Sunset & Vine

Good morning everyone! If you haven’t made breakfast yet, these look unbelievable! Apple.. pie.. cake.. breakfast.. all in one recipe: Oh my goodness YUM! All information, the recipe, and pictures from How Sweet It Is.

Apple Pie Breakfast Cakes

serves 2 - adapted from blueberry breakfast cakes

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• a pinch each of nutmeg, ground ginger, & ground cardamom
• 1 medium apple, peeled and diced into cubes
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add egg and mix until well combined. Add in vanilla and yogurt and stir. Mix dry ingredients together and add to batter, only mixing until just combined. Fold in apple chunks.

Spray 2 ramekins {I used the 6 ounce, 3 1/2 inch} with non-stick spray and pour batter into them equally. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.

For the brown sugar topping, I simply combined 1/2 tablespoon flour, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, a pinch of salt and 2 teaspoons of melted butter and then crumbled it over top before baking. For an optional glaze on top, combine 3-4 tablespoons of powdered sugar and a drop or two of milk (literally a drop) and whisk until a glaze forms.

I love your blog…Perfect

This is the best party ever! It looks like it was made for me! This cowgirl chic birthday party is featured on Hostess with the Mostess and was dreamt up by  Jill at Peas and Thank You. I am absolutely in love with the hand braided sign and pastel colors. The amazingly cute cakeballs are so fun and who doesn’t love flavored milk bars and “dirty apples?” Pictures and all other information here.

Talia Dress $349.00

This is a wonderful idea that I found on Pinterest! Its a jar filled with all the wonderful memories you’ve shared with your best girlfriends, your roommates, your love, or even your family. Rip a little paper, jot down the memory, and reopen the jar as a new years eve tradition! Such a sweet Idea. Pictures and everything from here. 

Design Sponge does it again! These wonderful arrows are meant as a Valentines day treat, but it is so much more fun to surprise loved ones randomly. Since Tyler is “Mr. Hunter,” I think I just might have to make these for him shortly. These even are perfect as a prop for an Indian or Cupid halloween costume! Find all the details here!

I don’t know about you, but the Milano cookie isle at the grocery store is dangerous! I have a weakness for the yummy cookies and now have found a wonderful recipe for the file. Add a little mint (or orange in this case) extract and we are good to go!

Milano Cookies 

(recipe and pictures from here and courtesy Gale Gand, from Food Network website)

Prep Time: 20 min
Inactive Prep Time: 0 min
Cook Time: 1 hr 0 min
Serves: about 3 dozen cookies

• 12 tablespoons (170grams/ 6 oz) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 1/2 cups (312.5 grams/ 11.02 oz) powdered sugar
• 7/8 cup egg whites (from about 6 eggs)
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons lemon extract
• 1 1/2 cups (187.5grams/ 6.61 oz) all purpose flour
• Cookie filling, recipe follows

Cookie filling:
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 orange, zested

1. In a mixer with paddle attachment cream the butter and the sugar.
2. Add the egg whites gradually and then mix in the vanilla and lemon extracts.
3. Add the flour and mix until just well mixed.
4. With a small (1/4-inch) plain tip, pipe 1-inch sections of batter onto a parchment-lined sheet pan, spacing them 2 inches apart as they spread.
5. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes or until light golden brown around the edges. Let cool on the pan.
6. While waiting for the cookies to cool, in a small saucepan over medium flame, scald cream.
7. Pour hot cream over chocolate in a bowl, whisk to melt chocolate, add zest and blend well.
8. Set aside to cool (the mixture will thicken as it cools).
9. Spread a thin amount of the filling onto the flat side of a cookie while the filling is still soft and press the flat side of a second cookie on top.
10. Repeat with the remainder of the cookies.

I am currently packing up all my things for 7 months to move across the globe. In my suitcase you’ll find many wonderful pieces like these that I can use now and layer later for fall. Cramming your goods into 2 suitcases for over half a year is a tough task, so wear now and later pieces are key.

Tie-Dyed Woven Top $22.80

Fit & Flare Double Knit Dress $19.80

Sheer Leopard Top $17.80

Colorblock Hem Dress $22.90

Polka DotSkirt $17.80

This could be such a wonderful shower for a friend of mine! She is due in December and I am ecstatic to help plan the shower. This idea comes from The Sweetest Occasion and I am so in love with the pink popcorn! Find all the information on this shower, including these pictures, here!

