The Barren Baker

Consumed...

2012-04-04T09:06:00.000-07:00

I think my life is now going to be consumed with two week cycles. Two weeks of constant wondering and waiting. And then two weeks of waiting for the other two weeks of constant wondering and waiting. I'm still waiting for the two weeks of constant wondering and waiting to begin. And now I'm getting worried that those two weeks might not come this month. I think I need to find something to do today... this constant waiting and obsessing is starting to get to me.

Biscotti

2012-01-22T22:17:00.000-08:00

Hello, I am the Barren Baker and I have a coffee addiction. Not just to a cup of plain old coffee, but to those delicious espresso drinks that come from a favorite coffee chain. In particular, I have an addiction to warm, delicious, mochas. My day doesn't seem complete without one. But what about those days when it is raining out and I have no desire to leave the house? That is where my new espresso machine comes in to play. I'm still learning how to pour a perfect shot of espresso and steam the perfect cup of milk. My little Mr. Coffee machine is definitely a starter machine, but it makes me very happy to be able to make a latte or mocha in my own kitchen. And today I decided that my decaf mocha needed some biscotti to go with it.

Biscotti, a twice baked cookie, is a crunchy treat that is perfect to dip in your coffee. I was surprised at how easy they were to actually bake, and I think that I may start to make these frequently.

Ingredients

1 & 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 large egg white
cooking spray

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine the dry ingredients in medium sized bowl, and whisk together. In large bowl combine the vanilla, 2 eggs, and 1 egg white. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture in divided batches mixing each time until well combined.

Divide the batter in half. With floured hands, form each half into a 12 inch roll and pat down to approximately 1/2 inch thickness.

Bake on cooking sheet sprayed with cooking spray for 22 minutes. Remove from oven, and cool the rolls on a wire rack for approximately 10 minutes.

Cut each roll into thin slices and bake upright on baking sheet for an additional 15 minutes or until firm.

I got approximately 20 cookies from this recipe, although the source Cooking Light states you will get approximately 36. I either didn't make 12 inch rolls, or I cut them too thick. But they came out delicious so I don't care. I'm off to go make myself a latte to dunk my biscotti.

A few of my favorite things

2012-01-20T10:52:00.000-08:00

Wow... The holidays and work have really taken away from my blogging time. I think I am ready to get back into it now. I have received some really cute things over the past couple of months from friends who have followed my little blog and I wanted to share them with you.

My day was brightened when I received this little package in the mail from a friend who could probably start her own quilting blog. Look at this adorable pot holder that she made and sent my way! It was totally unexpected and I truly love it.

The red pocket is adorable, but my favorite part may be the little owl tag in the corner.

I also was given a beautiful way to organize my recipes.

A three ring binder with really cute recipe cards inside as well as sheet pockets for holding recipes that were either cut out of a magazine or printed off the internet.

The cupcake on the front is what makes this binder!

I have a new tart pan to play with now... I have never made a tart before but this mini tart pan is good inspiration!

And every baker needs an apron, and I received the cutest apron from another friend who is a queen when it comes to embroidering and quilting. Look! She made me a logo!!

I love this! I love how my friends support me during this time, and they know what I mean when I call myself The Barren Baker. And I can't wait to put all of these amazing gifts into use.

Butternut squash lasagna

2012-01-09T19:59:00.000-08:00

I thought it would be fun to designate Sunday to be my day to take on a cooking project. A day to try a new recipe that involved a new ingredient or a new technique. Over the fall, I had noticed a lot of butternut squash dishes on the menu at restaurants. But I had never thought to tackle a butternut squash dish on my own. The vegetable is somewhat intimidating.

I was pretty unsure how to peel this thing, but found some directions on the internet. I started by cutting off the top and the bottom, so it could stand on a flat surface. My vegetable peeler did not work, so I attempted to peel it with a paring knife. The tip that helped me tremendously was to put the squash in the microwave for about 3 minutes to soften it a bit. It was still a bit of an arm workout, but eventually I got my squash peeled.

