My Cake, Birthday Card and 1 - 2 Make

Hi there everyone. So in my previous post, I said I would take a picture of my decorated cake. Here it is....chocolate frosting and crumbled peanut butter cake and nuts on top. I used the "Crazy Cake" recipe (with no eggs, milk, butter or bowls.) But, I used a bowl anyways. I guess this is one of those depression cakes when the mother/baker/chef had no eggs, milk or butter, they could still make a cake.

You can make this cake with chocolate, Vanilla, Banana, Lemon, Spiced, Coffee & Kahlua and Carrot Crazy Cake and now Peanut Butter. A very versatile cake to say the least. I have tried the chocolate and vanilla adding the bananas and powdered peanut butter.

Here is the basic recipe for a Vanilla cake: 1 1/2 cups flour + 2-3 Tablespoons, 1 cup sugar (I cut it down to 1/2 cup sugar) 1 tsp. baking soda and 1/2 tsp salt. Mix together.

Make three holes in flour mixture: Pour 1 tsp. white vinegar in 1 hole, 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract in the second hole and 5 Tbsp. vegetable oil (I used olive oil)in the 3rd hole. Then pour 1 cup water over all and mix well until smooth. Pour into a greased cake pan. Bake 35 minutes at 350 degree oven.

If you want a Lemon cake, add 1 tbsp. lemon zest to the flour mix and 1 tsp pure lemon extract.
If you want a Spiced cake, add 1 tbsp. pumpkin spice to the flour.
If you want a Coffee and Kahlua cake, add 3/4 cup cold brewed coffee and 1/4 cup Kahlua.
If you want a Carrot cake, add 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. cloves, allspice, nutmeg, 3/4 cup finely grated peeled carrots, 1/2 cup chopped walnuts and 1/2 cup golden raisins.
If you want a Chocolate cake, add 3 Tbsp. cocoa (unsweetened)
If you want a Banana cake, add one banana, mashed

Here is a picture of the birthday card I made for grand-niece Ella, for her 4th birthday. I added 2-$2 dollar bills....I think if I was a kid, I would so look forward to that card with $$$ in it, would be fun for a kid to receive. I have another 4 year old card to make for July and a 2 year old card to make for November, they both will get $2 bills in their cards also. So I have time to think about what I want to make. JP's family sure keeps me busy with birthdays, anniversaries and such....

My inspiration for this card was just the elephant stamp that I picked up for $1 at Micheal's, colored with my copic pens and  built on it with my die-cuts and added embellishments of pearl speckles, flowers, google eye and sequins.

I found this card on the Internet the other day and thought this would be a fun card to make, maybe use it for Hospice and change the "my friend" salutation to "thinking of you". Here is where I get a lot of my inspiration. Becky comes up with lots of great ideas using lots of Stampin'up products, Hero and Altnew. She does quite a few classes a week in her home, only problem, she lives in CO, so it would be hard for me to go to one of her classes, so must be satisfied just visiting her on the Internet. She says it is okay to case her cards....so that is what I do.

Well, HOORAY....the Chicago Blackhawks won tonight....a really ruff and tumble game and my favorite player, Artemi Panaran got a goal on an open net....yayayayayayayayaay! Hawks won 3-2. Now they come back to Chicago for 2 more games....sure do hope they win those games. These players want to win so badly that they get very frustrated when the puck does not bounce their way, so then the fights flare up and lots of penalties are called. The Hawks got one of their goals via a power play.....But wow, the goalies sure are playing great games!!!!

 

Well, time to close, it's 11am and JP will be home at 1:00am, I need to think about what I am going to make for him. Oh, and do a few dishes too. Tomorrow I am going to make "Grandmas Meatballs" and spaghetti....a nice change.

 

You have a great weekend...it is supposed to be SPRING finally...so I imagine everyone will be out working in their yards...maybe us too, at least get the front porch ready to sit on and get the fountain going.

 

Keep looking up, better days are coming....Cheers ~ Louise

Are You Wondering?.......Valentine Tree and Cards

Hi there everyone. Well, you are probably wondering why my post title says "are you wondering?" Yes, I would like to say I am sorry....for I am sure you are wondering why I am not commenting on your blog....I really want to, but blogspot is not allowing me to, and I am very upset about this. I love commenting, just as I love receiving a comment, even if it is just to say hello. I have tried going anonymous, that does not work, (my comment vanishes) then I try the URL and that does not work. (again, my comment vanishes.) I don't know how or what to do. One day I tried emailing one of my blogger friends and that did not work....I clicked and clicked to no avail. Finally I gave up.

