Brownie Sandwiches!

Ok everyone, we're in the home stretch here - Valentine's day is tomorrow and even if you're not really into it, I know you still either make a nice dinner at home, or maybe some cupcakes or cookies. Admit it. You know all the red & pink pulls at you just a little. Here is a super quick, easy, and special dessert - make them tonight!

I will admit that I executed these with a boxed mix and store-bought ice cream, but its the idea that I'm showing here - you can definitely make your own special ice cream and your favorite brownie or blondie (which I hopefully will be doing tomorrow).

Valentine Ice Cream Brownie Sandwiches
Ingredients
Your favorite ice cream (I chose low-fat Edy's slow-churned vanilla)
An uncut pan of your favorite brownies or blondies (I added pink & red m&m's and a little vanilla to this boxed mix)
Heart-shaped cookie cutters

Steps
1. Make your favorite brownies

2. Use your heart cookie cutters and cut out the brownies. Using a sharp knife, cut each heart in half so you have 2 sides for the sandwich.

3. To make an accurate heart sandwich, put one side of the brownie down and put the heart cookie cutter back on top loosely. Use a spoon and fill with about 1/2 - 3/4 inch of ice cream. Push it out of the bottom of the cutter and put the lid on. Place the done sandwiches on a tray in the freezer to get hard (you might need a few hours in there).

Enjoy!
And, just as a small extra - check out this super easy craft. You can totally make these with kids too. I made a bunch to add to a flower bouquet for my mom and my mother-in-law.

Wire hearts

Super easy. Here's what you need:
Scrap paper (a thicker paper or cardstock, or leftover magazine cover works best)
Scissors
Glue
Wire (any stick would work, but only wire will be bendable)

Fold paper in half. Cut out half of a heart so when you open the cut piece, its a whole heart (this will also make a crease for the wire). Use heart as a template to cut another the exact same size. Put a thin layer of glue on the inside of one heart, add a piece of wire on the crease and cover with the second heart. Let dry and thats it! Sometimes, I used paper clips to hold the hearts together while they were drying.

Quick Thanksgiving Craft!

I know you have extra glitter hanging around. Don't lie. You went out (just like me) and bought that Martha Stewart glitter in orange, or brown or red. Or all three. You glitterized a bunch of pumpkins and gourds and now, you have a ton of glitter left over... So, use it!! This is the perfect craft to use up that glitter and it might even get you to head out and buy some green, silver or white glitter for Christmas :).

Here is what you need:

• Clear glass votive holders
• Mod podge or other glue that dries clear
• Glitter (I like this kind; use a Michael's coupon for 40% off)
• Tealight or votive candles

To make the votive holders, paint the outside with glue, apply glitter liberally (you can shake off excess and return to the container afterwards) and let dry. Don't make the glue too thick or else it may dry more white than clear and you will be able to see on the inside. You can make designs in the glue (sort of like mine, and although that wasn't on purpose, I like the end result) or just paint it on more evenly. Make sure you only do the sides - leave the bottom without glue/glitter so you have an area to hold on while applying the glue.

I thought a couple of these would even be a nice hostess gift with a set of candles. Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm also going to send these over to Sandi @ WhistleStop Cafe for the November Centerpiece-of-the-Month (COTM). While these could be a centerpiece all on their own - they would be great paired with some fresh flowers or fruits (pears or apples?) as part of a holiday table!

Ice cream, Elections & Updates :)

In the few weeks that I have been a non-blogger, I have been collecting a few random thoughts/photos that warrant posting, but maybe not their own post...so here we go!

First - I'm on the east coast - we have only just been exposed to the amazingness that is Pinkberry! Green tea frozen yogurt + fresh mango = amazing. Forget Cold Stone Creamery and get your $5 out to get some. You won't be sorry :).

Tim and I bought some of the super-expensive, elusive, on the "omnivore-100" list :) Jamaican Blue Moutain coffee randomly one day at Citarella. I don't drink coffee, but Tim LOVES coffee, so we bought enough to try it out. Some quick thoughts from Tim:

• Needs to be brewed properly to reach full potential. The first pot he made was a little weak. Ended up reading some of the proper brewing methods for this type of coffee and it came out substantially better, but we're still working on it.
• Overall opinion - super delicious coffee, but not really mind blowing yet (remember, this coffee is $50/lb!)
• Not sure if the home brew really brought out the full potential of the coffee. We bought 1/4 lb. and Tim only brews on special occasions :).

I photographed a 1st birthday party a few weeks ago and they had the cutest cupcakes!! Check them out - turns out they were from Sam's Club. I think they are easily done at home - the flowers were plastic, but you could also make them out of chocolate. So cute.

I'm definitely back to putting my glitterati pumpkins around the house! I did a post on them last year and they are super cute for fall decorating (not just Halloween). I like doing other colors - not just orange, but reds and browns too. Here is a pic from last year, I'll post some updated fall decorating pics soon.

