I love watching the Barefoot Contessa. She seems so relaxed, doesn’t she? Here’s one of her great dessert recipes, just perfect for this time of year!

Ina’s Lemon Yogurt Cake

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
• 1 1/3 cups sugar, divided
• 3 extra-large eggs
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

Glaze:

• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8 ½ by 4 ¼ by 2 ½-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it’s all incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Meanwhile, cook the ⅓ cup lemon juice and remaining ⅓ cup sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.

When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Cool.

For the glaze, combine the confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice and pour over the cake.

I am a huge fan of IT Cosmetics! I remember the first time I saw Jamie Kern on QVC. I immediately googled her because she looked so familiar. What a memory I have! She was on Season 1 of Big Brother! So that alone made me want to try her stuff.

Now listen to me ladies. If you have $38, and nothing else, you need to spend it on this primer! I have to force myself not to continuously touch my face. It is so stinkin’ soft!!! And my makeup? Flawless. Love, love, love, love, love!

From IT Cosmetics:

Revolutionary Anti-Aging, Sensory Treatment Skin Serum and Primer in one! A true sensory spa experience in a bottle! Caviar Extract, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Hyaluronic Acid, Peptides and Silk all work to nourish, hydrate, prep and prime the skin. Vitamins A, C & E, Deep Ocean Water, Argan, Jojoba and Avocado Oil infusions help to keep skin soft, supple and younger looking. Plus balancing essential oils allow you to take a deep breath and start your day and your skin off right!

You may be familiar with Junk Gypsy from their show on HGTV. It is a family business that started out at Flea Markets and now have a successful online business, as well as their own TV show! AND they are from Texas! Can you say “YEE-HAW”!!

My friend Sally recently showered me with birthday gifts from Junk Gypsy after a trip to Round Top, Texas. Round Top has a huge flea market only twice a year. Very similar to First Monday in Canton, which I love. I was just there with Sally a few weeks ago! If you are ever able to take a friend and go to either in Texas, DO IT! Or if you are in another area and have a fun flea market please go! It’s so much fun just to meet the vendors and see all the merchandise, whether you purchase anything or not.

Anyway, back to my post! So they are known as Junk Gypsy and their website is gypsyville.com. Here’s some of their adorable merch:

I am in love with this hoodie for $68!

And who doesn’t love this tshirt with the bandana sleeves! Adorbs!

I love coffee, and love the quote on this coffee mug: “Keep your eyes on the stars and the stars in your eyes”.  Perfect gift! Note the girl in the pic is wearing the hoodie I love too!

Guess whose getting this for Christmas?

The Junk Gypsy has clothing, boots, drink ware, keychains, kitchen items, boots, belts, jewelry, and so much more! I hope you find something you can’t live without!

Recently, and very last minute, I was asked to babysit my granddogs while my son and my future daughter-in-law went out of town. I’m pretty insistent that Ranger, my son’s dog, who is sort of a Border Collie/Lab/rescue dog mix, be clean before he comes over. He is a lot like his dad, a real boy, and he likes to get really dirty! Plus he sheds like a mo-fo. The last time, there was no time for that, so he came over FILTHY. Lucky me.

So I did what any OCD/clean freak grandmother would do. For my son’s birthday, I purchased the Rapid Bath Pet Bathing System for my son. See above where it says, “cleans in three minutes guaranteed”. No more excuses! And the great part? It was under $19 for the system!

It’s like a car wash for your dog. I especially like that the dog doesn’t have to get in a tube and make a huge mess just to get him clean. Matthew said he would use it at the dog park. I told him if he was smart he could set up a stand and wash all the dogs there for a fee! I’m always thinking of get rich quick ideas.

From Hydrosurge:

• Bathe your dog in 3 minutes or less!; Patented InjectAir technology automatically draws shampoo and oxygen into the water
• Requires no pre-wetting and no hand scrubbing
• Provides a relaxing massaging action spray your dog will love
• Provides a bathing experience pets and owners will love.
• Includes nozzle and one 2 oz. shampoo cartridge

I also purchased an extra 3-pack of Ultra Cleaning Animal Shampoo Cartridges, so my son will have no excuses! The information states that each cartridge is enough for 2-4 dog baths and the initial kit comes with one cartridge. The cartridges come in the following formulas:

• Ultra cleaning (naturally the one I purchased)
• Deodorizing
• Shine and White
• Hypo-Allergenic
• Oatmeal Soothing

I purchased through Amazon, but from a quick online search, you can purchase the cartridges at Petco or Walmart for a lot less than the Amazon price.

I’m not sure if this was Matthew’s favorite birthday gift, but it certainly was mine!