Monday, March 31, 2008

Frosted Garden

Be sure to check out Frosted Garden today for a few new posts, including a super cool drum cake!

PS - Target brand Raspberry sherbet is quite possibly the BEST SHERBET EVER.

Friday, March 28, 2008

Sick



I am sick. Again.

I feel even worse than I did the last time. I keep getting these reoccurring sinus infections and I have no idea why.

Hopefully I will start to feel better soon, I have some cakes to work on this weekend (Sunday)

In other news

hello lover



I would have taken a picture of me hugging my new prize, kissing it even, but I am sick and that's not a pleasant picture for anyone to see.



Lovely.

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Help

I have a dilemma.

Now that I'm getting the new mixer for my birthday (which arrived at charlietango today yay!), what do I do with my other one?

Do I keep it? They aren't the same color and the new one is bigger than the older one, so do I keep it in the pantry and use it occasionally?

Or do I sell it? If I sell it I can probably buy some really awesome attachment for the new one, which is most likey what I would do.

I've only had the Artisan for 2 years and it's in really good shape. I've used it A LOT but I keep all of my appliances very clean and maintained.

I'm just not sure what to do with it. I don't know if keeping it will mean that it just sits in the pantry, untouched and unused for ages until I finally decide it's okay to get rid of it -- or if selling it will break my heart. First mixer, first real cakes, lots of firsts.

Anyone?

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Cheddar Biscuits and many other important things

So anyone who knows me out there knows that I absolutely despise biscuits.

This is a serious thing here and I'm not kidding at all. I hate them. I hate biscuits and I hate jelly (we'll cover that topic at a later date). I think it has something to do with the fact that my dad made biscuits and grape jelly for my brother and I every day for like 3 years straight. Or maybe it was 3 months, I don't know. It all seems the same when you are 5 or 6.

However, I do like the cheddar biscuits at Red Lobster. Yes, I eat there. I know, I know, my husband even calls me a food snob to my face and I'm sure that I really can be picky but occasionally we'll pop into Red Lobster with the in-laws for dinner. Besides, I live in NORTH TEXAS. Good seafood (my favorite food of all) is hard to come by in these parts.

Back to the biscuits.

I found a recipe online somewhere (can't remember where) for their famous cheddar biscuits and decided to give it a go. I'm not exactly sure how I can hate biscuits sooooo much and still like these but I'm pretty sure it has something to do with the garlic-buttery deliciousness. And the cheese. Can't go wrong when you throw some cheese in.

Cheddar Biscuits, a la Red Lobster

1 package Bisquick biscuits mix
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2/3 cup milk
1/4 butter or margarine
1 tsp. garlic powder

Mix together



Bake for 8-10 minutes in an oven preheated to 450 degrees on a lightly greased cookie sheet



*While the biscuits are baking, melt butter and add garlic powder

Once biscuits are done baking, pour garlic butter over the tops and ENJOY!



Super quick and yummy!


Etsy

Be sure to check out my shop today! It received a much needed face-lift thanks to my very talented hubs!

My other little blog has received a make-over as well. Make-overs all around!

Also, I thought of some of those other things that are on my birthday list. Though my very impatient husband has already revealed to me my main birthday gift as he could not contain his excitement. Can you guess what it is?

I would really love one of these Le Creuset Pots. Preferably one in each of these colors but I would settle for one in just one of the colors too, haha.







I'd really like this marble pastry board as well. This one can be found at Sur La Table.



I would especially love one of these necklaces with Rylee's name on it made by Kelly. They are just so beautiful!



Lastly, I would really like a new large tote. We're moving past the days of diaper bags with Rylee (even though we have some pretty cool ones) and she has that new backpack that I bought her but I need something to carry around her stuff for swim lessons and for summer trips to the local water park/pool - Schlitterbahn and Sea World.

I like these







First two found here.

Third found here.


Oh and in case you were wondering, he got me this.



-s

Monday, March 24, 2008

Easter + Southern Banana Pudding + Jello Playdough

We spent Easter this year at both of our parents houses.

We did manage to sneak in a stop to Six Flags on our way from point A to point B.

