Updates

Hello, everyone! I am so sorry it's been so long since I've posted! It's just been one of those months that just never slowed down.

 First off, I want to apologize for my slow responses to comments. I HATE to admit this, but I often forget to look for them!

 Secondly, I've been getting requests for patterns. I am planning on selling them on my Etsy page by late summer-ish, but not just yet.

 An anonymous poster recently asked me how I make the hair. The hair is actually, individually, the easiest part of the hat! But, multiply it by at least 50, and it gets tedious. LOL! If you'd like to know the secret of the ringlet, email me personally at HeatherDoodleCrochet@yahoo.com.

Baby Shower Banner

My dear friend, Taylor, asked me to make a banner for her sister-in-law's baby shower. Off to Michael's Craft store I went to pick out some cute scrap-booking paper. Once I got home, I whipped out my Cricut, and this is what I came up with.

It's amazing how well the pool and the child gate coordinate with the banner, isn't it??

Fluffy Pink Marshmallows Part 2

 And here they are this morning!

Marshmallow pops

Mmmm... hot cocoa with homemade marshmallows...

I'm really looking forward to Valentine's Day next week! We're making Valentines either today for tomorrow while the weather is iffy. I'm loving the rain and clouds; they seem to be so rare here.

Fluffy Pink Marshmallows

Or as Emmy says, "mashmallows." I used the recipe found here.  It's amazing and surprisingly easy - just don't over think or over handle it!

Here's my little mixer, Marie Antoinette, preparing for the recipe she was created to mix.

Fast forward to whipping the boiled sugar into the gelatin

Shiny, still warm marshmallow fluffiness just poured into a prepared dish

All covered in powdered sugar

I can hardly wait to cut these into heart shapes tomorrow! We're going to make mini hearts for some Valentine's Day hot cocoa, and bigger hearts for marshmallow pops. 

A Rare, Rainy Day

 It's been so long since we've had a "real" rainy day here in southern Florida, so we're really enjoying this cozy day. After a morning full of errands, we sat down to the perfect rainy day lunch:

Grilled cheese, made with Muenster. Yum! Of course, what goes better with grilled cheese than

 tomato soup!

 I just love the way tomato soup looks in these bowls.

The Best Banana Bread

This recipe is adapted from Emril Lagasse's Banana Bread recipe, which you can find here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/banana-bread-recipe2/index.html

(This is my banana bread pictured.)

Incredibly Amazing Banana Bread

3 very ripe bananas

1/2 Pineapple Chobani Greek Yogurt

2 large eggs

1 TBSP vanilla

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

10 TBSP melted butter

(Mix with electric mixer until very well combined.)

In a separate bowl, mix

2 scant cups of all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 salt

Add to wet mixture and mix until well combined. 

Add

1 cup chocolate chips or walnuts if desired.

Bake in a medium sized, greased and floured baking dish at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out just shy of "clean" (small pieces may stick to toothpick.)

Groundhog Day

Happy Groundhog Day! Lo and behold, we're having a rare rainy day here, and are going to enjoy it as much as we would enjoy a snow day up north! Hot chocolate, fort building, all that warm, cozy stuff.