Batty Bday

My friend Jen's son Ryan just turned six, so I wanted to make his favorite cupcakes--yellow cake with chocolate frosting.
But I wanted to do some "boy" decoration, and got inspiration from the bat they recently found in their house.
It was my first sight of a bat, and I had no idea they were so small and so freakin' cute!
The little guy was captured in a bucket (per a bat rescue website) and released at dusk.

I cruised Google Images for inspiration, and found a simple design using a cookie and a Hershey's kiss.
But there were variations.
I like to compare and contrast before I embark on any project, artistic or cooking-related.
Yep, I'm one of those detailed types who analyze all the options.

Initially I saw designs with the kiss turned with the base forward, but I can't seem to find an example now.
Most examples place the point to the front.
Here's one from Purple Kitty

Sometimes the kiss is close to the wings, and other times there's a big gap, like this one by Mommy's World

Usually the wings are chocolate cookies (like Thin Mints) but Finger Food Recipes used Shortbread

A photo on All Recipes used two kisses


Sometimes the wings were flat
From Chocolate Candy Mall

Or the wings were arcing down, which looks good
These from Creative Cupcakes

I really like the design on Gummibunny, though the wings are arcing opposite the previous example.
The red gel eyes (or orange) look best.

The Baking Pan had some gorgeous ones

Okay, now that I'd gotten a design figured out, I needed to choose a cake and frosting recipe.
When in doubt, I always go with something from The America's Test Kitchen, because they've done all the hits and misses and their recipes are excellent.

They have several versions of yellow cake though, so again I had to sort between several options.

One recipe was posted on Throwing Spoons, along with a frosting recipe by Hershey's.

I decided instead to go with a the Foolproof Chocolate Frosting on the Test Kitchen's site (note: this recipe is free to view, you just have to submit your email address. Other recipes on the Test Kitchen's and Cook's Country's sites are only available to paid members. I wouldn't mind that so much except they have more than one level of paid memberships. I mean, if I'm already paying for the magazine and access to the first level of recipes, um, isn't that enough? It turned me off so much I canceled everything with them. Honestly, I'd rather see ads. That's my opinion anyway).
Unfortunately, I thought the frosting was horrendous, so I dumped the whole lot.
What a waste of perfectly good chocolate.
But 3/4 cup of corn syrup? Really?

The Cookbook Junkie has a recipe for "the best yellow cake I ever made" that is supposedly based on a Test Kitchen recipe.
That one looked really good, but I had buttermilk on hand, so I thought I may as well use it.

The Test Kitchen site has one recipe for Fluffy Yellow Layer Cake, that is different from examples I was finding on blogs, so I was getting confused.
The recipe incorporates buttermilk, but I didn't want to bother with separating eggs (even though the dogs would have appreciated the leftover yolks).

I decided to go with the Classic Yellow Cake recipe on Gastronomer (she posted some great tutorial photos too).
I also used her frosting recipe, which oozed on smoothly like ganache.
The cake part was okay.
Next time I'll try Cookbook Junkie's recipe.

I ended up taking the cupcakes over to Jen's house late, when her son was already in bed.
We left the cupcakes on the kitchen counter so he got this fun surprise when he woke up.
She said her kids had cupcakes for breakfast!
I hope it was a little bit magical.

ha! That's cute

This cracks me up.
Ice cream cone from Chick-fil-A (they have awesome ice cream), that says "Eat It All"

Cookie idea

I was in Henry's today, which is a local market that has more of a health orientation than the standard grocery store.
I'm fascinated by a product I saw there today--flavor infused peanut butter by Sunland.

The peanut butters are flavored with either raspberry, chocolate, carmel, or most fascinating of all...banana.

I wonder if these would make good cookies?

When I make sandwiches, I like natural-style peanut butter that you have to stir and refrigerate.
But these are too dry for baking, so when I make cookies I use the standard Skippy-type peanut butters with the added shortening.
Perhaps a peanut butter cookie recipe made with flavored pb could be yummy.
I know a lot of recipes are out there using Nutella (chocolate hazelnut spread), but I haven't yet tried any.

Hmmmm....

Dole Whip Sundae! Yum!

Ooh, I discovered Lapperts Ice Cream in Poway.
They sell Hawaiian ice cream, and Dole Whip (yep, that same stuff served outside the Enchanted Tiki Room at Disneyland!)

Fun Food

One of my favorite gifts to give friends is assembling a collection of items, often with a theme.
For example, when my friend Tracie obtained her black belt, my friend debs and I put together a gift basket (the "basket" in this case was an upturned Powerpuff Girls cap) of Wonder Woman themed items.
Once I gave a bowl, spoon, spatula, all the ingredients, and a recipe for chocolate chip cookies.
I like to give kitchen gadgets with a foodie book (or culinary fiction), and unique food items.

But what I love most of all is finding items with a play on words.
This is sure to bring a smile.
These also make great white elephant gifts.
Here are some fun food examples:

Butt Massage


Spotted Dick


Cock Soup


Cock-a-Leekie Soup


Oh my gosh, hot sauce is a world unto its own.
There are sooo many fun hot sauce labels.
This, however, has to be my favorite:
Red Rectum Hot Sauce


More fun foods here.

Video Sunday

This is a fun, silly spoof on Star Wars, called "Store Wars".
It is about organic produce.

