Food

Bird’s Nest Cupcakes

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Spring is here, the flowers are blooming, Easter is just around the corner. It’s time for a little cupcake celebration. In honour of Easter I made these mini cupcakes for my son’s kindergarten class.

The baking part isn’t really my forte, so I typically opt for boxed cake mixes. The decorating however is what I really like. Cake/cupcake decorating is like a relaxation exercise for me, I zone out and get lost in the repetition.

Using a Wilton 233 tip and green frosting I made the grass. With a Wilton #5 round and chocolate frosting I made the nest. I did a batch with jelly beans, and a batch with mini eggs.

My taste testers don’t exactly have discerning palates. Anything with copious amounts of sugar typically passes their inspection. I was asked why I didn’t make them bigger by my 6-year-old, and my two-year old asked for more while making a shoveling motion towards his mouth. So it appears that they are a hit.

Cheeseburger in Paradise

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When my son’s school put out a request for silent auction items, or cakes for a raffle to raise money for the school I was debating for weeks as to what I should make.  What I finally decided to make was a “Cheeseburger in Paradise” cake, I hope that there is at least one reader that will get the parrot head reference.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBsPZV14I-k

A while back I made cupcake sliders which were the inspiration for this larger version.

Notes about the burger cake:

  • I used a devil’s food cake mix for the patty
  • Vanilla cake mix for the bun
  • Baked 3 cakes using a 8″ cake pan
  • Sprinkled the sesame seeds on the bun just before i took it out of the oven
  • Pickles, onions and cheese are all made of white fondant mixed with food colouring
  • Relish is coconut with green food colouring
  • Ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise are all icing with food colouring

I Love Sugar Cookies

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I was asked the other day what is my favourite sugar cookie recipe, and here it is.  With a little person that has some issues with dairy I almost always have to make some substitutions in cookie recipes.  In this case I switch the butter for margarine which works just as well.  I roll out the dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper which really cuts down on the cleanup.  If you have a favourite cookie recipe I would love to try it, please send me a link in the comments.

Happy Valentine’s Day.

heart cookies

On the seventh day of Christmas…Nuts & Bolts

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IMG_20141219_114954

When I was a kid there were some traditions surrounding Christmas.  The tree never went up until 2 weeks before Christmas, on Christmas morning breakfast had to be eaten before we got to see what Santa had left, and my parents always made Nuts & Bolts.  My parents would make nuts and bolts in the largest oven safe pan available which usually became home to the 20+ pound turkey days later.  When I first moved out west a package arrived at Christmas with nuts and bolts but since then I have been making my own large batch.  This year I had some help.

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Recipe
3 cups Shreddies
3 cups Multigrain Cherrios
3 cups pretzel sticks or twists
3 cups Cheetios cheese sticks
2 cups mixed nuts
1/2 cup butter
3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3 tsp onion powder
3 tsp garlic powder
3 tsp paprika

​Preheat oven to 250°F (120°C).  Combine Shreddies, Cheerios, pretzles, Cheetios and nuts in a large roasting pan.

Melt butter.  Mix into butter Worcestershire sauce, onion, garlic and paprika until blended.  Pour butter mixture over cereal mixture and toss gently to coat.

Bake, stirring every 30 minutes, for 2 hours.  Cool completely in pan on a rack.

On the sixth day of Christmas…Gingerbread cookies

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Gingerbread cookies are my favorite type of cookie yet I have never baked them.  For some reason I though that they were difficult to bake.  I was pleasantly surprised that they are not difficult at all and they are a hit with the kids.

I found the recipe here, and made a couple of changes.  I doubled the recipe, added a little more brown sugar to compensate for the super dark molasses I bought (having no idea that there are different ones), swapped the butter for vegetable shortening and added more cinnamon because I love it.  I also added more eggs (5 total) because the dough wasn’t sticking together as well as I would expect.  I let the dough sit for 2 hours as instructed and it rose quite a bit.  It was super easy to work with, and the thicker you roll the dough the squishier the cookies.

On the first day of Christmas…

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Two years ago I started a blog called Crafting through the holidays, and I wrote about a craft, baking, or holiday inspired project everyday for the 12 days of Christmas.  It was my first attempt at blogging, and two years later I am still at it.

So on the first day of Christmas my true love made for me….. Reindeer cupcakes!

reindeer cupcakes

There was a cupcake fundraiser at my son’s school this past week and these reindeer cupcakes were my contribution.

I used pretzels for the antlers, M&M’s for the eyes and nose, and a chocolate button for the snout.  I was thinking as I was making these that chocolate or yogurt covered pretzels would be good too.

On the first day of Christmas two years ago my true love gave to me a Veggie tree, check out this link for more info

veggie tree

I also made a cookie version of the reindeer cupcakes last year, check out this link for more info.

reindeer cookies

35 Sucks. Banana peanut butter chocolate pie does not!

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35 sucksMy husband had a birthday last week which prompted me to ask, what kind of cake would you like?  His response…you know that one that your mom bought from the grocery store that one time when she was visiting, that was really good.  I respond with…the one that she got the day after I delivered Logan??  He’s like ya, it was good.  OK seriously I have no idea what the cake from the grocery store that my mom bought more than 2 years ago 24 hours after I gave birth to our second son tasted like, what it looked like or what it was called.  Neither could he, he just remembered that it tasted good.  I also have the feeling that if I could have found the right cake that it wasn’t going to taste the same as he remembered, so I opted for something different.  Frozen banana peanut butter chocolate pie

Did you know that fourth anniversary gifts are flowers, fruit and appliances?  I do because it was just our 4th anniversary and I bought my husband a Yonanas machine.  How romantic.  If you haven’t heard of it, it takes frozen bananas and turns them into the consistency of ice cream.  It might sound gross but it’s actually quite delicious, especially when you add chocolate, peanut butter, walnuts, whipped cream and coconut.  Apparently there are other ways to turn bananas into ice cream.  I saw some recipes that used a food processor, but we haven’t gotten to the food processor anniversary yet, so we don’t have one.  So if you have a Yonanas machine or a food processor and want to give this pie a whirl the instructions are below.

