Divorcing my stuff!!

Spring is right around the corner! After a long & arduous winter I couldn't be more excited for Spring flowers, bike rides, and afternoons with a good magazine and cup of tea! I was inspired by a blogger who offered a challenge to downsize your home. Live in more peacefully with less. She enjoyed thrifting and getting a good deal, but live with the best and get rid of the rest. I have downsized my 12 ahem. purses to 3 of my absolute favorites. Thankfully my cousin, carolyn was excited in having something new. I am feeling absolutly free and it has only begun!

I went to joanne fabrics with Grandma also Joanne and Cheryl to find fabric for a chair that needed a new slipcover. My aunt gave me an Ikea Poang chair and the result couldn't be more delightful!

It is amazing what one change can make such a dynamic impact on your day. "By small and simple things are great things brought to pass." It's true in so many ways. Think of all the little things you do that add up to something big. Small daily choices become habits that define us, little children grow to become the adults who can change the world. This one is great when you're feeling like all the little things you do aren't important... all those little things have a great impact when you put them all together!

Tonight we are celebrating a special birthday birthday boy!! We will be at Tommy's in Coventry with friends and family! Here is Rick, Tim, and Brett at the Shamrock 15k where brett was amazing. 49th out of 231!!

OH it has been cold around here! Lots of wooly layers are being worn. Unfortunately I haven't made a whole meal that Brett LOVES. Last night I made Curried Lentils and sweet potatoes with bread pudding a recipe from grama.Thankfully before dinner we went out for a run. I really enjoyed the bread pudding with rum sauce.

Today Brett took this blowy day off to enjoy his Christmas gift. I bought him a package for skiing at Boston Mills that includes lift, rental, and a lesson. He is thrilled to get started!

Cranberries are wonderful. Dr.OZ says they are really good for you so my gram would call it a healthy cake! I bought a bag of fresh cranberries and had a difficult time finding recipes that called for fresh. I found this on Smitten Kitchen and at 4pm I thought it would be such a delight for brett after a long day. I checked and I had everything on the list, how could it not be delicious.


You could make this cake for any occasion! While I was making it my mom said she was going to stop by for dinner. I told her how lucky she was because I was serving cake tonight! It is snowy and cold out and half the cake was gone! and we were all under the blankets sipping some beer.


Cranberry Upside-Down Cake

makes two 8″ cakes to serve 10 -12, from Smitten Kitchen

* 1/2 stick (4 Tbsp.) butter
* 2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
* 1 Tbsp. molasses
* 1/4 cup water
* 2 1/2 generous cups cranberries, fresh or frozen

* 2 cups AP flour
* 1 cup sugar
* 2 tsp. baking powder
* 1 tsp. salt
* freshly grated nutmeg

* 3 large eggs, room temperature
* 1 cup sour cream/Plain Yogurt
* 1 stick (8 Tbsp.) butter, melted
* 1/4 tsp. favorite flavoring(Almond, Cinnamon, or Vanilla)

Preheat the oven to 375ºF, and butter two 8″ round cake pans.

In a medium saucepan, melt 1/2 a stick of butter. Add the brown sugar, molasses, and water and bring to a boil, stirring nearly constantly. Pour into prepared pans and set aside while you make the cake batter.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and grated nutmeg.

In the work bowl of your stand mixer, beat eggs and sour cream on medium speed until well blended. Add the melted butter and Flavoring and stir to combine. Add the flour mixture all at once and mix on low until fully incorporated and batter is smooth.

Pour the cranberries into the pans with the molasses mixture. Press them down a bit and create an even layer of cranberries in the bottom of the pan. Pour the batter on top of the cranberries and spread it evenly in the pan, being careful not to displace the berries.

Bake for about 40 minutes or until the top is golden brown and a tester comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then invert it over a serving plate.



P.S. – If you wanted to make this cake with even more cranberry goodness, use 3 cups of berries.

The things I create amaze me at times. It just looked like an expensive delicious creation. Lemon curd danish.