Nutty Chocolate Biscotti On A Rainy Afternoon

This week has been one of those weeks that is typical of April. This has been a very damp and cold week and I hope it leads to really beautiful flowers in May. When you live in a small town that lacks cafes and bakeries, it can be depressing when you find yourself craving a bit of decadence. Lately, I've been craving biscotti and decided that the best option was to search Pinterest for a good recipe. I stumbled upon a recipe for chocolate biscotti which was pinned from Martha Stewart's website (www.marthastewart.com). I decided to try that recipe, because Martha never fails me. I added my own flair to the recipe, with the addition of walnuts and 1/8 cup of instant coffee granules.

The recipe was very easy to follow. You just need to plan ahead of time so that you have softened butter for the dough. The recipe said to shape the dough into a log and flatten the log. I found that it was easier to do when that I placed a sheet of plastic wrap on top of the dough. This also helped me to eyeball the size and shape of the dough. Then, I placed it in the oven and baked according to the directions in the recipe. (I removed the cellophane first, obviously.)

After baking the dough for 25 minutes, I took it out to cool and reduced the oven temperature. I let the giant cookie cool for 5 minutes and mid-way through cooling time, I began cutting out the biscotti. First, I cut off the ends. Then, I cut the rectangle in half, length-wise, and then I began cutting in 1 inch wide strips. The dough expanded quite a bit while baking, so this made a surprising amount of biscotti. I arranged the biscotti  on their sides on the baking sheet and allowed for plenty of space between the pieces. When the oven cooled to the right temperature, I baked the biscotti for 8 minutes. I didn't bother to dip the biscotti in melted chocolate or drizzle chocolate on them. I like them plain. They are very tasty as they are.

I enjoyed these with a nice cup of black coffee and had a girl moment, eating these whilst watching last night's episode of "Younger" on www.tvland.com. I really do love that show; Sutton Foster is great, I remember her from "Thoroughly Modern Millie." Debbie Mazar is a hoot, it is fun to see her on television again; although, I love her on the cooking show "Extra Virgin." It's simple delights like these that make life fun. Now, I must finish this up so that I may do some yoga. More on that subject in this weekend's post. I haven't forgotten about part 2 of my Truly Outrageous post, that will be up on Friday. Time to stretch...Until next time~ Toodahloo!

A Lazy Sunday Afternoon

This is an example of the random things that I encounter on my Girl Days Out with my Bestie.

I was going to post a part 2 to last weeks blog, but I forgot to take some photos of the shoes. I'll just have to do that, later on in the week. Instead, I'll share what I've been up to this week. The weather has been typical early Spring weather in New England. One day it is warm and sunny, the next day cold windy and rainy. It has even snowed a few times.  Apparently, it is supposed to snow tomorrow, too, so I'll be baking tomorrow. Today started out a very grey sort of day, now the sun is shining and fading back into grey. It is a moody weather sort of day. I wanted spaghetti and meatballs today. Since the Celtics game is on right now, I decided to make the sauce early in a crock pot. That way when the game ends, I can have everything ready for a delicious afternoon meal. I even made German Chocolate cake for dessert!
Earlier in the week, I must admit was not very fabulous. The weather was less than stellar, I was hoping for some good news, but I got mediocre news instead. (Fear not, I celebrate that the good news was enjoyed by someone else, Cheers to them!) I was exhausted from the aftermath of the birthday party that I'd attended Saturday evening and I was still very blue over the passing of a very fine (and totally underrated) actor. A beacon of joy came when I spent a day out with my bestie and we had a long overdue Girl Day. I treated myself to two new tubes of lipstick. The colors are very dark and are perfect for the Fall. In fact one color is very similar to a shade that I always wore when I was in college. There is just something about getting a new tube a lipstick that just reinvigorates my broken spirit. Maybe I'll do a post later this week about my new favorite drugstore makeup treats. I'm itching to do some more sewing projects, too. I think that this week, I'll devote my time to plotting out the kind of projects that I want to do in May. I'd like to plan it all out, get supplies and get back into the swing of things. I think May will be a lot of fun! I'll keep you posted! Until then, I'll be working it all out, baking and sharing. Until next time~Toodahloo!

