Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Happy Anniversary!!

21 years ago today Omid and I were married. Happy anniversary Omidjoon! I love you!!

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Make This!!


Fruit Swirl Coffee Cake

1 1/2 c sugar
1/2 c butter
1/2 shortening
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond extract
4 eggs
3 c flour
1 can (21 0z) cherry pie filling

Heat oven to 350*. Generously grease a jelly roll pan (15.5 x 10.5 x 1) or two 9x9 pans. Blend sugar, butter, shortening, baking powder, vanilla, almond extract & eggs in large mixing bowl on low speed, scraping bowl constantly. Beat 3 minutes on high speed, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in flour. Spread 2/3 of batter on bottom of pan. Spread pie filling over batter. Drop remaining batter by tablespoon onto pie filling. Bake about 45 minutes. While warm, drizzle with glaze. (Glaze: mix 1 cup powdered sugar with 1-2 T of milk).

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Make This!!


Cracker Roca

Saltine or Club crackers
1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar (NOT margarine)
8-12 oz chocolate chips
slivered almonds or pistachios

Preheat oven to 400*. Line a cookie sheet with heavy foil. Layer crackers on foil. Mix sugar & butter. Melt and bring to a boil. Spread over crackers, bake 5 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle chocolate chips on top. Let sit for a minute - the chips will be easier to spread. Smooth chocolate to form a layer. Sprinkle with almonds, press slightly into chocolate. Refrigerate for a few minutes until cool. Break into chunks and enjoy!
**Note: I was mult-tasking when I made this recipe: talking on the phone. Mistake: only using one cube of butter instead of two. Verdict: still delicious!

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Friday, March 19, 2010

Pet's Eye View Camera


What a fun idea! The camera clips onto your pet's collar and take photos at 1, 5 or 15 minute intervals. Holds up to 40 photos. I would purchase one for Remy....except I don't like the $50 price tag. I will wait to see if they go on sale.

Monday, March 15, 2010

Persian Food


It's no secret that Omid cooks the best Persian food in the world. His mom is a close second. For those of you who can't eat dinner with us every night, there's this blog: My Persian Kitchen. Check it out!

Friday, March 12, 2010

This color makes me happy!

I spotted this tin wash tub at Target today (& on clearance too!!). Omid and I were looking for one of these last summer to keep beverages cold during our bbqs. The cheapest ones we could find were around $30. The color is so cheery & bright on this dark, gloomy, wet day. Thanks Target!

Adorable!!


Photo by InitialYou

I want these playful Dachshund decals for my laundry room. They would look so cute underneath my ironing board. Don't you agree? **Update: I purchased them!!! Can't wait until they arrive.

Women for Afghan Women

Last night, ABC Nightly News aired a story about secret women's shelters in Afghanistan. I wrote an entire post about this, but deleted it as Diane Sawyer does a much better job reporting the story. Have a tissue handy if you do watch the story. Please visit the site Women for Afghan Women to learn more about Afghanistan's secret shelters for women & girls.

Monday, March 8, 2010

Make This!!

Chocolate Caramel Fondue

1 14 oz can Eagle Brands Sweetened Condensed Milk (NOT evaporated milk)
1 12 oz jar caramel ice cream topping
3 1 oz squares unsweetened chocolate

In medium saucepan, combine Eagle Brand, caramel topping and chocolate. Cook & stir over low heat until chocolate melts.
pour into serving bowl or individual cups.

**I made this for Nas' bday party. The kids dipped pretzel rods, pound cake, strawberries, cheesecake bites, & dried mangoes into the fondue. It's great and you don't have to keep it warm over a flame.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010