Miss Make

Ribbon Tie Wallet Pattern

2010-08-31T03:03:00.001-07:00

My latest stint in the sewing room has turned out to be fairly productive. After a flurry of sewing and photoshopping, I've finally done something I've wanted to do for a while - design and write a pattern to sell in my Etsy shop.

It all started with an order from the website Spoonflower. I learned about Spoonflower a year ago while working at the Urban Craft Center. If you haven't heard about it, you absolutely need to check it out. As in, go there IMMEDIATELY after you read this post. On Spoonflower you can order fabric printed with your own design - all you have to do is upload an image, then use the website's special tools to set the size and repeat pattern. The best part about it is that there's no minimum order. For just five bucks you can order as little as an 8" square test swatch in fabrics ranging from regular cotton to cotton twill to sateen to lawn. If you're not the designing type, you can also shop designs that others have uploaded. There's a lot of really amazing stuff on there.

If you're at all observant, you've probably noticed that the owls on the wallet are actually Hootie the Owl from my banner. I was so excited when I ripped open the envelope and yanked my custom fabric out, I just had to make something out of it right away. [P.S. - you can now shop for Hootie the Owl fabric online here.]

I ended up sewing this cute little bifold wallet that [serendipitously] was the perfect size for my iPhone. I didn't want to mess around with buttonholes or snaps so I attached a ribbon to tie it all shut. I made a pdf with paper pieces to print and cut and illustrated directions. If there are any beginner sewers out there, or anyone that's rusty and looking to get back into sewing, this would be a great thing to try.

Check it out here!

Easy Drawstring Bag Tutorial

2010-09-07T04:30:00.000-07:00

This is one of myfavorite 'lunch break projects' from my job at the Urban Craft Center. We were able to craft all day if we wanted to, but the only time we were allowed to make something for ourselves was during our one hour lunch break. Everything else we made [very reasonably] belonged to the store.

Usually I would work on a quilt for an hour, but occasionally I wanted to make an entire project beginning to end for the gratification factor. This double compartment shoe bag fit the bill perfectly. It's really simple but is actually very functional. I have visions of the entire shoe section of my closet being organized and protected in bright, cheery shoe bags. [Said vision has yet to be achieved.] The center panel keeps the shoes from scuffing up against each other. They are also a great thing to use while traveling for keeping your shoes away from your clothes or your lingerie neat and untangled.

So if you've got a 1/2 yard of fabric and an hour to spare, give it a shot!

Easy Drawstring Shoe Bag

Materials:

1/2 yard fabric

1 yard coordinating ribbon less than 3/4" wide

matching thread

Directions:

1. From the fabric, cut out two rectangles that are 13" x 17" and one rectangle that is 13" x 15".

2. On larger rectangle, fold over long edges 1/8" toward wrong side of fabric, starting at short end and extending fold three inches. Press and sew along fold to create seam.

3. Starting on seamed end, fold short end over 1/4" toward wrong

side of fabric and press. Fold over another 1" and press. Sew right along bottom fold to create casing seam.

4. On smaller rectangle, fold one short end over 1/4" towards wrong side of fabric and press. Fold over another 1/4" and press. Sew along fold to make a seam.

5. Lay down one large rectangle right side up. Lay the other large rectangle on top of it, right side down, aligning the tops. Lay smaller rectangle on top of that, right side down, with top seam aligned with bottom casing of larger rectangle. Pin in place. [Don't worry too much about all sides lining up.]

6. Starting just under casing, sew around three raw sides of fabric with 1/4" seam allowance, backstitching at beginning and end.

7. Clip corners and turn bag inside out. Thread ribbon through both sides of casing [I tied it onto a knitting needle]. Tie ribbon ends into a knot and trim excess. Put your favorite pair of shoes inside!

