tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83770032915637608682024-03-13T13:49:32.894-07:00Creativity Is...An exploration of the forms in which creativity finds itself expressed in the cozy little place I call home.Lori Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08980707561105874902noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377003291563760868.post-20574379935678206272014-02-14T11:54:00.002-07:002014-02-14T11:54:10.555-07:00Red Velvet Cupcakes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NrNperb3KgQ/Uv5k-Cmsb7I/AAAAAAAAAJc/kx5MDr7-G8w/s1600/Red+Velvet+Cupcakes+Trio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NrNperb3KgQ/Uv5k-Cmsb7I/AAAAAAAAAJc/kx5MDr7-G8w/s1600/Red+Velvet+Cupcakes+Trio.jpg" height="229" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
What says Valentine's Day better than Red Velvet Cupcakes? <br />
Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese frosting piped to look like a rose! <br />
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These cupcakes have a few steps to them, but if you really want to WOW your valentine, these cupcakes can't be beat. <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GUXMCW7sUzM/Uv5lA9W_JiI/AAAAAAAAAJs/nADHUGZD0w0/s1600/Red+Velvet+Cupcakes+Cut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GUXMCW7sUzM/Uv5lA9W_JiI/AAAAAAAAAJs/nADHUGZD0w0/s1600/Red+Velvet+Cupcakes+Cut.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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I'll be honest, though. My husband doesn't get super excited about red velvet. I made these more for me than for him. With that said, he still thought these cupcakes were delicious! <br />
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<br />
<u><strong>Red Velvet Cupcakes with Ganache Filling and Cream Cheese Frosting</strong></u><br />
<br />
<strong>Ganache Filling:</strong><br />
Note: I prepared my ganache the day before making the cupcakes, so it had time to firm up in the fridge overnight. <br />
<br />
1/2 C heavy whipping cream<br />
1 C semisweet chocolate chips<br />
<br />
1. Place chocolate chips in a heat-proof bowl. Set aside. <br />
2. In a small saucepan, heat the heavy whipping cream over low heat. Cook until bubbles just start to form around the edges of the pan. DO NOT bring to a boil. *You can do this in the microwave if you prefer, but it's impossible to see through the "window" of my microwave, so I always end up overheating the cream when I try. <br />
3. As soon as the cream is ready, pour over the chocolate. Quickly cover the bowl with foil. <br />
4. Let sit for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, mix the chocolate and cream mixture, using a whisk, until fully combined. The result will be a shiny, smooth chocolately ganache. <br />
5. Refrigerate until ready to use. <br />
<br />
<strong>Cupcakes:</strong><br />
1 box Betty Crocker Red Velvet Cake Mix<br />
1 1/2 C Water<br />
1/2 C Vegetable Oil<br />
3 Eggs<br />
1/4 C Sour Cream<br />
1 3.4oz package vanilla pudding<br />
<br />
1. Preheat oven to 350.<br />
2. Combine all ingredients and mix until well blended. Do not over beat.<br />
3. Fill lined cupcake tins about 2/3 full each with batter. <br />
4. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean, with just one or two crumbs. <br />
5. Transfer cupcakes to wire rack to cool. <br />
<br />
While cupcakes are cooling, prepare the frosting. <br />
<br />
<strong>Cream Cheese Frosting:</strong><br />
8 oz Cream Cheese, softened.<br />
1/2 C Butter, softened<br />
1 tsp Vanilla Extract<br />
3 1/2 - 4 C Powdered Sugar<br />
1-3 Tbsp Heavy Whipping Cream<br />
<br />
1. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine cream cheese and butter. Whip for about 2 minutes, pausing to scrape down the sides of the bowl periodically. <br />
2. Add vanilla extract, and beat until combined. <br />
3. 1 Cup at a time, add powdered sugar. Beat until combined after each addition, scraping down the sides of the bowl before adding more. <br />
4. When powdered sugar is all mixed in, add the cream, 1 tbsp. at a time, until desired consistency is reached. If you will be piping, leave the frosting on the thicker side. <br />
<br />
<strong>ASSEMBLY:</strong><br />
1. Cut a small hole in each cupcake. <br />
2. Scoop a small amount of ganache into the hole.<br />
3. Cover ganache with the removed cupcake piece. <br />
4. To frost the cupcakes like a rose, fit a piping bag with a large star or flower tip. I used Wilton 1M tip.<br />
5. Fill the piping bag with prepared frosting. <br />
6. Starting from the center of the cupcake, slowly pipe a swirl of frosting on the cupcake. <br />
<br />
<strong>DECORATIONS</strong><br />
1. For the decorations, I found some Red Velvet Candy Melts on sale after Christmas. If you can't find any, regular Red Candy Melts will work just as well. <br />
2. Melt the candy melts according to package directions. Place the melted candy in a small zip bag or pastry bag. Cut a small hole in the end of the bag. <br />
3. I found pictures of hearts online that I like, and printed them on regular printer paper. I laid a piece of parchment paper over the printer paper, then traced over the designs with the candy. I made WAY more toppers than I needed, knowing that some wouldn't look as good, and some might break if they are too fragile. For more fragile designs, it helps to go over it a few times to make the candy thicker.<br />
4. Place a candy decoration on top of each cupcake.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BkoHf2XW2NY/Uv5k_80OH4I/AAAAAAAAAJo/vLt1Ei460aE/s1600/Red+Velvet+Cupcakes+Single.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BkoHf2XW2NY/Uv5k_80OH4I/AAAAAAAAAJo/vLt1Ei460aE/s1600/Red+Velvet+Cupcakes+Single.jpg" height="320" width="244" /></a></div>
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Let me know if you make these. I'd love to see how yours turn out! Lori Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08980707561105874902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377003291563760868.post-74836957032326731402014-02-13T13:33:00.001-07:002014-02-13T13:33:53.863-07:00Strawberry Heart Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sLAnam0QjrA/Uv0rixnnoRI/AAAAAAAAAJI/REp9CoZ6KIc/s1600/Strawberry+Heart+Cake+Cut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sLAnam0QjrA/Uv0rixnnoRI/AAAAAAAAAJI/REp9CoZ6KIc/s1600/Strawberry+Heart+Cake+Cut.jpg" height="320" width="198" /></a></div>
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I've come to terms with the fact that there just isn't anything manly about Valentine's Day. Sure, they might sell giant gummy fish and Duck Dynasty Valentine cards now, but when you want to make your sweetie something yourself, it's pretty near impossible to have it represent both Valentine's Day and anything that isn't extremely girly. <br />
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So this year, I've decided to just embrace it. <br />
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I made this yummy Strawberry Cake with Marshmallow Crème Frosting. Is it manly? No. Did my man love it? Yes! <br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rkKpUEbBBLY/Uv0rir76Z0I/AAAAAAAAAJM/M3s7_qic0tY/s1600/Strawberry+Heart+Cake+Cut+Upright.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rkKpUEbBBLY/Uv0rir76Z0I/AAAAAAAAAJM/M3s7_qic0tY/s1600/Strawberry+Heart+Cake+Cut+Upright.jpg" height="320" width="193" /></a></div>
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<strong><u>Strawberry Heart Cake with Marshmallow Crème Frosting</u></strong><br />
<br />
<strong>Cupcakes:</strong><br />
1 box Betty Crocker Strawberry Cake Mix<br />
1 1/2 C Water<br />
1/2 C Vegetable Oil<br />
3 Eggs<br />
1/3 C Marshmallow Fluff<br />
<br />
1. Preheat oven to 350.<br />
2. Combine all ingredients and mix until well blended. Do not over beat.<br />
3. Fill 4" round cake pans about 2/3 full.<br />
4. With remaining batter, fill lined cupcake tins about 2/3 full.<br />
4. Bake 4" cakes for 20-25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean, with just one or two crumbs. Bake cupcakes for 12-15 minutes.<br />
5. Transfer cakes to wire rack to cool. <br />
<br />
While cupcakes are cooling, prepare the frosting. <br />
<br />
<strong>Marshmallow Crème Frosting:</strong><br />
1 C Marshmallow Fluff<br />
1/2 C Butter, softened<br />
3 1/2 - 4 C Powdered Sugar<br />
1-3 Tbsp Heavy Whipping Cream<br />
<br />
1. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine marshmallow fluff and butter. Whip for about 2 minutes, pausing to scrape down the sides of the bowl periodically. <br />
2. 1 Cup at a time, add powdered sugar. Beat until combined after each addition, scraping down the sides of the bowl before adding more. <br />
3. When powdered sugar is all mixed in, add the cream, 1 tbsp. at a time, until desired consistency is reached. If you will be piping, leave the frosting on the thicker side. <br />
<br />
<strong>ASSEMBLY/DECORATING:</strong><br />
1. Level cakes with a bread knife or cake leveler.<br />
2. Assemble the cake by placing one cake layer on a cake stand, then a layer of frosting, then cake, etc. Until all cake layers have been stacked. <br />
3. Frost the top and sides of the cake.<br />
4. Using a heart-shaped cookie cutter as a guide, add sprinkles in the shape of a heart to the top of the cake.Lori Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08980707561105874902noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377003291563760868.post-62572452500618926612014-02-05T21:11:00.001-07:002014-02-05T21:11:38.982-07:00Orange Nutella Swirl MuffinsHappy World Nutella Day, everyone! <br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ayItLPzYH48/UvLHCxTz6YI/AAAAAAAAAH8/xHpphFBrAd8/s1600/World_Nutella_Day_Final_m-300x207.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ayItLPzYH48/UvLHCxTz6YI/AAAAAAAAAH8/xHpphFBrAd8/s1600/World_Nutella_Day_Final_m-300x207.jpg" /></a></div>
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Don't know what World Nutella Day is? It's a day set aside for the celebration of Nutella! <br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SXaOi5jGJp8/UvMLLmXPEBI/AAAAAAAAAIM/l8380jPasb8/s1600/Orange+Nutella+Swirl+Muffins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SXaOi5jGJp8/UvMLLmXPEBI/AAAAAAAAAIM/l8380jPasb8/s1600/Orange+Nutella+Swirl+Muffins.jpg" height="238" width="320" /></a></div>
