If you havent tried it... you really should!

In my etsy explorations I find so many amazing and wondrous things... and I love to share them here with you...

So a few weeks ago after The things I ♥ right now, I thought how fun would it be to get to know a few of these amazing artists that inspire my everyday and hopefully yours as well! I know its not a new concept, but hey... it's fun! ;0)

So I would like to share with you my very first artist feature!



I found For Strange Women just randomly in one of my late night etsy~a~thon adventures! Her shop intrigued me, and we all know Im a sucker for some smell goods!
Jill's products are well, simply intriguing... from natural oils, and perfume enhancing base to lip balm and massage oils with names like Decadence & Debauchery , Poison Ivy, and Sweet Androgyny Jill truly does create a magical, strange, victorianesque world!

I recently purchased her Mini Mix & Match Natural Oils



The package arrived and I was giddy! Not only was shipping amazingly fast, but then I was greeted with sweet dried roses and the most magical fragrance when I opened the mailer! I'm a sucker for patchouli but these tiny vials take this scent into another realm! I wasn't sure of them at first... Im just going to be honest... I sat and looked at that tiny box for hours sniffing and reading the little cards that explain each scent. So I took the plunge and dabbed a bit of Sweet Androgyny behind my ears and set out to take on the world... Needless to say Im in love! These fragrances remind me of my dearest friend in the world and make me want to dance around in my long flowy skirts listening to ♥ THIS ♥
{ I am mildly in love with Jolie Holland right now}

But enough about me... here's what Jill has to say about her life & her art!

Tell us a little about yourself, your family, and your life outside of the studio...
I live in Kansas City, MO with my boyfriend. He has a son, Simon, who is 10, and I have a cat, Jaqk who keeps me company when the other boys are away. All 3 of them are geminis~ you can imagine the chaos! Luckily we live in the upstairs part of a duplex and I have the downstairs apartment to myself (my studio).


How long have you been creating/selling...
I have been creating forever and I joined Etsy 2 years ago.


What inspires your designs?...
My design draws a lot from the Victorian era, but with a rustic twist on the forest items, and a modern Rococo feel to some of my newer pieces. I am always inspired by nature, yesteryear, and good music.


Out of curiosity, what are the tools of your trade?...
Tools of the perfumers trade would be precise measuring instruments, a double boiler, pyrex beakers, and my nose

What is the one thing in the craft/art world you wish you could do? (ie. sew)
I've tried my hand at leatherworking and wasn't very good at it. I also thought stained glass art would be easy for me but I am so nervous to cut the glass so that never worked out. I have tried just about everything I have wanted to try except ceramics- I hope to take a class soon for this. There are so many things I want to make.


Any Advice to artist/designers just starting out...
In general, I would say learn and practice your skill for a while before "putting yourself out there," if you are easily discouraged. If I opened my etsy shop when I had first started making perfume it would look and be a disaster. Trust yourself and form your ideas and take the time and effort to make your shop/brand/product an expression of yourself. Don't be impatient.

Where can we find you?
www.forstrangewomen.com studio- Kansas City, of 39th st restaurant row products- in boutiques across country

{she also has a beautiful Blog...}


Cameo Noir Valentines Gift Set

Thank you Jill for participating in my very first artists feature!

And to all you Strange Women out there... I HIGHLY recommend you flutter by For Strange Women... because as Bella puts it... "mommy you smell magical" and who doesnt want THAT!

Be good to each other!
Adieu~ ♥ ~Tawny

My not so secret L♥VE Affair....

I dont really write much about my city here, I guess I have always figured that most of you that read this are familiar with Oklahoma and all the magic it has to offer, however when I look at my list of followers and lurkers I realize... that just maybe a few of you are not only my personal friends and/or family members, that maybe just a few of you really tune in to see what zanny thing might pop out of my brain next! {Which makes me giddy beyond words!} But I digress... Oklahoma City is truely an amazing place... and I promise to start sharing more about all my adventures in the land of the cowboys and indians! ;)

now back to my love affair...



