Diet Coke Cake.

This is almost a re-post.  Thanks to my good friend Lauren who wrote the Recipe-Friday post last Friday!  I just have to say, I've made yellow cupcakes with Sprite Zero and chocolate icing.  Yellow cake with chocolate icing is Drew's favorite.  I also made Devil's food cake (with 50% less sugar, made with Splenda) and diet coke.  This one was my favorite.  It was so moist and delish!  I topped it with cool whip and kept it in the fridge at my friend Jessica's suggestion.  Then for our girls supper club Wednesday night I made triple chocolate fudge cake with diet coke and cool whip.  It seemed to be a hit!  There were only 2 pieces left over!  If you haven't tried it already, I HIGHLY recommend it.  Saves so many calories and there is NO difference in taste!  All you have to do is make it like the back of the box but leave out the eggs, oil, and water and replace them with a diet canned beverage!

Saturday morning I am making my Italian grandmother's (Nanny) Apple cake for D$'s parents birthday.  I even cut out a stencil that says HAPPY BIRTHDAY for me to use when I sprinkle my powdered sugar on.  I'm out of control.  I'm sure it is delicious and maybe next Friday I will share that recipe and a pic or 2! Have a fabulous weekend!

Numbers

I found these cute numbers at this store called Wrapsody in Patton Creek.  I got these for $2 a piece.  Obviously, it is our house number.  I can't decide how I want to incorporate them.  Hang them over a door? Try and make a wreath and hang them from that for the front door?  I don't know, does anyone have any suggestions?

Also, found this cute hand towel and paid way too much for it...

Good work reaps rewards.

Sweet D$ was nice enough to stay 2.5 hours after a huge church service on Sunday.  Unfortunately, I could only wait on him for an hour (I had a migraine and felt HORRIBLE).  When he was done he told me he had some presents for me.  I was like what?  I thought in my head, I've been waiting on you for forever and you stopped and got something? haha.  Well I walked outside and he had these beauties.

Pretty azaleas and ferns.  Not sure how to care for them, so anyone who knows, please inform me!!  I put the azaleas in a pot and watered them all, but that is it.  Our front porch is starting to look like I am a crazy plant lady, luckily not a crazy cat lady.  I'd like to move some to the back porch with the cute new table and chairs, but I don't know what can be in the sun constantly.  Any help would be much appreciated!!

Organization.

Recently I have been in a nesting phase minus the pregnant thing.  I have organized every room, every closet, every under the counter space, ETC.  I'm posting some pictures to show up I organize, mostly by category.

This is the pantry.

I organized the cans with cans, all the baking mixes, etc.  I put the things I use daily in arms reach.  I put the things I don't use very often in the back or up top.

These are great.  I picked them up at Target yesterday. I put all of our zone and south beach and granola bars in 1 box, instead of having 6 boxes strung all over the pantry.  I also have misc. snack foods in the bottom one.

Fridge.  Drinks up top; dairy on next shelf, like yogurt, butter, etc. ; drinks; and meat on the bottom shelf.

Condiments on first 2 shelves on the door; salad dressing and marinades; then things I don't use often on the bottom!

The time it takes to organize is SO worth it.  Yesterday I spent an hour on the pantry, fridge, and the cleaning supplies under the kitchen sink.  I recommend organizing every couple of months.  That way, there is NO way it can get completely out of control and you can also weed things out due to expiration dates.  Hope this will inspire someone to get organized!

Recipe Friday - Guest Post!

Sarah has been begging me to tell her the recipe for this cake and still doesn’t quite get how it works. But it seriously is as simple as a boxed cake mix and one 12 oz can of a diet soda.  That’s it!

The famous Diet Coke cake is a well-loved recipe for dieters. Almost any diet soda will work. Lemon lime or cream sodas work great for yellow and white cakes. Cola, cherry cola and root beer are excellent for chocolate cakes! These cakes come out exceptionally moist and sticky, but delicious!

Directions

·  Obtain your cake mix and diet soda. Use a traditional cake mix that requires eggs, oil, etc. on the box - pudding cake mixes, brownie mixes, and angel food mixes generally do not work. Choose a 'light' colored soda for white and yellow cake, and a 'dark' soda for chocolate or devil's food cake.

·  Combine the box of cake mix with the can of diet soda in a medium mixing bowl. If desired, add sprinkles or miniature chocolate candies to make confetti cake - yum! You can color a light colored cake with a bit of colored sugar or food coloring as well. Mix well to make your cake batter.

 (* the batter will be runny and clumpy, use a fork to break up the clumps as best as possible )

· You may now follow the baking directions on the box - this will make two layers, or twenty-four cupcakes.

Otherwise, use the following baking guidelines:
24 cupcakes: 18-21 minutes at 350 degrees
2 9-inch layers: 28-31 minutes at 350 degrees
2 8-inch layers: 33-36 minutes at 350 degrees
1 13x9 pan: 32-35 minutes at 350 degrees

Make sure to switch the positions of the pans in the oven, halfway through baking!

·  Allow to cool in pans for about a half hour before you frost or try to eat your cake. You can enjoy this cake as is - it's far more moist than normal cake. Topping ideas: fat-free whipped topping, strawberry or fruit preserves, honey, marshmallow fluff

I haven’t taken many pictures of my “creations” however, here’s a half-eatened final project, and my try at mixing batters!

Any questions – email me at calvela@gmail.com.

Once you give this recipe a shot, you’ll never go back to using eggs, and oil. 

Don’t be scared folks. It’s simple, quick, and absolutely, fantastically, delicious!

Sarah, thanks for having me guest blog and be able to share this simple, sweet treat!

New Pretties.

World Market has a lot of cute stuff right now.  When I went to look for out door tables, I got a little bit of EVERYTHING else instead of a table.  Like these lovely place mats.  I love the pattern and the colors are perfect.  They easily lay flat as well.  They were $3.99 a piece.

When my parents were here this past weekend we went to our "favorite."  The old Ethan Allan store on 31, "Interiors and Antiques."  I believe that is what it is called.  I found these awesome vases.  I was looking for some sort of contraption to put my dried bridal bouquet in.   These vases were less than $10 a piece!  I was shocked.  They are thick glass too.  So right now I have my bridesmaids bouquet from Kerra's wedding in one.

And my bouquet.  Unfortunately, it was not dried hanging up, it was laying flat.  My mom couldn't do it because there was an emergency trip my family had to take the day after our wedding.  But, my favorite way to dry flowers is so easy!  Use a wire hanger and some clothes pins.  Take the bouquet or flowers and clip the stems to the hanger and hang them somewhere out of the way to dry, like the garage or laundry room.

Here is my bouquet on top of our china cabinet.

And I finally found a table to go with the cute chairs.  I found it at Ross for $29.99!! It was the cheapest I found, exactly what I was looking for, and the wood matches perfectly.

Hope everyone has a wonderful Monday, over halfway through the week!

BEAUTIFUL wedding.

I was very privileged to be a part of a wonderful friend's wedding this past weekend.  All of the events were beautiful and so much fun.  I loved spending time with great friends I don't get to see very often and having my parents in town.  Everything was perfect, here are some pictures.

Beautiful centerpieces at the Bridesmaids Brunch.

Myself with the blushing bride!

Wedding day after hair and makeup.

FABULOUS bridesmaids bouquets.

With monogrammed ribbon!

Happy, Newlywed Couple!

Thanks to the hubs always coming to support me at all the weddings!

So happy for you Kerra and Chris! I wish you nothing but the best in all the years to come! =)