Mother's Day Brunch at My Daughter's

Okay, I obviously lagged a week but I wanted to

give kudos to my oldest daughter for her Mother's Day Brunch

she held for me, my mother, and my sister ("the moms").

 

On her menu:

Mimosas

Caprese Egg Sandwiches

Roasted Asparagus

Turkey Sausages

and

are you ready for this?

Paula Deen's Not 'Yo Mama's Banana Pudding

(But made healthier. Thanks Sweetie!)

She said she lightened the banana pudding by

using light cream cheese and light pudding.

 

The Caprese Egg Sandwiches were a newbie to me and I found

them to be delightful and wanted to share how she made them.

 She sliced a nice sourdough bread, topped each slice of sourdough

with a spread of basil pesto, slices of tomato and mozzarella,
and a medium sunny-side up egg.  She then popped them all into the
oven to slightly melt the cheese (warming them up!) and garnished them
with fresh basil leaves. They were delicious!

 

My daughter enjoys cooking, just like her mom. (Me!)

My mother reminds me of how I used to often have one of my

small children up on the counter top with me "helping"

as I cooked.  I guess the seeds were planted!

 

It was a great day to be a mom!

 

This week I will be joining these hostesses:  

 

 

Thanks for visiting!

 

Fondly,

~Karen

Honoring Mothers

Say Good Morning to Muffins!

What a way to start a morning!

Strawberry and White Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake Muffins.

Yum to both strawberries and white chocolate chips!

I saw this recipe while visting Will Cook For Smiles and this is

actually the second time I have made these.

The first time was for my sorority chapter's

breastfast-for-dinner themed social and they were a hit!

The coffee cake muffins are not very sweet but the white chocolate

chips sprinkled on their tops just before baking add that

sweet deliciousness your tastebuds anticipate.

I made a compound butter to serve with them by combining

softened butter with some of the chopped strawberries.

I found these cup/saucers and luncheon plates marked down

at my local Pavillions and thought they would look great with

my frenchy No. 1 basket I had found at Home Goods.

These coffee cake muffins have been added to my breakfast/brunch

recipes and I look forward to making them for future morning guests.

Here is the recipe:

 

 

Strawberry White Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake Muffins

Courtesy of: Will Cook for Smiles

Makes 18 muffins

 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 sticks of butter (12 Tbs), room temperature

3/4 cup of brown sugar

1/3 cup of white sugar

3 eggs, room temperature

1/2 cup of milk

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup sour cream

2 1/2 cups of flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup chopped strawberries

1 cup of white chocolate chips (for sprinkling on top)

 

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line the 12 cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.

2. In the large mixing bowl cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

3. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating on low speed after each addition.

4. Add the vanilla, sour cream, and milk. Beat until well combined.

5. Sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat on low speed until just mixed.

6. Fold in strawberries.

7. Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin pan, filling each cup until almost full (but not completely).

8. Sprinkle the muffins with white chocolate chips.

9. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the muffins are lightly browned on top and a toothpick, inserted in the center, comes out clean.

 

Enjoy and thank you for visiting!

 

This week I will be linking up with

 

The Tablescaper's Seasonal Sundays

A Stroll Through Life's Table Top Tuesday

Cuisine Kathleen's Let's Dish Wednesday

Between Naps on the Porch's Tablescape Thursday

Rattlebridge Farm's Foodie Friday

 

 

Fondly, 

~ Karen

 



Spring Break

By looking at this picture...

any guess where I went for Spring Break?

Look a little closer...

That is the Great Pyramid of Giza looming above the city.  

I went to Egypt. A bit surreal huh? Even for me and I was there!

My trip began with my arriving in Cairo (via Paris!!!) and the next day 
touring the Egyptian Museum where I saw such items as 
King Tutankhamum's (King Tut's) gold, be-jeweled funerary mask, 
second and inner coffins belonging to King Tut, as well 
as other Egyptian artifacts (no cameras allowed). 

From the museum, I went to the pyramids 

where I was met by this ever-so-proud Mr. Camel.

(I later rode a similar one named Casanova.) 

Here are some souvenir vendors with the Sphinx and 

Great Pyramid in the background.  

