Lazy Labor Day

Let’s be honest, no one knows what to do to celebrate Labor Day.  Actually, I’m pretty sure we’re all a little hazy on what this day even is. That’s why I did a little Wiki research (shh, don’t tell my high school English teachers). 

Essentially, it’s a holiday to celebrate the achievements of American workers and began in 1887.  Strangely, my research source also lists a series of Labor Day celebration protocols…none of which I’m really up for. The list includes: “a street parade to exhibit to the public ‘the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations’" and speeches by famous people. 

            I propose a different way of celebrating this year.  As many people’s first day off in a long time, this day just seems to call for relaxation. Let’s take a cue from my lackluster research and just act a little lazy.

So, here’s what I’m thinking:

• Take out burgers, no cleaning the grill for my family
• Cute paper plates & napkins
• Reuse last year's simple Fourth of July tablescape...it is an American holiday after all & surely no one will mind a freshened up centerpiece!

For the tablescape, I have homemade, red white & blue floating candles that were so easy, they would be a relaxing craft for the long weekend. 

The instructions on Martha Stewart’s website are pretty simple. This is also a good way to use muffin tins if you aren’t exactly a baker!

I plan to display them in a shallow cake stand to provide a little height to the centerpiece. I'll also add a few color coordinating summer flowers (in this case, impatiens & hydrangeas), cut out some patriotic pinwheels, and that’s about it.  Keep in mind these candles are pretty small & don’t burn for very long, so light them right before dinner! 

Oh and use a waterproof trivet to protect your table from water/wax incidents!

Hope this give you a little creative inspiration to enjoy your lazy day!

Enjoy your weekend,
   Erica

A Cake Pattern…or Recipe for Party Success

Confession: my name is Erica Marchbanks, and I’m moderately addicted to patterns.  I love bright, cheerful, repeated designs. The more pattern, the better! My mommy thinks it’s precious, my sister thinks I need help, but I just think about Lilly Pulitzer…and sometimes Vera Bradley...which sometimes gets me in trouble.

To be specific about my love of pattern, blue & yellow based motifs are pretty great, green & pink are even better, but I’m a major sucker for any shade of blue & red/coral images splashed across whatever product you may be selling. For instance, I’ve gone so far as to call Lilly’s She She Shells “my pattern.” 

Photo credit: The Juice Stand Blog

So, it’s no surprise I was quite smitten with Vera Bradley’s Marina Paisley last year. I looked at the magazine, spied that pattern, and marched myself straight into the Saddle Creek Vera store, determined to purchase something great.  This would all be well & good if I had chosen something even slightly useful…but alas, that was not true.

I bought a recipe holder. Ok, well, maybe it would be useful for other people, but my cooking skills are sub par, and I don’t have five special, go-to recipes to my name. What was I to do? My recipe holder was so beautiful. I had chosen one where my favorite part of the pattern was front and center (a vital part of shopping for the pattern lover). It was clearly the best, not overly expensive object in the store. It was looking great in its new home. I had to keep it. I just decided it would have to look nice empty. So I called my grandmother, a fellow pattern lover, to tell her all about my new recipe book.

It was just the phone call I needed (how do grandmothers always know what to do?). Along with patterns, my grandmom shares my love of chocolate. She offered me her favorite Kahlua cake recipe to add to my new organizer and told me she would love a piece of cake if I wanted to try the recipe that night.  I tried the recipe, & to my surprise, it really was easy and delicious!   I brought my grandmother half the cake, and carried some to a friend’s birthday party.  Everyone asked how to make this dessert. I was on a roll! The first recipe in the booklet was now my go-to recipe! I couldn’t thank my grandmom enough!

Over the last year, I have brought this cake to many events, & with different garnishes, it has fit every occasion! Somehow, following my seemingly silly interests melded with a little grandmotherly magic and mixed into a cake for any party. 

So without further ado....

Here's the recipe for 
My Grandmother's (Very Easy) Kahlua Cake:

Ingredients:

(Remember, it's tasty. I didn't say healthy.)

1 box               Duncan Hines Devil's Food Cake mix 

1 small box   Jello brand instant chocolate pudding mix

2 cups             Sour Cream 

4                       Eggs

3/4 cups        Vegetable Oil

1/2 cups        Kahula

6 oz                  Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips

Directions:

Mix everything except chocolate chips. 

Mix in chocolate chips. 

Pour into a greased bunt pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Decorate for the occasion if you want to....mine isn't that beautiful, but looks aren't everything...it's perfect as it is.

...just don't take it to a party I'm going to...unless you want double the Kahlua cake!

Enjoy,

  Erica