Then I had to cut it into chunks...
At this point I was beginning to wonder if all this work was worth it. But a vegetable would not defeat me, and I had a lasagna to make! It came out really good, and and I will definitely make this recipe in the future.

Butternut Squash Lasagna
Based on Giada De Laurentiis recipe

Ingredients

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 (2 & 1/2 to 3 lb) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1 inch cubes
salt and pepper
1/2 cup water
3 almond flavored cookies, crumbled (the recipe called for amaretti cookies which I could not find)
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 1/2 cups whole milk
pinch of nutmeg
3/4 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves
12 no boil lasagna noodles
2 & 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Directions

Heat the oil in large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the squash and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour the water into the skillet, cover and simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until squash is tender- approximately 20 minutes. Cool slightly and then place squash into a food processor. Add the crumbled cookies and a pinch of nutmeg and blend until smooth. Season with more salt and pepper.

Melt the butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the milk. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, whisking often, until sauce slightly thickens- approximately 5 minutes. Whisk in pinch of nutmeg. Cool slightly and transfer half of the sauce into blender. Add the basil and blend until smooth. Return the basil sauce to the sauce in the pan and stir to blend. Season with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a 13 x 9 inch glass baking dish with cooking spray or grease with butter. Spread 3/4 cup of the sauce on the bottom of the baking dish. Arrange 3 of the noodles on top of the sauce. Pour 1/3 of the squash puree over the noodles and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese. Drizzle 1/2 cup of the basil sauce over the cheese.

Repeat layering the noodles, squash puree, and cheese 2 more times. Top with remaining 3 noodles. Drizzle with remaining basil sauce.

Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover the lasagna and sprinkle with remaining mozarella cheese and the parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered until the sauce bubbles and the top is golden-- approximately 15 minutes more. Let stand for about 15 minutes before serving.

I was really happy with how this recipe came out. I find the addition of the cookies a bit odd, and next time may just add a touch of almond extract and nutmeg to the squash puree. It was also my first time using no bake lasagna noodles, and wow, that was a nice step to get to skip! Especially with all that extra work cutting up that squash. And thankfully, all that work led to a really nice dish that I will be sure to use in the future.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T13:03:00.000-08:00

It is so hard to believe another year has passed... time just goes by faster and faster. I am really looking forward to making 2012 amazing. Step one in my major goal has occurred, and step two will occur this month. I also am looking forward to playing softball this year! I have never, ever, played a team sport before, but there is a first time for everything and I can't wait! First practice is next Sunday. I wonder if I'll be any good.

I am also excited to commit to Sunday baking/cooking. I have decided to make Sunday the day that I try a new recipe... not a simple 20 minute dinner, but something that I have never made before that involves maybe a new technique or a new ingredient that I have never used. I will do my best to do this every Sunday, although I know work will occasionally get in the way. Next weekend I am planning on making butternut squash lasagna. Come back to see how it goes!

Step one

2011-12-27T09:57:00.000-08:00

Christmas is over... time to move on to other things. Step one starts today. Who knows what the step will bring. Joy, sorrow, happiness, pain... all of the above. You can't predict what life holds for you. You can only accept what you are given and keep moving forward. Here we go...

Winter Wonderland Cakes

2011-12-11T08:55:00.000-08:00

Since I enjoy cooking and baking so much, I often receive gifts related to these hobbies for Christmas. And last year I received this cute little cake pan from my husband...

What a great way to make a winter wonderland cake centerpiece! I pulled out this pan today and got a box of cake mix out of the pantry. Yes, today was more about the prettiness of the dessert, not the actual baking. I made the mix according to the box directions, but I only baked the cakes for about 30 minutes. I made sure to grease and flour the molds to try and prevent the cakes from sticking. When they came out they looked like this...

I had enough batter to make two batches. In my two batches I only lost one chimney. Success! I cut of the bottoms of the cakes, so they could sit flat. The bottoms also make for a delicious snack.

Next step was to top with powdered sugar. I decided sifting the sugar would be the best way to make it look like the houses were dusted with snow.

This is what it looked like when I put it on the table...

