Hey guys :o)  SP here today to share a fun FOOD post with ya!  As many of you know – I truly enjoy cooking…I mean like REALLY love it!  NOT the everyday, monotonous kind of cooking…rather, the FUN, yummy, happy kind of cooking & baking :o)  Yes, there IS a difference (at least to me), lol!  It’s one thing to cook because you WANT to…a whole ‘other thing’ because you HAVE to, know what I mean?  Of course – there is no choice in the ‘have to’ cooking, lol…it’s something we can’t avoid and we grind our way through it.  BUT, the fun cooking…for me, at least – it’s enjoyable from start to finish!  I am a total foodie…and when I cook or bake – I like to have everything pre-measured and prepared so I can just dump along the way.  I really crave organization and ‘pretty-ness’ in the kitchen, lol!  Even then…things still become chaotic and a total mess (just see below, lol) - but just imagine how much MORE that would be true if I wasn’t all prepped?  LOL!  It would be a disaster (and probably take a lot of the fun and joy out of it, too, lol) :o)  So, today – I am bringing you a family favorite…a recipe for the FUN kind of baking, lol…Kentucky Butter Cake!

I want to share this super simple (but incredibly DELICIOUS) ‘from-scratch’ cake recipe that we love!  Please do not let the length of this post frighten you, lol!  It really is no indication of the recipe’s level of difficulty, lol!  Rather…the difficulty that I have being concise, LOL!  Seriously…let’s just hope that my life never depends on my ability to be ‘to the point’, ha!  Back to the recipe…I particularly wanted to talk about ‘gifting’ this cake…OR…making it to TAKE IT to a gathering, Church event, family reunion, 4th of July party, etc.!  You get the idea!  The reason that I LOVE this cake for gifting/taking is that it is appealing to just about everyone!  Many times, when gifting or taking…we are not sure of the preferences of those we are serving.  Do they have a nut allergy?  Do they like chocolate?  Maybe caramel isn’t their thing?  Who knows what kind of fruit they like?!  With THIS cake…there are no dominating or distinguishable flavors – no chocolate overload, no crazy decorations, no icing piled a mile high (not that there is ANYTHING wrong with any of this, LOL) – just good, simple…yummy cake!  I’m not saying that there won’t be family and friends who will not like it…just that there is a REALLY GOOD CHANCE they will :o)  Another great thing about this particular cake is that it travels well, especially in heat (no icing to melt and run all over the place…no refrigeration necessary, etc.)!

So, what is a KENTUCKY BUTTER CAKE?!  It is a very moist cake with a yummy (and sweet) butter sauce/glaze that goes over the top and throughout!  The moist, vanilla cake – combined with the rich sauce = PERFECTION :o)

We recently had a new neighbor move in nearby…and that is actually what inspired this post :o)  I wanted to bake something to take as a WELCOME gift…but not knowing our new friends all that well (at all)…I needed something that would be generic (for lack of a better word) – but in a really good way!  So, my idea was to bake this scrumptious cake and gift it to them in a new (and super handy) Wilton Cake Carrier (part of the gift)!  I love gifts like that…they are personal and thoughtful – but also super practical (and generally well-received and quite appreciated)!  Of course, I could have ran to the bakery and purchased a cake…but it just wouldn’t have been the same (again, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that and I know it would have still been a great and thoughtful gift…but I wanted to take the time to do it the ‘old-fashioned’ way, lol)!  So, before we get to the recipe…here is a quick image of the final gift!  After the cake had completely cooled, I transferred it to a cake board and then placed it in the carrier.  I then punched a hole in the recipe card (which I am sharing as a free download at the end of this post) and attached it to the cake carrier with coordinating ribbons :o)  VOILA…really easy!

 So, how about we get started with the actual recipe?!  As I mentioned above…I really like to prep everything first!  So, I almost always pre-measure and have everything ready-to-go!  It really cuts down on the chaos and clean-up :o)  If you prefer to pull things out of the fridge and measure as you go…then stick with what works for you!  One of the best things about this cake…SIMPLE INGREDIENTS!  Most of which, we generally have in the panty and fridge…love that :o)  Really, the only thing we have to plan-ahead for is the buttermilk (not something we always have on-hand)!

