Smiles
May 17th, 2012
It has been a while since I shared a photo of my favorite feline- the always amazing Mister Mistoffelees. He sticks close to me and I have to say that it doesn’t matter how I feel or what I may be going through, he never fails to make me smile.
What makes you smile on difficult days??
Wanderlust
May 17th, 2012
Lately I’ve been doing a lot (and I do mean A LOT) of thinking about traveling. It’s no secret that I love to travel- love to explore new places and see new things, learn about new cultures. I think I’d rather travel the world and write about it or share my perspective more than I love to make cupcakes, and believe me- that’s a LOT!
One place that I’ve never been and that has been on my to visit list for a while is New York City- the BIG Apple if you will. It’s somewhere that I could have visited ages ago, but the truth is- I don’t want to go until I can experience it with Samantha. I want the two of us go to on a girls trip (and something that’s definitely in our plans) and take the city by storm. I have no doubt that I’ll enjoy it at its fullest if I experience it with her for the first time. I also think that it would be fun to rent private rooms as opposed to getting hotel rooms, since I know how pricy it can be- especially in the center of all the action. She’s been many times- and there are so many little tips and tricks to see the city and enjoy everything without falling into all the touristy traps that so many fall in.
The same thing with London. I went this past year with my parents, but it’s on my ‘to visit again’ list for next spring. I fell in love with everything about London, and it surprised me because while I knew I would like it- I didn’t expect to love it. There are so many things we missed seeing, but I want to go back and experience even more of this great city and this time rather than staying in a hotel, we may also opt for staying in private rooms. There are many possibilities.
Right now- my main travel focus is on our upcoming trip home. I can’t wait to spend time with everyone, to shop- and just be in the presence of those who have loved me the longest. It’s going to be wonderful. And yes- there will be cupcakes, lots of cupcakes.
“Mac n Cheese” – Quinoa Style
May 13th, 2012
It is definitely no secret that ever since I tried quinoa quite a few years ago now, I’ve been a huge fan. I’ve never really got creative with it- but instead generally cook it in broth, and add a few sauteed veggies in to it and serve instead of rice. I once ate it with gumbo instead of rice (which was delcious in case you’re wondering) and I recently added some seasonings that I got at a Morrocan store to the quinoa when it was cooking- (also delicous). Aside from that, I really haven’t been really adventurous.
Not too long ago, a friend shared that she’d made a ‘mac n cheese’ version using quinoa and just how delcious it was. She shared Moni’s Quinoa Mac n Cheese recipe, which she had tweaked to her own liking and I filed it away in the back of my mind under “to make” in the near future.
Today was that day- I decided that I would also make my own twist to this recipe- and see how it turned out. The above picture is the result. I did change the recipe- I didn’t use leeks- but instead used yellow and red bell peppers, some pink onions and chives. I used low-fat milk and I lowered it to 3/4 cup, plus added a little hot salsa and some low-fat mexican type Velveeta (around a 1/4 cup). I used low-fat shredded cheese and baked as directed.
The verdict? We loved it. I baked it in a 9 x 13 pan as directed and cut it into 9 squares. There are 6 1/2 squares left over, so we’ll be eating it again this week. Marcel also loved it and said I definitely should make it again. I will.
I also think that it could somehow be made into a great breakfast dish using apples, cinnamon and maybe a few walnuts, so I’m going to see what I can whip up sometime this coming week. I’ll keep yall posted on that result.
Bad- Bad- Doggie
May 8th, 2012
Marcel and I went grocery shopping today and four different grocery stores had products on sale that I REALLY needed- so rather than my one or two grocery store shopping- it turned out to be four. You know how it goes- chicken breast filets here, broccoli there… and on it goes..
Well, the old saying that we shouldn’t grocery shop when hungry definitely held true today because I wanted to buy everything but the kitchen sink. Granted- it was good-for-me things, but I still bought a lot of fresh veggies and fruits. This is good right? Right!
The only problem was- I ran out of fridge space after piling in the milk, yogurt etc.. and there was no room left for the three heads of broccoli. I decided that since it was cool in the house- I would just set them on the little table in the kitchen and make space later.
