Rainbows for Everyone

What did you do this weekend? This long glorious weekend.

While we did the usual things, fireworks, parades, sleeping in, etc,

we also celebrated a birthday for a dear niece. She turned 1!

So we had to make an awesome cake. Or was it just an excuse?

Homemade butter-cream is always the best.

This sure looks good at three layers.

But we weren't done at three layers!

We finally finished at six layers.

And they were such pretty layers!

A rainbow for the eyes.

Such large slices they didn't fit on a plate.

Was it worth it? Only if you love this face.

Glorious, sweet happiness.

Chunky cheeks eating a layer at a time.

Is it time for cake yet, Mom? I've been waiting and watching all day.

I would call that a stupor of sweetness. Very soon after she was zonked out for the night.

Pampered Chef is Here to Stay

I went to a Pampered Chef party this last week. Surprised? I was because I hadn't heard of any parties recently. And when I say recently I mean in the last four to five years. I guess people have been busy hosting Lia Sophia and Scentsy and Pajama parties. Honestly Pampered Chef has been out of vogue for several years. But they are still here and trying to kick strong.

I went to this party, not expecting anything new and maybe some good treats. I was dead on with the first thing and so far off on the second. The hostess was making us a "Whole Meal!" How exciting except that I didn't bring the whole family and they needed to be fed as soon as the party was over. She made this pasta entree in a $75 stoneware crock and microwaved everything. (I know it's a personal opinion but, microwaves should not be used for cooking.) She made quite the show of the microwaved grape tomatoes and garlic that she mashed up with her wooden utensils she pulled out of her plasticky turntable. I've never seen mashed tomatoes and garlic before, thank you!

Then she proceeded to show us how to dice chicken with the one-of-a-kind Pampered Chef Chopper. Granted, it's a pretty cool device. No need to have oniony-crying eyes with this contraption. But you can get one anywhere nowadays, and lots cheaper. And it doesn't dice, it chops. Next was the pasta cooked al dente and some other stuff, including Fresh Basil snipped from her garden that very day. She threw it all together and microwaved it again and. . .Voila! Dinner. Except my family wouldn't eat it, so it's a good thing I didn't bring them.

For dessert we had microwaved cake. Yes, you read that correctly. M i c r o w a v e d C a k e. I must reiterate, Microwaves should not be used for cooking. She mixed the batter up in the Batter Bowls that come with an "Nifty Pouring Device" a.k.a. the Spout. (I seriously couldn't make this stuff up.) I gracefully declined because I had already had a piece of that NieNie Mud Cake and that is enough calories for six days. Sister in Law Nurse had some and after one bite whispered "It tastes microwaved." I can not make this clearer, Microwaves should not be used for cooking

The Dénouement came with the comparison of store-bought cookie dough baked on regular pans v. stoneware. I have done the taste test a million times. Maybe not quite a million, but a few hundred. Definitely like the pans better. But of course our hostess deferred to the stoneware; those stones bring a much higher commission than the pans. The best part came while pulling the cookies from the oven. She extolled the virtues of the cooling racks, "They can be stacked three high!" "Why stop at three?" I asked, ever the problem child. She chose to ignore my comment for the moment. She obviously hasn't seen a New York City kitchen. Dont' worry Girls, I've got your back. But a few minutes later she disdainfully remarked they could be stacked higher if you wanted to chance it. Snotty Rich Doctor's Wives Who've Never Worked a Day in Their Life with the Kitchen Islands Larger than a Dining Room Table and Fresh Basil and Thyme Growing in their Garden. And that brought another lovely Pampered Chef Party to a close. Proving that Pampered Chef is Here to Stay. At least in Utah County.

Shameless, Fattening, Advertising

Saturday we went to the The Sweet Tooth Fairy. My blogging friend (Petit Elefant) told me about this shop. As we were walking up Olaf looks at the sign and says, "Oh, this place. I know the girl that started this shop." Seriously, who doesn't this guy know? But she had told me the shop was doing a benefit for NieNie. Her story is here. She almost died in a plane crash last year. She was in the burn unit forever. She's been through countless surgeries. I'm sure her medical bills dwarf the the famed Babel Tower.


I got the delectable Va-NIE-lla squared cupcake. To Die For. I don't think I've ever tasted anything so perfect. I will be back again.

Apparently NieNie needs to gain some weight. People have been offering her all kinds of sweets.


This Mud Cake was featured on her website. It also looks incredible. Here is the recipe for that one.

Now that I have caused you to gain weight just reading this post I am going to bed. Hope you have dreams of sugar-plums dancing in your head tonight, because I know what I'm dreaming of tonight. Chocolate Cake. Va-NIE-lla cupcake. Anything else decadent and delicious.