Mirrored Jar Base $168.00 - $298.00

Making as we speak! I love the idea of adding on rhinestones and fun clasps. All this greatness is from Honestly WTF?! Get all information including what you need, how to, and these pictures here! 

These cookies from The Purl Bee are so fun! They are so pretty, I may not want to eat them. Ahh who am I kidding, I am the queen of cookie consumption. Find all information on these babies (including these pictures) here!

(adapted from The Gourmet Cookie Book)
Makes  approximately 5 dozen cookies.

Cookies

• 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/3 cups cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla 
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• Sanding sugars in various colors

Filling

• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 2 tablespoons almond extract
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened

You will also need:

• Parchment paper
• Electric mixer
• Offset Spatula

To Make Cookies:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place flour, cornstarch and salt in a bowl, mix togetgher and set aside.

With electric mixer, mix butter, confectioners’ sugar, almond extract and vanilla until fluffy.  
Add flour mixture and mix on low until dough forms. 

Place each sanding sugar into a small bowl.
Roll dough into balls, 1/2-inch in diameter, then roll balls in sanding sugar.  Place balls on parchment lined baking sheet, 3/4-inch apart.

Bake for 9-11 minutes.  Bottoms should just be turning golden.  Remove and place on cooling racks.

To Make Filling:
With electric mixer, mix all filling ingredients on medium until combined.

Complete Cookies:
With offset spatula place approximately 1/4 teaspoon of filling on half a cookie, sandwich the other half to form a ball.

Cookies will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Thank God Its Back To School! This is hilarious! Here is a back to school party idea that parents and probably older siblings would love. Click here for all the DIY printables, information, and these pictures. Hallelujah, school’s in session!

I need a pair of these before I leave for Germany! I am going to have to speed ship them so that they can be in my luggage by the 7th. I am absolutely in love with all rainboots, but by far Hunters have won over my heart with their fit and durability. They are definitely worth the price!

Huntress Rainboot $125

I’m hoping that this type of party would still work for a 26 year old! This John Deere themed kids birthday party is from The Sweetest Occasion (again, I know) and is such a fun boys birthday idea. You could play with the ever-so-popular mason jar drinking glasses and incorporate some cheep beer for the much older kids. Country Music and line dancing would have to be a must as well! However, Learn all about this kids birthday party here.

How perfect is this!? These scrabble cookies are from When Adobo Met Feujoada and get this - you can actually play with them! They are just about the size of a normal scrabble piece! Find all these pictures, the recipe, and all other information here!

Meyer Lemon Sugar Cookies
(recipe from When Adobo Met Feujoada)

• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 3/4 cup superfine sugar
• 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
• 2 tsp fresh Meyer Lemon juice
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• finely grated rind of 1 Meyer Lemon
• salt

Put the butter and sugar and mix well with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Then add the egg yolk and juice and beat in. Sift the flour and salt into the bowl and stir until combined. Add the lemon rind and combine once more.

Divide the dough into 2 disks and wrap in plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator to chill until firm, about 30 min to an hour.

Preheat oven to 375F degrees. Line baking trays with parchment paper. Unwrap the dough, roll to 1/8 inch thick and use a chef’s knife to make straight cuts. (A pasty wheel dragged my dough to skewed it, find out what works best for you. If the dough becomes too warm or soft to be transferred to the baking tray, return dough in the refrigerator to chill, 5-10 minutes.

Bake for 6-7 minutes, or until edges turn light brown. Transfer to wire racks to cool.

To frost the cookies, I used royal icing thinned with a little water. Letters were written using edible markers. 

This is something that is easy as one, two, three! (1) Pop the backs off of old jewelry, earrings, rings, and necklaces with wire cutters, and then (2) with a dab of hot glue, attach a magnet to the back. (3) Stick it on your fridge and enjoy!

This is a DIY from Chronicle Books Blog, and don’t you worry - I will be bringing all the templates over (found here) for making this for our german apartment. I love the idea of using any type of print and texture for the paper and Ty will love that it is a beloved deer head. Find all information, including pictures, templets and instructions here!