Blue Cupcakes Make Me Smile

Ahhh, blue cupcakes, they are delicious. So, the past week has been a hodgepodge of hiccups, making it difficult to complete projects. There are so many projects that I want to work on, but life seems to be presenting me detour signs. Fortunately, I always look for the silver lining, because it is always there. When it was discovered that a kitchen cupboard needed to be emptied, removed from wall and repaired, the mess was distressing. Right now, the dining room is cluttered with the contents of the cupboard. Even though the dining room is a bit of a mess, I see the opportunity to clean and organize the cupboard. When the cupboard is replaced onto the wall, the mess will go away and I'll have a tidy cupboard.
I've also been working on the quilt project. Right now, I am working through a tedious stage of building the quilt. When I get through that, the rest will be a breeze. Also, when I finish that bit, I'll post about it for part 2. With all the chaos surrounding me, I nearly overlooked the season premiere of "Doctor Who." Not only would I be able to see a fresh episode, but also one with a new Doctor. I thought that it would be fun to bake TARDIS blue cupcakes for the event, cupcakes would surely lift my spirits. I used a white cake mix from a box and added a whole lot of blue food coloring. I couldn't find my black food coloring to make it a true TARDIS blue, so the cupcakes came out looking Smurfy!

They may not be quite blue enough, but still blue, like happy skies. These make me happy. I made homemade frosting using an old fashioned recipe. This frosting I use for cakes and for whoopie pies. You begin by combining flour and milk and cook it until it's thick, thicker than brownie batter.

One cup of milk, five tbsp. flour and several drops of food coloring are placed in a saucepan. Stir continuously on medium heat, cook until super thick. Set aside to cool.

While the flour mixture was cooling, I combined 1 cup of shortening (or butter) and 1 cup of granulated sugar and whipped the heck out of it with an electric mixer. I whipped the mixture until it was no longer gritty. This is an important step. If the mixture is still gritty before the next step is taken, the frosting will separate. Once the flour mixture was cool and the butter mixture was smooth, I added almond extract and more blue food coloring to the butter mixture. Finally, I scooped the flour mixture into the bowl containing the butter mixture and whipped with a mixer until it resembled whipped cream. This makes a lot of frosting, I had so much left over I froze the remaining bit. It is light and airy and is so easy to spread on cake. For the cupcakes, I dipped them into the frosting and gave a spin; that was all I needed to do to get enough frosting on top.
These were so yummy to eat whilst watching "Doctor Who" and the after show. Now, I have more work ahead of me, the day is still young and the sun is still shining. I hope to post about the quilt project soon. Until then~ Toodahloo!

Adjusting To Sudden Changes

I don't have a lovely photograph to jazz up this post. This just isn't that kind of post. I just wanted to catch up before I resumed my posting. I needed to take some time off from blogging and now I am ready to start again. The time has flown by this summer and now the nights are getting colder. Soon, the garden will be abundant and I will have the opportunity to test my culinary limits. These are the times when one becomes Julia Child and MacGyver all in one. I do enjoy the challenge, though. Towards the end of summer, I will be scrambling to preserve my produce in fun and creative ways. I will continue work on my quilt and will post on that soon. Also, since the weather will be cooler, I will be able to use my oven again and bake an assortment of treats that will be fun to eat, even if it requires more exercise. Life is short; far too short to be regretting that whoopie pie that I ate during a day out with my best friend. It's okay to enjoy homemade cookies and lattes and I hope to share these you. Until next time~ Toodahloo!

I Made This

I made this laundry soap. I have been on Pinterest for a few years now. My sister turned me on to it and I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I am one of those people who can lose an entire afternoon pinning. Sometimes,  log on looking for a recipe and hours later, it's after midnight! Some of my favorite pins are household cleaning tips and recipes. Last year, I discovered the soap Zote at Family Dollar. It cost a little more or less than $1.00. I had never seen it before, and now I can even find it at Walmart! Intrigued, I bought some to make into detergent. I love this stuff. I've made the liquid soap that your let set overnight and it looks like a bucket of mucous. I'm not really into that. I do like a powder detergent.
Zote is great, it's pink and it smells like citrus. .....and it's pink, did I mention that it's pink? It's pink!

It is a large, soft (PINK) bar that is very easy to grate. I'd compare to grating cheddar cheese. One bar produces a lot of shavings.

I add 1/4 cup of washing soda and 1/2 of Borax and (in a container with a lid) shake it all together. I use this detergent for my linens. Since I always wash my linens in hot water, this is perfect. A little goes a long way. I use a 1/8 cup scoop, and I usually use two scoops (or 1/4 cup). I could get away with one scoop, but two scoops seem to make me feel a bit more confident. I don't know how this would work in cold water, as I've never tried it. I just know that I love this for linens, it cleans and freshens them.

