With Valentine’s in the air, I thought this gave me an excuse to be a little mushy.  Never did I imagine that I would end up with such a sweet, kind-hearted and selfless valentine as Mr. Blue Eyed Yonder. Designing a perfect match for me was no easy task, and some would argue quite impossible.  But what ever happened along the way, it molded the most perfect person for me. (thump thump)

I love this becaue it incorporates the reuse of some household items.  I had this bulb just hanging out in my utility closet. 

I was a little bit intimidated when hollowing out the bulb. I wore my sporty pink dish gloves for a little extra protection.

Once I pulled the solder point I gained a little confidence. Just be careful with the little shards of glass.

Solder point is out, now it is time to break the brass insulator.

Pulling out the filament was one of the final steps of hollowing the bulb.

Adorable little red heart “filaments” give it that precious homemade look. I love playing around with their shapes, giving them their own personality.

So, Valentine’s Day is almost here and do I have a scrumptious post for you! Me and Mr. Blue Eyed Yonder decided to take on a new challenge in the field of baking.  While Angel Food Cake is one of the easiest cakes to make straight from the box, we were curious to see how one would turn out from scratch. What’s in an Angel Food Cake anyways? How do you deliver that spongy goodness from the oven?

When any baking delima arises, we always consult the domestic villian herself, Martha Stewart. Here is what she had to say:

Classic Angel Food Cake

1 cup cake flour (not self rising)
1 1/2 cups superfine sugar
1 3/4 cups large egg whites (about
     13 large eggs), room temp
1 tablespoon warm water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, with the rack in the center. Into a medium bowl, sift together flour and 3/4 cup sugar four times; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites and the warm water on low speed until foamy. Add salt, cream of tartar, and vanilla; beat on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes. While beating, gradually add the remaining 3/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Beat on high speed until peaks are stiff and glossy but not dry, about 2 minutes (do not overmix).

Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Sift flour mixture over egg-white mixture in six parts, quickly but gently folding it in with a rubber spatula after each addition.

Gently transfer batter to an ungreased 10-inch tube pan. Run knife through the batter to release any air bubbles, and smooth with a small offset spatula. Bake until cake is golden brown and springs back when touched, 35-40 minutes.

Invert pan onto its legs and let cool completely, about 1 hour. Carefully run a large offset spatula around the sides of the cake to loosen, then invert onto a wire rack. Cake can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

 

Do you remember what you were doing 9 years ago? Almost nine years ago to the day, my Mom was delivering a care package complete with a beautiful hand decorated envelope to the Post Office in my home town. A heart-felt hello to her Yellow Jacket enrolled in her first semester of college.

It was a long walk to the Georgia Tech post office and many days my box would be empty or littered with campus junk mail. But I will always remember how my whole heart would light up to see a letter or package from home. It would bring a pang of home sick loneliness mixed with the excitement of the surprise delivery. Mom was notorious for elaborately decorating her envelopes and I would always study each little hand drawn detail.

When cleaning out some old papers last weekend I came across this envelope. A great example of the time and effort my Mom puts into all of her projects, making sure even the tiniest details are given the attention they deserve.

Photos By: KJ