Crafts

Friday Flair Link Party // Chocolate Mousse Edition

0 · Jan 18, 2013 · 33 Comments

Friday Flair Link Party // All I have to say is… YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING!! Last week during the first Friday Flair of the new year, I wasn't sure what to expect and you all blew me away. You know, it's kind of a funny world us bloggers live in. We sit here in our homes, behind our computers, working on our projects and you never really know who's out there checking out all of your hard work. Sometimes you wonder if anyone really cares, so it's such a wonderful feeling to find out that people do care, so I thank you so much for coming back every week to share in this fun little party.

I am working on several new projects that I'm excited to share. I have a cold weather project that you can work on with your kiddos, a video on how to do some advanced techniques with your Silhouette, some great recipes and valentine's projects galore. I am also working on making WhipperBerry a little easier to use, so stay tuned for all kinds of fun things. But… enough about me, here is this week's inspiration photo from Minimally Invasive. It's a two ingredient chocolate mousse that I am going to have to try!

img source // two ingredient chocolate mousse from minimally invasive

Serisously, check it out! The two ingredients will blow your mind. Now it's time for YOU to blow our minds!!

Let's Get the Link Party Started

Friday Flair Features

0 · Jan 17, 2013 · 9 Comments

Friday Flair Features // Gearing up for tomorrow's Friday Flair I thought I would show off some of last week stand out posts. I thought for sure that since I hadn't run Friday Flair for a few weeks that the party would be a bit of a bust, but you guys proved me wrong!! There were so many fun ideas posted. I pinned a whole bunch over at the Friday Flair Pin Board on Pinterest but, I thought I would share a few of my favorites here.

birthday cake cake pops // pint sized baker

lunchbox laughs // kiki and company

vietnamese chicken noodle soup // a pretty life in the suburbs

valentine chair backpack // the house on harrison

prawn saganaki // 3 pickles

pea and thank you // like a pretty petunia

smoked gouda enchilladas // half baked harvest

kitchen command center // domestic imperfection

mini doilies necklace // little treasures

cafe rio sweet pork // your homebased mom

Aren't they all so fun! I can't wait to see what everyone has cooked up for this week… Friday Flair for this week will go live tomorrow morning at 9:00 am central time. Tell your friends and come show off how fabulous you are!

Pineapple Surprise Cake // Recipe

12 · Jan 16, 2013 · 17 Comments

Pineapple Suprise Cake // Who's ready for a trip to the tropics? Not that I'm complaining about the cold weather… I'm actually kind of liking it. I'm a winter girl at hear, however… I also, love to escape to the tropics every once in a while. I have a few recipes that can definatley help with that. One of them is one of my husband's favorites… A tropcial Pineapple Surprise Cake. It's actually Pineapple Upside Down Cake that I of course had to create a "in a jar" version.

I played around a bit, added a couple of ingredients and left it right-side up. I know… SHOCKER! Adding it to the JAR genre makes for a fun presentation.

Pineapple Surprise Cake Recipe

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
6 slices pineapple
6 maraschino cherries without stems
1 1/3 cup AP flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup sweetened coconut (3/4 cup for the cake and 1/4 cup for garnish)
1/3 cup Crisco
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 egg

Directions:

Turn on oven to 350 degrees and prepare the jars. You will need 6 clean jars. Spray each jar with cooking spray and set aside while you make the cake batter.

Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a large mixing bowl. Add coconut and mix for a few seconds in order for the coconut to be covered with the flour mixture. Add the Crisco and mix for 30 seconds. Add vanilla, cream, and the egg and mix on high for 2 minutes.

Add a pat of butter to the jars and place in the oven. Once the butter is melted add a tablespoon of brown sugar to the jar and mix with the butter.

Add a ring of pineapple and a cherry to the bottom of the jar and then fill the jar half way with cake batter.

Place the jars on a cookie sheet and place in the oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees or until the top of the cake is slightly brown. Remove from the oven and let cool. Now you can make the coconut whipped cream to top off the surprise cake!!

Coconut Whipped Cream Recipe

2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 teaspoons coconut extract
1/4 cup powdered sugar

Pour cream into a chilled mixing bowl and mix on high for 1 minute. Add coconut extract and slowly add powdered sugar while the mixer is on low. Return the mixer to high until the cream becomes stiff. Keep a close eye on it. If it is over beaten it will become butter.