And finally, Happy Election day! I hope everyone voted. I did and it felt great. I'm ecstatic over the outcome and I think it was my cookies that did the trick (what's more American than chocolate-chip cookies, right?:)! I hope this country can come together now, look past the election and transition into something better together.

Fall in....

Tonight was the first night that it felt like fall was coming...as soon as the sun went down, there was a chill in air and you could just feel it. I'm not complaining :)

Here is a quick idea to get a jump-start on fall without leaving too much summer behind.

Line a clear, straight-edged container with glassine paper, fill with water and add flowers. I used seeded eucalyptus and mini-mums in a small footed trifle bowl. The glassine paper is similar to wax paper and can handle the water without getting moldy (my arrangement lasted more than a week) or breaking apart like tissue paper would. I used a bit of clear tape to hold the paper in place against the glass.

Enjoy the rest of the holiday weekend!

[Don't forget to check out all the centerpiece ideas posted at Whistlestop Cafe each month!]

Happy Easter...have a craft!

Happy Easter a few hours early :)

I colored eggs tonight, just like I do every year (confession #1: I love coloring eggs....still) - and since my mom didn't get a chance to color them with me this year (confession #2: my mom still colors eggs with me...still :), I thought I would bring her a few tomorrow. I saw a quick Easter project on Martha Stewart's show the other day and decided to make a quick adaptation to fit the materials that I had on hand.

Before I give the quick step-by-step, I just wanted to put this cool link out there just in case you happen to be coloring eggs tomorrow. The linked site is a list of natural egg dyes - lots of them are things you might have around that house already (onion skins, different juices, canned vegetables). I really wanted to do a comparison of the artificial versus natural egg dying results before Easter (yes, the colors of the dye really matter to me, I know = confession #3), but I just didn't get the chance. I promise next year :)

And now, on to the project!

Super-quick Easter Egg Basket

Supplies
Cardboard egg carton
Wired ribbon
Scissors
Paper/plastic grass

Instructions

1. Cut egg carton in half so you have two "baskets", each with 6 egg holes.

2. Use scissors to puncture small holes in either side of the "basket". You will want the holes to be on each of the long sides of the carton, so that the ribbon or handle will run the shortest distance from side to side (see the photo below, I'm sure it will explain it much better!).

3. Cut an appropriate length of ribbon (make the handle as long as you like) and thread the ends through the holes. Pull the ribbon through the holes, leaving enough extra so you can press it into the bottom of one of the egg holes (once you put the eggs in, they will hold the ribbon in place).

4. Add the grass, eggs, and a cute tag and you are done! You could also jazz it up a bit with some additional ribbon along the edges (using a glue gun) if you wanted.

Is it really the last minute?

Already? Nah, not in my book. Its only 12/21 - I still have at least 3 more days to get everything ready for the holidays - and 2 of those days are on the weekend baby!! Everyone keeps asking me - did you do this, did you go shopping, did you prepare your menu, what are you bringing. To be honest, I'm a little behind, but I have it all in my mind :) I have made a few things and I am planning on a few holiday posts (hopefully they will be of some help to all you last minute folks out there like me!), but here is my pseudo-to-do list for the next few days....

• 5-6 types of cookies
• Cheesecake (& maybe another cake for Christmas at my mom's)
• A main dish/side dish for Christmas at my mom's
• A bit more shopping & a whole lot of wrapping
• Design, shop, and make a light cocktail menu for my Christmas Eve Open House
• Finish gift baskets (more to come on that later)

I think thats it - totally doable, no?

Until I get all the pictures and posts that I have been collecting this week up here, I thought I would post a few websites that have great last minute recipes, gifts and other holiday ideas.

• Great-looking (and easy) recipe from Smitten Kitchen (starred on my google reader this morning) for icebox cookies (with unlimited variations!)
• I love these as ornaments or just as small vases hanging in a kitchen window - from CB2 [they have a store now in SoHo in NYC - I can't wait to check it out!]. The green hourglass photo above is from CB2 as well - they come in two sizes (either 15 minutes or 1 hour)
• A really cute online cookbook (that you can print and give away with some cookies as a gift!) from Allrecipes
• Last minute gifts from Red Envelope! Use the code: MCRUSH and your mastercard ($50 minimum required) and get free overnight shipping (offer deadline: 12/22 @ 2pm)
• Some additional holiday baking ideas from Martha Stewart & Everyday Food
• Tree looking a little bare? Need something to do with the kids on Christmas Eve? Check out this homemade ornament roundup by How about orange
• Decor inspiration? Run over to Hostess with the Mostess and check out the many holiday decor themes like Peppermint Twist

Reuse & Recycle - Holiday Cards

Ahhh, not another craft! How about we call it recycling instead :)

I love to reuse things. Holiday cards can make great gift tags for the following year. I thought I would post this quick and easy idea (from my mom!) before everyone started getting their cards in the mail - this way you remember not to throw them away!

Check out my tags from last year -- the most difficult part is remembering where you put the bag of tags...

