Orange Cream Cake

 look at all dat fancy cake!

well, mostly fancy anyway. i tried a new (for me) decorating technique today, and i think it came out pretty neat! i wish i had given myself a little more time.i thought of it last minute, but this piping would make for a pretty cool ombre cake. it would have been perfect with the orange. but no, i am slacktacular and wasted time until the last possible minute before i had to go. that, and i didn't realize that i needed two pints of heavy cream for the frosting, and not one.

the cake recipe i adapted from my southern cakes book, originally from a coconut cake. it called for coconut milk/juice, but i figured, why not use orange juice and add some orange zest in place to make an orange cake? then, i topped it with a whipped cream frosting from allrecipes.com. it is a little more user friendly than standard whipped cream, so it will hold up at room temperature better. there is no gelatin involved either, just some cream cheese. it is also not hardcore sweet which is nice.

i definitely wouldn't mind making this again. i was definitely surprised at how good it came out. usually my experiments are hit or miss, at least i think so. like, they turn out good, but i always feel like something is off. that could also be my inner artist playing games with me, as any piece of art i have made, i can never be happy with, and there is always something i can improve or change. nothing is ever finished. baking cakes make it a little more difficult to gauge on if it's "done" or "good enough." if it doesn't work the first time, i have to do the whole thing all over again, tweak something, and redo it again if it's not the way i want. drawings and paintings, at least, i can change little pieces without redoing an entire work.

art rant aside, i even made some candied orange zest to put on top of it. everything in my kitchen reeks of oranges. or rather, it did. i brought the cake over to steve and amanda's today, because it was a request, and i miss them. they miss me. cake and pizza day? because why not. so, ron and i spent the afternoon over there just eating food, playing with the dog, and talking. we also stopped at ron's dad's house for the last time today. he officially sold the house, so over the last couple weeks, we gathered our last things, and picked up the last of it today. it was a little sad, but it's all good.

there will always be memories, pictures, and stories. one day we will have our own house to make more of those.

another note on houses, i have to hardcore hunt a good house for north carolina. i think we have some plans coming together, but a few people aren't sure yet. i hope we can figure it out soon, so i can get a set idea of what to look for and find us a good deal.

i am excited to go. it will be nice to get out of here for a while. i would also still like to go camping for a weekend or something. a nice time away, a little hiking...that kind of thing. campfire would be nice, too. i'll have to see where i can get with that, though.

anyway, maybe i will post the recipe for this cake later. it would give me something else to do. right now, i am tired, and thinking this might make a good lemon cake, too.....not that i need to bake anymore right now. i have to juice some veggies tomorrow. no more waiting. i also have to find a vacation house. i need to be out of here for a little while. i have a weekend off coming up, ron and i are going to make pallet stuff. or, he will do most of it anyway. i'll just be here if i'm needed. motivational support? that sounds good. maybe being away from work for a couple days will help me not want to stab everyone. *maybe.*

anyway, hope to have something on wednesday. thanks for reading! happy week! ♥

Quick Update

So that job fair i went to was pretty.....umm, not what i was looking for, or not what i was expecting. There were a lot of military recruiters there. When i tried askibg a few places about what they had to offer, i was not offered any kind of response other than,"check our website. It has all of our job listings there." No one had any applications or were really accepting resumes. It was all online. I hate internet only applications. It gives no opportubity to actually meet the person you are applying to, nor the employer to meet the person applying. Printed text and words are the only thing that can make you look good. If i owned a business, i would have paper applications and meet each applicant in person. You can tell a lot about someone by the way they carry themselves.





Meh. So needless to say i am stranded here for a bit longer. But lets think happy things, like my son being all snuggly and falling asleep on me last night. Hes the best. Thats all there is to it.

Anyway, i have some plans for baking this weekend, probably tomorrow morning. We are going to visit a friend on sunday for pizza and cake. Also, its hardcore vacation planning time. I want this sorted out in the next week or so. Spaces are filling up, and now that the idea is in my head, i will be so disappointed if i cant do anything.

