I’ve made some Valentine’s Day cookies for a few neighbors and I really like the NEW frosting recipe I used. (I should have taken the photo after I added the cute little chocolates to the plate, but oh well!) I found the frosting recipe at Karen’s Cookies. I used the buttercream one. The flavor is yummy and it’s doesn’t dry as hard as royal icing. I like it a lot! If I were shipping these, or wanted to make sure the frosting didn’t get ‘dinged’ while transporting them, maybe I’d stick with the royal icing. But it was fun to try this NEW recipe! Everyone have a LOVELY Valentine’s Day tomorrow!
Author Archives: explorenewness
My Favorite Tree
I recently visited My Pen and Me and browsed through that site that had a photo of their favorite tree. I remembered I had taken a photo of my favorite tree a couple of years ago. Hmmm…I recently organized all my photo! :o)! I thought I should be able to find it easily. I could! I did! I thought I’d share it!
Just so you all know….I’m experiencing NEWness almost every day…but I’m a bit busy to blog about it! It’s not really the newness I prefer, but it’s ok. I’m planning about 5 big parties in the next three weeks, so I have NEW serving platters, NEW balloons and helium tank, NEW recipes I’m trying, NEW ties and suspenders for my boys, (I’ve still got to get out and buy me a NEW outfit or two)…NEW decorations etc.
After about 5 weeks I plan to get out on more photo shoots! Maybe it will be Spring by then! Happy Monday to you all!
NEW Photo of my week #16
I’ll link up to Simple As That Blog because it doesn’t get much simpler than the sun shining off weeds by a snow bank! :o)
Linking to
Thursday’s Thought
Mother Teresa once said, “Do not think that love, in order to be genuine, has to be extraordinary. What we need is love without getting tired. Be faithful in small things, because it is in them that your strength lies.
I liked this quote and thought I’d post it with a photo of Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park. The geyser’s faithfulness is amazing and it’s evident there is A LOT of strength lying beneath this otherwise unassuming piece of earth!
Happy Thursday everyone!
a NEW photography list to “focus” on
Hi all! Well, I recently visited a very fun blog called Artsyville! Don’t you love that name?!? It’s a very fun site and every Tuesday, they have “List It Tuesday”. Last week I was browsing through the contributor’s lists and learned a few NEW things! It’s like having a few nice conversations with a few people, and learning fun new tidbits about a variety of topics etc.! So I decided I’d join the fun this week! This week they don’t have the usual ‘assigned’ topic….we’re supposed to just make up a list. So I’m going to share my to-do list with you! My photography-related bucket sort-of list! So here ya go:
1. Plan a composite photo shoot
2. Visit 5 National Parks in 2013 and photograph the landscape at each
3. Purchase a macro lens
4. Read 12 photography-related books in 2013 to increase knowledge and photography skills
5. Photography as many living relatives as possible and upload into your genealogy database
6. Have someone take a ‘Spring’ family portrait. (We already have a Fall and a Winter)
7. Organize all photos in Lightroom
8. Tag all people in photos using Windows 8
9. Volunteer to be Team Photographer for my son’s tennis team
10. Print a ‘Yearbook’ of family photos
I’m starting with 10….if you want to check out more, Click It Up A Notch has a bucket list of over 77 items at their site. It’s fun to get additional ideas for later!
NEW Photos of my week #15
I thought this cloud of steam was interesting because the other fog is obscuring the power plant or whatever it was that was producing the steam.
Linking to: Simple As That
excellent NEW flavor combination
I recently tried this NEW….hmmmm…I guess you’d just call it a snack. Oh.MY! The flavor combination was really great! I got all these ingredients at my local Costco, and they’ve lasted a long time! (It helps that my teenage sons haven’t discovered this delicacy yet). Anyway…take a croccantini (italian flatbread cracker….or in a pinch, a regular soda cracker would suffice) spread some gourmet herbed cheese on the cracker and top with a bit of Red Chili Pepper spread. YUM!!! The combination of flavors is divine! Try it! OR try some other NEW flavor combo today!
5 NEW Pressure Cooker Recipes
I recently bought a pressure cooker!
I’ve never used a pressure cooker before, but I’m excited to try something NEW! I’ve been collecting recipes to try in my new gadget, and I thought I’d share. My friend said she can make dinner for her family in 8 minutes! That may not be standard, but I’m totally into time efficiency…so I’m going to try it!
Cranberry Orange Chicken from Pressure Cooker Diaries sounds delish!
My boys LOVE pulled pork, so this one from Pressure Cooking Today, is a MUST-TRY!
Pressure cooker Porcupines! Yummy! I found these at Delicious Cooks
Sometimes our Sunday dinner is the standard Pot Roast with mashed potatoes and veggies, so this recipe from A Feast For The Eyes will probably get tested soon!
AND LASTLY…I can’t wait to try Beef Brisket with Chipotle Tomatillo Sauce!!!! There wasn’t a photo attached to this recipe, but it sounds divine!!! Right? You can find that recipe at AllRecipes.com. Try a NEW recipe or a NEW cooking method soon!
Thursday’s Thought
“No matter how many plans you make or how much in control you are, life is always winging it.” ― Carroll Bryant
The Carroll Bryant quote above reminded me of my morning! I was NOT in control and my plans did NOT go as I thought they would…I was winging it! However the result was that I had the opportunity to snap these two photos this morning. Sometimes “winging it” turns out to be ok. Happy Thursday!
NEW (DIY) Wedding Centerpieces
Wow! Where did the week go? Seriously!…I just realized I really haven’t posted in quite a while. So!…I want to show you my latest DIY project. My son is getting married soon. The grooms family is in charge of the wedding dinner, and the happy couple has decided on a BBQ theme. You can visit my “BBQ Wedding Dinner Ideas” board on Pinterest and see all the cool things I’ve found!
So the candle centerpiece above will be on the tables….probably under a square of burlap on a white table-cloth. My inspiration came from this burlap covered can from Red Chandelier,
and this distress wooden box from Shanty 2 Chic
The baby’s breath (gypsophila) is about two or three weeks old in this picture. But you don’t mind, do you? OH!…and the BEST part is these COOL candles! (link to Amazon…No open flame!!)
Have a GREAT weekend everyone! Do or learn something NEW!


















