A Work In Progress

I have had this "Great Stuff" sitting idly on my garage shelf all summer.  It has been patiently waiting for me to find the exactly perfect containers for my fake cake cupcake project.  

Well, I found the perfect containers in Utah last month and finally got a couple minutes to get the project rolling!!!

I have never used this stuff before, but have always wanted to get my hands on it.  It is the kind of stuff you never, ever want your 8 year old son to get a hold of, but deep down inside you want to just spray it into the sky just like him.  It is usually used to seal cracks and gaps in your house around window and door jams before you put the molding on to finish up.  It is an insulator to keep drafts out and so on.

But in my house, it is used to create inedible food.  The nozzle just twists on, then you pull back only on the bottom part of the handle {attached to the nozzle you just screwed on}.

I filled each cup to just under the top rim.  I am sorry for the terrible pictures.  I tried to just snap a couple with my phone.  Ugh!  Anyway, I just went in a spiral motion around the edge of the cups and filled in the center here and there.

I was able to fill about 5 cups with one can and it just so happens that I had TWO cans!!!

OK, so left the stuff to dry while I worked on the phone all day...Came out into the garage a few hours later to grab a practice cupcake and ... 

They were HUGE!!!

What the???

OK, so don't fill to just below the rim.  I ended up using all my time cutting the foam down so I could have room to frost my cupcakes.  Hopefully tomorrow I will get some time to get that done.  I have never been so anxious to get cupcakes done in all my life.

Seriously.  I probably could have filled 20 cups, not just 10 ;-}  The other thing I noticed was they end up a little top heavy.  So, if I ever get these right and you ever want to make some yourself, throw a heavy washer in the bottom of the cup to give it some weight, will 'ya?

And just for kicks and giggles, here is another fabulous Minnesota sunrise.  The beautiful sky is the best part of being up and out driving kids around before even 6 AM.  It almost makes it worth it.  A gorgeous sunrise is definitely a great way to start the day of happy.

More on the fake cake cupcakes soon...

CopyCat Rice-A-Roni

I came across this recipe this summer on pinterest and gave it a try.  It was so yummy I decided it was a real keeper.  Last night I made it again, home made Rice-A-Roni CopyCat.  

The original post was by Kate over at Cooking During Stolen Moments.  

As usual, I did a couple things differently, but you can always cruise on over and see the original instructions posted by Kate.

CopyCat Rice-A-Roni

1/4 lb box pasta-thin spaghetti, angel hair, or vermicelli pasta work great

1 c. rice

3 cubes chicken bouillon or equivalent

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp Italian seasoning

4 Tbs butter

2 1/2 c. water

***note-you can replace the bouillon and water by using 2 1/2 c. chicken broth***

First step, break the noodles into bit-sized pieces.  I am gonna be honest, this step can be hard...or at least messy and hard to keep clean.  I used the plate method shown by Kate and had a huge mess on my hands.  My next idea was to put the spaghetti noodles into a ziplock bag and bang on it with a rolling pin.  That was still messy because the bag got holes in it and noodle bits went flying.

Last night, I pulled out my food processor, grabbed about half of the thin spaghetti and broke it in half and threw it into the food processor.  I let the machine run for a minute or so, then checked on the progress.  Half of the noodles broke down like I was hoping, while the other half were still really long.  With the second half of pasta I broke it into thirds or fourths before placing it into the food processor.  The bits did get smaller, though I still had 2" pieces.  I guess, if you have a food processor or blender, I would recommend that route over using a plate to break the noodles into bite sized pieces, but you will still need to break some pieces by hand once you process.

So, the first time I made this recipe, I had just cooked a bag of frozen chicken in the crockpot and used the resulting broth as the water in the recipe.  It tasted OUTSTANDING!  I would say that using fresh broth would be the preferred method, but making by the recipe was still a great close second. 

First, get your liquid measured and ready to pour in.  Go ahead and mix the seasoning {chicken bouillon, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning) in a small bowl so it is ready to throw in as well.  Just like rice-a-roni, you will melt the 4 Tbs. butter in a skillet and add the rice and pasta to the pan.  Stir on med. high heat until some of the noodles start to brown.  Pour in the liquid and seasonings, stir until mixed, then bring the whole thing up to a boil.   

