Summer Blog Break

Better grab a chocolate and have a seat - this post ended up being a little long!  :)

Blog breaks happen in so many different ways - a few days off here and there, a planned week off with guest posts, an unexplained absence, and then there's mine.  I've decided to take the Summer off from blogging.  The idea came to me a while back and then I firmly decided on it in May.  I tried to wrap up all the posts I wanted to get done as soon as I could in June.  My original thought was to take off June, July and August.  But it will still be a long break - the rest of June and all of July and August.

Why the long break?  I've been blogging consistently for over 2 years - most of the time 5 days a week (I have over 600 posts here which amazes me!).  I'm feeling a bit burnt out at the moment.  Not burnt out from my blog friends and readers, but burnt out because I've started feeling "obligated" to blog.  It would be fine for it to be an obligation if it were my job and helped support my family in some way.  But my blog is just a hobby and I really don't feel led to make it more than that.

I'm also not a good multi-tasker - I can only focus on one thing at a time.  So if my blog is "dazzling" you daily, then you can be sure that nobody is being "dazzled" by the condition of my home - LOL!  I have many things going on this Summer - enjoying the company of my son, getting organized, taking a Summer trip, finishing projects, spending time with friends, trying to eat healthy, exercising, etc.  For me to really make those things happen, I need to step away from blogging for a while.

I feel relieved that I won't have to try to blog or arrange guest posts while I am on our Summer trip - it definitely interferes with that vacation feeling.  And it turns out that the laptop has to go away for a while for some minor warranty repairs anyway.  So my timing is good!

Don't worry - my blog will still be here!  Recipes will still be here!  And maybe you'll find time to dig through past posts and learn something new about me or find a great recipe that you missed.  I will work on making recipes more accessible.  You can already get the chocolate recipes from my sidebar, but I need to work on making the dessert recipes easy to find.  I also plan to put all the tea posts together so you can find what you need.  And you can always use the search bar if you're looking for something specific.  As I add these things through the Summer - they'll appear on my sidebar and maybe I'll put a brief message on top.

Unfortunately this means that I won't be hosting Chocolate Fridays or Dessert Fridays through the Summer.  You can still post chocolate recipes though - I'm sure your readers appreciate it!  There are plenty of other places to link up your delicious recipes like:  Foodie Fridays, Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap, Tasty Tuesdays, Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays - just to name a few!

Now you realize I may change my mind at any time - LOL!  I could get to August and just HAVE to tell you about something great or share a recipe.  Or not.  In which case I'll post in September, Lord willing.

I should add that I probably won't be on Twitter either.  I haven't tweeted in over a month.  It started as a little break by accident and then I decided to wait until somebody tweeted me a question or comment that I had to answer.  Didn't happen.  I think that confirmed that I didn't really need to be on there even though I have some lovely friends there.

Didn't mean to post a book my friends!  Thank you for stopping by my blog and for all of your wonderful comments - they make my day!  I hope you all have a lovely Summer - do take time to stop and smell the chocolates in your own lives.  I will try to stop by blogs and say hello as I have time.

Hugs and air kisses to all!!  Have a wonderful Summer!

Would You Like Chocolate With That? ~ Chocolate-Cherry Stack Cake

I'm so glad you're here!  It's Friday...what could we possibly do to celebrate Friday?  Grab some chocolate - just a little - and join me for Chocolate Friday!

I've got a yummy cake (oh how I do love cake) recipe to share today!  I found it in a Better Homes and Gardens magazine from last year.  The chocolate cake is great and the fluffy frosting is nice and creamy with a light cherry flavor.  And you've got to love the color combo of pink and brown, right?  Seems like I've seen that combo somewhere...

Chocolate-Cherry Stack Cake

3/4 cup plus 1 tsp all-purpose flour
1/3 cup plus 1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup sour cream
1 Recipe Cherry Frosting*

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease 2 6x2 inch round cake pans or springform pans.**  Mix 1 tsp each flour and cocoa powder; dust pans.  Set pans aside.

