Book stand update

I couldn't stomach sanding and stripping it anymore... Ended up having to take it somewhere to get it stripped.  It is going to cost just as much as the actual piece of furniture!  Hopefully it will be worth it.  They said if they can get the paint off I can have it back in a couple of days.

This is the stain I am going to go for, I decided.  If it comes down to it that the paint can't be removed, I don't know what I'll do! I have my heart set on staining!

Recipe Friday

I thought I would share 2 wonderful, yummy, sweet recipes that my Mimi shared with me when I started compiling family recipes 2 years ago.

Strawberry Cake

1 Package white cake mix
3 oz. package strawberry jello
2 Tablespoons flour
4 eggs

Beat ingredients together for 2 minutes

Add 1/2 box (1/2 Cup) frozen strawberries.  Beat 1 more minute.
Add 3/4 Cup oil.  Beat 1 more minute.

Divide mix into 2- 9" pans.

Bake 35-40 Minutes at 350 degrees.

Icing

1/2 Cup butter
1 box confectioners sugar
1/2 box frozen strawberries
1/2 tsp. vanilla



Hospitality Pie

1- 8 oz. cream cheese
1- can Eagle Brand
1- 6 oz. cool whip
1 stick butter
1 Cup pecans
1 jar caramel ice cream topping
1- 7 oz. package coconut

Spray dish with Pam.  Brown coconut and nuts in butter, stirring until brown.
Soften cream cheese and eagle brand a cool whip.  Add 1/2 of coconut mixture to this.  Layer 1/2 cream cheese mix to casserole, pour caramel topping on it.  Then remaining cream cheese mix.

Sprinkle remaining toasted coconut and nuts on top.  Freeze.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!  We have a busy one! Golf tournament, bridal shower, wedding, and a Sunday school party!

Brownie Bottles

Last night and tonight I am bringing dinner to families that just had babies.  So yesterday morning I thought I would try and make a creative dessert for both families.  I started with brownie mix.  I added an extra egg to both batters to make it "cakier" and easier to cut.

I let them cool, then flipped them out on parchment paper.  Cut with my new cookie cutter that is in the shape of a baby bottle.

I made my home made buttercream vanilla icing and iced them.

Then put some blue food coloring in the remainder of the icing.  To put the babies monograms on the bottles!

Not my cleanest baking job or best looking.  But it is the thought that counts right?

Update on my book shelf:  It's a disaster.  Sanded for about an hour yesterday and scrubbed with more chemicals.  It's looking better but I don't have much HOPE!

PROGRESS (If you can call it that)

This is after an hour of power sanding realizing that it wasn't working...  I went and bought paint stripper, gloves, mask, etc.  Worked on it for close to 5 hours... And this is it!?  I have had D-Money help me.  We scraped after spraying the stripper on SEVERAL times.  Then used water and steel wool.  I PRAY that tomorrow I can finish getting the paint off and Thursday start staining.  Trying to remain positive.  But if I can give you any advice... PAY whatever it takes to get it professionally done!!

Book(something)

Not really sure what to call this:

But I am going to start sanding it tomorrow.  At some point this week, strip the paint and re-stain or paint it.  I know it had to been painted/"antiqued" recently because of the section of the store I bought it in. (Everything was painted white or this blue color).  So hopefully it won't require too much elbow grease.

I hope that soon the finish will look similar to these book shelves:

To stain or not to stain?

Very similar, huh?  I must like it!

Paint Black?

Paint green, to match my "Keep Calm and Carry on" poster?

Def. not painting it white...

I guess it depends on what the wood looks like and how good of shape it is in before I can determine whether to stain or paint.  All I know is that the blue has GOT to go.  Been meaning to do it since I got the piece.  Now that I will be in town the next 2 consecutive weeks, I think I can finally start it!

As I was researching, found this FABULOUS book shelf. I'm LOVING it.

Praying this project doesn't end like this:

Catch up

Today I am playing the catch up game.  Drew left for the Master's Wednesday night and I left for the beach Thursday afternoon.  We both had a great time on our separate trips.

While Drew was gone and before I left I made him a few things before he came back.  He was thrilled about going to the Master's first of all... So I tried to make it a little extra special.  I'm convinced it was his first trip of MANY.

Anyway, his favorite cake is yellow cake with chocolate icing.  Even his groom's cake was yellow cake with chocolate icing!  See below.

Obviously my cake isn't as beautiful as this one, but he loved it!

Normal yellow cake with chocolate icing:

Drew's dream yellow cake with chocolate icing:

I also made him a batch of Arnold Palmer for him to enjoy while I was gone, although I make him some every week...  Also sent some glorified chex mix and home made chocolate chip cookies for he and his friends he went with to enjoy.

This is a birthday cake I made for my grandparents Easter Weekend.  Everyone seemed to enjoy it, it was gone in 1.5 days!

I love to bake and to put a special twist on everything.  Ever need a cake or cookies for something, let me know!

Recipe Thursday!

I am leaving for the beach this afternoon so I won't be blogging any recipes tomorrow!  A few of us girls are going down to celebrate Kerra's bachelorette party! Fun fun.  So while I am basking in the sun here are some refreshing recipes for this warm weather!


Tossed Salad with Apples and Cashews

Dressing: 3/4 Cup Sugar
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. salt
1/3 Cup cider vinegar
1 tsp. chopped onion
1/2 Cup water
1/2 Cup Veg. oil
1.5 tsp. poppy seeds

Salad: 1 small head lettuce
5 ounces fresh baby spinach
2 LARGE granny smith apples, sliced very thin
1/2 pound swiss cheese, grated
1 (9-1/4 ounce) tin cashews
dried cranberries

Heat the sugar, mustard, salt, vinegar, and onion until the sugar is dissolved.  Do not boil.  Add the water, oil, and poppy seeds.  Chill slightly.  Toss together lettuce, spinach, apples, cheese, and cashews.  Serve with dressing on the side.

Serves 6-8

Cranberry Salad (my lovely Mimi's recipe)

1 package raspberry jello
1 Cup hot water
1/2 Cup cold water
------------------------------------
COOL.

Add 2 cups cranberries-chopped in blender
1 orange
1 Cup sugar
nuts

Place in serving dish and refrigerate several hours.

Hope everyone has a fabulous and safe weekend!!!