Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Baker's Review Wednesday 32: Cinnamon Roll Muffins




Cinnamon Roll Muffins
(Yield: 12)
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 egg
3 to 3 1/2 cups flour

Filling:
5 tbsp butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/4 tsp cinnamon

Icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
2-3 tbsp milk
1/4 tsp vanilla

In a medium bowl, mix together the brown sugar, baking soda, salt, vanilla and egg. Add the buttermilk, then the flour. Stir until thoroughly combined.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for a minute or two. Roll the dough into a 12-inch by 24-inch rectangle. Spread with butter, then sprinkled with the cinnamon sugar mixture.

Roll the dough into a log beginning with the wide side. Stretch the log slightly as you roll to keep a tight seam. Cut the log in half, then each half in half again. 
 
At this point I scored each quarter with three cuts, to make sure my rolls would be even. Continue slicing until you have 12 rolls. Place them in a greased muffin pan, or muffin tins lined with cupcake papers.
 
Bake at 375 F for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Allow the muffins to cool for about 5 minutes, then remove them from pans to a cooling rack. Combine ingredients for glaze and drizzle over the top.


These muffins, were okay, but not the best thing ever.  I also didn't cook them quite long enough, so they probably would've been better if I cooked them for a longer length of time.  I'm not sure if I'd make them again or not; I don't know if the others thought they were good.

If you made something for Baker's Review Wednesday this week, link up below! 


Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Deer in the Snow . . .

A deer in the snow makes a beautiful photo . . .




 It was snowing pretty hard with huge flakes out there . . .

 

Have a wonderful day!!

Monday, February 27, 2012

Crafter's Weekly - week 8: Make an accessory



Last week we were to make an accessory, so I decided to make a headband.  Like I needed another headband, right.  Actually, I did - kind of!!  I didn't have any yellow headbands, so I decided I was going to make one out of some yellow felt I had got.  I really like how it turned out:)



I'm thinking of making these in several colors for a spring sale we're doing.  What do you think?  Do you like them or not?  Because I really don't want to go making a bunch of them if no one likes them!!


If you made an accessory, link up below.  The button code is on the sidebar.  I would love to see if anyone made anything!



Hmmm. . . . this week we get to make a knock-off!  You ever see anything from some expensive store you like . . . but you can't really afford?  Now it's your turn to make your version of it for WAY cheaper!  I would really love to see what people come up for this one.  (And no, it don't HAVE to be something from an expensive store!)

Have a wonderful day!


Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Baker's Review Wednesday 31: The Best Chocolate Sheet Cake. Ever.



The Best Chocolate Sheet Cake. Ever.

Ingredients

  • FOR THE CAKE:
  • 1 cups Flour
  • 1 cups Sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon Salt
  • 2 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
  • 1 sticks Butter
  • 1/2 cup Boiling Water
  • 1/4 cup Buttermilk
  • 1 whole Beaten Eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
  • _____
  • FOR FROSTING:
  • 1 stick Butter
  • 2 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
  • 3 Tablespoons Milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
  • 2 cups Powdered Sugar

Preparation Instructions

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt.
In a saucepan, melt butter. Add cocoa. Stir together.
Add boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.
In a measuring cup, pour the buttermilk and add beaten eggs, baking soda, and vanilla. Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into greased 9"x13" pan and bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes.
While cake is baking, make the icing. Melt butter in a saucepan. Add cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat. Add the milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Stir together and pour over warm cake.
Cut into squares, eat, and totally wig out over the fact that you’ve just made the best chocolate sheet cake. Ever.

{Recipe from thepioneerwoman.com)

This is so good!!  It's moist and yummy and delicious!  It's "to die for".  I love it.  It's amazing and quite easy to make.  And I think it probably stays good for a while and moist and everything it seems.  But I don't know for sure because with 14 people, this cake hardly lasts a day!!  And watch out, you might be a big fat pig . . . if you're anything like me.  Ooops . . . now you know how big a pig I really am!!

