Category: Food and Recipes

  • Yummmmmy Valentine Cupcakes!

    Hello friends! Happy Weekend! We’ve been told to batten down the hatches here in California today, so we are going to be staying snug inside, and watching church online. Supposed to be a big big storm coming through. Lots of coffee and maybe some naps too for us today! Hope you’re having a great weekend where you are! Today I have a sweet treat to share with you! I love to make cupcakes and decorate them for holidays and birthdays… It’s one of my favorite things actually! I used to love bringing them into the office when I worked in an office. Cupcakes just simply make everything better. And, they’re easy to make! I haven’t made any for a while, so I thought, well, let’s make some pretty Valentine Cupcakes! This was a fun project and I decorated them with all kinds of candies, and Valentine goodies. They were (were) delicious too! 

    HERE are some winter cupcakes I made a long time ago…. And HERE are some summer/tropical cupcakes I made…. 

    Sometimes I make both the cake and the frosting from scratch. Sometimes I make the frosting from scratch, or just the cake. It really all depends on my mood. For this batch, I used boxed cake mix and ready made frosting and added my special touches. The cake is triple chocolate fudge and the icing is buttercream, died pink of course! All my supplies and details are listed HERE or at the bottom of my post via the supply graphic/link! 

    cupcakes, cupcake ideas, valentine's day treats, valentine cupcakes, betty crocker cupcakes, buttercream frosting, pink cupcakes, chocolate, homemade treats, easy desserts, party ideas, party favors, valentine party ideas, wanda guess, a blog called wanda

     

    I used red foil cupcake liners to be EXTRA fun! I added sprinkles, and lips, and hearts and straws…. See, just like with my cards – more is MORE! MORE fun that is! Those big red lips crack me up. The frosting is also sprayed with edible shimmer, but it’s very hard to photograph. I used a big star frosting tip and gel food coloring for the frosting. Love me some big frosting swirls, for sure!!

    cupcakes, cupcake ideas, valentine's day treats, valentine cupcakes, betty crocker cupcakes, buttercream frosting, pink cupcakes, chocolate, homemade treats, easy desserts, party ideas, party favors, valentine party ideas, wanda guess, a blog called wanda

     

    One of my tips always is to keep everything cold. It’s so much easier to work with the frosting if it’s cold, and the cold also keeps the cake extra moist and fresh. As soon as my cupcakes are cooled from the oven, I cover them and pop them right into the refrigerator until they get frosted. Once they’re frosted, they go back into the refrigerator until we gobble them up! The straws are just regular drinking straws that I cut in half. There is no limit to how to decorate!

    cupcakes, cupcake ideas, valentine's day treats, valentine cupcakes, betty crocker cupcakes, buttercream frosting, pink cupcakes, chocolate, homemade treats, easy desserts, party ideas, party favors, valentine party ideas, wanda guess, a blog called wanda

     

     

    cupcakes, cupcake ideas, valentine's day treats, valentine cupcakes, betty crocker cupcakes, buttercream frosting, pink cupcakes, chocolate, homemade treats, easy desserts, party ideas, party favors, valentine party ideas, wanda guess, a blog called wanda


     

     

    cupcakes, cupcake ideas, valentine's day treats, valentine cupcakes, betty crocker cupcakes, buttercream frosting, pink cupcakes, chocolate, homemade treats, easy desserts, party ideas, party favors, valentine party ideas, wanda guess, a blog called wanda

     

    I found the most adorable plates and napkins!

    cupcakes, cupcake ideas, valentine's day treats, valentine cupcakes, betty crocker cupcakes, buttercream frosting, pink cupcakes, chocolate, homemade treats, easy desserts, party ideas, party favors, valentine party ideas, wanda guess, a blog called wanda

     

    The muffin tin in the photo is a favorite find from our local antique mall. I love decorating with vintage things!

    cupcakes, cupcake ideas, valentine's day treats, valentine cupcakes, betty crocker cupcakes, buttercream frosting, pink cupcakes, chocolate, homemade treats, easy desserts, party ideas, party favors, valentine party ideas, wanda guess, a blog called wanda

     

    This one has a chocolate heart stuck into the frosting! The paper wrapper is from my stash – a very very old die that is no longer available. I use it all the time to match the theme. I did link to another wrapper that looks very close to this one!

