Swimming Pools and Movie Stars

My dream home is not your typical dream home. I'm not one for big McMansions. I like little charming cottages with lots of character. I don't need a lot, just a comfy little space to make all my own. But there is one thing I've always wanted in with a house... A SWIMMING POOL!

The typical response I get to my pool desire are these:

You think you would want one but you would never use it

They are hard to maintain

They are expensive

I get all those things... But something in my heart just leaps for joy whenever I see a swimming pool. It never fails. They take my breath away. I realize the cons of a pool, but my pros are so extensive. I love the water, even just to look at it. I love being in water, even just to float. This is meditation and relaxation for me. Someday I would like a pool. Someday.

And Now i have one more thing I would like in my dream home:

Built-In Beds!

They just so look so cozy and inviting! I could imagine myself curled up, reading a book and then falling fast asleep with a summer breeze coming from my window.

Here is one for my guests

One for my daughter

And built in bunk beds!

If you could have anything in your "dream home" what would it be?

TWD~Lemon Cup Custard

I have missed the last two Tuesday With Dorie recipes. Although tonight, along with the lemon custard, I FINALLY made the Caramel Crunch Bars! YUM!

So not to miss 3 weeks in a row of TWD, I went ahead and made the Lemon Custard.

Now I really love lemon flavored anything so that was a bonus of making this recipe. But there were some detractors too...

I'm not a big custard fan, mainly because I don't drink dairy products. So i cut the recipe in half and made just enough to taste it and not feel bad about not eating it all.

I was very surprised at how lemony the milk got after letting it steep for awhile.

What i didn't like was trying to whisk the eggs and strain the milk at the same time. And trying not to scald myself with hot milk. I am not that talented so let's just say I made a big ol' mess.

I baked my custard in some pretty coffee mugs, waiting until they were just jiggly in the middle (like my thighs) and set it out to cool.

From what i tasted it had a nice lemon flavor, sans lemon extract, but it was very eggy. I do not like eggy. I read a lot of comments on TWD and many people said that this was an eggy custard. And they did not exaggerate.

I'm glad I made it because I've never made real custard before.

I think i will go eat another caramel crunch bar instead. MMMMMMMMM!!!!

A desperate attempt at blogging...

I am wearing shoes right now that squash my bunions. Okay so i don't have bunions, but my brother does. Big gnarly ones. I asked my dad, Why does he have those huge bunions?
The response, He can't help it, he's special.
Special indeed. If I had a penny for every time the "He's special" card was played, I would not be wearing these cheapy shoes that pinch my fake bunions.

Do you see what I just did? I started a story with a subject, i.e. bunions and I wove a tale around it and brought it right back to the original subject.

Are you mesmerized?

So I was in Love with LOST last night... just because at the end when Jack, Hurley & (gasp) Kate got out of the van and were reunited with Sawyer, it made me tear up a little bit. I mean it has been 3 years since they've seen each other.
And you know that Sawyer, despite what he says, despite the fact that Juliet creeps me out a little bit, HE IS STILL IN LOVE WITH KATE.
Awww Freckles.

TWD

So I forgot to make last week's TWD recipe, Caramel Crunch Bars. I had much too much going on and it completely slipped my mind.
This week's recipe, Chocolate Armagnac Cake did not sound appealing to me at all. Or maybe it did and I just wasn't up to making it? Either way... I am taking another break this week. But I will be back next week making Lemon Cup Custard.
Although, I am excited to see how everyone's Chocolate Armagnac Cake turned out!
See you next week!

Longing for Spring

Over at The Inspired Room we were asked what are 20 things we are looking forward to this Spring.
Here are 20 things i am longing for this spring:

1. melting snow
2. green grass
3. wearing my pink galoshes
4. my tulips
5. budding of trees
6. spring break!
7. visiting my dear friend Rachel in Michigan
8. school year ending
9. going on walks
10 Easter
11. Easter candy! candbury eggs! mmmm
12. decorating with all my spring\Easter decor
13. opening my windows and letting the fresh air in
14. not wearing a jacket
15. No more socks! only sandals!
16. starting seeds for the garden
17. ice melting on the lakes
18. skirts and dresses
19. putting out my patio furniture
20. sunlight late into the evening!

Feel free to leave your own "Spring Longings"....

The Dining Room

I spent the better part of this weekend working on my Dining Room. It was so blah before. Now it has color and pictures on the wall.
I still need a new dining room table... Hello Craig's List! And maybe a buffet table. Other than that I'm almost set! Check out the Inspired Room Blog for some great decorating ideas!

The mirror, white chair and pillow were all found at thrift stores\garage sales.

The curtain is a sheet i turned into a curtain, another thrift store find. The pictures are framed scrap book pages.

TWD~Devil's Food White Out Cake

I was really excited to make this cake. Mostly because I love making cake. More than cookies or pies or anything "floating". Cakes and Cupcakes are where it's at.

I decided to follow the cake part of the recipe as written. I chose to use all Semi-Sweet chocolate since I don't really like bittersweet chocolate. I don't like the taste.

My cakes baked up quickly, although they weren't as thick as I thought they should be. So instead of cutting them in half, I just sliced off the top of one of them for the crumbles. I ended up with just two layers.

I didn't want to make the marshmallowy frosting... too many steps and I'm not good with candy thermometers and eggs!! So I made Peanut Butter Frosting! YUM!

Thus my cake is not a white out, more like a sand storm maybe?

I love peanut butter and chocolate...

I like the simplicity of putting the cake crumbs all over the cake.

Delish!

A Haiku

i bake monday night

cakes pies cookies for my blog

leave fun comments please