Bits and pieces.....

My friend Tina asked when I was going to update my blog. I had trouble explaining that I had some time to post...some thoughts.....but they were all bits and pieces. So here goes...all my bits and pieces to share!!! LOL

Currently, I am on a "jar cake" kick. There is something about these gems that intrigues me...I want to make some fun ones that can be used for gifts during the holidays...and just to have on hand to share with someone to let them know you think they are pretty special. In the past, I have baked some of the tea cakes and fruit breads in wide mouth jars....but with these, I wanted to combine my love of cupcakes with the jar thing.

The first go was to find a cupcake recipe online from one of the "famous" cupcake bakeries. I made these from scratch.....great buttercream icing. After I baked, I piped through the middle icing, topped with icing and sprinkles. Turned out really cute....great warm, or even cooled down. But if you put them in the fridge...the texture of the cake turned to something my son called, "sweet cornbread"....not quite what I was going for!!!

That called for a little more searching. I found someone that was making the cupcakes in a jar, and they looked like more "crumbled" cake in a jar....so, I thought I would try that. This is the result of last nights experiement:

I have to say, these turned out great. What I used was a butter recipe boxed cake mix...mixed and baked per the instructions on box. When it was baked and cooled...I crumbled up the cake and put it in the bottom of the jar. For the next layer I used a Caramel Apple Pie Filling/Topping I found at the local grocery...good stuff!!! Then I used another layer of crumbled cake. For the topping/frosting....I picked up a container of plain vanilla icing. I thought the icing needed something to blend with the rest of the cake...so I mixed a bit of cinnamon with the icing (just to taste)...turned out great and made a wonderful finish to this dessert.

This was a hit with the family...and I can wait to try this with more flavor combinations. And using the vanilla icing to flavor in many ways works well.

Here is another fun dessert tip. During the fall when we are doing apple pies....I love fixing a ice cream to go with them other than the usual vanilla. I take a container of ice cream and a container of cool whip....soften both so I can mix them together.....add a bit of cinnamon to it and it makes a delicious cinnamon ice cream to go with your apple pie.

Now that I have finished the cooking portion of this post...I can share other "odd" things from here. Yesterday, I was having lunch at the shop. I had ordered a fish sandwich from Buffalo Wild Wings.....because those wonderful people will deliver to the store when I am stuck there on my own and can't get out for lunch!!!! Anyway, I have the usual styrofoam container of food, half eaten and played with, when a couple of ladies come in to shop. My food is at the check out on a lower table at the side of it where we do some work at times. I walk away from my lunch to chat with the ladies and wait on them. They are in for quite awhile when I notice one of the ladies coming toward my lunch...which I thought was odd. She walked up to my sandwich....stuck her finger in the tomato and said..."Oh, that is real"...and walked away!!!

So please share with me what the appropriate response is to that?????? Sadly, my lunch was then trash can bound. Arrrggg!

And on another note.....the news is annoying me, Big Time....if I hear another report on the pregnant man I am going to have to slap someone. First, are we so in need of news stories that this warrents ANY type of coverage????? And hey, he DIDN'T start out man...he came with all the original plumbing for this job and decided to keep it when "he" wanted to change....so please, tell me where the heck the story is????????? There are huge number of pregnant women everyday on every continent facing all the usual and unusual goings on of pregnancy.... Why don't we concentrate on some of the problems with childbirth or health care for women and get away from the circus act mentality of this Pregnant Man????? Nuff said.

Ok....I have officially posted now! (smile).....

Hugs,
Debbie