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In honor of this grand celebration of chocolatey hazelnut spread, I made some muffins. But they needed more than just Nutella. The great thing about Nutella is it's influence on other flavors. It make them sing! And one of my favorite flavor combinations, particularly for morning foods, like these muffins, is chocolate and orange. So I made Orange Nutella Swirl Muffins. And they are delicious. <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iQ8sJguujrY/UvMLLIS2v-I/AAAAAAAAAII/CoMdFSLn2T8/s1600/Orange+Nutella+Swirl+Muffins+Bite.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iQ8sJguujrY/UvMLLIS2v-I/AAAAAAAAAII/CoMdFSLn2T8/s1600/Orange+Nutella+Swirl+Muffins+Bite.jpg" height="320" width="238" /></a></div>
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These muffins are extra great because of how easy they are to make. I've got a lot going on this month, so I didn't have time to slave away over some nutella treat. These muffins start with Bisquick, which means you have no excuse for not making them. In other words, go make them! You won't be sorry. <br />
<br />
<br />
Orange Nutella Swirl Muffins<br />
1/2 C Orange juice<br />
Zest of one orange (about 2 tsp)<br />
1/4 C Milk<br />
2 Tbsp Vegetable oil<br />
1 Egg<br />
2 C Bisquick mix<br />
1/3 C Sugar<br />
1/4 C Nutella<br />
<br />
1. Preheat oven to 400f.<br />
2. In a large bowl, combine orange juice, zest, milk, oil and egg. Mix well. <br />
3. Stir in sugar and Bisquick mix, just until combined. Do not over mix. <br />
4. Prepare muffin cups by placing a cupcake liner in each cup, then spray with cooking spray. (Yes, both. Muffins have a tendency to stick much more than cupcakes)<br />
5. Spoon batter into muffin cups, dividing evenly between 12 cups. <br />
6. Place nutella in a ziplock bag. Snip off one end, and swirl on top of muffin batter. Drag a toothpick through the nutella to create a swirl. <br />
7. Bake in preheated oven 13-15 minutes.<br />
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Enjoy!Lori Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08980707561105874902noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377003291563760868.post-52101367151308622142014-02-01T08:00:00.000-07:002014-02-01T08:00:02.962-07:00Peanut Butter Birthday CupcakesFor my hubby's birthday last year, I sent these bad boys in to work with him. Let me tell you, they were a hit!<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lDyJycz1XaE/Uhk9bt1hKGI/AAAAAAAAAFM/YcXQeZMaHWc/s1600/DSCN1189.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lDyJycz1XaE/Uhk9bt1hKGI/AAAAAAAAAFM/YcXQeZMaHWc/s320/DSCN1189.JPG" height="262" width="320" /></a></div>
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They were inspired by Confessions of a Cookbook Queen <a href="http://www.confessionsofacookbookqueen.com/2010/05/cupcake-cupcake-toppers/">Cupcake Cupcake Toppers</a>. I thought the peanut butter from the PB Cups should be carried through the whole cupcake, though. </div>
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Recipe: </div>
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Chocolate Cupcake:</div>
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1 box Betty Crocker Devil's Food Cake Mix</div>
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Ingredients called for on box</div>
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1/2 C Sour Cream</div>
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1 small (3.4 oz) box chocolate pudding mix</div>
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</div>
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare cupcake tins by lining them with cupcake wrappers.</div>
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Mix all ingredients together, just until combined. Fill cupcake tins about 2/3 full. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Place pans on wire rack to cool for 10 minutes before removing cupcakes from pans. </div>
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</div>
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While cupcakes cool, prepare peanut butter frosting.</div>
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Frosting: </div>
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1/2 C butter</div>
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1/2 C peanut butter</div>
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1 lb powdered sugar</div>
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1-3 tbsp. heavy whipping cream</div>
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Cream together butter and peanut butter. Slowly add powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Add heavy whipping cream, 1 tbsp. at a time, until desired consistency is reached. </div>
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Frost cupcakes and add sprinkles, if desired. Unwrap 24 Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (or more, if batter yielded extra cupcakes; mine often does). Add small swirl of frosting to each PB cup, then place on top of a frosted cupcake. </div>
Lori Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08980707561105874902noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377003291563760868.post-15322408968587224332014-01-29T17:39:00.005-07:002014-01-29T23:18:51.014-07:00Apple Coconut Banana Bread<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Pj9SsPkkACI/UumZfvTOa-I/AAAAAAAAAFc/F-OTNVAGIzo/s1600/Apple+Coconut+Banana+Bread.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Pj9SsPkkACI/UumZfvTOa-I/AAAAAAAAAFc/F-OTNVAGIzo/s1600/Apple+Coconut+Banana+Bread.jpg" height="309" width="320" /></a></div>
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I don't normally love coconut. Other than Magic Cookie Bars, I prefer my coconut on someone else's food. But this... This is some GOOD banana bread.<br />
<br />
I was inspired by Our Best Bite's <a href="http://www.ourbestbites.com/2010/04/coconut-banana-bread-with-lime-glaze/">Lime Coconut Banana Bread</a>. I used my favorite banana bread recipe, from my Betty Crocker Cookbook. I happened to have some cut up apple that needed used up, but thought it needed a little something extra. That's where the coconut comes in!<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hiFXx53odCk/UumZiSplq3I/AAAAAAAAAFk/9gHcmb6NdpY/s1600/Apple+Coconut+Banana+Bread+Cut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hiFXx53odCk/UumZiSplq3I/AAAAAAAAAFk/9gHcmb6NdpY/s1600/Apple+Coconut+Banana+Bread+Cut.jpg" height="320" width="271" /></a></div>
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Recipe:<br />
1 1/4 cups
sugar <o:p></o:p><br />
1/2 cup
butter or margarine, softened <o:p></o:p><br />
2 eggs <o:p></o:p><br />
1 1/2 cups mashed
very ripe bananas (about 3 medium) <o:p></o:p><br />
1/2 cup
buttermilk <o:p></o:p><br />
1 teaspoon
vanilla <o:p></o:p><br />
2 1/2 cups
all-purpose flour <o:p></o:p><br />
1 teaspoon
baking soda <o:p></o:p><br />
1 teaspoon
salt <o:p></o:p><br />
1 large
Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced<br />
1/4 C butter<br />
1/2 tbsp. apple pie spice<br />
1/2 cup
coconut, plus 2 tbsp for topping<br />
<br />
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Glaze:<o:p></o:p></div>
1/2 cup
powdered sugar, whisked together with 1 tbsp apple syrup and 1 tbsp heavy
whipping cream<br />
<br />
Directions:<br />
Move oven rack to low position so that tops of pans will be in center of oven. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease bottoms only of 2 8½ x4½ loaf pans, or 1 9x5 loaf pan. <br />
<br />
In a medium sauce pan, melt 1/4 C butter over medium heat. Once melted, add apple chunks and apple pie spice. Saute for 5-7 minutes over medium heat, until apples are just tender. Set aside to cool while preparing banana bread batter.<br />
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Combine
sugar and butter in large bowl. Stir in eggs until well blended. Add bananas,
buttermilk and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt
just until moistened. Fold in apple and ½ cup coconut. Pour into pans. Sprinkle
remaining 2 tbsp coconut over top of batter. </div>
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Check after
40 minutes, covering with foil is coconut is getting browned. Bake 8-inch
loaves about 1 hour, 9-inch loaf about 1 1/4 hours, or until toothpick inserted
in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Loosen sides of loaves from pans;
remove from pans and place top side up on wire rack. Drizzle tops of loaves
with prepared glaze. Cool completely, about 2 hours, before slicing. </div>
Lori Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08980707561105874902noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377003291563760868.post-18932675075842518422012-10-24T08:00:00.000-07:002014-01-29T23:20:03.152-07:00Halloween Spiral Cookies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-M9Fuhf0B0Wc/UIGYvjU_yuI/AAAAAAAAAEc/jPDmWwYmNS0/s1600/October+2012+010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-M9Fuhf0B0Wc/UIGYvjU_yuI/AAAAAAAAAEc/jPDmWwYmNS0/s320/October+2012+010.JPG" height="277" width="320" /></a></div>
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For ages, I have been wanting to make these cookies from <a href="http://www.sprinklebakes.com/">Sprinkle Bakes</a>. Something about the bright, colorful spiral just makes me happy! I decided it was time to get to it, and since it's October, I made them candy corn colors. I love how they turned out! </div>
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Pop on over to her website for the <a href="http://www.sprinklebakes.com/2010/01/colorful-spiral-cookies.html">recipe</a>, they are just as tasty as they are beautiful. They aren't super sweet; they are more of a buttery cookie. They kind of reminded me of the Danish butter cookies you get in a tin around Christmas time. They are also super easy to make in a food processor. My only tip is to make sure they are very cold when you cut them. If you let them sit out at all, you'll end up with a squished spiral, which just isn't as fun. I also used a serrated knife to help prevent that. On one side, you can see the back and forth motion of cutting, so just make sure to put that side down, and you're fine! </div>