:::FOR THE CAKE:::

• 3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 eggs

Now, you’ll want to preheat your oven to 325 degrees (F)…and grease & flour your 10 inch bundt cake pan (very well)!  I like to use a nonstick cooking spray that is make specifically for baking (generally has flour in it).  If I am baking a regular round or square cake – I just spray it and leave it at that (no flour).  However, when it comes to bundt cake pans (which honestly, freak me out…it can be SOOOOO difficult to remove the cake!)…I spray AND flour them…just to give myself the best possible chance of a clean removal, lol!  However, I will say that I really think this cake needs to be prepared as a bundt cake…just not sure it would be the same otherwise! 

 Now that that’s done…you can really see how EASY this cake is to prepare!  You basically just dump all the ingredients in a bowl and blend them, lol (my kind of cake!)! 

So, in a large bowl - mix the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda (I just dump it all in the mixing bowl and then use a whisk to mix it together).  Then, blend in the buttermilk, butter, vanilla and eggs (best if you add the eggs one at a time).  Beat for 3 minutes at medium speed.  Once the batter is blended, simply pour it into your prepared bundt pan. Simple as that!  Pop it in the preheated oven for about an hour – or until a toothpick or wooden skewer comes out clean (I recommend that you start keeping a close eye on it at around 45 minutes…just so you don’t overcook)! 

Remember what I mentioned above…about a total mess?!  Yep…this was one of many, lol!  I just look at it like it is all part of cooking/baking, right?!  Yep…while trying to take pics of pouring the eggs in the mixer (with it going at low speed, lol)…my depth perception was completely thrown off by my 50mm lens…and instead of adding the eggs to the mixing bowl, I literally just dumped them straight on the floor (and rug), lol!  Seriously, sometimes I think ONLY me!  No biggie…a quick clean-up and we were back on track :o)

Soooo, while the cake is cooling for a few minutes…it’s time to make the glaze (yummmmm)!  This is also incredibly simple and FAST.  I tweaked the original recipe a bit to make 1.5x the glaze.  We really felt like it needed a teensy bit more (as did many of the other reviewers)…and hey – I’d rather have too much than not enough, lol!  So…if you want less – you can simply reduce it down…OR…just look at the original recipe here (the recipe listed below and on my recipe card include measurements for the 1.5x version)!  Whew…now that that’s out of the way, LOL…here are the ingredients needed:

• 1 1/8 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 4 1/2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

In a saucepan, combine the sugar, butter and water.  Cook over medium heat, until fully melted and combined, but do not boil.  Remove from the heat and add the vanilla :o)

 You’ll want to let this cool for a few minutes!  In the meantime, you can start poking holes in the cake (this allows for the glaze to get all inside…trust me – it’s a wonderful thing, lol)!  I like to use a long, wooden skewer – and make sure to go all the way to the bottom of the pan (or top, depending on how you look at it, lol).  I think I ended up poking about 30-40 holes before all is said and done!

 Now, while the cake AND the glaze are both still warm (not hot)…pour the glaze  all over the cake, making sure to get it in the holes and all around the sides and inner rim!  I typically save about 1/3 of the glaze for pouring on the top after I have removed the cake from the pan.  Be sure to let the cake cool completely before transferring it to your cake plate!  And, be patient and gentle :o)  After you have the cake on a pretty plate…you can add your remaining glaze…and that’s it – YOU’RE DONE!

 The final result is a super moist, wonderfully rich, bready cake!  This is not like a pound cake…it’s kinda crumby…but still very moist.  I guess it’s a little tough to explain exactly – so you’ll just have to bake one up and try it for yourself, lol!

Now, there are lots of variations you could try with this cake!  My number one would be to add toasted pecans (or walnuts)…either to the top/glaze – or to both the cake and the glaze!  However, I only recommend this if you KNOW that everyone you will be serving, LOVES (and can eat) nuts!  You could also add all kinds of fruits…it would even be delicious with jam (if I were going to serve with jam…I would probably omit the glaze) – or fresh, whipped cream!  That’s one reason I love ‘generic’ cakes like this – you can customize them to suit any taste!  So, however you prepare it…just enjoy, and be sure to share it with friends and family (or not, lol)! 

Finally, I created a printable RECIPE CARD for you to download and ENJOY :o)  I hope you will make this cake for your own family…for a community or Church function…or as a gift!  No matter the reason for baking it – I have no doubt it will be enjoyed!  You can CLICK HERE to download the card…or simply click the image below :o)

Here’s another pic of the final and printed recipe card…

Please note that the original recipe is from AllRecipes.com (love that site) and by Suzanne Stull :o)  AllRecipes is one of my favorite, go-to sites when I am looking for great recipes!  I find the reviews to be sooooo helpful and generally, spot-on :o)  So, if you haven’t been – be sure to check it out!

