Summer

It has been challenging over the summer to make new jewelry work full time and make the summer fun for the boys. Here are some of my new creations that are available at MyMichelleJewelry.etsy.com. They are all in limited supply. I particularly like the earrings in the first frame because a good friend of mine went with me to the bead show and helped me pick them out. She lives across the country and it was just hanging around and chatting while we shopped. I hope you like them too. (the pair on the right have sold)

Here is some of what we have been up to over the past couple of months. We were on our way home from Chautauqua lake and stopped at Lake Erie and collected some stones and tossed a few in the lake. We also made a trip to Toronto, Canada. We went to the top of the CN tower and took in a Blue Jays game.  We walked all over the city and we really felt like city folk. We loved the people walking all over the city with their ipods dangling from their ears.  I enjoyed it so much then I remembered that one day winter and snow would descend upon the city and make the walking very challenging and chilly.

We had been promising our little one that we would take him to the Toronto zoo for many years now and we finally did.  Our zoo in Buffalo certainly leaves a bit to be desired and the Toronto zoo was a trip worth taking.

I have been working on earrings lately and hope to have a little more time now that the little men are headed back to the classroom.

~Michelle

New Pendant Necklaces

It is tricky to work on jewlery during the summer with the kids home. We go places and I watch them swim for hours like now. We also spend as much time as we
at our house on Chautauqua Lake. So I actually have some new necklaces to show and sell very soon in my shop at etsy. They are lampwork glass pendants on cotton cord. They are very lovely and perfect for everyday.

Please check there soon.

Hope you like them.

~Michelle

Yellow Cakes with Strawberry Frosting

I found a 24 small muffin tin on clearance the other day and had to try it out. I made some yellow mix mini cupcakes for work the other day to celebrate the engagement of a co-worker. I also made a strawberry butter cream frosting.

I used some strawberry extract and also some strawberry puree in the frosting.

I used a box mix for the cakes.

Frosting

12 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 tsp. strawberry extract
2 tbsp. heavy cream
some strawberry puree (about 1 cup strawberries with some sugar put them in a food processor until smooth)

Beat the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in the confectioners' sugar until incorporated. Add the extracts and beat on medium speed until well blended. Add in some strawberry puree (try not to water down the frosting) . Add in the heavy cream and beat on medium-high speed for about 4 minutes, until light and fluffy.

~Michelle

Chocolate-Almond Cheesecake Bites part 2

I wrote a post to celebrate the first anniversary of this blog back in April. I had intentions to make the cheesecake bites to celebrate and I just never did. I find that everyone I know is watching their weight and when I show up with baked goods I get stares and a few people grab some just to be polite. Even my co-workers are 'dieting' so I feel bad bringing in goodies.

Well, I finally had an opportunity to make these. It was for one of my best friends 40th birthday party. I wanted to bring something small for dessert. She really loves the recipe I have for a checkerboard cake, but I didn't know if there was going to be cake so I decided to make the chocolate-almond cheesecake bites. Everyone just loved them.

I cut the squares small so they were really bite-size. 7x7 = 49 bites.

I melted white chocolate and drizzled over the cooled bites.

Mouthwatering!!

To check out the recipe click here or on the link above. :)

~Michelle

Yellow Cupcakes with the BEST Peanut Butter Frosting

On the Saturday before Memorial Day the cub scouts went to a flag ceremony at a local cemetery and then placed flags on the graves of veterans. We love going to this event.

I actually had Memorial Day off this year. We went to my Aunt's house in the morning for lunch and a game of "Amazing Race". My Aunt is so creative. We were in teams and had to complete challenges. It was super fun except for the fact that it was about 87 degrees and super humid. My little son and I came in 3rd. My older son was a helper at one of the stations.

I made yellow cupcakes for the party with the BEST peanut butter frosting and just for added decadence a dollop of ganache. This frosting is so wonderful. Light and fluffy and not greasy and does not taste like shortening. I've tried several recipes and love this one.

I used a box mix to keep things simple since I had a ton of things to do on Saturday and Sunday plus I worked both nights. (that is a good excuse right?)

Here is the recipe for the frosting (from: mamas-southern-cooking.com)

Ingredents:

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1 cup creamy, peanut butter

2 cups confectioners sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

5 tablespoons heavy cream

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and peanut butter until smooth. Gradually add the vanilla, powdered sugar. Add the cream, one tablespoon at a time until it reaches the desired consistency. Beat at least 3 minutes until it is light and fluffy! Frost your cupcakes when they are completely cooled.

I topped the frosting with a semi-sweet ganache. Chocolate chips and heavy cream.

~Michelle

Mother's Day Limoncello Lemon Cake

adapted from Erika Kerekes

adapted from Liv Life

I hope everyone had a wonderful mother's day.

I always seem to be running around on Mother's day. My husband and oldest son were camping and arrived home around 9:30am when I was heading off to my mother's house for breakfast with her, my father, my brother, his girlfriend and my younger son. (he slept over because I had to work Saturday and his dad and bro were camping). I made this lemon cake to take along because sometimes I feel like I am always making chocolate dessert.

I followed the recipe from Liv Life. Follow the link above if you would like to see the recipe. I didn't change anything really; I used just lemon juice for the glaze instead of the limoncello. I certainly used the limoncello in the cake though. Additionally, I had to bake it about 47 minutes because the center was not done after 40 minutes. The edges came out a bit dry. Once I added the glaze it moistened up. The flavor was really wonderful my dad and I really enjoyed it with a few raspberries on top.

Love being a mom! ♥

~Michelle

Happy Birthday Cake Pops

It was my brother's girlfriend's birthday this weekend and she really loves cake pops. So I made some for her and I took the boys to visit her at her work - a car dealership. I needed to have some air put in one of my tires, so perfect that I was going to the dealership. Well, they found two screws in the tire and needed to replace it. WHAT? That totally stinks.

Everyone in the office really enjoyed the cake pops. I made them with yellow cake mix and cream cheese frosting. I also used yellow candy melts that I had planned to use for treats when the Sabres made it to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.... well I didn't need them.

~Michelle