Something's Cooking

You know that feeling when you're just tired of the same ole, same old? You've had all the pasta you can handle and you've cooked all the ground beef in 20 million different ways. What's even more challenging is that now you have food allergies and your oldest became a vegetarian who grumbles at every dessert left waiting in the refrigerator.

Goodness. I simply want something different, yet the same.

I want the same reaction when dinner was served and we ate as a family.

I want the same reaction when "what's for dessert?" was asked.

I want the same reaction when everyone was fed and done and I would hear, "thanks mami, that was yummy!"

But time does continue to move forward and things do change and you do run out of ideas and space and the chairs that once held seats for your family are empty. But before this sounds like a sad story of an empty nester single mom, I do remember one thing that has remained the same.

I embrace moments of clarity.

I had the same single thought yesterday, and then last night, and then again this morning when I read a previous post I accidentally came across while looking for a recipe. 

I still cook. I still enjoy eating delicious meals and I very much enjoy company and hearing others share about their days, lives, families...or whatever. I also really enjoy reading what I have written to capture a moment, either what is noted in my journal or skimming blog posts from the past.

To me they have become therapeutic and healing to my mind and soul, just like comfort food or even a favored dessert is to my taste buds. They are different, but the same. Why not write and share again?

So I've dusted off some cobwebs and browsed the life that surrounds me.  I'm looking forward to the new in the old and what lies ahead. So if you are also tired of everything feeling repetitive and you're wishing for a change, there may just be a new perspective or a moment of clarity over the horizon, corner store or journal entry. 

Something is definitely cooking and I'm looking forward to participating.

Hope your day is Simply Divine!

Not mine...but a giveaway none the less!

Only if you have been hiding under a rock do you have any excuse to not know who The Pioneer Woman is.  Just in case you don't know who she is and so you don't think I'm judging you harshly, I'm sure the rock you were under is a pretty one and very comfy :)

For the thousands of men, women and children (and my 16 readers) who know who Ree Drummond is, you probably know about her giveaways.  And if you don't, this is your lucky day!

Now, why am I sharing another blogger's post?  Well, just look at this:

 

(Beautiful, custom mixer designed by Nicole at Un Amore )

Can you believe she is giving away THREE of these!  How cool is that?!!

Plus, she is also including her cookbook in the giveaway:

 

Go over to her site. You'll love it. And enter the contest. I hope you win! Well, I hope I win but if I don't...I hope it's YOU! :)

Click here => Enter to win Orange Floral Mixer

I'm giddy just looking at it!

Happy Baking!

Love is in the air

Yes, you don't see me very much anymore. I know. I know. Sad face.  But I'm still here. I still love to bake and I especially love being inspired by the million, billion, zillion cupcake decorators out there.

I think even aliens are joining the cupcake craze.

Aren't they so cute?!!! They tasted even better. I loved making them.

Today in my browsing around and looking for inspiration for a potential upcoming wedding, I either found Super Bowl cupcakes or Valentine's Day cupcakes.

I thought to myself..."I want one."

So instead, I'm going to share mine with you.

Ahhhh....Isn't it just dreamy?

Happy Baking!

The Twelve Days of Christmas

We celebrate Christmas all the way through January 6th, which is when the festivities surrounding the birth of Christ traditionally end.  It is known as the Epiphany, or when the Magi visited Jesus approximately two years after his birth.  This is when the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh were given to the family.

In a large portion of the world, this is also when gifts are traditionally given to children.  In our home, we like keeping that tradition because it is something I grew up with.

Point?

I'm SO excited!

I've been baking and finished up my shopping today.  One of the plus sides of Americans "finished" with Christmas is the DEEP discounts at the stores. I purchased my goodies at almost 70% off!

Now that's something my pocket can celebrate!


And the good stuff...


In our home, if you are present with us, you receive a gift. That's just the way it is.


We always have gifts that represent what Jesus received. So how does this pertain to cupcakes that are simply divine? Not sure. But I do know they are small and sweet. They smell great and your taste buds dance!

