German Chocolate Cake

German Chocolate Cake

Cake Ingredients

4 oz Baker's German Chocolate

1/2 cup boiling water

1 cup butter

2 cups sugar

4 egg yolks

4 egg whites

1 tsp vanilla

2 1/2 cups cake flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup buttermilk

Mix German chocolate with the boiling water, stir until mixed well. Set aside

Mix butter and sugae until fluffy. Slowly add egg yolks while the mixture is beating. Mix until no more yellow is evident. Add chocolate mixture and vanilla.

Sift flour and add baking soda and salt.

Alternate adding the milk and the flour mixture to your butter mixture as it is beating. Mix until smooth.

In another mixer or bowl, beat your egg whites until fluffy! May take about 5 minutes!

After they are fluffy, very slowly FOLD them into the cake batter!

You will need to grease and flour 3 cake pans! I put wax paper in the bottem of mine!

Now divide the batter evenly between the 3 pans.

Bake in PRHEATED oven at 350 for 30-40 minutes! Test with a toothpick!

When finished let cool on a cooling rack!

Icing Ingredients

1 cup evaporated milk

1 cup sugar

3 beaten egg yolks

1/2 cup butter

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups coconut

2 cups ROASTED chopped pecans

In a mediun sauce pan, combine all ingredients except the coconut and the pecans. Cook for 12 minutes on medium heat. Stir constantly or it will stick. Add coconut and pecans!

I usually end up using more but I just keep adding the coconut and pecans until I get the consistency that I want! Let cool!

When cool, frost the cake!

Add frosting in between all layers and then cover the top! I ALWAYS double the recipe to make sure that I have enough!!!!!

ENJOY!!!

Bloglovin Blog Hop for March

I am super excited to be co-hosting a Bloglovin' Blog Hop with Amanda from School House Scraps and Randee from Randee's Organized Chaos for the month of March.  What's Bloglovin' you ask?  Well, only the greatest way to keep track of the blogs that you love.  With the discontinuation of Google Friends Connect, I decided that I needed to find another way to keep up with all of my favorite blogs that are not hosted by blogger.  I signed up for Linky Followers and I've had great success with gaining new followers, but I’m finding I don’t get any traffic to my site from Linky.  I also do not enjoy reading my favorite blogs from there.  I stumbled upon Bloglovin' and I am in love!  It is very similar to Google Reader, in that you can see the beginning of the post and the first picture attached to the post.  Plus, Bloglovin' automatically updates your posts, unlike Linky Followers, which you have to manually update each time you write a new post.  I don't know about you, but I just don't have the time to do that every time.  Another added bonus is there is a Bloglovin' application for IPhone and Android devices.  Woohoo!  Like I don't spend enough time reading blogs.  Now it's a simple touch.  Love it!




***These are the complete instructions for sign up, so skip to the rules if you already have Bloglovin'***

In order to participate in this hop you need to sign up for Bloglovin’.  Go to Bloglovin'.   Hit the green sign up button in the right hand corner.  Next enter an email address and create your password.  You will get a confirmation eamil that you will need to follow a link back to Bloglovin' to continue the process.  Once you click on the link you will be brought to a page where it says to choose blogs to follow.  You don't need to do this.  Click next in the bottom right hand corner.  The next screen let’s you know about the mobile app so just click next again.  This screen will show that you are not following any blogs.  Click on Account in the upper right hand corner and toggle down to widget.  Choose the widget you want displayed on your page.  Put your url into the search query and it should pull up your site.  Click on your site and it will say display this icon.  The next page should bring you to a screen that has you display it into your layout.   Once you hit publish you’re done!  If you view your blog you should see the icon and now your followers can add you to their Bloglovin’ feed.  Seriously, so simple.  So let’s get to the blog hop.  This is a party so make sure to have some fun and mingle.




 There’s only a couple of rules:

1.       Please follow all three hostesses – The NY Melrose Family, School House Scraps & Randee's Organized Chaos

2.      Add Bloglovin' to your blog.

3.      Post our button for the blog hop on your page to promote the fun.

 




<center><a href="http://www.thenymelrosefamily.blogspot.com/"><br /> <img src="http://i1269.photobucket.com/albums/jj590/russej10/bloglovin-1-1-1-1.jpg" border="0"/><br /> </a></center> 



Alright, so let's have some fun and mingle!

