the THUNELL tale: Home Sweet Home

How lucky was I to leave Provo for the weekend and take a spontaneous adventure to Colorado?

Oh, home sweet home!

I surprised my mama for her birthday....

And boy was she surprised!

Friday was sister day!

We began by baking a pink lady cake (thank you smittenkitchen.com)

My sister is a bit old-fashioned and doesn't believe in microwaves, so things were more complicated than usual.

But as any true domestic goddess would do...I improvised....

Soften the butter by allowing it lean on a heated tea kettle for a while...

When you get impatient and add the butter early anyways causing the batter to look more like ground beef than strawberry delight, just place the whole bowl in a steaming hot sink bath. It will blend together nicely in no time!

Warning: no matter how tempting this batter looks, do NOT try it. Not even the tiniest little spoonful. It will be so delicious that you will want another spoonful, and then another. Before you know it, all those little spoonfuls will add up and the whole bowl will be gone!

Top with cream cheese frosting and garnish with fresh strawberries. Birthday bliss!

Then we had dinner at a restaurant called Salt on Pearl Street in Boulder. Everything is organic, in-season, and locally grown. The meals starts off with crunchy bread to be topped with butter, oil, vinegar, and various salts from around the world (hence the name). Try it next time you are up that way, you won't be disappointed!