I took the girls raspberry picking today up in Sharon, Connecticut. There are several covered bridges that remain up in that area of Litchfield County, but they are becoming more rare all over the country it seems.
Collage Bangle Bracelets
Posted by on July 4, 2011 Leave a Comment
In an effort to find ways to keep my bored girls entertained these days, I entered ‘teen craft projects’ on Pinterest and came across the instructions to make these cute bangle bracelets on Alma Stoller’s blog. They looked easy enough and I happened to have all of the supplies on hand. I did, however, go out and buy more supplies in duplicate as I now plan on sending each girl off to camp with the necessary supplies for her and her cabin-mates to make their own. It seemed like a great project for a rainy day.
I took posterboard and cut it to three different widths, 1″, 1-1/2″, and 1-3/4″. You can cut them to any width you want your bracelets to be. Then I took a piece of string and scrunched my hand up like I was trying to get a tight bangle bracelet on and measured that distance, cutting the string to that length. I used this string to measure how long to cut the posterboard strips. Starting at one end, gently bend the strip into a circle. The posterboard I used was quite thick, so it did some cracking, but I found that doing it gently this way worked best. Then, using good-quality masking tape, take a piece a few inches long, and holding the strip together to form the bracelet, keeping the seam as tight as possible, wrap the masking tape around the seam several times to join it tightly together. I never did figure out how to keep it from getting that slight “teardrop” shape at the seam joint, but it wasn’t too bad. Then, using longer strips of masking tape, maybe 5″-8″ long (depending on the width of your bracelet), carefully wrap the entire bracelet in masking tape, covering the cardboard completely and tightly sealing each strip to the cardboard with your fingernail if needed.
Paint the masking tape-covered bracelet with a goat of gesso and let it dry completely. When the gesso is dry, cut strips of newspapers, paint an area of the bracelet inside and out with gel medium and then paint a strip of newspaper on both sides with the gel medium and carefully wrap the newspaper strip around the bracelet, gluing it down to the bracelet as you go along. Once the strip is completely wrapped around, apply another light coat of gel medium and move on to the next area with the next strip. Completely cover the bracelet in this fashion and give it a final coat of gel medium and allow to dry thoroughly. When the bracelet is dry you can paint it. I wanted the newspaper to show through the paint, so I used watercolors, but you can use craft paint for an opaque look or water the paint down for a more transparent color.
I went through magazines to cut out words or phrases that I liked. You can use magazines, newspapers, or print your own off the computer. Remember thought that if you are printing off the computer the ink will probably run when you apply the gel medium. I had to print out the ‘Crafty’ for my largest bracelet, and the pink ink did run a bit. I don’t mind the way it looks though. Using the gel medium again, ‘glue’ the words or phrases onto your bracelet, pressing them down onto the bracelet to make sure they are adhered well and applying a final layer of gel medium. Allow to dry completely before applying your finish coat. I propped them up on the necks of bottles so they dried evenly all around.
Once the gel medium is completely dry, apply the finish coat of gloss medium, Diamond Glaze or resin. Allow to dry thoroughly.
That’s all there is too it. Now you (or your kids) will have unique bracelets to wear all summer long.
Print This Recipe
4th of July Cupcakes in a Jar
Posted by on July 4, 2011 Leave a Comment
How cute are these cupcakes in a jar? Well, thanks to my new obsession, Pinterest, I found them on The Tomkat Studio website and had to try them.
Now I did them a bit differently than the original site’s recipe called for, but you can just as easily follow the one they did by following the link above to The Tomkat Studio. Her recipe didn’t list a yield quantity, but the way I did it, using 2 boxes of cake mix instead of one, yielded enough to make a full case (12 jars) and extra batter for 6 cupcakes. The original recipe also baked the cakes in 9″ round pans, but since I was using 2 mixes I used 13″ x 9″ pans. For icing I fiddled with the Easy Vanilla Buttercream icing from Cook’s Illustrated. I prefer a real buttercream, but this icing still has butter in it and the confectioner’s sugar allows it to stand up better in hot, humid weather.