Ming Makes Cupcakes

2010-09-03T10:57:00.001-07:00

I wanted to leave you for Labor Day weekend with this gorgeous website I saw featured onDesign Sponge called Ming Makes Cupcakes. It's a compilation of cupcake recipes and cookie recipes that are really just absolutely beautiful, from the flavor ideas to the photographs.

If you're in the States, maybe you can whip one up for one of your BBQs this weekend. I have my eye on the peanut butter cupcake with peanut butter frosting and chocolate ganache. Enjoy the long weekend!

Sugared Lemon Shortbread

2010-09-02T15:48:00.000-07:00

When it comes to heritage, I can claim German and Scottish. While both these cultures are wonderful and interesting and have many positive qualities, my bloodlines are quite possibly the worst hybrid of cuisines possible. My German brethren enjoy mounds of sauerkraut, a plethora of cured meats, and little schnitzel dumplings swimming in cream sauce. At least they have beer.

And then there's Scotland. I love all things Scottish, and bagpipes give me goosebumps, but I cannot think of a nation with less appealing food. You can hardly blame them, the Scots really don't have a lot to work with up there in that dreary cold land of bogs and fishing villages. All that comes to mind are bowls of ambiguous gruel and the delightful sounding haggis, which is a pate of sheep lung, heart and kidneys simmered in an animal stomach.

But then there's shortbread. Like the rest of Scottish food, the ingredients are few and simple. Shortbread is humanity's bare minimum for a cookie - sugar, butter, and flour. That's literally one ingredient away from frosting. But it is scrumptious. I can imagine it was pretty comforting to sit next to a fire in a sod house as the cold fog swirled outside, eating a piece of shortbread and drinking a hot cup of tea.

Shortbread is traditionally made with oat flour, which you may or may not be able to find in your grocery store in the natural/organic section. It gives it a more crumbly, nuttier taste. If you can't find oat flour, you can use regular flour. I did half and half because I wanted some gluten in there to hold everything together. The cookies turned out pretty crumbly, so I wrote the recipe using less oat flour. I also added lemon zest , which the poor Scots of yesteryear probably didn't have. But it's such a bright clean flavor, perfect with a steaming cup of darjeeling.

Sugared Lemon Shortbread

makes a 9" round of wedges

Ingredients:

1/2 cup oat flour*
1.5 cup regular AP flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup white sugar, plus more for dusting

2 tsp lemon zest

*if you can't find oat flour, substitute regular AP flour

1. Preheat oven to 325F. In a bowl, whisk together two flours and salt.

2. In a large bowl, cream the butter. Add the sugar and lemon zest and beat until fluffy, about 30 sec.

3. Add flours and stir together until just incorporated. Line a 9" cake pan with plastic wrap. Pat dough into it. Turn dough round out onto cookie sheet. Slice it into 12 wedges and prick with a fork. [See photo above for reference].

4. Bake for 30 minutes or until slightly golden. Remove from oven and sprinkle with sugar. Reslice along wedge lines. Cool and enjoy with your favorite cup of tea.

Featured Blogger + Dark Chocolate Strawberry Tart

2010-08-27T04:30:00.000-07:00

I'm very excited to announce that today Miss Make is the featured blog over at Salsa Pie. Salsa Pie is a wonderful blog run by the very creative Caroline. I've been dying to try her Skillet Pineapple Upside Down Cake [a cast iron skillet is pretty high up on my wish list] and her Retro Chocolate Crock Pot Cake. Can you tell that I like dessert? Caroline also posts a lot of adorable crafts that are simple and fun, especially if you have small kids to entertain.

For anyone who's visiting for the first time, I started this blog when I was lucky enough to work at an awesomely modern craft studio in Santa Monica called The Urban Craft Center. I was learning so much and looking for a way to share it, so here we are. I mostly post about my sewing endeavors [I love to quilt] and baking [did I mention my love for dessert?] but you never know when another random project is going to pop into the mix [like a knitted microphone, for instance.].

