Favorite Friday

I'm sooooo into the Royal Wedding and it will consume my Friday! I know it may sound corny to many of you....but I'm a hopeless romantic and I just can't get enough of it. I watched Diana's wedding live 30 years ago, and I plan on watching every minute of Will and Kate's live today. When I graduated from college my parents even gave me a replica of her engagement ring....a beautiful blue sapphire encircled with diamonds.

Princess Diana was someone I truly admired....her grace, style and beauty, the woman and mother she became, the enormous amount of compassion she had. I was devastated when she died in a car crash in a tunnel in Paris. My heart ached when I watched her funeral....seeing her two boys walk behind her on the way to The Abbey.

I want to watch the wedding to see how happy they will be....to see them exchange their vows...to know they have found true love. Congratulations Will and Kate!!

Limoncello

Limoncello is an Italian liqueur that is served chilled in a frozen glass. It is surprisingly easy to make yourself at home. My real life friend Jennifer Juniper featured it on her blog a while back and I've had it tucked in the back of my brain to try it myself. I rounded up a few friends to make it too, and we had a taste test this past weekend to see how we did.

Here's the recipe I followed from Giada.....

Ingredients:
10 lemons
1 (750-ml) bottle vodka
4 1/2 cups water
3 1/2 cups sugar

Directions:
Using a vegetable peeler, remove the peel from the lemons in long strips (reserve the lemons for another use). Using a small sharp knife, trim away the white pith from the lemon peels; discard the pith. Place the lemon peels in a 2-quart glass jar with a tight lid. Pour the vodka over the peels and cover. Steep the lemon peels in the vodka for 4-6 weeks at room temperature.

Stir the water and sugar in a large saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Cool completely. Pour the sugar syrup over the vodka mixture. Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight. Strain the limoncello through a mesh strainer. Discard the peels. Transfer the limoncello to bottles. Seal the bottles and refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours and up to 1 month.

I would make an adjustment on the simple sugar part of it next time I make it....I would do 3 cups of sugar insted of 4....

I got the bottles at Ikea and those cute little stem glasses to sip it from at my Goodwill. You could easliy turn this into a great gift for a friend or a hostess by making cute labels and tying it up with a bit of ribbon.









We met at my friends house; each with our own flavor.....lemon, orange and lime for a tasting. What a really nice night of appetizers, tasting and conversation. I'll have a stash of Limoncello for a while...savoring it's lemony-sugary goodness.

Happy Easter!

Rejoice!!!! Christ has risen! May your Easter be happy, happy!! Best wishes for a wonderful Easter full of renewal, family, friends, and chocolate :)

Saucy's Sprinkles Celebrates 5 Years of Blogging

A blog I love to follow celebrates it's fifth annniversary! Bloggedy Blog Blog...Click HERE to check out all of the amazing things she has done over the past five years....In typcial Saucy style she is having a fun giveaway.....so hurry on over...you won't be dissappointed!

Favorite Friday

How couldn't this be my favorite thing this Friday???? This is the cutest chick ever. When I was peeking around the internet looking for little things to knit the other day I found a free pattern for little tiny bunnies and this adorable chick. I had just enough time before Easter to whip one up.



You knit the body all in one piece, stuff it and sew it up.



Then you knit the wings and attach them.



CUTENESS!!! Cheep! Cheep! Click HERE to check out the free pattern.

teeny tiny handknit bunnies

These little bunnies are just the sweetest!!! Just in time for Easter...I've been working on them a bit for the past few days and wanted to share them with you. After knitting all of those little hearts at Valentines Day....I went peeking around the internet to see what little things I could whip up for Easter....I found these endearing little bunnies on a blog called Little Cotton Rabbits. I spent hours looking around there.



Click HERE to get the free pattern...you can knit one up with just a few scraps in about and hour and a half....



Happy Easter!!

Four-Cheese Pasta Florentine

This is a super quick and easy weeknight dinner......and everyone liked it, whoo hoo!! Bonus :) I made a few changes along the way to make it a little healthier. Here is what you need:

3 cups of mostaccioli, uncooked
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach
4 oz. Cream cheese, cubed....I used fat free
1 cup cottage cheese....again, I used fat free
2 eggs
1 pkg. (8 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesean cheese



Here's how to make it:

HEAT the oven to 375 degrees.

COOK past as directed on package. Meanwhile, cook the spinace as directed on the pacage; drain well. Place in a large bowl. Add cream cheese; stir until melted. Make sure it's a LARGE bowl....because you mix in the pasta later....and mine wasn't big enough :(



DRAIN pasta. Add to spinach mixture with mozzarella; mix lightly. Spoon into 8 or 9 inch baking dish......this wasn't big enough for me, I put it in a 11x13...top with parmesean. I also sprinkled some Mrs. Dash on too.

Bake 25 minutes or until center is set.



It has been dreary here all day and my finished product picture didn't turn out that great....especially being later in the day. But it sure was tasty! Pair it with a salad and it was a hit!

I'm linking up over at my friend Jennifer Junipers linky party......check it out she gets THE MOST AMAZING stuff over there!!!!!!

A Little Sweater

When I was heading away last weekend to my cousins wedding in Virginia I was in need of a little knitting project to keep me busy on the drive...I decided on this little sweater for an American Girl doll. A dear friends little girl made her first trip to the American Girl store in New York City a few weeks ago...and I thought maybe she could use a little sweater to add to her dolls wardrobe.

To model it for you I went up into the attic to find one of Cindylou's dolls, Kit. What memories it brought back to go through her dolls that we packed away several years ago...I can remember it like it was yesterday the day she opened Kit for her birthday. How fast it all goes by....



