A Delightful Surprise

Don't you love surprises? As a mom, I am usually the initiator of surprises, especially to my family, but yesterday I was the recipient of an unexpected surprise. What a delight! It really made my day. One of my dear friends brought me a wonderful old cake stand. She had found it at an estate sale and knew it was meant for me. I loved the cake stand, which looked like it had probably been used in a diner, but most importantly, my friend made me smile and brightened my day. She had been thinking of me.



Because I had a new cake stand I had to make cupcakes, of course. Here's what I decided to try.
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Lemon Angel Food Cupcakes adapted from Cooking Light

16 cupcakes

Ingredients (altitude changes, 5000 ft)

• Cupcakes:
• 1/2 cup cake flour (+ 1 T.)
  
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar (-1 t.)
  
• 3/4 cup egg whites (use carton egg whites, it's so much easier)
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar (-1 1/2 t.)
  
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
• 
  Lemon Frosting:
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoon 1% low-fat milk
• 2 to 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Edible flowers such as pansies or rosebuds (optional, but fun!)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°.

Place 16 paper muffin cup liners in muffin cups. Set aside.

Lightly spoon cake flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Sift together flour and 3/4 cup powdered sugar into a medium bowl; sift a total of 3 times.

Beat egg whites and salt with a mixer at high speed until frothy (about 1 minute). Add cream of tartar, and beat until soft peaks, that barely fall over, form. At low speed add 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time and close to the beaters, beating until peaks form that are not completely stiff or too dry. (Overbeating causes the cake to collapse at this altitude.) Sprinkle flour mixture over egg white mixture, 1/4 cup at a time; fold in after each addition. Stir in vanilla and rind. (Careful with the folding you don't want the cake to deflate)

Fill cupcake cups about 2/3 full. Bake at 375° for 16 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from pan; let cool completely on a wire rack.

To prepare frosting, beat butter with a mixer at high speed until fluffy. Gradually add 2 cups powdered sugar; beat at low speed just until blended. Add milk and lemon juice; add the remaining 2 cups of powdered sugar and beat until fluffy. Add more lemon juice as needed to adjust the consistency. Spread lemon frosting over each cupcake. I garnished with sugared rose petals.

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Who have you been thinking about lately? Is there something unexpected you can do to put a little sunshine into their day?

Until next time -Kyle

In the Beginning

It all began when I was a new bride and we needed a "bedspread". The year was 1973. I went to our local JC Penney's store and down in the basement in the far corner was their tiny fabric department. At this time, polyester was the "queen of the fabrics" and cotton was the "sorry country cousin". I found what cottons I could and purchased a quarter yard of each. These were fabrics that looked like bandannas, gramma's aprons, or shocking curtains. I cut the fabric up into rectangles and sewed it back together in strips and made my first quilt. I called it Hit or Miss, an appropriate name for my quilting skills at the time.


I put a red sheet on the back, put in double batting, and tied it with red yarn. It sure was heavy, but it kept us very warm. Sorry to say, I don't have it anymore, but it did launch me into the wonderful world of quiltmaking.

It's interesting to look back at a beginning point, be it a hobby, a career, or a marriage. Life is a growing and changing process. We all have to begin somewhere. Don't make comparisons, just enjoy the ride.

Until next time*Kyle

Getting to Know ME

I noticed recently on several blogs, the question: Name 5 Unimportant Things That You Love. Hmmm. Lists like this always challenge me. It's like if I don't answer it correctly, I'm not being truthful, if I can't think of 5 things than I'm shallow, and other times I just can't narrow it down. I might be missing something important.

So here are my answers to: Name 5 Unimportant Things That You Love (Not in any particular order of importance)

1. Netflix: I have 250 movies in my queue. This is the best service!
2. Keenes: My friends introduced me to this brand of shoe. They are so comfortable.


3. Making cupcakes. I am having such fun trying new recipes for these bite size servings of sweetness. The challenge, living where I do, is to adapt the recipe for the altitude.
4. Whole Foods: It's so much fun and so tempting to wander the aisles of a Whole Foods and seeing all the incredible and interesting food items and things they have.
5. The Smell of Fall: Have you noticed the change in the air. Fall is coming!

You'll notice I had to add one more.

*6. Saving Empty Spools: Each time I empty a spool of thread I save it in an old antique wooden box. The box contains 100's of empty spools that I have collected for about 15 years. Why? I don't know, but why not!

Until Next time- Kyle

Time to Get Into the Pool

I feel like a kid just learning to swim. For the past month or more I have been hanging onto the edge of the pool, afraid to let go. Well, today is the day and I am taking the plunge. Look I'm swimming. I am in the water, sink or swim. I am officially in the blogoshere.



That's my sister, Jane standing and the bathing beauty reclining is me. Please note the stylish suits and bathing caps! No matter. It's the summer of 1958.
Until next time-Kyle