Since I've been posting a lot about sewing lately, minus those deep fried pickles, I thought I'd share a recipe. This Dark Chocolate Strawberry Tart has a decadent secret hidden under those luscious berries - a layer of rich dark chocolate.

This isn't a make-it-right-before-the-party kind of dessert, because there's a good amount of waiting between all the steps. But that doesn't mean it's hard. In fact, it looks much more elegant than it is difficult to make. And when you combine strawberries with dark chocolate, really, how can you go wrong?

Dark Chocolate Strawberry Tart

Ingredients
For the crust:
1.5 cups finely crushed graham cracker crumbs
[that's one sleeve of 9 crackers]
1/3 cup sugar
6 tbsp butter, melted
1 cup dark chocolate chips
[I used Ghirardelli's 60% chips]

For the filling:
2 lbs strawberries
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
3 tbsp cornstarch
juice of 1/2 a lemon

whipped cream for serving

1. Thoroughly stir together graham crackers, sugar, and butter. Press mixture into the bottom and sides of a 9" tart pan or a pie plate. Bake at 375 F for 7 minutes. Remove and let cool.

2. Put chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring after each, until chocolate is smooth and melted. Pour chocolate into crust and spread around evenly. Use the back of a spoon to 'paint' chocolate up the sides of the crust. Chill until chocolate is set, about 20 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, wash and stem the strawberries. Mash enough of them to make 1 cup of pulp. In a saucepan, combine pulp, water, sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice. Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils. Continue cooking an additional 2 minutes until sauce becomes translucent and thickens. Remove from heat and cool.

4. Reserve about 10 strawberries to slice for top design. Cut the rest into small and medium sized chunks. When glaze is cool, combine it with strawberry chunks in a bowl. Carefully spoon filling into crust, making top as flat as possible.

5. Very thinly slice reserved strawberries lengthwise. Arrange slices on top of tart as shown, starting from the outside and working to the center. Cover tart with foil and chill overnight in refrigerator.

6. Slice tart and serve with fresh whipped cream.

Sleepy Unicorn

2010-08-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

When I first learned to quilt it was by making the coin stacked pattern. The following weekend, for some reason, I went a little cutting crazy because I was so excited about my new hobby. I took all the fabric that I had and cut it up into 2.5" x 5" 'coins,' envisioning dozens of finished baby quilts shooting out of my machine.

Well, that proved to be rather foolish. I now have this shopping bag stuffed with probably hundreds of these coins [I'm telling you, I cut all weekend], all hacked down to a size that is fairly limiting. It is true that I will have to make dozens of these coin stacked quilts before I use them all up.

It is nice, though, to be able to reach into the bag for some coins and just start sewing without making a single cut. And I'm sure there are other patterns I can make with the pieces if I get a little creative...does anyone have any ideas?

This girly unicorn quilt (Sleepy Unicorn Baby Quilt No. 36) is the latest addition to my etsy shop. Check it out here!

Deep Fried Pickles

2010-08-25T01:27:00.000-07:00

Am I an insane person?

If by insane, you mean that I suddenly had the urge to try making deep friend pickles at one in the morning, that I just so happened to have all the ingredients I needed on hand, and that I actually went through with it, then yes, I am an insane person.

They were delicious.

I've never deep fried anything before. I'm somewhat embarrassed by the sheer level of pride I felt at successfully doing it on my first attempt. I've always been kind of scared by the idea of all that hot oil, but it really wasn't bad at all.

My spice cupboard was fairly bare, but I did have something called 'seafood seasoning.' The ingredient list was basically pepper, onion, garlic, dill and lemon. I thought that sounded pretty perfect for a deep fried pickle. If you don't have something like that on hand, make your own spice blend with powdered garlic or onion and anything else that sounds good.

This recipe made a generous single portion that could probably be split between two more reasonable people. If for some reason you need copious amounts of deep fried pickles, just double or triple the recipe as needed.

