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Thursday, March 31, 2011

Delectable Dishes: Triple Lemon Blueberry Layer Cake

I have been eyeing this cake on sweetpolitia for weeks now!  I have wanted to give it a try and just never had the time... I just had to share it with you guys as the Delectable Dish of the week.  If you try it, please post pictures for us to see!  If it is rainy where you are as it is in the Mountains of Western North Carolina, this sunny cake may be the key to add some much needed sunshine to your life!









Lemon-Blueberry Layer Cake          
Ingredients
2 cups plus 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whole milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon pure lemon extract
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened about 20 minutes out of refrigerator
1 1/2 cups white sugar
4 large eggs

Method
Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare three 8″ round cake pans with parchment paper, butter and flour. Sift dry ingredients into medium bowl. Transfer 1 tablespoon flour mixture to larger bowl. Add fresh blueberries and toss to coat them with flour. Set remaining flour mixture and blueberries aside.
Stir whole milk, sour cream, vanilla extract, lemon extract and lemon zest in small bowl. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar, until pale yellow and very fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time, until well combined. Mix in flour mixture alternately with milk mixture, starting and ending with flour mixture. Stir until just combined. Gently fold in blueberries. Divide batter equally among 8″ round pans.
Bake cakes until toothpick inserted into centre comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks for about 10 minutes, then invert onto racks until completely cool.
*The Lemon-Blueberry cake base adapted (actually adapted ;)) from Epicurious

Zesty Lemon Frosting      
Ingredients
1 cup soft unsalted butter
2 teaspoons lemon zest
6 cups icing sugar
60 ml fresh lemon juice
6 tablespoons whipping cream (35% cream)
1/2 teaspoon pure lemon extract
2 tablespoons water
pinch salt
1 drop of AmeriColor “Electric Yellow” gel color (optional)
Method
Cream butter and lemon zest in bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, about 3 minutes. Slowly add icing sugar, mixing on low speed for about 2 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and beat on med-high for 3-4 minutes until very fluffy. If using color gel, add a drop or two (really, no more than that, because too much sunshine really can be a bad thing!), then beat until blended. Yields enough to frost outside of three layer 8″ round cake.
Filling: 2 x Lemon Curd recipe from Martha Stewart
Assembly
Spread thin dollop of frosting on an 8″ thin cake board. Transfer 1 cake layer to board, face up. *Create a dam around the perimeter of the layer using frosting in a pastry bag fitted with a coupler, then spread lemon curd (apprx 1 cup) inside the dam–this prevents the curd from reaching out over edges. Top with another cake layer, face up; repeat frosting around perimeter and lemon curd filling. Top with third cake layer, face down (brown smooth side up). Spread thin layer (crumb coat) of Zesty Lemon Frosting over top and sides of cake, using offset palette knife and bench scraper for smooth finish. Place cake in refrigerator for apprx 30 mins. Remove from refrigerator and using same method, frost cake with generous layer of frosting, smoothing again. For ruffled border, add frosting to piping bag with petal tip (Wilton #123), and with skinny end facing out, use back and forth/up and down motion to create short ruffles.
For the vanilla layer, I used the cake recipe from the Classic Vanilla Butter Cake post.
Due to the lemon curd filling, keep cake covered and refrigerated (for up to 2 days) but serve room temperature.
*Update: Here are some other fun ways of creating this cake with alternate flavours:
  • Use a cream cheese frosting, lemon or plain
  • Replace blueberries with other berries or berry combinations
  • Use frosting to fill in place of lemon curd
  • Use a smooth blueberry jam as filling in place of lemon curd
  • Make all 3 layers lemon-blueberry cake

Enjoy!  And visit sweetapolitia for many more delicious cake recipes!
xoxo Cassidy

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

My Fair Fido: Suds for Our Buds


Bart & Ziggy's  Really Good Dog Shampoo
Hi whimzies!
Etsy offers a wide variety of handmade care items for our furry friends.  I came across this shampoo from Cashmere Naturals.  It has 100% natural ingredients and the oils it contains are great for a dog's skin and fur-and they smell lovely while they repel pests!
The bar shape makes for an easy distribution.  It the bar of shampoo isn't left in the water after your pup's bath, it should last a good while.

Better yet?  For every bar that is sold $1.00 goes to the creator's local Humane Society.
Happy Pet Bathing!
xoxo
Cassidy

Magical Makes: The Woodland Owl


Completed Project: Owls  Picture #1

1. Step 1  
2. Step 2 
3. Step 3 
4.Step 4 
5. Step 5
 6. Step 6
7. Step 7
 8. Step 8

How cute is this idea?  I LOVE owls :)

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Fabulous Finds: Get Ready For Spring Break!

