Valentine's Wishes!

I have been having a good time changing photos

using the Waterlogue app on my iPad.

Here is a Waterlogued photo of me with a dozen red

roses I received from my sweetie for Valentine's Day today!

(He knows I love flowers!!)

 

Here's wishing all of you a Happy Heart's Day

and may your day be overflowing with all things pink and red!

 

Happy Valentine's!

 

Fondly,

~Karen



Sweet Peas and Cherry Cupcakes

Spring is here, yippee!

We are in Daylight Savings Time when it stays lighter longer...

and Sweet Peas are in bloom!!!

I picked up Sweet Peas at the Farmers' Market this morning.

I got more compliments as I was walking with them

and I told each person they had to smell them as I let them. 

Not only are Sweet Peas gorgeous but Sweet Peas smell amazing.

They are my favorite flowers.  Can you tell?

It was something my grandmother and I planted each year. 

She liked to plant her seeds early September in the So-Cal desert

but I liked to wait until the end of September (sometimes October!)

on the Coast, otherwise mine bloomed in February - too early 

for spring. Seeing these Sweet Peas made me very happy.

I had plans to make cherry cupcakes and these Sweet Peas

colors tied right into the color-scheme - perfectly.

 I found this recipe for a Cherry Flower Power Cake and

Cherry-Almond Butter Frosting on the Better Homes and 

Gardens website here.  Both the cake and the frosting

get their flavor and color from maraschino cherry juice.

I decorated them with fondant flowers, cut-out 

and painted with edible luster dust.  Check back here in 

another day or two and I will show you what I used

to make these fondant flowers.

I decided to pipe my frosting using a large star 

tip, making it look like ice cream on an ice cream cone.

I could taste the maraschino cherry juice in both the

cake and the frosting and it is a nice flavor surprise!

Here is their recipe.  Remember, I made cupcakes instead of the cake

and used fondant instead of their Candy Clay.

Cherry Flower Power Cake

Courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens

Makes 24 servings.

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter (1-1/2 sticks)

6 egg whites

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/4 cups buttermilk

1/2 cup maraschino cherry juice

2 1/4 cups sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

3/4 teaspoon almond extract

1 recipe Cherry Frosting

1 recipe Candy Clay (optional)

Directions

1. Allow butter and egg whites to stand at room temperature for 30 mins. Meanwhile, grease a 13x9x2-inch baking pan with butter; line bottom of pan with parchment. Grease paper. flour pan with all-purpose flour; set aside. In medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. In 2-cup glass measuring cup, combine buttermilk and cherry juice; set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 35 degrees F. In large mixing bowl, beat butter with mixer on medium to high for 30 seconds. Add sugar, vanilla, and almond extract; beat until combined.  Add egg whites a little at a time, beating well after each addition  Alternately, add flour mixture and buttermilk mixture, beating on low after each addition until combined.

3. Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake for 45 mins. or until top springs back when lightly touched. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 mins. Remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Cherry-Almond Butter Frosting

Courtesy Better Homes and Gardens

Yield: 4 1/2 cups.

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

8 cups powdered sugar

6 tablespoons maraschino cherry juice or milk

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Additional maraschino cherry juice

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, beat softened butter with mixer on medium until smooth. Gradually beat in 2 cups of the powdered sugar. Slowly beat in cherry juice or milk and almond extract. Gradually beat in remaining powdered sugar. If necessary, beat in additional juice, 1 teaspoon at a time, to reach spreading consistency.

Tip: If milk is used instead of cherry juice, use red food coloring to tint the frosting pink.

Happy Spring, Happy Easter, and Enjoy!

This week I will be joining

Seasonal Sunday

Thank you for visiting!

Fondly,

Karen

Antiquing and Thrifting Along the Way

You all have heard the phrase, "I brake for yard sales"?

Well, I brake for antique stores.  A close second is thrift stores.

Although, I can't say my heart beats quite as fast.

As Mom and I headed up Highway 395, we anxiously 

searched for any and all antique and thrift stores.

