BUTTERY MILK BUNDT CAKE
Serves – 8

Ingredients
1 stick and 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter (softened)
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk

Preheat oven to 325. Grease a bundt pan with butter and dust with flour.

Combine all ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until smooth and mixed for about 5 minutes. Pour batter in prepared bunt pan. Bake for approximately 40 minutes until golden and cooked through. Remove from oven.

Let cake cool for a couple of minutes then tap on the sides of the pan to loosen the cake (also you can give it a couple of good wacks on the counter). Turn it over onto a plate to dislodge the cake from the pan. Dust with icing sugar to serve.

Layla sleeps in our bed every night, without fail. We often wonder if others do the same.  I love how she cuddles next to us and her light purring throughout the night.  She makes us a family.  I see the way that my husband acts with her.  I know that one day he will make a great father.

Funny how a pet can teach you so much about yourself.

Do your pets watch TV?

Last Tuesday while Mr. Taste was at school, I decided to watch a bit of Frozen Planet on the Discovery Channel. Frozen Planet is the ultimate portrait of our earth’s polar regions, where the scale and beauty of the scenery and sheer power of the natural elements are unlike anywhere else on the planet.

Now I don’t know if it was the sounds or the picture quality, but Layla was immersed in the show. She even went looking around the television to see where the animals were. I was amazed because I had never seen her do this before. Supposedly, she’s not alone. After a quick search on the internet I found many animals love some time in front of the boob tube.

Do your animals do this?

The New York Botanical Garden

This weekend we decided to wander into the city and visit the The New York Botanical Garden. They are holding the nation’s largest exhibition of orchids offers insight into the mystery of these spectacular flowers and a gorgeous setting for evening cocktails. It was magical.

“Too-rushed-to-breathe”

Can be it be true? Are we just too busy? Is breathing even an option?

An article on The Wall Street Journal’s website disagrees. The article suggests that we actually seem to have more time on our hands then we originally realize. We claim to be swamped at work, but in reality find time to check Facebook and sneak in a Starbucks run.

The most memorable part of the article for me is:
“Ask yourself what you’d like to do with your time. Claiming to be busy relieves us of the burden of choice. But if you’re working 50 hours a week, and sleeping eight hours a night (56 per week) that leaves 62 hours for other things. That’s plenty of hours for a family life and a personal life — exercising, volunteering, sitting on the porch with the paper, plus watching TV if you like. Set goals — maybe three hours of exercise and swapping out two hours of TV for reading — and see where in your 168 hours you could make that happen.”

Kick up your feet and take a moment to think about it. You might just find that you have enough time.

Playing is good for the soul.

We have forgotten the little pleasures in life. How to play, a great big, tear inducing laugh, a dessert for no good reason. As a culture, we seem so hell bent on success that we never stop and realize that we are missing the little things until it is too late. Just remember that when you are older, sitting and reminiscing, that you won’t regret that you didn’t spend more time at the office, but that you lived the life that you always wished for.

Playing is good for the soul. Value and treasure it.

Every Tuesday evening my sister comes over. It is a tradition that started once I moved out of my parent’s house. Every week she comes by, we make dinner, watch movies, or play games. Mr. Taste and I love having her over. We enjoy every ounce of time spent with her. The three of us laugh till our bellies are pained. Each Tuesday evening I try to make a little something special. Be it a dish that she enjoys or a dessert. Even though it is just the three of us, I like to embellish our food. Take last night’s dessert, a mix of strawberries, a bit of cake, whip cream all topped with strawberry champagne chocolate shavings.

Every day should be adorned with something beautiful – despite the fact you are going to eat it in seconds.

Ready to curl up with a good book…

A new read sent to me by the publisher. Can’t wait to dig in.

Things that rocked my world this weekend…

1. Wandering in the city. The weekend was a bit chilly and windy, but that didn’t stop us for walking around and enjoying one of the best cities on earth.

2. The New York Tea & Coffee festival.

3. A self portrait of Layla, our cat. Walk away for one minute and she does this…

Hello world!

Hi,  I’m Mrs. Taste, your tour guide. Please step right this way…

Welcome to our little space in this world wide web.  From time to time you will come to this site.  There is no certain direction that we will head towards.  One day you may read about an adventure that we have taken.  Another day may be a recipe or a DIY project that we happen upon.  Some days there may be silence.  A give-away may happen here or there.  Who knows? We sure don’t and you won’t till you visit.  It is our little place to balance our lives, loves and tastes.

So…let our adventure together begin.

A little about who you might meet around here:

Mrs. Taste:  I work and live in New Jersey which is where all of my cooking, baking and life navigation take place.  I smile a lot. I laugh a way too loud. I am not one to take things too seriously. I find fun in little things – always trying to enjoy life to the fullest.   Life usually involves entirely too many movies (Thank you, Netflix), books, shopping and sarcasm.  I am happiest when I am in my kitchen. I love to cook, eat and entertain.  If there is a day that I am not cooking/baking that is a day that I am not in my element.

Mr. Taste:  As of October 1st, I married to the most wonderfully funny, sweet and sarcastic person I have ever met.  He is a strong bearded man who has an affinity for computers, is the resident opener of caps that are too tight and an avid videogamer.

Layla: (aka Layler Bayer/ Booger):  Our fur baby.   Yes, that is what we call her around these parts.  Since she is the closest thing we have to a baby right now that is how we treat her.   Layla, a seven year old Tabby cat, loves bird watching, waking Mrs. Taste at all hours of the night to play and sleeps in smallest spaces imaginable.

I hope you will stick around to see what is in store.  Please feel free to visit, comment, e-mail or link-up at any time.

With Love,

Mrs. Taste