Birthday, Bunnies and a Rolling Ball

Here's a recap of a fun Memorial Day celebration in Idaho.  

You just never know what will happen in the country.

We started off by celebrating this cute girl's birthday at home. 

She started to put her own candles on her cake.

She ended up with lots of help with those candles!

Then we took that party to a restaurant where the fun continued.

Cute birthday hat!

Do you want some fun?  Add five little, soft bunnies and 7 cousins to make a happy time.

He does not want to give any of these adorable babies away!

The next door neighbors call to share this fun human rolling ball. 

All children run for the adventure they see in store for them.

They think this is a great way to work off their newly eaten BBQ dinner.

Next it is time to bring out the craft supplies--old T-shirts to cut out circles.

After time we've made a fitting Memorial Day red, white and blue banner for the mantel and

lots of cute hair bands for everyone.

It was a great time for lots of family bonding.

I hope your weekend was adventure-filled too!

Valentine Dessert for Book Club

 For today's Tablescape I set up an informal Valentine Dessert for my Book group.

I used a red and white toile tablecloth on the table and my scalloped heart shaped dessert dishes that I purchased at Pottery Barn several years ago.  They came in sets of four with one each of white, pink, lavendar and dark pink plates.  I have two sets which was just right for our eight members that night.  I used my wedding silverplate dessert forks by William Rogers.

 

We had our ice water in these goblets from Target.  I love their dark ruby color and felt they were just right for Valentines as well.

 

The centerpiece was a large heart on a table stand that I got at Tai Pan last year at 50% off.

 

I served Ina Gartner's Orange Chocolate Chunk Cake with Ganache and on the side Madagascar Vanilla Ice Cream with Orange Sauce.

 

Each serving was topped with a cute Valentine pick.

Ina Gartner's Orange Chocolate Chunk Cake

1/2 lb. unsalted butter at room temperature

2 cups sugar

4 extra large eggs at room temperature

3 cups flour

1/2 each of baking powder and baking soda

1 tsp kosher salt

1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

3/4 cup buttermilk at room temperature

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 cups good semisweet chocolate chunks

for the syrup

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

for the ganache

8 oz. good semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tsp. instant coffee granules

Grease and flour a 10" bundt pan.  Cream the butter and sugar for 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, then orange zest.  Sift the dry ingredients together and add them alternately with the wet ingreds.  Toss the chocolate chunks with 2 T. flour then add them to the mixture.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour until cake tester comes out clean.  Let cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes.  Make the syrup by heating until the sugar dissolves.  Remove cake from pan and set on a rack over a tray.  Spoon the syrup over the cake.  Allow the cake to cool completely.  Then drizzle the melted ganache over the top of the cake.  It is delicious!

I am linking up with Thursday Tablescape and Foodie Friday for this post.

Patriotic Tablescape

Today is Tablescape Thursday thanks to Susan at Between Naps on the Porch. While shopping last week I came upon such fun red, white and blue paperware. I will share with you today some casual tablesettings for the 4th of July.
This round table is set with a blue and white tablecloth and each of the four placesettings is just a little bit different. Two are set with round red placemats and the other two have red and cream ticking rectangular placemats.I love the shape of the square plates. They are all from either Target or Walmart. Colors, designs and coordinating napkins this year just called to me-I had to buy them. The cute plastic red polka dot glasses are from Crate and Barrel-given to me by a friend at Christmas but I think they look fun and happy for the 4th here. I love this flag plate with it's red napkin on top and then the cute red and white polka dot round plate. The blue knife fork and spoon stand out on the red placemat.
This placesetting is on the red and beige stripe placemats. The plain red square plate and round blue plate is set off well with the red and white stripe napkin and blue utensils.
This dark blue plate with a barn red center matches the red in the placemat and the fun checked napkin well. I tied red and white twine around a flag toothpick to place in the center of the napkin. The vintage-looking red wagon adds a bit of whimsey to the table. It could hold the salt and pepper shakers, or candies.The fourth placesetting is plain red square plate, round smaller plate with the blue and white stars napkin and again the blue utensils. It was fun mixing and matching the different colors and designs in the paper goods.
The centerpiece for this table is the tall, barefoot Miss Liberty holding her cat and a book and is a Williray Studio piece. A glass jar with a narrow neck is holding 5 small flags and 3 larger ones behind her.I found this charming set of serving bowls at Home Goods and they look adorable on the table to hold all kinds of things from condiments to fruit or vegetables. Well, I am off to hang my flag for the 4th of July. I hope you've enjoyed this patriotic table. To see more tablescapes click here.

Pomp and Cupcakes

I was so taken with all the pomp and circumstance of yesterday's events that I did my own American thing: Made patriotic cupcakes with my granddaughters. Here are some of them.

My dear sweet schoolteacher mother always had a poem for every occasion and quite a few for everyday too. Here is one from her kindergarten class entitled Washington by Nancy Byrd Turner

He played by the river when he was young,

He raced with rabbits along the hills,

He fished for minnows, and climbed and swung,

And hooted back at the whippoorwills.

Strong and slender and tall he grew--

And then one morning, the bugles blew.

Over the hills the summons came,

Over the river's shining rim.

He said that the bugles called his name,

He knew that his country needed him,

And he answered, "Coming!" and marched away

For many a night and many a day.

Perhaps when the marches were hot and long

He'd think of the river flowing by

Or, camping under the winter sky,

Would hear the whippoorwill's far-off song.

At work, at play, and in peace or strife,

He loved America all his life.