Prepare your Jars for Presentation

One of the things that makes desserts in jars so appealing is how you can decorate the jar for your guests. For this cake, I just tied a yellow jute ribbon around the jar to dress it up a bit. Then pipe the whipped cream on top with a star tip to give it a little pizzazz.

Ahead of time, toast up the 1/4 cup of the sweetened coconut in the oven under the broiler. Keep a close eye on it, it only takes a few minutes. Let cool. When you are ready to serve your cake sprinkle the coconut on top and place a cherry on top and voila, you have a lovely tropical treat to drive away the frozen winter (for a little bit at least!)

Life According to Me // Giveaway

0 · Jan 14, 2013 · 84 Comments

Life According to Me (a child's journal) Giveaway // Do you ever wish you could take a peak into your child's young mind and see what it is that makes them think, feel and act how they do? Do you sometimes worry that you're not communicating with them very well or that you might be missing a teachable moment to help them grow, feel safe, and feel loved?

Are you ready to spend time with them individually and no longer miss out on the details of their day?!?

I know parenting isn’t easy… but it is one of the most rewarding things any of us will ever be a part of! (So many ups & downs, am I right?!) I've shared plenty of fun activities on my blog that encourage us to spend time with our children, but the idea I am going to share with you today takes it even one step further.

"Life According to Me" is a darling child's journal written by Stephanie from Somewhat Simple that will help you capture their youth and give you an inside glimpse of your child's thoughts and feelings- all while having FUN!

It's more than a boring journal with lined pages- it is fun & interactive with 30 pages of daily prompts, fill-in-the-blanks, and spaces for kids to draw and doodle. If you can get your kid's creative juices flowing and open the door for communication, you'll catch a better glimpse of what is going on in their little brains.

Perfect for kids of all ages!

Older kids can write their thoughts, little kids can use the space to draw pictures or you can encourage them to do a combination of both!

One of the best features of this journal is the spot on each page for your child to write a letter to you and the space for your response.

{You'll love this amazing portal into your child’s mind!}

They write about ANYTHING they want – from funny things that happened at school, to questions about their science projects and information about their secret crush. Get ready to experience moments of their day that you would have missed and the small details of their lives you could have easily brushed aside. Your response will show your appreciation for them, to make sure they know that you love them. Validate their thoughts so they know they were heard and share bits of wisdom when a moment presents itself. These letters will create a place for you to communicate with each other frequently. Keep It Fun: You don't want this magic passageway to close up or disappear, so keep journal writing fun! Stephanie has the following suggestion that she implemented with her kids: "I decided I would let each of them pick one weeknight where they get to stay up 10-15 minutes passed bedtime and climb in my bed where we can write in our journals, together. It is amazing what a later bedtime does for a kid! They get to stay up while their siblings go to bed, and I get to spend some individual time with each of my kids learning more about them. It is a win-win!"

Want to get your hands on a copy for your kids?

Start creating precious moments within your home TODAY for only $5.95!

Create a closer relationship with your child.
Document their lives and capture their personalities
Offer comfort and support when they may feel alone or scared
Create a priceless piece of family history, a special keepsake to share with their future children.

This is such a small investment in money and time, but the "payout" is HUGE!

Start the new year with the best investment of your life- time well spent with your child!

Click HERE to purchase your copy.

*This is a DIGITAL E-Book. It will not be shipped to you. You will receive a download code immediately upon payment.

Two lucky readers will win their very own copy!

To enter, leave me a comment telling me why you'd love to have this book.

Additional entries:

-Follow me on Facebook, Twitter and/or Pinterest

-Follow Somewhat Simple on Facebook, Twitter and/or Pinterest (1 entry per follow)

I will choose the winner on January 20th

Good luck!

January CHA Silhouette Promo

0 · Jan 12, 2013 · 1 Comment

Silhouette Promo // Who's ready to stock up on Silhouette supplies?

I'm totally bummed to be missing CHA (Craft and Hobby Association Trade Show) this year! But Don't you worry, Silhouette is having their famous CHA special again this year. This is the best time to stock-up on supplies for your new Silhouette!! The deal is…

40% off of everything but… electric cutting tools, downloads, gift cards, download cards and subscriptions. Everything else is fair game!

All you need to do is enter WHIPPER at check out to recive the deal. Visit the Silhouette Shop to cash in on the fabulous special!

Word on the street is Silhouette is releasing some fun stuff at CHA so stay tuned for all the fun.