simply decorated

Chandelier Inspiration

2010-11-02T23:16:00.001-07:00

So now I'm thinking this chandelier might look even better in the dining room???

Living Room

2010-08-16T17:58:00.001-07:00

Still settling in...

My little reading corner...found the yellow flower pillow at Target.

We do not have a bar area in this house, so now we have four bar stools from Ikea that I've been trying to be creative finding places for.

Pendant Lighting

2010-08-14T19:32:00.001-07:00

I'm thinking this pendant light from Pottery Barn might work out really well over the table...

What do you think?

That Martha...

2010-08-10T15:58:00.001-07:00

Has everything!!! When did this happen? Martha has a line of pet supplies at Petsmart!

Love this little bed, I think both of our dogs could fit in it together.

A bath tub for your puppy!

And a tote for supplies!

Treat Jars...love the Martha blue!

Sneak Peek

2010-07-21T19:38:00.000-07:00

Still getting things put away and organized. Hopefully this weekend I will get things hung on the walls. I just realized... in this picture you can see entry way, dining room and kitchen haha!

Cake Balls and Oreo Truffles

2010-06-21T07:54:00.000-07:00

I have been practicing Bakerella's Cake Balls. She makes it look so easy... and she is SO creative. I'm still working on trying to get mine smooth~

And these are Bakerella's Oreo truffles. Even easier than the Cake Balls, and only because you don't have to bake a cake :)

You can find the recipe for the Cake Balls here. You can use any cake mix/frosting/candy melt combo that you like.

And the recipe for the Oreo Truffles here.

Home Sweet Home

2010-06-18T20:41:00.001-07:00

Our new digs

So cottagey! The yard needs some TLC, but we'll get it in shape :)

I love all the windows, and the corner window in the family room is great.

Yay, gas stove and updated kitchen.

The washer and dryer have to go at the end of the cabinets, the other choice is down in the basement...I don't think that sounds like too much fun, this will be way more convienent.

I love the charm of these old houses... notice the archways? This is taken from the family room looking into the dining room, and then the kitchen. (obviously haha!)

So happy to have hardwood floors! No carpet, yay!!!

Family room corner window.

Family room, taken from the dining room.
I'm looking forward to decorating. The backyard is the size of a small park, also in need of some TLC, but a place for a garden :) Rosie and Roxie are going to love it! More pictures to come.

Strawberry Jam

2010-06-14T17:25:00.000-07:00

Strawberry jam is the first thing that I learned to can several years ago. Water bath canning, and strawberry jam is a good place to start, and it really isn't as difficult as you may think. Once you make your own homemade jam, you'll never buy store-bought again. Soon you'll be thinking of all kinds of fruits that you can turn into jam... the possibilities are endless. Then there's jellies and syrups...yum!!

It doesn't take much to get started, and most of the things you need are at the hardware store.A large water bath canner with rack, a jar lifter, magnetic wand, wide-mouth funnel, and a canning book. I really like this one.

STRAWBERRY JAM

5 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and mashed

7 cups sugar

4 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 package (49 g) powdered fruit pectin

1/2 Tablespoon unsalted butter

Place 8 or 9 8 ounce canning jars in the water bath canner, fill with water to cover jars, and bring to a simmer.

In a small sauce pan simmer the center lids.

In a large pot or dutch oven (at least 6 quart or larger) add mashed strawberries, lemon juice, pectin, and the butter. Bring to a full boil. Add the sugar all at once and stir to distribute sugar. Bring back to a full rolling boil, and boil for 1 minute, 15 seconds. Turn off heat and skim the foam off the top with a spoon.

Remove one jar at a time from the simmering water. Using the wide-mouth funnel, ladle jam into jar leaving 1/4 inch space at the top.

Run a knife down the side of the jar to remove any air bubbles.

Wipe the rim of the jar with a damp cloth to remove any residue.

Remove center lid from simmering water and place on jar. Put screw bands on jars being careful not to over tighten. Repeat with all the jars. If you end up with a portion of a jar you can use that jar right away (refrigerate). It does not need to go in the canner.

Once all jars are filled, place on canning rack and lower back into the water bathe canner. Cover with lid and bring to a full boil. Boil 10 to 12 minutes. Turn off heat and leave jars in the canner an additional 5 minutes. Remove jars using jar-lifter and leave jars undisturbed for 24 hours.

After 24 hours, remove screw bands and check the seal of the jars. The center lid should have no give. If there are, store those jars in the fridge.

What's Old is New Again

2010-06-13T18:45:00.000-07:00

My new collection is Pyrex. Larry and I have been having fun on our road trips (today we went to Sonora) looking through antique shops, picking up old pieces of Pyrex. These small casseroles are the perfect size. The funny part is Larry used to have the green flowered Pyrex when I met him. Haha, now we are scouting antique shops for it... who would have ever guessed. I'm kind of liking how all the different colors are working together. I think I'm onto a new color scheme for the kitchen....again :)

Party Tables...My New Obsession

2010-06-10T13:46:00.000-07:00

I can't believe the talent that is out there. When did party tables become so incredibly cute? As I've been checking out different blogs, I have discovered that there is a whole world of party blogs out there. You know how it goes...once you find one it takes you to another, and so on and so on. The inspiration is just endless. These accomplished and talented bloggers are all so helpful and willing to share their ideas, their creativeness, and their sources.
There are party tables that feature every kind of party you can think of... whether it's a wedding, shower, birthday party, and even a welcome the puppy party. Here are a few of my favorites that I wanted to share...

GRACE'S CANDY PARTY

THE CANDY BUFFET

This sweet party was created by Glory, http://glorioustreats.blogspot.com/2010/03/candy-party-its-here.html who wanted to do a candy themed party for her daughter. Glory has it all... a candy buffet, a food/dessert buffet, there is a drink buffet.

And she even made all the food herself including the darling cupcakes and cookies. And if Glory wasn't nice enough to share her pictures, she has shared tutorials on her sugar cookies. Go check out her blog for more pictures and some wonderful inspiration of other parties that she created!

http://glorioustreats.blogspot.com/

FOOD/DESSERT BUFFET

SUGAR COOKIES AND CUPCAKES

SUGAR COOKIES

MILK AND COOKIES PARTY

Anne from A.Party Style, created the most original party for her daughter's first birthday... Milk and Cookies, how cute is that? Why didn't I think of that???

I am immediately drawn to the colors. And who doesn't love milk and cookies?
Takes you right back to your childhood doesn't it?

THE COOKIE TABLE

Anne made all the cookies, and the cake... talk about taking it to the next level. I am definitely signing up for that cake decorating class I've been threatening to take :)

THE BIRTHDAY CAKE

POM POMS

Anne made the pom poms as well, using different shades of brown, white and cream tissue paper.

MILK AND CHOCOLATE MILK

MILK BOTTLES

For more details and pictures be sure to check out A. Party Style

And for more inspiration check out some of Anne's other parties and ideas

KATE'S FAIRY GARDEN BIRTHDAY PARTY
photos courtesy of Vicki Lynn Photography

THE DESSERT TABLE

What little girl wouldn't want this adorable party theme? The very talented Kim from The Tom Kat Studio, which is quickly becoming one of my favorite blogs, put much thought and care into making her daughter's special day memorable. Kim has been very generous with her party planning ideas, sources and inspiration. Please check out her blog for more details of Kate's Fairy Garden Party, and other fabulous parties. Kim also has an Etsy shop with everything you need to plan a memorable party.

With all this inspiration, I think I need to plan a party!

Got Dog Treats?

2010-05-31T21:02:00.000-07:00

Dog treats are actually pretty easy to make, and my dogs really do like them better than store bought. Plus it's nice knowing what is in them.

Rosie's Peanut Butter Treats

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1 cup peanut butter

3/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flours and baking powder.

In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the peanut butter and milk until smooth.

Add half of the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture and mix until combined. Add the rest of the flour mixture and knead on a floured surface for a few minutes.

Roll dough between 1/4 inch and 1/2 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes. Bake on a silpat lined baking sheet (or parchment paper) about 6 minutes. Depending on size of treats, mine were pretty small. If making larger treats may need to leave in oven up to 15 minutes. Watch carefully. Cool on a rack and store in sealed plastic bags in the refrigerator.

Mini Key Lime Cheesecakes

2010-05-30T07:50:00.001-07:00

Mini Key Lime Cheesecake

for the crust:

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

2 T sugar

pinch of salt

3 T unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat 12 cup mini cheesecake pan with cooking spray. In a medium size bowl, stir graham cracker crumbs, sugar and salt. Add the melted butter and stir until combined. Press equal amounts into bottom of cups and press with a tart tamper Bake 10 min and then cool completely.

REDUCE OVEN TO 300 DEGREES.

for the filling:

16 ounces cream cheese, at room temp.

14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk

3 egg yolks

4 ounces Nellie and Joe's key west lime juice

pinch of salt

Pour condensed milk into blender. Add cream cheese gradually, in small portions and mix until smooth. Add egg yolks and blend well. Add salt and key west lime juice. Continue blending until mixture is smooth. Pour into mini cheesecake pan and bake for 15 to 17 min. Let stand for 10 minutes before refrigerating. Refrigerate overnight. Top with freshly whipped cream, and garnish with fresh lime zest.

Cocoa-Buttermilk Cupcakes with Chocolate Malt Buttercream Frosting

2010-05-29T17:14:00.000-07:00

This morning I made cupcakes using Dorie Greenspan's recipe from Baking from my home to yours, for Cocoa-Buttermilk Birthday Cake and Chocolate Malt Buttercream Frosting. The frosting was amazing!!! All I was missing was Charlotte's Apron...much to my surprise the cupcakes turned out without it ha!

Ultimate Turtle Brownies

2010-04-13T08:40:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe on a fabulous blog that I recently discovered, Dinner and Dessert I think we have the same taste because I truly want to make everything on her blog!

I have been wanting to make caramel sauce for sometime now, I've always been a little intimidated...not as hard as I thought! I served these with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce at Girl's Night. Very yummy!

Ultimate Turtle Brownies

source: Dinner and Dessert via Cooks Illustrated May 2006

Caramel:

1/4 c heavy cream plus 2 additional Tbsp.

1/4 tsp. table salt

1/4 c water

2 Tbsp. light corn syrup

1 1/4 cups sugar

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Brownies:

8 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces

4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped

2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped

3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1/3 tsp. baking powder

2 large eggs, room temp.

1 cup sugar

1/4 tsp. table salt

2/3 cup chopped pecans

1/3 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Garnish:

25 pecan halves, toasted

( I sprinkled chopped pecans on instead)

To Make the Caramel: Combine cream and salt in a small bowl. Stir well to dissolve the salt.

