The Cake Baker Strikes Again!

Check out the cake Nick made for his mom's birthday!  After seeing his baking skills with the tiki cake and the hamburger cake for my 29th birthday, any old cake just wouldn't do for another birthday!  This recipe also came from the Food Network magazine with step-by-step instructions.  Since Sandi used to be a school teacher, this cake was perfect to celebrate her birthday!  And delicious!

Happy Birthday Sandi!

Pencil Cake on the Food Network

Happy 29th Birthday to Me! And Ed too!

Wow, hard to believe this is my last year in my twenties!  Ed and I turned 29 this year!  It was a wonderful birthday celebrated with family, friends and loved ones!  We celebrated by taking a boat ride to dinner at North Harbor Club, one of our favorite restaurants.  Nick also made me this fabulous tiki cocktail cake, recipe courtesy of the Food Network!  I'm so impressed by his baking skills, and so is everyone else.  The cake was absolutely DELICIOUS!

Disney World!

Families of SMA hosted the annual 2011 conference in Disney World!  When Reagan was coming out of the hospital, I promised Cricket that I wanted to be a part of her journey and their first trip to the conference.  It was a wonderful experience to meet all of the children and adults with SMA, and their families.  The conference really highlighted what Reagan CAN do, rather than focusing on what she can't do with her disability.  I can't wait until she has a powered chair to help her be more mobile!

Also on the trip was 6 week old baby TJ who was a real trooper for his big sister.  Mom and Dad also loved having the nurses there to take care of their little sunshine.  We had a great weekend and would love to go back when the kiddos are bigger.

This was our first night when we arrived in Orlando.

Me and my sweet sweet girl, Reagan.

Nick, Me, Cricket, baby TJ, Reagan, Trent and Tonya!

Reagan earns her ears at the Carnival!

Of course Reagan was not too cool for the POOL!

As always in Disney, it rained!

Loving her dada.

First Dumbo ride!!!

The teacups were her favorite!

Reagan met the characters from Toy Story!

Cooper

Does this dog just melt your heart or what?  He's such a loveable guy, and I just want to squeeze him!  He's the sweetest golden retriever and everything makes him happy.  He loves being around people and he especially loves US!  Sometimes when Nick and I hug or kiss in the living room, he comes right up to us and sticks his head in between us.  

Yes, we know you're there Cooper and we love you too!

To Tile or not to Tile

As it gets warmer and springtime nears, my decorator juices flow with new ideas and projects to tackle. When I moved into my condo almost 3 years ago, I left my guest bathroom alone so I could later decorate it. As I stare at the same color wall, I know it's time to finally take the creative plunge and put my touches on it. Last weekend, I was cruising through the Lowe's website and found this (after) picture of a renovated bathroom. I LOVE the stone finish and the project would be relatively inexpensive if I don't replace my sink and just focus on the walls. Is it too modern?

Black Bean Pizza

My new favorite magazine with recipes lately can be found in Fitness Magazine. We made this pizza the other night and LOVED the results. You've GOTTA try it too!



INGREDIENTS
1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup thawed frozen corn kernels

4 plum tomatoes, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces

1/2 cup chopped scallions

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 avocado, diced into 1/4-inch pieces

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

16 ounces pizza dough, regular or whole-wheat

1 cup finely shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. and place an empty baking sheet on the middle rack.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the blackbeans, corn, tomatoes, scallions, cumin, chili powder, avocado, salt and black pepper; set aside.

3. Working on a lightly floured surface, roll the pizza dough into a 13-inch circle. Transfer to warmed baking sheet and crimp the edges slightly to form a lip at the edge of the crust. Top with black bean mixture, sprinkle with the cheese and bake 20 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Cut into 8 slices and serve.

*Photo courtesy of Fitness Magazine

Hawaiian Pulled Pork Sandwiches

This is a GREAT new crock pot recipe dish I found! We made it when we were having company over because it frees up the oven to make additional side dishes. It's so simple and such a hit!

from Sandra Lee (www.semihomemade.com)
Ingredients
Makes: 4 servings
Cook: 8 hours
• 1 packet teriyaki marinade (recommended: McCormick Grill Mates)
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 3 1/2 pounds pork shoulder
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 cup chili sauce
• 1 (6-ounce) can pineapple juice
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 8 hamburger rolls
HAWAIIAN SAUCE:
• 2 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 tablespoon ginger, chopped
• 2 teaspoons garlic, chopped

Directions
1. In small bowl, combine teriyaki mix, paprika and pepper.
2. Coat the pork the with rub mixture, patting until all rub is used. Set aside.
3. In a bowl whisk together the chicken broth, brown sugar, soy sauce, chili sauce and pineapple juice. Set aside.
4. Put the chopped onions and carrots in a 5-quart slow cooker. Place the pork on top of the carrots and onions and pour half of the pineapple juice mixture over pork. Reserve remainder for Hawaiian sauce. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours. The meat should fall apart easily. Remove the roast from the slow cooker to a cutting board. Using 2 forks carefully pull the meat into shreds. Serve the pork on rolls drizzled with the Hawaiian sauce or on the side for dipping. Reserve the remaining pulled pork for the Round 2 Recipes, Pulled Pork Pot Stickers and Hawaiian Pizza.
HAWAIIAN SAUCE:
In a medium pot heat the oil over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger and saute until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining pineapple juice mixture, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.