The below video is part 2 of the tutorial. For some reason I wasn't able to post part 1 but do check out this link for that: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jl_kQve8HR0&feature=relmfu
All in all, great tutorial, beautiful piece!
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Velvet Smocked Bolster
There was a time when I had the urge to make decorative throw pillows for fun. So I was looking around the web to find some easy instructions on making a simple pillowcase. I did find quite a few I liked, but somehow I came upon one throw pillow that I was just dying to try to make since it's so unique looking and much different than what I had in mind. I was so thrilled to challenge myself by trying something new. I'm so proud of myself with my final piece of art.
I came upon a YouTube video by TheBusyBeeMom and she goes into a step by step tutorial on making this beautiful bolster with velvet in 2 videos. She explains very well with thorough details. It may seem very hard and complicated at first, but honestly it's really simple. Once you get the hang of it, there's really nothing to it. Like she mentioned, it's takes a WHOLE LOT OF TIME AND PATIENCE. The technique that is used here is all about measurements. It took me 3 days to make mine. It can get very addicting once it starts to form.
The below video is part 2 of the tutorial. For some reason I wasn't able to post part 1 but do check out this link for that: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jl_kQve8HR0&feature=relmfu
The below video is part 2 of the tutorial. For some reason I wasn't able to post part 1 but do check out this link for that: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jl_kQve8HR0&feature=relmfu
Fishtail Flippee
This hairstyle was inspired by cutegirlshairstyles.com using a combination of her tutorials.The
first hairstyle I did was a flip using the tutorial above since I didn't have the topsy tail tool and was too lazy to make one, I just simply used my fingers for this step. The second hairstyle I did was a fishtail braid. It may seem complicated to do this but with the help of Mindy's tutorial http://www.cutegirlshairstyles.com/5-minutes/how-to-fishtail-french-braid-long-hairstyles/, I was shocked and awed by how easy it actually is! Although, she makes it into a french braid, I just made mine from a normal ponytail. But I do hope to accomplish that someday. Just one thing I want to point out, is that I made a medium high ponytail for the flip, because I didn't want it to end up being too loose. That's it! Have fun! :-)
Friday, October 26, 2012
Upside-Down Caramel Banana Cake
I can't remember where I got this recipe from, therefore I can't give credits... But it's a great recipe and very useful if you have any over riped bananas laying around.
Ingredients:
Batter:
1 Mashed Banana
Sour cream 3 TB
Flour
Cinnamon 1/2 t.s.
Nutmeg 1/8 t.s.
Butter 6 TB (room temperature)
Sugar Just under 1 cup
Vanilla Extract 1 t.s
2 Eggs
Caramel Topping:
Butter 4 TB
Brown Sugar 3/4 cup, lightly packed
Maple Syrup 2 TB
3-4 sliced bananas
Instructions:
Grease a 23 cm round or square pan.
Topping:
Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat, add brown sugar and syrup. Remove from heat once it starts to bubble. Pour sauce into the pan. Arrange sliced bananas over the sauce.
Batter:
In a small bowl combine mashed banana and sour cream, mix well. In a separate medium bowl, sift together flour and spices. Set aside.
Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add vanilla and 1 egg. Mix. Add the second egg. Mix again. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat. Add sour cream and banana mixture and mix with a wooden spoon until just combined.
Spread into pan. Bake about 40-45 minutes, or when a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream.
Ingredients:
Batter:
1 Mashed Banana
Sour cream 3 TB
Flour
Cinnamon 1/2 t.s.
Nutmeg 1/8 t.s.
Butter 6 TB (room temperature)
Sugar Just under 1 cup
Vanilla Extract 1 t.s
2 Eggs
Caramel Topping:
Butter 4 TB
Brown Sugar 3/4 cup, lightly packed
Maple Syrup 2 TB
3-4 sliced bananas
Instructions:
Grease a 23 cm round or square pan.
Topping:
Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat, add brown sugar and syrup. Remove from heat once it starts to bubble. Pour sauce into the pan. Arrange sliced bananas over the sauce.
Batter:
In a small bowl combine mashed banana and sour cream, mix well. In a separate medium bowl, sift together flour and spices. Set aside.
Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add vanilla and 1 egg. Mix. Add the second egg. Mix again. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat. Add sour cream and banana mixture and mix with a wooden spoon until just combined.
