ALSO's Cakes, Pastries and More: December 2011

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Hi!!

I hope everyone has a

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!

Saturday, December 17, 2011

2011 IX Center Christmas Connection

This year they had a nice walk thru Christmas Scene area before you shopped.

It was VERY crowded this year...

The IX Center is Huge incase you have never been there and they only use a small area for this event.

It was the only event taking place this year so I don't know why they don't spread out the isles a bit.

The flakes on the floor was a nice touch.

I love Snowmen!!

Here they are again. =)

He forced me on here just so you know...see that grin???

(anyone who knows me knows I don't like ferris wheels)

Q also got a new mohawk hat there too this year-

the cat chewed a hole in the one I bought him last year...

Friday, December 16, 2011

Kindle

Amazon makes me =)

I love love love my kindle!

(I use the app on my iPhone all the time.)

There was an article posted on Yahoo! the other day bashing it.

This is NOT an iPad people so don't act like it should be.

I mainly bought it to read on it. But I can also do light web surfing, gaming, listen to music and watch streaming videos on it if I had Netflix or kept the Amazon Prime, which I did not.

I think it works fine for what I wanted it for.

I didn't expect an iPad so it's all good.

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Halloween Pumpkin Cupcakes

Happy Halloween in December hahaha

I'll have to see if I can dig up the recipe to post...

It's been over a month since I made these-I'm not sure what I

did with it haha.

These were pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.

Mmmm

I bought these fun sugars from Mardi Gras Cake Supply Shop.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Sister Dog

This is Buffy the Sister dog.

She was "not" going to be dressed.

Until we bought her a shirt that she LOVES!!!

Monday, December 5, 2011

Rissotto and Chicken

We went shopping at Aurora Farms and I bought this to try:

and we went to GFS and bought this Tempura Chicken Nugget bag

We sampled this and got this at a kitchen store in Aurora Farms too.

We will need more soon haha

Here I am cooking the Risotto...it took forever.

Mmm!

I would get the Chicken and Mustard again =)

I wasn't very impressed with the Risotto.

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Tater Tot Casserole (recipe Included)

We made this last year when Q and I had a cookie decorating extravangaza.

We just had it recently-cooked in the toaster oven of course!

Here is the recipe =)

Beef Vegetables and Tater Tots Casserole Recipe

Serves/Makes: 6

INGREDIENTS:

2 cans DelMonte French Cut Green Beans (drained)

OR,

2 cans Veg-All Mixed vegetables (drained) <--- We used Can corn, Regular Green Beans and Carrots

1 small can chopped mushrooms (drained) <--- nope

1 pound ground beef

1 sweet type onion (as Vidalia, if available) peeled, chopped

2 tablespoons bacon drippings or shortening (if needed for browning the above)

1 clove garlic, crushed, peeled, minced (optional)

1/2 small can Tomato Paste

2 tablespoons Dark Brown Sugar

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon table salt

2 teaspoons Kitchen Bouquet Browning Sauce

3 tablespoons Half & Half or Cream

1 Small Bag Frozen Tater Tots

1/3 stick butter, melted or Butter Spray

PREPARATION:

Preheat Oven to 375 Degrees F. Drain vegetables of choice and place them in a buttered 2 or 3 quart casserole dish. Brown beef and peeled and chopped onion, adding a little fat only if needed. Break meat up small. Add crushed, peeled and minced garlic (optional) and stir in well -- Do NOT brown garlic. Add tomato paste to meat, stirring it in to caramelize. Add sugar, salt, pepper. Stir in Kitchen Bouquet and Half & Half or Cream. Spread meat mixture over drained vegetables. Top with a layer of Tater Tots. Melt butter and drizzle over the top or spray with butter spray. Bake at 375 Degrees F. for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.