April 7, 2009

Are you baking for Easter?  The essential Bunny Cake with coconut decoration automatically comes to mind, but how about something a little different?  Here are some ideas from the brilliant minds in Blogdom!

• Easter Egg Shortbread Cookies from Baking Bites
• Bee Hive Honey Cupcakes with Honey Buttercream Frosting topped with Peanut Butter Crunch from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody
• Strawberry Easter Desserts from Spatulas, Corkscrews & Suitcases
• Carrot Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting from The Kitchen Sink Recipes
• Matzo Toffee from Noble Pig
• Spinach Brownies from My Baking Addiction
• German Chocolate Cake: Inside Out from Sass & Veracity
• Easter Cookies from Joy of Baking
• Strawberries and Cream Cake from CookieMadness
• Easter Pie from Cooks.com
• Blueberry Lime Angel Food Cake from Cast Sugar
• French Yogurt Cake from She’s Becoming Doughmesstic
• And last but not least, don’t miss the adorable sheep, chickies, bunnies and Easter eggs that Bakerella has created!

Happy Easter, and happy baking!

~BigSis

April 6, 2009

I LOVE this Sephora Stimulating Lavender Cuticle Oil!

Sephora Stimulating Lavender Cuticle Oil

I first heard about this cuticle oil over on The Beauty of Life. When BeautyChick101 said that she didn’t like the smell of lavender, but that she couldn’t get enough of it after using this cuticle oil, I knew that I had to try it. And after reading her review, I was fairly certain that this product would not disappoint. (I didn’t know there was a person alive that didn’t love lavender.)

This little pen size container sells for $12.00 and is perfect for keeping in your purse.  I’ve only been using it for a few days, but my cuticles are already looking better. My cuticles were dry, dry, dry!  I’m anal about pedicures, but I never get manicures so my cuticles are always in pretty bad shape. This cuticle oil smells so much better than others I’ve used in the past. (I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I don’t run out of this too quickly.)

Lavender has been one of my favorite scents for as long as I can remember! This article has some interesting facts about the healing benefits of lavender.

Have you ever seen so many lavender plants? (Photo by Julie Ponder)

And while we’re talking lavender, these are just a few of my favorite products that also contain the yummy scent.

• Relaxing Lavender Massage Oil from The Body Shop
• Lavender Relaxing Foot Cream from L’Occitane
• Calm to Your Senses Lavender/Vanilla Body Souffle from Origins
• Lavender Incense from L’Occitane. (And yes, I’m still made at you, L’Occitane for discontinuing the Lavender/Amber Incense.)

Oh, did I mention that I love lavender? If you’re lucky, BigSis, I’ll let ya try my cuticle oil when you’re here!

Note added 5/27/2012: Could it be true that Sephora doesn’t make this oil any longer? We can’t find it on Sephora’s web site. They have an original Cuticle Care Pen and a eucalyptus version of it, but the lavender is nowhere to be seen! If you find it, please let us know!

~LilSis

April 5, 2009

Last weekend I brought my camera on one of my long walks, and recorded some signs of spring that we’ve just now started to see.  Hallelujah!  We’ve had a wacky winter, even by Texas standards.  There have been a few nice surprising 80 degree days, but followed by literally 20 degree days overnight.  That’s happened several times over the winter, and it surely has to confuse our plant life.  Thankfully, winter is behind us now and we’re in the midst of early spring…

Spunky the Squirrel says "Welcome to Spring!"

First Azalea

First weed among new green grass, breaking through winter's dead grass

Beautiful white Indian Hawthorne blooms

Hydrangea, perhaps?

Red Tip Photinia preparing to bloom...so stinky! A-a-a-chooo!!

One little white bloom snuck under the wall to shine on his own

First green shoots that will soon enrobe this tree

Pink Cherry Blossom blooms against a blue sky

Pink against a backdrop of green

More pink...

...and more pink!

Wherever you are, I hope spring will be finding you soon!

~BigSis

April 4, 2009

Due to some major technical difficulties yesterday, I am not writing today about what I had originally intended. I had numerous software problems which caused me to have to uninstall and reinstall several programs. I also had problems downloading my photos to my laptop (which still isn’t resolved). But the icing on the cake was when I realized that I had lost a couple of hours worth of input on my post for today.

My first instinct was to find the nearest wall to kick. (Luckily I was still thinking straight enough to realize that I might break a toenail if I did that, so I decided against it.)

Once I walked away, I tried to calmly ask myself, so what are my choices here?

1. Go sit in a corner and cry.
2. Find someone to yell at.
3. Have a total mental meltdown.
4. Drive to the nearest MAC counter.
5. Post about something else today.
6. Call BigSis for sympathy.

I opted for #5! I don’t think any of the first three options would have made me feel any better. And I had already gone to the MAC counter once this week so I decided that wouldn’t be very responsible, either.