     

    cupcakes, cupcake ideas, valentine's day treats, valentine cupcakes, betty crocker cupcakes, buttercream frosting, pink cupcakes, chocolate, homemade treats, easy desserts, party ideas, party favors, valentine party ideas, wanda guess, a blog called wanda

     

     

    cupcakes, cupcake ideas, valentine's day treats, valentine cupcakes, betty crocker cupcakes, buttercream frosting, pink cupcakes, chocolate, homemade treats, easy desserts, party ideas, party favors, valentine party ideas, wanda guess, a blog called wanda

     

    In this picture you can kind of see the shimmer…. It’s so pretty in person!

    cupcakes, cupcake ideas, valentine's day treats, valentine cupcakes, betty crocker cupcakes, buttercream frosting, pink cupcakes, chocolate, homemade treats, easy desserts, party ideas, party favors, valentine party ideas, wanda guess, a blog called wanda

     

     

     

    cupcakes, cupcake ideas, valentine's day treats, valentine cupcakes, betty crocker cupcakes, buttercream frosting, pink cupcakes, chocolate, homemade treats, easy desserts, party ideas, party favors, valentine party ideas, wanda guess, a blog called wanda

     

    Okay have I made you hungry for some sweets!? Maybe I need to make some more! LOL. There’s still plenty of time to plan a Galentine’s Event!! I hope I’ve encouraged you to whip up a batch and decorate them in your favorite color, or theme, or just because. Because cupcakes make life better!

    Here’s a quick pic of Lucky in my craft room the other day. The bestest, cutest boy. He takes his job as craft room manager very seriously!!

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    Buy me a coffee blog graphic

    CLICK HERE or on the graphic below to see all the supplies for everything today! (Affiliate Links Used)!

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  • A quick post with a refreshing Peppermint treat!

    Hi friends! A very quick post today to share a fun Peppermint treat that we enjoy at our house! In Fall I am ALLLLL about the Pumpkin Spice Life…. But in Winter I am VERY much about the Peppermint Life! Ha! I love anything peppermint – candy, cake, coffee, and ice cream! (I sound like Buddy the Elf! Ha!) I am not really a sweets person most of the year, but of course at Christmas, I become a sweets person!! Have you ever had one of the Peppermint Chocolate Milkshakes at Chik-fil-a? If you haven’t tried one, you need to! We love them. So, I have recreated that delectable treat at home using Peppermint Chocolate Ice Cream!! (we like the ice cream from Acme Valley) If you can’t find Peppermint Chocolate ice cream, use Peppermint Ice Cream, and blend in some chocolate chips!! To make these you simply blend the ice cream and a little milk in the blender, and voila – a yummy milkshake! Top with some whipped cream (If you’re lucky you can find Peppermint whipped cream at Target) and candy cane pieces, and add a cute straw – and enjoy! I made us shakes the other day, and decided to take some pretty pictures! Cheers! Enjoy your weekend! XO

     

    pepperming, peppermint milkshake, acme ice cream, chocolate peppermint, homemade shake, treats, christmas ideas, drink ideas, wanda guess, a blog called wanda

     

     

    pepperming, peppermint milkshake, acme ice cream, chocolate peppermint, homemade shake, treats, christmas ideas, drink ideas, wanda guess, a blog called wanda

     

     

    pepperming, peppermint milkshake, acme ice cream, chocolate peppermint, homemade shake, treats, christmas ideas, drink ideas, wanda guess, a blog called wanda

     

     

    pepperming, peppermint milkshake, acme ice cream, chocolate peppermint, homemade shake, treats, christmas ideas, drink ideas, wanda guess, a blog called wanda

     

  • Watermelon Fries – A tasty summer treat from Pinterest!