Alice In Wonderland!

At the beginning of the summer I teamed up with a friend of mine who is an AWESOME photographer! Her name is Dianna Baker and you can look her up at http://www.dbakerphoto.com/

We had a GREAT idea to do a photo shoot around the Alice in Wonderland theme! I was super excited and worked really hard to acheive the great setting that made these pictures SUPER DUPER AWESOME!!! ;)

Please feel free to comment!!

The Mad Hatter outfit was made by my great friend Cami Branch!!! She is an awesome seamstress!

I just LOVE Dianna and her photography!!!  We had a blast!!!  ;)

DIY Dining Table

Dining Room DRAMA

Todd and I have been married for 17 years and together for 18! I still remember our 1st fight like it was yesterday!! I say fight because I had never seen Todd upset and he was REALLY irritated with me!! Now you all know that Todd NEVER gets really mad....that would be me in our family!! ;)

We had gone to look at this table and the woman wanted $100. He looks at me and asks what I think, WELL, I didn't want to upset him, so I said it was "fine!"

What does "fine" mean to a woman????? Let's just say...he NOW knows!!

We bought the table and when we left I made the mistake of telling him that I did not think the table was worth $100! Well, I will leave the rest to the imagination BUT he was not a happy camper!!! He refinished the table and it turned out AWESOME and we have had the table ever since!!

About 5 years ago (maybe more) the table started getting REALLY rickety and I started wanting a new table!! I started looking and found the table that I wanted for the tune of $2400 WITHOUT any chairs!! WOW!! WELL Todd said "NO!!!!!!!"

So now my heart is set on this table and NOTHING else will do!! So fast forward to about 4 months ago when a friend of mine told me about ana-white and I found a table that I loved! So once again I went to Todd and told him that I wanted him to BUILD ME A TABLE!!! Now, imagine the look on Todd's face!! ;)

(he really does love me!!)

So being the WONDERFUL HUSBAND that he is, he built me my table!! I hope that you love it as much as we do!!

Don't EVER be intimidated!! You CAN do anything!! ;)



        

Bean's Monket Business

I discovered a really great site that has the CUTEST monkey EVER!!  His name is "Beans!"  He is on a  new and upcoming kids show...hopefully!!  Take time to stop by the site and check him out!!  Nathaniel LOVES him and watches the videos on youtube!

Here they are to tell you a little more about the site!!

My family has a dream. A pretty big dream. We want to do something big. We're been on an acting/directing

journey for some time now, both in theater and more recently on film. My girls want to act, and they have some

major talent, so we want to support them. Until now, its been outside of our home... but most recently, the

opportunity came for us to make our own way...

Bean the purple monkey came to live with us! Nothing could have prepared us better for this than all of our

experiences in all areas of theater and even learning about the filming of movies.

Bean is a sweet little monkey who loves to read, sing and learn with my two youngest kids, Paris and Abyni. My

other kids are slowly getting involved, but as they are older, they are busier with work and school than they younger two.

We're working not only as a family, but with musical contributions from local musician friends to continue to create

fun songs to teach kids basic skills. We are having a blast on this ride!!

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trUHjZPbGUY]

Texas Cheese Fries...SKINNY!!!

I made the most delicious Texas Cheese Fries last night and they were low calorie and low fat!!  Can't beat that!! 

I found the original recipe on Pinterest from a site called Skinny Taste.   I did change the recipe just a bit and will explain through the recipe!

Skinny Texas Cheese Fries
Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 2 • Serving Size: 1/2 • Old Points: 6 pt • Points+: 7 pt
Calories: 259 • Fat: 12.3 g • Protein: 10.1 g • Carb: 29 g • Fiber: 2.9 g • Sugar: 1.4 g
Sodium: 590.5 mg (without salt)

If you make the homemade low-fat buttermilk ranch ad 1 point plus or 52 calories.

