💘💖~Happy Valentine’s Day 2024!~💖💘

🎶Watashitachi no sekai wa - mahou wo kakerarete, Ai suru to kime kisae - namida ni fuujirareteru, Boy futari de jumon wo sagashi ni ikou, Kinjirare ta yume wo - kanaerareru kuni he... (Our world is under a spell, Even the excitement of our love is sealed in our tears, Boy, let's go together to find that charm, To the land of where forbidden dreams may come true...) Dare ni mo naisho de - ashita machi awaseshiyou, Itsuka kotori wo ume ta - yoake no mieru oka de... Tsumetai asamoya - kimi to te wo tsunaidara, Hikaru michi no fuuin ga tokeru yo! Hateshinaku...~ (Alone, tomorrow, let's secretly meet, Up on the hill where small birds are buried... Someday, when I hold your hand in the cold morning mist, And the seal of the shining road will be broken! Forever...~) Kirawa retakunaikara - kokoro wokakushiteta... Warai kaketekuretane - hontoni ureshikatta, Boy watashi ni yuuki woataetehoshii, Kinoumadeno subete - zero nidekiru chikara... (I didn't wish to get heartbroken, so I hid my feelings... I was happy, for you gave me that smile, Boy, give me courage, To make everything that happened zero...) Dare nimo naishode - sotto kuchiduke shiyou, Itsuka yoma nakunatta - furui ehon no youni... Asatsuyu ichimen - kaze gakira mekasetara, Hikaru michi wa massuguni tsuduku yo! Dokomademo~ (Let's kiss quietly in secret, Like an old picture book we're unable to read... When the wind blows in the morning dew, The shining road will stretch on forever! Always~) Callin' you! Kanashi i yoru ha kimi no namae wo tonae runo... Callin' you! Sore wa sekai no kusari wohodoku jumon nano...~ (Callin' you! Calling out your name in a sad night... Callin' you! That will be the key to break the enchantment of the world...~) Dare nimonaishode- ashita machiawase shiyou, Itsukaminna tabidatsu - mirai no mie ru oka de, Tsume tai asa moya kimi to aru kidashitara... Hikaru michi wa massuguni tsuduku yo! Dokomademo...~ (Alone, tomorrow, let's secretly meet, On the hill where we can see the future of everyone's journeys, Someday, when I walk with you in the cold morning mist... The shining road will stretch on forever! Always...~)🎶

 - Aya Hiroshige, Sonic X (2003)

~🐶☀️💕🦋🦌~

It's that special time once again, to show your heart and spread the love to all you care for~💕💝💕🤗And this year, I would like to take opportunity to dedicate my annual Valentine to my newest OTP, Smiling Critter DogDay x my OC, DeerDelight~🐶☀️💘🦋🦌 I was thinking what songs would fit their ship, and one that stood out to me the most, was one I've listened to ever since I finished college, back in 2008 - 'Hikaru Michi' a.k.a 'The Shining Road', which is the second closing theme to the well-known anime, Sonic X~🎶I remember seeing a music video years ago with tender moments between Sonic and Amy Rose from the show, and that was when inspiration struck~💡💗✍️ I decided to draw DogDay and DeerDelight in the same emotional reunion with Sonic and Amy, where he promised he would never leave her ;w; But instead of a rose, I chose forget-me-nots for DogDay to give to DeerDelight. The reason, is the meaning behind them - a symbol of true love and devotion, declaring love to another and representing a promise that you will always remember them~💝 Forget-me-nots are also considered a symbol of fidelity (loyalty) and faithfulness~🫶🏻 And this is what is happening between the two adorable critters right now. With DogDay declaring his love to DeerDelight (something she had always secretly hoped and wished for~🌟🙏🏻) and vowing that he will never ever forget her, and will always be with her by her side, no matter what...~🥹To which DeerDelight emotionally yet happily accepts, as they seal their love with a tender kiss and embrace~🐶☀️💕🦋🦌

To give the wholesome moment between DogDay and DeerDelight more feeling, I decided to add the last three sentences of the last verse of the song, both in Japanese and English, along with adding details of the shadowing and falling tears, which I have to say I'm really proud of~👍🏻😊✨ ‘Sigh...~’💕😌I am ever so pleased of how this precious piece turned out, just the way I imagined it to be and I really enjoyed working on it too~💓🥰 And a very💗💘💝~Happy Valentine’s Day 2024~💝💘💗to you too, my lovelies~! =^o^=🫂Hope you all like as well, have a lovely day and spread the love~!💞🫶🏻💕😍💕🫶🏻💞xoxo.  

*~Reblogs are also deeply appreciated as well, so please do reblog as well as like! Thank-you kindly!~*

DogDay (c) Poppy Playtime/Mob Entertainment DeerDelight (c) @jade-green-butterfly (Me~!)

