K + N Engagements

This is my new favorite couple! We'll maybe I'm not being fair because she's always been my best cousin, but they seriously are so cute together and I can't wait till their wedding. This was my first EVER photo shoot so I might overload on pictures but I am so excited!

Photography

So last Christmas Santa brought me the best gift ever.

Then this week for my birthday by husband got me the part that will change my life.

I've had this dream to get into photography for a little while. Its an expensive investment, so slow and steady. Now I'm saving for classes and a nice lens.

Now, I've learned about my camera, taught myself about Exposure, Aperture, ISO, yada yada, but you still need time and experience. But I was an idot and offered to take my cousins engagement pictures to help on cost. Little did I know that she would take me up on it and I found myself taking their pictures a week later. Luckily we now live close to a cousin who gave me a crash course in Photoshop the day before! I actually am very pleased with the results and have no probably telling everyone that I am proud of myself!

Straight from the the Camera: After my new photo shop skills: A little boulder enhancement

Better than 'Better than Sex Cake'

I know everyone has a "Better Than Sex Cake" recipe, but I need to share with you my perfected version. This one gets everyone to say "MMMMMmmm THATS good.

What you'll need: 1 Devils Food Cake mix, 1 large Cool Whip, 1 jar caramel (I prefer smuckers), 1 can sweet and condensed milk, and 5-6 skor bars/ heath bars chopped.

Bake you cake in a 9x13 pan. Once its cooled you cube it into 1 inch sections. Place half on the bottom of your trifle dish. Then pour half the can of sweet and condensed milk across the top, THEN half the caramel. Yes BOTH my friends, I know some of you out there use one or the other, I'm telling you right now, USE BOTH! then sprinkle with skor pieces, then cool whip.

Repeat this step all over again. But make this like 8 hours ahead of time and let it sit in the refrigerator so it can SOAK all the goodness up!

Spa Night Cupcakes

Start with a cute cupcake, frosted!

Then make cute little fondant lipsticks

And Waala!

Sour Cream Lemon Pie

This is my go to dessert for Easter. If you like Cyrus O'leary's Sour Cream lemon then this is the closet copy cat I have. If you have never tried it, THEN DO! Seriously it is amazing. Or take my word for it and make this one! There is something about lemon that just yells SPRING IS HERE!

Sour Cream Lemon Pie

Over medium heat

1 C Sugar
3 1/2 T Corn Starch
1 T Lemon Rind
1/2 C lemon Juice
3 Egg yolks slightly beaten
1 C. Milk.

Stir over medium heat until it thickens up. Then take off heat and ADD

1/4 C butter

Let it cool down, I never have patience to let it cool all the way, and ADD

1 C Sour Cream

Take
1 pie crust,(be my guest to use Marie Calendars frozen crust! I usually do!) pricked and baked.

Pour into crust and refrigerate! Its great with some Whipping Cream or even just a cold glass of milk.

Easter Cake Pops

Last year I made brownie bites just like this but with the cake ball craze all the rage, I went that direction.
Tips:
You make the ears by piping with a #2 tip onto wax paper then add a toothpick to the back. once dry you flip over and put the pick on. Then stick into the cake pop..

Easter Nests again.

So I posted this last year, but didn't included the recipe. Next year Im going to combine a few different recipes I found, because all though these look more like nests then some of the others out there, I feel like the flavor can be improved upon. I found a great one that uses marshmallows and butter! So stayed tuned next year!

16 - 20 oz chocolate (i used bakers semi sweet)

1 C. Peanut Butter Microwave together for 1 min. then 30 sec.repeated til melted.

About 1 box of All Bran and 1 Bag ChowMein. (I saw about because mine wasn't goopy enough this time and I used the full amounts)

Form into nests on wax paper. Put in your choice of eggs (cadbury mini's for me please) Then place in the fridge!

Glee Cake

So one of the 12 year old girls I teach in Church invited me to her birthday party! How could I turn her down right? And for her present, what else, a cake of course. I called her mom to see if I could make it and asked if the party had a theme, Glee. What is a 12 year old is doing watching Glee, don't ask me, I just make the cakes! I wanted to keep it one layer and simple, but wasn't sure what to do so I googled it and stole a couple ideas to combine together.

Daisy Wedding Cake

This cake not only looks good, its taste good. I finally found a winner for white cake! LET ME TELL YOU, IT TASTE AMAZING. And rightfully so, it has a colossal amount of butter. I make all my pound cakes from scratch. Recipe below (for this cake, 10 inch x 6 inch rounds, I double the recipe)!

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) margarine

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
8 ounces cream cheese
6 jumbo eggs, beaten
Pinch of salt

Begin with softened cream cheese, margarine and butter. Cream the cream cheese, margarine, butter, sugar and add beaten eggs and flour alternately. Mix very well. Pour into greased and floured tube pan. Bake in cold oven at 300 degrees F for 1 hour and 15 minutes or when cake pulls away from sides of pan. Frost when completely cooled or leave plain.

Hey, Im guest posting!!!

Check it out! Im featured today over at I'm Topsy Turvy! I'm giving you one of my favorite recipes... MOLTEN LAVA CAKES!!!!

Chocolate Lace Dome

This is great for making desserts fancy shmancy! Like ice cream, MY favorite, Molten Lava Cakes OR, BOTH!

What You'll Need:

Melting chocolate

Water Balloon

Piping tip (#2) and bag (or you could try it by cutting a small hole in a bag.)

First: Blow up your balloon Second: Melt your chocolate *I use almond bark or candy melts because they melt smooth and harden fast. And pour it into piping bag with tipThen pipe it onto the balloon, no rhyme or reason. I tried to do a specific pattern thinking that would be oh so beautiful..... but unless you have the most amazing skills with chocolate and a steady hand it end up looking worse than just random madness! Let harden in fridge.Pop the balloon. Pull it ut before it completely shrivel up or it could stick to the inside making it hard to pull out without breaking pieces. Then you are ready to serve! over a beautiful dessert.

Leprechaun Hat Cake Balls

So I made these last year with the brownie mold, but this time I thought I could make them better with cake balls.

What you need:
Cake balls (one cake mix baked, crumbled, and mixed with a tube or home made cream cheese frosting)
Melted chocolate for candy dipping
Fondant (or green licorice)
Mini M&Ms
Fudge Striped cookies

I rolled my cake balls into the size and shape of large marshmallows. Then stuck them in the freezer while I prepared everything else.


I cut strips of green fondant. I didn't measure exactly I just did what I thought looked good on the hat. I guess about 5 inch x 3/8 inch.Melted my chocolate
Got out my M&Ms, cookies.
I found the best way to dip is to have the name brand with the holes. That way I can dip the cake ball on a stick, lightly tap off excess chocolate then bring the cookie up around the stick and pull the stick out. It keep the process easy and a lot less messy.
Then you can wrap the fondant around (when the chocolate is still wet or after its cooled, doesn't matter)
Last, use a toothpick to dab some chocolate on the M&M and stick it on!