The Three Musketeers by The Pioneer Woman

I haven’t given you an update about Presley in awhile! The sweet fella is doing great. He had been suffering from the effects of an autoimmune issue (one that can often affect German Shepherds), but he turned a corner and is doing so much better.

Yay, Presley!

 
 
Have you ever had a German Shepherd? Wow. They are such a different breed than the floppy, lazy, laid back dogs I’ve always owned. But oh…do I love this pup.

 
 
Unlike the other dogs, whose daily schedules involve anything from chasing rabbits to finding the sunniest napping spot, to barking at the cat, to exploring the ranch, Presley has one and only one daily goal: To stand post on the porch and make sure that his humans are taken care of.

Note that this is not why we got Presley. We did not have “guard dog” in mind. And we did not train him to be a guard dog, as some German Shepherd owners do. And I should point out that Presley is not a guard dog in the sense that he is threatening or menacing. It’s just that he is 100% focused on his people at all times. When I take walks down the road, the labs and Bassets typically run out in the pasture to chase rabbits or butterflies, or go jump in the pond for a swim and catch up with me later. But not Presley. He is by my side the entire time, just in case I ever need him.

It really causes a crazy special bond to form. That love and devotion runs deep in both directions!

 
 
And then there’s Henry.

 
 
I rarely call him Henry. I call him Schlumpers most of the time, and Henrietta another part of the time.

Ladd calls him Henry of course, but he slipped the other day and called him Schlumpers and I laughed and laughed.

 
 
Henry has the head tilt mastered.

 
 
It is quite pronounced!

 
 
And then there’s Walter, who’s just happy to be here. (Caught you Henry!) Henry likes to lick Walter’s face. Walter doesn’t seem to mind.

I just wanted to share the charm of these three musketeers. They are usually around the house (unless Walter is overseeing Lodge tours) while the labs, YoYo, and the rest of Josh’s dogs have unpredictable schedules and loyalties.

It’s nice to have this little trio around whenever I need a laugh or a smile. (Or a lick. Ha.)

Read More

Friends Quiz: Wednesday Night! by PW Fun & Learning

Do you know that we know you know we know? If that totally made sense to you, join us for a big ol’ Friends Quiz! All questions will be about the tv show Friends, and you have now until Wednesday evening to watch the hilarious reruns and brush up. (It’s a tough job.) It’ll be fun, and prizes will be shiny and new. And fun. Yes, we said “fun” again. Because really, could it BE any more fun?

 
Here are the details:

WHAT: Friends Quiz
WHEN: Wednesday, August 29, 8:00 pm Eastern/5:00 pm Pacific
WHERE: Here! (The Fun & Learning section.)
WHY: Because we were on a break!

 
See you Wednesday!

 
 

Read More

Le Creuset Giveaway! by The Pioneer Woman

Today, because I love ya, I’m giving away three of these 5 1/2 quart Le Creuset Dutch Ovens. This pot will take you far in life!

TO ENTER

To enter, fill in and submit the giveaway box below.

Three winners will be randomly selected and announced Wednesday morning!

Good luck!

 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Read More

Le Creuset Giveaway! by The Pioneer Woman

Le Creuset Giveaway! by The Pioneer Woman

Today, because I love ya, I’m giving away three of these 5 1/2 quart Le Creuset Dutch Ovens. This pot will take you far in life!

TO ENTER

To enter, fill in and submit the giveaway box below.

Three winners will be randomly selected and announced Wednesday morning!

Good luck!

 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

https://ift.tt/2PI98II

Read More

Caramel Macchiato Cupcakes by Julie

Are cupcakes still popular? Because they’re still wildly popular with me—chocolate, vanilla, I’ll take them all. I love, love folding back that cupcake liner paper and digging in. Of course, each bite has to have some frosting. I even know some people like to have more frosting than cake so they really pile it on.

 
 

These Caramel Macchiato Cupcakes are inspired by a coffee drink from a popular coffee shop. Only the cupcakes are chocolate—the buttercream is an espresso buttercream that is downright addictive.

And you know I had to drizzle caramel on top!

 
 

When I embarked on my mission to make espresso buttercream, I first tried making it with coffee. But there wasn’t enough coffee flavor in the buttercream.

Then I discovered coffee extract—and it’s a beautiful thing! I brought these cupcakes over to the vet tech for my dog Charley (he gets laser therapy at least twice a week) and she keeps asking me for the recipe for this buttercream.

 
 

It’s totally your call whether to make the buttercream frosting while the cupcakes are in the oven or to make them ahead before you begin the cupcakes. I actually like to make the buttercream the day before. It feels like a lot less work that way!

I like to use both unsalted and salted butter for my buttercream. I took cake decorating classes years ago and that was how my teacher taught me to make buttercream. It’s the best!

 
 

Mix the butter together and then the coffee extract.

