June 12, 2012

SW: On the Television


Who else out there watches Happy Endings?  I'm kind of in love with it.  

Reasons to watch Happy Endings... 
1. It's hilarious... that's a given.
2. It's set in Chicago!  Their Chicago doesn't make much sense, but it is here nonetheless.
3. They throw a 1920's housewarming party.  I want to go to a 1920's themed housewarming party!

  
This week's Sew Weekly challenge was to find inspiration from a TV show.  I thought about going my usual route and make something from a period costume show, but I'm in need of separates!  And I love the fashion of Jane Kerkovich-Williams on Happy Endings.  It all works out! You can check out the page here.



Also, deep down, I am just as much of a type A personality that Jane is... I just don't let it out to breathe like she does. 

This is what I used for inspiration for the challenge.


I've never liked wearing shorts or shorter skirts, but I decided to branch out and make something out of my usual comfort zone.  I've worn the skirt once and felt pretty strange in it, but the top will probably get lots of rotation in my wardrobe!



 And everything was made out of hand-me-downs from my husband's wardrobe!  The shirt is an old dress shirt and the skirt is made from a pair of khakis.







Maybe I should have used this outfit as inspiration... 


May 17, 2012

Latest Baking

I've been baking up a storm over here!  Working on getting my bakery off the ground.  Here are just a few photos of what I've been creating!

Triple Mousse Cakes before the sauce and salted caramel.

Now with salted caramel rounds.  These were starting to melt.  I made three syrups to go along with it- raspberry, caramel, and chocolate!

Red Velvet Trifle with strawberries and whipped cream


Mini Churro Cupcakes

Yellow Cake with raspberry filling and a raspberry buttercream icing

April 30, 2012

Drizzle Bakery

I have had a lot of free time lately so I've decided to take my passion for baking to the next level.  I'm starting a home bakery business!  Please check out and like my page on Facebook at www.facebook.com/drizzlebakery.

Also coming this week... my post about my husband's birthday dessert... triple chocolate mousse cakes with salted caramel decorations and a choice of chocolate, raspberry, or caramel sauce!


April 18, 2012

Cadbury Cupcakes

My mom loves Cadbury Eggs.  So when my parents decided to come visit right after Easter, I knew I had to bake something inspired by this festive treat.  I found differing recipes online that I combined to make my own special recipe.  All of the recipes online had you buying a bunch of Cadbury Eggs, which are not cheap!  So I made my own!  My recipe made about a dozen cupcakes, but you could easily double or triple the recipe if you wanted.

My husband brought some of these to work and they were raffled off to the office to very high demand!





Devil’s Food Cake

4 1/2 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp baking powder
2 ounces unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cups granulated sugar
1 large eggs, at room temperature
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup milk

Adjust the oven rack to the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Butter (or use the baking spray) cupcake/muffin pans.

Sift together the cocoa powder, cake flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a bowl.

In the bowl of a standing electric mixer, or by hand, beat together the butter and sugar about 5 minutes until smooth and creamy.

Add the eggs one at a time until fully incorporated.

Mix together the water and milk. Stir half of the dry ingredients into the butter mixture, the add the water and milk. Finally stir in the other half of the dry ingredients.

Fill cupcake pans 2/3 of the way full with cake batter. For regular size bake 20-22 minutes.


Chocolate Shell Ganache

3 ounces chocolate chips
1/4 cup heavy cream

Put chocolate in a medium bowl.

Bring cream to a simmer in a saucepan and remove from heat. Pour over chocolate. Let sit 5 minutes.

Whisk in chocolate until smooth. Let set up at room temperature.
 

Crème Egg Filling Buttercream Frosting

1/8 cup light corn syrup
1/16 cup butter, softened
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
dash salt
3/4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 TBSP vanilla extract
milk to thin frosting

Combine the corn syrup, butter, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl. Beat well with an electric mixer. Add sugar, one cup at a time, mixing by hand after each addition.

In another bowl, add butter, 1 cup of sugar and vanilla extract.

On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes.  Add corn syrup mixture.

Gradually add the remaining sugar, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency. If too thick, thin out with milk.
 
You can take half of the icing and color it yellow or orange for effect.


To assemble the cupcakes:

Remove some of the middle of the finished cupcake.  Fill with chocolate sauce.

Frost top of cupcake with white frosting.  Then with yellow or orange to look like an egg.  

Drizzle with left over chocolate sauce.


April 16, 2012

March 22, 2012

Sew Weekly... MAD MEN!!!

I'm sure I don't have to tell anyone how excited I am for Mad Men coming back in a few days.  It's my favorite drama on TV today and it will be back so soon!!!!!

This week's challenge on Sew Weekly was a Mad Men challenge!  Go check it out on over at Sew Weekly!

March 19, 2012

Sewing Craving

Do you ever have a craving to sew something very specific that you know you can't do... that sounded more confusing than I wanted it to.  I have been craving corset sewing.  I used to make them when I worked in the costume shop, and it was one of my favorite things to do.  They were pretty heavy duty with steel boning and all.  And I loved picking fun fabric, like my rainbow one below.

But my problem is that I don't have any of the materials to do it and they are really expensive to get.  Also, I'm not sure what I'd need corsets for.


What do you do when you have a sewing craving?