Good Things by David

It certainly felt like a frosty winter day this morning.  We woke up to wind, snow and frigid temperatures here in eastern Pennsylvania today, but somehow it felt like we were due for some significant snow accumulation. This weather system seems to have hit a large area in the northeastern part of the United States, so many of you are probably digging out as we speak.   Let me begin by saying that the first significant snowfall of the season is great because, not only is everything covered in pristine, white snow, but the wildlife seems to take a small break and settle down from the every day hustle and bustle. This morning while it was snowing, everything was white! As soon as it stopped snowing, the sky cleared and the wind picked up.  It was magnificent looking out the front door and seeing such a blue sky.   While I didn't venture out through the trails and up into the field this morning, I did get to walk along the driveway to pho...

Cakes can be made for any type of celebration.  Recently I had the pleasure of creating a Snowflake Cake for a fun holiday party, and I thought to myself that the cake's design could easily lend itself for any kind of winter get-together.  All you really need to do is bake the cake layers, bake a snowflake cookie or two if you wish, get a snowflake cake stencil and whip up a large batch of Swiss Meringue Buttercream.  Putting it all together is when the fun begins.  Tinting the buttercream is completely up to you.  Leaving an all-white cake will certainly make it look frosty and snowy, but if you brighten it up with a bit of red gel paste coloring or any other hue, your cake is sure to stand out and be worthy of any dessert table. This is what I used for my Winter Snowflake Cake Eggnog Cake  (baked in two 9x2" round cake pans for approximately 45 minutes) Swiss Meringue Buttercream  (two batches) Baked & Iced Snowflake Coo...

I've come to admire a blogger who creates the most beautifully decorated trees of anyone I know.  I think you will agree, once you see them for yourself, that Darryl Moland's eye for color and design is nothing short of brilliant.  We come to associate a decorated tree with Christmas and the winter season, but if you take a moment to rethink the possibilities presented by Darryl in his blog, The Decorated Tree (of Life) , you may find yourself wanting to have a decorated tree in your home year round. White Christmas A true artist who uses trees as his blank canvas with which to work, Darryl expertly arranges adornments based on season, holidays and special celebrations.  His graphic design and photography background is evident in each of his arrangements, but so is Darryl's expressive flair for creating harmony with such effortless skill.  I love the fact that many of his arrangements are for tabletop trees, because it gives one the ability to place it ju...

The blizzard named Jonas which hit a good section of the east coast over the weekend has been on the news around the world.  People near and far have sent me emails and texts expressing their concern for our safety, so I thank you for being in touch.  We're doing well and have not lost power.  Thankfully! Looking at photographs that some of my friends have been posting on social media, it seems as if everyone received a substantial amount of snow around their area.  A friend in the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania measured 35 inches in her backyard this morning.  From what I've been reading, Manhattan received over 2 feet.  Here in Montgomery County, just outside of the city, we got about twenty inches of snow, so we certainly had our fair share. I was able to take several photographs throughout the weekend of the snowstorm, and I even captured a small video clip while standing on the front porch Saturday evening. Take a look. This photograph w...

There is no time like the present to make a Holiday Eggnog Cake for your festive gathering.  Eggnog is one of those seasonal drinks that many of us enjoy in small quantities during Christmas parties, but if you have never had the pleasure of eating eggnog in the form of a cake, I highly recommend that you try some this year.  You don't need to have homemade eggnog on hand to make this if you aren't so inclined to use something that is spiked with alcohol. A good store bought eggnog will suffice for a cake meant to serve the entire family, but if you do have homemade eggnog, by all means use it! This is the type of cake that you will want to bake in your favorite bundt pan so that it sits pretty on top of a cake stand when it's ready for serving.  It's up to you whether or not you want to add a glaze to it or some type of icing.  I think it looks superb with a simple sprinkling of confectioners sugar.  And if you need even more proof of how good it is, I'v...

March is in like a lion by sending us another snow storm today. It's something that we knew was coming, but by this point it's just another day for us. Perhaps we're going to be granted warmer weather and beautiful flowers this spring after winter decides to go away. That's what I'm hoping for at least, and I'm sure that you'll agree with me if you live here in the northeast when I say that enough is enough. Needless to say, we're trapped in our home today and quite possibly through tomorrow until the driveway gets plowed.  In the meantime, we're staying indoors because it hasn't stopped snowing.  The photos and snippet of video I took for you this morning show you the white winter we're having in March.   Stay warm, cook something delicious to warm your soul and if you can manage it, bake a treat or two to make you smile.  We have to do something other than lament about the weather, right?   I took this photograph with my phone...