4th of July Cupcakes in a Jar
You’ll need…
Jars (I used a case of 12 1/2 pint canning jars)
2 white cake mix (from a box or from scratch)
Frosting (see recipe below, but you can use canned)
Tomkat Studio Memorial Day Free Printables (use 3 of the 4 designs)
Prepare 3- 12″ x 9″ cake pans by greasing the pan lightly (I used spray canola oil). Prepare the batter of your favorite white cake (from a box or from scratch). Measure 2 cups of cake batter into 2 bowls. Color one bowl of batter red, and one blue (using concentrated gel coloring). Fill first 2 pans with the colored batter. Pour 2 cups of plain white batter into the third prepared pan and with any remaining batter you can make cupcakes. Since I was baking less batter than would normally be put into this size pan, I watched the pan closely in the oven until it was lightly browned on top and it sprang back when touched lightly, about 15 minutes.
Once baked, cool cakes completely. Prepare a batch of frosting (see recipe below). Remove cakes from pans and place on a work surface. Then, use a 2″ round cookie cutter to cut out circles of cake. Fill a piping bag fitted with a large round or star tip. Layer cake and frosting as shown above (red cake, a little frosting, some sprinkles, white cake, a little frosting, some sprinkles, blue cake, a nice swirl of frosting for the top layer), some sprinkles.
*Note- the cupcakes in a jar could also be make using cupcakes, cut in half, then used as directed above.
Dress up your cupcakes in a jar with ribbon and The Tomkat Studio Free Printable Memorial Day designs. Use the printables as cupcake toppers (if you are serving the cupcake jars open), or as a finishing label, if you plan to use the cupcake jars as favors or gifts.
Easy Vanilla Buttercream Icing
Any of the buttercream frostings (see related recipes) can be made ahead and refrigerated; if refrigerated, however, they must stand at room temperature to soften before use. If using a hand-held mixer, increase mixing times significantly (at least 50 percent).
4 sticks unsalted butter , softened
5 cups confectioners’ sugar (5 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon table salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 tablespoon heavy cream
Instructions
In standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat butter at medium-high speed until smooth, about 20 seconds. Add confectioners’ sugar and salt; beat at medium-low speed until most of the sugar is moistened, about 45 seconds. Scrape down bowl and beat at medium speed until mixture is fully combined, about 15 seconds; scrape bowl, add vanilla and heavy cream, and beat at medium speed until incorporated, about 10 seconds, then increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down bowl once or twice.
Mormon Joinery
Posted by on July 1, 2011 Leave a Comment
Another photograph taken at Mormon Row in Wyoming. A closeup of the joinery techniques used by the mormons in building the famous barn there. I loved the colors of the wood.
Western Tanager
Posted by on July 1, 2011 Leave a Comment
I was driving my friend Lorraine up one of my favorite roads while in Jackson and we pulled into the driveway of a house so we could get a better look at the views. There were three of these beautiful Western Tanager's playing around in the yard. So lovely.
A Suicide Attempt on the Farm!
Posted by on July 1, 2011 2 Comments
Today on the farm:
It seems that Princess Kate could not bear Melina's abuse or continual bad mood since Cissy's death and attempted suicide today. Not really. She was taking a nap under the car, but it sure looks like it, doesn't it?
Here's a close-up. Maia took the picture, and she said Kate was sleeping so soundly she was actually drooling.
And we got siding on most of the chicken coop today! Doesn’t it look terrific!
And landing perches for the nesting boxes. I decided to alternate round closet poles with simple hand railings. I thought the bigger chickens might like the larger and flatter grip of the hand railings, but the smaller bantams probably will prefer the round poles.
Grace continued to perfect her high jump onto the kitchen counters. She has also discovered how tasty green leaves are.
And Kiki just remains the cutest little thing God ever created.
And Melina did some pruning of our miniature lilac bushes.
Turbo Rocket Boosters
Posted by on June 29, 2011 Leave a Comment
Remember those rocket boosters I though the goats had in their feet the other day? I think Grace had the turbo upgrade installed. She actually managed to jump onto the kitchen counter today. It was bottle time and they were so hungry I let them in while I made them. She’s come close to getting up there over the past few days, but all of a sudden, there she was.
Grace jumped onto my 36" high kitchen counter today trying to get her bottle!
And my little Kiki wanted to take Jim’s scooter out for a spin, but Melina was scolding her for not wearing a helmet.
The live-edge siding has been installed all around the goat house and chicken coop now and it looks terrific.
