Toes in the sand! (day 2)

Yesterday was a wonderful, sunny day! I finally got to wiggle my toes in the warm, soft sand! This is one of my favorite things about the beach! We stayed at the beach all day! I love laying the warm sand, soaking up the sun rays until you can barely stand the heat! Then you run to the refreshing ocean and jump in! Awesome! Yesterday was wonderful, but I was drained and exhausted and went to bed early and slept wonderfully! Here are a few beach pictures!

Hawaii here I come!

It’s finally here! I’ve been waiting for this day to come! My parents left for Maui (ya that's right, Maui, Hawaii!) on the 23rd. my sister, Erika, and I joined them today for two weeks of wonderful relaxing, fun filled weeks of sunshine, barbecues, sunsets, and just plain laying in the soft sand doing nothing!!! I’m sooo excited! some of my friends are going to be with us, and that sweetens the pie just perfectly!

To start our trip off , Erika and I began at a little train station way out in nowhereville!I’m telling you, it was like I’d been stuck in a twilight zone! It was so neat. Imagine you walk in from the rain , tugging your luggage. Complete silence, except for the pitter patter rain outside and the constant tick of the clock. You walk up to the counter , and, behind the glass there sits and elderly, sweet, old man wearing a conductor’s hat. Are you there? Well, after sitting doing nothing for about half a hour, You hear a loud train whistle. Everyone ( all ten of them) rush to the platform, ready to get aboard the huffing puffing engine. I loved it!

After two and half hours of stopping at every little town between olympia and Portland, we finally made it to our destination! Our very nice friends picked us up and generously let us spend the night at their house, (which was soooooo fun!) and then drove us the airport! Thank you Feliciano's!!! Our flight started boarding at 8:00. So we got to the airport around 7:15. We had a very easy time through security surprisingly! I was really tired because I barely slept the night before:)! So the plane ride seemed really short!

Erika was having fun with her camera! Hence the picture! Well, anyway my parents picked us up from the airport! I didn’t realize how much I had missed them and Ronni and Dylan until I saw them! Dylan was soooo sweet, he kept wanting to give Erika and Me kisses and hugs and just hold our hand! I love him sooo much! So that was pretty much our first day! I already miss everybody but I’m sure I’m going to have a great time anyway!:) This is the view from our condo! I’m pretty blessed!

Red Velvet Cupcakes!

I don't know what it is about these single serving sized, cute and delicious cakes, but, in my personal opinion, I think cupcakes take the cake! My favorite is red velvet with cream cheese frosting. YUM! There is something about this dense, velvety, chocolaty, cake smothered in creamy, buttery frosting that just makes you close your eyes and want that wonderful feeling of happiness and perfect contentedness to linger for just a few more moments. I can taste it right now! Well, any way, back to earth!


I will post my recipe for red velvet cake. I've tried a couple and most of them tasted plain and ordinary, but then a good friend of mine gave me her recipe, that she got from a friend years ago, who got it from her mom (those recipes are always the best!). This recipe really is good! You should try it... Red Velvet cake is suppose to be very moist.


Red Velvet cake is said to have originated in the early 20th century and is traditionally a southern dessert. However, it really became popular in the 40's during war time. Bakers used boild beets because food coloring was scarce, to inhance the color of their cakes. Red velvet is normally serve with a creamy white frosting, cream cheese being my favorite hope you enjoy the recipe!

Red Velvet Cake

1/2 cp crisco
2 Tbs cocoa
2 eggs
1 1/2 cp sugar
2 1/4 flour
1 tsp salt
1 Tbs vinegar
2 oz red dye
1 cp butter milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp butter flavoring
1 tsp baking soda

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In the bowl of a mixer, cream together the shortening, eggs and sugar. In a separate small bowl, mix together the cocoa and food coloring. Add the paste to the shortening mixture. Sift the flour and salt together . Add to the batter alternately with the buttermilk in 3 additions. Add the vanilla extract. Fold in the baking soda and vinegar. Pour the batter into 2 greased 9-inch cake pans. Bake for 30 minutes or until an inserted cake tester comes out clean. Let cool on a cooling rack. Invert the cakes from the pans.

Schools Out!!!!

Hello Everyone, It's been a while! Well, My last class for this quarter was yesterday! Whew!!! Although I enjoyed school very much, it was extremely taxing mentally. Not just the homework... I have learned a lot though, and now I can actually start baking! Hurrah! I probably won't be starting the program till Spring, though. This will give me a little break.

I thought I'd share with you one of my favorite cookies for the season; The Almond Bonbon! a soft butter cookie filled with almond paste, glazed in a sweet almond frosting. These make perfect presents, and a fresh warm plate of home baked cookies is always an excellent way to let someone know you're thinking about them.

Almond Bonbons

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/3 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 package almond paste

Almond Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
4 to 5 teaspoons milk

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. In large bowl, beat flour, butter, 1/3 cup powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons, milk and the vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon. Cut almond paste into 1/2-inch slices; cut each slice into fourths.

2. Shape 1-inch ball of dough around each piece of almond paste. Gently roll to form ball. On un greased cookie sheet, place balls about 1 inch apart.

3. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until set and bottom is golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

4. In small bowl, mix all glaze ingredients with spoon until smooth. Dip tops of cookies into glaze; sprinkle with sugar crystals.