Lucky Cupcakes {Happy St. Patty's}

I'm posting a holiday treat before the actual holiday....It's a miracle!
These are dark chocolate cupcakes with creme de menthe frosting.
The little bows and shamrocks are made from gumpaste and then lightly brushed with edible Luster Dust.

To make the shamrocks:
-Roll a small amount of gumpaste into a ball.
-Put ball onto working surface & press down until you have a nice, plump disc.
-Use a toothpick to notch about a 1/3 of the way in. Repeat process on the opposite side of the first notch. Then repeat on top and bottom of the disc.
-Pick up the disc & roll the toothpick between each notch (rounding the petals a bit).
-Add a small tapered gumpaste rope for the stem.
TA DA!

Agave & Vanilla Roasted Walnuts

I'm back...I hope! I've been MIA on and off for the last couple of months and I continue to get e-mails asking where I've gone...thanks :) I'm recovering for a 2nd spout of an icky virus that has been going around. Anyway, enough of that and on to the good stuff!

Around here, we try to eat healthy as much as possible (except on Sundays when we have our "family" get togethers & eat whatever we want). I like to have some healthy treats to cure the sweet tooth during the week. Today I made Vanilla Roasted Walnuts sweetened with Agave. It is a simple & delicious recipe from one of my {gluten-free} favs, Elana's Pantry. Look at those yummy little vanilla bean specks. I'm going to try this will other nuts, like pecans & almonds. This recipe goes together pretty quickly, so it makes a good last minute gift. I'm making some for "Thank You" gifts.

What Happened?!

Yikes!!!!!!!!!!!!! My blog has been changed mysteriously. I looked at it yesterday and somehow today all of my preferences & graphics are gone :( I know I downloaded my settings somewhere....

I hope to be back to normal in a couple days.

Obsession

Like many others, I've been OBSESSED with making these flowers. It started this past summer and grew from there. My favorite was a headband I made with some vintage lace and other fabric. Then I made a bunch for Christmas, which is why I'm now getting them on the blog. I have a few more that I didn't get pics of...they were all coordinating for Christmas with my moms & sisters & niece. Maybe I'll get a pic the next time I visit.

There are plenty of tutorials out there. If I would have waited a few months, then I wouldn't have had to figure things out for myself, but oh well! Here are some links to free tutorials:
Everyday Chaos
Sis Bloom
Once you have the flowers down, then you can make this:
Scientific Seamstress

Hello January!

It is hard to believe that it is already January and already a New Year. Most people blogged about it in the first few days...but I'm just a little late.

No big resolutions on my list. I have a goal to strengthen my spirituality, among other things. My new job at church is Camp Director for the young women. In our area, the camp program is year round and the girls are certified before they go to camp. I'm excited to be back with my girls, after a 5-month break (when we switched wards). My goal is to bring a little fashion into camping...I was one of those girls that brought a butane powered curling to my first year of camp. I think it will make camping more fun for those who aren't die hard fans. Of course, it is not the top priority (survival and spirituality come first).

So Hello January! We are one month closer to some real warmth.

Easy, Cute & Fragile

You've probably seen some style of Shrinky Dink rings floating around the blog world (there are several tutorials). I made some a while ago when I first spotted them. I somehow forgot why I only made a few, until I made a couple for stocking stuffers. My problem with these cute rings are that they are fragile and break easily. The rings can be worn for a short period of time as long as you aren't doing anything too active. I need to find a way to make them stronger...like a spray on something. Any ideas?

My Fav Way for Lemon Meringue

A yummy addition to a fun Girls Night! The recipe was absolutely perfect. Thanks, Martha! I've made lemon curd before for my award winning cake, though the recipe was slightly different the process was nearly the same. It was the first time I'd made seven-minute frosting, though. I really didn't know what to expect, but I liked how it turned out. It has a light, fluffy, glossy finish and torches perfectly. The flavor is very similar to a meringue (like on a lemon meringue pie), except I think I prefer the seven-minute frosting. These Lemon Meringue Cupcakes are labor intensive and well worth it.