Her Name is THE Skirvin Hotel... {miss skirvin if your nasty!}

And I have been madly in love with her for as long as I can remember! When I was a little girl it was a magical sparkley place that was always like a dream...

I remember the way the carpet felt under my little patent leather shoes and the laughter and music that came from the bar...
As a teenager I tried to find ways to sneak in to her empty grand halls...

I watched that beautiful hotel fall to almost ruin throughout my childhood and it still never lost that magic, about the time Chris and I were planning our wedding it was starting to be rumored that the beautiful lady was going to be resurrected, but we had to wait till 2007 to finally walk through her doors again, and trust me it was as magical as I remembered.




There is something about this grand hotel... I dont know what it is, I find myself driving 20 minutes out of my way just so I can get caught in traffic and stare at that beautiful building!

And who can resist the legend.

Yea, Im a little obsessed.

we spend our valentines and anniversary in the grand style of the Skirvin, and I am planning a fantastic 7th birthday blowout for the Diva that will end with a fabulous slumber party at the hotel...

My heart belongs to her.

I am simply in love!

Adieu
♥

Armed with Aetaminophen and Guaifenesin I am taking over the world...

Guess what I have been doing the last 4 days...

you guessed it! Fighting the flu bug!

Wednesday night 2 littles came home with a fever and within 24 hours only myself and one of the teenagers still stood. The flu bug hit the Corrente house full force! {guess we should have gotten those dang shots!}

So needless to say, the only things in my kitchen right now are crackers, 7up and every cold and fever reducer known to man! And Sunday Dinner will consist of Pizza Hut and Dr Pepper.

But no worries dear friends, this coming week I will be back with a great things I ♥, along with a new feature... and some funny anecdotes!

So now I will curl up on the couch with my grandmas quilt and this hot tea, because surely this tickle in my throat and aches in my muscles are only due to exhaustion, right????



Be good to each other... and stay healthy!

♥ Tawny

Sunday Dinner...

Happy Sunday friends!

Its been awhile since I have posted a Sunday Dinner recipe for you guys... sorry.
And since I have spent the weekend thrifting {yesterday... simply divine!} and curled up by the fire watching movies and eskimo kissing the chef {today... again purrrrfection} I thought I would share a perfect warm fuzzy by the fire recipe...



Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon


Ingredients:
6 ounces bacon
1 Tbsp. olive oil or cooking oil
3 pounds lean stewing beef , cut into 2-inch cubes
1 sliced carrot
1 sliced onion
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. flour
3 cups full-bodied, young red wine , such as a Chianti
2 to 3 cups brown beef stock or canned beef bouillon
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 cloves mashed garlic
1/2 tsp. thyme
Crumbled bay leaf
Blanched bacon rind
18 to 24 small white onions , brown-braised in stock
1 pound quartered fresh mushrooms , sautéed in butter
Parsley sprigs

Directions
Remove rind from bacon, and cut bacon into lardons (sticks, 1/4 inch thick and 1 1/2 inches long). Simmer rind and bacon for 10 minutes in 1 1/2 quarts of water. Drain and dry.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Sauté the bacon in the oil over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon. Set casserole aside. Reheat until fat is almost smoking before you sauté the beef.

Dry the stewing beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Sauté it, a few pieces at a time, in the hot oil and bacon fat until nicely browned on all sides. Add it to the bacon.

In the same fat, brown the sliced vegetables. Pour out the sautéing fat.

Return the beef and bacon to the casserole and toss with the salt and pepper. Then sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the beef lightly with the flour. Set casserole uncovered in middle position of preheated oven for 4 minutes. Toss the meat and return to oven for 4 minutes more. (This browns the flour and covers the meat with a light crust.) Remove casserole, and turn oven down to 325 degrees.

Stir in the wine, and enough stock or bouillon so that the meat is barely covered. Add the tomato paste, garlic, herbs, and bacon rind. Bring to simmer on top of the stove. Then cover the casserole and set in lower third of preheated oven. Regulate heat so liquid simmers
very slowly for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.

While the beef is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms. Set them aside until needed.