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If you end up making these, let me know. I'd love to see a picture of how yours turn out! </div>
Lori Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08980707561105874902noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377003291563760868.post-14429835951724988122012-10-17T08:00:00.000-07:002012-10-17T08:00:03.439-07:00Halloween CupcakesChocolate Graveyard Cupcakes!
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_XQCX779jyQk/TRDR259wNzI/AAAAAAAAAJw/p0stMelXjbk/s1600/November+010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_XQCX779jyQk/TRDR259wNzI/AAAAAAAAAJw/p0stMelXjbk/s320/November+010.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
These are super yummy. I used the Hershey's Chocolate Cupcake recipe (on the back of their cocoa powder box). The recipe is at the bottom, if you want it. Just a word of warning, when it says the batter is runny, they mean it! It is really, really runny. But don't worry, it's supposed to be, and they turn out delicious!<br />
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After making the chocolate cupcakes, I made a simple ganache (1.5 parts chocolate to 1 part heavy whipping cream) and used an injector to pipe it into the middle. Then I took a tub of cool whip, died it green and added just a little bit of peppermint extract. I frosted the cupcakes with that, and put some crushed up mint cookies on top.<br />
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Finally, I added a little gravestone for each cupcake. For those, I took some grasshopper cookies and cut them into the shape of tombstones (the extra parts I cut off worked out great for sprinkling on top), and wrote RIP on them. I happened to have orange frosting on hand, so that's what they got.<br />
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Chocolate Mint Cupcakes
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2 C sugar</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11pt;">1 </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="vertical-align: super;">3</span>/<span style="vertical-align: sub;">4</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11pt;"> C flour</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="vertical-align: super;">3</span>/<span style="vertical-align: sub;">4</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11pt;"> C cocoa powder</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11pt;">1 </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="vertical-align: super;">1</span>/<span style="vertical-align: sub;">2</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11pt;">tsp baking powder</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11pt;">1 </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="vertical-align: super;">1</span>/<span style="vertical-align: sub;">2</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11pt;"> tsp baking soda</span></div>
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1 tsp salt</div>
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2 eggs</div>
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1 C milk</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="vertical-align: super;">1</span>/<span style="vertical-align: sub;">2</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11pt;">C vegetable oil</span></div>
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2 tsp vanilla extract</div>
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1 C boiling water</div>
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Directions:</div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 11pt;">1. Heat over to 350</span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: super;">0</span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 11pt;">F. </span> L<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px;">ine 2 1/2 in. muffin cups with paper bake cups.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 11pt;"></span>2. Combine dry ingredients in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on med. speed 2 min. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour into pans. </div>
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3. Bake 22-25 min. or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 min.; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377003291563760868.post-82249306503636010582012-10-10T08:00:00.000-07:002012-10-10T08:00:08.933-07:00Chocolate Caramel Apple Slices<br />
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One of my personal favorite ways to eat an apple is in the form of caramel apples. Something about the sweet, sticky caramel combined with the juicy tartness of the apple makes for a perfect combination.<br />
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To make the apples easier to eat, I dipped individual slices rather than dipping the entire apple at once. If you frequent Pinterest at all, I am sure you’ve seen something similar to this. Some people, myself included, have had difficulty making these, because the caramel does not stick too well to the pre-cut apples. To overcome this I dipped the apple slices in chocolate first (which sticks without any problems), then drizzled caramel over the top. I made two different versions, but don’t feel limited by what I made.<br />
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The first, and my personal favorite, is similar to a turtle. For these, I dipped each apple slice in melted chocolate, allowed the chocolate to set, then drizzled some caramel over the top and sprinkled with chopped pecans.<br />
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The second kind is a chocolate peanut butter combination. To make these, I melted some chocolate candy melts, stirred in a spoonful of peanut butter, and dipped. The proportions are really up to you; start with a single spoonful of peanut butter, and add from there if you want a more distinct peanut butter taste. For decoration I also drizzled some melted peanut butter over the top. Unfortunately I did not get a picture of these, so you’ll just have to believe me when I say they were beautiful and delicious.<br />
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The possibilities of flavor combinations really are endless, limited only by your own imagination.Lori Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08980707561105874902noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377003291563760868.post-86195894009372145762012-10-03T08:00:00.001-07:002012-10-03T08:00:08.269-07:00Peanut Butter Brownie Bites<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I recently took a vacation to visit all my family back home in AZ. It was a wonderful trip, and I loved seeing everyone, but sometimes my family can be a little stressful. And normally when I'm stressed, I bake. But I couldn't, because I was staying with family; I didn't really feel like I could just commandeer my in-laws' kitchen. So once I got back to my own home, one of the first things I did was whip up these bad boys. They are the perfect combination of fudgy brownie and salty peanut butter.<br />
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They are also super easy to make. Simply bake your favorite brownies in a mini muffin tin. I used Duncan Hines box mix. Follow the instructions on the back of the box, and bake for 16 minutes. For half of the brownie bites, I placed half of a Hershey's dark chocolate candy on top immediately after removing the brownies from the oven. This allowed the heat of the brownies to melt the chocolate a bit. For the other half, I stirred in peanut butter chocolate chips. I don't know if you've seen them in the store, but they are a fun swirl chip, half peanut butter, half chocolate. You could also just leave the brownies plain, if that's your preference. I thought both versions I tried turned out super tasty.<br />
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While your brownies are cooling, whip up the peanut butter frosting. Beat together 1/2 cup softened butter with 2/3 cup peanut butter. Then, slowly add in 1 cup powdered sugar. Simply pipe that onto your brownies, top with a mini peanut butter cup, and you are good to go! Find a friend to share these with, or gorge yourself on them. Believe me, once you eat one, it's hard to stop.Lori Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08980707561105874902noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377003291563760868.post-47875801701124670512012-09-26T08:00:00.000-07:002012-09-26T08:00:04.774-07:00Mini Peach Cobbler<br />
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Like most people, I have many favorite desserts. Topping the list are cheesecake, crème brulée, and magic cookie bars. However, since autumn is approaching, my mind is on pies, cinnamon, and fruit, so I made peach cobbler!<br />
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I wanted to make it mini, but couldn’t find any winning recipes out there for a mini cobbler. This version is adapted from my normal peach cobbler, with just a few adjustments to make it cupcake-sized.<br />
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There were many options for making peach cobbler in mini form. The easiest is probably to simply put some peaches in a cupcake pan and cover with normal cobbler batter. That would work, but I wanted to be able to pick mine up to eat it. To achieve that, I decided to make a sort of crust out of the cobbler first, pre-bake it so it wouldn’t get soggy, and then add peaches and a bit more cobbler on top for looks. It turned out perfect!<br />
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Do you want to know what I did? Of course you do!<br />
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First, mix white cake mix with butter until you reach the consistency shown below. Spoon that mixture into a lined cupcake pan, pressing down with a cup to get an even layer. Save a bit of the mixture for the topping.<br />
