I’m in a home-dec state of mind. The “blah” in my family room was bringing me down and, with spring everywhere, I needed to do something fast. Armed with my treasured coupons, I headed to JoAnn’s hoping to find a fabric solution. The result: bright and colorful pillows that turned my blah into happy! These […]
Okay. We’ve all seen Jennifer Hudson and have heard her pitch the new Weight Watchers Points Plus program. So maybe I’ve eaten one too many cookies, or maybe one too many slices of cake (just one, mind you), but she looks so terrific that I thought I’d give the program a try. Truth be known, […]
My very spry and youthful mom turned 86 on Sunday, and here’s the cake I baked to celebrate. It was made with four layers of Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate Fudge, and the filling was a combo of chocolate bavarian cream and buttercream (the Magnolia Bakery recipe). You can check here for the particulars, as I […]
If I could find this pattern in my size, I’d be wearing it. Pink, pearls and roses???….it’s a “me” for sure. I knitted this one, however, for a sweet little newborn baby girl, and I really do love it. The pattern is from Leisure Arts book #3202, and it’s called Little Lamb. It is knitted […]
So…my note at the bottom of my original post was strictly intended as a message to my children. Well, Laura, my son’s lovely girlfriend, read it and took it to heart. This weekend, she came for a visit and presented me with (yes, you guessed it) the NordicWare Checkerboard Cake pan! (maybe you heard me […]
One of my favorite childhood memories is wearing a new, pretty Easter dress along with matching, shiny, patent leather MaryJane’s. Add a fancy Easter bonnet and little white gloves, and I was ready for the runway. As I was glancing at some colorful fabrics, that fond memory sparked this idea and I started digging through […]
M&M’s makes these “speck-tacular” peanut butter eggs, and I couldn’t resist baking up a batch of peanut butter cookies and topping each with a yummy candy. I used this Classic Peanut Butter Cookie recipe, but I substituted 1/2 cup Crisco for one stick of butter, and I increased the flour from 2 1/2 cups to […]
Here’s a small sampling of the Easter cutout cookies that took me 10 hours to decorate yesterday. There were 54. When all was said and done, I did a little internet research to look for any shortcuts that would help get me out of the kitchen sooner. Turns out, Sweetopia offers some sample schedules to […]
I do not own one of those fancy-pants checkerboard cake pans, but I wanted to bake one anyway. My research revealed that it IS possible to do it, so I gave it my best try. It’s not terribly difficult, but it does require some fuss and lots of patience. The idea is to bake three […]
I really don’t know much about Irish Soda Bread, but I do know there are many, many variations. This is an easy recipe that was given to me by a friend and I think it’s delicious! It is mildly sweet and moist with a soft, dense crumb. Print IRISH SODA BREAD Ingredients 1/4 cup […]
I recently joined a group on Ravelry called “Comfort Doll Knitters and Crocheters”. The group knits or crochets Duduza dolls (comfort dolls) which will be distributed by Heart for Africa to children in Swaziland. Heart for Africa “is a faith-based non-profit 501(c)3 charity.” They “provide self sustainable homes for orphans and vulnerable children in Africa”. […]
It was “ladies night out” to celebrate our dear friend Beth’s birthday. Since lemon is one of her favorite flavors, I knew I couldn’t miss with this cake. Print Lemon Raspberry Cake Ingredients one Betty Crocker Supermoist Lemon cake mix 3 eggs 1 cup whole milk 1 stick melted butter (8 tablespoons) 2 teaspoons lemon […]
If you don’t love-love soft, colorful, happy, pretty sprinkles, these cookies are NOT for you. If you are like me, however, and crave them on cake, cookies, chocolate dipped pretzels and Carvel soft vanilla swirl ice cream (the best), then go ahead and take the butter out of the fridge…you are in for a treat. […]
I know of two special people who are expecting a baby soon, and neither one knows if it’s a girl or a boy. So, I’m hoping that at least one of them has a little pink to look forward to and will be thrilled to received this cute little cupcake sweater. The pattern is the […]
Today is a big day for my friend, Jen, as she celebrates a milestone birthday. Her grade-partners have prepared a surprise celebration, and I volunteered to bake the cake. Since I wasn’t at the party, I don’t have any photos of the sliced cake (bummer). I will do my best, though, to describe it. I […]