When the melt is tender, pour the contents of the casserole into a sieve set over a saucepan. Wash out the casserole and return the beef and bacon to it. Distribute the cooked onions and mushrooms over the meat.

Skim fat off the sauce. Simmer sauce for a minute or two, skimming off additional fat as it rises. You should have about 2 1/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly. If too thin, boil it down rapidly. If too thick, mix in a few tablespoons of stock or canned bouillon. Taste carefully for seasoning. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables. Recipe may be completed in advance to this point.

For immediate serving: Covet the casserole and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce several times. Serve in its casserole, or arrange the stew on a platter surrounded with potatoes, noodles, or rice, and decorated with parsley.

For later serving: When cold, cover and refrigerate. About 15 to 20 minutes before serving, bring to the simmer, cover, and simmer very slowly for 10 minutes, occasionally basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce.

Copyright © 1961, 1983, 2001 by Alfred A. Knopf. Reprinted by arrangement with the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc.

We also had big chunks of homemade bread and a bottle of 2004 Chateau Franc la Rose {Im not really a wine chic... just thought the label was pretty... it was deeeelish!}
And the bowl in the photo was one of my sweet thrift store finds! Along with a 1983 Mastering the Art of French Cooking!

So I hope you enjoy... & in the words of the immortal Julia Child...



BON APPETIT!

Be good to each other!
♥ Tawny

Things I ♥ right now...

Its that time again!

Here are few of the things I ♥ right now!

This collection of frames is breath taking! They remind me of gypsies and summer and make my eyes happy!


FuNkY BOHO Farmhouse Chic - Vintage Picture Frame Collection Timeless N Chic on etsy

I have had a very secret love affair with Creme De La Gems for awhile now... I have coveted a few different designs over the past few months, and still cant decide! LOL! But I do know that a Creme de la Gems piece is in my very near future!

chalcedony gemstone briolette heart charm necklace
Creme de la Gems on etsy

As the new year progresses I realize just how much I need this...
{anyone want to buy me a late christmas present?}
Not only are each of these planners customizable for your specific needs, but how cute are they!
And let me suggest that you also purchase her Whole Shebang package... because who doesnt love matching accessories?


DELANIE Design - Large Personalized Planner
from Much Ado About You on etsy.

And last but not least in anyway...
are you suffering from dry, itchy, uncomfortable wintery skin?? I know I am... and its driving me crazy!
If these work and smell as good as they look, I will be one happy girl! *wink*

Pink Sugar Scrub Cubes from
Wicked Soaps on etsy.

I hope you find a little something you l♥ve from these fabulous sellers!
And have a spectacular Saturday!

Be good to each other!
;0)Tawny

I awoke and it was 2011... weird.

Can it be possible that I have not posted since THE EVENT?? Reeeaaalllyyyy?

Wow.

So Christmas has come, and gone, along with New Years... were your holidays wonderful? I hope they were!!

Ours were dreamily perfect; Magical in fact!



Thousands of cookies were baked, traditions were shared, and everyone got exactly what they wanted for Christmas!
And the best part of it all was I was there!
I was there to bake cookies with my daughter all day Christmas Eve... {something that I havent done in 2 years.}
I was there to enjoy a weekend of shopping and coffee and lunches with my amzing husband and had no timeline holding us.
I was given the biggest gift on Dec. 10th
wrapped in the strangest of packages and Im sure not ment to be precious at all, but good golly I am spilling with joy because of!
I have enjoyed every final minute of 2010, and its shocking that becomeing generally unemployed is what it took to make me look at the world around me in such a different way!

I feel like Dorthy returning from OZ, and you were there... and you... AND you!

But enough about that... this post really is about out with the old and in with the new!
2011 is here, and its gonna be a big one folks! I promise!!

{Chris New Years Eve... it was quite the party!}


I have so many new announcements I am bursting at the seams to share them all!
But sweeties you will have to keep checking back often for all the new little tids and bits!!

So my first VERY BIG announcement...


