~Sherry
Linking up To:
Monday, January 31, 2011
Rose Accessory
I combined several ideas of the fabric flower making craze to come up with my own. I think it is stunning... I had one other opinion of my 5 year old who thought it was big... OK, maybe it is but I still like it.
~Sherry
~Sherry
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Great Minds Think Alike - Valentines
I made a trip to the Dollar tree the other day thinking that I would make a Valentines Day craft. I picked up a few things.. I put making it off a few days and before I could get it finished one of my best friends texted me a picture of what she had made.
Here is what Susan Made! How cute is it? I think it turned out much better than mine.
Here is what I came up with... I think I will probably go back and make one like hers...
Here is what Susan Made! How cute is it? I think it turned out much better than mine.
Here is what I came up with... I think I will probably go back and make one like hers...
Thank you for sharing Susan!! Happy Valentines Day!
Friday, January 28, 2011
Clown Box
I took the Chinese Take-Out box snowman idea and adapted it into a birthday clown. We are going to use it to give a gift card. What do you think? I will post a tutorial if anyone is interested.
Linking up to:
Sherry
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
A Few of My Favorite Things
Each Christmas in my family we try to make each other gifts. It has become a very special tradition. It takes a little more thought and effort to make a gift but it ends up being so much more meaningful. I want to share with you several handmade items from this past Christmas.
This is Savannah's reindeer that we made for Dad to hang at the shop.
This is Savannah's reindeer that we made for Dad to hang at the shop.
This is a necklace I made for my Mom. She loves buttons.
My Mom made me a fairy pouch that held my gift. It's hard to see all the details. It is pieced together with several different fabrics. One has a picture of Savannah. There are several different trims and even some hand embroidery. Beads and ribbon handles finish it off.
Here Savannah and I received matching necklace pendants from Debbie. They have a picture of us on them. Savannah thinks it is so cool to wear a necklace like Mom...Go check out Debbie's blog here debbie-idodesigns.blogspot.com. She helped me through some really hard times in 2010. ( Debbie, Friends are family that we choose for ourselves... you are family.. Thanks for everything ...)
Last but not least is a dishtowel that my 84 year old grandmother made for me with hand embroidery on it.
Until the next post..
Sherry
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Coconut Cake A True Southern Creation
First, let me admit that I have NEVER made coconut cake... I don't even like coconut cake.. but... I got roped into making one...
This Christmas season I had to go out and buy a candy thermometer. I've never made candy or cooked anything that was so complicated as to need a thermometer. I purchased it so I could make the homemade marshmallows that were posted on all sorts of blogs. By the way homemade marshmallows are to die for.. if anyone is interested I will post about those.. I actually combined several recipes that I found online to come up with the marshmallows that I made.
Anyway back to the cake.... Little did I know I would also need a thermometer to make the icing for this cake. I had never heard of boiled icing but WOW! I love that stuff now.. I have got to find something besides coconut cake that put this icing on..or maybe I will just eat it out of the bowl..
So here it is... I know my last post said I wouldn't post about snowmen.. Ha Ha! I didn't say it wouldn't look like snow. its not really crooked I think it just has a glob of coconut onthe side that makes it look that way.
The recipe that I used is below. It came from Southern Living Christmas book but it can also be found here Food.com Coconut Cake... Let me note that I changed just a few things. 1) Walmart had no fresh coconuts.. so I bought a bag of shredded coconut to use.. 2) without a fresh coconut it is hard to get the coconut milk from a fresh coconut and I couldn't seem to find any of that in a can either... So, I cheated... When it calls for you to take a 1/4 cup of fresh coconut milk add 2 tablespoons of sugarand microwave... I Made up a simple syrup 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water boiled I let that cool and added 1 -2 teaspoons of coconut flavoring and brushed it on the layers. Yeah, I know its probably not the same but it gave it the coconut flavor..
I was told that it was the best coconut cake ever!!!!
Here is the original recipe
For the Cake
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup fresh coconut milk
2 -3 cups fresh coconut, shredded
For the Frosting
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
4 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 large marshmallows, cut into pieces
1 Remove liquid from coconut and reserve.
2 Remove the"meat" of the coconut and shred.
3 Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add 2 cups of sugar, beating well.
4 Add eggs, one at a time, beating until blended after each addition.
5 Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending
with flour mixture.
6 Beat at low speed until blended after each addition.
7 Stir in flavorings and pour into 3 greased and floured 9" round cake pans.
8 Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
9 Cool in pans on wire racks.
10 Make frosting: Combine sugar and water in a heavy saucepan.
11 cook over medium heat stirring, constantly until mixture is clear.
12 Cook without stirring until syrup reaches the soft-ball stage or a candy thermometer reaches 240°F.
13 while syrup cooks beat egg whites at low speed with an electric mixer until foamy.
