BLACK & WHITE STRIPES.....EVERYWHERE!

I just adore black & white stripes. I love them on furniture, clothes, walls, paper and desserts. I especially love it outdoors. If I saw this shop it would not matter what they sold the awning would make me have a look.

There is just something about black & white stripes that draws me in. I just love it outside on cushions or, wow, on walls and ceilings of a porch like this one.

After seeing these umbrellas I will now be on the hunt for one. And this tent, well it just brings to mind a day at the circus and who doesn't love that.

This is a little more attainable. I have painted black & white stripes on my indoor furniture several times. My bathroom cabinet is striped. This is a cute idea for an outdoor table. I know I always have something hanging around I don't know what to do with, so I think I will just stripe it all!

I could not believe my eyes when I saw this ZEBRA CAKE from THE WHIMSICAL CUPCAKE BLOG. It is so adorable and it looked impossible to make but when I read the recipe it looks quite easy.

ZEBRA CAKE


Ingredients:

1 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup milk (whole, 2% or 1%)
1 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons Double Dutched Dark Cocoa

Directions:
1) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 9″ x 2″ round baking pan with cooking spray (you can use a 8″ x 2″ for a slightly thicker cake). Line the bottom of the pan with a circle of parchment, and spritz again. Set the pan aside.

2) In the bowl of your mixer, blend the sugar and eggs until lightened, about 2 minutes. On low speed blend in the oil, milk and vanilla until well combined and smooth.

3) In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk to remove any lumps. Add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients. Combine on medium speed 1-2 minutes or until the batter is smooth and lump free. Be sure to scrape down the bowl halfway through mixing.

4) Remove 2 cups of the vanilla batter and place it in the measure you used for the liquid ingredients. Sift the cocoa over this batter, and stir well to combine. Be sure to use a sifter to avoid cocoa lumps in the batter.

5) Now for the stripes. Spoon about 3 tablespoons of vanilla batter into the center of the cake pan. Next, spoon 3 tablespoons of the chocolate batter into the center of the vanilla batter. This causes the vanilla batter to spread out. Continue to alternate batters, in bulls-eye fashion until all batter is used. You will now have thin rings of each batter on the outer edges of the pan, thicker rings towards the center.

6) Bake the cake in the center of the preheated oven for 35-45 minutes, or until the cake is lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, and then turn out onto a wire rack to finish cooling. Dust lightly with confectioners sugar or frost if that strikes your fancy.

Now how yummy and moist does this cake look? I am hungry already.

You could try it in different coloured stripes too. Just don't do the chocolate and add a food colour gel to the other half of the vanilla.

Thank you Jeannette at the THE WHIMSICAL CUPCAKE for this delicious Black & White Cake which I will be making. Drop by and see her blog for a lot of really scrumpious recipes.

Images from PINTEREST.

SILENT SUNDAY!

EARLY EASTER GREETINGS.

Just in case I do not get time to post tomorrow I want send my Easter Greetings to all of you today.

I hope you all have a gorgeous, sunny day on your Easter Egg hunt and find lots of yummy eggs.

I think it would be so nice if you get to see some bunnies tomorrow, the fluffy ones and the chocolate ones.

I hope you are surrounded with sunny, spring flowers.

Do try some of this sunshine bread from BITTER SWEET. It will make you feel sunny inside and out.

But most of all I do hope that you and those you love have a Peaceful Happy Easter tomorrow.

THE EASTER TABLE, BRUNCH & DESSERT, DESSERT, DESSERT!

Have you thought about setting your Easter Table yet? If not here a some adorable ideas.

I love the cool, spring greens of this one.

If the weather is warm I will definately do something outside. I love this, it just shouts spring and Easter.

This simple country setting is just lovely.

What an Easter fantasy. I would worry about someone swinging my table though.

I don't usually get too fussy with napkins but these little cuties caught my eye. You can get the simple directions here at MARTHA STEWART LIVING.

Now onto the good stuff.

I saw these and my mouth started to water. Can you imagine making these Carrot Cake Waffles for Easter Brunch? I am going to try these and I think they will be a keeper. Get this delicious recipe from WILLOW BIRD BAKING

This Bacon, Egg and Cheese Ring from PILLSBURY.COM is super simple and looks really impressive and I'll bet it is yummy.

There is just something about putting the word "Farmer" in a recipe title that says to me " good stick to your ribs food". This Farmer's Casserole from BETTER HOMES & GARDENS says that to me. I love making casseroles. Everything in one pan.

