Another Loose End...

Back in December, Adam and I went to Mulberry, Indiana to celebrate his Grandma's 80th birthday! Adam was born in Indiana, and his dad's side of the family is all from there. This was my first trip to Mulberry - and Indiana for that matter - so it was exciting to finally see all the places I've only heard about in stories.

Of course, I volunteered to bring the cake! But there were a few complications:
A) We were flying and it's simply not that easy to carry a cake onto a plane after 9/11,
B) We were expecting anywhere between 100 and 200 people at the party, and
C) We wouldn't be in Mulberry early enough for me to make the cake there.

So...I decided to make a dummy cake to put on display at the party. That means the cake I'm about to show you is Styrofoam, but all of the decorations are edible. When I asked Adam's Grandma, Coralee, what she wanted her cake to look like, she said she wanted it to represent her love of traveling, all the places she's visited, her faith in God, and her love of painting. Wow! That's a tall order! How do you tastefully combine all of those? No really...how?

After a lot of brainstorming, I finally decided to make a cake that looked like a pile of old-fashioned suitcases:

On the suitcases, I put the flags of some of the countries Coralee has visited. And the top suitcase was propped open to show that she had "packed" her art supplies, Bible, and passport. To make the whole thing a little more feminine, I added a sprinkling of gum paste tulips, orchids, daisies, and roses.

Then, I packed the whole thing up in 2 boxes with lots of bubble wrap. We checked the boxes. You heard me right. CHECKED! They were too big to carry on the plane so we trusted them to the airport employees who always handle our bags so *cough* gently. Well, the "cake" made it mostly unharmed. All 3 paint brushes were broken and the Bible, although undamaged, was completely ripped off the cake. I guess the security workers were curious...

I love taking pictures from the plane. Here's a great shot as we flew over the Indianapolis Speedway! This one's for you, Mom. *wink*

And here's another fun shot from downtown Lafayette (home of Purdue University).


Hmm...I guess I wouldn't want my address to read 666 either...

So what do Mulberrians do for fun these days? Well....


Ride the bus, of course!


Adam's cousin, Lisa, is now a bus driver extraordinaire on Purdue's campus so we all went for a ride!


Oh, come on, it won't be that bad.....will it?

Nah, it was great! We rode the whole loop, which even included a THREE POINT TURN! Wowsers! If Lisa's boss is reading this: Lisa was an excellent driver. She was very attentive to pedestrians and other traffic. And...this photo was definitely taken while the bus was in park!


It was a non-stop, fun-filled weekend because the next day was Coralee's party! Here we are with the dummy cake and the two sheet cakes Uncle Doug bought. One of the cakes had the Great Wall of China on it and the other (which you can't see in this photo) had the Mayan ruins on it. But, more importantly, they were yummy!


Adam and I were in charge of the decorations at the party:


Don't be mean. We were given this task at the last second only because nobody else had thought about it. We did our shopping at the dollar store, and for 15 bucks, I think the room looked spectacular!

I won't bore you with photos of people you don't know...but I have to show you these 2:

Adam and his Mommy. They both look so nice in the photo, don't you think?

And, the group shot of the Judge clan:


Happy 80th Birthday, Coralee!

SprinkleDiva Etsy Store Grand Opening & Giveaway!

You all know how much I love Etsy, right? If not, check back at some of my previous posts...like...this one or this one or this one or this one or this one or this one. [smiling broadly]

Ah, Etsy. "Your place to buy and sell all things homemade." Yay!

I'm a hands-on kind of gal. So many times I see things and think "I can make that!" So why not sell it too???

