The Tipsy Hostess

2009-06-23T07:35:00.000-07:00

I'm taking a break from vacation hibernation to show you our trip to the smallest winery in America!

Adam and I spent this past weekend in the North Carolina mountains visiting my parents. Whenever we visit I love to go check out this cute local winery. So Saturday morning after Mom treated me to a hair cut at her favorite salon in town we went out to lunch and then stopped at Calaboose Cellars to do a wine tasting.

Look at the tiny building, this used to serve as a jail for the town. They've extended the jailhouse theme and given their wines some really fun names like Jail Bird Blueberry, Sweet Freedom and Up the River Strawberry Rhubarb.

After we sampled a few different wines and bought a couple of bottles to enjoy later, we headed outside to have a glass of wine on the deck. The deck has a pretty view of the tiny vineyard. Cheese and cracker snacks are set out to nibble on while you enjoy your drinks and you even get to keep your Cabaloose Cellars wine glass!

Check out our loot and you can see Mom and Dad's pretty mountain view! Wardin's White is my favorite!

Here's a not-so-great cell phone photo of Adam and I at Fires Creek on Father's Day. My posting will be a little sporadic for the next week or so. I'm still in the mountains and after we leave here we're headed to the Florida Keys! I'll keep you updated!

Great Find at Costco!

2009-06-17T05:44:00.000-07:00

See my adorable new ceramic garden stool? I think it's going to look perfect next to the white rocking chair in my living room, it's the perfect size to be a small side table. These garden stools sell for 130$ or more at some online retailers. But I found mine at Costco for just 33$ ! It was such a good deal I went back and picked up the display model in a gorgeous dark brown color. We'll be bringing that one to Mom and Dad's cabin when we go to visit, it'll look great on her deck or inside with all her pretty new furniture. Costco also carried the stools in light blue and a cool yellow color! If you don't have a Costco membership I saw Sherry from This Young House write about a similair stool she found at HomeGoods for the same price.

2009-06-16T07:36:00.001-07:00

Pineapple Mojito Jello Shots!

If it's possible to make jello shots classy, this recipe pulls it off. Now if only I had served them in cordial glasses instead of plastic cups...

What you need:

10-12 plastic shot glasses

1 can of pineapple tidbits

12 fresh mint leaves

3 tablespoons pineapple juice

3 tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice

1 package of pineapple jello

1 package of lime jello

1 teaspoon of sugar

1 cup of boiling water

1/4 cup of light rum ( You know I used more than that! You can add up to 1/2 cup - 1 cup)

Line up your shot glasses and place 2-4 pineapple tidbits in the bottom of each glass. Bruise the mint leaves in the bottom of a cocktail shaker. Add the lime juice, pineapple juice and shake the 2 together. In a medium bowl combine the lime and pineapple gelatins, and the sugar. Stir in the boiling water and whisk until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the rum and pour into the plastic shot glasses. Refrigerate until set, about 3 hours. Enjoy!

This super fun, tasty and adorable recipe was found on Food Network's website. Courtesy of Ingrid Hoffman.

My First Fondant Cake!

2009-06-15T07:04:00.000-07:00

I put this graduation cake together for the neighbor's middle school age daughter. This was my first time working with fondant, my classes haven't started yet but I did watch my Flawless Fondant DVD and I used some tips and the homemade marshmallow fondant recipe I found here. It was really pretty easy but very time consuming! I think the process will be much faster next time since I'll have a pretty good idea of what I'm doing.

Inspiration for the design of this cake was found at CakeCentral.com!

I was happy to have my big blue silicone mat. It made rolling out the fondant and covering the cake a little easier. Covering the cake with fondant was the trickiest part for me, I had Adam help me lift the blue mat and drop the fondant on, he did great!

Wilton Course 2 Finale!

2009-06-12T14:07:00.001-07:00

Apparently it's cake week here at the Tipsy Hostess Blog because I've got another cake coming at you after this post. This post is much overdue but I wanted to share my Course 2 cake with everyone. Loved how it turned out! There was one teeny mishap, the front of my cake should have been the back. See my basketweave seam right up the middle? Gah, I was gabbing away in class and didn't pay any attention oh well...

Course 2 is called Flowers and Borders. We learned how to make the violet, apple blossom, victorian rose, daffodil, pansy, daisy, primrose and the chrsysanthemum. We also worked with colorflow and made cute little bluebirds but I didn't add them to my cake.

A little something I learned in class: If you have bags full of royal icing but you're tired of making flowers for the day, you can put the bags, tip down in a cup with a little water and tie off the back of the bag with a clothespin. This will keep your fast-drying royal icing from hardening until you're ready to get back to work. I kept mine like that for several days, just change the water frequently. Don't put the cups in the fridge!

And the flawless BACK of the cake :o) Oh well. See that anti-slip rubber mat there at the bottom? Yeah, highly suggest that you pick up some of that for toting your cakes to and from class. It will make the drive much less stressful! You can find a roll with the rest of the kitchen cabinet liners at Target.

The fun news is I'm officially signed up for Course 3! They weren't offering my class this month so I start July 9th as soon as we get back from vacay!

Here's what the sheet says you need to bring to class for Course 3:

• Pen or Pencil with note pad
• Transparent Tape
• Scissors
• Damp cloth or sponge
• Toothpicks
• Practice Board Set (from Course 1)
• Wax Paper
• Decorator Brushes
• Pink or Rose Icing Colors
• Parchment Triangles
• 2 Couplers
• 2 Featherweight Decorating Bags
• Small Spatula (straight or angled)
• Tips 3, 16, and 104 (from Course 1) and Tips 1, 2, and 5 (from Course 2)
• 1 24 oz box of Rolled Fondant
• 3 small plastic food storage bags
• white vegetable shortening
• measuring spoons

Course III Kit or equivalent (includes the following)

Tips 18, 68, 86, 127, 352
1-5/8" Lily Nail for decorating deeply-cupped flowers
5 rose bouquet fondant cutters (large and small blossoms, rose leaf,
calyx/sepal and forget-me-not)
Ball and veiner modeling tool for shaping petals and veining leaves
Thick and thin foam squares for easier modeling
Gum Tex Pouch helps make rolled fondant easier to shape
Decorating brush
White cake sparkles
Yellow Stamens
Cake Dividing Wheel
7 inch Bakers Best Pillars (4) and a 8 inch Bakers Best Plate;

Course 1 Class Buttercream Icing Recipe (I'll post below)

4 airtight containers, holding 1 recipe (3 cups total)
• 1/2 cup THIN consistency icing
• 1 1/2 cups MEDIUM consistency icing
• 1/2 cup MEDIUM consistency icing, with 1/4 tsp piping gel added
• 1/2 cup STIFF consistency icing

Wilton Class Buttercream:

1 lb sifted confectioners' sugar (approx. 4 cups)
1 tablespoon Meringue Powder
1 cup solid vegetable shortening
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon Clear Vanilla
Optional - 1 teaspoon Butter Extract, pinch of salt

Combine sugar and meringue powder in large bowl, set aside. Cream shortening, flavorings, and water. Gradually add dry sifted ingredients to creamed mixture. Mix thoroughly on medium speed. Blend an additional minute until creamy.

2009-06-08T05:08:00.000-07:00

Easy Cake for Aspiring Cake Decorators!

I saw this fun cake at Paige's Pantry, I love her cakes! After browsing her blog I realized I had already saved at least 3 of her photos in my favorites on CakeCentral.com

This cake looks impressive but it's really simple. Bake any 2 layer, 8 inch round cake. Use a box mix or a favorite recipe. Frost with homemade buttercream, or store bought frosting. Buy a stack of full size Kit Kat bars, I think I used about 13 bars, each pack had 4 pieces inside. I broke them into sections of twos. Pour a large bag of M&Ms on top, save about 2 handfuls to scatter around the base of your cake. Tie a ribbon around the center of the cake and you're done!

I made this for a little Memorial Day party at our house. I love that you can change the ribbon to coordinate with any theme. My only regret for this cake is I couldn't find a bag of red, white and blue m&ms. Maybe I'll have more luck as it gets closer to the 4th of July.

So Simple Thai Lettuce Wraps!

2009-06-07T13:20:00.000-07:00

As much as I love my crock pot, I have not had much luck finding a tasty Thai recipe. I've tried a few and they are usually a huge FAIL. But this recipe turned out so well, it doesn't taste like a typical crock pot recipe either. It's a definite keeper!

This recipe was found on a WW blog, Chews Wisely.

