Festive JELL-O Poke Birthday Cake



Happy Birthday Cake for me?  You shouldn't have!

Festive JELL-O Poke  Cake
2 baked white cake layers 9 inch, cooled
2 cups boiling water, divided
1 pkg (85 g) Jell-O Strawberry Jelly Powder
1 pkg (85 g) Jell-OLime Jelly Powder
2 cups thawed Cool Whip Topping divided



Place cakes, top sided up, in 2 clean 9 inch round pans.  Pierce cakes with large fork at 1/2 inch intervals.

Add 1 cup boiling water to each flavour jelly powder in separate bowls; stir 2 minute, until completely dissolved.  Carefully pour red jelly over 1 cake layer, and green jelly over remaining cake layer.  Refigerate 3 hours.

Unmold cakes.  Fill and frost with CoolWhip.  Keep refrigerated.

I haven't quite mastered how to make my cakes look as good as the pictures from Kraft but they do taste Yummy!

Oh, How I Love the Fall!

For me Fall has always been the beginning of the new year. The kids start school and at work new projects begin. When I think of Fall I think of beautiful earth tone colours, cool breezes, cozy warm sweaters, harvest, new beginings and possibilities.

 "October gave a party; The leaves by hundreds came - The Chestnuts, Oaks, and Maples, And leaves of every name. The Sunshine spread a carpet, And everything was grand, Miss Weather led the dancing, Professor Wind the band."

Author: ~George Cooper
 "October's Party"




"Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all."

                                                   Stanley Horow

Painting by George Baker

A tangerine and russet cascade of kaliedoscopic leaves, creates a tapestry of autumn magic upon the emerald carpet of fading summer. 

                                                  Judith A Lindberg

                        

Painting by George Baker

The woods are full of fairies; the sea is full of fish; the trees are full of golden leaves; let's make an autumn wish.          Unknown

                                                                                                                                    



Royal Copley China

Grandma Westwood had a vase just like this one in Westwood Cottage.  My sister has it in Vancouver.  The other day, in the local Nearly New I found one just like it for .50 cents!  So, of course I took it home.  It made my day.

After some reasearch I found that it is a piece of Royal Copley China. 

The Spaulding China Company in Ohio, US made many pottery items including figurines, vases and planters from 1942-1957. 

Now, having an interest in pottery and being a collector of vintage glassware and other interesting things I have been on the lookout for other Royal Copley pieces.  So far this is what I have found and I am looking forward to the journey of discovering others to add to the collection!

Before and After- Upcycling Vintage Linens

For the past 6 years our "Parlour" has looked like this.  Nice but dark.  So a few weeks ago I decided to make some changes.  With $26 and and some help from my vintage linen collection here are the results.  Looks pretty good - lighter, brighter and less masculine. It was nice to be designing again and to let creativity do its magic.  Hmmm I wonder which room will be next!

This picture shows the table runner I hand fringed and two of my pottery projects.  I hand sewed the vintage doilies onto the pillows.  Vintage linens have a story to tell.

                                                           Two of my husbands paintings on the walls.

What a Differnce a Month Makes May - June 2011

There is nothing like watching your back yard come alive. We sometimes forget how things in our lives change and grow whether we are paying attention or not. Lifes about the moments, try not to miss them.


May 2011



June 2011



June 2011

June 2011

My two son's Mother's day gift.

Angel Flake Coconut Cake

Yesterday I cooked Easter dinner and we also celebrated my father in laws 84th birthday.  This called for a "Celebration Cake"! 

I decided to try a new recipe  - Angel Flake Coconut Cake.  It was delicious.





Angel Flake Coconut Cake

1 pkg  2 layer yellow cake mix
1 pkg   Coconut (long flaked sweetened)
1 cup cold milk
1 pkg vanilla flavour instant pudding
1/4 cup icing sugar
1 tub Cool Whipped Topping, thawed

Prepare cake batter as directed on package; stir in 2/3 cup coconut.  Pour evenly into two 9 inch round baking pans.  Bake as directed on package.  Cool in pans 10 minutes; remove to wire racks.  Cool cakes completely.

Pour milk into medium bowl.  Add dry pudding mix and icing sugar.  Beat with a whisk 2 minutes or until blended.  (Mixture will be thick)  Gently stir in Cool Whip.  Refrigerate15 min.

Place one cake layer on serving plate; spread top with 1 cup of the pudding mixture.  Sprinkle with 3/4 cup coconut; cover with second cake layer.  Spread top and side with remaining pudding mixture; press remaining coconut into pudding mixture.  Refrigerate at least 1 hour.  Store leftovers in the refridgerator
- If there are any that is!  I have added this recipe into the family cookbook my boys say it is a keeper!

String Quilting

I am looking forward to Spring!  My sewing room is in an unheated uninsulated front porch.  So in the Winter months I set up my sewing space in the dining room.  It is a bit of a mess! 






My next quilting adventure is to make a String Quilt from my growing pile of fabric scraps.  It is a lot of fun.  Seams do not have to match and fabric pieces do not have to be any specific size. 

It will look like this.  I need 54 squares and have 35 finished. I think I will strip piece the back as well to use up more fabric.  Then I am going to treat myself and have it machine quilted.  I would like to have it finished by the end of the year. No more 5 year quilts for me!

Better-for-You Peanut Butter Cookies

Lately, I have been looking for recipes that are healthy and that my kids will eat.   This one fits the criteria. (Actually, I might not have mentioned the healthy part to the boys). So easy and delicious.  You really should just double the recipe from the start.  My boys finished off the first one in about an hour!



Better-for-You Peanut Butter Cookies
1 cup peanut butter
1 egg
1/2 cup sugar


Heat oven to 325 F.  Mix ingredients until well blended.  The dough is very soft so chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.  This makes it easier to work with.  Roll into 1-inch balls.  Place 2 inches apart on baking sheets.  Flatten with fork.  Bake 15 minutes.  Do not overbake.  Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before removing from the pan.  This is very important.  If you take them off the pan too soon they fall apart - guess how I know this!

I added chocolate chips but they would also be good with nuts, coconut, raisins, cranberies, skor bar etc.

My Grandmothers would have loved this recipe!

Orange Saskatoon Muffins- So Good and Healthy too!

Orange Saskatoon Muffins

1 ½ cup all purpose flour ( I use 1 cup flour and 1/2 cup whole wheat flour)
¼ cup white sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 whole naval orange
1 egg
½ cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup fresh or thawed frozen saskatoons  (Could also use cranberries or blueberries)



In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda. Cut off ends of orange, then cut into quarters, without peeling. Remove seeds. In a food processor or blender process orange include peel, egg, milk and oil until blended. Stir into flour mixture until just moistened. Gently stir in fruit. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Bake in preheated oven 350º for 20-25 minutes. Let cool in tin for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool.

Try and eat just one I dare you!

The Family Dinner

The family cookbook is done.  It was alot of work but worth it.  I wrapped it in linen t-towels and gave it to family for a Christmas gift. Even the teenage boys!  Perhaps not their favourite but they liked it and will love it as they get older. 

The cover picture is of me and my sister.  We are sitting at a table and chair set that our dad made for us.  What fun it was to have Tea Parties! 

The book has over 40 pages of family favourites and the binder is big enough so that we can add to it as we try new ones.  I am looking forward to sharing with you some of my favouite recipes in the coming year.