Thursday, December 3, 2009

December Already!

I know I haven't updated in a while, and all I have done is post 2 entries in this blog, but I do have an excuse.
Unfortunately, my last computer finally gave in and stopped working. I was without a computer for two weeks, and just last week on Sunday I was gifted a new MacBook. I love it! It is definitely a switch from the old Windows XP OS, and I still have much to learn about it until I can use it up to its full potential.

So far, all I've been able to bake in my free time are these little Pocket Pies:



I volunteered to cook the Thanksgiving meal this year as well. Everything turned out all right, but in my opinion the mashed potatoes could have been creamier, the sweet potatoes sweeter, and the green been casserole with more crunch. I made a rosemary seasoned turkey breast and it. was. phenomenal. Brining is definitely the key to a tender, juicy, and flavorful meat. I filled a large pot with water, salt (lots of it, because the salt sinks in to the meat of the skin and retains water so the turkey will not dry out when it is being cooked), and rosemary (lots of it, because you want the flavorful to really settle in the meat), and had brought it up to a boil. Once it was boiling I turned it off and put the turkey in a huge bag, that was inside a huge bag, and filled it up with the brining mixture. Then I added some buttermilk and had it sit in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

Once I get my pictures loaded, I will post them so that you may also see the beautiful apple pie my dad and I made that was absolutely perfect!

-<3

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Haunted Cookie House


I know: when you think of gingerbread houses, you think of lollipops and gumdrops with sugar coated rooftops. My sister and I were at a fabric store when I came across a pre-baked cookie house kit with none other than black and orange frosting, candy corn, and a little sugar ghost, so I had to get it! This, I suspect, is when I declared myself officially bitten by the "sweet treats" bug.



This is the kit, with packets of ready-to-mak
e icing and gingerbread walls already done. I know I can admit that making a gingerbread house is no easy task, but I was determined.



Unfortunately (in this case) detail is important to me, so in the beginning I was frustrated and concentrating intensely to make sure the icing would first of all just come out, and secondly not fall off as soon as it did!

A few tips for those who would like to know:
- Keep the bags of icing under a damp cloth when they're not in use
- Have a cup nearby with some water to use when the icing has dried up, but remember! a little goes a long way
- As you're holding the bag of icing for piping, keep it warm with your hands and "massage" it as you squeeze the icing out: this keeps the icing warm and lets it flow smoothly out the end for easier decorating



Finally I finished the Haunted Cookie House! It was definitely worth the time because in the end I felt so accomplished. Now I feel like I could make a legitimate gingerbread house when Christmas rolls around!



Tomorrow, my sister and I will be baking some little treats we found on Bakerella.com , the site that I will mostly gather some ideas from to try over the course of these next few weeks.

Now I must get back to nursing my Biochemistry notes - I have a test in one week and still there are two chapters to cover in class, yikes!


Charming Treats

Welcome to Charming Treats!

The love of food and all things cute has always been a driving force in my own experiences, and I do believe creative endeavors are the sparks of life (music, cooking, baking, decorating, poetry...), so I have decided to share my crafts to those with similar interests as mine. I will post musical things, paper cutout projects, and charming sweet things that I decide to indulge in as I proceed with the many wonderful gifts life presents to me.

A little about myself:
I am currently a Junior in College pursuing a degree in Human Nutrition and Foods, and every day I encounter the wonderful chemistry that is life and how we have learned to use what nature offers, because all that is given by nature is good for the soul. I am ecstatic with what I get to go to school and learn everyday. I enjoy baking and have recently taken up writing music, poetry, and creating little art projects with anything I can get my hands on. At this moment I could only be happier if I had more time to do all the wonderful things I enjoy!

Now it is time to continue with my first post- it is Halloween after all, so it's time to get going!

Happy Reading!!!

Thursday, December 3, 2009

December Already!

I know I haven't updated in a while, and all I have done is post 2 entries in this blog, but I do have an excuse.
Unfortunately, my last computer finally gave in and stopped working. I was without a computer for two weeks, and just last week on Sunday I was gifted a new MacBook. I love it! It is definitely a switch from the old Windows XP OS, and I still have much to learn about it until I can use it up to its full potential.

So far, all I've been able to bake in my free time are these little Pocket Pies:



I volunteered to cook the Thanksgiving meal this year as well. Everything turned out all right, but in my opinion the mashed potatoes could have been creamier, the sweet potatoes sweeter, and the green been casserole with more crunch. I made a rosemary seasoned turkey breast and it. was. phenomenal. Brining is definitely the key to a tender, juicy, and flavorful meat. I filled a large pot with water, salt (lots of it, because the salt sinks in to the meat of the skin and retains water so the turkey will not dry out when it is being cooked), and rosemary (lots of it, because you want the flavorful to really settle in the meat), and had brought it up to a boil. Once it was boiling I turned it off and put the turkey in a huge bag, that was inside a huge bag, and filled it up with the brining mixture. Then I added some buttermilk and had it sit in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

Once I get my pictures loaded, I will post them so that you may also see the beautiful apple pie my dad and I made that was absolutely perfect!

-<3

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Haunted Cookie House


I know: when you think of gingerbread houses, you think of lollipops and gumdrops with sugar coated rooftops. My sister and I were at a fabric store when I came across a pre-baked cookie house kit with none other than black and orange frosting, candy corn, and a little sugar ghost, so I had to get it! This, I suspect, is when I declared myself officially bitten by the "sweet treats" bug.



This is the kit, with packets of ready-to-mak
e icing and gingerbread walls already done. I know I can admit that making a gingerbread house is no easy task, but I was determined.



Unfortunately (in this case) detail is important to me, so in the beginning I was frustrated and concentrating intensely to make sure the icing would first of all just come out, and secondly not fall off as soon as it did!

A few tips for those who would like to know:
- Keep the bags of icing under a damp cloth when they're not in use
- Have a cup nearby with some water to use when the icing has dried up, but remember! a little goes a long way
- As you're holding the bag of icing for piping, keep it warm with your hands and "massage" it as you squeeze the icing out: this keeps the icing warm and lets it flow smoothly out the end for easier decorating



Finally I finished the Haunted Cookie House! It was definitely worth the time because in the end I felt so accomplished. Now I feel like I could make a legitimate gingerbread house when Christmas rolls around!



Tomorrow, my sister and I will be baking some little treats we found on Bakerella.com , the site that I will mostly gather some ideas from to try over the course of these next few weeks.

Now I must get back to nursing my Biochemistry notes - I have a test in one week and still there are two chapters to cover in class, yikes!


Charming Treats

Welcome to Charming Treats!

The love of food and all things cute has always been a driving force in my own experiences, and I do believe creative endeavors are the sparks of life (music, cooking, baking, decorating, poetry...), so I have decided to share my crafts to those with similar interests as mine. I will post musical things, paper cutout projects, and charming sweet things that I decide to indulge in as I proceed with the many wonderful gifts life presents to me.

A little about myself:
I am currently a Junior in College pursuing a degree in Human Nutrition and Foods, and every day I encounter the wonderful chemistry that is life and how we have learned to use what nature offers, because all that is given by nature is good for the soul. I am ecstatic with what I get to go to school and learn everyday. I enjoy baking and have recently taken up writing music, poetry, and creating little art projects with anything I can get my hands on. At this moment I could only be happier if I had more time to do all the wonderful things I enjoy!

Now it is time to continue with my first post- it is Halloween after all, so it's time to get going!

Happy Reading!!!

 

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