{recipe} mini patriotic pound cakes

Hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July holiday. We had a terrific weekend with family and friends at the pool, on the golf course and at fabulous parties {you will see party details soon}.

We had some glitches last week on our blog {convenient with a holiday, huh?}, so forgive us for not getting some of our patriotic posts to you. Good news is this recipe is easy and versatile. You don’t need to decorate with red, white and blue. Use fresh strawberries and blueberries if you want – but design it with someone’s name, a flower or even shapes.  Keep this in your recipe books because it is the best pound cake recipe ever! It’s the perfect summer time dessert. It’s slightly revised from my grandma’s recipe, and I think my grandma is one of the best cooks I’ve known. I will always cherish the special times I spent in the kitchen with her.

Mini Pound Cake
makes 14 or 1 loaf

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter {softened}
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1.5 cups whole milk
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt

How To
Add butter, eggs and sugar and mix with a blender until well blended.
Add salt and baking powder to the flour, then add the flour and milk, alternating each {while blending}.
Add vanilla and blend.
Pour into baking cups {you do not need to grease baking cups, however if you are using a standard loaf baking tin, you need to grease the pan}
Fill the baking cup 1/2-3/4 full.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20-23 minutes. If you are making a standard loaf, cook for 50 minutes.
Stick a toothpick in the loaf or mini loaf, and if its comes out clean, it’s done.
Top with whipped cream and decorate with fruit.

Whipping Cream
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2-3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla.

Whip on a medium to medium-high speed until cream gets thicker and forms peaks.

Savor each bite! I know I do.

{images via Tutto Bella Blog}

patriotic playlist

We all know music can really make or break a party. Today and tonight, we plan to gather around the grill, golf course, pool, campfire and watch fireworks as we celebrate our nation’s freedom. Call me a sap, but when I hear God Bless the USA, my eyes well up with tears! I really have ‘a moment’ as I watch fireworks and hear that song. So, we’ve put together a list of our favorites so you can have your own ‘moments.’ It will take no time at all with iTunes or Spotify!

Ray Charles with Alicia Keys, America The Beautiful or
Ray Charles, America the Beautiful

Dierks Bentley, Home

Whitney Houston, The Star Spangled Banner

Toby Keith, Courtesy Of The Red, White And Blue (The Angry American)
Lee Greenwood, God Bless The U.S.A.Tim McGraw, If You’re Reading This
LeAnn Rimes, God Bless America
Crosby & Nash, My Country Tis Of Thee
Don McLean, American Pie
Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers, American Girl
Katy Perry, Firework
Sugarland, Everyday America
Miley Cyrus, Party In The U.S.A.
Bruce Springsteen, Born In The U.S.A.
Toby Keith, American Soldier
John Mellencamp, Our Country – Rock Version
Neil Diamond, America
John Mellencamp, Jack & Diane
Brooks & Dunn, Only In America
Martina McBride, Independence Day

{videos via YouTube}

{free printable} thank you to those who serve

We have an amazing FREE PRINTABLE for you today, designed by Jenna at Fleur de Lis, a paperie. Our minds are working overtime for the latest and greatest that red, white and blue has to offer for the upcoming July 4th holiday {stay tuned}. Food. Drink. Party. DIY projects. But, in the midst of all our party planning thoughts, we really thought about one of the core meanings of the holiday – freedom. And, we wouldn’t be free without the men and women who fight for our freedom everyday. So, instead of a free water bottle printable today, we have a postcard for you to print…and share with someone in the U.S. Armed Forces.

Maybe this would have been better to share over Memorial weekend, but we believe this is ‘one of those things’ that doesn’t necessarily need a holiday to share it. In fact, we should say ‘thank you’ to all the courageous men and women who serve our country {and their families} for the sacrifices they make for our freedom ALL THE TIME.