Frozen banana peanut butter chocolate pie

  • chocolate graham cracker pie crust (you can make your own or buy one from the little elves)
  • 4 frozen bananas – frozen with the peel removed
  • enough chocolate chips to line the bottom of the pie crust
  • 2 1/2 tbsp peanut butter
  • enough chopped walnuts to line the bottom of a pie crust
  • a sprinkle of coconut
  • whipped cream (in a can because I am lazy)

Instructions

  1. Remove the bananas from the freezer and let them thaw on the counter for 10-15 minutes depending on your room temperature.  You want them to be frozen but not rock hard.
  2. Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
  3. Line the bottom of the pie crust with chocolate chips and put in the oven for 3-4 minutes or until the chocolate is soft but still in the shape of chocolate chips
  4. Put 2 1/2 tablespoons of peanut butter in a microwave safe container and melt on high (our microwave is old so it took 30 sec)
  5. Take the pie from the oven and pour the peanut butter on top of the chocolate
  6. Top with chopped walnuts and put it in the freezer
  7. With a Yonanas machine grind up those bananas into an ice cream texture
  8. Take the banana ice cream and spread it over the frozen pie crust
  9. Top with coconut and put it in the freezer
  10. Take it out of the freezer 10-15 minutes before serving so that you can cut it.
  11. Top with whipped cream.
  12. ENJOY!

The kids were super excited for Daddy’s birthday.  Here are a couple of pics.

Patiently waiting for Daddy to get home
Logan making a card
Sasha making a card

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Pumpkin Patch

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Here are some pictures from our trip to the pumpkin patch a couple of weeks ago.  The pumpkins will be turned into jack-o-lanterns by my talented husband.  But we both know that the real reason that he carves the pumpkins is to get the seeds.  He makes amazing pumpkin seeds.  Recipe & instructions below.

Pumpkin Seeds

For those that haven’t ever roasted pumpkin seeds before just dig them out of the pumpkin and remove the seeds from the pumpkin flesh.  In a bowl mix the seeds with salt and cayenne pepper (or what ever spice you might like).  Line a baking sheet with parchment or foil and roast in the oven at 400 degrees for 30 minutes (or until they are lightly browned) stirring every 10 minutes.

Enjoy!

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Chocolate Chip Comfort

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Cookie

 

August was a whirl wind of activity and I am hoping that September will be low-key in comparison.  I was reflecting on the month yesterday and was prompted to take action, a little chocolate chip cookie action.  August brought great highs and some lows including:

  • My husband and I went on a fantastic work trip/vacation without the kids in the Seychelles (Africa)
  • My parents, sister and niece Ruby came for a visit and to take care of the kids while we were away
  • I lost my job, well technically it isn’t lost I know where it went, and maybe my job lost me
  • Our baby turned two, which means that he is not a baby anymore
  • From our yard we ate plums, blackberries, tomatoes, cauliflower, basil, chives, and a few remaining strawberries
  • I read 5 books, the best one was “The Secret Letters of the Monk Who Sold His Ferrari” by Robin Sharma, see my Goodreads feed to the right if you want to know the others.

September brings the first day of Kindergarten for Sasha as soon as the teacher’s strike ends, and tomorrow I officially become a graduate student pursuing an Master’s in Business Administration.  So there was a lot happening and in the works in August, and I needed to regroup with a little Chocolate Chip comfort to kiss the month goodbye.  If you need a little break try out the recipe below, stop relax and eat a cookie.  My five-year old has told me that they are both “terrific” and the “best cookies he has ever eaten”.  I think it was a marketing ploy so I would give him more cookies.

Ingredients

This recipe makes 2 dozen cookies

  • 1/2 cup butter or margarine softened
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup chocolate chips
  • 1 cup oats
  • 1 cup rice crispies

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
  2. Blend sugars and butter
  3. Beat in 2 eggs
  4. Add the vanilla, baking soda, salt, flour
  5. Add in the oats, rice crispies and chocolate chips
  6. Drop by medium spoonful onto a greased or parchment paper lined cookie sheet
  7. Bake for 10-13 minutes or until the edges are golden brown

Keep relaxing and eating cookies, I know I will be.

 

 

The Leftover Lunch Bag

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Are you heading back to school or have someone in your house that is?  Maybe a lunch bag made of leftovers is a great environmentally friendly option.

The Leftover Lunch Bag was made using a torn pair of my husbands jeans and a child’s belt.  I was inspired by a pin I saw on Pinterest, thank you Between the lines for the idea.

 

 

Materials

LL Bag MaterialsTo make this lunch bag I recommend adult jeans, and not skinny fit, boot cut or straight leg would be ideal.  A child size 4-5 canvas belt is great, they often come with pants or shorts and are not required, at least not in my house.  This project took me less than half an hour with a sewing machine.

 

 

Instructions

  1. Cut pants off just below the knee, or about 16″ from the bottom hem.
  2. Turn the cut off section of the pants inside out
  3. Sew the raw edges closed
  4. Turn right side out
  5. Sew on the belt
  6. Finished

Thanks for reading!  Keep creating, and crafting.