Cake Balls

The night before I left home my mom, sister, and I made chocolate cake balls...one of my sisters favorites! After combining all of the ingredients together and making the batter, you bake the chocolate cake. Once the cake is baked you mix it together with a can of vanilla icing. Roll these little guys into balls and dip them in melted chocolate. Cool and enjoy!

I think I enjoyed making them more that eating them... and that is not often the case! 

cookies, cookies, cookies

It's that time of the year... oh! wait... it's always that time of the year when I am at home with my sister! Baking cookies is something we both share a passion for doing. 

XOX

Sweet Rolls

The other night after dinner we decided to make  homemade cinnamon rolls! 

The first step (and most important!) was mixing together the bread dough. This included yeast, that we had been feeding throughout the week, flour, butter, and other goodies. After 6 hours the dough was ready to be rolled and sliced. We rolled all of the dough out on the kitchen counter and spread a layer of butter, cinnamon, and sugar on the dough. The next step was rolling the dough into one long roll! We sliced the roll into 15 little pieces and popped them into the oven. 

For an even sweeter roll we mixed together cream, butter, and powdered sugar for a glaze. 

Hot sweet rolls, the perfect after dinner treat!

Our Specials

Every time I travel home my sister and I make "our specials" for breakfast! We first discovered out love for these little treats a few years back when we were looking for something fun to bake. These treats are quick and easy, but they do involve some preparation and dough kneading! 


Step 1: make biscuit dough... we typically use Bisquick (my personal fav) which is as simple as adding milk and mixing together. You can also use homemade dough. Mix together and plop down on flour covered surface. Knead together. 

Step 2:  Gather all of the other ingredients... sugar, cinnamon, butter, and marshmallows 

Step 3: Roll out dough and cut into triangles. Take one marshmallow at a time and dip into melted butter then place into the mixture of sugar and cinnamon. 

Step 4: After the marshmallow is covered in butter and sugar+cinnamon place in the center of dough and roll marshmallow inside of the dough

Step 5: Cook "our specials" for less than 10 minutes in 350 degree oven. Watch for the marshmallows to melt into the dough. 

ENJOY!

Have a Marvelous Labor Day Monday...and check back soon!

The Flat!

I have always loved The Flat...sweet crepes...savory crepes...what could possibly be better? The Flat is located in the cutest little brick building right off of the Downtown Mall, and just recently they redesigned pieces of their Parisian styled building and it's to die for. 

A new flash of color and raw style of design...The Flat has had a make-over and I am loving it! 

The Flat is by far one of the cutest spaces on the Downtown mall...even their tip jar has some spunk! 

Check out The Flat soon and try one of their delicious crepes. From eggs and cheese to nutella and strawberries the choice is up to you ( my fav: simply nutella). 

Have a fun Friday...and check back soon! 

The Tavern

Has anyone else heard the rumor that the Tavern is closing this year? We followed the gossip and spent our Saturday morning leaning over massive chocolate chip pancakes and cinnamon french toast before it was too late! 

Can you say YUM! It was about lunch time by the time we arrived to the Tavern, but we both opted for breakfast meals anyways...breakfast is definitely their specialty over there. From the plate full of bacon to the bacon pancake there are so many options its almost overwhelming!

If you have never been to the Tavern and you are a C'ville local get over there now! It's simple, home spun, and inexpensive.... and has been around forever. Get there soon (Emmet Street), just in case the rumors are true!

Have a Terrific Tuesday...and check back soon!

Beth's Birthday Bash

Last night I traveled home for a little birthday party for Beth! My mom and a few of her friends threw a killer get-together on the porch in honor of the big day. The porch was cleaned, the slip covers washed, and candles were lit.

 From a layered pettifor cake to edible flowers the food was simply wonderful. Mini sliders and cole slaw were served and a fruity champagne cocktail was sipped as well as lime jello shooters...perfect for the big "four O"

 

I loved the use of white lights in branches and flares of pretty pretty pink!

Little birthday decorations were placed throughout the house which made the night extra special! We even had a sparkling celebration as we sang Happy Birthday. Pink and white colored sparklers were being played with by all...

Happy Birthday Beth... I love you! 

Have a Super Saturday...and check back soon!

Doobie Brothers at the Downtown Pavlion

Thursday night my best friend and I went Downtown to see the Doobie Brothers live! We are so lucky to have such a great concert setting outside AND Downtown. The nTelos Wireless Pavilion is located at the end of the mall, and is equip with covered seating and a great large lawn.

 

The venue is wonderful, especially during the late Spring and into the early Fall when the nights are warm and the crowds are big. With the purchase of a general admission ticket (usually the lowest priced tickets) you can plop down on the large green grass lawn with a blanket or lawn chair. Guests are welcome to bring along a cooler of snacks for the night... but all drinks must be purchased at the event, drink tickets are sold for $5. The staff are always welcoming and helpful...last night the man selling drink tickets even let me try on his 'beer case' hat! 