2.  In bowl combine 3/4 cup flour, 1/3 cup cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; set aside.

3.  In large bowl with electric mixer beat butter on medium to high for 30 seconds.  Add sugar; beat until smooth and fluffy.  Beat in eggs and vanilla until smooth.  Beat in sour cream and flour mixture.  Pour batter in pans; spread evenly.

4.  Bake 22 to 26 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched and edges begin to pull away from sides of pan.  Cool in pans on wire rack 10 minutes.  Remove from pans; cool on rack.

5.  Use serrated knife to horizontally cut cakes in half to make 4 layers total.**  Place bottom layer on plate; spread with 2/3 cup frosting.  Repeat with layers.  Place top layer on cake.  Heap remaining frosting , swirling in peaks.  Refrigerate.  To serve, top with Chocolate-Dipped Cherries.***

*Cherry Frosting
In large mixing bowl combine one 8-oz. sour cream, 1 cup whipping cream, 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, and 2 tablespoons maraschino cherry juice.  Beat on medium-high until fluffy.

**I didn't have 6-inch cake pans.  I had 8-inch cake pans.  Because of this, my layers were too thin to cut in half.  So I just put the frosting in the middle of the 2 layers and on top of the cake.

***Chocolate-Dipped Cherries
Drain 16 maraschino cherries, with stems; pat dry with paper towels.  In small microwave-safe bowl combine 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate pieces and 1 tsp shortening.  Cook on 50% power (medium) 1 1/2  to 2 minutes or until melted, stirring once.  Dip cherries in chocolate; place on waxed paper until set.  Store, covered, up to 24 hours.

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Does that sound delicious or what?!  I took it to a church banquet (they are often my guinea pigs but don't seem to mind too much) and it was all eaten up, so it must be OK.  :)

Now I need to tell you that this is my last Chocolate Friday for the Summer.  I'll be posting on Monday and then taking a Summer blog break until September.  That doesn't mean that you can't still post chocolate on Fridays - there just won't be a link-up here.  If one of you chocolate regulars would like to host a linky for the Summer, let me know and I'll put a note on my blog.

Since this is the last Chocolate Friday here for a while, please oh please link up a chocolate post today!!  You can do a new post or go back into your archives and find something to link up with the handy thumbnail linky below.  Let's share LOTS of chocolate today!!

Have a chocorriffic day my friends!

Thursday's Thoughts

I had a few random things I just really wanted to mention before the day was over...

~  If you are at all interested in eating healthy and using a "real food" kind of approach, you really should stop by Kitchen Stewardship (discovered her a while back through Musings of a Housewife).  I love her blog!  Her tagline is:  Balancing God's gifts...one baby step at a time.  She has done so much research on food questions and tries to present both sides of different topics.  I trust her conclusions because of the thought and prayer she has put into them.  She has a great post that includes a list of what to eat, what to avoid, and how to compromise.  I'm going to print it out and work on improving things - one baby step at a time!

 ~ A friend gave me a Christian magazine to look at a few months ago called The Girlhood Home Companion.  I don't have a daughter, but if I did I would subscribe to this special magazine!  Each issue is a keepsake - filled with stories, craft ideas, wonderful recipes and more.  It would make a lovely gift and would be fun for grandmothers and aunts to use to spend special time with granddaughters or nieces.  It's published by Remembrance Press.  I was familiar with some of the names involved with the magazine:  Emily Rose and Breezy Brookshire (www.noblerosepress.com - I heard so many good things about the Brookshires from Sarah Mae at Like a Warm Cup of Coffee), and Ann Voskamp (www.aholyexperience.com).  If you have daughters, be sure to check it out!

~ I finally got to go to Homegoods to shop today!  It's been here a while, but I haven't been in - shocking I know!  I officially like it!  I officially do not like trying to maneuver a cart through the narrow aisles with many other carts going every which way.  Sigh.  But I got what I was looking for and made it out.  I would like to go back when I have more time and just browse - cart-free.

