The Sweet Life

Santa Fe

2012-01-18T11:22:00.001-08:00

Mr. Sweet took me to Santa Fe for my birthday last month. We had a great time eating, sleeping and spending one afternoon at the spa.

First stop, lunch at Whole Foods...yes and amen. Second stop, A Thousand Waves Spa for hot tub time, a facial and a massage. A blissful afternoon.
Our hotel was right on the Plaza, with a fireplace...super cozy!

Lunch the next day was delish...
It included pitas and hummus, lightly fried asparagus, and a cobb salad.
Followed by rhubarb pie and coffee.
Mr. Sweet had an irish coffee, which had a kick to it!

Dinner was pizza and wine in the room.
At the Farmer's Market on the way out of town. Great weekend with my love!

Mi Familia

2011-12-21T06:53:00.000-08:00

Crafting for Christmas

2011-12-19T06:10:00.000-08:00

I started with this random collection of items, above, and this precious helper, below...

After lots of trimming, tying and gluing,
I ended up with this door decor. Really like the colorful addition to my Christmas decorations.

Art Work

2011-12-17T06:50:00.000-08:00

Little Sugar's first piece of art. Looks like we've got a tiny Picasso on our hands.

Thankful

2011-12-15T09:23:00.000-08:00

We had a great Thanksgiving celebrating with Mr. Sweet's family...Little Sugar wasn't to sure about the traditional Thanksgiving meal, but he gave it a good try.

Mr. Sweet had to feed my father's cattle and Little Sugar did not miss one opportunity to go with his Papa.
Shooting some skeet off of the front porch.
Family time....Little Sugar with his cousin, Caden.

The girls, snuggling before everyone left to go home.

Swap Meet

2011-12-13T05:01:00.000-08:00

Not too long ago, several of my girlfriends and I had a swap party.

First, and foremost, the food was delish! There was spinach dip and tasty sandwiches.
Dessert included a pumpkin dip and sweet chips and homemade zucchini bread.
Another appetizer: 7 layer dip and fresh corn chips.
So we all brought several items from around our house that we no longer used, but were still in good shape and then we "swapped" with one another and all left with "new" items that we will use. Two of my girls with some of their finds.
I got this shirt, along with a new wallet, two necklaces, and a couple of other goodies.

Good Times

2011-12-11T06:53:00.000-08:00

Little Sugar's first snow to actually enjoy...

Cooking with his mama...

Loves putting his Papa's shoes on and walking around the house.

Recently started sleeping face down and I found him like this one night.

Girls Trip

2011-12-09T06:53:00.000-08:00

Several friends surprised me with a trip to Dallas for my 30th birthday. Five girls, three days, lots of fabulous food and many hours of shopping. It was the best time. When we got to Dallas Friday night, we went to eat at Hillstone, formerly known as Houston's.

A chilton, long beach, and glass of red wine to start the evening off right.
Here are a few pics of a few things we ordered...among them; crab cakes with coleslaw, a french dip, and a burger.

I was in heaven and we finished it off with apple cobbler and coffee...Fabulouso!
After dinner we wanted a picture together...We asked three different people to take our pic, because they kept not turning out but the person who had taken it was already in their car at the valet.

Finally, we got a good one!
Saturday, we headed to the Dallas Flea....a great market with so many cool finds. Very vintage stuff, much of it hand made.

...with our finds.
Next, we headed down town for lunch....we got there just as they were finishing up the Christmas parade, so it was BUSY.

Lunch was Mexican food at the Iron Cactus.
A couple of the more colorful lunch items...tortilla soup with a salad.
Spinach enchiladas with goat cheese.
Next, coffee at the mercantile...
Pour over bars are all the rage.

After filling our tummies, we headed out for more shopping at Sam Moon. Everyone was in the mood to shop there and many scarves and jewelry were purchased.
To finish the night we stopped off at Mockingbird Station for a bit more shopping, then picked up pizza for dinner. The Christmas lights at Mockingbird Station were fantastic!
We pulled out of town the next morning, but not before breakfast at Cafe Brazil and a bit more shopping at the outlets in Allen. A fabulous weekend with great friends!

Gift from the Lord

2011-12-07T08:45:00.000-08:00

Found this beauty laying on my front porch the other day. It was a beautiful gift from the Lord.

The back side had super vivid green veins running through it. I wanted to remember this.

Helping on the Farm

2011-11-02T05:47:00.000-07:00

We were down at my parents' place to help work cattle last week. Little Sugar loves to ring the chimes after lunch at his great-grandmother's house.

Mr. Sweet and our nephew taking a break from the cattle.
After his nap, Little Sugar was "throwing the ball" to Cooper and helping his Grammy sweep the driveway off.

A Little Sweetness

2011-10-31T06:34:00.000-07:00

Fair on the Square

2011-10-29T05:12:00.000-07:00

We headed down to Canyon for the Fair on the Square a couple of weekends ago...Here the Little Sugar is waiting on us to leave.

Headed out the door.
Waiting on Mama to get coffee...It was a cold day and we needed a warm drink.
Playing in the park on the square

We didn't stick around too long....Mr. Sweet ate a hot dog and I had a corn dog (yea for fair food) and we watched the parade, then we had to get someplace warm.

Re-Dos

2011-10-27T06:38:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of garage sale finds that I have repainted and made to fit with my decor...

I paid $5 for this side table. When I got it home I painted it white and put a black stain over it, then added a new drawer pull and lined the drawer.

I found this lamp for $4 and spray painted the base black, then I found a new lamp shade for it at Hobby Lobby for $5, which I covered with fabric.

Hats

2011-09-25T06:43:00.000-07:00

Little Sugar loves wearing hats...Here are a few of his favs.

Project for Mr. Sweet

2011-09-23T07:38:00.000-07:00

Mr. Sweet just moved in to a new office space, so we have been on the hunt for retro items to make it cozy. We found this chair at a garage sale this weekend for $10.
And then at another garage sale, I found this side table for $5. I wasn't really sure how I was going to refinish it, but I just started painting with some paint I had around the house.

It turned out this color, which I did not like for his office, so I ran to Home Depot to get some stain.

It turned out like this, and I LOVE IT. Mr. Sweet really likes it too, and it looks great next to his orange chair.

So far, we have spent $20 to outfit his office. Looking pretty good.

Weekend Fun

2011-09-21T06:54:00.000-07:00

We had a great weekend this past one. Little Sugar spent lots of time reading and wrestling with his Papa.

We moved some furniture in to Mr. Sweet's new office and this pea was worn out.

On our way out the door to garage sale.

This boy is loud and crazy fun!

Waiting on Mama to look around at a sale...

I also wanted to do a little project at the house. We created these "entry blocks" in front of both doors on our little back house. Looks so much better than the sand pit and cinderblocks that were there.

Of course, I employed the help of this dapper young gent...

and his handsome father.

On Sunday, we headed over to our nephew's football game. Little Sugar got his own jersey! (he has lots of room to grow)

With his cousins after the game...

OKC

2011-09-19T06:20:00.000-07:00

So last weekend we made a fast trip to Oklahoma City so Mr. Sweet could do a sales training meeting. Some friends from Tulsa met us there and we had a fabulous time.
The boys did boy things, like a sales seminar and talk about business, and we girls did girl things, like shop.
But that night, they took us to a super tasty place for dinner. (They have been to Amarillo and know we are deprived of many great restaurants).

The place is called Hefner Grill and sits right on a lake. We elected to sit out on the patio, as it was a gorgeous evening.