The video was produced by Free Range Studios for The Organic Trade Association, 2005.

"Search your peelings, Cuke. You know it to be true."

Hello again! And my amulet bag

Oh my gosh...I'm back!
My computer is back online. Thank God.
I swear, I felt as if I were cut off from the world.
So back to more regular posting. Whew.

Here's a teaser, for those of you not willing to read a long post to discover what is in store.
I talk about this:


I woke up this morning to a rain soaked day.
That might not be a novelty for the folks reading this, but here, where rain hasn't graced the yard for over 150 days (that mist a few weeks ago doesn't count), this is something.
I used to hate the rain, but I've come to appreciate the way the air smells, the way the clouds sway, the fun of wearing wonderful sweaters and jackets, and the advantages to cuddling and snuggling.

What the rain brought forth in me today was the need to bake.
Uh, this kind of weather isn't really what bread craves, but I had to give it a go.

I baked cinnamon swirl bread today.

The old fashioned way, with yeast, and rising times, and the incredible smell that wafted through the house and out into the front (where two of my brothers were praying they'd discover what that aroma meant. I brought them out hot slices with butter that they 'yummed' over).

Seriously, can it get much better that?
That is one fine afternoon, my friend.

Oh, and HOT bread, you say?
Please, do you think I could wait the recommended two hours for the cooling progress?
Yeah, right.
It's like how Krispie Kreme features hot from the oven glazed donuts--that way they melt in your mouth.

I forgot to add the raisins to my cinnamon swirl bread, and I won't post the recipe because it's not the best one I've ever made (it's good for toast, but I prefer a more dense and chewy variety, oozing with slurpy goodness. That is not what the author of this recipe desired. She wanted toast. That's fine).
I will tell you, however, that one of the best snacks on the planet (thanks, debs) is cream cheese spread onto a toasted cinnamon raisin English Muffin, with fresh avocado, and freshly ground pepper.
Seriously, try it.

But I'm off track here. I'm just dying to catch up and have to condense a gazillion thoughts into one post.

I do have to mention that I passed up the Festa in Little Italy today (how do they create chalk drawings in the rain?) and I watched my beloved cooking shows on PBS.
Everyday Food, Rick Bayless, America's Test Kitchen, and my new favorite--Diary of a Foodie. The latter featured a chef so passionate about his food that I just had to smile.
Joy in fresh ingredients, creative application, and a surprise of taste...that's just Heaven to even hear about much less experience first hand.
But I digress yet again...

I finally completed my amulet bag for The Purse Project.
You know, the project that was due LAST month?
I actually have a finished project to post!
Albeit late, but...better late than never.
Some things are a given: the sky is blue, and Barb is always late. Sigh.

Anyway, I took forever deciding which direction I wanted to go with this project.
I considered making a bag to hang in my car, either inspired with feng shui, or with elements symbolizing safe travel.
I considered making something for my pet business.
Perhaps some wishes for critter health and safety.

In the end, I just looked at what it is I find sacred, and over and over again I came back to the sea.
The bag itself is an amulet, though it may certainly be filled with applicable charms within as well.

I started with doodling out ideas.
I wanted to start with a seagull, and add some symbolism.


I started out with the symbols for the basic elements: Earth, Air, Fire, and Water.
I chose simple circular pagan symbols (many versions and variations of these symbols exist, depending on regional and religious differences).
The circle dissected with crossed lines is both the symbol for the four elements (also the four seasons, and four directions North, South, West, East), but is also the symbol for Earth.
There are also materials and colors associated with these symbols, but I opted not to get that detailed.

Bird body is a raindrop shape = Water
It's also a leaf shape = Earth

I liked the idea of a bird with horns, or sitting atop a horn.
The horn for me stands for The Ram, or Aries, which = Fire (sign)
The horn shape also resembles a wave = Water
A simple symbol for the Ram is also lines that look like two candy canes back to back.
I decided these could be feet.

I used to have a roommate who had a tattoo of The North Wind.
It was a man's face, his lips blowing, and from his lips came swirls, representing wind.
So I played around with swirls.

(you'll have to click on the image to enlarge the detail--Flickr didn't like the width on this one)
I liked the one on the right I have circled, until I realized it coincidentally looks too much like Amanda's logo.
Instead, I used the swirls like feathers.
So feathers and wind = Air

Here's what I came up with.
The finished size is about 3 inches by 4 inches, not including the crocheted handle.


Real twig = Earth

Blue felt and blue variegated thread= both Air and Water.
The blue 'window' is a reverse applique of the Earth/Elements symbol.
White felt = Air
Brown and beige felt, brown variegated thread = Earth

The 'pom-pom' trim is the four symbols (light felt with dark embroidery on the front, the back side is dark brown felt with blue thread).

The vintage button features a crane (shore bird)= water
seagull = water

This is the first time I have worked with wool felt--a really lovely material.
Had I desired a softer texture and appearance, I could have washed the felt prior to crafting with it.
I'm pleased with how this project turned out.

The pieces were finished with a blanket stitch, put together with a whipstitch, and detailed with a backstitch or a running stitch (because these are the only stitches I know).
I didn't need a lining, but I loved the contrast of the chocolate brown felt, so that is the interior of this bag, just waiting to filled with charms.