    Hello and howdy from my kitchen today! I made a snack, so naturally I had to make it pretty and take pictures of it! LOL. I love it when I finally make the recipes I have saved on Pinterest! I have so many good recipes and ideas saved and I need to be better at actually making all of the things! Do you do that too? In the Summer I loooooooove to eat all the fresh fruit and vegetables. I practically turn into a vegetarian in the Summer months (I was raised vegetarian) and I can make an entire meal from corn, salad and fruit! It’s my favorite thing about Summer. Everything is so pretty and delicious. We have many great farmers markets where we live and there’s no shortage of food coming right from the farms in the central valley of California. Truly one of the blessings about living here. It’s been hot hot hot and I needed a cool cool cool snack so I made watermelon fries. Thought I’d share!

    FULL CREDIT for the idea and recipe are from Abbey’s Kitchen website!

    Basically….you cut up a watermelon into fries or sticks for dipping, and make the delicious dipping sauce! Splash on a bit of Tajin Seasoning and that’s it! Good, healthy, super foods ready to go.

    watermelon, watermelon fries, watermelon recipes, coconut dip, lime dip, pinterest recipes, summer snacks, snacks, tajin, tajin ideas, pottery barn, healthy, super foods, easy healthy snacks, watermelon ideas, made from pinterest, wanda guess, a blog called wanda

     

    I mean, who doesn’t love limes and watermelon?? Do you think this is why pink and green is such a perfect color combination possibly??

     

    watermelon, watermelon fries, watermelon recipes, coconut dip, lime dip, pinterest recipes, summer snacks, snacks, tajin, tajin ideas, pottery barn, healthy, super foods, easy healthy snacks, watermelon ideas, made from pinterest, wanda guess, a blog called wanda

     

    MMMMMMMM. Once the watermelon is plated (or bowled LOL) put the Tajin on at the last minute so it doesn’t soak all the way in before you eat it.

    watermelon, watermelon fries, watermelon recipes, coconut dip, lime dip, pinterest recipes, summer snacks, snacks, tajin, tajin ideas, pottery barn, healthy, super foods, easy healthy snacks, watermelon ideas, made from pinterest, wanda guess, a blog called wanda

     

    Here in California, Tajin is A THING. It’s everywhere. It’s a combination of chilis, limes and salt. It’s spicy but not too spicy. It’s great on fruit or in cocktails for a little kick. It’s amazing on Mango.

    watermelon, watermelon fries, watermelon recipes, coconut dip, lime dip, pinterest recipes, summer snacks, snacks, tajin, tajin ideas, pottery barn, healthy, super foods, easy healthy snacks, watermelon ideas, made from pinterest, wanda guess, a blog called wanda

     

    The dipping sauce is coconut yogurt (I used Skyr brand), lime juice and lime zest. The recipe calls for coconut sugar, but I left that out.

    watermelon, watermelon fries, watermelon recipes, coconut dip, lime dip, pinterest recipes, summer snacks, snacks, tajin, tajin ideas, pottery barn, healthy, super foods, easy healthy snacks, watermelon ideas, made from pinterest, wanda guess, a blog called wanda

     

    If you don’t have Tajin, or don’t like it, you can just leave it off! Easy.

    watermelon, watermelon fries, watermelon recipes, coconut dip, lime dip, pinterest recipes, summer snacks, snacks, tajin, tajin ideas, pottery barn, healthy, super foods, easy healthy snacks, watermelon ideas, made from pinterest, wanda guess, a blog called wanda

     

    It lasted about 3.5 minutes. Y U M M M M M. I’ll be making this again fo sho! I bought a small watermelon, but once I cut it up, it was SO MUCH watermelon! It’s just two of us at our house. I’m going to blend the rest in the Vitamix and make some kind of slushee later. Good way to get in your water for the day, amiright?

    watermelon, watermelon fries, watermelon recipes, coconut dip, lime dip, pinterest recipes, summer snacks, snacks, tajin, tajin ideas, pottery barn, healthy, super foods, easy healthy snacks, watermelon ideas, made from pinterest, wanda guess, a blog called wanda

    Okee dokee, that’s it for today. I’ll be back Friday with fun cards and a big sale over at Jaded Blossom. Can’t wait to share with you! XOXO

     

  • One of my favorite treats to make and eat – Peppermint Bark!