We started off the meal with a little spinach artichoke dip...divine!

And I ordered the fried chicken plate...OMG so delish, juicy chicken and garlic mashed potatoes. Melt my heart! And, yes, I definitely over ate.

Mr. Sweet and Stacy wanted to try two different plates, so they each ordered one and split...Fish tacos with string fries.

And enchiladas with rice and beans.

Adam ordered ribs with fried okra and fries...the ribs were tasty. He was kind enough to share with me.

Then we ordered a side of squash rockefeller. Interesting and tasty.

Got to enjoy great fellowship with friends and watch the sun set over the water.
Now, I don't know what possessed me to want dessert at the Cheesecake Factory, but I suggested and we went. Way too much food! But here are the pics of our desserts. Brownie fudge sundae...

Reese's peanut butter cup cheesecake...

Apple Crisp...

Let's Read

2011-09-16T07:20:00.000-07:00

Little Sugar has become an avid "reader." Often times, I find him snuggled up to his stuffed cow, Moo, "reading to himself."

He loves having us read to him as well. Here he is with his Papa and his puppy.

And here he is "reading to himself."

Tiny Dancer

2011-09-10T07:58:00.000-07:00

Sunset

2011-08-15T06:36:00.000-07:00

It may be dry here, but there is no where that has sunsets like these. I am learning to find beauty even in difficult circumstances.

Dish Love

2011-08-13T06:10:00.000-07:00

The bowls above have been my bowls for the last eight years. My dishes did not come with any cereal bowls, so I just ran to Target and got the cheapest set of bowls I could find...these plastic ones were it. For the last several years, I have been wanting some new bowls. However, I have decided to only buy things I love and within my budget. Several weeks ago I found some beautiful bowls at my local market, but they were more than I wanted to spend. Imagine my delight when I went back this week and they were half off.

They are full of color, and when I open my cabinets I smile when I see them.

Eight Years

2011-08-11T06:40:00.000-07:00

Mr. Sweet and I celebrated our 8th anniversary a few weeks ago by heading out for pizza at 575 Pizzeria.
We started out with an appetizer of toasted bread, brushetta topping, olive tapenade, and a spinach artichoke dip. Very tasty.

Next we shared the house salad, topped with chopped tomato, feta cheese and a vinaigrette dressing.

The pizza we had was delicious. They bake them in a wood fired oven so the crust has that earthy taste. Ours was topped with pepperoni, basil and a red sauce.
It was a fantastic meal and a great celebration of eight years together.

1st Birthday

2011-07-26T06:03:00.000-07:00

Little Sugar's first birthday was over 4th of July weekend. We were with Mr. Sweet's family and had a great time celebrating.

Getting ready to blow out candles...(You will have to bear with me on the number of pics...I wanted to remember his reaction).

Diving in to the yummy cupcake his Nana got for him.

His uncle, auntie and cousins got him his first car. He LOVES this thing. When he gets out, he always makes sure he shuts the door.

Little Sugar also had his first Slip N Slide experience. He wasn't too sure about it, but he sure did like the water hose.

Snuggle time with Papa!

Renovation City-Bathroom

2011-07-24T06:25:00.000-07:00

A few months ago, Mr. Sweet's brother came to our house and spent about two weeks renovating our bathroom. You cannot believe the change!
Here are some before pics:
All white, mismatched tile, bulky sink counter, huge medicine cabinet

Linoleum tile

Hot water heater crammed into the tiny closet; therefore no storage space.

Scratched up tub, that could not be cleaned out.

Mr. Sweet and I did demo the two nights before remodeling started. We tore all of the tile and sheet rock out, leaving only the studs.

And here are the changes... (The pics do not do justice, because our bathroom is so small, I could not really get a good shot of things.)

We put bead board on the walls, replaced the medicine cabinet with a small oval mirror, and exchanged the bulky sink for small pedestal sink. We put in bamboo flooring.

The hot water heater was moved to the garage and this space became a closet. Yea for more storage!

Rather than replacing our cast iron tub, we had someone come in and refinish it. Now it, too, looks new.

We put in new tile around the tub and changed out the fixtures.
I am so thankful for our fresh, new bathroom. The changes are amazing.

Butcher Block

2011-07-22T06:43:00.000-07:00

Okay, friends, do not think less of me after reading this post. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and I am desperate for farm raised chicken.
So my aunt and uncle are raising chickens. I asked if I could be a part of the butchering process in exchange for some chickens.
We worked one Friday and Saturday morning and ended up butchering around 60 birds.
Here the cluckers are running around that morning, unaware of what is about to happen.

Our workspace...My aunt and uncle built out this area behind their house to do the processing. It worked out fabulously.

Ready for the first chicken.

All of the birds, ready to be frozen.

This was a great experience, so much better than I was imagining it would be, and I now have another notch in my "farmgirl" belt.

Growing Boy

2011-07-04T07:09:00.000-07:00

Here I was one year ago...Little Sugar was preparing to make his entrance in to the world.

And here that sweet boy was one year ago, tomorrow. He made his appearance on July 5, at 2:30 PM.

One month old cutie!

Visiting friends in Tulsa last October.

Merry Christmas....5 months old.

First baby calf experience.

Ah, love this dumpling.

Four eyes! 11 months old.

Diva

2011-06-26T06:26:00.000-07:00

Staining our Fence

2011-06-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

We spent the last couple of weekends staining our fence. Here is what it looked like before we did anything to it.
Yuk!
Here is one half of the fence bleached and the other half with one coat of stain on it.

And here are two shots of the final fence.

It looks so much better than it did.

The Chase

2011-06-20T06:35:00.000-07:00

Summer Good Times

2011-06-14T06:53:00.000-07:00

We have been having lots of fun here at the Sugar Shack this summer! Our own Little Sugar is growing so quickly.

We recently purchased a pool for him. He has already logged a good couple of hours in it.

And we have been spending lots of time outside playing (when the wind is not blowing). The Little Sugar LOVES being outside.

And he LOVES his Papa, gets so excited when Mr. Sweet gets home from work and starts playing with him.

He does not love his high chair though and has recently started putting his hands on top of his head as if to say, "This is terrible, get me out of here!"

Cloth Diapers

2011-06-12T06:19:00.000-07:00

So I have been using cloth diapers now for about the past nine months. I haven't made up my mind yet as to whether or not I am happy with my decision. My brother-in-law installed the clothes line (pictured above) in my backyard, which I LOVE. I dry towels, sheets, jeans, everything out there. Back to the diapering...because of the number of diapers I purchased, I wash them about every 3rd day. While today's cloth diapers are much more advanced than the ones my mother's generation used, it is still more work than disposables. However, I am happy that I am able to avoid lots of diapers thrown in the trash.
That being said, I feel like I am in a constant state of the cloth diapers being around. On the line out back, piled up on my dryer because I haven't gotten them folded, or when weather is bad hanging in my kitchen on the dryer stand.

I have purchased biodegradable liners to put in diapers which I can flush in the case of poop, but a lot of times I forget to put the liner in the diaper, at which point, I am hating the cloth diapers and wishing I could just switch back over to disposable. In all honesty, I would say I am 70% glad to be using cloth and 30% wishing I had just gone with disposables (and a large percentage of that 30% relates to dealing with the poop in the cloth diapers). But since the initial cost of buying the cloth diapers is rather large, I feel committed to the cloth diapering system for now.

Happy Weekend!

2011-06-10T06:35:00.000-07:00

New Kind of Nap

2011-06-08T06:59:00.000-07:00

I am only posting this so I can sometime in the far future read back over it and laugh. I was not laughing this morning.

