A VERY Vanilla Birthday Cake!

Yummy Vanilla!

I asked my Spouse what kind of cake

he wanted for his birthday and this is what

he said… “ I want a dense, moist, vanilla

cake.” When I probed further he indicated,

a vanilla filling with vanilla frosting. So,

I said, “you want a wedding cake!…

You got it!”

I tease about his love of vanilla but vanilla

can be rich and VERY satisfying.

I fist sought out the cake recipe. I chose

this one by haute apple pie

but adapted it to my husbands vanilla desires.

Very Vanilla Yogurt Cake:

4 cups all purpose flour

2 1/2 cups sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2 cups Vanilla yogurt

2/3 cup Vegetable oil

4 eggs

4 tsp. vanilla extract

2 tsp. vanilla powder

Yields: 2- 9inch rounds

preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour

bottom and sides thoroughly. Mix together dry

ingredients and set aside. In a separate bowl,

mix together yogurt, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract.

Finally, pour yogurt mixture with the dry

ingredients and stir until just combined.

Pour half the batter into each of your pans

and bake for about 40 minutes or until Golden

and toothpick comes out clean. Let cake cool for

5-10 minutes then flip cake out on to wire

rack.

Now for the filling! I made a Bavarian Cream!

It was adapted from this Food.com recipe.

Very Vanilla Bavarian Cream

8 oz. softened cream cheese

2 small boxes of instant pudding mix

2tsp. vanilla powder

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup whipping cream

12oz. Cool Whip

Mix together cream cheese, dry pudding mix,

and vanilla powder until smooth on medium

speed. Then add milk and cream, and beat

on medium for two minutes or until smooth.

Fold in cool whip.

Now that my cakes are cooled I am ready to

add my cream center! (my layers were not the

same size and worried that I wouldn’t be able to

properly “fill” my cake. so I decided to take a little

from the top/bottom of each cake)

The picture explains…

 

I then filled and stacked them realizing

the removal of some of the cake was not only

not necessary, but weakened my top cake!

It turned out that the two cakes were not

that different in size!

Since it was like 3:00 a.m. I decided to wrap my

cake tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate

overnight to firm it up for decorating.

(Also not wanting to waste the removed cake, and

coincidently needing a nice thank you gift, I dug

out two clean mason jars. I layered the bits of

cake alternately with the extra Bavarian cream

and added layers of a homemade blueberry syrup

that I made for a Sunday Brunch. They were a huge

hit! and made a small mistake into a blessing! )

I felt quite resourceful!

Okay on to day two:

The Perfect Vanilla Butter Cream Frosting!  

Adapted from foodnetwork.com

3 cups powdered sugar

1 cup butter room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla powder

2tbs. whipping cream

In standing mixer, fitted with a whisk, mix

together sugar, vanilla powder and butter. Mix on

low speed until well blended and then increase speed

to medium and beat for another 3 minutes. Finally,

add cream and continue to beat on medium speed

for another minute or so. Check for consistency,

and add more cream slowly,

if needed for spread-ability!

I was tempted to leave it this beautiful white

snowball but the artist in me could not

leave this blank pallet for long. I went

with simple berries to keep the illusion

of simplicity.

The outcome:

“received two thumbs up from MR. Vanilla, little vanilla

licked his plate clean and our guests loved it too! By the way this

was my first successful homemade cake and only second frosting! " 

Linked up at: Pinching Penny Party  Blue Cricket Design  Creations By Kara

Sew Much Ado  Gingersnapcrafts *Tip Junkie  733  Transformation Thursdays

Somewhat simple  Show off your stuff  HOH  Thrifty Thursday  Under 100

thesasselife  Freestylefriday  Simply Sweet Home   Show and Tell Friday

 Blissful and Domestic  Social Saturday   the shabby creek cottage

Whipper Berry  504   Sassy Sites    Be different Act Normal  six sisters stuff 

 *Iheartnaptime- Sundae Scoop   Tuesday Talent show

Pin It

Waffles made easy

Happy National Waffle Day!

Who knew?

I am a long time lover of the canyon like nooks and crannies

of this great and traditional breakfast treat but I had no idea

it had it’s own holiday! YEA! What an awesome excuse to have

my favorite!