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Pop the crusts in the oven and bake for about 5-10 minutes, depending on how you prefer your cobbler. The longer you leave it in, the easier they will be to hold while eating; I like mine fairly soft, so 5 minutes was perfect.<br />
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Next, add peaches. Use fresh if you have them; if there aren’t any on sale, you can use canned (which is what I had to do). Add some cinnamon to get that autumn flavor.<br />
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Add a few drops of the cake and butter mixture on top of the peaches, then bake at 350 for an additional 20 minutes.<br />
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Remove from the oven and allow to cool (if you can resist the delicious smell coming your way) for 5 minutes.<br />
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You should go make these now.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Recipe:<br />
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Ingredients:<br />
White cake mix<br />
½ cup butter or margarine, melted<br />
2 cans of peaches or 2 peaches cut into small chunks<br />
1 tsp cinnamon<br />
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Directions:<br />
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Preheat oven to 350. Mix 2/3 to ¾ of the white cake mix with ½ cup of melted butter. Spoon about 1 tbsp of batter into lined cupcake tins. Press batter down with the bottom of a cup to make the batter flat and even. Reserve about ¼ cup of batter for topping.<br />
Bake the batter for 5-10 minutes.<br />
Cut up the peaches into 1 inch square chunks. Add cinnamon if desired. Spoon peaches over pre-baked batter, putting 3-4 peach chunks in each cupcake mold.<br />
Add small dollops of remaining batter on top of peaches. Bake for 20 minutes.<br />
Remove cobblers from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Eat and enjoy.Lori Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08980707561105874902noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377003291563760868.post-56717212564500041522012-08-22T08:00:00.000-07:002012-08-22T08:00:01.378-07:00Chocolate Peanut Butter Popcorn<br />
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Chocolate. Peanut Butter. Popcorn.<br />
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Only three ingredients to make one of the most addicting snacks you will ever eat. How can you beat that?<br />
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Want to know how to make it? It couldn't be simpler.<br />
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First, melt 1 ½ cups of milk chocolate. I used chocolate almond bark because it is what I had on hand, but regular chocolate chips would work just as well. You could also use semi-sweet or a blend of milk and semi-sweet chips depending on how sweet you want it.<br />
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Next, stir in a big spoonful of peanut butter, roughly ½ cup. Stir until it is all incorporated into the chocolate.<br />
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Pour the chocolate mixture over 1 bag of popped popcorn*. It can be a little hard to stir; to make it easier, use a bowl that is bigger than the amount of popcorn you have. This way you don’t have to worry about popcorn spilling out when you stir.<br />
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Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Once the chocolate mixture is evenly distributed, spread the popcorn out onto the cookie sheet and allow the chocolate to set up so it is no longer melted, about an hour. If you need to set it up faster, you can put it in the freezer for 15-20 minutes. Once it is all set up, break it up into chunks and enjoy.<br />
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For a fun way to serve this, you can put it into cupcake liners (shown above), or package it up into bags and give it away. It would make a great Christmas or Holiday gift that is delicious, simple, and inexpensive; perfect for this stressful time of the year.<br />
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*For the popcorn, you can either pop your own if you have a popcorn popper, or if you are like me, you can just buy Newman’s Own Organic Popcorn. I bought it at Walmart, so it’s easy to find, and there is no butter or salt added, so it is great for things like this.<br />
Lori Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08980707561105874902noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377003291563760868.post-45884500377851508452011-05-19T10:19:00.005-07:002011-05-19T10:30:24.120-07:00Brownie Bottom Cheesecake with Nutella Whip<div style="text-align: left;">Summer is here! With school finally being done for the semester, I'll hopefully have more time to post on here! To celebrate the end of the semester, I decided to make this yummy dessert:</div><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IhiqmhwR_wI/TdVR4ykiKgI/AAAAAAAAADA/1dJ8asVH3TI/s320/Crafts%2Band%2Bdesserts%2521%2B097.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 256px; height: 320px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608478947049351682" /><div>I wish I could take credit for this brilliant concoction, but alas, <a href="http://thekitchencookie.blogspot.com/2011/04/brownie-bottom-cheesecake-wnutella-whip.html">someone wiser than I</a> came up with it (follow the link for the recipe!). Martha of <a href="http://thekitchencookie.blogspot.com/">The Kitchen Cookie</a> has tons of yummy looking desserts (she has savory food too, but I'm more interested in the sweet :), including quite a few cheesecakes that I can't wait to try! I'm still not very confident in my cheesecake abilities, so I prefer to see how others spruce it up, then copy them :) Maybe by the end of the summer I'll be willing to make my own concoction! </div><div>This cheesecake is quite simple, and very delicious! I needed to cook the brownies just a little longer, I think. Mine sort of oozed out of place when I poured on the cheesecake. Maybe it's because I cheated and just used box brownie mix, and it takes longer to cook? I guess I'll just have to make it again! Other than that, I love how it turned out. Martha piped her Nutella whip on with a fancy star tip all over, but mine was too soft, and the details got lost. So, I just used a spoon to give it a rough finish, then covered it with shaved chocolate. Maybe not as fancy as hers, but I still think it looks good! </div>Lori Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08980707561105874902noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377003291563760868.post-69318954052845770692011-04-08T16:44:00.004-07:002011-04-08T16:56:27.504-07:00Nutella Cookies<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'Century Gothic'; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; ">So, a while ago I bought some Nutella from Costco a while ago, and my family has been pretty slow going through it. I decided that to try and speed along the consumption rate, I would try to make cookies with it! The first attempt turned out okay, but not great. This attempt, however, turned out FANTASTIC! I think they are super yummy, and wanted to share them with you guys!</span></div><p style="margin:0in;font-weight:bold;font-family:"Century Gothic";font-size: 9.0pt;color:#333333"><br /></p><p style="margin:0in;font-weight:bold;font-family:"Century Gothic";font-size: 9.0pt;color:#333333"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kUGQ4l1HX98/TZ-fdF1OWJI/AAAAAAAAAC4/tSylv-OehaM/s320/Nutella%2Bcookies%2B005.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593364584347883666" /></p><p style="margin:0in;font-weight:bold;font-family:"Century Gothic";font-size: 9.0pt;color:#333333"><br /></p><p style="margin:0in;font-weight:bold;font-family:"Century Gothic";font-size: 9.0pt;color:#333333">Ingredients</p> <p style="margin:0in;font-weight:bold;font-family:"Century Gothic";font-size: 9.0pt;color:#333333">1 cup butter-flavored shortening</p> <p style="margin:0in;font-weight:bold;font-family:"Century Gothic";font-size: 9.0pt;color:#333333">1 cup nutella</p> <p style="margin:0in;font-weight:bold;font-family:"Century Gothic";font-size: 9.0pt;color:#333333">1 cup granulated sugar</p> <p style="margin:0in;font-weight:bold;font-family:"Century Gothic";font-size: 9.0pt;color:#333333">1 cup packed brown sugar</p> <p style="margin:0in;font-weight:bold;font-family:"Century Gothic";font-size: 9.0pt;color:#333333">3 eggs</p> <p style="margin:0in;font-weight:bold;font-family:"Century Gothic";font-size: 9.0pt;color:#333333">1 teaspoon vanilla extract</p> <p style="margin:0in;font-weight:bold;font-family:"Century Gothic";font-size: 9.0pt;color:#333333">3 cups all-purpose flour</p> <p style="margin:0in;font-weight:bold;font-family:"Century Gothic";font-size: 9.0pt;color:#333333">2 teaspoons baking soda</p> <p style="margin:0in;font-weight:bold;font-family:"Century Gothic";font-size: 9.0pt;color:#333333">1/4 teaspoon salt</p><p style="margin:0in;font-weight:bold;font-family:"Century Gothic";font-size: 9.0pt;color:#333333">1 bag Hershey's Kisses</p><p style="margin:0in;font-weight:bold;font-family:"Century Gothic";font-size: 9.0pt;color:#333333"><br /></p> <p style="margin:0in;font-weight:bold;font-family:"Century Gothic";font-size: 9.0pt;color:#333333"> </p> <p style="margin:0in;font-weight:bold;font-family:"Century Gothic";font-size: 9.0pt;color:#333333">Directions:</p> <p style="margin:0in;font-weight:bold;font-family:"Century Gothic";font-size: 9.0pt;color:#333333">1. Preheat oven to 350.</p> <p style="margin:0in;font-weight:bold;font-family:"Century Gothic";font-size: 9.0pt;color:#333333">2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream shortening, nutella, and both sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy. </p><p style="margin:0in;font-weight:bold;font-family:"Century Gothic";font-size: 9.0pt;color:#333333">3. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and mix until blended.</p> <p style="margin:0in;font-weight:bold;font-family:"Century Gothic";font-size: 9.0pt;color:#333333">5. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add slowly to the butter mixture and mix on medium speed until completely combined.