DIY Funnel Cakes

Guess what I did at work today.
Made funnel cakes!

The homemade batter was easy and really tasty.  I recommend making the batter.  It made about 10 cakes (some were pretty big, so I think it could make more).

Check out the video to see the recipe and to see the process.

It's the perfect summer treat!

DIY Donuts

On this day in 1847, donuts were created.  Or so says the American who claims to have created the version we know today.  Whether of not it's true, I'm all for celebrating!

Look at these fun donut makers!

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I'm doing a tutorial over at Community Source on how to make super easy donuts.  Go check it out!

 

video link 

The guys in the office gobbled them up!

Win an iPad 2!!!

I love the iPad I have for work.  Looooove it!  Now you can love your own!

Community Source is giving away a free iPad.  Go enter!

Baked Cream Cheese Shortcake Thing-a-ma-jig with Strawberries

What happens when you take a craving for strawberry shortcake and combine it with a craving for baked goods? This is born!

It's a really weird combination, and may not be for everyone.  But I found it quite yummers. And fulfilling.  It hit the spot.

Fill store bought shortcakes with cream cheese.

I had an 8 oz block and had a bit leftover.  Put the leftover cream cheese to the side.

Fill a baking dish with the shortcakes

Mix together the left over cream cheese with:

-2 cups of milk

-1 tbsp of vanilla

-1 tbsp of cinnamon

-1/2 of sugar (or more...I usually vote for more)

-pinch of salt

-2 eggs (I used 4 and that was too many...tasted a big egg custardy)

Pour the mixture over the shortcakes

Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes

Serve warm and top with strawberries (I sliced mine, added some sugar, and let them sit in the fridge to get juicy).

You'll need to like cream cheese to like this.  But I lurve cream cheese, so it was good for me.  Make sure your eggs are mixed in well so that you don't have scrambled eggs in your dessert.  You could serve it cool, but I liked the warm with the cold strawberries.

What do you think?  Does this sound too weird?

What I'm Listening to at Work Today...

NPR, you always know the way to my music heart...

Listen here

Anniversary Photos

Two years ago today I married my Colin.  I walked down the aisle at 4:00 p.m., and we were husband and wife about 15 minutes later!  That was one of the best days of my life.  I had such a great day.

Since our anniversary is on a Monday this year, we had to celebrate over the weekend.  We're both working today and helping with Vacation Bible School at our church, so we're not seeing much of each other today.  Wah wah :(.

We had a good weekend to make up for it, though!

We need to get a tripod to take pictures of the two of us.  We're not going to remember what we wore to anything since we can only get self-portraits of our faces!

I'm pretty good about sneaking photos on my phone of him!

We went to one of our favorite restaurants, and I got one of my favorite all time dishes-- baked gnocchi!  It melts in your mouth.  I think this dish will be in heaven.  And it will have zero calories.

On Saturday we went to the farmer's market, ran some errands, went camera shopping (for my dream camera that I hope to buy one day), and went Indian grocery shopping (Indian as in India...some people were needing clarification that it wasn't Native American grocery shopping).  I went to India a few years ago for work, so it's fun to share my memories with Colin.

Indian soda drinks

I can't believe that two years have passed since we got married.  It's flown by!  We have so much fun together.  We're just pretty great for each other all around.  He fills in my weaknesses, and hopefully I strengthen him as well.

Happy anniversary, Colin!

xoxo 

Marla

1950s Husband & Wife Rating Scales

Oh. Dear. These things are funny.  

Click to enlarge and rate you and your significant other.

 source

I have to mark demerits for wearing red nail polish and for putting my cold feet on my husband.  Such a shame that I don't know any better!

I marked a merit for being dressed for breakfast.  Does it matter that it's because I always eat breakfast at work?  I'm all for finding a loophole.

So, how do you rate?

Greatest Coffee Cake Ever

picture taken on my phone while eating breakfast on the back porch...ahhh

I found Pioneer Woman's recipe on Food Coma's blog.  I know the recommendation is not to change the recipe.  But I did.  Gasp!  It wasn't intentional...that much.

I used candied pecans (from the peanut aisle), because plain pecans are so dang expensive.  The pecans in produce and the baking aisle cost an arm and a leg.  And although I have a pecan tree, it's not producing, and I couldn't find any pecans in the pantry or freezer.  Needless to say, a few days later I found a Walmart bag full of pecans in the bottom of the pantry.  Sigh.  Oh well.

I also added some bananas.  Only because I had some that needed to be eaten.  So I sliced two bananas and laid the slices on top of the batter before covering it with filling.

I think my two changes were wise.  The candied pecans were ahhmazing and the bananas made it taste a little more breakfasty.  I took some to work and some to my parents, and it was a hit.

So go make it!  And decide whether or not you'll strictly stick to the recipe.