It still seemed like something was missing, so I removed the middle house and added a Christmas tree candle.

Pretty cute! And I got to use my cake stand again!

Puppy!

2011-12-09T16:50:00.000-08:00

Have I mentioned I have a thing for pugs? I love their squished in faces and foldy skin. They slobber, snort, and snore. Our six year old pug can lick the air for hours at a time. And yesterday, we brought home our newest addition... Rocky!

We had been planning on adding a pug puppy to the family for quite a few months, but had a hard time finding one. But it seems as though the time we put in looking for one paid off... I mean look at that sweet little face. PJ, our six year old pug, is getting used to the puppy... he mainly wants to lick him. Rocky is a bit timid around our big oaf of a pug, but he doesn't seem to mind him too much.

Pugs and Kisses!

Hopefully these two puggys will become best friends.

Holiday thoughts

2011-12-08T07:55:00.000-08:00

It's December! I love so many things about the holidays... the Christmas tree, the decorations, the music, the desserts... I could go on and on. But it seems lately as though there is so much more focus on the shopping. I love to give gifts, and yes, I definitely also enjoy receiving them. But I must say sometimes it just feels like it is getting out of hand. Some of the holiday commercials have gotten so obnoxious. There is a TJMaxx commercial that I just can't stand!! People dancing around the mall telling everyone to go buy their sweaters somewhere else. Yuck. And the latest Lexus car commercials are just ridiculous. Because we are surrounded by the commercialism of the season, it is pretty easy to become cynical. All this running around to get everything done can make it very easy to miss all the wonderful, small things that the holiday season can bring!

My favorite things that my husband and I have started this year is our simple advent calendar. I made it thinking it would just be a cute decoration, but it has become my favorite thing of the season. We decided to fill it with fun little holiday events to enjoy together. He fills the even days and I fill the odds. It is quite fun to to open the little door and see what each other has come up with for the day. Our ideas so far have included watching a holiday movie together by Christmas tree lights, enjoying peppermint hot chocolate in front of the fireplace, and my favorite so far... perform a random act of kindness for someone. Just a simple way to remember what the season is actually about. Remember to slow down and enjoy the little things.

Cranberry Bliss Bars

2011-12-02T10:31:00.000-08:00

Starbucks is part of my life... I admit it. Quite a few of my friends and family members could tell you that I am a grande non fat no whip mocha girl, except in the summer when I get the iced version. Stopping at Starbucks before I head off to work is part of my daily routine. I have tried to break the habit, or cut back, but I always find myself reverting back to my old ways. I am a huge fan of their red holiday cups and I also enjoy a pumpkin spice latte from time to time.

However, I have never tried their famous cranberry bliss bars. They have never called out to me, even though, I know they are a popular holiday treat. This past weekend we hosted our traditional tree decorating dinner, and I thought it might be fun to attempt to make my own bliss bars. (I'm very grateful that my family doesn't mind trying out my initial attempts at recipes!) So I found a recipe online and they came out really well... although I can't compare them to the original. I'm tempted to buy one from Starbucks this weekend just to compare.

Ingredients

For the cake

1 cup butter, softnened

1 cup packed brown sugar
zest of one orange
1 tsp vanilla

3 large eggs
1 & 1/2 cup flour

1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup chopped dried cranberries
1/2 cup of white chocolate chips

For the frosting
8oz cream cheese, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
4 Tbsp butter, softened
zest of one orange
1 tsp vanilla

Toppings
dried cranberries
chopped pistacio nuts
chopped white chocolate bar

Directions
Preheat oven to 350° and grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.

Beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, vanilla, and orange zest and mix until well combined.

In separate bowl, sift the flour, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Add this to the butter mixture and mix until well combined.

Fold in the chopped dried cranberries and white chocolate chips... or as I like to call them, the bliss.

Spread the batter into the pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. The batter will be very thick. After removing from the oven, allow the cake to cool.

(When I pulled the cake out of the oven the batter was, for lack of a better word, boiling. I have no idea why, and after a couple of minutes it was fine, and looked like a normal cake. I will be making this again soon to see if that happens again.)