Check out her blog, it's full of healthy and filling recipes like this one!

What you'll need:

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, frozen

1 1/2 cups of Thai Coconut Curry Chicken Broth (optional, this is my addition, it's pictured below)

1 cup hot salsa

1/4 cup reduced fat peanut butter

1 tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons lime juice

3 teaspoons freshly grated ginger

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

Fresh cilantro

2 cups of rice

1 tablespoon of curry

2 teaspoons of coconut extract

4-8 leaves of lettuce for wraps

Spray the crock pot with cooking spray and add chicken. In a separate bowl, mix together chicken broth,salsa, peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, ginger and jalapeno. Pour over chicken. Mix up a bit so sauce is distributed throughout the crock pot. Cook on low 6-8 hours.

After this I followed the suggestion on the Chews Wisely blog and threw some rice in my rice cooker for a side dish. Quick side story: My mom lives in the NC mountains for a few months out of the year, she lives in a small town and there are limited grocey store options so she's been missing her Coconut Curry Chicken Broth, she's been making her rice by adding curry and coconut extract and she's been telling me to try it. So I thought this recipe would be a good chance to give that tip a try and it worked well! This only works if you cook your rice in a rice cooker or a microwave steamer.

My husband and I are obsessed with lettuce wraps so I followed that suggestion as well. Just layer your steamed curry rice, your shredded chicken, and your fresh Cilantro inside a couple of lettuce leaves and you're set!

Here's the Infamous Thai Chicken Broth so you know what to look for. I buy minimum 4 at a time, it's got a great flavor. Florida girls, you can find it at Publix! Here in NC I buy it from Harris Teeter :o( Booooo we miss Publix!!

Best. Appetizer. Ever.

2009-06-06T12:05:00.000-07:00

Behold the Mango Chutney Cheese Ball!

I'm not toying with you, this may not have photographed spectacularly but it tastes incredible. Back away from the box of Knorr Vegatable Soup Mix, do not serve your guests another bread boule of spinach dip! This is just as easy and tasty. I think it's my official new go-to appetizer and that says a lot, because I don't like go-to recipes I prefer to try new things. Oh yeah, and I ususally think cheese balls are lame.

Aren't these little appetizer knives cute? My Partner in Crime Tina bought me a whole set of pretty beaded spreaders from Pottery Barn after she saw me drooling over them. So sweet! And the one in the background has a margarita on the end, strangely enough I also bought that one while I was with PIC Tina.

What you need:

2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup golden raisins
1 package cooked bacon, crumbled
1 bunch green onions, chopped
3 tablespoons sour cream
1 (9 ounce) jar mango chutney, the brand I used is Kerala Curry and I went for the HOT stuff. I found it at Harris Teeter.

In a medium bowl, stir together the cream cheese, raisins, bacon, green onions and sour cream. Form into a ball, and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight before serving. When you're ready to serve, you can divide into two balls like I did to fit better on my serving dish. Pour the mango chutney over cheese balls. Surround with bagel chips, I went to Trader Joe's and stocked up on 3 boxes of funky different crackers. We went through every single box at our get together.

It's Almost Time For Summer Vacation!

2009-06-05T07:24:00.000-07:00

Our summer plans are shaping up! My husband and I have gone back and forth on where we want to go this year. We were looking for somewhere that was relatively close by, where we could relax on a beach and get our tropical fix in and do some exploring too. Sooo Key West it is! We have reservations at the gorgeous, historic Casa Marina!

This hotel is one of the few places in Key West with a beach. It's a little bit of a hike to Duval Street but that just means we can feel less guilty about all the yummy food we'll be eating.

But I think the part I'm most excited about is our dinner at Latitudes! This restaurant is so neat, it's on a private island just off Key West so you take their ferry over. They have tables on the beach and at night they light tons of tiki torches. Sounds cool, right?

We're also going to do an uber cheesy ghost tour. Key West has some great ghost stories, I've wanted to do the tour here for years! I do most of my trip research by reading reviews on Trip Advisor and Yelp. I love to look at the pictures other people have uploaded from their trip, it gives you a much more realistic idea of what to expect from a hotel or restaurant.

Don't worry about the Naughty Yorkies, they will be well taken care of while we're gone! We'll be stopping by my parent's house in the mountains at the start of our trip to visit with Mom and Dad. My parents are sweet enough to watch the babes while we're in Florida. It's like yorkie summer camp!

WW Fajita Salad with Salsa Vinaigrette

2009-06-04T05:40:00.000-07:00

Well this WW recipe makes 4 servings and it would have been 5 points, but I threw some shredded cheddar on top to appease my spoiled husband. It's a really quick and simple dinner, great for the middle of the week. And I love the Salsa Vinaigrette, I could put it on every salad for the rest of my life and be happy.

You will need:

1/2 cup of prepared salsa

1/4 cup chopped red onion

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1 tablespoon Cajun Seasoning

1 teaspoon olive oil

4 cups mixed salad greens

1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced

1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced

1 tomato, chopped

1/2 advocado, peeled and chopped

1. To make the vinaigrette, puree the salsa, onion, cilantro, lime juice, vinegar, mustard, and salt in a food processor. Transfer the vinaigrette to a bowl and set aside.

2. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with the Cajun seasoning. Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Swirl in the oil, then add the chicken and cook until lightly browned and just cooked through, about 4 minutes on each side. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Let stand for 5 minutes, then slice into 1/2 inch strips.

3. Place the salad greens and bell peppers in a large bowl. Top with the chicken strips, tomato and advocado. Serve with the Salsa Vinaigrette.

Absolutely Amazing Pina Colada Cupcakes!

2009-06-03T11:40:00.000-07:00

While they're still warm from the oven, these cupcakes are drizzled with a rum syrup! The frosting is a homemade coconut buttercream.

This recipe was adapted from the Cake Doctor Cookbook and converted to work for cupcakes. I looooove love this cookbook!

Ingredients for cupcakes and syrup:

Cupcake liners

1 can (15 ounces) cream of coconut

1 package (18.25 ounces) plain yellow cake mix

1 package (3.4 ounces) vanilla instant pudding mix

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons light rum

1/3 cup vegatable oil

4 large eggs

1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple packed in juice, drained

1 cup of flaked sweet coconut

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 350. Place your cupcake liners in your muffin tin and set aside.

2. Stir the cream of coconut, then pour 1/2 cup into a liquid measuring cup and reserve the remaining 1 cup for the syrup.

3. Place the cake mix, pudding mix, 1/2 cup of cream of coconut, 1/2 cup of rum, 1/3 cup of oil and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes more, scraping the sides down again if needed. The batter should look thick and smooth. Fold in the crushed pineapple until it is well distributed throughout the batter. Pour the batter into the into the cupcake liners, smoothing it out with the rubber spatula. Place the pan in the preheated oven.

4. Bake the cupcakes until they spring back when lightly pressed with your finger. About 18-22 minutes. Remove them from the oven and place them on a wire rack to cool.

5. Prepare the rum syrup. Place the reserved 1 cup of cream of coconut and the remaining two tablespoons rum in a small mixing bowl. Stir until well combined.

6. While the cupcakes are still warm, poke a few large holes and lots of small ones into the top of each cupcake with a toothpick. Spoon the rum syrup over the top, allowing it to seep into the holes. Continue to let cupcakes cool for another 30 minutes at least before frosting. If your cupcakes become sticky on the sides because of the messy syrup, you can set them in an additional cupcake liner.

To make the Coconut Buttercream you can follow the Wilton recipe that I shared here. Just replace the Vanilla Extract with Coconut Extract...or you could try Rum Extract! Yum!

This was actually supposed to be a chance for me to try out my new airbrush gun, but I didn't buy the spray on color soon enough. So to decorate your Pina Colada cupcakes like I did, first ice the top half with a skyblue. Place in the fridge for 5-15 minutes until you are able to smooth out any lumps and bumps by lightly placing a paper towel on top and smoothing with your fingers.

After your sky is smooth, you can "casually" ice the sand onto your beach. Let it be a little haphazard to give your sand some texture. Now it's time to pipe on your palm trees! I used a star tip (16, 18, 21, any of those should work) for the base of my palms and tip 67 for the tops of the palms. I made the hibiscus ahead of time out of royal icing, but you could pipe it directly on your cupcake with tip 101.

I packed this bunch up and dropped it off at a neighbor's house. It was the perfect way to invite our friends over for a Memorial Day cookout! Who can say no when you show up at the door with cupcakes?!

2009-06-02T06:13:00.000-07:00

Mango Cilantro Margaritas!

