Ready For Some Football!

It's the beginning of our favorite season around here...FOOTBALL!  In honor of the first week, I made football cake pops over the weekend.  These are fun to make and perfect for football parties! 

70th Birthday Cake

I got a call at 9:30 a.m. Saturday morning from someone who wanted a cake for her mother-in-law's 70th birthday party THAT AFTERNOON!  Luckily, my sweet hubby understood and I went to work!  I decided to do chocolate cake with smooth chocolate buttercream and fondant roses.  

Alabama Birthday Cake

As a passionate Auburn fan, this cake was tough!  But I'll do anything for my sweet Dad.  He asked for a Bama cake, so I delivered! 

I had a couple of pretty cute assistants too!

A Few Good Books

Fresh From the Farmer's Market. If you love cooking with fresh fruits and vegetables, you will love this book!  It's organized season-by-season and includes fabulous recipes!

All In: What It Takes to Be the Best.  Forgive me if you aren't an Auburn fan, but I just have to include Coach Gene Chizik's new book.  I'm so proud we are National Champions, but reading it made me even prouder to have this man as our coach!  War Eagle....

Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back.  Simply put, THE BEST BOOK I'VE READ THIS YEAR.  If you haven't read it, buy it. Now. You will laugh, you will cry, you will be changed. 

The Help.  This really is a great read and you can see the movie now too!  Sidenote: The author is an Alabama graduate...I'm keeping it fair on this blog!

Pirate Birthday Cake

I made a birthday cake for a little boy last week who loves pirates!  His mom texted me a picture of the plates they were using for the party and I based the design on those.  This two-tier was so much fun to create!

30th Birthday Cake

My friend Sarah turned 30 last week and I had to make a cake to help her celebrate!  She said she wanted turquoise so we went with that in a big way!

Sweet Beginnings

Here it is…my second attempt at the blogging world!  So many things have changed since the first.  I’ve married my love and best friend and have moved to a new city, home, and office. My sweet dog has passed away (which still brings tears to my eyes), but I’ve also been blessed with a beautiful niece and new precious nephew.  Hence, the name for the blog. Sweet Beginnings.  If you know me well, you know I’m resistant to change.  I prefer order over chaos and prosper in the familiar and the routine. But God has shown me that this journey is all about change, and if we look hard enough, we will discover the sweet in all the new beginnings He brings us. 

The name has another meaning too…since the first blog, I’ve found a new passion! Appropriately, it began with my first gift from my sweet hubby, a shiny KitchenAid Artisan Mixer. 

Why is it that our best childhood memories are those involving food?  I think the short answer is that food brings us together and makes us feel loved. 

My sweet mom probably doesn’t remember, but I treasured our Saturday morning tradition of making pancakes. The day she starting letting me flip the cakes was a proud day!  It was a simple thing, but it was our time together and it made me feel special.  I still think about those Saturdays every time I make pancakes. 

I can distinctly remember the smell of Mummy’s kitchen during the holiday baking days.  Her perfect divinity just tasted like Christmas and those days brought the whole family together.  To this day, when I make a cup of hot tea, I crave her simple but sweet white bread tea sandwiches with butter and sugar. 

My other grandmother, Nanny, was a wonderful baker. Her cornbread, biscuits and breads were nothing short of amazing. One of my fondest memories with her is the day I finally mastered her cream cheese pound cake!  I’m still working on those biscuits.

Once I finally received that KitchenAid Mixer, I set out to begin my own traditions.  It started simply enough, making birthday cakes for my stepson and hubby.  But I soon realized I couldn’t get enough.  I’ve been covered in flour since our marriage began, and I don’t think he would have it any other way!  Recently, I’ve turned to making cakes for special occasions.  There’s nothing better than creating something that adds joy to a special day!  I’ll highlight these in the Cakes section of the blog. 

The past few months of change have been tough, but rediscovering the simple joy of cooking meals and baking treats has made all of the new beginnings so much sweeter!

Peanut Butter Dog Treats

I found this recipe on pauladeen.com a few years ago and made them every Christmas for my sweet dog.  Try baking them for your furry friend! 

3/4 cup nonfat Milk
1 Egg
1 cup Peanut Butter, smooth
2 1/4 to 2 1/2 cups Whole Wheat Flour
1 tablespoon Baking Powder

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, egg and peanut butter. Add in the flour and baking powder to make a very stiff dough, using your hands to work in the flour.  Flour your work surface and roll out dough to 1/4” thickness.  Cut into desired sizes depending on the size of your dog. I always use small Christmas cookie cutters.  Bake on a parchment lined baking sheet for approximately 20 minutes. Turn biscuits over and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container. These treats can be stored in the freezer for up to three months. 

Jungle Birthday Cake

My sweet nephew is obsessed with animals right now.  For his 4th birthday, I made a two-tier jungle cake with his favorite animal, an elephant!