party stuff.

I don't know about you but I LOVE to put together fun stuff for parties

{im in the "stretch" as I call it, from Dec-May I have 5 birthday parties}

And I found a fabulous online shop 

that has the cutest stuff & fabulous colors! 

must share

just look at the colors of bakers twine. 

love love love.

those big giant ROUND balloons. 

love love love. 

Here you go

http://shopsweetlulu.bigcartel.com/

there's much much more, to love love love.

recipes that work.

Despite the fact that our selves are bursting with hundreds of cookbooks...

I am here to tell you not all recipes are created equal. 

And as strange as it sounds 

I love a recipe that works. 

You know, you make it & its a instant winner. 

comes out just like you saw in the book & looks to die for. 

This is it. 

Ina Garten is a star in this house. I've met several celebrities but I was never as excited or swooned to meet them as I was her. I have no clue why. [insert yes, I am a lame-O]

Barefoot Contessa Easy Sticky Buns

Ingredients

• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped in very large pieces
• 1 package (17.3-ounces/ 2-sheets) frozen puff pastry, defrosted

For the filling:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 2/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 cup raisins

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place a 12-cup standard muffin tin on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the 12 tablespoons butter and 1/3 cup brown sugar. Place 1 rounded tablespoon of the mixture in each of the 12 muffin cups. Distribute the pecans evenly among the 12 muffin cups on top of the butter and sugar mixture.

Lightly flour a wooden board or stone surface. Unfold 1 sheet ofpuff pastry with the folds going left to right. Brush the whole sheet with the melted butter. Leaving a 1-inch border on the puff pastry, sprinkle each sheet with 1/3 cup of the brown sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the cinnamon, and 1/2 cup of the raisins. Starting with the end nearest you, roll the pastry up snugly like a jelly rollaround the filling, finishing the roll with the seam side down. Trim the ends of the roll about 1/2-inch and discard. Slice the roll in 6 equal pieces, each about 1 1/2 inches wide. Place each piece, spiral side up, in 6 of the muffin cups. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry to make 12 sticky buns.

Bake for 30 minutes, until the sticky buns are golden to dark brown on top and firm to the touch. Be careful - they're hot! Allow to cool for 5 minutes only, invert the buns onto the parchment paper (ease the filling and pecans out onto the buns with a spoon) and cool completely.

make this. make friends.

It uses 2 baskets of blackberries...& I use an old enamelware pan I got long ago secondhand. A cast iron pan also works, love those. I've made it so many times its almost memorized, and it calls for buttermilk, which I LOVE. Buttermilk is lowfat, tangy & makes baking moist. 

Serves 8

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, and 1/4 cup for sprinkling
• 1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus 1 tablespoon for skillet
• 2 containers fresh blackberries (5.6 ounces each)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar. In another bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, and melted butter; pour over flour mixture, whisking to combine.

In a 10-inch skillet (preferably cast-iron), heat remaining tablespoon butter in the oven until melted and skillet is hot, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven; swirl to coat bottom of pan. Pour batter into skillet; scatter blackberries on top, and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup sugar.

Bake, with a baking sheet on rack below (to catch any drips), until top is evenly browned, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool slightly, about 30 minutes. Run a knife around the edge to loosen; cut into 8 wedges. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Hope you try it. Its delish! 

Got it from:
Read more at Marthastewart.com: Blackberry-Cornmeal Cake - Martha Stewart Recipes