THANKS SO MUCH for stopping by today :o)  Have fun baking AND eating, lol…XOXO–SP

Shabby PrincessFood Stuff, Free (not desktops), Uncategorized 10 Comments

Hey guys :o)  SP here today…for our MAY project SCRAP check-in!  So, May is always a huge month for us…we have birthdays and anniversaries and events and more!  There are never enough hours during this month and everything seems chaotic!  BUT, it is one of the FUNNEST months for us – and even with all of the busy days and nights – we enjoy it sooooo much :o)  This year…the month of May was made all-the-more crazy as we had a huge vacation in April…which also spilled into May!  So, we had an even later start on all of our planning, etc.!  It all worked out wonderfully though, as it always seems to, in the end :o)  I took over 1500 photos in May…so as you can imagine – there was NO WAY to even get a small sampling of everything on my pages…so i just tried to focus on a few (and will add more pages later, if not an entire album).  I journaled quite a bit and just worked it in around the ‘stuff’ on my ‘main’ page :o)  I really enjoyed working with the templates…the strips of paper allowed me to have fun with patterns and color, which I always love (especially since my photos were so full of color, too!)!  I mixed and matched papers from the Darling Paper Collection with elements and flowers from quite a few kits (most of which I recolored a bit to match the papers).  Anyhoo – these pages just make me happy…and I’m sure yours will do the same for you :o)  So…if you haven’t already – GET SCRAPPIN’!

And, if you missed the templates for MAY - be sure to download them HERE!  You’ll LOVE them!

Now, how about some BEAUTIFUL and FANTABULOUS inspiration from the team and some of our super talented gallery members?  As always, I enjoyed browsing through the project SCRAP 2012 gallery to find all of these inspiring layouts!  We each approach our layouts in a different way…some starting a layout with the journaling, others with the photos, and many with a kit or papers in mind.  I think for me, it’s a mixture of all three, lol!  Well, with project SCRAP…the pages are somewhat predetermined by the photos that we have taken for the month…that offers a great starting point :o)  But beyond that…we each get to have fun and flex our creative muscles with our monthly pages!  I love how…even though we all start with the same templates – all of our layouts end up so unique and personal :o)  LOVE!

OK, so how about we get started with Rosy’s pages?!  Again, she does not disappoint :o)  The GORGEOUS photo she used for one of the ‘papers’ is just breathtaking…and then the focus on the stunning main photo?!  BRAVO :o)  The way she moved the photo and readjusted things is also genius!  Just great, great inspiring :o)

 Next, we have my sweet friend Lu’s layouts!  Seriously – can you just feel the happiness in their family via that main photo?  Such a real and candid moment, full of love :o)  Happy 10th, Little Bug!  As per usual – Lu’s pages are full of fun moments and precious memories…and beautiful scrapping!  Totally love how she did the MAY title on the heart!  I was just so happy to see these pages in the gallery…and I know you’ll pull great inspiration from them as well!

We also have Kylie’s totally gorgeous layouts!  It’s funny, it looks like May is a big month for quite a few of us…with lots of birthday celebrations :o)  I love the richness to these pages…and, of course, the beautiful fall photos!  Thanks, Kylie!

Finally, we have these super cool pages from sdclifford…a new Shabby Shoppe gallery member (WELCOME!) :o)  The patriotic color scheme is so perfect with the CUTE and FUN photos…and the title – WOW :o)  Love it all – thanks for sharing with us, sdclifford!

 As always, there is MORE inspiration in our special, project SCRAP 2012 gallery!  You’ll find many more layouts there – so be sure to check it out…and most importantly – UPLOAD YOUR LAYOUTS!!!!!  We love sharing in everyone’s 2012…and love that you guys are joining us for project SCRAP 2012 - THANK YOU :o)

Since I shared a little ‘sneak peek’ of the May pages during the last ‘check-in’…I felt obligated to do the same this time, LOL!  So…below, you will see just a little image of the templates to come for June :o)  I won’t always be able to share the little teaser…but IF  we have them ready in time – I will always try, from here on out :o)  These will be shared with everyone next Thursday – here at the BLOG :o)  I KNOW we will have have fun scrapping with them!  We are already off to a BUSY START in June here at our house…and no doubt, will have PLENTY of photos to fill the layouts, lol!