Combine water and corn syrup in a 2-3 quart saucepan. Pour sugar into center taking care not to let granules touch side of pan. Gently stir with spatula to moisten sugar thoroughly. Cover and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Cook covered, and without stirring until sugar is dissolved, and liquid is clear, 3 to 5 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook, without stirring, until bubbles show faint golden color, 3 to 5 minutes more. Reduce heat to medium-low. Continue to cook (swirling occasionally) until caramel is light amber and registers about 360 degrees on candy or instant-read thermometer. 1 to 3 minutes longer. Remove saucepan from heat and carefully add cream to center of pan, stir with whisk or spatula (mixture will bubble and steam vigorously) until fully incorporated and bubbles subside. Stir in vanilla and butter. Transfer to microwave safe glass measuring cup or bowl and set aside

To Make the Brownies: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly spray 9-inch square baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Line pan with foil so edges on all sides over-hang. Spray foil with cooking spray.

Melt butter, bittersweet, and unsweetened chocolate in medium heat-proof bowl over barely simmering water, stirring occasionally. Do not let water touch bottom of bowl. When smooth and combined remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly. Meanwhile whisk together the flour and baking soda in a small bowl, set aside. In a large bowl whisk together eggs, sugar, salt and vanilla until incorporated. When chocolate has cooled slightly, add to egg mixture. Whisk until well combined. Add flour mixture, stir with rubber spatula until almost combined. Add chopped pecans and chocolate chips, mix until incorporated and no flour streaks remain,

Distribute half the brownie batter in prepared pan, spread evenly. Drizzle scant 1/4 cup caramel over batter. Drop remaining batter in large mounds over caramel layer, spread evenly and into corners with spatula. Drizzle additional scant 1/4 cup caramel over top. Using tip of butter knife, swirl caramel and batter. Bake brownies until toothpick inserted into center comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached. About 35 to 40 minutes. Cool brownies on wire rack to room temperature, 1 1/2 hours.

Heat remaining caramel in microwave until warm and pourable, but still thick, do not boil (45 to 60 seconds, stirring once or twice) Pour caramel over brownies. Using spatula spread evenly to cover surface. at this point I sprinkled remaining pecans over top. Refrigerate uncovered at least 2 hours. Remove from pan using foil overhang as handles. Remove foil and slice. Let come to room temperature. We served with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce.

Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Curd Filling and Lemon Cream Icing

2010-03-25T23:09:00.000-07:00

Last night I made a Lemon Meringue Pie for a friend's birthday, and had left over lemon curd. I thought it would be great in a cupcake and found this recipe on All Recipes.

Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Curd Filling and Lemon Cream Icing

adapted from: allrecipes.com

3 cups self-rising flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup unsalted butter at room temp.

2 cups white sugar

4 large eggs at room temp.

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 Tablespoons lemon zest

1 cup milk

2 1/2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice ( I used about 4 Tablespoon)

Lemon Cream Icing

2 cups heavy cream, chilled

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners makes about 30 cupcakes. I halved the recipe and made about 12 cupcakes.

Sift the flour and salt together in bowl. In a separate bowl beat the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, one at a time, beating each egg until incorporated before adding the next. Beat in the lemon zest, and vanilla extract.

Gently beat in the flour mixture into the butter mixture, one third at a time, alternating with the milk and the lemon juice beginning and ending with flour. Do not over-mix.

Filled prepared pans with batter 3/4 full. Bake about 17 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pans about 10 minutes, then remove to a rack to finish cooling.

Hollow a hole in the center of each cupcake when cooled and fill with lemon curd. Top with Lemon Cream Icing

For the icing: Beat the cream in a chilled bowl with an electric mixer set on low until cream begins to thicken. Add the powdered sugar and the lemon juice a little at a time, beating after each addition, until fully incorporated. Increase speed to high and beat until icing forms soft peaks, about 5 minutes. Spread or pipe on cupcakes. Refrigerate leftovers.

Macaroni Salad

2010-03-23T22:42:00.000-07:00

This is my family's favorite macaroni salad. We like to keep it simple, in fact this is the first time I've added sliced olives... I don't think they'll mind too much.

Macaroni Salad

8 ounces salad macaroni

1 cup mayonnaise (I used low-fat)

2 Tablespoons milk (I used non-fat)

2 Tablespoons cider vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 1/2 cups sliced celery

1/2 cup purple onion, chopped

4 hard boiled eggs, chopped

small can sliced olives

Cook macaroni 10 minutes, rinse in cold water, drain. In large bowl stir together mayonnaise, milk, vinegar, salt, sugar, and pepper. Add macaroni, celery, onions, and eggs. Toss to coat well. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Breakfast Girl's Night

2010-03-23T11:08:00.000-07:00

Last night was girl's night at my niece's house. Our theme was breakfast and pjs...it was so much fun!!! Of course there were Mimosas... this is Dana and Drea popping open the champagne over the fence...I'm not even telling you what is on the other side of the fence, but the goal is to get the cork over the fence haha!

This is the Cinnamon Rolls rising, I just liked the way they looked. Green Chili Casserole, Cinnamon Rolls, and French Toast Casserole. The Green Chili Casserole seemed to be the big hit of the night, but I could have seriously eaten that whole pan of French Toast Casserole.... YUM!

French Toast Casserole

from: The Pioneer Woman Tasty Recipes

For the casserole:

1 loaf french bread ( I cut off all the crust)

6 eggs

1 1/2 cups milk

1 1/2 cups half and half

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/3 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

For the Topping:

1 stick unsalted butter, melted

2 Tablespoons dark corn syrup

1 cup light brown sugar

1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped (I also toasted)

Spray a 9x13 inch pan with cooking spray. Fill with bread cubes so the dish is completely covered to the top.

In a large bowl mix effs, milk, half and half, vanilla, nutmeg and cinnamon. Pour over top of bread mixture. I pressed the bread down slightly to make sure it all soaked in. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

For topping: Mix all ingredients. Pour over top of bread mixture. Bake until puffed and golden. About 40 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Green Chili Casserole

7 ounce can green chilis, whole

1/2 pound Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded

2 eggs

2 cups milk

1/2 cup flour

1 teaspoon salt

Arrange chilis on the bottom of a buttered 1 1/2 quart casserole dish, you may need to split them open. cover with shredded cheese. Beat eggs until fluffy. Add flour slowly and the salt. Beat until mixed. Pour over chili-cheese mixture. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven 45-50 minutes. Till brown on top and casserole is firm.

La Bella Cook

2010-03-22T14:12:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite blogs is having a giveaway! Bridgett at La Bella Cook is giving away this fabulous Cuisinart hand mixer through CNN Stores

If you would like a chance to win, go visit La Bella Cook for details, and she is also sharing a Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pear Cake recipe today that looks delicious, can't wait to make it.

Mile High Lemon Meringue... Cake

2010-03-19T19:15:00.000-07:00

My favorite pie is Lemon Meringue, my favorite cake is a Lemon Jello Cake that my mom used to make for my birthday every year. So...what could be better than to put the two together? Plus it gives me another reason to use this meringue from BAKED: NEW FRONTIERS IN BAKING that I am now addicted to.

Mile High Lemon Meringue Cake

For the cake:

1 package boxed yellow cake mix

1 package (3 oz.) Lemon Jello

4 large eggs

3/4 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup water

Beat all ingredients together for 10 minutes. Bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes in a greased 13x9 inch pan. When done immediately punch full of holes with a large serving fork (I used a meat fork) all the way to the bottom of pan. Pour icing over immediately.

For the Icing:

Make ahead while cake is baking

1 cup fresh lemon juice

5 cups powdered sugar

In a saucepan over medium-low heat mix together the lemon juice and powdered sugar until melted and warm. Pour icing over hot cake immediately and broil until icing bubbles, watch carefully, you just want it bubbly, not browned too much.

For the Meringue:

recipe from: Baked: New Frontiers in Baking

7 large egg whites

1 3/4 cups sugar

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon amaretto liqueur

Whisk the egg whites and sugar together in a nonreactive metal bowl until combined. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Cook, whisking constantly, until the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture registers to 140 degrees F. on an instant-read thermometer, 6 to 8 minutes.

Remove the bowl from the pan and, with an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the mixture on high speed until stiff peaks form, adding the cream of tartar when the mixture begins to thicken or after 3 minutes. When the mixture almost holds stiff peaks, after about 6 minutes, add the liqueur and beat to incorporate it. Spread meringue on top of cake and form peaks with spatula. Place under broiler for a few minutes. Watch carefully, browns quickly.

Martha Stewart's Snickerdoodle Cookies

2010-03-18T13:20:00.000-07:00

It seems like it's a toss up between Snickerdoodle Cookies and Chocolate Chip Cookies in my house. There are so many recipes floating around out there of both... and I have yet to find the perfect one. I have found pretty good recipes, but I'm in search of the best, the one where you don't even want to look any further. Today I tried Martha Stewart's Snickerdoodle Cookie recipe. They are very good, and I certainly didn't get any complaints, but still searching...

Snickerdoodle Cookies

recipe: Martha Stewart

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

8 Tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup shortening, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon

1/4 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line cookie sheets with Silpat or parchment paper.

Sift together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and shortening. Add the 1 1/2 cups sugar and mix until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, scraping down bowl as needed. Add flour mixture in two batches just until combined. Do not over mix cookie dough. In a separate bowl mix together the cinnamon and remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Roll dough in balls and then roll in cinnamon/sugar mixture. Place on prepared cookie sheets and bake approximately 10 minutes.

Raw Apple Cake

2010-03-17T11:02:00.000-07:00

This is a cake that my mom used to make when I was growing up. It is so easy, a one bowl recipe. And really good topped with vanilla ice cream. I had a few extra apples left, so made an apple cinnamon topping to go with.

RAW APPLE CAKE

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons cinnamon

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1 cup walnuts (I used pecans)

2 cups sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

4 cups sliced apples (I used granny smith)

Mix all ingredients in bowl, batter will be thick. May need to to mix with clean hands.

Bake at 350 degrees in a buttered and floured 9x13 inch baking pan, 45 to 50 minutes.

Serve warm.

Kitchen Pictures

2010-03-16T17:10:00.001-07:00

After being here about 7 months, I'm finally getting around to posting pictures of the kitchen. Not a lot of space...and a lot of my stuff is still in boxes in the garage, but a least it's close by :)

I do like the bar on the other side of the sink so my friends can visit with me while I'm working in the kitchen.

I had to share a picture of the olive oil bottle...my friend Charlotte's son in law designed the label, pretty cool! And thanks for the olive oil Charlotte :)

Roxey and Rosie... how did you two get in here???

My bulletin board and magazine holder, finally a kitchen with a little wall space.

Too bad it's definitely lacking in the storage/cabinet department.

I got these bottle dispensers at Target.

