Are You Ready to be Dared

Late yesterday afternoon [Wednesday], I received a call from my Tile Man saying that he would be here early this morning.  With having to move everything off of my desk [because he's tiling the 2 - 5 foot walls behind my corner desk], labeling all the cords so I hook them up correctly, cleaning and I don't have a laptop computer...I was not able to post what I was going to write last night.  But, I'll be back on Friday.

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PLEASE stop by and see Stacey... 

Stacey at Poofing the Pillows

posted the yesterday and I loved her post so much I thought I'd share it.  She has DARED every reader of hers to DARE themselves this year!!

Click the LINK above to read her post.

And BTW, I couldn't agree with her more!!

Merry Christmas!

Amazing 2016 Christmas Video

Noel

Chris Tomlin

Love incarnate, love divine

Star and angels gave the sign

Bow to babe on bended knee

The Savior of humanity

Unto us a Child is born

He shall reign forevermore

Noel, Noel

Come and see what God has done

Noel, Noel

The story of amazing love!

The light of the world, given for us

Noel

Son of God and Son of man

There before the world began

Born to suffer, born to save

Born to raise us from the grave

Christ the everlasting Lord

He shall reign forevermore

Noel, Noel

Come and see what God has done

Noel, Noel

The story of amazing love!

The light of the world, given for us

Noel 

 [repeat twice]

Noel lyrics © Capitol Christian Music Group

One of My Favorite Songs

A Short commercial precedes the beginning of the Video.

Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Cake & Frosting Recipe

CAKE:

2 cups sugar

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

"PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING: 

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
2/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
3 cups Powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

CAKE DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.
2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.
3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost with PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE FROSTING. Makes 12 servings.

FROSTING DIRECTIONS:

• Melt butter.  Stir in cocoa.  Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency.  Add small amount of additional milk, if needed.  Stir in vanilla.  About 2 cups frosting.
• VARIATIONS:
• ONE-PAN CAKE: Grease and flour 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Heat oven to 350° F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely. Frost.
• THREE LAYER CAKE: Grease and flour three 8-inch round baking pans. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost.
• BUNDT CAKE: Grease and flour 12-cup fluted tube pan. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 50 to 55 minutes. Cool 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely. Frost.
• CUPCAKES: Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups. Heat oven to 350°F. Fill cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely. Frost. About 30 cupcakes.

Lemon Garlic Shrimp & Linguine

4 ounces Linguine 
1 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 pound large raw shrimp, shelled & deveined
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon italian seasoning
1 cup broccoli crown, broken apart
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 Tablespoons parsley, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

• In a large pot cook the linguine in salted, boiling water about 9 minutes. Drain and set aside.
• Heat olive oil and 1 Tablespoon of butter. Then add the garlic and cook until fragrant.
• Add the shrimp and salt and pepper to taste. Cook until the shrimp starts to turn pink. Add italian seasoning and broccoli and cook until slighly soft.
• Add the pasta to the pan with the remaining butter, parmesan, and parsley. Stir until mixed and butter is melted.
• Add the lemon juice and serve while hot.

2 Servings

***The original recipe for this dish was from therecipecritic.com and I changed a few things to suit my preference.  Easy - Yummy and Filling, I will make this again.

Chocolate Mint Ice Cream

Ingredients (4-6 servings)

2 cups half and half or whole milk

4 lg egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2 tsp. Peppermint extract

3 1.4oz Peppermint Patties [frozen for about 10 minutes prior to chopping]

OR...you can use 3 ounces of Andes Candies chopped (2/3 cup)...

I really prefer the Peppermint Patties to the Andes Mints in this creamy Ice Cream

Instructions

+NOTE: 1 day ahead, place ice cream maker bowl into freezer+

Prepare a bowl of ice water, set aside. In the top of a double boiler, or a bowl placed over a pan of simmering water, heat the half and half until just steaming In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks, then add the sugar and mix. Add 1/2 of the half and half to the egg yolk, sugar mixture, mix. Add to the steaming half and half. Stir and cook over simmering water for about 10 minutes or until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Immediately place bowl into ice bath, stir occasionally until mixture is at room temperature.

Transfer to a Tupperware container, add cream and extract, refrigerate about 3 hours. place mixture into ice cream maker bowl, turn on machine and let the magic begin!

PuppyKid Birthday Party Today

This is the Birthday Boy - Jasper.  He is 8 years old today.  I remember the day I was at the Breeder is Indiana to pick him up.  He was exactly 9 months old.  He weighed 4 pounds.  He's now 8 pounds and has been for many years.  He is a Maltese...and can be tempermental...especially with me.  I had to take him to the Vet a couple of weeks ago, because he was kind of snappy, grumpy, growling all the time...and squeaking.  Besides that he bit me a couple of times...not hard, but he did break the skin.  He was also urinating in the house...alot.  The Vet found a couple of things...that his prostate is enlarged [could be an infection] and is on antibiotics for it.  He also has a problem with one of his hips...which would account for his snapping, growling and the like.  He is on pain pills for that.  He is feeling much better now...and so am I.  He goesback to the Vet on Sunday - please say a prayer that all is OK.

