After a great Thanksgiving weekend, it’s back to the old routine again.
Today it’s lemon cupcakes…
…from the Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook. I went with the lemon curd filling, so basically it’s as if I took a piece of lemon pie and wrapped it in cake. Now I’m wondering what else I can wrap in cake.
I’m also working on a wreath made of pompoms for the front door. It’s leaving my living room floor a bit of a wreck…
This week Kate of Foxs Lane is theme queen for Pip’s meme, My Place & Yours. For this weeks theme, she chose…
This has not been an easy choice for me. I have been a collector from the beginning, rocks, stickers, and key chains as a child, moving on to 45 records and earrings (it was the 80′s and they are fab!) as a teen. In college I started collecting pictures from magazines for decorating inspiration that are all glued into black books. My love of collections even turned professional, when I worked in the department of collections at a large decorative arts museum.
My first thought was of this box of goodies that just made it’s way to my house.
Then, I thought about my vintage linens, but then what about the LuRay, but then I made my decision. My aluminum, it’s the first collection that I actively searched flea markets and antique shops for. I do have one little rule about the hunt – no ebay. I’m sure there is great stuff on there, but the seek and find is half the battle.
When the spouse and I were newly wed and living in our first place, these pitchers were on display above our kitchen cupboards. Now, as you can see, they catch dust on a shelf in the basement. It’s not that I don’t still love them, it’s just that the cottage can only have so much on display at one time.
Thanks Kate! See who else is playing this week.
We have a new to us dining set at our house. The chairs were covered in a speckly white vinyl.
I switched them out to something a little more bold.
I also made these.
They are the double chocolate cookies from The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook. I love every recipe I have tried in that book. I’m thinking of doing a Julie and Julia with that book, without all the cursing of course. Book deals welcomed (wink, wink)
I have my eye on the pumpkin cupcakes next.
Time for My Place & Yours again. Pip chose Shelley from Femme de Montmartre to be Theme Queen this week and Shelley chose “Through the Front Door” as this week’s theme.
open up the door
and see all the people
Well, my people and my “get the mail” shoes, and a bucket of polly pockets and ponies.
Let’s see who else is playing this week.
When I try a recipe I do my best to flag it with a little post-it to remind myself how it went, or what I might change the next time. The post-it next to this recipe says “quick and yummy”.
raspberry cream cheese breakfast buns
(from the More from Magnolia Bakery)
1 3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 eight ounce package cream cheese (softened)
1 stick butter (softened)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup raspberry preserves
powdered sugar for garnish
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 9 oversize muffin cups with oversize liners or grease and flour cups. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt,. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese, butter and sugar until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs and beat well. Add the dry ingredients in two parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, filling them about two-thirds full. Drop about 3 teaspoons of raspberry preserves on the top of each bun and, using the tip of a sharp knife, swirl the preserved into the batter. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the bun comes out clean.
Allow the buns to cool for about 30 minutes before dusting with powdered sugar.
A new baby girl arrived in town. I couldn’t resist making a mini cupcake hat for her, just for fun. To go along with it, I also made a vine lace cap for fancier occasions.
This week I was lucky enough to be chosen theme queen for Pip‘s meme, My Place & Yours. I’m asking everyone to share her/his “secret weapon”. No deep dark secrets here, just something you keep close to your creative heart. It could be your fav crochet hook, or maybe your go to fabric shop, or even the perfect shade of red lipstick that makes your day. Whatever it is, it should something that you know you can go to in a pinch and it will never let you down. Have fun, and I can’t wait to see what you come up with! You can find all the players here.
Now mind you, when I sent that off to Pip, I had something in mind, but then Thursday happened. It wasn’t a horrible day, but just the kind of day where you go to the store for green bananas and green grapes and the shelves for green bananas and green grapes are bare. Then, in the afternoon, you think, today would be good day to set up your new mail accounts on your computer. Then 7 customer service representatives and 2 hours later you finally have you email set up but can’t stop to read it because it’s time to pick up the kids from school.
Anyway, by the time the kids got to bed, I knew the only thing that was really going to help was magic ice cream.
Now, let me start by saying I know this isn’t a pretty picture. However, magic ice cream is one of those rare things where function is more important than form.
It’s something the spouse invented back when I was still working retail. After a nasty day he would mix up a batch for me and the world didn’t seem so bad. It still works.
magic ice cream
one bowl vanilla ice cream
mix in a big spoon of peanut butter
a generous handful of mini chocolate chips
some butterscotch chips
a nice swirl of chocolate syrup
mix well
acceptable variations include
all sorts of crushed up candy bar
nutella
any sort of caramel sauce
marshmallows
