Baby Shower for my newest lil niece

As you can imagine we wanted to spend as much time possible with family before going West. Luckily for us, we had loads of things to do to accomplish this feat. Amongst all the fun last minute things we did, I got to plan a shower for my newest arrival to my extended family. I was getting (now have) a little niece. My sister and I landed on an owl themed shower, and being the good sibling I am I got to "pinning". Like everyone on Pinterest, we found more than we could accomplish, but over all I think it turned out great given the shoestring budget.

If you have been around my blog much, you know that I use to work for a label company, thus always including water bottle designs into every party I plan.

I found something very similar to this on Pinterest, and had to "steal" the idea to make it my own. I like to give credit where credit is due, but when I opened the link to find it, the image was just cache. I put animal crackers inside these and made them our table centerpieces. They did double duty, make the place look pretty, and keep the kids calm and quite while we played games.

Ultrasound pictures were provided by the mother to be, and I made the banner to match our overall color scheme. The lights were a Target dollar spot find! I got them for a dollar and they matched perfectly!

I created this sign in to be very much like the wedding ones I've seen around a lot, but I decided to make the tree more like a storybook theme so that we could hang it in baby's room. I really like how it turned out with the fingerprints as the leaves.

This I can not take credit for, however I wish I could, it turned out perfect! I found one similar on (you guessed it) Pinterest and handed the project over to the mother in law. She did such an awesome job. Definitely competes with the one I found over here.

One more thing that I can not claim as my own, but was amazing! One of the guests brought this awesome diaper cake that just put the final touch on our decor. Is it not lovely?

Over all we had a nice time, delicious food/cake, and great conversation. 

That is what showers are for right?!

Having girls

Can I just take a minute to express how much I love having two little girls?! I love the fact that they get excited to watch “Cupcake Wars” with me… I love that my little one asks when “Sweet Genius” is going to be on. I just love the fact that I have prissy little girls that love to get excited about the same things that excite me!

More baby arrivals

Here are the centerpieces for the other baby shower I went to. I really wish I would have taken pictures of all the diaper cakes. Every single one of them were different. The one I was sitting in front of, there were two ‘NUK’ food-mesh-spoons crisscrossed on the top. Again, wish I would have taken pictures. I was running around visiting with family, and didn’t have the camera enough. But, the point is, all of them were very cute.

And so I made cupcakes…

Since I couldn’t have sampita for my birthday treat, I scoured Pinterest for ideas.

I found these Tres Leches cupcakes. I did not, however use the recipe for the icing that goes on them. I found a different one that used a box o’ cream cheese & whipping cream. I know it doesn’t look as pretty, but tasted light & airy, so as not to take away from the amazing cupcakes themselves.

My brother also has a birthday close to mine, two days before actually. He came up to visit, and chocolate is his fav, so chocolate cupcakes of course. I had my best friend on the phone at the time, and I also know that chocolate cake is one of her favs as well. She too likes to use her Kitchen Aid, so I ask what was the best recipe to use. She suggested the one on the back of the Hershey’s cocoa container, pretty good I’ll say. I also have to let you in on the fact that I do not like chocolate cake. *gasp* Love chocolate, but not so much chocolate flavored things.

I have been munching on these Tres Leches cupcakes since Saturday, & still can’t get enough of them. I had one minor hang up: once I got to the ‘use a meat injector for the milk’ I was lost for a moment, then, rummaged through my utensil drawer…. SCORE! I surprise myself some times. I used a children’s medicine dispenser, worked like a charm ;)

My Birthday gift!

Easter Sunday just also happens to be my birthday this year, yeap! I feel kinda special. There is something else that I am feeling the most special about though. Wanna take a guess? Well, Finally got an extra special gift I’ve been eye-bawling for a few years now.

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*drum roll please*

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She’s like the retro Cadillac of Amazingnesses! Can you tell I am super excited? First moment we will be having together will be Sampita. Here is your mission: comment below your first moment together with your KitchenAid/your favorite recipes that involve the KitchenAid mixer. I need some wonderful things to try!

<3

Porto’s Bakery

I was first introduced to this wonderful-in-everyway-place by my lovely sister in law. This introduction, unfortunately was over instagram. You see my SIL lives in LA. Once she finished USC (yes, extremely proud over here), she officially took the plunge of living the high life of a studio apartment *sarcasm indeed*. What is not sarcastic however, is that I am living vicariously through her. Who wouldn’t want to be young, with tons of fun friends, on your own, in Los Angeles? So when we went to visit this past summer my only wish was to go to this place. It’s obviously the closest I was going to get to being young and fun in LA, with children behind me. haha So off we went:

The architecture inside and out was so pretty. I wanted to take tons of pictures, then redecorate my house accordingly.

Tell me one thing in this case that me, my husband, and my two girls wouldn’t want to take home?! Every. single. thing. I wanted to buy and smuggle on the plane.

This is what my husband and I settled on: Tiramisu on the left and mochachino on the right. Mine is the right, good thing, cause it was the most delicious one! I could use one right now, this 1200 calorie diet I’ve been on needs to be blown up!

Nutella & Love

Yesterday was my husbands birthday, and many of you know (or are about to know) that he moved to the US when he was 19. I met him about 6 months later, and before he knew it, I claimed him for my own. I didn’t even give him a chance to learn the culture, or fully the language before I locked him down. *sheepish grin*

Also, as many of you know, I have a slight obsession with Pinterest… AND Pinterest has a slight obsession with Nutella <3

So behold the fairytale I am about to tell you that mushes all the above mentioned facts.

