If you don’t read Sprinkles Bakes, then you should! It is simply a blog of food happiness! Just going through Heather’s site, makes my mouth water and I am always excited to see her name come up in my GoogleReader, because that means there will be a delicious post waiting for me to read!
This video makes me smile and this cake is just pinky-pinky gorgeous. After the day I have had, I could use a giant slice of this heavenly pink confection right now!
I especially love her baking assistants!
There is something magical about the Fourth of July, it is as if it truly heralds in the Summer in all of her glory, of hot days, lemonade, splashing in a pool, riding your bikes, the feel of a hammock on your back, the tickle of a cooling fan over your skin and evenings that are still filled with heat, but surrounded by starry skies, eating dripping ice cream cones off the back porch and stolen kisses.
I know that many families will be celebrating today vs. tomorrow, but I thought I would do a little Fourth of July Round-Up, for all those late minute party ideas and recipes.
This bike would easily win any Fourth of July Parade contest, decorated in all the glory of Red, White & Blue:
What could be better than a take home treat for your guest, or as a sweet to munch on under the stars as you watch the fireworks. To make them, start by partially filling a 2-by-10-inch cellophane bag with blue candies to stand in for stars. Then add red and white candy sticks to mimic stripes. Tie the bag with red waxed twine (Martha Stewart Living):
A spin on the traditional peach pie, adding creme fraiche to this dessert gives it a French twist:
No Fourth of July celebration would be complete without coleslaw, there is nothing better than creamy slaw piled high on a grilled dog, oozing with mustard!:
To go alongside those dogs covered in slaw, you need a good old-fashioned cheeseburger:
I hope everyone has a wonderful Fourth of July!
(All images copyright Martha Stewart)
I love S’Mores. They hold within those cookie walls the best of Sumertime nights. The freedom of being little, running through the grass barefoot, eating grilled hot dogs, chasing lighting bugs and roasting s’mores over the open grill.
For those of you who are not familiar with a s’more, it is a toasted marshmallow that is laid upon a piece of chocolate and they are both sandwiched between two graham cracker cookies. We didn’t always use graham crackers in my house though, my Mom would buy the Keebler chocolate covered cookies and we would mush our roasty toasty marshmallows in between those! HEAVEN!
Unfortunately, our little cottage does not have a space that allows us to grill, but that doesn’t stop Mr. Michie and myself. We simply spread our ingredients out on the coffee table and light a candle, which acts as our “grill”. So, you too can even make delicious s’mores indoors as well as out!
Here are a few S’more recipes or variations on the theme that I came across as I was blog reading this week, so they must be a hot topic! Click on the name to be taken to the recipe:
(all images copyright their respective blogs)
I love the “perfect bite”! Do you know what I mean? The perfect bite of sweetness and these pops look like the perfect bite.
Looks like Summertime happiness to me!
(Found on Hip Hip Hooray)
Today is the day of the Royal Wedding and I am very excited! Just what the World needs right now with everything that is going on, a happy event that is all about LOVE!
Here are a few Royal Wedding Round-Up Ideas just for you:
1) If you are throwing a party with your friends to watch the “Big Day”, go to Design Editor to print out adorable bunting, labels and even your own crown for your festivities.
2) Don’t let your guest go home without a treat. 100 Layer Cake have an adorable and simple idea to package up shortbread for all your wedding attendees.
3) What British Royal occasion would be complete without the dogs? You can find a pattern to knit your own little royal corgi here.
*(All images are copyrighted to their respective blogs)
If life gives you lemons, make lemonade as the embroidery sampler in my Mom’s kitchen says! This has been a week, where I just haven’t stopped and I am not going to get the chance to either! I have had a lot of lemons this week and I am making as much lemonade as I can! I might need to set up a stall outside of my house to sell it all.
I have guest coming this weekend, a house that needs to be cleaned, a brunch to prepare for tomorrow and I need to get myself in the mood to entertain. Which normally is not my usual take on things. My parent’s are fabulous entertainers, they have created a home where you always feel “Welcome”, and they have given that gift to myself and my sister. But, this week has been so hectic and next will be as well with Art exams that I am not really in the mood for company. But, I know I will enjoy it when it is all happening.
