Pinspiration

I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that I'm a pin whore. Yes, I said it. The first step is admitting, right? I've been sick the last few days so I've been stuck at home busying myself with projects. Even with the cold from hell I try to be productive! Here are some ideas I've been working on that I never would've thought of without the help of Pinterest.

I fell in love with this DIY cake stand and knew I had to make one.

Fortunately we had some logs handy. I have some customers that are

going to be very happy about this!

My first mod podge experience. Put the lace on any ol' container then

spray paint with desired color. I'm hoping mine will turn out this good!

Apparently stores in my area don't sell ruffled lamp shades and I really

want one so I'm just making it :)

All the shoes I was about ready to throw out and now there's a simple solution!

The results look great...I'm hoping the glitter stays put.

One of my husband's friends works at a cider mill so I was able to get

the hook-up on some crates. We had a corner in our dining room that

needed jazzing up and I'm so happy with how this turned out.

I actually didn't work on this because that would've involved me going

outside in the cold, but we do have lattice leftover from another project and I'm

going to fill the hubby in on my plans to cover up our ugly AC unit asap!

I've got lots more stuff pinned that I will eventually get to, so if anyone wants to steal some ideas feel free to stalk me at Pinterest.com/cortneyloo

Tasty Tuesday- Cinnamon French Toast Bake

Umm...the picture speaks for itself, right?

You'll need:

1/4 cup melted butter

2 12.4 oz. cans Pillsbury refrigerated cinnamon rolls with icing

5 eggs

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons vanilla

3/4 cup maple syrup

Melt butter and pour on ungreased 9x13 inch glass dish. Separate cinnamon roll dough into 16 rolls saving the icing for later use. Cut each individual roll into 8 pieces and add to baking dish. Beat eggs in medium bowl. Add cinnamon, vanilla, and cream and beat until well blended. Pour over cut pieces of cinnamon rolls. Drizzle maple syrup over the top and bake at 375 degrees for approximately 22 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool slightly while heating icing in microwave for 15 seconds. Drizzle icing over the top and serve!

52 Week Organization Challenge

One of my New Year's resolutions is to get my house completely organized once and for all. My husband and I have relocated a total of five times in the past six years, and that has made it near impossible to come up with a good system since as soon as I find a spot for everything we're packing things up again! Now that we have a house and we're set to be here indefinitely I am eager to eliminate all chaos and clutter. I've signed up for weekly organization challenges from www.home-storage-solutions-101.com and although it might sound weird, I find myself looking forward to that Monday email! The challenge is meant to be a 52-week process but some of the chores on the list are so small that I'm going to be completing multiple tasks within a week to get a tidy home sooner. I thought I'd share the link here in case anyone else wants to join in, too! It's not too late to get started if you had the same goal in mind :)

Tasty Tuesday-Parmesan Honey Pork Roast

It's that time again! Time for a delicious new recipe that is both quick and easy to make. I actually prefer when my food cooks itself, so how's about a slow cooker dish today? This is another great find courtesy of Pinterest. That site has been great for my taste buds, not so much for my waist line :) I cooked this for the hubby a few nights ago and it was ah-maz-ing. Even the gravy pretty much makes itself.

You'll need:

1 2-3lb. boneless pork roast

2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/2 cup of honey

3 tablespoons of soy sauce

2 tablespoons dried basil

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons minced garlic

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 cup cold water

Spray slow cooker with non-stick spray. Place roast in slow cooker. In a small bowl combine the cheese, honey, basil, garlic, soy sauce, oil and salt, then pour over pork. Cover and cook on low 6-7 hours until meat thermometer reads 160 degrees. Remove meat to a serving platter. Skim fat from cooking juices and transfer to a saucepan. Bring liquid to a boil, then combine cornstarch and water until smooth in a separate bowl. Stir into pan, bring to a boil, then stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Slice roast and serve with gravy.

Tasty Tuesday-Pecan Chicken

This dish requires only three ingredients so it's super easy and quick to make. You would never guess it's so simple though once you've tasted it! The pecans add a very nice flavor and the smell in your kitchen will be wonderful!

You'll need:

4 skinned and boned chicken breast halves

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons finely chopped pecans

Place chicken between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap and flatten to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Stir together honey and mustard, spread on both sides of chicken, then sprinkle on pecans. Arrange in a lightly greased 8-inch square baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes until done.