Ingredients:

• 2 medium potatoes (2/3 lb total), yukon gold or russet, washed and dried (skin on)
• 2 tsp olive oil I used canola cooking spray
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp cumin
• coarse salt and fresh cracked pepper
• 1 slice center cut bacon, cooked & finely chopped
• 1/3 cup sharp shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 tbsp diced scallions I used chives
• 1 tbsp sliced pickled Jalapeno (jarred on canned) I used a ton of jalapenos

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400°. Line baking sheet with foil for easy clean-up. Lightly coat with cooking spray.
Cut each potato lengthwise into 1/4 inch thin slices; then cut each slice into 1/4 inch fries.
In a large bowl, combine cut potatoes and oil or cooking spray; toss well. Add seasonings. Toss to coat.

Place potatoes in a single layer on a lightly greased large baking sheet. Bake uncovered for about 25 minutes or until tender crisp, turning once half way through. 

Remove from oven, place fries into two small oven safe dishes (or one large dish for sharing), top with cheddar cheese, sliced jalapenos, scallions and bacon bits and return to oven for about 2 minutes, or until the cheese melts.

She also has a Low Fat Buttermilk Ranch, but we ate them just like they were and they were AWESOME!!!  I even lost a pound yesterday!!  ;)

If you try these, PLEASE let me know what you think!!  ;)

See you tomorrow!! 

Spring Planter

I have a very large planter on my front porch that I never seem to be able to find the "right" thing to plant in it but this spring, I think I have finally done something that I LOVE!!! 

Isn't is BEAUTIFUL!!!  I just LOVE the way my front porch turned out this spring!  It makes me smile to walk up to the front door!!!

Now off to clean craft something!!  ;)

Sleepy Sunday LInky Party

Sleepy Sunday Linky Party!!!

I hope that everyone has had an AWESOME week!  I know that I have been MIA, I went home to Texas and did NOT accomplish a thing but gaining 5lbs!!  I PROMISE this week I will be posting some YUMMY recipes and so really cute crafts!!

Last week we had a really GREAT giveaway from

Dedra at  Prettiful Designs!  It is a $10 digital gift certificate!!  I hope that everyone popped over to say "HI!" to her!! 

The winner with the MOST VIEWS was

Kate over at A Creative Cookie with her GIANT Tulle Bow!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!

Now I want to feature a few of my fav's this week!!

First was the FAUX WALLPAPER over at

MEEHA MEEHA

How awesome is this??  Can't find the perfect wallpaper...NO PROBLEM!!

Second was Rhonda's Easter Glass Block

Super simple, yet CUTE!!!

I always want to choose EVERYONE of the projects and this week there were some SUPER DUPER posts full of information!!!  If you did not get to look at them, you should go back and take a look!!

This week I hope that you will link up and tell your friends!!  We will have another giveaway next week!!!  THANK you for linking up...we LOVE every post!!

So, for this weeks Blog Hop, here are the rules!

1. Only link your original projects, recipes or party ideas!

2. Remember to link directly to your post, rather than to your whole blog.

3. If you haven't already done so, please link back to ME and Jennifer somewhere on your blog so others can come and party with us! After all, the more the merrier!!

4. Please take a moment during the week to look around on the blog hop and check out your favorites. This weeks giveaway will be based on who was "clicked" on the most!!

5. Please follow your hostesses - we have tons of ways to do that these days, so pick one already!

6. Don't be afraid to leave us a comment! I know I LOVE getting to know all my CHAOTIC, bloggy sisters, don't you? 

Apology

Hi everyone!!  I hope that you are having an awesome Spring Break!! 

I had someone leave an anonymous comment on my Easter Wreath post pointing out that I did not link back to my inspiration!!  I am SO SORRY and I am apologizing for not linking back!  I ALWAYS link back and give credit to my inspirations! 

I made this wreath over a year ago and did not give it any thought when I posted it!!  The inspiration came from Courtneyover at  A diamond in the Stuff  which is an REALLY cute blog!!

Sleepy Sunday Linky Party and Giveaway

We have several things going on this week!!  First...our spring break has begun...WOOO HOOO!!

Second..we have made some changes to the

Pinup Girls Playdate weekend so please take a look at the flyer!!  It is going to be a BLAST!!  Don't let having to fly stop you from joining us, I have found some really cheap airfare!!!