So, Little Sugar just this morning at breakfast took an interest in the velcro tabs on his diaper. While eating breakfast, he began picking at them and pulling them off. I told him "No" and we went on about our morning. Skip forward a couple of hours and he is napping. I heard him wake up, but it had only been an hour and I wanted him to stay in bed a little longer, so I didn't even check him in the monitor, I just left him in his crib. He continued to fuss on and off for a while, so I checked in the monitor. He was just laying there snuggled with his Puppy, but I noticed something that was a different color on his mattress and then as I looked a little closer at him, he had no diaper on! I ran into his room and flipped the light on, yep, poop EVERYWHERE! Two piles on his mattress, on his little blanket, on a pillow I had left in there, on his bear, on his puppy, all over his shirt, arms and mouth! The only place where there was no poop was in the diaper that he had taken off. So I grab him up and run in to the bathroom, where I realize we have no water because a plumber is here working on something. So I run with him (because I cannot set him down anywhere) back in to his bedroom and grab the box of wipes, back to the bathtub where I wipe him down as best I can. Then I set him in his pack n play so I can run next door to the neighbors to get a tub of water. Mind you, Little Sugar is SCREAMING this entire time. Back to the bathtub with the tub of water, run and grab Little Sugar and continue the cleaning process. I finally get him scrubbed down and changed, but still had to wait for the water to be turned on so I coul deal with the mess that was his bed. This little adventure definitely made for an interesting morning and I can tell you, he will not be taking a nap without some form of pants covering his diaper from now on.

My sweet little non-poopy boy!

Walking???

2011-06-07T06:06:00.000-07:00

Little Sugar has now taken 3 steps without any help. But he can really go to town on his truck. So precious!

Strawberry Pie

2011-06-05T06:58:00.000-07:00

This pie is light and refreshing...a great taste for summer! (This recipe comes courtesy of Susie Merrick, a definite queen of the kitchen).
Crust:
1 Cup Unbleached Flour
1 Stick Cold Butter, Diced
2 Tbsp. Ice Water

Preparation: For crust, place butter and flour in processor and process until “mealy” texture. Pour in water and process just until dough comes together. Take it out and liberally flour surface to roll out. Roll and place into pie plate. Prick the bottom of crust. Place parchment paper on crust and fill with pie weights (or dry beans). Bake at 400oF for 15-20 minutes. Allow to cool.

Glaze:
1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Cold Water
2½ Tbsp. Cornstarch
2 Tbsp. White Karo Syrup
3 Tbsp. Cherry or Strawberry Jell-O

Preparation: For glaze, combine sugar, water, cornstarch, and Karo syrup. Heat on the stove or in the microwave until boiling and thick (but not too thick). Note that the mixture will thicken more as it cools, so if you heated it too much and got it too firm, just add some water. Cool for 5-10 minutes and then add the Jell-O. Cool completely.

Filling:
Fresh Strawberries, washed, hulled and halved
(Don’t add sugar or cut too small or they will bleed into the crust, making it soggy!)

Whipped Cream Topping:
Heavy Cream
Sugar
Vanilla

To assemble: arrange the strawberries in the cooled pie crust and drizzle the glaze over the berries. Refrigerate and serve topped with softly (not stiffly) whipped cream sweetened with a little sugar and vanilla.

Lemon Yogurt Cake

2011-04-07T07:33:00.000-07:00

Okay, girls, this was seriously one of the easiest and most delicious snack cakes I have made in a while. It comes to us courtesy of Barefoot Contessa...LOVE, LOVE that woman! You can find the recipe here, but I have included some pics below of the process to get to the finished cake. Sifting the dry ingredients together. Grating the lemon zest and mixing the wet ingredients together. (If you don't have a Microplane grater [instrument with black handle above] and you use zests of any kind very regularly, I highly recommend one of these).

Combining dry and wet ingredients.

Oh, my helper found me...He makes this cake baking so much more interesting!

Panning up the batter.

Juicing the lemons for the glaze.

Dissolving the sugar in the lemon juice. This is later used as a glaze for the cake; a nice addition because my cake was a tad bit over baked therefore a little dry, but this glaze soaked in and really helped to moisten it.

Cooling cake.

And the piece I am about to devour! If you like the Lemon Pound Cake from Starbucks, this is so much tastier!

Some Meals are Better Than Others

2011-04-01T07:08:00.000-07:00

Some days here at The Sweet Life we eat this...

a mix up of whatever I can find in our cupboards and fridge, very uninspiring, bland in appearance and not too tasty.

But some nights we dine on this....

a fresh and flavorful salad,

a warm and comforting bowl of French Onion Soup,

and the tastiest Ribeye steak I have ever had with green beans and hashbrown caserole. Oh, and this little sidekick...

Snack

2011-03-31T07:26:00.000-07:00

I had this for a little snack last night...a warm cup of coffee and a piece of cinammon toast. Delicioso!

Little Sugar Updates

2011-03-29T08:21:00.000-07:00

Well, the sweet boy is mobile and all over the place. Wiggling out of pajamas, standing up in his bed, crawling wherever he wants. He loves using his walker, because he can go where he wants. He has teeth coming in on the top and is constantly chewing on things.

He met and rode his first baby calf a couple of weeks ago. It was sheer excitement for him, not so much for the calf.

He is finding new uses for his exersaucer, too, exploring every inch of it.

And he has recently taken an interest in Redbook.

Laughter-The Best Medicine

2011-02-26T07:43:00.000-08:00

Renovation City-Bedroom

2011-02-22T07:31:00.000-08:00

Here is our bedroom in its original condition. There is no way that tiny closet would house even Mr. Sweet's wardrobe, much less both of ours.
Notice the ceiling fan with no blades...

We painted the trim and walls. The floors in here were stained as well. Added bamboo blinds to the windows.

And most importantly, we expanded the closet. While it is still a tight fit, and I have had to get super creative with space, it is a major improvement from what it was.

The room is small, but it is super cozy.

Buddies

2011-02-19T07:48:00.000-08:00

It is such a blessing to have good friends who have babies around the same age as Little Sugar...We had a visit with some of those friends some time ago. Here are a few pics of Little Sugar with his pal, Jackson.

On an adventure!

Savvy Decorators

2011-02-17T07:55:00.000-08:00

I was reading through some decorating blogs the other day...
I particularly enjoy My Sweet Savannah, and came across this recent post (Check it....definitely one of the best ideas I have ever seen!).

Which, led me to House Tweaking. Oh my gosh...these girls have so much creativity flowing through them.
I could take a few lessons, or better yet, just hire one of them to complete my house!

Foodie!!

2011-02-02T07:13:00.000-08:00

My Little Sugar is a natural foodie! That thought makes my heart feel so happy! At Christmas, his grandparents were trying to feed him all kinds of strange foods (against my wishes), but I was so surprised when someone let him lick a green olive and he LOVED it. He wanted more, more, more. Sadly for him, I said no. But I think he is going to enjoy all kinds of food adventures later in his life.

He loves cereal...after almost every bite, he says, "mmmmm."

Renovation City-Apartment

2011-01-31T07:31:00.000-08:00

We have a small detached apartment behind our house. We are using it as a guest room and also as Mr. Sweet's office.
Here is what it looked like when we bought the house.

Not very welcoming, in my own opinion. But after a weekend of being pampered (painted, deep cleaned, and decorated), it is now very welcoming. Here are the makeover results.