Oh Lolli Boutique is coming soon!
I cant wait to share all the amazing new designs that I have been working on!

Oh! Lolli is a new spin on my business combining my old Bada Blingg line and Lollipops Sugar Shoppe! So many amazing new designs will be debuting in Feburary! Along with tons of new stuff coming to Lollipops... including a big move, to bigcartel.com and the addition of a sweet little, dare I tell... vintage trailer!



But Im spilling the beans a bit too much...

So from my cottage to yours... Happy 2011!
May it bring you happiness, luck, and much wealth... no matter how you measure it! ;)

Be good to each other!
♥ Tawny

Times they are a changin...

Come gather 'round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be drenched to the bone.
If your time to you
Is worth savin'
Then you better start swimmin'
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come writers and critics
Who prophesize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide
The chance won't come again
And don't speak too soon
For the wheel's still in spin
And there's no tellin' who
That it's namin'.
For the loser now
Will be later to win
For the times they are a-changin'.





Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway
Don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
There's a battle outside ragin'.
It'll soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don't criticize
What you can't understand
Your sons and your daughters
Are beyond your command
Your old road is
Rapidly agin'.
Please get out of the new one
If you can't lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin'.

The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast
The slow one now
Will later be fast
As the present now
Will later be past
The order is
Rapidly fadin'.
And the first one now
Will later be last

For the times they are a-changin'.

Yeah... this sums it up!

Be good to each other!

How big are your plans this weekend?

Because mine are DELUXE!



"Deluxe is an indie craft fair and community event with free admission in Oklahoma City..." Held in the Centennial Building at the fairgrounds, Deluxe features unique artists selling handmade only items, with fun and entertainment for everyone!

I hope you stop by to see me, and check out all the other amazing booths!
Get that Christmas shopping done all in one place!

I will have a few fun little things for sale... I will be taking orders for Christmas treats {free local delivery} And LOTS of gift cards!

The fun starts at 11am!

See you there!

♥ Tawny

Did someone say Egg Nog?

Here is a yummy one for you!



Ingredients

1 chai tea bag
1 (17.5-oz.) package sugar cookie mix
1/2 cup melted butter
1 large egg
4 tablespoons eggnog, divided
Parchment paper
Cinnamon sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Remove tea leaves from tea bag; discard bag.

2. Stir together tea leaves, cookie mix, butter, egg, and 2 Tbsp. eggnog until well blended.

3. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Flatten dough slightly with bottom of a glass dipped in cinnamon sugar.

4. Bake at 350° for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from baking sheet to a wire rack, and cool completely (about 10 minutes).

5. Whisk together powdered sugar, nutmeg, and remaining 2 Tbsp. eggnog until smooth. Spoon over cooled cookies.

Be good to each other!
♥ tawny

Fa~La~La~La~LAAAAAA!

♫ On the first day of Cookie~Palooza ... Tawny gave toooo Yooooouuuuu!!! ♫

Photo and Recipe found at Recipe Rhapsody

Cinnabon Cookies!!

I found this recipe a few weeks ago while doing a bit of blog surfing and thought to my self... YUM!

Boy was I right!
I made these this afternoon with the tiny diva and oh-my-gosh.
They are sweet, yummy bits of cinnamony {is that a word?} heaven!

Here is my tip to you... unless you have a restaurant sized kitchen aid, DO NOT double the recipe!! LOL! We had a bit of dough explosion teehee!

So here you go! Enjoy!

Cinnamon Roll Sugar Cookies
recipe by Jenny at Picky Palate

2 Cups sugar
1 Cup butter, softened
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
(I added 1/2 teaspoon almond extract)
1 Cup sour cream
6 Cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons softened butter, (slice 2 Tablespoons 6 times totaling 12 tablespoons)
1 1/2 Cups packed light brown sugar, divided into 1/4 Cups
1 1/2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon, divided

Frosting
8 oz softened cream cheese
1/2 Cup powdered sugar
2-4 Tablespoons milk, to thin icing