Now I'll admit these Margaritas sound a little weird, but if you are a cilantro-lover they are worth a try. The mango gives this drink a really smooth texture and the cilantro gives off a little spicy kick. It works really well with the Tequila, I could hardly taste the Tequila even though there is a ton of Jose Cuervo in there! This recipe was originally found on epicurious.com.

The ingredients-

1/2 small mango, pitted, peeled, chopped

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 cup 100% blue agave silver tequila
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons simple syrup
1 tablespoon Cointreau or other orange liqueur
2 cups ice cubes, divided
Fresh cilantro sprigs (for garnish)

Combine mango and cilantro leaves in medium bowl. Press firmly on solids with muddler or back of wooden spoon until mashed. Mix in tequila, lime juice, simple syrup , and Cointreau, then 1 cup ice. Stir to blend well. Strain into large glass measuring cup. Divide remaining ice between 2 tall glasses. Pour Margarita mixture over. Garnish with cilantro sprigs.

You can also throw this recipe into the blender for an even yummier treat!

Here's a little something new I wanted to try, I picked up an assortment of jello at the store in all different colors. You can even use the sugar-free kind to cut calories. Now you have rimming sugar to coordinate with any drink. I thought the lime green would work best with these margaritas:

Just swipe your glass with a lime....

Put your jello flavor of choice into a shallow bowl, and spin the rim of your glass around until you have plenty of jello on the edges.

Add your margaritas and enjoy!

The Tiny Hawaiian Pot Pie

2009-05-27T15:09:00.000-07:00

These are a fun appetizer idea and they are so cute! I love the filling, pineapple and ham are a very favorite combo of mine!

I garnished with Parsley from my Aerogarden.

I found this recipe at Pillsbury.com! These would be excellent if you are looking for a heavy appetizer, they're so cheesy and the pie crust is filling.

1/2 cup finely chopped cooked ham ( I use Canadian Bacon)
2 oz finely shredded Swiss cheese (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup canned crushed pineapple, well drained
1 tablespoon finely chopped green onion (1 medium)
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1 box (15 oz) refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon sesame seed, if desired

1. Heat oven to 450°F. In small bowl, mix ham, cheese, pineapple, onion and mustard, set aside.

2. Remove crusts from pouches, unroll on work surface. From each crust, cut eight 3-inch rounds and eight 2-inch rounds, rerolling crusts if necessary. Press 3-inch rounds in bottoms and up sides of 16 ungreased miniature muffin cups so edges of crusts extend slightly over sides of cups.

3. Spoon about 1 rounded tablespoon ham mixture into each crust-lined cup. Brush edges of crust lightly with beaten egg.

4. Cut small vent in each 2-inch pie-crust round. Place 1 round over filling in each cup; press edges together, pushing toward cup so crust does not extend over sides. Brush top crusts with beaten egg. Sprinkle with sesame seed.

5. Bake 10 to 14 minutes or until crust is deep golden brown. Remove from muffin cups. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

2009-05-24T07:05:00.000-07:00

Your Monthly Dose of Yorkie Cuteness!

Isn't Miss Tia Sophia pretty? She's getting a little shaggy, we're overdue for a little yorkie spa day! Hopefully we can get to that next week.

Ok I'm off to go get ready for our get together tonight. We're having hot dogs and burgers on the grill but I'm also making:

-Pina Coladas

-Pineapple Mojito Jello Shots

- A Mango Chutney Cheeseball

- Bruschetta

- Tomato and Bacon Cups

- AND a festive Candy Cake

Super Easy! Now lets just hope it stops raining...

2009-05-23T07:10:00.000-07:00

Do you have a Morning Routine?

Just doing a few key tasks in the morning will set you on track for the whole day.

I am addicted to good coffee...lots of good strong coffee. Yum!

Here's what I do (most) mornings:

-Make the bed

- Bring a load of laundry downstairs, throw it in the washer

- Make coffee, chug coffee

- Open all the curtains and let some light in

- Unload the dishwasher, clean up any breakfast dishes

- After I do my hair and makeup I wipe down the counters and mirrors in the masterbath. Do you read Fly Lady's website? She is right on with the daily swish and swipe!

- Make a To Do list for the day and start chipping away at it.

Just making your bed makes a huge difference in how your bedroom looks. Plus after I've made the bed I can't help but pick up any clothes of the floor and put away clutter! Thankfully I've mastered this habit, I'm addicted to shaking out the sheets and doing the pillow show every morning.

The morning routine is one of those things where you have to do what works for you. So write down what you'd like to accomplish in the a.m. and give it your best shot for a of couple weeks. It should make life a lot easier and you'll feel so organized!

2009-05-22T05:30:00.000-07:00

A Sneak Peek...

At the flowers I've been working on for my Course 2 final cake! Of course I won't need all the zillions of flowers I've made this week for this one cake, but royal icing decorations will keep for a month or two!

These pink Apple Blossoms are cute!

But these Pansies are my absolute favorite! The plastic trays they sit on come in the Course 2 Student Kit. They're supposed to make the flowers dry with a slight curve shape and look more realistic. Whatever :)

2009-05-19T18:44:00.000-07:00

Like my pretty new logo? Here's the plan, every Tuesday I share a new favorite drink or shot recipe on the blog. Tuesday is the perfect day because it gives me plenty of time to recover from the taste testing on the weekend :o)

My Tried and True White Sangria

I clipped this recipe out of the St.Petersburg Times years ago and I can't count how many times I've used it since then. Buy enough ingredients to double the recipe, we almost always go through 2 or 3 pitchers. And be careful because this Sangria sneaks up on you!

1 (750 ml) bottle dry white wine, like chardonnay

1 (6 ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate

1/2 cup light rum

1/2 cup Triple Sec

1 (15.25 ounce) can pineapple tidbits packed in juices

1 large apple, cut into chunks

Starwberry slices, cherries, orange and lime slices or anything you'd like to use as garnish.

2 cups of lemon lime soda

Combine all ingredients in a pitcher, except for the soda, and refrigerate for at least a couple of hours or overnight. When your first guests start to arrive then you can add the soda. If you like a less sweet drink, use club soda instead of Sprite.

2009-05-18T08:58:00.000-07:00

Perfect Backyard BBQ Party Food!

This is a great menu for company, all the food prep can be done a day ahead of time! I love that! Nothing to do on party day but some light cleaning and lots of relaxing. The best part- we could not stop eating! Everything was fabulously yum!

Spicy Corn Dip!

This recipe was found on allrecipes.com, I added the cilantro and red pepper :)

You will need:
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
2 (11 ounce) cans Mexican-style corn, (I drained the cans of most liquid)
4 green onions, chopped
3 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
1 (7 ounce) can diced green chiles
1 1/4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup of chopped cilantro
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

Combine all indgredients in a medium bowl and chill the dip for a couple of hours, then you're ready to serve! I actually whipped this dip up the night before the get together, it tasted even better the next day!

Isn't this container cute for a backyard cookout? You can pop the bowls in the freezer and chill them, it's kind of a knock-off of Pampered Chef's Chillzanne line. I found this dish at CVS last year, it was on sale for 5$! And I just noticed that they're carrying them again this year, I'd keep an eye out at the end of the season to see if they mark them down again.

Coconut Cilantro Rice!

I first saw this recipe on the blog Apple A Day

The original recipe is from epicurious.com. This recipe was the most amzing side dish for my sirloin and portebello kabobs! My husband raved about it for days :)

Here's what you need:

3 cups white rice

3/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 tablespoon finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh jalapeño
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups packed fresh cilantro sprigs
4 green onions, chopped (1 cup)
Optional, 1 box of College Inn brand Coconut Curry Chicken Stock

1) At this point I put my rice into my rice cooker with 4 1/2 cups of Thai Coconut Curry Chicken Stock. If your grocery store doesn't carry this broth, you can use 4 1/2 cups of water with 1 teaspoon of curry and 1/2 teaspoon of coconut extract. If you don't have a rice cooker, make your rice according to the directions on the package.

2) Now put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.

Spread coconut in a shallow baking pan and toast in oven, stirring occasionally, until pale golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool completely.

3)Cook ginger and jalapeño in 1 tablespoon oil in a 4-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring, until chile is softened, about 2 minutes.

4) While rice cooks, pulse together coconut, cilantro, green onions, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a food processor until finely chopped.

5) Combine the cooked rice, cilantro mixture and sauteed ginger and jalepeno in a large bowl. Stir well and you're ready to serve!

