Hello Cupcake, part two!!

Here's a look at the finished product.  Sister added one more flavor to our cupcake tower then frosted them to match some of our favorite Scentsy scents!!  We ended up with Mochadoodle Hazelnut Latte (a combo of Mochadoodle and Hazelnut Latte), Peach Ginger (Just Peachy, Ginger!) and Praline (Central Park Praline).  They were very pretty and incredibly tasty!!  It'll be interesting to see if anyone else uses the idea and to see what flavors they end up with.

Next weekend we're off to Gruene, TX for a frolic!!  Should be a fun trip and I hope we find lots of interesting places to tell y'all all about when we get back.  We've also discovered that Wimberly is an antique-rich little spot as well and Sheli tells us there's a huge antique "festival" down in that area every year.  SWEET!!

Like I said, I really can't cook...

I've always been better in other rooms of the house than in the kitchen. I'll clean the kitchen; for HOURS.  I actually prefer cleaning to cooking.  I'll do the bathrooms.  I'll run the sweeper.  I'd clean the pool if we had one.  I consider cleaning as a perfect form of therapy for me.  Don't get me wrong, I don't go out of my way to find stuff to clean up, but I have been known to spend good portions of beautifully sunny days inside mopping floors.


Yes, I am sick.  And no, I've not consulted a therapist about this.  There may need to be a 12-step program.

I do have other hobbies.  I gardened for awhile, but when it's hot enough out to fry eggs on the back of your neck and the love of your life is lying on the sofa in a comatose state with the A/C blowing overhead and the TV on... well, there's just something totally screwed up about being outside with a shovel and half-dead plants.  I used to sew by hand.  You know, cross-stitch and embroidery.  But my fingers get stiffer every year and the eyes aren't what they were, so that's gone by the wayside as well.  I do still read, but it puts me to sleep so I only read when I'm already in bed.


So, what does that leave me?  I scrapbook.  I know it's the latest "craze" and all that, but I honestly enjoy it and am pretty specific about what I make and how it looks.  I completely dislike anything that could be termed "cute" in favor of things that might be considered a bit off the norm.  I also like to take pictures and (I think anyway) I've got a good eye.  So, I usually take pictures with scrapbooking in mind and that makes things so much easier when it's time to put the two together.

I also like working in the smaller formats.  Most of my books are 8" or smaller.  I love the chipboard books that spell out words and have even made my own when I didn't find the word I needed (Sister and I made our own "Beach" books for our Port A pictures) although I don't think I'd do that again without a machine to make more accurate cuts.

So, here's a sample of the "Engagement Calendar" I'm putting together for Mandy.  It chronicles the year (actually 14 months) of her engagement.  I thought it'd make a nice keepsake.

My other ongoing project is now in it's fourth year.  I started with an 8" scrapbook of Sheli's pregnancy with Justin and am now working on his book for age 2 to 3.  For now, it's almost as much fun creating the books as it is spending time with him.  Actually, it's much quieter...

This one is a bit harder in that I have to remember to get at least one picture of him each month, but it's been fun to watch him grown and change.  Eventually his changes will slow down and (hopefully) there will be other babies to do books for, so I don't know how many more "year" books he'll have.  Initially, I didn't photograph the pages as I went, so I do need to go back and do that against the day I don't have them to hand for reference or to browse any longer.

For now, I have them all while his room at his house gets reorganized.

 

And that beach book turned out a lot better than I'd hoped!!

 

Hello Cupcake!!