Here's to tradition and celebrating with family!

Happy Baking!

It's a Winter Wonderland!

A time for celebration! How very sweet.

Happy baking everyone!

Miss being busy?

No way.

I am loving all the new challenges this new chapter in my life have brought.  Has all of it been easy?

No way.

I am now without children during the day and got a part time job.  Has it been fun?

No way.

I do look forward to the time of day I see my little ones run up the sidewalk with arms wide open and yelling "Mommy!"  Unfortunately, recent medical issues have kept me from enjoying much time playing with them because of pain.  Has any of that stopped me from baking yummy goodness for them?

No way!

Christmastime is here and the time to celebrate the most wonderous reason for the season is approaching fast.  Does that cause me to worry that I'm unprepared?

No way.

Taking it slow. One day at a time. One batch of batter at a time.

Now off to eat some pumpkin pie someone else made for me.

YES WAY!

I have not forgotten!

Do you feel abandoned?

So, so sorry!

I have not forgotten you, my loyal 16 readers! I've been so busy and today I am going to be officially a GRANDMA!  At the very moment I write this out, mommy and daddy already know whether its a boy or girl but they're not telling until we arrive at the hospital.

Can't wait to get back home and make a HAPPY BIRTHDAY cake!

See you soon and happy baking,

Tuesday Tip!

Ahhhh! Why didn't anyone remind me it was Tuesday before I started getting ready for bed?!?! 

GASP!

Today was the first day of school and the first day of kindergarten for our littlest one. I cannot believe how fast time has flown by and today certainly was another example of how it will simply slip through your fingers. 

Somehow I found myself somewhere between the "walking dead" and "euphoric" stage in this new chapter of my life because I was now at home alone with hours to fill. I could do my "to do" list without needing to worry about feeding another human being or keeping an eye on the clock for naptime.

Guess what happened.

I forgot to eat lunch.

And I didn't notice the clock as I did laundry and cleaned the house.

So I forgot it was Tuesday.

And that you were waiting for me.

Anxiously.

Waiting.

For my tip.

And it never came.

So what I decided to do is to share my Tuesday Tip in a "how to" recipe.  But since it's now approaching midnight and I don't have pictures uploaded. And I picked up my mother from the airport today. And I'm now typing this on her bed. And she is trying to get to sleep. And she is kicking me out of my office/guest room.

I'll come back to tell you how to SIFT your way to a wonderful and delicious cake or cupcakes.

Yup. You heard it. That dreaded SIFT word in recipes.

But the thing is I know that you would love for me to tell you how to get something amazing out of a boxed cake mix.  And yes, it does require a little extra work. And yes, I know I still have to share the results of the test kitchen fail from last week. 

And yes, my mother is now kicking me. Literally.

sift, sift, sift, sift, sift...

This is why I should be in bed already.

Random streams of consciousness should really be me dreaming instead.

Happy Sleeping!

Test Kitchen...redo

Yesterday I told you about a complete fail I had.  I can tell from the amount of traffic to this blog and the lack of comments, generally means there is very little interest in what happened.  But as I said when I first started this space of trial and delicious errors, I will include you in on what I learned. This particular one has been a lot of fun.

As of this moment, I've redone the recipe I started yesterday with the kids.  We've started all over again and are hoping for success.  Every step of the way, both children are reminding me how delicious our "fail" was yesterday.

Oh, and by the way, that very cake was gone by late morning.

Now off I go to pull out the redo from the oven.

One last thing, a huge huggable HELLO to the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, Singapore, France and Vietnam!  Glad you stopped by to read...even if just a little.  Smiles from the USA!  I'll be back with the test kitchen results. See you then.

Happy Baking,

Today's Test Kitchen

Oh no. Not again. Not another fail.

Yup. But this time it was the most fun I've had with my children in the kitchen. Once I get the pictures taken of the final product, I'll upload them and tell you what happened.  It just so happens to be cooling right now and yes we are still going to eat it.

Just remember, when you start smelling smoke and the timer still hasn't gone off yet...check the oven.  Quick!