Pin Up Girls Playdate!

Pin-Up Girls

don't just 'pin' it - we do it!!

Join 'Miss January' (Randee Hallmark) and
'Miss October' (Jennifer Rollins) for a

Pin-Up Girls Playdate

Saturday, May 5, 3012

from 10 am - 5 pm
in Clear Lake, Texas
at Scrapbook by Design

This fun-filled day of

Home 'Pinspiration'

will include

projects using burlap, painting, stenciling and more!!

Cost is only $95.00 per person and includes:

A Pin-licious lunch
Unlimited snacks

4 PINTABULOUS PROJECTS

Door prizes
and unlimited fun!!

Not only will you leave with 4 pinteresting projects for your home,

you'll learn creative techniques that you can use over and over again
to keep your inner Pin-Up Girl satisfied!

Registration and payment can be made through PayPal
using the send money feature and a credit card

(You do not have to have a PayPal account to use this feature)

Money can be paid to sassypantstutus@att.net.

More details about projects will be posted soon, so follow us and don't miss a thing!

If you have any other questions or would like to speak with one of the pin-up girls directly,
we'd love to hear from you, so send us an e-mail!

Randee Hallmark: bclynx1@aol.com

Jennifer Rollins: sassypantstutus@att.net

 This week we are having an AWESOME giveaway from Dedra at Prettiful Designs!  Dedra designs digital papers, clip art, kits, templates, and word art. She is giving away a $10 digital gift certificate!!  I would LOVE to have it!!! 

The top two features this week are AWESOME and ADORABLE!!!

The first one stopped me in my tracks...I LOVED everything about it!!  Rosina over at Rosy~Posy made me happy that SPRING has SPRUNG with her rainboot flower pots!

Noreen over at Crafty Journal made the cutest

"chick" ever!  I "LUB" him!!  ;)

So, for this weeks Blog Hop, here are the rules!

1. Only link your original projects, recipes or party ideas!

2. Remember to link directly to your post, rather than to your whole blog.

3. If you haven't already done so, please link back to ME and Jennifer somewhere on your blog so others can come and party with us! After all, the more the merrier!!

4. Please take a moment during the week to look around on the blog hop and check out your favorites.  This weeks giveaway will be based on who was "clicked" on the most!!

5. Please follow your hostesses - we have tons of ways to do that these days, so pick one already!

6. Don't be afraid to leave us a comment! I know I LOVE getting to know all my CHAOTIC, bloggy sisters, don't you? 

Prettiful Designs

You know my awesome little owl at the top of my page and the REALLY cool digital papers that we used to make my tabs and add color???  Well, today the BRILLIANT Dedra, designer of these things, is stopping by the CHAOS and sharing some things about herself and the REALLY, REALLY, REALLY AWESOME part is that on our

SLEEPY SUNDAY BLOG HOP

she is giving away a $10 digital gift certificate to the person with the most views!!!!  How exciting is that????  I can not wait!!

So here she is......

Hi!  My name is Dedra and I am one busy momma with designing for several digital scrapbooking shops and 3 little girlets to take care of. My shop, Prettiful Designs helps me maintain my sanity while helping to pay for the lovely necessities of life. I design digital papers, clip art, kits, templates, and word art. One thing you would never guess about me is that I can’t draw—not on paper that is. Give me a pencil and paper and I am clueless but hook me up with a computer and I can design pretty much anything. Visit her shops at

 Prettiful Designs or ETSY and like her on facebook: HERE. She also has a blog where she shares some of her adventures from motherhood: Prettiful Designs.

PLEASE pop over and see all of the great things she has to offer!!  Go to her FB page and like it to keep up with all of her newest designs and giveaways!!! 

How To Catch a Leprechaun

Our kids want to know how to catch that slippery little devil called a LEPRECHAUN!!  So I have been on the hunt for ways to do just that!  Here is what I made and boy was it a HIT!!!

Leprechaun Trap

That little stinker is going to go for the gold and fall right into our TRAP!!!

The middle was SUPPOSED to look like a rainbow BUT it did not quite turn out like that!!  On the bright side, MC's friends still said "WOW, the colors of a rainbow!!!"

I divided the colors up in baggies!!

