I spent a few hours working at our local gallery, Artisans, this afternoon. I had the place to myself, so I grabbed my little 3.5″ x 5″ sketchbook and spent some time with my pens and watercolors. It was so peaceful and quiet as I sat there sketching, looking out the windows at a bright […]
Baby Shower Week – Day 7: Games & Activities III
Okay, so I went a little nutty with coordinating everything for the baby shower. When I decided to build the decorations around the pennant banners, the ideas just blossomed and grew – I couldn’t stop myself! The napkin rings, the baby clothes banner hung from the mantel, the vase for the flowers, the ties for […]
Baby Shower Week – Day 6: Games & Activities II
Baby showers are all about gifts, but not only gifts for the mother-to-be. It’s nice when the guests get to take home some fun surprises, too. I started the party off by having everyone introduce themselves and tell where they were from and how they knew or were related to my daughter. Then I gave […]
Baby Shower Week – Day 5: Games & Activities I
This is the first and only baby shower I’ve ever planned, and I was kind of intimidated by the thoughts of having to choose the games and activities. I just couldn’t see myself myself making people taste jars of unknown baby food to figure out what it was, or playing the “Dirty Diapers” game. (Don’t […]
Baby Shower Week – Day 4: Sweet Treats
Since I am a self-confessed sugar addict, it was pure joy for me to make all the sweet treats for the baby shower. The cupcakes, of course, were the star of the show. I used my old standby recipe for Yellow Cake from the Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook, along with their Butter Frosting recipe. […]
Baby Shower Week – Day 3: Savory Snacks
For our afternoon baby shower, I looked for savory recipes that were light, delicious, attractive, and easy to serve and eat. I didn’t want anyone dripping marinara sauce on their clothes or ending up with spinach in their teeth! Here’s what I came up with: Tortilla Ranch Roll-Ups Ingredients: 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, […]
Baby Shower Week – Day 2: Party Food
Cupcakes just scream PARTY, don’t they? These festive little bundles of yumminess are so cute that you hate to bite into them, but you can’t resist that sweet, buttery frosting …it’s calling to you … “Eat me. Eat me! You know you want me!” It’s a rare person who can resist a cupcake, and no […]
Baby Shower Week – Day 1: Setting the Scene
I’ve been totally immersed in planning our daughter Sara’s baby shower the past few weeks. I’ve had so much fun making the decorations, choosing recipes, and coming up with ideas that would make it a fun and happy occasion for everyone attending. I plan to do a week’s worth of blog posts about our […]
Hungarian Mushroom Soup
I can’t say enough about how delicious this soup is! The complex flavors of mushrooms, dill, paprika, soy sauce, and a surprising hint of lemon combine to make one fantastic soup. When I took my first taste of it, a big smile spread across my face, and I thought, “This one’s a keeper!” It’s so […]
Snowy Days
It’s been a hard winter so far, and it’s not over by a long shot, but instead of complaining about it, I try to see the beauty in these stark, cold days with their deep purple shadows and cobalt blue skies. Even on the gray days, the contrast of a maple tree silhouetted against a […]