Fun Idea for Kid's Birthday Cake! Lotso-Lovin'-Bear!

For a fun new idea of an easy birthday cake to make for your kid's birthday, check out this simple white cake recipe.

Because in the new Toy Story 3 movie they say how Lotso smells like strawberries, so I thought it'd be a cute idea to have strawberry frosting then bright purple for his nose, and I used brown jimmy sprinkles for his eyebrows. Turned out pretty cute!! We were said to cute into it.

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients

* 2 3/4 cups sifted cake flour
* 4 teaspoons baking powder
* 3/4 teaspoon salt
* 4 egg whites
* 1 1/2 cups white sugar
* 3/4 cup butter
* 1 cup milk
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 teaspoon almond extract

Directions

1. Measure sifted flour, baking powder, and salt; sift together three times.
2. In a mixing bowl, beat egg whites until foamy. Add 1/2 cup sugar gradually, and continue beating only until meringue will hold up in soft peaks.
3. Cream butter or margarine. Gradually add remaining 1 cup sugar, and cream together until light and fluffy. Add sifted ingredients alternately with milk a small amount at a time, beating after each addition until smooth. Mix in flavorings. Add meringue, and beat thoroughly into batter. Spread batter in a 15 x 10 x 1 inch pan which has been lined on the bottom with parchment paper.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 to 35 minutes. Cool cake in pan 10 minutes, then remove from pan and transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. This cake may also be baked in two 9 inch round pans for 30 to 35 minutes, or in three 8 inch round pans for 25 to 30 minutes.

Emerill's Waffle Recipe

I decided to try a new waffle recipe and was poking around on Food Network and came across the most delicious recipe ever. It is Emerill's simple waffle recipe and I added chocolate chips, and they were so light and airy; they were like clouds! Be sure to try this recipe out for those you'd like to impress ;) It's quick, easy and just heavenly. The only thing that I did differently was that I used regular, all-purpose flour instead of cake flour and they were still so so amazing. You simply MUST try them! Enjoy :)


Ingredients

* 2 cups cake flour
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 4 large eggs, separated
* 2 tablespoons sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
* 2 cups milk
* non-stick cooking spray

Directions

Preheat the waffle iron according to the manufacturer's instructions. In 1 medium bowl sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a second bowl use the wooden spoon to beat together the egg yolks and sugar until sugar is completely dissolved and eggs have turned a pale yellow. Add the vanilla extract, melted butter, and milk to the eggs and whisk to combine. Combine the egg-milk mixture with the flour mixture and whisk just until blended. Do not over mix. In third bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until soft peaks form, about 1 minute. Using the rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the waffle batter. Do not overmix! Coat the waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray and pour enough batter in iron to just cover waffle grid. Close and cook as per manufacturer's instructions until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Serve immediately.

Old Fashioned Headboard

I stayed at the Flamingo Hotel when I last went to Vegas and they redid the rooms to have a retro '50s/'60s look. I loved the look of the hotel room, and wanted to show everyone the awesome vinyl headboards they had on there. They were a white plastic feel, and would be such a neat look if there were vintage records on the walls. Here's our room.

Result of my pie

Here is my glorious pie that I made yesterday. Couldn't have come out better!

Lemon Meringue Pie

I know it's been a while since I've written but I just made the most delicious lemon meringue pie. . .from SCRATCH! Just as Ms. Bree Hodge would do it :) I got the recipe off of Food Network and it is just heaven.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/lemon-meringue-pie-recipe/index.html

This is the link to literally a slice of heaven. Do be sure to make it for all of your relatives around now. Even though it is actually more of a summer time recipe, it really would impress them! Give it a try sometime.

Chocolate Chip Cookies From HEAVEN!

I made cookies the other day to bring to a presentation I had today...sort of a swaying of their opinions in the long run, if you will..haha. But the recipe, which I got off FoodNetwork.com was simply splendid! Everyone loved the cookies and went back for seconds! When I'm at home next, I'll put the recipe up; it was off of another's own recipe, but I added a few of my own ingredients. Something to look forward to! Tata!

Homemade Jam Muffins!

This morning I thought I'd make a basket of muffins to bring with me into work tonight. The muffins are quite delicious and they are healthy tiny cup muffins with jam in the middle of them and fruit either on top or in the middle as well. They're very good.

Here's the recipe:

1 cup flour
1/2 cup quick oats or wheat germ
1/4 sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1/4 cup cooking oil
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup fresh blueberries, peaches, pecans, etc
butter to grease the tins

- Heat the over 400 degrees and grease the muffin tins if you're not using cups.
- In a bowl mix flour, oats, sugar, baking powder and salt, then dig a hole in the middle.
- In another bowl mix the egg with the milk and oil, and pour this into the hole in the first mixture.
- Stir until mixed.
- Now add the fruit inside
- Fill the muffin cup half way then but a teaspoon of jam in the center leaving batter all around it.
- Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Done!