pantry progress

we are renovating our kitchen. by renovating i mean ripping out a lot of stuff, while trying to keep what we like and make it look nice in the process. the pantry is one of those projects of keeping it and trying to make it look nice. jason has been hard at work on it. painting, sanding through layers of paint and lining it with paneling to make it look nice. there is a bottom part too. we just need to finish cutting shelves for it. glass doors are in the works for the pantry as well. this is just a little progress, in what seems like an ever ongoing project.

Peanut Butter Cookies

Peanut Butter Cookies

via Franconia Culinary

1/2 c. butter

1/2 c. peanut butter

1/2 c. granulated sugar

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/4 t. salt

1 egg 

1/2 t. vanilla

1 1/4 c. flour

3/4 t. baking 

Cream butter, peanut butter, sugars, egg and vanilla. Sift together the dry ingredients. Blend into the creamed mixture. Shape into balls ( i used a 2T. cookie scoop for the cookies above ). Roll in sugar, or sprinkle with sanding sugar. Crisscross with fork tines.

Bake at 375

for 10-12 minutes

yields: 4 dozen or ( 15 big cookies )

Birthday Party!

last evening we had a birthday gathering for my sister! it was filled with lots of delicious swedish food, family and friends. the cake you see is a princess cake! a traditional swedish birthday cake and a favorite of my sisters. that was my contribution to the party. a first time cake for me. it turned out great, although i will admit the marzipan i used to cover the top was giving me a lot of trouble and i was on the verge of a cake meltdown. thanks to jason and some persistence we made it work!  a princess cake is layers of sponge cake, raspberry filling with whip cream, a layer of vanilla cream filling, more whip cream and then enrobed in marzipan.

the party was held in the art gallery my sister works at. it was a beautiful night with a homemade theme. it was topped off with a great surprise gift from us all... a camera that she had been wishing for, for quite a while. surprises are so fun !

Sunny Days

 Here is one of the cakes i'm working on this weekend! Chocolate cake with bourbon apricot filling and chocolate cream cheese icing! I wish i had come up with that combination. Aren't customers great!

Oh this weather! We have opened up every window in our home! Chips is glued to the sunniest windowsill we have. Lunch was eaten on the porch. My first skirt without leggings was put on... I could go on. If you live in PA you know. Its really warm, the flowers are beginning to bloom, and those birds are chirping their hearts out!

Cake of the week...

Cheetah and Zebra print cake!

knitting roundup

 i've been knitting quite a lot these past few months. many fingerless gloves were made, for the kind people who were interested in them and wanted me to make them a pair! not to mention whippinp up a bunch for a craft show. it hasn't allowed me much time for projects i was interested in... till now. february has been a flurry of activity on knitting needles! so here are a few projects of mine. enjoy!

this hat was made up from a hat i saw on someone. it turned out pretty well, for this being my first time inventing a pattern from something i just saw.

this is a slouchy, comfy hat i made for my brother (in law). he pretty much never takes it off his head. felicity hat pattern can be found on ravelry.

this cute little headband was whipped up in about a day. the flower is crochet. pattern for headband can be found here.  (don't mind the picture of me. it was late and there was no one to take a picture, so i resorted to the  bathroom mirror)

 this is simply an i cord, that i just continuously knit and bound together when i ran out of yarn.i wish i could have looped it around a few more times, but i like it all the same! those softies below are the work of my mother ( in law). she's a mighty fine crocheter. she crochet the gnome and i pieced him together.  and the cupcake... well i just added the sprinkles! i love when crafty meets cake!