friday afternoon power nap...

stay tuned...

~ the birthday presents are wrapped ~

~ the cupcakes are frosted and waiting ~

~ for the guest of honor to arrive ~

...he's "due" in at 7:44 p.m.  J

 

~ He arrived as scheduled ~

~ but, would not cooperate ~

~ at all ~

~ for the photos ~

 ~ Happy 16th birthday, Nicholas! ~

best apple crumb cake...

...ever!

A longtime family friend shared this recipe with us over the holidays {thank you, Jeannette!}.  The ingredients are simple -- and it is a crowd pleaser.

Cinnamon-Apple Coffee Cake

 cake ingredients:

  1/4 cup butter or margarine (I melted the butter and then let

    it cool to room temperature. The original recipe does not

    state this.)

  3/4 cup sugar

  1 egg (room temperature)

  2 cups Aunt Jemima Self-Rising Flour

  1 cup milk (room temperature)

  2 medium apples, peeled, thinly sliced

cinnamon topping ingredients**:

  1/2 cup sugar

  1/2 cup Aunt Jemima Self-Rising Flour

  2 teaspoons cinnamon

  1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

For cake ~ beat together butter (cooled to room temperature*)

  and sugar until creamy; blend in egg. Add flour alternately with

  milk, mixing well after each addition. Spread half of batter

  into greased 9 inch square pan. Top with half of apple slices and

  with half of cinnamon topping. Repeat with remaining batter,

  apples and topping. Bake in pre-heated moderate oven

  (375F degrees) 45 to 50 minutes. Cool slightly; serve warm.

*Note(s): Do not add the egg to hot melted butter -- the heat

    will cook the egg!

     I have a convection oven -- and after 30 minutes, the crumb

    topping was well done, so it was necessary for me to cover

    the cake with a loose piece of foil and then bake 12 minutes

    longer (42 minutes).

For cinnamon topping ~ combine dry ingredients. Add butter,

    mixing until crumbly.

**Note: I mixed the topping ingredients first and set the bowl

    aside while mixing the cake ingredients. The mixture

    hardened slightly and I broke it apart with a fork into

    the "crumbs". 

it's your day...

Hope it's great!  Happy Birthday, big sis!

new couch...

...freshly delivered! 

busy...

... :-) ! 

oh, what a beautiful morning...

You will to turn off the music in the sidebar before viewing this video clip.

Happy 2012!  :-)