faith.hope.love

This is one of my favorite sayings.
3/4" Sterling Silver Tag on a Stretchy Pearl Bracelet
$18

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Tarts

Baking Challenge #2
Chocolate Covered Strawberry Tarts!

Liv and I have followed our second baking recipe this week, and let me say.....YUM!
We made these fun little treats that were quiet easy, but look so fancy!
I posted the recipe below

my awesome little baking buddy!

1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker double chocolate chunk cookie mix ( I could not find this so we got chocolate chip cookie mix and added some cocoa to it)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
2 tablespoons water
1/3 cup strawberry jam
1/2 cup frozen (thawed) whipping topping
1 cup Betty Crocker Whipped Strawberry Mist frosting
3 tablespoons miniature semisweet chocolate chips

1. Heat oven 350 degrees, place mini paper baking cup in each of 36 mini muffin cups.
2. In medium bowl, stir cookie mix, oil, egg,and water until soft dough forms. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls into baking cups.
3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are set. Gently press end of wooden spoon into bottoms and against sides of baking cups to flatten, being careful not to make holes in dough. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
4. Spoon 1/2 teaspoon jam into each cookie cup.
5. In medium bowl, fold whipped toppoing into frosting until well combined. Spoon frosting mixture into decorating bag fitted with medium star tip, and pipe into the center of each tart. Top with chocolate chips. Store loosely covered.

Beadfest 2011

This weekend the Philly Expo Center held the 2011 Beadfest.

I have never been to a bead show before, so I was REALLY excited that there was a show very close to home!

James is such a great husband, he supports everything that I want to do with my business and is my biggest fan! James and I got to go to the show (a big thank you to Mary!!!) by ourselves and we had a great time.

There were so many beads!!!!

I was not really interested in the beads as much as the tools and the silversmithing.

I found some new vendors to buy supplies from, got to walk around and hold my husbands hand :) , learned some new techniques, and found some new fun pearl colors for fall!!!

I will be introducing a new line of some REALLY FUN personalized items :) soooo excited about this!!!!

And a new jewelry piece with be introduced!!!

Tomatoes & Cucumbers.....yum.

We finally got some riped tomatoes from our garden yesterday!
There is nothing better than a fresh, red, juicy tomato from your backyard.
I cut up a tomato & cucumber (both from our garden) and tossed them with some olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, and basil.
YUM!
There is nothing better than fresh veggies from your own backyard!

This year my wonderful husband made 3 fairly large box gardens in our backyard. It was a bit of an expense to buy the wood, topsoil, and mushroom soil but the fresh veggies out of our yard will well make up for it!
This year we planted: tomatoes (big boy, plum, & cherry), peppers (jalepeno, green, & red), corn, carrots, lettuce, radishes, zucchini, cucumbers, strawberries, green beans, watermelon, & pumpkins.
We filled the top layer of our beds with mushroom soil and oh my!!! let me tell you.......our garden is a monster! I have never seen such big plants!!!!

Peppermint Pattie Poke Cake

New Goal: Be a better Baker
I LOVE cooking, Baking is not so much a strength for me. I have trouble following recipes, thats why I love cooking.....I can make up whatever I want without actually measuring ingredients....just 'eyeing' it. Baking is more precise that I have to actually measure things. So my new goal is to BAKE one new recipe a week with Liv. First attempt at Baking: Peppermint Pattie Poke Cake


Me and Liv started this cake when Emma took her morning nap

LOVE peppermint patties!

My awesome little helper

Looks just like the picture!

Emma woke up in time for us finishing up the cake, she helped by emptying some of the kitchen drawers......gotta love that smile!

mmmmmm.....icing

I have to say that these are the faces of a successful cake!!!!! YUM!

I actually followed all the directions correctly.....its a miracle!
My mom will be happy to tell you some of the silly mistakes I made as a kid following recipes........

Did you try any new recipes lately?