photographs and memories...

being caffeine free...

...doesn't mean I have to forgo taste! No siree! I'm going to have myself a *Peroccino!

When I decided to go back to church and gave up drinking coffee, I easily switched over to Postum (an instant hot caffeine free beverage)....and then, my world stopped. Ok, not my entire world, but my mornings as I was finally getting adjusted without caffeine...kwim? They stopped making Postum! Completely! Seriously! NOOOOOOOO!!!!! I was not only stunned, (since Postum has been around since I was a little girl)....but, I was also so very saddened that KRAFT would stop making the one an only hot beverage Mormons could actually drink...ok, well, besides Hot Cocoa.

And then....I remembered drinking a few other hot beverages other Mormons drank back in the 70's...like Pero...an instant hot Malted Barley, Barley, Chicory, Rye caffeine free beverage.

Pero is a hard-to-find German beverage...so, The only places I can purchase Pero is...Amazon.com or Heritage Health Food Store (30 minutes away). So, since I have a Vet appointment close enough to the health food store in the morning and I will trek on over to make a purchase....or stock up.....on said Pero!....and make this wonderful concoction known as:

*Peroccino- it's like a cappuccino, but made with Pero instead....add milk or water and hot cocoa and a sprinkle of cinnamon and nutmeg. Yum!

So, now I also need to purchase a Cocomotion to make this right. Or is the newer one Mr. Coffee Café Motion Hot Beverage Maker?

And that's how I can go without coffee and feel ok.

makes me smile...

1. Tulipes Roses, 2. winter fairy garden, 3. Pink Studio, 4. The past is now, 5. ~~ Country Living ~~, 6. pug in black and white, 7. three chairs on monhegan, 8. Pretty In Pink, 9. fairy break, 10. Fairy Door, 11. cushion covering.., 12. First in a brand new series of collages, 13. vintage memories., 14. lamp, 15. House Finch Nest & Eggs..., 16. Shabby buckets, 17. Mad Tea Party!, 18. Fairy in a jar for Michelle, 19. turquoise shabby chic with roses detail 5, 20. shabby chic books, 21. Shabby Chic *New* Collections, 22. Rhubarb "Tea", 23. Martha mag, Feb 07, 24. Hello Kitty Bling Ring, 25. rose and flower, 26. Bali, Indonesia 2005, 27. Costa Mayan Ocean Shore, 28. pink sandal, 29. Il bell'addormentato, 30. opps.. i dropped a few

Carolina Cupcakery...

We went, we saw, we decorated, we ate, we giggled, we made new cupcake friends, we totally enjoyed the experience!!!! Carson said that was a neat birthday treat! If you read my last post, you'll get a clue of what these photos are all about....

uh oh...i think i'm in trouble...

Wednesday, July 02, 2008

New cupcakery in Chesapeake, Virginia

from The Virginian-Pilot

Inside the glass display case, the individually wrapped delicacies come in vibrant colors and carry names as tantalizing as they look: Espresso Royale. Piña Colada. Ho-Ho Heaven. Cookies ’n’ Cream. Habanero Hottie.

These are cupcakes. Ornately decorated, meticulously frosted cupcakes. Just cupcakes.

Chesapeake native and lifelong baker Dawn Eskins opened Carolina Cupcakery last month in the Edinburgh Commons shopping plaza off Hillcrest Parkway. With her creative concoctions, she has brought to Hampton Roads a retail concept that other cities have savored for years.

Call it cupcake chic. It’s all about one product – albeit in different forms and flavors.

And locals are taking their first bite of the trend. Curious shoppers wander into the Cupcakery and wonder at its precise merchandise. “Just cupcakes?” they often ask.

“Absolutely,” answers Eskins, a graphic designer by trade. “But it’s every kind of dessert you can think of, morphed into a cupcake.”

In its first three weeks, Eskins said, the business has exceeded her expectations. Now living in Camden, N.C., and partnering with her two college-student daughters, Eskins earned enough money in her first three days to cover her shop’s monthly rent, she said.

