Sunny Spring Egg Cups ꂦ

What would spring be without a little fresh egg cup recipe?

This is a variation of a little baby Frittata recipe I found on All Recipes.

{ If you’re looking for a bigger frittata, try my Breakfast in Bed Frittata below! }

These wee cups are so quick and yummy. Best of all my daughter packed one for lunch with a salad the next day.

The original recipe was more Mexican inspired with cumin. I prefer the milder, buttery taste of tarragon in the morning.

Enjoy!

ꂦ

Spring Egg Cups

Ingredients
12 large slices of back bacon or ham (sliced thick)
6 ounces frozen, chopped spinach*, thawed and drained
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 tbsp sour cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

4 eggs
1/4 cup whole milk
1/4 tsp hot pepper sauce, to taste
1 tsp tarragon (or cumin)
2 tsp dried parsley, diced
pepper to taste
salt to taste

1/2 – 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 jar Salsa, mild or spicy
Avocado, chopped

Directions
Preheat oven to 350° F.

Line 12 muffin tin with one slice of back bacon. If your bacon is smaller, use 2 or 3 and overlap to make a cup.

In a medium bowl, stir together the spinach, ricotta cheese, sour cream, and Parmesan cheese. Mix until well combined.

In another bowl, beat together the eggs, hot sauce, tarragon, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Pour this egg mixture into the spinach mixture and stir well to combine.

Using a small measuring cup, ladle this egg and spinach mixture into each muffin cup.

Sprinkle the tops with cheddar cheese then bake for about 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven to a wire rack and let stand for about 5 minutes. Pop out of the muffin tin and serve hot with avocado and salsa on the side.

*Tip: My spinach is organic and came frozen in a paper bag. I just slit the top open and microwaved briefly to defrost. Then simply squeeze/wrung the water out of the package.

ꂦ

Blog Note: Monday appears to be “D Day” for Just a Smidgen to move to a self-hosted site with bluehost. I thought I’d be able to do it myself, but couldn’t. bluehost has an outstanding technical support team that walked me through it.. for free:) But my blog was so massive (it exceeded the size recommended for Export and Import) that I have asked WordPress to kindly help me finish the job. They say you can “see it all happen live” which seems a bit sensational. It will look exactly the same as you see here, so that won’t change (at least for the moment *grin). But I pray that this “D Day” doesn’t mean a big explosion and all of my lovely blog vanishing into Never Never Land. Perhaps check your spam folder periodically to see if my comments have landed there? See you on the other side! If you can’t find me.. I’ll just come find you. ꂦ

p.p.s. A very wise fellow blogger ( thank you, “Our Growing Paynes”) asked if I you have to refollow me. That’s an excellent question and I have absolutely no idea. I will be posting a blog post on Tuesday so if you don’t hear from me in your inbox or in the Reader.. you may want to do so. I’m trying not to be stressed by all this.. I’m sure we will reconnect:D xx

Spring Festivus!

Let the War on Winter Commence!

Let the Easter Spring Festivus Begin!
{ We can’t say Merry Christmas anymore..  does the same go for Easter? }

I hated to take down my Boxwood Wreaths.. so I just gave them a new spring up do with pussy willow twigs from last spring, all brushed off and refurbished.

A sprig or two of sprightly faux Cherry Blossoms nestle in among a bunch of fresh curly willow.

My vintage silverware { picked up at Honey B’s.. how I wish that store was still open }
looks sparkly on some silver Christmas chargers.

A few robin’s egg blue candles take the place of white.

They perch atop candlesticks stolen from our upstairs bath.. shhhh.

I made Pottery Barn dismantle a few displays to steal a few of these eggs hidden all over their store.

And scattered my small silver votives from Christmas Past around.
Bah Humbug!

Butterfly napkin rings were rescued from the back of my kitchen drawer and wrapped around a few blue ruffled napkins.
{ You might remember those chick egg cups from last Easter.. they were a bargain at Winners! }

I think a spring cupcake would be prettier in this cloche.. but I’ll have to bake those another day.