Thats all i got todsy, i wont bore you any longer. Check back sunday. If anyone reads, you can leave me comments! (If you choose anonymous you dont need an account.) Thanks for reading!

posted from Bloggeroid

Crafty Things- Pallet Work and Arm Knitting

so i have been meaning to post this for a while now. i couldn't when it was done because it was october and it ended up being a christmas present.

ron and i made a pallet wine rack for heather. i think it came out pretty cool. something needs to be done with my garage full of pallets, hopefully this is just the beginning.

ron assembled (disassembled then re-assembled? there were pieces everywhere for a while) the whole thing, and i just did the artsy deco wood-burning stuff on the front. i also need a new tip for my wood burner, as i use it for ribbon cutting, and the tip broke. go me.

i drew them on with pencil first, and then outlined everything repeatedly with my tiny little wood burner/ribbon cutter.

how cool is that? just like it fell right out of the pinterest internets. of course, the pictures i have are not it's final state. it was stained or shellacked afterward, so it ended up this nice shiny golden color. pretty cool though, huh?

the apartment complex is actually doing a garage sale at the end of may (the 24th and 25th) and we are going to try and make a few of them to sell during that, plus whatever other things out of pallets happen. it's kind of exciting.

kind of like how i am going to a job fair tomorrow morning. that is a little more scary than exciting, though. who knows, though. i guess i will just have to see what happens. i only have a couple hours, and then i have to work anyway. i wish i could just retire and sell arts and crafts and cakes for the rest of my life, but sadly they are not in high demand, so that's not gonna happen. oh! maybe i can sell some of my hair bows that weekend, too. there are kids and stuff around here that might like them. ideas! i have them! (sometimes.)

speaking of bows, i made one tonight to adorn my arm knitted shawl/wrap i made about a month ago. it has been sitting in my craft drawer, but now it is complete!

it doesn't look like much, but i made it for when i wear my dresses and don't need to haul around a coat, or for when i remove said coat and don't want to freeze. it was actually warm for the couple minutes i tried it out, believe it or not.

you'll have to wait for a model picture, though, because pajamas are not that flattering, nor do they make this look as cute as it is. nice weather is in the works, though, so maybe some post soon this won't look like a pile of twisty yarn with a bow on it.

i still have to test my sewing machine to see if that bobbin works. random thought, i know. i just put myself in this craft mode by thinking of selling hair bows at a garage sale. i could probably make other things, but i'll just overwhelm myself by thinking of what else i can squeeze into the no free time i have.

but i have 14 days of paid vacation.....that's like 2-1/2 work weeks.

....but i'm saving that because camping, and north carolina. i really want to go camping, or somewhere i can go hiking. i'm still waiting for the color run to add a date for albany. jerks. i can't prepare if i don't know when it is....or i could, and i could NOT be lazy. i used my wii fit and did yoga on friday morning. ron and i have been walking, except his back still hurts on and off from pulling it, and that sucks.

anyway.....random tangents aside. i didn't bake anything this weekend. i have a pile of brownies to eat, and the last of my bacon cookies to eat. not sure if i will have anything for wednesday or thursday, but we'll see. maybe i'll just make a crap ton of hair bows wednesday night. that sounds fun. it looks like rain, anyway. tea and granny crafts. i miss doing these things. well, have a good week, all. thanks for reading! ☺

Sexy Brownies (Caramel Krispies Brownies)

so....did "sexy brownies" catch your attention?

well it should have. i've been baking too much lately. i really shouldn't have so many bad things in the house. but....i had to have something to post for you, oh two loyal readers.

also, i really REALLY wanted some brownies. not sure why, but probably because of pinterest. these have been hovering in my mind for the last few weeks.

what is not to love about chocolate, caramel and marshmallows? oh, and rice krispies?

trick question. nothing is wrong with all of the above. as a matter of fact, it's so right, it hurts. take that.

i totally just cut into them too early though. nothing is set, but i couldn't wait to eat one. i am too impatient. i don't really need to load up on sugar before bed, but these will be totally worth it.

ohh yeaaahhhh.

don't mind my veiny hands. just focus on the caramel, marshmallows, and rice krispies. then remember there are brownies underneath all of that. yeaaahhh buddy.

well, compared  to the website i got the recipe from (courtesy of pinterest), my picture is nowhere near as sexy as theirs, but i still want to rub it all over my face. according to other posters, it helps to refrigerate overnight. mine are in the freezer, lol.