Whether you are going away to the beach or cuddling up at home for a week- spring break is something that we ALL look forward to.  I am not in school this semester, but I do work at the school substituting when I am needed and at a gym that goes by the school's schedule...so needless to say: I am excited about this year's spring break!  We are planning to go to Panama City Beach in about one week and I just can't wait.  However, if that doesn't work out I will be just as content getting to enjoy my home for a week without anywhere to go.  I am ready to enjoy spring with out any distractions, how about you?  So in the spirit of spring break, I wanted to gather some fabulous handmade finds that could accompany you on your time off, wherever you may be!

adjustable ring crabyellow lemon shoulder wrapsea glass braceleteverything totepearly flopslinen lilac towelbirch bark candle holdersvintage wide brimmed canvas sun hatvintage 60s inspired mini

Monday, March 28, 2011

Where Does Time Go?

My Front door :)

Hi whimzies, it feels like forever since I have blogged!  Can you believe we are entering the last week of March?  Geez Louise!  I have had a nice break from blogging, and though life is still hectic (5th week of revival, a death in the family, on top of the norms of daily life: cheering and subbing...) I plan to kick up the posts in The Radiant World of Whimz a notch.  

I really miss how happy it makes me to spend some time gathering beauties to share with you all...So hopefully I can stick to my new proposed schedule-
Mondays: Dazzling Abodes
Tuesdays: Fabulous Finds
Wednesdays: Magical Makes & My Fair Fido
Thursdays: Delectable Dishes
Friday: Whimz Gems

Have a Beautiful Monday, and check out the Dazzling Abodes post of the week below-
It is sure
to brighten your day!
xoxo Cassidy

Dazzling Abodes: The Lovely Color Green

I kind of have a thing for green.  Okay...I love it.  Our house is even green...
(This was during the building process)

So I couldn't help but "ooooo" and "ahhhhh" over these fun sweet pea color schemes.


The lamps take center stage of this lean mean green creation.

New IKEA 2010 Green White Living Room Design Ideas and Decorating Trends
Green and white pop in this modern living room


A self proclaimed dare devil?  Try this green dream!  Now that is colorful ;)


workspaces,home offices,creative offices,craft rooms,DIY storage,oh louise,oh louise blog
Green curtains create a nice hiding place for a hidden office!



In this world of white, the green appliances and some home decor add a cheerful splash of green and other complementing pastels!

Love this green door!
Green is the prime color of the world, and that from which its loveliness arises.

Monday, March 21, 2011

Spring Ramblings...

Enough talking about when the day will arrive...it is here!  Happy Spring Whimzies!
I have been working outside (when I have free time that is) and the warmth and cool breeze are my two favorite companions when I am outdoors.  I just love getting to roam around in God's beautiful creation and hear His birds singing and His woodland creatures scurrying around playing in the sunshine.  My dogs are having a blast as well playing outside and going for walks to the mailbox with me, not to mention the occasional trip to the walking trail.  I have a lot of yard work ahead.

I am sitting here drinking my coffee, waiting for Regis and Kelly to make their morning appearance on my television while my brain runs a million miles a minute.  We are in our fourth week of revival, and though work has kept me from attending every night, my soul is rejoicing in what is happening in our little church (which has also seemed to make it's way into many other churches in our little town).  Souls are being saved every night and people are turning back to the One who created it all.  Though most are weak in body, I think almost everyone will agree that the souls being saved are worth it all:)  So along with all my Savior has done for me and others, I am thinking about how my life is fixing to kick into high gear.  I am studying up on all my past classes getting ready to jump into the world of becoming a Speech Pathologist (both exciting and nerve-wracking).  My husband will begin classes in Basic Law Enforcement Training in May as well.  With all this work coming our way, I  began feeling that we needed a pleasant work space.  So I decided to create a home office.  While we already have a room called "the computer room" it is a far cry from what it needs to be.  SO I moved into a bigger room, splashed on a cheerful color of paint and am planning away. I have also been dreaming up all kinds of other ideas for inside and outside of my home: the only problem is...my dreams are a lot bigger than my budget :)  What can I say?  I am a dreamer!  Well...enough rambling on about RANDOM things!  Have a lovely day!  