🎄EGGNOG PIE🥧 FROM 1964

You’re right Dylan. Dessert is always the answer.

Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce Recipe

Spiced Apple Galette with Caramel Cream Cheese

Vegan Spring Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Coquito !

6–8 servings:

1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk

1 13.5-oz. can unsweetened coconut cream

1 13.5-oz. can unsweetened coconut milk

6 oz. evaporated milk

1 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, scraped, or 1 Tbsp. vanilla bean paste

1¼ cups white rum (such as Bacardi)

2 Tbsp. pure cane syrup or honey

½ cup sweetened shredded coconut

Cinnamon sticks (for serving)

Preparation:

Step 1:

Blend one 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk, one 13.5-oz. can unsweetened coconut cream, one 13.5-oz. can unsweetened coconut milk, 6 oz. evaporated milk, 1 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg, 1 tsp. ground cinnamon, and 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, scraped, or 1 Tbsp. vanilla bean paste in a blender on medium-high 2 minutes. With the motor running, pour in 1¼ cups white rum; blend 30 seconds. Transfer to a glass container, cover, and chill at least 3 hours and up to 2 weeks.

Step 2:

To make cocktails, pour 2 Tbsp. pure cane syrup or honey on a plate; place ½ cup sweetened shredded coconut on another plate. Working one at a time, press rims of six to eight 4–6-oz. glasses (chilled if desired) into syrup, then coconut, shaking off excess. Divide coquito among glasses and garnish each with a cinnamon stick.

By Inés Anguiano

Photograph By Isa Zapata, Food Styling By Thu Buser, Prop Styling By Marina Bevilacqua Inés Anguiano

This article was not sponsored or supported by a third-party. A Cocktail Moment is not affiliated with any individuals or companies depicted here. 

Vanilla Bean, Nutmeg, and Rosemary-Scented Scones

Spiced Poppy Seed Cake with Almond Buttercream Frosting

1½ cups unbleached, all-purpose flour

1½ cups white whole wheat flour

1 Tbsp. baking powder

¼ cup cornstarch

1 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

1 tsp. cinnamon

⅛ tsp. cardamom

6 large eggs, separated, at room temperature

½ tsp cream of tartar

2 sticks (1 cup) salted butter, at room temperature

2 cups sugar

½ cup honey

2 cups milk, at room temperature

2 Tbsp. vinegar

1 Tbsp. almond extract

½  cup poppy seeds

Frosting:

3 sticks (1½ cups) salted butter, at room temperature

7½ cups powdered sugar

1½ tsp. vanilla extract

1½ tsp. almond extract

6 Tbsp. half-and-half, plus more if needed

poppy seeds for sprinkling

Preheat oven to  350. Grease three 9" round cake pans with shortening; line the bottoms with parchment.

Sift the flours, baking powder, cornstarch, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cardamom together. Set aside.

With the whisk attachment of a stand mixer, whip the egg whites with the cream of tartar on high speed until soft peaks form. Set aside.

In another bowl, use the paddle attachment to cream together the butter, sugar, and honey until light and fluffy. On low speed, add the egg yolks one at a time, beating after each addition. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl and beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy.

In a bowl, combine the milk, vinegar, and almond extract. (Don't worry if it curdles.)

Add the dry mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk/vinegar mixture. Mix lightly, between additions, just until combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of bowl as needed.

Fold in the poppy seeds, then fold in the whipped egg whites in three additions. (Re-whip the egg whites first if they have separated.)

Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until done. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then remove to wire cooling racks. Once the cakes are cool enough to handle, but still warm, wrap in plastic wrap, then in foil and freeze overnight, or until you're ready to frost.

Cream the butter and powdered sugar together using the paddle attachment of a stand mixer until it forms a thick "paste." Beat in the vanilla and almond extracts, then the half-and-half. Beat until fully combined. Add more half-and-half as needed to get to a fluffy consistency.  Beat until fluffy and no lumps remain.

Enjoying an Autumnal beverage this afternoon.

1 Tbsp butter 1 Tbsp brown sugar 1 Regular marshmallow 1 Cup Milk (regular, almond, oat, anything you choose) 1 tsp Vanilla Extract Cinnamon and Nutmeg to taste 2 espresso shots (only if you desire the caffeine, otherwise add more milk) -Melt the butter down with the brown sugar until combined, then add the marshmallow; make sure the marshmallow is completely melted down together with the butter and brown sugar. -Pour in milk, vanilla extract, nutmeg and cinnamon and stir until the milk is heated to your preferred temperature. If you want espresso, have it made prior to making the milk mixture. If you didn't want espresso, just make sure you use more milk instead.

