky - it will not go through the dough press if it is. Add flour if necessary. Roll out dough according to manufacturers directions for your pasta press. Once you get a sheet, press your ravioli cutter to make squares.

Add less than a teaspoon of butternut squash puree to the pasta square.

Dip your finger in water and spread around the edge of the pasta. Then apply the top square. Press to seal. Seal well!

Boil till cooked :)

For the sauce I just browned some butter with some thyme leaves. Then spooned some over the ravioli. It tastes like fall. Amazing!

March is here!

2010-03-01T12:23:00.000-08:00

It's March, which means it's almost tomato season! And my favorite part of tomato season is when the heirloom tomatoes arrive at the grocery store. I love heirloom tomatoes. Their flavor is superior to standard tomatoes. Since they've become popular in the past few years they now are easy to find and fairly inexpensive. I love to serve heirloom tomatoes at a dinner party because the colors in them are fabulous! If you've always passed by them because they look a little funny, stop! I promise you if you pick one up you won't be disappointed. Plus, you may learn to fall in love with their funny shapes.

Baby Heirlooms:

Heirloom Tomato Appetizer:

Ingredients:

Sliced Heirloom tomatoes (baby size would be perfect- just cut in half)

Basil Leaves

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Sea Salt

Favorite Cheese (Mozzarella or Parmeseano Regiano shavings are my favorites)

Directions:

Drizzle some olive oil over a small plate arranged with tomatoes, basil and cheese. Add a sprinkle of sea salt to taste. Serve.

Bon Jovi Concert

2010-02-27T08:30:00.001-08:00

Tonight my hubby and I are going to the Bon Jovi concert in Anaheim, CA. Finally a fun night out! It's been way too long. And now I get to play dress-up :) The only down side is it's raining so I might be limited in my choice of attire. Before the concert we're going to this place called Firefly Grill and Wine Bar located in Encinitas California. They have a huge assortment of wines and can recommend wines to go nicely with your meal. I can't wait to have this one appetizer: WORLD SELECTION OF CHEESES. It comes with a fig marmalade, red grapes and toasted walnut bread for $12. Most of their main entrees range in price from 20-30 dollars. The food is amazing and the atmosphere is great! It should be a great night and I'm very excited to go watch Bon Jovi live!

Here's a recipe from Firefly:

Maple Glazed Grilled Sausage over White Bean, Apple & Red Endive Salad with a Sherry Mustard Vinagrette

Ingredients:
8 Sausage Links ( pork, chicken or turkey)
1 cup maple syrup
4 oz bacon, chopped
¼ cup sherry vinegar
1 T Dijon Mustard
2 cup white bean, cooked, drained
1 ea. Granny smith apple, skin on sliced
2 ea. Head Red Endive

1.Marinate sausage in Maple syrup for 3 hours in sealed Ziploc bag.

2.Cook on grill over low to medium heat for 20 to 30 minutes. Brush with marinade while cooking.

3.While sausage is cooking, place sauté pan on grill. Render chopped bacon until crisp. Discard excess fat. Add sherry vinegar and mustard stirring to make a vinaigrette.

4.Combine beans, apple slices and endive in bowl. Toss with warm vinaigrette. Place on platter and top with grilled sausage.

What's for dinner?? #2

2010-02-26T09:31:00.000-08:00

When I used to think of pasta, I'd instantly think of spaghetti. Not anymore! We eat pasta a couple times a week for dinner. One reason we eat so much pasta is because I'm a vegetarian and a good fettuccine goes really well with sauteed vegetables. When I decided to go vegetarian again (I've been on and off most my life) I was really worried it would kill my cooking skills. But in truth it's expanded them because it's forced me to cook with vegetables and ingredients I hadn't before. For example, I used to not like mushrooms. But I discovered that it's all in how they're cooked (for me at least). This is a really versatile week night recipe (if you'd even call it one) that I love.

First Step- Make mushroom's delicious:

*Put a pat of butter in a pan and arrange mushrooms in a single layer. Let them sit there till they turn a golden brown, then flip. Once the other side is golden- add a dry white wine and let the mushrooms absorb the wine. Next, add chopped up garlic and a pinch of some herbs (basil and thyme what I used). Add a pinch or sea salt and some ground pepper. Then add some diced shallots. Let simmer and let the wine and butter turn into a nice sauce. Yum...

Second step -- Add other vegies:

I typically add chopped tomatoes and cut up asparagus. But you can add artichoke hearts or just leave it as sauteed mushrooms. See, I told you it was versatile. Seriously, these mushrooms taste so good though. Wine, butter, garlic, shallots- um...hello?! How could it not taste good? And the mushrooms just soak up all the flavor - yum.

Last step -- boil pasta:

Add to boiling water, remove when done :) I like fettuccine personally for this dish.

To serve - place pasta on plate and then ladle your mushroom/vegie concoction on top. This is one of my hubby's new favorite dinners.

