Hopeful Homemaker

Apricots and Vintage Pyrex

August 5, 2011 jennifer Musings on Life and Beauty

I am not an apricot lover. I am not a Pyrex collector. But I am in love with how beautiful these apricots are in the one vintage Pyrex piece I own.

We picked these apricots, my children and I, from a tree at the bottom of the hill. They loved the adventure of climbing ladders to pluck the orange fruit from branches. I went from little one to little one, holding them up above my head to reach the apricot they spied. I helped the older ones move and balance ladders so they could climb much higher. And I took a deep breath and let my 5 year old son grow up a little bit more as he climbed higher and ventured further than ever before. I held my breath as I watched him, positioning myself to catch him if he fell but he didn’t. He was careful but steady, cautious but sure. It was a precious moment to watch.

It’s really not surprising that the only Pyrex I’d love would be blue and white striped. I love the soft colors and the bright orange of the apricots together. As complimentary colors, it’s a combination that never grows old.

While I admire the color, my children happily eat fresh apricots (or “ape-er-cots”, as my three year old daughter calls them) and dream of an apricot tree in our own yard. I sigh with happiness for these golden moments of childhood, when adventure lies in age-old activities such as harvesting fruit from a tree. This is summer to me, and I wish it would never end.

Jennifer

Orange Creamsicle Cupcakes

August 4, 2011 jennifer Desserts

When the children wanted a bake sale at our yard sale last week, I knew which cupcake recipe I wanted to try first. Orange Creamsicle cupcakes. They really do taste like orange creamsicles and they’re simply delicious.

The recipe is a Better Homes and Gardens recipe that I found here .

Want to make some? (Trust me, you do.) Here goes:

Ingredients:

1 white cake mix 1 small box (3 oz) orange flavored gelatin 1 small box (3 oz) cheesecake pudding mix 1 1/4 cups orange juice 4 eggs 1/3 cup vegetable oil 1 tsp. vanilla ** Set aside 2 teaspoons orange gelatin to save for the frosting. **
In a bowl, mix together cake mix, orange gelatin (minus the 2 tsp.), and cheesecake pudding mix. Add orange juice, eggs, vanilla and oil. Mix until combined.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place cupcake liners in pan. (This recipe made 2 dozen regular sized cupcakes plus a dozen mini cupcakes.) Fill muffin cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until done. Cool completely.

Frosting:

8 oz. cream cheese 1/2 cup butter 2 tsp. reserved orange gelatin 1 tsp. orange zest 2 tsp. vanilla 5 – 6 cups powdered sugar orange food coloring (if desired; I didn’t use any.)

Soften cream cheese and butter at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. In a large bowl beat together butter, cream cheese, orange gelatin, orange zest and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add in powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until you reach desired consistency. Decorate cupcakes.

These cupcakes were a huge hit. We had one couple buy one, get in their car to drive away, then turn off the engine and come back to buy a dozen. We will certainly be making them again soon.

This little one liked them, too:

She makes me laugh.

Seven

August 2, 2011 jennifer Musings on Life and Beauty

This beautiful little girl is seven years old today. I decided to start the day off with a surprise.

I got up early to cook breakfast, then woke everyone up so we could eat breakfast outside as the sun climbed up over the mountain.

The menu was simple: breakfast sandwiches, potatoes, yogurt and orange juice. What made it special was the cool morning air, the sound of the neighbor’s sprinklers, birds singing in the trees. It was also fun to look around the table at rumpled hair and smiling faces as we broke the morning quiet with a rousing “Happy Birthday to You”.

The bulk of tonight’s celebration will be an outdoor movie after dark. I didn’t want her to wait that long so we opened her gifts at breakfast. She seemed pleased. I really want her to have a happy day. I love this girl so much it hurts sometimes.

I’ve wanted to eat breakfast outside for a while but just haven’t done it for this or that reason. I loved it. We’ve got to do it more often. Sitting outside as a family while the sun slowly creeps toward you is a beautiful experience. I highly recommend it.

I’m off to bake the birthday cake!

Jennifer