I also like to make linen spray. I reuse an empty spray bottle. One of my favorite scents is the ocean. I developed my own formula for a scent that mimics what I think that smell is like. I start by adding two tablespoons of baking soda, because baking soda neutralizes odors, to the spray bottle. To that, I add one tablespoon of sea salt. Then, I add 6-8 drops of peppermint essential oil, 4-6 drops of lavender oil and 4 drops of rose oil. Last, I fill the bottle with hot water and shake. I use hot water to better dissolve the salt. This is great to spray on the curtains, upholstery, etc. It's a light scent that is not overpowering.

I'm still perfecting my liquid detergent formula, I need to do more research on Pinterest for that. I've tried many, but have yet to find one that I really like. When I do, I'll share it. Until next time~ Toodahloo!

Making A Quilt Pt. 1

A few weeks ago, I washed my "Anne Shirley" quilt and I hung it out on the clothes line to dry. When I pinned the quilt securely on the line, I couldn't believe what I saw. My quilt was in such a state! In a specific area, many patches were either threadbare or practically gone. One reason the quilt was damaged was because some of the patches were made from inferior fabric, while others were ruined by dogs. I decided two things: 1) I need to repair the quilt with better material and 2) it's time to make a new quilt. Now is the time to start constructing my quilt if I want to have a one by October. So, I pulled out some fabric, some old shirts and some of my quilting books. I spent Saturday morning pouring through my quilt books, looking for some inspiration. I think I know what I want to do.

I have a pile of old flannel shirts that my Dad no longer wears. I never let him get away with tossing out his shirts. Even though the shirts might have been worn out for shirts, they still make excellent material for projects! The next step in the quilt project is preparing the fabric.  I cut up the shirts to get as much workable fabric as possible, and waste as little as possible. I even save the buttons, I never throw away good buttons.

These flannel shirts are soft and are made of excellent material. They are meant to be washed regularly, so they can stand up to the washing machine. They will also make a very warm quilt.

I cut a cuff from each shirt to repurpose as a coffee sleeve. They have buttons and finished button holes already! These are great to keep in my purse. That way I have them handy whenever I order coffee from the coffee shop.
Next time in the quilt series, I'll be cutting and making squares. Until next time~ Toodahloo!

Enjoying The Beauty Of A Summer Day

New Englanders have been very fortunate with the weather this summer. We have experienced a nice balance of rainy days and sunny days. This enables us to have a fantastic time playing outside, working in the garden, walking the dog or spending an entire day travelling from one yard sale to another. The garden seems to really love this summer weather. Already, I've been able to enjoy garden vegetables. It is so nice to be able to go to the garden an find produce for that evening's meal. Seasonal eating is the best!

 I am really looking forward to the Fall when I can bake my pumpkins and make a sorts of treats! It is August now, the summer is quickly fading fast. I still have a few weeks before school resumes, which means another visit from my nephews. This weekend, I will work on a few projects that I want to complete before my nephews arrive. They visited two weeks ago, and I am still recovering. It's a lot of work being Auntie Toesocks; brownies and fudge don't make themselves. Not the mention, the late nights watching Merlin, the early mornings making pancakes and days spent at the lake. This is what summer is all about.

Next time, I'll fill you in on my latest projects. Until then~ Toodahloo!

A Lesson In Patience Through The Art Of Butter Cream Frosting

Over the years, I have wrestled with the quest for the perfect butter cream frosting. I had made many valiant attempts at confectionery perfection, but was always one step behind. Often times, when I would bake a cake that required frosting, I would cheat and buy frosting in a can or I would make a frosting using milk, flour, granulated sugar and shortening. Last Sunday, however, I didn't have patience to endure the grocery store. I did have available in my cupboard butter, milk, cocoa powder and confectioner's sugar. I decided to be approach this butter cream challenge with thoughtful planning and pre-game research.

I really wanted chocolate cake; so like any baker desiring cake while lacking motivation, I used a box mix. After adding extra cocoa powder and a tablespoon of instant coffee granules to the batter I placed the cake into the oven and waited. It was then that I removed my butter for my butter cream from the refrigerator and left it out to come to room temperature.