1. In an electric or stand mixer, cream the sugar and butter. Add eggs, vanilla and sour cream until well combined. Slowly add in the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt until well combined.
2. In 2 batches, place in plastic wrap in a disc shape and chill for at least 2 hours for best results.
3. Once chilled, cut each disc into thirds and roll into a 1/8 inch thick oval, about 12 inches X 5 inches on a floured surface. Spread each rolled pieces of dough with 2 Tablespoons softened butter, 1/4 Cup packed brown sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon. (I forgot to soften my butter beforehand so I just slightly melted it in the microwave and mixed in the brown sugar and cinnamon, then spread it over the dough in a thin layer.) Start rolling from the long end closest to you, rolling into a log shape. (I wrapped the logs in wax paper and refrigerated for another 2 hours at this point because they were too soft to cut and got all smooshed.) Using a sharp knife, cut 1/2 inch pieces of dough then placing onto a silpat or parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes. Remove and let cool for 5 minutes before removing from baking sheet.
4. To prepare frosting, beat the cream cheese until softened and smooth, slowly add powdered sugar and milk until desired consistency. Frost cookies then place in refrigerator until ready to serve. These are 100 times better chilled, trust me!!
Makes at least 6 dozen

I would LOVE for you to share your favorite holiday cookie recipes with me!
And who knows... I might pick your recipe to make, photograph and put on the blog!
Just email them to me at... tawny76@cox.net !

Enjoy the cinnabon sugar cookies!
Be good to each other!
And Happy Holidays!

♥ Tawny

1st annual Cookie~palooza!

Okay... here are the rules:
1. Place the button for this party on your sidebar {you can find the button below!}
2. Spread the word! The more the merrier I always say!
3. Please plan on participating!!
4. Sign up by Dec. 17th
5. Have lots of Holiday fun!!

Here are a few ideas for you...

*Share a favorite holiday sweets recipe, be it cookies or fudge or one of a kind treat!

* Cookie inspired crafts, photography, or tablescapes

* Fun packaging ideas

* Other fun holiday traditions!

Please join me in celebrating my 4 year blog~a~versary grab the button and lets get baking!




Happy Holidays!
♥ Tawny

I was lost... but now I am found... { and the 1st annual cookiepalooza!}

and no, not in the I found Jesus... talking in tounges... pass the collection plate kind of way... But in more of the; Im drowning in Etsy orders... family issues are abounding... and just the general holiday blues...

But enough whining... there is no time for all that!

Things are getting pretty crazy here in Daily Icing land!

Gingerbread house orders are really starting to stack up!



There is still plenty of time to place an ORDER!
All orders will be shipped no later than December 18th to insure your gift arrives in time for Christmas!

And if your local, and want to avoid all that crazy shipping stuff... come find Lollipops at Deluxe Indie Craft Bazaar December 11th!



Doors open at 11am... free admission.. and lots of really awesome LOCAL artisits! The perfect way to start your handmade holiday!
We will have decorative gingerbread houses, ornaments, and other fun non~edible holiday stuff... and will be taking orders for Bodachious Apples and EDIBLE Gingerbread houses!

And now for some blog party info!

My 4 year Blog~a~versary is in December!

And so to celebrate... I am hosting the 1st annual Daily Icing Christmas Cookiepalooza!

Starting Decemember 1st... I will be sharing my 12 days of cookies... 3 new cookie recipes a week... and a drawing each Saturday for a cookie tin filled with that weeks cookies {from our kitchen to yours} and other sweet holiday surprises!

You wanna party with me?
On Dec 18th we will have one giant cookie swap!
Link your blog with mine and we can fill the blogsphere with the sweet smells of the holidays! More info to come! So get out those cookbooks and get ready!

I hope your Thanksgiving was wonderful!

Be good to each other!
♥ Tawny

Is it wrong to be thankful for gingerbread??

Cuz if it is... I DONT WANNA BE RIGHT!!!!

Day 16...

Thankful for Lollipops Sugar Shoppe!!



Now taking orders for Christmas!




Custom gingerbread houses... Bodachious Apple Stocking stuffers... fudge galore!
Perfect gifts for teachers, co workers, family and friends!

