This morning my husband wanted to make heart shaped french toast.
Yes, he’s a festive guy. I’m a lucky lady.
Somehow our heart-shaped french toast evolved into french toast with hearts cut out of them and filled with pink scrambled egg whites. Of course we griddled up those little heart cut outs as well.
What a fun breakfast!
Those five cupcakes didn’t stand a chance.
My valentine brought me home a box of cupcakes last night from Saint Cupcake.
They all looked so pretty in their pink packaging.
This was my first time sampling the confections from Saint Cupcake.
We had five different flavors to sample.
The problem with making and loving cake is that we approach the eating of a store/bakery bought cupcake, that has reviews of being the best ever, in a more critical fashion. Sure, we should just enjoy the lovely piped frosting and candy sprinkled sweetness but instead we put all five on a plate and slowly scrutinized every little bite. Starting with the cream cheese frosting and really rolling it around on our tongues. It was creamy, not to sweet and the perfect consistency. Like the cupcake connoisseur (that we are in our own minds) we continued on to the cake. Stripped of their papers, prodded, and devoured we destroyed five cupcakes.
And the verdict? The chocolate cake was moist and lovely but I didn’t love it with the frosting. As for the white cake? Not my favorite. Red Velvet wins. The cake was moist and dense and delightful with the cream cheese frosting. I have to go back to try more flavors as well as check out their mini sized cakes which look oh so cute.
Nothin’ says lovin’ like somethin’ from the oven.
This is it.
My go to, bake to impress, recipe.
A secret weapon of sorts.
Could it be the warm chocolate raspberry frosting?
The moist, rich chocolate cake?
Or perhaps the ease of baking it all in one pan?
Sure, it may seem like you use a lot of dishes,
but those can be washed up in the quick 30 minute baking time.
In the end it will all be worth it.
Here’s the recipe.
Get baking. You won’t be disappointed.
Serve it with ice cream or whipped cream
or just plain.
Make it for your
family or friends
or your valentine.
Just make it
and be adored.
The rose.
I used to be very anti-red-rose, especially around valentine’s day.
In my past life as a florist I would try to persuade my customers to get something else. Why? Holiday price inflation, slightly lower quality due to the high demand, a little boring and completely expected. There were many other options. I hated that men stood in long lines at my door to pick up their half dozens or dozens to bring home to their sweethearts because they ‘had to’. (1. Yes, mostly men shopped on the big V day and 2. I’m not complaining about the business, just the lack of imagination and the fact that maybe those men should pick up flowers on any old Tuesday to show their special someone how much they care.)
“Sorry, I don’t sell baby’s breath, let me put it with something better,” was my line of the day.
Enough ranting. That was many years ago.
Lately I have been sort of craving red roses. I had to give in.
So here it is days before Valentine’s day, and I found myself at a flower shop buying a bunch of dark, velvety sweetheart roses that open up so lovely. Interesting textured ‘fillers’ give roses a whole different feel.
I still feel the same way about flowers given on Valentine’s Day. But as for the red rose, I think I have fallen back in love.
At least for now.
Suc-cu-lent adj. 1.Full of juice or sap. 2.Having thick fleshy water storing leaves or stems. 3.Highly interesting or enjoyable; delectable.
A
S u c c u l e n t
L o v e . . .
S m o o t h,
j u i c y l e a v e s.
S e x y.
I love this place! A small store filled with feathery, sparkly, sweet things, and this time of year especially pleasing to the eye with everything wrapped in reds and pinks! A family business with great products that are packaged with glittery french flair in an old fashioned candy store setting. A perfect place to find something for your valentine.
I have always been one for good packaging. I like that you can take a simple thing like a truffle, wrap it up in french printed paper topped with a crepe paper bow and of course, some glitter, and now your simple truffle is a perfect gift that looks good and tastes great too!
Visit Milwaukie Popkorn and Candyland at 10821 SE Main Street In Milwaukie. 503-654-4846 Hours are Tuesday – Friday 9-5:30 and Saturday 9:30 – 4:00. Cash and Checks only.
Remember elementary school around Valentine’s Day? We would make heart shaped ‘mailboxes’ out of construction paper, glue, doilies and glitter and hang them on our desk waiting for them to be filled with corny little cards and sometimes sweet treats. Those were the days!
I think Michael Jordan would agree with me…
We found these gems at a yard sale in upstate New York over the summer. Let’s just say my husband has a thing for Nike and Jordan so he was very excited about these! The box was never opened!
Look how young he is!
And my personal favorite…
I hope this helps you to get in the valentine’s spirit this week.
Michael Jordan thinks you’re cool, lookin’ fine and wants you to have a jammin’ day!
