Monthly Archives: June 2011

Gettin Crafty!

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(not done yet… but hopefully I will finish it soon)

Sunday night is more fun when you get to spend it being crafty with your girlfriends. Especially when you throw in tools that emboss, bind paper, and make stickers!

I found out a couple weeks ago that Paper Source will do private craft classes. I knew I had to get a bunch of friends together to do this. We had a blast last night for an hour making our own Message Boards. We got to use all these cool tools and create our own crafty creations. There is something about using an Embossing Heat Tool that is mildly therapeutic. ( I know it’s crazy sounding.)

Paper Source has locations all over the US. I would suggest that if you are feeling an urge to craft that you head over there a.s.a.p. ( you’ll thank me)

Here are some snaps of our favorite tools we used. ( all are available at Paper Source)

 

 

Embossing Powder

Embosser Heating Tool

Binding Tool (Zutter)

Make your own sticker ( Xyron)

reminded me of the old school exacto knife (this one was easier to use)

                                                      greatest sticky stuff!

Lots of Love,

Erica

Funfetti Friday

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I have made funfetti doughballs, funfetti pancakes, funfetti waffles, and funfetti cupcakes. Naturally I became quite giddy when I saw this recipe on the blog Cookies and Cups: Funfetti Doughnuts!

Minimal ingredients+ lots of sprinkles= pure happiness

( I used my Doughnut pan that I got from Crate and Barrel.)

2 3/4 cups Funfetti Cake Mix
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
2 tablespoons melted butter

Preheat oven to 425°
Spray donut pan lightly with cooking spray.
In mixing bowl beat all ingredients on medium speed for 30 seconds.
Then put batter in ziplock bag and snip the edge. (This is a great trick and makes it so easy to get the batter in the pan.) Pipe the batter about 2/3 full in each hole. Bake 7-9 minutes (tops should be a tad brown) let doughnuts cool for a couple of minutes and then turn pan out.

Glaze

1/4 cup milk
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

In medium saucepan combine ingredients and whisk over low heat.
Stir until glaze is smooth.
Next dip your donuts in the glaze while burner is still on low.

Let glaze set for 15 minutes. Enjoy!

Lots of Love,

Erica

Life is crazy

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I knew this summer was not going to allow me as much free time as last summer. I’m fine with that because I love working at the zoo and I know I can not handle sitting still/trying to relax (I’m so my mother’s child). I think I was just not prepared to feel like a couch potato every night when I got home from work. Anyways… I owe y’all a post… A GREAT one… I hope this will suffice:

I have had a recipe in my google reader for a while… An AMAZING one for homemade frosted sugar cookies. This afternoon I decided to tackle it. I knew I could pawn them off to all of my friends tonight. These did not disappoint! Thank you I Am Baker for a great recipe. This will now be my go to recipe for sugar cookies

Amanda’s Amazing Sugar Cookies

1-½ cup unsalted Butter
2 cups Sugar
3 whole Eggs
4 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
2 teaspoons Almond Extract
4 cups All-purpose Flour
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda

In a mixer, beat butter and sugar until well combined, about 2 minutes.

Add in 3 eggs one at a time and mix until combined.

Add in vanilla and almond extract; mix until combined.

In a separate bowl, sift together flour, salt, and baking powder, and baking soda. Slowly (about a cup at a time) add flour to butter mixture and combine. You can use a mixer or not, just depends on how strong you are.
I usually just mix ingredients until they are combined, as I have heard that if you over-mix this dough it will get tough.

Put dough in some Saran wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour. When you are ready to bake, heat oven to 350 degrees. Roll dough out, cut out cookies, and bake for 6-8 minutes.

Frosting Recipe:

4 cups confectioners sugar
1/2 cup shortening
5 tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
food coloring

In a large bowl cream together the confectioners sugar and shortening until smooth. Mix in the milk and vanilla with an electric mixer. Add food coloring if desired.

Side note: Happy Father’s Day! Special shout out to my Daddy…. I can’t wait to see you in July!


Lots of Love,

Erica

Makeover of a classic

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It has been a week since I have blogged. I am sorry for my absence but currently I feel like I have a lot on my plate. School ended this past Wednesday and I had more training for my summer job on Thursday and Friday. Needless to say I couldn’t wait for the weekend. I knew I wanted to make banana bread this weekend but I wanted to try my hand at coming up with my own twist. I made it yesterday and I have no pictures to show of it. ( someone finished it this morning for breakfast, I’m not going  to say who but I’m sure you can guess) I can assure you this will be made again very soon, maybe tomorrow :)

Ingredients

2 eggs

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 tablespoon vanilla

2 very ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 tablespoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 baking powder

3/4 cup mini chocolate chips (mix with 1/2 teaspoon of flour so they don’t sink to bottom of bread)

Beat eggs until frothy. Add sugar and mix. Add oil and vanilla; Beat until thick and smooth. Stir in bananas. Sift both flours with remaining ingredients (except chocolate chips). Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour into a greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes (or as long as it needs) Let cool in the pan 10 minutes.

Since I can’t show you how yummy the banana bread turned out I thought I would share a recent picture my parents sent me. My dad has a garden this summer and here are some cucumbers that he grew. I wish I could have been there to taste them :)

Team Road trip

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So there we were…the driver (Justin), the “navigator” (Erica) and then there was me…the annoying 24 year old girls who still asks, “are we there yet”, (some things never change mom!). So there we were Friday morning on our way to Kansas City, Missouri to our friends Mike and Alli’s wedding! Of course, it’s not a road trip without fast food, Justin and Erica had there eyes set on a Chicka-fil in Des Moines. While I am partial to cheese balls and McDonalds on my road trips, I thought I would absolutely try out this Southern favorite (and I didn’t have much of a choice…and hey who doesn’t like chicken nuggets?)! That was Iowa… Now here comes Missouri, a pretty boring state to begin with but then you finally hit Kansas City. KC is an awesome city and completely exceed my expectations! Alli and Mike picked the perfect area for us to stay in with plenty of outdoor shopping (halls is my new favorite store. Just like Dayons), museums and restaurants! Did I mention it was 95 degrees and humid AND sunny!

Hey driver…are we there yet?

The wedding was beautiful, but of course I knew it would be with Alli’s impeccable taste! Check out FB for some pictures of the fun wedding!


So now we are on our way back to equally as hot Minnesota. 6 hours to go I think. No doubt we will pass these lovely and convenient convince stores/gas stations, yes people I am talking about none other than Kum & Go gas stations! (yes that is really what it’s called…do you honestly think I could make this stuff up?) I hope they have cheese balls…

Are we there yet?

Lots of Love and happy road tripping!

Allison