Thursday, September 30, 2010
party dresses
Loving these ridiculously cute frocks from H&M - the best part - they are priced between $29.99 - $59.99!
Peanut Butter Fingers
A Northwest Ohio favorite:
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour (add 2 1/2 T for high altitude)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup peanut butter
3 tablespoons milk
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, white sugar and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg, 1/3 cup peanut butter and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; stir into the peanut butter mixture. Finally, mix in the rolled oats. Spread the dough evenly into the prepared pan.
3. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are firm. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the chocolate chips in a single layer over the top. Let stand for 5 minutes, then spread to cover. Allow to cool. In a small bowl, mix together the confectioners' sugar, 1/4 cup peanut butter until smooth. Stir in milk one tablespoon at a time until a drizzling consistency is reached. Drizzle over bars when cool. Cut into bars.
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour (add 2 1/2 T for high altitude)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup peanut butter
3 tablespoons milk
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, white sugar and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg, 1/3 cup peanut butter and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; stir into the peanut butter mixture. Finally, mix in the rolled oats. Spread the dough evenly into the prepared pan.
3. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are firm. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the chocolate chips in a single layer over the top. Let stand for 5 minutes, then spread to cover. Allow to cool. In a small bowl, mix together the confectioners' sugar, 1/4 cup peanut butter until smooth. Stir in milk one tablespoon at a time until a drizzling consistency is reached. Drizzle over bars when cool. Cut into bars.
Whole Foods Printable Coupons
Whole Foods has just released a slew of printable store coupons (& they don't expire until 12/31/10)! You can stack these w/ manufacturer's coupons to make some of their items semi-affordable! (i.e. You can use both the Whole Foods Coupon & the manufacturer's coupon and save the added amount of both)! Some brands that you should be able to find manufacturer coupons for: Thai Kitchen, Muir Glen, Alexia - Check it!
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Monday, September 27, 2010
canning salsa
(makes 10 pints)
INGREDIENTS:
• 12 cups diced tomatoes (skinned* & seeded)
*to skin tomatoes: place in boiling water for 30-45 seconds, then immerse in a waiting ice bath. The skin should peel right off. (See this post for more info)
• 4 c peppers
• 3 c green peppers
• 1/2 c jalepeno
• 1/2 c banana pepper
• 2 c diced onions
• 2 t. red pepper seasoning
• 2 t. garlic powder
• 1 1/2 c white vinegar
• 6 t. salt
• 18 oz tomato paste
• 4 Tbs. Accent seasoning ( I left this out of my recipe)
• 2 t. cummin
• 3 t. black pepper
• 2 t. onion powder
DIRECTIONS: Bring mixture to a boil. Boil 5 minutes. Sanitize jars, lids, & rings w/ soap & water or run through the dishwasher on the sanitize cycle. Put jars, rings & lids in boiling water to further kill any bacteria, etc. (I dealt w/ the jars using a large tongs & a dry towel - be sure not to burn yourself!) Fill the hot jars w/ the hot salsa. Place the lids & rings on top, & screw them down tight. Then set the filled jars upside down for 30-45 min. Jars should now be sealed & the middle should no longer pop.
NOTES: In preparing the ingredients, I would suggest using a food chopper (like this one via Pampered Chef), as cutting & chopping everything by hand took forever! Thanks for the recipe Tara :)
Monday, August 09, 2010
rainbows
Definitely the inspiration for an upcoming get together.....
via paperyandcakery
rainbow cake tutorial via omnomicon
via oh happy day at The Ribbonerie San Fran
the real thing: Reno/Tahoe 8.7.10 - via Sharisse Coulter Photography
via paperyandcakery
rainbow cake tutorial via omnomicon
via oh happy day at The Ribbonerie San Fran
the real thing: Reno/Tahoe 8.7.10 - via Sharisse Coulter Photography
Thursday, August 05, 2010
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
DIY custom napkins
Make your own custom napkins for a fraction of the cost!
via amy atlas events
Custom Napkins
Materials Needed:
The PicnicNapkin_DIY_Template!
Paper Napkins
1.5″ Circle Punch
Iron-on Transfers
Iron
Ink Jet Printer
Instructions:
1. Download table number’s PDF and print onto Iron-on transfer paper as directed. Depending on what transfer paper you use you made need to revers the template before you print so take special note. Trim each circle out using a 1.5″ circle punch taking extra care to line up the edges. If you don’t have a 1.5″ circle punch than a craft knife can be used instead.
2. Determine where you’d like the design to appear on your napkin and place carefully on your napkin. Follow the instructions that come with the transfer paper to adhere the art work.
3. Ta-da! Unique and custom napkins without the cost!
via amy atlas events
DIY handmade notepads
This would make a great custom party favor: emblazoned w/ a note to guests or artwork that is reminiscent of your event!
Materials needed:
Materials needed:
(How to PDF)
3-4 packs of A2 Note Cards (use two different colors for a jazzy pad!)
