New Spring Bags 2011

Hello!

I thought I'd post some pictures of the new bags going into the shop this week. I hope you like them :) Leave a comment and let me know what you think...

The bags will range in cost from $22.50 to $30, depending on fabrics.

Happy Monday, friends :)

1. Aqua Flowers

2. Periwinkle/Aqua

3. Yellow/Gray

4. Lime and Hot Pink

5. Hot pink/Yellow Daisies

6. Orange Floral/Aqua

7. Light Green/Seafoam

8. Lavender Houses

9. Navy/Gray Artsy-bag

10. Lime/Navy Batik

Valentine Crunch

Hello!
It is a gorgeous day outside today. I'm so happy to see the sun!

The eldest and middle child brought us breakfast this morning from McDonald's. Double yoga today, but it was glorious to not have to cook and make a mess.

So what did I do with the rest of the morning? I cooked and made a mess..... :(

Not really. It was more like microwave and "melt" and spend time with my husband and the youngest. Not too shabby, if you ask me.

Since it's Valentine's weekend, I figured I better use up some of my baking stuff. Yesterday, my kids and I made and decorated cookies. Today we made up Valentine Crunch and tomorrow I'll be baking up cupcakes for the man to take to his workers on Monday.
We are on sugar overload.....I hope my neighbors are hungry...



Valentine Crunch Ingredients

Baking Sheets
Parchment or Wax paper
Meltable discs in Chocolate and Vanilla (use a color that matches the holiday. I used pink)
Mini Chocolate chips
Bowls or squeeze bottles for melted discs..
toffee sprinkles (you can buy these by Wilton, or crunch up Heath bars)
3-4 bags Microwave popcorn. I used Smartpop, because I love the irony...

1. Lay out parchment paper on cookie sheets. This helps during clean-up and flipping the popcorn later. Microwave all the bags of popcorn.

 2. Sift through and discard all unpopped kernels. Perfect job for the husband...

 3. Melt one flavor of the candy discs in the microwave according to package and transfer into a squeeze bottle. If you don't have one, simple drizzle liberally onto the popcorn with a spoon. While the candy is"wet", sprinkle toffee pieces and mini chips on to the mixture.

 4. Take another cookie pan and Flip the popcorn onto it's other side. Then melt the second color candy disc and repeat step three.

5. Let dry and transfer into individual bags or boxes.
I had some leftover candy hearts and sprinkled those on as well. You can also add nuts or carmel if you like.

Now, give it away to the ones you love. If you're like me and love the heck out of yourself, make something warm to drink, sit yourself down to read a magazine, watch some TV or write up a blog post.!!

Happy Valentine's Day, friends :)

Dump Cake

Yeah, it's still cold outside. And yeah. I'm still inside and making ridiculously unhealthy things to eat. I look forward to the days when it will be too hot to bake. Until then, yeah. I'm also still eating all the  things I'm making. Circle of life...

Have you ever made Dump Cake? My college roommate introduced it to me one weekend. I'm sure it was during one of my many "Woe-is-me-I-can't-eat-one-more-cup-of-ramen" days. Me. Pouting about food. (shocking, I know) Anyway,  I've made it sporadically through the years ever since.

It's ridiculously easy and may already be something you make. If not, here's the recipe. Even though I'm complaining about the cold, this is definitely a dessert that deserves to be served over ice cream. If even the thought of ice cream makes you shiver, go put on a pair of warm socks and suck it up.

Stay warm, my friends. Or satisfied. Either/or; it doesn't matter.  It's a tricky tightrope that I don't mind balancing on every now and then :)

Enjoy!

Ingredients-

Cake Pan
Can of Pineapple
Can of Cherry Pie Filling (or other flavor)
Box of cake mix. I used yellow cake, but chocolate is even better :) Isn't it always?
Stick of butter (obviously not a diet dessert..but hey, there's fruit!)
Pam

1. Spray sides of cake pan.
 Okay. This is where Dump Cake gets its name....

2. Dump in pineapple chunks. Use the juice too.

 3. Dump on the pie filling. If you're the youngest, you'll carefully divide the pie filling so every piece of cake gets its fair share...

4. Sprinkle the cake mix on top of the fruity mixture. Again, the little man wants it to be evenly distributed. Whose child is this? Also, after looking at these pictures, I don't think that is my cake pan.....Hmmm.. Anyone want to claim it?

5. Cut the butter into pats and spread them out on the cake. I have also cut the butter into the mix. It works either way...

 6. Put in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or until fruit bubbles throughout the cake.

 All done! We have to eat it warm because, well I don't remember. It's just always been that way! I know it doesn't look like a cake. It doesn't really taste like one, either. It tastes instead, a lot like a cobbler or a buckle, topped with butter cookies. (perhaps due to it's insane amount of...butter!) Any way you describe it, it's delicious. Just ask the little man below...

Happy Monday!