The cupcake tags were really simple. I created them in Photoshop by creating a circle and adding the text on an arc (adjusting to the curve of the circle). Next I added a name in the middle and age behind it (adjusting the opacity to 50%). I flatten the image, then adjusted it to the size I wanted and filled the page. I was really wishing I knew where my circle punch was, but it is in a box somewhere...so I cut them out by hand. I added a pick and a feather with the good 'ole hot glue gun. I really wanted to have glitter on the black outer edge of the circle, but ran out of time (next time!).

Girls Night

Who doesn't love a good Girls Night? It is so fun to get to know other women on a more personal level. I've also learned a lot of new things. For instance, last night I learned that a peacocks bum is very soft! Not sure how that topic came up, but it was probably because we were making feathered hair pieces.

Every once and a while our Girls Night will include a craft. We were celebrating my friends bday that night and she had been wanting to make feather hair pieces for a while, so I thought it was a perfect time to do it. Even though our craft resources are slim over here (the closest Micheals is an hour away and that is if you don't hit a bridge opening/closing...which I never miss!), everything turned out. I pulled a lot out of my craft stash and then other people brought some supplies to add to the mix. It was a lot of fun.

Even non-crafters came to enjoy the food and conversation...two very essential parts to any successful Girls Night. The menu included Spinach Salad in Parmesan Frico Cups, Lemon Meringue Cupcakes, Tropical Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Sugar Chips, Cherry Bombs and a sweet friend brought yummy Peppermint Brownies. All of it was delicious!

Christmas Brulee

This was my second attempt at making Creme Brulee. The first was successful, but I didn't have the cute little ramekins or a high powered torch. I used a glass 9" round baking dish and a butane torch.

This time I had new little ramekins (from World Market) and a propane torch. I would recommend both! My hunny really liked helping on the torching part. I think this will become a tradition at my inlaws. We all loved it!

The recipe I used is compliments of Alton Brown. The only change I made was using half and half instead of cream. No one noticed :). A quick tip is to save the vanilla bean pod to make vanilla sugar.

Happy Torching!

Indoor Photography

I've done a lot of photography since the end of summer. I've come to a conclusion that I do not enjoy shooting in the winter time, because it is too cold and gloomy. I love shooting outdoors, so winter time has forced me to practice indoor shots.

Since we don't have little kiddos running around at my house, I use the next best thing...our dogs. My little girl dog loves the camera and is a great model (she must take after me). Our boy dog doesn't really care and usually doesn't pose for me, so I stick to my girl.

Last month I pulled out my flash that I got when I was 16. It works great on my DSLR. I'm still learning on getting the best shots indoor, but I'm getting better! I learn a lot from flickr forums and blogs. I also try to apply some of the things I learned when I was younger. The best advice I can give is to learn the basics, then play. Whenever I have a question I search the blogs and usually find my answer! My favorite place for the basics is Pioneer Women. There is also a wealth of information about cameras & lenses on Ken Rockwell's site.

I'm Back!

After a bit of a hiatus, I'm back & ready to blog! Since my posting in November, we finished the remodel project on our new house (the contractors left 2 days before Thanksgiving!), hosted Thanksgiving with 19 people, put on a Church Christmas Party, made Christmas presents, spent time with both sides of the family for a couple days around Christmas and celebrated the New Year from our home. Add a couple photo shoots, work outs, etc and you've got my life for the last few months. I'm ready to slow down a little bit.

Whoville Ward Christmas Party

My husband and I were in charge of the Christmas Party at our church. It is quite an undertaking (especially without a committee). Luckily I had some great people in the kitchen and a wonderful person doing a program. The Elders Quorom put on "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas". The script had been altered to fit our area and the church. It was a hoot! Then we had a couple of musical numbers. The meal was sooo yummy, too. We heard many rave reviews for the next couple of weeks. I took my camera and went to take pictures, only to find I had no SD card in my camera!I took a pic of some of the decorations I made, before hand. I made all the decorations by hand by myself (never again!). I made several wreaths and swags (for the tables) in the same style. I got the idea from The Red Thread. All the bulbs on the wreaths were hand painted. The plan was to hand paint all of the bulbs (for the swags), but I ran out of time and energy. I also made paper snowflakes and we strung lights across the ceiling. I was happy with how everything looked and everyone had a good time.

