More Cinnamon Bears and Cupcakes

4" Carrot Cake

Happy National Caramel Month

My icing is cream cheese caramel.

Carrot Cake with Chia seeds

I decided to and my painting skills to my decorating. This is my first attempt.

Chocolate Bliss Cake

My Nana's Recipe

Today I was going through an old box and found this recipe of my Nana's.

Recipe

Blend faith, hope, charity and stir in goodness with pricious memories, add kindness, helpfulness, joy and graditude.

Spice with laughter, smiles and fun.

Serve often
~ Agnes Cecelia Cunningham Wilkerson

I believe it was one of her favorite recipes because she served it often.

Apple pie

Little German Chocolate Cake

Banana Split Celebration Cake

Banana cake, strawberry cake, chocolate cake, vanilla cake with my version of butter cream icing. No sugar added in cakes. Frosting has reduced sugar.

Heart Health

Simple Science: Just one healthy behavior cuts risk for heart failure. http://www.heart.org/simplescience What was the behavior you changed on the road to heart health

Where would the civilized world be without cooks!

We may live without poetry, music and art; We may live without conscience, and live without heart; We may live without friends; we may live without books; But civilized man cannot live without cooks.”Edward Bulwer-Lytton

Look What I Cooked Up.....Roses!

Cake pops are all the rave right now. I tried one the other day and well they are pretty but a little to sweet for me. They are made by mixing icing and cake crumbs them forming the shape and decorating. I wanted to make my version which is healthier. I don't use crumbs and icing. I used my flourless chocolate cake that is a bit gooey so it is moldable. Then decorated it! Reduced sugar, fat, cholesterol and sodium.

Berry Shortcake

The perfect day for all the fresh berries!

Perfect Summer Dinner


My oldest daughter rode her bike to the farmer's market with a friend. She came back with a beautiful giant summer sqaush and fresh okra. I never have liked okra but she had me try a slice of raw fresh okra and it was delicious. It has a mellow taste with a big  crunch. I believe it will be my new snack.



She sauteed the sqaush, okra and shallots.

She also made spinach and parmesean cheese stuffed mushroom. I made Broschetta with olive oil that I have been steeping herbs from my garden in for about a week now. I used goat cheese with pinon nuts and fresh basil from my garden and sun dried tomatoes.

We sat out under our big tree for dinner.

Nutritional Facts and Comparision of Chocolate Banana and PB cookie pudding

Nutritional comparision. Mine versus traditional recipe what you might find in a store or resteraunt.

theirs calories 495            Mine calories 237
Total fat 20g                    t fat 6g
 sat fat 12g                      sat fat 1.2g
chol 14g "                        chol 2.8g
sodium 260g "                  sod 195mg
carb 60g "                        carb 20g
fiber 2g "                          fiber 6g
sugar 39g "                      sugar 20g
protien 6g "                      protien 18g

Chocolate, Banana pudding with PB cookies

I have been thinking about banana pudding the last few days. You know vanilla wafers, vanilla pudding and sliced bananas. Well I decided that if you changed the cookie to PB cookies and the pudding to chocolate that it would taste really good. Guess what it does.

A Day In The Kitchen

Honey Lavender Mini Bundt and Lemon Drop Cakes.

Can't live without cooks!

We may live without poetry, music and art; We may live without conscience, and live without heart; We may live without friends; we may live without books; But civilized man cannot live without cooks.”Edward Bulwer-Lytton (1831-1891) ‘Lucile’ (1860)

Confectionary

Confectionary is the poetry of epicurism it throws over the heavy enjoyments of the table the relief of a milder indulgence, and dispenses the delights of a lighter and more harmless gratification of the appetite.”The Complete Confectioner, Pastry-Cook, and Baker’
by Parkinson, Practical Confectioner (1864)

Starting A Business

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

In my 52 years I never expected to be in the postition that I find myself in now. I have played around with the idea of starting my own business but never seriously until a little over a year ago. I never wanted to be in the food business either. I just wanted to draw and paint etc. I enjoyed baking but not as a profession. I also didn't really enjoy hard work. I enjoyed art and crafts I worked in professions that I did not enjoy because I enjoyed having money.