I have searched through BlogSpot to see if I could find a setting that needs to be changed and I have not yet found the problem....it sure is frustrating to me. So I just wanted you to know, I do read your blogs....most everyone you see along side my post...I visit most every day. Please don't give up on me, just cause you don't see my comment....I am here, reading your blog....but sometimes I just can't comment.

I do have another blog, on Word Press....but no one knows I am there....Word Press is so complicated to me.....I don't know.........guess it is time for a change of some sort, or just go back to Word Press and scrabble my mind some more. In the mean time, here are some more pictures.

Below is my Valentine Tree....hard to tell the lights are a glowing. I think I will leave the tree up most of February and take it down March 1st. Sounds like a plan.

So here are a few cards I made for my Etsy store. The shoe pictures are actually napkins, using the first layer and gluing it on some card stock then letting it dry. These two cards will be $3 a piece, so $6.00 + shipping ($9.50). I am looking around for St. Patrick napkins, as soon as I find them....they will become cards also.


Blue Apron meal....here is their site. "Chicken & Udon Noodle Soup with Napa Cabbage & Dried Lime" This was a really good soup and easy to put together. The use of the dried lime was unique....but I did not see a difference. I would give this soup 4 stars.

So yesterday (Sunday), I was in a cooking mood. Pretty cold outside, so I think I was making comfort food inside. Baked potatoes, 500degree beef roast and carrots. I also made a baked sweet potato and mashed it with butter, milk, salt and pepper. YUM, I have not been much of a fan of the lowly sweet potato...but that is slowly changing for me. Sweet potatoes make a good pie too.

So, now....we get to have roast beef sandwiches for the week. I have put some sliced meat in the freezer for another meal or two or for Italian beef sandwiches for a later date.

In this picture is Banana Crazy/Wacky Cake and then there is Chocolate, Vanilla, Spice, Lemon and Coffee Wacky cake.....all very simple and on my agenda to make often. There is no butter, milk or eggs used in this cake. I guess in the old, depression days, when it was hard to get butter, milk or eggs, this cake was used and truly, it is very good. Would be wonderful with it warmed out of the oven with ice cream on top. I am sure you could make this gluten free by using rice flour.

Okay....in this next picture is Doggie treats for Kylie....see, I was in a cooking mood. These were very simple. 2 bananas mashed, 2/3 cups peanut butter and 1 1/2 cup oat meal (powdered) So I ran the oat meal in my blender to powder it as much as I could. Then mix the 3 ingredients together...if it is too sticky, put more oat meal in it, too dry, more peanut butter. Then, roll out the mixture and cut into squares or us a cooking cutter. Bake at 350 degrees on parchment paper for 15 minutes, cool and put in a container...Kylie, by the way...loved her new treats and wagged her tail faster then she does for her other treats. Maybe she knew I made them for her?????? They were pretty good too....I tried one or two of them. Maybe they should be "people treats" too.

In this last picture is my Valentine tree in the dark and the setting on the camera was for "fireworks" a setting I did not realize I had....geez, I have had this camera for over 3 years and just now found this setting?? Where have I been living?????

Well, bummers the Green Bay Packers lost their game Saturday. Now they are out for the season. At least I still have the Chicago Blackhawks to root for, and there is still 2 1/2 months yet to play and then the playoffs for the Stanley Cup.....yep, I have high hopes for them.

Not too much going this week except for card making at Betty's on Wednesday. JP has another appointment on Thursday and my Blue Apron meals are coming on Thursday also. OH....another thing going on, I am finally working on my income tax...uge, but I got a good start so that is good, maybe I will be finished before the due date this time.

As for card making I have been making a few new cards lately and also working to put some cards together for the Hospice meeting on the 29th. That always keeps me busy.

Time to close....gosh, it stayed lighter tonight, Daylight saving starts Sunday, March 13th....yay, then, we are back to normal, whatever that may be.

Have a good evening and keep looking up, better days are coming. Cheers ~ Louise