valentines day

Dear Paula,

Thanks for making me look good in front of my co-workers.  They LOVED these red velvet cupcakes.  (My Valentine loved them too)

RED VELVET CUPCAKES

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons red food coloring
• 1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 1 pound cream cheese, softened
• 2 sticks butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
• Chopped pecans and fresh raspberries or strawberries, for garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with cupcake papers.

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In a large bowl gently beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla with a handheld electric mixer. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined.

Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tins about 2/3 filled. Bake in oven for about 20 to 22 minutes, turning the pans once, half way through. Test the cupcakes with a toothpick for doneness. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until smooth. Add the sugar and on low speed, beat until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and mix until very light and fluffy.

 Garnish with large sugar granules (pictured above), chopped pecans or strawberries.

Happy Eating,

Camberley

Recipe from Paula Deen, FoodNetwork

“If I could be anything in the world I would want to be a teardrop because I would be born in your eyes, live on your cheeks, and die on your lips.”

These handmade Valentine’s Day Matchbooks are courtesy of  Brides.com. Stop by to download the actual template and make your OWN!

I found this fabulous idea through this Inspiring Blog. Check out her spin on the matchbook Valentine.

Seriously… people like her make me sick. In a good way of course.

xoxox

Keighley

Love is a symbol of eternity. It wipes out all sense of time, destroying all memory of a beginning and all fear of an end. 

~Author Unknown

Intention on Etsy

PunkyBunny300 on Etsy

AknieGirl on Etsy

MintyFreshFusion on Etsy

GoldenSilver on Etsy

Initial Ring by Intention (on Etsy)

As stated previously, I am the mother of the pickiest eater alive. Not only is he picky but he’s temperamental ( google dictionary def. = relating to or caused by temperament;
moody: subject to sharply varying moods
erratic: likely to perform unpredictably; “a temperamental motor; sometimes it would start and sometimes it wouldn’t”.
As I was saying. Picky and temperamental not a good combo for a mommy at 7:30 in the morning trying to get some food down her child’s throat before he heads off to school.
Lately, I have given Trey some choices ( giving him choices seem to get a result faster… sometimes).
Example: Strawberries, cheerios, fruit loops, (sometimes I’ll even allow “whole grain” Gold Fish) waffles, pancakes, cereal, you know, the usual good hearty breakfast.
I also tell him he can have peanut butter and pretzels. I like Peanut butter. It stays with you awhile and it’s good for you. So… Trey has been enjoying a little dipping snack. Peanut butter and waffles. Maybe on V-Day I’ll make them pink and heart shaped. We’ll see what kind of “temperamental” mood I’m in that morning. Good luck with your picky eaters and enjoy this yummy breakfast or snack.

In honor of Valentine’s Day this week I thought I would share on of Ben Harper’s classic songs -- Forever.  An oldie, but a goodie. 

Not talkin’ ’bout a year
No not three or four
I don’t want that kind of forever
In my life anymore
Forever always seems
to be around when it begins
but forever never seems
to be around when it ends
So give me your forever
Please your forever
Not a day less will do From you

People spend so much time
Every single day
Runnin’ ’round all over town
Givin’ their forever away
But no not me
I won’t let my forever roam
and now I hope I can find
my forever a home
So give me your forever
Please your forever
Not a day less will do
From you

Like a handless clock with numbers
An infinite of time
No not the forever found
Only in the mind
Forever always seems
to be around when things begin
but forever never seems
to be around when things end
So give me your forever
Please your forever
Not a day less will do
From you

Valentine’s Day is approaching fast. I am in need of some inexpensive decor for my house. These are so cute and what I like about them is my kids can do them with me and if they get pulled down, or broken, I won’t care…that much. 

Directions:

Cut colored paper into 3/4″ strips. Fold them in half, or if you want some hearts that are twice as big, splice two strips of paper together at the bottom of each heart with double stick tape. Curl the loose ends around a chopstick or pen.

String the heart garland together from the bottom up.  You can get string from a fabric store or use thread.  Push your threaded needle up through the bottom fold of each heart, then use double stick tape to sandwich the thread between the two halves of the curled tops.

Tada! Beautiful for your house (I think I’ll hang them from my chandelier in my kitchen, or in your cubicle at work… aka Cammie, you’re welcome.)

 
Have fun!

“True love doesn’t have a happy ending, because true love never ends. Letting go is one way of saying I love you.”