MADE ONE FOR MYSELF

 

I thought I'd make a little cozy 

for myself today.

I had this fabric from years

back.

We really aren't doing anything

special.  It is cold and it

is supposed to snow

tomorrow.

Do you mind winter?  I enjoy

the slowdown myself.

I should have including some

Valentine Sugar Cookies but

 they seem to have

"disappeared".

VALENTINE TABLE SETTING

 My hubby and I decided to take some

days off this last week.  Our lives

are very simple and we don't travel

 very much but this week we took off and went east 

to St Louis one day to 2 mega size antique malls and then we

 went to all 3 smaller local antique

malls on another day. 

I had been thinking for a while about

looking for 2 antique oil lamps for

my dining room table.  My husband

asked if I wanted these and the answer

was "of course I do".  They came from Springfield, Missouri.

This is an area off our kitchen without

a wall separating the two called a

Hearth Dining Room.

I tried using the leaf in the

table but decided I preferred

it without the leaf. I can always

add it if needed.

CHOCOLATE FUDGE CAKE OH LALA

 I have posted this cake on this blog many times but here it is again because frankly, it is really delicious so I baked one today.

I am going to just copy the recipe

 from an old post and

paste it down below.

 

While the cake was in the oven,

 it started

to snow lightly.

I love this little Sadler Valentine teapot too.

Here is what you need for your

Chocolate Fudge Cake Oh LA La:

5 squares unsweetened chocolate, 2 1/3 cups sifted cake flour, 1 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 stick of butter, 2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar, 3 eggs, 1 1/2 tsp vanilla, 1 cup sour cream, 1 cup plus 4 TB water-boiling

1. Melt chocolate in a small bowl over hot water -2. grease and flour 2 size 9" cake pans either square or heart shaped

3. Sift flour, baking soda and salt into a bowl

4. Beat soft butter in large bowl. Add brown sugar and eggs; beat with mixer at high speed until light and fluffy about 5 minutes

5. Stir in dry ingredients alternately with sour cream until batter is smooth. 

Do not boil water too soon as it evaporates fast- stir in boiling water and batter will become thin Pour into cake pans

6. Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes- check with toothpick (my convection oven took 25 minutes)

7. Let cool 10 minutes - cut around edge to loosen

Turn onto cake platter...I like to put Cherry pie filling between the layers before icing

Fudge icing: 4 squares unsweetened chocolate, 1 stick of butter, 7 1/2 cups of confectioners sugar, 3/4 cup of milk, 2 tsp vanilla 

Melt chocolate in small saucepan with butter - remove from heat

Combine other ingredients in bowl and then add chocolate mix- beat till ready to ice cake!

VALENTINES DAY WEEK

The week of Valentines is always such a

wonderful time.  Couples go out and 

have lovely dinners and others stay

home and make something delicious!

Ladies come together for tea and it's

fun decorating with valentine themed items.

I have some in my kitchen to enjoy,

along with other things of course.

Even my Queen Elizabeth tea cozy

seems to Valentine-ish:

My old Nicol Sayre angel

always comes out for the occasion.

I hope you have a lovely week!

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY WEEK

For the past couple of weeks I

have enjoyed making Valentines

at my kitchen table.  It has been

very cold so I brought crafting

supplies upstairs and now I am

glad to get it all removed.

This is the large medallion I made

for my downstairs tea room.  I

had fun making some Valentines

for friends.

I have had the Dee Foust "Love" 

banner for years so I have enjoyed it on

the mantle:

I hope you have a lovely

Valentines Day Week!

OLD COUNTRY ROSES

Today I am enjoying a little

tea time by the fireplace and

some Sugar Cookies.  As

we approach Valentines Day,

I imagine there will be lots of

baking going on.

I decided to put out my "Old Country

Roses" china for a while to enjoy...

I enjoy the artist Nicole Sayre.

Though expensive, they sell very quickly.
 I just enjoy seeing each creation.

 My Nicole dolls (angels)are just
 the mass manufactured
 and

cheaper ones.

I am sure you are familiar with Old
Country Roses.  I got my pieces about
ten years ago from a lady who didn't want
them.  My husband thought it would
be nice for our 40th Anniversary.
I love that they are the
"English" ones too.

VALENTINE CHEER

Yesterday I worked in the kitchen on a little

Valentine display in the armoire.  It was fun to
get out the Sadler Valentine teapot I found in Colorado last year right before we moved to Missouri.

The fireplace mantle also got decorated.

It has been overcast, cold and dreary and
less I forget damp
which I knew would be the norm 

 in Missouri in the winter.

It was snowing too but melted 

before it hit the ground.

I figured Valentine decorations would really brighten up the day!  Do you decorate for Valentines Day?

CHOCOLATE FOR A WHIMSICAL VALENTINES TEA PARTY

These photos are from a few years back but I thought it would be fun to "reshare them" with Valentines Day coming up.

And a little later it looked like this.

I have had this little cupid man

 from back in the

 early 90's when painting on

 wood was very

popular!

 Why not plan a whimsical Valentine Friendship Tea Party for a few of your very best friends! 

Look around for "red stuff" and start your pile...this doesn't have to be "Valentine" related items...just look for red! (oops.......just not Christmas stuff!)

This is different than a dinner party where

 you go very elegant - this is about fun!

Here is my recipe for this great Ohh La La CHOCOLATE CAKE....

Here is what you need for your cake:

5 squares unsweetened chocolate, 2 1/3 cups sifted cake flour, 1 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 stick of butter, 2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar, 3 eggs, 1 1/2 tsp vanilla, 1 cup sour cream, 1 cup plus 4 TB water-boiling

1. Melt chocolate in a small bowl over hot water -

2. grease and flour 2 size 9" cake pans either square or heart shaped

3. Sift flour, baking soda and salt into a bowl

4. Beat soft butter in lg bowl. Add brown sugar and eggs; beat with mixer at high speed til light and fluffy about 5 minutes

5. Stir in dry ingredients alternately with sour cream til batter is smooth.

Do not boil water too soon as it evaporates fast- stir in boiling water and batter will become thin Pour into cake pans

6. Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes- check with toothpick

7. Let cool 10 minutes - cut around edge to loosen

Turn onto cake platter...I like to put Cherry pie filling between the layers before icing

Fudge icing: 4 squares unsweetened chocolate, 1 stick of butter, 7 1/2 cups of confectioners sugar, 3/4 cup of milk, 2 tsp vanilla

Melt chocolate in small saucepan with butter - remove from heat

Combine other ingredients in bowl and then add chocolate mix- beat till ready to ice cake!

THE WEEK OF VALENTINES DAY

While some of you have been getting slammed with winter snows, here in Colorado we have had unseasonably warm weather.  It seems quite unusual and of course causing bulbs to pop up in the garden.  Not good considering most of our snow arrives in March and April and do not like being out in the snow. 

 Inside we are all decorated

 for Valentines Day.

For me, Valentines Day is all about whimsy.

Yesterday afternoon, I went antiquing and found this darling old Valentine postcard.  There seem to be many out there and I couldn't resist this one.

I know that blogging this week will be filled with Valentines Day decorating, baking and Valentine passions. I am amazed how many bloggers have some portion of this Lucy's Love teaset and I imagine we will see a lot of this one this week.