Petits Fours

I found the instructions for these ADORABLE petits fours on MckMama's blog. I watch a ton of Cake Boss and have always been totally fascinated by fondant so I decided to give them a try! I took a break from painting this weekend and vowed NOT to feel guilty about it (believe me, I needed a nice break), so I got crafty instead! My sister helped me by mixing my fondant colors.

I started with a box of Oreo Cakesters. (The author of this adventure (who was not MckMama, but a guest poster) said that she has not been able to find vanilla Cakesters for a long time but I was able to get them at Fred Meyer here in Oregon!)

I bought a box of pre-made fondant at Michaels (which I forgot to photograph) and tore off a hunk. I colored it with food coloring gel and got this nice pink.

I also made red and used some plain white. When trying to make a second "batch" of red we ended up with a darker pink so we actually worked with 4 colors, which was fun.

The author of the post used wax paper with her fondant and said that granite or marble works WAY better. I started off using granite and found that my fondant stuck to it after I rolled it out so I switched to wax paper and it worked great for me.

Using a very smooth rolling pin, I rolled out the fondant so it was slightly less than 1/4 of an inch thick. The Petits Four Queen made hers thicker because she was using chocolate Cakesters. That way the dark color would not show through (especially with the white fondant).

I draped the fondant over the Cakester and smoothed it down around the edges with the edge of my pinky finger. I then used a very sharp knife to cut around the edge of the Cakester, leaving just a little bit of a "lip".

Then, I forgot to take a picture so I'm sorry, the next photo is completely off track! =)

I gently flipped the Cakester over onto my palm and used the fingers of my other hand to smooth the edge of the fondant around to the bottom. (The bottom doesn't have to be completely covered. These aren't.)

I used some mini cookie cutters to cut out some more fondant pieces and decorated my little cakes with them. I even brushed a little watered down corn syrup and shimmer dust on a few of the hearts to add a little bit of a sparkle.

The finished products turned out SO CUTE! I am thrilled with them and am even considering making some more later this week to take to work as a little Valentine treat. They are incredibly easy to make and they just look adorable!

Recipe - Rainbow Cake

I know you've all been just DYING to know how I made the incredible rainbow cake for Dorothy's birthday, haven't you? :)

I'm here to tell you!

I should warn you ahead of time though: while this cake is definitely not hard to make, it is VERY time consuming. But also totally worth it. I don't think I have ever gotten so many compliments before on something I've made!

Let's begin, shall we?

For the cake, you will need:

2 boxes of white cake mix (Ok, I usually make my cakes from scratch but in this case, that would have been even MORE work. And the cake mixes I used (Betty Crocker) were actually quite delicious.)

Food coloring (I used gel coloring that I got at the craft store. It comes in ALL colors and is the only way you will get a true purple or orange.)

Make up the first cake mix and separate it into three bowls (about 1 1/2 cups per bowl). Color one bowl of cake mix blue, another green and the third bowl purple.



Pour each one of these bowls of batter into a 9-inch cake pan and bake according to the directions on the box. Remember to check the cakes about 10 minutes before they should be done. With less batter in the pans, they tend to cook faster.

Mix up the second cake mix and repeat the coloring process, this time with red, orange and yellow. Bake these three cakes the same way.

Let all six cakes cool completely. Using a bread knife, cut into the cakes horizontally to even them out. They tend to have dips and valleys baked into them and you want the tops to be level. This is important so that the colors will display evenly when the completed cake is cut. Your rainbow will appear warped and not even unless you level the tops of each cake first.



To make the frosting you will need:

4 (8 oz.) packages of cream cheese, softened
1 cup butter, softened
5-6 cups powdered sugar
1 T vanilla

To make the frosting:

Mix together room temperature cream cheese and butter until well combined. Add vanilla and combine. Slowly add the powdered sugar. After the 5th cup, taste the frosting. If you would like it sweeter, add the 6th cup (I did). If you like it the way it is, leave the 6th cup out.

To assemble the cake:

Start your assembly with the purple layer. Lay your purple cake on your cake stand or plate. Frost the cake with enough frosting to spill over the edges. Use the flat side of a large knife to smooth out the frosting on the cake.

Add the blue layer of cake on top of the purple one. Again, frost to top of the cake with enough to spill over the edges. Use your knife to smooth out the frosting. This time, also run the edge of the knife along the outside of the cakes to smooth the edges.

Put the cake in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or the freezer for 1 hour.

Repeat with the green layer, and then the yellow layer.

Put the cake in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or the freezer for 1 hour.

Repeat with the orange layer and finally with the red layer.