Rylee's Easter basket (from us) this year





Included

Two Eric Carle books (nearly completing her collection)
A Finding Nemo bath Toy
Pearl Necklace (for playtime and so she doesn't steal mommy's anymore)
Bubble Wand
Heart shaped, home-made crayons found on Etsy
Home made Jello Playdough (see below for instructions and pictures)
One small container of m&m's

We're not big candy givers around here. I like to fill Rylee's Easter basket with things that she can use over and over again, candy not being one of them. I know there are probably people out there that think I'm depriving her of something but if she never knew it to begin with, I'm not really depriving her, am I? Besides that, I'm trying to teach her good eating habits. And it's not like she doesn't get candy or sweets ocassionally, I sell cakes and pastries. Anyway, it's just how we do it here. There really is no right or wrong way.

At the in-laws







Pit stop, Six Flags. My kid's a thrill seeker. She can ride most of the kiddy rides but she REALLY wanted to ride the big rides. She cried when they told her she couldn't ride the tea-cups and had a melt down when we told her she couldn't go on the bobsled or the Titan.







Southern Banana Pudding

I make this as often as I can. It's not your typical banana pudding. This one is rich, it's creamy and of course, it's terrible for you. This Sunday we took it along to Rodney's parents house for Easter lunch.




Ingredients:

1 box vanilla pudding
2 1/2 cups milk
1 can sweetened condensed milk
16 oz whipped cream (softened, not frozen)
Vanilla wafers
Bananas

Mix pudding and milk together, add condensed milk and mix well. Fold in half of the whipped cream. Layer pudding mixture, bananas and wafers. Top with remaining whipped cream and a few bananas. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours. Enjoy!

I do have step by step pictures but this is a pretty easy recipe to follow. It's very, very good too!

Jello Playdough



We made this for Rylee the night before Easter, for her basket. Rodney says it's incredibly cruel to give this to anyone, let alone a child. While he was stirring (he was the stirrer), he decided to have a taste (because it smelled so good, like berries) and all I heard was, "UGHKKKK, that is NOT good." I told him it wasn't meant for eating, just for smelling good and that's when he told me it was cruel.

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 3-oz box of your favorite Jello color
2 tablespoons cream of tartar
1 cup water
1/2 cup salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil



Combine everything in a medium saucepan. Cook over low heat until the mixture comes together and starts to take shape. When the mixture starts to pull away from the sides of the pan, the playdough is done. Make sure you keep the temperature on medium-low, the dough burns very easily. Take out of pan ( we turned ours out onto a sheet of wax paper) and kneed when the dough is cool to the touch. Keep stored in an airtight container. Voila! Smells good and easy to make at home!

Saturday, March 22, 2008

It's nearing that time of year...

Soon it will be April.

11 days into April, it will be my 27th birthday.

I was cool with turning 25.

26 seemed like it would be nice (it has been).

But 27 seems really old to me. I've never had a problem getting older but I'm having a tough time with this one.

I'm sure it will be fine. I do like odd numbers. Maybe this will be an especially nice year for me.

Nonetheless, here are a few things that are on my birthday wish list this year.

I'd really love this mixer. I currently have a 5 quart Artisan series and while it's been very good to me, it's just not cutting it these days. I need something with a little more power, a little more...oomph! This color suits me too.



I'd really like this kitchen island from Ikea. I have a very large workspace in my kitchen as it is (we designed it that way) but sometimes we both need to have a decent sized space to work on. Especially now that we've had a good amount of business from Etsy. I'd like this island with the stainless steel top. Good for rolling out fondant. My fondant helper concurs. The only negative thing about this island is that it will probably make our kitchen look less open and clean.




This make-up bag from Kate Spade. It's green. It has polka dots. There's really no question as to why this is on my list.



A new cake stand. I've decided to collect them. Someday they're going to look just lovely adorning my shop. Someday





*I found both of those on Etsy. I'm reallly looking for white cake stands, preferably with a scalloped edge or skirt. I do really like the blue one though so I couldn't resist adding it to my list.

There are a few other things on my list. I'd enjoy some throw pillows (Dwell for Target), some new stools for my kitchen (oh what I wouldn't give!) and some other smaller things. My wish list is a little big. That's why it's a WISH list!

Monday, March 17, 2008

Sprouts

Have you been to Sprouts?

