Tag Archives: Baking

God Bless the USA

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I was a little late on July 4th posting…but better late than never, right?

My daughter, Claire, keeps finding recipes she wants to try.  That seems to keeps us busy at the store and in the kitchen. While she has changed her mind from wanting to be a chef (at 11 years old) to now wanting to be an event planner…I love seeing her love for food and baking continue! Conversations, laughter and memories are made in the kitchen.

OLD GLORY PIE. Find recipe here.  I changed the recipe a bit and used fresh cherries, strawberries and blueberries.  YUM!

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Pizza Pizza

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ZUCCHINI CRUSTED PIZZA

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My daughter LOVES Pizza…so she is always sending me links to low calorie Pizza.  She found this recipe for Zucchini Crusted Pizza and wanted to give it a try.  I was a little skeptical but we ended up really liking the flavor and texture.  In fact, my whole family enjoyed!  Great idea Claire!

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You can make this a little more low calorie by reducing the cheese and the marinara sauce.  It will still be very tasty, satisfying and good for your waist line!!

Recipe is under On the Healthy Side at top of page.  ENJOY!

Easy as Pie.

Posted in Adventures in the Kitchen, Books I Love by

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I smile as I look at this Cherry Pie.  We made this pie for Father’s Day…we were so ready to get it in the oven that our rows of crust did not turn out quite like we had planned. But it was still a sweet and delicious treat and was worth every calorie.

I thought of our family and how things don’t always turn out perfect.  Sometimes we don’t look like a family that has it all together but in the end there is laughter, love and a bond that we wouldn’t trade for anything!  Our family is worth every calorie!! 🙂

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Just a “sweet” extra for you, I am learning the more we do for ourselves, the more we can offer our family. I am going through an amazing book and study with friends called  Emotionally Spiritually Healthy. Here is what the book looks  like and the day to day reading.  If you are looking for something to know yourself better and grow, give this book a try.  I think you will really enjoy it and learn a little along the way!

We’re All Mad Here…

Posted in Adventures in the Kitchen, Books I Love by

..But the Best People Are!

Take a peek at our delightful Tea Party for a dear friend who is retiring…
Great Send off, Great Food, Great Book and Great Quotes.

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I think this was a great way to spend the day since it is “Always Tea Time.”

“…Sometimes I have believed 6 impossible things before breakfast”

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Pretzels are a must!
“EAT ME!!”

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And of course you must have a backdrop!
“I can’t go back to yesterday,
I was a different person back then.”

“i’m not crazy…my reality is just different than yours.”

Thankful for friendships, creativity, food, fun, good books and great relationships!

Life is Sweet

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Each of my daughters have something that is their signature sweet, something they can make at the drop of a hat and it always turns out delicious. My middle daughter’s signature sweet happens to be these lovely Cake Balls.

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IMG_4105[1]These are a bit time consuming and require many steps…but when you bite into one, they are well worth it!  Check out my daughter’s recipe here.  Cake Pops by Olivia Rhine

I think you will see they are well worth your time and energy. ENJOY!

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3 Day Quote Challenge (3)

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Day 3 of the 3-Day Quote Challenge!

(sorry I did not keep the 3 consecutive days in a row for quotes…life got in the way, but here is my final quote)

There are so many amazing quotes that inspire us and challenge us to live better and become better people. However,since I wanted to have all my quotes about food, it was a bit limiting.

As I read this quote it makes me remember that food prepared with love just makes others feel good.  It can inspire us, lift our spirits and turn a meeting into a party!  Julia Child always got it right!

Enjoy your day!

julia child 2Here are my 3 nominations today:

Mrs. Twinkle

The Road Trip Cowgirl

Nourished Peach

Help Down the Rabbit Hole

One Lovely Blog Award

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Thanks to Taylor at Peas Romaine Calm  for nominating me for this award!  I appreciate her sending this to me as I love her blog!   It is so easy to read, love all her creative graphics and her food always looks so tasty!   Her blog is fun just to look at! Check her out and these others as well! Thanks again Taylor!

I think these sweet awards are a great way for me to nominate blogs I love and are inspired by.   Hopefully this will encourage others to check them out as well.  I would nominate Taylor, of course, but I will need to find something she is not nominated for already!  So glad others are finding her blog so interesting.  Way to go, Taylor!