How I Became Truly Outrageous For One Night Part 1

It all began a month ago, when I received an e-vite to my cousins surprise 40th birthday party. The theme of the party was the 1980's and at the request of the host, I was to dress in costume. I knew immediately who I wanted to be for that night. I wanted to be "Jem" from the cartoon Jem. The cartoon was a show that I watched in the afternoons, after school. The plot was odd, the musical inserts awkward, but I loved it. My 9 year old self was cheering me on as I began plotting out my costume. A little over a week before the party, I decided to dig out a dress that I'd intended to wear, only to decide that it was all wrong. I then needed to start from scratch. So, I pulled out a pile of ball gowns that I'd acquired over the years and dove right into the design process. After some internet research, and sitting through a few episodes of the cartoon on Netflix, I'd finally had the design perfected. The building of the dress began the next day. Over the course of the week, I worked on the dress and little bit at a time. When I had pockets of spare time, I worked on the accessories. Here is how it all worked out....

Using a t-shirt as a template, I first marked the top part of a pink gown that I wanted to cut out, creating the starting point for the bodice.

Then, I used the dress that I'd originally intended to wear I and used that to mark out the bottom of the dress. I cut off the top and the bottom and was left with a new starting point.

I sewed along the top and bottom edges to clean up the seams. I pinned the tulle underneath so that it matched up with the new hem line.

I wanted the dress to have more lavender and purple color on it. So, I mixed blue and red food coloring with rubbing alcohol and painted the mixture to the front part of the dress. I let it dry over night and repeated the process the next day. I splashed and dripped water onto the treatment to create a watercolor look to the dress.

Once it was dry, I took a sheer black fabric from another gown and added that to the bottom of the gown.

Then, I took a bow from the pink gown and attached that to the dress, for added flair."Jem'' loved to wear dresses with bows.

I used pieces from a vintage pattern to cut out more material to add to the top of the dress.

For a final bit of flair, I dress stars of various sizes and shades with crayon onto paper. Using a warm iron, I transferred the stars onto the dress. The stars didn't transfer completely, but I like the look of the stars being slightly faint. The end result was a fabulous dress for a "Jem" look and it was pretty darn snazzy. 

I will give more details about the accessories in the next blog. It is Earth Day today, so I wan to go do some yard work with Fred. I hope you have a splendid day. Until next time~ Toodhaloo!

Pink Glitter, Being Fabulous and Exhausted

As the title of this post suggests, I am exhausted! It has been a very busy week; I was constantly going. I was zig-zagging back and forth, trying to help my parents prepare for a trip. On the days when I wasn't running around, and even on days when I was, I was working on a project. The secret project was a Jem" costume. It had to be a secret, because it was for a surprise 1980's themed 40th birthday party. Had I given too many details about my project, I would have given away a surprise that many people were working very hard to keep.
I finished my costume on Friday. All day Saturday, I was trying to tint my hair pink, without making it permanent. Then, I had to actually get on my makeup, do my hair, get my costume on and then travel for 45 minutes to get to the party. Once there, I had tremendous fun seeing my family members dressed as various 1980's characters and public figures. By the time I got home, it was late in the evening. However, I couldn't rest, as tired as I was. Earlier in the evening, just before I sat down to apply my makeup, I read the sad news that Canadian actor Jonathan Crombie had died. He was a big deal in my childhood. The Anne Of Green Gables series is to me what Star Wars is to others. I grew up watching those movies over and over again, and I continue to watch them, regularly. He was wonderful as "Gilbert," but it was also fun to watch him on other projects such as the show Slings & Arrows, where he played a character very much opposite that of "Gilbert Blythe." Sad.
When I woke up this morning, I was so exhausted that I felt nearly ill. I really haven't had much energy to do anything today. I did manage to make some salsa (tasty) and I intend to do a quick tidy. Then, there is the issue of the makeup brushes. What you see in the photo (above) is the aftermath of the "Jem" look. I'll write a post about that look, later in the week. I'll just say that a lot of pink was used for the look. After I address those brushes, I just want to curl up with a pile of books and get inspired to do small projects for the week. However, cleaning the brushes seems dreadful, that is how tired I am. I'm very certain that I will have an early bed time tonight. With any luck, I'll feel much better tomorrow, with enough energy to take on a new craft. My fingers are crossed on that; here's to hoping! Until next time~ Toodahloo!

A Lovely Sunny Sunday

Today we were treated to a warm and sunny day. This is a first after many gloomy days. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping and I even saw my first baby squirrel of the year. I began my morning with a trip to an antiques auction. I didn't find anything that I really liked, so I didn't stay for the full run. When I returned home, I immediately began work on a few craft projects. With the sunny weather around me, it gives me hope that warmer days are ahead of me and with warmer days, brings skirts! I've had this sun dress for a few years and was never 100% happy with the dress. I prefer to dress modestly and I love the bottom part of the dress, but the top has always bothered me. In fact, whenever I've worn this dress, it was always with a t shirt layered on top. This morning, I decided to refashion the dress.

