Cupcake Pedestal Creation

I tend to be a detail sort of gal...always on the look-out for something special to craft for the holiday's!

I spotted this idea on the internet and decided Easter would be the perfect time to make these adorable little pedestal's!

I purchased 3" unfinished spindles and 3" wooden circles/discs and then painted them white...I used a foam brush and about three coats of paint did the job just right. You could probably use spray paint to save time!

After I was pleased with the paint job, I used a wood glue to bind the two pieces together!

This was a fun little project...I placed little doiley's on top of wooden circle and then placed the cupcakes on top and served!

Have a great day!

Happy Easter!

The weather leading up to Easter was unseasonably wet and chilly...okay, it was really snowy and cold!
On Friday, the 22nd of April, it would have been my Dad's 95th birthday and the sun was out and fairly warm...a perfect little tribute to a fine man!!! I managed to hang a few eggs on a tree while the sun was out!
I know Dad is always with me and I am thankful that he has been restored and has gained the crown he so earned! Love you, Dad!!!

How about some butterscotch nests with Peeps and eggs? Or would you rather have Peeps dipped in chocolate and sprinkles?

Here we have a cupcake tower and I thought I would use it for something else this year...I placed a foil cupcake liner in each cup and then put colorful paper shreds in and topped off with a plastic egg!

Personally, I am not a fan of Peeps but you need some fun decorative food items to go with the occasion! I just melted some chocolate and dipped the Peeps in it and then dipped in the colorful sprinkles...could it get an easier?

The butterscotch nests are a fun addition to Easter!

2 cups Chinese noodles
1 cup Rice Krispies
1 cup mini marshmallows
1 pkg. butterscotch chips
Peeps
Egg shaped candies

Melt the butterscotch chips and then add noodles, cereal & marshmallows...stir gently but thoroughly and mold into mounds to resemble a bird's nest. Immediately place Peep & eggs on nest to secure.

Just one more...

Have a grand day everyone and enjoy a little nature along the way!

Additional morning after spring storm pictures

Another attempt to capture the ice pellets on the trees!
The 'ole shanty...the memories of having lunch in that shanty during cherry picking season are priceless! I always wanted to have it restored and use it for a garden shed of sorts or perhaps a playhouse for a grandchild!!! Are you paying attention to this, Ben!!!

A simply gorgeous morning!

The temperature is rising quite quickly this morning so the ice won't last long and that is a good thing!

I really must quit taking photo's and get ready for work! Oh, to live in the woods and watch nature at its finest!
Won't be long and the leeks (or ramps) will be ready for using in the kitchen and they are right out back of the house!

Day after spring storm

Beautiful sunrise the morning after the Spring snow storm:)

Frozen water droplets on the burning bush shrub!

Yesterday the daffodils were covered with snow and this morning it looks like they survived...such a tough little flower!

I was hoping to get a clear picture of the ice on the cedar and surrounding trees...perhaps you could use your imagination on this one!

Glistening snow on the deck, how beautiful!

Another snow storm???

Yet another spring snow storm arrived on Tuesday, April 19, 2011 and it was a heavy & wet snow making driving quite treacherous...many local schools were cancelled on Wednesday the 20th.

The little chickadee in the above photo is as confused as the rest of us...what is going on?

The Burning Bush slowly descended to the ground and thankfully bounced back later in the day!

No grilling happening at our home!

I must confess that the landscape was beautiful but would prefer spring to stick around!

There is a saying in our great state of Michigan...wait 5 minutes and the weather is apt to change...well I say bring it on...spring that is!

Savory Mini Cream Puffs

Ben needed to take something for a potluck at work and it seemed many colleague's were contributing sweets so I thought little chicken salad cream puffs would be a good addition.

Of course the photo-op consists of the finished puffs in Tupperware containers, they travel nicely that way!

Here is the puff with the soft inside removed...

And here is the puff with the soft dough waiting to be removed.

Puffs galore!!!

You can use your favorite recipe for cream puffs and just make them miniature.

Puffs:

1 cup water
1/2 cup butter
1 cup flour
4 eggs

Heat water and butter in a saucepan to boiling, reduce heat and stir in the flour. Stir vigorously over low heat until mixture leaves sides of pan and comes together in a ball. Remove from heat and beat in the four eggs.

Shape dough into desired shapes on a cookie sheet (parchment lined) and bake at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes (baking time will vary according to size of puffs).

I used a chicken filling and didn't use a recipe...
You can use canned chicken if you want to save time and add Hellman's to taste along with onion, diced sweet pickles, chopped nuts, herbs...whatever you like!
Ham salad is also a possibility as is tuna...be creative~