Spread into pan. Bake about 40-45 minutes, or when a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Upside-Down Pineapple Cake
This is another recipe from my "Better Home & Gardens" cookbook which I absolutely love. It turns out really beautiful and delicious with a mix of textures and tastes. It turns out to be very soft and juicy, slightly tangy, and with a touch of crispiness here and there.
Ingredients:
Topping :
Butter 1/2 cup
Brown Sugar 1 cup
12 Pineapple rings
Batter:
Flour 2 cups
Baking Powder 2 t.s.
Salt 1/2 t.s.
Nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon
Butter 1/2 cup, softened
Sugar 1/2 cup
Brown Sugar 1/2 cup
2 Eggs
Milk 1/2 cup
Vanilla 1 t.s.
Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat and stir in brown sugar. Bring to boil and stir frequently. Pour into a buttered 13x9x2 pan covered with wax paper. Spread evenly. Drain pineapple rings reserving 1/2 cup of the juice. Fit the rings into the bottom of the pan.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg.
In a large bowl, beat butter, sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer. Add eggs. Beat in half of the flour mixture. Pour in pineapple juice and milk. Beat until combined. Beat in remaining flour mixture. Add vanilla. Spread batter into the pan. Bake until golden or toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle.
Note:
My cake in the picture is has more than 12 pineapple rings. I did this a while ago, so I think that I used a slightly larger pan.
Ingredients:
Topping :
Butter 1/2 cup
Brown Sugar 1 cup
12 Pineapple rings
Batter:
Flour 2 cups
Baking Powder 2 t.s.
Salt 1/2 t.s.
Nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon
Butter 1/2 cup, softened
Sugar 1/2 cup
Brown Sugar 1/2 cup
2 Eggs
Milk 1/2 cup
Vanilla 1 t.s.
Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat and stir in brown sugar. Bring to boil and stir frequently. Pour into a buttered 13x9x2 pan covered with wax paper. Spread evenly. Drain pineapple rings reserving 1/2 cup of the juice. Fit the rings into the bottom of the pan.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg.
In a large bowl, beat butter, sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer. Add eggs. Beat in half of the flour mixture. Pour in pineapple juice and milk. Beat until combined. Beat in remaining flour mixture. Add vanilla. Spread batter into the pan. Bake until golden or toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle.
Note:
My cake in the picture is has more than 12 pineapple rings. I did this a while ago, so I think that I used a slightly larger pan.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Homemade Flour Tortillas
I love making these flour tortillas since it's really simple and easy and requires basic food staples that can be easily found in the pantry. It doesn't require any time to rise which is great for me since I hate waiting. The only drawback I face when I make them is the rolling process, which can be pretty tiring to the arms. But the final results turn out great and delicious when used as a wrap. I'll have to be honest and mention that these don't turn out the same every time. The first time I tried out this recipe they turned out soft and beautiful. The second time I tried it, they turned out crisp and crunchy. The third time was sort of in the middle. Isn't that funny? I mean, how can turn they out perfect on the first try and not so perfect on the others? My theory is that, maybe just maybe I rolled them out a little too much on the thin side the other 2 times I made them. I think they need to be about 1/4" thick in order to achieve a softer texture. The taste turns out delicious and very close like the tortillas that are available in supermarkets. I'll see what happens the next time I try to make them again and post an update to this recipe.
Ingredients:
Flour 3 1/2 cups
Salt 1 t.s.
Baking Flour 1/2 t.s.
Vegetable Oil 3.5 oz. (7 TB)
Hot Water 1 cup
Mix all the ingredients together and knead for approximately 3 minutes. Let sit covered for 15 minutes. Separate into small portions. Shape each portion into a ball and lay onto a lightly floured surface. Cover and let it sit for 5 minutes. Press out each ball with a roller on a lightly floured surface until a circle forms. Bake on a griddle pan till golden.
Notes:
I usually use a bowl or plate to in order to achieve perfectly shaped circles.
Ingredients:
Flour 3 1/2 cups
Salt 1 t.s.
Baking Flour 1/2 t.s.
Vegetable Oil 3.5 oz. (7 TB)
Hot Water 1 cup
Mix all the ingredients together and knead for approximately 3 minutes. Let sit covered for 15 minutes. Separate into small portions. Shape each portion into a ball and lay onto a lightly floured surface. Cover and let it sit for 5 minutes. Press out each ball with a roller on a lightly floured surface until a circle forms. Bake on a griddle pan till golden.
Notes:
I usually use a bowl or plate to in order to achieve perfectly shaped circles.
Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
I believe it's time to write out my first food post. I'm so excited to share with you all my experiences in the kitchen area. To be honest, I'm not very fond of this part in the house for not being experienced in this area that much. I'm always on the lookout for inspirations and ideas and try my best to get into the spirit of cooking...
I'm a huuuge cinnamon lover. I love the taste of it and the wonderful aroma! It seems rather soothing to me for some reason and fills me up with joy! I'm always secretly adding it into certain foods to add a little bit of flavor to it. This cinnamon roll recipe works wonders for me. It's really simple and works every time. They come out very soft, fluffy, and with a touch of goldness all around. The kids really enjoy gobbling it all up, good thing there's plenty to go around! ;-) I got this recipe from Better Homes & Gardens cookbook I used to have. So do try it out, you'll be amazed by how delicious they are!
Ingredients:
For The Dough:
Flour 6 1/4 - 6 3/4 cups
Yeast 1/2 oz
Milk 1 1/2 cup
Butter 1/2 cup
Sugar 1/2 cup
Salt 1 t.s
3 Eggs
For The Filling:
Sugar 3/4 cups
Butter 1/2 cup, melted
Cinnamon 4 t.s
Flour 2 t.s.
Nuts (optional) 3/4 cups, chopped
For The Icing:
Powdered Sugar 2 cups
Vanilla Powder 1/2 t.s.
Milk 2-3 TB
Instructions:
Dough
In a large bowl, combine 3 cups flour and the yeast. Using a saucepan, heat milk, butter, sugar, and salt until warm and butter has almost melted. Remove from heat. Add butter mixture to flour mixture and then add the eggs. Beat. Stir in as much of the remaining flour as possible. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead in remaining flour. Shape into a ball and place into a lightly greased bowl. Cover and let rise for about an hour or until it doubles in size.
Once it has doubled up, punch the dough down, divide it in half, place each half in seperate greased bowls, cover and let rise for about 10 minutes.
On a floured surface, roll out each half into about 12" squares. Spread half of the filling and half of the nuts over each square. Roll up, and pinch the edges to seal it up using a little water if necessary by dipping your finger in it.
Slice into 8 equal pieces and place onto a greased pan. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and place the pan in the refrigerator for approximately 2 hours. Once this time has passed by, remove from fridge, uncover and let it stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Or another option is that you can let it rise in a warm place for about 1 hour. Break any surface bubbles with a greased toothpick.
Bake for about 20 -25 minutes or until lightly golden. Let it cool. Drizzle with icing.
Filling
In a small bowl, combine the sugar, butter, cinnamon, flour, and nuts (optional).
Icing
In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar and vanilla. Add enough milk to make of drizzling consistency. Drizzle over rolls.
Notes from my experiences:
This is the recipe I always use when I make cinnamon rolls, but I have made some slight changes that work best for me. You can try these modifications or make some that suits you better.
First of all, sometimes I add a little bit more yeast to make my rolls double up quicker and look fluffier at the same time. I think the waiting process takes some time and I get very impatient. I don't think that this really affects anything else that much so I just usually go for it. I would make it to about 1 oz. yeast instead.
Secondly, I double up the filling recipe as well without doubling the dough recipe. Since I'm very fond of the taste of cinnamon, I like the taste of it to be strong in every little bite. Also, it seems to make the the cinnamon rolls a little bit juicier I guess. Sorry, can't find a better word to describe it.
Thirdly, when I slice my rolls out. I don't really measure 8 equal rolls. I just simply go with the flow by approximating and try get more slices out of it. It makes much more than 8 rolls in my opinion.
And lastly, I bake them on a sheet of wax paper on a cookie sheet, this way it'll be easier to cleanup. I also found out that if I don't let them get too golden then they'll be much more softer and chewier. So first I let the bottom get juuuuuust a little bit golden, then I broil them from the top until they're juuuuuuuuust a little bit golden as well. My ending results turn better this way.
Ingredients:
For The Dough:
Flour 6 1/4 - 6 3/4 cups
Yeast 1/2 oz
Milk 1 1/2 cup
Butter 1/2 cup
Sugar 1/2 cup
Salt 1 t.s
3 Eggs
For The Filling:
Sugar 3/4 cups
Butter 1/2 cup, melted
Cinnamon 4 t.s
Flour 2 t.s.
Nuts (optional) 3/4 cups, chopped
For The Icing:
Powdered Sugar 2 cups
Vanilla Powder 1/2 t.s.
