Labor Day Weekend

It's day two of the holiday weekend and I am enjoying my time alone. My husband went camping for a boys weekend away so I am left to craft alone! Saturday I met a friend and we went for an almost 3 hour hike in the San Bruno hills. It was amazing we just kept walking! The weather was perfect not too hot and not too foggy. When I returned home I received my weekly netflix movie, the last disc of season 3 of Weeds, the Showtime series. I turned it on to watch and let my feet rest. I did some blog searching on line and discovered this really easy tutorial on hand made cloth napkins by Charamichele. It turns out that in this tutorial I have the same fabric that was used. Here is my version of the cloth napkins. This would be a quick item to make for a holiday gift. In my version I used a pink thread as the edge of the napkin, I think it gives it a contrasting burst to the fabric.

Where do Marshmallows come from?

I have always wondered how marshmallows are made, because they seem so simple. Most of my memories of marshmallows was eating them while camping with chocolate and gram crackers or out of the bag! I did some searching and found a really easy and good recipe from Mccauliflower of Brownie Points blog. I just recently discovered her blog, she is based in Portland, Oregon. After reading the receipe it sounded pretty simple so I tried it! It actually was really easy and simple, her instructions are excellent. Here is her what she recommends:
2 packs of gelatin
1/4 + 2T of water
1 1/2tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup of sugar
1/4 +2T of water
1/2 +2T of corn syrup
1/4 tsp salt

rice flour
confectioners sugar

Line a 9x13' pan with parchement paper and spray with vegetable oil.
Fit a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, combine 1/2 +2T water and sprinkle gelatain on top. Bring to a boil with the lid on and with out stirring. Remove lid and continue to cook until it reaches 234-240'.

Add the sugar, salt and corn syrup and reaming water to a saucepan.
With the mixer on medium speed add the syrup mixer, very slowly. Once all blended together, turn mixer up to full speed and mix for 8-10 minutes. Pour mixture into pan and let sit a room temp for 10-12 hours.
In a separate bowl add equal parts of rice flour and confectioners sugar, cut marshmallows into desired size and shape and coat with the rice flour mixture.
Keep in air tight container

ENJOY!

My tweeks:

Instead of rice flour I used corn starch, this is for a 1/2 recipe. For full recipe and PDF print out go to Brownie Points Blog

House Warming

My good friend just moved back to the bay area from Portland, Oregon. She was able to buy a brand new house in the San Bruno area and she had me over for dinner on Saturday. I wanted to bring her something as a thank you for having me over and a congrats for purchasing her first home. I decided to make her lemon cake. I also brought her a nice bottle of wine and a bottle of lavender soap. The recipe I used was from Ina Garten's book Barefoot Contessa Parties.  Dinner was unbelievable! She made cooked salmon, potatoes and two yummy salads. One red onion and strawberry salad and a tomato, avocado, mozzarella salad. Here is the recipe for the Lemon Cake:

1/2 lb of unsalted butter

2 1/2 cups granulated sugar

4 eggs

1/3 cup grated lemon zest

3 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt 

3/4 cup lemon juice

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups confectioners sugar

3 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350, Grease two 8 1/2 x 4 1/2x 2 1/2 inch loaf pans. 

Cream butter and 2 cups of sugar in electric mixer bowl with paddle attachement for about 5 minutes. With mixer on medium speed, add one egg at a time and then lemon zest. 

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a  bowl.  In another bowl add buttermilk and vanilla and 1/4 cup lemon juice.  Add flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to batter starting with flour and ending with flour.  

Divide the batter evenly between the two pans.  Bake for 45 - 60 minutes. 

With cake is baking...

combine 1/2 cup g. sugar and 1/2 cup lemon juice in small saucepan until sugar is devolved to make syrup. After cakes are done take out of pans and set on rack to cool. Add syrup to cakes. 

For the glaze combine confectioner's sugar and lemon juice in a bowl and mix with a wire whisk until smooth. Pour over cakes. 

What I did a bit differently:

Instead of buttermilk I added Creme Fresh 

After reading recipe I realized I did not add 1/2 cup of lemon juice to batter but it turned out GREAT! 

Did not put glaze 

LeRoi Moore

I am so sad today. I have heard the news about LeRoi Moore, saxophonist for The Dave Matthews Band. He was my favorite musican in the band and he will be missed. He was an amazing musican who helped the band become what it is today. I have many good memories of hearing the band at different concerts since 1995 and from the first time I heard a song I was instantly hooked! Leroi was a very important part of the band and it will never be the same. Leroi will be missed. xoxoxo

Lace Scarf

Wow I am finally making progress starting my lace scarf. On my JOY Day I went to my favorite yarn shop in the area, Nine Rubies. I got two scains of 100% Merino Wool by Art Yarns. One of the ladies who was working in the store was making a scarf that had lace and beads and it was just beautiful. I had to find the pattern! She directed me to knitty.com and I found the pattern by Rosemary Hill. I am making the Delta Queen version of the scarf. This is week one of knitting this pattern. I have been so busy with baking I have been neglecting my other passions!

Sunday Blues

Sunday is a day I usually get the "blues". It's my cleaning day and day to get ready for the week but sometimes it's sad to think that the weekend went by so fast. Baking normally helps me get out of the funk! My husband and I eat bananas that sometimes I wish we had a banana tree! But, we don't and sometimes the bananas get too ripe and something has to be done with them. So! I turn them into yummy banana bread. I used a recipe from The Food Network.
It's a really easy and simple recipe. Here it is:

1 1/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs at room temp
1/2 cup of butter, at room temp
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sugar
3 very ripe bananas
1/2 cup toasted walnuts

Sift the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. Wisk the eggs and vanilla in a measuring cup with a spout. lightly brush a 9x5 x3 inch loaf pan with butter and preheat oven to 350.

In a standing mixer with paddle attachment cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually add egg mixture into the butter while mixer is on. Add the bananas and remove from mixer, the batter with look curdled. (that's ok)

With a rubber spatula, mix in the flour until just incorporated. Fold in nuts and transfer into the pan. Bake for 55 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Turn the bread out of the pan and let cool completely on the rack.

My additions:

I added about 1/4 cup of chopped dark chocolate

This was so yummy! I brought to my work and the bread was gone before lunch!

A Baby Shower!

On Saturday afternoon I went to a baby shower for a co-worker. It was very sweet to beable to share this special memory with my co-worker. She was registered at Target, which made my shopping so much easier! All you have to do is print a list out and buy something and you can't go wrong. The person picked it out and would forsure love it and not return! I felt I should also give her something that was a bit more personal. So, I made her a blanket. Thanks to Sew MaMa Sew a found a really easy blanket pattern to follow. If you are a beginner at sewing and have a baby shower to go to make this blanket! I used a green terry cloth and a cotton pink polkadot fabric, even though she is having a baby girl, I thought I would get a way from the pink everything and give her a something a little different.