More wall space, yay! My treasured signed Barefoot Contessa book. And since I didn't have one cupboard or drawer that is big enough for my rolling pin, I had to get a little creative.

That's pretty much it, not huge, but at least enough counter space to work on.

Baked

2010-03-07T17:12:00.001-08:00

If I had to pick just one Baking Cookbook right now, Baked: New Frontiers In Baking by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito would hands down be it. I think they must have written this book specifically for me because every recipe sounds delicious! The Milk Chocolate Malt Ball Cake, and the Lemon Drop Cake brings back memories of two favorite candies from my childhood. These cakes are definitely on my list. I have made the Lemon-Almond Meringue Tarts several times now, I have to say the lemon curd is to die for...and I am now addicted to the Amaretto meringue!
So my plan is to bake my way through Baked, and I was lucky enough to have permission from Matt Lewis to share a few of their recipes on my blog, Thank you!!
I have made many Banana Breads, muffins etc... over the years, never really finding one that was it. The one that would always be my go to recipe...until now. This muffin is so moist, and the addition of chocolate and espresso powder just add to the banana flavor. This is a great combination!

Banana Espresso Chocolate Chip Muffins

Baked: New frontiers in Baking by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito

1 1/2 cups mashed, very ripe bananas (about 4 medium bananas)

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

1/4 cup whole milk

1 large egg

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon instant espresso powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick spray. ( I used liners, they came out perfectly)

In a medium bowl, stir together the bananas, sugars, butter, milk, and egg.

In another medium bowl, whisk together the flour, instant espresso powder, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the well and stir until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. Fill each cup about three-quarters full. Bake in the center of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Move the muffin pan to a cooling rack, and let cool for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove the muffins from the pan and let them finish cooling on the cooling rack.

Muffins can be stored in airtight container for up to 2 days.

Yield 12 muffins

Baking Marathon

2010-03-05T10:13:00.000-08:00

I had a baking marathon last night. I made 3 dozen lemon meringue tarts for a friend, and thought while I was at it, wouldn't it be fun to also make mini chocolate cream pies??

I went back to Barefoot Contessa's pie dough recipe (it really is the best) and cut the crusts out with fluted round cutters, and placed the cut dough into a muffin tin. Pre-baked in a 400 degree oven for about 11 minutes.

Once cooled I filled the mini crusts with lemon curd. I used the lemon curd and meringue recipe from one of my favorite cookbooks, Baked. Who knew egg whites could taste so good ;)

This is my third attempt at these Cinnamon rolls. They are always delicious, my son thinks they should be kept in the house at all times. They just don't photograph that well. I did double the recipe for the frosting to be add extra when served.

Mini Chocolate Pudding Pie

For the Filling:

2 1/2 cups whole milk

5 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

4 large egg yolks

3/4 cup sugar

3 Tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

In a saucepan, over low heat, warm the milk and chocolate, whisking until the chocolate is melted. In a medium sized bowl whisk egg yolks and sugar until pale yellow. Add the cornstarch, salt and vanilla, whisk until well blended. Slowly add the warm chocolate mixture into the yolk mixture to temper the eggs, whisking constantly until well blended. Return mixture to saucepan and cook over medium heat until thickens and begins to bubble, about 6 to 8 minutes. Pour into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap pressing directly onto pudding. Let cool for 30 minutes, then refrigerate until ready to use.

For the Crust: adapted from Ina Garten

12 Tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) very cold unsalted butter

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 Tablespoon sugar

1/3 cup very cold vegetable shortening

6 to 8 Tablespoons (about 1/2 cup) ice water

Dice the butter and return it to the refrigerator while you prepare the flour mixture. Place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse a few times to mix. Add the butter and shortening. Pulse 8 to 12 times, until the butter is the size of peas. With the machine running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse the machine until the dough begins to form a ball. Dump out on a floured board and roll into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Cut the dough in half. roll each piece on a well-floured board, turning and flouring the dough to make sure it doesn't stick to the board. Cut dough with fluted rounds in desired size. Press into muffin tins and return to refrigerator for 15 minutes. When dough is chilled, carefully poke bottom and sides of dough with the tines of a fork to prevent dough from puffing when baking. Bake approximately 11 minutes, or until lightly golden in a 400 degree oven. When cool enough to handle remove from muffin tins and let cool on a wire rack.

To assemble mini pies:

Spoon desired amount of cold chocolate pudding into mini pie shells.

Top with whipped cream and shaved chocolate curls if desired.

Cinnamon Rolls

For the Dough:

2 packages active dry yeast

1 cup warm water (105-115 degrees)

2/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar, divided

1 cup warm milk

2/3 cup unsalted butter, melted

2 teaspoons salt

2 large eggs, slightly beaten

7 to8 cups all-purpose flour

For the filling:

1 cup unsalted melted unsalted butter, divided (2 sticks)

1 3/4 cups sugar, divided

3 Tablespoons ground cinnamon

For the dough: In a small bowl, mix together warm water, yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar. Set aside. In a large bowl mix the milk, remaining 2/3 cup sugar, melted butter, salt and eggs; stir well and add yeast mixture. Add half of the flour and beat until smooth Stir in enough of the remaining flour until the dough is slightly stiff (will be sticky). Turn out onto a well floured board. Knead 5 to 10 minutes. Place in a well buttered glass or plastic bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, until doubled in bulk., about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. When doubled punch down dough and let rest 5 minutes. Roll out on floured surface into a 15x20 inch rectangle.

For the filling: Spread dough with 1/2 cup of melted butter. In a bowl mix 1 1/2 cups sugar and the cinnamon until well blended. Sprinkle over buttered dough. Roll up jelly roll fashion. Pinch edges together to seal. Cut 12 to 15 slices. Coat the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan and an 8 inch square baking pan with the remaining 1/2 cup of melted butter. Sprinkle the bottom of the pans with remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Place cinnamon rolls slices close together in pans. Let rise in a warm place until dough is doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake 25 minutes or until rolls are nicely browned. Cool slightly and frost with Cream Cheese Cinnamon Frosting:

Cream Cheese Cinnamon Frosting

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 oz. cream cheese, room temp.

1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temp.

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

In a small bowl mix cream cheese and butter. Add vanilla, powdered sugar, and cinnamon. Mix until smooth. Spread on warm rolls and serve. (I doubled this recipe)

Fettuccini Alfredo

2010-02-23T22:31:00.000-08:00

I sometimes forget how easy it really is to make your own pasta. Especially with the help of the pasta roller on my Kitchen Aid stand mixer. And the taste is just incomparable. Last night's dinner was Fettuccine Alfredo and Focaccia Bread... and I just want to say this bread is very addicting!

Fresh Pasta

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 large eggs

1 Tablespoon kosher salt

1/3 cup water

1 Tablespoon olive oil

Place flour, salt, eggs, and olive oil in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process for a few seconds until blended. Add water through feed tube two Tablespoons at a time. When dough starts to form a ball stop adding water. Process an additional 30 seconds. Remove from bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow dough to rest for 30 minutes.

Remove a tennis ball size piece of dough. (keep remaining dough covered to keep from drying out) Dust with flour, and flatten in a disc shape with your hands. Pass through pasta machine set at widest setting. Fold dough in half, dust with more flour if needed and pass through machine again. Repeat this process approx. 20 times dusting with more flour as needed. Then without folding dough pass through machine increasing the setting each time until desired thickness is required. Place dough on lightly floured surface until ready to pass through pasta cutter. Cut in desired shape. When ready to use boil for only a few minutes in a large pot of salted water. Watch carefully, fresh pasta cooks extremely fast. Drain and add sauce and toss. Sprinkle with additional parmesan cheese.

Fettuccine Alfredo

2 cups heavy cream

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

In a medium size saucepan heat cream and lemon juice over medium heat. Add butter and lemon zest, stirring occasionally until butter is melted. Reduce heat to low and add Parmesan cheese , whisk until incorporated. Remove from heat and add nutmeg, salt and pepper. Pour over pasta and toss. Grate additional Parmesan cheese over top if desired. Serve.

And the recipe for the Focaccia bread can be found in one of my new favorite cookbooks, Cooking Dinner http://www.atavolatogether.com/index.php Check out their website and blog for fabulous recipes.

Is This Room Missing Color?

2010-02-23T01:41:00.000-08:00

No, it's not a black and white picture haha. Looking at this on the screen I realized there is no color in this room. That's ok, I kind of like it that way. I went from all of the bold, vibrant colors in French Country to this... Guess I needed a color break. I'm afraid the whole house is pretty much the same, more earthy colors...browns, whites, black, with a little green.

It feels a little less committal, more of a blank canvas.

Office Space

2010-02-23T01:28:00.000-08:00

I haven't blogged about decorating in a long time...and I've been in this house for a little over 6 mos. now. Guess it's time to get my act in gear??? This is one of the areas that attracted me to this rental. The little desk/office space at the top of the stairs. Since I don't have a room available that can be dedicated to an office, this is the next best thing.

The Pioneer Woman's Best Chocolate Sheet Cake. Ever.

2010-02-19T22:36:00.000-08:00

Today must have been Birthday day :) It was my mom's birthday, and also my good friend Charlotte's Dad's birthday. I made my mom a lemon meringue pie... still trying to perfect my pie crust. I was having pretty good luck with Barefoot Contessa's pie crust, but the last couple of times not so much. I'm positive it's me, not the recipe... so my search/ technique continues. Anyway I have been wanting to make The Pioneer Woman's Best Chocolate Sheet Cake. Ever. for sometime, and when Charlotte asked me to make a chocolate cake for her Dad I thought this would be the perfect opportunity. I have used the cake portion of this recipe for cupcakes before, and they were delicious, but had not tried the frosting portion of the recipe yet. Lets just say you have to make this cake... even if it's just to justify the frosting haha! And an added bonus, it has to be one of the easiest cakes I have ever made. Good thing because it looks like I'm making another one this weekend ;) The only alteration I made to the cake was adding instant espresso coffee powder to the frosting mixture, yum!

The Best Chocolate Sheet Cake. Ever.

The Pioneer Woman

For the Cake:

2 cups all purpose flour

2 cups granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 Tablespoons (heaping) cocoa

2 sticks unsalted butter

1 cup boiling water

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 whole beaten eggs

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

For the Frosting:

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

1 3/4 sticks unsalted butter

4 Tablespoons (heaping) cocoa

6 Tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 lb (minus 1/2 cup) powdered sugar

1 Tablespoon instant espresso coffee powder (optional)

In mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, salt. Set aside.