Sometimes, however, this hands-on attitude comes back and bites me in the butt. Earlier this week, I saw someone on Rachel Ray suggest making coasters out of your old Christmas tree trunk. Sidenote: Yes, I'm slightly embarrassed to admit that I watch Rachel Ray, soap operas, the 4th hour of the today show, Dr. Oz, and the like...but what else am I supposed to do since I'm unemployed?! Anyway, I thought "What an amazing idea. I'm going to do that and sell it on Etsy!" So I went to Lowe's and bought a bow saw and a miter box. Both were relatively cheap so I was excited! I decided to start on a smaller tree someone had left at the curb in our neighborhood...so I started sawing away. Dang, that's hard work! To make a long story short, it took me ONE HOUR to saw through a 3-inch-wide trunk. Now, every muscle in my body is sore. It hurts to cough...laugh...walk the dog...wash the dishes...everything. When I asked Adam to find a friend with a power saw, he proceeded to tell me, "I told you it would be hard." Yes, he told me. But I had to try it for myself. I'm a hands-on kind of gal! So...while making the coasters is still a fabulous idea...learn from my mistakes and DO NOT attempt to saw the slices yourself. Assuming all works out well, we're going to borrow someone's power saw next week and I'll have some Christmas tree coasters on my Etsy site soon.

So back to my Etsy shop. This week is the Grand Opening of Sprinkle Diva Boutique! Yay! I only have a few things listed right now, but I have so much more to list in the coming weeks! Here are a few of the items I've got up:

A flirtatious, fun, hand-knit green scarf!

A girly rainbow scarf. It's the perfect compliment to every outfit - really makes the colors pop!

A cute clutch/wristlet purse.

And you've seen them on TV - the Snuggie! They're super comfortable and warm! And check out that fun pattern!

As I list more things, I'll post them here so you're "in the know." And I love custom orders so if you don't see a style/color/pattern you like, let me know. I'll see what I can do!

To celebrate my Grand Opening, I'm going to give away one clutch/wristlet purse:

Stop searching for things in the bottom of your purse. This bag is the perfect size to hold small things like a cell phone, keys, cash, mp3 player, credit cards, gum, tissues, etc. And the bag zips closed so nothing will fall out!

Or, use this bag instead of your purse - to hold just the essentials. The wristlet strap works great for carrying the bag.

Measures 9" long x 4 1/2" tall with a 9-inch zipper along the top and a 5-inch long handle on one side.

The interior is lined with a light blue fabric so things are easy to find inside. The exterior is a patchwork of bright blue and green fabrics with brown polka dot accents and bow. The bag is flexible, but is lined with (invisible to you) interfacing to give it some sturdiness.

For a chance to win, visit my Sprinkle Diva Boutique Etsy shop. Then come back here and leave a comment about your favorite item or an item you'd like to see in the future.

Extra entries:
1 entry - Be a Cake Walk follower.
1 entry - Subscribe to Cake Walk's RSS feed.
1 entry - Add the Cake Walk button to your blog.
1 entry - Subscribe to Sprinkle Diva Boutique's RSS feed.
1 entry - Make Sprinkle Diva Boutique a favorite of yours (in the right sidebar of the shop).
3 entries - Make a post about this giveaway on your own blog.
5 entries - Make a purchase from Sprinkle Diva Boutique. (Leave 5 comments here to get credit.)

Leave one comment per entry please. This contest is open to adult US or Canada residents only. The giveaway will end Friday, January 15th at midnight eastern time. Good luck!

Two Thousand...WHAT?!

Two thousand ten? TEN? As in 2010? Are you kidding?! Wow.... Yay!

It's been 2010 for 6 days now and I haven't blogged one bit! Dang! But alas, I'm back...and I have a backlog of things to blog about! Here's a sneak peak of what's to come:

-our exciting trip to Mulberry, IN
-our jam-packed graduation party
-a new Etsy store
-a spectacular giveaway
-a cookbook review

Brace yourself, folks - it's gonna be a great year!

To start the year off, I'm going to wrap up some lose ends from last year. Here are a couple of cakes I created the week before Christmas.

The first was for a coworker's daughter's first birthday. She wanted a topsy-turvy cake that looked like it belonged in Dr. Seuss' Whoville. She also asked me to create sugar elf versions of her two adorable daughters.


The cake was crumb-coated in buttercream and then covered with red fondant. The packages around the cake were also cut from fondant in a whimsical manner. The elf girls were made out of gum paste and the faces were hand-painted. I'm actually pretty thrilled with how the girls came out, and I love their Precious Moments-style eyes. Why can we all have eyes like that???


The second cake was for Adam's boss' Christmas party. *Gasp* If I don't do this cake well...is Adam's job in jeopardy? And on the flip side...if the cake is amazing, can Adam have a raise? That'd be more money to buy cake stuff with! Hey, a girl can dream.