I have made these cute birdie cupcakes several times and they always get a lot of oohs and aahs. I saw them years ago in Martha Stewart Living Magazine. They are so easy. Just ice your cupcake, toast some coconut and put it on the edges of the cupcake. With a wide pastry tip pipe some blue balls of icing and make tiny eyes with black or chocolate icing and use a leaf tip for the beak. So Cute!

One of my favourite desserts is Coconut Cream Pie. Now, I am a baker but for some reason I have never made one. I found this recipe from DOUGH PUNCHER BLOG and it sounds so good that I think that this will be either my Easter Dessert or with my birthday being April 12th, my Birthday Pie instead of cake. My husband may not like that but it is my birthday after all.

I hope you try some of these delicious recipes whether for Easter or for whatever and let me know how they turned out. And stop by my blog WICKEDFAERIEQUEEN to see how I decorated my house for Easter.

Images from PINTEREST.

MAKE YOUR OWN EASTER EGGS!

Everywhere you have gone the past couple of weeks I am sure you have seen a lot of beautiful Chocolate Easter Eggs. It is easy to buy them but why not make some. It is not as hard as you think and with just a little time you will have the satisfaction of creating something really special for Easter.

This one is really easy. Just melt some marshmallows with a little butter and add broken pretzels. Drop onto a parchment coated cooked sheet and make sure you have left a dent in the middle of each nest. Just fill with store bought little eggs.

This is a cute idea from NOT MARTHA (love that name) . Go to her link for a tutorial.

I love Marshmallow Eggs. These delicious Truffle Marsmallow eggs from TASTE AND TELL are really easy and I'll bet they are much more yummy than the store bought Marshmallow Eggs.

My husband always wants those cream filled Easter Eggs. I personally find them really sweet but these scrumpcious Cheesecake Filled Chocolate Eggs from RASPBERRI CUPCAKES are something I know I would like. Drop over and have a look at this really lovely blog.

Last but certainly not least are my favourites Chocolate Mousse Filled Easter Eggs from FISHER & PAYKEL OUR KITCHEN. I am making these. What could be more fabulous than breaking the Chocolate shell of you own homemade Easter Egg and dipping into heavenly Chocolate Mousse. Even if you don't make these you have to stop over and have a look.

So whether you buy or make your Chocolate Easter Eggs they will be delicious, after all they are CHOCOLATE!

Pop over to my blog WICKED FAERIE QUEEN for a nostalgic look at the Easter Bonnet.

Images from PINTEREST.

EASTER CENTREPIECES & AN AMAZING CAKE!

Easter snuck up on me this year. I usually decorate 2 weeks ahead to enjoy it but a lot has been going on and I am going to decorate today. I don't know how much others decorate but I do like to bring out my Easter collection and make the house festive and Springy. I found some great centrepiece ideas. They don't have to be as elaborate as the Martha Stewart one above, although it is gorgeous.

This sweet little simple egg arrangement would be quick and easy to do.

With a basket some moss a couple of little fuzzy chicks and some easy potted daffodils you could have a very nice country centrepiece in no time.

This fabulous centrepiece from BROOKLYN LIMESTONE looks like it is a lot of work but it is actually quite simple and really lovely. Go to the link for the tutorial.

I just love this idea. Simple eggs in the bottom of a large vase with Gerbera Daisies. You could use Tulips or any other Spring flower you like.

I really like the idea of combining your centrepiece with chocolate. I also like to use the Pansies because you can plant them in the garden after. Talk about environmentally friendly. It could actually be your dessert. Make a nice outdoor like centrepiece and put in chocolate bunnies, chicks and eggs, what a great treat for kids and adults.

How cute and organic is this. Take out the centre of a cabbage (savoy would be nice too) and use it in you dinner and fill the cabbage with pretty flowers inside of a low vase.

I have used this idea. When our son had his Wedding Party on our farm in the summer we already had a lot of flowers in the garden so instead of centrepieces I order a huge fruit bouquet. It was gorgeous and absolutely delicious.

Kids would love this peeps topiary, I know I do. Peeps are reasonable and easy to work with just make sure you cover it with clear wrap so it does not dry out.

I had to show this cute, simple idea. I love this. Use the little chocolate bunnies and chicks as name card for your Easter guest, adorable!

What is Easter without a fabulous, colourful dessert. This beautiful Rainbow Cake looks incredible and it is actually not hard to make. The lovely Linda from BUBBLE AND SWEET in Australia gives step by step directions on her website.

I hope you got some ideas from this today. I will be decorating all day and show the results plus lots more ideas until Easter. Get Creative!

Images from PINTEREST.