Danielle's Sweets
Coffee drinker, cupcake lover, Disney dreamer. Always searching for the sweet things in life.
Monday, January 18, 2021
Crafty Sunday: Homemade Candles ♥
Friday, January 15, 2021
Weekend Plans ♥
Wednesday, January 13, 2021
Lazy Daisy Cake ♥
This recipe is for all you coconut lovers out there and I apologize if you are reading this and you hate coconut because coconut is the star of this cake.
I love recipes that feel very old fashioned and this cake is one of those types of recipes. It's from a little recipe book called The Recipes We Grew Up With. It was put out by Taste of Home Magazine which I subscribed to for many years after a friend gave me a subscription for a wedding gift. I still think that was a genius idea!
As a young 24 year old bride who knew very little about cooking it was very helpful : )
Anyway..... Every since Christmas we are finding it very hard to curb our dessert habit. Last week I made an orange bundt cake as a way to gently ease out the habit...come to find out I was indeed FEEDING the habit. We require something sweet after dinner.
It's just the way we are ♥
Rummaging through my pantry my heart sank when I discovered I was out of chocolate chips! But I did find a bag of coconut and that reminded me of this little vintage style cake. At least that's what I call it. I used to make it for brunches and haven't done that in a while.
Mental note: bring back brunch ♥
The cake part is a nice smooth vanilla cake and the topping, which you add after the cake is baked, is coconut, melted butter, and brown sugar....put under the broiler for a few minutes until it turns into caramelly goodness.
My mind says "aren't we supposed to be being good?".... but my heart says "please pass the cake".
And I always follow my heart~
Combine flour, baking powder
and salt. Add to egg mixture. Beat on low just until combined.
Heat milk and butter in a
small saucepan until butter melts. Add to batter and beat thoroughly. (The
batter will be thin.) Pour into a greased 9-inch baking pan.
Broil about 4 inches from the
heat for 3 to 4 minutes or until the top is slightly browned. Let cake cool
before cutting.
Monday, January 11, 2021
Monday Morning Thoughts ♥
Good Morning Friends. I hope you all had a cozy weekend. We are now in that weird place in January when the holidays are over and its just winter...cold, frosty, winter. Nothing to look forward to except Spring, and we've got a long way to go before that happens. So I'll embrace the darkness with candles, blankets, TV shows, and hot drinks. It's not so bad ♥
Tonight I'm making a roast chicken dinner and tomorrow I'll make stock with the bones. This week is going to be bitterly cold so soup is definitely on the menu. I saw online a friend of mine used egg noodles instead of pasta in her chicken soup. I've never seen that before and I want to try it. Honestly, there are million fancy soup recipes out there, but nothing beats good old fashioned chicken soup. They don't call it medicine for nothing. Am I right? ♥
This weekend I baked some bread. Not out of necessity, but for enjoyment. This little loaf took over 24 hours from start to finish. I enjoyed the slow process of it. Checking on it, kneading it, watching it rise, and then finally baking it.
It's like therapy : )
Maybe that's what January is all about. Slowing down and enjoying the process of things.
It doesn't always have to be a race.
Friday, January 8, 2021
Weekly Wrap Up ♥
As part of my new years goals I am actively trying to bring more cozy into my home. Never a better time to feel the comforts of home, am I right? I got this blanket as a Christmas gift from a dear friend and I love it. It's like she read my mind : )
Plaid makes me smile 😊
If you happen to follow me on Instagram forgive my repetitiveness because I've been gushing over this diffuser all week. It was a Christmas present to me from ME. I've always wanted one. I liked the pretty design on this one and the light changes colors which is nice.
I'm a newbie at the whole essential oils thing but I'm learning fast. The scent fills my bedroom and is so nice. I've been putting it on at night while I'm getting ready for bed and by the time I hit the pillow the aromatherapy has kicked in : )
I'm starting with this oil. It's a lavender blend. It is supposed to promote calmness, ease anxiety, and help sleeping. It's light - not overpowering at all. I really love it. The diffuser has a timer on it so I set it before I go to bed and it will automatically shut itself off after I fall asleep.