Granola...The Good Stuff

2011-01-29T07:28:00.000-08:00

I have this granola canister that sits on my counter, and I love walking in to my kitchen and seeing it full of delicious granola. I have lately been on a kick of eating it for breakfast with vanilla yogurt; my own little parfait. So tasty!
Here is the recipe in case you want to fill your own granola jar...

4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
2 cups sliced almonds (or any other nut you prefer)
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup honey
1 1/2 cups small diced dried apricots (or another dried fruit of your choice)
1 cup raisins
1 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350. Toss the oats, coconut, and pecans together in a large bowl. Whisk together the oil and honey. Pour the liquids over the oat mix and stir with a wooden spoon until all the oats and nuts are coated. Pour onto a 13 x 18 x 1 inch sheet pan. Bake, stirring occasionally with a spatula, until the mix turns a nice, even, golden brown, about 30 -40 minutes. Remove the granola from the oven and allow to cool, stirring occasionally. Add the dried fruit. Store cooled granola in an airtight container.
(courtesy of Ina Garten)

New Bath Tub

2011-01-26T07:30:00.000-08:00

I recently transitioned Little Sugar to bathing in the kitchen sink, because he is too wiggly to try to hold up in the big bathtub. He loves it....It is just his size.

With his buddy, Jackson.

He usually grabs the sprayer, as if it is his "gun."

Scones? Yes, Please!

2011-01-14T08:33:00.000-08:00

I made these delicious Scones a few days ago...I adore scones (warm, flaky, not too sweet). Delish!
Here is the recipe if you care to try...
Meyer Lemon and Dried Blueberry Scones (courtesy of Bon Appetit)
3 cups self-rising flour
1/2 cup plus 1 1/2 Tablespoons sugar
3/4 cup chilled, unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 1/2 cups dried blueberries
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon buttermilk
1 1/2 Tablespoons finely grated Meyer lemon peel (or regular lemon peel)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line large baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk flour and 1/2 cup sugar in large bowl. Using fingertips, rub in chilled butter until pieces are size of small peas. Add dried wild blueberries and toss to coat. Mix 1 cup buttermilk and finely grated lemon peel in glass measuring cup. Pour buttermilk mix into dry ingredients and stir until dough begins to form (some of flour will not be incorporated). Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface and gather together. Knead dough briefly, about 5 turns. Divide dough in half. Form each dough half into ball and flatten into 1 inch thick disk. Cut each disk into 6 wedges. Transfer scones to prepared baking sheet, spacing 1 inch apart. Brush tops with remaining 1 tablespoon buttermilk and sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 Tablespoons sugar. Bake until scones are golden brown on top and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes.
**You can substitute different citrus peels and different dried fruit.

Enjoy with a cup of hot tea for a scrumptious snack!

Heart Matters

2011-01-12T07:44:00.000-08:00

So, I normally don't post about more serious matters here at The Sweet Life, but this spoke straight to my heart this morning and shifted my thinking a bit. If you have just one minute, please link to this blog and have a quick read.

http://blog.ransomedheart.com/stasi/2011/01/coming-soon-to-a-living-room-near-you.html

Meeting His Cousin

2011-01-11T06:50:00.000-08:00

Over Christmas, Little Sugar met his cousin, Caden, who is 4 months younger than he.

Little Sugar is a good deal taller, but Caden is only 2 pounds lighter. It was so funny to watch them, because at this point they have no interest in each other. Little Sugar had been thinking that he was the only baby boy that existed up until now.

Um, Papa, who is this kid?

Little Jumper

2011-01-09T08:37:00.000-08:00

We borrowed a jumper from my cousin who had a baby girl. Little Sugar LOVES playing in it, and as you can see from the pictures, he is pretty expressive. (Hopefully he will not be scarred from having a pink jumper). :)

Renovation City-Living Room

2011-01-06T07:31:00.000-08:00

Here is a continuation of our renovation project. Below are pictures of our living room before we moved in.

And these are pictures of after we moved in but hadn't started any work yet. It is not looking too promising at this point.

But then my father-in-law, brother-in-law, husband and parents worked their fingers to the bones and Voila! Now I love this room...It feels so warm and welcoming.

We are still working on acquiring a few more items; i.e. art work and a different chair, but we are very happy with how it turned out.

Little Sugar's First Christmas

2011-01-04T09:10:00.000-08:00

Little Sugar had a fantastic first Christmas!It was full of lots of snuggle time and play time with his grandparents.

He had his first attempt at opening presents. It didn't work out too well for him, so we helped him.

We so enjoyed celebrating with our little son...He brings a new light to everything.

Merry Christmas

2010-12-25T06:18:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to all of our Friends and Family! We hope you are enjoying lots of great food and making special memories with those you love.

Celebration

2010-12-20T09:25:00.000-08:00

Had a great birthday celebration with Mr. Sweet this year.

We went down to a local restaurant called Crush to enjoy dinner, while the Little Sugar stayed with his grandparents.
Getting mentally prepared for a feast!

A very delicious Spinach-Artichoke Dip....not too heavy on artichokes.

Shrimp-Chorizo Empanada...Tasty, and a flaky crust. I didn't get to enjoy much of this, because Mr. Sweet loved it.

Macaroni and Cheese with smoked gouda and ham on top....Heaven! I love Mac and Cheese and I love Gouda cheese. There couldn't be a better combination.

The Sweet Potato Fries here are fabulous! They have a crunchy exterior and tender inside, lightly salted. Mmmm!

A very tasty and enjoyable evening spent.

Pancakes

2010-12-12T09:54:00.000-08:00

I have discovered the best (in my humble opinion) recipe for homemade pancakes. It comes out of Alton Brown's cookbook, I'm Just Here for More Food. And it is almost as easy as pancakes from a mix.

2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar

Sift all dry ingredients together.

2 large eggs
2 cups buttermilk, at room temperature
4 Tablespoons butter, melted and cooled

Whisk together all liquid ingredients.
Add the wet stuff to the dry stuff and mix just until batter comes together. DO NOT MIX UNTIL SMOOTH. Your batter will be lumpy. Set it aside to rest for about 5 minutes while you prepare the griddle.
Warm your griddle or pan on medium heat and melt a small portion of butter in it. Ladle the batter on to the pan. (If you are a fan of blueberries, chocolate chips, bananas, pecans, etc. in your pancakes, you will want to add these right after you pour your batter on the pan). Cook until bubbles form and the bottom is golden, approximately 3 minutes.

Flip and cook until the second side is golden, another 2 minutes or so.

Enjoy with warm syrup and a cup of strong, hot coffee.

**For a healthier option, you can substitute whole wheat flour for the all purpose flour.

**If you are interested, here is the recipe I use to make my own pancake syrup (courtesy of my Nana)...

1 cup light or dark corn syrup

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup brown sugar

Mix these ingredients together in a saucepan and cook until sugar is dissolved. Add 1 teaspoon of maple flavoring (found in same section of grocery store as vanilla extract). Serve warm and refrigerate what is left over.

Armoire

2010-12-07T13:45:00.000-08:00

I have been on the hunt for an armoire to house our computer and for extra storage in the living room. Well, a friend of mine had one she gave me. Awesome! So she and I took on a little painting project a couple of weeks ago. She got roped in to helping me because she had a paint sprayer. Here is what the armoire looked like when we started.

We took all the doors and hardware off, sanded everything and then sprayed it this turquoise blue.