It really helps to freeze the cake between assembling layers. The cake can start to get really heavy by the time you add the 4th layer or so and if it is partially frozen at this point (or at least chilled), it will hold up much better. In addition, it is easier to frost a cold cake than it is to frost one that is wobbling all over the place! :)

Cover the cake with frosting and run the smooth, flat side of a knife all over and around your cake to smooth it out nicely. Add wording or decorations with royal icing. You can also add frosting and food coloring to a pastry bag and add little dollops of frosting around the bottom edge of the cake, but clearly I forgot to do that. :)



Voila! Beautiful Rainbow Cake!

Blueberry... dish

I have no idea what to call this thing but it is soooo good! I had it for the first time at a friend's birthday dinner last week and I immediately asked for the recipe! A coworker and I each picked 7 lbs. of blueberries on Saturday and today I just had to make it. =)

Ingredients:

10-13 cups fresh blueberries (a sweeter variety will work better than something more tart)
1 pkg. graham crackers
3-4 bananas
Apple juice concentrate
Cinnamon
Sugar
Coriander
Shredded coconut

In a Quisinart or dry blender (or using a ziplock bag and a rolling pin, like me), crush graham crackers. Spread in the bottom of a 9x13 inch Pyrex dish. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar (I used some vanilla sugar that I randomly found in the spice drawer and it is delicious!).

Layer sliced bananas over the graham cracker crumbs.

Mash 2-4 cups of the blueberries and mix with 2-3 Tbs. apple juice concentrate. Spread half of this mixture over the bananas.

Next, pile on about 2/3 of your remaining fresh blueberries. Spread on the rest of the mashed mixture, followed by the rest of your fresh berries.

Sprinkle with shredded coconut, coriander (which I skipped all together) and cinnamon.

Serve chilled.

YUM!

Recipe: Tomato Soup with Pasta and Basil

I bought a new pasta recipe book last night (because pretty much my favorite food in the world is pasta) and immediately found a recipe that I wanted to try right away. This weekend's rainy weather helped to put me in a soup and pasta sort of mood!

Ingredients:

3 large, very ripe tomatoes
2 Tbs olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 small red pepper, finely chopped
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock (I used vegetable)
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves (whole)
1 cup shell or macaroni pasta

Score a cross in the top of each tomato. Plunge into boiling water for 1-2 minutes, then into cold water. Peel each tomato and remove the seeds. Roughly chop the tomatoes.

Heat olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed pan and cook onion, garlic and red pepper until soft. Add chopped tomato and cook 10 more minutes. Add stock, tomato paste, sugar and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Remove from heat and add basil leaves. Allow to cool slightly before processing the mixture, in batches, in a food processor or blender, until smooth. Return soup to pan and gently re-heat.

While the soup is re-heating (or continuing to heat since it didn't totally cool off in the first place), boil pasta. Drain pasta and add to the soup. Heat through. Garnish with basil if desired.

*Since this is the first time I've made this soup it took me over an hour. I have a feeling that when I do it again it will go much faster. I haven't tried it but it's likely that this soup would also freeze well.

Enjoy!

Roommate Soup (also known as easy Vegetable Tortellini Soup)

Makes a very large pot of soup, depending on quantities you use. Mine are approximate.

1 - 2 Tbs. garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
1 large head of broccoli
1 small head of cauliflower
15(ish) baby carrots, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes (I like the Italian seasoned kind)
1 can of corn
3/4 cup (or so) of celery, chopped
3 medium potatoes, chopped and precooked*
4 cans of chicken broth
1 package of fresh tortellini
Basil to taste
Parsley to taste
Other spices to taste

*Simmer the potatoes in a few cups of water while you're making the rest of the soup. Cook just until you can easily insert a fork. Reserve potato water to use in place of 1 can of chicken broth, if desired.

Brown garlic and onion in oil in a (very) large pot. Add one can of chicken broth and begin adding veggies (I just add them as I chop them). Add tortellini, potatoes and spices, adding chicken broth as you go to keep a soupy consistency. Cook on med-low until tortellini and veggies are cooked through. Add more liquid if needed (the tortellini's will soak up the broth).

This recipe is so easily altered and a very make-it-up-as-you-go kind of thing. You really can't go wrong.

This soup also freezes well.

Amish white bread

Makes two delicious loaves.

2 cups warm water
2/3 cups white sugar
1 1/2 Tbs. active dry yeast
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
6 cups bread flour

In a large bowl, dissolve sugar in warm water. Stir in yeast, allowing it to form a creamy foam. Add salt and oil and stir well. Mix flour in one cup at a time. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Place dough in an oiled bowl and turn to coat the dough. Cover with a damp cloth and allow to rise for 1 hour. Punch the dough down and knead. Divide in half and place each half in a greased bread pan. Let rise for 30 more minutes. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Meals

I started thinking a few days ago about doing a post on food and meals and what I eat. I'm not sure why. But here it is!