When personal reasons and then the economy prevented me from working I nearly lost everything. I am still a small crisis away from living in my car (which is also a small crisis away from no longer running). I have no income except child support. I am a single mother of two teenage daughters. I live with my older sister and brother because seperately we cannot survive. Sometimes I have sleepless nights trying to rearrange bills and food and gas for the car that all add up to more than the income we bring in. I have health issues with no insurance.

Financially I have nothing. What I do have is determination and faith. "I dwell in my possibilities." Emily Dickinson. I will use my talents to create a business to feed and house my family. I have the talent. I have the idea. I do not have the finances. In the past year and five months I with my daughters came up with the idea for a desert shop. Not just a bakery shop but a place to spend time. A place that the young people can enjoy and be creative and accepted. A place where the elderly can sit and enjoy themselves too. And not just any desserts but healthy ones. Not just any healthy desserts but ones that taste really really good. So if you are one of the healthy minded you will enjoy and if you are one of the junk food minded you will still enjoy. It has been a long and very frustrating process to start a business with no finances. I have meet other women along the way who are trying to do the same thing. Some of us are single moms and some are married and some are single. We are all women trying to better our lives. I have met some women who have already given up and some like me that keep on trying and hoping and believing. I really have no other choice.

I have learned a few important lessons in this attempt. The most important is that I would not have gotten this far without the help of other people. Some have just briefly passed through my life causing ripples that carried me and my dream further. Some have stayed in my life to become friends.

Heart Friendly Desserts and Cosmic Euphoria Desserts and Art It's a Way of Life

Saturday, July 9, 2011

I had a heartattack 2 years ago on Mothers' Day. I weighed over 200 lbs. I was out of work (3years). Took care of my mother who had become an invalid and trying to take care of my daughters too. I was extremely depressed after my mother passed away it all just got to be too much. Well I had the heartattack and my brother who had just become a certified hypnotherapist worked on me a little. I was skeptical but it worked. I started to feel better about myself and life. I realized that I was just barely existing . I think I was only surviving because of my daughters. Even though I have always believed in God and felt close to Him somehow I was disconnected from Him until Lane worked his magic on me. I started exercising again. I changed the way I eat. The girls and I are almost vegeterians I do eat chicken and seafood at times. I even have come to terms with tofu, well sometimes. No more fried food! I started learning how to be kind to myself again and spending time on myself. The one thing I wouldn't give up is my sweet tooth! I started researching and experimenting on recipes until I came up with the ones I use now. I have reduced the fats and use only healthy oils. I have reduced the sugar (in most cases cane sugar is still used but a whole lot less than in most recipes) I replaced the rest of the sugars with natural sweetners. Example Stevia. I don't use a lot of stevia because it then leaves a strange taste but my mixture of sweetners seems to do the trick. I reduce sodium and cholesterol also. Now the name of the business comes down to Vast Joy (Cosmic Euphoria). Kind of hippie a little bohemian with a tiny bit quirky thrown in. It's not just about what I eat but how I feel about life and I wish to share. Sweets for the heart and art for the soul... Love...Peace...Joy...From my heart to yours.

Name That Business

Thursday, June 30, 2011

After a year and a half I have finally reached that place where possiblities have become an actuality. Well no they are still possibilities waiting to happen, however they feel real now. I have a commericial kitchen available to me. Not just " well we might let you use this if we can work things out" but a real yes you can use our kitchen! I am still holding my breath. I have been burned a few times now.  Deep down though I know this one is an actuality. I have a possibility of a cafe willing to sell my dessserts. Oh my! Once again this has been offered in the past but now I believe this one will happen. Still holding my breath though. Still hovering over the brink of all actualities! Since I am forever hopeful I am moving on as if this is really going to happen. Getting ready to get that health permit, etc. Have logo designed. Have finally settled on the business name.
Wecome to Cosmic Euphoria Desserts and Art.
Sweets for your heart and Art for your soul.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

I love a cup of tea. These are oat cakes that I make. I took the traditional Scottish recipe and made a few adjustments for a healthier version. I love them with jam and cream as shown in this picture also very good with a soft cheese.  These are especially good since I try to bake heart friendly goodies because they are basically all oatmeal.

Happy St. Patricks' Day

I experimented  a little and came up with a Healthier version of Chocolate Guinness Cake, Irish Cream Cake and Irish Lace Cookies.  I made my own irish cream too