Cape Hatters voted #7 Best Beach!!

Dr. Beach released his "Top Ten Beaches for 2009" list this past week and I was beyond excited to see our destination wedding location was #7 on the list! That is correct, Cape Hatteras in the Outer Banks of North Carolina is on this years list. I, of course knew our destination was pretty spectactular, but it's a nice selling point to guests and well, let's face it, it feels good to have my feelings about the place backed up! So, WOOHOOO!! We are under one year away and I can't wait to sit in my beach chair on the beach with all my family and friends next year!

Funfetti Cookies!

I posted about making these a few weeks ago, but wanted to take a moment to share the recipe. This is such a great alternative to the standard chocolate chip. Especially if you don't like chocolate. Personally, I love chocolate, but sometimes you want a cookie that won't melt in your hands! So, thank to Pillsbury.com here is the recipe. Enjoy.

INGREDIENTS
1 (18.9-oz.) pkg. Pillsbury® Moist Supreme® Funfetti® Cake Mix
1/3 cup oil
2 eggs
1/2 (15.6-oz.) can Pillsbury® Creamy Supreme® Funfetti® Vanilla Frosting


1. Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, combine cake mix, oil and eggs; stir with spoon until thoroughly moistened. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. With bottom of glass dipped in flour, flatten to 1/4-inch thickness.
2. Bake at 375°F. for 6 to 8 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets.
3. Spread frosting over warm cookies. Immediately sprinkle each with candy bits from frosting. Let frosting set before storing. Store in tightly covered container.

*NOTES: I did not use any frosting on mine, and they were great. I tried it, but it wasn't easy and it wasn't working out well. Also, I always use a melon baller to scoop my cookies and then flatten with my hand.

I've read up on some reviews from other bakers, and you can use almost any kind of cake mix to make cookies. Should be fun trying them all out. I'm going to work on taking the oil out and making them more low fat!

Save The Date's!

After many house of laboring over what to do, what to include and how to design them, the Save the Date's are done! Included in each personal packet is a magnet and a brochure with all sorts of information about our wedding and about our destination. We used one of our awesome monograms for the magnets and I designed and wrote up the brochures. Both were printed through VistaPrint. I used card stock to make the pockets, a stamp and some embossing powder for the starfish on the outside of the pocket. I created monogram stickers to seal the pocket. Each envelope was sealed with beach themed stickers. All the effort and hard work was worth it, they turned out great and everyone so far has loved them!

I Pod What? RECEPTION!!!

My entire life has centered around music. As a kid I grew up with the music of my parents and of course traditional children’s music. Which, at the time my parents were listening to anything from The Beach Boys and The Beatles to Frank Sinatra and Rod Stewart. Traditional Children’s music for my generation was Puff the Magic Dragon, and the theme song to Fraggle Rock. As I grew older, I went through all the phases. Madonna, New Kids on the Block, Criss Cross, well you get the idea. My earlier influences however, bred me to enjoy almost any music that I heard. I love it all! From Bluegrass to Dance, from Hard Rock to Country, from Soft rock to Classical, from Jazz to Rap.

Fast forward to my life as a 29 year old music lover planning my wedding. I’m one of those people who has clear memories of the music that was planning at the time of significant events. I can barely remember what I did yesterday, but I can tell you what song was playing during a particular event in my life. My dream career would be to set the soundtracks for movies of TV shows. Music is so much more than just background noise, it can be the defining theme through out ones life. As I plan what is supposed to be the biggest day of my life, I am tasked with what to do about music.

We are planning a destination wedding on Hatteras Island in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. A tiny, sleepy, little hang out for people who truly love the beach, the ocean, fishing and relaxing. The location itself would set the tone of the event. Our wedding day and the days surrounding are so much about us, and our families and friends and the location that having just the right music will only enhance everyone’s experience.

I had wonderful visions of a Steel Drum Band playing during our cocktail hour which would take place by the pool, but there is no wiggle room in our budget. There wouldn’t be a steel drum band, or any band for that matter or a DJ. We have decided to go the route or many before us and surely many after us. We will be having an IPod Reception!

What does this mean you ask? It means I will undertake the task of creating play lists for each segment of the wedding day, as well as the welcome dinner and of course music for while we are getting ready. I will compile all of the music from various sources, upload it on my I Pod in very clear, separated files and we will plug that baby in and with some guidance of a friend, have our music.

Only there are a few problems, I don’t own an I Pod. GASP! No worries, I will either borrow one, or gift one to myself before the wedding. We’ve got time! It’s still a little over a year away. In fact, I have already begun the monumental task of creating lists of songs I want or don’t want. I’ve already created a file on my computer, “Wedding Songs”. I’ve even started to clear the local library’s inventory of Music. You would be amazed at what I have found. Already, I am constantly thinking of what would be a good song, and what wouldn’t be. It is so important that the songs compliment each other, the location, the people, and the moment. We’ve all been to weddings when a certain song has come on and cleared a room that is my biggest fear.

Most brides to be are thinking of their dresses and their flowers and their hair, my major concern is the music.

I will eventually share my play lists as they are created and finalized. I’ve also heard that rather than have one continuous play list, it is best to separate them. So there will be one for the Cocktail house, once for transition, one for dinner/reception, one for dancing/reception and so on. This is my favorite thing about my wedding thus far.

Cookies? Cake Mix? YUMMY!

Last week I was asked to make some desserts for my nephews Baptism. I had already had one recipe in mind, knowing that it would be 90 degrees out, sunny and hot and should avoid chocolate. I was going to attempt Lemon Crisp Cookies. At the food store browsing the baking aisle I stumbled upon the Funfetti cake mix box which had a recipe for funfetti cake mix cookies! Genius! I would make two different kinds of non-chocolate containing cookies from cake mix. One from Lemon cake mix and the other from Funfetti.

Both came our really good, had the taste and slight consistency of cake, but in the wonderful shap and size of a cookie. I will defiantely be adding both recipes to my repitoire! The kids loved them and I'm sure the parents appreciated the fact that they didn't have sticky, griming chocolate hands all over the house! Above is the picture of the funfetti cookies and below is the lemon crisp cookies, which use rice krispies!

Martha Martha Martha!

My BF and I went and saw a taping of The Martha Stewart Show on April 30th! The show won't air until May 11th, but incuded a segment on skin cancer, 3M Scotch All Natural cleaning products and pastry making with Chef Michele Roux! It was a great day in the city and a lot of fun to see Martha. We were given a copy of Michele Roux's new book "Pastry", a beach towel from Martha's new line for Macy's, and a ton of 3M Scotch brand cleaning products! All of which I can't wait to use (seriously!!).

The show is run very smoothly from lining up outside to seating the audience to leaving the show and gathering your free goodies. They even provide a complimentary food truck while you are waiting in line! Can't wait to go back! Check out the May 11th show for a potential glimpse of Janet and I!

Funny note... Martha makes a great comment about Moose in the segement on Adirondack Boat building. And.. Martha's stage manager Joey, I totally recognized him from when he used to work on Carson Daily a few years ago, of which I attended several show's when the Big Wu was the house band! Small world.