Blogspot - Recipe Scratch Rusia

Yesterday on Instagram I announced that I was planning to start a new series on "Homemade Celebrations."  Anytime we have an occasion to celebrate, my mind starts running with ideas for cakes, flowers, colors, table settings and menus.  I love planning a party.  I also love doing it all myself.  There seems to be a growing trend in outsourcing all of the fun party things - cakes and cookies ordered from bakeries, flowers from a florist and food from a caterer.  While those parties can be lovely, I itch for the opportunity to do it myself - it can be so fun.  I completely understand if it is not your thing and I'm not suggesting you cater your own dinner for 50 or try to attempt something crazy : )  I just want to show you some of the ways we make homemade celebrations at our house - simple cakes, easy florals, and great party menus. When I made the announcement yesterday, the biggest request was wanting help with cake decorating.  Making your fami...

I've told the story before - before Mike and I were even dating, I served warm "homemade" bread at a dinner party at my house, and he raved about it for weeks.  Did that lead to him finally asking me out?  I guess we'll never know...  The Barefoot Contessa has her "Engagement Roasted Chicken" and I have my "homemade" bread.   You can make a loaf size as in the first photo, or you can cut the log into cinnamon rolls and bake them in the Medium Size Basket instead.  My secret weapon to "homemade" bread is Rhodes frozen bread dough.  (This is not paid, by the way.)  It is found in almost every grocery store in the freezer department.  Over the years I have transformed the simple dough into Cinnamon Rolls, Monkey Bread, Pecan Rolls, Pizza Bread, etc.  When I saw these Wooden Bread Baking Baskets I knew they would be just the thing to take my "homemade" bread to the next level.  I've seen them many times in Martha Stewart used t...