Easter Lilies

Easter lilies are really pretty this time of year and I was surfing the web and found out I could make my own orgami ones. Neat, right? Here is the website http://charcoalandcrayons.blogspot.com/2011/04/folding-paper-lily.html. I'm not even going to try to explain something that somehow confused me for an hour. :)

Hot Cross Buns!

All this Easter season I've seen recipes for hot cross buns and I finally decided I had to try them when I got my Cooking Light Magazine.  What I loved the most is the smells that they give off because of all the cinnamon, nutmeg and citrus flavors. I don't have the recipe from my magazine, but you can try the website for Cooking Light or http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/hot_cross_buns/. I believe I will be doing this every year now. :) Yum!

Easter Treats Part 2

Ahhhhh! So I finally completed my chocolate Easter candies. It was supposed to be easy, but I guess I made it harder on myself somehow. I first thought it would be smart to put in a squeeze bottle  and just squeeze it in my tiny molds but somehow it was too thick. Then I tried to thin it out with milk and I really don't know what I was thinking. Basically I had to look up again how to melt chocolate because I was having a hard time, so becareful with that. I went to this site, which led me to another site http://www.informationvine.com/home-garden/holidays/easter/make-your-own-chocolate-bunny. Just make sure you don't go over 160 degrees and if you do it in a microwave do it in 30 second intervals. I got my molds off of etsy.com, but they originally came from crate and barrel.

      I also decided to do Easter peanut butter cups. First I did my Easter molds so that they would be ready when I finished my cups. For the pbc I just placed chocolate in a cupcake holder ( about a tbsp.) and stuck it in the frezzer. Then I pulled it out and spread peanut butter on top and stuck it back in. Then placed more chocolate on top. At that time I placed the my Easter molds on top and placed it one more time in the freezer.

Being Thankful

http://www.tumblr.com/dashboard

         I just wanted to share a story because I see these people everday on the street and I always wonder why they live the life they do or could they possibly be an angel in disguise and we all just don't know. I'm talking about the many homeless people that walk about my area of town that I see so often now I can say hey that's so and so from the other day and when I say that I mean a description cause I don't know their real name. Now keep in mind yes I don't know these people and yes some are just looking for a handout, but not everyone is and those people shouldn't have to hurt.

http://moneysavingmom.com/2011/11/it-is-not-happy-people-who-are-thankful.html

       Anywho, the other day my husband and I were at walgreens and he was just getting back in the car and he had a smile on his face. I ask him why and he told me that the homeless man over near the trash can got really excited  over a can. In fact he said " Alright, a can!" Now how many people can actually say that they would get that excited over something so simple as that? We are all guilty of wanting more each day and what we fail to see is that right in front of us is a perfect example of what we should be. Thankful for what we have because one day it might be all gone.

Easter Treats Part 1

   For Easter I deciced to try to make my own candy. It is proving to be quite a task in itself but it's pretty good for my first time. I decided to do my own peeps and whoopers. Since I already knew how to do the marshmallow part that was pretty easy.

•  3 1/2 packets of unflavored gelatin
•  1 cup of cold water
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 egg whites
• 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
• food coloring
• 1 cup of confectioners sugar
• Sanding Sugar
• Cookie cutters

      First you oil and sprinkle confectioners sugar all over the pans you are going to use. Also spray the spatulas and mixer you are going to use with oil too. You don't want the marshmallow to stick everywhere.

     In a bowl place 1/2 cup if water and sprinkle the gelatin on top. Wait for it to soften.
    

    In a 3 quart sauce pan mix the sugar, corn syrup, 1/2 cup water and salt on low heat until dissolved. Then bring up the heat to medium and without stirring bring it to 240 degrees. Then remove from heat and pour onto gelatin mixture, stirring until dissolved.

           With a  standing mixer on high speed stir until tripled in volume, which will take about 6 minutes. More if you are using a hand held.

      Next in another bowl beat egg white until hit stiff peak. I find this easiest if you throw a pinch of salt and lemon juice in to keep it moist and it will help it peak faster. Then add the egg whites and vanilla to the sugar mixture until combined. Now since you probably are going to do color you will have to seperate in different bowl like I did to add the color before you spread it out in your pan. Once the color is added to your liking, spread it out in each pan, sprinkle more confectioners sugar on top and place in fridge for at least 3 hours before continuing.

          Now comes the fun part. :) Pull out your marshmallows and place them on a flat surface. With a pastry brush, lightly wet the tops of them and sprinkle the colored sanding sugar of your choice on the top. I just did mine on top, but you can do it all over just like the real peeps. The sanding sugar I used I made myself. You can by your own, but it's really expensive and you only get a little. I got the idea to make my own from http://www.yesterdayontuesday.com/2011/06/make-your-own-sanding-sugar.html. After you sand them, you can cut them out with whatever cookie cutter you'd like. Mine of course was rather big, but I think it turned out cute! :)

     To make the whoppers are pretty easy and you could probably make the egg ones if you even wanted to. The one problem that I had was my chocolate wanting to get hard on me, so watch out for that, but other then that they really do taste like the ones in the store. Here is where I found the little recipe http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archi8ves/84272.

• 8 ounces white chocolate
• 1 cup malt milk
• 12 ounces of milk chocolate

      First melt the white chocolate and mix with malt milk. Next form into balls. For me I stuck them in the fridge for a little bit so they could hold shape better. After that melt the milk chocolate and roll the malt balls in them. Again I put them in the fridge so the would set. Now for and easter treat you can make it all white chocolate which I did and seperate the 12 ounce chocolate into different bowls and dye the malt ball different colors. :)

       
 My next task is cupcakes in an egg and chocolate molded bunnies. :)

Spring is in the air!

       I woke up one morning to a ton of leaves falling off my lemon tree and started to panic!!! What is going on?!? Turns out I was over watering it and now it is going back to normal. Yay! It even has a tiny lemon on it. Isn't it cute? :)
    Which brings me to my next little project that I've been working on, Sunflowers. I got the packet for free from Sunflower Market and figured what the heck and look, their sprouting. :) I am so proud.

 Since this worked I figured why not put some soil in an egg, plant the sunflower seed and see if it grow, right? Well I just did this so in about a week we will see if I'm good or not. :)

I love my kitties <3

         Three years ago I was at work and one if my managers came up to the front of the store with a plastic container. Inside this container was a litter of kittens. There was.an orange kitten that stood out to me and I just knew it was meant to be. This little buddy's came to be is Santana.
Every year I celebrate their birthdays with a can of wet food and I put candles just like a birthday cake. This year I decides I wanted to have birthday hats.
I just started out by cutting a piece of felt into a circle. Then I cut it down the middle half way.  After that pull together to form a cone and sew. Next you'll cut the top of the cone only a little bit to allow your strip of felt to go through. I cut four, about an inch strips and pushed them through the hole. I then sewed across and reverse stitched. Turn right side out.Finally with ribbon of choice, sew that on and you will have a cute party hat for your pal. :)

     Also I wanted to get my cat something. For the longest time I wanted to make a cape for him and I thought this would be a good time to do it. I took an old red T-shirt and cut the sleeves and front off. You will want to keep the collar. Basically adjust the collar to your pet and hem all around the rest of the cape. Then get some ribbon or fabric to sew initial of your superpet. Enjoy!

       Basically when I do my kitty birthday cake I get wet food from a holistic pet store called Holistic Animal Care and amp it up whatever way I like. When I say amp I mean candles, cupcake holders and now just got the idea to put cat treats(tuna flake etc.) on top like sprinkles. :) I love my cats! <3