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
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
- Prepare a bundt pan with cooking spray or a cake release. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Mix together the cake mix, pudding,oil, water and eggs at med-hi speed of a mixer until blended.
- Pour 3/4 of the batter into the prepared pan.
- 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.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool on wire rack for about 10-15 minutes before flipping over and removing from pan. Cool completely.
- When completely cool, sprinkle with powdered sugar or melt a couple of scoops of prepared chocolate frosting in the microwave, just until pourable.
- 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:
Sweet family moments! The violets are so pretty, Kitty. I don't know what I am, a maximalist or minimalist. I suppose a bit of both. When I'm a minimalist, I stash things in my storage unit and/or purge. Other times I gather what I love (mostly dishes!). I did not know that about eggshells and birds!
ReplyDeleteHi Kitty. Your family is just adorable. That cake sounds so yummy. Chocolate and Strawberry you cannot go wrong. Have a wonderful week. Hugs. Kris
ReplyDeleteI boil them, let them cool then crush them up a bit then throw them out on my roses.
ReplyDeleteHave a Happy Birthday!
hugs
Donna
I love this bundt cake you made and the pretty china. I am glad you had a nice time celebrating Valentine's day with your family. I hope you are having a fun birthday month. Take care and have a nice week Kitty.
ReplyDeleteYour Aunt Kitty was such a good artist. I can't paint realistically to save my life. That china set is stunning. And what a GREAT cake you made. And the recipe looks so easy. Thanks, Kitty. And the family of smiles - that pic made me smile right back at my pc screen. I love you spend quality time with your sweet ones. (And the bf is adorable and fits right in!)
ReplyDeleteHappy Monday and Birthday Month Kitty! Love seeing your family’s smiling faces and I bet everyone at your Aqua group was smiling too when you presented your pretty cake! Love the strawberry and chocolate layers and hearts. I have a lot of stuff which is ‘clutter’ according to my hubby. Only sometimes is it controlled…😊 I do save my egg shells for the birds starting in the spring. I usually microwave my egg shells for 3 minutes on high, let them cool and really crush them up and toss them out. They crush more easily after microwaving that long too. Wishing you a wonderful week ahead. ♥
ReplyDeleteP.S. I put something in the mail to you the end of last week. I’m sure it’s delayed with Presidents’ Day holiday.
Count me in the controlled clutter camp! LOL.
ReplyDeleteThe chocolate strawberry bundt cake looks amazing!
I didn't know about the egg shells for birds. Thanks for sharing!
Sweet smiles. Your Great Aunt Kitty certainly had talent. You have her talent for displaying your yummy lovely tables. Thank you for sharing with us.
ReplyDeleteKitty, Happy Birthday month! I am not a minimalist, but I don’t like clutter, so maybe mine is controlled (LOL). The cake looks delicious and I love the painted set by your aunt. Love, love the family photo!
ReplyDeleteI did not know that about egg shells! I know they're supposed to be good for tomato plants but now I'll have to save some for the birds too. Even though they're so expensive now - LOL. Love your cake and the family pic is wonderful!
ReplyDeleteOh, lots of special birthdays and celebrations at our house in February, too, Kitty! Your heart cake would be well received at any one of them. Thanks for sharing and Happy Birthday Month! xo
ReplyDeleteThat looks like a delicious cake!
ReplyDeleteSo glad you made it heart shaped!
ReplyDeleteHappy BirthdaY month. The tea cup is so pretty. You have quite the collection. The cake looks so pretty and delicious.
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday month, so nice to celebrate for the month! Sweet family time, and your cake looks so festive for February. xo
ReplyDeleteI’ve always wondered where you store all your ‘stuff’, and still have such a neat home!!
ReplyDeleteThose plates! Gorgeous! What treasures. I’m not a maximalist, but there’s no way I could ever be a minimalist. I love to surround myself with all of the things that I love, and generally, that means pretty dishes, books, plants, you get the picture.
ReplyDeleteAs you know, we are way more minimal than we used to be. I just can't stand a lot of clutter, but we absolutely do keep the things that we love and that bring us happiness. Anything that brings stress has to go, but I believe we should always keep the things that we treasure and are blessed by. Your photos always show such beautiful scenes and vignettes in your home, and they are so tastefully arranged. The cake looks so yummy, too!
ReplyDelete