Deep Fried Pickles
Ingredients:
3 dill pickle spears
1 egg, beaten
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup flour
2 tsp seafood seasoning or similar spice blend
1/2 tsp paprika
oil (I used canola oil)

1. Cut pickle spears into bite sized chunks. Pat off all the excess brine with a paper towel.

2. Mix together all the dry ingredients. Dredge each pickle chunk in the egg, then the bread crumbs. The crumbs won't want to stick to the slick side of the pickle, so really press them on.

3. Heat two inches of oil in a saucepan to 365 F [be careful, that's hot!]. Using a slotted spoon to get them in and out, fry the pickle chunks in batches until they're golden brown, being sure not to overcrowd the pot. Each batch will only take about two minutes.

4. When they look done [you know what fried food looks like], remove them from the oil and drain on paper towels. Continue frying in batches until all the pickles are done.

5. Salt lightly if desired. Pickles are pretty salty themselves, so I would taste them first before you salt them, you might not even want any. Enjoy!

Easy Peasy Ironing Board Cover Tutorial

2010-08-23T21:26:00.000-07:00

I don't know why, but lately I can't seem to get enough of yellow and white stripes. Every time I look at them I see preppy beach umbrellas, billowing circus tents, and striped candy, all things that make me very happy.

This ironing board cover is part of a little stripe binge makeover in my sewing room. Making an ironing board cover might sound a little boring at first, but it's actually a fun way to use a big, bold panel of your favorite fabric. That makes ironing - which I find awful and tedious outside of sewing - a little more enjoyable. If you have an ironing board then you already have a pattern, and you can be pretty inexact and still be successful.

To figure out how much fabric you'll need, measure your ironing board end to end and add 10 inches. For most standard ironing boards you'll need 1.5 - 2 yards. It's always better to err on the side of too much than not enough.

Because you need a long, skinny piece of fabric you'll have a lot left over. Use it to make something to match - like coordinating pillow covers with my earlier tutorial [complete with yellow and white striped illustrations...I'm telling you, I can't get enough!].

Easy Peasy Ironing Board Cover

You need:

1.5 - 2 yards quilting weight or home decor weight cotton fabric

matching thread

cotton string (not stretchy)

existing ironing board cover

1. Take the cover off your ironing board and spread it out so that there are no gathers in it. Lay it down on top of your fabric, right side up, with a few inches of clearance around it on all sides. Pin it down.

2. Cut through the fabric around the cover, adding two inches around all the edges. If your fabric is still folded take care not to cut through both layers so that you have a large intact piece left over [you only need one cut-out ironing board].

3. Fold the edge of the fabric over a half inch and iron. [You'll have to put your old ironing board cover back on for a little while.] Do it all the way around. Then fold the edge over another half inch and iron again, all the way around.

NOTE: When you iron around the curves, there will be a lot of extra fabric. They will be very, very ugly. You could take the time to cut a bunch of little notches in the fabric, or you could just mash it down. I recommend mashing. You're not going to see it because it's going to be on the inside of the bottom of the cover. Just let it be ugly.

4. Starting a few inches off center on the wider end, backstitch and stitch all the way around on the edge you just created to make a casing. Stop before you get back to the beginning so that there is a two inch gap in the seam. Backstitch.

5. Thread the cotton string through the casing you made. I tied the string to a wire coat hanger that I bent slightly into a curve. You'll need something flexible to get around all the corners.

6. Put your new cover on your ironing board and pull the strings as tight as you can. Adjust the gathers so they're distributed evenly around the board. Tie into a bow.

Voila! Enjoy your new ironing board cover. Here's how mine looked in my sewing room. If you have pictures of your sewing space share it with me by posting a comment!

Happy Honey Baby Quilt No. 35

2010-08-12T16:53:00.000-07:00

I just finished listing my latest baby quilt in my etsy shop. It's the one that my cat was helping me with the other day...now it's ready for a loving home!

