Tuesday, August 7, 2012

BuildASign.com Business Cards From BlogHer '12!

While in NYC for BlogHer '12, I was very fortunate to receive business cards from BuildASign.com, who specialize in banners and signs. The site is very easy to navigate, and I was even able to choose refrigerator magnets as my business cards! Here is a picture of my design:


Aren't they awesome!? Everyone at the conference loved them and was so impressed that it was a magnet! I will definitely be ordering from them again soon! BuildASign.com not only specializes in banners and signs, but they also have a sister site where you can order beautiful canvas prints of your favorite pictures! Let me know if you order from them, I would love to see what you get and hear about your experience!

Love,

Kailee


All opinions are my own. I was not paid by BuildASign.com. I received 100 business cards with an option of mentioning them on my site.

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Banana Nut Chocolate Chip Mini Loaves


Want to know how one of these-


Can turn into this?!


Well, I'll tell ya! ;)

My friend Mia and I have baby boys that are about 4 months apart, hers being older. This is good for me because I get everything that her son grows out of! I noticed on visits to her place that Sawyer really loved this jumper that she had. I dropped plenty of hints, but no dice. Finally I broke down and went to Target and dropped $90 on a jumper that IMO is not nearly as cool.

Not two days later I get a text from her:

'You want this? You bake me the bread.'

Attached was a picture of the jumper.

I knew what bread she was talking about. Her favorite, Banana Chocolate Chip. So after a few weeks of having this fantastic jumper, I finally came through on my part of the deal!

This recipe is straight out of The Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. The only things I did differently was double the recipe, and I used a 1/2 cup of Ghiradelli Milk Chocolate Chips and 1/2 cup chopped walnuts. It made eight mini loaves.


Now before you go accosting me on the lack of chocolate, let me explain! I think less is more when it comes to chocolate chips in things, especially milk chocolate. There is so much going on with this bread that a little chocolate is a perfect compliment to the walnuts, bananas, and streusel topping.

So without further adieu-

Banana Nut Bread (from BH&G cookbook)

Prep: 25 minutes    Bake: 55 minutes

Oven: 350             Makes: 1 loaf (16 servings)

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 beaten eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (about 5 medium) HINT: make sure they are VERY RIPE! You can get a great deal on ripe bananas at the grocery store, they usually sell them in paper bags or ask the produce clerk if there are any ripe ones in the back.
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup cooking oil or melted butter or margarine
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 recipe streusel topping (optional)

Streusel Topping- In a small bowl combine 1/4 cup packed brown sugar and 3 tablespoons all purpose flour. Using a pastry blender (or if you're like me, a fork.), cut in 2 tablespoons butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in 1/3 cup chopped nuts.

1. Grease bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of one 9x5x3-inch or two 7 1/2x3 1/2x2-inch loaf pans; set aside. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside.

2. In a medium bowl combine eggs, bananas, sugar, and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Fold in nuts (and chocolate chips, if you're doing that!) Spoon batter into prepared pan(s). If desired, sprinkle Streusel Topping over batter.

3. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 55 to 60 minutes for 9x5x3-inch pan, or 40-45 minutes for 71/2x31/2x2-inch pans (I think it was around 25-30 min for my mini loaf pans, I never use a timer so I'm not sure, OOPS!) or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean (if necessary, cover loosely with foil for the last 15 minutes of baking to prevent overbrowning). Cool in pan on a wire rack for ten minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely on a wire rack. Wrap and store overnight before slicing. (OOPS to this too, I may or may not have broken a loaf open ten seconds after pulling it out of the oven.)



Enjoy!!!

Kailee


Friday, July 6, 2012

BlogHer '12 - What Have I Gotten Myself Into????

In less than a month I will be traveling to the mean streets of New York. A far cry from the small farm town of Gervais, Oregon. I am so utterly excited I can't even contain myself. My agenda is filling up fast, but I am also terrified. Why???



Because I have FOMO.

That's right, I said it. I have FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out). There is so much cool stuff that will be going on that I don't even know where to begin. Here I was worried about even having time to get around the entire Expo hall during the conference, and now I'm finding out that I need to make time (assuming I get invites) to all these cool private parties that are happening. Oh and don't forget to have proper etiquette on Twitter, you know, not blatantly asking for invites but flirting with the sponsors in hopes of snagging one.

And I've gotta bring an extra bag for swag.

Can't forget my business cards!!!

What am I going to wear???

Not only that...somewhere in there I need to squeeze in time for actual conference sessions - yea, you know, the actual POINT of the whole thing???

One thing I will NOT be missing out on is Martha Stewart being a Key Note Speaker. She's my girl! Tell me, where else can you find someone like her- super talented, smart- AND she's got street cred? Psh, sign me up!



I'm sure that whatever happens, I will have a fabulous time. It's New York!!! 
If you're going to BlogHer12, connect with me on Twitter! @PreciousCargo15


Now I need to think of what to pack....

Kailee

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Crown Royal Cake


Who doesn't like whiskey??? My friend Ashlee used to drink Southern Comfort, and when we turned her onto Crown, she was a changed woman ;)

Ashlee turned 25 in April, and this is the cake I made her:


I have to say I was pretty proud of myself as I don't usually 'decorate'- I just make delicious cakes :) The only mishap was the writing on the board got all janky when the buttercream dried, but we lived! 

For this cake I used homemade marshmallow fondant, for which I did a post on HERE.
I just used my favorite chocolate cake recipe in a 1/2 sheet pan, leveled and filled it with buttercream, crumb coated it, then covered it in fondant. I brushed it with skin colored Wilton gel coloring then sprayed with Duff's Gold food coloring spray. I used a fan brush to get the color I wanted, then decorate the rest with buttercream. It was easy peasy! <3 #TheCrownLife

Love,

Kailee

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Wordless Wednesday!


Happy 4th Of July!!!

Please tell me, what better way to celebrate our independence than eating bacon?




French Toast cupcake with maple flavored buttercream, topped with bacon. You're welcome.

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Wordless Wednesday...

Pin It


Baked Lemon Garlic Salmon

1 chopped clove of garlic
olive oil
lemon juice
salt/pepper
sliced lemons

Baste and bake in a 400 degree oven for 15-20 min, depending on thickness

Love,

Kailee

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Chocolate Raspberry Cabernet & Chambord Ganache Cupcakes


WOW.

I've hit the motherload.

Wine. Chocolate. Cupcakes. Raspberries. Is there any better combination? I think not.

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