You can easily make this recipe a day before your cookout. Follow the directions above and refrigerate overnight. You can reheat on the stove top or in the microwave just add a touch of butter and a splash of chicken broth.

Sirloin Veggie Kabobs!

This recipe was found in my Taste Of Home cookbook.

What you'll need:
2/3 cup chili sauce
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons canola oil
4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
4 teaspoons dried minced onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 lb boneless beef sirloin steak, cut into 3/4 inch cubes

16 fresh baby portebello mushrooms

2 medium red onions, cut into wedges

1 medium sweet red pepper, cut into 3/4 inch pieces

1 medium sweet yellow pepper, cut into 3/4 inch pieces

1) In a small bowl, combine the first nine ingredients; mix well. Pour half into a large resealable bag; add beef cubes. Seal the bag and turn to coat. Pour the remaining marinade into another large resealable bag; add all veggies. Seal the bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate beef and vegatables for at least four hours or overnight.

2) Coat grill rack with cooking spray before starting to grill. Drain and discard marinade from beef. Drain vegetables, reservng marinade for basting. On eight metal skewers, alternately thread beef and veggies.

3) Grill, covered, over medium heat turning three times and basting frequently until meat reaches desired doneness. Serve over a bed of rice.

Now isn't that pretty? And just think, it tastes 10x better than it looks! Oh my!

2009-05-15T14:01:00.000-07:00

Wilton Course 2!

I'm right in the middle of my second Wilton course. It's a little less work than Course 1, you don't have to bake a cake for each class, though you still have to bring a batch or two of frosting. Instead of buttercream, we're primarily working with Royal Icing and a little bit of Color Flow.

Like the last class, this course is 17$ for four, two hour classes. You'll also need to purchase the Course 2 Student Kit. With your 40% off coupon, the kit will run you about 18$. The Course 2 book comes free with the class.

This is what's included in your Course 2 kit:

- 11 Decorating tips: 1, 2, 5, 14, 47, 81, 97, 101, 103, 104 and 59s

- Two oval pans, for baking your final cake

- 9 Flower formers

- Color Flow Mix

In this class the focus is on making realistic flowers like the Chrysanthemum, Daisy and Apple Blossom. We've been saving all the flowers we make to put on our final cake, which will look just like the cake you see pictured above. I haven't decided if I'm going to do my own thing or stick with the standard class design.

My instructor mentioned that Wilton is changing it's classes around soon and by next year they should be teaching some different things. She didn't really have specifics to share, she just knew there were changes coming. Exciting!

Kendra, our instructor, also told us Course 3 wouldn't be offered next month! Gah! GumPaste and Fondant will be the course she teaches in June and Course 3 will be in July. This has me in a little panic, I was hoping to take the courses in order. She says I can jump into the Gumpaste and Fondant Course but I should practice working with fondant first. Luckily my Flawless Fondant DVD has arrived so I may be own instructor this month. We'll see how that goes, I already have a pretty cute idea for my first fondant cake! I can't wait to try it out and share it here!

2009-05-13T04:31:00.000-07:00

My New Favorite Appetizer!

I'm always on the hunt for tasty new appetizers. Dips are nice, but individual bite-sized little snacks are so much more impressive.

So on that note, behold the Caramelized Onion Tarlets.

This recipe is from my Taste of Home cookbook.

What You'll Need:

2 tablespoons of butter

2 large sweet onions, chopped

1/4 cup of sugar

3/4 cup of hot water

1 tablespoon beef bouillon granules

1 cup shredded Swiss cheese

1 pack of Phyllo cups

Chives (optional, for garnish)

1) In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add onions and sugar. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until the onions are golden brown, stirring frequently.

2) Stir in water and bouillon. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5-7 minutes or until liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat, stir in cheese.

3) Place your phyllo cups in a greased mini muffin tin. Spoon about 1 tablespoon onion mixture into each cup. Bake at 375 for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Garnish as desired and serve warm.

Aren't they cute? I garnished them with my home grown Aerogarden chives. Let me tell you, these little guys will go fast too! The tartlets are deeeelicious.

2009-05-12T18:21:00.000-07:00

Blueberry Ginger Mojitos!

I saw this on the Food Network and I knew I had to give it a try! They were so good! They're pretty easy too, you can muddle the ingredients right in the pitcher. This recipe serves two but it can easily be doubled or tripled for a group.

To make these mojitos you'll need ginger simple syrup. It's quick and easy to make.

You will need:

1/4 of a cup grated fresh ginger

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup of cold water

Peel and grate the ginger and add it, together with the sugar and cold water, to a saucepan. Bring it to the boil and stir until the sugar dissolves. Cover and let steep for 15 minutes. Strain and cool in the refrigerator when done.

Now for the Mojitos:

1 cup fresh blueberries

1 lime, cut into wedges

20 to 24 fresh mint leaves

4 ounces ginger simple syrup

4 ounces vodka

5 ounces club soda

Ice cubes

Blueberries, for garnish

Mint leaves, for garnish

Combine the blueberries, mint leaves and lime wedges in the pitcher and muddle it in there with the back of a wooden spoon. When you are ready to serve add the vodka, ginger simple syrup and club soda. Stir and pour into glasses with a couple of ice cubes. Garnish each glass with some fresh blueberries and a sprig of fresh mint.

2009-05-11T09:29:00.000-07:00

Freshen up your Front Porch for Spring!

Your front door welcomes people into your home so it's important to give this space a little TLC after being neglected all winter.

To Start Your Own Entryway Spruce Up:

-Wipe down your front door and the surrounding trim, just a damp cloth or some Windex will do, get off all the grime and pollen that's been floating around.

-While you've got the Windex out, go ahead and wipe down the windows on the front of your house.

- Sweep off your front porch, use your broom to knock down any cobwebs that have built up above your doorway.

-Put away or toss any clutter, shoes, dying plants from last year, any decor that is looking weathered.

-Now you can redecorate your space, read below to see what I picked out for our front porch.

This revamp should be quick and inexpensive!

New doormats make a world of difference and they're only 10$! I try to rotate my Welcome Mat every few months. I take the older mat that I am replacing and put it at the back patio door. I thought this blue matched my front door nicely.

Ahh yes. Then there's the part where I struggle to keep some plants alive because they look so darn cute on my front porch. This is tricky, I have no plant nurturing skills at all and my porch gets pretty harsh full sun all day. My poor mother has tried to give me tips, she buys me adorable little hanging baskets and container gardens and I slowly kill them all. There's a reason we aren't planning on having kids people, my dogs are lucky to be alive.

So here's what I've learned through much trial and error. Petunias and I get along pretty well. They do really well in full sun, I just water them every two days or so, and dead head them once a week. Easy! They are not nearly as delicate as they look, they are so bright and cheery in my hanging baskets. Petunias fill up the basket space quickly too, I just bought 4 plants at the store for 2$ each and put 2 plants in each hanging basket, within a week the baskets were overflowing.

Once you invest in hanging baskets (they are about 5$ each) you can reuse them each year, just replace the liner for a couple of bucks. This is such a ridiculously cheap project!

See these globes? Adam picked these up for me hoping to help me keep my porch projects alive. It's helped! I can tag along on a trip with him for a few days and my flowers don't fry! Or I can forget to water for an extra day or two, these are my back up plan. They're called Aqua Globes and you can get them at the drug store in a 4-pack for 12$ or less. I think they're pretty. :o)

I'm going to call this Phase 1 of our front porch spruce up! I still need a new Welcome Sign for the front door, my Easter carrot needs to go back into storage. I want to add more plants and Adam has been wanting to power wash the front porch. He swears it won't take the paint off the wood trim, we'll see. I need to repaint my little wrought iron chairs and maybe add cushions! But overall I'd say this is a pretty good start!

2009-05-08T09:18:00.000-07:00

Party for Two at Our House!

As much as we love love love having company, we have even more fun when it's just us. As busy as work has been for Adam it's nice to have a night that we can catch up. We can sit in the backyard and talk for hours some nights, there just isn't anything better.

......Can you spot the HUGE bottle of wine in this picture?! I have no shame, lol.

This is also a great chance for me to experiment with new recipes! Adam is my very willing victim. Even if we're not having guests we still go all out on the weekends with funky drinks and tasty appetizers. And because I'm hella demanding I find new grill recipes for him to learn too. I'm about to head out to the grocery store to pick up some stuff to make tonight.

This is what's on the menu:

- Mango Cilantro Margaritas ( I love cilantro and I warned you these were experimental recipes!)