Before leaving for the auction, I carefully cut the top off of the dress and tried to dye the dress. I boiled a large pot of water and added two packages of lemonade flavored Flavor Aid to the water. I dunked the skirt into the bath and removed the pot from the heat. I allowed the skirt to steep in the bath while I was away for the morning. When I returned, I discovered that I didn't use enough Flavor Aid to tint the skirt. So, I added several drops of yellow food coloring and a few drops of red food coloring. I still wasn't satisfied. I then remembered my herbs and spices. I pulled out my powdered saffron and added a tablespoon of that to the bath. I should explain that I am well aware that saffron is expensive. Under normal circumstances, I'd never think to do such a thing. However, this small bottle of saffron was gifted to me by my sister when she returned from her honeymoon...sixteen years ago. I used the saffron numerous times to make many tasty dishes and now I'm finding a new use for it. Rest assured, I still have plenty left. For added measure, I shook in a bit of tumeric powder, too. These are wonderful for dying fabric and have been used for coloring fabric and yarn for ages. It worked like a charm!

After tinting the bath, I let the skirt soak for the rest of the afternoon. Then, I squeezed the liquid out and rinsed the skirt in cold water and hung it up to dry. Now I have a sunshine yellow skirt, just in time for the warmer weather. It is loose, it flows and it is a nice length. This will be perfect for the humid days of August. This is something else to look forward to.

I rounded off the afternoon with a delicious Sunday roast; mmm, tomato gravy. With a full belly, I tidied up the kitchen, whilst watching a documentary on Netflix about Richard III. Then, I poured myself a mug of coffee and took a walk around the neighborhood with my dog, Fred. He was so excited. Fred had to smell every tree that he encountered, which made the walk twice as long as it ought to have been. Now, I'm considering which fuzzy pajamas I want to throw on. What I do know is that I will make myself a chocolate molten mug cake to enjoy with my Sunday night PBS marathon. The rest of the week will be busy with a project that I'm working on. I'll share more details about that, once it is complete. I'll also share a few baking projects sometime, this week. This is going to be a very fun week. Until next time~ Toodahloo!

A Touch Of Tea and Brainstorming

I need a cocktail dress. Not just any cocktail dress will do. I thought I had the perfect outfit hiding away in the depths of my closet, so I didn't worry about it. This afternoon, I decided that it might be a good idea to dig it out and give it a look, just to make certain that it was still is good condition. Well, after finding the dress, I decided that it was all wrong and I needed to start from scratch. I pulled out a handful of old prom gowns for ideas. While watching reruns of Jem on Netflix, I found my inspiration. My inner Molly Ringwald (or specifically "Andy" from Pretty In Pink) came out and went right to work.

After scrolling along pages and pages of pins on Pinterest, I was able to find some inspiration and pin them to an inspiration board. With a few mugs of Yorkshire Gold Tea fueling my afternoon, I was able to really pull it all together. Now that I know what I am doing, the fun part will be dissecting the dresses and building them into something amazing! When the project is complete, I'll share more about the dress.

When I was searching through my pattern chest, a chest of drawers that contain vintage patterns, I found "Master Splinter;" or at least half of him. My nephew left him behind on Easter. Apparently, this is his favorite Lego guy and he was a bit upset when it came time to leave and he couldn't find him. So, the little rat will sit on my desk and silently judge me until my nephew visits again.

Lastly, I discovered a new to me show on hulu.com, yesterday. It's called Starlings; it's about an average family just getting by. It is a charming and heartwarming show. Many members of the cast were also on the show Lark Rise To Candleford, which I love! The actress who plays the mum is also on the show Scott & Bailey. That show is on PBS on Saturday night, a crime show and I love it, too! S&B can also be found on hulu.com. At any rate, this show is so fun to watch with a warm drink and a bit of a snack; it's so relaxing! Yes, I watch a lot of British television and I have no idea why, but it's what I like. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that I really like PBS and I grew up watching PBS every Saturday. That was because I didn't have cable in my bedroom and the only channel that came in was PBS. Now, I find it to be very comforting to watch PBS on Saturdays. So, in a way, I must find British television to be relaxing to watch, as well. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of American tv shows that I'm hooked on, but in the afternoons, I'm all about the British television.

That is it for now, I'll keep you updated on the progress of the cocktail dress project. 

Until next time~ Toodahloo!