To make the frosting mix together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and softned butter until well combined. Fold in the orange zest and vanilla. Frost the cake, and then top with more bliss!

Enjoy the bliss! These really did come out delicious. Thank you to my baking addiction.com for sharing the recipe!

Easy Oreo Brownies

2011-11-28T18:36:00.000-08:00

Look at these ingredients...

See anything you like? What if you put all those ingredients into one brownie? You get oreo heaven!

It couldn't be easier... follow the directions on your favorite brownie mix box, but omit the water. Instead of the water you will be adding about 1/2 cup of cookies and cream ice cream and 1/4 cup of fudge syrup. After you mix those ingredients together pour half of the batter into a greased square baking pan, and then put a layer of oreo cookies on top of the batter.

Then pour the rest of the batter on top and bake as directed on the box. You won't be sorry.

I found this amazing oreo idea on pinterest.

Fall Leaves

2011-11-26T16:15:00.000-08:00

While California might not match the east coast in terms of fall color, I still marvel at the beauty of fall. The colors are amazing, and who doesn't remember the joy of jumping into a pile of leaves as a child. A walk around the neighborhood on a beautiful fall afternoon is a great pick me up...

There is something about the fresh crisp air and the crunch of those leaves that is pure happiness...

The days are going by fast... soon it will be rainy and cold and the trees will be bare. This was a perfect day to take the pug for a walk and remember the joy of walking through the leaves.

Peppermint Wreath

2011-11-24T23:21:00.000-08:00

Well Thanksgiving is over, which means Christmas is coming! How does this happen? Every year it seems as though the holidays come faster and faster! Must be because I am getting older and older. Thanksgiving weekend is when my husband and I traditionally get out our Christmas decor and start decking the halls. This year I decided to make a few things including the previously posted advent calendar. My next project involved a glue gun and candy-- A peppermint wreath!! Doesn't that just sound adorable?

I bought a styrofoam wreath and covered it in red ribbon and then proceeded to hot glue on a bunch of red starlight peppermints, with an occasional green one thrown in there for whimsy. The green ones, by the way, are delicious!

It actually turned out really cute. Finally, I tied a bow with some fancy ribbon and glued it in place as well. I need to work on my bow tying skills, but it isn't too bad.

So I have this really cute wreath covered in peppermints. But I didn't plan ahead and figure out how to hang the thing. So if you decide to make this, perhaps add some sort of hanging device onto the styrofoam before you cover it in ribbon and mints! Also if you are planning to hang it outside, I would think you would want to paint it with some sort of sealant so it won't melt. I'm planning on hanging it indoors... if I can figure out how.

time goes by

2011-11-18T13:44:00.000-08:00

There are a few events that us childless women often dread... the baby shower and the child birthday parties are included in such events. I often have to gear up for such things... knowing the questions of "Do you have kids?" or "When are you going to have a baby?" are very likely to occur. (Plus baby showers often involve shopping at what I consider the scariest store around... Babies r Us.) I don't want this post to sound bitter. I'm not bitter towards any of my friends and their gorgeous children. I love to celebrate with them and see their babies grow. There was just something that occurred at the last baby birthday party I attended that may have thrown me over the edge. But sometimes we need that extra push.

My favorite baby girl turned one last week. She had the most perfect birthday party to celebrate... beautiful food and decorations. Cupcakes and presents. Everything a little one year old girl could want. As the parents set up the slide show, I moved my chair to a prime spot. Gorgeous pictures of the little one appeared on the screen. Happy smiles, beautiful pictures of the family of three, and a year of documented firsts... first smile, first laugh, first tooth, first pigtail... All things which I want to experience and haven't yet. Which led me to have a small melt down. I did my best to hide, but ended up in this tiny kitchen, crying in the corner. (Next time I will look around and plan an escape route!)

I say sometimes we need that extra push. Seeing that beautiful video of my favorite little one's first year made me realize how quickly time goes by! My husband and I have talked about options... it is time to look into them....