Milk 2-3 TB
Instructions:
Dough
In a large bowl, combine 3 cups flour and the yeast. Using a saucepan, heat milk, butter, sugar, and salt until warm and butter has almost melted. Remove from heat. Add butter mixture to flour mixture and then add the eggs. Beat. Stir in as much of the remaining flour as possible. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead in remaining flour. Shape into a ball and place into a lightly greased bowl. Cover and let rise for about an hour or until it doubles in size.
Once it has doubled up, punch the dough down, divide it in half, place each half in seperate greased bowls, cover and let rise for about 10 minutes.
On a floured surface, roll out each half into about 12" squares. Spread half of the filling and half of the nuts over each square. Roll up, and pinch the edges to seal it up using a little water if necessary by dipping your finger in it.
Slice into 8 equal pieces and place onto a greased pan. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and place the pan in the refrigerator for approximately 2 hours. Once this time has passed by, remove from fridge, uncover and let it stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Or another option is that you can let it rise in a warm place for about 1 hour. Break any surface bubbles with a greased toothpick.
Bake for about 20 -25 minutes or until lightly golden. Let it cool. Drizzle with icing.
Filling
In a small bowl, combine the sugar, butter, cinnamon, flour, and nuts (optional).
Icing
In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar and vanilla. Add enough milk to make of drizzling consistency. Drizzle over rolls.
Notes from my experiences:
This is the recipe I always use when I make cinnamon rolls, but I have made some slight changes that work best for me. You can try these modifications or make some that suits you better.
First of all, sometimes I add a little bit more yeast to make my rolls double up quicker and look fluffier at the same time. I think the waiting process takes some time and I get very impatient. I don't think that this really affects anything else that much so I just usually go for it. I would make it to about 1 oz. yeast instead.
Secondly, I double up the filling recipe as well without doubling the dough recipe. Since I'm very fond of the taste of cinnamon, I like the taste of it to be strong in every little bite. Also, it seems to make the the cinnamon rolls a little bit juicier I guess. Sorry, can't find a better word to describe it.
Thirdly, when I slice my rolls out. I don't really measure 8 equal rolls. I just simply go with the flow by approximating and try get more slices out of it. It makes much more than 8 rolls in my opinion.
And lastly, I bake them on a sheet of wax paper on a cookie sheet, this way it'll be easier to cleanup. I also found out that if I don't let them get too golden then they'll be much more softer and chewier. So first I let the bottom get juuuuuust a little bit golden, then I broil them from the top until they're juuuuuuuuust a little bit golden as well. My ending results turn better this way.
Monday, October 8, 2012
Homemade Finger Paint
Finger Paints are great for little kids since they tend to like the idea of getting messy. It's especially great for toddlers since they don't know how to use a paintbrush very well just yet. Fingers are the best tools for little painters.
I found this recipe here online by doing a simple search on finger painting and found that there's most likely just one basic recipe out there, so I won't give anyone any credit because they're all the same... It's really easy to make with simple ingredients that's most likely already in your cabinet. The only problem I had with it was that it tended to have somewhat of a bad odor during the cooking process. My kids really enjoyed painting with it. I never tried storing it so if you did please let me know how that worked out for you.
Ingredients:
2 Cups Water
1/2 Cup Cornstarch
1/2 Ts Salt
3 TB Sugar
Food Coloring
Simply mix all the ingredients except for food coloring in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly until the mixture starts bubbling and thickens up. Once it thickens up and has a smooth consistency, remove from heat. Divide evenly among small containers and let it cool. Once it cooled down add the food coloring to achieve desired colors. Now it's time to get messy!
I found this recipe here online by doing a simple search on finger painting and found that there's most likely just one basic recipe out there, so I won't give anyone any credit because they're all the same... It's really easy to make with simple ingredients that's most likely already in your cabinet. The only problem I had with it was that it tended to have somewhat of a bad odor during the cooking process. My kids really enjoyed painting with it. I never tried storing it so if you did please let me know how that worked out for you.
Ingredients:
2 Cups Water
1/2 Cup Cornstarch
1/2 Ts Salt
3 TB Sugar
Food Coloring
Simply mix all the ingredients except for food coloring in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly until the mixture starts bubbling and thickens up. Once it thickens up and has a smooth consistency, remove from heat. Divide evenly among small containers and let it cool. Once it cooled down add the food coloring to achieve desired colors. Now it's time to get messy!
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