Baking Tip

Tip #5 - This isn't so much a baking tip as it is a cake eating tip, but you get the gist...

The minute you cut into a cake, its shelf-life quickly begins to diminish. Especially if it is not stored in an air tight container, but rather the box it comes in from the baker. One of the more noticeable changes is the hardening of the exposed edges.

Placing a paper towel over the insides of the cake will help keep it moist until you're ready to dive in for seconds - and save you from having to cut off and toss valuable portions of cake.

Similarly, before you cut into a cake for the first time, placing a damp paper towel in the box can help provide moisturizing freshness until you're ready to eat.

Kitchen Renovations - Before and After

This post is long overdue, but I love the renovation so much that I don't care how old it may be, I'm still posting. It's been over a year since we renovated our kitchen, but I love the transformation. Since it's long been established that I'm into the natural, stone decorating way of doing things (Colorado-style), it should be no surprise we took this renovation in that direction as well. One of my favorite decorating ideas to date was the decision to put backsplash not only below the cabinets, but above them as well. You would not believe the flack I got from actual decorators and suppliers who thought it was a terrible idea. But the only person I actually had to convince was Mr. W. And believe me, it took a lot of convincing. However, as you will see, I won that argument. In the end he not only loved it, but insisted we install backsplash on the TV wall as well. Below are the photos of the complete renovation process.

Before

Selected Materials

Granite - It's so pretty in the shop that I wanted them to keep that rough 

edge upon installation. Apparently it's not a safe choice for when you have 

kids and your clothes will totally rip and tear if you rub against it. But it's so pretty!

Backsplash

Interestingly enough, the hubby and I agreed 100% on the 

granite and backsplash. For once!

The paint choice wasn't as easy to decide upon, but I liked the Merlot idea b/c it would highlight the lighter backsplash and granite really well. I also liked it because throughout the granite there are trails of a Merlot color. The actual paint we chose was Sherwin-Williams - Blackberry.

During The Renovation

Ripping out the old backsplash

 

Granite installation

The granite company had an extra square of granite that they gave us and 

we now use as a pot holder/heating pad of sorts on our dining room buffet table. 

It protects the wood from any hot dishes we are serving.

Love the sinks! 60/40. 60 is 10" deep and 40 is 8" deep.

My favorite feature though would be the touch faucet. 

As in dirty hands, no worries, just touch anywhere on the faucet with your hands!

Because I wanted counter to ceiling stone backsplash (and not granite backsplash) 

we took off the granite backsplash seen here:

At first they gave us the wrong backsplash. It was tinted pink, and 

clearly did not match the granite. Yet they insisted it was the right color.

After about 2 months of going back and forth they FINALLY 

realized the boxes were labeled wrong and gave us the right material.

Almost done installing backsplash under the cabinets.

Painting

It took three coats of Blackberry Sherwin Williams paint to get the dark 

Merlot color we wanted. It started out looking pink, then purple, then Merlot!

The Finished Product

Gotta have my television. Helps pass the 8+ hours I spend making each cake!

See what I mean about the backsplash? It appears as though the

whole wall is rock and the cabinets were mounted on top of them.

Now we just have to work on updating those floors.
There's always something, I tell ya!

I Still Miss Him

It's officially been two years since my dad suddenly left. The pain I feel is the price I have to pay for having the best dad ever and for loving him as much as I do. It is worth the price. When he died I never thought life would get better. I never thought it could really be fun again, but I was wrong. Even in death he has made it fun again. I still take the time to stop and watch thunderstorms. I still turn the volume up way too loud when the Stones come on and sometimes, just sometimes I make it through an entire song without crying. Okay, rarely. I still make a big deal out of the smallest things. I pull off the the road to enjoy good sunsets. I dance for no reason. I have fun, but I still miss him.

The sign of a good parent is that, once they're gone, you can go on without them - even though you would rather not. You go on not only because they've taught you independence, but because they've let you know that you should go on. They would want you to go on. Not to just exist, but to thrive and make a difference. Only after his death did I realize that aside from providing us an amazing family life, his main goal was to make sure we would be fine without him. He truly lived to make sure our life was amazing - with or without him. He prepared me for that moment when he wouldn't be available. But I still wish he was here.

So this past year I've been moving on, but with him. He's still a part of my life. With his prior help I've created a new relationship with him. I can honestly say there hasn't been one day in the past two years that I haven't thought about him. There hasn't been one full week where he hasn't been in my dreams. And while there hasn't been one week that I haven't cried because I miss him, there also hasn't been one day that I didn't smile thinking about him. But oh my God I still miss him.

My dreams sustain me. Last Thursday I dreamt that he called my mom and I via a three way phone call from heaven (he was obsessed with three-way calling people) using a payphone at a very busy train station. He didn't know how long the call would last or when he would be able to call next because he was still figuring out the phone allowances/policies in heaven, like he was just arriving. The purpose of his call was to tell us we were being ridiculous and needed to stop worrying about him. He could see and hear everything, but knew that we could not. That's why he would try and call as often as possible, but he was fine and our family was still intact. He was just the invisible family member. I don't know what I would do without these frequent "meetings" with him. But even with them I still miss him.

My main goal for today is to remind everyone how brief and unguaranteed life really is. That next phone call could be the one that ruins your life. So take a few moments right now to tell your family how much you love them AND how much you would miss them if they were gone. As sappy and uncomfortable as you may feel doing so, it is the one thing you would regret not doing if they were gone tomorrow. That is the best way you can help me make today meaningful, because otherwise its just the anniversary of the worst day of my life.

 

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Happy Birthday Dad!!!

The hubby and I recently celebrated my dad's birthday with the essential German Chocolate Cake, which, ironically, neither of us really like. Unfortunately, the cake was store bought this year, so obviously not as good as last year, because I knew I would have no time for homemade. The evening before his bday I took an Old Fashioned Pie Making class at our local cooking school (so fun) and the evening of his bday I was busy making food for a friend's baby shower that was taking place the next day. I topped the cake with one regular candle surrounded by several sparklers for fun.

My wish? The same one I made last year: "To have my dad back." As unrealistic as it may be, that will ALWAYS be my wish every year as I blow out his birthday candles. Nothing else seems as appropriate or important. It is, after all, a wish for him. And I'm in charge of making it so I can wish for what I want.

The hubby made me breakdown even further when he pulled out a six-pack of Becks, dad's favorite beer, to help celebrate. He totally would have approved! (the label on the bottle was rather ironic, considering.)

 

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