Okay, so… I have had our waffle iron for longer than I can

remember and sadly is has been a neglected appliance!

Now, I have a couple of slightly embarrassing secrets to admit.…

First, I have been prone to buying premade/toaster ready waffles.

Yep, there, it’s out there, I said it, I am ashamed, but I said it.

I won’t be telling you exactly how many boxes a week I

would buy, but it is staggering when I think about

the amount of money I threw away…. for wafer-thin

less than tasty store bought waffles.

But Folks I am here to change my ways!

Well, some of my ways! My second secret is when I do

make them at home, I use Krusteaz pancake/waffle mix.

I know, I know! There are tons of great recipes out there

but honestly… I like the –eaz of Krusteaz, of dumping

unmeasured amounts of mix with an eyeballed amount of water

to create perfect pancakes and waffles EVERY time!

(Just so you know I am not getting anything from Krusteaz

for this post I just happen to be a fan!)

This picture tells no lies! It speaks for itself: Perfection!

Not only are waffles wonderful to eat and easy to make

they freeze quite well and take no extra effort to do so.

(I say this as I hang my head in shame thinking of all

the times I put boxes upon boxes of waffles in my cart.)

See, when I do make the “extra effort” to make pancakes

or waffles I make enough for an army and then forget

to invite them, so I can stock my freezer!

 

My waffle maker makes 4 giant waffles at a time and they

stack neatly in gallon sized freezer bags. I placed a sheet

of wax paper in between each layer to keep them from

sticking!

Since these waffles are more dense and bigger

than the store-bought counterparts, you can eat one for

every two or three of the boxed variety.  This

is a FAR cheaper option especially since the boxed

versions have recently went up in cost by 25-50%!

Dress them up,

celebrate them however you choose!

Have them for breakfast, brunch, linner or dinner,

but make them at home and freeze them for

later! Your family will love you, your budget will

be greater!

 

Happy Waffle Day!

 

Linked up at: Women who do it all  *Tip Junkie  penny pinching

Pin It

Popcorn Rocks Rock!

Playing with Rocks

My nephew found a really cool but simple

souvenir at the Northern Arizona Museum.

He was first attracted to the name “popcorn rock.”

 

I have to admit I too was very curious!

I was also attracted to the interactive/learning

 experience compared to your typical selection of

stuffed animals, magnets, and generic toys stamped

with a logo. We both went to the register eager to take

our prize home. (My thoughtful and frugal nephew

picked a package with two rocks! He got to take one

back to Phoenix and I kept one here with the promise

of pictures to compare our results.)

 

The instructions are simple. You place rock in a

solid container, poor enough plain vinegar to cover rock

and then wait. The crystals take about two weeks

to begin to form but once they do the results

are impressive!

 

This was a fun learning experience for as little as $3.00!

I would have loved to bring this into my 4th grade classroom

for science, observation, writing, hypothesis and so much

more. You can research this rock easily on the internet

and you can find several websites to purchase it.

Thought I would share another cool find!

Learning can happen anywhere not just at

school!

 

LINKS: penny pinchers  Women who do it all  *Tip Junkie

Pin It

Shutterfly's Photo Books and MORE!

Serious Scrappin’ With Shutterfly!

 I am a scrapper convert. Up until about a year ago

I placed my beloved family photos on beautiful paper,

embellished with all kinds of stickers, ribbons, rivets,

and more. A change occurred during one clarifying moment

as I was lugging my box of very heavy, but very treasured

scrapbooks. I realized that my children and posterity were not

going to want to pack, move,or store these very heavy, very

awkward boxes of scrapbooks. As my sadness of this

thought grew, an amazing realization hit me. Just like DVD’s

took over for VHS tapes; electronic scrapbooking is taking

over for the traditional three ring binder scrapbooks!

They are faster to put together,lighter, and more durable.

You can still journal your memories, preserve your photos

but  most important to me:

they take up about an 8th of the space!

 

 

Shutterfly not only offers a FREE online service to hold

and manage your pictures electronically, but you can create 

a professional and memorable album to be treasured for

many years to come. Shutterfly  offers a variety of themes

covers, backgrounds, and embellishments.