See how smooth it looks?

 
 

You want to be careful adding the powdered sugar. Do it in 2 to 3 batches. Add a third of the bag and then mix. Then add some more. If you add the entire bag in at once, you will have a mess. I won’t tell you how I know. Ha!

 
 

I love making homemade buttercream. It’s really a lot easier than you think!

 
 

For the cupcakes, first line all your cupcake tin with cupcake liners.

 
 

Put all of the ingredients for the cupcakes into a large mixing bowl. I use an electric mixer to mix the ingredients together. Don’t over-mix it though!

 
 

I use a cookie scoop to portion out the cake batter.

 
 

Makes it so simple!

 
 

See how easy and less messy that is?

 
 

I also know that each cupcake will be about the same size.

 
 

After the cupcakes have baked, transfer them onto a cooling rack. After they have cooled, you can frost them.

I put a sheet of parchment paper down under the cupcakes so I have less cleanup.

 
 

Take your favorite tip and put it into a decorator bag. (In case you need a reminder, I showed you how to frost cupcakes a while back.)

 
 

I transfer the frosting with an angled spatula.

 
 

As always, you have other options: you can use a piping bag and tip to frost them or use a simpler technique (e.g. scooping or slathering on) if preferred.

 
 

Then drizzle some caramel on top! I showed you how to make caramel sauce here on Food & Friends, or you can use store-bought caramel.

 
 

These cupcakes are amazing. My friends raved about them and I know your family and friends will, too!

 
 

Read More

Caramel Macchiato Cupcakes by Julie

Caramel Macchiato Cupcakes by Julie

Are cupcakes still popular? Because they’re still wildly popular with me—chocolate, vanilla, I’ll take them all. I love, love folding back that cupcake liner paper and digging in. Of course, each bite has to have some frosting. I even know some people like to have more frosting than cake so they really pile it on.

 
 

These Caramel Macchiato Cupcakes are inspired by a coffee drink from a popular coffee shop. Only the cupcakes are chocolate—the buttercream is an espresso buttercream that is downright addictive.

And you know I had to drizzle caramel on top!

 
 

When I embarked on my mission to make espresso buttercream, I first tried making it with coffee. But there wasn’t enough coffee flavor in the buttercream.

Then I discovered coffee extract—and it’s a beautiful thing! I brought these cupcakes over to the vet tech for my dog Charley (he gets laser therapy at least twice a week) and she keeps asking me for the recipe for this buttercream.

 
 

It’s totally your call whether to make the buttercream frosting while the cupcakes are in the oven or to make them ahead before you begin the cupcakes. I actually like to make the buttercream the day before. It feels like a lot less work that way!

I like to use both unsalted and salted butter for my buttercream. I took cake decorating classes years ago and that was how my teacher taught me to make buttercream. It’s the best!

 
 

Mix the butter together and then the coffee extract.

See how smooth it looks?

 
 

You want to be careful adding the powdered sugar. Do it in 2 to 3 batches. Add a third of the bag and then mix. Then add some more. If you add the entire bag in at once, you will have a mess. I won’t tell you how I know. Ha!

 
 

I love making homemade buttercream. It’s really a lot easier than you think!

 
 

For the cupcakes, first line all your cupcake tin with cupcake liners.

 
 

Put all of the ingredients for the cupcakes into a large mixing bowl. I use an electric mixer to mix the ingredients together. Don’t over-mix it though!

 
 

I use a cookie scoop to portion out the cake batter.

 
 

Makes it so simple!

 
 

See how easy and less messy that is?

 
 

I also know that each cupcake will be about the same size.

 
 

After the cupcakes have baked, transfer them onto a cooling rack. After they have cooled, you can frost them.

I put a sheet of parchment paper down under the cupcakes so I have less cleanup.

 
 

Take your favorite tip and put it into a decorator bag. (In case you need a reminder, I showed you how to frost cupcakes a while back.)

 
 

I transfer the frosting with an angled spatula.

 
 

As always, you have other options: you can use a piping bag and tip to frost them or use a simpler technique (e.g. scooping or slathering on) if preferred.

 
 

Then drizzle some caramel on top! I showed you how to make caramel sauce here on Food & Friends, or you can use store-bought caramel.

 
 

These cupcakes are amazing. My friends raved about them and I know your family and friends will, too!

 
 

https://ift.tt/2Lvf0l5

Read More

Sunkissed, el verano de Clarins

Sunkissed, el verano de Clarins

Aunque en las redes sociales y en diferentes post os he ido enseñando algunas de las novedades de Clarins para este verano, no le había dedicado todavía un post exclusivo a Sunkissed y la verdad es que tiene cosas muy interesantes como para que se lo merezca :-)

Sigue leyendo... https://ift.tt/2NnjLin August 26, 2018 at 06:47PM

Read More