Because I just had to show you how to make this “easy-peasy” { not my words } burlap wreath.

You can find directions for these all over Pinterest.. but I will explain it a bit clearer ( I hope )!

Materials
18 ” Wreath Frame
2 rolls (10 yard/9 meters each, 14 cm|5-1/2″ wide) Burlap/Jute Garland
A few sprigs of faux flowers
a roll of jute or twine

Directions
Begin by holding one end of the first roll of burlap ribbon.. just let the roll drop to the floor while you hold on to one end. Leave a small bit underneath, then tuck a handful up between the outside two rings. Then take another handful and tuck it up between the middle. Repeat, tucking a handful into between the inner two rings. Then go back to the middle and so on until you run out of burlap. I got about 2 row in each section, sometimes 3.

(Initially I thought you had to run the end round and through, but you don’t, just keep “stuffing” it up from the bottom.)

One roll should go about half way. Just randomly push each section through, if it twists or folds that’s even better because it creates a variety in the loops on the finished wreath. It’s also less likely to show the green wire frame that way as well. I like my loops quite, well, loopy and large. If you prefer to make your loops smaller, you may not need as much burlap.

Here it is half way done.

Once it’s all the way around, cut any excess burlap off and tuck the ends in underneath.

Just pull and fluff until it looks even all around the wreath.

Lay a few small faux sprigs where you think they look pretty and tie them with a length of string.
You could glue gun pretty much anything on here, birds, butterflies.. but I was thinking this wreath could get repurposed in the summer with bluebells and again in the fall with yellow and red leaves… so I just tied it with a bow.

Tie a little string loop on top to hang it with.

Ta Da!

I thought I’d just hang this one in my little work room for now.. it might get buried in snow these days!

It’s so hard to photograph into light.. but you get the idea.
I hope you give this a try, it was quick and fun, just the way a DIY should be!

** If you do make one, send me a link or a photo.. I’d love to add your wreath to my post:)

No recipes today.. I’m on a fast all day until tomorrow at 11, just for a routine test.. so, no food.. no cookies, no cupcakes.. NO FUN! Thankfully I’m mostly caught up on Blog Reading, because the sight of your food would be torture right about now!

See you in a few days!

Winter Cocooning

An hour’s delay at the airport,

.. with reassurances from the wife of our pilot { who was also flying with us },

another hour { ? } circling over Lethbridge airspace,

with plenty of time to consider the condition of the runway back home..
would it be as white as this rose?

We had all the time in the world to remember the tender petals of a garden left behind..

and arrived home to this..

No flowers will grace these gardens for a very long while..

but I have time to cocoon, catch up on my blog visits and reminisce

about the vivid color of friendships rediscovered.

There have been so many this year.. Lois, Shauna.. and now Deb

What wonderful full ” circling round ” has happened in my life and I wonder who will be next ♥ !

Deb shared this recipe with our group of coffee friends about 10 years ago (was it ten?)
and now I’m sharing it with you..

It’s so quick.. and cravable, perfect for spreading hot on crackers..

Deb’s Cheese Dip

Ingredients
8 oz package cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup full fat mayonnaise
1 cup swiss cheese grated
4-5 green onions (scallions) finely chopped
1 package slivered almonds

Directions
Preheat oven to 325°F.

Cream together the first four ingredients until completely blended. Sprinkle over top with the slivered almonds.

Bake for about 1 hour or until the dip is soft and melted and the almonds on top are lightly browned.

Serve with crackers.

{ Printable Copy }

Lois shared her guacamole recipe with us about 20 years ago (was it 20?)

Lois’ Guacamole

Ingredients
2 ripe avocados
1 red pepper
1 small plain yogurt (about ¼ cup)
1/2 small jar salsa
juice from 1/2 lemon
tabasco sauce to taste
handful grated cheddar cheese

Directions
Combine all ingredients except cheddar cheese in a food processor. Pulse until you have the desired consistency. Remove to a serving bowl and stir in cheddar cheese.