I love this very user-friendly site. My favorite feature is the

storyboard option where you can drop your pics into strips to

organize your photos by event. Then the system will automatically

provide the best layout options from your storyboards  and creates

your album! Once this is done the fun begins as you customize

by adding frames,stickers, and journaling.

What a time saver! Yet still personalized.

 

Not a big scrap-booker?

Shutterfly has something for you too!

They offer a simple system for those who do not want

to have to customize in detail and simply want their

photos printed and organized. They call it the Simple

Path. You choose the photos and theme, and the

system does the rest of the work for you!

 

 

 

But wait there’s more!

Shutterfly offers more than just photobooks!

Did you know that Shutterfly offers customizable

babyshower announcements? They have all the latest

styles to meet anyone’s shower theme.

 

 

Not planning a party or shower?

That’s okay, Christmas is fast approaching and

we all know that getting those Christmas cards out

are an essential tradition for us to update family and friends

on our year. As we all know, time is precious during the busy

holiday season but,  Shutterfly makes it possible to do it all by

offering their customizable Christmas Cards. I am

already planning my cards for this year. I have chosen

a  trendy photo collage template that my family

will love to display in their homes all year long!

 

Shutterfly offers so many options to meet

all of  your stationary needs. From wedding invites to

thank you notes!

Which feature would you be most likely to use?

 

Share “Have your own blog?  Register for a chance for a free photo book from Shutterfly  http://goo.gl/K5hUC” on your Facebook, Twitter, Google +, and other social media.

 

 

Pin It

Brownie Pudding

A Dream of a Dessert !

This is by far my favorite Dessert of all time.

It has everything a girl could ask for:

Chocolate cake with thick, rich molten

sauce topped off with an ice cream of her choice!

I Present(with sounds of harps): Brownie Pudding!

 

It is a bit strange in the construction but trust the recipe

it works every time!  This Recipe was given to me from

My mother in law, Jane. Thank you!  

 

For your Dreams to come true you will need:

1 cup sifted flour

3/4 sugar

2 tbs. cocoa

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

_________________

1/2 cup milk

2 tsp. veg. oil

1 tsp. vanilla

 1 cup chocolate chips

3/4 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans)

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup cocoa

1 3/4 cup hot water

 

 

The first step is to sift together the first 5 ingredients.

Once sifted, add milk, oil, and vanilla and mix smooth.

Now fold in nuts and chips and spread into 8x8 pan.

This is the “brownie part”

Here comes the strange:  Mix the brown sugar, and

the 1/4 cup of cocoa, once combined, sprinkle

the dry mix evenly over the top of the first layer.

Stranger yet: Pour hot water over batter, Yep,

poor it right over the top!

Place it in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes.

(When you hear the harps again) From your

oven magic will have happened and the

Brownie is now on top and there underneath

is hot molten chocolate sauce!

You’ll want to serve it warm of course, but do resist

the temptation of shoveling it in before anyone

knows it’s done, I used the word molten for a reason!

 

Scoop generous portions into bowls and place a

scoop of ice-cream on top and watch it roll deliciously

down the sides of your dessert. Find yourself a comfortable

place to kick your feet up.

 

Now cue harps , allow your eyes roll back into

your head as you take your first bite!

Wow, you have just realized that …

Dreams really do come true!  

Linked up with:

Making the world cuter Monday  Craft Craftomaniac

Keeping it simple sumossweetstuff Skip to my lou

*Tip Junkie  sugarbeecrafts Gingersnapcrafts

Just a girl  Show and Tell Friday Blissful and Domestic

the shabby creek cottage Whipper Berry

Iheartnaptime day and age design six sisters stuff

thriftydecorchick   The More the Merrier

Pin It

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

Trying Something Different!

So, a couple years back I realized that my cooking had

become very narrow. Growing up in the Southwest,

I found that I was dependent upon, garlic, and onion, for

EVERY dish. Then it was on to cilantro, cumin, chili and

tomatoes…. I was in a cooking rut! So, in order to break

the pattern I chose something completely different…

There is nothing Southwest about Chicken Cordon Bleu

but it was more time consuming than I wanted to invest,

So, I decided that a casserole would be more reasonable.

I would achieve the same flavors but not all the work!