 ~  Tomorrow is Chocolate Friday!  That means you should find a chocolate post to link up on my blog!  It's just nice to share the chocolate!  :)

~  I feel the need to give you a warning instead of just springing it on you - I'm going to be taking a blog break for the rest of the Summer, starting next week.  I know!!  Tomorrow will be the last Chocolate Friday for the Summer and I'll have a post about my break on Monday and...that's it.  I do hope to be back in September, feeling all fresh and fabulous!  Don't be scared - you'll be OK.  You can stop by and look at chocolate anytime you need to!  :)

Have a lovely evening friends!

Tea For Two-sday ~ Tea With a Twist Review

Recently I was blessed with the opportunity to review a book about tea.  The book is called Tea With a Twist: Entertaining and Cooking With Tea by Lisa Boalt Richardson, certified tea specialist.

Photo by Lauren Rubinstein. Used with permission for promotional purposes only.

This book is delightful!!  It's a pretty book to look at - you'll enjoy all the pictures of tea party ideas.  The tea party ideas are different from your standard tea parties.  These ideas will appeal to all sorts of people and make your tea parties fun!  A tea party doesn't have to be only for the ladies all dressed up (though that's fun too)!

Here are a few of the tea party themes that Lisa covers:  Flower Power Tea Party, Bubble Tea Party, Mexican Fiesta Tea Party, Under-The-Table Tea Party (for children), and All About Chocolate Tea Party (hello - you know that one's my FAVE!).  Just look how fun the Bubble Tea looks:

Photo by Lauren Rubinstein. Used with permission for promotional purposes only.

Each tea party has a menu with recipes and finishing touch ideas.  You could easily follow these ideas to throw a fun tea party for your friends or family! 

I received the book right before helping out with a ladies' tea party for church and quickly added one of the recipes to my menu!  I decided to make Artichoke and Asiago Cheese Sandwiches.  They were delicious and cute!  I forgot to get a pic of them, but here they are from the book (the ones with the tomato in the middle):

 Photo by Lauren Rubinstein. Used with permission for promotional purposes only.

Lisa Boalt Richardson kindly gave me permission to share the recipe with you!  Thank you Lisa!

Artichoke and Asiago Cheese Sandwiches

8 oz. softened cream cheese

3/4 cup shredded domestic Asiago cheese

1 clove garlic, pressed

2 tablespoons basil, chopped

2 tablespoons sweet onion, finely chopped

1 14-oz. can quartered artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed

3 tablespoons sundried tomatoes packed in oil, patted dry, and finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

cherry tomato slices for garnish

fresh white bread

Mix all ingredients, except tomatoes and bread, together in a large bowl and refrigerate  for 1 to 2 hours.  Spread mixture onto fresh white bread and cut into flower shapes using a flower-shaped cookie cutter.  Garnish with a thinly sliced cherry tomato in center.

I did use pickled asparagus spears to look like flower stems, similar to the picture. 

Tea With a Twist is such a lovely book and I look forward to trying more recipes and tea party themes!  If you enjoy tea and tea parties, you'll love this book.  It would also be a wonderful gift for a tea-loving friend.  You can buy the book through Barnes and Noble (they have a cute trailer for the book that you can watch) and through Amazon (just click the links to get more info).  I do suggest checking it out!

Find out more about Lisa Boalt Richardson by stopping at her website: www.lisaknowstea.com or at her blog: www.lisaknowstea.blogspot.com (hint: she has some recipes listed there!). 

Disclosure:  I recieved a free copy of Tea With a Twist to review on my blog.  My opinions are my own, as always. 

I hope you enjoyed the book review and that you get to try the yummy sandwich recipe!  I'll leave you dreaming about an All Chocolate Tea Party with Triple Chocolate Scones, Chocolate Strawberry Salad, Chocolate Tea and Spice-Encrusted Wild Salmon with White Chocolate Green Tea Sauce, and easy Microwave Bittersweet Chocolate Truffles...

 Photo by Lauren Rubinstein. Used with permission for promotional purposes only.

Have a lovely afternoon friends and enjoy a cup of tea - iced if it's hot where you are! 

I Had The Nicest Lunch...