We’re on a mission all you fabulous people! It’s our goal that every person in America {we DREAM BIG} prints the postcard at least 1 time, signs it, and sends or hand delivers it to a person serving in the US Armed Forces. You can deliver the postcard to a friend or family member, or someone you know, or it can be a total stranger you see at the grocery store or airport you see dressed in his/her military clothing, or you can visit a local Veterans Hospital or Military Support Group in your area. We believe it’s important to take the time out of our busy days to just say thank you and show people in the U.S Armed Forces how much we love and appreciate them.
It’s so simple. JUST CLICK ON THIS LINK, download and print the file. You can do it!
If you have any questions or issues, please e-mail us at trejsorelle@gmail.com.
Spread the grateful word.
Gratefully,
3 sisters: Jessica, Jenna and Jodi at Tutto Bella {Blog}

{images via Tutto Bella Blog}

to: dad

We found some great gifts for the men in our lives, as we celebrate them on Sunday, Father’s Day. Cheers to dad! I know we have the best dad in the world, and I know my kids are blessed to have my hubby as a dad too.

Billy Jealousy Shave Cream, Nordstrom
{my husbands fave}

The Mantry
sold in one month, 3 month and 6 month subscriptions. Each Mantry includes 6 full size artisan food products delivered to your door and packed in a handmade wooden crate, along with a custom manual detailing product stories and recipes.

Corkcicle Chillsner
Corkcicle impressed us with the wine Corkcicle, and now they are pleasing the men too, the first in-bottle, drink-through beer chiller. Perfect for those hot summer days where no one wants a warm beer in hand.

Cigar of the Month Club
For $24.95 a month, plus $5 shipping, your dad will receive five hand-rolled premium cigars from the world’s top producers, along with a newsletter with tasting notes, cigar profiles and alcohol pairings. Shipments will be sent monthly, every other month or every 3 months.

Horseshoe Set, LL Bean {$69}

Brew2Go, The Product Farm
Hopefully you bought mom a Vino2Go for Mother’s Day, so now Dad can be a part of the cocktail action too with a Brew2Go.

Star Trek Wine, VinPort
If your dad is a cool Trekky like ours, he will love this bottle of wine that celebrates the series.

Men’s Santa Cruz, Crocs {$55}
my dad loves these

{image via Corkcicle, The Mantry, Cigar of the Month Club, Crocs, LL Bean, VinPort, The Product Farm}

lilac love

I’m obsessed with the purple Lilac bushes in my yard this spring. I’ve never noticed how beautiful Lilac blooms can be, or how sweet they smell. It’s been a beautiful ‘bloom’ this spring for all our trees, bushes and perennials. Everyday when I see all the blooms, it makes me oh so happy.

Unfortunately, Lilacs bloom for only a very brief couple weeks in the spring. Here’s some tips for growing and picking Lilacs…and decorating with them in your home or at an event.

1. Make sure your Lilac is getting plenty of sun and in fertile soil. If you do not have blooms, try feeding them a bloom booster. You can find lilacs in shades of purple, pink or white.

2. Pick the blooms freely…actually the more you cut, they say the more blooms for next year. To cut correctly, cut above a node, the bumpy spot on branches where new branches will form.

3. Find a large vase, small vintage vase, or basket and arrange your Lilacs, then place in a spot in your home that you will see frequently…I promise, fresh beautiful blooms and their sweet-smelling fragrance will make you happy.

4. It is best to prune your Lilac bush after flowering, most likely in the spring. Don’t wait until the end of the summer or fall to prune this bush. According to Country Living, Lilacs grow on old wood, so the later you prune, the more old wood you prune and the less blooms will grow next year.

5. Though other bushes may only require that the tops of the stems be cut, it’s better to cut the entire stem off the lilac.

 

To learn how to make a DIY bouquet like the one below, follow these tips at Project Wedding

{images via Elizabeth Anne DesignsOh So Beautiful Paper, Project Wedding, Martha Stewart, Your Cozy Home and Pinterest}