so that was my experiment today. oh, in other news, i busted out the wii and the balance board. it took me a few minutes to get everything going, but it all still works! i'd like to start using it again, since i only spent $100 on it when it came out all those years ago, and now is worth pretty much nothing. it's a start to my quest to be healthy-ish. as long as you disregard the brownies.....i mean, i also made some baked chicken with rice and veggies! that's super healthy, right!? #canceloutthebrownies

it's been increasingly nice outside as well, so at least i can get out and walk now. ron and i just walked around the town the last two days. we worked opposite shifts today, and i work all day tomorrow, so at least we were able to get out a couple days, and hopefully more in the future.

the first day (monday) we walked through town and grabbed a slice of pizza from pavones, and then walked to sno-top to get a little ice cream. yeah, i know, cancelling everything out that was good about the walk. you know what? at least we were out! also, it was like 75 degrees so ice cream was okay in my book. we were following a few ducks up the sidewalk, he tried to pet them, and then they all just sat down one after another (he couldn't get close enough to touch them, though). they took off for the pond not too long after that. some of the local ducks and geese don't really care if you get close to them. people feed them and stuff, so they're used to it.

we walked through a park nearby yesterday after doing a loop around town, too. it wasn't quite as warm, but it was still nice for a light coat. we played on the playground, he tried to catapult me off of the teeter totter, and then i hurt my shoulder (more) swinging across the monkey bars. what else is new though, i am a cripple.

anyway, enjoy those pictures of the brownies. i should hold off on baking anymore. maybe i'll have some crafty things to do for sunday, if i'm not working a million hours. have a good rest of the week, all! ☺

edit: just for the record, if anyone wants to get me any of these, that would be freakin awesome. just saying. (thanks, buzzfeed.)

Welcome Back, Spring- Bring on the Bacon

so, remember how we did easter last weekend? i think you know where i'm going with this.

leftovers are pretty awesome. everything is already cooked, all you have to do is reheat it....or put it in something else.

like this soup! it's like cheesy easter soup. there's ham, potatoes, carrots, a little corn, onions.....oh, and bacon. today's post has a lot of bacon.

this cheesy ham chowder from taste of home is pretty awesome. it was also pretty easy and didn't take long at all. aside from all of the veggie chopping, anyway. after that was all said and done, putting everything together took under an hour. i put it together on saturday morning before work. i was just glad ron didn't get disappointed when there was no breakfast in bed. i mean, the whole apartment smelled like bacon, if i woke up to that and no pancakes, i would be so sad. he does like potatoes, though, so maybe that made up for it. the recipe called for 3 cups of cheese, but i only used 2, and it is plenty cheesy. i used mild and extra sharp cheddar. give it a shot, you won't be disappointed! unless you are expecting pancakes, in which case you should just make bacon and breakfast.

i go into phases for things. i am not sure i am on any specific kick now, other than trying to eat better and plan some vacations for this summer, but bacon is like magic. you can put it in or with lots of things and it just works. i mean, come on. look at this picture to the right. how is that not some beautiful, entrancing voodoo? well, i guess if you are vegetarian maybe not much, but seriously. candied bacon. brown sugar. bacon. bake it til crispy. sweet and savory deliciousness.

AND....do you know what goes even better with candied bacon than more bacon?

cookies.

chocolate chip cookies and some sun shiny day sparkles. i don't really know what those are, but i just made that up, because it is actually spring today. probably tomorrow, too. like 60's and 70's and stuff. i wish i could predict the weather two weeks in advance so i could take a day off when it's nice out. it kind of makes me want to clean a little bit....but FOCUS.

large pictures today for large, uh, flavor. that's it. sweet and salty to the maxxxx. i mean, i used whole wheat flour in them. bacon is protein. power cookies? I HAVE THE POWERRRR!!!

oh, and before i get too far off, here is the recipe for these delightful little treats, courtesy of the girl who ate everything and tablespoon.com. go on. if you don't wanna make the soup, you should at least feed your inner bacon craving and go eat these. i bet you can even make them vegetarian with fake-on. (fake bacon....fake-on...facon?...get it?)

it's like little bacon gems hidden amongst the chocolate chips. magics!!

i am bringing a few to the restaurant with me shortly. maybe i'll bring some to other work. haven't decided yet though. i'll think about it.