Easy Fall Treat

November is really here, now! Most of you are probably coming off of a sugar high, so a sweet treat may not be something your craving. Maybe in a week or two? I was thinking they might be a good addition to Thanksgiving, but they would be good anytime :)

These are Ginger & Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwiches, that Sandra Lee would be proud of.
You need 3 ingredients; Anna's Ginger Thins, Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, & Chocolate Jimmies. The Ginger Thins are perfect for ice cream sandwiches, because they are thin and almost graham cracker like...which helps the cookie to absorb the moisture from the ice cream making the cookies soften slightly. It is very reminiscent of a classic ice cream sandwich, but with a flavor twist!
-Start by allowing the ice cream to soften. If it is too hard it will break the cookies. If it is too soft, then you will have a mess and the majority of the ice cream will end up outside of the cookies.
-Next, take a Ginger Thin and plop a big scoop of ice cream in the middle of the cookie.
-Top it with another cookie and lightly press down until the ice cream hits the edges.
-Roll in chocolate jimmies or any crunchy topping of your choice.
-Cover and freeze overnight.

Vote for Chicken Ka-Ching!

Well, I decided to enter a favorite recipe of mine into the French's Cook-off 2009. I've been waiting for an e-mail to say that my recipe had been accepted and somehow I overlooked it! However, they haven't approved my picture yet. So let me give you two reasons to

vote for me:

The great thing is that I don't think you have to register to vote! If you would be so kind and follow this link: http://www.frenchs.com/Contest/recipe/chicken-kaching-1885.html

and press the 'VOTE NOW' button on the left, I would greatly appreciate it. I've included the recipe on this post, because the French's site didn't post my recipe in the same format it was written. Please enjoy!

CHICKEN KA-CHING!

3 tbsp FRENCH'S® Classic Yellow® Mustard

1.5 tbsp Agave Nectar (or honey)

1 tsp Paprika

1 tsp Onion Powder

1 lb (or 6 pieces) Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast Tenders

3 oz (3 slices) Ham Lunch Meat Slices (found in rectangular package)

1 cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

1 tsp Steak Seasoning (I use Kirkland Signature Brand)

- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a glass baking dish lined with tin foil.

- In a small bowl, mix together the mustard, agave, paprika & onion powder.

- Cut each slice of ham into four equal pieces (lengthwise). You should have twelve pieces of ham, when finished.

- Next, pound the chicken to 1/4 inch thickness. Slice each tender in half (lengthwise). You should have twelve pieces of chicken, when finished.

- Take one piece of chicken and spread approximately 1/2 tsp. of the mustard mixture across the entire piece. Then add a piece of ham on top of that, followed by approximately 1 TBSP. mozzarella cheese sprinkled on top of the ham from one end to the other.

- Proceed by rolling up the chicken, starting at the larger end. Place a toothpick in the end, to hold the roll together during baking. When rolling up the chicken, cheese will fall to the side. Use that cheese on top of the roll.

- Set the finished rolls into a prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with Steak Seasoning.

- Bake covered for 15-20 minutes. You will know the chicken is done, once it has turned white and the cheese has melted. Remove the cover and broil on high until the cheese bubbles.

**You can remove the toothpicks when finished baking. I usually leave them in, because it makes them easy to pick up and eat!**

My First Baking Contest!

This past Saturday, I entered and won my first Baking Contest. It was a fun experience. I made a Vanilla Bean Butter Cake with a Lemon Curd & Blackberry filling and topped with Vanilla Bean Buttercream. I made everything myself, including the gumpaste decorations. I could have easily covered the cake in fondant, but I decided to challenge myself and finished it with buttercream.

Review: Crepe Paper Rose Kit (ala Martha)

Yesterday, I saw the Martha Stewart Crepe Paper Rose Kit in the store on clearance. I have to admit that it is the only time I would buy a kit from her brand, because they are over priced and you can get the instructions online for free. The price I paid would probably cover the cost of the materials, so I decided to try the kit out.