A White Easter

Yesterday was such a fun day! It snowed in the morning, and it snowed the day before that, too. I spent Saturday morning having a relaxing marathon of the first four episodes of the BBC America show, Orphan Black. The show is available to stream on the BBC America channel on youtube. I've seen those episodes before, and I can watch them on demand any time I'd like. However, Saturday morning, I was on Facebook and there was a post from BBC America where they'd shared their youtube playlist. I decided to cozy up at my desk and watch the show. It was snowing and I knew that I'd be busy the rest of the day, preparing for the holiday. I took the morning to rest. I am so happy that I did. The rest of the day, I was cleaning, organizing, baking carrot cheesecake and carrot cake with a cream cheese center and I was making homemade chocolates for my sisters Easter baskets. I forced myself to stop, sometime around 8 pm. Featured in the photo below, is one of the many homemade Needhams that I made. It is strange to think that coconut, butter, powdered sugar and mashed potato can be such a delicious combination!

Easter morning arrived, I made a mad dash to do any last minute tidying and then my sisters and their families arrived. It was such a delight to see my nephews and to be silly with my sisters. I introduced my teenage nephews to the youtube talent, Flula Borg- a German musician, comedian and all around nice guy. He is very funny and I could spend a good hour bingeing on his videos. With all of the food and treats, I was exhausted at the end of the day. While my sisters were back on the interstate, heading home, I was cleaning up the kitchen and doing dishes, whilst watching Monarch Of The Glen on Netflix.

Now, I am at my desk with a mug of hot mocha and a plate of cakes (thanks to aid of Lactaid). Outside my window, snow is falling from the sky. Since it is so cold and grey, I am watching the BBC show Murder In Paradise on Netflix. Usually, I watch reruns of this show on PBS, but I discovered that it's now on Netflix. It really couldn't come at a better time. When the weather is especially disappointing, I turn to tv shows that are set in warm climates. This is why I watch so many reruns of McLeod's Daughters and Hart Of Dixie in the winter. I also really enjoy watching youtube videos from beauty blogger and makeup artist Sharon Farrell. She's Irish, but lives in Sydney. Often, her videos are filmed in front of a window, so you can see the warmth of Australia radiating inside. I find it very helpful when battling the winter blahs.  Once I finally recover from the exhaustion of the holiday and winter, in general, I'll return to being wacky with the sewing machine and the hot glue gun. I just need to have that snow go away. Until then~ Toodahloo!

Ps.
 If you're curious about Sharon Farrell here is a link to her channel, she's really great! https://www.youtube.com/user/sharonmakeupartist

Making A Recycled Candle

Throughout the week, I have slowly been cleaning the house in anticipation for the weekend holiday. I also took a few moments, here and there, to focus on some crafts. One of these crafts was a Recycled Candle. My sister used to make these, years ago and she referred to them as "Zombie Candles." However, I'm not certain if I would go with that name, because Zombies are the un-dead or a reanimated corpse. However, "Frankenstein's Monster" was a creature that had been assembled, like a patchwork rag doll, by body parts from numerous cadavers. This is a more accurate description of these candles. I think my candle looks like a layered bean dip, but it smells lovely.

I held on to a number of old candles, knowing that I wanted to make a Recycled Candle. When you really love the scent of a certain candle, it is such a bummer to have to toss it out once the candle reaches a certain level. It is also very wasteful. Not to mention all of the jars that could be reused for non-food storage. Most of these candles either smell like a baked good or an outdoorsy smell; so they go nicely together.

I alternated the candle layers by color; so it was a light layer, then a dark layer.  I recycled a taper candle that was too thin to use and I reused the wick that was inside the candle center. Then, I put each candle in simmering water and melted the wax. Then, I removed any debris at the bottom of the jar before pouring the warm wax into the new jar. I let each layer solidify before adding another layer. The top layers of the candle smell like spicy baked treats, such as apple pie or pumpkin spice. Then, the lower layers smell like the woods or patchouli jasmine. The end result was a nice success and it will be nice to burn on cold and gloomy days.

Today, my focus was to complete the Spring cleaning fest and then make handmade candy for the holiday. I finished the cleaning and then, right when I was going to sit down to blog, I was tricked into making supper. I had already made homemade bread sticks. Suddenly, I was making the whole deal (which was spaghetti with a spicy tomato and hot Italian sausage sauce, coincidentally) and I still needed to make the candy. Immediately after cleaning up the mess from supper, I began the candy making process. I'm making chocolate covered peanut butter eggs and chocolate covered cream eggs (with a white and gold yellow center). The cream eggs were not as easy to make as described in the www.instructables.com tutorial, but I made it work. I have yet to cover the treats in chocolate and I think I might put that off until tomorrow, because I'm tired. More about the candy and other holiday crafts will be shared tomorrow, Until next time~ Toodahloo!