World According to Shia

So a while back (heck everything is "awhile back" since I haven't blogged in FOREVER), I shared with you all some cakes that I baked and shared my ambitions to make a coconut cake for my first wedding anniversary.  Since we had a destination wedding in Oregon and traveled the Pacific Northwest for about a month ... there was no saving the top (heck there wasn't even a top) to eat on our special day.  So I got to work looking for the perfect cake recipe.  My inspiration actually came from the same blog that I found the chocolate cake recipe.  I tweaked it a bit.  Added coconut and coconut extract to the batter and the cream cheese frosting then patted coconut around the sides.  It was so good.  The cake was super moist and had a yummy coconut flavor throughout. It is a tad messy to frost but I just kept scraping and patting.   My sister Debra's birthday was in August.  Her favorite cake has always been funfetti.   Read my previ...

Can I just say that Bride of Frankenstein was the best Halloween costume I ever rocked.  I mean I went all in .... wig and everything ... and I am not ashamed to say that I made slight alternations the year after and rocked it again.   So Saturday I am headed over to see the girls (aka my nieces).  We are going to two fall festivals and then trick or treating.  I'm always confused as to when kids go trick-or-treating these days ... weekend or the actual day of Halloween.  Either way Paul and I usually escape to a nice dinner out because well ... we're the only ones not tracking around neighborhoods with kids.  I know it sounds mean but I leave a bowl of candy out in the driveway.  So either one kid is hitting the M&Ms jackpot or the kids pick it up as they pass. So what are your Halloween plans?  What's your favorite costume? P.S. Homemade costumes can always be the funniest and the best.  I remember when my sisters went as...