- Caramelized Onion Tartlets

- Shrimp and Chicken Satay with Peanut dipping sauce

- Summer Squash Salad

Tomorrow Adam and I will be shooting a wedding, so we have to get our relaxing in tonight. I have to run now to get things ready for our hot tub night but I'll be back on next week with more on-topic cooking and cocktailing posts. Let's keep these plans on the DL, the neighbors have been begging for a margarita night and we don't want any party crashers spoiling our fun!! ;o)

2009-05-07T14:04:00.000-07:00

It's everything you want in a week night meal! It's simple, cheap, and healthy!

Asian Shrimp and Noodles

What you'll need:

10 oz raw shrimp
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1 cup of slice green onions
2 cups packaged cabbage and carrot coleslaw mix
2 packages of chicken flavor ramen noodles
1 1/2 cups of water
1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce

1. Place your shrimp in boiling water for 3 minutes to cook. Heat 1 Tsp oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Drain your shrimp and add them to the skillet along with your green onions. Stir fry for 1-3 minutes, then remove the shrimp and onions from the skillet and set aside.

2. Heat remaining 1 Tsp oil in skillet over medium high heat. Add slaw; stir fry for 3 minutes. Remove slaw from skillet and keep warm.

3. Remove noodles from packages; reserve 1 seasoning packet for another use. Add water and remaining seasoning packet to skillet; bring to a boil. Break noodles in half; add noodles to water mixture. Cook noodles 2 minutes or until most of liquid is absorbed, stirring frequently.

4. Stir in shrimp mixture, slaw, and soy sauce; cook until thoroughly heated.

At this point I did spice the dish up a bit, I added a little chicken broth, asian chili sauce -just a little, that shit is crazy spicy- , and my personal fave, a splashy of rice vinegar! Love that stuff I use it as salad dressing. Yum!

This is a Weight Watchers recipe. It makes 4 servings at 8 points each. It's a super filling meal! This is also a really great recipe to get in your Chinese food fix, my husband has been asking me to make it again since I cooked it last week, so in my book that makes it a hit!

2009-05-06T14:28:00.000-07:00

Wilton Course 1, Final Cake!

I think I can officially say I have mastered the Wilton rose.

Inspiration for this cake came from the cover of the Wilton book that came with my kit. I used the Wilton vine press to get the pattern on the sides, then covered with tiny dots. Instead of the beaded looking border that was pictured on the book I did the leaf border I used on last week's cake. The colors are Aster Mauve and Pink mixed together to get varying shades and Juniper Green for the leaves.

This is a Lemon Cake with Mango Coconut Filling and Lemon Buttercream Icing.

For the Lemon Cake you'll need:

1 cup of butter

1/4 cup of shortening

2 cups of sugar

5 eggs

3 cups of all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1 cup of buttermilk

1 teaspoon lemon extract

1/2 teasoon vanilla extract

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Beat well after each addition. Stir in extracts.

2. Pour into three greased and floured 9 inch round baking pans. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

For the frosting I used the class buttercream but I substituted lemon extract for vanilla extract. Easy and tasty! I did triple the buttercream recipe, listed in my blog, to make sure I had plenty of frosting to work with.

The Mango Coconut Filling!

I found this recipe on cakecentral.com

What you'll need:

14oz flake sweetened coconut
7 fl.oz. Sweetened condensed milk
½ cup mango puree ( I just used jarred mango slices from Trader Joe's and tossed them in the food processor)

Just combine all the above ingredients and fill your cake! I had more than enough filling for my three layer cake.

I was really happy with the end result and I'm excited to see what I learn during Course 2! I'm pretty anxious to start learning fondant so I'm thinking of picking up a DVD from Sugared Productions called Flawless Fondant. I'm not sure I can wait until June to start playing around with some fondant of my own.

2009-04-26T07:13:00.000-07:00

Wilton Course 1, Class 3!

In lieu of the terrifying clown cake I planned to replicate a cake out of the back of the Course 1 book. I couldn't find the correct tip to do the flowers (it was supposed to be tip #129 I think), so I just made drop flowers to get a similar look. And to make things more interesting I tried my hand at a rainbow colored cake.

This was so easy, just make your favorite recipe for a white cake. Or a box mix if you're short on time! Divide the batter evenly into 4 bowls and use food coloring to get your desired colors. I'd use the Wilton colors because they won't change the consistency of your batter. You can make these much brighter but I stuck with pastels to coordinate with my cake decorating.

After you've greased and floured your pans, layer the colored batter in the pans. Go slowly, give the batter time to flatten out. You can tilt the pan from side to side to get your colored batter to spread evenly. Then add the next color, and so on.

Getting your icing smooth is tricky! I'm no pro at this yet but the best method I've used so far is to set your cake on a turn table (after you've leveled and filled it). Place tip #789 into a 16 inch featherweight bag, #789 will need it's own 16 inch bag cut to fit the large size of the tip, you won't have to worry about using a coupler for this. Fill your 16 inch bag with buttercream frosting that is a thin consistency.

Starting in the middle of the top of your cake make a big swirl, turn the table as you go, lay it on thick! You are going to use a lot of buttercream! Ice the sides as well and then use your large spatula to get the buttercream as smooth as you can, the spatula should never touch the bare cake. This will keep crumbs out of your frosting. It doesn't have to look perfect now, just put it in the fridge for about 20- 40 minutes.

After your buttercream has crusted a little, put your cake back on the turn table and cover a section with an unpattered paper towel or wax paper. Gently rub your hand over the paper to smooth any ridges in the buttercream. Work your way around the cake. This should give your cake a more flawless frosted look.

So here's my finished product! I used royal icing to make these flowers two days ahead of time. All I had to do in class was stick them on with some buttercream. My instructor showed me how to do the leaf border with tip #67, it's very easy and quick!

I dropped this cake off at a jewelry party a neighbor was hosting so I don't have any neat pictures of the rainbow effect inside the cake!

I can't wait to show you what I have in store for the Course 1 finale cake!

2009-04-21T14:39:00.000-07:00

Entertaining is Fun...

but not when you're stuck playing bartender instead of enjoying your company. Keeping a constant eye out for empty glasses that need to be refilled is not relaxing! A simple solution is to pick one signature cocktail for the night and make a HUGE pitcher. You can offer beer and wine too, so your guests have options but to keep things simple go ahead and commit to one mixed drink.

We've all done Sangria a million and ten times. BTW I have an awesome White Sangria recipe I'll share one day soon. But what will we be drinking tonight? Sex on the Beaches! Yum!

Classic Sex on the Beach:
3 3/4 cups Cranberry Juice
3 3/4 cups Orange Juice
1 1/4 cups Vodka
1 1/4 cups Peach Schnapps
10 Maraschino Cherries

Combine all ingredients except cherries in a pitcher, stir well. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve over ice in a tall glass, garnish with a cherry.

** What I did differently: I subbed Creme de Banana for the Peach Schnapps. Yes, I'm a wild unpredictable woman. It was very good and I'd make it that way again. Creme de Banana is nothing fancy, it's just another flavored liquer made by Dekuyper and found near the schnapps at your liquor store.
This book can be found on Amazon used for about 5$. I picked it up to use as an easy cheat sheet for party drinks. It's The Ultimate Guide to Pitcher Drinks by Sharon Tyler Herbst. I've tried a few of the recipes already and I've really liked them! Plus the book has cute little quotes mixed in like,

"An alcoholic is someone you don't like who drinks as much as you do."

Ha! So check out the book if you want some cocktail inspiration for your next get together.

2009-04-20T14:03:00.000-07:00

This Cake Stuff is Addictive!

I love it! I can't stop picking up a little something to put in my kit whenever I go to the store. But when tips and colors are about 1$ a piece I'm hardly a danger to the credit cards.

....and because I'm a huge dork. I put my name on my kit in letter stickers. Ha!

Check out these tips ;o)

2009-04-19T14:55:00.000-07:00

My first Wilton Cake!

Course 1, Class 2

This is the cake I decorated for class two. We were allowed to bring in an iced standard 8 inch round cake, or any cake baked in a Wilton shaped pan. I didn't really want to do the Rainbow cake we're supposed to learn in class so I checked out the Wilton site to see if they had any cute shaped pans. I really liked this one, I had to have it! It's the Dancing Daisy pan.

The shaped pans make great starter cakes! They come with a booklet with suggestions for a few different ways to decorate your cake, there's a step by step instruction for each of the designs and a list of icing tips and colors you'll need to get the look you want. It's paint-by-numbers easy.