So, since I opted not to go buy a new MAC product, I thought I could at least share this interview with you that I ran across today on The Beauty of Life.  Since BigSis and I are both obsessed with MAC, I thought this would be an okay alternative to what I had originally intended on posting today. The interview is with Gregory Arlt, who has been a Senior Makeup Artist with MAC for over 15 years. He did Cher’s makeup for this Living Proof Album Cover.

He has had a very interesting career. I hope you enjoy the interview. It’s about all I can ‘muster’ up for today. Oh, and I did also call BigSis for sympathy!

Have a great weekend!

~LilSis

April 3, 2009

A Modest Pear from Bent Objects

Have you seen this clever – dare I say, brilliant – site?  It’s called Bent Objects and I’ve never seen anything like it.

Carrots from Bent Objects

I have so much admiration for the kind of creativity it takes to look at a common household object or a piece of produce, and imagine what it could be.  I guess the thing that impresses me so much is that these pieces have SO much personality, and you can almost imagine what they’re thinking or saying.

I found out that a book is coming out soon from the creative mind behind this work, Terry Border.  It’s called Bent Objects: The Secret Life of Everyday Things and you can preorder it Amazon.  I think this would make an excellent gift for the person who has everything, and as a coffee table book for yourself.  Get one, and be inspired to see things in a fresh new way!

~BigSis

April 2, 2009

I’m probably going to totally embarrass myself by showing you a photo of my cabinet that contains my baking supplies.  But, that’s okay. I’m not too proud. Go ahead and laugh, those of you with perfectly stocked pantries! That includes you, BigSis!

My teeny tiny supply of baking ingredients

What led me to show this photo is the previous post by BigSis about the OXO Containers. I was thinking that if I bought a couple of those, I’d have to put expiration dates on the bottom of the containers. I, seriously, do not use my flour enough to not look at the expiration date.  And yes, I have also had baking powder expire. I think I might have even used it once after it was expired. You can guess how that turned out.

This cabinet is actually not too messy because no one gets in it very much! Ha! I don’t even drink tea, but that whole top shelf is full of tea. I think I bought it for guests and there it sits taking up an entire shelf! I may have to work on that.

If I had time, I would put the spices on the bottom shelf on a lazy susan, like I have my other spices, but it’s not a top priority. I do love my spices in alphabetical order but every time BigT cooks, he never puts them back in their place!

I love the theory, “Everything has a place, and everything in it’s place.” BUT, I don’t live in a fantasy world. I live in a house with three males. So, I can’t let my OCD tendencies take over or I’d drive myself up a ding dang wall! If I’m going to have HayHay help unload the dishwasher and allow BigT to cook in the kitchen, nothing is ever going to be exactly as I would like it.  I’m okay with that. I’ve learned how to deal with it.

So, BigSis, ya think I need one of those containers for my flour? Hee Hee! Every time I use it, flour goes everywhere because there’s  hole in the side of the bag! And, just for you, I didn’t change anything. This should at least have a clip on it to stay closed, right?

Believe it or not, I really am a neat freak! My flour is just neglected!

One more question, that King Arthur Whole Wheat Flour on the third shelf has never been opened but I cannot find an expiration date on it anywhere. I don’t even know what I bought it for. Should I just toss it?

~LilSis

April 1, 2009

Remember when I went on and on about the cool OXO Good Grips Pop Containers that I used to organize my baking ingredients?  Well, guess who else is using them?  Food Network!  I’ve noticed the containers on episodes of Iron Chef America and on Chopped.  Pretty cool, huh?  I figure Food Network could choose any food storage system they wanted to, so if they opted for the Pop Containers, then it’s a pretty credible confirmation of my choice, me thinks.

I worked in advertising for a long time, so the concept of product placement is not lost on me.  For example, could Glad possibly feature their products any more than they do on Top Chef?  It seems like every other shot focuses on a box of Glad bags.  Perhaps OXO has a sponsorship deal with Food Network (aren’t we suspicious!), but I haven’t noticed any mention of it, and the Pop Containers’ appearances have been pretty subtle.  I just happened to notice them because I’m crazy mad for these things!

OXO Good Grips Pop Container

Keep your eyes peeled for these little beauties the next time you’re on the Food Network.  And watch for the Bed Bath & Beyond 20% off coupons so you can get your own!

~BigSis

March 31, 2009

Sorry to hear about the untimely death of all your houseplants, BigSis!! That’s a real bummer! I hate it when something like that happens that is absolutely no one’s fault but your own! You had some beautiful, unique plants! I know you’re just sick about it! Are you going to try to replace them or wait a while to give yourself time to mourn?

Not that this compares at all with the death of all your beloved houseplants, but I’ve been mad at myself for the past two days because I thought I lost my new Hello Kitty Mac cosmetic bag. 🙁 (I know, boo hoo!)

I had become very attached to that bag and it contained five of my favorite MAC lipsticks, including the two new Hello Kitty lipsticks. I called the grocery store twice to have them check their lost and found because it’s the only place I could remember where I might have taken the bag out of my purse to get my wallet out. Of course, they said no one had turned it in.