Anyway, David wanted a stack of holiday packages. Fun! The bottom layer was a 12-inch chocolate cake; the middle was an 8-inch yellow cake; and the top was a 6-inch red velvet cake. All of the tiers were iced in colored buttercream and then airbrushed with pearl to give it a nice shimmer. The bows were all pre-made from gum paste, and the stripes and dots were added with fondant cut-outs. Overall, it was actually a pretty easy cake to make and not really all that time-consuming. Thanks, David! And a special thanks to my Mom, who helped me decorate, and to my Dad, who supervised the whole process and carried the cake to the car.

Going Nuts for the Holidays

There's something about the holidays that makes me think of nuts. I hate nuts. They invoke a strong gag reflex whenever I accidentally ingest them. I think it verges on a nut phobia...but that's another topic for another day.

Anyway, nuts go with Christmas just like pumpkin and sweet potatoes go with Thanksgiving! So I tried out some new nut recipes this year and they've been a big hit so far!

Glazed Walnuts

1 egg white

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 pound walnut halves

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, beat egg white until foamy. Stir in brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and vanilla. Add nuts; stir to coat. Spread evenly into prepared pan.

3. Bake 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until toasted and golden brown. Remove from pan and cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Sweet Spiced Almonds

1 cup sliced almonds
1/3 packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 large egg white, slightly beaten

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Combine almonds and next 4 ingredients (though cumin) in a small bowl. Stir in egg white. Spread mixture evenly onto foil-lined baking sheet covered with cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes. Stir mixture; bake an additional 15 minutes or until crisp. Cool completely and break into small pieces. Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

And the favorite so far:

Chipotle Orange-Spiced Pecan Mix

1 tablespoon grated orange rind

1 tablespoon fresh orange juice

1 large egg white

2 cups pecan halves

1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile pepper

1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries (I added both cranberries and cherries)

1. Preheat oven to 225 degrees F.

2. Combine first 3 ingredients in a medium bowl. Add pecans and stir to coat. Combine sugar, salt, and pepper; add to pecan mix. Toss well.

3. Spread mixture in a single layer in a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Bake for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Cool completely; stir in cranberries. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

And, of course, peanut brittle is a staple during the holidays! This is just your basic peanut brittle recipe dipped into chocolate for a spectacular sweet-salty taste (so I've been told...I've never actually tried it).

Sweet-Salty Peanut Brittle

1 c. sugar

1/2 c. light corn syrup

1 T. butter

2 c. cocktail peanuts

1 t. baking soda

1 t. vanilla

4 squares Baker’s Semi-Sweet Chocolate

1/4 c. creamy peanut butter

1. Pray large baking sheet or 15x10x1-inch baking pan with cooking spray; set aside. Mix sugar and corn syrup in large microwaveable bowl until moistened. Microwave on high 5 min. CAUTION: Candy mixture gets very hot! Stir in butter and peanuts. Microwave an additional 3-4 minutes or til pale golden brown. Add baking soda and vanilla (mixture will foam).

2. Immediately spread mixture as thinly as possible onto prepared baking sheet. Cool completely. Break into pieces.

3. Microwave chocolate in 1-cup glass measuring cup on high 1-2 min. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in peanut butter until melted. Dip peanut brittle pieces halfway into the chocolate mixture, scraping the back of the brittle against the edge of the cup to remove excess chocolate. Place on sheet of parchment paper. Refrigerate until chocolate is set, about 20 min.

Every year, my best friend Amy sends us homemade Peppermint Bark. We love it - especially Adam! Here's her recipe (thanks, Amy!):

Peppermint Bark

1 package semisweet chocolate chips
1 package Andes mint chips
1 package white chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
4 candy canes, crushed

1. Melt semisweet chocolate and Andes mint chips together. Spread on a large cookie sheet covered with wax paper.
2. Melt the white chocolate and vegetable oil together. Drip the white chocolate mix all over the semisweet chocolate. Run a knife through the chocolate to swirl them together.
3. Sprinkle the crushed candy canes on top.
4. Refrigerate until hard. Break into small pieces and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Then, I decided to try my hand at cake balls, aka cake pops. People have been making them for years, but Bakerella is the one who made them famous. She makes it look so easy so I thought...I've got some free time...let's see what I can do!