1 ham steak

2 breasts of chicken

2 cans of Cream of soup (I went with celery and chicken)

3/4 of a bag of croutons (I used Garlic butter)

*5-6slices of Processed Swiss

4-5 slices of your favorite deli Swiss

1 tsp of each:  ground mustard, sage, poultry seasoning,

and paprika. (all of these are to taste really)

(also you can see Chicken bouillon)

*Now, let me explain my choice in cheeses… The first time I made

this I found that the regular Swiss did not provide the creaminess

I was looking for So, I went back and added the processed cheese

for the smoothness and the Deli Swiss for the flavor!

In a mixing bowl, combine seasonings and soups.

Boil chicken: (since I always use boneless, skinless chicken breasts

I try to add back the chicken flavor by boiling my chicken in either

stock or water with good bouillon/ powdered the cube is a pain )

Cube Ham, Chicken and cheeses then add them to the bowl and

mix well.

Spread mixture into a 9x13 pan (since we only have 3 in our family

I place mine in two 8x8 pans. One for tonight and one for the freezer!)

Take or 3/4 bag of croutons and crush them (this is where the kids have fun!)

I use the croutons instead of your regular breadcrumb topping because

they hold up better and keep their crunch, which is going to make

for a more convincing Cordon Bleu!

Place in a 350 degree oven for about 25-30 minutes or until bubbly

and hot all the way through.

Because Swiss is such a rich flavor I usually serve it with a simple

salad on the side and with mashed potatoes because of the

gravy like sauce.  Forcing myself to cook with different flavors

gave us this Family Favorite we hope you ENJOY!

(p.s. to my disappointment and giggle I later found that this was

hardly an original idea there are other versions all over the net!) 

This dish was/or will be linked up to:

I Heart Naptime Just a girl Show and Tell Friday

the shabby creek cottage six sisters stuff

thriftydecorchick craft o maniac Skip to my lou

making the world cuter Gingersnapcrafts

sumossweetstuff day and age design Blissful and Domestic

Keeping it simple CRAFT tipjunkie sugarbeecrafts whipperberry

The More the Merrier

Pin It

An old time snack into something more.

Cheese and Crackers

For as long as I can remember my mom has always

loved to snack on cheese and crackers. She would

cut a few slices of cheddar from a block and throw

them on a few crackers maybe butter crackers, veggie

or occasionally a melba toast. Admittedly, it is simple

and maybe a little rugged but it did it’s good in

a busy life of raising kids.

 

 

I found myself the other day needing a snack that was not

loaded with sugar and did not require prep or cooking.

Nuts are a great source of protein so I grabbed a handful

and like my mother, I love cheese! Put them together on

my favorite snack cracker and BAM! 

There is something about those little elegant packages and

the creaminess of the cheese that make it feel upscale.

(and I admit I was enticed by the recent commercials for the

soft cheese wedges with only 35 calories, and bought two wheels!)

An old time favorite with a twist! Makes me feel like

I’m at an expensive hotel or spa.

 

What simple snack makes you feel good inside?

Pin It

Life long Souvenir… cool find!

I Love National Parks!

 

While visiting the Walnut Canyon visitor center

we recently discovered a really cool souvenir!

They are called Passports. There are three

versions; Junior, Standard and one that

comes in a large three ring binder that can be

added to with extra inserts. (We went with the standard)

 

The book is organized by regions and the concept

is that every time you visit a National Park or

Monument you stop in the visitor center and

stamp your passport! The stamp or “cancelation,”

  as they call it, is dated and includes the name

of the park. In the picture below you can see that the

pages have two boxes.

The top portion is supposed to be for a colored commemorative

picture called a regional stamp. (I would describe it as a sticker.)

The stickers you have to purchase separately the cancellation

stamps that you see here are free. I chose to conserve space

and use the entire page for cancelations.

 

The passport was about $10.00  and came with

a map of the U.S. marking all the National

Parks and Monuments. What a cool treasure for

my son and a fun tradition for our family! We have already

visited four different places right around Flagstaff.

It has now inspired us to plan a National Park

Vacation next summer!

I Love the Grand Canyon,

What is your favorite National Park or Monument?

Linked up at: Iheartnaptime, tipjunkie, sugarbeecrafts

Blissful and Domestic Just a girl Whipperberry

Pin It