...with my son today!  It was unexpected and lovely.  We were out for an appointment and then I stopped by Whole Foods for a couple of items I hadn't found in other stores.  Our Whole Foods is located at a lovely outdoor shopping center with shops, restaurants, and a fountain in the middle - very pretty.

My son asked if we could go have lunch together at one of the restaurants.  I was caught off guard!  The kind of lunch that we usually get if it's just the two of us is McD's or In 'N Out or Subway - some sort of fast food that we take home.  It had never occurred to me to go to a nice lunch with him though I surely would have gone to lunch before now with a daughter if I had one.  My son is almost 11 - not like I need to run around after him in a restaurant!

So off we went to Boudin SF, yes THE place for sourdough bread!  We had an excellent lunch and my son loved it.  He was very well-behaved and we enjoyed a nice conversation.  What a gentleman and an excellent lunch date!  We must do it again soon!

It got me to thinking though.  We can't forget that it's just as important to have lunch dates with our boys as with our girls.  Our sons need to learn nice manners in a restaurant and how to act like gentlemen.  They need to know how to act around a lady if they hope to find a good wife and treat her right!  I'm so thankful that the Lord gave me this sweet opportunity today!

 Who could resist this handsome lunch date?

I should mention that there is a great Christian site for mothers of boys that some of my Twitter friends started.  It's called The Mob Society.  If you have sons, I suggest checking it out!

Have you had a lunch date with your son?

Have a lovely evening my friends!

Would You Like Chocolate With That? ~ Chocolate-Peppermint Squares

Chocolate Friday once again!  Did you survive the week?  I'm sure you must have done something to deserve a little chocolate!

When I helped with a ladies' tea recently, I just had to make something chocolate!  I found this recipe in my Chocolate Fantasies (you gotta love that name - LOL) cookbook.  These are yummy!

It's hard to see in the pics, but I did color the filling to make it a minty green to go with my "Spring Green" tea theme.  I think I would drizzle the glaze on after cutting them into squares if you want them to look prettier.  The designs look a little odd on mine.

Chocolate-Peppermint Squares

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
2 (1-oz) squares unsweetened chocolate, melted
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
Peppermint filling
Chocolate glaze

Cream butter; gradually add sugar, beating at low speed of an electric mixer until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Combine flour and salt; add to creamed mixture, beating well.  Add chocolate, beating until blended; stir in pecans.

Pour batter into a greased 9-in. square baking pan.  Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes.  Cool (layer will fall while cooling).

Spread Peppermint Filling over layer, and chill (filling will be very thin).

Drizzle chocolate glaze over filling; chill thoroughly.  Cut into 1-in. squares.  Store in refrigerator.

Peppermint Filling
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 tablespoon milk
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

Combine all ingredients, beating until smooth.  Yield:  about 1/2 cup.

Chocolate Glaze
2 (1-oz) squares semisweet chocolate, melted
1 tablespoon butter, melted

Combine ingredients; stir well.  Yield: about 1/4 cup.

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How do those sound?  I do love the chocolate peppermint combo - always delicious!

But enough about my chocolate.  Where's your chocolate?  As in your chocolate post that you were about to link up!  C'mon - bring it over and share!  You can get more Chocolate Friday info here and check out last week's links too.

Have a fabulous chocolatey Friday friends!

Works-For-Me Wednesday: S-t-r-e-t-c-h the Dish Soap

I actually have a WFMW tip today!  I just recently discovered a couple of great things to do with your dish soap to make it last longer and save you some $$!

First, get your favorite dish soap - I prefer a non-toxic type like Method brand.  This cucumber flavor smells so yummy and cleans well.

To make this last longer while washing your dishes, get a spray bottle and fill it with a combination of dish soap and water.  I used 1/3 soap and 2/3 water, but you can use what seems best to you.  Use the spray on your dishes and then scrub rather than putting soap directly on your sponge or wash rag and wasting most of it!  (I can't take credit for the idea - a friend's husband came up with this.)

Hmmm...kids love using spray bottles.  Maybe this will make your kids *want* to do the dishes for you!