Then we used brown acrylic paint and water to give it an antiqued look. (My painting mentor over at Scarlet Sashes gave me this idea). I love the way it turned out, and it adds the color I needed in my living room.

Mountain Man

2010-12-04T09:16:00.000-08:00

Little Sugar loved the mountains.

Here we are all bundled up about to go for a stroll around Estes. Our friend, Lou, bought him his hat...He looks like the cutest little Russian in it!

Thankful for Great Food!

2010-12-02T09:06:00.000-08:00

Oh, we experienced some fantastic food over the weekend! Our friends, Greg and Lou, cooked a feast for our Thanksgiving meal.
I loved this cranberry relish....The flavor was fresh and bright...It paired great with our turkey, that was marinated in garlic, mmmmm, and a sausage dressing.

We also had carrots baked in a horseradish sauce, which were delish....The flavors complimented each other so well. There was a spinach artichoke casserole and sweet potato casserole sprinkled with brown sugar and pecans.

Dessert selections included carrot cake, pumpkin pie and flan. Leftovers the next day were even better. Here's to a holiday season of great food!

Renovation City-Nursery

2010-11-30T07:52:00.000-08:00

Last March, Mr. Sweet and I moved into a house. It was in need of some major face lifting on the inside. Since Baby Bear was on the way, we started in his room first... This is how it was painted when we moved in...As you can see in the corner, the floors had been stripped of carpet but not stained or varnished. Mr. Sweet and his brother spent one weekend staining the floors and they turned out FANTASTIC! He even picked out the color of the stain without my consultation. I was very impressed with his selection! Glad I was gone for this task....It was labor intensive! Mr. Sweet and I spent the next couple of weeks taping off the trim, scraping and painting the ceiling, painting walls, painting trim and painting furniture. I chose a very light blue for the walls and made the curtains from canvas drop clothes. I am really pleased how the room turned out.

Snooze

2010-11-26T19:43:00.000-08:00

Yes, we did have breakfast at Snooze Wednesday morning after getting in to Denver...We didn't arrive there until 11 am, and we had to wait 45 minutes...BUT IT WAS SO WORTH IT!!
Little Sugar's first visit...He was almost as excited as his mama!
Mmmm....Double shot americano in a clay mug.
Appetizer of sweet potato pancake with a ginger infused butter...very interesting and tasty flavors.
Eggs Benedict with a cheddar hollandaise and a hashbrown cake was my selection.
Mr. Sweet decided on the massive breakfast burrito; bursting with flavor.
Mug in one hand, bottle in the other. ;)
Little Sugar with his Papa headed out after breakfast.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T06:24:00.000-08:00

I hope your hearts are full of things you are thankful for this season....I know ours are!

Denver Here We Come

2010-11-24T12:56:00.000-08:00

Last February, Matty and I took a little get away up to Denver. I am reminiscing, because we are leaving tomorrow for Denver again. Here are a couple of fabulous food finds in the Denver area...

If you are EVER close to Denver, Mr. Sweet and I highly recommend Snooze, an A.M. eatery.
We walked a couple of miles through the snow in downtown to get there...it was SO worth it.
There was such a great atmosphere and energy in this place...fun from the moment we walked in.

Our waiter brought us a peanut butter pancake while we waited; a sort of breakfast appetizer, if you will.

I had Greek yogurt with home made granola, served with a lightly grilled grapefruit.

Mr. Sweet had an Eggs Benedict sandwich with Canadian bacon and Hollandaise Sauce, served with a potato cake. When we scheduled our flight in to Denver this time we purposely set the time so we could grab breakfast at Snooze....More pics to come from that adventure.

We had dinner at Cherry Creek Grill...low lights, soft music, comfortable booths...I could have spent the night here.

Appetizer of warm corn chips with freshly made guacamole and pimento cheese.

Mr. Sweet had a French Dip sandwich with a side of horseradish mashed potatoes.
If you live in a city where restaurants such as this one are easily accessible, please go there, have a tasty dinner and send warm thoughts my way.

Burlap...It's all the Rage at my Place

2010-11-22T07:25:00.000-08:00

I recently discovered burlap, and I like it so much I am having difficulty reigning myself in and not using it to recover everything....I did find a tutorial for making one's own bedskirt with burlap. Much to my delight, it was so simple and turned out even better than I was hoping for... I found bedskirt pins at Bed, Bath and Beyond which I feel worked better than regular upholstry pins.

CBT- A New Take on the BLT

2010-11-21T13:39:00.000-08:00

A dear friend of mine is a fabulous cook and makes even the simplest meals special. I was over the other day to work on some projects, and she whipped out this delicious sandwich for lunch. The CBT, made on multi-grain bread with rotisserie chicken, pan fried bacon, thick slices of tomato and mayo. She then grilled the sandwiches in a pan and served them with pita chips and peach tea. Fantastico!

A few Little Man updates

2010-11-19T08:37:00.000-08:00

I will not be blogging exclusively about Little Man, but our food life has been Blah of late, and I have yet to take pictures of the projects I have been doing around the house. So here are some pics of our son over the last couple of months...
He melts my heart!

Learning how to sit in his Bumbo.

Napping with his Papa.

At the pumpking patch.

He is really getting better about tummy time. I think we may have a crawler, or at least a scooter, by Christmas.

Showing off his monster jammies. All he wants to do is stand...We have to make him work on sitting up.

When I put him down for his nap, his body was under the navy blue blanket. When I went in to wake him up, he was facing the opposite direction.

LOVES his bath time. He just recently discovered splashing and kicks his legs all over the place. He cries almost every time when we take him out.

Mmm....Cereal

2010-11-18T08:20:00.000-08:00

August tried his first bit of Rice Cereal this week.
He's not too sure about it....

Little Man

2010-08-27T12:59:00.001-07:00

Here are a few pics of the Little Man from the past few weeks...

"Airing out" and watching the goings on outside at Pappy and Weezer's house.

The two pictures below are some of my favorite of him...He is so handsome!

Peach Jam

2010-07-07T13:34:00.000-07:00

Last summer we had fresh peaches, and fresh peaches mean peach jam around my house. However, this summer I will not be canning due to the new little man soon to be joining us.

Homemade jam is fairly simple and so worth the effort! You will need mason jars with new lids, sugar, your fruit and several boxes of SURE-JEL (found in the canning section of the grocery store). The rest of the instructions are detailed on the sure-jel packet. If you decide to try it, just make sure you follow the directions to the T.

These were gems...so juicy and sweet!

Blanching the peaches in hot water...

After blanching them, I peel them. (The hot water makes the skins super soft and they slip right off). Then I slice the seed out and puree the peaches in my food processor. I then proceed to cook the puree according to the sure-jel instructions.

Cooking the sweet yumminess...

And the finished product...
Grab yourself some fresh or frozen fruit and a box of Sure-Gel and give homemade jam a try.

Pesto from Scratch

2010-07-01T15:42:00.000-07:00

In the summer, I usually have a bumper crop of basil, which makes delicious pesto.

Start with 4 cups loosely packed fresh basil, 6 garlic cloves, 1/4 t. salt, 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, 1 cup toasted pine nuts, and 1 cup of olive oil.

I usually just toast the pine nuts in a skillet until they are golden brown. I process all of the ingredients in my food processor until smooth, occasionally stopping to scrape down the sides.

Then I spoon the pesto into ice cube trays and freeze until solid. After that, I pop them out and store in a freezer bag.

I love using the pesto on pizza or in pasta sauces. It has such a fresh flavor.