There are two not that far from here - we visited the Southlake Location yesterday - and it's awesome. Great place to get good produce, organic products, vegetarian and vegan foods...and a huge selection of bulk items. We picked up some banana chips, some orange flavored cranberries and my favorite kind of Asian trail mix. Some of the things I normally purchase for us, the Morningstar and Boca products, were more expensive than what I typically purchase them for, but the bulk items were priced very reasonably as was the produce. I can't wait to go back to buy some fresh picked cherries and pomegranates. They also had some items that I can't find in the stores anymore, Horizon yogurt and cheeses specifically!


We also took Rylee to see Horton Hears a Who this weekend. What a great movie! She did pretty well, I was very surprised. I brought an arsenal of snacks - that seemed to help keep her contained. She definitely enjoyed the movie though, as did we!

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Inchbug, BumbyName Orbit Labels

Kind of love these!



I ordered these for Rylee's sippy cups for school. We use Playtex Baby's Coolster Tumblers and I absolutely love them. We have the plain ones though. A green, a blue and a purple. We've lost one or two down the road.



Anyway, I was looking for a way to get her name on the cup without having to use a Sharpie. I love Sharpies and all but they rub/wash off and it's hard to write on rounded objects with them. Plus, it's not uncommon for two or three kids to have the same cup and if their names are only written on the bottom, it's almost a guarantee that the wrong ones end up in their mouths. (and I'm kind-of a germ nut)

That's when I discovered these. They are cute, they are VERY durable and there's no mistaken whose is whose.

They come in packs of four and you get to choose from four different colors. Green, blue, purple and pink.

They also have some pre-made that are ready for purchase. So if you happen to have a child with a name that is spelled weird (ahem, RYLEE...we can never find anything pre-made for her), they are a little bit cheaper.

They fit on virtually anything! I know some people who buy them for their water bottles and coffee cups! Not a bad idea!

Sunday, March 9, 2008

Many a thing

This has been a crazybusy week!

It snowed here (yes in Texas) Thursday afternoon. I thought for a second that a joke was being played on me because it literally looked as if someone was pouring buckets upon buckets of snow over my roof. I have never seen it snow like that here. It was nice while it lasted and Rylee seemed to enjoy it. Every day since she's said, "mommy please have a snow?" This while she's looking out the back door trying to figure out why the grass is green and not white.





Not a fan of anything wet on her RAIN boots.



So we had snow, I finally got a haircut and dye (long overdue) and we did a little shopping this weekend.

As many of you know, I have plantar faciitis on my left foot and am supposed to wear Crocs all of the time. I already have a pair of the "Mary-Jane" style and recently tried on the "Alice." I really love them. They are cute and not as "croc" looking. Don't get me wrong, Croc's are super comfy and they really do relieve the pressure in my left foot. I can wear them all day long without any sign of my foot hurting. But, I was one of those people who thought Croc's were ridiculously ugly. That is, until I was FORCED to wear them.

At least the "Alice" gives me the option of wearing them with a few more outfits. The ones that I should probably wear with heels or flats. I bought them in black but I really love the red. I might go back and get them as well.



We also got a matching pair for Rylee.

Recently Jess mentioned to me that I should look into getting a Neti Pot because of my horrible sinuses/allergies. I mentioned it to Rodney this weekend and he said that he'd heard a lot of people having success with it. Both of our sinuses are having tough time right now because of the insane weather changes around here. 80 degrees one day, 35 and snowing the next. Back to 70, down to 40. It literally changes every day.

Anyway, we asked the pharmacist at Target today to see if they had any. To our surprise, they did! And only $15!

Ours looks like this



But it would be nice to have this lovely one. Doubt it costs $15 though.



We tried it out this afternoon. It's very...interesting to say the least. It feels very strange once it first starts flowing. My eyes watered a great deal but I could feel a release of pressure in my head. I feel a lot different than I did earlier in the day and I can't tell if it's a good thing or not. Also about two hours after I'd irrigated, a tablespoon randomly came pouring out of my nose. I was just standing in my kitchen when I felt water trickling out. That was weird. I'm supposed to do it again in an hour or so, we'll see how I feel after that. So far it seems to be helping and I'm all about doing something in a homeopathic way vs. having to pay $30 to see my doctor to get a $4 prescription. I'm just sayin'.

I also wanted to give a progress report on the cookie cutter business. I opened our Etsy shop a few weeks ago and we've since had a few orders! Here are a few things we've made so far.







