Cottage Pancakes

Today is my birthday and I'm celebrating because everyday is a gift!

Chocolate Strawberry Bundt Cake

My birth month is February and I am using my beautiful trio set that my late Great Aunt Kitty painted for me, which is one of six different sets.  I keep the plates displayed in plate racks on either side of my hutch because they're so pretty. My angels are gracing my table in a tray.  My youngest daughter-in-law was telling me how someone she knows has a lot of clutter.  I told her that I have a lot of stuff, and she said, "but yours in controlled clutter".  It's so true, as I have trays, all over with things that are gathered to control my clutter artfully!  LOL!  Do any of you have controlled clutter or are you a minimalist?  

Isn't this such a pretty violets pattern?

Here's the inside of the cake.  

My aqua group had a Valentine luncheon and this was my contribution.  

Yield: Serves a crowd

Author: Kitty

Chocolate Strawberry Bundt Cake

I used my recipe for Chocolate Pistachio Cake, but changed it to use strawberry cake mix.

Ingredients

• 1 box strawberry cake mix
• 1 box vanilla instant pudding mix
• 1/2 cup oil
• 3/4 cup water
• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup chocolate syrup
• powdered sugar to decorate the top or a couple of scoops of prepared chocolate frosting, melted

Instructions

1. Prepare a bundt pan with cooking spray or a cake release. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix together the cake mix, pudding,oil, water and eggs at med-hi speed of a mixer until blended.
3. Pour 3/4 of the batter into the prepared pan.
4. Add the 3/4 cup chocolate syrup to the remaining batter and mix well. Pour this on top of the other batter, and slightly swirl with a knife.
5. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.
6. Cool on wire rack for about 10-15 minutes before flipping over and removing from pan. Cool completely.
7. When completely cool, sprinkle with powdered sugar or melt a couple of scoops of prepared chocolate frosting in the microwave, just until pourable.
8. Drizzle the frosting over the top of the cake, and sprinkle with festive sprinkles, if desired.

I recently read that birds like to eat egg shells.  After cleaning the egg shells, you need to sterilize them in a 250 degree oven for 10 minutes. Alternatively,  you can boil the eggs shells.   After they are cool, you can break them up for the birds.  Do any of you do this?  I guess it's a great source of calcium for the birdies. 

I had a Valentine brunch with Tim, Julie, Avery, Ella, and Avery's boyfriend, Landon.  It's so nice to see all those smiling faces.  

Thank you for your visit!  xo

I'm sharing with these parties:

Talking About It Tuesdays

Love Your Creativity Link Party

Full Plate Thursday at Miz Helen's Country Cottage

Mini Strawberry Topiary Pudding Pots and a Special Teatime

I set up my teatime in my bedroom where I have my Valentine tree.  Having the tree on a timer makes it so cheery in the morning and evening.  You probably remember the vintage-look topper I made and the matching tea cozy.  My tree also has ornaments hanging that are from the same fabric.  Using some carnations, I placed them in some floral foam in my pretty compote.

My Grace's Teaware teacup goes with so many things throughout the seasons.

Here's my cheery tree atop my very old childhood sled.  Growing up in Pennsylvania and Ohio it was used for many years.

I tried to make a strawberry rose, but it didn't turn out quite like a wanted!  If you'd like to make Dirt Cake in a big pot, you can find the recipe for it here.

Yield: 7-8

Author: Kitty

Mini Strawberry Topiary Pudding Pots

These little pudding pots are fun to serve for an individual treat. They are similar to Dirt Cake, but a small version.

Ingredients

• 1 pkg of instant vanilla pudding (I used sugar free)
• 1 and 1/2 cups milk
• a couple of large scoops of frozen whipped topping, thawed (about 4 ounces)
• crushed chocolate sandwich cookies, like Oreos (I did mine in a mini food processor)
• strawberries, cleaned and dried
• chocolate for melting
• sprinkles
• mini food safe pots, or votive candle holders

Instructions

1. Mix the pudding and milk together with a whisk until it is thick. Add a couple of large scoops of Cool Whip, and fold in.
2. Fill the little pots almost to the top with the pudding mixture, leaving room at the top for the "dirt", which is the crushed cookies. Add the the crushed cookies.
3. Make a "V" in the top of the strawberry so that it resembles a heart. Dip that part in the melted chocolate and sprinkle with festive sprinkles. Place a lollipop stick or a small skewer in the bottom of the strawberry and then "plant" it in the pot.

Notes

You can make a strawberry rose and skip the chocolate. Videos are online for directions in making them.

You also can just put a strawberry on top of the crushed cookies, and that looks pretty, too.

My darling daughter gave me for Christmas, a trip to a tearoom that I'd never been to, but always wanted to go. We had to find a weekend that we could go.  The tearoom is called Beatitudes, and it was just the most delightful little tearoom.  We each got our own mini teapot, that held around three cups of tea.  My flavor was Snuggle Buddy, and Molly's was St. Valentine, and we both loved our tea and our lunch.  Molly had the Paradise salad and mini scone, and I had the Sampler with quiche, tomato soup, chicken salad and a mini scone with cinnamon butter.  We each got a trio of mini desserts, which we forgot to take a picture of.  After our lunch we went to their gift shop and browsed.  It was the most wonderful afternoon, and we are already wanting to go back.  

Thank you for your visit!  xo

I'm sharing with these parties:

Talking About It Tuesdays

Love Your Creativity Link Party

Full Plate Thursday at Miz Helen's Country Cottage

An Easy Casserole and Heart Cookie Cake

Let's have some cookie cake with a cup of tea today.