A Sweet Memory...

                                                 

Something about eating a Popsicle on a warm day. Brings back such sweet memories of when my girls were little...

XoXo,

Hummingbird Cupcakes...

I had never heard of a Hummingbird cake/cupcakes until one of my girlfriends was having her bridal shower. I wanted to do something nice for her, and asked if she would like for me to make the cupcakes for her shower. Then I proceeded to ask her, her favorite flavor of cake. Thinking she would say something like chocolate, vanilla, red velvet, something I had heard of and made before. But nope she said, "My favorite is Hummingbird cake." 

So my next step was to search my cookbooks and internet for this very strange name of a cake. That has nothing to do with hummingbirds and indeed ended up being very very moist and delicious...

Ingredients...

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple, undrained
• 1 cup chopped pecans (optional)
• 2 cups chopped bananas
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans, or sanding sugar, or shredded coconut for garnish

Cream Cheese Frosting...

• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1 (16-ounce) package powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation of Frosting...

• Beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until light and fluffy. Stir in vanilla. You can gradually add more powdered sugar to get the consistency you like if using a pastry bag/tip.

Preparation of Cake/Cupcakes...

• Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; add eggs and oil, stirring until dry ingredients are moistened. (Do not beat.) Stir in vanilla, pineapple, 1 cup pecans, and bananas.
• Pour batter into three greased and floured 9-inch round cake pans. Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks. You can also make 24 cupcakes with this recipe. Bake time and temperature was the same in my oven.
• Spread Cream Cheese Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake; sprinkle with pecans, sanding sugar or shredded coconut on top for garnish.                                 

XoXo,

Love My Back Yard Plants...

Yay... Today is my day off and so very pretty outside. I will be playing, maybe working to some of you ~ in my back yard. It is definitely in desperate need of some tender loving care. Here are a few of my favorite plants. I will try and come up with the correct names for them...

 

 

 

XoXo,

 

Romantic Prairie Style~FiFi O'NeiLL...

Sometime next week... Fifi's fabulous book, Romantic Prairie Style, will be showing up on my doorstep, and I'm quite sure it will be filled with beautiful ideas for my indoor and outdoor living...

Photo By Mark Lohman...

Photo By Mark Lohman...

This will definitely be a book to add to any and all of your collections. The two photos are from the home of Carol Spinski, they are a sneak peek into Fifi's book. You may purchase Romantic Prairie Style on Amazon. I also really really recommend stopping by Chez Fifi's  website. You will absolutely love all of her photos and ideas...
XoXo,