Cupcake sadness (but still delicious!)

My next visit to NYC,

I will be stoppin by "Baked By Melissa" Bakery...!!!

Click on link for a peek at some of her O So Yummmmmoo Cuppies.......

Cupcake sadness (but still delicious!)

Oh Baby...

After a busy morning at the Salon,

I came home enjoying the beautiful day we were having here in PA...

As I was puttering around my kitchen,

wondering what I felt like eating for lunch

or rather what I felt like making for lunch...

my attention, as always was drawn to what is happening

outside my kitchen window....

I counted well over 20 butterflies on the bush

and saw a sight I just adore...

A woman pushing a baby carriage,

Not because she was in a Mall or on some

errand....

Simply taking a walk pushing her baby,

Just because...

I know this because where I live, 

there are no sidewalks, only paved roads

with areas safe for taking a walk..

And my admiration for this Mother grew when I saw she had

a blanket laid across the opening of the carriage to protect the baby from the 

sun and wind....

I loved walking and pushing my son in his carriage....

Looking forward to doing the same with grandchildren someday!

A Flutter Here and A Flutter There.....

As I was preparing smoked turkey and gravy for a 

"help yourself" dinner...

My attention was quickly distracted with the dancing butterflies outside my 

kitchen window, as they attached themselves to my overly grown and wild Butter Fly Bush....

This year the Butterfly population is in abundance,

to which I am not complaining..!!

I LOVE THIS PLANT..!!

Signs Of The Season......

This time of year is all about Clam Bakes at our home....

It's a tradition we have done for so long I honestly 

can't remember not doing one...

And with this time of year also comes the close of summer...

As we sat on the deck enjoying our fresh bake,

the day was so peaceful with a nice breeze and temperatures in the high 70's.

This is always a bitter sweet time of year for me,

I so love the summer months,

but also enjoy the cool mornings of Fall,

the warm afternoons with the anticipation of a cool evening that Fall brings,

to which I fully embrace......

With my son preparing to start his classes at the University this week,   

today was the day we invited some friends to join us

and so thoroughly enjoyed this last summer outing...

 

Fresh Steamed Clams....We only had 400

Prepared Bags of Vegetables to be steamed with the clams

Way too much food....

What a plate looks like after....just had to have one more clam

A visitor during our bake...a Humming Bird

I just love sitting out on my deck, 

watching the birds and butterflies who come visiting

my Butterfly Bush all day long..

Have a great week...

K

Beach Theme Wedding Cake

This Summer my Dear Friend, Kathy and her family attended the Wedding

of Kathy's Niece in Massachusetts..

Although the Bride and Groom live in PA,

the groom is from Massachusetts and wanted to marry close to home with his family and freinds..

The wedding took place along the beautiful tranquil and serene beach of Mass...

The cake was made at a local bakery where the wedding was officiated,

with the spectacular decorations of shells and rocks made of chocolate..!!

When I first saw pictures of the cake, 

I was certain not all of the cake was edible....

I was reassured the cake was as scrumptious as it looks...

I wish I had more pictures to share,

however the Bride and Groom only had the pictures posted 

for a very short time to share...

A Visit With The Cake Boss and Uncle Johnny....

My one dear and best friend for many years, Sue

came home from FL for a visit.

This visit was a..

Just because visit.

No real place to be or something urgent to deal with...

So..Me being me..

I planned a day in Hoboken, NJ

to visit with

The "Cake Boss"

and

"Uncle Johnny"

With Sue, my other best and dearest friend, Kathy

and Kathy's daughter Amy along with her good friend, Cecily

we put the coolers in the car, had our morning coffee

and off we went heading East.

You may know of the TV show on TLC,

"The Cake Boss" 

which features Buddy, his family and family business from "Carlos Bakery".

You can find the history about the bakery on their website.

Carlos Bakery

Buddy appeared while we were in the Bakery...

 Our first stop in Hoboken was at the

Fiore's Deli..

Where we met Owner,

"Uncle Johnny".

Again, you can find the history and ties to the two families on

the website.

Fiore's Deli

The day was a blast..!!

Outside Fiore's Deli with owner, "Uncle Johnny"...What a sweet man!!

The best Mozzarella, EVER!

How they park (on the already narrow street), at lunch time in front of Fiore's

Carmine...the neighborhood watch man.  He took good care of my car..LOL

We ate our awesome lunch from Fiore's along the New York Skyline, at Sinatra's Park in Hoboken..

Sue taking in as much as she can..Hudson River with Empire State Building in background along Skyline.

Washington Street in Hoboken is lined with these banners..

Waiting in line for our turn to enter the Bakery..(L) Sue, Amy, Cecily and Kathy

Me and my Best Girls....(L) Sue, Me and Kathy

The line a head of us, from where we were standing...it looks worse than it really was.

Buddy's window above the bakery.  He opened the window twice during our visit, waved and smiled to his many fans.

Front of the Bakery

A very small display of the many creations made on site... trays filled to restock the cases continuously came down from upstairs....

Here are a few pictures of our yummy purchases we brought back to PA...

Our day was filled with the warmth of great friendship and many laughs...

Oh, and of course on the Very Sweet Side of Things..!!

Over The Rainbow Is Heaven....

 Are these Cuppies just not the most beautiful...EVER!
The bright vibrant colors make these babies..POP

What a great addition to a special event 

OR

Just because..!!

Recipe can be found at

Crazy Domestic

Remembering Mother's Tater Salad

\

I recently lost both my Aunt and Uncle within four weeks of each other...

They had been married for 62 years and together raised 8 children.

You can only imagine the sadness felt by not only their children and grandchildren,

But also from their siblings, nieces and nephews...

After the funeral for my Aunt Ruth, who was my Mother's sister,

the family and close friends gathered for a light lunch..

during that time many stories were told and rehashed.

One being, my cousin Cindy sharing with me the day my Mother taught her how 

to make "Aunt Barb's"  Potato "Tater" Salad.

My Mother was and always will be one of the best cooks and bakers I will know.... 

She was simple yet very precise with her creative dishes. 

I had not made her potato salad for quite sometime, and decided to whip some together

for a small swim gathering and cook out.

Only problem is, I always make way too much..!!

What are your favorite summer time dishes...?

Recipe

Cook desired amount of whole potatoes until tender, do not over cook, allow potatoes to cool

Hard Boiled Eggs

Celery

Onion

Mayonnaise

Salt/Pepper to taste (Optional)

Cut potatoes into cube size

Dice your celery and onion and mix gently with potatoes

Add sliced/diced eggs, again mixing gently

Add Mayonnaise, this amount will vary according to your own taste.  

The salad should be able to form a ball.

Chill for several hours before serving..

 

100 Years And Still Going Strong

Happy 100th Birthday

Boy Scouts Of America..

This celebration is very near and dear to me 

and my family....

As a young child and sibling of two older brothers,

I learned very early the honor it was to be a part 

of an organization in which brought life learning skills

 to young boys as they climbed the

ranks to becoming a young man in the adventures of Scouting...

Although my brothers did not achieve the rank of Eagle,

the lesions and life skills learned are very much apart of who they are today...

Which is why I so encouraged my son at the tender age of 6

to join and take part in the boy scouting program...

I remember the very first meeting as the son/parent team.

His graduation from a Tiger Scout to a Cub Scout...

then on to Webelos..crossing the bridge into Boy Scouts and also Joining

a Venture Crew...

And making Eagle..!

Those years are some of the best years we shared as a family and I

wouldn't trade them for nothing...!!!

Help me in celebrating 100 years of scouting and remember

to support your local chapter of boy/girl scouts...