Fast forward 30 minutes later. I was busy and heard JJ in the kitchen, but it isn’t unusual for him to take his bone to the kitchen rug and lie there and munch on it. That’s what I ‘thought’ he was doing. I looked and there he was- in the middle of the floor with a head of broccoli!! He was eating it! Apparently when I stacked them on top of each other, at some point, one rolled on to the floor- so he proceeded to rip the plastic from one end and start chewing on it. I couldn’t believe it! On top of that- when Marcel took it away from him- he kept jumping at Marcel as though he was trying to jump for the broccoli- Yes indeed, that dog is doggone crazy. haha..
Luckily the rest of the broccoli was still covered with plastic and it was ok- but I’m still thinking that I may cook that entire head tomorrow and it will be his dinner. Obviously, like me, he has an affection for broccoli
Results from Rubbermaid Hidden Recycler Giveaway!
May 8th, 2012
As promised- I paid a trip to random.org to input the amount of entries for the giveaway (there were only three of you) and you can see from the photo to your right who the winner is.. I gave each entry a number- as they entered and the winner was number 3- and that’s YOU, Scott! If you see this- will you send me your mailing address so that I can send it on to the people at Rubbermaid and they can get your Hidden Recycler in the mail. I’ll also send you a message in the meantime- to make sure you know you’ve won!
Congrats!!!
Thanks so much to the wonderful people at Rubbermaid for sponsoring this giveaway. I’m already thinking about the next giveaway and what I want to do. So watch this space!
Don’t Forget
May 3rd, 2012
If you haven’t already entered- Don’t forget about the giveaway for the Rubbermaid Hidden Recycler. You can find the information on how to sign-up by visiting this blog post and leaving a comment.
Remember you have to live in the US or Canada to be able to receive the gift- as the sweet folks are Rubbermaid will be sending it your way. It’s a great way to organize your recycled items and keep the clutter off the counter tops.
Fit for a Princess
May 1st, 2012
Towards the end of last week I shared the chocolate crowns that I made, which were going to be a part of the cupcake order I had for the weekend. To your right- you’ll see part of the finished results- The pink cupcakes (fit for a princess) are Lemon Chiffon Cupcakes with Lemon Swiss Meringue Buttercream and the ones on the bottom are Hummingbird Cupcakes with Madagascan Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting- topped with Spiced Pecans. All made from scratch- all made by me.
It was a crazy busy weekend with all the prepping, baking and delivery- plus spending some time with friends and enjoying some time outside at a huge flea type market. I was still not 100%, so was completely exhausted by the time I got in Sunday night- but it was well worth it.
Love and Appreciation
May 1st, 2012
Mom and diddy have both informed me this year that neither of them want a Mother’s or Father’s Day gift. I generally am not swayed by this thought, but they both insist that we continue to save our pennies so that we can make our trip home this year the best ever. Plus, I know that it isn’t about getting something like luminox navy seal or a bouquet of flowers, but more about letting them know how much I love and appreciate them. The jury is still out on what I’ll do- but one thing is for certain- today and every day- they will know how much I love them.
The “Eyes” Have it!
April 27th, 2012
A little earlier I had just got out of the bath and was sitting on the sofa- when I noticed JJ lying on his back, feet up in the air staring into space. It was hilarious- and if he was doing tricks, it would have been the perfect ‘play dead’. I grabbed for my phone to see if I could capture the moment before he moved on to bigger and better things, but he rolled over on his side about the time he realized someone was watching him.
I turned on the camera and kept watching him and as you can see, he was watching me. Look at those eyes- full of love and mischief- lots of mischief. Shortly after I snapped two shots- he came running over and gave the iPhone a big lick. Possibly because it was a bit sticky with powdered sugar from handling it while I was in the kitchen, or maybe just because he loves the camera.
Either way- those eyes melt my heart each and every time he looks at me like that.
Enjoying Every Moment
April 27th, 2012
I can’t believe that in a little over a month that we’ll be heading into the summer months. First, my brothers birthday and then my very own. I’ll turn the big ’4 5′ this year and I’m actually feeling excited about it. I’ve also been thinking about some promotional ideas for a fund raiser that a friend of mine is doing later this year- It’s at a local golf club and I’m thinking that golf ball printing with the name of the event would make a great item for people to play with- then take home as a little piece of memorabilia. Looks like I’m also going to be making the cupcakes, which is also a great thing. So many great things to look forward to this year and I’m ready to enjoy every one.