I found four little flower buttons in my button collection that worked nicely....and sewed them on with coordinating thread. The perfect little sweater for a chilly spring day.

Easter Chocolates

Do you remember a while back when my real life friend Joy gave me THE BIGGEST box of chocolate molds??? Well, there were some really cute bunny ones for Easter that I just had to try. I got them all out this weekend and went chocolate making CRAaazzy!!



I busted out the little mini pretzels too....



....and then moved on to the these little cutie patooties!




We busted out some strawberries and dipped them into chocolate yumminess too...I didn't get a picture of the Ritz crackers with peanut butter sandwiched in the middle...T. helped me dip them.....and then he ate them before I could snap a picture. They are super good.



I packaged everything up into little celophane bags and tied them up with ribbons before we ate any more...I pland on sharing them with my nieces and nephews on Easter Sunday. Seriously......making chocolates is soooooo easy...if you have a free afternoon melt some and start making some yumminess.

Favorite Friday

This was THE BEST $5 I've spent on my hair in a loooooooong time, so therefore I wanted to share it with you on my Favorite Friday post. Silk Works...Cindylou and I each bought one at Walmart a few weeks ago. It is only 2 oz....but you need just the tiniest amount to make your hair silky and shiny. Just rub it around your finger tips and pull it through your hair after you're done styling it.

I have been struggling the past few months with my hair being a bit frizzy when I was finished blowing it dry. I tried changing my brush...but it didn't help... still frizzy :( Not anymore! I llllovve this stuff! And I think you will too....Have a terrific weekend. Stop back next week :)

Heron

Okay....first off, let me truly apologize for the poor quality of these pictures. I have NO idea why my 14 year old can't stop wiggling the camera when he presses the button!!! I made him take about 20 pictures and these were the very best two :(

Anyhoo....I'm happy to be finished knitting this sweater by Nora Gaughan....the Heron. It took a bit longer than I expected. However, there were times where I put it down for several days.



It doesn't look exactly like the picture on the pattern...but I like the way the sleeves are....and the peplum turned out better than I expected too. On to the next project!!!!

A Beautiful Wedding in Virginia

No...this isn't the wedding in Virginia....this was my wedding in Buffalo in 1993. My three cousins were in my wedding...and I can't BELIEVE the flower girl on the left just got married!!!!



She's all grown up and the most beautiful bride ever!! We traveled to Virginia this past weekend to help her celebrate her wedding. It was at a winery and the ceremony was outside in the courtyard....it was a bit chilly...but so wonderful to see a young couple so much in love with each other and with God.



Look at these cute buckets with pretty flowers hanging on the chairs along the aisle...



...and such sweet bouquets for the bridesmaids.



A breathtaking view of the countryside surrounding the winery.



And a tower of cupcakes!!!!! We haven't been to a wedding in a loooong time and this was my first one with cupcakes! YUM.MY!!! Three flavors....Raspberry Lemon, Vanilla Almond and Mocha.



Cubby was a dancing machine!!!!! He and two other little guys spent a big part of the night breakdancing. A few times they cleared the dance floor and had everyone in a big circle around them....video taping them on their cell phones!! He may go viral on Youtube :)



May all your dreams come true Mr. and Mrs. L........we wish you health, happiness and adventures always!!

Favorite Friday

Well, yesterday was Thanksgiving over here...and today is Christmas! Kind of...This week my Favorite thing is the cutie patootie Santa statue that holds this clear plate. I found him at the.....you guessed it! Goodwill!!! That happens a lot up there...out of season stuff, but I don't care. I can just picture him holding up some pretty Christmas cookies. So, I'll tuck him away up in the attic and when December rolls around....I'll be happy all over again when I set him out for the holidays.

Happy Thanksgiving....in April

Kinda crazy...but I couldn't help it. I was having a majoy craving for my favorite dinner of ALL TIME! I have had an extra bag of Pepperidge Farm stuffing since Thanksgiving...a bag of whole cranberries and Ziploc bag of corn from the farmer's market from last summer in the freezer. They've been calling my name softly for several weeks now. I had the potatoes....all I needed was a turkey breast and a batch of Marzipan's dinner rolls and we're talkin' Thanksgiving feast over here. I made the cranberry relish the other day....click HERE to get the yummy recipe for that. The only thing missing is the pumpkin pie!

Pearls

I was flattered when my cousin asked me to make the jewelry for the bridesmaids in her upcoming wedding. I made similar necklaces and earrings for my sisters wedding a few years ago...they aren't hard, just a bit time consuming. I had eight of them to do...they are hand-strung, with sterling toggle clasps.



These simple, dainty earrings are super easy....and are timeless.



I had some organza bags to put them in...the perfect gift for a bridesmaid.

Carrot Cake....The Best EVER!

My baking confidence grows.....this time it was Carrot Cake. I've been kicking it around in my head that I wanted to bring it for Easter dinner...but I wanted to to try it first to make sure I could really do it. Well, ta da!!!! It turned out AMAZING!!!!! JUST like my real life friend Marzipan's. I truly can't thank her enough for all of her support and encouragement....it makes me so happy to make such wonderful things for my family and friends.



Some things I learned were:

1. There is a whole pound of carrots in carrot cake.
2. You have to steam the raisins first, before mixing them in.
3. The cream cheese frosting is yummy....but next time I would make extra...there was JUST enough, and I would have liked a bit more.

Click HERE to get the recipe from Marzipan's blog.....and be sure to peek around, you won't be dissappointed!