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.

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.

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?

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

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!

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!

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!