Sidenote: If you'd like, you can make a small batch of whipped topping. All you need to do is pour a little heavy whipping cream into a cup or bowl, add flavorings of your choice (in this I would have a touch of brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla), and then blend it with a milk frother. Spoon it out on top for a delicious topping!

it's not even that i don't think milk toast could be good. i haven't personally tried it, but after looking it up i've seen plenty of preparations that sound like they'd be decent, if not pretty good. the one that calls for you to submerge a single slice of lightly buttered & salted toast in a bowl of hot milk with no other seasonings is by far the saddest & soggiest version i have encountered, however

I'm jumping more onto the Poppy Playtime bandwagon, especially since the Smiling Critters were introduced for Chapter 3 ^.^✨ I really liked the look of them, along with their cartoon teaser that Mob Entertainment released - adorable with a creepy turn at the end 🫣 I really like the look of all the critters but the one I took a shine to the most, was the cheery ray of sunshine (literally😁) and leader - DogDay~🐶☀️I just love his personality and how positive he is, no matter what he and the others get up to in the cartoon >w< Which has inspired me to create a Smiling Critter of my own - so without further ado...meet DeerDelight~!🦌🦋 DeerDelight lives for drama and poetry. Being the most expressive of the critters, she is passionate in her words and believes with the right moves, you can soar on the wings of a butterfly. But performing arts isn't the only thing DeerDelight has her heart set on - DogDay. Eeeyup, you all heard right~😜I am shipping her with DogDay (y'all can't stop me, jk~)💘I can see their relationship inspired by Zipp & Blossom from the 1986 cartoon, The Bluffers (raise ya hand if anyone remembers that show✋🏻I sure do!) Hamtaro x Bijou, Bambi x Faline with a dash of Jack x Sally and Kermit x Miss. Piggy😚 As you can see above, DeerDelight fell for DogDay the moment she laid eyes on him, and has been deeply in love with him ever since~💓 She would do anything for him, believing how magnificent her ray of sunshine is in all he does (her words, not mine🤭) as she looks up to him like the other critters do~ Some of the critters find this funny or cute, or even romantic - especially to Bobby Bearhug~ DogDay is sort of aware of DeerDelight's romantic feelings for him, although he can be a bit sheepish about it now and again, wondering why DeerDelight is quite clingy and very expressive around him (along with her poems and secret love letters about him💌) but he does like her all the same and gradually warms up to her over time. Meaning there is a possibility he'll finally return her feelings one day~🌹(As DeerDelight truly hopes, only time will tell~😉) You'll usually find DeerDelight hanging out with CraftyCorn, since their both artistic critters as they express their passions and sometimes, CraftyCorn likes to draw DeerDelight posing dramatically on her favourite drama couch (inspired by Rarity's own) that DeerDelight likes to use when times get dramatic (and sometimes lets the others sit on it too) Although she can be dramatic most of the time, DeerDelight is a warm and friendly critter to be around with~😌 Wow...😗I wrote more than I planned to!😆Still, hope you all like, my lovelies and enjoy!😊👍🏻🫂Also, DogDay and DeerDelight's ship name will be... ...

🐶☀️~Vanilla💛💕🧡Nutmeg~🦋🦌 *~Reblogs are also deeply appreciated as well, so please do reblog as well as like! Thank-you kindly!~*

DogDay (c) Poppy Playtime/Mob Entertainment DeerDelight (c) @jade-green-butterfly (Me~!)

Honey and Nutmeg Porridge

On a cold morning, this Honey and Nutmeg Porridge, steaming in a deep bowl, makes a lovely breakfast. The warming flavours of honey and nutmeg are beautifully brightened up by the addition of fresh berries! Happy Thursday!

Ingredients (serves 1):

1/3 cup rolled oats

Nutmeg

1 cup semi-skimmed milk

½ teaspoon Homemade Vanilla Extract

2 teaspoons fragrant pure honey (like heather or Provence Flowers Honey)

fresh fruit, like blueberries or Red Currants, to garnish (optional)

more honey for drizzling

Spoon rolled oats in a medium saucepan. Grate in about 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg. Stir in milk and Vanilla Extract.

Heat over a low flame, stirring often until mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. Stir in honey until completely dissolved.

Remove porridge from the heat and spoon into serving bowl. Top with blueberries and Red Currants, if using, sprinkle with a grating of nutmeg, and drizzle with honey.

Enjoy Honey and Nutmeg Porridge immediately.

Sugar Plum Fairy Cupcakes

Crispy French Toast Sticks

Vegan Apple Oatmeal Sheet Cake

lrb has me awake at 2am thinking. I should make french toast. Just to show the world what’s possible