If you bring a shaped cake to class you didn't need to have it iced. But I went ahead and iced my daisy anyway so I could practice getting smooth icing and it's more forgiving if I wasn't able to get the stars close enough. You don't want to see brown cake peeking out.

If you want to decorate a shaped cake be sure to pick up tip #2010, it's the triple star tip. It will save you loads of time while you're decorating. It took me almost no time to cover all those petals! Make sure you grab a large coupler at the store, you'll need it to use tip 2010.

I was a tiny bit dissapointed that we only got to work on our cake for the last 15 minutes of class, I wanted to leave with a finished cake! Instead we spent the majority of the time working on the practice board, but I learned a lot so I won't complain. I finished the cake on my own when I got home. I really love how it turned out! It was a strawberry "doctored" cake mix from my Cake Doctor cookbook. I dropped it off at a neighbor's house the next day, Adam and I do NOT need to be eating all that cake!

2009-04-17T15:33:00.000-07:00

One thing I know for sure...

Nobody turns down a jello shot! Seriously. I've had gatherings of neighbors, some of them are older folks and even they didn't shy away from two or three of these little guys. They look harmless enough right?

I actually ordered these online but I'm sure that you could get them cheaper somewhere locally. Does anyone know? Can you pick them up at a pharmacy? I also don't want anyone to mistake my alcohol problem for a drug problem when I ask for 30 syringes! These came with velcro attached to them so you can wear them on a belt and dispense them as needed, you'd be the ultimate hostess! My parties aren't that crazy but wouldn't that be cute to go along with a nurse costume at Halloween? YES.

This pretty pink color is Strawberry Kiwi Jello. Here's the simple recipe I use:

Boil 6 oz of water, stir in your 3 oz package of jello. Once it's dissolved stir in 6 oz of vodka or the liquor of your choice. That's it! Fill up your dixie cups, shot glasses or syringes and fridge 'em till you're ready to serve.

Another reason I love these? You can use the sugar free jello and they are still delish, so it's a fun low-cal treat. Annnnd if you're throwing a naughty bachelorette party the Pina Colada flavor would be perfect. I'll let you figure out why ;o)

2009-04-16T13:03:00.000-07:00

Have You Fed Your Hummingbirds Yet?

Don't forget to set out a snack for your tiniest visitors!

This is Mom's feeder at her house in the mountains. She set up a feeder on her deck so she can enjoy the mountain view and watch the hummingbirds!

Here's a picture of my feeder. I hung a Shepard's hook outside my kitchen window so I could watch the hummingbirds feed while I do dishes and make dinner. It's so much fun to watch them, we sometimes have 3 or 4 zooming through the backyard. They are very territorial and love to chase each other away from "their" feeder.

It's easy to make your own hummingbird food!

I make mine by the jug because we go through it so quickly.

1) Boil 2 quarts of water.

2) Stir in 2 cups of white granulated sugar until dissolved.

3) Remove from heat and allow to cool before serving. Adding a few drops of red food coloring is optional.

Hummingbird food can last for up to two weeks in your fridge.

2009-04-14T14:23:00.000-07:00

Wilton Course 1, Class 1

Here's a quick run down on what I learned in my first Wilton class. No pictures today, so sorry, but we haven't started actually decorating cakes yet. We met in the very back of Hobby Lobby, I never even noticed there was a small classroom back there with a mini kitchen and a few big tables. I was afraid there would only be 1-2 other people there but the class was really full! I think we have 11 ladies and my instructor mentioned there's only 15 slots per class.

Right away our instructor showed us how she makes her buttercream frosting, each week we will need to bring in one iced cake and 3 containers of buttercream, each a different consistency. You need one to be stiff, medium and thin, they also need to be dyed the colors you want to use on your cake. Lots of prep work people, these classes are serious business! :)

The Wilton Buttercream:

-1 stick of butter

-1/2 cup of Crisco

-1 tsp clear vanilla extract

-4 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted

- 1 tbsp meringue powder

- 2 tbsp milk

In a large bowl cream together butter and shortening with mixer. Add vanilla. Gradually add sugar one cup at a time beating well at medium speed (but not above 4, or you'll get too much air in the frosting) . Scrape down the sides of your bowl often. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Keep the bowl covered with a damp cloth until your ready to use your icing.

A few other fun things I learned, you can use any clear extract in place of vanilla. So you can use almond flavor, lemon, coconut whatever does it for you and works with your cake. Also if you keep a dish towel over the mixer while mixing in your sugar it will cut down on the sugar dusting that ends up coating your countertops. You have to ice your cake with thin frosting. To get one cup of stiff icing thin you can add a tablespoon of milk and a tablespoon of light corn syrup.

Not too bad for a first class, we covered lots of content! And we get a nifty free Course 1 book, our teacher also said we get a gift certificate at the end for around 15$, so you actually make all your money back from signing up for the course.

2009-04-12T09:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter from the NC mountains!

Check out the Easter eggs I dyed with mom while visiting my parent's mountain "shack" and check out the view! Woah!

2009-04-11T06:55:00.000-07:00

Not too bad for a first cake! I finished this cake the day before my very first Wilton class. I guess that fancy kit really was worth it, at the very least, the book inside is awesome, informative and easy to follow. I taught myself how to make my own buttercream, fill and frost the cake. I also made my own royal icing two days before baking the cake and used that to practice the technique to make the purple and pink flowers. I made a TON of those, let them dry then added those on to my sad attempt at a basketweave. I also picked up the grass tip#233, it was really easy to use. The bunny on top is store bought!

This white cake with strawberry filling is coming along with us for Easter in the mountains! We're packing up the yorks to go visit with my parents this weekend. Bonus, I'll also get to practice transporting a decorated cake on a long bumpy ride in the truck.

I should also mention that I stumbled across the awesome site cakecentral.com, they have message boards with great tips and tons of galleries where you can find cake design inspiration. Lots of recipes for cakes, fillings and fondants too. If you aren't able to take a Wilton class, you could probably learn everything you need there. AND I searched cake decorating on youtube.com, there are loads of videos from talented decorators giving you step by step instructions for just about everything!

2009-04-10T10:57:00.000-07:00

Braided Easter Bread!

This recipe would be perfect for an Easter brunch. It fits perfectly on a Pampered Chef pizza stone. Remember not to hard boil these Easter eggs before you dye them, they will cook in the oven. I also suggest paper toweling off the excess dye so it doesn't bleed onto the dough.

Try not to lay your colored eggs over the dough, really bury them into the braid or as the bread bakes it will push the eggs right out.

40 minutes later the bread looked more like this. Following the reviews on allrecipes.com I brushed the ring with melted honey butter ( literally, just mix up warmed honey and butter) and sprinkled with colored sugar crystals. I love the way it turned out, I'll be making this again I'm sure.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
2/3 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter
2 eggs
5 whole eggs, dyed if desired
2 tablespoons butter, melted

1.In a large bowl, combine 1 cup flour, sugar, salt and yeast; stir well. Combine milk and butter in a small saucepan; heat until milk is warm and butter is softened but not melted.

2.Gradually add the milk and butter to the flour mixture; stirring constantly. Add two eggs and 1/2 cup flour; beat well. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.

3.Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

4.Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into two equal size rounds; cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Roll each round into a long roll about 36 inches long and 1 1/2 inches thick. Using the two long pieces of dough, form a loosely braided ring, leaving spaces for the five colored eggs. Seal the ends of the ring together and use your fingers to slide the eggs between the braids of dough.

5.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place loaf on a buttered baking sheet and cover loosely with a damp towel. Place loaf in a warm place and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes. Brush risen loaf with melted butter.

6.Bake in preheated oven for 50-55 minutes or until golden.

I have to credit my long time friend Laurin for telling me about this recipe. She likes to make it and after hearing about it I had to give it a try too. I wish she lived closer so we could get our bake on together!

2009-03-28T07:26:00.000-07:00

A typical weekend night at our house! We head out to the patio, Adam starts a fire and turns on the stereo, I make up sassy drinks and appetizers. NOTE: Adam does not drink sassy martinis, he only devours the tasty appetizers. He's a man, he drinks beer, you should know this. **insert manly grunt here**

The Lusty Leopard Martini!

I found this recipe from drinksmixer.com!

1 1/2 oz citrus vodka

1 1/2 oz Mango nectar (yep. you can even find this at Walmart, try looking near the Mexican food)

3/4 oz mango rum

1/2 oz simple syrup

5-6 drops chocolate shell syrup

Thoroughly chill a martini glass then apply small "leopard spots" randomly around the inside of the glass using chocolate shell syrup then returning the glass to the freezer to keep cold. (This can be done hours in advance for parties.)