Dinner for Two

2010-03-15T13:37:00.000-07:00

Made this delicious meal several weeks ago...Pork chops with sauteed mushrooms, roasted carrots and green beans, and sliced tomato salad. It was so fresh and tasty!I started with four chops...I like the simplicity of seasoning with salt and pepper only for chops and steaks, so a sprinkle of salt and pepper on each side and these babies went in to the cast iron skillet to grill.

Then I sliced my carrots, tossed with olive oil and sea salt...

and roasted in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes. These come out sweet and crunchy on the edges...the only way to cook carrots in my opinion.

I then sliced the mushrooms and minced some garlic (in the background)...

I sauteed the green beans and garlic in olive oil until tender and the mushrooms in butter until fragrant and golden brown.

Sliced fresh tomato with salt and pepper. The pure taste of the tomatoes was delish!

and Voila! a colorful, healthy and flavor-filled dinner. Too bad this doesn't happen every night!

Saturday Morning Tradition

2010-03-01T12:46:00.000-08:00

Mr. Sweet and I have started a new tradition on Saturday mornings....going out for breakfast at the Village Bakery. We like to get there early with a copy of the paper. It is warm and quiet in the bakery, and we enjoy reading the paper and taking in the smells of freshly baked pastries and brewed coffee. Here are a couple of pics of what we ate last weekend...Mr. Sweet chose the Cherry Danish which was wonderfully flaky and the cherry filling tastes like a cherry pie.
My choice was the cinnamon roll...It is fabulous. You can really taste the yeast in the dough and the frosting is a thick cream cheese frosting that is generously spread on the roll. It is also, not too overly cinnamony, which is important. The only thing I would change would be to add more pecans, but even that can be overlooked because of the great overall flavor of the roll.

Amarillo Eateries

2010-02-07T15:10:00.000-08:00

There are some great local eateries here in town, and we have tried a few of them.

BL Bistro is one of our favorites for dinner.

Blue Cheese Burger and Lemon Tart for lunch one day.

Then we went there for my birthday. Appetizer selections were Spinach and Artichoke dip and the Sauteed Calamari with Roasted Tomatoes.

Dinner was a grilled Rib-Eye with Mushrooms, Asparagus and Mashed Potatoes. So far, I haven't eaten anything there I did not enjoy.

A couple of weeks ago, I tried Crush Wine Bar and Deli with a girlfriend. Their menu consists of sandwiches and a selection of cheese and meat plates, which I love.
I tried the french dip.

My friend had the grilled chicken and portobello mushroom sandwich with a cup of Creamy Prime Rib soup. Both were very tasty. This place has a cool vibe and I definitely want to come back in the evening.

We have a few other places on our list, so I will keep you updated as we eat our way through Amarillo.

Updates...

2009-11-18T13:28:00.000-08:00

Well, its been awhile friends, but I'm back at The Sweet Life with some updates on the happenings in the McLain life. The past couple of months have been full of adjustments and more changes.
But first, let me backtrack and show you some pics of great memories over the past few months...In October, we travelled to Estes Park, CO to attend the wedding of a highschool girlfriend of mine. While there we were also able to see and stay with some friends, Greg and Lou, who had just moved to Estes.

Enjoying the afternoon in Boulder.

Mr. Sweet and Greg....lots of elk in the background

Loved the time spent catching up with old friends.

Hiking around Estes. It was so beautiful and all of the Aspens were gold. It was a great time to visit.

Mr. Sweet and Greg smoked their pipes in the evenings on the porch, which has this view...

Greg's famous hot chocolate....mmmm...I want some right now; however, I have tried unsuccessfully three times to duplicate the recipe and have decided that will just have to be a treat for when we are visiting.

We also saw so many elk, which had come down to a lower elevation because it was getting colder. They were everywhere.
My sister also got married in October. My dad, being the only male in our family for 20 years, was excited to get another son. We spent the weekend going from one party to another, celebrating.

My sis, me and my mom at the Bachelorette party.

The cute couple, Kurt and Meg, at the rehearsal.

Meg, with two of her girlfriends, toasting the bride on her wedding day.

The beautiful bride with our parents...all gussied up!
The end of October found us attending a Halloween bash with our good friends, the Dagleys...yes, that studly gorilla in the photos is Mr. Sweet.

Gorilla man playing poker.
We spent Thanksgiving in Nazareth with my parents. We had just found out that Little Button was on the way a few weeks earlier!

We cooked the turkey on the grill and it turned out juicy and perfect! Served with mashed potatoes and pecan pie! Delish!

We have been able to find some quaint eatries here in A-town. I will be posting some pics soon.

Wonderland

2009-09-19T11:09:00.000-07:00

So for Mr. Sweet's birthday, his sister's family took us to Wonderland Park, a theme park (of sorts) here in A-town...The experience served Mr. Sweet and me both a serious dose of "you aren't as young as you used to be."

Excited for the first ride and trying to persuade our niece, Laiton to join them on "The Rainbow, " a seat that swings back and forth very high.

Smart girl...she was the only one still going strong a few rides later.

Everyone's excited about the "Mouse Trap."

Five seconds after this shot, my stomach hit my feet and never recovered.

What a dumb move..."The Pirate Ship" did both of us in...Nausea extreme hit soon after this pic was taken.
Eh? Not feeling too well boys?

Goodbye Forever

2009-09-16T11:41:00.000-07:00

Non chain, quality restaurants. I now live in Amarillo where you cannot be found. This post is a tribute to all of you favorite haunts of mine in the places I used to live...my last rendezvous with a fabulous meal out...

Grilled steak and a warm, creamy macoroni and cheese caserole.

Beef tenderloin sandwich with au jus and thin, crispy fries.

Baby back ribs, cole slaw (from Heaven) and baked beans

Our dinner companions, Cameron (Mr. Sweet's bro) and his wife Mindi...They came up to Kansas City to help us move....

Dessert....MMMM...Ice Cream Pie with an Oreo crust, toasted pecans and a caramel drizzle.
We didn't really enjoy ourselves very much... :)

I promise to visit you fine establishments as often as I can get Mr. Sweet to take me to Dallas...

More Vacation Fun

2009-08-16T10:21:00.000-07:00

Okay, so this is several weeks past the fact, but I couldn't leave you all hanging regarding the rest of our vacation extravaganzas...

We spent one day riding four-wheelers in the mountains...Breathtaking scenery and beautiful weather made for a perfect day.

It ended with a pizza picnic so that made it even better!

Mr. Sweet and I spent two mornings in Lake City at a little coffee shop. It was wonderful-they had wi-fi, great coffee and a comfy deck outside.

We drove over 1700 miles for the trip and rolled in to our house at 3:30 on Saturday morning. Mr. Sweet had four cups of coffee and was feeling up to the drive. Needless to say we slept most of Saturday away!

Officially A-towners

2009-08-14T10:40:00.000-07:00

The past couple of weeks have been somewhat hectic for us, with our old home and our new home looking pretty much like this...

But we are Texans again.And we are getting settled in to our new life in Amarillo. So far our dining out has been limited to only chain restaurants, but we have plans to try some small restaurants we have heard about, so we'll post more updates soon.

Enough for 12

2009-07-22T10:29:00.000-07:00

It is amazing how much food 12 people consume over the course of a week. Mr. Sweet was astounded at the supply of bread, chips, etc.

We have had some great meals so far. The first morning, Mr. Sweet and I cooked up some fantastic breakfast burritos-sausage, hash browns and scrambled eggs well seasoned and wrapped in warm flour tortillas.The first evening, my aunt, Susie, made delicious homemade ice cream.

