Betty Crocker Inspiration

I had a box of Betty Crocker lemon cake mix in the cupboard.... with the pinch of the economy it can be difficult to put a beautiful dessert on the table.

So what did I need to transform my lemon cake mix into something beautiful and delicious?

Lemons! Berries! Sour cream, yogurt, and lemon curd! YUMMMM! ( Most of what was already in my fridge and needed to be used)

Recipe: 1 Box lemon cake mix
1 package frozen berries
1/2 C. lemon juice
1/2 C. water
4 Eggs
approx. 1/2 C Greek yogurt
approx. 1/2 C. sour cream.
1/3 C. Unsalted butter
zest of two lemons
1/2 jar lemon curd (Dickensons)

Glaze
Other 1/2 jar of lemon curd
1/4 C. Lemon Juice
2 C. powdered sugar

I used a Nordic Ware Bundt Cake pan for this recipe.

Spray the bundt pan with PAM, pour out the frozen berries into the bottom. Mix all cake ingredients together with blender for 1 to 2 minutes. Put on top of berries in bundt pan. Bake @ 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Wait 15 minutes before turning your bundt cake upside down on to plate. Wait another 1o minutes before pouring on your glaze. Finish with powdered sugar if desired.

Garden Herbs

Okay, so It is only the end of Febuary and I am already anxious for spring.

I can not plant until the end of May because I am in Zone 4.

I am so excited about my herb "patch" in the garden.

There is nothing like picking fresh herbs out your padio door, while cooking dinner.

Fresh herbs have so much flavor, and are so much fun to try in different recipe's. This is a photo I took last spring. My mint along the boarder, was so good in home made mint ice-cream, tea's, and pesto's. My Thyme was so beautiful when it flowered and gave it's distinct flavor to my poultry dishes. My Sage was sooooo good with brown buttered sauce on Raviolli. My Basil was Married to my Tomato's, and my cilantro, and parsley was far in beyond anything I have ever tasted coming from the grocery store. Even If you can not have a plot to grow stuff, I would encourage everyone to try growing herbs from a container garden ( a big pot), or even in a sunny window. I can not wait until Spring!

Home made Honey Mustard Dressing

1 heaping tsp. grey poupon mustard

1 heaping tsp. grey poupon mustard w/ seeds.

1 juicy lemon

1/4 c. olive oil

2 Tbs. Honey

1 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt

Wisk all ingredients together in a measuring cup, and season to taste. This dressing is tangy and a little bit sweet, and go's well with salad's that have bacon.

Basic Herb Marinade for Chicken

4 to 5 cloves of garlic finely minced

1/2 c. lemon juice ( 1 or 2 juicy lemons)

1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper flakes

1 tsp. or so of salt (to taste)

1 Tbs. Italian seasoning (McCormick)

1/4 C. fresh herb of choice.... Basil, Italian Parsley, Sage, etc....

Quinoa

Quinoa is one of my favorite side dishes. It is very versatile and can take on almost any flavor you wish to make it.

It cooks like rice and has a distinct nutty flavor that is delicous.

Another cool thing about Quinoa is that it has eight essential amino acids, and is considered one of the best sources of protein in the vegetable kingdom. My kids love this stuff! If you have not tried it you should!

Dinner Tonight

Herb Marinated Grilled Chicken Breasts With Yellow Peppers.

Herbed Quinoa. Pronounced (Keenwa).

Spinach Salad with Roma Tomato's, cukes, bacon, and chèvre, with home made honey mustard dressing.

Retro Chevron Rainbow Blanket

My latest project is this Retro Chevron Blanket for my kids. I had a stash of yarn that I was not using and did not know what to do with. Then it hit me! Why not a rainbow chevron blanket? I think it works!

Red Throw/ Table Clothe

A recent adventure in making a shawl, that I decided I liked better as a table clothe or a throw, it adds personality to an otherwise plain couch.

Funky Fiesta Wrap with Rose Pin

100% Merino Wool. Funky and fun. When you need to make a bold statement, try one of these wraps. Shells cascade down into love knots for contrast and interest, the Rose Pin adds even more detail, for a unique and fun look.

Silk Flower Spring Hat

When your feeling the too much snow blue's, pop on one of these flower cap's to put a little color in your fashion attire.

This hat is made of 100% merino wool. I made the brim extra large, so it may be shaped to your liking. The silk flower ad's just enough flare, to make it a fun accessory.

Sweet Pea Shawl

This shawl is stunning in black. The pattern is from a book I purchased, Stitch 'n Bitch Crochet," the Happy Hooker".

The artist of this pattern is Amie Hirtes.

The stitch in this shawl has a vintage appeal, and when worn with a little black dress, and some high heel boots, the look is stunning.

Shells Neck Warmer with Rose Love Knot Pin

If you like wearing scarfs, but some times just want something cozey around your neck with out having to fuss with the length of a scarf, you will love this neck warmer.

I used Berrocco 'tencel' yarn. You can take the pin off, or use it to decide how you want the warmer to set on your neck, and pin it in place.

Half Peaches laundry basket

A couple weeks a go, I was inspired by my sisters blog. I have to go find.... she finds things cheap and paints them to add new life.

Last week I was introduced to a new consignment shop in town. I found this old harvest basket for $3.00 dollars. To keep it's charm I left the label on.

I painted it using Valspar, in Laura Ashley's 'brick' color.

Instant laundry basket for my girls room! Or could be a toy organizer, or maybe even a trash basket? Pretty cool!

Eco-friendly shopping bag

Have you noticed that eco-friendly shopping bags are all the rage? Give your self some personal style with a crocheted shopping bag!

This bag was made using 100% wool, and an ultra tight stitch along the bottom. I used a fan stitch for the main body, and gave it big handles. This bag will hold a lot of items, and is very sturdy.

If you would like to have one of these beautiful bags the next time you go to the market, please contact me via email.

Love Knot Drops Shawl

I made this shawl using the "love knot" or also called "solomon's knot". The yarn used is Berroco brand in tencel.

This shawl is ultra soft against the skin, and offers nice drape. I embellished the edges with little "drops" of petals. This shawl looks lovely draped along the back, wrapped around the neck, or tied in fron't.

Sexy, and ultra feminine. If you would like a custom order please email me.