Home Sweet Home

I can’t believe it has been a week since my last post. Time is truly flying by and not in a good way. I spent my week trying to get things in order and get the house cleaned. We have been out of town for 3 weekends in the last month. It is amazing how much house work can pile up in that amount of time. I wish I could say that I was jet-setting to glamorous locations, but we’ve been to Hot Springs, AR, Kalkaska, MI and Little Rock, AR, not exactly dream vacation spots. This weekend, I am headed to Maryland to visit my Mama and get my hair done at Bubbles. I am really excited about the trip home even though I was just there in February. February feels like a lifetime ago and for my favorite little brother, February was a different life. Unfortunately, he won’t be in Maryland this weekend, but we will be with him in spirit watching his acting debut on Ugly Betty.

You can also see an article in US Weekly.



Have a great week!

Baking Experiment

Updated with pictures:
I haven’t been baking as much now that the weather has gotten warmer, but I just had to try this recipe that I found on Bakerella via Hostess with the Mostess. A cupcake in the form of a lollipop is kind of an odd thing to make, but I am trying to find things to do for the upcoming baby shower and thought these might be cute. The concept is pretty easy, but they just take some time to prepare. I used a red velvet cake mix, a tub of cream cheese frosting, lollipop sticks and some colored candy melts. You will also need a block of Styrofoam for drying.

Here is what you do:
1. Prepare cake mix and bake according to directions on the box.
2. Let cake cool completely and then crumble in a large bowl.

**This is where it gets messy**
3. Mix in the tub of frosting. I had to use my hands to get it all mixed together.
4. Roll into small balls (about 1 inch diameter) and place on cookie sheet.
5. Refrigerate for several hours (or stick in the freezer for 20 minutes)

6. Stick in lollipop sticks and refrigerate for at least another hour. I left them in overnight.

7. Melt candy and coat the ball by spooning mixture over the cake. Don’t dip or you will get cake crumbs in your candy melt.

8. Stick the lollipops in a Styrofoam block to dry. My fatal mistake was that I stuck them back on the cookie sheet, so I ended up with a flat top instead of a nice round one.

9. If desired, wrap each lollipop with a small square of colored cellophane and tie with a ribbon.

There are a bunch of variations to this recipe. You could use chocolate or white chocolate bark to cover the outside instead of the colored candy melts or you can lose the stick and make little cake bites. For my next batch, I am going to use a yellow lemon cake for the inside.

I took these little guys to work to do a sampling and they got really good reviews. People love red velvet cake, which kind of surprised me. Here is an important tip: do not leave these in the car on a 75 degree day. I made this mistake and melted half the batch. :(

Farmer's Market Finds

FINALLY, the Farmer’s Market has reopened in Fayetteville!! Actually, it has been open for two weeks, but since I’ve been so busy jet setting around Southern Arkansas and Northern Michigan (I know you’re jealous) I haven’t been able to go. This weekend, we had perfect market weather with temperatures right in the mid-seventies. Because the Spring isn’t quite in full swing, the selection at the market was limited to mostly herbs, plants and local crafts. It was still a blast to walk through and enjoy the day. I purchased these beautiful apple blossoms while Evan made funny faces. “Why are you buying those branches?” he questioned. I have to admit they were a pain to carry around in the crowded market, but it was worth it. Once we got home and they were carefully placed in the vase they looked spectacular and Evan agreed.

Being more adventurous than me, Evan selected some Lion’s Mane Mushrooms. These mushrooms are unlike anything I had ever seen, so I wasn’t sure what we would do with them. From what the vendor explained to us, they are used in traditional Chinese cooking. She told us to sauté them with a little oil and garlic until they become soft. She said that would be the consistency of bread after it had been in a soup. I’m not sure that texture sounds appetizing, but Evan still wanted to try them. I did a little search for some info on these mushrooms and found this:

This mushroom has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for the treatment of stomach distress and for cancer prevention. Many distinct polysaccharides have been identified in this species several of which have demonstrated potent anti-tumor properties that extended the lifespan of cancer patients (Mizuno, 1995). Studies in Taiwan on rats that were fed Hericium fruit bodies demonstrated significant beneficial effects on blood glucose, serum triglycerides and total cholesterol levels.

I don’t usually eat mushrooms, but I think I will try these. Evan also found some morel mushrooms this weekend, but I couldn’t make myself eat them. I know they are a delicacy, but there was no way I was eating anything that he found off the interstate exit 69.

Work in Progress

I can’t believe how long it has been since I had time to make something crafty. Finally last night, I was able to sit down and start a new project that I have been planning for weeks. I have volunteered to provide decorations at my good friend, Nicole’s baby shower in May. There are three of us planning the event. We had our first planning meeting last week at lunch and we all showed up to the restaurant in our business casual with note pads and pens. It was pretty funny. Nicole is having a boy, so I am going to be using greens and blues as the theme colors. For the first part of my decoration plan I decided to try to replicate the paper globe trees that Heather Bailey posted around Valentine’s Day. I have only started to make my first little tree, but wanted to share the rough draft. I plan to add some ribbon and moss in the flower pot and make two more trees. I am still deciding whether to use an actual stick for the tree trunk or something else. Once these are finished I can start of the rest of my list of to dos:
1) conceptualize and make a centerpiece for the table
2) make a mobile or something hangy
3) decide between balloons or paper lanterns

So many decisions and a weekend full of fun!

Chicks Rock Part II

All of the people that I work with must want to kill me by now. I first heard a snippet of the new single, “Mercy”, by Duffy on the radio last week. I rummaged through the sample bin at work and found the single (no full length just yet). I have played it at least 4 times a day for the past 4 days. I will not be surprised if I come in tomorrow and my player is hidden.

I am totally digging this girl! Duffy comes from the small coastal town of Nefyn, Wales. She has had much success in Europe and is set to release her album in the States on May 26th. When listening to her bio on the radio I became a bit irritated when the two DJs bantered back and forth announcing that she sounds like Amy Winehouse. Although I am a fan of Winehouse’s music (not her escapades), she did not originate this sound! I think of artists like Dusty Springfield, Etta James and the soul sounds of Aretha, when I hear this little blonde belt out her blues. Not silly Amy Winehouse.

One of the best music shows I’ve ever been to was a little known artist, Sharon Jones. Sharon performed with her band, The Dap Kings, in a small venue in Richmond, VA. She had the entire crowd moving and shaking the entire show. Her energy just takes a hold of you and you have no choice but to be moved by her funky soul sound. Sharon’s accompanying band, The Dap Kings have been touring with Winehouse and were featured in her video, Rehab. I almost felt like they were cheating the first time I saw them on MTV, but Sharon Jones still tours with the band, so I guess that is ok.

Another group I wanted to mention in my Part II of Chicks Rock is Paramore. This band is my guilty pleasure. They are totally a band for teenagers, but I just can’t help myself. I have the newest album, Riot, and it is my jam out in the car music. The lead singer looks like she is about 15 and has an adorable high school punk kind of style. Her voice is quite powerful and I just can’t help myself but to enjoy this “pop/alternative-girls are mean-I miss my boyfriend” music. I guess she kind of reminds me of Avril Lavigne with a band, but cooler.