I found another great use for dish soap that I think is so exciting!  You can use it to make foaming hand soap!  I saved a couple of foaming hand soap dispensers to use for this.  Simply fill the container with warm water, leaving about an inch at the top.  Fill the rest with dish soap (another reason to get a non-toxic brand that smells good and is good for the hands - Method has vitamin E and aloe added to it), put the lid on and shake.

It works great and cost me less than 25 cents for a full container of foaming hand soap!  It feels soapy, smells great, and gets the hand clean. (Another idea that was not mine - saw a comment somewhere about it when I was searching for something else.)

I'm so excited about both of these ideas!  (And no, Method did not sponsor this post - LOL!)  I love ideas that not only work great, but save money too!  Have you tried either of these tips before?

You can get more WFMW tips over at We Are THAT Family!  Have a wonderful day friends!

Monday Musings

I'm borrowing the idea from my friend Charlotte again at Joyful Hearts and Faces and doing Monday Musings!

What I'm thinking: That I have so many projects I want to work on, but I never seem to get the daily stuff caught up so I can get to the projects!

What I'm reading: The Church in History by Kuiper.  It's actually a textbook for Christian schools, so it's fairly easy to understand and it's all stuff I know very little about.  Since I started it right around the time my son finished school, I'm reading it out loud every day so he can learn a few things at the same time.  I think the reading aloud is helping me to retain more of the info too.

What I'm listening to: Hubs listening to talk radio while he works from home today and son playing Wii Mariokart.

What we're learning: Son starts his swimming lessons today - hoping he will do okay since he's been sick with a bad cough for a few days.  Hubs got a guitar a while back and is reteaching himself to play (he played in high school).  I am just learning church history at the moment!  :)

What I'm watching: I've been enjoying the fact that we can watch instant movies from Netflix in addition to the ones we get in the mail (we're busy watching the whole Little House on the Prairie series) - we've watched some with the Wii on our TV (recently watched The Count of Monte Cristo and Looney Tunes) and I've watched some in the evenings in bed on the laptop (recently saw Lost in Austen, Brian Regan comedy shows, Confessions of a Shopoholic, Kate and Leopold).

What's cooking: Well nothing terribly exciting for the next 2 weeks!  I'm starting an anti-fungal diet for 2 weeks with a friend.  I have no medical reason for it, just to be off of caffeine and sugar for a couple weeks and hopefully jump start some weight loss before the time comes for our Summer trip!

What I'm buying: That would be groceries for the anti-fungal diet - gonna need some eggs, berries, almond butter, green apples, and extra veggies in addition to lean meats and fish.  Costco - here I come!

What I'm thankful for: I'm very thankful that my son seems to be getting better after being ill for a few days and glad that so far his cough hasn't turned into a lung infection again.  Also thankful that we still have the inhaler for him to use!  And I am always thankful for sunny days!  :)

What I'm creating: Meal plan for the week for my crazy diet.

What I'm praying: Praying that son continues to get better and that hubs gets better quickly (he seems to have what son has).  And praying that I can get some sort of routine set up for Summer days.

What I'm planning: Details for our Summer trip to Montana.

What we did this last weekend: Ran some errands and rested.  Son also had his end-of-season baseball party and got to play kickball, eat pizza and cake, and get a trophy!

What I'm looking forward to: Losing weight (I hope), watching son in his swim lessons, and just enjoying Summer days!

A picture to share:

Hubs and I were just looking at these pics the other day - this is my son in 1st grade (he's going into 6th now).  I think he was saying, "Cheese!"  LOL!

Have a wonderful day friends!  What are your plans for the week?

Would You Like Chocolate With That? ~ Godiva Bakery Dessert Truffles

Friday is here!  Friday is here!  Time for chocolate!  As if you haven't had any yet.  :)

When I say Godiva, you say...well maybe you say "the finest chocolates" but I actually say "yes, please!"  I was quite blessed to recently receive some Godiva chocolates to sample!  I know - I didn't share them with you.  I'm sorry.

Godiva is getting ready to launch a new line of bakery desserts and truffles this Fall.  I got to preview the Bakery Dessert Truffles.  Wow.