Breakfast I always eat at work. First because I don't have time to eat before I leave the house, and second because I'm not hungry when I leave the house. I start work at 7 and I usually run down to the cafeteria around 8. Tuesday is my favorite day because they serve WAFFLES! I am a total sucker for waffles with strawberries. I cannot resist them. Friday is French toast. Monday, Wednesday and Thursday I have two English muffins (equaling four halves - I'm a pig) with butter and jam. Sometimes a V8, sometimes tapioca pudding with cinnamon sprinkled on top (which I'm also a sucker for, but they never have it).

I usually get hungry again before lunch so I try to pack a morning snack in with my lunch. Usually fruit or yogurt. This week it's home baked white bread, which I will add the recipe for at the end of this post (SO good).

Lunch is almost always leftovers. Normally I'll make something for dinner early in the week and then pack the leftovers for lunch all week. I rarely eat at the cafeteria. I will on occasion if it's something I really love, like fajitas (also a meal I cannot resist). If I don't have any leftovers at home and am "forced" to eat at the cafeteria I usually get a Caesar salad (another one of my favorites). Some of my frequently packed lunches are stir fry over rice, cheesy ham chowder, spaghetti and other pasta.

Then there's this cake that they have at the espresso bar that I absolutely cannot get enough of. It's called Strawberry Bavarian Torte and it is TO DIE FOR. And they have it way too often.

Afternoon snack, usually the dang cake. Sometimes fruit or veggies or corn chips with homemade guacamole. And I drink water ALL day long.

Dinner is my weak spot. By the time I get home I just want to check my e-mail, watch Ellen and not cook. So dinner is the meal I throw together. Sometimes Annie's macaroni and cheese, other times a sandwich and on my most exhausted nights, Stouffer's mac and cheese (I do like mac and cheese and I make a mean batch from scratch but not when I'm exhausted). And always a glass of milk.

In the evenings, sometimes a bowl of ice cream. With another glass of milk.

So see, the first half of the day I do eat pretty healthy. The second half, I don't do so good. But it's true, I don't eat many sweets (because they're all chocolate!) and I don't drink soda or coffee, so that helps I guess. And when I go grocery shopping I'm almost always buying ingredients to actually cook with, not usually pre-cooked things.

Okay, unfortunately it is way too late to post the recipes I wanted to. But, I promise I will get a couple up by the end of the week. They are too good not to share. Stay tuned!

How is it already halfway through July???

I'm back at my own apartment after house sitting for ten days. I loved the house (big and quiet!) but am very glad I do not own a dog, and am very glad to be back in my own bed. When I opened my front door last night I was greeted by a blast of hot, stuffy air which was not what I was hoping for since it was already nearing 100 degrees outside. I opened up all the windows and placed fans all over the house (hooray for having 4). Then I put on my bathing suit and took a cold shower and LEFT it on because it was nice and cool. I had a hard time falling asleep but thank goodness it's a whole lot cooler tonight.

Work has been nuts. There are still a lot of issues with D and it's becoming VERY frustrating up front. I spoke with my supervisor about it on Thursday and she was really supportive so I'm hoping things will improve soon.

Jordan's birthday is in SIX DAYS! Steve and I finally decided to have it at Chuck E. Cheese, even though we are both dreading it. lol He's been talking about it for two years so we figured this should be the year. This is one of his top 3 ambitions in life (the other two being a trip to Disneyworld and having a baby brother). I've also made the (tough) decision to not make his cake myself because he has his heart set on an Incredible Hulk cake, which is not something I have the ambition to try to make! But I am looking forward to the fact that there will be more kids than just his cousins there. I babysit for a family who has a boy just three days younger than Jordan and they have become fast friends. Plus my friend Harvest and her family are coming so that adds another girl to the mix, which I think is always a good thing.

I've been spending more and more time in Albany over the last couple of weeks which has been a lot of fun and led to some really special times, but boy am I feeling it in the gas tank department. Steve is pretty good about saying, "Honey, I'm not up for the drive but if you want to come here I'll give you some gas money." I don't really enjoy the drive either but I try to understand that he drives ALL day for a living and hey, if that was my job, I wouldn't want to add another 20 minute drive either!

I've been trying to buy lots of fresh fruit and vegetables lately. I really want to get to a farm sometime in the next week or two and pick blueberries, strawberries and raspberries and freeze them. I've been making lots of smoothies and will share the recipe for my favorite one here. =) It's actually a modified version of a Mango Lassi recipe (because my mangoes had gone bad and I'd already started the batch).

3 cups plain yogurt (I use nonfat - 3 cups is one of those big tubs of yogurt)
1 cup water
1 cup milk (nonfat again)
2 heaping teaspoons sugar
2 cups fresh, sliced nectarines

Dump all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Turns out this is a good one to keep in the fridge for a day or two because it makes quite a bit.