Cat + Quilt on Floor = Happy Cat

2010-08-09T23:09:00.001-07:00

My cat Fox was "helping" me pin-baste my latest baby quilt today. Why must cats immediately lay down in the middle of anything you try to do on the floor? [That being said, he was much too cute to chase away.]

Cars & Critters Baby Quilt

2010-08-05T19:46:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to put up a show and tell picture post. This is the latest baby quilt I've made, a gift for a little guy named Billy [how cute!]. I wanted to make something that was definitely for a boy, but not all pastel blue. I like how this combination of fabrics is bright and punchy and cheery. It just makes me think of long play sessions with matchbox cars and play-doh.

After I assembled the wide stripes, the yellow and white animals seemed a little empty, so I appliqued an outline of the hot rod in a red polka dot fabric [this was actually a suggestion from the boyfriend...must give credit where it's due]. The car silhouette is such a great one from the Echino screen printed fabric I used at the very bottom. All I did was copy the fabric at 250% then use the image as a stencil. I did a similar thing on the Hot Rod Baby Quilt that's currently for sale in my Etsy store.

Peach Champagne Sorbet

2010-07-26T19:07:00.000-07:00

There's been a spare bottle of champagne kicking around my fridge for a while now. That's probably not a problem that most people have, but my fridge is not most people's. Instead of waiting for a celebratory occasion to pop the cork [although I don't really need an excuse], I thought I'd use it to whip up a batch of refreshing summery sorbet.

I thought just using the champagne would be a little too much, and I didn't want to water down the flavor, so I decided to mix it with peaches. It was light and delicious and perfect for the hot summer barbeque I brought it to.

Invite a friend over when you make this, as you'll have about 2 glasses of extra champagne left over if you open a new bottle. Or just drink them both yourself.

Peach Champagne Sorbet

3 medium sized ripe peaches (the ripest you can find!)

1/2 cup cooled 1:1 simple syrup (recipe follows)

1 cup peach juice

2 cups champagne (I used Barefoot Bubbly)

1. Peel and pit peaches and slice into chunks. Puree in a blender or food processor until smooth.

2. Whisk puree, syrup, juice, and champagne together in a bowl. Pour into ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer's instructions.

3. Pour into container, cover and freeze for a few hours or overnight.

4. Serve alone or put a scoop in a glass and top with more champagne.

1:1 Simple Syrup

This is great to use for sweetening cold drinks because the sugar is already dissolved. Put it out on your drink mix table at your next party! You can make it in any quantity, just use the same amount of sugar and water.

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

1. Combine sugar and water in a saucepan. Heat on medium heat until liquid is clear.

2. Remove from heat. Cool. Cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to use. Keeps for about two months.

Edible Notions

2009-07-11T23:05:00.000-07:00

Last night at my work there was a book signing party for an author named Christine Haynes. She released a book in April called Chic and Simple Sewing, a collection of over 20 patterns that are modern and cute but also easy and uncomplicated. I volunteered to make cupcakes for the event because I LOVE decorating cupcakes.

I used fondant to make little buttons and sewing needles. Up until now I've never wanted to use fondant because I think it tastes pretty bad, but then I stumbled on a recipe for marshmallow fondant. It's basically a cheat way to make it at home by melting marshmallows and adding powdered sugar to make a dough. It's easy to add flavoring to make it taste a little better than something you buy in a dusty box at Michaels.

Sadly I was too busy at the actual event to take any pictures, so these are the best I have, and there's a thumbprint on one of them, but they will have to do. Halfway through the night all 48 were gone...they were a huge hit!

New Etsy Adds

2010-04-15T15:00:00.000-07:00

Here are my two newest quilts I've put up on Etsy. I tried a new setup for the pictures...let me know what you think!

Newest Etsy...

2010-03-18T20:44:00.000-07:00

I've been sewing up a storm lately...here are my newest Etsy wares! Check them out...

Trim & Hang Cafe Curtain

2010-06-13T14:55:00.000-07:00

So this is probably cheating.