Straight from the press release:  This fall, Godiva Chocolatier will launch its new limited edition Bakery Dessert Truffle Collection, an indulgent line of truffles inspired by traditional neighborhood bakery treats. Handcrafted by the Chef Chocolatiers at Godiva, each rich and velvety truffle is made from the highest quality, most innovative ingredients, combining the joy of classic dessert flavors with a chocolate experience that only Godiva can provide.

These truffles were DIVINE!  The flavors we tried were Chocolate Lava Cake, Red Velvet Cake, Cheesecake, Tiramisu, and Strawberry Torte.  Each one was so rich and hubs and I took our time savoring every one.  The chocolate on the outside is fabulous of course, but the insides are creamy, velvety, and full of wonderful flavors.  You might start to think that there is cake on the inside - not so, just the creamy goodness that is Godiva truffle!

Hubs' favorite flavor was the Cheesecake truffle - rich milk chocolate on the outside and a creamy cheesecake filling on the inside.  My favorite flavor was the Tiramisu - espresso and mascarpone ganache inside of smooth white chocolate.  Of course, you could hand me a box filled with only the Chocolate Lava Cake truffles and I would be supremely happy!

Now you'll just have to drool over the thought of these all Summer until they are released in Godiva boutiques, specialty stores, fine department stores, and www.Godiva.com!  They would be a wonderful gift for a Fall birthday,  a special occasion, or a Chocolate Friday!  :)

Godiva will offer other delicious baked goods in the Fall, like this Belgian Chocolate Flourless Cake!

 And www.Godiva.com will have great baked goods like brownies, cupcakes, and special chocolate gift baskets too!

Disclosure:  I was sent a free box of Godiva Bakery Dessert Truffles to sample and to review if I chose.  My opinions are my own, as always!

Now wipe up that drool and link up your chocolate post!  It can be old or new - link it with the thumbnail linky below so we can all share the chocolate.  Click here for more info on Chocolate Friday.

Have a lovely day friends!

Tea For Two-sday ~ Tea Cup Favors and Mini Caramel Mud Cakes

It's still Tuesday - even on the East coast - so I'm posting this!  I recently helped co-host a tea party for some lovely ladies and wanted to share a couple things.

I did my favorite kind of favors - tea cups and saucers that the ladies get to keep!  In order to do this, I have to start ahead of time looking at yard sales and thrift stores.  My goal is always to pay $1 or less per cup and saucer (sometimes I spend a little more if I'm not finding what I like).  The best way I've found is to go to Good Will stores where they have cups ad saucers separate.  If you spend a while searching, you can find cups and saucers that match, but were separated.  Then they're only 49 cents for each cup and each saucer!

This time I collected over 20 of them and put a tea bag and a truffle in each one.  Here's a picture of a few of them:

I also helped with the food.  One of the recipes I made was Caramel Mud Cakes from my Cupcakes cookbook - but I made them into mini cupcakes.  Aren't they cute?

Sadly, by the next morning the powdered sugar had melted into the cupcakes and you could barely make out the hearts.  So don't do that part ahead of time!  :)

Caramel Mud Cake

1 stick butter, chopped coarsely
3 1/2 oz. white chocolate, chopped coarsely
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
2/3 cup milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup self-rising flour
1 egg

1.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Line 6-hole oversize (Texas) or 12-hole standard muffin pan with paper baking cups.  (I made 36 mini cupcakes.)

2.  Combine butter, chocolate, sugar, honey, and milk in small pot; stir over low heat, until smooth.  Transfer mixture to medium bowl, cool 15 minutes.

3.  Whisk sifted flours into chocolate mixture, then egg.  Divide among baking cups.

4.  Bake large cakes about 40 minutes, small cakes about 30 minutes. (I baked the minis 15-20 minutes.)  Turn cakes onto wire rack to cool.

5.  Sift powdered sugar onto cakes in desired design.  On full-sized cakes you can use lace or a doily to make them pretty - didn't work right for me on the minis so I used a little heart stencil I had.

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They turned out cute and they were yummy, but I would much rather have experienced the full flavor of a standard sized cupcake!