Thanks so much for stopping by today…and for continuing the project SCRAP journey with us :o)  And, you won’t want to miss tomorrow as Casharina shares some hybrid inspiration!  ENJOY your day/night!  XOXO — SP

Shabby Princessproject Scrap 2012, Uncategorized 3 Comments

Hi everyone :o)  SP here today…for our APRIL project SCRAP check-in!  April (and the first half of May) FLEW by for us…I mean, it was like a flash, lol :o)  Our month was first spent celebrating Easter…and then preparing for (and going on) VACATION!  We just got back home and had a truly WONDERFUL, amazing, AWESOME time!  It was the ‘biggest’ vacation we have ever been on as a family – three weeks – and lots of great destinations…the main one being Disney World!!!!!  What an incredible experience it ALL was :o)  As you can imagine – I have thousands (literally) of photos and videos to go through…which I will be doing over the coming weeks (and months, lol…hey – let’s just be honest and realistic here…it might even be YEARS!)!  In fact…so many photos that I might even half to split them into TWO albums!  I don’t want to forget a single memory or moment from our trip…so I am constantly typing out notes and journaling – but sadly – am already having a hard time remembering the details, lol!  Ahhhhh, aging, it’s a wonderful thing, lolol :o)  Anyhoo…the only ‘bad news’ is that we all came home quite sick (i mean like REALLY ill)…but we are on the mend and finally feeling a little like our usual selves (always wonder if that is really a good thing or not?  lolol)!  One beneficial thing about being so sick (yes, forever trying to find the positive)…is you can’t do much but sit around (it’s great for a few days – after that….I’m in total ‘cabin fever’ mode, lol)!  So, during the ‘sitting time’ – I was able to scrap my April pages :o)  It was really difficult choosing just a few pics from so many…especially when I still haven’t gone through ALL of them…but I think I ended up with a pretty good ‘summary’ of out month :o)  Part of our vacation was in May, too – so at least I have a little more room to scrap next month, lol!

If you missed the templates for APRIL - be sure to download them HERE!  They are among my faves…love what Kylie did with them :o)  You girls know that I ADORE circles…so this was perfect for me!  So, here are my final pages for April…which is sure to be my fave month in our 2012 album, lol!

Now, let’s get on to MORE inspiration!  I LOOOOVED looking through the project SCRAP 2012 gallery to find all of these gorgeous layouts!  The main thing that I noticed…is that you girls know how to rock…and TWEAK/EDIT templates like nobody’s business :o)  Seriously – I enjoy all of the customizations and changes – it’s a great reminder to us all that templates are just ‘starting points’ that can be modified to suit our needs!  So, as you peek through these pages…check out the differences between them and the original templates…kinda like those brain teasers where you have to find what is different between two photos, lolol! 

Let’s begin with Kim’s APRIL pages!  Seriously – these totally popped off the gallery page…the colors…the photos…the clustering – all pure perfection!  Kim mixed and matched various kits and products and ended up with a masterpiece that I hope to replicate at some point :o)  These layouts just make me smile…and so many details – I just keep going back and looking again!  THANKS, Kim!

Next…Rosy’s pages - they are simply STUNNING!  I have to say – Rosy has an amazing talent when it comes to capturing her kids in photos!  Her photography skills are stellar and that really shows in these pages :o)  Love the close-ups of the kids…and all of the other fun pics that illustrate her family’s month (which looks like a lot of fun!)!  You’ll also notice that she tweaked the templates and the result is fabulous!  Thanks, Rosy! 

 Next…we move on to Kylie‘s gorgeous pages!  They are filled with joy and happiness…and Easter :o)  I always appreciate the way Kylie tells her story in her layouts – and these pages are no exception!  Not only do you feel the sweetness and love…but you feel like you got a glimpse into her world!  There is always a depth to her pages…and I’m just happy she shares them with us…thank you, Kylie :o) 

 Did I mention there was a LOT of gorgeous inspiration this month?  LOL!

Now…how about some ‘eye candy’ from Amber!  She never disappoints with her layouts…and I’m just so happy she is a part of our little Shoppe gallery :o) When I look at these pages – I just get such a sense of FAMILY…all the kids and smiles and FUN – love it!  Looks like a lovely start to spring!  Thanks for sharing, Amber!

 And finally…we wrap-up with jessg26′s pages :o)  Aren’t they BEAUTIFUL?!  Such a gorgeous mix of colors and patterns…all the pink with sunshine yellow = HAPPY :o)  I also love how she modified the templates…adding more photos and lots of great interest!  It’s a gorgeous interpretation – giving a whole new look and feel to the pages!  Thanks bunches!