I want to share this antique store.  Once again, I

zero in on the garden section and start clicking my camera.

Just a random mix of plants with some
fun stuff mixed in.

I love this turquoise chair.  Look at the flowers stuck in a pail!

This just looks happy to me. 
Look at the flower made
out of dishes! A sunflower perhaps?

I ended up bringing home six milkshake iced tea glasses,
some older special interest cooking magazines (50 cents each!)
and an entertaining book authored by the former butler
to Princess Diana and the royal household.
Mom scored with a depression glass dessert cup (the
Madrid pattern she thinks), mini bottles for her bottle
tree and Corelle dishes in the Blueberry Bouquet pattern.

We were very happy travelers, I'd say!

Thanks for visiting!

Fondly,
~ Karen

Moseying Up Highway 395

Mom and I took a four-day vacay up Highway 395

which put us east of the Sierra Nevada mountain range.

Home of Mt. Whitney, California's highest mountain peak

with an elevation at it's summit of 14,505 feet (4,421 m).

We found ourselves visiting quaint towns.

One boasting a courthouse from 1880

(move over trees!)

and one having an upside down house!

You thought I was kidding, didn't you?

This town was home to Schat's Bakkery.  

Home of the original Sheepherder's Bread. Yum!

A lucky stop included this coffeehouse.  How adorable is that name?

As I ordered my Iced Latte and my mom a warm Latte.

I looked out the back window...

To my absolute delight was this amazing garden!

I couldn't grab my camera out of my bag fast enough!

If you look closely, along with sunflowers (they re-seed themselves!), 

hollyhocks, and cone flowers, you will see a peach tree, squash (!!), 

and a row of carrots behind the nasturtiums.  

It was truly a joy to see such beauty!

A beauty that stayed in my head all the way back to So Cal

along with memories of a special vacation spent with Mom.  

Thanks for visiting! 

This week I will be joining:

Fondly,

~ Karen

Crudité Centerpiece with an Herb Dip

Here we go!  An offering of crudité and centerpiece all-in-one!  
How about that?

For this warm evening, I kept the table light-colored and served Barefoot Contessa's

Herb Dip with vegetable crudités and chilled flavored water.

I just love, love, love this Sangria basket from World Market.  It actually

comes with the glass carafe and six glasses.  Someday, I just may actually serve 

Sangria in it!  I used it previously HERE as a floral centerpiece.

This time, in its glasses I served orange and yellow peppers 
(full of antioxidants and vitamin C!), my picked okra (Yes! I made it!), 

green olives stuffed with sun-dried tomatoes,

and crunchy Italian breadsticks.  All delicious dipped in the Herb Dip.

The chilled water is flavored with cucumber slices, lemon, 

and rosemary.  Very refreshing.

Each guest enjoyed their own arrangement of 
Nasturtiums and rosemary.

I captured the Nasturtiums from this potted plant before they
could fade away as the end of Summer approaches. (sigh....)

Barefoot Contessa's Herb Dip is a cinch to make and a
great addition to anyone's repertoire of recipes.

 You mix cream cheese, sour cream, mayo, scallions, fresh parsley, 
fresh dill, salt and pepper together...

until you have this creamy and delicious herb dip that you
and your guests will love! 

Herb Dip

Source:  Barefoot Contessa, 2004

Ingredients:

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup mayonnaise

4 scallions, white and green parts, minced

2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves, minced

1 tablespoon fresh dill, minced

1 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.

Place the cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, scallions, parsley, dill, salt, and pepper in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and blend.  Serve at room temperature.

This week I will be joining the following linky parties:

Style Sister's Centerpiece Wednesday

Kathleen Cuisine's Let's Dish Wednesday

Between Naps On The Porch's Tabletop Thursday

Rattlebridge Farm's Foodie Friday

The Tablescaper's Seasonal Sundays

I hope all of you are enjoying your Summer.
Thank you for visiting!

Fondly,
~ Karen