McBish Delish

For Reese's third birthday I made her (or maybe I made me) a purple, ombré, unicorn, cake.  I followed a few different recipes and instructions and took lots of pictures so I could either share with you (if you're not me) or remind myself later, how I made it.  I mostly uses this "How to make your own unicorn cake"  tutorial .  It was super helpful! Wednesday: I made the four layers of purple cake.  I used the Cook's Country White Layer Cake   but used almond flavoring and tons of gel food coloring, decreasing the amount for each layer.  I used an 8" round and kept the layers short since I couldn't cut the layers horizontally because they each needed to be a different colors.  I made the recipe twice and divided it each time into two pans. After the cakes cooled, I wrapped each one and put them in the freezer over night. Thursday: When I started to assemble the cake I used my twirly cake decorator and I like to tape a cake board to it so i

This year I wanted to try a little homemade gift...hopefully next year there will be more. I make little plates for my team with their monograms. I thought they turned out adorable and I will definitely make them again, even if it's just for me! - Court 6" Appetizer plates $1.95 @ Crate & Barrel -  12 x 12 inch - 30 Sheets of Assorted Glossy Colors of Permanent ... Sold by: Amazon.com LLC

This year the Bishman family came to visit us in San Jose (Rachel, Mike, Nate, Renee, Josh, &Sydney). I did a lot of cooking, but it was really fun 'cause I always wish I could host for the holidays and this year my wish came true. 

ingredients 2 pounds bulk Italian sausage or ground beef  3 medium onions, chopped (2 1/4 cups)  2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms (6 ounces)  6 garlic cloves, finely chopped  1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained  1 can (29 ounces) tomato sauce  1 can (12 ounces) tomato paste  2 tablespoons dried basil leaves  1 tablespoon dried oregano leaves  1 tablespoon sugar  1 teaspoon salt  1/2 teaspoon pepper  1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper preparation 1. Cook sausage, onions, mushrooms and garlic in 12-inch skillet over medium heat about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sausage is no longer pink; drain.  2. Spoon sausage mixture into 5-quart slow cooker. Stir in remaining ingredients.  3. Cover and cook on low heat setting 8 to 9 hours or until vegetables are tender.