Sunday, February 22, 2009

Coffee Cake: Breakfast or Dessert?

I made a coffee cake for breakfast this morning.

The whole concept of coffee cake has always been somewhat confusing to me. It's cake. Typically you would have cake for dessert after a meal. I've never had anyone offer me dessert after breakfast though; it's usually after dinner.

And yet, cake is considered an appropriate breakfast food? Like I said, the whole concept of coffee cake is somewhat confusing. Nonetheless, that didn't stop me from making coffee cake this morning.

I rarely eat anything for breakfast except for coffee. The exception is Sunday mornings when I don't have to work, then I like to make pancakes, eggs, bacon with some fresh fruit or a breakfast casserole before we head off for church. I will definitely make this coffee cake again although it seems to me that it is more dessert than breakfast. Don't let that stop you from trying it. It is delicious.


Blueberry Coffee Cake

2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup milk
2 eggs slightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
.
Icing
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1-3 tsp. milk

Preparation:Heat oven to 375. Grease a 13x9 inch pan. In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Using pastry blender, cut in butter. Add milk, eggs and vanilla. Stir well. Pour 3/4 batter into greased pan. Top with blueberries. Spoon remaining batter over blueberries. Bake for 35 minutes. Cool 30 minutes. In small bowl , blend icing ingredients. Drizzle over warm cake.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Make-over Magic

What does your hairstyle say about you?

When I stand in front of a mirror, I wonder, does my hair style really fit me? Am I too old to wear my hair long? Am I too blonde?

I occasionally go a little darker or a little lighter; grow out my bangs or chop them off short.
Thanks to my dad's side of the family, I have "premature greying." I noticed the first few strands when I turned 23 years old and it's just progressed from there. Thank goodness for hair color. I used to do my own hair coloring. I used Clairol "Nice and Easy." My sister used the same product. We used to have a running joke when we introduced ourselves: "I'm nice, she's easy." Obviously, only one of those statements was true...

I now leave the hair coloring to the professionals. I also stopped cutting my own bangs after an unfortunate incident a few years ago. It's better that way.

Overall, I've never had a drastic change in my hairstyle. I'm not very brave when it comes to new hairstyle. I know that my hair would grow if I got it cut short but I'm scared of getting a hairstyle that requires a lot of upkeep. With my long hair, I can put it up and be done with it. If I had a shorter style, I might have to style it everyday. I never want to be that high maintenance.

My dog however, has no such issues nor is he scared of of new styles. He understands that your appearance has an effect on how people perceive you.
For instance, this look says: I'm a slacker. I don't have job. I crash on the couch at my buddies house . I stay up all night. I sleep all day. I care about having fun. I'll do anything for a treat. I can't control my excitement and I pee on your mom sometimes. I'm all about kisses. I just want to be happy.


But this new look - it's a whole different dog. It says, I'm a good dog. My job is protecting you and your property and I take it seriously. I won't run away. I won't jump on your guests or bark at kids in the neighborhood. I sit, I stay. I don't shed. I just want to make you happy.

I wonder what my hairstyle says about me?

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Mouse Cake

It's my birthday today!

I started thinking back to my birthday last year when I turned 30.... ahem, 40. My husband decided that he would make me a special dessert. The dessert was some sort of trifle, it had layers of chocolate cake and Baileys Irish creme and I'm not sure what else. Jay was in the kitchen, putting together the cake. PD, our dog, was but a puppy then. He loved to go in and out of the house (still does.) I was sitting in the family observing Jay make the trifle and let the dog in and out.

And here is why we are eating birthday dessert out this year...

PD came to the door with something in his mouth. Jay stopped cutting the cake apart to take it from his mouth and walk through the house to the garage with it. He was shielding what was in his hand from me. When he came back into the house, he explained that PD had brought a dead vole (which is kind of like a mouse but they live in the lawn) to him and he threw it away in the garage.

And then, my husband walked back over to the island where he reached for the cake and I screamed.... JAY, WASH YOUR HANDS, just in time.

So, he did.

I hate to think what would have happened had I not been there.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Dance Revolution

My husband and I started ballroom dance classes. We're not good, at all.


We need to practice. A lot.


We've been practicing our dance steps when we hear music that we think has the right beat.


Apparently, I don't practice as much as my husband would like because he's taken on an additional partner.