Cut whatever shapes/designs you want from the card. Use hole punch to make a hole for the ribbon and that's it! Make sure you don't use areas that have writing on the back if you want to be able to write to/from on the tag (usually the front panel of the card works better since less people write on that side). Happy Holidays!

It's that time of year again...Holiday Cards!

I know that everyone is busy - all the time. Busy with family, work, whatever. It's not just you - I'm guilty too. Some weeks it is difficult to find a free moment, but this does not free you from holiday cards :) I mean, you can skip them and then feel guilty when you get one in the mail and tell yourself that you'll find time next year, but why not just put forth a bit of effort and find a spare moment in that insane schedule to send out a card. I'm not saying that everyone needs to send out those tedious "family updates" as I'm a bit over those myself (at least for close friends/family members or "updates" that are over 1 page long!); but, a little card definitely adds to the feeling of the holiday season. And, let's be honest - those email cards are just not the same. Ok, I'll end my rant here with a few web resources for cards...feel free to send one my way!

My favorite websites for quick, but cute personalized photo cards are Kodak and Shutterfly. They have really added to the options they offer this year and now offer a ton of different, unique designs - plus, you can add a personal photo (or photos) to all the designs. And, they both also offer folded cards (always my preference because who wants to tape up flat cards!).

Photographs: [top] Shutterfly; [bottom] Kodak Gallery

You can also get really beautiful custom cards from a number of sources - try out Papersource or Paper + Cup for unique designs. And, for those who just have to do it themselves - there are a host of ideas available from Martha.

Photographs: Martha Stewart

Note: Just to clarify, if you are not into cards or the holidays, please don't take offense - that's cool too :)

Love these...

Red sunflowers - the colors are so beautifully vibrant and striking. They automatically put me in a good mood; especially when I come home from work and they are just sitting there, making my table look so beautiful, seemingly without any effort at all.

I decided to put my hat into the blogging event ring again for Centerpiece of the Month (originally from Talk of Tomatoes, but hosted this month by Whistlestop Cafe Cooking) using my beautiful flowers.

My lighting was not optimal for the below photos, but you can still see the insane depth of the color of the blooms. I paired them with some maples leaves I collected and the whole design just seemed to glow.

The Glitterati

Glitter pumpkins! I first saw these in Martha Stewart Living magazine last year. They looked awesome and not too difficult to make, so I gave it a try. They turned out great and look really professional (if there is such a thing as professional glitter pumpkins...).

I searched everywhere for the right glitter, but all the flakes were too large and I definitely could not find orange glitter (gold and green pumpkins were not really working for Halloween/Fall/Thanksgiving). Finally, I found what I needed in a small boutique art shop in Manhattan. It cost a little more than regular glitter, but the pumpkins looked amazing! This year, I decided to step it up a notch - I found the right glitter at Michael's (new Martha Craft line - get that 40% off coupon or you can also buy them through Martha Crafts) - I bought three colors - fire opal (orange), carnelian (a red-orange) and brownstone (a reddish-brown color). They look great when you mix the glittered pumpkins and gourds with non-glittered ones and other organic materials (acorns, apples, pinecones, leaves, etc). Here are some before and after pictures:

before

after

The instructions could not be easier -

You will need: Modge podge (or any glue on the thinner side will likely be fine), Fine glitter, Brush (I use those "brushes" that are a wooden dowel attached to a sponge) and any pumpkin or gourd (I try to use smaller ones so they are easy to hold while you are painting them).

Here's what you do: Hold pumpkin firmly by the stem (careful not to break it!). Paint a thin layer of glue on the pumpkin (do not cover the stem or the small round area on the base of the pumpkin). Add glitter. Shake off excess and reapply as needed to cover all areas. Let dry.

Spell with Flickr

Ok, so maybe I'm late on this one...but its new to me! I think this is such a cool program - I can't remember where I first heard about it, but here is the link to Spell with Flickr, created by Erik Kastner (check out his blog here). You type in a word and the program searchs Flickr to find images of the letters in your word - you can change any of the specific letters until you find a combo that you like. You could use this for so many things! Merge with your own photos to make a great framed photo for your house or have the words by themselves in your kitchen or in a travel album or for cards....just make sure you get the correct permissions and read the community use rules here.

Here are a few examples of words that I made...






(all photos from Flickr; photo combinations created here)

This could also be done with signs from your neighborhood (although its much easier to get them from Flickr). Just snap some photos, edit to the same shape and merge in a program like Photoshop or even MS Powerpoint.

Am I the last to know?

Does everyone know about and shop at Etsy? I just recently started getting into really reading blogs all the time - and I read a lot of design blogs, all of which talk about, post about, shop, and skim Etsy! Its a great site for gifts of every kind - I especially like all the handmade cards and stationary. Here a just a few of the many things to be found there - take a few minutes (or hours) to check it out. [I also posted about lots of cool labels that I found there a few days ago]

Cards: Seller time2cre8; Purse: Seller garbagebag; Necklace: Seller chainchainchained