Cover your pot with a lid and turn the heat down to medium-low heat, but make sure it is still simmering.  The original instructions recommend simmering for 15 minutes.  I did not find this enough time.  I think you need a good 20 minutes to keep the rice from being crunchy...Maybe even 25.  This second time of making the recipe I used more water and added 5 minutes over what I did the first time.  It was much more like the texture Rice-A-Roni should be.  I went ahead and added those changes into the recipe and instructions above.

So, if you are looking to eat a few less preservatives, need a yummy side-dish, or just have a few ingredients in your cupboard and have a family to feed, this recipe fits the bill!  Give it a try.  It might just become a favorite :0)

Shortcake In A Bottle

I got to take dinner to a cute little family that just added a baby girl to their numbers.  When it came to dessert, I was a little stumped, but heard the light bulb *click* when the thought of strawberry shortcake popped into my mind.   What a perfect treat, and not too heavy or sweet for a new mom.  I am always a freak right away about watching what I eat...until that dies off with the third or fourth night of no sleep :0)

I posted a while back about using canning jars as serving dishes.  This treat is perfect for the jars!  I made the shortcake more like a trifle, layering vanilla cake {made from a box, in case you were about to accuse me of making it from scratch}, fresh strawberries, and my own special blend of white chocolate pudding and sweetened whipped cream....OK, maybe not TOTaLLY light, but definitely refreshing!  I used wide mouth pint jars for the mom and dad, then a smaller jelly jar for their little boy.

Topped the treats off with a fanned strawberry for the presentation factor.

I usually just make chocolate chip cookies, so I am a little too pleased with myself tonight :0}

Crystalized Flowers How To

It is super easy and so incredibly beautiful to crystallize flowers.  You can use any edible flower.  Roses, carnations, dandelions, daisies, marigolds and pansies are all on the list along with several others.  You do want to find out if the flowers were organically grown if you or your guests plan on eating them.  Pesticide isn't the best thing to ingest :0)

Here are my supplies:

Flowers and leaves

Super Fine sugar {or granulated sugar ran through the blender/food processor}

Egg Whites

Pliers to cut the stems

Clean, for-food-only paintbrushes

A cooling rack

Wax or Parchment paper

A pen to poke holes in the wax paper

You want to first use the pliers to cut the stems to 1-3" long, depending on where you are going to use them.

Then inspect them for any old or wilted pedals.  Pull off any that don't look fabulous.

Now dip your paintbrush into the egg whites and brush onto the outside of the flower.  

Once the outside is nicely coated, you need to brush the inside.  Find a outer edge and slide your wet paintbrush inside.

Lightly brush some of the inside pedals.  Don't worry about getting every one, or about getting all the way to the bottom.  Too much egg white is bad.  It makes the flower soggy and keeps it from drying in a timely manner.  You can keep working the brush further into the flower following the natural spiral of the pedals.

There is another technique.  It is much easier, but not nearly as pretty.  The flower on the left was done as described above.  The flower on the right was just dunked into the egg white.  See how it has clumped in the middle?

Painted on.

Dunked.

You may want to brush the outside once more to make sure it is totally wet, then sprinkle the flower with the super fine sugar.  Once all of your flowers are finished, discard any extra used sugar.  

Rose buds are fabulous crystallized as well.  Paint the outside, then lightly brush the top, smooshing the brush down into the petals lightly, then sprinkle with sugar.

I always like to do a few leaves too for accent.  Depending on what I am doing, I will also usually also do a couple loose pedals and scatter them on the cake or table.

I have those fabulous Pampered Chef cooling racks that stand higher and stack.  I like to cover those with wax or parchment paper, use the pen to poke a hole... 

then insert the stem.  I have skipped the wax paper and really regretted it in the past.  If you happen to get a little too much egg white and it seeps down to the bottom of the flower, the flower will stick to the cooling rack.  Now you know and don't have to learn the hard way yourself. 

