Spur of the moment trifle... without the triviality.

Silly's mom has recently developed a serious crush on tiramisu.

The boy and I were planning a little gourmet celebration for her birthday: dinner by the insanely attractive son, dessert by yours truly.

And I was completely stumped at what to make.

I woke up late the morning of with the inspiration... tiramisu!

Wait.

Three problems...

1. I've never made tiramisu in my relatively short life.

2. No ladyfingers. Where do you even get ladyfingers??

3. Where the hell am I going to find time to bake some cake-like substance in order to make said tiramisu by tonight?

The solution? Serious recipe-tweaking and spontaneous trifle-making.

So grab one of those guilty, store-bought pound cakes (hello, Costco!), a tub of mascarpone cheese, and get your trifle on!

 

 Oh, and you'll totally impress that boy's mom.

♥

Right this moment...

I'm head-over-heels in love with IKEA.

It's a put-it-together-yourself furniture wonderland.

Yesterday, Silly and I made the trek out to the Swedish mecca so I could convince him of it's overall addictiveness. A couple steps through the doorway and he was hooked.

Did you know that there's a little sit-down restaurant inside of IKEA?

...And that every dish is wallet-friendly to match their inedible products?

...And surprisingly, freakishly, crack-a-licious?

No joke. It's addictive and delicious... hence, "crack-a-licious".

Those are Swedish meatballs with mashed potatoes and a side of lingonberry jam.

This Princess Cake - aka sponge cake with raspberry filling topped with marzipan frosting and a chocolate crown - was so light and tasty that Silly couldn't keep his fork out of it.

Oh, this? It's called a Daim Torte, and for less than two dollars I experienced some serious crack-a-licious flavor. Two layers of almond cake sandwiched between layers of caramel cream, topped with crushed Daim candies (almond toffee) and milk chocolate. Yum!

A few hours later, we walked out with a couple packs of magazine holders, a big glass for succulents, a toothbrush-shaped pot scrubber, and two salad spinners.

Awesome.

♥

Etsy Tuesdays: Eco-Chic

A delightful mix of vintage charm and modern ingenuity with a eco-friendly twist!

♥ Favorite Find: A tie between the woodsy-cute twig pencils from alliebeans and the envy-inducing retro wall clock by VectorCloud.

Coffee so good, you can kick that Mr. Coffee to the curb.

I love coffee.

I love the smoky, earthy, and chocolate-y undertones of flavor.

I love that little kick of caffeinated joy.

What I don't love about coffee?

That nasty burnt flavor of coffee over-brewed and sitting too long on the hot pad of the coffee maker.

Yuck.

While flipping through Food and Wine a few weeks ago, I noticed a recipe for "cold-brewed" coffee.

That's right. Coffee, sans the Mr. Coffee.

Thick, gritty goodness.

All you need is a bag of whole bean coffee, a grinder, some cold water, and 24 hours of patience.

The best part?

No more burnt coffee!

♥

Etsy Tuesdays: Dreamy Pastels

This week's treasury evokes that feeling of dreamy contentment when waking up early on a carefree, overcast day.

One of those days where you throw a few extra berries in your cereal, read a thought provoking book, and throw on a pair of feel-good earrings and take a stroll in the park.

♥ Favorite Find: I love the hazy watercolored glow in the "Cotton Candy Petals" print by zuppaartista. It would look lovely mounted in a gold-tinted vintage frame!

Right this moment...

I'm fondly remembering the tastes from my adventure at the state fair yesterday.

Oh, that? That's a whipped cream and soft-serve covered funnel cake.

Silly and I also tried a deep-fried snickers bar and a reindeer corndog.

Yeah, I'm probably on the naughty list for that one, but it was freakin' delicious.

Thank goodness for the calorie-burning heat and carnival rides, arm fulls of baby piglets, and narrowly escaping the aim of a spinning kid with a seriously upset stomach. It was a close one.

♥

Ooey gooey cinnamon rolls. 'Nuff said.

Not just your everyday cinnamon rolls.

Cinnamon pecan rolls, made with Amish Friendship Starter.

Yep, that's right. Another use for that bag full of regenerating, magic goopy stuff.

I might or might not have eaten two or three of these fresh out of the oven.

Make these dense, flaky morsels for a crowd, or you could end up with a very full stomach.

♥