    Hi there crafty friends! Today's project is kind of a recipe, kind of a photo shoot, kind of a treat idea… One of my favorite treats at Christmas time is Peppermint Bark! As much as I love everything Pumpkin Spice in the Fall, I love everything Peppermint in the Winter! And, chocolate and peppermint is the best combination!! I usually make at least one batch of homemade Peppermint Bark each season. It's easy to share, and it lasts a while too! I just got this pretty new marble cake stand, and that called for a photo shoot! I've been really down lately and crying lots of tears. Being creative and getting lost in my creative process helps me feel better. Lots of photos in this post!

    It's super easy to make Peppermint Bark! You only need four ingredients! I use Semi Sweet and White Chocolate Ghirardelli Chocolate morsels (from Target), Candy Canes, and Peppermint Extract. That's it! 

    Melt the semi sweet chocolate morsels in the microwave…. Pour the melted semi sweet chocolate onto a baking sheet covered in parchment paper. Stick it in the freezer for about ten minutes to set up. Melt the white chocolate morsels in the microwave and mix in 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of peppermint extract…. Pour the melted white chocolate on top of the frozen semi sweet chocolate. MMMMM. Next get a ziploc bag and crush up 5-6 candy canes into small pieces. Sprinkle the candy cane pieces on top of the white chocolate. That's it! Put the batch in the fridge for an hour or so to get nice and hard. Then use a big knife to cut the candy into wedges. So fast and easy! 

    Here are some of the pix from my photo shoot!

    Peppermint Bark Recipe. How to make peppermint bark and christmas treats. wanda guess

     

    I love how pretty this is with the candy cane pieces! And it smelllllsssssss so good!

    Peppermint Bark Recipe. How to make peppermint bark and christmas treats. wanda guess

     

    I like to cut the pieces into wedges, or triangles. Just seems easier to eat that way than a square.

    Peppermint Bark Recipe. How to make peppermint bark and christmas treats. wanda guess

     

     

    Peppermint Bark Recipe. How to make peppermint bark and christmas treats. wanda guess

     

    Here's the melted chocolate! I put it in the microwave for one minute, stir, do one more minute, stir… Then 20 second intervals until it's melted through.

    Peppermint Bark Recipe. How to make peppermint bark and christmas treats. wanda guess

     

    Here's the whole pan full! This picture came out weird – from my phone!

    Peppermint Bark Recipe. How to make peppermint bark and christmas treats. wanda guess

     

     

    Peppermint Bark Recipe. How to make peppermint bark and christmas treats. wanda guess

     

    I love to package treats in glassine bags. There's something old fashioned about it – like an old candy store or something! I used a hole punch to punch two holes at the top of this bag, and then tied some twine through it. Ready for gifting without too much trouble!

    Peppermint Bark Recipe. How to make peppermint bark and christmas treats. wanda guess. glassine bags

     

     

    Peppermint Bark Recipe. How to make peppermint bark and christmas treats. wanda guess

     

     

    Peppermint Bark Recipe. How to make peppermint bark and christmas treats. wanda guess

    Okay! Thanks for indulging all my photos today!! I hope you felt the cool breeze of peppermint when reading this post. Hope I've inspired you to try and make this too! What is your favorite treat to make at Christmas time? Let me know in the comments! Enjoy the rest of your Christmas week! XOXO

     

  • Pretty Spring Lemon Cake!