I did. But it was too late.

So after turning off the smoke alarm, I gave the children and I sampled the crust I was forced to remove. (Yeah, that's never a good sign. You know, hard crust on a cake.)

They say it's really yummy though.

I agree. Almost like a really nice sweet biscotti.

Just wait until I tell you what happened and why.  But first I need to go clear out the air and clean up my oven.

Happy Baking!

Tuesday Tip!

If there is any truth behind the universe being able to play a joke, then I'm currently the butt of it...and I'm not laughing...well, maybe today I did. 

A few weeks ago I told you that I have several tips in cue but then today happened, and I simply stared at the list with absolutely no desire to share any of them. From the number of women I speak with, I have been able to understand that we all go through a period of time when we question everything. Sometimes it's not a matter of low self esteem, it can be simply a matter of feeling unappreciated. That is when the questioning starts.

I wonder if I stopped doing this [insert anything here], would anybody even notice?

The list of questions can go on and on.  Some of you may know what I'm talking about.

Goodness. I asked Debbie Downer to move out of my house this morning. She was no longer welcome.  I even helped her pack her bags. Then I shouted,

"Don't let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya!"

Yes. Yes I did. REAL loud too.

Don't worry. The neighbors had already left for work.

Moving on.

Since lunchtime was upon us, I opted to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches -- a crowd favorite. I reached up for the bread basket and it came tumbling down on me. Flat bread, tortillas, hoagie rolls, sandwich bread, rice cakes...the whole lot of them. When I say "bread basket", I mean family-style-holds-all-of-our-perishable-eat-them-soon-bread.

And we eat a lot of it.

Tumbling.

Down.

On me.

The children thought it was funny. 

Maybe I did too.

Next, for some reason I decided to open the freezer.  At this point I don't remember why but I do know that I did.  Guess what.  Our ice maker started spitting ice cubes at me. 

Yes. Yes it did.

Now the children are really laughing...and hard.

And so am I.

Needless to say, I never did make those peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Instead, I opted to bring out all the cut up fruit we had.  I served them into bowls and topped with whipped cream.  The children squealed with delight and we had so much fun.  As a matter of fact, as I type this out I can still hear them laughing hard and playing.

So my Tuesday Tip is probably the most practicle I can ever give:

Life may be a bowl of cherries but sometimes you really just need a little whipped cream.

No matter what you are doing in the kitchen or out, you need to try to remember to enjoy yourself. Be thankful for everything you have, no matter how small or insignificant you may think it is. Celebrate every success -- even the little ones.  Because if you spend your time looking down at what has fallen all around you, you might forget to look up and miss the beauty all around you.

And that's no joke.

Well maybe this Redskin's chef hat is.

Goodness he's so stinkin' cute.

Happy Baking!

Tuesday Tip!

Is it bad of me that I find today's Tuesday Tip! totally boring.  I mean who really wants to wait around for anything that isn't exciting?  Not me. But alas...[sigh]

Room temperature.

Yup. That's it. A waiting game.

Waiting for ingredients to come to room temperature is a boring, boring, boring...waiting game. They say  (who are "they" anyway?) that great things come to those who wait.  And I guess, "they" are correct because waiting is like watching your garden grow...

And then enjoying it's harvest...

Or waiting can be testing to make sure the chocolate is ready...

...not a minute too soon (or late) before the cookies can be added...

then wait some more...

Enjoy!

 Or wait until the chocolate sets up...

For fun MANLY birthday cupcakes!

Waiting can even be while the smells make your mouth water and you wonder WHEN OH WHEN will these herb buns be ready to bake?!

And then they are...and you do.

MMMMmmmmm....those are not biscuits ladies and gentlemen. Those are herb rolls I had to do all sorts of things to and....wait. But then when I finally got to bake them and serve them up for dinner HOT with butter...[fainted]

So this is my Tuesday Tip!  When getting ready to bake, unless your recipe says otherwise, bring your ingredients to room temperature first before assembling.  It really makes a noticeable difference in the end product especially when NOT waiting can actually cause some recipes to completely fail.