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine the vodka, Malibu rum, mango nectar and simple syrup. Shake well until the shaker is too cold to hold. Strain the contents into the prepared glass with spots.

2009-03-24T06:09:00.000-07:00

I signed up for Wilton's Course 1 at Hobby Lobby! I have to say, after seeing so many great results from ladies that have taken the Wilton classes, I had to give it a try. So my classes start in April, every Thursday evening for two hours. There are 4 classes all together, not a bad deal for the 17$ I paid.

I debated for a few days and then decided to splurge on the big kit. I plan to take all 4 courses, I already know I love to bake cakes and cupcakes and I'm pretty good at decorating sugar cookies. So I'm confident in my cake decorating aspirations.

That's a whole lotta goodies, and I really don't know how to use any of it. Here's a run down of what's in the box:

-Eight Jars of Icing Colors (Yellow, Red, Brown, Violet, Pink, Royal Blue, Black, Kelly Green)

-Three Couplers (2 Standard, 1 Large)

-Two Tip/Coupler Dishwasher and Storage Bags

-Tip Cleaning Brush

-50 Disposable 12-in. Decorating Bags

-Three Professional Reusuable Decorating Bags (8-, 10- and 16-in.)

-Four Tip Covers

-Tip Saver

-Flower Nail #7

-Three Spatulas (8- and 13-in. Angled and 8-in. Tapered)

-Flower Lifter

-Garland Marker

-Decorating Cakes Book

-Practice Board with Patterns

-Two Bake-Even Strips

-Clear Vanilla and No-Color Butter Flavors

-Cake Leveler

-Quick Ease Roller

-Easy-Glide Fondant Smoother

-Decorating Brush

-Round Tips (#1, 2, 2A, 3, 12), Star Tips (#16, 18, 21, 32), Basketweave Tip (#48), Leaf Tips (#67, 352), Petal Tips (#102, 103, 104, 125), Drop Flower (#2D) and a Cake Icer (#789).

The price is steep at around 120$ but the Hobby Lobby 40% off coupon makes it much more tolerable. (You know you can go to their website and print as many 40% off coupons as you want, right? ) I could have probably gone through the line 77x over the next two months and purchased this stuff individually but this is so much more exciting!!!

2009-03-14T12:21:00.000-07:00

It's the meal Adam's been waiting all month to eat!

Guess what's in my pretty pink crockpot?

It's corned beef and cabbage! Probably one of Adam's top 10 favorite meals. St. Patrick's Day is not complete unless we make this at least once. And I'm excited because it's such an easy fix. PLUS it means we get to eat reubens this week! Adam makes the most incredible reubens.

I won't bore you with the simple recipe but I will recommend this crockpot. You can find it at JCPenney's (online) in every color imaginable. It's fantastic. It's really big too, 6.5 qts is plenty big to roast a whole chicken or cook for a crowd. I also have a 3 qt slow cooker, I do use that one more often but it's really nice to have two (or three) sizes. I've read some reviews on JCPenney that say this cooker burns everything. I've never had an issue. It's such a large crockpot that I would guess some people aren't filling it up enough. Make sure you match your recipe size to your slow cooker. Your crock should be 1/2 to 2/3 full, I prefer to stay around the 2/3 range.

2009-03-07T07:58:00.000-08:00

Check out my Aerogarden!

Finally! Plants I can't kill! These plants have survived in my kitchen since January, I am SO proud! This little gadget is called the Aero Garden. You just pop the seed pods in each of the slots, fill the base with water, add a couple nutrient tabs and the aero garden does everything else. You don't even have to water it again until the indicator light comes on (usually every two weeks or so).

The light comes on everyday around 3 pm and stays on all night until around 7 am. You can see the light is on in the second pic above. So now I have on hand in the kitchen- Fresh Purple Basil, Italian Basil, Thyme, Mint (Mojito, anyone?), Dill and Chives. Next project- figure out how to dry and freeze my own herbs so I can stock pile them. As soon as this kit is done we have our eye on the mixed greens . You can harvest 2 salads a day! We're loving this thing so much we bought one for my mom too.

2009-03-03T15:59:00.000-08:00

Look, it's a wee little Leprechaun!

And he's drinking beer on my kitchen counter, typical.

St. Patrick's day celebrating starts early around our house. We have big plans to celebrate St. Patty's day in Charleston, SC so I have to get my Irish cooking out of the way early. I found this recipe while perusing allrecipes.com, I would love to try my hand at the Chocolate Guinness cake but this will have to do since we're trying to watch our carbies.

Beef and Irish Stout Stew!

I found this recipe on Allrecipes.com and modified it to use my crockpot. I'll post the orignal recipe for you. I also served my version over mashed cauliflower since we are trying to eat low-carb.

Ingredients:
2 pounds lean beef stew meat
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 pinch cayenne pepper
2 large onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 1/2 cups Irish stout beer (e.g., Guinness)
2 cups chopped carrot
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley for garnish

1.Toss the beef cubes with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Dredge the beef in this to coat.

2.Heat the remaining oil in a deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the beef, and brown on all sides. Add the onions, and garlic. Stir the tomato paste into a small amount of water to dilute; pour into the pan and stir to blend. Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and cook for 5 minutes.

3.Pour 1/2 cup of the beer into the pan, and as it begins to boil, scrape any bits of food from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. This adds a lot of flavor to the broth. Pour in the rest of the beer, and add the carrots and thyme. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasoning before serving. Garnish with chopped parsley.

2009-03-03T15:35:00.000-08:00

An Easy Lemon Cake

I have a confession. I'm a big fan of The Cake Doctor's cookbooks. If you've been to my house you know I loooove to bake cakes for company. They are almost always a "doctored" cake mix. The recipes in this book only take a few minutes to throw together, but having a cake waiting when guests arrive will look like you spent the whole day baking. Impressive!

Cake:

1 Package (18.25 ounces) of plain yellow cake mix
2/3 cup of vegetable oil
1 (3 ounce) pack of Lemon gelatin
2/3 cup of hot water
4 large eggs

Glaze:

1/2 cup confectioner's sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350. Lightly mist a 12-cup bundt pan with veg oil spray, then dust with flour. Shake out excess flour, set the pan aside.

2. Place the cake mix, gelatin, oil, water, and eggs in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes more, scraping the sides down if needed. Batter should look thick and well blended. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with the rubber spatula, and place the pan in the oven.

3. Bake the cake until its light brown and just starts to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 40 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, prepare the glaze. Combine the confectioners' sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a small bowl and stir with a wooden spoon until smooth.

5. Run a long, sharp knife around the edge of the cake and invert it onto a serving platter. Spoon the glaze over the warm cake so that it drizzles down the sides and into the center. Slice and serve warm. Or let it cool to room temperature, you can always pop it in the microwave for 30-45 seconds and serve with ice cream.

2009-02-26T14:46:00.000-08:00

Get your drink on in the hot tub!

Here's a fun little diet cocktail I pulled together for a tub night with friends. It's just 1-2 shots of citrus vodka, diet cherry 7-up, a splash of lime juice and a lime wedge, a maraschino cherry, a tablespoon of grenadine (or just use your maraschino cherry juice) and a sliced strawberry. They were awesome! I threw in some hot pink light cubes because it added to the glowing hot tub effect!

Notice the large plastic hot tub safe glasses? If you have a pool or hot tub you should pick up some cute plastic outdoor glasses. Getting tipsy in the water is half the fun but more than a few drinks have ended up in the tub with us! I even picked up some 2$ plastic wine glasses, nothing makes you feel more like an alcoholic than drinking wine out of a regular old cup :o)

2009-02-18T09:05:00.000-08:00

Buffalo Chicken Soup!

The perfect snowy weather comfort food...

I'm not going to tell you it's healthy, but it is low carb and delish!

Here's what you need:

2 bunches of green onions, chopped

3 stalks of celery, chopped

1/4 cup of butter

1/4 cup of flour

3/4 cup of milk (or half and half for low carbing)

1-2 cups of chicken broth ( add more or less depending on how creamy you want your soup)

2 cups cooked diced chicken

1/4- 1/2 cup of Frank's Chicken Wing Sauce

4 oz of Velveeta

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 tsp. of cayenne pepper ( I always add extra, we like it spicy)

1/2 tsp. celery salt

1/2 tsp. garlic salt

1. Saute green onions and celery in butter until tender.

2. Stir in flour until smooth.

3. Slowly add milk and broth.

4. Add remaining ingredients and simmer, stirring occasionally until cheese has melted. I added more cayenne pepper on top, I don't fark around.

