Japanese Sweets

We took a day trip to N.Y. to browse our favorite japanese shops and the American Girl store. These little guys are from Minamoto Kitchoan, a japanese bakery. Our trip wouldn't be complete without a yummy bowl of udon noodle from Chiyoda.

Never too late for tea....

I found a few lost photos from Mia's Japanese Tea Ceremony birthday party. 

I ♥ Vintage Fabric

Ava is my new thrifting companion. She spotted this fabric before I did!!

Pane Di Pasqua

The girls and I made Italian Easter bread for family and friends.

Green Tea Cupcakes

for Mia's Japanese Tea Ceremony Birthday party.

Culinary Crafts

My friend Lori & I have an after-school craft class at our daughters' school. The planning was a breeze, although eight weeks of 24 girls + 3 boys, every Thursday was exhausting..but fun.

Culinary Crafts: make a snack + make a craft to go along with a "kitchen/cooking" theme. 

Apple printing + apples & caramel

Origami + candy sushi

Decorate aprons + decorate cupcakes

happy anniversary, happy anniversary, happy...

My favorite card...ever!

Honey Crisp

We spent the afternoon picking honey crisp apples, raspberries, blackberries and grapes. 

Tiki Party

Used the Gocco to customize our semi-annual Tiki Party napkins & invites.

Skating Party Goodie Bags

My daughter’s 9th birthday was held at the local roller rink (70s theme, natch) and I refuse to go the party store route for the goodie bag & favors.

For the girls, I made ultra-suede bags, tri-feathered roach clips (hair accessories, of course) and a custom leather ID bracelet. Try kerning that type with a hammer and tap. Ugh, I left that to my husband. That crazy Tuscan leathersmith type is pretty cool though, huh?

What is that??

My package from Japan has finally arrived! I'd love to know what my postman thought it was.

Wilmington Garden Day

Our home was on the Wilmington Garden Day tour this year.

Garden Day is a self-guided tour of Unique, Stylish and Distinctive Gardens and Homes from City Miniatures to Country Estates - in the greater Wilmington area.

Vintage Fabric

My husband and I took a little trip to Kentuck Knob this weekend and hit a few antique/thrift shops along the way.

Thrifting always comes in themes for me. This weekend: textiles.

Spring Gifts for Teachers

I made baby chick cookies for the girls' teachers.
I used Martha's Sugar Cookie recipe.

Devil Dog Cupcakes

I made these for Mia's 7th birthday. I borrowed the recipe from Epicurious. They were really good. I tried to make Twinkie cupcakes too, but they didn't turn out as well.

Goody Bags

These were the goody bags I made for Mia's 7th birthday party. She had an 80's theme. The drawstring bags are lined and were so easy to make thanks to happythings. I made the roller skate chocolates using the same molds my Mom used for my 9th birthday favors! The most time consuming project was the braided barrettes! The best compliment I had was when one of Mia's friends had the drawstring bag at school the next day (as her purse) and had the barrettes on!!

Green Tea & Coffee Shortbread

Green tea shortbread recipe is from Martha.

For coffee shortbread recipe:
use the same Martha green tea shortbread recipe but omit the matcha, add a 1/2 tsp of vanilla, add 1 & 1/2 TBS of ground coffee, bake as directed.

House Industries Wife

I guess my husband figured we would work cheap to help sell the latest House Industries rags. As if I don't already do enough for him.

Happy New Year

We had our good friends, Kurt, Lisa, Caleb & Matthew over for New Year's Eve. I picked a Tex-Mex menu. We had Goat Cheese Enchiladas with Corn & Red Mole, Green Rice, New Mexican Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with Sweet Potato Tamale and Pecan Butter, Jarritos sodas, Mexican Hot Chocolate Cupcakes & cheesecake brownies.

I was so nervous about making Tamales for the first time, but they were GOOD and actually not too bad to make. You need to start a day in advance! I could have eaten the Pecan butter alone!

Holiday Cookies

These are some of the cookies I made for family, teachers and my husband. I also made a few dozen Earl Grey Tea cookies but he and his business associates ate ALL of them in one day!

I L-O-V-E Christmas!

I think I love it the most because of the all the great recipes for cookies, desserts, meals, hors'dourves and the crafts for the girls & I to make. This year we are working on some small gifts for friends & family that will involve screen-printing, embroidery, sewing, and carving.

The pics above are just some of the many piles of holiday books I have been looking at for inspiration. I promised my hubby I will make them disappear soon.

Pantry peek...

Since my last post of pre-Halloween goodies, I have made 30+ pumpkin shaped cookies, 60+ Chocolate-Pumpkin cupcakes, 30+ Halloween "mummy" cupcakes, Johnny cake (cornbread) for 30 kids, and had 3 dinner parties, but I forgot to take pictures!!

I thought I'd post a pic of my pantry. I can tell when a fellow foodie/baker walks into my kitchen....I get ooohs and ahhhhs over the pantry!

Halloween Bake Sale

My daughter, Ava has a bake sale tomorrow at her school dance. It's Halloween themed. She wanted me to mention that she helped with the eyes on the many eyed cupcakes.

The cupcakes were inspired by Martha's Kids Magazine Fall 2005.

Chocolate Pumpkin Cupcakes

I made Chocolate Pumpkins Cupcakes for dessert at my mom's weekly Tuesday night dinner. I've had the fall bug since school started and wanted to try this Country Living recipe. I'm more of a Blueprint girl, NOT Country Living, but while waiting in the Albuquerque, NM airport the cover caught my eye and I thought I could make cupcakes from this recipe!

I changed the frosting a bit. I topped the cupcakes with a dark chocolate ganache and made a cream cheese frosting with vanilla & custom blended pumpkin pie spices.

Butternut Squash Risotto

Dinner tonight was a Butternut Squash Risotto (Martha Stewart Every Day Food October 2004 recipe) and Tuscan Bread Salad (Vegetarian Times recipe). Although the weather was NOT Fall-like tonight, it was still yummy.

More Pillows....

Made pillows for the dogs today. I'm working on a scrim for Mia's room to match her new pillow, napkins, and another smaller pillow.

Up Late Pillows...

I spent a few hours this weekend making pillow cases for our dog's pillows in our living room. Although, they were too pretty for the dogs and will be used in my girls rooms. Luckily, the girls have the same size pillows and I can swap the covers.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

I needed a quick snack for my hubby, his business partner and their head sales ninja. I made Martha Stewart's Oatmeal Raisin Cookies from her Baking Handbook. I subbed the raisins with chocolate chips. They were yummy. They were gone by lunchtime the next day!

The Cutest Cookies & Packaging

I have a policy against buying packaged cookies. Maybe, Joe Joe Cookies once in a while, but while I was waiting in line at the cheese shop and spotted these adorable "biscuits'. They were a little price-y, but too cute not to pick up. There was one other style that I didn't find as cute. But the completest in me will have to go back and get the other one too.

Each box has a classic tale printed on it.

www.artisanbiscuits.co.uk/site/twobytwo.htm

Funny, I did a little research on them later that night and the New York Times did a little blurb on them, the same day!!

www.nytimes.com/2007/08/29/dining/29stuf.html?_r=1&or...

First Day of School Cupcakes

I made cupcakes for Ava & Mia's teachers for the first day of school. The were Cappuccino with Cream Cheese Icing with a hint of finely ground coffee mixed in. (Label courtesy of my hubby.) No, I'm not buttering them up. I'm just a nice Mommy.