Side note: This meal would go well with a breaded chicken breast too. Just because I'm a veg-head doesn't mean I don't cook meat. I've only recently (a little over a month) gone back to eating vegetarian and my hubby is full carnivore :) Plus, I'd never deprive children of my home made 4th of July fried chicken. Enjoy!

Playing Dress-up

2010-02-25T09:57:00.000-08:00

Fairy wings, feather boas and princess tiaras have hit my house full force. It's happen before but it looks like a dress-up trunk bomb went off in my living room. No one has escaped un-dressed. My son has become a prince in long white gloves and my daughter has become a princess bride (I will remind my children of this moment when they hate each other in their teenage years). I am wearing two different clip on earrings (ouch!) and even Duke (our dog) was dressed with a feather boa.

My childish side is having fun with the whole dress-up thing. Or maybe it's that extra cup of coffee I had this morning that is finally kicking in. Some days you just have to embrace what's handed to you and run with it. Even as an adult I find myself playing dress-up. When my hubby and I have a night out I find myself pulling out multiple outfits, trying them on and then debating which one to wear. I guess dress-up never ended for me, it just evolved as I got older. Hope you all have a fun, dress-up kind of day!

What's for dinner??

2010-02-23T08:34:00.000-08:00

On Sundays I like to scan the adds for the local farmers markets to see what's in season. This week at Sprouts Farmer's Market they had big beautiful eggplant on sale for 88 cents each! I had to snag one! I'm still in the process of convincing my husband that eggplant can be yummy. (He had a very bad experience with eggplant a while back). Last week I made eggplant parmesean and it was so yummy! Tonights dinner will be grilled balsamic eggplant with a balsamic mushroom risotto.

Grilled Balsamic Eggplant

Whisk together:

2T balsamic vinegar

3T olive oil,

2 cloves crushed garlic

Then add a pinch of each: thyme leaves, oregano leaves, salt and pepper.

Dip eggplant slices (about a 1/2 inch thick) in mixture and throw on the grill. Let it sit on the grill for about 10 minutes so it gets those nice grill marks before flipping. I like to sprinkle some parmeseano regiano on top of the grilled eggplant before I serve it. I love that cheese.

I do make my own risotto- but I found this great recipe on www.goodlifeeats.com I'm going to try out this recipe tonight. I really like that she roasts the mushrooms before adding them to the risotto. Check it out!

Balsamic Mushroom Risotto recipe by Katie Goodman

24 ounces mushrooms (white, cremini, baby portabella or a mixture)
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 cup arborio rice
2 shallots, diced
3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup water
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons freshly grated romano cheese
sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Remove stems from mushrooms (discard) and thinly slice the mushrooms. Combine with garlic and rosemary. Toss with 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Place on a foil lined baking sheet, spreading the mixture out, and roast for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the broth and water in a saucepan over medium-low heat until warmed. Heat the remaining oil (1/2 tablespoon) in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Saute the shallot, about 1 minute. Add the rice, stirring to coat with oil, and cook about 2 minutes. When the rice begins to take on a light golden color, pour in the wine, stirring constantly until the wine is fully absorbed.

Add half of broth and water mixture to the rice a 1/2 cup at a time, stirring continuously, until the liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Stir in the roasted mushrooms and any accumulated juices. Add the remaining broth mixture to the rice a 1/2 cup at a time, stirring continuously, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is al dente, about 10 minutes more.

Remove from heat and stir in the butter and romano . Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper. Serve immediately.

Crazy Monday?

2010-02-22T08:35:00.000-08:00

Monday is always such a sad day for me. It means that the weekend is over and that I'm back to the daily grind....which always includes way too much laundry. Grrrr. Yes, I'm not a happy Monday person. Trust me, it's good that I realize this. This way when a person cuts me off on the road and I want to yell "What the heck?! How did you get a license?!" it may be that I'm super grumpy on Mondays that is provoking this type of reaction. Darn Mondays.

In order to combat my internal reactions to Mondays I like to surround myself with peacefulness and happy thoughts. I'm such an animal lover and animals just make my soul feel good. Probably why my first job was a veterinary assistant and my second job was at PetsMart as an avian specialist. I got to play with macaws and other parrots. That made me happy. Bagging fish, cleaning tanks, and getting jumped on by crickets- not so happy. See, I really need better control of myself on Mondays- everything turns grumpy- even memories. I won't traumatize you by describing my memories of being bitten by hamsters and rats- pet rats, but they were still rats. That's probably why I then became a dog trainer. I really enjoyed that. Now I take all of my animal loving from Duke, my dog. And when I really need a pick me up, I visit the zoo. So I'm leaving you with a few of my happy zoo pictures. Maybe this can bring you a little peace today too.

In case you were wondering, these pictures were from our vacation when we stopped at the Santa Barbara Zoo.