Their website is a little sparse (but says the rest is coming soon - is this a new trend, that bakeries get local newspaper writeups before their websites are fully functional?) but this is how they describe themselves:

CAROLINA CUPCAKERY specializes in gourmet cupcakes, as well other cup-sized treats, baked fresh, from scratch, using the most organic, wholesome ingredients we can find including; unbleached flour, sweet-cream butter, farm-fresh eggs and organic flavorings. We are committed to supporting local produce farmers.

CarolinaCupcakery will offer a rotating menu of more than 70 varieties of their rich, scratch-baked cupcakes. The collection is noteworthy for its broad range of flavors, inspired by everything from Happy Hour drinks to Retro Classics such as Ho-hos and Creamsicles. The daily menu changes to include special holiday, seasonal and folksy combinations such as Peanut Butter and Jelly and Girl Scout Samoa cupcakes.

As a small-batch bakery, we bake all day, so more varieties of cupcakes are available, fresh. Baking 8-10 different kinds each day, paired with the fact that most cupcakes stay moist at least 3 days, means there are 24-30 varieties available most of the time. A baking menu is published, so customers know when to come, to get their favorites, fresh!

Plus they bill themselves as green - they don't use styrofoam, use compostable/recycled materials, etc. See their FAQ for more information.

CarolinaCupcakeryLLC
237 Carmichael Way #221 (beside the new Target)
Edinburgh Commons North, off Hillcrest Pkwy in Chesapeake, VA 23322
Daily operating hours: Monday - Saturday, 8- 7pm (extended summer hours to come)
Sunday, noon- 5pm (No baking/Previously baked goods will be discounted)

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They even serve gluten free cuppycakes for Porter...wahoo!!!!

I think we'll make a little trip for Carson's birthday cupcakes, eh? Better go get ready....kids will be home from the movies after 2pm....can't miss an opportunity like this....uh....it's for Carson....you know. hehehe.

my favorite show...

Watching one of my very favorite tv shows: Jon & Kate, plus 8

It's 'girl's night out' on the show and they went to paint pottery and it looked like so much fun for them...

so, i had an idea to also paint pottery with the kids over summer. i'd love for the kids to paint their own dinner plates. (it'll be my birthday gift).

Sharing a recipe from their show:

Monkey Munch

Recipe courtesy of

Jon and Kate Plus 8

Ingredients:

9 cups Chex cereal

1 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup butter

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Put Chex in a large bowl. Melt chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter separately.

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

2. Pour mixture over Chex cereal, then put it into a large plastic bag with powdered sugar.

Shake well to coat.

3. Spread mixture evenly on wax paper and allow to cool.

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I also told James I was cutting my hair a little shorter...like Kate's hair in this picture:

on my camera supply list...

...is this:

Canon EF 15mm f/2.8 Fisheye Lens

Price.....$610 on sale at Amazon!!! OUCH!

but, the photos are so worth every penny!

 I also wanted this one:

Canon EF 50mm f/2.5 Compact Macro

and at only $255, I think it'll be mine before the fisheye lens will be.

New camera bag is on the list as well........

my 'flair'...

This is basically ME ....in a nutshell....summed up by FLAIR on FaceBook:

(click photo to make it larger to read)

Do you MOO?

Have you seen these mini calling cards?

They're called MOO cards...'Moo Minis'.

Check 'em out: http://www.moo.com/

I ordered 100 self photo mini cards with my personal info on the back to pass out at SISiversary in June.

Next order will be 100 different photo minis to use on scrapbook layouts. COOLIO!!!

FUN new find for me!!!

new kicks...

I got these at Target. Getting myself ready for SISiversary.

Lots more on my list....

where shall I start...

