Bougie Girl Life

Recently, I was strolling down the baking aisle (in a socially distant manner, of course) of my local grocery store. A can of salted caramel frosting caught my eye.  Immediately, I started brainstorming on  the type of cake which I could top this delicious frosting on. Salted caramel  frosting has a strong and distinct flavor which requires a cake type which can hold its own.   I decided to go with Devil's food cake and the results were amazing. I added chocolate chips to the salted caramel frosting for an additional dimension of flavor.   1. Duncan Hines devil's food cake mix  2.  Salted caramel frosting 3. Chocolate chips 4. Dark chocolate syrup  On a separate plate,frost the cupcake and add the chocolate chips on top of it.  Pour dark chocolate syrup onto the serving plate. Brush the dark chocolate syrup around the plate. Carefully set the cupcake on top of the dark chocolate syrup. 

The Dollar Tree has become one of my favorite places for gorgeous DIY accessories. They have really outdone themselves with these shelf liners.  These shelf liners are both easy to apply and remove. Also, the pattern has a versatile timelessness to it.  Originally, I was going to use these liners for the drawers in my kitchen.  However, at the last minute, I decided to use them for the upstairs linen closet and for the inside of my bureau drawers. Instructions: 1. Remove the shelving from the closet. 2. Measure the shelving's dimensions. 3. Unfurl the liner and wrap it around the shelf. 4. Carefully cut the liner  5. Unpeel the paper from the liner. 6. Carefully wrap it around the shelf.  7. Smooth as needed. 

Chocolate and raspberries are such a sweet combination.  Add in some dark chocolate syrup and it becomes pure decadence. I baked this particular dessert using the following ingredients for this cupcake:  1. Duncan Hines devil's food cake mix 2.  Fresh raspberries   3. Dark chocolate syrup  On a separate plate, place the raspberries on top of the cupcake. Pour dark chocolate syrup onto the serving plate. I brushed it around the plate. Carefully, set the cupcake on top of the dark chocolate syrup. 

Earlier this weekend, I swung by my sister's house to spend some time with my niece.  Each time, I visit their house, a new lovely flower makes its presence known to me.  Right before, I snapped this photo, a bee landed on one of the flowers.  It was one of those mundane yet, amazing moments in nature which we can easily take for granted.

I love dessert. I consider it acceptable decadence on a plate. However, my previous attempts to bake and properly plate desserts are less than legendary.  These past several months, I have forced myself to move past my dessert baking related anxiety.   As a result, my baking skills have greatly improved. (Apparently, baking desserts requires one to properly measure and be mindful of  how long a pan remains in the oven. Who knew?) I baked this particular dessert using the following ingredients for this cupcake:  1. Duncan Hines devil's food cake mix 2. Duncan Hines creamy lemon supreme frosting 3. Fresh raspberries (for both the fruit and the sauce) 4. 1 table spoon of powdered sugar with cornstarch Raspberry Sauce Mash raspberries into a saucepan on a medium heat for about 5 minutes.  Add the powdered sugar to the pan and gently stir it in Allow it to cook for another 5 minutes. Turn off the burner. Strain into a bowl to separate the seeds from the sauce.

  I ordered these popsicle molds last month from Amazon with the sole purpose of wine pops with them.   I used the  simple recipe below for my wine pops. Ingredients (Makes 6) 1. A regular sized container of  blackberries  2. Half a lemon sliced and deseeded 3. 1 tbsp of granulated sugar (optional) 4.   2 tbsp of Chardonnay for each mold. (This will give the pops a hint of the wine flavor without overpowering the pops.) Instructions Place the blackberries, lemon, sugar, and Chardonnay in a blender on the Frozen Drink setting. Blend for about 10 to 20 seconds. Pour the liquid into the molds only about 80%. Place in the freezer for 8 to 10 hours. 

  Before. I had big dreams of buying a new patio bistro set. Alas, my expensive tastes were in direct conflict with my budget for the deck. Luckily, spray paint is relatively inexpensive and simple to use.  For this project, I still had some leftover Matte Ink Blue color from Krylon ™   that I used on the patio set the day before.           The end result are two deckworthy chairs which will offer guests a comfortable place to relax. I added a welcome mat and a few new pillows purchased from Walmart.