If you own a diffuser, what oil scents do you diffuse?
I'm looking forward to trying different ones.
Wednesday, January 6, 2021
Orange Bundt Cake ♥
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice from about 3 oranges
- 1/2 cup oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5-6 tablespoons orange zest from about 3 oranges
Sunday, January 3, 2021
2021: Starting Fresh
Taking more time for self care is essential for me to function. That means doing more things I love to do: reading, crafting, napping, cooking. All things I do anyway, but I want to me be more intentional with my time. Not stressing over things and caring for myself the way I care for others . I don't have to be busy every second of the day. Breaks are good. And I don't have to worry about something that may or may not happen in a month or two. Worrying does nothing (this is coming from an expert worrier...).
When I look back on the times when I was most happiest in my life I remember doing things like yoga, mediating, and really taking care of myself. Dinking lots of water with lemon, eating well, sleeping well, journaling my thoughts, and going outside every night to look at the stars. Over time I've fallen off those things. Sometimes I feel very jaded. Like caring for myself doesn't matter as long as I have a hot meal on the table every night and the laundry is done. Life experience has taught me taking care of myself does matter. No one cares about a hot meal if the person who made it is hot mess.
I'm trying very hard to change my attitude toward certain things. To be honest, I'm not always happy with certain aspects of my life. Is anybody? But looking on the positive side, I'm a very lucky person. I need to remember that. So, what does this all mean? It means for the new year my goals are getting back to certain habits that make me feel good. Because when I feel good, I'm a happier, less stressed out person.
I'm not going to say I'm going to do yoga everyday or read 100 books this year, because let's be honest, that's not happening! But I will say I'm going to make more time for reading. Maybe one book a month. That's not an unrealistic expectation. I'd like to do more crafts. I pulled out some of my old (and dusty) Martha Stewart books. Just flipping through them make my heart happy. I remember being so crafty years ago. It was a nice time in my life. Being proud of something you made by hand should not be underestimated. Getting outside everyday for some fresh air is essential. Especially during a pandemic. I've always known this but it's time to get off the couch. I really love fresh air in the winter...so more walking is on my list!
When consciously trying to change my mindset towards certain things it's super important for me to remember to not care about what other people think. I know it's a cliché but it's so true. Falling into a comparison trap or wonder if others approve of things I say or do is not healthy. Sometimes I really need to distance myself from those thoughts. I think the walks with fresh air will help that situation. I remember a friend telling my once that it's "ok to say NO". Meaning you don't have to say "YES" to every request or invitation just to make other people happy. She also said you don't need an excuse or an explanation either. Just do you. I love that. Also on the list.
And lastly, I'm in the process of revamping our living space. Bring more hygge into my home while at the same time purging things I don't need and trying to be more minimalistic. After I put all my Christmas decor away I only brought back half of the stuff I originally had out. It instantly felt cleaner and less cluttered. I've been reading that a less cluttered space is good for the mind. It's a work in progress but so far it's working. I'm also trying to bring more natural elements into my home. Like this dried orange and sage garland I made yesterday. The process was therapeutic and I love the end result. Doing more projects like this will not only bring me the natural decor feel I'm looking for, but also give me a chance to exercise my craft skills. It's a win win. I'm feeling better already.
There's more personal goals that I won't bore you with, but I will say I am setting a schedule for myself and this little blog of mine. I hope to actively post here three times a week - Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. It could be a recipe, a craft idea, a weekly wrap up, a random thought, or just a "no words" photo.... but I will be here so check back every week for my musings. We'll navigating into this new year/new world together.
I'm also working on revamping my YouTube channel so stay tuned for that. I have lots of video ideas coming your way soon.
So what are some of your 2021 goals? I would love to hear them! :)
Wishing you all a happy and healthy year ahead! We've got this!! xoxoxo