</p> <p style="margin:0in;font-weight:bold;font-family:"Century Gothic";font-size: 9.0pt;color:#333333">6. Shape 1 inch balls around Hershey's Kisses and place in mini muffin tins. Bake for 8-9 minutes. Allow to cool slightly, then remove to wire racks to cool completely.</p><p style="margin:0in;font-weight:bold;font-family:"Century Gothic";font-size: 9.0pt;color:#333333"><br /></p><p style="margin:0in;font-weight:bold;font-family:"Century Gothic";font-size: 9.0pt;color:#333333">I used a <a href="http://www.confessionsofacookbookqueen.com/2011/02/peanut-butter-sandwich-cookies.html">Peanut Butter Cookie</a> recipe from the <a href="http://www.confessionsofacookbookqueen.com/">Cookbook Queen</a> (love her, she's HILARIOUS! If you haven't read her blog, you should definitely check it out!), and adapted it slightly for what I wanted. If any of you try these, let me know how they turn out! </p>Lori Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08980707561105874902noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377003291563760868.post-87545201189965305892011-02-21T06:12:00.002-07:002011-02-21T06:17:09.201-07:00Guest Post: Ashley from Ashley's Craft CornerToday, we're lucky enough to have a special guest post from one of the most awesome bloggers out there! Okay, so I might be a little biased, but she pretty much helps me out with all of my crafts, and I probably wouldn't have a craft blog at all if it weren't for her!<br /><br />Without further ado: Ashley, from <a href="http://ashleyscrafts.blogspot.com/">Ashley's Craft Corner</a>!<br /><br />Hi everybody! I'm Ashley from <a href="http://ashleyscrafts.blogspot.com/">Ashley's Craft Corner</a> (and Lori's big sister hehe). When Lori asked me to do a guest post I knew exactly what I wanted to share.<br /><br />My inspiration came from <a href="http://www.craftsbyamanda.com/2010/10/french-fruit-wall-art.html">this project</a>. I contemplated making something very similar for my older brother and his wife for Christmas and asked my sisters what they thought. We decided that it wasn't a good fit for my brother, but Lori said that she liked the idea. I knew that if I was going to make some art for Lori that it needed to be a rooster. This is what I came up with.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_9ykMo6kZ_4/TWHHLFAUFvI/AAAAAAAABsM/v5clNocF_fM/s1600/french+rooster+wall+art.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_9ykMo6kZ_4/TWHHLFAUFvI/AAAAAAAABsM/v5clNocF_fM/s320/french+rooster+wall+art.jpg" width="251" border="0" height="320" /></a></div><br /><br />I found an image I liked online, then had my hubby take the image and make an outline of each section as a vector image so that I could cut it out with my Silhouette. I can't really give a better description than that because I don't really know what/how he did it (I just sent him the image and asked him to make it work with my machine).<br />If you don't have a Silhouette (and hubby who is good with computer stuff) here is what you can do:<br />Print out your image.<br />Cut out each section. It will be kind of like a puzzle at this point.<br />Trace each section onto your paper of choice. I prefer to trace onto the backside of my scrapbook paper so that I don't have to worry about any lines showing on the finished product.<br />Cut out each traced section.<br />Mod Podge each "puzzle" piece onto a sheet of card stock. Add any wording you want at the bottom. Once it is dry give the whole thing a coat of Mod Podge, then frame it (after it dries).<br /><br />I was pleased with the results and I think Lori was too!Lori Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08980707561105874902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377003291563760868.post-56449271928307482532011-02-05T13:48:00.017-07:002011-02-05T15:58:38.417-07:00World Nutella Day!<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:georgia;">Hello all and Happy World Nutella Day!</span><br /><br /><img style="font-family: georgia;" src="file:///C:/Users/Lori/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot-2.png" alt="" /><a style="font-family: georgia;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bleedingespresso.com/2011/01/are-you-ready-for-the-5th-anniversary-of-world-nutella-day.html"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 222px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UrDYEm7x4R0/TU288aa_llI/AAAAAAAAACw/Zh_wTCIgaqc/s320/World_Nutella_Day_Final_m.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570316060197885522" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:georgia;">Five years ago, two bloggers, <a href="http://msadventuresinitaly.com/blog/">Sara</a> and <a href="http://bleedingespresso.com/">Michelle</a>, declared February 5th to be <a href="http://bleedingespresso.com/2011/01/are-you-ready-for-the-5th-anniversary-of-world-nutella-day.html">World Nutella Day</a>. I hope you're all celebrating in your own ways, whether that be baking some sort of delicious treat using Nutella, or just eating it on a spoon (I won't judge ;-) ).</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">As promised, I have some special Nutella Day treats to share with all of you. To celebrate this very momentous day, I baked you some cupcakes!</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: georgia;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UrDYEm7x4R0/TU25KXoVH7I/AAAAAAAAACQ/VcCBxgToq0U/s1600/Nutella%2BDay%2B010.1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 208px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UrDYEm7x4R0/TU25KXoVH7I/AAAAAAAAACQ/VcCBxgToq0U/s320/Nutella%2BDay%2B010.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570311901920174002" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:georgia;">I made two types of cupcakes using Nutella. They are practically the same, but not quite.</span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br />Version # 1 - </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:georgia;" >Chocolate Nutella Bliss Cupcake</span><span style="font-family:georgia;">s</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">These consist of a chocolate cupcake topped with Nutella frosting, a few shards of chocolate on top, and a dusting of cocoa powder. Want the recipe? Keep reading!</span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br />The second version is an idea I've had for quite some time. Now, don't be freaked out by the idea, it sounds strange, but when you think about it, it's really not!</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Version # 2: </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:georgia;" >Blackberry Hazelnut Cupcakes</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: georgia;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UrDYEm7x4R0/TU28RpyoYKI/AAAAAAAAACg/vHEVngyBaeE/s1600/Nutella%2BDay%2B007.1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 258px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UrDYEm7x4R0/TU28RpyoYKI/AAAAAAAAACg/vHEVngyBaeE/s320/Nutella%2BDay%2B007.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570315325589184674" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">It's the exact same cupcake as #1, but with blackberry mousse inside! I figured, chocolate and raspberry or strawberry go so well together, why not blackberry? </span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Want to see the inside? I know you do! </span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: georgia;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UrDYEm7x4R0/TU28RGNO1OI/AAAAAAAAACY/OFjB_mIRoN0/s1600/Nutella%2BDay%2B006.1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 224px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UrDYEm7x4R0/TU28RGNO1OI/AAAAAAAAACY/OFjB_mIRoN0/s320/Nutella%2BDay%2B006.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570315316037080290" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">I had some leftover batter (the recipe I have makes 30 cupcakes, normally I just make them extra full, but I decided to actually fill the cupcake liners as directed on the recipe!), so I made some mini cupcakes. Aren't they cute? </span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: georgia;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UrDYEm7x4R0/TU28SI_yrFI/AAAAAAAAACo/Fp8QZu5j-zI/s1600/Nutella%2BDay%2B014.1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 294px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UrDYEm7x4R0/TU28SI_yrFI/AAAAAAAAACo/Fp8QZu5j-zI/s320/Nutella%2BDay%2B014.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570315333965884498" border="0" /></a></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >Here are the recipes I used:</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Hershey's Chocolate Cupcakes</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">(from the back of the cocoa powder box)</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">:</span><br /></span> <p style="margin: 0in; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;font-size:11pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;">2 C sugar</span></p><p style="margin: 0in; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;font-size:11pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;">1 <span style="vertical-align: super;">3</span>/<span style="vertical-align: sub;">4</span> C flour</span></p> <p style="margin: 0in; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;font-size:11pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="vertical-align: super;">3</span>/<span style="vertical-align: sub;">4</span> C cocoa powder</span></p> <p style="margin: 0in; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;font-size:11pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;">1 <span style="vertical-align: super;">1</span>/<span style="vertical-align: sub;">2</span> tsp baking powder</span></p> <p style="margin: 0in; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;font-size:11pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;">1 <span style="vertical-align: super;">1</span>/<span style="vertical-align: sub;">2</span> tsp baking soda</span></p> <p style="margin: 