It's been a productive day today.  Sister and I have approximately 48 cupcakes (a few were sacrificed for quality assurance purposes) ready to be frosted for Mitzi's Scentsy party on Saturday.  Half are plain old vanilla and the other half are a scrumptious dark chocolate.  The plan is to match the butter cream frosting flavors with Scentsy scents... yummmm!!!  So, from the Martha Stewart "Good Things For Kids" recipe book:

One Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes

 

3/4 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

1 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour

1 1/2 Cups Sugar

1 1/2 tsps Baking Soda

3/4 tsp Baking Powder

3/4 tsp Salt

2 Large Eggs

3/4 Cup Warm Water

3/4 Cup Buttermilk

3 TBSP Vegetable Oil

1 tsp Vanilla

Pre-heat oven to 350.  Line two 12 count muffin tins with paper liners.  In a large mixing bowl, sift flour, sugar, soda, baking powder, and salt together.  Add eggs, warm water, buttermilk, vegetable oil, and vanilla.  Beat on medium speed for three minutes, scraping bowl often.  Divide batter into muffin cups filling each 1/3 full.  Bake for 20 minutes or until tops spring back when pressed. 

Cool completely on wire racks before frosting.  Unfrosted cupcakes can be stored in the freezer.  Freeze in a single layer on cookie sheet then place in a plastic freezer bag.  Thaw completely before frosting.  Should be frosted no more than one day prior to serving.

Check back after the weekend for pictures of the finished product, our tasty display, and party pictures.

We spent the evening planning our next adventure which includes (thanks for the head's up, Mits!!) a Raul Malo concert at Gruene Hall in historic Gruene, Texas in February.  We'll be staying at the beautiful Acorn Hill Bed and Breakfast in their 1905 Victorian House.  Can NOT wait!!  This almost makes up for me missing Plum Lake last fall and any chance at Port Aransas this year.  But I'll be spending the weekend with "the girls" listening to an amazing performance and browsing one of the coolest little hamlets in all of South Texas.  Does it really get any better?

Hey Grandma, what's cooking?

Sister and I have been out of the kitchen more than in lately, but we're due for a cupcake marathon this week so please continue to stand by until we get the oven pre-heated and the batter mixed.  These will be from "scratch" instead of a mix, so will be a true test of our talents (well, hers anyway, I plan to wash dishes and stay out of the way!!).
We're going to match our buttercream frosting flavors to Scentsy scents for Mitzi's party on Saturday.  Should be yummy!!!

We been busy!!

It's been a busy few days for me and Sister.  Saturday dawned cold and rainy, so Belinda and Mits met me up at Sheli's and we helped her paint her bedroom.  She'd done all the preliminary work (moving furniture and taping) so our part was a piece of cake.  Well... not for Mits; I think she's still got a backache from all the rolling!! Thank goodness for Biofreeze, eh?  We managed to get the first coat on and lunch finished (meatball sub sandwich with fresh shaved Parmesan cheese on toasted French bread)

in time to spend the afternoon doing the one thing we all enjoy almost as much as eating... antiquing!!  Sheli has discovered a little oasis a short drive from her new house that has pretty much all the requirements for a perfect day of shopping with her girls.  Historic Downtown Grapevine is an easy walk chock full of shops and sights and eateries.  Our favorite spot to kick off any visit is The Red Shed where Sheli's love for white and French has found it's muse.  On our first trip there we stumbled upon an iron bed so narrow you couldn't possibly turn over in it.  Intrigued enough to check the tag, I discovered it was a hospital bed thus proving once and for all that hospitals really aren't meant to be places for rest.  YIKES!!

Another stop brought this discovery.  A ladies writing desk (or should it be called a Lassie's writing desk?) complete with bagpipes in ormolu.  Normally I don't go for the prissy stuff; I raised kids in a house where prissy wasn't allowed.  But if I'd had a cool $2,400 on me the desk would now be my own!!  Aw well, I don't write much anyway...

After making a coffee purchase (any two flavors in half-pound for the full-pound price!!) from Holy Grounds we headed back to the car and the drive back to our painting job.  Another coat on the now dry walls and we called it beautifully done!!  Reports are coming in daily that Sheli is totally in love with her new sanctuary.  Can't say I blame her; very soothing color choice.

Sunday was rainy and downright cold so I stayed pretty close to the fire.  Luckily, the wood is much drier now so I didn't have to wear a respirator!!  Since becoming a grandmother and wife of a traveling man, my Mondays have been tagged "Recovery Monday" wherein I do all the picking up and straightening and cleaning required to allow the boys full use of their weekends here.  However, I'm still one-half of a pair of pretty busy sisters, so this Monday was "Packing Up At Norma's Monday" instead.  After almost fourteen years, my mother's little apartment is getting some much needed new flooring.  We're ecstatic about it - Norma, not so much.  But I think once she no longer has the worn out and dingy carpet and floors to look at, she'll change her mind!!

Mom moved into her apartment in December of 1997 after Daddy passed away.  The buildings were brand new and she bought new furniture and made a new start.  In the beginning she had lots of friends ("The Biddies" as we called her group) to play cards and yammer and travel with.  But as time has gone by, one by one the Biddies have passed away or moved and Mom no longer plays cards or travels (unless you count the odd trip with B to buy groceries).  Her little apartment is a constant reminder to us all that things wear out and wear down and stop being as pretty and shiny as they used to be.  So I feel like the new floors will serve as yet another new beginning for her!!  While the crew is inside working their magic, we'll load mom up in Vanna and head south to visit another old friend in another old neighborhood.  We'll spend some time driving around Lake Whitney where Mom and Dad once lived and let her see how much things have changed (or not) in the old town.  We'll meet my younger brother for lunch at a Mexican food restaurant that wasn't there in all the years my dad lived near Whitney and complained "Why can't somebody put in a good Mexican food place down here?"  Should prove to be another adventure worth blogging about I think!! 

Finally Friday!!

Sheli sent me this sign to put on our blog...  I'm not sure about this, but I do know country cooking beats "Gucci" cooking all to smithereens and at least you can be certain your fish is cooked!!  I'm off to start a painting adventure.  Don't know if Sister is joining us or not, but it's bound to be hysterical even so.  Me... on a ladder... with a can of paint!!  I've done it before, but I think just because you can do a thing doesn't prove that you should.  In the meantime, y'all behave yourselves and play nice.  Sheree

Friday, could we please have sun?

It's time to get busy if I'm gonna do it at all. Tonight the Rosales kids will be here to spend the night. We will make homemade pizzas (their Friday night tradition) play some games and watch at least one good movie before we slip into pajama-ninnies and make Anna's vanilla vanilla milk. I am mixing up some sugar cookie dough for our sleep over and maybe Mits will make a couple of her new candies for us. I hope you all have a warm and snuggly weekend! Bee

I told you she can make anything...

So, yesterday as I was running the sweeper through the mountain of dog hair that's accumulated in my house in the last few days, I get a text from Sister that says "I think I'll make an ottoman out of a tote!"  And right away I start texting any and all that she's finally gone 'round the bend or maybe there was something in the soup that has her hallucinating!!  (Note to self: Check soup recipe for mushrooms...) Totes are plastic, for one, and therefore not really good choices for furniture.  Secondly, an ottoman is meant for a number of jobs aside from a place to rest your feet.

In the old days they were simply a small raised stool for one person's feet to rest on as they nodded by the fire.  Eventually they became taller and bigger rectangles to better accommodate multiple feet.  Most recently they've taken a more aggressive role as real furniture by being huge squares that you can actually park any number of butts on depending on size and shape.  The best of these (ottoman not butt) are hinged to afford a nice storage area for blankets, throws, magazines and small children.  I continued my cleaning with the satisfied notion that she'd realize the folly of her idea as soon as she tried to park more than her own feet on the thing.

How silly of me to underestimate my sister!!

This morning I got this picture with no text.  I suppose she couldn't figure out how to make the phone snort at me!!  Now taking orders for Belinda's Fancy Tote Ottoman.  You supply the tote and fabric...

For those cold Texas nights

Belinda's Quick and Easy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
6 cups of water

1 pkg long grain and wild rice mix

1 envelope Lipton chicken noodle soup mix

1 celery rib chopped

1 cup carrots chopped

1/3 cup onion chopped

2 cans cream of chicken soup undiluted

1 cup cooked chicken chopped

In large soup pot, saute veggies in a small amount of butter until onion is tender.  Add water, soup mix and rice mix, bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add chicken soup and chopped chicken and continue cooking until rice is tender. This recipe goes together really quick and is hearty enough for the hungriest. It won't last long. Enjoy!!

We're off and rolling!!

Sister did truly like the idea of a joint-blog about food and adventure and she's off and cooking already this morning and sending me pictures to post as she goes!!

But as you can see by the picture above, I am still eating leftovers from the roast and veggies I cooked over the snowy weekend.  What's different about the way I make this dish, however, is the egg noodles used to "finish" off the broth.

My mother-in-law was a farmer's daughter and became a farmer's wife.  She knew recipes for food meant to stick to you while you labored in the fields and when we went to the farm to visit, she cooked a lot of the same foods for us.  With three rambunctious and growing kids to feed, I figured I'd better learn how to make a few myself!!
To her mind, her roasts and chickens were not really worthy of serving unless there was a side dish of "noodles" and some mashed potatoes.  I watched her countless times as she mixed, rolled, and cut the noodle dough, but I never quite got the hang of it.  Thankfully, Reames sells a nice frozen version and if you have a rich broth and let them cook long enough, they're a sorry replacement for Ginny's, but you can eat 'em!!  And if you ladle them onto some good southern mashed potatoes, you can almost believe they're Ohio-farm made.

Ginny's Egg Noodles
2 well-beaten eggs
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup milk
lump of lard about the size of a walnut
3 cups all-purpose flour

Mix flour, salt and baking powder into large mixing bowl.  Cut in lard.  Add eggs and milk.  Dough should be stiff.  Roll out very thin - Ginny cut a brown paper sack open and used it for rolling out her dough.  She was generous with the flour and once the dough was almost paper-thin, she cut it into long strips about a half inch wide.  Then she rolled the whole thing up and stuck it in the freezer for about an hour.
Bring four cups of broth to a boil.  Drop noodle dough by the handful into boiling broth and stir.  When broth comes back up to boil, reduce heat to low simmer and cover.  Stir frequently to avoid sticking.  Serve over mashed potatoes with meat and vegetables. 

aka: How we let ourselves get talked into stuff.

When we were teenagers, my sister moved to Oh-So-Cool Northern California for a short time and when she came back home she'd become a true Kitchen Goddess.  She could make cream pies and homemade bread and savory stews and pretty much anything else she put her mind to.  Being a good older sister, she attempted to teach me to cook as well.

To say I was a miserable failure is laughable.  Suffice to say that, while I might have suspected the way to a man's heart was through his stomach, I never got one date with any guy who first ate my cooking!!

These days I can cook well enough to avoid poisoning anyone.  My preference is to let someone else do it and I'll clean up the kitchen.  I have a few things I make very well, but have never mastered creating a three-course meal from an empty fridge and pantry.  My sister, however, can still make anything she puts her mind to and oftentimes without the correct ingredients.

Recently it was suggested we do a food blog together.  When I got up from rolling around on the floor laughing hysterically, I decided it might not be a bad idea after all.  We'll do a blog, but we won't limit ourselves to just the kitchen and cooking.  We can usually find any number of things to do together and we generally include our daughters as well as friends and other relatives, and food is almost always involved in some manner, so this blog gives me a chance to chronicle our adventures in and out of the kitchen.

I'm actually excited to see what we come up with!!

Wisconsin to New Mexico

Did anyone notice how fast we got across half of the U.S.? My sister drives like a bat outta N. Dallas!

What should I cook today?

My little kitchen stands waiting for me. She knows something is up because yesterday I spent a good amount of time cleaning and making her ready. When you live in a small house with pets cleaning aways comes first (just makes you feel better about it). If you haven't cleaned under your appliances lately you might want to go there first. So I am clean and ready. what will it be. I have several choices today. The bitter cold day outside suggest soup and homemade bread to dip in it. My sweet tooth would like fried pies. I suppose I will do what I usually do and look thru what is available and make my mind up then. See you in a few with my choices. I will take request if you have something in mind.

Looks like my sister chose chicken and rice soup...