It's been a while since I've made something. Far too long, in fact. So I had to find something quick, something easy, just to get my fix.

All I needed to make this adorable cafe curtain for my kitchen was a pair of scissors, a pressure rod and a yard and a half of Kokka's ready-made cafe curtain fabric I bought at The Urban Craft Center. This Japanese fabric comes with pre-punched holes for the rod and screen printed scalloped edges. A quick trim along the scallops and the curtain is ready to hang [the screen printing keeps the fabric from fraying]. I didn't even hem the sides of this before I hung it up, I was that excited, but I will as soon as I get my [new!!] sewing machine set up.

Can't beat the cute little forest scene either...

Maple Candied Bacon Ice Cream

2010-07-05T18:22:00.000-07:00

That's right.

Bacon. And ice cream. Together.

Some of you just let out an unbridled squeal of joy. Others shuddered.

Just hear me out for a second. How many times have you dipped your breakfast bacon in the leftover maple syrup on your pancake plate? If even only once then you have tasted one of the most delicious, delightful, delectable food combinations on the planet - the salty crunch of heaven-sent bacon dripping in the amber, smoky sweetness of maple syrup.

This is that deliciousness in ice cream form.

And if you're going to make ice cream from scratch, if you're going to go through all that trouble [although it really is quite easy], you should probably make something that you can't just go the store and buy, right?

Ok, done with the justification.

When I brought this concoction along with me to a 4th of July barbeque this weekend, even the most skeptical were soon shoveling it into their mouths with reckless abandon, all the while questioning how they were eating meat-filled ice cream and enjoying it so immensely.

If you don't have an ice cream maker, you could still make the candied bacon and put it on some regular vanilla ice cream with a drizzling of maple syrup [bacon sundae anyone?]. Or just devour it on its own. The brown sugar melts and hardens around the bacon, giving it a crunchy sweet shell that you can just snap in half. Seriously, heaven. Recipe after the jump...

Maple Candied Bacon Ice Cream

[makes about a quart]

For the candied bacon:

5 strips of thick-cut bacon (I used Oscar Mayer's thick cut)

light brown sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cover a baking sheet with foil and put a wire baking rack on it. Roll the strips of bacon in the brown sugar and line them up on the rack. Bake for 15-20 minutes, checking frequently, until the bacon is a dark reddish brown color. Remove and transfer the bacon to a paper towel to drain and cool.

For the ice cream:

2 cups milk

1 cup heavy cream

2/3 cup real maple syrup

1/3 cup light brown sugar

1/3 cup sugar

dash salt

dash cinnamon

candied bacon, chopped in small pieces

Beat together everything except the candied bacon, until the sugars are dissolved. Pour into an ice cream machine and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. Just before churning is complete, add candied bacon to machine. Pour into container and freeze overnight.

Easy Peasy Pillow Cover

2010-07-07T10:20:00.000-07:00

I like pillows. A lot. I like to pile them on my bed and my couch and anything else that sort of fits the bill and plop down into their mountain of softness.

So I was happy to learn how to make this very easy pillow cover. I'm a fan of changing decor often, and this lets you do that very inexpensively. While the rising price of pillows is not necessarily an issue of national concern, pillows these days are pretty overpriced. A single throw pillow at a lower end store will set you back a good $30, and for what? A pocket of cheap fiberfill. Something you can make at home.

This pillow case is as simple as it gets. One piece of fabric. Four seams. No zipper. No buttons. No closures of any kind. They're easily removable so you can take them off and wash them. You can follow these directions for any size square pillow form because they're based on whatever size you're using. So get ready...your couch is getting a makeover.

Easy Peasy Pillow Cover

Materials:

1 square pillow form (Ikea is a really good place to get inexpensive ones,

or just recover one you already have!)