In a saucepan melt butter. Add cocoa. Stir together. Add boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture and stir lightly to cool. In measuring cup, pour the buttermilk and add beaten eggs, baking soda , and vanilla. Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into ungreased sheet cake pan and bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes.

while the cake is baking, make the icing. Chop pecans finely. Melt butter in a saucepan. Add cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat. Add the milk, vanilla, powdered sugar and espresso powder if using. Add the pecans, stir together, and poor over warm cake.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

2010-02-14T23:53:00.000-08:00

Today my daughter Melissa and I were watching All Star Chocolate on The Food Network. All of the recipes looked delicious... and I will definitely make several of them. But Tyler Florence's Flourless Chocolate Cake had to be the first one to try.

The baking time in the directions is definitely off, I think this cake takes a good 30 min, but check it with a tester. Ours came out a little gooey, but for my family, that's a good thing.

Valentine's Day Baking

2010-02-06T23:07:00.000-08:00

The perfect Valentines Day cupcake... Red Velvet with Cream cheese Frosting. I used the Magnolia Bakery recipe, with a simple Cream Cheese frosting. They were delicious, and I loved the way they baked up. And the recipe ended up making about 3 dozen.

I also made Barefoot Contessa's famous Coconut Cupcakes. These turn out perfect every time. Earlier in the week I was able to stop at Corti Brothers, an italian gourmet grocery store in Sacramento. I love browsing the aisles, I can always find something different that I want to try. This time I found V. Alisios sweetened large shred coconut. What a difference it makes...definitely worth the splurge.

I have also been trying to perfect these mini lemon meringue tarts. I have been trying to come up with a good crust. So far I've used Fillo, and this shortbread based crust which really didn't turn out well. It was delicious, but broke apart easily... I will come up with something. The curd and meringue came from Baked. So simple, and melts in your mouth.

Citrus Kitchen

2010-02-04T02:27:00.000-08:00

bhg

I came across this picture while looking for "white kitchen" inspiration.

I love citrus green and yellow in the kitchen, so fresh and clean. And in anticipation of spring...it just makes me smile.

Valentine Sugar Cookies

2010-02-04T01:56:00.000-08:00

I had an order for two dozen valentine sugar cookies... I ended up with extra so I thought I would play around with it a little... Sugar Cookie Sandwiches, just in case one cookie isn't sweet enough :)

Filled with raspberry jam, and bottom row filled with frosting and sprinkles.

Check back later this week, I promise to bake something besides sugar cookies.

Girl's Night

2010-02-01T23:38:00.001-08:00

Tonight was Girl's Night at my house. We try to get together as often as possible... good friends, good food and definitely good times. Tonight was no exception...although we missed you Emily! This is the before picture.

We had so much fun decorating cookies and chatting. It's hilarious where our conversations can go!

Nice Lips Dana!

Nice arm Andrea haha! Told you it was going on the blog :)

And after...

I had a great time ladies... can't wait to do it again, you guys are the best!

Diet starts again tomorrow!

Christmas at my House

2009-12-16T12:05:00.001-08:00

I thought I'd share a few pictures of my Christmas decor this year.
I have been wanting this Santa head (which I placed next to my front door) for several years. My friend had one, but it seemed to be long gone and I wasn't able to find one anywhere. This year when I went to Pottery World I discovered it in the 50% off room... Score! Finally found it, and half off yay! Gotta love a deal!

As I placed my ornaments on our tree this year I came to the realization that I must be obsessed with Santa heads haha!

I found this wreath and the three trees half off after Christmas last year.

My handmade bear that my friend's mom made...how talented is she???

One of my favorite ornaments. I was able to get two more rolls of the harlequin ribbon on sale at Ballard Designs last week.

The Pastry tree in my kitchen.

The girls...trying to get both of them to sit still for a picture is challenging, I'm hoping to get a better picture today for our Christmas card :)

Chocolate Espresso Pot de Creme

2009-12-12T01:03:00.000-08:00

Tonight my friend Amanda hosted a Christmas party. She asked me to make the desserts for her, which I love to do. In addition to the lemon mini cheesecakes with raspberry sauce that has become a staple in my repitaur, I wanted to make something chocolate. It had to be something rich and decadent, and in individual servings. I immediately thought of Lava Cakes.... but still wanted it to be something a little different. I remembered these cute little Pot de Creme pots that I had, and thought they would be perfect. I found a recipe on Epicurious that had high reviews, and was simple enough.

They sure were cute! I hope that Amanda and her friends enjoyed them as much as I enjoyed making them.

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas...

2009-11-22T19:42:00.000-08:00

Today My friend Charlotte and I drove up to Pottery World in Rocklin Ca. for a little Christmas inspiration.

And there was a ton of it! It was so nice browsing all of their wonderfully decorated areas. There was a theme for everyone. There was whimsical and sophisticated. I gravitate more towards the whimsical, but enjoy looking at it all.

There was even an area that was very naturey, if that's a word???

The Polar Bears in the White area.

This was the Candy Cane area. Very Whimsical!

We loved the Snowman hat for the tree-topper. Charlotte purchased one for her Snowman Tree. I'm so glad you got that Charlotte!

There were Santa Clauses and Elves everywhere. Pottery World definitely took a lot of time and thought in their displays...very talented decorators!

Entrance into Winter Wonderland.

And my personal favorite Santa for the kitchen.

Thanks Charlotte, I had so much fun!!!

I'm Back

2009-11-20T09:54:00.000-08:00

It has been SO long since I have created a post. I have seriously neglected my blog. There has been so much change in my life lately that it's taken some time to adjust. But with the holidays coming up I'm feeling some inspiration.

This last weekend I did the desserts for a baby shower. The color scheme was one of my favorites...brown and pink. It was so much fun working with these colors!

Chocolate and Strawberry Cupcakes

The dessert table arranged by my very talented and good friend Andrea
(I did not make the professional cake on the right)

Sugar Cookies, Cake Pops, Mini Lemon Cheese Cakes (plain and with raspberries and raspberry sauce) Andrea created the lovely flower arrangements.

Thanks for the kick in the pants Charlotte and Sue! ;)

And be sure to check out Sue's inspiring post at Rue Mouffetard on my favorite...White Kitchens!

Fun Finds

2009-09-04T23:16:00.000-07:00

Is it my imagination or has Restoration Hardware seemed to have gone in a different direction?

Here are a few things that I would love to have, but have no place for.

Always love wire baskets.

I don't know... if I was the lucky owner of this piece I think I would just have to make it work somewhere ;)

All Moved In...

2009-09-02T23:12:00.000-07:00

And I have a little dilema. There are two niches here on each side of the entry into the dining room. The sofa sits in front of the entry with just enough room to walk through. I'm thinking of a couple of different things for the niches. One being these sconces from Pottery Barn. They are 20 inches long, so they would fit nicely with a little room on top and bottom.

The other idea I had was maybe a couple of glass shelves in each niche for photos etc...

Although I would love to hear any other ideas that you may have.

If The Shoe Fits...

2009-08-12T21:58:00.001-07:00

The other day as I was walking across the parking lot where I work to the Bakery ( to get my diet Coke fix) I spotted this little foot/shoe just like this laying there, all by itself. It just made me wonder who lost their foot? Was it part of a ballerina on a Birthday Cake, that no longer has a foot? Or just a child's toy missing it's foot? I suppose I will never know.

It Was a Beautiful Day

2009-08-11T20:14:00.004-07:00

We took a little break from packing and moving today to take a road trip to one of my favorite places. On the way we usually see these planes taking off and landing from Travis Air Force Base, but today we got a really good picture of one going right over us.

First stop Napa Style in Yountville.

Grey Sea Salts.

Isn't this the cutest? I have always loved it in the larger size, but this little one would be perfect on a counter or buffet.

Last stop Bouchon Bakery for their fabulous bread and Macaroons. I seriously want to learn how to make them.

And our last stop in St. Helena, Fideaux, to get the girls some yummy treats too.

The weather was perfect. It was nice getting away from the heat for a little while.

Sierra's Dessert Table

2009-08-09T20:05:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I made the dessert's for a birthday party. The colors were bright pink, and black. I'm really happy with the way everything turned out. Unfortunately, my pictures were some how lost, as were Tommy's (what luck???) Andrea, who made the beautiful flower arrangements and helped me with the desserts did get a few, and I wanted to share them.

There were strawberry cupcakes with strawberry buttercream frosting, as well as the small cake on the top pedestal. Cream puffs, sugar cookies, lemon mini cheesecakes with raspberries and raspberry sauce (you can barely see them to the left on the second picture). Not pictured were Bakerella's cake pops and coconut chocolate chip blondies. Hopefully the next party I do I'll get more pictures ;)

Lakeshore Home

2009-07-28T11:01:00.000-07:00

LuLu's Cupcakes

2009-07-16T21:58:00.001-07:00

I don't know if you noticed from my blog favorites, but I have been a little cupcake bakery/blog obsessed lately. Today while visiting my mom in Elk Grove, we discovered the cutest cupcake bakery in the old historic part of town. (ok, when I was growing up that was just the "town" part of Elk Grove, when did it become historic??? Talk about making you feel old ha ha!)

LuLu's Cupcakes is everything that you would expect a cupcake bakery to be and more. The pink walls, beautiful chandeliers and pink and brown table linens...Perfection!

How could you not want to take every cupcake in the case home???

LuLu was so sweet and took the time to chat with us about her bakery, and help us make a selection of cupcakes to take home.

An extensive menu, surely something for everyone... But if cupcakes are not your thing there is an array of other treats, ice cream, brownies, rice krispie treats, and the list goes on.

Strawberry Lemonade...YUM!

We decided on Berry Blast, Strawberry Lemonade, and couldn't leave without a Chocolate. All very delicious.

This is just the cutest cupcake bakery, the cupcakes are excellent, and it was so nice that LuLu took the time out of what I'm sure is a very busy day for her to visit with us. I'm looking forward to my next visit.

White Kitchen Inspiration

2009-07-11T19:52:00.001-07:00

I needed a little break from organizing. I'm about ready to tackle the kitchen and could really use a little inspiration before I get started. So, I thought I'd share some pictures of kitchens that I have been enjoying.

all images BHG

I think the first kitchen is my favorite, although I would gladly take any of them ;)

Cleaning and Organizing

2009-07-11T12:54:00.001-07:00

image: Martha Stewart

Sad to say I have been spending my vacation cleaning and organizing. Well, so far just organizing, hopefully I will be finished with the organizing/de-cluttering part soon, and I can move on to the cleaning phase. I do see a light at the end of the tunnel. I think it's amazing how much junk one family can accumulate... seems like I just did all of this.

Hopefully I will be finished soon and I can spend some time doing things that are a little more fun... like organizing all of my loose recipes and photos ha ha!

Happy 4th of July!

2009-07-04T00:29:00.000-07:00

image: Coastal Living

Carmel

2009-07-03T20:35:00.000-07:00

One day last month we spent the day in Carmel. Tommy had never been, so we tried to get in as much as we could in that afternoon. There is so much more... we are planning another trip soon.

Roxy and Melissa at the beach

It was a beautiful day.

