Hello Kitty

How could you not love Hello Kitty?

Breakfast Of Champions

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day.  If I could, I would eat breakfast for breakfast (duh), lunch, and dinner every day.  Of all the breakfasts, my all time favorite breakfast consists of the following: grits and scrambled eggs, turkey sausage or turkey bacon, and either an English Muffin, homemade waffles, or french toast.

As a kid, my mother made French Toast all the time.  I guess it was easy, and easy to stretch with a lot of mouths to feed. I realized I took knowing how to make French Toast for granted when a friend told me that she loved French Toast but never made it at home because she didn't know how. 
So... for all of you who don't make French Toast at home... here you go!  Enjoy!

Best Ever Vanilla Cake

I promised you guys a basic vanilla cake recipe.  I have to admit. This is not MY recipe, but after scouring countless cookbooks and trying out numerous recipes for a plain cake that holds up well with filling, works great for cupcakes, push up cakes, cake pops, and remains moist after a couple of days... this recipe won HANDS DOWN!  I have done the hard job for you... I've endured the failures to present you with the recipe that is sure to be a success in your kitchen.

This recipe comes from the book - Sweet Celebrations - By: Sylvia Weinstock

2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1/2 pound) sweet butter at room temp
2 cups sugar
4 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup sour cream
4 large egg whites

DIY Valentine...

Yes, I could have easily gone to the store and purchased a box of Valentines for my daughter's class, but you I am a little extra!  I came across these CUTE free Valentine's Day printables at oh goodie designs and I knew I wanted to use them in some way.  In case you can't see all of the text in the pics, they say "You Blow My Mind VALENTINE"

My daughter wanted balloons, but aren't the bubbles just adorable?

And for the teacher (who by the way, I am reminded every time we are on the candy aisle in a store, LOVES M&Ms) I used what I had. A mini mason jar, a cupcake liner, and some scrap ribbon made this into a thoughtful little package!

I think we are all set for Valentine's Day 2013.  What do you think?

Creme Brûlée - It's not that hard...

Ask my nine year old her favorite dessert and without hesitation she will tell anyone that will listen "Creme Brûlée".  When I asked her what language she would like to learn, she exclaimed "French!!! Because I already know Creme Brûlée".  She now judges restaurants by the quality of their offering of this creamy dessert.  And if they don't serve it... the restaurant is definitely not up to her standards.

As you can imagine, her mature palate can get a bit expensive. By taking a little time to make this treat at home, you can make 8 servings for the price you would pay for one dessert in a $$$ restaurant.

The recipe I am sharing with you is of restaurant quality.  If you follow the instructions, you will impress your friends and wow your family - guaranteed!

2 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
9 egg yolks
1/2 cup superfine sugar