We're really having a lot of fun with it - and isn't my husband talented? I think so.

Lastly, I wanted to mention this new tradition Rodney and I started a few months back. I was sick and he wanted to make me dinner. Aside from the occasional grilled cheese or heading up to our local take-out restaurant to pick up some dinner for us, he doesn't do a whole lot of cooking. But he wanted to make me something and I was not in the mood for soup. I suggested a recipe that I'd seen in one of my Parents magazines recently - one that I just so happened to have the ingredients/supplies for, one I thought he could easily make. Fun Foccacia.


I think it's technically supposed to be an appetizer but it's just as good as a meal.

Ingredients
1 tube (13.8 ounce) refrigerated pizza dough (we use a box pizza dough)
1 pint grape tomatoes, cut into halves
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan (we add a handful of shredded mozzarella as well)

Directions
1. Heat oven to 400 degree F. Unroll and slightly stretch dough onto a greased baking pan.
2. Combine next four ingredients in a glass bowl. Cover and microwave on high 3 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes and drain.
3. Sprinkle dough with Parmesan. Top with tomato mixture. Bake 20 to 22 minutes or until crisp and browned. Let cool 5 minutes, then cut into squares and serve.

It's simple and pretty tasty. We enjoy dipping it in a little bowl of marinara. We've had it every Sunday since which makes this our new tradition! It's nice to have someone cook for you once in a while!

Do you and yours have any weekly traditions?

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Vote!

Hope everyone in Texas (and other states holding primaries) voted today!

Rylee and I certainly did! (I voted, she held my keys and tried to knock my booth over)

Monday, March 3, 2008

Marshmallows, Foofa, Costa Vida

I decided to give making home-made marshmallows a shot this weekend, per Brownie Points recipe. She even included a nice pdf to be easily printed and added to my recipe collection. If only we all took the time!

They were simple enough to make (though I did have a little trouble with the gooey stuff sticking to EVERYTHING in my kitchen) and soooooooo tasty! I'm not sure I'll ever want to eat a store bought marshmallow again.

Note to Self,

Self, remember when you made homemade marshmallows and Rodney had to scrape the mixing bowl clean for you because it was too gooey for you to handle? And do you remember when you made homemade marshmallows and it got all over your clothes and the hot syrupy-sugar mixture splashed on your hand and it left a burn mark and there were really hard to get off dried sugar pieces all over your very nice butchers block countertop? Remember all of that? Let's limit the homemade marshmallow making for now, k?




Seriously, they were very simple and easy to make. Slightly messy though.

Foofa

Here's the outcome of our Yo Gabba Gabba iron-on. I'm very pleased with it and Rylee absolutely loves it. She keeps pointing to her shirt while saying, "Look Momma! It's Foofa! Foofa's right there!"



Pretty cute stuff.

Here's the link again for the Iron-On's in case you missed it.

I'd post a picture of the girl wearing it (which she currently is) but she's napping and I won't be risking that!

Costa Vida

This is the new eatery I'm currently obsessing about. Oh. So. Good.

It's Chipotle-esque (and I do love me some Chipotle) but I almost want to say it's better.

That's a bold statement.

The last two times I have been, I had the Vegetarian Salad (you can get this same salad with meat options too).

They start you off with a very fresh, giant tortilla and fill it with cilantro-lime rice, your choice of beans (black or pinto), meat (if you're into that kind of thing - they have shredded chicken, shredded beef, mango chicken, sweet pork or fajita grilled beef), lots of romaine, choice of salsa, cotija cheese, fresh guacamole, tortilla strips and your choice between the creamy cilantro ranch or vinaigrette dressings. Take my word for it - the cilantro ranch is to DIE for.

It's delicious. Rodney had some enchilada's the other day and they were excellent as well. The kids meals come with a warm sugar-cinnamon tortilla that is exactly the perfect ending to this meal. (did you think I was going to let her eat the whole thing?!?)

The prices are very reasonable and the food is very, very fresh. It tastes so incredibly fresh. Which is exactly what the owners of this place were going for.

All of the sudden I'm starving!

Stay tuned for my post on places to take your kids, starting with Bicentennial Park in Southlake! And my post on great new Spring clothes for toddlers!