Advent Calendar

2011-11-15T17:42:00.000-08:00

While it may seem that I am crafty, because I am slowly organizing my "craft room", I really am a newbie when it comes to things that require scissors and glue. I usually stick to making things that come in a kit, and that have directions... such as a cross stitch kit, or a paint by number type project. The farthest I have ventured away from prepackaged crafts is to make a wreath or two. I have been wanting to change that lately, and organizing my room was the first step. Step two was today when I discovered my new favorite store... Joann's super store! So much better organized than the Michael's near my house. And there were actual employees around to ask a question or two. Oh, I can see myself getting into plenty of trouble at this store...

I went in with a plan... to gather items to make an advent calendar for Christmas. This would be an even better project if I had a kid, but I'll figure out a way to make it fun for my husband and myself. Now I did not come up with this idea on my own... no that is what pinterest is for. But I saw an advent calendar made from a muffin tin, and thought that it was probably something I could handle. And I must say, although it is far from perfect, I LOVE how it turned out. It was a fun project that allowed me to practice using a paper cutter, as well as these fun things that punch out shapes. (I don't even know what these things are called!) And, since each day is magnetic, the "doors" can be removed and I will get to use the mini muffin tin year round, so that is a plus!

So what you need for this little project is a mini muffin tray, magnetic sheets, decorative paper, some stickers and decorations, and glue. I found a paper cutter very helpful, but if you have a steady hand, I guess it wouldn't be necessary. I also enjoyed using the paper punches. They were on sale, so I got a circle and a Christmas tree one.

I cut my decorative paper and the magnetic sheets into 2 & 1/2 inch squares and glued them together.

These were then easily applied to the muffin tin, each one covering a hole. I trimmed the corner pieces a bit, to make it look a bit better.

Then, the fun part of decorating each day. This is when I decided that I love paper punches.

Look at how it came out!!

Not bad for my first attempt at something so crafty!! I think I will use a plate stand to display it in on my kitchen counter. Now I just need to decide what each day should hold. I'm thinking maybe my husband and I can alternate days, and fill every other day with either a treat, or maybe write down a holiday activity to do together. In any case, I'm very happy with my new advent calendar!

Comforting chocolate chip cookie bars

2011-11-13T22:02:00.000-08:00

It is easy to try and get fancy when baking. There are so many fun things to try out there, and fun ways to decorate them. But when I'm feeling somewhat sad, or need a comforting pick me up, there is nothing like a chewy, gooey, chocolate chip cookie. And when I'm too lazy to actually roll the dough into balls, nothing beats a chocolate chip cookie bar. Especially a soft and chewy one. Are you drooling yet? Plus, you get the joy of snacking on the dough... that right there is enough to remove a bit of gray from your day!

So my weekend needed a bit of brightening and I thought this would be a good way to do so.

Ingredients
   2 cups all purpose flour, plus two tablespoons
   1/2 tsp baking soda
   1/2 tsp salt
   3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted, and slightly cooled
   1 cup packed brown sugar
   1/2 cup granulated sugar
   1 large egg
   1 large egg yolk
   2 tsp vanilla extract
   12oz package of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions
Grease a 13 by 9 inch baking pan and preheat oven to 325 degrees. If using a glass pan lower oven temperature to 300 degrees.

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in medium sized bowl.

In large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until combined. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and mix well. Fold flour mixture into the butter mixture. Don't over mix. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Place batter into baking dish, and smooth out with rubber spatula.

Bake until top is light golden brown, and is slightly firm to the touch... about 25 to 30 minutes. Cool on wire rack until at room temperature. Cut into bars and enjoy the yumminess!

A wee bit of crafting

2011-11-09T21:09:00.000-08:00

I had the day off of work today and I spent part of my day at the craft store. I had time to just wander the aisles and see what fun things were available to me. I had a small little project I wanted to complete today, and I also wanted to pick up some storage options for my craft room. I'm excited to complete this room and have made quite a bit of progress already in terms of cleaning it up and clearing it out. I also managed to get a couple of things on the wall!! Here is a look at some of the fun stuff I picked up today:

Love these cute inexpensive jars!