yes, it is that time. i love my son. i cleaned all of their cages (the bottoms, anyway, spring cleaning will happen soon, i'll be power scrubbing everything), and aside from cosmo getting upset because i was running the vacuum, satch decided he wanted to take a bath, too. THEN, he sat on top of his house to dry off, and think. he doesn't usually climb much other than to his door and to his perches, so i am glad to see him go somewhere else once in a while. i guess it's only when he's in the mood. something. i love him. he is soo gooooood, and just makes me smile. coincidentally, i gave him a piece of bacon too. bacon is his favorite food. he will quite literally dance for bacon when i make it for breakfast. it is the best thing ever. ♥♥♥

well, i guess that is all for today. i have another treat i might make for wednesday, but we'll see how that works out. as always, lots of stuff to do, and not enough time for it to happen. have a good week, all! ☺

A Week Late and a Day Early- Peanut Butter Fudge

i am just throwing everything off. i barely even remember the last few days, or week or so. what is even happening anymore?

lets just look at the happy easter sprinkles for a minute then. ohh yeah. look at all those happy pinks and purples, a little pastel blue in there. not to mention they're shaped like chicks, ducks and bunnies. how can that not make you smile a little? oh, and to top off all of that, those sprinkles are embedded in peanut butter fudge.

take that in for a minute. peanut butter fudge. oh my goodness. peanut butter fudge is only the best kind of fudge. at least since it's my favorite kind to make as of thus far. plus, its sooooo easy.

like, there are only four ingredients easy. its almost foolproof. the boiling part is a little tricky since you have to time it right, but if you keep a close eye, you will be on your way to home made peanut butter fudge in almost no time, minus the chilling part.

i will even be so kind as to hand out my favorite recipe to you. i can't remember what website it came from, but i found it many moons ago via the internet, before facebook and pinterest were the cool things to do.

peanut butter fudge

2 cups sugar
2/3 cups milk
1 cup peanut butter
1-1 1/2 cups fluff

prepare a pan by lightly greasing or spraying the bottom and sides. (8x8" or 9x13" work fine.)

measure out your peanut butter and fluff, set aside.

combine milk and sugar into a large sauce pan. bring to a rolling boil on medium high-high heat (mixture will foam and expand, keep an eye on it). boil for 7-8 minutes, or soft ball stage (when you drop a bit in cold water, it should hold together in a soft ball). if you have a candy thermometer, that's about 234 F. remove from heat, add your peanut butter and fluff and mix well.

spread into the prepared pan and allow to cool, or stick it in the fridge or freezer for quicker results.

check that out. i actually made a double batch and put it in a 12" square pan lined with foil. half of it went to ron's work for a fund raiser....children's miracle? they do the dollar donation balloons and had a "bake sale" over the weekend, where if you donate, you get treats. how cool is that? i kind of wish i could do that at my work, buuuut....well, i'm not going to get into my work. it makes me sad.

not getting into it though! i had to work on easter for a little while, but i got up early and prepared for the day. i made corn bread and cheesecake, and got the ham all ready. ron cooked while i was at work, and we had our first "just us" holiday, didn't go anywhere, didn't bother with anyone, just stayed home and cooked dinner. it was kind of nice. although, we did actually go out after. the whole week up until sunday, we had a fast and furious marathon, watched each of the six movies, and after dinner, we used our movie passes we had and saw the latest one. the theater was actually pretty full for a sunday night holiday, and some idiot was taking a fucking selfie in the dark during a sentimental part of the movie. they tell you to turn your phone off for a reason, as to not ruin the movie for everyone else. go jump off a bridge and take a selfie there. dumb ass. the movie was pretty good though.

 

the weather has been getting nicer thankfully. we went out for a walk on monday and found this little waterfall right behind our apartments. i don't think it's there all year, it might be just because everything is melting, but it was pretty neat. it started to rain a little while we were out, and ron almost fell in trying to jump across some rocks. we were not out long, even though the day was nice while we were at work, it ended up getting cold and rained. BUT....rain will make the snow go away so its okay in my book. the last few days have been in the 50's. i hope it stays that way, it was nice to finally get out and do something. i have been sick of sitting around inside all day because cold weather is bad touch.

it is not even 10:30 yet and i am exhausted. it has been a long few weeks, it seems. i can't escape. i hope things will be okay soon. just one day. don't wanna do anything.

i guess i am going to leave it at that for now. i will be back the usual sunday, now that i won't be doing anything again for a while. hope you are having a good week. see you this weekend! thanks for reading! ☺