Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween to all the goblins and ghouls out there!  Above is my attempt at candy corn piñatas. I saw these on the evite blog and wanted to try my hand at them. They were a little more work than I had anticipated but I think it was worth it. The first one was the hardest but the next 8 went a little easier. Perfect for my daughters teachers!  I am aware they are not prefect but I can live with it. It was my first attempt! 

Originally seen here 

Oh Costco

Exhibit A!

Why is it that the time I go to Costco with a specific list, they have a myriad of things I must have (or at least want).  I can go there a thousand times and find nothing that interests me but the one time I go with my frugal and practical list, it is just brimming with awesomeness that needs to come home with me!


See Exhibit A above.  I promised myself no more cookooks until I had at least sorted and purged some of my collection.  I also remember telling myself that there was no need for a Poineer Woman cookbook as I am sure I can find the majority of her recipes on her website.  However one look at her smiling face combined with the word Holiday in the title, and I am screwed!  I will say that the Alice Waters book has been in my Amazon cart for some time and it was priced slightly better at Costco.  Thats my excuse and I am sticking to it!  Meanwhile, bulging bookcases await me.

Ah Costco,  How do I love thee!

Trophy Monday

Espresso Bean Cupcakes

For my first recipe from the Trophy Cupcakes and Parties book, I went with a flavor close to my heart.  Espresso is a part of my DNA.  The cupcakes were a breeze to make.  It is the Trophy chocolate cupcake recipe and it is a no fail recipe as far as I am concerned.  My one issue (if you can call it an issue) is that it makes far more than the two dozen cupcakes stated.  I managed to get 24 regular sized cupcakes and 24 mini cupcakes from the recipe.  

For the frosting, you need good fresh strong espresso.  This was not a problem for me as I have espresso on hand pretty much all the time.  I used a stovetop maker and cooled the required 1/2 cup.  The frosting takes a lot of butter and sugar but when you consider that it covers 48 cupcakes (with some left over) then I don't think it is that much of an issue.  It comes together beautifully and like all the trophy recipes I have tried so far, it does not require anything more than a stand mixer.  These recipes are not written for experts and are attainable by anyone.  I also like that all of the ingredients would be items you could find at any good grocery store.  

So to the important part - how did it taste?  Frigging awesome would be the consensus.  I sent the majority of the cakes to work with my husband.  2 thumbs up all the way around.  I also gave some to the ladies at my children's school bus stop and I believe I am now the most popular mum there!  Something about chocolate cake and coffee frosting first thing on a dreary Seattle Monday that just soothes the soul!

I highly recommend this recipe.  Simple to put together but the results give something far more complex and scrumptious. 

Book available here or here

Sundays are meant for this

There is nothing I like more than Sunday Mornings spent hiking around the lake with my daughter Alex.

It is supposed to be therapy for her but it has become so much more than that for me.  The time we spend together is something I have wanted for so long.  I see part of her unlocking that I have never been privy to before.  It is a wondrous feeling to know that she does love her mummy and she enjoys the pursuits too.  I have discovered that she also loves being behind a camera.  I have enjoyed giving her the camera and seeing what the world looks like to her.  It is not so different.  That is the most amazing part, knowing her interests are not that different from mine.

I love that girl and I love Sundays spent with her.

Martha Stewart Living Kids Craft Space Collection

That's quite a mouthful!  I received a little catalog from the Home Decorators Collection.  It was an introduction to their new line called itsy bitsy.  This catalog is subtitled 'a storybook of children's furnishings' and there are certainly some beautiful items in the pages.  However they saved the best for last as far as I am concerned.  Towards the back is a beautiful double spread of craft furniture from the Martha Stewart brand.  I actually have a couple of desks from the grown up version and I can attest to the durability and sturdiness of the items.  I am loving the kids versions too, especially the happy yellow color called Cornbread.  It is looking slightly more green on my screen but the print version is a sunny yellow.  The collection is beautiful and practical too which a place for everything!  Even a cabinet for art with dryer shelves included!

