Recipe Friday - Cake Icing

Shout out to my #1 blog follower, LAURA.  Saturday is her birthday so in honor of her I am going to share some cake frosting recipes I have! Happy Birthday LO!

We are receiving a new dishwasher today! I am super pumped.  I will show before and after pics and share the wonders of this new one next week.

 (Update on my grandmother: she has to have a tumor biopsied in a week and a half, we will know more then.  )

Now onto the icing:

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

3 Cups Confectioners' Sugar
1 Cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 to 2 Tablespoons whipping cream

In a standing mixer, mix together sugar and butter.  Mix on low speed until well blended and then increase speed to medium and beat for another 3 minutes.  Add vanilla and cream and continue to beat on medium speed for 1 minute more, adding more cream if needed for spreading consistency.

(I don't have a standing mixer yet, so I use my regular beaters.  I just place the bowl in the sink and make it 1/2 at a time so it doesn't go everywhere!)


Chocolate Frosting

6 Tablespoons butter, softened
1/3 to 1/2 Cup cocoa powder
2 2/3 Cups powdered sugar
1/3 Cup Milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream butter, add cocoa and sugar alternately with milk.  Beat to spreading consistency, adding more milk if needed.  Blend in vanilla.

These are super easy and it is SO worth it.  I usually make box cake then make my own icing and it really adds a nice touch over canned icing!  Hope everyone has a great weekend.

My Mimi

If you all have a chance today to say a little prayer for my Mimi.  She has been through more than any person should ever have to go through in 1 life.  Cancer more than once, over 30 surgeries, many falls, the loss of many loved ones, etc.  Today she goes to the doctor to see if her cancer has grown again.  If it has she will have to go back on IV chemo, which she probably won't be able to handle again.  Please pray that it hasn't grown and she can stay on the pill form of chemo she is on now.  I wish I had all day to tell you about how wonderful my grandmother is and how inspiring and Godly of a woman she is.  She is an inspiration.  In October, I helped her and my step-grandfather move into assisted living and I know she wants to be home SO bad.  I so wish they had the strength to live by themselves, but thankful they have people around when they need them. 

(This picture was taken at our rehearsal dinner, I gave her a handkerchief that said:

"Mimi, may your tears be tears of JOY today. Love Sarah, 11.14.09"

Her name is Joy, and she truly is a Joy!)

So again, my family would appreciate you lifting her up in prayer!

Hope everyone has a wonderful day.  I am going home for the night and will post a yummy recipe on Friday!

Sitting on the front porch

With spring just around the corner I want to make it a habit to sit outside everyday.  We have a small, but nice front porch with people walking by all the time!  Here are some pictures.

View from the street

Drew had this table in the house B.S. (before Sarah) It has been painted with weather proof paint.

Lovely, turquoise chairs!

You can see the chairs to the right, this is what the chairs looked like before I mad them wild at my old apartment.

I bought 2 cans of Rust-Olem paint, it worked great.  Purchased the seat cushions as a pair at "Home Goods" for less than $25.  The chairs are really comfy.

The wire table I found at an antique store in Huntsville.  One day I'd like to get a piece of metal for the top or a thick piece of glass.  There is a platter on top for now!

I love our precious door mat, great wedding gift!

Really looking forward to Spring, Summer, and drinks on the front porch!

Shrimp and Grits

So far my famous dinner is "Shrimp and Grits".  It is fairly simple, so I will share how I do it.

I buy a bag of the small sized shrimp that is cooked and deveined at Target.  It is in the refrigerated meat section.

While the grits are cooking I saute on low heat the shrimp in a little minced garlic and lime juice. (Both store bought and prepared, you know the little jar of minced garlic, and the little lime juice thing).  I usually just let it sit and stir it every few minutes, just so that it heats up so that it isn't cold, and the garlic and lime give it a little flavor.

Cheese Grits

1 cup grits
1 tsp. salt
5 cups boiling water
1 1/2 cup sharp cheese, grated
1 stick butter
4 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. Lea & Perrin

Mix the grits, salt, and water.  Cook over slow heat for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat.  Add cheese and butter, stir in well beaten eggs.  Add seasonings and Lea & Perrin.  Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour. (I sometimes cook it longer until it is firm) It may be prepared a day ahead and baked at the last minute.  Serves 6-8.

Serve with chopped up bacon, chopped tomatoes, and extra cheese.

This has been a crowd pleaser!  The grits recipe was my grandmothers.

Enjoy the weekend!!

Pretty Birthday Present

My friend Brittany and I found these cute little vases in an old time pharmacy in Crestline Village.  They had the neatest stuff.  I love old "original" pharmacies where they actually have giftie stuff too, besides the usual drugs, etc.

I have 2 birthday parties this week, so I bought 2 of these.

Put one of those pretty orange gerber daises (in the back ground) in one for Kerra last night.   

This one is for my other friend Brittany. (hopefully she won't see this before tomorrow night!)

Tie it with some coordinating tulle and you are ready to go!  I think it is a precious birthday gift if I must say so myself!  

Cross Collection

I love crosses. 2 reasons. The obvious one: Jesus.  The second: because they are so cool looking! So many options everywhere you go.  I think crosses are something you can collect your entire life and they make great gifts for friends too.

This is in the first landing of our stairs, you see it from downstairs and as you are coming DOWN the stairs from upstairs.

The majority of them are from Hobby Lobby that I bought when their home accents are 50% off.  My newest edition the orange and blue was from an antique store downtown.  The wooden, branch cross is from At Home.

A few of my favorites:

Very easy way to turn a blank wall into a very unique masterpiece, inexpensively!

Options!

Hope everyone had a glorious weekend!  Two of my very good friends came to stay with me on Friday night and they were both lovely enough to give me a little gift for hosting their stay.  Shout out to Sallianne and Meredith!

Sal gave me this cute tin candle holder with an unscented candle.  She said it is for outside and it WOULD look perfect on my front porch.  But, until this weather is warm consistently and I can sit outside every evening, I'll keep it inside.  Also because I think it is so pretty, I want to enjoy it!

With the candle.  I am sure it will look really pretty one spring night with the candle flickering... But until then...

Found a vase that is a little taller than the holder, so I can get it in and out.  Filled it with water and set the vase down in it.

Then filled it with my beautiful gerber daises that I bought from Whole Foods before my guests came.

So until it is warm, this is the centerpiece of the dinner table!  Love it! Thanks Sal.

(And thanks Mere for the yummy smelling candle, I'm burning it all the time!)