visitors and lemonade

any big plans for the weekend?

i have this yummy cake hanging out in the fridge until i pick my old roommate up from the airport. she's flying in for a few days to hang out and i couldn't be more excited.

the cake is a pink lemonade cake recipe i made from this months better homes and gardens. just ignore the mass quantity of some of the ingredients - everything is fat-free, right???

fudge and frosting

i got it in my head the other day that i wanted to make fudge. there are so many recipes floating around - i even thought for a while about making root beer float fudge, but none of the 3 grocery stores in my area stocked root beer concentrate. instead i settled on plain old white chocolate fudge and used this recipe. OMG - this is super addicting. i have made it twice now and the family loves it. i added the little ball sprinkles to the top for some color, but i actually like the addition of a small crunch, so i think i will always use them. the first time around, i used regular sour cream and the second time, i used reduced fat. while still good, i could tell a difference and prefer the regular sour cream better. the directions say 5 minutes, but i used a candy thermometer and both times, it took me 6 minutes to get the mix to the correct temperature.

now i just have to figure out how to add flavors to this, like, peanut butter - yum!

strawberries and salads

i know strawberry salads have been making the blog world rounds, but i am convinced that this is the most delicious salad ever. EVER.

clearly i am not a food blogger since it took me getting halfway through the salad to think about taking a photo, so please excuse the messy plate :) however, i still think it looks amazing in all it's messiness. and it is making me really hungry just writing this post!


summer strawberry spinach salad

1 lb. fresh organic baby spinach
1 pt. fresh strawberries, sliced
1/2 cup walnut pieces
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

poppy seed dressing:
1/2 C sugar
2 T. sesame seeds
1 T. poppy seeds
1 1/2 tsp minced fresh onion
1/4 tsp. worcestershire
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 C red wine
1/2 c vegetable oil

mix the salad ingredients, but if you are taking to a party, don't put on the crumbled blue cheese or poppy seed dressing until ready to serve.

i mix up the poppy seed dressing, and refrigerate for 1 hour or more. make sure the salad dressing is well shaken and dissolved as much as possible before tossing with the salad ingredients.

and for a real treat, toss in some grilled chicken. so yummy. enjoy!

whoopie pies and lovely friends

i'm sitting on the couch this afternoon playing angry birds with the kiddos and recovering from last night's gluttony. 5 of my friends came over for our annual homemade ornament exchange and between yummy treats and even yummier drinks, i had a great time. seriously, the red velvet whoopie pies are definitely headed for my short list of go-to recipes. they were so easy to make and came out perfectly. there is nothing worse than getting excited about a new recipe and having it turn out terrible. sometimes i think magazines don't even test recipes they print. anyway, on to the ornaments. each person makes enough homemade ornaments for the whole group to get one. this is a great tradition to start with a group of friends. creative talent within the group can definitely vary. some of my friends are always discouraged with their ornaments because they think they can't make anything, but i tell you that their creations are usually always my favorites. and if you are stuck on what to make, martha stewart and family fun always have great ideas with all skill levels in mind. if i get some good sunlight this weekend, i will take some photos of my new ornaments.

this is one of my favorite nights of the year. i get obsessed with cooking/baking and have been known to have my ornaments finished in october because i get so excited.

i feel like this weekend is the calm before the storm. we are having a full house at linwood avenue during the holidays this year, with the first guest arriving on tuesday. this means that the next few days will be filled with a lot of movie watching and even more cleaning. now i am thinking i should have signed up for the local deal of half price merry maids. oops!