0in; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;font-size:11pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;">1 tsp salt</span></p> <p style="margin: 0in; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;font-size:11pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;">2 eggs</span></p> <p style="margin: 0in; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;font-size:11pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;">1 C milk</span></p> <p style="margin: 0in; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;font-size:11pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="vertical-align: super;">1</span>/<span style="vertical-align: sub;">2</span> C vegetable oil</span></p> <p style="margin: 0in; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;font-size:11pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;">2 tsp vanilla extract</span></p> <p style="margin: 0in; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;font-size:11pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;">1 C boiling water</span></p> <p style="margin: 0in; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;font-size:11pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p> <p style="margin: 0in; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;font-size:11pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Directions:</span></p> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-size:100%;">1. Heat over to 350</span><span style="vertical-align: super;font-size:100%;" >0</span><span style="font-size:100%;">F. Grease and flour two 9-in round baking pans. </span><br /><span style="font-size:100%;">2. Combine dry ingredients in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on med. speed 2 min. Stir in boiling water (batter will be VERY thin). </span>Line 2 1/2 in. muffin cups with paper baking cups. Fill cups 2/3 full with batter.<br /><span style="font-size:11pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;">3. Bake 22-25 min. or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 min.; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. 10-12 servings.</span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;"><br /><br />Blackberry Mousse</span> (recipe from <a href="http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/blackberry-mousse-and-honey-tuile-napoleons">Food & Wine</a>):</span> <p style="margin: 0in; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;font-size:11pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;">1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin</span></p> <p style="margin: 0in; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;font-size:11pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;">3 tablespoons cold water</span></p> <p style="margin: 0in; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;font-size:11pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;">1 cup blackberries</span></p> <p style="margin: 0in; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;font-size:11pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;">1/4 cup granulated sugar</span></p> <p style="margin: 0in; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;font-size:11pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;">1 egg white</span></p> <p style="margin: 0in; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;font-size:11pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;">3/4 cup heavy cream</span></p><p style="margin: 0in; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;font-size:11pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0in; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;font-size:11pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Directions:<br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;font-size:11pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;">1. Place 1 tbsp of water in a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over it. Let it stand for about 5 minutes to ‘bloom’ (to swell up and soften).</span></p> <p style="margin: 0in; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;font-size:11pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;">2. In a blender, puree the blackberries with the remaining 2 tbsp of water and strain through a fine sieve into a small saucepan – you should have approximately 3/4 cup puree at this stage. Stir the sugar through, and slowly bring it to a boil. Boil for about 3-5 minutes or until slightly reduced, then stir in the softened gelatin until dissolved. Set aside to cool.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0in; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;font-size:11pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;">3. In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the egg white until firm, then immediately fold into the cooled berry puree using a large silicone spatula until no white streaks remain. In a separate bowl, beat the cream until softly whipped. Fold the cream into the berry mixture until smooth and streak-free.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0in; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;font-size:11pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;">4. Place mousse in a container and refrigerate for about an hour to set and chill.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0in; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;font-size:11pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0in; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;font-size:11pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nutella Frosting </span>(<span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>adapted from <a href="http://kokocooks.blogspot.com/2010/02/world-nutella-day-2010.html">Koko Cooks</a>)<br />3/4 c butter, softened</span> </p><p style="margin: 0in; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:11pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;">1/2 c chocolate hazelnut spread</span></p> <p style="margin: 0in; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:11pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;">1 tsp vanilla</span></p> <p style="margin: 0in; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:11pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;">1 Tbs milk</span></p> <p style="margin: 0in; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:11pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;">3 1/2 c powdered sugar</span></p><p style="margin: 0in; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:11pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0in; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:11pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Directions:<br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:11pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Blend all ingredients in a bowl until smooth. Adjust consistency by adjusting with a little more milk if too stiff, or a little more powdered sugar if too runny. Frost and decorate cupcakes as desired.</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></p> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br />The frosting recipe made enough to frost ALL of my cupcakes (24 regular-sized and 21 minis). The mousse recipe made enough to fill 24 regular-sized cupcakes (although I only filled half of mine. Now I can just eat the mousse I didn't use! Yummm). </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:100%;" ><br /><br />But I promised you guys more than just treats today! Ready for more excitement? Today is my very first, very own link party!<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">C<span style="font-size:100%;">REATIVITY</span> I<span style="font-size:100%;">S...</span> L<span style="font-size:100%;">INK </span>P<span style="font-size:100%;">ARTY!!!</span></span></span><br /><br />Ready for the rules? Super easy.<br />1. Link directly to the post you want to share (not just to your blog's URL).<br />2. In that post, link back to this post (so we can all share in the linky love!)<br />3. Look at other people's links! It's all about sharing ideas, so leave a comment on something else you like! (This is optional, but makes the whole thing a lot more fun!)<br /><br /><script src="http://www.linkytools.com/thumbnail_linky_include.aspx?id=74464" type="text/javascript"></script><br /><br />This post is linked up to:<br /><a href="http://alli-n-son.com/2011/02/03/chocolate-toffee/">Sweet Tooth Friday</a>, <a href="http://hoosierhomemade.com/easy-valentine-cupcakes-cupcake-tuesday/">Hoosier Homemade</a>, <a href="http://designsbygollum.blogspot.com/">Foodie Friday</a>, <a href="http://www.ekatskitchen.com/">Friday Potluck</a>, <a href="http://www.atthepicketfence.com/2011/02/inspiration-friday-party-no-1.html">Inspiration Friday</a>, <a href="http://tidymom.net/2011/lightscoop-review-giveaway/">I'm Loving It Fridays</a>, <a href="http://sugarbananas.blogspot.com/2011/02/sweets-this-week-link-party.html">Sweets This Week</a>, <a href="http://sweet-as-sugar-cookies.blogspot.com/">Sweets for a Saturday</a><br /></span>Lori Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08980707561105874902noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377003291563760868.post-41912363076989921762011-02-04T13:30:00.001-07:002011-02-04T13:31:48.047-07:00Featured!I was featured today on <a href="http://ashleyscrafts.blogspot.com/2011/02/friday-fun-feature.html">Ashley's Craft Corner</a>! Check out the post and have a look around, she's got some really great crafts and recipes posted!Lori Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08980707561105874902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377003291563760868.post-84379180922407811852011-02-04T08:07:00.015-07:002011-02-04T09:58:17.967-07:00Texturized Vase Tutorial<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UrDYEm7x4R0/TUwgGl5XzYI/AAAAAAAAAB8/WguzVXnRHNY/s1600/Hot%2BGlue%2BVase%2B001.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UrDYEm7x4R0/TUwgGl5XzYI/AAAAAAAAAB8/WguzVXnRHNY/s320/Hot%2BGlue%2BVase%2B001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569862136774512002" border="0" /></a>I wish I could take credit for this awesome idea, but I can't. I found it <a href="http://makethebestofthings.blogspot.com/2010/05/3-d-effect-with-hot-glue.html">here</a>. And thought it looked so cool, I had to try it!