Finally got some decorating tips to help frost
cupcakes and cakes!

Some simple storage options-- I love the flowered boxes!

Love the boxes, hate the handles.
I'm hoping a little paint will take care of that.

But my main goal today was to put together something simple I saw on Pinterest... a cork board picture frame. I thought it would be a fun way to display some pictures and such, but also be just a bit prettier than a standard bulletin board. So simple to do...

I found three white wall frames and some cork board sheets. I just removed the glass from the frames and kept the cardboard that came with the frame. The cork sheets were a bit big, but were so easy to cut.

All you need

The cork sheets came in packs of six, and I just used three sheets per frame to make sure there was enough thickness to actually push a pin into them.

Two completed board frames

So after they were hung on the wall by my husband (I have no patience for getting things level or straight or centered) they looked like this:

Finally something is on the wall!! Next up is to organize my bookshelf!

Cupcakes!!

2011-11-04T21:29:00.000-07:00

At some point last year, my husband was washing the dishes (yes, I am a lucky lady), and he dropped and broke one of my large glass mixing bowls. A few months later he thoughtfully replaced it with a large glass kitchenaid mixing bowl that fits on my stand mixer. For some odd reason I didn't take it out of the box until today. Oh my goodness this bowl is amazing because of one simple thing.... it has a spout!! My kitchenaid was great before but now it is fantastic!!

Let me explain why I am so excited for this spout. I'm making cupcakes for Mr. Barren Baker's birthday gathering tomorrow night, and for whatever reason, I have never learned a good way to fill the cupcake papers. I have tried spooning the mixture, pouring it out of whatever bowl I had mixed it in, and also spooning it into my small measuring cup and then pouring from there. I always made a huge mess and would get way more frustrated than I'd like to admit. What a time saver this bowl is. Took a bit of practice, but I was done filling the cupcake papers in way less time than ever before, and there was no mess. I tell you, it is the little things that make me happy.

As for the cupcakes... I made two different kinds, both out of Martha Stewart's cupcake book. I stuck with simple, because I had never attempted a Martha recipe before, and I do find her a bit intimidating. First, I made her yellow buttermilk cupcakes, which came out pretty good.

I apparently pour my cupcakes much more generously than Martha because the recipe supposedly makes 32, but I only got 24.

The other cupcakes I made were her devil's food cupcakes. The only thing I changed was I used light sour cream. Oh, and I'm pretty sure my Hershey's cocoa powder isn't "dutch processed." YUM!! I mean YUM!!! Martha, I will never doubt you again. While making them I was questioning her...why must I melt butter with the sugar in a saucepan instead of creaming the butter and sugar like I usually do? It was way more work. But apparently worth it!

Don't these look super healthy?

Melting the cocoa powder in water seemed excessive... couldn't I just add the cocoa powder to the flour. Apparently not, because I'm telling you these cupcakes are truly devilish!

A must make... I can't wait to make the frosting and decorate them tomorrow. I'll be posting pictures of that later...

I can happily say I have finally made a Martha Stewart recipe and I am now able to pour out my cupcake batter without getting irritated. Both of these are "good things."

(Actually the devil's food cupcake is better than a good thing.)

Where is the baking?

2011-10-30T19:25:00.000-07:00

So I realized I started this blog with the intention of sharing my baking recipes, and yet I have only baked once. For some reason writing this blog has motivated me to organize and finish up things around the house that I have started. I feel that this is more important to me right now than baking. Today I started cleaning up my "craft room". It is such a pretty room... painted a terra cotta color with white shelves and a big work table. However, the shelves and table basically have collected clutter, clutter, and more clutter over the past few years. It seemed like if I had something that didn't have a home it would end up in that room. As a result, the desk was covered with catalogs and things that are meant to be hung on the wall. The book shelf was full of not only books, but left over fabrics and flowers from the craft store. I have piles of books that have been waiting to be given away in the corner, along with scrap book paper and sewing boxes and pens. Well, you get the idea.