The Rules :

  • Thank the person that nominated you and give a link to their blog.
  • List the rules.
  • Display the award on your post of the award.
  • List seven random facts about yourself.
  • Nominate (up to) 15 bloggers for this award and comment on one of their posts to let them know you have nominated them.

    Random Facts:

    1. I enjoy reading.
    2. I love Mexican food.
    3. I was raised by the two sweetest parents on the earth.
    4. I freak out at blood, cuts or breaks of any kind.  You don’t want me to be the only one around if something tragic happens!
    5. I wish I could dance, I mean really dance!
    6. I have a fear of flying, but make myself do it.
    7. I would love to own my own business.

     

Nominees:

~Jane’s Patisserie  One of my favorite blogs!  Love all her recipes and photos and she is only 23!  Way to go!
~Analiza Gonzales I love her website.  She has recipes and other ideas on fashion and all her recipes look delicious!
~Hungry Girl Por Vida This blog has so many homemade recipes and also some fabulous looking cocktails!
~With All My Affection Love this blog..it is a fashion, beauty and lifestyle blog from an adorable 20 something!  So cute!
~Feasting with Friends Nancy lives in Detroit and  loves to cook and create her own recipes.  She has been nominated for multiple awards, but I wanted to include her because I love her blog!
~Smiling Notes This 20 something year old shares her adventures in travel and cooking.  It is so interesting and I love to look at her travel photos, especially from New York!
~Life with Becky I love this inspirational blog.  Cheryl writes about her daughter Becky and the struggles and triumphs they have.  Cheryl seems like an amazing person to me!
~Why 10 More bites? This is so cute…a mom and husband who love good food and love to share with others.

These are just a few of my faves as I have so many blogs I love to go to for inspiration.

Thanks again Taylor and I encourage you to check out some of these blogs.

Peanut Butter and Chocolate!

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I am not a big chocolate fan…but I do love chocolate and peanut butter!  In fact, these peanut butter balls are one of my favorite things to make.  I usually only make these treats at Christmas, but I had an opportunity to work with a friend who is a wonderful baker.  She needed 600 peanut butter balls for a 40th birthday surprise.  Wow!

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Thankfully she only needed me to make 200!  I was happy to help her and glad that it was something I have made many times…it’s so much easier when I know what I’m doing!

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Find the recipe here for Peanut Butter Balls. Enjoy!

25 Reasons we love Hannah

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APRIL just flew by for me!  It is a month of celebrations in our home.  My husband, daughter, best friend and anniversary are all celebrated in this lovely month.

My daughter turned 25 this year.  Happy Birthday, Hannah!  My family thought of things we each love about Hannah and had a friend of mine (who is my “go to” for graphics) design this for me.  I thought it turned out so cute!

I framed this for my daughter as one of her gifts.  I hope this always reminds her that she is special and unique, loved by her family and a precious young woman that has an amazing journey ahead of her!!  We love you, Hannah!

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Hannah’s Birthday Cake

I have teased my daughter that she is “practically perfect in every way”, since she was a small child. So this “Mary Poppins” cake was perfect for her!

Love this Mary Poppins quote for my office. "In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun.":

 

 

 

Since she had this poster hanging on her wall the first year of teaching,  it seemed appropriate for me to run with this theme!  Happy Birthday Hannah!

I don’t think 25 is too old for Mary Poppins…do you?

 

 

One Cupcake goes a long way

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One Cupcake can say a lot of things:
I am thinking of you
You are sweet
We are friends
You are worth it
I care about you
and last but not least…Happy Birthday!

One of my most precious friends has a birthday in April. She is so kind and always willing to taste my sweet creations and give me her honest opinion…too dense, too sweet, not sweet enough, etc. I love her feedback and trust her palate!! I asked her what type of cupcake she would like for her special day and she requested Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes.

I had made these previously and really liked them, so I was happy when she chose this flavor cupcake.  My husband was too!

This little cupcake says so much more than Happy Birthday.  It says “you are special” and “I am glad we are friends”.

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One last thing…does anyone else out there have a kitchen that looks like this while you are baking or is it just me???

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