Serve with tortilla chips.

{ Printable Copy }

And you’ll remember me sharing this lovely recipe from Shauna..
{ if you knew Smidge about 1 year ago }

She shared it with us back in the days of wind surfing and sunning on the deck
and mornings of pancake breakfasts at

” Camp Pow “

” It’s Spaghetti ” Spaghetti Squash

I’ll be back later in the week with some indoor Spring inspiration and a burlap DIY! Until then.. stay warm!

A Little Side-Tracked

“Where did she go..”
I’ve been on a wee escape.. to the land of Palm Trees

Hiking through parched brush and scraggy rock formations..

The land barely interrupted by tiny signs of an emerging spring..
I’m told it’ll be a botanical wonder in only a few weeks.

We found the inevitable oasis.. its restorative spring hidden deep..

It seems that even here, spring still resides only in the heart, the trill of a wee bird and the scorching heat of the sun..

and in the joyful burst of color from a few bedding plants that thrive with tender watering..

Just as the spring in your heart can be quenched by the smile of a dear friend after a prolonged absence..

Smidge will be back in the kitchen soon.. until then I’ll leave you with a thought..

gâteau de couche printemps pastel

I know.. it’s not even close to spring, but just look what I found for you on Pinterest today!

A Spring Pastel Pinterest Gallery

one two three four
five six seven eight
nine ten eleven twelve
thirteen fourteen fifteen sixteen
seventeen eighteen nineteen twenty

♥

Pinterest
is always a positive and uplifting source of inspiration…
{ slightly addicting }

handcrafted, baked, photographed, styled

it’s all there!

♥

I had my toenails painted, just like the photo above
I thought they looked like Hershey Eggies.

Not everyone liked them..
He actually wrote that he wished there was a “Dislike” button on Facebook…

Anyhoo.. moving right along..

♥

Printemps | Spring

brings to mind gentle pastel ice-cream shades

and an opportunity to bake still another birthday cake

this one for my husband..
I am so blessed to have him in my life!

{ He liked my pedicure.. well, if he didn’t, he had the good sense not to say so! }

♥

It is also my Dad’s Birthday this week… His 80th!!

My wish?

That he could join us for the celebration!

♥

Happy Birthday Dave!

Happy 80th Birthday Dad!

♥

This cake isn’t anything like my Man “S’mores” Cake  from last year.. I was trying to go for an ocean/beach effect.. but it ended up looking a bit like a giant ice-cube..
{ I was thinking I should have put a penguin on top:D }

This cake was inspired by Sweetapolita with its pastel ombre frosting,
only I used a bench scraper to try to get a more polished effect.

It wasn’t as easy to do as I thought… but it tasted amazing layered with chocolate pastel crushed Hershey’s Eggies

This lovely cake is a recipe from Cooks Illustrated

{ emphatically written }
This is a cake you need to bake!
It’s crumb is so fine you can’t see any air pockets, yet amazingly delicate, light and fluffy. Best of all, it was still sturdy enough to hold up when you slice into it.

Sweetapolita + Cooks Illustrated = Bliss

♥

Spring Pastel Layer Cake

Cook’s Illustrated White Layer Cake

Ingredients
2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 cup whole milk (at room temperature)
6 large egg whites (3/4 cup) (at room temperature)
2 teaspoons almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 stick (12 tbsp) butter, unsalted, softened but still cool

2 9″ round cake pans or 3 6″ square pans

Directions

With oven rack in the center of the oven, preheat the oven to 350° F.

Prepare your baking pans, spray with Baking Spray or grease with butter. Line the bottom with wax or parchment paper and spray/grease that as well. Dump a few tablespoons of flour in each and shake it around until coated with flour. Invert and bang to remove excess flour.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the warm milk, egg whites, almond and vanilla extract.