PVA
Glue Brush
2 Rulers
1-2 Jumbo Binder Clips
Instructions:
1. Stack A2 Note Cards (alternating colors optional). Jog sides back and forth on a flat level surface until desired edge is completely flush.
2. Cover one edge with PVA to bind cards.
3. Carefully sandwich the glued edge between two rulers, then clamp with jumbo binder clips. The rulers will protect the paper from the clips. Set aside to dry.
4. If necessary, apply another layer of PVA and set aside to dry. Once completely dry, unclamp and use!
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Oh Happy Day - FREE DIY CARD & ENVELOPE
Oh Happy Day....Make your own Wedding/Birthday/Any Occasion Card. Design prints beautifully to any black & white printer.
CARD:
1. Click on card image above to open the full size version
2. Right click to save as (mac users - ctrl click) to your desktop
3. Open the image & print to the 8.5"x11" cardstock of your choosing
4. Cut using the crop marks as your guide. (A ruler & xacto knife works best)
5. Fold in half
A-7 ENVELOPE:
1. Click on each envelope image above to open the full size version
2. Right click to save as (mac users - ctrl click) to your desktop
3. Open the image & print to each on the 8.5"x11" text weight paper of your choosing. (Bright paper looks great w/ a black & white card!)
4. Cut on the solid grey lines
5. Glue 1st area, as marked
6. Fold up bottom flap & glue 2nd area, as marked
7. Fold on all other dotted lines (see diagram for examples)
8. Enjoy your fab, hand-crafted card & envelope!
BE SURE TO CHECK OUT MY ETSY SHOP: sierraPRINT!
CARD:
1. Click on card image above to open the full size version
2. Right click to save as (mac users - ctrl click) to your desktop
3. Open the image & print to the 8.5"x11" cardstock of your choosing
4. Cut using the crop marks as your guide. (A ruler & xacto knife works best)
5. Fold in half
A-7 ENVELOPE:
1. Click on each envelope image above to open the full size version
2. Right click to save as (mac users - ctrl click) to your desktop
3. Open the image & print to each on the 8.5"x11" text weight paper of your choosing. (Bright paper looks great w/ a black & white card!)
4. Cut on the solid grey lines
5. Glue 1st area, as marked
6. Fold up bottom flap & glue 2nd area, as marked
7. Fold on all other dotted lines (see diagram for examples)
8. Enjoy your fab, hand-crafted card & envelope!
BE SURE TO CHECK OUT MY ETSY SHOP: sierraPRINT!
Thursday, July 01, 2010
Monday, June 07, 2010
FREE Father's Day Card & Envelope Download
Make your own Father's Day card & envelope! Images print beautifully to any black & white printer:
CARD:
1. Click on card image above to open the full size version
2. Right click to save as (mac users - ctrl click) to your desktop
3. Open the image & print to the 8.5"x11" cardstock of your choosing
4. Cut using the crop marks as your guide. (A ruler & xacto knife works best)
5. Fold in half
A-7 ENVELOPE:
1. Click on each envelope image above to open the full size version
2. Right click to save as (mac users - ctrl click) to your desktop
3. Open the image & print to each on the 8.5"x11" text weight paper of your choosing
4. Cut on the solid grey lines
5. Glue 1st area, as marked
6. Fold up bottom flap & glue 2nd area, as marked
7. Fold on all other dotted lines (see diagram for examples)
8. Enjoy your fab, hand-crafted card & envelope!
BE SURE TO CHECK OUT MY ETSY SHOP: sierraPRINT!
CARD:
1. Click on card image above to open the full size version
2. Right click to save as (mac users - ctrl click) to your desktop
3. Open the image & print to the 8.5"x11" cardstock of your choosing
4. Cut using the crop marks as your guide. (A ruler & xacto knife works best)
5. Fold in half
A-7 ENVELOPE:
1. Click on each envelope image above to open the full size version
2. Right click to save as (mac users - ctrl click) to your desktop
3. Open the image & print to each on the 8.5"x11" text weight paper of your choosing
4. Cut on the solid grey lines
5. Glue 1st area, as marked
6. Fold up bottom flap & glue 2nd area, as marked
7. Fold on all other dotted lines (see diagram for examples)
8. Enjoy your fab, hand-crafted card & envelope!
BE SURE TO CHECK OUT MY ETSY SHOP: sierraPRINT!
Friday, June 04, 2010
cupcake wars
I absolutely love to bake & have often thought about party planning & coordinating events. (yeah, I'm adding it to the list of my many aspirations, which as of late seems to change daily.) Following is a great post by Amy Atlas Events w/ info & tips in regards to frosting desserts w/ fondant vs. buttercream. Some good food for thought in planning any event!