All of the Pups were groomed Saturday and Sunday - by me...and I thought it was time for some updated pictures of all of them.  So, I put this little collage together for you to be able to see them all.

Jasper 8yr old Male Maltese

Angel 3yr old 14# Female Havaton [Havanese, Coton de Tulear Mix]

Rosie 6yr old 12# Female Shih-Poo [Shih Tzu, Toy Poodle Mix]

The Pups are celebrating today...with their favorite treats [for their teeth], bananas and chicken.  We'll all have a great time.

Thanks for stopping by....

Frozen Irish Cream Mousse Cake

This Frozen Irish Cream Mousse Cake is completely no bake, incredibly smooth and so creamy! The flavor of the Irish Cream is spot on and with a touch of chocolate, I am in love!

Lindsay, from Life, Love and Sugar posted the recipe for this and when I saw Irish Cream and Chocolate, she had me.  I'll be making this real soon!  Every other Saturday, I make a dessert to share with 2 of my neighbors.  We get together and ENJOY!!

Read more and Get the Recipe for this Dessert at: http://www.lifeloveandsugar.com

Tour My Office - Pink

Today, I decided to show you my office.  I haven't shared pictures of my office for years. The last ones I showed you were from 2008...and they aren't on this blog...or at least I can't find them here.  These photos are of my Office, as it appeared at the end of 2015.  Right now, things are looking different once again.  I love changing things around.  I have a corner built-in desk with cabinets on the base, one on each side.  There are cabinets above as well.  Where you see the curtain on the very right side is the window where I take pictures when I'm in my office.

I have taken off the cabinet doors, to make room for displays [the cabinets on the bottom of the 2 bookshelves have their doors removed, too...for the Pup's Toy Storage].  I'd rather have that than a bunch of hidden junk!

I have 9' sloped ceilings, with beautiful mouldings.

The corner with my Black Armoire display...with a view of my Great Room.  [the doggie gate has been down for months...since my Pups stay with me quite nicely in the office without it]

This Bookcase is on the other side of the closet door and flanks the window in the back of the office.

What is a bed doing in my office?  Well, it's a Massage Table.  That's where I get my BioMat treatments.  You can read about the BioMat in my post Here. 

To the right and left of the desk are matching bookcases.  And here you see both of my windows.

One last view of my desk!

Thanks for stopping by and taking a look around my office.  Hopefully, when you see it next, it will look a bit different.  And, I hope it's painted.

I'm joining the Link Party Thoughts of Home on Thursday at:

Laura at Décor To Adore

Stacey from Poofing the Pillows

Jemma from At Home With Jemma

Laura at White Spray Paint

Looking Back and Wondering...

Do You Remember When...It was so "in" to have a Dress Form grace your home?   I had three of them.  I dressed them all, named them and did posts about them, too.  The forms themselves were relatively easy to find...just by googling.  Before I purchased my first on-line Mannequin [I purchased 2 from an on-line company], I called the company and asked questions about it.  They were very helpful.  After receiving "her", I selected a name, fabric, lace, flowers and whatever else I was going to use to "dress her".  Then I got to work, using pins for one and liquid starch on the other 2, to clothe them.  I found Ms. Pauline in a corner of a booth at an Antique Mall.  She was...the soft squishy foam kind of mannequin...old and rather discolored.  She really reminded me of my Grandmother, Pauline Hermann...hence her name.  This is Pauline.

  

My grandmother was the squishy sort, wore lacey clothing, always had an apron on when she was at home and smelled so pretty.  I got Pauline in 2008.  She greeted guests as they arrived for Tea or Dinner for a number of years.  She usually stood near the TeaCart you see in her photo.

I posted several times about Pauline on my old blog...but only have the post of Pauline's Wedding on this blog.  It was a beautiful day in 2012 that she married Albert.  You can read the post about her wedding here.

  These two Mannequins were added in 2009.  On the left is Isabella and on the right is Lily.  They have beautiful "shapes" don't they?   Unlike Pauline, who I pinned clothing on to dress...I used Liquid Starch to put fabric on Isabella's and Lily's hard foam bodies.  Then I added lace and ribbon flowers, trims, jewelry and doilies to them.  The stood in my Dining Room, center stage behind the dining table.

Here's a close-up of them.

I had them up until early 2015, when Isabella and Lily left my employ and headed off to Paris.  They found work very quickly there and continue to work in the same home together again.

Did you have Mannequins in your home?  Did you join the many parties that filled Blogland back then?  Did they make you smile as I'm smiling now, remembering the fun they were?

Thanks for stopping in today...I hope you enjoyed your visit.

This was originally posted on March 3, 2016.

I'm joining the Link Party Thoughts of Home on Thursday at:

Laura at Décor To Adore

Stacey from Poofing the Pillows

Jemma from At Home With Jemma

Laura at White Spray Paint