    Hey friends! It’s almost the weekend… Wait, what day is it?? The only way I am keeping track of days lately is that my husband is working from our dining room so I know it’s the weekend when he’s not buried in his laptop! Otherwise…. How are you holding up with being sheltered at home? I have good days and bad days. I’m trying not to think about it and keep busy here at home. Today was a brilliant day to go for a walk. I’ve been cooking a ton, too. Trying recipes and taking my time in the kitchen. Because normally it’s rush, rush, rush all the time. We have a huge window in our kitchen that faces the most beautiful big oak tree. I’m taking it all in….stirring and whisking and chopping. I hope you are doing good and staying mentally and physically well. XO

    One of the things I made last week was a beautiful lemon cake! Our neighbors behind us have a big lemon tree in their backyard, right where it joins our backyard. And, lots of the branches have grown over the fence… You know the saying… When life gives you lemons! The lemons are a variety I’ve never seen before. When you cut them open they have just the very slightest tint of pink!! They are sour but juicy and delicious. And because I have so much time on my hands I decided to do a photo essay. Because I miss going out and taking pictures of FOOD! Lol. 

    Here is the finished cake – dusted in powdered sugar.

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    And one of those pretty lemons right off the tree.

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    See how they are slightly pink inside?? This color is divine!!! Only nature…

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    Here’s a photo I posted on Instagram when I was getting ready. This is my cool lemon pan from Crate and Barrel. I’ve had it for years! 

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    I love this pretty and simple design that the cake pan makes! I have a little muffin pan that makes bees and honeycombs! I haven’t used it yet!!

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    It was pretty dang delicious too! Didn’t last long!! HERE’S THE RECIPE – FOUND ON PINTEREST!

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    Okay friends – please stay well and happy! I will see you back here soon with a crafty project! Love ya! XOXO

  • I actually cooked something from Pinterest! Chicken Gyros – YUM!

    Hi everyone! I have a huge announcement today….ready? I actually cooked something from my Pinterest Board!! LOL. I looooooove Pinterest and I use it all the time for card ideas and techniques and creative inspiration. I also use it to keep track of my own cards. I have a Food & Recipes Board that has all sorts of yummy looking things pinned to it! Well….I finally made something. And, guess what? It was awesome! The hubs loved it and it’s already going into the menu rotation at our house. For years I have been a ‘non planning’ grocery shopper. I decided that since I work from home now and I have a bit more time, that I would like to plan our meals for the week and be a smart shopped instead. Last week was the first week and it was a big success. I did better at the grocery store (I hate grocery shopping) and kept to my list. The hubs likes to know what’s for dinner all week so he can look forward to it. No last minute runs to the store. Love it already. Part of my planning process is going to be using my recipe board for new ideas. Do you use Pinterest for food? Crafting? Anything else fun?! CLICK HERE to see my Pinterest page…. CLICK HERE to see my Food & Recipe Board!

    So, what I made was Chicken Gyros! OMG. It was fast, easy and super fresh and delicious too. THIS IS WHERE I GOT THE RECIPE. I followed the recipe exactly for both the Gyros and the Tzatziki sauce. The only addition I made was to use some fresh feta cheese on top. We do not like raw onions at our house, so I left those out. The Pitas I used were from Sara Lee and they were in the bread section at my grocery store. I marinated the chicken for about three hours. To cook it I broiled the boneless chicken breasts under the broiler for ten minutes each side. I should add that the chicken was good cold the next day too, like for a salad!  

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    This is how the chicken came out of the oven. YUM. The oregano was so flavorful and the yogurt made the chicken moist. I left the garlic pieces on the chicken when I cooked it too. 

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    I baked some frozen french fries in the oven and then sprinkled them with Lawry’s Seasoned Salt. Fresh dill in the Tzatziki…..mmmmmmmm. 

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    Thanks for letting me share something a little different today – not my usual cards! Do you have a favorite Pinterest recipe? I would LOVE it if you would leave a comment with a link to your favorite – then we can all share! Have a super happy weekend! I’ll be on the Simon Says Stamp Blog tomorrow with a fresh card just for Summer. XOXO
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  • If you like pina coladas….and flamingos!

    Hi friends! Happy Friday! I hope you have a great weekend planned. It’s been three weeks since I left my corporate job and I think I am finally starting to relax a little. Gosh, I really didn’t realize how completely stressed out I was. It’s very hard for me to sit still, so I’ve been keeping myself busy with spending time with friends, and crafting and organizing. Getting my studio ready to be open and creative again in a new way. It feels really good to have some down time, and I am so fortunate. 

