Keylime pie and Chocolate cupcakes

Cupcake 411

Chocolate nuggets

 I had chocolates left over from the "He Popped the Question Tin."  So I made the Valentine tray.

Brownies

Made over deep dish brownies

My son and his girlfriend made these a month ago and I loved them.  They used German Chocolate and that is my sons favorite.  Today I just used semi-sweet mini chocolate chips and my son noticed I changed the chocolate right away.  So I guess I need to buy more Baker's German Chocolate.

Recipe from the Food Network

Chicken Tortellini Soup

recipe adapted from Pampered Chef
I saw this recipe and had to try it...I took a couple taste and wasn't thrilled but I think it is because I had a big lunch and I am so stuffed.  Will try again for dinner and will sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.  If that doesn't work I will had another teaspoon of sesame oil.  Hard to believe put sesame oil taste great in chicken noodle soup.

Ingredients

1 cup carrots sliced
1/2 cup canned corn drained
1/2 cup onions chopped
1/2 cup celery, thinly sliced
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-in. cubes
4 chicken bouillons
7 cups of water
1 cup cheese-filled tortellini, uncooked
1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
2 tbsp fresh parsley, snipped
1 tsp salt
2 tsp sesame oil
*** I bought a rotisserie chicken from Costco and used that instead of cooking chicken myself.  I couldn't pass up a Costco chicken...LOVE THEM.

DIRECTIONS 1. Put 7 cups of water and 4 bouillon's in a pot, then add all the sliced vegetables and corn. 
Cook chicken over medium heat 5-7 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Add remaining ingredients except parsley. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cover; reduce heat. Simmer over medium-low heat 20 minutes or until pasta is tender. Meanwhile, snip parsley with Professional Shears. Just before serving, remove bay leaf and stir in parsley.

Peanut butter and Honey Sandwich

This is one of Trevor's favorite snacks. 

I made it for Michael also but he said he would stick with the Peanut Butter and Banana sandwich.  I don't toast the bread when I make the pb and j sandwich. 

My boys both love peanut butter and jelly tortilla's and tortilla's with butter and sugar.  I always heat the tortilla's on the stovetop before I add the butter/sugar.  

Birthday gift wrap

I was posting the picture below and thought I need a side view photo.  So I started taking more pictures...then thought I should put my hand under the handle so you guys can see that I made a handle with the scrap gift wrap paper. 

The funny thing is I kept telling myself that the gift was

too heavy for the handle.  But I wouldn't listen to myself!

I was trying to take a picture of me holding the gift

by the handle and it broke.  Well, I am glad I always keep the extra scraps...I needed them after I broke the handle

  See, being Frugal can pay off sometimes.

It looks good as new but I will not be lifting it by the handle. 

The yellow arrows show where the paper ripped. 

Oh! I forgot to tell you how I make the handle. By the way... great for lighter gifts.  I fold the extra gift wrap paper so it is long and narrow.  I tape wire on the inside, so you can give shape or hold onto the handle.

I usually tuck the wire under the wrapping paper so you can't see it but I didn't do that this time so you could see it.

German Chocolate Cake

I love this German Chocolate Cake Frosting!  

 This mini German Chocolate bundt cake is from 2015. 

This cupcake is from 2016

This beautiful cake made its way into the Flops section.  I guess it is a little lopsided.  At least that is what Mike thinks.  I know he is right so I took pictures from the angles it wasn't as noticeable.  And if that wasn't enough to make it into the flops section... the poster board fall onto the cake. 

The picture below explains everything.

2016 Cake

Ingredients

• 4 egg yolks
• One 12-ounce can evaporated milk                                          
1 cup granulated sugar  
4 tablespoons dk brown sugar
3/4 stick butter                                                                            
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract                                                          
• 1-1/3 cups sweetened grated coconut                                        
1 1/4  cup pecans broken into small pieces 

Baking Instructions

In a  jelly roll pan, toast the pecans and  coconut at 350 about 8-10 minutes, watch closely. 
See picture below, the coconut is toasted but not brown.

Now in about a 2-quart heavy saucepan, whisk evaporate milk and egg yolks well; then add the sugars. Cut the butter into pieces and add to pan.  Now heat on mediium high, whisking constantly, the butter will melt as it is warmed. It will start to thicken up as it reaches the boiling point. Once it starts to boil, keep stirring about 30 seconds more, then remove from heat, about twelve minutes from start to finish.  Pour through a sieve into a clean medium-sized heatproof bowl.

This traps some little bits of egg but probably wouldn't be noticed.   I won't sieve again.  I actually ate the little clumps of eggs and they tastes great.   

Stir in vanilla thoroughly.

Let cool at room, then chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Remove after 30 minutes and stir in the coconut and pecans well. .

Donuts

You might know by now that my oldest son loves donuts!!!!  So we decide to get creative last year and he asked his date to the Homecoming dance with the HC donut.  That donut was such a hit we decide to get his bestfriend the 16 for his sixteenth birthday.

MOM'S BIRTHDAY CAKE

IF YOU CAN'T TELL HOW BAD MY CAKE IS BY LOOKING AT IT~LOOK AT GLORY'S CAKE BELOW.  THAT IS WHAT I REALLY THOUGHT MY CAKE WOULD LOOK LIKE. 

 I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THIS CAKE WAS GOING TO BE BAD WHEN I WENT TO CRACK THE EGG AND DROPPED IT IN THE CAKE MIX. 

Click here for instruction for a Rosette Cake

The reason I used a glass to make marks on the cake is because I used the them as a template for the rosettes.  Well~ because I used Pillsbury and not Wilton's or homemade frosting the rosettes slid down the cake.  Pillsbury frosting is great for many things but not when you need a stiff frosting.  I just ended up getting a knife and smoothing the frosting out. 

Initial clip art