There you have it!  Aren't they beautiful?

These are great on cakes, cupcakes, or just as accents on serving dishes.  They are pretty much dry in one day, but can take two or three if you went a little heavy on the egg whites.  You can make these ahead of time, up to two weeks, as long as they are stored in an air tight container once dried.  Do be careful though.  The sugar can crumble off the flowers if bumped too much.  

Are they really edible?  Yes they are!  If you eat them the first day they still taste like rose.  By the second or third day they just taste like sugar and are stiff.  

This particular project was a cupcake wedding cake for one darling bride.  She wanted fondant daisies on the cupcakes and the small topper cake, with other flowers as accent.  What is a better accent than crystallized roses!?!

I have crystallized daisies.  They are fun, but can really stick if you don't use that wax paper.  When taking the roses off the cooling rack I typically lift them off using scissors.  Again, the more you handle the flowers once dried, the more likely you are to have the sugar flake off.

Give it a try!  These crystallized flowers are really easy, inexpensive, and such an incredible addition to any edible display.

Halloween Treats via Pinterest

Here are a few of the things I have thrown onto my Halloween board at Pinterest.  These juice boxes are ADORABLE!  They would be perfect for the little ones this Halloween.  You can see how they were made at Simply Creative Insanity

Rice Crispie pumpkins with a Tootsie Roll stem-Brilliant!  The kids would love to make THESE.  There are several more ideas at the link, so click away!

I really want to make this.  It looks like the tombstones and tree are made from tortillas.  The link didn't work, but it did lead to some AMAZiNG Ideas for Halloween treats/food.  Check it out at Better Homes and Gardens.

Over at Another Lunch you can find this cute tray of food.  Madison wants this for her school lunch tomorrow.  Too bad.  Your mom isn't that nice :0)

Sara over at Mom Endeavors made these spider web pretzel treats.  Madison also wants to make these.  These ones I can do.  They look fun to make AND fun to eat!

The next post is only for those of you with a particularly strong constitution.  Really.  I consider myself one with an iron stomach, but after viewing those recipes, I am wondering what on EARTH possessed those people to cook food like that :0)  Then again, if you are looking to do a particularly freaky Halloween party, HERE you go.

Second verse...Candy Corn!

Sweet-n-Salty Treats

Waffles

Mallow Pops

Cupcakes {the link didn't work, but it was found on Tatertots and Jello}

And last but not least, more of a craft than a treat...

Haunted Forest Centerpiece

Oh my heck.  Is your mind spinning.  We need to plan a Halloween party!!!  My kids have their paper and pencils dancing right now writing their list of demands.  

If you'd like to see more of my Halloween Board over at Pinterest, you can find it HERE.  

While I'm on the Birthday Thing...

So Hubbs birthday landed squarely two days before Super Saturday.  Are you sick of hearing about Super Saturday???  I am.  Anyway, I was determined not to forget him so we took a day off of the crafting craziness and had a party.  An Angry Birds Party!!!  Daddy got two angry birds t-shirts for his birthday. 

Here is my favorite...

Cause Hottie Scottie is the Bomb!

OK, That's enough of that...

Today was another one of those, "I can let go and let my kids have fun...Everything doesn't have to be perfect   all the time..." moments.  I set a cooled pan of Reese's brownies before the young-ens, along with packages of sugar wafers, root beer barrels, and Little Debbie Brownies, and let them have at it. 

 The kids has so much fun.  They worked together and were very professional, like real cake decorators.  They sketched the arena first, then set out to create.

  The Sugar Wafer pillars kept falling over so they ended up gluing two together with chocolate frosting.  That was the trick.  

In fact, Dad had a hard time knocking the darn things over :0}

I may just put them in charge of all future birthday cakes and spend a little more time sitting down myself. 

p.s. we bought the angry bird figures on Amazon.com

One other thing we did that was kinda cool, we wrapped Dad's presents in black wrapping paper, then used the chalk pens we bought a while back to decorate.  I am sure you could do the same thing with kraft paper, but I don't think it would look as cool.  It was so fun we were fighting over the pens...like a flock of Angry Birds :0}