Happy CBC Monday!

It is Chocolate Birthday Cake Monday.

A homemade cake to celebrate a school co-workers birthday.

Chocolate fixes everything.

Even Mondays that do not go as planned, 

such as today.

Sprinkles: because adulthood needs a little sparkle too.

A little Lovin' from the Oven!!

Happy Monday!

Happiness is a CAKE you can wear as a CROWN

Every time I bake, I realize that life is too short for small cakes. 

However, baking cakes in all sizes seems to cover all the bases when it comes to sharing.

A cake for home.

With whipped cream bling, 

of course! (It makes me happy!!)

And, always some cake for my team/friends at school 

because a bundt cake is just love sculpted into edible geometry.

Right?! 😉

There are three sizes of bundt cakes this time,

but only one way to devour them . . .

. . . without hesitation! 

When in doubt, bake a bundt!!

Happy Wednesday! 

Homemade Blueberry Chutney and more . . .

Believe it or not, we still have blueberries to pick each day. That always gets me thinking about new ways to use them.

Last week it occurred to me that a Blueberry Chutney might be good.

So, I gave it a try!

All the ingredients were here so it was meant to be.

While the chutney was cooking I made a sweet treat.

Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake.

The cake(s) and the chutney finished about the same time.

From our blueberry bushes to the table, we enjoyed the sweetness of our berries in this delightful chutney.

It paired quite well with our grilled fish and mango salsa!!

In fact, it is also tasty by the spoonful as well.

{ Just saying  😉 }

May your day be as peaceful as this tiny hummingbird at rest in our back yard.

Christmas in JULY!

Happy July 1st!

Just popping in to share another chalkboard.

It was easy to change my summer chalkboard into a Christmas chalkboard simply by adding some Christmas lights and a few snowflakes. 

The pineapple was so cute I couldn't resist keeping her up there a little bit longer however something new is needed so she will be replaced shortly. 

I am hoping to get back in my routine and start sharing here again more frequently  so check back to see what is happening this summer.  

Happy Monday!

mini Pumpkin Cakes

These little cakes were a fun dessert to make for, what I would call, a Friendsgiving. 

Our group consists of moms that became friends way back when our children { now adults } were in grade school. We have remained close and try to get together as a group once or twice a year. We always have a wonderful variety of food to enjoy while we catch up. 

Since it is still pumpkin season these little cakes seemed like a good choice to make for our potluck.

And, since I was making them into mini Pumpkins I figured I would add a stem and chocolate leaf to each one to make them extra festive. 

The DIY chocolate leaves were made first so the chocolate could harden while I baked the cakes. There was actually enough batter leftover to make a 9x9 bonus cake as well. 

Cream cheese frosting is always good with pumpkin cake so that was the filling. I had plenty  of  leftover frosting so was able to frost the cake as well. It was the perfect amount for both.

According to the ladies, the more frosting the better!

I like how they think

because that is my feeling too. 

Happy Wednesday!

Dessert Galore!

It has been a “sweet” week of baking. 

This is the first time I have made Orange cupcakes and I must say they were winners in my book. The fresh zest and juice gave them an extra burst of flavor which I liked. 

Then it was on to chocolate cake. This was actually the second chocolate cake I made in a week although this one I made to give away. The other one was for Sunday Supper. 

Our blueberries are in season now and there are plenty to pick each day. We always eat some, freeze some and also keep some out for baking. 

This dessert I also gave away so will have to make another one while the blueberries are still on however a handful of fresh picked blueberries are a tasty treat too.

Have a Sweet Day!

Meals on Heels ~ Lemon Layer Cake & more

A few days after Easter it was our turn to deliver another Bake & Take meal. This time my meal planning started with dessert which is fun. Since we had recently stocked up on lemons for baking this month we had plenty on hand so I decided to use some to make this yummy Lemon Mascarpone Layer Cake as the finale to their meal.  

An eight inch two layer cake seemed about the right size and would leave just enough leftover batter for another small two layer cake for us, which is always a bonus. 

Lemon inside and outside the cakes. It doesn't get better than that. 

Topped off with vanilla frosting. 

I try and bake everything the afternoon of delivery so that it is fresh, hot and ready to eat when we drop it off. Since the cake would need time to cool I mixed that up right after I got the carrots marinating for the carrot salad.

Next were the bread sticks. Once the dough was rising I moved onto the lasagna. 

The two lasagnas were made and ready to bake just about the time the cakes came out of the oven so everything was on schedule. As I usually do, I doubled the meal so our dinner was covered too.

By that time the cake layers were cool enough to start assembling and then I realized I was out of cake boards. Unfortunately, there was not enough time to run out for one so I needed a plan B. Since I was in a pinch I considered using a paper plate and then I had another idea. I asked Mr. Wonderful if he could quickly cut me one from a board in his shop. "Piece of Cake", he said. 

Sure enough, he had a perfect wood scrap and made not only one for this cake but 5 others in varied sizes as well. "Go big or go home" is his motto. After washing and drying the new cake board and covering it with foil I frosted the cake and finished with little time to spare. 

We packed up everything in our cooler on wheels, except for the cake of course, which I carried, and we made our delivery...and on time too.

I love when a plan comes together! 

Happy Saturday!

Sweet Treat Tuesday

It was baking day. The sweet treats had nearly run out, and we can’t let that happen, so it was time to replenish. 

Classic chocolate chip cookies are a must around here as they freeze well which makes them handy in a pinch. Our freezer supply had diminished so this was a good time to restock. However, what I was really after was cake.

We are fortunate to have a good supply of homegrown frozen blueberries so when they caught my eye while grabbing something from the freezer I knew the dessert would need to include some of those gems. My recipe ideas were finally narrowed down to this Blueberry Pecan Coffeecake. The great thing about this cake is that it is wonderful for breakfast as well as dessert. 

We could hardly wait for the cake to cool before cutting into it. Of course, it is hard to beat warm cake straight from the oven, or cookies too for that matter. Then, a bit later, I realized I had forgotten the whipped cream. There is just something wonderful about a dollop of whipped cream on top of almost anything. That was a quick and easy fix though. Now we have both, cake  and whipped cream.

A couple of classic sweet treats for dessert { and breakfast } this week.

That should hold us, at least until the weekend. Haha!

Happy Tuesday!