I was optimistic at first, because it was relatively easy and looked like it would turn out. Enter floral tape. This is the option for attaching the petals. I understand that when you stretch floral tape, it gets sticky. So I thought it might work. It didn't. The kit came with a little bottle of glue, which seemed to be nice and I tried using it to assist in attaching the petals. That definitely didn't work. The glue was very watery and made the paper saturated without any sticking power. I finally got all the petals put together with the floral tape...at least enough to take a picture. It easily fell apart with little handling.

So the Pros- bright & high quality crepe paper, templates & Cons- watered down glue, poor assembly. I will make more soon, but use a hot glue gun next time :) It is totally worth the clearance price, but I would not pay the full price (around $10).

Over at one of my fav blogs, The Glittered Nest, you can find some beautiful crepe paper rose corsages! I love the addition of stamens. She is so creative...why can't she be my neighbor?

Mama's Bacon Smokies

Look fast, because these little guys disappear quickly! My mom has been making these for years and years. I have no idea where she got the recipe, but they are super easy. They make great party food.

Take a 1lb. package of bacon and cut the slices into thirds. Next, you'll need a 1lb. package of Little Smokies & some toothpicks. Wrap one piece of bacon around each little smokie and insert a toothpick to hold it together. Place the little bacon smokie (seam side down) on a cookie sheet lined with foil. Once all smokies are on the cookie sheet, then sprinkle with a good amount of brown sugar (approx. 1/2 cup). Make sure you sprinkle on the tops of the bacon and let some fall to the tray. Bake @ 350 degrees for 45 minutes. The brown sugar with caramelize on the bacon and make it delicious!

New Photo Props

I'm starting to take a lot more portraits lately. Last month I took some adorable pictures of a young woman from church. She was so sweet and it was a lot of fun. This week, I have some seniors lined up :) I can hardly sleep at nights thinking about it! I have a lot of ideas for locations and props...some that I have, some that I need and some that I have that need a little work.

Today, I set out to find an umbrella....you know the classic "Singin' in the Rain" kind? I feel like I hit the jack pot today! I went to a huge rummage sale and found exactly what I was looking for. To top it off, it was a beautiful, bright red. I also found a little vintage point and shoot. It is a Kodak Magimatic, circa 1970. I think it is adorable and just had to snag some pics of my new found treasures.

Quick & Easy Roasted Corn

One of our favorite foods at the fair is Roasted Corn...anyone else? It is easy to replicate at home if you fire up the grill. If that isn't an option...like your new grill is still packed in its box waiting to be assembled...well there's no need to fret. Just stick the ears of corn (on some tinfoil) in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes and bam! you've got some tasty corn on the cob. It is a quick & easy addition to any meal lunch or dinner. Plus there is no shucking/big mess before hand. The husks peal right off after being roasted. Then you can slather with butter & spices of choice.





P.S. It was delicious.

Strawberita!

All sorts of new flavor combos this week. Last week, I was looking at a Paula Deen magazine while visiting my mom and found a couple recipes I wanted to try. I actually made these cupcakes on Sunday. Originally, they were suppose to be Simply Delicious Strawberry (cup)Cakes, but I didn't have strawberry gelatin on hand. So I had to make a change and go with lime gelatin...like a strawberry margarita (w/o any alcohol). I wasn't 100% happy with how they turned out. The frosting was runnier than usual, because of the strawberry puree. Everyone that tried them liked them, but I don't think they looooved them. They are definitely different and I think I would be more of a lover of the flavors (if I could eat them). Lime is a favorite of mine. So if you have an itch for a Strawberita!, then here is the recipe (very slightly modified from the original)-

Ingredients:

1 (18.25-ounce) box white cake mix
1 (3-ounce) box lime-flavored instant gelatin
1 (15-ounce) package frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed and pureed
4 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water

Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (10-ounce) package frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed and pureed
1/2 teaspoon strawberry extract
7 cups confectioners’ sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake pan.

In a large bowl, combine cake mix and gelatin. Add pureed strawberries, eggs, oil, and water; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Pour into prepared pans, and bake for 20 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.

For the frosting:
In a large bowl, beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Beat in 1/4 cup of the strawberry puree and the vanilla extract. (The rest of the puree is leftover but can be used in smoothies or on ice cream for a delicious treat.) Gradually add confectioners’ sugar, beating until smooth.