Our Hangout

2009-07-21T10:21:00.000-07:00

Well, we've been three nights at our cabin and let me just say...sharing a cabin with 6 other people has been quite an experience. But it has been a great time as well.
Our cabin is surrounded by beauty...a crystal clear creek runs through the property, the wildflowers are spectacular, there is an abundance of wildlife.A bull moose right behind our cabins one afternoon

Several games of washers and cards have taken place, with Mr. Sweet always trying to find someone who will bet money on any game.

My dad and me having coffee in front of the fire one morning.

There is such a majesty about the mountains, and we have been soaking in the beauty and restfulness of this place. More to come...

Fine Dining in Colorado Springs

2009-07-18T09:27:00.000-07:00

After we checked in to our hotel Thursday evening, we headed out to downtown Colorado to find

a bite to it, and boy did we hit the jackpot.

Louisiana Crab Cakes with a spicy dijion mustard sauce...The cakes were smooth and mellow and paired well with crispy lettuce and the sauce.Dinner was Fire Chicken...chicken marinated in tabasco sauce and buttermilk, lightly breaded and pan fried, mashed potatoes with creamy jalepeno sauce and haircot verts. The flavors were spectacular!After dinner we walked around downtown Colorado Springs, enjoyed the weather and ate some ice cream. Great first night of vacation. Will be reporting from Lake City in a few days. Hope you are enjoying a refreshing bite to eat today.

Life on the Road

2009-07-17T09:17:00.000-07:00

Well, we left Kansas City yesterday morning, bound for Colorado Springs....We will log over 1,000 miles on this trip, but it is worth it for the mountains and a week of total relaxation.

We dined gourmet style for lunch yesterday...Creamy havarti cheese, crisp bell pepper and cucumber, kalamata olives and bread dipped in olive oil. It was a feast...no McDonalds burger here folks!
I also found this Grapefruit Italian Soda at Whole Foods. It was very tasty.

More to come from the wandering wayfarers....

Party Time!

2009-07-16T11:47:00.000-07:00

Are we crazy? We leave tomorrow for a nine day vacation...Will have 4 days to finish packing all of our belongings and hit the road back to Texas on the 31st. Well, I don't mind. All I am going to focus on right now is the fact that we are pulling out of town and headed for Colorado...

It promises to be a week filled with great food and lots of laughter. Will post updates through the week so stay tuned!

Rolling, Rolling, Rolling....

2009-07-15T11:38:00.000-07:00

Well, after months of pondering, questioning and discussing, Mr. Sweet and I have an announcement...

We are moving back to Texas!!!! We will be packing our bags (more like hundreds of boxes) this month and getting ready to head for Amarillo on July 31.

We are really excited about going...The Lord gave us a specific word for this move and for some things coming in our future. He is so kind to prepare us and Mr. Sweet and I are receiving the encouraging words He spoke to us this past weekend.

So, Kansas has been a blast! An adventure we never expected, but I think I'll be able to get used to seeing this on a regular basis too...

Hello Sushi...I think I love you

2009-07-04T08:15:00.000-07:00

Went to Kona Grill with a few girlfriends the other night for Sushi and Rolls...My mouth is watering now just from looking at the pictures. My food preferences reach far and wide, but I am always in the mood for Sushi.

Veggie Rolls...

The roll on the left was a combination of salmon, avacado, cream cheese and rice; so creamy and fresh tasting.

This roll was fabulous...inside was crab and cream cheese with a seaweed wrap...It is lightly breaded and fast fried so the outside is crispy. Mmmmm, I want that now.

I assure you, if you haven't given Rolls a chance, you are missing out. Your food life will be so much more fulfilling if you add a great sushi house to your dining out options.

Finally, A Breakfast Place

2009-07-01T08:20:00.000-07:00

Found a great little place for breakfast...It's called Milton's and is a local dive. Great coffee and fabulous breakfast.

Mr. Sweet had a breakfast burrito with roasted potatoes.

And in a completely uncharacteristic moment, I ordered a breakfast BLT and decided not to try their pancakes. The BLT was scrumptious; hearty smoked bacon, scrambled eggs, crisp lettuce, onions and cool tomato...A perfect combination. However, breakfast usually consists of a perfect balance of sweet and savory for me...If we are out for breakfast, I ALWAYS order some sort of sweet bread with just a bit of savory on the side (i.e., pancakes and bacon, biscuits and jam with sausage, etc.).

Thankfully, Mr. Sweet stepped in after my decision to order the BLT alone and ordered a pancake...He didn't want to hear me whining about not getting to try any of the sweet treats from Milton's later in the day.

Homeboy made the right decision...this pancake was amazing! Tender and slightly sweet, it soaked up the butter and syrup perfectly.

Cupcakes Galore

2009-06-26T08:28:00.000-07:00

A dear friend had an anniversary party several months ago, and I was commissioned to make the cupcakes for the party. I LOVE cupcakes. They are so fun!

We spent the better part of Thursday baking up a storm...chocolate cupcakes and vanilla cupcakes.

Friday afternoon I decorated...Buttercream frosting, chocolate frosting, cream cheese frosting (which was topped with sliced strawberries), and key lime frosting were all piped, smoothed, and swirled. I was on a sugar high. The cupcakes turned out even better than I had hoped. Aren't these liners the cutest?

Couldn't Pass up a Good Deal

2009-06-25T15:37:00.000-07:00

Some young entreprenuers stopped by our door the other day with a box of toys and books they were selling. I tried to pass on the deal, but they were persistent...Could you say no to these sweet faces?So here is the book I bought...after getting it, I told them it was great to see young entreprenuers out and I hoped they sold all of the items.

Mr. Sweet and I ran out for a bit that evening and when we got back I found a note on our door...

It read:

You were are 1st custormor. Thank you for buying a idea.

Have fun reading it.

Weekend Getaway Update

2009-06-23T15:29:00.000-07:00

The evening out in Kansas City was just what we needed...a chance to get away and relax. Above is the Inn at which we stayed, just blocks from an outdoor shopping area, the Plaza. We got there early Friday afternoon and then headed over to Kona Grill on the Plaza for happy hour...What a great time there...a couple of hours spent talking, drinking wine and dining on Cali rolls. What could be better I ask you?

Breakfast was served outside at our Inn the next morning...and it was divine. A breakfast barbeque. (Cooked on above grill)

The menu for the morning was Croissant French Toast with peach syrup and Grilled Porkchops. I am not a french toast fan, but this really was delish...dredged in egg mixture and then cooked on the grill. It wasn't soggy in the least, but lightly crispy and tender on the inside.

mmmm....I would go back again just for the breakfast. Great memory.

On the way home we decided to make a spur of the moment pit stop....at Costco to wander the aisles and see what samples were being offered. What a romantic end to our weekend! ;)

Quick and Delicious Breakfast Idea

2009-06-13T08:23:00.000-07:00

Well, this backdrop of this picture pretty much stinks, but if you are looking for a fast and delicious breakfast look past the black plate on the black table. (I am no food stylist).

4 easy steps:

1. Toast some bread
2. Spread on peanut butter
3. Slice strawberries and bananas on top
4. Drizzle with honey (or agave nectar, which I prefer)

mmm...mmm...good!

Strawberry Cream Cake

2009-06-11T13:44:00.000-07:00

I want to change the name of this cake to Summer Dessert Bliss. If you are looking for a slight variation to Strawberry Shortcakes, this Strawberry Cream Cake is definitlely the way to go.
The recipe is linked above, but here are a few quick steps. First mix up your strawberries and sugar so the strawberries have plenty of time to get juicy.