As most young kids that are in love, we had to compare notes on all things we loved previous to each other, right? Food is one thing we had in common! I was not one of those skinny, salad eating girls ever in my life… I LOVE desserts, in fact I LOVE sugar. My husband, as sweet as he already is, loves sugar more than me, that’s no easy feat. Afterall, I use to eat candy bars for breakfast in high school. Anyhow, we started to compare notes on desserts one day. I explained to him that I would have to bring him to grandma’s so that he could try my favorite cake “that tastes like heaven”. He said “oh no, my dessert IS heaven, and I will bring you to my grandma’s tomorrow”

We did, in fact go the next day,  and this is what was placed in front of me:

“palacinke” (paul-e-chen-kuh) Sanel added.

Well, I guess here is where my fairytale has an unexpected twist. I did not like them, at all… in fact, it is actually Nutella I do not like. *gasp*

Here is how my fairytale ends: I make my husband the palacinke, that he adores, for his birthday, I’m a good wife like that. I then make mine what I like to call the “Katrina way”. Americans & Bosnians in perfect harmony <3

She was wishing for a rainbow…

My oldest daughter has officially gotten beyond the baby years, and now the toddler years. This year she started kindergarten, and now has turned 6. I don’t know about you moms out there, but I feel like 6 is a huge change. She’s not a baby by far, but up till five, she seemed to still felt like a toddler to me. Now she is a big girl!

Every year we have a house full of visitors for New Year’s Eve, as well as, the week leading up to it, so it is not hard to throw a nice size party for the little princess. This year, however, the weather had other plans for us.. so, they were unable to make it. In desperation, at the last minute, I called her two best friends from school. I was super lucky that their moms are so laid back, they didn’t care that I give them only a 5 day notice. :)

I did play it up on Alisa’s behalf, that we were unable to have a party this year, then proceeded to ask what she’d like to do on her special day. I was quite surprised to hear her say sledding. So Alisa, her sister, and her dad went to the lovely park down the road from us.

Is it not beautiful? Even I, a person who hates snow, don’t mind going here once in a blue moon. The “triangle” at the top of the hill has a few benches in it to sit down for a bit if your out of shape and can’t trek up that big hill. I’m not gonna lie, I’ve had to use it.

While they were gone, I decided to take on the project of décor and cake. I had told Alisa that we were going to have a couple family members over, and I do mean two people. I also told her that despite not having the party she really wanted, I had already bought the decorations, and we would still put them up. She didn’t know however that I had one big project in mind.

Have you seen this picture flying around Pinterest? It’s linked to this lady over here. Alisa expressed interest in a “rainbow” party when she still thought we were having a party, so I decided why not?! While they were out freezing their butts off, I was slaving away in a hot kitchen.

This was my first attempt at something like this, and it went quite well, for my first time. :)

Dividing into bowls, and food coloring, was the easiest part. Although I felt I had to add red about a thousand times more than the other colors. I don’t remember what website I hunted for the temp and the time, but I ended up just winging it on the time aspect. I did however use a ton of toothpicks, sticking it to make sure they were done. Once they were cooled, I quickly realized there was a side that was easier to ice, with less crumbles. The biggest mistake I made I was able to “cover up” quickly… I split one of the cakes into 3 large pieces while flipping it over. About half way through icing I decided, “never again”. While it made a wonderful cake and I was quite pleased with it, I just don’t have the patience for the icing process.

So what do you think? Worth it? I think so, even with all the cursing under my breath! Hehe

The “inside” shot.

Here are some other details of the décor as well: Lollipops were purchased at Micheal’s and the popcorn (each color a different flavor) purchased at a local deli.

When they came back from sledding, the best friends were showing up for cake, ice cream, & a movie night. It was a ton of fun and Alisa was so happy & surprised. The other moms were impressed with the rainbow cake, and I was excited to have adults to play Uno Attack with. Overall it was a successful party.

AngelFood

There are my things that I have expressed my <3 on this blog about. Such as? Well my Family of course, the Beatles, Mata Samiches, my garden, & many many others. But yet one more food love I have to tell you about… As far back as I can remember, I have fond memories of walking into grandma’s farmhouse to a Angel Food cake upside down on the vintage glass pop bottle. I <3 Angel Food cake, like as in, eat a whole one in one day when I was 10, kinda love! No. Seriously :)

I have one problem though, as much as I enjoy this deliciously scrumptious-nesses, I can not seem to remember to bring one of those pop bottles home with me. I also can not remember to buy a bunt pan {of which I have no other use than this}.

So the other-day-ago, I was zooming along the baking aisle and found myself looking longingly at the Angel Food cake. I decided to put it up in my cupboard and then THEN I would remember next time I was at the store to buy one. But to my surprise as I was reading the back that night, I found all I needed was a couple loaf pans.. of which I have one! SO, I made one batch and while it was baking I placed the other half in the fridge with the thought that I would at least get a taste of this wonderfulness if the other half didn’t work out…

BUT.. It did!

So I was pleasantly surprised twice and got to have my lovely Angel Food cake and eat it too {pun intended} Of course it wasn’t as good as grandma’s, but let’s face it, it never is!

Wedding _ Cake

So, of course I did not make my wedding cake myself...

but I did design it. I came across a picture of square cakes with the

corners cut off *just like mine* and viola! An image popped into my

mine of a cake with a monogram on the front, all off-white, just details

in design. No color just simplicity! Hope you think it is as gorgeous as I do.