Things I made and Saw: Baking Night!

The highlight of my usual week of crazy was hanging out with my lovely friend Jessica last night for a baking fun-stravaganza! We had lofty ideas, which included caramel apples, these sweet rolls, apple crisp, chocolate bacon and butter tarts. Clearly, our desire for baked good outweighed the time we actually had to bake things, but here's what we did get done!

Caramel apples would have happened, but I forgot that the way Zen makes them requires some whipping cream. We did go on an epic adventure to try to find it at a convenience store, and to bring the dog out after he got too excited and peed all over the (recently dry-cleaned) rug.We failed,  but we saw this awesome car/dog:

Photo by Jessica, @atthisvolume

At any rate, here's what we actually ended up making, butter tarts and chocolate bacon!

For the butter tarts, we used this recipe for the filling, and Zen just made pastry how he usually does, which doesn't really have a written down recipe at the moment. 

For the chocolate covered bacon, I looked at this recipe, but I basically just fried the bacon until crispy, then melted some chocolate chips in a metal bowl suspended over a pot of boiling water. I then cut the bacon up into smaller pieces and brushed/used a knife to spread the melted chocolate onto the bacon. I reserved a strip or two of bacon and cut it up finely to be the topping, and then refrigerated it for about half an hour.

I had trouble getting a good picture of this, but trust me, it was tasty! Next time we'll use better quality chocolate though, since it did turn out *very* sweet.

I took a few silly pictures of myself eating the tasty things today--you're welcome.

Some of them came out like I was standing in front of a wind machine for some reason.

Also, Jesse got a haircut lately and is looking pretty darn adorable right now, don't you think?





































































Have you cooked or baked anything tasty lately or ever had a baking party with friends? I'd love to see pictures or hear stories about what you made !


♥ Craftzilla 

Thanksgiving Table- Inspiration Ideas

We're having a person or two over for Thanksgiving dinner this year, and I've been thinking of some ways to make the table pretty that won't take me a lot of time and that express my love of all things fall! I've done some pretty fancy ones at my parents house (tried to find the pictures, but failed for today--will hopefully share on the weekend) but simple will definitely be better this time, especially due to the size of my table! Here are a few ideas I've found so far for inspiration.

Source: apumpkinandaprincess.blogspot.com via Gillian on Pinterest

Source: shelterness.com via Gillian on Pinterest

Source: porterhousedesigns.com via Gillian on Pinterest

Source: marthastewart.com via Gillian on Pinterest

Source: strictlysimplestyle.blogspot.com via Gillian on Pinterest

Source: countryliving.com via Gillian on Pinterest

Source: countryliving.com via Gillian on Pinterest

What's your favourite way to dress up a table for a fancier dinner?



♥ Craftzilla

Crafty Show and Tell: Finished and Unfinished Projects

I thought  I'd share some of my finished and on the go projects of late on this first day of a looooong week, since I ran out of room in my post yesterday!

Here's a finished work (though made by Zen not by me, since I'm the master of starting to cook things and then somehow getting him to cook them for me) --pastrami, onions, cheese and gravy sandwich --so tasty!



This is supposed to say "Home Sweet Home" but not sure if it's clear enough...and I might add a heart to the left hand side to cover up what's supposed to be a flower.



Case for Circular needles! Hopefully I'll get some more pics with needles in it soon





I found some fun Christmas ornaments I'd cross stitched ages ago and decided to start finishing them





I made some pins, which refused to allow themselves to be photographed clearly..will try again another day. I think they might need something else too that I haven't figured out yet.



I'm also working on a cute fleece backed baby blanket... though finished a few others with the same front (just no fleece backing)




♥ Craftzilla

Vintage Apron Love--What I'd Make -Part 1

I was poking around in a bin of half finished crafts last night, and look at the lovely-ness that I found! My mom gave me these aprons last year--they had been make-shift curtains in the basement of their new house. I find them much more beatuiful and functional as fancy aprons. The desire to cook some tasty things (and pose for 50's style apron pictures) is high! So taking the aprons into account, here's what I'd cook while wearing each of them!

I love the stipes and the flowers/hearts on this one! It's super bright and sunny and is cheering me up just looking at it. For some reason, this one makes me think of the tasty goodness of coconut cookies. I know, I know --coconut cookies seems like a super weird thing, but they are seriously amazing and fabulous!

  source

 This is very similar to the recipe I usually use --it's not a strong taste of coconut, but a light tasting, coconut-esque kind of cookie that's fairly light and flavourful. Check out the recipe here.

I love paisley generally, and this one is reminiscent of winters and warmth and cuddling up with your mom when you're sick for some reason, and thus makes me want to drink a lot of hot chocolate :

source

The recipe sounds great--I think there needs to be a few cold evenings again so I can whip myself up a batch!
Recipe from the Joy of Baking is available here --Hot Chocolate Recipe

Stay Tuned for Part two! I have two more fabulous aprons and recipes to go with them to share next week!

♥ Craftzilla

Things I made and Saw

Here's a little doodle I did when trying out some new alphabet stamps my fancy friend Kim got me for an early birthday prezzie

 
Here's a tasty chocolate tart that the boy made for our friends last week...I had some smaller ones but I ate them before photos could be taken (let's be honest, I ate them before they even cooled off and molten chocolate burned by mouth, but it was SO worth it)

 Here's Jesse the super pup, after a much needed haircut took place

Some mighty tasty manicotti I made for a potluck yesterday in my new thrifted Pyrex baking dish --It's blue! So awesome!

Despite all the evil rain here of late, there have been some beautiful moments

This is Zentron, a friendly house robot who has recently undergone some mandatory repairs that have left him as good as new

 The seeds! They grow!! Finally!

 And, in conclusion, Buddha and Martian Manhunter just do NOT get along -- any tips on how to make them be friends again?