 

The Charlottesville Pavilion opened in July of 2005 and since that date has been a place guests seem to gather! The space offers a wide variety of entertainment throughout the night of a concert. From a man making children's balloons to hot dog and doughnut stand there are lots of activities surrounding the venue! (Red- Carpe Donut, Yellow- Last Call Hotdogs... does anyone know about this green one? Maybe Kettle Corn?)

Bessie and I decided to sit on the grass and enjoy the Doobie Brothers together! It was so great being surrounded by many people out enjoying the beautiful night and music together. From older couples sitting in lawn chairs to kids of all ages running about, the crowd contained a wide range of ages all out having a great time. 

I hope you can make it out to the Charlottesville Pavilion this Spring! Check out their site for the upcoming summer line-up. Also make sure to make it down to Fridays After Five....a wonderful and free concert series for the C'ville community presented by Bud Light. Every Friday from now until September 9 a local or regional band will take the stage and perform. 

Have a Super Sunday...and check back soon!

Fruit Cobbler

Tonight I am making a fun and easy dessert to go along with Lansing's steaks and surprise side-dishes! I have mastered a simple yet very delicious cobbler in the past few years...

I wish I had more time to blog today, but I have to get all of my work done so I can cook tonight!

Have a Wonderful Wednesday...and check back soon!

marshmallow guns!

This weekend Lansing and I found homemade marshmallow guns at the Farmers Market...how fun! One of the vendors was selling the shooters in a big bucket with a simple little sign that indicated their purpose along with a bag of mini marshmallows... just in case you wanted to try them out. 

What a exciting and unique gift idea... and they are only $7. The marshmallows flew far and would make for a fun game or competition! 

Have a Terrific Tuesday...and check back soon!  

wedding fun

What a wonderful night last night for an Easton wedding. While the weather was not particularly beautiful, King Family Vineyard looked amazing. From the outside ceremony with a fog filled skyline to a simplistic yet vintage vibe the wedding was a hit. I want to share some images from the night... sorry for the lousy IPhone quality! 

The ceremony could not have been more beautiful, despite the soft misty rain, the view was incredible and we could not have planned it any better... 5 minutes into the Sermon a gathering of horses began to graze around in the neighboring lawn! 

 

The escort table was so very fun! I loved the use of an old window frame.... the board was constructed by stringing pieces of rope across the frame and clipping the escort cards to the rope. The bride's grandmother constructed the cards. Each one had a colorful button and a little bow, growing up the bride collected buttons so her grandmother thought it would be a sweet little touch.

The florals were done by Hedge! I loved the use of two antique doors to frame the ceremony area which was located on the grass of King Family. Each door was adorned with a floral wreath... the yellow really popped within a green filled background! The mist.... how incredible.

The bridal bouquet and centerpieces were simple yet had a variety of color as well as a wide range of florals used in each bouquet. I liked the use of a tiny chalk board to identify each table number... this really added to the simple and rustic feel of the wedding reception. 

The reception was held indoors at King Family Vineyards. The dining room was filled with circular tables with the exception of one rectangular table for the bride, groom, and their family. I love the display of wine barrels within this space! Wasn't her dress wonderful?

An extra special addition to the wedding was Carpe Dounut! With their apple cider donuts and locally roasted organic coffee they were a HUGE hit. Matt and Matt (brother in laws) travel around with their donut stand to events and festivals within the C'ville area. After arriving around 7:30 they were open for buisness by 8:45...luring guests to their stand with that amazing cinnamon sugar smell. 

After loading in the stand is so cozy and fun feeling... whenever I could slip away I would go and talk to the Matt's about their business around Charlottesville.  What a great addition to the wedding reception!

The wedding was a total hit! Everyone danced the night away... and not one single guest opted for the early shuttle. The bride and groom finished the night off with "Shout" followed by a sparkler departure and a get-away sedan! 

Have a Marvelous Monday... and check back soon!

First Fridays: The Garage

Our last stop last Friday night was The Garage. I love this little venue tucked off of the Downtown Mall. The exhibit was put on by Daniel Perry, a local C'ville jam maker! Daniel displayed his hand-made prints that work to display the interrelated dynamic between nature and the human form. 

The Garage is the perfect place to show off artwork... I just love the exposed brick walls and hardwood flooring. Daniel had a variety of screen-prints as well as samples of his amazing JAM! His jam was paired with cheese from Feast!, break from Albemarle Baking Company, and wine from Pollak Vineyards.

Daniels screen-prints were available for purchase both matted and framed and unframed! What a fun addition for a studio room!  I loved how they were displayed on the walls as well as the Garage doors. 

As well as art, Daniel also sells his wonderful jam at the Farmers Market on Saturday mornings and online. His most current flavors are yellow peach + raspberry, peach blackberry + lemon, and peach strawberry + lavender to name a few!

If you head over to a concert at The Garage this month make sure to take a look around inside the building to catch a glimpse of Daniels artwork...and visit his booth at the farmers market too! 

Have a Terrific Thursday...and check back soon!

Have a sweet day

Which one would you choose??

an ice cream cone....

or a s'more cookie....

 I am leaning towards the s'more cookie but as this lovely day gets warmer in C'ville, I might go for the ice cream!

Have a Wonderful Wednesday...and check back soon!