Well, it wasn't quite as simple as I thought. Of the 20 cake balls I started out with, 3 turned out nice enough to photograph....THREE!


Maybe I'll try them again some day...

And I'll leave you with a photo of some of the gifts under our tree this year. For some reason, I went a little bow crazy. For those of you who are especially talented in the gift wrapping department, these gifts won't be very impressive...but they're super fabulous compared to what I usually do! These are some fancy schmancy gifts for the Judges!

Happy holidays everyone!

The Perfect All-Purpose Light Pie Crust

For Thanksgiving, I was in charge of desserts - aside from Taylor's adorable Pilgrim's Hat Cookies, of course. Pie is the traditional dessert for the holidays, but, like usual, I was short on time. I didn't want to resort to a store-bought pie crust - homemade ones are just so much more fun! So I was thrilled when I came across the recipe for the All-Purpose Light Piecrust on myrecipes.com. It's easy to make, lower in fat and calories than other pie crusts, and tastes delicious!

Just in time for Christmas, I'd like to share it with you!

Ingredients:
5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 1/4 cups)
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup boiling water

1. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a bowl.




2. Cut in shortening with a pastry knife or two knives until it resembles a coarse meal.


3. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Combine butter and water. Pour butter mixture into the the center of the well.


4. Gently draw the flour mixture into the butter mixture until moist clumps form.


5. Press dough into a 4-inch circle. Wrap with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.


6. Slightly overlap 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Unwrap the chilled dough and place on the plastic wrap. Cover with 2 more sheets of overlapping plastic wrap. Roll dough into a 13-inch circle.


7. Remove the top 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Fit dough, plastic wrap-side-up into a 9-inch pie plate coated with cooking spray. Remove top sheets of plastic wrap.


8. Fold edges of dough inward to create a clean, even edge.


9. Flute the edges of the dough by gently pressing outward with your fingers.


10. Pierce the dough with a fork. (This helps prevent distortion of the pie crust as it bakes.)


11. Line the bottom of the pie dough with foil and top with pie weights or dried beans. The weights keep the center of the pie crust from getting bubbles or rising as the crust bakes.


12. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit or until browned. (Caution: Some pie recipes do not require pre-baking the crust so refer to your recipe here.)


Now fill with your favorite pie recipe! At Thanksgiving, I made the Spiced Pumpkin Chiffon Pie, which people raved was the best pumpkin pie they'd ever had. I think that's because it's a very light, fluffy pumpkin pie - not the dense stuff we grew up on. Another recipe I recommend is the Gingery Cranberry-Pear Pie with Oatmeal Streusel. When I made this one, I substituted 2 Granny Smith apples, 2 Pink Lady apples, and 2 Fuji apples for the pears. Thanks to myrecipes.com for such great recipes!

Time for a Wreath Change!

If you recall back in October, I decorated some Fall wreaths to match the season. In case you missed it, I started with a plain brown wreath and stuck various flowers and leaves into it. The wreath held all the decorations without any glue so I could easily pull them back out and stick new ones in for winter!

First, I wanted a really traditional wreath with lots of greenery. The pine cones and berries were ON SALE at both Michael's and JoAnn's this month so they ended up being about 30 cents a piece. That's cheap!


I'm also really into blue decorations this year. To make this next wreath, I wrapped a silvery, glittery ribbon loosely around the wreath. Then I added the super cheap pine cones, berries, and glittery snowflakes. The blues are subtle and give my Florida front door a real winter feel!


And here's a wreath I made a few years ago (I apologize for the poor photo quality):


I saw Martha Stewart do it and thought, "That's easy enough! I can do that!" It's just loops of ribbon threaded onto a floral pin and stuck into a Styrofoam wreath. Yea, it was easy...but it was also very time consuming...and expensive! Spools and spools of ribbon later, the wreath was finally done. I love the finished product though!

Foodphyte Apron Winner!

Thank you to everyone who entered this week's apron giveaway! The winner, chosen by random.org, was Ali:

Ali said:
Subscribed to Foodphyte's RSS feed.
December 6, 2009 10:22 PM