baked goods

sugar sweetie pie


it's no secret. i enjoy sugar.

best cream cheese frosting ever.....
you will want it on everything..

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

Plan accordingly (aka, leggings and a long flowy top! or this dress!)

New, Bright and Crumbly


Finally found a pastry cutter at a yard sale yesterday. There is something satasfiying about buying one that has already 'taken the course', if you will. Been in another womens hands (or mans! Although I bought this from a woman so that's why I say woman) and already produced pies.


And what's that? In the background you might be asking?



Cutest cutting board ever. From none other than the inspiring and whimsical Elizabeth at Fine Little Day. If you haven't been you really should go.

She ships them in the most wonderully fun packaging too. Such fun.
www.finelittleday.blogspot.com
Be sure to check out her shop!

I also found another lovely treasure from her that I will share with you on another day.


And lastly. Flowers. Ranunculus
My favorite flower and in the brightest, cheeriest color you've ever seen. Hope they brighten your day too!






Here is an old pie recipe that I will try for the first time.

"Aunt Jenny's Crumbly Top Apple Pie"
I will let you know how it goes!


Although it calls for homogenized spry, of which I was unfamiliar with, I discovered this....

"Spry was first introduced in 1936 by Lever Brothers to compete with Crisco - and at one time had 1/2 the shortening market share, so I guess it was a little more than just a "wannabe" - it was a major player in it's day. It was phased out and dropped somewhere between 1957-1960, after they dropped their radio drama program with Aunt Jenny that they sponsored in 1956.

Spry and Crisco are basically identical in that they are both whipped hydrogenated vegetable oil. They are interchangeable. " From Here

hm!..learn something new everyday!


*ps~ while we are discussing such things I might mention that Finelittleday.blogspot.com was first shown to me a while back by way of my fine little sister (well actually she is my fine big sister, but I thought I might be cheeky)... who happens to have a fun little blog!






I woke up this morning and it looked like they were huddled together on the night stand; they must sleep close to keep warm at night. They must have been just getting up too.









A brisk walk to the water with coffee to wake up




and these guys, all the palms, they seemed to be huddled in groups as well! Was I the first one up around here?



once we all woke up - a brisk drive through the hills to go hiking

it seemed as if even the grasses were reaching up stretching.
breathing in the breeze of a beautiful morning!










so we arrived in the forest and everywhere were carpets of green!














but then... it opened up to lovely huge sand castles !! ♥ ♥ ♥





they loomed over us as we sat and enjoyed the silence






after turning to walk back, it felt like an entirely different trail!

The path seemed quite narrow, and more trees seemed to be around. Maybe they were just more comfortable with us, now that we had been in their forest for a while.

So they came out from every corner to have a good look at us...



So to top it all off, as if it even needed toping!

there, at the end of the trail, lit from the dappling sunlight through the leaves, was a....
bake sale!
Right there! At the end of the trail!

Who has a bake sale in the forest on a Sunday morning?


Blessed little children who are raising money for charity do.


best dollar I ever spent - 1 Rice crispie Treat, 1 red velvet cupcake for him and a tiny cup of coffee to share!


after we got home from our hike we walked to the grocery store and got caught in the rain! isn't that just lovely!

a lastly to end the day... in a baked good kind of way...

two hoho's and some, not all!!!, of a Ben & Jerrys - "everything but the.." pint...

what a lovely day!