{All cupcakes above are from Amy Atlas's dessert bars.}
"Everytime I meet with a client, I hold my breath because I know the discussion is coming. Usually it's a battle rather than a discussion. The debate of buttercream vs. fondant. Every client wants buttercream because they have all had a bad experience with the tasteless and often rubbery texture of fondant. We've all had that experience, right? Having styled both buttercream and fondant cakes and cupcakes more times than I can count, I always breathe a sigh of relief when my client picks fondant. I know I'll gain some criticism for this, but I'm sticking to it. Many don't realize it, but good bakers will use better tasting fondant like Fondarific, a company that makes vanilla, chocolate, and fruit flavored fondant. Now don't misunderstand me...I adore buttercream. I make buttercream cupcakes all the time with my family. I'll serve buttercream cakes when I'm entertaining in my home. I'm also not saying that fondant tastes better than buttercream. But if the cakes are being transported in any way, you can bet I'm going to lobby for fondant.
Here's a few reasons why...
(1) Buttercream in the summer is a nightmare. I mean a real nightmare. No matter how much the buttercream is set, it instantly loses it's shape when exposed to heat. If you are transporting anything with buttercream, it makes it that much worse.
(2) Everything sticks to buttercream. Once, we were serving buttercream cupcakes and somehow black sweater hair made its way onto the precious vanilla buttercream cupcakes we were serving. That was an interesting lesson in troubleshooting. Thankfully, we had lots of other treats to serve.
(3) As I discussed here, all of the adorable cupcake wrappers that are on the market now are better suited for fondant cupcakes. Often buttercream will leave cupcake wrappers looking greasy and messy.
(4) We have more flexibility in incorporating our design onto fondant. Take a look above at a few examples of designed fondant cupcakes we've used on our dessert bars {I limited it to cupcakes for this post, I'll save the pictures of fondant cakes for another post}.
If you're a huge buttercream lover and can't be convinced to go with fondant, then try these tips...
(1) Refrigerate your cake/cupcakes so the buttercream is very cold.
(2) Limit the amount of time your buttercream is exposed to heat. Time it very carefully.
(3) Stay away from the dressing up buttercream with cupcake wrappers until lined wrappers hit the market (hint, hint to my cupcake wrapper manufacturer friends).
(4) Use fondant sparingly and incorporate buttercream in places where it won't get messy or melt. For example, place a fondant chip over a small dollop of buttercream on your cupcakes. Alternatively, infuse buttercream into the center of your cake/cupcakes with a bismarck tip.
(5) Ice the cake or cupcakes on site, if possible."
{All cupcakes above are from Amy Atlas's dessert bars.}
"Everytime I meet with a client, I hold my breath because I know the discussion is coming. Usually it's a battle rather than a discussion. The debate of buttercream vs. fondant. Every client wants buttercream because they have all had a bad experience with the tasteless and often rubbery texture of fondant. We've all had that experience, right? Having styled both buttercream and fondant cakes and cupcakes more times than I can count, I always breathe a sigh of relief when my client picks fondant. I know I'll gain some criticism for this, but I'm sticking to it. Many don't realize it, but good bakers will use better tasting fondant like Fondarific, a company that makes vanilla, chocolate, and fruit flavored fondant. Now don't misunderstand me...I adore buttercream. I make buttercream cupcakes all the time with my family. I'll serve buttercream cakes when I'm entertaining in my home. I'm also not saying that fondant tastes better than buttercream. But if the cakes are being transported in any way, you can bet I'm going to lobby for fondant.
Here's a few reasons why...
(1) Buttercream in the summer is a nightmare. I mean a real nightmare. No matter how much the buttercream is set, it instantly loses it's shape when exposed to heat. If you are transporting anything with buttercream, it makes it that much worse.
(2) Everything sticks to buttercream. Once, we were serving buttercream cupcakes and somehow black sweater hair made its way onto the precious vanilla buttercream cupcakes we were serving. That was an interesting lesson in troubleshooting. Thankfully, we had lots of other treats to serve.
(3) As I discussed here, all of the adorable cupcake wrappers that are on the market now are better suited for fondant cupcakes. Often buttercream will leave cupcake wrappers looking greasy and messy.
(4) We have more flexibility in incorporating our design onto fondant. Take a look above at a few examples of designed fondant cupcakes we've used on our dessert bars {I limited it to cupcakes for this post, I'll save the pictures of fondant cakes for another post}.
If you're a huge buttercream lover and can't be convinced to go with fondant, then try these tips...
(1) Refrigerate your cake/cupcakes so the buttercream is very cold.
(2) Limit the amount of time your buttercream is exposed to heat. Time it very carefully.
(3) Stay away from the dressing up buttercream with cupcake wrappers until lined wrappers hit the market (hint, hint to my cupcake wrapper manufacturer friends).
(4) Use fondant sparingly and incorporate buttercream in places where it won't get messy or melt. For example, place a fondant chip over a small dollop of buttercream on your cupcakes. Alternatively, infuse buttercream into the center of your cake/cupcakes with a bismarck tip.
(5) Ice the cake or cupcakes on site, if possible."
Wednesday, June 02, 2010
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