    It’s very gross and smoky here where I live because there are some giant wildfires burning. It’s so sad to see the drought take its toll on our lovely area. Since we can’t really be outside today, and because we have some free movie passes…. We decided on a movie double feature date today! Minions and Trainwreck! I can’t even remember the last movie we went to see. (Maybe Gone Girl???) So I’m excited to be going. 

    I want to say another giant thank you to everyone who has contributed to my Go Fund Me page! What an awesome outpouring of support for which I am so grateful. THANK YOU!! I’m getting closer to my goal! 

    Now, on to today’s creative post! I have had the idea for today’s project rattling around in my brain for a couple of months. And, I finally had the opportunity to execute it! My friend’s birthday celebration was last Friday and I thought these would be the perfect thing to bring to the party. Pina Colada Cupcakes! Say what??? Oh, yes! Super delicious and fun to decorate too! 

     

    pina colada cupcakes. Stamped toppers with Reverse Confetti stamps. Flamingos and Pineapples. Made by Wanda Guess

     

    CLICK HERE for the recipe for the cupcakes. I made the recipe exactly as outlined, with one exception. i left out the rum extract. These came out super moist and really tasty. I am definitely putting these in my cupcake rotation as a favorite. The pineapple in the cake mix just makes them melt in your mouth. And, I love anything with coconut. 

    I made two different cupcake topper decorations, flamingos and pineapples. (I’m pretty obsessed right now with anything with flamingos or pineapples). A perfect tropical accompaniment to pina colada cupcakes! 

    pina colada cupcakes. Stamped toppers with Reverse Confetti stamps. Flamingos and Pineapples. Made by Wanda Guess

     

    I used some of my FAVORITE stamp sets from Reverse Confetti. I added some blings to them also. The stamped images were glued onto white cake pop sticks, which are from Wilton. I got those at Michael’s. 

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    Once the cupcakes are cooled and frosted, I coated the tops with fresh sweetened coconut flakes. MMMMMM. I like that one little flamingo leg in the picture! LOL. 

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    For the cupcake wrappers on the bottom I used some fresh tropical inspired papers. At first I was going to make everything really ‘matchy matchy’ but then found this paper in my stash, and I liked that some other colors were put into the mix. Makes it really festive. 

    pina colada cupcakes. Stamped toppers with Reverse Confetti stamps. Flamingos and Pineapples. Made by Wanda Guess

      

    Here is my stamping assembly line! 

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    And all of my completed decorations. The flamingo stamp set has two flamingos – pointing both ways, so I made some of each. 

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    Betty Crocker Pina Colada Cupcakes. made by Wanda Guess

      

     

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    CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE

    CLICK HERE FOR THE STAMPS

    Click HERE and HERE and HERE for some of my other favorite cupcake projects!

    Have an amazing weekend everyone!

  • Apple Spice cake in the house today!

    Hi everyone! So much to share today from my house. Where to start?…. Had a most fabulous time yesterday at the Stamp Convention here in Sac-town. Saw lots and lots of my stamping friends (which is always the best part of the show) and maybe even made some new friends? I met some crazy gals from the bay area and maybe have a girl crush on them. We had such a good time laughing. The show was crowded and it was a really positive day. I didn’t buy too much – I finally got my mitts on Latte Anya from The Greeting Farm and I’ll be inking her up soon. A couple of other small things. I showed restraint.

    It was kind of a bust football weekend… My Bears lost yesterday to USC and then the 49ers lots today. So, we won’t talk football right now. Sigh.

    I have had a recipe saved on my phone for about a week and thought I would try it out and share it with you. It’s a recipe for apple spice cake and it was really easy to make! AND…so delicious! It tastes like Fall on a plate! (HERE IS THE RECIPE LINK)

     

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    I added just a dollop of cool whip with some nutmeg sprinkled on top! Made it just a bit sweeter and richer. Give this one a try for sure! You make it in a 9×13 pan so it’s easy to cut into squares to share with a group.  

