rootbeer revelry

This past weekend we took a little stroll in downtown Galena.  Not a good place to go if you're on a diet... chocolate, popcorn, and candy factories galore.  Which is exactly why it's one of my favorite places!  This time, though, I didn't get any fresh kettle corn, or caramel apples, or chocolate goodies.  We went to a new (since the last time I've been there) place called Rootbeer Revelry.

They had shelves full of every kind of root beer possible.  Most of which I've never heard of, but had really fun labels.  Really old root beer that I haven't seen around in a long time.. such as Dog n Suds.... and then they had my absolute favorite... 1919.  Best.  Rootbeer.  Ever.

Clara was eyeballing our root beer floats.  If anyone has any type of food, you are her new best friend.  We couldn't help but give her a little taste of the ice cream!

And this is her happy face after she had a taste.

I'm sure that's what my face looked like too.  This family loves rootbeer floats!

And then on our way out.. I saw this sign at a little store front...... and I think it was a 'sign' that, yes, I do need more yarn.  ;)  Lots of work going on these days at my etsy shop (FB page).

The Best (Texas) Chocolate Sheet Cake {recipe}

I'm a chocolate lover, and always will be.  Although I believe in eating healthy, homemade, and fresh foods.. I will never be one of those people who go on a diet.  I love my sweets entirely too much.  And by eating healthy and getting exercise (aka chasing my daughter around), I feel like I can afford to enjoy my chocolate cravings.

I made this sheet cake for a 4th of July family get together.  It was obviously nothing short of delicious.  This just might be my new favorite cake.  I had to stop people from diggin' in so I could snap a quick shot of it..

 

Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake

Cake

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 4 heaping tablespoons unsweetened baking cocoa
• 2 sticks butter
• 1 cup boiling water
• ½ cup buttermilk (Or use this tip to make a buttermilk substitute: Place 1/2 Tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice in a liquid measuring cup. Add enough regular milk to bring the liquid up to the 1/2 cup line. Let stand for 5 minutes, then use in the recipe.)
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

 Frosting

• 1 3/4 sticks butter
• 4 heaping Tablespoons unsweetened baking cocoa
• 6 Tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 pound (minus 1/2 cup) powdered sugar (about 3 to 3 1/4 cups)

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt.

Melt butter in a saucepan and add cocoa. Stir together. Add boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.

In a measuring cup, pour the buttermilk and add beaten eggs, baking soda, and vanilla. Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into (lightly greased) 13 x 18″ sheet cake pan and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes (if using a 10 x 15″ jelly roll pan, you may need to bake 22 to 23 minutes).

While cake is baking, make the icing. Melt butter in a saucepan. Add cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat. Add the milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Stir together. Pour over warm cake.  If you made your cake in a 13 x 18″ pan, pour on all the frosting - you may need to spread it a little so it covers the entire cake; if your cake is in a 10 x 15″ pan, just pour enough frosting on to cover the surface of the cake without going over the edges of the pan. You’ll probably have about 1/2 to 2/3 cup of frosting left over (good for eating by the spoonful with a glass of milk... just sayin').

You can let the frosting cool and set before cutting into squares if you want, or cut into squares while it’s still warm and dig in! The frosting will start setting in about a half hour, but it needs between 1 and 2 hours to set more firmly; at 2 hours, it should be nice and firm.

I put little raspberries on the top of each square.. just to add a little color to my 4th of July dessert!  ;)

Want to print out the recipe?  Here is the printable version.

her first pony (tail)

I love summer time.  The sun, warmth, Iowa sweet corn & BLT's... bubbles, pony tails, and splashing in the pool.  Just the other day, we had all of these things..

And some pretty painted piggies...

We put in Clara's very first pony tail.  It makes her look so much older.  :')  She wasn't too sure about it at first, but she tolerates it a lot better than headbands (she is not a fan).

And she helped Nana shuck some corn.  We love us some sweet corn around here.. Iowa has some of the best, you know.  :)  I've waited to years to taste this again.

 

sweet Georgia peaches!

Have you ever gotten really excited over something that everyone else probably think is really silly to excited over?  I tend to get excited over really small things... and today that thing was about a big ol' box of peaches.. not just any peaches.. fresh GEORGIA peaches.  The best in the country.  Twenty five pounds of juicy goodness.

Every year a big refrigerated semi makes a trek up to the midwest to deliver these pretty little things to various cities.  I waited in the Menards parking lot... in 107 degree heat index.. for 30 minutes.  Completely worth it.

We have a lot of plans for these.  Pies, drinks (maragaritas, anyone?), cobbler, a good snack for Clara... but one of my favorite ways to eat them?  Just sliced up over some good vanilla ice cream.  And by good vanilla ice cream, I mean Blue Bunny Vanilla Bean.

tomato basil squares {recipe}

 We also had these for Clara's birthday party.  My mom had the recipe, and all of my mom's recipes are good of course, so I figured we couldn't go wrong.  ;)  But seriously, I think we've had this twice since Clara's birthday 2 weeks ago.  It's good.. a keeper.  Pair it with a little salad and it makes for a good, lighter dinner.

I think the key to this is juicy tomatoes.. and fresh basil.  My mom grows her own, so she was able to just go out back and pick some for me.. yum mmmm.

This definitely has to be one of my new favorite recipes.

 

Tomato-Basil Squares

recipe from Pampered Chef

•  homemade pizza crust or 1 package (10 oz) refrigerated pizza crust
• 2 cups (8 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1/4 cup (1 oz) grated fresh parmesan cheese
• 2/3 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons snipped fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, pressed
• 4 tomatoes, sliced

Preheat oven to 375 F.  Roll pizza crust out onto a rectangle stone.  Once the oven is preheated, pre-bake your crust for just a few minutes (not so it's completely baked, but just so it's a little bit firm - to give the bottom a little more crisp).  Take the crust out and sprinkle with 1 cup of the  mozzarella cheese; set aside.

In a small bowl, combine parmesan cheese, remaining mozzarella cheese, mayo, basil, and garlic.  Mix well.

Slice tomatoes and arrange evenly over the crust.  Scoop the cheese mixture over the tomatoes, spread evenly.  Bake 15-20 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.  Cut into squares and serve warm.

ENJOY.  I love the fresh taste of the tomatoes and basil.. with the parmesan cheese (my favorite).  

Want to print out this recipe?  Here is the printable version.

a little fro-yo in my life

Everyone needs a little fro-yo in their life.. aka.. frozen yogurt.  It seems that these little self-serve yogurt bars are popping up all over the place these days.  The first time I went to one was when we were visiting family down south.. my sister-in-laws and I went for a little girls day out in Memphis.  It was delicious, and I love anything that I can put my own toppings on.

Well, one opened in our town and I told my dad I would take him out for Father's Day.  So we went last Friday, and my little cousin came with too.  I really wish I would have gotten a 'before' picture of his yogurt concoction, but he ate it too fast.  ;)

I had white chocolate & chocolate frozen yogurt, with some heath bits and peanuts.  Topped with chocolate syrup, white chocolate syrup, and caramel syrup (yes, all three).  Oh, and a cherry.  :)

Joshua's creation consisted of white chocolate and strawberry fro-yo.. his toppings were gummy bears, m&ms, sprinkles, some jelly looking things, a couple sour worms... maybe a little kit-kat.  He was very creative.

 

Clara enjoyed the strawberry fro-yo.

 

 Clara was definitely dressed for the occasion.  She had little cherries on her dress, and the place was called Cherry Berry.  ;)

It was a fun night up.. and certainly a nice little change of scenery!