                                                                 xoxo Cassidy


                P.S. I can't wait to share what I have been doing with our home office!
      ( I just don't want to until I am completely finished which might take a while... ;)


Monday, March 14, 2011

Girls Day Out

On Friday, my mom, sister, a good friend and I went to Marietta, Georgia for some much needed girl time.  Along with fab new hair cuts...we got to go in this amazing antique store called "Rustique."  I just HAD to share some of the beautiful things we came across...if you ever are going through this part of the US-make this a pit stop, you won't regret it!
Beautiful Antique Garden Accessories

Just look at this gazebo...WOW

Adorable Bird House

A Hidden Swan

My friend Krista-Beth and sister Clancy sitting
in a strange entry piece that we came across.

My mom, Kris, and sister pose under a perfect trellis for a Japanese Garden...
which I really want to do in my backyard one day...

Dear Bamboo Trellis, 
please stay put for about two more years. 
I will come back for you to live in North Carolina!
Love, 
      Cassidy

I fell in love with this blue bench...so much character!


This big beautiful window gave everything inside a natural glow


The animal lover in me couldn't pass these cutie vase holders up without
taking a picture!

The gazebo inside was breathtaking!


There is something about vintage keys that I adore...

I love the lion statue...

And last but my favorite part:
My dream garden accessory...my beloved giraffe
Maybe one day but it might look kind of strange in a yard in the
middle of North Carolina

Have a great week,
Hope you enjoyed!
xoxo Cassidy

Friday, March 11, 2011

The Wonderful World of Etsy

Happy Friday Whimzies!
As many of you know, I love all things etsy.  I find so much inspiration and creativity in the atmosphere of this handmade marketplace (just take a look at some of my previous collages!)  It is a magical place to shop, because everything is either handmade or vintage AND you will never end up with something with out a personal touch!  I wanted to share somethings that I purchased with some birthday money from one of my favorite places to shop.  If you haven't ever tried shopping at etsy, I encourage you to browse around because I am sure you will find something that you love!

I recently got an iphone and what better way to keep it safe and cozy
than by storing it away in this beautiful felted clutch from Post Road?  The packaging was very personable too-check it out...it reads: "Thanks Cassidy!" :)



I am so pleased with this golden beauty from Stella Salvador Jewelry!  It adds character to everything.  It is a classic piece to add to my jewelry collection at a great price.  Isn't the packaging also adorable?  And again, I just love receiving a handwritten thank you from the actual creator.  Ahh I'm in love!

Needless to say...I am hooked on etsy :)
More to come (My mom gave me birthday money to help me start my own shop very soon!  Can't wait to share!)

May God bless you and your family this weekend-He has sure blessed me:)

xoxo Cassidy

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

News From Radiance Designs


Happy Wednesday whimzies!  Okay, so here is what I have been working on for Radiance...I still have some things to tweak, but practice makes perfect!  We are signed up to set up a few craft booth's this summer so I am very motivated to make everything we will sale PERFECT :)  What do you think?  Any suggestions?

I am excited to make something out of the fabric I prefer for our purses...this tweed that I just received in the mail from etsy which I bought from Fabric Fascination!  I can't wait to experiment...

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

23 Years of Blessings

Good morning whimzies!
What a week it has been...sickness and the hustle and bustle of these past few days days have left me overwhelmed and kept me from my daily posts - I do apologize.  I miss my little online world of care-free things and friends, which has influenced me to arranging a different posting schedule for a while. I have had such exciting news this week that my time has to be devoted to preparing for my new adventure in the fall...
I have been accepted into graduate school for Speech Pathology.  In 2 more years I will be: 
Cassidy P. Adams, CCC-SLP :) 
 The Lord gave me such a surprise the week of my birthday and it couldn't have been better.  I was really worried about being accepted as there are only 25 seats in the program.  May I say that it is ONLY by the Lord that I received admission.  With God NOTHING is impossible.  I have been praying for a long time for God to direct my paths and help me to make the right decisions about what to do if I am not accepted.  The Lord answered my prayer:)  Thank you Jesus for all you do for me.

SO...what does this mean for me?  Study, Study, Study.
I will be taking on 15 hours of classes beginning August 22, 2011 as well as jumping into the clinical setting.

I will be posting once a week in all of the columns, instead of trying to post daily...I will try to make a post every Monday- maybe a small one on Friday's if I can squeeze it in.  Please remember me in your prayers as I begin this journey to complete my education.  I would appreciate it!

xoxo
Cassidy

P.S. I have been working on items for Radiance and will be sharing them soon!  Maybe Friday?  Keep a check!  We have several craft booths scheduled for this summer!