Making certain that my butter was at room temperature was my first strategic move. Most times when I make a frosting, I'm making it on the fly and I'm never properly prepared.  This time would be different. When the cake was out of the oven and properly cooled, the butter was at the perfect temperature for making frosting. The second change to my frosting preparation was measuring and mixing ingredients ahead of time. First, I blended the cocoa powder with the confectionery sugar, making sure that all the lumps were broken and the powders were mixed well. Then, I measured and mixed my milk and vanilla. 

I had my wet ingredients in one cup, set aside and my dry ingredients in a bowl placed next to the cup of milk mixture. This might seem silly, but having these ready before I made the frosting was a big help. The biggest and most important change I made to my frosting was 1) the type of bowl I used: medium and deep, and 2) time. Usually when I would try to make butter cream, I'd never whip the butter long enough. Once the butter started to fly out of my mixing bowl I would add sugar, mix add cocoa powder, mix then add the liquids and mix. I would do this as quickly as possible so that I wouldn't make a huge mess. I would still have clumps of butter flicked all over the counter, the wall and even the cupboard doors.

This time was different. Using a deep bowl helped to control the butter better and it allowed me to whip the butter for 5 minutes! That seems like a ridiculously long time compared to how long I'd usually take. This required a lot of patience on my part, as well as faith in what I was doing. I had to trust myself. Once the butter was a pale yellow, I turned off the mixer. I added the cocoa powder mixture, a little at a time and I used a butter knife to mix it together. Once all of the dry ingredients were added, I then add the milk and vanilla mixture. Again, I used a butter knife to blend it together. Once everything was evenly blended, I turned the mixture back on and whipped the frosting until it was fluffy.

It was amazing! The frosting was fluffy and tasted like fudge. It was easy to apply to my cake and the frosting never separated! A first in my history with butter cream frosting. I have finally mastered butter cream and it all came down to preparation and patience. Axl Rose was right, that patience thing is really all we need!

Until next time~ Toodahloo!

Refashioning A T-Shirt Into A Dress

Back in the Spring, I spotted a t-shirt marked down to $4.00 and thought it would be fun for a refashion project. The shirt was a simple black and white striped cotton t-shirt with cuffed sleeves. I grabbed a medium and a large. I thought that I would use both of the shirts to make a dress, but I later decided to use the medium and gave the large to my Mum. I decided that a solid t-shirt would make an interesting contrast to the look of the dress.

I began the project by cutting the shirt two inches below the arm pit. I did the same with the solid blue t-shirt that I decided to use for the project.

Next, I paired the upper part of the striped shirt with the bottom of the solid shirt. Joining the cut edges, with the right sides facing, I sewed a straight 1/4 inch seam.

After seeing that the seam was (slightly) uneven, I stitched the seam again and made the seam straighter. Then, I took the bottom of the striped shirt, matched the cut edge to the bottom of the solid t-shirt and sewed another 1/4 seam.

 After making certain that everything was straight, I ironed the dress.

For a finishing touch, I added 1/4 elastic to the waist. I cut the elastic half the length of the solid section; this way, I could stretch the elastic as I sewed it in place. The end result was a lovely ruched waist. This also adjusted the hemline, bringing the length just above the knee.

This is a very comfortable dress which will be perfect to wear on really hot and humid days. It was such an easy project and I like the way the dress came out. I think I might want to do another ugly dress refashion and I have the perfect dress in mind. I hope to tackle that soon.
 Until next time~ Toodahloo!

Waiting For A Rainy Day

This lovely gem arrived in my mail today. I ordered the dvd set from amazon.com, a few days ago, and stalked my package via order track. I'm waiting for a rainy day to cozy up with a bowl of popcorn and a latte while I indulge in this masterpiece.
When I first began this blog, I was (regularly) watching the show on CBC.  I totally understood the main character and it was a mix of drama with a bit of comedy and a dash of sci- fi.  The season would end around mid December and in the summer I'd see commercial teasers for the show's return in the Fall. I always looked forward to this show. Sadly, after four years, the show ended. Although I was bummed that the show was over, I could still get my fix on hulu.com. The problem with watching the show on hulu.com was that the shows aired as they were viewed on the Soap Opera Network. The version that aired on that channel was very edited, just not the same as originally aired. Also, hulu.com failed to get the final season of the show. Then, one day, hulu stopped providing a single episode.
I had toyed with the idea of obtaining the show on dvd for a while, but waited to see if Netflix would snag it. The website has other CBC shows, like Heartland, Murdoch Mysteries, they even have 18 To Life. I figured that over time, they would get Being Erica, considering how popular the show was. I gave up hope and began hunting amazon.com for deals. I was able to find season one for a fraction of the original asking price. I'm very glad that I waited to get this.
The great thing about buying shows on dvd, compared to watching them on Netflix or hulu, is all the fun extras that come on the dvd's. Those lovely additions are never available to stream. So, this purchase was the best choice. I will be keeping an eye on the barometer for any changes and consulting my weather app for the forecast and when I see rain coming...I'll be ready!
Until next time~ Toodahloo!