But I didn't take any pictures of this!?!  Not sure why! Oh, and this is okay when it's warm, but I think it's the very best when it's cooled down.  Personal opinion; not sure what other people think:)

Anyways, have a wonderful day, and if you made something, link up below!!

Monday, February 20, 2012

Crafter's Weekly - week 7: Take a photo, edit it, and make something with it



Take a photography, edit it, and make something with it.  I'm a little last minute.  I did take the photograph and edit it last week, I just didn't make something with it until today.  But it worked because we had a craft day and we didn't have school:)  I made a little quote page thing with the photo.  I might frame it, but I'm not sure yet.


Did you make something?  Link it up at the end of this post.  The button code is on the sidebar.


This week we get to make an accessory.  Sounds like fun to me:)  Maybe I won't be quite as last minute this week!!

Have a wonderful day!



Thursday, February 16, 2012

A Darling Baby Sis . . . and an outfit

So this is the whole outfit for my last Crafter's Weekly.  I think it turned out pretty cute!!  And it's just obviously a plain out fact that this baby is like the cutest little girl ever!!  I mean, she's just plain out darling!!



The whole outfit:


And one last pic of this darling little baby!!

There was a ton more photo's, but there's a few to share with you!!

Have a wonderful day!

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Baker's Review Wednesday 30: Little Meat Loaves




Little Meat Loaves

1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
1 Tbsp. minced onion or 1/4 cup chopped raw onion
1 tsp. salt
1 lb. hamburger
2/3 cup ketchup
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. prepared brown sugar

In a bowl, beat egg and milk.  Stir in cheese, oats, onion, and salt.  Add hamburger and mix well.  Shape into 8 loaves; place on foil lined pan.  Combine ketchup, brown sugar and mustard; spoon over loaves.  Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until meat is no longer pink.
 

These are the most delicious, yummy meat loaf.  You can make them with or without the sauce, depending whether you like it or not:)  We do some of both.  This is the only meat loaf we ever make though and it's soooooo good!!!

Hope everyone has been having a wonderful week!!  Link up your recipes and reviews below.  The button code is on the sidebar.



Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Happy Valentines Day!!



Wishing you all a LOVE-filled Valentines!!

Happy Valentines Day from me to you:)

Monday, February 13, 2012

Crafter's Weekly - week 6: Make an outfit / article of clothing for a child



Last week we were to make an outfit or article of clothing for a child.  I decided to make a dress and pantaloons outfit for my sister, Morgan, for later this spring and summer.  Unfortunately, I wasn't able to finish the pantaloons, as I didn't have the right size elastic.  I will show you the whole outfit later when I have the pantaloons done:)  But for now I have the dress done, so I will show you that!!

This is my first time really making any clothing from a pattern, so I had questions for my mom and stuff, but I basically made it all myself.  Well, all of it except the buttons and button holes.  I didn't want to ruin the dress by doing something wrong with the button holes or sewing the buttons on in the wrong spot!!

Dress Front


Dress Back


I used Simplicity #9784 for the dress and pantaloons.


This week we get to get out the camera's!!  Take a photograph, edit it, and make something with it.  Frame it, make a plaque, . . . get the idea?  Have fun & be creative!!

Link up you outfit or article of clothing for a child below!!


Thursday, February 9, 2012

IDK

IDK

I don't know.

IDK

glazing a bowl; just letting the glaze stay there, not wiping off the drip mess; thought it might look cool.

get it back; "The glaze looks like it says IDK," someone says; it does: ha ha; how funny!

Meet my IDK bowl.  Yup, that's pretty much what it is.