Now that my work is done here, I no longer have to wait. Everything is at room temperature, just as it should be. Ahhh...life is good. 

Happy Baking!

Cupcakes-O-Plenty

There are always plenty of cupcakes in our home...especially on birthdays.

And this is how we love to snack...

Who needs hands...?

Especially when all you need is a smile.

Happy Baking!

Tuesday Tip!

There is so much going on in my little baking world that I cannot imagine what is going to rise next.  I even have our daughter making recommendations - without prodding! Both our son and daughter are experimenting with their toys by making imprints on playdough and then bringing it to me with so much joy, "MOMMY! You can do this in fondant and place them on cupcakes!"

Oh.my.goodness. What have I done?

Oh well, at least they are playing and being creative.  It never ends around here.

So in keeping in line with childhood and what so many of us loved eating growing up, today's tip will be about: playdough Peanut Butter.

Scared ya didn't I?  Eat playdough...yeahhh...why I never...

Anyhoo.

There are so many recipes out there that call for using peanut butter but there is also such a HUGE selection of peanut butter nowadays that it seems easiest to just grab your favorite one and use it. But it's not that easy...or successful in baking.

First of all, I will say that I have a new love for natural peanut butter...and almond butter (thanks Cheryle!) But some of these products require stirring and refrigeration and more often than not, these are not suitable for using in recipes (or in packed lunches).  So my tip today actually comes from my test kitchen and I'm going to share with you which product I have found is the best to use...and tastes great.

Skippy Natural Peanut Butter.

This is a natural peanut butter that does not require refrigeration or stirring.  However, over time some separation does occur in your cabinet and you should stir a little before using. Also, even though it does have a shelf life it is a natural product, and you should buy only what your family or baking needs require. You know, if you use a lot, buy a big container. If you only use for desserts, buy a small container. If you eat it straight out of the jar morning, noon, and night...buy stock. And so on. You get the point.

The reason I like Skippy is because it has such a rich nutty flavor and they use a minimal amount of real sugar to sweeten instead of molasses like some others.  The molasses, when mixed with other ingredients, can make what you are working with a little stiffer and more difficult to manipulate. Molasses is good for gingerbread cookies but not for my peanut butter.  And of course, "natural" means it does not have all those unkind unpronounceable words that are famous for making peanut butter live forever on store and home shelves. No thank you.

So try some Skippy Natural when making peanut butter cookies or mix with cream cheese to spread on your favorite treat...yeah even...rice cakes. Or stick to the basics and make a healthier and yummy choice when making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the family that will hold up in the lunchboxes. 

That's it peeps. Nothing fancy today. Just some good creamy peanut butter.

MMMmmm....Peanut butter and chocolate. Simply Divine.

...

Happy Baking!

BTW, It makes me so sad to think of those who have peanut allergies today and aren't able to enjoy the dreamy creamy texture of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, peanut butter cookies, Reese's candies, or even the now popular chocolate cupcakes topped with a rich peanut butter frosting. I have friends whose children are severely allergic and I sincerely hope a cure is found for this food that has issued a death warrant on so many. Someday. Soon.

While we all wait, I will continue to make desserts (whenever asked especially for them) in a thoroughly scrubbed down kitchen with the products and tools I keep separate just for my special "customers". The mommas who follow me know who they are :) LOVE YOU!

Today's Test Kitchen

Ever get that sinking feeling?  You know the one. You are watching a wreck in process and there is no stopping it or turning back.  Yup. I had it. In my kitchen...again.

You'll have to come back and see what happened.

As for me, nothing cheers me up more than a warm, rolled up newborn.  And since I don't have one of those laying around here somewhere in this chaotic mess of my test kitchen...

...looking at pretty cupcakes for a baby shower will do for now.

Aren't they so cute!?!

...

Now I'm off to enjoy my little cupcakes...otherwise known as our 7yr old and 4yr old before they head off to school in a couple of weeks. Hope you have a fabulous weekend!

Happy Baking,