Seeing the Sphinx gave me the chills - just couldn't believe I was actually there!

After crawling through pyramids, riding a camel, and walking and more walking,

I was ready to grab a bite at a charming restaurant/hookah lounge --

with the ever-so-present Great Pyramid in the distance.

After a few attempts to puff a peach-flavored hookah, lunch was served.

Everything was SO delicious.  I hardly ate half of it and 
its much too late to request a doggy bag now, sadly.

But, of course, I could eat my dessert.
Refreshing mixed fresh fruit with puree.  Yum!
After a stroll through Cairo's flea market
and a trip back to the hotel for a quick
change of clothes, the day ended with a dinner 
cruise on the river Nile!  Ahhhhhh....

The next day brought a flight down to Sharm el Sheikh
with its gorgeous waters of the Red Sea. I know, 
surreal again. Something right out of the Bible!
If you look closely, you can see this resort's "swimming pools"
(holes cut out of the dock over the sea!).  Sharm el Sheikh
is more typically a European tourist destination and known
for its beautiful scuba diving and snorkeling.

I toured "New Sharm" with its many hookah lounges.  Each had
its own theme and decor going on - one after the other, after the other...

Then after a few more days of fun... it was back to the 
Cairo airport awaiting my 3 am flight back to the states!
This was a trip of a lifetime and a trip to remember!

Thank you for visiting...

Fondly,
~ Karen

Spring Fondant Flowers

I recently made some fondant flowers in my Baking Club.  

Our Club made roughly a hundred of these fondant flowers and 

put them on cupcakes which we made and then sold with the  

proceeds going to the Sandy Hook Elementary School.

I made the fondant flowers again for my own cupcakes the 

same weekend I received my copy of the current Southern Living in the mail. 

On it's cover it features cut-out fondant flowers.

They called their's hydrangeas. Aren't they lovely?

The magazine includes steps on how to make them.

 Here are my fondant flowers - ready and sitting pretty.

Air is fondant's worse enemy, so I kept them in a covered 

plastic container until ready to apply.  Also, if you

plan to refrigerate your cupcakes overnight, especially

if you are using a buttercream frosting, wait to 

apply the fondant flowers until the next day.

The flowers themselves are quite easy to make, especially

if you purchase pre-made fondant.  Any cake decorating supply store

sells it, including Michael's.  I keep white on hand and can color it

myself should I wish to.  These tools are made for fondant.  

There are more tools in the complete set but the ones pictured

are the ones I am using for my fondant flowers.  These tools

can be purchased at cake decorating supply stores, 

Michael's, and WalMart.

The fondant is rolled out using a fondant roller, 

cut using a flower cutter of your choice, 

then a texture is applied by a tool of your choice,

and painted with the edible luster dust.  I placed three small

yellow candy sprinkle-balls in the center of my flowers.

These fondant flowers were placed atop my Cherry Cupcakes 

with a Cherry-Almond Butter Frosting. You can find these 

cupcakes and their recipes here.

Thank you for visiting.

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

Around L.A.

There is always something to do in L.A.

By L.A., I mean Los Angeles County and all its cities.

I spoke to a man recently who told me he had lived in L.A.

his whole life and had never been down to San Diego. Yet, he

had also traveled abroad.  It surprised me but, really, if

I had to think about it ,and now that I'm in L.A, there are

SO many things to do in L.A. County that it could happen.
During my stay in Los Angeles, I have had...

walks in my neighborhood along side deer who had come down
from  the foothills (be quiet... and they won't run away!)

Trips to the flea market at the Rose Bowl.
This is probably the largest flea market in So Cal!

I even managed an evening at Staples Center...

to see a Laker's game! (Thanks Kathy!)

Besides the Lakers' team and the Lakers' Girls,

I saw David Beckham! (!!)

Most recently, I took a beautiful early morning

walk in bear country, in the search of waterfalls.

Up the side of a foothill canyon...

until I reached the water falls.

The picture is a little dark due to it being so shaded

but oh, so beautiful!

So, let's see... what to do next?

 

Thanks for visiting,

 

Fondly,

~ Karen