And now, even though I know I had more to post, it is past my bedtime. Hopefully I can post more in the next couple weeks (like pictures from our 4th of July family BBQ) before things kick back up with the fair, our church's annual campout and a trip to Idaho for a few days.

Here's to hoping it cools off soon!

Halloween Fun add-on

I forgot one! This one looks super cute to me and would be fun (and messy) for young kids, too. Look how adorable they are!

Craft Materials

• Assorted stones (just about any shape will do)
• Orange acrylic paint and paintbrush
• Black permanent marker
• Twigs
• Tacky glue

Wash any dirt from the stones and let them dry completely. Then paint them orange, using two coats if necessary.
Once the paint is dry, draw on faces with black marker. Finally, glue a twig pumpkin stem atop each stone.

(Comments on this post disabled due to spam.)

Halloween fun

I'm not a big fan of Halloween, but Jordan is so I do activities with him. I don't like witches and goblins. I would rather meddle in pumpkins and scarecrows. I guess I just like fall more than the actual holiday of Halloween. I love carving pumpkins and baking fall treats and going to harvest parties. Dressing up is a perk. Diana frowns on me because she loves Halloween and scary things and decorating the house with goblins and evil. I'm not cool with that, but we compromise (the standing rule is that she can do and hang ANYTHING she wants in her bedroom).

I am a member of FamilyFun.com and LOVE the weekly e-mails I get from them. Every Wednesday they send out a "weekender" e-mail with craft ideas. Today I found one for Salt Dough Ghosts and I think Jordan and I will make some bitty ghosts tonight.

Craft Materials:

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup salt
• 1/2 cup water
• Bowl
• Wooden spoon
• Fine-point permanent black marker

Combine the flour, salt and water in a bowl. Stir the mixture with a wooden spoon until smooth.

Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces and shape each into a ghost, flattening the base so it will stand up.

Microwave the ghosts on a plate one or two at a time for 20-30 second intervals until the dough is fairly firm (about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes total). Let the ghosts cool (they can get quite hot).

Use a fine-point permanent black marker to draw on eyes and a mouth.

Experimenting in the kitchen...

This is something I saw on Mirlandra's blog. She says it sounds like the worst recipe ever because where I have put ground beef, the recipe called for SPAM. Okay yes, that is DISGUSTING. However, the rest of it sounded decent. Sure, it's a casserole, so maybe it sounds gross if you're not a casserole person, but I don't mind them and so... I think I will give it a try!

1 pkg elbow macaroni (7 oz)
2 cups broccoli (it said frozen, I would use fresh)
1 lb. ground beef, browned
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
2 cups skim milk
2 Tbs cornstarch
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3/4 cup soft bread crumbs
2 Tbs margarine, melted

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease casserole dish. Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain. In casserole dish combine macaroni, broccoli, beef and red pepper. In a small saucepan stir together milk, cornstarch and pepper until cornstarch is dissolved. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly until thickened. Reduce heat to low. Add cheese and stir until melted. Stir sauce into mixture in casserole dish. Combine bread crumbs and margarine and sprinkle on top of casserole. Bake 40 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Now that I think about it, I used to make something fairly similar to this and it was dee-licious!

Homemade

Also the 150th post. =)

I went to Steve's on Sunday night and cooked dinner for us. Stir fry sounded good and so did the monotony of chopping peppers and onions (it was a long day). This recipe is so easy and so good. I chop one each red, green, yellow and orange bell peppers and about half a large onion. Saute the onion in oil, then add peppers and simmer until slightly tender. Add stir fry sauce (I believe it's sold with the soy sauce in grocery stores) and chicken (I use seasoned chicken) and cook until peppers are tender and mixture starts to get juicy. Serve over rice.

Oven Mitt Boy!

Jordan and I also made homemade play-doh for the first time. Moms, try this recipe, it's super easy and makes play-doh with a great consistency.

In a saucepan, mix:

1 C flour

1/2 C salt

2 tsp cream of tartar

1 C water

1 Tbs vegetable oil

Desired food coloring

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture forms a ball (only a couple of minutes). Turn out onto counter or hard surface and let cool a few minutes, then knead until smooth. This dough doesn't stick to your hands (unless you don't cook it long enough), is (apparently) edible and should be refrigerated when not in use. I'll let you know how long it lasts. The actual stove cooking time is so short that this is pretty kid-friendly. At worst, have your child step aside while you stir for a couple of minutes.

The first batch was so fun that we made a second. We did red first, although Jordan was convinced it was pink, and he chose purple as the second color because that meant we got to use red and blue.

The chefs:

The onlooker: