Cake:
1c sugar
1/4c butter
2 eggs
1/2c milk
1 1/2c flour
2tsp. baking powder
1t vanilla
Combine all ingredients, pour into a dish a bit smaller than a 9×13″ (read, I am too lazy to get up and measure my pan). Sprinkle with sugar. Bake 20-30 min at 375.
Top with fresh strawberries, raspberries or whatever berry is in season and fresh (the real stuff) whipped cream.
Not the best shot I know, but it is for friends so I can’t cut into it. I licked the spoon after making it so I know it will taste good (oh, come on you know you lick the spoon too!). Best part- I’m sharing the recipe (it was my grandmothers) and it is SUPER easy.
My weekend goal is to post the Vintage Sheet Skirt tutorial, so be sure to come back on Monday! Have a great weekend!
…here we go again! I coordinated a last minute girls night out last night. Two of my favorite girlfriends and myself went to see Mama Mia. What a hoot! It is every bit as cheesy and over the top as the reviewers say but to me that was the charm and humor of the film. The acting was over exaggerated, as you would see in a stage production, but I really enjoyed the whole thing. I have to say my favorite part was the “Lay All Your Love on Me” song when the men come out of the ocean in fins and dance on the pier, it was the ultimate in cheese but I couldn’t help but laugh out loud! I’ve since spent the rest of today listening to Erasure’s ABBA-esque.
The best part of the evening was the 2 hour gab fest we had in the parking lot after the movie was over. Nothing beats good old fashioned gabbing with your friends. My husband has the hardest time trying to figure out what we could possibly talk about for 2 hours in a deserted parking lot! If you are looking for a fun girls night out movie, I totally recommend this one. Make sure you stay through the closing credits so you too can enjoy the humorous visual of Colin Firth and Peirce Brosman in aquamarine spandex! Since my goal was to have a fun night out with my girls I would say the mission was accomplished!
Once a month we gather with our nearby family for Sunday dinner.
sugar cookie base, cream cheese frosting (8oz cream cheese + 2c powdered sugar) and fruit!
While on our date last night the son asked if we could have pizza for dinner today, I said yes. I made the dough (using my friend Kathleen’s recipe that she gave me at my bridal shower) and let the kids construct the actual pizza.
After the crust you need pizza sauce, make sure you spread it all around.
Then you’ll need to add cheese, lots and lots of cheese. We used the shredded pizza blend with some sharp cheddar (i heart good cheddar).
Because they are kids and their pallets are limited, you will need to have lots and lots of pepperoni on hand.
Bake for 15-20min or the crust starts to brown, cut and serve!
Another fun summer idea brought to you from the mouth of a 6 year old!
My kids like Mac N Cheese from a box, hubby likes homemade Mac N Cheese, I like to add things to my Mac N Cheese. We’ve reached a compromise with what I call “Fancy Shmancy Mac N Cheese”, the best part is that it is super easy to make.
Add 1.5cups of dry pasta (small shell or elbow) to boiling water and cook al dente- set aside.
1/2 med. onion diced
2c milk
1c (or more) shredded cheddar cheese (I mix med & sharp)
2 tomatoes diced
salt to taste
1c bread crumbs
2T butter
2T flour
Add butter and onion to sauce pan and saute on med. heat until onion is tender and translucent. Add flour and stir into the butter and onions. Add milk and cheese, stir until cheese has melted and sauce becomes thick (you may have to add more cheese, I always eyeball the amount). Add salt and diced tomato.
Pour the sauce and pasta into a 2-3qt dish and mix well. Top with bread crumbs and bake at 350 for 30min. I was out of regular bread crumbs and had to use panko as a substitute- which might explain why it looks different. Tonight we served it with diced oranges/bananas topped with honey (more of a breakfast thing, but still very tasty!).
Lemon Layer Cake
3 3/4c flour
3 3/4t baking powder
1t salt
2 1/3 sticks of salted butter (each stick is 1/2cup)
2 2/3c sugar
2 1/4t vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 1/4c milk (or half and half)
1/2c fresh lemon juice
Mix dry ingredients together and then set aside. Blend butter, sugar and vanilla together. Add eggs one at a time and mix really well. Add dry mixture and milk/lemon juice alternatively and mix well.
Pour into 3 prepared (greased and floured) 9″ round pans. Bake for 30min at 375. Cool inverted on wire racks.
Lemon Curd
3 eggs
1/3c lemon juice
3/4c sugar
4T butter
Boil water in a large pot, and leave to simmer. Add everything but the butter to a stainless steel mixing bowl. Put the bowl over the simmering water (your going for the double boiler effect). Whisk curd continually over simmering water for about 10min, until it gets as thick as sour cream. Remove from heat and whisk in butter until melted. Cover and chill in fridge.
Putting it Together
When cake is cooled and lemon curd is chilled you can assemble. Add the lemon curd between the layers. For the top, dust with powdered sugar. Add whipped cream (I had thought about piping it out of a frosting tip for a more decorative look, but changed my mind), and dot with fresh berries of your choice. Serve immediately or refrigerate.
As I have said before, most of the time cooking is a chore. On long Sunday afternoon’s however I love to get dirty in the kitchen. Somewhat reluctantly I cook dinner every night, chore or not we have to eat. My husband is always telling me I make “fancy food” and he wants more “normal” food, whatever the heck that is.
I’m simply at a loss on what sorts of “normal” meals I should cook. What is it that the average amercian family eats these days (especially while battling rising food costs)? I have tried those recipe chain letters and no one ever sends recipes back (I don’t blame them, I hate chain letters too). So, I am begging you to comment and tell me some of the meals that are in your regular rotation.
To play fair, here is what we have eaten the last few days (which I don’t think is fancy at all!).
Tonight is a girlfriends baby shower, I finished her quilt yesterday. This was my first foray into machine quilting, and probably my last! I swear I pinned and pulled and pinned some more but the fabrics bunched and shifted. One thing I did learn…always machine quilt from the same direction!
I think it will still be functional for the baby though…I’m hoping my friend will turn a blind eye to the flaws.
I need to be cutting up fruit for the baby shower, or folding laundry, or deciding whether or not to wax the floors for tomorrows Tea Party, or cutting up fake flowers, or vacuuming…the list of things to do before tonight and tomorrow at 11am is getting longer and longer! This is what usually happens when I entertain, I start to panic that I will forget something. This time though, I am planning ahead. I made the cookies today and will store them so they are ready for the girls to frost tomorrow.
Tonight after the kids are in bed I will make the pink play-doh (I have no idea what to call it, though I know play-doh is a brand name) and go through the dress up clothes.
must clean kitchen now….
I love to cook and bake…on Sunday. I don’t know why but making dinner any other night feels like a chore, however I love spending Sunday afternoons in the kitchen. Today we had porcupine meatballs with homemade tomato soup (way better than the canned). We finished the meal off with chocolate cupcakes.
I spent Saturday trolling the downtown phoenix thrifting scene with my SIL. I found a great old embroidery book, will share patterns this week. Hope you all have had great weekends too!
p.s. MANY thanks to Jackie and Eloire (whose name I adore!)- your packages arrived on Saturday!