Today, I was just about ready to accept the fact that it was gone and move on. Then, this morning, SirHoney found my bag somewhere in his truck and he walked in with it in his hand and just said “You owe me big time”.   🙂

He’s right.  I do! I’m sure he’ll think of something he wants in return!

We really don’t like to whine and complain too much here but I promise this will be my last rant for a while. I’m so aggravated at myself about this! Over the past several months, BigSis talked about the Borba anti-cellulite products and BigSis talked more about Borba results and I shared my results with the Borba Products; yet I let myself run out of the contour creme! DUH!

When the tube started sputtering, I should have ordered more instead of waiting until it was practically gone! I had no choice but to hack into the tube with some scissors so I can try to scrape out enough to last a couple of days.

I'm not wasting a drop of this stuff!

And yes, IMHO, this product is worth the trouble! I even paid extra S&H so I could receive it in two days. Whew! I feel better now. I’m over it!

Over the next several days, we’ll get back to talking about more cheerful stuff; like Spring in Texas, Easter Bunny cakes, Easter menus, and BigSis’ and SisMamas’ upcoming trip to California.

Maybe I’ll have time soon to talk about some new MAC and Urban Decay products that I couldn’t resist buying!

~LilSis

March 30, 2009

I’m so mad at myself.  Livid and disgusted and sick, in fact.  Is there anything worse than being mad at yourself, for something you did or didn’t do?  It’s so much more satisfying to be mad at someone ELSE.  You can punish them and demand that they make things right.  Whatever those “things” are.

I can’t be mad at anyone else this time.  I’m responsible.  I killed my plants.  All of them.  All.  Of.  Them.  Every last one.  The curly hoya and the regular hoya I’ve had for close to 25 years.  The ficus that LilSis gave me when she moved to California, along with the other plant she gave me that I never knew the name of.  The gorgeous new hoya hanging basket I found last year.  And the dracaena  from our dad’s funeral.  They’re all dead.  I put them in trash bags and hauled them to the dumpster.

How did this happen?  How did I keep these living things alive…some from my very first apartment, to the condo, and then to the dark apartment building, only to kill them all here?  Last December 15, on the day of the SPCA Bake Sale, we had the mother of all sleet storms here in Dallas.  I had been baking non-stop for 3 weeks, and was punchy from a 14-hour day of raising money for one of my favorite charities.  By the time I got home and unpacked things and cleaned up my kitchen and fed my furkids and myself, I must have fallen into a coma because I didn’t give one thought to all of the literally freezing plants on my north-facing patio.

If I had even one working brain cell at that point, I would have just put a couple of sheets over the poor things to protect them from the sleet and temperatures in the teens.  But did I do that?  Nope.  And so they all died.  I’ve been watering and watering the little stumps, hoping to see one little green sprig, but none appeared.

I’m a little surprised at how upset I am that all of these living things are dead.  I’ve taken care of them, watered them, fertilized them, trimmed them, nursed them, moved them, enjoyed them and loved them for so many years.  And now I’m responsible for their deaths.  I know I can get new plants.  But they won’t be MY plants.  They’ll just be plants.

~BigSis

March 29, 2009

I saw this Peanut Butter Coconut Bar recipe on Cookie Madness recently and I thought it sounded interesting. I love coconut and I love peanut butter, so why not put them together? It’s a combination that I haven’t seen in too many recipes.

I’m not always successful at my baking attempts, but I’m not ready to give up on trying to become a better baker (yet) !  I do, however, try to find recipes that aren’t too complicated. This one seemed pretty easy so I decided to give it a try.

Anna said that she felt the bars were a little dry so I asked her what she would change if she were to make them again. She made a few suggestions. First of all, I did take her advice to start off by making a half batch to make sure everyone liked them.

I cut the recipe in half, but still used the one egg that was in the original recipe. Anna had suggested possibly adding an extra egg yolk to help moisten the bars, so I didn’t think it could hurt to use the whole egg. (I got lucky and it worked out fine.) I also added 1 T. of Coconut Milk and used chopped pecans on top of the bars instead of peanuts.

These really did turn out good! They were rich and moist and almost a cross between a blondie and a peanut butter cookie, with a little surprise of coconut.

Peanut Butter Coconut Bars
(adapted from Gourmet via Cookie Madness)

6 T. unsalted butter, softened
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. smooth peanut butter
1 large egg
1/2 t. vanilla
1 T. coconut milk
1/4 t. salt
1 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. sweetened flaked coconut
1/4 c. chopped pecans

In a bowl with an electric mixer, cream the butter with the sugar and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the peanut butter, beat the mixture until it is combined well, and beat in the egg, the vanilla, the coconut milk, and the salt. Add the flour, beat the mixture until it is just combined, and stir in the coconut. Spread the mixture evenly into a buttered pan (for this half batch, I used an 8 x 8 pan). Sprinkle the pecans over it, pressing them into the mixture lightly, and bake in the middle rack of a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Let the mixture cool completely in the pan on a rack, then cut into bars.

Thanks for the recipe and the suggestions, Anna! Now, does anyone have any ideas on what to do with an entire can of coconut milk?

~LilSis