One of the things that I love about Carmel is that it's the dog friendliest city. There are dog bowls filled with water, most shops welcome your dogs in with little treats.

This is our favorite place to eat. They even have a dogie menu. This was also Roxy's first trip to Carmel, I think they had a good time!

Melissa, Tommy and Roxy at Forge in the Forest

We took Tommy on 17 mile drive. Of course I notice the homes. Tommy was nice enough to get some really great shots for me.

I thought this one was very interesting.

Sure would like to see the inside of this one... I bet it's incredible!

I thought this was a really cool picture that Tommy took.

Wild life on 17 mile drive

Thanks for taking all the wonderful pictures Tommy!
Hope you had as much fun as we did.

Ooey, Gooey, Sticky,Chewy

2009-06-23T12:34:00.000-07:00

Coconut Chocolate Chunk Blondies are the best bar cookie ever! It's perfect for the person that loves a chewy, chocolaty cookie. They kind of taste like a Girl Scout Samoas cookie. An added bonus... they are so easy to make, a one bowl recipe.
I found this recipe over at Brown Eyed Baker's blog a few weeks ago, and made them right away. Sadly they were gone before I could even get a picture.
So, here they are, the second time around, just as delicious as the first. The only alteration I made was adding a little sprinkling of coconut to the top before baking. Give them a try, you won't be sorry. Well, maybe your thighs will be, but totally worth it!

Coconut Chocolate Chunk Blondies

1 cup flour

1/8 tsp. salt

4 oz (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 large egg

1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 cup sweetened flaked coconut

1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips or chunks

Topping

1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

1 tsp. butter

additional coconut for sprinkling (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. grease and flour (baker's joy) an 8 inch square baking pan.

Combine flour and salt; set aside.

Stir together melted butter and brown sugar until smooth; beat in egg and vanilla until well blended.

Slowly beat in flour mixtue until blended, then stir in coconut and chocolate chunks.

Scrape the batter into prepared and smooth even with spatula. Sprinkle with extra coconut if using.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until set in the center, but still soft. Do not over bake.

Let the bars cool slightly before drizzling with chocolate. Cool completely before slicing.

For Topping: Combine chocolate and butter in microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 30 second intervals. Drizzle.

They Make Really Great Cupcakes Too...

2009-06-22T19:43:00.000-07:00

Ever since I made the Pink Champagne Cake from Cuisine at Home magazine, I have been wanting to try it in a cupcake. I made a little hole in the center with an apple corer, and filled it with the frosting that goes in the center of the cake, then frosted as directed, baking them for about 18 min. You can find the recipe here.

Lemon Pudding Cake

2009-06-20T23:20:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite flavors is lemon, and I love Lemon Pudding Cake! It's kind of like a Chocolate Lava Cake, but lemon.When I was a kid my mom used to make Lemon Pudding Cake all the time, although I always thought she made it from a box mix??? I recently borrowed her recipe book, and there it was... a recipe for Lemon Pudding Cake. I don't think I've had it since I was little, (I could never find a box mix ha ha)and when I explained it, nobody knew what I was talking about, but there it was in her book.
I did make a few adjustments (sorry mom, I adapted your recipe ;) ) the original recipe called for a lot of sugar! It was as delicious as I remember!

Lemon Pudding Cake

1/4 cup sifted flour

1/4 tsp. salt

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 tsp. fresh lemon zest

3 egg yolks, room temperature

3 egg whites, room temperature

1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter 6 (8 oz.) ramekins and lightly sprinkle with sugar tapping out the excess. Heat water in a kettle to make a water bath. In a baking pan, place a towel in the bottom and the prepared ramekins on top of the towel.

In a large bowl whisk sugar and egg yolks until smooth and light yellow. Add flour, mix until combined. Slowly add milk, whisking until combined. Add lemon juice and lemon rind, mix until combined and set aside. With an electric mixer, or in a stand mixer, beat the egg whites and salt until stiff. Gently fold into sugar/lemon mixture in 3 additions. Batter will be runny. Fill prepared ramekins almost to the top. Place pan in oven and pour water in pan so it reaches halfway up the side of the ramekins. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden on top. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack. Serve warm or at room temp. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Beverage Dispensers

2009-06-14T23:24:00.000-07:00

Scarlett Alley

Roost Beverage Dispenser-Cairo

Planning an out-door Summer get-together? Wouldn't one of these look nice on your buffet table?

Beyond Pots and Pans

Tag

Macys
Martha Stewart

Pottery Barn

Sur La Table

In All it's Glory

2009-06-14T18:21:00.000-07:00

When I moved into this house (3 years ago this month) I remember how happy I was to see Hydrangeas blooming outside my window. This is something I now look forward to every year.

Peach Cobbler

2009-06-13T19:34:00.001-07:00

It's finally that time of year! If you like a lot of cobbler on your peach cobbler, then this recipe is for you. I have been making this cobbler for years...it's my families favorite summer dessert.

Peach Cobbler

FOR THE FILLING

4 cups (about 6 medium) fresh peaches

1/2 cup sugar ( use a little less if you don't like your cobbler really sweet)

1 Tablespoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

FOR THE COBBLER

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 eggs, at room temperature

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 2 quart casserole dish with cooking spray.

For the filling:

Peel and slice fresh peaches. Add lemon juice and set aside. in a small bowl mix together sugar, cinnamon, and cornstarch. Put peaches and sugar mixture in a 3 quart saucepan and cook stirring constantly until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute. Pour into prepared casserole.

For the cobbler:

In a medium size bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix in butter and eggs with a wooden spoon. Mix until soft dough forms. Drop spoonfuls of dough onto peach mixture. Topping will spread as it bakes. Bake for 35 minutes, until golden brown.

(Halfway through baking time, sprinkle with teaspoon of sugar, if desired)

Pink Champagne Cake

2009-06-10T23:16:00.001-07:00

The nice folks at Cuisine at Home magazine has generously given me permission to share their recipe for this fabulous Pink Champagne Cake. It's in their June issue, which by the way has several recipes that I have bookmarked to try.
I have made this cake twice in a week, once for a friend's birthday, and again for "girl's night". Yes, it was served with champagne... and it was delicious!

Pink Champagne Cake
with sparkling white frosting

FOR THE CAKE-

2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. table salt

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

2 cups granulated sugar

3/4 cup brut sparkling wine

1/4 cup milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

6 drops red food coloring

6 egg whites

FOR THE FROSTING-

1/2 cup shortening

1/3 cup brut sparkling wine

5 cups sifted powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. unflavored gelatin

1 Tbsp. cold water

3/4 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper and coat with nonstick spray. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

Cream butter and granulated sugar in a stand mixer until mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Combine 3/4 cup sparkling wine, milk, and vanilla.

Add flour and wine mixtures alternately to butter mixture, combining well after each addition. Tint batter with red food coloring.

Beat egg whites in a separate bowl with clean beaters until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. Fold egg whites into cake batter in thirds, stopping as soon as whites are incorporated. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans.

Bake cakes until a toothpick inserted in the center has only or or two crumbs on it, about 30 minutes. Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes, then turn cakes out onto a rack to cool completely.

Beat together shortening, 1/3 cup sparkling wine, and powdered sugar for frosting in a bowl until smooth. Spread 1 cup frosting on top of one cooled cake round. Place second cake round on top of the frosted round.

Sprinkle gelatin into water in a small saucepan. Let mixture sit for 5 minutes, then gently warm over low heat until gelatin dissolves. Cool to room temperature.

Beat heavy cream until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes. Add gelatin mixture to cream; continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Working in batches, gently fold whipped cream into remaining frosting.

Spread frosting onto top and sides of cake, being careful not to overwork. Refrigerate cake 1 hour with a large bowl over the top to protect frosting. Use a spatula to gently swirl frosting before serving.

Don't you think this cake would be perfect on one of the cake stands shown on my last post???

Cake Stands

2009-06-10T22:06:00.000-07:00

My new obsession (well, maybe not new) here are a few that are sparking my interest right now.

mosser glass

mosser glass

mosser glass

layla grayce

America retold

St. Helena

2009-06-09T19:15:00.000-07:00

We took a little road trip to St. Helena with the girls today. The weather was perfect, everything was green and beautiful.
One of our favorite places to stop at...Dean and Deluca.

I have an obsession with these little spice containers ;)

We stopped at Fideaux, Roxy got a new bed (she hopped in it at the store, and hasn't gotten out of it yet) and the girls got lots of treats.

Applesauce-Spice Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting

2009-06-02T22:45:00.000-07:00

image: Martha Stewart

I spent the last day pouring over the much anticipated Martha Stewart's Cupcakes book.

Last night I made the Applesauce-spice cupcakes with brown sugar cream cheese frosting. The frosting is unbelievable! I would have never thought to use brown sugar, but it's really perfect on these cupcakes.

If you haven't picked up the new book yet, you can find the recipe here.

Chile Cheese Squares

2009-06-02T17:29:00.001-07:00

They kind of look like a dense snack cake don't they? But really there is chili in it...you can see it in the bottom. This is a recipe that my mom used to make when I was a kid, they are really quick and easy. A great addition to taco night. Cut a little smaller, and they would make a great appetizer.

Chili Cheese Squares

1 can chopped chilies (4 oz) drained

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

1 cup Bisquick mix

1 cup half and half

4 large eggs

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Spray a 9x9x2 inch pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle chilies on bottom of pan, and then the cheese on top. In a bowl, beat the remaining ingredients until smooth. Pour over chili and cheese mixture. Bake until golden brown and knife inserted in center comes out clean. 30- 35 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting into squares.

I actually made these a little figure friendlier, and used Heart Smart Bisquick, lower fat monterey jack cheese, and egg substitute. They were just as delicious! Next time I will try substituting milk for the half and half.

Coconut Cream Pie

2009-05-20T23:06:00.001-07:00

Now that I'm getting a little more comfortable with pie crust, I'm finding that pies really aren't that difficult. Really, the crust is the hard part, once you get that down, it's a piece of cake. (ha ha)

I have always wanted to make a Coconut Cream Pie, and I promised my good friend one, but first I had to practice on my family. This one turned out pretty good! Charlotte, you have a pie coming your way soon ;)

Coconut Cream Pie

one 9 inch pie crust (I use Barefoot Contessa's)

Ina's Perfect Pie Crust
This recipe makes 2 crusts, you can freeze and save the other for another time, or even better, make two pies!
12 Tbs. very cold unsalted butter
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 Tablespoon sugar
1/3 cup cold vegetable shortening
6 to 8 Tablespoons ice water

Dice the butter and return it to the refrigerator while you prepare the flour mixture. Place the flour, salt and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse a few times to mix. Add the butter and shortening. Pulse 8 to 12 times, until the butter is the size of peas. With the machine running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse the machine until the dough begins to form a ball. Dump out on a floured board and roll into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Roll crust out on a lightly floured board.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place pie crust into a 9 inch pie plate, fold and crimp edges. Prick bottom and sides of pie crust with fork. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes. Remove from refrigerator, remove plastic wrap. Gently place a piece of parchment paper in pie crust to line, and place pie weights in bottom of pie crust. Bake 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from oven, remove parchment paper and pie weights. Place on wire rack to cool.