Mix up and bake your cake. I used a 9" pan because it is what I had.
This cake is more dry than a typical white cake, so it holds up really well to the stawberries and their juice. That being said, next time I make this cake, I am going to use 1.5 pounds of strawberries so I have a lot of juice to soak in to the cake.

Mix your whipping cream up in a mixer...a really great substitution I learned from Giada is to use powdered sugar instead of regular sugar when making whip cream. The result is a creamy, less grainy texture.

MMM...this was so good!

Please try this cake today! It is easy and so refreshing!

Weekend Plans

2009-06-10T07:04:00.000-07:00

There will be more excitement to come, but I wanted to let you know that Mr. Sweet and I are making a get-away this weekend.

We just booked a night at the Southmoreland Inn on the Plaza. Below is a picture of our room and the small private balcony. More importantly, here is a picture of breakfast. If it tastes as scrumptious as the picture looks, we will not be disappointed.
Going to hit up sushi happy hour at the Kona Grill on Friday afternoon. My weekend is shaping up to be perfect...Lots of food and drink and a great place to crash on Friday night. More to come...

Cauliflower leaf

2009-06-09T14:07:00.000-07:00

I planted cauliflower in my garden, because a lady there had extra plants and gave them to me. I went by the other day to water, and the things had exploded! The leaves were gigantic! They were crowding out the other plants and stealing sunlight. I am not a huge fan of cauliflower, so those babies got axed.

But I brought a leaf home so you could see the "hugeness" of this leaf. It should probably be in the Guiness World Record book, but my blog is second best, I guess.

Date night

2009-06-08T14:00:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday was "date night." And I got to go shopping. Not Mr. Sweet's idea of a fabulous time, but he was treating me, so what can I say? Mr. Sweet found his sweet spot...the Nordstrom lounge with comfortable couches and ESPN on the tv. It worked out well for both parties.

Nordstrom was having a sale, and I got some good deals.

Alex

2009-06-07T13:57:00.000-07:00

Meet Alex (wearing a motorcylce helmet)...
Mr. Sweet became a part of the Big Brothers, Big Sisters program when we moved to KC last summer. Alex is his "little brother." He is a lot of fun, and really enjoys spending time with Mr. Sweet. Last Saturday he spent a good portion of the afternoon at our house. We all soaked up sun by the pool.

Mr. Reliable

2009-06-06T13:32:00.000-07:00

So for two days last week, this was our only means of transportation...

Yep, that's right folks...one trusty bicycle. It is the only reliable "vehicle" we had last Tuesday and Wednesday. It is a funny story, our automobile plight of the last few months, but it is too long to type on my blog. I will say, we have had a few problems lately with the Honda starting, but we thought we had all of those issues resolved. Mr. Sweet got the motorcycle, but it has been sitting in the garage at his work, because it will not start, and he does not have a way to get it to the repair shop. And we have two bicycles. I had to be at work at 5 a.m. last Tuesday, and I went down to start the car at 4:50 am...It wouldn't start. This was the third time that has happened in a matter of months. The past two times, I had woken Mr. Sweet up, he rode the bike down to his work and borrowed their vehicle to run me down to work. Well, we weren't doing that again. I woke him up to say, "The car won't start. I am taking the bike to work." In case he should be worried about me as he is dreaming. So I peddled my little legs off and made it to work, only ten minutes late. Later when Mr. Sweet went to take the other bike to work, he noticed it had a flat tire! So he walked to work that morning. Needless to say, our Honda is fixed, and we are now the proud owners of another car. (more on that later) We also have a motorcylce up for sale, if you are looking. ;)

Garden Updates

2009-06-05T09:00:00.000-07:00

Please forgive the quality of these photos. They were taken at high noon, but I wanted you all to see the progress of my garden. I have harvested cauliflower, spinach and lots of swiss chard. I am so excited that things are actually growing.

Recently planted tomatoes, peppers and cilantro. I am calling this my salsa corner.

The swiss chard is out of control. But I am putting some in the freezer so we will see how that works out.

Rhubarb Muffins

2009-06-04T13:04:00.000-07:00

Tried these muffins a few Saturday mornings back. However, I am not posting the recipe because I did not care for the muffin base. I have discovered, though, that I really like rhubarb. It is a tart and crisp, celery-like plant, but it is bright red. When used in baked goods, it adds a crisp and fresh taste, which I appreciate.

I am going to try using rhubarb in muffins again, but I might also add strawberries, and I will be using a muffin recipe I know to be moist and tender. If you haven't tried rhubarb, you should buy some, chop it up and throw it in to your next batch of muffins!

All Pretzelly

2009-05-08T17:37:00.000-07:00

This was me last night...
Ha! Ha! I would have liked to have been her, alas, I was standing off to the side trying to clear my vision and prevent fainting, as I sweated my way through my first Bikram Yoga experience. Let me tell you, if you've never done all sorts of pretzel moves in a room heated above 100 degrees, you are in for an experience. The first smell to assault, yes assault, my nostrils when I walked through the door was old sweat. (You know, the smell when you find sweaty gym clothes in your back pack that have been there for several days). I persevered and eventually got used to the smell. I opened the yoga room door and immediately felt as if I were in a sauna. So I laid down on my towel to begin to acclimate myself. Shortly after I got situated on my mat, an older and quite hefty man, sporting a Speedo and nothing else came in and situated his mat in front of me. Shocked, I kept repeating to myself, "Divert the eyes...Divert the eyes!" Thankfully, the class started right away and I was soon focused on straining to see through the black spots that kept filling my vision and fighting off several episodes of serious lightheadedness. All that said, I am going back to the class. Afterwards, I felt very relaxed and am anxious to see more results the longer I go. Watch out, because soon I will be posting pictures of myself in this pose:

Get a Load of this Deliciousness!

2009-05-07T10:35:00.000-07:00

My first attempt at baking with rhubarb was scrumptious...This Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble now tops my dessert list for sure.If you are looking for a delicious and different cobbler type dessert, this is definitely worth making.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble
CRUST:
3/4 c unsalted butter, room temp
1/2 t salt
2 large egg yolks
1 large egg
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 c sugar

Using electric mixer, beat butter and salt in a medium bowl until creamy. Add egg yolks and egg; beat to blend. Add flour and sugar; meat until moist clumps form. Gather dough into ball, flatten into disk, and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate 2 hours.
Press in to bottom and sides of a tart pan, or eight individual tartlet pans. Chill one hour.

TOPPING:
1 c old-fashioned oats
1 c packed dark brown sugar
1/2 c whole wheat flour
6 T sliced almonds
1 T ground cinnamon
6 T chilled unsalted butter, cut in to 1/2 inch cubes

Mix first five ingredients in medium bowl. Add butter. Using fingertips, rub butter in to dry ingredients until crumbs form.

FILLING:
3/4 c sugar
1/4 c cornstarch
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1/8 t ground cloves
10 oz fresh rhubarb, cut into 1/2" pieces (about 2 cups)
10 oz fresh strawberries, hulled, quartered (about 2 cups)
2 T. fresh lemon juice

Combine sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and cloves in a large bowl. Add rhubarb, strawberries, and lemon juice; toss to coat.
Pour filling in to unbaked tart crust. Sprinkle topping over filling in crust. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and bake about 38 minutes in a preheated 375 degree oven; until filling is bubbling and tart crust and topping are golden brown. Cool slightly and serve.