14 Add cream of tartar and salt; beat at medium speed until soft peaks form.
15 Increase to high speed and add hot syrup in a heavy stream.
16 Add marshmallows, a few pieces at a time.
17 Beat until stiff peaks form and frosting is thick enough to spread.
18 Combine 2 tbsp sugar and coconut milk.
19 Microwave on high for 30 seconds; stir until sugar dissolves.
20 Brush one cake layer with half of the coconut milk"syrup" leaving 1/2" margin around the edges.
21 Spread with 1/2 cup boiled frosting and sprinkle with1/2 cup of shredded coconut-- repeat with each layer.
22 Top with remaining cake layer.
23 Spread remaining frosting on top and sides of cake; sprinkle with remaining coconut.
24 Cover and chill.
Linking Up to
CraftOManiac
This Christmas season I had to go out and buy a candy thermometer. I've never made candy or cooked anything that was so complicated as to need a thermometer. I purchased it so I could make the homemade marshmallows that were posted on all sorts of blogs. By the way homemade marshmallows are to die for.. if anyone is interested I will post about those.. I actually combined several recipes that I found online to come up with the marshmallows that I made.
Anyway back to the cake.... Little did I know I would also need a thermometer to make the icing for this cake. I had never heard of boiled icing but WOW! I love that stuff now.. I have got to find something besides coconut cake that put this icing on..or maybe I will just eat it out of the bowl..
So here it is... I know my last post said I wouldn't post about snowmen.. Ha Ha! I didn't say it wouldn't look like snow. its not really crooked I think it just has a glob of coconut onthe side that makes it look that way.
The recipe that I used is below. It came from Southern Living Christmas book but it can also be found here Food.com Coconut Cake... Let me note that I changed just a few things. 1) Walmart had no fresh coconuts.. so I bought a bag of shredded coconut to use.. 2) without a fresh coconut it is hard to get the coconut milk from a fresh coconut and I couldn't seem to find any of that in a can either... So, I cheated... When it calls for you to take a 1/4 cup of fresh coconut milk add 2 tablespoons of sugarand microwave... I Made up a simple syrup 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water boiled I let that cool and added 1 -2 teaspoons of coconut flavoring and brushed it on the layers. Yeah, I know its probably not the same but it gave it the coconut flavor..
I was told that it was the best coconut cake ever!!!!
Here is the original recipe
For the Cake
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup fresh coconut milk
2 -3 cups fresh coconut, shredded
For the Frosting
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
4 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 large marshmallows, cut into pieces
1 Remove liquid from coconut and reserve.
2 Remove the"meat" of the coconut and shred.
3 Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add 2 cups of sugar, beating well.
4 Add eggs, one at a time, beating until blended after each addition.
5 Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending
with flour mixture.
6 Beat at low speed until blended after each addition.
7 Stir in flavorings and pour into 3 greased and floured 9" round cake pans.
8 Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
9 Cool in pans on wire racks.
10 Make frosting: Combine sugar and water in a heavy saucepan.
11 cook over medium heat stirring, constantly until mixture is clear.
12 Cook without stirring until syrup reaches the soft-ball stage or a candy thermometer reaches 240°F.
13 while syrup cooks beat egg whites at low speed with an electric mixer until foamy.
14 Add cream of tartar and salt; beat at medium speed until soft peaks form.
15 Increase to high speed and add hot syrup in a heavy stream.
16 Add marshmallows, a few pieces at a time.
17 Beat until stiff peaks form and frosting is thick enough to spread.
18 Combine 2 tbsp sugar and coconut milk.
19 Microwave on high for 30 seconds; stir until sugar dissolves.
20 Brush one cake layer with half of the coconut milk"syrup" leaving 1/2" margin around the edges.
21 Spread with 1/2 cup boiled frosting and sprinkle with1/2 cup of shredded coconut-- repeat with each layer.
22 Top with remaining cake layer.
23 Spread remaining frosting on top and sides of cake; sprinkle with remaining coconut.
24 Cover and chill.
Linking Up to
CraftOManiac
Snowmen Hand Sanitizer
Ok... I know it looks like I have been on a snowmen kick.. I have.. It's cold here and snowmen seem to warm my heart. I posted this on my Facebook as my little army of hand sanitizing snowmen.... I found the instructions here Crafts and Crap... I just love them.. I think I will send a few to school for the teachers to start of the new year germ free.
and I promise my next post isn't snowmen..
Snowmen gift boxes
I know I have been way behind in my posting. I am so sorry. The holidays go so busy I didn't know if I was coming or going most of the time. I will try to fill in some of the blanks for you in the next few posts.
Here I created the snowman gift boxes that I found here.. Blue Cricket Design... How cute are they?
Here I created the snowman gift boxes that I found here.. Blue Cricket Design... How cute are they?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