For the filling:

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

2 cups half and half

4 egg yolks

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup sweetened flaked coconut

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Combine sugar and cornstarch in a heavy saucepan. Whisk together the half and half and egg yolks. Gradually add egg yolk mixture to saucepan while whisking. Bring to a boil over medium heat, while whisking continuously. Boil 1 minute and then remove from heat. Stir in butter, vanilla, and coconut. Place plastic wrap directly on pudding, and let stand for 30 minutes. Remove plastic wrap and stir pudding. Spoon into pie crust, cover and chill at least 30 minutes.

Whipped Cream Topping

2 cups heavy cream

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Place bowl and beaters in the freezer for a few minutes.

Beat heavy cream at high speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar and vanilla. Beat until soft peaks form. Spread whipped cream over pie filling. Garnish with toasted coconut if desired.

Rosie has a Sister

2009-05-20T19:25:00.000-07:00

Larry Jr. modeling Roxy and Rosie

Meet the newest member of our family, Roxy. (yorkie on the left) She is so sweet!
When I picked Rosie up at the groomer's yesterday, they told me about a family that needed to give their yorkie to a good family, did I know anyone? Yeah, US!
It was so funny, kinda meant to be. They happen to go to the same groomer's, the same Veterinarian, they have the same coloring, their names are close, and almost the same size. Larry said they are match made in Yokieville ha ha! Rosie and Roxy are getting along so well, you would think they have always been together.

I Have a Bee In My Bonnet

2009-05-18T13:43:00.001-07:00

image: martha stewart

Even though it's been 100 degrees outside, and it feels like the middle of August, it is still spring.

I'm getting a slow start this year, but it finally hit... Spring fever. I've gotten out the gloves, and just about every cleaner known to mankind, and I've been scrubbing the house top to bottom. Now if there were only more hours in a day so I could get it all done before I lose my momentum, I never now how long it might last.

Anyone else Spring cleaning? Any tips?

Strawberry Trifle

2009-05-12T05:00:00.000-07:00

I made this trifle for Mother's Day, it was delicious! It was the first time that I made pastry cream. I don't know why I have always felt intimidated with pastry cream, It really was fairly easy. Actually, the angel food cake was more of a challenge. I'm always worried that I'm going to underbeat, or overbeat the egg whites.

Strawberry Trifle

1 10 inch angel food cake, cut 1 by 1 inch

(I used Barefoot Contessa's, omitting the lemon and glaze )

1 quart fresh strawberries, rinsed and then sliced

(reserve 3 whole strawberries for garnish)

2 Tablespoons powdered sugar

pastry cream

1 cup whipped cream

Pastry Cream

2 cups whole milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

4 large egg yolks

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 Tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 cup heavy cream

In a small stainless steel bowl, mix the sugar, and egg yolks with a wooden spoon. Sift the cornstarch into egg mixture, mixing well. Set aside. In a medium saucepan combine the milk and vanilla on medium heat until boiling. Remove from heat and slowly add to egg mixture, tempering the eggs, whisking constantly. Pour through a strainer, back into the saucepan, and continue to cook over medium heat until boiling, whisking constantly. When mixture begins to boil, whisk for another 30 to 60 seconds until it becomes thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and immediately pour into a clean bowl and cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a crust from forming. Cool, then refrigerate a few hours until cold. Before assembling trifle, softly whip the 1/2 cup heavy cream, and fold into the cold pastry cream.

To assemble the Trifle:

Rinse and slice the berries and place in a bowl with the powdered sugar. Set aside.

Cut angel food cake 1 x 1 inch pieces. Arrange a layer of cake pieces in the bottom of a trifle or large glass bowl. Spoon half the berries over the cake. Spoon some of the custard over the berries. Repeat layering, ending with the custard. Best if it sits for a couple of hours. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Remove trifle from refrigerator about 1 hour before serving.

Whipping Cream

1 cup very cold heavy cream

1 to 2 Tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon cornstarch

Just before serving the trifle, make the whipped cream:

In a chilled bowl, with chilled beaters, beat cream until thickened. Add the sugar, cornstarch and vanilla. Continue to beat until the cream begins to thicken. Watch the cream carefully. Do not overbeat. Decorate with large dollops of whipped cream, sealing to the edge of the bowl to keep the moisture in the cake. Top with the 3 reserved whole strawberries.

Oatmeal Cranberry Chip Cookies

2009-05-09T22:02:00.000-07:00

There is this really cute little Cookie Shop in the town that I grew up in, they make the best cookies! Whenever my daughter and I happen by ( yes, we have even been known to drive there just for cookies) we always stop for a baker's dozen. The one that we love the most has dried cranberries and white chocolate chips, they are soft and chewy, and so yummy! I tried to re-creat it, and this is what I came up with.

Oatmeal Cranberry Chip Cookies

1/2 cup shortening, softened

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs, room temp.

2 cups all purpose flour

2 cups oatmeal

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup sweetened flaked coconut

1 cup sweetened dried cranberries (Craisins)

3/4 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, cream together the shortening, butter, and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time incorporating after each addition. Add vanilla. Set aside. In a separate bowl mix together the flour, baking soda, and baking powder.

In a food processor blend the oatmeal a few second, and add to the flour mixture, stir to incorporate. Combine half the flour mixture to the sugar mixture until just blended, then add the rest of the flour mixture just mixing until blended. Do not over mix. Add the coconut, dried cranberries and white chocolate chips, mix in by hand.

Drop by rounded Tablespoon fulls (I use the oxo medium cookie scoop) on parchment or silpat lined cookie sheet. Bake 10 minutes to 11 minutes. Do not over bake.

Easy Weeknight Spaghetti

2009-05-09T18:05:00.000-07:00

I know, it's the weekend, but it's actually a "weeknight" for me since I worked today.

Spaghetti

1 lb. extra lean ground beef

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 small red onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

8oz. fresh white button mushrooms. sliced

1- 28 oz. can San Marzano dices tomatoes

3- 8 oz. cans tomato sauce

3 or 4 Tablespoons Italian Seasoning

fresh grated Parmesan Cheese

Brown ground beef in a large skillet or saute pan in the 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium heat.. As the beef is browning add Italian Seasoning. I usually just eyeball it, but we use a lot. After ground beef is about halfway browned add the onion and saute for a few minutes, then add the minced garlic and the mushrooms. You are looking for the onions to be translucent, and the mushrooms cooked, but not really browned. You may have to adjust your heat. After the hamburger is completely browned I usually drain in a sieve, to get rid of any extra fat, but it's not necessary. Return to pan, or a 5 qt. sauce pan if necessary, and add the diced tomatoes. Allow to simmer for about 10 minutes, then add the 3 cans of tomato sauce and simmer. Fill a large stock pot with water to cook your pasta. Allow your sauce to simmer while you are bringing your water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and mix pasta with sauce. Sprinkle with fresh Parmesan Cheese if desired.

Simply Beautiful White Kitchens

2009-04-29T18:16:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted any inspiration pictures of white kitchens in awhile now. Thought I would share a few that I found at House Beautiful.

When can I move in? This kitchen has a lot of space, it would be fun to bake in here. Some of the things I love... the floor, subway tile, and the stainless steel hood.

Love this black mirror, a little unexpected...what a great idea. That island is fabulous, simple but functional.

A little on the smaller side, but it's so open, and has all the elements that I love.

Love the windows, cabinetry, and the sink. I would probably have to replace the crab picture with something else...

Very elegant.

What's not to love about this kitchen? And I immediately noticed the Arte Italica coffee canister, and the Le Creuset tea kettle. It's funny ever since I started working at the kitchen store I always notice (in pictures and in movies etc...) what accessories are in the kitchen. One of the other girls that I work with said she does the same thing ha ha!

Love the black and white.

Love just about everything in this kitchen. The island with the towel bar, pot racks, subway tile...

Banana Cream Pie

2009-04-28T22:35:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty sure that I have mentioned here before that I am pie dough challenged. I have been told that it takes a lot of practice. I remember watching my Mom make pie dough when I was a kid. Her's were always wonderful, and perfect... she must have had a lot of practice :)

I have tried many recipes, even my Mom's, to no avail. In the past I have "cheated" and used the pre-made crust that you get in the refrigerator section at the grocery store. Even my Mom has been using the "cheating" crust for years now. She decided that it is just as good as her's, so why go to the extra work? But I am determined to make a tender, flaky crust from scratch. I will master this... if it's the last thing I do ;)

I have tried Barefoot Contessa's pie crust recipe before, but for some reason... this time it worked! Maybe it was practice. I should have known that I could count on Ina.

This Banana Cream Pie is from Paula Deen's cookbook, The Lady & Son's Savannah Country Cookbook. It's actually the first Paula Deen recipe that I have tried, and let's just say I could have eaten the whole thing...but I didn't. It is a little lighter in texture than the Banana Cream Pies that I have tried in the past, although I'm sure not lighter in calories.

Ina's Perfect Pie Crust

This recipe makes 2 crusts, you can freeze and save the other for another time, or even better, make two pies!

12 Tbs. very cold unsalted butter

3 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 Tablespoon sugar

1/3 cup cold vegetable shortening

6 to 8 Tablespoons ice water

Cut the dough in half. Roll each piece on a well-floured board into a circle, rolling from the center to the edge, turning and flouring the dough to make sure it doesn't stick to the board. Fold the dough in half, place in a pie pan and unfold to fit the pan. Prick bottom and side thoroughly with fork. Wrap remaining dough tightly and freeze for another use. Bake in a 475 degree preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes.

Banana Cream Pie

1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup sugar

3 Tbsp. cornstarch

1/4 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cups milk

2 egg yolks, lightly beaten

2 Tbsp. butter

2 tsp. vanilla

2 egg whites

2 bananas, sliced

one 9-inch prebaked pie shell

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine 1/3 cup sugar with the corn starch and salt. Blend in milk, then egg yolks. Cook and stir until mixture thickens. Remove from heat; stir in butter and vanilla. Cool to room temperature. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form; gradually add 1/4 cup sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Fold into egg yolk mixture. In pie shell, alternate layers of banana slices and cream filling. Cover and chill. Top with whipped cream and additional sliced bananas, if desired.

Snickerdoodle Cookies

2009-04-21T20:43:00.000-07:00

I don't normally bake with margarine or shortening... but since I now have both on hand from the last few recipes, I may as well use it.