Some Crafts Fail

There days when I think that I am an extraordinary marvel at crafting. Then, there are other days when I think that my heart just isn't in it. Then, there are those days when my heart has grown two sizes, I have jazz hands and everything that surrounds me is glitter, rainbows and unicorn smiles. When those glitter/unicorn smile days occur, nothing can stop me..not even a mediocre craft fail.

I had the perfect supplies: recycled olive jar, Gallery Glass Window Color, satin ribbon and glue. What could go wrong? I've used the glass paint numerous times over a span of 10 years; I have a fairly good handle on that. I thought I would make a lovely marble style votive candle holder. I applied the paint with ease, swirled it around and left it to dry on a windowsill. I figured the draft would help to speed up the drying process.
What I didn't take into account, or rather who I didn't take into account, was the cat. On sunny days, the cat does love to nap on the windowsill. With all of the windows in my house, I didn't consider worrying on what the cat might or might not do. It wasn't until the end of the day that I discovered that the cat had fun rolling the jar back and forth. At first, I thought that it would be fine, that she just marbleized the jar more. Upon further examination, I discovered a spot where the excess paint pudding into one place, creating one murky looking mess on the side of the jar. I tried to fix it, but nothing could be done.

Undaunted, I glued a satin ribbon on the top rim of the jar and placed a candle inside. It is a functioning candle holder. I think that it will grow on me, even though it didn't turn out as I had envisioned. Perhaps by Fall, I will warm up to it even more and enjoy spicy scented candles in it. I will look upon it as the craft project that I did with the cat; and love it more for it. Really, at the end of the day it's just an old olive jar with a candle inside, no matter how much I decorate it, it is what it is.

In other news, I intended to make a dress today, but the moment passed when my time was devoured by what was supposed to be a simple addition to my blog. If I work everything correctly, I will get a Facebook badge on the blog which will direct you to my new Facebook page. The page is listed under Lady Toesocks. Also, I might or might not be changing the name of the blog. I am still on the fence about this. It all depends on 1) if I have to and 2) if I am able to do so. I will keep you updated on that. Hopefully, I will complete the dress project tomorrow and post about it on Sunday. Until then~ Toodahloo!

The Wacky Summer Weather

Over the past week in New England, the weather has gone from sweltering sauna, to soggy boggy rain, to fall-like chilly. When you go from sleeping with no covers, with the fans on and all windows open- to full blankets, fleece sleep pants and tightly shut windows, the weather is wacky! When it was in the high 90's to low 100's, it was far too hot for me to want to do anything but binge on Netflix shows. When it is that hot outside, I am far too cranky and sleepy to be inspired to create anything. Finally, the rain arrived, just in time for the 4th of July celebrations! Hurricane Arthur danced his way up the east coast, bringing with him strong winds and buckets of rain. Although the gardens were super happy for the rain, the holiday campers were a bit bummed out.
The bright side to this rainy weather was that it finally cooled down the outside temperature, which enabled me to bake! So, I baked a big batch of carrot cake cupcakes, with cream cheese frosting, and mini blueberry pies.

I must admit, I did use a bake cake mix for the cupcakes. However, the pastry used for the blueberry pies was made from scratch. OH, these pies are yummy! I hope that his current weather stays around so that I may continue to complete more creative projects. Until then~ Toodahloo!

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Summer

Summer is, certainly here! Now that it's July 1st, it is very hot outside. I went kayaking, last week. It was gorgeous outside; not too hot, but lovely. I was hoping to see a lot of wildlife, ie. turtles, beaver, fish. Alas, I only saw a loon. However, there is still plenty of time to see creatures throughout the summer. I do think these lily pads are very pretty. I love to look at them whenever I kayak through them.

The peony bush bloomed. The flowers were huge and fragrant. I was really looking forward to enjoying them. Then, one night, it rained hard and the flowers drooped to the ground and they didn't last long after that. They were beautiful while they lasted!

The bees are loving the sage flowers. I don't usually let the sage flower, but I left them alone, this time. The herb garden is starting to smelly dreamy.

Daisies really do complete a summer garden.

This week will be filled with holiday, birthday and bicentennial celebrations. I hope to keep up with the blog as these events happen. I think I'll be far too busy for crafts, but who knows?
 Until then~ Toodahloo!