I hope you found a new idea to try!  Have a lovely day/evening/night my friends!

Would You Like Dessert With That? ~ Scottish Shortbread

It's Friday (and the last day of school)!!  Woo Hoo!   How was your week?  Mine was busy but I'll make up for it next week.  Right now, it's time for a little dessert!  On the first Friday of the month, I like to have Dessert Friday - you can still link up chocolate posts, but the non-chocolate desserts get a chance to shine too!

I found this recipe in my Mason Jar Soup-to-Nuts Cookbook.  It's simple and oh so buttery good!!  These shortbread bars are dangerous to have around, but they're wonderful to offer to company along with coffee or tea and they make a great gift!

Scottish Shortbread

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened

1.  Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

2.  Place flour, powdered sugar, and salt in medium bowl, and stir until well combined.  Add butter, and mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon or electric mixer set at low speed to form a thick batter.

3.  Spread the batter evenly in ungreased 8-x-8-inch baking pan, and bake for 55-60 minutes, or until light brown in color.

4.  Allow shortbread to cool completely in pan before cutting into 16 cookies (2-in squares).

5.  Serve immediately, or store in airtight container for up to 10 days.

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Yes, that is a lot of butter!  And that is why they're so gooooood - LOL!  :)

Your turn!  Bring on the chocolate and dessert posts!  I have faith that you have one somewhere in your archives or can whip one up right now  - link it on up!  Sharing is just the polite thing to do!  

Have a lovely day friends!

I'm Spicy

Well actually I just mean that my cupboard has MANY spices!!  Spices, herbs, seasonings - whatever you want to call them - I got 'em!  If you do a lot of cooking and like to try new recipes, you end up with lots of spices.  They take up a lot of my cupboard space.  See?

Of course, that's not all of them.  A few are in another cupboard.  I thought you might like to see my list of spices to see if you can top it!  Plus you'll have the bonus of getting your spices organized and seeing just what you have!  I'm actually really glad I made this list.  Now I can keep the list handy and refer to it when I need to know if I have a certain spice for a recipe.

Here's what I have:

Allspice - ground
Basil leaves
Bay leaves (2)
Celery - salt
           - seed (2)
Chili powder - regular
                    - Hot Mexican style
Chipotle chile pepper
Cinnamon - ground (2)
Cinnamon Sugar
Cloves - ground (2)
           - whole
Coriander - ground
Cream of tartar (2)
Creole seasoning
Cumin - ground (2)
Curry powder
Dill - all-purpose mix
      - seed
      - weed
Garlic - granulated
          - minced
          - powder
          - salt
Ginger - crystallized
           - ground (2)
Herbs de Provence
Italian seasoning
Lemon & pepper
Lemon peel (dried)
Marjoram
Mustard - ground (2)
              - seed
Nutmeg - ground (2)
Onion - minced
          - powder
Orange peel (dried)
Oregano leaves
Paprika
Parsley flakes
Pepper - ground
            - table grind
            - whole
Poppy seeds (2)
Poultry seasoning
Pumpkin pie spice
Red pepper (cayenne)
Rosemary leaves
Sage - ground (2)
Salt - table
       - sea
       - seasoned
       - kosher
Sesame seeds
Tarragon
Thyme - crushed
           - leaves
Turmeric - ground

When you see a (2), it means that I have 2 containers of that spice - sometimes on purpose and sometimes not!  And of course I have things like Taco seasoning and bouillon (beef, chicken, and vegetable) and seasoning mixes that I have put together.  And I have extracts too in case you were wondering:

Almond extract (pure)
Butter flavor (imitation)
Lemon extract (pure)
Peppermint extract (pure)
Rum extract (imitation)
Strawberry flavor (imitation)
Vanilla extract (pure)
Vanilla extract (alcohol free)

Soooo...did you need a teaspoon of something?  I might be able to help you out.  :)

Maybe this is a short list for you foodies out there, but I think it's long for the average cook.  Right?  You tell me!  Whatcha got in your spice cupboard?  Are you *spicy* like me?!

Have a super day my friends!