2009-02-10T09:30:00.000-08:00

Only for the very brave...The Mexican Martini

Notice I don't have any fun little drink pictures after I mixed this up. Probably because it knocked me flat on my arse two sips in, or maybe it was the fumes straight from the cocktail shaker. Don't get me wrong, they are tasty.

2 oz Tequila Gold

1 1/2 oz Cointreau orange liqueur ( I used Patron's orange liquer)

2 oz sweet and sour mix

1 oz lime juice

2 oz orange juice

1 splash of sprite

Pour all ingredients into a large cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake and strain into a large martini glass (8+ ounces) with a salt rim. Enjoy!

2009-02-07T15:27:00.000-08:00

Easiest Lemon Pie!

I put this together for a last minute get together with some neighbors, it's mostly stuff you have in your kitchen so it's easy to whip up if company drops in.

What you need on hand:

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust (or you can do what I did and make your own crust, see below!)

Mix together the cream cheese, milk and lemon juice. Mix well and spread in graham crust. Chill and top as desired. If you want to use whip cream like I did, don't do it until you're ready to serve. Whip cream will melt quickly.

*To make your own graham cracker crust, preheat your oven to 350, combine 16 crushed graham crackers, 1/4 cup butter, place mixture in a 9 inch pie pan and press firmly into bottom and sides of pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 8 minutes. Allow to cool before filling.

2009-02-06T10:37:00.000-08:00

Some cute Valentine's Day decor for my kitchen and dining room!

I had pics of my livingroom decor but they mysteriously disappeared. Oh well.

Sparkly red plates are from Miss Emily! Aren't they cute?

2009-02-04T09:52:00.000-08:00

Yum! Popcorn Cake!

I found this recipe from the Cherry Hill Cottage blog.

FYI I usually have to use two huge bowls to mix all the popcorn and marshmallow goo and it helps to have your husband or a friend stir one bowl since you have to move pretty quickly. Here's the recipe:

1 (16oz) bag Marshmallows

1 stick of butter

2/3 cup raw popcorn

1 (16-oz) bag plain M&Ms

1 (16-oz) bag roasted peanuts ( i like to use the salted kind, for that sweet and salty taste!)

Melt butter and marshmallows over low heat. Pour over popped popcorn, M&Ms, and peanuts in a large bowl. Stir quickly to coat. Press into buttered bundt pan. Set 1 1/2 hours in refrigerator.

2009-02-01T14:54:00.000-08:00

Diet Friendly Margaritas!

This is by far my favorite margarita to make at home. I got the recipe a year or two ago from hungry-girl.com It's low cal and low carb! Here's what you need:

6 oz of Diet Mountain Dew

1.5 oz Tequila

1/2 tsp. of Crystal Light's Lemonade powdered drink mix

1 oz of Lime Juice

I add lots of ice and throw it all in the blender, you can double or triple the recipe to make a bigger batch.

Lime wedge and Kosher Salt for Garnish.

105 calories, 2 carbs!

2009-01-23T14:47:00.000-08:00

Coolest measuring spoons ever!

Let me tell you why these are the best invention ever 1) They are double sided, which of course means you can use them for two different ingredients while working from one recipe. But one side is narrow so they can actually fit INSIDE your spice jar! No more pouring spices into a spoon! 2) The best part, they are magnetic. So they all stay together, you don't have to pull them off a ring, and you're not contaminating 8 spoons to use 1. Genius. You can find these at Crate and Barrel and Bed Bath and Beyond for about 7$, I think Target even carries them.

2009-01-18T16:51:00.000-08:00

Buffalo Chicken Dip!

It's the perfect football Sunday appetizer.

This is classic man food, my husband loves it. It's also a great dip for parties, quick and simple to throw together. I hate being stuck in the kitchen during get togethers! Most of my entertaining menus have to involve dishes that I can make a day in advance or things I can mindlessly throw together while I chat with company and down a margarita. Or three.

What you'll need to make this dip:

4-6 cooked, diced chicken breasts

1 (12 oz) bottle of hot sauce (We love Frank's)

1 (16 oz) bottle of ranch

2 (8 oz) packages of cream cheese

1 stalk of celery

1 (8 oz) package of shredded cheddar

1) Preheat oven to 350. Mix cooked, diced chicken, celery, and hot sauce in a 9 x 13 oven safe dish.

2) In a large saucepan over medium-heat combine cream cheese and dressing until smooth and hot. Pour over chicken mixture and stir well.

3) Bake for 20 minutes, sprinkle shredded cheddar on top and bake for another 10 minutes. Serve with celery if you're eating low carb. This also goes great with tortilla chips, add cubed bread and eat it like fondue! Yum!

2009-01-07T16:34:00.000-08:00

What's rule # 1 when you visit the Tipsy Hostess?

Respect the naughty yorkies, scroll up and see upper right hand corner. BTW that goes for IRL too. Yes, occasionally I intend to make you look at adorable pictures of our little babies. Oh the suffering!

Yorkie on the Run!

Tia is a fast little fatty. For some reason she runs even faster in the snow. Normally she runs like a little bear. Kinda weird. But it makes us laugh.

2009-01-05T15:56:00.000-08:00

Try this tasty appetizer!

I brought this to a Nestie get together, you can do all the work in advance which makes this perfect party food.

Don't you think this is excellent for the holidays? Check out the festive colors! So pretty!

Here's what you'll need to make your own Marinated Cheese:

1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1 (2 ounce) bottle diced pimento, drained
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons minced green onions
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 (8 ounce) package Cheddar cheese
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, cold

1. In a jar with a tight fitting lid, combine the olive oil, wine vinegar, pimento, parsley, green onion, garlic, sugar, basil, salt and pepper. Shake vigorously to blend. Set aside.

2. Cut the block of Cheddar cheese in half lengthwise. Cut crosswise into 1/4 inch slices to form squares. Repeat with cream cheese. Arrange cheese squares alternately in a shallow baking dish with slices standing on edge. You can arrange in a single long row, or 2 parallel rows depending on the size of your dish. Pour the marinade from the jar over the cheese slices, cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or overnight.

3. To serve, remove slices to a serving platter so they are still arranged in an alternating pattern. Spoon some of the extra marinade over the cheese, and serve with crackers.

2009-01-04T07:41:00.000-08:00

My favorite sugar cookie recipe!

This is great for doing cut out cookies for any occasion. I've also included my favorite royal icing recipe for frosting cookies below.

Here's what you need:
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

1.In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

3. Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.
I love this recipe because the frosting dries hard making it so easy to transport in your cookie tins! It also has a slight glossy sheen which is really pretty.

Here's what you'll need for the icing:

1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons milk
2 teaspoons light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
assorted food coloring

1.In a small bowl, stir together confectioners' sugar and milk until smooth. Beat in corn syrup and almond extract until icing is smooth and glossy. If icing is too thick, add more corn syrup.

2. Divide into separate bowls, and add food colorings to each to desired intensity. Dip cookies, or paint them with a brush. Or finger paint them, whatever :o)

2009-01-02T13:57:00.000-08:00

Yorkie Photo Shoot!

Aren't they cute? See I'm learning a few things from Adam, these pics were all taken by me!

Meet Tia Sophia our tubby little attention whore! She's the baby but she's twice the size of her brother. She wields her giant booty like a weapon, knocking poor Georgie around with her muscle-y rear.

Mugshot worthy?

This is Georgie, but you can call him Boy Genius. He's more camera shy than Tia. He loves hogging mommy and daddy to himself and tattling on his sister when she's up to no good.

He also enjoys eating babies, he's kind of a badass.

2009-01-01T13:23:00.000-08:00

A little introduction....

Adam and I moved to North Carolina about 4 years ago, we had a cute house built on a lake. We love spending time together with our cute little yorkies, we love not having kids, yes, we're horrible. We love the holidays and decorating the house for the seasons. Especially Halloween. Haunted houses are mandatory at our home. AND we spend a good chunk of time having drinks on our patio and enjoying our shared love of raunchy humor.

This pic isn't us! On the weekends my husband and I shoot weddings! He's a great photographer and I'm slowly learning from him.

We love to travel! Vegas is a favorite vacation destination and we go to Florida a couple of times a year. We take lots of trips around the Carolinas too, Charleston is always a perfect mini getaway! I'm sure I'll be blogging about lots of travels and restaurant rec's since we're total foodies and hotel snobs.