<br /><br />I'm sure you all know what very big, important day is right around the corner. My birthday! Okay, that too, but I was really going for Valentine's day. So rather than make a sensible vase that can be used year round, I made a cute V-Day one! It was a bit time consuming, but pretty easy.<br /><br />Materials:<br />Vase (dollar store)<br />Hot glue (on hand)<br />Tissue Paper (on hand)<br />Mod Podge (on hand)<br />Acrylic Paint (borrowed from sister)<br />Clear Spray Paint (on hand)<br /><br />This project cost me a grand total of $1. Awesome! Want to know how to make it? ... I'll just assume that's a yes :-)<br /><br />First, pick a design. I knew I wanted to make it Valentines-y, but I didn't just want hearts. That's so predictable, and I pride myself on thinking outside of the box. Or... vase. After extensive google image searches, I settled on a picture of two swans kissing, making that little heart between them.<br /><br />Next, print out the image (I printed it in several sizes so I could figure out how big I wanted those swans to be!), then tape it to the INSIDE of the vase.<br /><br />Then, on the OUTSIDE of the vase, trace the image with hot glue. It doesn't have to be perfect (and actually looks better if it has some flaws, in my opinion!), but if you make a major oops, you can always cut off some of the hot glue using an exacto knife. It comes off the glass pretty easy.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UrDYEm7x4R0/TUwYsBJgDZI/AAAAAAAAABk/ZmVsARk_3Kg/s1600/Crafting%2521%2B001.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 256px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UrDYEm7x4R0/TUwYsBJgDZI/AAAAAAAAABk/ZmVsARk_3Kg/s320/Crafting%2521%2B001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569853983652056466" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">Ignore the gross yellow-ish color of the glue on the right - it was a bit old. Still works just fine though!<br /><br /></span></div>One thing that was a little tricky with this step was figuring out where exactly to outline. I closed one of my eyes during this process to make it a bit easier.<br /><br />While your hot glue is drying, you can prep for the next step. Take some tissue paper (you'll only need about half a sheet, depending on the size of your vase) and wad it up into a ball. Lots of wrinkles will give you lots of texture! Lay it out flat, then tear it into small squares roughly 3" by 3".<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UrDYEm7x4R0/TUwaJdmbTDI/AAAAAAAAABs/7pIyk-lUOrY/s1600/Crafting%2521%2B003.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UrDYEm7x4R0/TUwaJdmbTDI/AAAAAAAAABs/7pIyk-lUOrY/s320/Crafting%2521%2B003.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569855589017406514" border="0" /></a>Perfection is NOT necessary here. This whole project is all about bringing out the flaws, so leave your inner perfectionist in a different room when making this vase!<br /><br />After your glue is all dry and your tissue paper is in wrinkly squares, it's time to bust out the Mod Podge. Brush the Mod Podge directly onto the vase, then lay a piece of tissue paper on top, and pat it on with your fingertip. You might get some Mod Podge on your finger, just use another finger or keep a moist washcloth nearby and wipe it off.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UrDYEm7x4R0/TUwblFuOJSI/AAAAAAAAAB0/mgAJFmsIWEg/s1600/Crafting%2521%2B005.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 256px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UrDYEm7x4R0/TUwblFuOJSI/AAAAAAAAAB0/mgAJFmsIWEg/s320/Crafting%2521%2B005.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569857163155612962" border="0" /></a><br />When you're Mod Podging the tissue paper around the design, be sure to get into all the little creases and crevices. That will give it more texture! If you accidentally tear the tissue paper, no worries, just put more tissue paper on top. I did that plenty of times, and it still turned out cute!<br /><br />Give the tissue paper PLENTY of time to dry. I did the next step the next day to make sure it was completely dry. If it's still at all moist, when you go to paint it will tear the tissue paper and cause all sorts of problems!<br /><br />Once it's dry, bust out that paint! For my vase, I did a very light pink for the base, then a dark red-maroon for the outer accent color. I forgot to take a picture of the vase when it was pink, but just imagine the image above in pink. Or the image below without the red. You're all smart, I'm sure you'll get it :-)<br /><br />After the base color dries, get your other color ready. This is the part I was most worried about, but it turned out okay. Get some paint on your brush, but get as much of the paint out of the brush as you can. You want it just barely moist. Then gently brush a bit of the accent color on. If you accidentally get a huge spot of the accent color, just brush over it with the base color, let it dry, and try again. It's very forgiving, just don't give up if you mess up.<br />Once that is dry, cover the whole vase with clear spray paint to seal it, and voila! You're done! I also tied a little ribbon around mine, but that's totally optional.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UrDYEm7x4R0/TUwgGyelwtI/AAAAAAAAACE/AtNrFQnzZ_4/s1600/Hot%2BGlue%2BVase%2B003.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 256px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UrDYEm7x4R0/TUwgGyelwtI/AAAAAAAAACE/AtNrFQnzZ_4/s320/Hot%2BGlue%2BVase%2B003.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569862140151841490" border="0" /></a><br />I hope you guys like the vase, let me know if you try it out! I think I want to make one for St. Patrick's Day. How cute would it be to have a light green background with a dark green shamrock? Really this could be adapted for any holiday, or you could do a shape like a fleur-de-lis and leave it up year-round!<br /><br />Leave me a comment if you plan to try this or if you have any questions!<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">I'm linking this project up here:</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a border="0" href="http://womenwhodoitall.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img style="width: 75px; height: 75px;" src="http://i822.photobucket.com/albums/zz148/womenwhodoitall/anotherbutton.jpg" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://crazydomestic.com/"><img style="width: 73px; height: 73px;" alt="linkparty" src="http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a342/stephd757/linkparty.jpg" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ydn4kd0aaEY/SvO1EQ53tuI/AAAAAAAABt0/h5tFf_uXQiY/S990-R/DIY+Blog+button.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 70px; height: 84px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ydn4kd0aaEY/SvO1EQ53tuI/AAAAAAAABt0/h5tFf_uXQiY/S990-R/DIY+Blog+button.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a href="http://crazydomestic.com/"></a></div>Lori Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08980707561105874902noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377003291563760868.post-13362694411412927172011-02-01T17:28:00.001-07:002011-02-02T19:32:20.309-07:00World Nutella Day!This Saturday, February 5 is World Nutella Day! If you guys like the stuff as much as I do, then you know it's a day worth celebrating!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.brandweek.com/bw/photos/stylus/74786-Nutella.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://www.brandweek.com/bw/photos/stylus/74786-Nutella.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><br />Here on Creativity Is..., we'll be celebrating in two ways: our first ever LINK PARTY, and of course a delicious Nutella recipe! Check back this weekend for all of the excitement!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377003291563760868.post-82832909807801885762011-02-01T17:04:00.004-07:002011-02-02T10:00:20.721-07:00Binder Wall FolderI know <a href="http://gingerbreadsnowflakes.com/node/90">this idea</a> has been floating around out there in the blog world for quite some time, but being the literary fiend that I am, I just could not bring myself to destroy a book that someone put countless hours and ridiculous amounts of energy into writing. I've been wanting to make something similar though, so that I have a place to store all my grocery store ads (rather than just in a heap on the floor).<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_XQCX779jyQk/TUifSGTPZJI/AAAAAAAAAKA/VNgNppqb49A/s320/Crafting%2521+010.JPG" height="320" border="0" width="283" /></div><br />So, I took the concept and used an old binder! I cut out the metal rings from the middle (this part was a bit tricky, I just cut around the two little circles that go all the way through, that way the binder would still be intact. You could also just leave them in if you don't mind them), then covered the whole thing with paper. I mod podged the paper on, used a ribbon so it won't open all the way, and attached another ribbon to hang it from! It was super easy (except removing the metal parts, but that wasn't too bad either, and is totally skip-able), and I love how it turned out!<br />Another perk of having the wall folder is that it forces me to go through my ads more often. I can't fit an infinite amount of ads in it (unlike the floor - although I guess technically it is limited to the amount of space in my apartment), so every week or so I go through and get rid of all the expired ones! I plan on putting some cute design on the front saying "Ads" or "Advertisements", but that will have to wait until I have time. It's done now, and that's what matters most!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ydn4kd0aaEY/SvO1EQ53tuI/AAAAAAAABt0/h5tFf_uXQiY/S990-R/DIY+Blog+button.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 122px; height: 145px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ydn4kd0aaEY/SvO1EQ53tuI/AAAAAAAABt0/h5tFf_uXQiY/S990-R/DIY+Blog+button.