Maia took these barn photos for me since I had to run out and the light was fading. She forgot to take the front of the chicken coop, which looks so great with the siding, the nesting boxes and the chicken ramp all together. I think the decking will be installed next.
And look at the old chicken coop! It got a facelift today. Jim was grumbling about me getting rid of it, but it’s a perfectly good building that just is looking a little tired. I was hoping to keep it as my new “brooder” coop for young chicks and get rid of that lousy red one I got a few years back. I decided that if we just fixed it up so that it looked more like the new structures, it would all look like some big farm ‘compound’. The windows boxes that used to be under the front windows have, over the years, rotted the siding underneath the windows pretty badly. I also tore off the front porch railings that had had so many tree branches fall on them over the years they were a complete ugly mess. They’ll also replace the old decking boards with the same decking material to match the other barns.
The old chicken coop got a facelift!
Just another day on the farm.
Old Windmill
Posted by on June 29, 2011 Leave a Comment
This old windmill doesn't seem to have all of it's spokes anymore (is that what you call them?), but it looked beautiful in the light of the setting sun.
Chocolate Malt Cupcakes
Posted by on June 29, 2011 Leave a Comment
I’ve recently discovered Pinterest. Lordy, as if I wasn’t getting too little sleep already, add something terrific like a website where you can create idea boards for all of the things you come across on the internet or on Pinterest directly. Dangerous. Time consuming. Fun.
I came across these cupcakes the other day on Pinterest. Amanda begged me not to make them since they looked too delicious and she has been able to show little self-restraint when it comes to eating since she’s been home from college, but I made them anyway.
*Now the pictures on both sites showed big swirls of icing on each cupcake. My experience with icing, both for cakes and cupcakes, is that there is never enough. Knowing this, I did 1-1/2 times the recipe published in the Culinary Chronicles, and I still was short for 9 cupcakes. Granted, I could have used less icing on each cupcake to be sure, but if I had only made the recipe as originally printed and been less generous on the icing there is no way I would have had enough for all of then. My suggestion is to use the recipe as I’ve altered it below, be slightly less generous than I was in your piping and you should have enough for all of your cupcakes.
“Chocolate Malt” Cupcakes
Recipe found on Pinterest on That Winsome Girl. Original blog posting from The Culinary Chronicles.
Cupcakes adapted from Martha Stewart Cupcakes
Buttercream adapted from Oh My! Sugar High
Altered by Crafty Farm Girl, 2011
Makes approximately 28 Cupcakes (I got 32*)
Ingredients:
Cupcakes:
2¼ Cups All-Purpose Flour
¾ Cup Unsweetened Dutch-Process Cocoa Powder
½ Cup Granulated Sugar
¾ Cup Packed Brown Sugar
1½ Teaspoons Baking Soda
½ Teaspoon Salt
1 Cup Milk
1½ Cups Malted Milk Powder
1 Cup Vegetable Oil
3 Large Eggs, at room temperature
1 Cup Sour Cream, at room temperature
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
½ Cup Chocolate Covered Malt Balls, chopped
Chocolate Malt Buttercream:
1-1/2 Cups Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
1-1/2 Cups Vegetable Shortening, at room temperature
3/4 Cup Malted Milk Powder
5 Tablespoons Unsweetened Dutch-Process Cocoa Powder
1 Teablespoon Instant Espresso Powder
5 Tablespoons Milk
6 Cups Confectioner Sugar, sifted
*Chocolate Covered Malt Balls and Straws to garnish (Optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together flour, cocoa, both sugars, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, whisk together milk and malted milk powder until powder is dissolved.
With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat flour mixture, milk mixture and oil until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add sour cream and vanilla, and beat just until combined. Fold in crushed chocolate covered malt balls.
Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each halfway. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
While cupcakes are cooling, prepare frosting. In a large mixer bowl, whip the butter and shorting for several minutes until very light and fluffy. Sprinkle in malted milk powder, espresso powder and cocoa powder. Whip for 1 minute. Slowly add the powdered sugar a few spoonful at a time, letting it incorporate until the frosting becomes thicker and stiff. Add milk, one tablespoon at a time and whip until combined.
Fill bag with the frosting and pipe large swirls on top of cupcakes. Top with candies and straw garnish.
