EAT CAKE AND MOVE ON!

This is my new MOTTO and here is my new tea cup to go along with it!



I'm trying to focus on nutritious foods this year as my resolution.

But I won't deny a little slice now and then, and I won't fret about it either!

BANANA WALNUT CAKE

Banana Bread is almost a staple around our house. I buy a bunch of bananas at the start of the week and add one to every ones lunch bag or cereal bowl at breakfast. By the end of the week there always seem to be a couple overlooked because they're spotted like a giraffe. So these are the ones that get made into banana bread. My youngest doesn't like walnuts, so rarely do I add walnuts. I usually just make plain - meaning banana only. On even more rare occasions, I will add chocolate chips to satisfy my sons sweet tooth.

Well today, I decided to turn the ordinary into something a little more extraordinary. Instead of filling a loaf pan, I filled a square cake pan. To the usual banana bread batter I included finely chopped walnuts. Hopefully it won't be too noticeable by the 'picky one'. When I say picky, I mean he literally picks out every last nut or anything resembling a nut.I wanted to turn the usual banana bread into more of an old fashioned coffee/tea cake.

After baking for about the same time as usual. I let it cool. After it cooled, I inverted it onto a vintage glass cake stand - to give it even more grandeur. I frosted just the top with vanilla butter frosting, then finished it with a dusting of powdered sugar.

Now I know I should leave it alone till hubby comes homes tonight -
but I am so hungry and it sure is tempting me as I make myself a cup of tea on this cold winter day!

Where do you blog? PARTY

Centsational Crafty Girls



I have been blogging for less that a year.
I do it here at our computer station in the bedroom :(




I know what you're all saying -
"WHAT A COMPUTER IN THE BEDROOM? THAT'S JUST WRONG!"
Really, I feel the same way.
It's just that our place is so small -
It's like one of those puzzles where if you move one square,
you have to move every other square until you get the picture just right
(In our case it's furniture that becomes the puzzle pieces).

We also have very awkward features that prevent us from being able to use our space normally like:
an electric baseboard heater on the only wall where a couch/sofa should go.
a patio door that shares a window of a different size in the same corner.
a coat closet that shares the same wall as the patio door & our flat screen.
...and on... and on... and on.

I have made great strides in minimizing & camouflaging much of this using my creativity, (Look for DIY posts & photos coming soon on my blog) but haven't found how to bring the computer out of the bedroom & still enjoy a peaceful (hubby is always @ the computer where he forgets he's not alone -hence the four letter words when he plays video games) pretty room(he's techy too, so lots of cables, controllers, tech gadgets etc. that spill out & multiply & take over like something from a movie - scary stuff!) Not something you need to see in a living room,dinning room or bedroom.

As of last week though I am now the owner of a new iPod touch that I got free when I cashed in points for shopping at PriceSmart & Save-on-foods.



So now because we have wireless internet(THANKS HONEY!) I can blog from anywhere.

FREE Apple 8GB iPod

I had gone shopping for a few things Thursday night @ PriceSmart foods and upon paying for my order found out I could get a FREE Apple 8GB iPod if I cashed in 50,000 Save On More points. If only I had that many!

In the current rewards book you need 99,000 points but the hot offer for the current week was only 50,000. Well I had 37,000+ to date; but I did need more groceries. So what did I do? I went home Thursday with flyer in hand to do some brain storming.



Went back to the store early Friday evening bought 10 boxes of Kellogg's cereal with a bonus points coupon so I got 10,000 points there alone; that brought our current points to 47,000 - still need to hit 50,000(we go through a lot of cereal and with school start up just around the corner, we'll be prepared for early breakfasts).

Next We buy some frozen meat cause we have to have protein! Well that added another 2,000 points bringing us up to just under 50,000 points as we total our bill. HUH?! For sure I thought we had over 50,000 points.


DUH!! I forgot that I had an extra points coupon in my purse when my points card was scanned at the door before shopping this gave me an additonal 1,000 points for spending at least $75.00 on my groceries! BINGO ! Over 50,000 points! Cha Ching!

Hubby & I go over the Customer Service Counter to cash in our points and order our FREE iPod. "Would you like one now?" asks the girl at customer service "We just got a bunch of them in!" "YA, WE WOULD!"

Another Birthday Dinner

Saturday three of our BFF's showed up with a new

modernist white (my fave)chip and dip dish

for my Birthday complete with munchies and dip,

yum.

Later they took us out for Butter Chicken

@ Ashokas and it was sooo good.

We headed over to their place for Chocolate cake

and a late night movie

- 'The Eye', not too scary for our 12 year old

(I really mean myself).

I think the background sound effects

from hubby snoring

(cause he was up since 3:30 am)

was real scary for all of us.

ha ha ;)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

Yesterday was my BIRTHDAY & I went out for dinner with my hubby & 12 year old (he turns 13 next Saturday, yup he will officially be a TEEN, YIKES!) Aynway we enjoyed my favorite dinner - Sushi, yum. We had our usual favorites and tried some new ones - sure glad we did cause now we have new faves!




There were just four pieces left-over; just the perfect amount for little ol' me for lunch today. I will enjoy, till the next Sushi night. We have to have them more often!

Cricut Cake Cutter Demo

Today I'm going to go check out the new cake design cutter by Cricket.

I think

I need to,

want to,

& must have

one to blog about future projects on this blog.

Of course not to mention for all those Special Birthdays
& every other occasion you need a cake for!

I have watched a number demos on the Internet
and am already convinced by its charms.
I'm not saying I'm going to buy one today, no no,
I have to save up or have some $$ fall from the sky,
whichever comes first!

I already own a Personal Cricut Cutter which I
(and my friends & family) have been using for the past few years.

My son has used it on several occasions for school projects,
which made for a less stressed & happy homework outcome.
One of my convincing arguments to myself for buying this
little piece of indulgence , was for that very reason.

I also own the Gypsy (Hubby made me buy it), honest!

So stop by and visit my blogs on a regular basis for projects
using any or all of the above.