Sunday, March 29, 2015

The quickest cake balls ever….


I consider myself a lazy baker….

….the quicker,  the better….

….the easier,  the better….

….the prettier, the better….

So for all of you lazy bakers who might be looking for a quick treat, this is for you!


When I am in the mood, I bake a bunch of cake balls and freeze them.


I pop a few out of the freezer, shove a fork into them, and melt some chocolate wafers:


I dip the tops into the chocolate and toss on a few sprinkles:


…and I have a quick, easy and pretty treat - and tasty, too!


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Friday, March 27, 2015

What little boys are made of….

My grandson was here this past week, visiting from Ohio.  Carter is five years old, full of energy and lots of fun

It didn't take long to transform my great room into a play room….


A tent made out of blankets and a tablecloth:


The toys came out of the closet….


We decorated the Easter tree….


…which went a lot smoother than decorating the Christmas Tree!


We went bowling...


…played video games...


…met the Easter Bunny...


..had way too much fun in the spa tub...


…ate ice cream for lunch...


…went to the movies to see "Annie"...

...ate lots of candy...


…he scared the bejeebers out of his grandparents...


…dined in an old trolley car..


…and had more baths...


I miss this little guy already - and his Mom, too!


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Thursday, March 26, 2015

"Hoping for Spring" lunch with Cold Fruit Soup....

My table was set for two -  for cold fruit soup and finger sandwiches:


I used my Indiana Harvest Grape milk glass dishes and compotes:


I recently bought two little bunny dessert dishes at Home Goods:


A side centerpiece is a little basket with artificial pansies:


I have three glass table tops for my table (one for an end table, one for a luncheon table and another for a dinner table) and this is the middle size.  Can you see that we still have snow in the back yard:


I set out my 35 year old crystal salt and peppers kittens for the open faced finger sandwiches of tuna and egg salads:


This is the cold soup I served:

Spring Fruit Soup
1 cups ripe cantaloupe chunks (about 1 in.) 
1/2 ripe peach (6 oz.), peeled, pitted, and cut into chunks
1/2 cup canned peach nectar
1/4 cup white Zinfandel (or 1/2 cup additional peach nectar)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
 
 In a blender or food processor, whirl cantaloupe, peach, peach nectar, white Zinfandel, and lemon juice until smooth. Taste and add sugar if desired.  Pour soup into a container, cover, and chill until cold, at least 1 hour, or up to 1 day.  Pour the soup into shallow bowls.  Makes 2 cups

Sharing with BNOTP for Tablescape Thursday

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Monday, March 23, 2015

"Carter" was here…. and the Polish St Patty's Party

We had surprise guests at the 2nd Annual Polish St Patty's Day celebration at my niece's house in Rochester over the weekend:

Sara and Carter came from Ohio and surprised us!



I made appetizers with the colors of the Irish flag:


and lots of sweets:


And we had a few too many drinks:


So, Carter came back to Syracuse with us and immediately pulled out this chair:


My grandmother bought this chair 80 years ago for $.25 for my mother, when she was 2 y/o.  The chair has been used by 4 generations in our family!


And hopefully some day Carter's children will also sit in it!


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Thursday, March 19, 2015

My great room….

I got an email the other day from one of my readers who said she wanted to see the layout of my living room and kitchen. 


 My home is only about 1900sf and the center is my great room, kitchen, morning room and dining area


The master bedroom is to the right:


and the dining area is front center:


The 2 guest rooms are down the hallway.

That's all there is….


We moved here almost 6 years ago after living in our "starter home" for 30 years (only a mile away).  We love the open floor plan and the small neighborhood of only 6 streets.  It's a great home for entertaining and comfort.

Mary, I hope you enjoyed the quick little tour - the floor plan is quite simple!



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Wednesday, March 18, 2015

A quick change in the kitchen.

After the Christmas holiday, I put away all my Courtly Checks and pulled out my Buttercup and yellow accents!


It's a nice change….some "sunny yellow" in a "snowy white winter"...


…but I was happy to pack it up...


…and bring back the checks...


…I just love the black and white...


…and the checks coordinate so well with….


...with all my other dishes and serving pieces..


…and especially with my rug from Ikea!


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