Cake Decorating Supplies

~ I am so excited!  Over what you ask? 

My Mom has passed along her cake decorating supplies to me. 

(click on any picture for closer view)

 Over 50 different decorating tips and the book

my Mom used and the recipes for icing.  Can you say YAY?

~ Maybe my Mom saw this cake I recently made for my husband who is a serious hunter and thought I needed some help?  (don't laugh... he LOVED his cake)

Only a "true" hunter can appreciate this cake!

~ When I was younger, she used to make beautiful cakes for our birthdays. 

We had 6 kids so we couldn't afford fancy birthday cakes... so she made them.

~ She slowly purchased Wilson cake decorating tips and supplies,

which are pretty expensive and her collection grew. 

~ My Mom now has Parkinson's Disease and it is very hard for her to use her supplies like she used to.  She has had her supplies sitting in her cabinets for years.  She saw a few attempts I have made at making cakes and asked me if I wanted her supplies. 

~ I don't think I'll ever be as good as she was at her skill of decorating but now that I have some nice tips and the book she learned from, I will give it a try.

~ Not only am I happy to get the cake decorating tips and book she had, but these things have a history for my family and mean so much to me.  I will treasure them for years to come and each time I use them, I will always think of my Mom and the many cakes she made for our family and how good they were and how much time and effort she put into seeing that we had great times as kids,

even if we didn't have much money.

~ It is the effort and time that we give to each other that means more than money. 

Money could never buy those things, EVER. ♥

~ Thanks for stopping by ~

♥

~ Lisa ~

Snow-Fatigued !

~ OK, I am snow-fatigued!

~ Just plain and simple, I am tired of snow and frigid temps.

~ Yesterday, on our local news, the weatherman announced

we are 12 inches above normal for the year with "snowfall."

~ My husband is even more snow-fatigued than me.

~ Deer hunting season is over until next October. 

He paces back and forth in the house. 

 The outdoors are calling him ♥ 

~ He looks out his telescope into the fields behind us,

 and in front of us, occasionally spotting a coyote or raccoon,

and sometimes, even deer.  Yes, deer!

~ My husband suggested we get all bundled up and go for a walk,

"let's just get out of the house" he says. 

But, you can't walk on our snow covered country roads, it's dangerous. 

~ So instead, we drive 10 minutes, close to town, to a walking trail. 

I snapped a picture of my husband on the trail with my cellphone

Isn't it a dreary day in Indiana?

~ We walked one way for 30 minutes,

and then, we turned around and walked back the other way to our car. 

~ We were bundled up good. 

The only thing that was really cold on me was my face. 

It was in the 20's... but WE GOT OUT OF THE HOUSE!

~ Thanks for stopping by ~

♥

~ Lisa ~

Baby it's cold outside......

~ The climate here in Indiana has been very challenging lately!

~ Snow is falling and falling and falling. 
Did I say the snow keeps falling?

~ Bitterly cold winds and gloomy gray skies. 

click on any picture for a closer view

Looking south out my front door

Looking northwest out my back door

~ Oh how I long for my Summer evenings on my porch swing with my iced tea.

I cannot wait for these days again ♥

~ So, since I cannot go outside in this frigid weather,
there is only one thing left to do!

Yes, the only thing left to do is to make peanut butter cookies.

Oh... I had to taste one while it was still warm,
fresh out of the oven and Oh, so delicious.

Recipe for Peanut Butter Cookies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Combine together -
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg

yelp, that's all you need,
makes approximately 16 cookies.
mix all ingredients together,
roll into 1 inch balls,
bake at 350 degrees for 11 to 12 minutes
and enjoy some delicious peanut butter cookies.

So, while the cold, frigid weather lingers,

and we wait for Spring.

~ We will enjoy some cookies and wait on
mother nature to bring back her warm Summer days of beauty.

~ Thanks for stopping by ~

♥

~ Lisa ~

LQQK who turned 1

~ Hayden turned 1 today (December 28th).

~ He knew exactly what to do with his cake.

Hayden enjoying his 1st birthday and some cake too!

~ Happy 1st Birthday Hayden.

~ Thanks for stopping by ~

~ Lisa ~



Peppermint Mocha Creamer - A Little Luxury

~ This Peppermint Mocha creamer is the ultimate

indulgence when you are looking for a cozy hot beverage.

~ My husband tried it and really likes it too.

~ The peppermint flavor adds just the right touch to say "Happy Holidays"

~ I will have "withdrawal" of the Peppermint Mocha creamer

after the holidays as I think it is only a seasonal item. 

~ For now, I am enjoying one of life's little luxuries. ♥

I used to add sweetener to my coffee but the

coffee-mate creamers add just enough sweetness

and creaminess that I no longer add sweeteners

~ Thanks for stopping by ~

 ♥

~ Lisa ~

Taking Care of Wooden Utensils

~ I love wooden utensils, crazy huh?

~ I do not put my wooden utensils in my dishwasher.
I have learned, it will destroy them, not immediately,
but they won't last as long.

~ I wash wooden utensils by hand using
antibacterial dish soap and then
put them in the draining rack.
I don't let them soak for hours either,
I get them washed right away.

~ If my wooden utensils get rough, I make sure the utensil is dry and
then I sand it lightly (fine sandpaper - 320 grit works well).

~ Every other week, I treat all my wooden utensils with Bamboo Oil. 
However, once I run out of Bamboo Oil that I bought,
I'm just going to use olive oil, I have heard it works just as well. 

~ Every time I go to the thrift store, I look at their utensils and end up
finding a wooden spoon or utensil, if it is in decent shape,
I will buy it and bring it home and wash it in a bleach
and antibacterial dish soap solution to sterilize it. 
Then after it dries, I give it the oil treatment. 

~ I don't know why I love wooden utensils so much but I do!
Crazy, huh?

click on picture for closer view

My utensils have just been treated as

well as one of my cutting boards.

I let them sit for a couple

of hours in my dish drainer for the oil to soak in and 

then place them in my utensil crock,

they are ready for their next assignment.



~ Thanks for stopping by ~
♥
~ Lisa ~

Keeping Whites WHITE!

~ I have a secret to share.

~ Well, perhaps it is not a secret to you but it is my secret.

~ We have a well for water instead of city water.... so there

were times when my white clothes would look orange or have an orange tint.

~ I tried using bleach but that only added to the orange tint. 

~ I now add "Iron Out" to every load of whites that I do

and no more orange tinted clothes.

I no longer use bleach, just iron out.

You can find it at your local grocery store or at the hardware store.

It's my best friend ♥

~ Thanks for stopping by ~

♥

~ Lisa ~