Snickerdoodle cookies are the first thing I remember baking as a kid. ( did you know that Mom?)

Most of the cookies I bake, I bake just until they are set. These are no exception. If the edges have turned the slightest golden they are too done for my family. Heck, I don't know why I even bother baking them, they would be happy just eating the dough ;) They definitely prefer their cookies chewy and doughy in the center. If you like your cookie a little more crispy/ crunchy, you might want to bake yours until a little more golden.

Snickerdoodle Cookies

1/2 cup margarine, room temp.

1/2 cup shortening, room temp.

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 3/4 cup all purpose flour

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Line a cookie sheet with a silpat or parchment paper.

Cream margarine, shortening and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, mixing each one thoroughly. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Add in two additions to the margarine mixture. Do not over mix. Form dough into round walnut sized balls and roll in the cinnamon/sugar mixture. Place on cookie sheet, do not flatten. Bake 8 to 10 minutes.

Baking with Betty

2009-04-20T18:07:00.000-07:00

So I'm not letting the unusually warm/hot weather stop me from turning on the oven. Today I made two of my favorite recipes. Sugar cookies, and chocolate cream puffs. Both of them come from my very loved and worn Betty Crocker Cookbook. I know I have posted the sugar cookie recipe here several times, but it really is my favorite.
Sugar Cookies
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 egg
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar

Mix powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, almond extract and egg. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours.
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Divide dough into halves. Roll each half 3/16 inch thick on lightly floured cloth covered board. Cut into desired shapes with 2-to 2 1/2 inch cookie cutters. Place on silpat or parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake 7 to 8 minutes. I bake just until set.

Buttercream Frosting

16 oz powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
3 Tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Mix all ingredients together, may need to add more milk or powdered sugar to obtain desired frosting consistency.

Cream Puffs

1 cup water
1/2 cup margarine
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Heat water and margarine to rolling boil in 2 1/2 quart sausepan. Stir in flour. Stir vigorously over low heat until mixture forms a ball, about 1 minute; remove from heat. Beat in eggs, all at once; continue beating until smooth. Drop dough by scant 1/4 cupfuls about 3 inches apart ( I used a pastry bag and made much smaller, and baked for approx. 20 minutes) onto ungreased cookie sheet. ( I lined my cookie sheet with a silpat).
Bake until puffed and golden, 35 to 40 minutes. cool away from draft. Cut off tops; Pull out any filaments of soft dough. Fill puffs with chocolate pudding and whipped cream. Replace tops; sprinkle with powdered sugar. Refrigerate until serving time. Serves 12. I got 19 with the smaller portion.

Chocolate Pudding

2 1/2 cups milk
5 ounces semi sweet chocolate, chopped into slivers
4 egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
3 Tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
In a heavy saucepan, over low heat, warm the milk and chocolate whisking until chocolate is melted.
In a bowl, whisk together egg yolks and sugar until mixture becomes pale yellow. Add cornstarch, salt, and then the vanilla. Whisk until well blended. Slowly pour some of the warm chocolate mixture into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly until well blended to temper the eggs. Return mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat until it thickens and begins to bubble slowly, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat and stir until smooth, about 1 minute. Pour into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface, refrigerate about 2-3 hours.

Whipped Cream

1 cup heavy cream
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat all ingredients until stiff peaks form.

Banana Nut Bread

2009-04-19T17:36:00.000-07:00

We finally had an over abundance of ripe bananas, they don't usually last that long in my house. I've been wanting to make banana nut bread for some time...but it seems like no matter how many bananas I bought they disappeared before they became ripe enough. Oh well, guess you can't complain about that. So finally I ended up with ripe bananas, and even though it feels like it's 90 degrees outside (not complaining) I turned on the oven and made two loaves. Most of the recipes I found called for buttermilk, and since I didn't have buttermilk, and didn't want to run to the store I found this recipe on allrecipes.com. It got really high reviews, and even though it calls for shortening, it also also calls for oatmeal, which has to cancel out the shortening...right? ;)Anyway, my family loved it, and if you find yourself with over-ripe bananas you can find the recipe here.

Need Extra Storage?

2009-03-21T20:48:00.000-07:00

image: Pottery Barn

These rustic tins from Pottery Barn are fabulous! I would love to add them to my living room, or wouldn't they be perfect in a home office?

Bakerella's Cupcake Bites

2009-03-20T19:26:00.000-07:00

Last week two of my favorite blogs got together, Bakerella and The Pioneer Woman.
I have been wanting to make Bakerella's cupcake bites for some time now. After following her adventures with the Pioneer Woman ( it looked like they had a great time) I was inspired to give them a try.
I can't even begin to tell you how easy and fun they were to make. I'm telling you... she is so creative! Not only are they the cutest, they are delicious! If you would like to give them a try you can find the instructions here.
Have a great weekend!

Pirate Party

2009-03-17T22:07:00.001-07:00

image courtesy: Ian Bender
My Friend Charlotte's Son in law had a surprise birthday party, and I was flattered that she asked me to make the desserts. The theme was a Pirate party.

image: courtesy: Ian Bender
The Pirate ship was made using the Nordicware Pirate ship pan, and we made cupcakes with blue frosting for the sea. Andrea did all the detail work on the ship, she did an incredible job! And the birthday boy's brother made the flags... I'm impressed! Andrea also helped me frost all those cupcakes, in addition to the blue we also made vanilla cupcakes with vanilla frosting and chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting, I think there was about 200 all together. This really was a group effort, I'm very happy with the way it turned out. Andrea and I had fun baking and frosting. (thanks Andrea!) And it sounds like the party was a success, all those cupcakes were happily eaten!

Pierre Deux

2009-03-16T21:30:00.000-07:00

image: Pierre Deux
There is still a part of me that smiles when I see French Country decor.
Even though my home is no longer decorated in this style, I did keep a few pieces.

image: Pierre Deux
I do still enjoy it's beauty. And I will definitely stop in the Pierre Deux store the next visit to Carmel.

Vanilla Cupcakes

2009-03-12T20:48:00.001-07:00

I know... the love of cupcakes has been around for awhile, but what's not to love?
There is nothing better than little individual servings of dessert neatly contained in it's own colorful packaging.

I found this cupcake recipe on Martha Stewart's Website. However, I added vanilla bean paste and almond extract to the frosting. They are/were delicious;)
We carry the Confectionary House cupcake liners at the kitchen store. The colors are so vibrant, and I love that they are grease-proof.

Road Trip

2009-03-10T23:38:00.001-07:00

We packed Rosie in the car and took a drive to Pardee Lake. It was a beautiful day. We pretty much had the road to ourselves. I think we were the only ones with this idea. I love this time of the year when everything is so green.

What a view, wouldn't mind living here!

We also went to Sutter Creek, which isn't too far away.

Some fun old shops, and a few really cool antique shops too.

Daffodil Hill will be open in a couple of weeks, I hope we are able to make it back to see it!

Chicken Salad

2009-03-10T22:43:00.001-07:00

This is one of my favorites as well as my daughter's. Even my son who normally turns his nose up to it decided tonight that it was pretty good after all. Ha... imagine that ;)

Chicken Salad

2 chicken breasts, baked and cubed

1/2 head cabbage, shredded fine

4 green onions, chopped (tops too)

2 Tbsp. sesame seeds

1/2 cup slivered almonds

1 package Top Ramen Noodles, chicken flavor

Brown almonds and sesame seeds in shallow pan in a 350 degree oven 10-15 minutes. Watch carefully, burns easily. Cool. Mix with crunched up Top Ramen Noodles

Mix together, chicken, cabbage and onion.

Dressing

2 Tbsp. sugar

3 Tbsp. vinegar

1/2 cup oil

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/2 package flavoring from Top Ramon

Mix together. Just before serving, mix cabbage mixture and dressing.

Add crispies and mix again.

Note: Can be made ahead of time. Do not mix together until ready to serve.

San Francisco Inspiration and My 100th Post

2009-02-28T17:46:00.000-08:00

This is my 100th post... gosh, is it 100 already??? Like they say, "Time flies when you're having fun." When I began blogging last year, I had no idea I would enjoy it so much. I have discovered so many wonderful people and blogs along the way. And have really enjoyed getting to know new friends, and visiting with some old friends. This blog world is incredible... people willing to share ideas, inspiration, personal stories, hopes and dreams. And let's not forget the recipes ;) I have discovered some wonderful recipes! I look forward to the next 100 posts and hope that you enjoy them. My day is made when I log into my blog and find that I have a comment. So please, if you are so inclined... I love comments!
Now, onto some inspiration.
This home is located in San Francisco.(Where my daughter happens to be spending the day today, in the city, not this home ha ha!)

I really love the contrast of the white against the chocolate brown walls. The chandelier is gorgeous, and the little zebra stool adds a nice touch of whimsy.

Love the white and yellow in the kitchen. Beautiful marble counters, open shelving. All the whiteware, what's not to love???

Beautiful corner sink. Wouldn't mind calling this place home ;)

all images: House Beautiful

Room re-arrangment

2009-02-26T23:10:00.001-08:00

When I was a child I thought it was very exciting when my mom would re-arrange the furniture. Whether it was the living room, or even better when my brother and I would get to switch rooms. This gene must have been passed down to me, because I am always switching things around in search of the perfect spot, whether it's the sofa or the silverware. And as an added bonus re-arranging is like getting something new...without spending any money;)
Today I re-arranged the family room. I borrowed a few pieces from the living room. I'm really liking the blue and green together. Now I need to find something to go over the sofa.
This is a really awkward room to work with, very narrow. I have often wondered if this was actually meant to be the dining room way back when the house was originally built???

The office area. Someday I would like to actually have a room. But until then, this corner works out ok.

This is the only eating area in the house. It's rather small, another reason I wonder if the family room was originally the dining room. Any thoughts?

When Life Gives You Lemons...

2009-02-25T11:03:00.001-08:00

Make Lemon Meringue Pie

Our little lemon tree produced the prettiest lemons this year. I'm not going to let any go to waste. Today I made a lemon meringue pie. I haven't made one in years. I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out.

Tomorrow my friend Jen is coming over and we're going to make two more, and anything else we can think of...maybe lemon squares.