We have been going to church every Sunday now....and LOVE this Ward! Everyone is friendly and they are a perfect 'fit' for a Home Ward. Get this....Cameron found a friend he knew from school, which turned out to be the son of James' co-worker, and a few moments later he found out that his Public School Teacher was this boy's Mother, aka: James' Co-Worker's Wife, aka: the Sister who taught last week's RS lesson, that I enjoyed!!! (see, I have never seen his Teacher in person before, because neither she nor I have ever scheduled a meeting since he's such an awesome student and the one time I was in her room...she was absent). We all embraced and Cameron grinned the biggest grin that never left his face all day!

So then, we had the Missionaries over for lunch after church. We made BUrgers and Dogs, pasta salad, seasoned fries and Snicker Salad...they took leftovers home and grinned. They loved that Snicker Salad...so here's the recipe:

SNICKERS® BAR SALAD
1 lg. instant vanilla pudding 8 to 12 oz. Cool Whip® 1 1/2 cups milk 4 to 5 SNICKERS® bars 5 to 6 diced apples 3 to 4 sliced bananas Use 1 1/2 cups milk to pudding and mix until creamy. Add Cool Whip. Add SNICKERS® (cut in pieces). Add fruit to mixture. Serves 8-12.

Oh, and we and actually planned Cameron's baptism....Sat., May 17th 4pm.

Hmmm...now today I had a lab appointment at 8:20am, so I was up and outta here early to fight traffic. Took myself to breakfast at Baker's Crust, did a little shopping in Target, then headed over to TAPS (Teacher and Parent Store) to locate picture cards, etc...for Autism, so I can help teach Porter more communication skills at home....the Manager (Kerry) was excited to see me, because...she also has 2 children with Autism! We gabbed and she showed me what to buy...$130 later I was out of there with the feeling of excitement. Excited that I am getting things done to help my son! Excited that I met yet ANOTHER parent of a child with Autism! Excited about tomorrow's Pre-IEP meeting!

I came home and spent the rest of the afternoon making a communication binder for Porter incorporating these photos, velcro, word strips...the works! Then, I contacted Wendy Fitch at ABA. (Applied Behavioal Analysis) for a Therapuetic Program for Porter come September....it's going to cost me MULA! They only accept Tri Car, unless our BC/BS of TEXAS works with them....another phone call, left a message with 3 phone numbers for our Insurance Advocate to call me in the am, BEFORE the Pre-IEP (12:30).....WHEW!!!! Are we tired yet?

Oh....and I also ordered myself some Vera Bradley Goodness....all these babies were discounted, because they'll retire this fabric soon. I will have them in my hot little hands sometime next week, when they arrive UPS!!!

ALL in Petal Pink

Out To Lunch $15.00 was $25.00 (using it as a scipture tote- fits everything...wahoo!)
On The Go $37.80 was $63.00 (My purse)
Mini Zip Wallet $15.00 was $25.00 (smaller wallet, less cc's)
Hard Eyeglass Case $10.20 was $17.00 (Need the hard case...too many scratches lenses)
Small Bow Cosmetic $13.20 was $22.00 (lipgloss, tissues, etc...)

Subtotal:
$91.20
Shipping: $7.50
Tax: $4.56
Total: $103.26 (I saved $51.00 before tax/shipping charges!!!!!)

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I told James they could just be an early Birthday gift....my bday isn't until July 12th though....Oh Snap! hehehehe! (I'm worth it!)

New Fridge and Freezer are now coming tomorrow, since James cleared space and installed the electrical for them both...wahoo again!

Utility sink and washer and dryer need to get installed in garage this weekend, if James gets everything plumbed in time. He decide to install the leftover kitchen counter as a laundry table for me too, so we can fit the laundry sorter on wheels underneath it. We'll lay down the interlocking foam mats in that area too, so I have something cushy to stand on when doing laundry now. Fans are also in the garage, now just need more lighting installed.

So...see what I meant by the title of this blog post? (Where shall I start?). We are busy, but loving life!

Hope all of you are well. Be good to yourselves and one another, will ya'?

Updates as they come.

Peace Out!