So today was step one. Throw as much stuff away in that room as I could. Catalogs, boxes, and papers were thrown into the recycle bin. More books were bagged to be given away. As a result, the top of my work table is finally clear and clean!

Of course, the floor is a pretty big mess right now. But you have to start somewhere. And I am determined to get this room organized!!

So, anyways, I will share more baking in the near future. I am making cupcakes for my husbands birthday this weekend. But right now I plan on getting my house (and I think as a result my life) in order.

Unfinished Projects

2011-10-29T13:50:00.000-07:00

I am notorious for thinking of a project, starting it, and then abandoning the idea for months. I really need to stop this, because once I finish said project I am so much happier. I decided I wanted to make a wine barrel into a planter box over a year ago. This really doesn't involve too many steps:

1. Buy wine barrel container
2. Find place in yard for said container
3. Buy dirt and plants for planter
4. Actually plant the plants

When wine tasting in July with some friends we came across these half wine barrels for sale. They were less expensive than the "wine barrels" that I had seen at the home improvement shop, so I couldn't pass it up.

I then let it sit there empty for about three months. Why is that? Am I that busy where I can't take the time to go out and buy plants? Definitely not... guess I am a lazy procrastinator at heart. Gotta work on that. Anyways, today was the day to finish my planter box.

We went to the home improvement store and picked up some plants, flowers, and dirt. I don't have much knowledge when it comes to plants, so I generally just choose what looks pretty.

It took about 3 bags of soil to fill this container. Finally I was ready to plant!!

This corner definitely needed some color. And now we need to add some more plants in the ground. And add some bark. Hmm... maybe we'll get around to that in a year or so.

I'm so happy with how it came out!!

Fall Centerpiece

2011-10-24T12:58:00.000-07:00

I love fall... the colors, the scents, the food. Since I don't have kids, I don't really decorate for Halloween. Instead I try and add a bit of fall flair to my home. One of my favorite things are those adorable mini pumpkins and gourds. They are a great way to add some fall color to your home and they last through the whole season without spoiling. Plus they are so darn cute!

After visiting a fall themed bridal show, I was even more inspired to decorate my house for fall. I also saw some talk show that used a cake plate to hold fall decor and knew instantly what I wanted to do. So here is a simple way to use those cute little pumpkins in a decorative way...

Start with a simple covered cake plate. This idea gave me an excuse to go out and get one of these.

Next I went to the store and bought a hand basket full of these little pumpkins. I love the striped one!

I always go a bit overboard at the craft store so I had these leaves from a previous trip that I didn't have a use for until now.

After taking all the "leaves" off the "stems" I was ready to assemble my centerpiece. It couldn't be simpler... Just take the cover off the cake stand and fill it up with the pumkins and gourds. Throw some of the leaves into the empty spaces and put the stand on top of the cover. Invert and you have a really pretty centerpiece!

I had a few pumkins left over that didn't fit, so placed them around the stand along with some of my craft store flowers. I love this simple idea. And I already know what I am going to do with this stand for Christmas!

Wedding thoughts

2011-10-23T22:17:00.000-07:00

My sister-in-law is getting married, and I am so grateful to be a big part of the wedding. All this planning and organizing has got me thinking about my own wedding. It is easy to get caught up in all the details of the day. You want everything to be perfect... the flowers, the cake, the dress. Little things become ridiculous. The placement of the ribbon on the program is vitally important!! Why would my fiance think he was being helpful by punching the holes in the program for the ribbon there??? Didn't he know that was wrong??? Thankfully, I got past the whole program debacle, and even though the ribbon wasn't placed where I had wanted it, our wedding was beautiful. Everyone, including my husband and myself, had a really great time. People still talk about how fun our wedding was. And, ultimately, the most important thing occurred. I married my soul mate.

Eleven years later, looking back, would I change anything? The couple of things that didn't go as planned actually make for good stories. I mean it is pretty funny that our DJ played "Let's make love" as our last song instead of "It's your Love" as we had requested. And who in the world requested "the family tradition" of gathering around us as we danced to New York, New York? Both my husband and I still do not know of this so called tradition. I think I would only change one thing...

