My Kitchen

Shannon, at www.thedavisfamilynwa.blogspot.com, is showing off her kitchen and asked for others to play along. This is probably my favorite room in my house. I spend most of my time in this room! I love the size of it...but I don't love having to clean it!




In the frame, is an autographed menu from The Lady and Sons restaurant. Jamie and Bobby Deen signed it!

And now...a recipe!
Remeber the Butter Pecan Cake recipe I posted, well this is a twist and I don't really have a name for it...Lets just call it Chocolate Surprise Cake:

1 cup milk
4 eggs
2/3 cup oil
1 can coconut pecan frosting
1 box german chocolate cake mix

Mix all ingredients together well..pour into a greased and flour tube pan. Bake in a preheated oven..350 degrees.. 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Let cool a few minutes then turn out onto plate. Let cake cool completely (or as long as you can wait)
Then...pour ganache over cake...

Chocolate Ganache
1 cup heavy cream
1 1/4 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

Let cream come to a boil, add chocolate chips and whisk until smooth. Let it cool down some (almost room temp) then pour over cake!

This would be good with fresh whipped cream too!
Enjoy!

Baskets, Bins, Containers......

Laura at www.orgjunkie.com is hosting a Basket Carnival. She wants to see how we "organize" with baskets...or any other container.
This is a picture of my bathroom closet. I have baskets and clear bins holding the necessary bathroom items. It might not be the neatest, but it works for me!
The other picture is the inside of one of my kitchen drawers. I love these little drawer organizers. They keep all gadgets in order...that is if everyone puts them away correctly.

Gearing up for Summer.....

I love the beach...and yesterday we had a great time there. I love the smell of the ocean and the sound of the ocean waves. I can always see the amazing work of God's hand when I am at the beach. I am so looking forward to our summer...no school, no schedules. We have a busy summer planned...out of town family visiting, my oldest daughter's baptism, her surgery (tonsils and adenoids), 10 day vacation including 7 wonderful days at the beach, then 3 spent with family we just don't get to see often enough, orthodontist appointments with the oldest. Hopefully August will be a lot of down time playing and enjoying each other.

So what are your plans for the summer?


(I will be putting up a new recipe soon ;-) )


Here is a picture of our little crab friend yesterday at the beach.

The Results are in........

Its done. My home office is clean and organized. I began one day last week sorting through piles...lots of piles. Then, on Sunday night, my husband and I went in there and tackled it. It took us three and a half hours, but we did it! I did not want to stop once I got going. It feels so good to have that job accomplished. I actually went in there this morning and worked out. We took out two bags full of trash and two boxes full of books. We rearranged just a bit..moving the book case over to another wall and the treadmill out of the middle of the room. Its very refreshing. We also cleaned out and organized our laundry room! Next project...the girls' "library".

W.O.W. Carnival

Becky, www.everydaybecky.blogspot.com, is hosting a Within One Week Carnival. The topic...a room in your home that is driving you crazy! I have actually posted on this before. My home office is a disaster. Its getting a little better since I've moved my daughter's school desk to the attic and cleaned up all her "papers". This room has a treadmill, gun cabinet, book case, desk, filing cabinet, tv, and piles of stuff in it. I need some order to it as you can tell from the pictures. We are to try to get as much accomplished as we can in this area in one week. It is certainly a challenge, but a motivating one! So lets play along and encourage each other to tackle these areas in our homes.

Experimenting

Ok..I am trying to learn how to post pictures. Bare with me here folks..I am still learning...so this is going to be a practice post (probably one of many).

Nifty Tips

Yesterday while waiting at a stop light, I noticed the woman in the car beside me busily doing something. When I looked closer, she was dusting the inside of her car with a Swiffer duster. I thought that was a pretty good idea. I have never thought to keep a duster in the van with me. That would really keep the amount of dust down in the inside of my van, as it gets rather dusty..rather often.
So..does anyone else have any good tips for keeping the inside of your vehicle tidy and clean?

Pasta Salad

This is a family favorite recipe! I received it from my husband's aunt, I think everyone in the family has the recipe and I'm happy to share it with you!

Pasta Salad

1/2 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled

4 oz. grated cheese

1/4 cup onion (optional, I never use it)

8 oz box sea-shells macaroni or twistie shells, cooked & drained

broccoli

cauliflower

cucumbers

tomatoes

1/4 cup vinegar

1/4 cup mayonaise

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup ranch dressing (add more if you like, I always do)

There are no measurements for the veggies..just chop and use however much you'd like. Combine the pasta, veggies, bacon and cheese. Mix the dressing ingredients and pour over salad. Mix well. You can add more cheese if you like too, I normally do.

Enjoy...this is great on a hot summer day!!

Blessings~

Alyce