{yes this post is a shameless plug}

But really... I am thankful for my little shoppe.

Be good to each other!
♥ Tawny

15 days into thankful...

I came home today to find 2 packages waiting for me... mysterious.
"I have not ordered anything recently"... I think as I kick off my shoes.
Then I see that all to familiar handwriting... my daddy. It cant be a birthday present... he already sent that. So what oh what is in those boxes!

I got everyone settled and sat myself on the couch to tear into those mystery packages!

The minute the seal was broken and I peared inside those boxes the tears began to fall. Tears of joy? yes. Of sadness? yes. Gratefulness? YES.


My grandmas photo albums...

Pages and pages of history... from her days as a girl on the farm.


To her life in the big city!


And so many more!
Just through the pics I see so much of me.
And boy was my dad a looker! ;)

So, today... I am thankful for my history. ALL of it, on both sides. The good, the bad, and the ugly.

Thank you Daddy for the best gift ever and for my history.

I love you all...
Be good to each other.
♥ Tawny

Day 14.... for him I am thankful.

He is 9 years old today.

He changed my life, in his own special way.
He makes me laugh... his sweet spirit amazes me... and the brain on this kid is stunning!


He is a ninja in the kitchen... just like his daddy!
{my Mothers Day brunch presented to me in my dirty craft room}

He loves, soccer, art & his XBOX... and can read The Diary of a Whimpy Kid book in a WHOLE DAY! Thats a big deal folks!!!

He loves his little sister... {well most of the time!}



I cant wait to see the man he will become!


{Birthday waffles... its a tradition}

Happy Birthday Critter!!

I ♥ You!

What I am thankful for...

okay... sooooo I need to catch up!
LOL! But once you read what I am thankful for you will understand the reason for the delay!

Day 11...

I am SO thankful for my friends!

{its a bad pic, I know...}

I dont think I could have made through the rest of this week with out thier support, love and laughter.

Day 12...

Im thankful my knee is NOT broken!



I have to be the single most ungraceful person in the world!
I would love to tell you I hurt my knee while saving a group of old people and a litter of puppies from a burning building while fighting ninjas... but its nothing that cool... long stoy short, I got tangled up in my own pjs and BAM! knee all askew!
But thankfully it is on the mend today and only a sprain!

Day 13...

Today I am thankful for...
Relaxing Saturdays!!




No where to go... and nothing really to do. Ahhhhhhhhh! I LOVE IT!

I hope you all are enjoying the same!
And I hope you are finding a few things to be thankful for!

Be good to each other!
♥ Tawny

What am I thankful for??? Today this was hard...

I really wanted to just blow this off today... just to be honest.

But I made a promise to myself that I would find something, no matter how small, to be thankful for each and everyday this month and put it into words.

So, today my friends I am thankful for situations that push me towards my dream... Im sure that the person who put the events of today into motion had other more sinister plans... but I hate to inform you {just in case she reads this} all you did was push me in the direction that I needed to go! So thank you.

So thats it folks, sort and sweet.

What are you thankful for??

be good to each other...
♥ Tawny

Thankful day 8... furbabies

I came home today from work... tired, ready for the comfort of my pjs and a nice glass of wine... and was greeted by one of my favorite sounds, my furkids telling me about thier day! LOL! Its so cute how those 2 furry girls will sit at the foot of my bed just chatting it up with me about whatever they have one thier minds! I wish I knew what they were saying!

I am so thankful for those sweet puppy kisses and furry snuggles!



Be good to each other!
♥ Tawny

Im in love with BUNTING!... and a yummy sunday dessert!

Okay... all I have to say is ...

BUNTING!! I ♥ BUNTING!!!


I could have sweet bits of bunting in every room of my house... and I now want it atop each and every cake I make...

Ive been addicted to bunting for awhile now... but I spent the day today catching up on my blog surfing and it was everywhere!!

In my blog hopping adventures today I came across a feature of esty seller

KiKiLaRu


These sweet buntings stole my heart! And she sells a DIY kit!! so cool!