Friends. They are so important in life. We have been so lucky to find a few amazing friends later in life. That doesn't always happen. Yet it saddens me that these close friends of mine weren't even at our wedding. We didn't know each other, yet they are such a huge part of our lives now. It is funny how that works. So if I could, I would go back and somehow include these special friends in our wedding day. I think I would have a very large bridal party if my wedding were to have occurred today.

Well, okay, I guess I would also go back and change the placement of the ribbons on my programs.

Thoughts at 2:45 am

2011-10-21T02:56:00.000-07:00

Awake again at 2:45 am... fretting away. Thankful it is Friday. Bummed I had to sit in a huge traffic jam for almost two hours. Guilty for being annoyed at that, when obviously others were in a much worse situation having caused the traffic jam. Wondering why PJ is jingling around downstairs. Hopeful the Sharks can pull off a win this afternoon. Missing my husband who is away till tomorrow. Excited to see my friend from New York for breakfast this morning... at 7am. Grateful for a friend who is willing to meet me for breakfast so early. Sensitive to every little sound due to the two earthquakes yesterday. Wondering if I'll have a full staff at work today. Already dreading work on Sunday, yet I have Saturday off to enjoy. Remembering I have to call my mother. I have to get to the gym. I am getting older...

Rachel and Julia

2011-10-19T09:27:00.000-07:00

I've always enjoyed baking. Measure things out properly, mix them according to the directions, and usually things will turn out pretty good. Cooking was a whole other ball game. You could have put chicken and rice in front of me, and I would have just stared at it wide eyed. Well I could probably have cooked the rice, but without a recipe, I had no idea what to do with that chicken. Enter Rachel Ray.

Early on in my married life I had a day off and discovered 30 Minute Meals on the Food Network. After watching a few episodes I was hooked. She made cooking look easy, and equally important, what she made did not require hours of time. I started with one of her pasta dishes... no longer was I just making spaghetti and putting jarred sauce on top. I had options. I started my collection of her cookbooks, and it seemed that I would get a new one each holiday season. Rachel Ray taught me how to cook. I guess I can blame her for my cookbook addiction. One of my favorite things is to sit down and flip through the pages of a brand new cookbook. It is so inspiring!

There is another chef I greatly admire and enjoy learning about... Julia Child. She found her calling in life and started toward her goal in her forties. She started a small cooking school in her home in France, while she was writing her cookbook. Her book changed cooking in America. She changed cooking in America. She brought cooking to television and made it entertaining. Julia has inspired me to learn more about cooking and baking.

There must be another reason I relate to these ladies so much... neither one of them is a mother. Yet they both lead/led fulfilling lives doing what they love. One never knows what goes on behind closed doors. I wonder if Julia wanted children. I read somewhere that she did. But she had a wonderful marriage, like me, and she had a wonderful life. I wonder if I can find "my calling". It is never too late.

Clutter, clutter, clutter...

2011-10-18T14:17:00.000-07:00

Clutter can be so overwhelming. I feel as though clutter causes me to be lazy. Everywhere I look around my house I can find something in desperate need of organization. My closet, under the bathroom sink, my pantry, and don't even get me started on the garage. It is time to get organized. It shouldn't be that hard if I just pick one thing every couple of days and focus. Today I chose my spice cabinet. Now, I kind of copped out here, because really the cabinet itself wasn't that bad.

But I am in need of a system to get organized, and I thought this small project would be good place to figure out what that system would be. So my first step was to empty the whole thing so I could see what I had, and also figure out what was so old that there was no way it could enhance any of my cooking.

Next step was to clean the actual shelf... and wow did it need some cleaning. Threw out what was outdated... I had some dill weed (which I don't know that I have ever used) dated 2006. Whoa.

But the hard part was figuring out how to organize what I had left. After staring at my mess for a bit, I just decided to use a three tiered shelf and put the spices back alphabetically. Liquid extracts and food colorings were grouped together on the side. I still feel like there should be a better way. But it looks nice and clean, and I think it will be easier to find things.

Now that my spices are organized it's time to bake something!