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377003291563760868.post-63112162194118233292011-01-29T10:07:00.004-07:002011-02-02T11:18:12.103-07:00Sugar CookiesOkay, I'm not very good at this craft blogging thing. I don't have a whole lot of time to make crafts, so I don't post very often. And even when I do craft, I often don't think to post. Sorry!<br /><br />I'm going to try to get better. And probably expand the blog a bit to include things like reading and writing and such. I'm a huge English nerd; I love to write, and I love reading. Right now I'm really into the classics (let's face it, most authors nowadays just don't put as much time into writing as they used to. Now it's all about meeting deadlines.). Hopefully most of you will still want to read my blog even when it's a post about books instead of crafting. If not, well, you don't have to read. But hopefully it will get me to post more!<br /><br />Last summer for Fourth of July I made some super cute star-shaped sugar cookies. Well, the <a href="http://www.ourbestbites.com/2008/12/tutorial-glace-icing-and-cookie.html">frosting recipe</a> I used from <a href="http://www.ourbestbites.com/">Our Best Bites</a> wasn't my favorite in taste, but it did make the cookies very pretty. I brought some of the cookies over to my family, and my dad LOVED them. So, I made him some of his very own for his birthday a few weeks ago!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_XQCX779jyQk/TURIYz3MnsI/AAAAAAAAAJ4/vmWSQj83oNU/s320/Cookies.jpg" width="320" border="0" height="260" /></div>My dad drag races, so I thought it would be cute to give him race car cookies! I love how the flame designs turned out.<br /><br />I had planned to blog today about some donut muffins I made today (got the idea <a href="http://www.crazydomestic.com/2010/07/donut-muffins.html">here</a>), but when I uploaded the pictures, my computer freaked out, so I don't have any pictures! :( They were pretty good, but I'm thinking I'll tweak the recipe a bit the next time I try them. They were more dense than I was hoping for.<br /><br />With resolutions to blog more often, hopefully you'll all be hearing from me again soon!<br /><a href="http://crazydomestic.com"><img alt="linkparty" width="125" src="http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a342/stephd757/linkparty.jpg" height="125" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377003291563760868.post-91558311348249371352010-12-21T09:10:00.001-07:002011-02-01T17:07:16.503-07:00Nativity WreathFor my mom's birthday a while ago, I made this adorable nativity wreath:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_XQCX779jyQk/TRDQ6RMzTkI/AAAAAAAAAJo/V2m8Cil5G3Q/s1600/November+016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_XQCX779jyQk/TRDQ6RMzTkI/AAAAAAAAAJo/V2m8Cil5G3Q/s320/November+016.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I love how it turned out! Look at their adorable little faces! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_XQCX779jyQk/TRDRKO_yYYI/AAAAAAAAAJs/lvVlC67qyLA/s1600/November+027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_XQCX779jyQk/TRDRKO_yYYI/AAAAAAAAAJs/lvVlC67qyLA/s320/November+027.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm not very artistic when it comes to painting, so I was so happy with how adorable it turned out! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377003291563760868.post-28013124522891942752010-12-14T19:45:00.001-07:002010-12-14T21:01:51.427-07:00Homemade Hot PocketsI made homemade hot pockets today, and they were definitely a success. My husband said he likes them better than store-bought hot pockets, and that these were the best food experiment I've ever made. High praise, considering how he downs all of my food!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_XQCX779jyQk/TQgq0zUwW-I/AAAAAAAAAJc/kjQxkEi786E/s1600/Hot+Pockets+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_XQCX779jyQk/TQgq0zUwW-I/AAAAAAAAAJc/kjQxkEi786E/s320/Hot+Pockets+003.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">They were really simple to make. I used biscuits from a can (though if you're going all out you could make the biscuit dough from scratch). Each hot pocket is two biscuits flattened out. I flattened out the first one, added some meat (here it was Turkey), some veggies (zucchini and tomatoes - I recommend adding tomatoes no matter what else you add, and precooking any other veggies so they aren't too crunchy), and some cheese. I added a bit of salt and pepper, then topped with the second flattened biscuit. I used a fork to secure the edges so nothing would seep out, then did a simple egg wash on top before sprinkling on some basil and garlic salt. I will probably also add some coarse salt the next time I make these. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_XQCX779jyQk/TQg9mPP0v0I/AAAAAAAAAJk/Vu4unnMz2-0/s1600/Hot+Pockets+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_XQCX779jyQk/TQg9mPP0v0I/AAAAAAAAAJk/Vu4unnMz2-0/s320/Hot+Pockets+005.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377003291563760868.post-22019755187718188322010-10-22T17:17:00.001-07:002010-10-22T17:18:41.946-07:00Halloween BrowniesFor Halloween, I made some fun little pumpkin brownies I thought I'd share with you all. They're just box brownies that I cut out with a cookie cutter, but I thought they turned out pretty cute.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_XQCX779jyQk/TMIpFjj6wjI/AAAAAAAAAIo/mwFAzhaMKfI/s1600/Misc+057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_XQCX779jyQk/TMIpFjj6wjI/AAAAAAAAAIo/mwFAzhaMKfI/s320/Misc+057.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>Those little chocolate balls at the bottom are Brigadeiros. They are really easy to make, but super yummy. I don't have time to share much else, but I thought I'd post a fun Halloween treat :)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377003291563760868.post-61737506847712949832010-08-25T10:17:00.000-07:002010-08-25T10:17:19.476-07:00SILHOUETTE MACHINE GIVEAWAY!!!!<a href="http://grosgrainfabulous.blogspot.com/2010/08/silhouette-machine-guest-giveaway.html">SILHOUETTE MACHINE GIVEAWAY!!!!</a><div><br /></div><div>My sister blogged about this, and I want it too! So many fun ideas already percolating in my mind... </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377003291563760868.post-79447453833238015532010-08-16T22:12:00.002-07:002010-08-17T08:21:37.475-07:00Chocolate Grasshopper CakeOne of my all time favorite flavor combinations is chocolate and mint. Thin mints, mint chocolate chip ice cream, peppermint bark, the list goes on and on. So when I saw <a href="http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/grasshopper-fudge-cake/3645bc77-fd32-41d0-8631-8b09956351e0">this </a>recipe on Betty Crocker, I knew I could make it better. And boy, did I!<br />
<br />
Here's where I have to brag a little - I took the cupcake version of these to a bake sale for a church event, and they were a huge hit! I brought two plates (each plate only had 5 cupcakes, they were small plates), and they sold for a combined $45! One of the plates sold for $25, which was the second highest of any of the items sold. For five of these babies.<br />
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You start by making your basic chocolate cake, but add in a little peppermint extract. The recipe said to use store-bought hot fudge, but ganache is better, so I used that. Once the cake has cooled, spread a layer of ganache on top, then take some cool whip, dye it green, add a little mint extract to that, and spread on top of the ganache. I added some chopped up grasshopper cookies for decoration on top.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_XQCX779jyQk/TGoXXtjwh1I/AAAAAAAAAHg/c0ta7IDZSGI/s1600/Partay+and+yummy+cake+018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_XQCX779jyQk/TGoXXtjwh1I/AAAAAAAAAHg/c0ta7IDZSGI/s320/Partay+and+yummy+cake+018.JPG" /></a></div>After trying it this way, I noticed that the ganache I used wasn't quite thick enough, so the cool whip kept sliding off the top once you cut it into pieces. Rather than make thicker ganache (way too easy!), I decided to make them into cupcakes!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_XQCX779jyQk/TGoXp3HqvhI/AAAAAAAAAHo/zPs2mle1sLY/s1600/Partay+and+yummy+cake+024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_XQCX779jyQk/TGoXp3HqvhI/AAAAAAAAAHo/zPs2mle1sLY/s320/Partay+and+yummy+cake+024.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Regrettably, I failed to take pictures. I may just have to make these again sometime soon and capture the pure delight of the cupcake version for you. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here's the recipe:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Ingredients:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 box chocolate cake mix</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Ingredients as called for on box</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2 tsp mint extract </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.ourbestbites.com/2010/03/super-easy-chocolate-ganache.html">Chocolate ganache</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 (8 oz) container Cool Whip</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 pkg grasshopper cookies</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Green food coloring</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Combine ingredients for chocolate cake, as called for on box. Add 1 1/2 tsp mint extract to the batter, then bake as directed on box, in 9x13 pan. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Let cake cool completely, then frost with a layer of chocolate ganache. Allow to thicken in fridge for 15-20 minutes. While setting up, combine cool whip with remaining 1/2 tsp mint extract. Add green food coloring to desired green-ness. Spread a layer of mint cool whip over the ganache. Crush the grasshopper cookies, and sprinkle over cake. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A fun twist:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Make cake batter as above, but bake into cupcakes. Inject the ganache into the middle of the cupcake, then frost with cool whip and top with cookies. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I hope you enjoy these as much as I did! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1