Magical Hills

2010-02-18T14:36:00.001-08:00

While driving through California the rolling green hills took my breath away. It was so beautiful. Especially around the Napa area. The grass there looks like velvet. It's almost as if the hills around that area are magical. I told my husband while we were driving through the hills that "it wouldn't surprise me if a unicorn came galloping down the hill". That statement was quickly followed by another "I can totally imagine knights riding into a battle on these hills". Ok, in all fairness we had been in the car for a long time! And after a few hours in the car I cannot control my imagination. My husband, such an amazing man, totally understands me and expects those types of statements at this point in our marriage so it did not surprise him. He just glanced at me and did the head nod thing. I found I could not tear my gaze away as the midst started to roll in like a heavy blanket gingerly resting upon the velvety hills. Utterly captivating.

Monterey Bay Aquarium

2010-02-17T13:36:00.001-08:00

There isn't a whole lot to say about this place except that it was amazing. I highly recommend it to anyone who is thinking of going. It was full of amazing exhibits that struck children and adults with wonder and awe. It was very special seeing our kids eyes light up as they watched the jelly fish. My son loved the otters and they had a display where he was able to feel real otter fur and touch an otter skull. I was worried it would scare him but he loved it. I think it was the way the helper showed it all to him that made the difference. If you make it to Monterey you have to go down to the fisherman's wharf and grab some clam chowder down there. They literally have "Chowder Wars" on the wharf. They have people shoving samples of chowder at you. It's great! Almost a meal just getting to your meal- lol!

Here's some pictures of the aquarium.

The last picture I posted is a picture of an albatross that they had at the aquarium. Did you know that an albatross is the only bird who's wingspan can exceed 11 feet! Yes, elleven feet! That's a BIG bird! Hope you've enjoyed the photos!

For more aquarium info: http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/

Snow!

2010-02-15T18:43:00.000-08:00

As we were driving up to the cabins I was astounded at the amount of snow that was piled next to the road. I expected snow.... but I guess I expected that nice carpeted snow with the huge snow flakes falling ever so gently from the sky..... um...yea... I guess I had the typical Hollywood version playing in my head. To say the very least, there was a lot of snow!

When it wasn't raining it was snowing, which is surprisingly wet. We had a lot of fun sledding and inner-tubing down the slopes. Once we made it to the slope. It was a week's work out just getting there. One step in and you'd fall down to your waist in snow. Then you obviously had to wiggle and crawl your way out and continue up the hill to the slope..... mental note: sticking to the ice path to get to the slope. I'd rather fall on my butt then have to crawl across the snow. My husband decided to build a large snow/ice ramp at the bottom of the slope. The guys had fun going down the slope and getting some "air" once they reached the ramp. Well, I got some "AIR" when I went down. Yep, I came down from "catching air" standing....so... I'm figuring it must have launched me at least 5' 4" into the air. It was actually a lot of fun. I felt like a kid....until I went down on the plastic sled....face first....no butt padding.... then I felt 80. I am still sore in my legs. I know, pathetic. But what can I say? I'm not a teenager anymore.... I'm the ripe old age of 25- lol! And feeling more and more like 80 every day!

I loved visiting the snow and my kids did too. They really loved the hot chocolate and marshmallows they received in big mugs when they came in from playing in the snow. Thanks Heather! The views of the mountains and snow were absolutely breathtakingly gorgeous. We could not have been happier with the time we spent at the cabin in the snow. One of my best memories of our time there was at night while sitting next to the fire as the snow came down outside. My husband, myself and our dear friends (Heather and Matt) gathered in the living room in our jamies. We laughed and reminisced about old times and talked about future times. Matt introduced us to a high quality whiskey (it honestly wasn't as vile as the others I've sniffed). We all took a shot, convulsed and gagged as it went down - then sat back and were in awe at the small furnace that ignited inside of our chests. Next time I might pass on the whiskey but the company and laughs were priceless.

But I must say, I am very glad I do not actually live in the mountains. I came to that conclusion after shoveling the snow off the back deck. I know, only the back deck! Pathetic! I can't even imagine the shoveling my husband did to get the car unburied. So yes, I am a pampered San Diegan and very appreciative that it's 74 degrees and sunny here right now.

Free Valentine Downloadable Valentine

2010-02-13T09:44:00.000-08:00

My sister is amazing! She came up with these adorable valentines that you can download for free. Go to her website and make one of your own!

http://www.everkelly.com/2010/02/happy-valentines-day-free-downloadable-valentine/

Hello Reality.

2010-02-13T09:14:00.000-08:00

Going on vacation was wonderful! We had so much fun visiting with our friends and seeing new places. Although that first night back home, sleeping in my own bed, was heaven! And I must say, I missed my puppy. And yes, I got in lots of Great Dane snuggles when we came home. My dog (Duke) basically snuggled up against me and wouldn't let me move for about an hour.

But then it was back to reality- literally. Deadlines. I had a cupcake order that I had to make the day after we got home. They were 30 lemon cupcakes with a lemon cream cheese frosting. Yum! They were for a baby shower on Sat. Feb 13th. Decorations consisted of fondant stripes and polka dots in blue and brown. A few had a blue star on top of the cupcakes. I love the look of cupcake assortments. I guess now that I'm done with cupcakes it's time to unpack. Yes, that is not done yet. But again, that's reality.

Next week I'll be posting about our trip!