A very tacky Christmas

I have wanted to attend an ugly Christmas sweater party for the past few years. It's a perfect excuse to dress ridiculous and have a good laugh with friends! But for some reason or another, every year I find myself missing out. Last year I was sick, the year before we were out of town, and the year before that I had to work when our friends hosted a party. Well this year I finally got to go to an ugly Christmas sweater party, and the hubby and I went all out to make up for previous years. The picture below is what felt, garland, a feather boa, battery-operated mini lights, pipe cleaners, jingle bells and hot glue will get ya!

For all of our creative efforts, we were awarded with a gift card prize for tackiest sweaters. Yay!
I'm going to have to get started thinking about ideas for next year's sweater early. It's gonna get serious if we're going to be repeat winners ;)

Cheesecake Brownie Recipe

Who doesn't love Great American Cookie Company? I find it hard to pass by there without wanting to inhale half the stuff on those trays! My favorite treat by far, though, has to be their cheesecake brownies. After much experimenting with recipes I found online I've found the one that tastes the most similar, so I'm going to share it with you.

You'll need:

Brownie layer:
1 regular box of fudge brownie mix of your choice
All ingredients called for on the back of the box

Cheesecake layer:
16 oz. cream cheese-softened
24 oz. powdered sugar
4 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate mini morsels
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13" pan with aluminum foil and lightly spray with cooking spray. Mix all of the brownie ingredients together and pour into the bottom of the pan. Separately mix all of the cheesecake ingredients until cream cheese is no longer lumpy. Pour it on top of the brownie layer. Bake for 40-45 minutes until golden brown.

Business is picking up!

I'm so pleased with the amount of cake and cupcake orders I have had lately. I've been trying to get my name out there and build my business and it looks like it's starting to pay off! Business has actually picked up enough that I've dropped down to part time hours at my day job to accomodate all the baking. I feel incredibly blessed that I'm having the opportunity to profit off of something I enjoy doing and it feels good to be able to have a creative outlet too! Today I thought I'd share a couple pictures of some of the projects that have kept me from coming around to blog as often :) I'm going to start getting better about posting pictures of my baked goods on my Facebook page (facebook.com/forgoodnesscakesbakery) as I'm getting in the rhythm of managing all the things I have going on in my life at the moment! Until then, here's a little peek of what I've had going on.

Turkey cupcakes made for an elementary school function

Zebra smash cake for an adorable little girl's 1st birthday party

Christmas sweater cake made for a tacky Christmas sweater party

Tasty Tuesday-S'mores Crunch Mix

I love s'mores. I don't even care in what form. I love s'mores cappuccino, s'mores cookies, s'mores cupcakes, s'mores pie...I think you get the point. So imagine my excitement when I stumbled upon this little recipe. It's super easy to make and convenient to snack on when you're on the go. Brace yourself, because today I'm teaching you how to make s'mores crunch mix!

You'll need:

1/4 cup butter

1 10oz. bag regular marshmallows

1-2 cups of chocolate chips

1 box of Golden Graham cereal

1 container of Magic Shell ice cream topping

In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add marshmallows and keep stirring until the marshmallows completely melt and you have a sauce-like consistency. Remove from heat. Add Golden Grahams and stir until they are all well coated. Stir in chocolate chips. Grease a 9x13 pan and press s'mores down. Once they are all pressed down and slightly cooled, drizzle evenly with Magic Shell.

Note-you will not need all of the Magic Shell! It should be a light drizzle and not a full coating of chocolate on these treats.

My latest obsession:Drum shades

We'll soon be replacing the light fixture in our bedroom as the $4 builder grade light has worn out its welcome. Actually it wasn't ever really welcome. It's only been allowed to stay here for the eight months we've been in our home because we started our remodeling downstairs and are just now working our way up. I've been heavily pondering what type of light to put in its place and I think I've decided on a drum pendant. Here are some of the ones I've come across while searching that I'm drooling over!The shapes on this one are neat. Not sure if it would work in my space, but I really like it!

I love how the branches on this one are inside the shade. I bet it's beautiful when the light is turned on!

Love this. Wow is all I have to say!

Here's a fancy pants version. It's probably a little much, but I'm a sucker for crystals.

Our bedside table lamps actually have this same exact design with the clear balls and linen color shade. We might have a winner!

I love the texture and simplicity of this drum shade. It's so pretty!

This design is gorgeous. Love love love!

So what do you think of drum shade pendants? Love 'em? Hate 'em? I want to hear your thoughts!