No, not the best photography ever; I had just ate something and it was sitting there, so I took a picture randomly:)

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Baker's Review Wednesday 29: Glazed Doughnut Muffins




Glazed Doughnut Muffins

from http://www.mybakingaddiction.com

For the Batter
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup milk

For the Glaze
3 tablespoons butter; melted
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons hot water

Directions
1) Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a standard muffin tin. Or line with 12 paper muffin cups, and grease the cups with non-stick vegetable oil spray; this will ensure that they peel off the muffins nicely.
2) In a medium-sized mixing bowl, cream together the butter, vegetable oil, and sugars till smooth.
3) Add the eggs, beating to combine.
4) Stir in the baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla.
5) Stir the flour into the butter mixture alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour and making sure everything is thoroughly combined.
6) Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared pan, filling the cups nearly full.
7) Bake the muffins for 15 to 17 minutes, or until they’re a pale golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the middle of one of the center muffins comes out clean.
8.) In a medium bowl, prepare the glaze by mixing together the melted butter, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla and water. Whisk until smooth.
9.) When muffins have cooled slightly, dip the muffin crown into the glaze and allow the glaze to harden. At this point, you can leave them as is or go for the double dip. I glazed my muffins twice.
10.) Serve warm, or cool on a rack and wrap airtight. Muffins will keep at room temperature for about a day.

These muffins were kind of good, but not the best thing ever either.  You can definitely tell that they have the nutmeg flavor in them.  I think I should've baked them like a minute less, and they would've been even better.

I don't know about you guys, but I LOVE to try new recipes just to try something different.  I'll try stuff that I think looks and sounds good, but it seems so much of the time, it's not really that good.  I don't know.  But I guess I will continue to try stuff because that's what I like to do:)  And SOMETIMES it DOES turn out delicious, like the Cinnamon Love Knots:)

Link up your wonderful recipes below:)  I need to start tryin' some of 'em . . . The button code is on the sidebar.



Monday, February 6, 2012

Crafter's Weekly - week 5: craft using buttons



So this week we were to make a craft using buttons.  I did a simple & quick craft, but otherwise I probably wouldn't have gotten it done if not for this challenge:)


I made a button headband.  I saw a headband similar to this on Pinterest sometime, but not sure where it's actually from.  I simply took a headband that was non-stretchy on the main part and had an elastic section in the back,  found a variety of buttons, put them in an order I liked, and sewed them on with the sewing machine.  If you made a headband like this, you could do a certain color theme, like a couple colors, or you could do monochromatic, like shades of gray/black or pink, or you could do like I did, just a random variety of colors.
 

What did you make using buttons?  I'm super excited to see if anyone made anything with buttons:)  Link up below.  The button code is on the sidebar.
Next weeks challenge is:

Make an outfit / article of clothing for a child.

I will get a list of the upcoming challenges as soon as I get it ready.  If anyone has any ideas they want to share for challenges, drop me a comment, please!!

Have a wonderful day, everyone!



Friday, February 3, 2012

Sitting Bull Sketch

In clay, we were doing a sculpture, so our teacher had us do a sketch of our photograph first.  I didn't have time to complete everything, like the feather, more hair, and clothing and stuff, but this is what I did get done.  (I just scanned my sketch onto the computer.)  I would've done more, but I don't have a sketching pencil or blending tool, which do help a lot with creating a good sketch, and I don wand to get both of those things sometime, somewhere:)

The top is the sketch and below that is the photo I sketched and made the sculpture of.  I might show you the sculpture when I get it back, but then again, maybe not.  The sculpture doesn't really look like Sitting Bull even:(



Yeah, I can see now that the hair on the right side should've been more slanted/further out; and the nose should've been bigger . . . but I guess it's okay for a first try  . . .

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

The Hardest Step

{found on Pinterest}
 
It's true, not just for running, but exercising in general.  Once you get out there and get going, it's not too bad.  I actually am like I'll just do this much, and then I'm like I can do more than that, so I do.  I'm just glad that I do at least something . . . hope it will last, because it's true, the hardest step is the first step out the door, and if you don't get out the door, you don't do anything!!
Have a great day!!