Lemon Meringue Pie

For the pie shell:

1 recipe pie dough for a single crust 9 in. pie (I use Pillsbury's as I am pie dough challenged)

Fit dough into a 9 inch pie plate. Trim edge of dough leaving a 1/2 inch overhang and crimp edge. Prick shell in several places with a fork, cover and chill for 30 minutes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Line shell with parchment paper and fill with pie weights. Bake in middle of the oven 10 minutes. Remove paper and weights carefully and continue to bake shell until golden, about 12 more minutes. Remove from oven and cool on a rack. Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Filling:

1 cup sugar

6 Tbsp. cornstarch

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup water 1/2 cup whole milk

4 large eggs yolks

1 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

2 tsp. fresh lemon zest

In a heavy saucepan combine sugar, cornstarch and salt. Gradually whisk in water and milk. Continue whisking until cornstarch is dissolved. Cook over moderate heat until mixture comes to a boil. In a bowl whisk eggs yolks. Add approximately 1/4 cup of the hot milk mixture to temper the yolk. While whisking add approximately another 1/4 cup of hot milk mixture to egg mixture. Now whisk the egg mixture back into milk mixture. Simmer mixture whisking for 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat and whisk in butter, lemon juice, and zest until butter is melted. cover surface of filling with plastic wrap.

For the meringue:

4 large egg whites

1/4 tsp. cream of tartar

1/2 cup sugar

pinch of salt

Using an electric or stand mixer, in a clean bowl beat egg whites with cream of tartar and salt until soft peaks form. Beat in sugar in a slow stream, beating until meringue just holds stiff peaks. Pour filling into pie shell and spread meringue on top, covering filling completely, sealing it to the edges. Form meringue into peaks with spatula and bake pie in middle of oven until meringue is golden, about 15 minutes.

The Bachelor

2009-02-23T22:28:00.000-08:00

Melissa or Molly
Anyone watching? Who has your vote?
I really like Melissa. Personally I think she's perfect for Jason.
Do you think DeAnna has a chance?
Any thoughts on the big build-up they are showing for the finale?
Ok, so I am way too into this ;)

image: aceshowbiz.com

Melissa and Tommy

2009-02-21T18:48:00.000-08:00

I am so thrilled with these pictures of Melissa and Tommy (aren't they sweet?) that were generously taken by the very talented Brodie Sisneros of Brodie Jayne photography. She is famous for her hand painted black and white portraits. I could go on and on about how wonderful and talented she is...but go check out Brodie's site and see for yourself!

I couldn't be happier, they are perfect!
And the kids are pretty good too ;)

Now...which one to have blown up and plastered on my wall?!

A Little Bit Of Color

2009-02-19T23:25:00.001-08:00

I'm looking forward to Spring. Thought I'd share a few photos with pastel colors.

image: House Beautiful

image: Country Home

image: Country Home
Cute cabinet. Perfect for storage.

Happy Birthday Rosie!

2009-02-17T19:57:00.001-08:00

Rosie is two years old today.... time goes so fast!

No, we didn't have a party ha! But isn't she cute?

Looks like it's time for a hair cut. Next week.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-13T23:32:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day Cupcakes

2009-02-12T21:16:00.000-08:00

It's okay to cheat if it's from a Barefoot Contessa mix ;)
Honestly, her mixes taste just like her recipes from her fabulous cookbooks.
So I thought I would use a short-cut tonight. And I only got rave reviews. I added fondant heart cut-outs, valentine sprinkles, and red liners...instant Valentine's Day Cupcakes.

image: Barefoot Contessa

Now if I had this cute apron to bake them in I'd be set.

image: Jessie Steele

Lasagna

2009-02-11T23:16:00.000-08:00

I think this is my first post without an image. I wanted to share my recipe for Lasagna with you, and frankly it looks like any other lasagna and not really photo worthy. But I knew you could use your imagination... and it is delicious!

Lasagna

1 lb lean ground beef ( I use 7 %)

1/2 red onion, roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 (28 oz.) can whole peeled tomatoes

4 ( 8 oz.) cans tomato sauce ( I use no-salt)

1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste

16 oz. reduced fat mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/4 cup or more Parmesan cheese ( has to be the kind in the green bottle, not fresh grated)

Italian seasoning to taste (we use a lot...probably about 2 Tbsp, just eyeball it)

1 lb. lasagna noodles

Spray large skillet or saute pan with cooking spray ( I use olive oil spray) brown beef, when almost completely browned add onion and saute for a few minutes. Add minced garlic and saute a few more minutes. Add canned whole tomatoes and break them up as much as possible. Add tomato sauce. Simmer for about 10 minutes then add tomato paste and simmer. While your sauce is simmering Boil the water in a large pot for the pasta and grate cheese. Cook pasta according to package directions and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rinse and drain pasta. Lay it out in a single layer on paper towels or clean kitchen towels blot dry. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Layer a row of noodles on the bottom, spread 1/3 of the sauce over the noodles, then the mozzarella cheese, repeat with another layer of noodles, then the sauce, and so on. On the last layer after ending with the mozzarella cheese sprinkle the Parmesan cheese to cover the top. Use more if needed. Bake in preheated oven for about 20 minutes, until bubbly and slightly browned on top. Remove from oven and let rest for a few minutes before slicing. This lasagna is even better the next day...if that's possible.

The Guest Bedroom

2009-02-10T23:03:00.000-08:00

image: Coastal Living
I have always wanted to have a guest bedroom with twin beds. I think it must be the symmetrical look that I like. A nightstand or dresser in-between completes the look. The simplicity in this room appeals to me. The window is incredible. And I don't think these headboards would be too difficult to replicate.

image: Southern Accents
Very pretty and feminine.

image: Coastal Living
Another simple room that appeals to me. Love the hospital beds, very retro. Notice the glass door knob? This room would be perfect in the right house... like mine, ha!

image: Sunset
What a cute guest bedroom this would make for grandchildren.....someday. Much later ! ;)
I really like the french doors, windows, wainscoting, and the shade of green on the walls. Well okay, I like everything about this room.

image: Coastal living
A very nice, neutral guest bedroom.
So...which one is your favorite, or do you have something completely different in mind for a guest bedroom?

Luggage Rack Dilema

2009-02-07T10:18:00.000-08:00

Update: Thank you so much for all of your opinions! I thought I would go ahead and hang it to see how I liked it. Whats a little spackling and paint if I don't right??? Not sure if I love it... it's ok. I think it helps having the stainless phone on the side table to tie it in. Just thought I'd share with you.

I would like your opinions on this luggage rack. I've had it for about 5 years, and 2 houses. A friend gave it to me. I have always loved it, just never had a bathroom it would work in. I have seen it in catalogs used in mudrooms as coat racks, it is called a luggage rack, I know in the picture with towels on it it's hard to get past. But... How do you think it would look next to my front door in the living room as a coat rack? Any other suggestions. I love this piece, and would really like to use it. Thanks!

More Favorite White Kitchens

2009-02-06T22:13:00.001-08:00

image: Living etc.
I'm a big fan of industrial kitchens, and this one does not disappoint. Love the stainless steel, the subway tile, and the utensil system over the professional stove. I have always wanted a clock like this in my kitchen, but for some reason the three kitchens that I have had, have never had wall space to hang anything on. Note to self: Next kitchen make sure there is plenty of wall space.

image: Home and Gardens
I love the pop of green the French bistro chairs add.

image: Country Home

I really like open shelving, and these galvanized containers add a nice element. Notice the touch of green the apples lend. (I'm noticing a pattern here)

image: Beautiful Kitchens
And now to totally throw you, I thought I would share an image of a red kitchen for my friend that reads my blog and loves red. As much as I love white kitchens... this red one makes me smile!

Welcome to PDC the Boutique

2009-02-04T22:15:00.000-08:00

I wanted to give you a tour of a fun little boutique in my town that I have recently discovered.
It's located in Lodi's historic downtown in the old Woolworth's building.
Lisa just celebrated her first anniversary on the 2nd of February. I have really enjoyed getting to know her...we have similar taste, she is very sweet and helpful as is the rest of her staff.
The store is filled with unique and handmade treasures. A touch of french-modern, vintage with a funky twist. Anyway, come on in, let's start the tour.

This is Stephanie, Lisa's assistant. When Lisa is away, her boutique and customers are in good hands.

I love these black chandeliers. And the words on the wall.

There really is something for everyone here. If you want to pamper yourself, or need a gift. She even has things for your dog. I purchased the cutest leopard print leash for Rosie here, which I believe was handmade.

Love the black and white lanterns.

All Ready for Valentines day.

Vintage movie star posters. Love Veronica Lake!

We are changing Melissa's room to this style. I have picked up some wonderful artwork, black feather pillows (would love that black chandelier) from the boutique. Lisa has been very generous with her ideas. Hopefully in the not so distant future I'll be posting on Melissa's room make-over.

All images courtesy Tom Saragoza (thanks Tommy)

Pretty in Pink

2009-02-02T15:27:00.000-08:00

Now that it's February, I thought I would post a few pictures of pink inspiration.

image: country living magazine

image: country home magazine

image: martha stewart

image: country living magazine

Home Staging

2009-02-01T20:28:00.000-08:00

My friend's husband flips houses. So this is my new endeavor... He asked my friend and I to stage them, which I am really excited about.
This house was just finished, and put on the market.

He completely gutted the kitchen.

The kitchen is on the small side, but there is a laundry room to the left with plenty of storage.

The rest of the rooms are pretty good sized.

I love these ceilings. And that old chandelier is going to be wonderful once it's painted black.

This house has a nice floor plan, three bedrooms, two baths, great room... I think we can do some nice things with it.

I just hope it doesn't sell before we get a chance;)

More photos to follow once we have staged it.

Speaking of Books

2009-01-25T20:21:00.001-08:00

If you are a fan of Domino magazine, you are going to love this book.

It is chalk full of tips, tricks, and inspiration.

The pictures are wonderful, and they have included their big black book of resources.

And with the purchase of the book, Domino Magazine has included a one year subscription.

Now I'm off to finish drooling over all the amazining photos.

all images Domino Magazine

Number Art

2009-01-23T00:24:00.000-08:00

I fell in love with this Numbers Canvas from Pottery Barn

And it's perfect in this room! Love the brick.

The Kitchen is Organized

2009-01-22T16:46:00.000-08:00

Kind of. As I stated before, I don't really have a pantry, only cupboards.... so I don't really have a lot to work with. I mostly re-arranged and cleared out all of the out-dated items. As usual, once I started I had to organized the rest of the cupboards and drawers. My family is happy that nothing was actually moved, so they don't need a map to find the silverware. I apologize for the quality of the pictures, I have an old camera, and do not know how to work the flash. I always get a glare, anyway, here we go....

see how low my cabinets are to the counter, drives me crazy... can't even fit a coffee pot under.

I decided to put my cookbooks on the top shelf. The above picture and the one below are side by side cabinets. this is my "pantry".

My spice cabinet that is next to the stove

drawer

another gadget drawer

and another gadget drawer. There is still one more, but the picture didn't turn out. Can you tell I work at a kitchen store ha ha.

my pots and pans cupboard. Hopefully someday that blue Le Creuset will be replaced with white :)

Well, that's it. That's the "fun" part about living in an old house. You have to get creative with cupboard space. I can't complain, I have plenty of it.... It's just weird. Now I need to work on the laundry room and linen closets.