Photo from Home Decorators Collection

Trophy Cupcakes

One of the best things about living near Seattle is Trophy Cupcakes. I love this place. If I ever opened a bakery, I would want it to look just like this place. Fortunately, I dont have to as Jennifer Shea has done all the work for me. Seriously good stuff. Everything looks beautiful but the taste lives up to the packaging.   This is not always the case at bakeries I have been to.  I have had some beautiful cakes that have tasted less than stellar. Conversely, some just awful misshapen cakes have tasted like heaven.  Trophy, however,  has the taste to back up the looks.

I was very excited to finally receive the Trophy book which was released in late September.  It had been preordered for many months! It has not disappointed. It is such a beautifully thought out and executed book that has a place on even the most reluctant bakers bookself.  I have decided to get on the 'bake your way through a book' bandwagon and will try to recreate a recipe from the book on a weekly basis. I like to bake most days but Sunday is usually the cupcake day so I can send them to work with my husband on Monday morning. We do not need 2 dozen cupcakes hanging around the house!

So here's to Cupcakes Mondays. First up, Espresso bean cupcakes. See ya Monday!

Purl soho at Williams Sonoma

My obsession with embroidery continues on so imagine my delight at seeing this beautiful kit available at my favorite kitchen emporium! I love it! They have a few kits available and they all look wonderful.

This kit is available here

Mastering

I am a complete sucker for any book with the words Mastering or Mastering the Art of..... in their title. It doesn't matter the subject matter, that title promises something that I am sure it will deliver on. Of course, the title does not take into account my failings in the arts and craft world. I am quite possibly the least artistic human alive. I envy those who can paint or draw. I cannot. I try but it always looks like something I could not even blame on my children! I have all kinds of artistic mediums in my closet. Masses of watercolor paints, acrylics, oils. All purchased with the promise that this one item will help me overcome my complete lack of talent! I am sure I could open my own small branch of Michaels with all the supplies I have lurking in that closet of broken dreams! I have looked at blogs with titles such as 'Art Projects for Kids' and been born anew with hope. Then came Pinterest and all the promises held within the glossy photos that fill the page. Nope, just add a few more craptacular projects to the pile. 

I moved on to needle arts and these had more success. If you can count a slightly wonky scarf with a few dropped stitches a success - and I do! I slowly and painstakingly learned to cast on and then moved swiftly to knit stitch and purl stitch. I am awesome! Sadly I still cannot understand a pattern and the art of casting off appears lost. I take my victories where I can though and this is one! 

Which brings me to the title of this post. I was sent a gift 'Mastering the Art of Embroidery'. A book so beautiful that I thought it was a cruel joke. Also included in the gift was a selection of embroidery threads and some vintage handkerchiefs. Obviously I have a friend who is either completely sick and twisted (which makes up most of my friends list) and finds my frustration at crafts amusing, or she is to be believed when she says that "you have to eventually find a craft you are good at". So I intend to crack open this book and see what happens. I am sure it will be a fun journey whether it results in beautifully embroidered handkerchiefs, or fingertips that look like Swiss Cheese. 

With a title like Mastering the Art of... how can I go wrong?!

Well hello

Life begins at forty! I heard that growing up a lot. Then I heard 40 is the new 30. Now 50 is the new 30 which makes 40 the new 20? I don't know anymore. I just know that age as a number seems silly. 

I know so many women in their late 30's who look nothing like the 40 I grew up fearing! 20 year old women look 40, 12 year old girls dressing older than me, mutton dressed as lamb. It goes on and on, so I am just going to accept that a number does not dictate an age anymore than a dress size determines how much body fat you have. For me, growing up meant growing old. I thought that when I hit a certain age, I would suddenly have wisdom and crave the sensible shoes and pretty cardigans I fondly remember my mother wearing. However as the calendar years changed and my age crept up, I never felt any different. I always felt like a little kid ready to tell juvenile jokes and try the latest sports fad. I would worry that some chip was missing in my circuit board but after a few years of trying, I realise that being a 12 year old boy trapped in a middle aged woman is not so bad. I get the best of all worlds.

I am silly, immature and think any movie with Vince Vaughn and/or Will Ferrel is going to be funny yet I still enjoy the fine arts and European sensibilities I had instilled in me growing up. I intend to use this space to keep track of the many sides of me and the many ages of me. I am neither old nor young, fat nor thin, silly or serious. I am all those things.