    Cake


     

    I also made a quick and simple card for today…a cute litle Hero Arts Owl and an adorable new thought bubble die from Kristina Werner’s collection. I resisted the urge to add more to this one. I just like the cheerful green…and I left it the way it was!

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    I colored my little owl with my Copics and colored his tummy a few shades lighter to add some contrast. Isn’t he fun?  

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    Okay, now it’s time for the Emmy Red Carpet to start and I’m going to hunker down and start working on my TE projects for October. You guys are going to love the new stuff next month. I think first I need to move a big orange cat off my work space! Toodles everyone! Have a great week!!

  • Wanda’s Mango Party Salsa Recipe!

    Hi! Today we are heading up to my brother and sister-in-law’s house to celebrate her birthday and their youngest son’s birthday. One thing I haven’t made in a long time is my Mango Party Salsa. I decided that would be a good thing to bring to the party.

    Here’s the Recipe: Two mangoes, two kiwis, I cup crushed pineapple (drained), 1/2 red onion, 1 red bell pepper, two tsp sugar, juice from one small lime, and a dash of salt. Optional: Cilantro and/or jalapeno peppers. Cut all ingredients into small, uniform pieces and mix. Chill for at least an hour before serving. 

    I like to serve it with Scoops chips or some other light, white corn chips. It is also really great on a salad of butter lettuce with some chicken breast. I hope you try it and enjoy it!

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    I was in the kitchen today a lot…made blueberry muffins for breakfast…and a cappuccino! I love those days when I can cook good healthy food for us. Never enough time to do that, huh?

    Mango salsa bloggy

     

  • Signs of Summer!

    Yikes! After all the excitement from yesterday – today seems kinda mellow! Mark made it to Stockton to drop off the Silver Surfer at around 3:00 in the morning! Today we celebrated our anniversary by going out for a nice lunch at our favorite place – PF Chang's. YUM-MMMY! It was nice to be out and about and we also did a little shopping for some necessities. It was a wonderful day together.

    Tomorrow I'm heading off to Jilli Bling's beautiful home to stamp all day with the gal pals. I cannot wait. It is my first time doing the whole shoe-box thing too. Everyone will bring enough project supplies so that we can all make two of each person's card. I am looking forward to it very much. I will also be bringing the Copics to do some coloring. We are having a salad potluck and I volunteered to bring a dessert. I found a recipe for Lime Cake and baked that today. Click here for the recipe.

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    Our little impatiens are starting to take off and grow…

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    The hydrangeas are going CRAZY…

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    These are some clouds that I saw Thurdsday night! They were so amazing I had to pull off the freeway and take a picture. The clouds were so unique and they looked like soft folds of fabric. I don't think I've ever seen clouds quite like these.

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     That's it…some signs of Summer from my home to yours. Have a great night!

  • Things to love about New Jersey…

    So, I’ve never been to New Jersey…but I watch WAY too much reality TV! So I kinda feel like I’ve been to New Jersey! Here are some of the many things to love about the Garden State:

    The Housewives…

    Real-housewives2[1]

    Snooki and The Situation at the shore…

    Jersey-shore-cast-mtv-590x393[1]

    The Boss… 
    The Cake Boss…

    Cake-boss[1] 
    And this recipe…

    Did anyone else see the recent episode of Cake Boss where they made a GINORMOUS Crumb Cake? It looked like heaven on a plate to me! I knew I had to make a crumb cake!  I scoured the interwebs and found this:

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    The recipe can be found here on Recipezaar: http://www.recipezaar.com/New-Jersey-Crumb-Cake-33645. I made it almost exactly according to the recipe. Here are my changes: Use only unsalted butter. In the topping mix I added 1/4 cup of light brown sugar and 1/4 cup of chopped pecans. I cooked it for 35 minutes instead of 30 minutes. 

    The entire house smelled like cinammon while it was in the oven. YUM. I think I’m going to rename it Crummmmmmmmmb Cake. Here are some pix to make you drool and to inspire you to make it too! 
     

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    Thanks for stopping by my kitchen today. Share your recipes with me if you like and I’ll try them out next. Have a blessed day everyone.