I found this on Pinterest and was made by

Not Martha  and she has a COMPLETE tutorial!!

Our spring break started about an hour ago so I may be a little scarce this week!!  I want to enjoy evey minute of my baby girl being home!!  ;)



Chalkboards!

CHALKBOARD

I have a LOVE for chalkboards!! I love old ones and new ones!! I just think that they are the BOMB!! ;)

MC started "real" school this year and Nathaniel started preschool! I was already a "nervous wreck" and having a mental breakdown over BOTH of my babies being gone (now keep in mind that Nathaniel is only gone 3 hours, twice a week!:))

But THAT'S neither here nor there!!!! I REALLY lost it when they both started coming home with all of these papers AND due dates AND schedules!! For everyone that REALLY KNOWS me, you know that I do not remember anything on my own!! That's what I have Todd and my closest friends for!! ;) I have Todd tell me what to do everyday and Traci to tell me where I need to be and at what time, I have Kerin to keep up with any important paper work, Michelle to keep me organized and PING to just keep me SANE!! Saying all of this is leading to the point that the 1st few weeks of school my kids MISSED a lot of "things." I decided that I needed a GIANT chalkboard to "organize" myself and my kids schedules!! So I started looking and decided one Saturday that I was going to make a chalkboard THAT DAY.....now imagine the look on Todd's face!!! So we went and got everything and let me tell you, it was SUPER DUPER EASY!!!!

We bought a 4x8 piece of Masonite!

I measured my wall and decided that I wanted the chalkboard to be 3x6 so we cut the board to 3x6! I wanted a decorative edge to the corners so I measured equal inches from both corners, made a mark and placed a bowl down to make my curve! The bowl has to touch both marks that you make when you measure! Cut out the curves on all 4 corners!

I painted the smooth side of the Masonite with 3 coats of chalkboard paint!!

VOILA!!!!!! A perfect Chalkboard!! AND I AM ORGANIZED!!!! ;)

Please don't mind all of the smudges!! I write and erase all day, every day!! ;)

I made this door the same weekend!! It was a door from our church (100 years old) and I needed a place for the kids to hang their backpacks! We sanded it down for a rustic look and I painted the panels chalkboard so the kids could have somewhere to write and draw! Added a bar with hooks and VOILA! again!! ;0

Happy CRAFTING!!!

Shopping for New Bra

TRUE STORY....I went bra shopping the other day with Todd in tow! 

Now,  I have to set the stage with the fact that I am NOT a Victoria Secret girl!  I am a white bra kind of girl!  My current bras were discolored for some UNKNOWN reason...not the fact that I refuse to take the time to sort our clothes before shoving all 7 loads in the washing machine at once!

We are wondering through Target because they have a brand that I actually like and I swear a tornado went off in the bra department so we could not find ANYTHING!! (YES...Todd was even in on the search!)  I finally found one and was on the hunt for the second one when I picked up one by the brand that I like and it looked a little different but it looked like it had a lot of support (for what I am not sure!!!)  Todd mumbles something and I say "But it looks like it has a lot of support!"  I toss it in the buggy and away we go!

Now...fast forward to this morning!!  I put on my BRAND NEW "support" bra and head out the door!  Throughout the morning the bra seemed a little "funny" but I just thought it was the awesome new "support" that I wasn't used to!!  I am sitting on the phone talking to Todd when all of a sudden I hear a "SNAP" and I feel looseness to my bra!  I look down into my shirt and

OHHHHHHHH M GEEEEEEEEEEE

the cup has fallen down!  I am wearing a

NURSING BRA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am freaking out and telling Todd and he calmly says "I told you it was a nursing bra!!!" then I say "NO YOU DIDN'T" and he says "YES, I did and you replied "but it has added support!!"

This is a day in the life of RANDEE!!  ;)

Easter S'mores

Ok....I think I may have a problem with S'MORES!!  We love them and even make them using the gas burners on the stove!!  SOOOO, anytime I can make them using the cute Peep's I jump at the chance!!

Here they are!  SUPER cute and SUPER easy!!  I am making them for MC and Nathaniel's classes!! 