And this is a really cool idea as well... and very cute!




And in honor of cake bunting and the chill in the air, your sunday dinner recipe is...

Caramel Apple Spice Cake




Ingredients{Serves 12 to 14}

2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature, {plus more for pans}
1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise
2 pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and grated {4 cups}
1/2 cup apple cider
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 cup packed dark-brown sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/4 cups pecan halves (5 ounces), toasted dark and finely ground in a food processor
Brown Sugar Swiss Meringue Buttercream {directions following}

Directions
1.Put 1/2 stick butter into a large nonstick skillet. Using the tip of a paring knife, scrape seeds from vanilla bean into skillet, and toss in pod. Cook over medium heat until butter is lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Stir in apples, cider, and 1 cup granulated sugar. Raise heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes. Reduce heat to low, and cook until apples are golden and translucent and liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Discard vanilla pod. Let cool.

2.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 8-by-2-inch round cake pans. Dust with flour, and tap out excess. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Reserve 1/4 cup flour mixture.

3.Beat remaining 2 sticks butter, remaining 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, and the brown sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Reduce speed to medium, and add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce speed to low. Beat in flour mixture in 2 batches, alternating with the sour cream and scraping bowl as needed. Add remaining 1/4 cup flour mixture to apple mixture, and toss. Fold in apple mixture and pecans.

4.Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake until tops are dark golden brown and a toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean, 55 to 65 minutes. Let cool for 30 minutes on a wire rack. Run a knife around edges of cakes to loosen. Unmold cakes, and let cool, right side up, on rack. (Cakes can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 3 days.)

5.Assemble cake: Trim each cake so it's 1 3/4 inches high. Place 1 cake, cut side up, on a cake stand. Spread 1 1/2 cups buttercream over top. Place remaining cake, cut side down, on top. Spread 1 cup buttercream over entire cake. Refrigerate until firm, about 45 minutes. Spread remaining frosting over cake. (Cake can be refrigerated, uncovered, overnight.)

Brown Sugar Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Ingredients
Makes about 5 cups

5 large egg whites
1 2/3 cups packed dark-brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 sticks (2 cups) unsalted butter, room temperature
Directions
1.Put egg whites, sugar, and salt into a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk until mixture registers 160 degrees, about 4 minutes.
2.Beat on high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 6 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low. Add butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating after each addition (meringue will deflate slightly as butter is added). Beat until frosting is smooth and glossy, 3 to 5 minutes. Buttercream can be refrigerated airtight for up to 3 days; bring to room temperature, and beat before using.



Enjoy!

Be Blessed and be good to each other!
♥ Tawny

A month of thankfuls...

So alot of my facebook pals are posting one thing they are thankful for each day of November... at first I was all eye rolling and scoffing... {my mood hasnt been what you would call "happy" lately} Then I remembered something someone told me once... "forced joy is better than genuine depression." and so I decided that it was high time I snapped out of it!

So I'm joining in the Thankfulness... here on the blog!

Im 6 days behind... so I better get started!

Welcome to MY month of thankfuls!

#1 My Home...
We live in a teeny tiny house... but its OURS... and I love it, I grew up in this house... have raised my family here, so many memories. I love it.

#2 My kids...


Who wouldn't love these scallywags!


#3 Im thankful for my hubby... things have been kinda hard lately, but I know we will make it through... we always do!!



#4 Im thankful for my job... I have the coolest job around! YES at times I fall into the feel sorry for myself state that we all fall into... but really if you think about it... I have the coolest job!!

#5 Im thankful for Nyquil... I have been drugged for the last 24 hours trying to get over the death... and I think Im finally on the mend.

#6 I'm thankful for pumpkin spiced pecan ice cream... YUM.

#7 I'm thankful for my blog... and my readers... its an awesome venue for my rants and randomness!

I hope you check in daily for a thankful update... and let me know what YOUR thankful for in your daily life!

Be blessed, and be good to each other!
♥ Tawny

stay tuned for Sunday Dinner!!