As always, there is MORE inspiration in our special, project SCRAP 2012 gallery!  You’ll find many more layouts there – so be sure to check it out…and most importantly – UPLOAD YOUR LAYOUTS!!!!!  We love sharing in everyone’s 2012…and love that you guys are joining us for project SCRAP 2012 - THANK YOU :o)

Now…just for fun – I thought I’d share a teensy, tiny little ‘sneak peek’ of May’s templates…which will be shared with everyone next Thursday – here at the BLOG :o)  Looking forward to scrapping with them…

That will do it for me today :o)  Tomorrow is a little ‘blog vacation day’ – so we’ll see you back here in Monday with a new LOTW!  Until then – have a BEAUTIFUL and BLESSED weekend :o)  XOXO — SP

Shabby Princessproject Scrap 2012, Uncategorized 5 Comments

 hey guys :o)  SP here today…for our MARCH project SCRAP check-in!  Of course it is now APRIL…but we will not be ‘scrapping’ April until the beginning of May :o)  I know – it gets confusing, LOL…but the best way to make sense of it…is that we can’t scrap a month until it is FINISHED, he he!  So – the April check-in will be sometime in May :o)  Clear as mud?  lol!

But, to confuse it even further – I have to FIRST share my FEBRUARY pages with you guys, LOLOL!  If you tuned in last month…you might remember that things were super busy for us and I just didn’t have time to scrap my pages before the scheduled ‘check-in’ post :o(  That was the first time I couldn’t squeeze it in…and I felt awful!  BUT, I am happy to say that I am again CAUGHT-UP and completely UP-TO-DATE (and even better…taking LOTS of pics – yay)!  It feels great to be ‘current’ again…and I hope this helps some of you to realize that you really CAN make up for lost time (as long as you do not let yourself get TOO far behind)!  So…without further ado, here are my ‘belated’ February pages :o)  For more February inspiration – you can check out THIS POST!  Anyhoo – I promised I’d share…

Now, onto the topic at hand today :o)  MARCH project SCRAP pages (if you missed the March templates – CLICK HERE)!  We’ll start with mine…I really loved these templates and the ‘spot’ for the large, landscape photo!  And, I had the perfect photo for it (love it when that happens)!  Our March was all over the place, lol…so there was a lot of journaling…and I really appreciated having all of the ‘space’ for it! 

 Next…we have Kim’s March pages!  OH MY GOODNESS…look at the main photo – the kids are adorable (and ALL smiling…how did she manage that?  lol)…and the flowers – LOVE :o)  I think Kim enjoyed all of the journaling space, too – and she did an amazing job of incorporating the fancy flourish stamps from the Heartfelt collection – SOOOO CLEVER and it creates great movement on the pages!  Always enjoy Kim’s project SCRAP pages soooooo much!

How about some gorgeous inspiration from Kylie?  I love the contrast from all of our spring pages…it’s Autumn for Kylie now – and just look at those trees – WOW :o)!  Looks like a fun month…lots of celebrating! 

Next…we have some PRECIOUS pages by Amber!  Oh my Goodness…look at the ‘big’ pic, lol!  just LOVE it :o)  and the little chickies…too cute!  Had to share these with ya – as always – thanks so much for posting, Amber (you really must check out her gallery)! :o)

 Finally, we have these adorable pages by lil_goldie!   The first thing that caught my eye…she rotated the templates!  It was the perfect choice, too – look how perfectly her photos work with the rotated pages :o)  GENIUS…so many adorable photos and I love the mix of patterned papers :o)  Thanks so much for sharing with us!

 Don’t forget that there is always plenty of inspiration in our special, project SCRAP 2012 gallery!  You’ll find lots more pages there – so be sure to check it out…and most importantly – UPLOAD YOUR LAYOUTS :o)  We would LOOOOOVE to see them!  We love that you guys are joining us for project SCRAP 2012 - THANKS!

So, that’s it for me today…but be sure to stop back by tomorrow for a lil’ beauty talk :o)  Have a beautiful AND blessed day/night!  XOXO — SP

Shabby Princessproject Scrap 2012, Uncategorized 7 Comments

hey guys…SP here with a super duper QUICK blog post…just to let ya know that we added a bunch of NEW STUFF to the Shabby Shoppe today :o)  Click the newsletter image below to see everything (along with inspiration, info, etc.)…or just CLICK HERE to go directly to the Shoppe!  Hope you like…and don’t forget that the five NEW PRODUCTS are on SALE for a limited time (sale pricing ends at midnight EST, April 1st)!  THANKS SO MUCH – hope everyone is having a FABULOUS week!  XOXO – SP

Shabby PrincessShoppe News, Uncategorized 4 Comments