I was flipping through my cookbooks, trying to find the perfect Spring time dessert for tomorrow and when nothing jumped out at me, I turned to a tried and trusted source: The Pioneer Woman’s Tasty Kitchen Blog. And, it was here that I immediately spotted what I wanted to make. A scrumptious Buttermilk Blueberry & Lemon Cake that looks like it holds the essence of Spring inside it. So, after everything else is done, this is going into the oven tonight, because I have a bowl full of lemons and you know what they say….
Valentine’s Day is almost here and I have collected a few last minute ideas, recipes and sweetness from some of my favorite places to share with you. Click on the images below to be taken directly to the featured project:
Jenny B. Harris of Allsorts has done it again, with this cute Valentine’s Paper Angel. A fun project for your little ones to decorate your kitchen table with:
Serena of The Farm Chicks has created adorably wrapped chocolate brownie bites. A cute idea for the little Valentine Love Bugs in your life:
Eat, Drink, Chic has the most wonderful answer to staying in for Valentine’s. Amy Moss, has designed a DIY Valentine’s popcorn bucket to invite your Honey Bunny to spend a night snuggled next to you on the couch. You just have to provide the popcorn and the right movie:
The lovely Bridget, of Bake @ 350 has taken “bark” to a whole new level with her Sweet Heart Conversation Candy Bark. A great idea to hand out to your neighbours or any little Valentine’s fingers that might be around on the day:
The cute girls at One Charming Party have come up with simple yet effective idea. If you are stuck cooking on Valentine’s night, why not bring as many hearts into the mix as you can. These home made heart shaped pepperoni pieces add a cute flair to store bought pizza for your sweetie pie:
And, just in case you forgot to get a card head on over to Eat, Drink, Chic for some DIY printable Valentine’s cards and envelopes. You can never go wrong with polka dots!:
I spied these lovely pumpkin pies in a jar over at Inchmark and I think they are a beautiful idea, for a little something different!
They would look charming displayed on a table set upon Johnson Bros. “Friendly Village Autumn” luncheon plates. I also think they would be the perfect breakfast, because, you have to keep your energy up as you slave away over that succulent roasted bird and stuffing!
All I need is a spoon and a little extra whipped cream…
(All images copyright Inchmark)
Today, as September comes to a close the last little taste of Summer is clinging to it. Even though the sun shone bright this morning, through the mist on the common, it was still so cold. Our breath hung in little icy moisture droplets above us as we waited for our cherry red bus to come.
I love Summer and all it holds, but I love this time, when seasons change from one into the other and as the curtains draw on the final little bit of Summer and we kiss it goodbye, I welcome, with arms open-wide, all the best that Fall has to offer us. And one such thing is a bounty of gorgeous apples. I grew up on a farm and one of our staple crops were apples. There was nothing better than when my Dad, came home with the first of the year’s apple cider in frosty jugs for us to gobble down.
Apples in season, meant ever-ready bushels of sweetness awaiting us. Thin sliced apples with crackers and hoop cheese, fresh frosty cider, my Dad’s applesauce for breakfast and my Mom’s apple butter spread over hot biscuits. Fall holds a sweetness to it all of its own, a beauty of color and taste.
As we truly kiss the last of Summer goodbye and welcome in Fall, I found a recipe that I thought I would share with you, I have had cookies similar to this growing up and this was just something to delicious not to share!
(Recipe & Image copyright Country Living)
I have been working hard these last few days. I don’t seem to have gotten very far however, this week has been unbelievably busy. I have been out of the house more than I have been in and trying to do all my sewing in the in-between.
But, tonight I am inside, the dishes are done, the iron is hot and I am just about to make some Jenny Wren tags to sew into little bunny and bear legs. Before I do that, I am going to eat the last slice of this:
The marble cake we made for the Fourth of July has managed to stick around a few days longer than I thought since we have been out so much. So, the last slice, is mine! After all, a girl needs to keep up her strength when sewing so many little creatures together…