Graham crackers, mini Hershey's, a cute little Peep, ribbon

 and

BAAAAAUUUM ( as MC would say)

there you have it!!!

Workout done for today and having leftover enchilada's tonight!!  ;)

Sleepy Sunday Linky Party

WHEW...what a week!!  Every time I think I am going to slow down and get some REAL crafting done, I realize that I have over committed myself again!!  This week was our book fair!!  LOTS of fun but not much time for my little hobbies!!  ;)
If you have been following my workout or would just like a LAUGH take a look at this post
My Workout Attire!!

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the projects linked up this week!!  Here are a few of MY favorites!!

Holly over at Bella Nest made a rolling cart that I am DYING to have!!  It is AWESOME!!!  ;)

Another REALLY cute project is by Karie over at

ipinterest



The cutest thing ever!!  LOVE it!!

Now on to the WINNER for this week!!  I am guessing 3rd time is a charm....AMANDA at

School House Scraps!!!!  WOW!!!  Congratulations!!!  ;)

She made a Lucky Charm Sign

So, for this weeks Blog Hop, here are the rules!

1. Only link your original projects, recipes or party ideas (hint, hint)!

2. Remember to link directly to your post, rather than to your whole blog.

3. If you haven't already done so, please link back to ME and  Jennifer somewhere on your blog so others can come and party with us! After all, the more the merrier!!

4. Please take a moment during the week to look around on the blog hop and 'like' your favorites.
Who knows, it could be your 'lucky' day!

5. Please follow your hostesses - we have tons of ways to do that these days, so pick one already!
6. Don't be afraid to leave us a comment! I know I LOVE getting to know all my  CHAOTIC, bloggy sisters, don't you?

Workout and Recipe Update!

WOOO HOOO tomorrow is my REST day!!  I made it through my workout...50 jumping jacks and 25 crunches!!  Should have taken a pic!!  I have already gotten undressed tonight and you KNOW that you can not do JJ's without a bra on SOOOOO me being L A Z Y, I grabbed my bra and put it on OVER my t-shirt and started to do my JJ's in the middle of the living room!!  ;)

Todd said he wished that he had his phone so he could take a picture!!!  I would have KILLED him!!  :p  Now looking back on it, I am pretty sure I am a GENIUS!!!  Maybe this will be my new workout attire!!  :o

I also made enchilada's!!  These are from ANONYMOUS on my blog!!  If you gave me these PLEASE let me know who you are!!! 

Cheesy enchiladas topped with sliced olives.
Dip tortillas in hot oil to soften. Once they are soft, remove from the pan and drain on a paper towel. Then dip tortilla in enchilada sauce then lay flat on a plate and add some cheese and onions to the center of tortilla. Roll up and lay in a baking dish (or pan) seam side down. Repeat procedure laying the rolled tortillas side by side in the dish. Pour remaining sauce over them and top with olives and remaining grated cheese.

Bake at 400F for 15 minutes. I serve this with refried beans, Spanish rice and tacos. Makes a great meal!
Ingredients

1 package Corn Tortillas (12 In A Package)
6 Tablespoons Oil (for Softening Tortillas, More If Needed)
1 pound Grated Cheese (you Can Grate Your Own)
2 cups Onions, Diced
4 cans Enchilada Sauce (I Use Old El Paso Mild 10 Oz Cans)
2 cans Sliced Olives (I Use Mario Black Olives 2.25 Oz Cans)

I have to tell you what I did different!  I sprayed my tortillas with cooking spray on both sides and laid them on a plate in a pile and microwaved for a minute!! These are AWESOME enchiladas!!

Enjoy the weekend!!!  ;)

Easter Hair Clips

This is a VERY quick post but I think they are pretty stinkin cute!!  I made some Easter hair clips for MC!!  I get SOOOO tired of looking for the perfect hair clip to match MC's clothes for the day and now I have found my solution....I will MAKE THEM!!! 

Here are the Easter ones!!  I will post a pic of it actually in her hair when she wears them!!  ;)

I found some cute Easter pins at Walmart and clipped off the safety pins and then glued them to a bobby pin with Gorilla Glue!!  That is it....DONE!!!  

See you Sunday for

SLEEPY SUNDAY LINKY PARTY!!!