In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the cake flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Mix on low until the dry ingredients have blended. Loosely cut the butter into chunks and add to the dry flour mixture. Blend on low until the mixture  looks somewhat like bread crumbs.

Slowly add in all but 1/2 cup of the milk mixture and blend for 1 1/2 minutes on medium speed (high if using a hand-held mixer). Mix in the remaining 1/2 cup of milk mixture and blend, scraping down the sides occasionally, and beat for another 20 seconds.

Divide batter evenly between your prepared pans. My small square pans used 2 1/4 cups batter each. Place the pans in the oven, staggering them so that they are 3″ from the oven walls and each other. Use a second rack if necessary. Bake until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, the tops are lightly browned and the cake is just pulling away from the edges.

Total baking time in smaller pans was 18-20 minutes in a convection oven. 2 9″ round cake pans bakes for about 23-25 minutes.

Take them from the oven and let them rest on a wire rack for about 3 minutes. Then invert them, peel off the wax paper, then turn them back right side up on the wire rack until they’ve cooled completely. (I left mine upside down so the tops would flatten while they cooled.)

&

If using the next day, freeze your cake layers by wrapping them individually or place in separate plastic bags and freeze. Remove the next morning in order to begin a crumb coat.

&

The only change I made to this frosting recipe, was to reduce the butter by two tablespoons. Next time, I would also make an extra 1/4 to 1/2 batch of frosting to have extra for the filling and crumb coat.

Whipped Vanilla Frosting

Ingredients
3 sticks butter, at room temperature, cut into chunks
3 1/2 cups confectioners (powdered) sugar
3 tbsp whole milk
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Wilton Violet Food Coloring/Icing Gel
Wilton Teal Food Coloring/Icing Gel

Directions
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whip the butter for 8 minutes on medium speed (#4 on a KitchenAid). Note: Make sure to set the timer and go the full 8 minutes. During this time the butter changes texture, becomes lighter in color and very fluffy.

On low speed, add the remaining ingredients, blending for another minute. Turn the mixer back up to medium speed and blend for 6 minutes more. This frosting is so whipped and fluffy, it is best used right away for spreading consistency.

Divide the frosting into three bowls, with a slightly greater amount for your top color. This color was made using Wilton Violet. Tint the bottom layer’s frosting with Wilton Teal, then tint the middle layer also with the Teal color, just make sure it’s lighter in shade.

&
Assembly

Ingredients
cake layers
frosting (3 colors)
2 small packages pastel Hershey’s Eggies
silver dragées and blue jimmies

Directions
Using a sharp, serrated knife, gently cut the rounded tops of each cake layer so that they are flat. Place one layer on the bottom of your cake dish, smearing a tiny dollop of frosting underneath to hold it in place. If you wish, slide pieces of waxed paper around the bottom to capture icing drips.

Spread the desired thickness of frosting/filling on top of this layer. Then, using the side of a large knife, crush the Hershey Eggies into large chunks. Scatter them over the layer. Place the second layer on top. Frost then scatter with Eggies again. Place the final layer on top. Smooth a modest amount of frosting over the entire cake’s top and sides to make a thin Crumb Coat, just enough to fill in any gaps and create a smooth finish.

Place the cake into the fridge for at least 20 minutes to set the crumb coat. Then remove and set on a cake spinner if you have one.

Using a large offset spatula, dollop a large amount of Violet frosting. Smooth it across and slightly over the edge.

Then using the darker teal color, gently place frosting around the bottom of the cake.

Repeat using the lighter teal frosting, gently patting around the cake in the center.

Using an slightly angled offset spatula or a bench scraper, slowly drag the icing across from one side to the other. Remove the excess frosting from your scraper. Repeat and blend all four sides. The different shades of icing will begin to blend and make a variety of new shades and create an ombre effect. This technique is not perfectly smooth (as you can see from my photos) but makes a pretty minimalistic cake. Scatter the top with the silver dragées and jimmies. Alternative, a large rose or a few peonies would look gorgeous on top as well.

{ Printable Copy }