1/2 yard woven fabric for pillows less than 17"

3/4 yard woven fabric for pillows 18"-26"

*Note: cotton or cotton blends work the best. If your pillow form is larger than 18", you'll need to get fabric that is wider than the standard quilting weight 45" bolt.*

Directions:

1. Measure the width of your pillow form along one side. Make sure to stretch it out to get the full measurement.

2. Cut a rectangular piece of fabric that is as wide as your pillow and 2.5 times longer.

3. One one short end, fold the raw edge towards the wrong side of the fabric 1/4" and press. Fold it 1/4" towards the wrong side again and press. Sew a seam along the fold. Repeat with the other short end.

4. Lay out your fabric horizontally with the right side facing up. Fold the left hemmed edge in to the center of the fabric. Then fold the right hemmed edge on top of it so that the distance from the two folds measures 1" smaller than your pillow. Pin fabric securely.

5. Sew a seam down each raw edge with a 1/2" seam allowance,

backstitching at beginning and end AND when you pass over the hems.

6. Turn your pillow inside out and CAREFULLY poke out the corners with a pencil eraser. Put your pillow form inside, plump it up, place on your couch, and enjoy!

Flourless Chocolate Cake

2010-07-09T12:25:00.000-07:00

Let me start this post by saying that I have nothing against flour.

In fact, I've already decided that if I ever had to choose only one category of food to eat for the rest of my life, it would be breads. Breakfast pastries, dinner rolls, croissants, crusty loaves, baguettes...oh my. I could eat those things all day, every day, forever.

So if I'm going to make a cake that's flourless, it's not going to be just for sake of being flourless. It has to be a recipe that says, You know what? I don't need flour. Put that flour away. I will be amazing and incredible without it. I will be dense, fudgy, chocolate perfection without even needing your gluten.

That is what this recipe is. It's chocolaty and delicious and just happens to be gluten free. If you have friends that are allergic to wheat, as I do, this is a great thing to bring to events where there will be both wheaties and non-wheaties alike because everyone will love it. I've had gluten free desserts before that either dissolve alarmingly fast once you take a bite or turn to a weird paste that sticks to the roof of your mouth. No one should be subjected to that. This isn't a dessert that has a bunch of flour substitutes in it. It just doesn't ever need flour to begin with.

To keep it completely flour free, make sure to dust the pan with cocoa powder instead of flour. And if you want a design on top, simply cut it out of paper and put it on the cake before you dust the powdered sugar, then carefully lift it off after dusting. Happy baking!

Recipe after the jump...

Flourless Chocolate Cake

1/2 c (1 stick) unsalted butter plus more for pan

4 squares semisweet baking chocolate (1 oz each, 4 oz total)

3/4 c sugar

1/2 c cocoa powder plus more for dusting pan

3 eggs, beaten

1 tsp vanilla

pinch kosher salt

powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Butter the inside of a 9" cake, pie or tart pan and dust it with cocoa powder.

2. In a large saucepan, melt butter and chocolate over low heat, stirring often to prevent burning. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.

3. Add sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla and salt. Stir. Add beaten eggs. Stir until everything is well combined.

4. Pour batter into pan and bake for 35 min or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan, then use a mesh collander or sifter to dust top with powdered sugar. Serve and enjoy!

Marshmallow Fondant Recipe

2010-07-19T17:10:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I like to vicariously eat through television. Since I am a dessert person and cake decorating shows are really popular right now [Ace of Cakes or Cake Boss??], I am usually vicariously very full.

All the professionals use fondant to give their cakes a smooth finish. Fondant is, at its most basic, a white sugar dough with no flavor. I remember trying fondant for the first time on a wedding cake and thinking it was disgusting. It can be pretty gross when it has no added flavor. But it does look beautiful when it's rolled smooth or stamped with a texture and brushed with an edible powder. You can paint it, dye it, mold it, roll it. It's very versatile.

I know that you can buy premade fondant at Michaels or specialty baking stores, but there's something very unappealing to me about buying a shelf-stable fondant with ingredients I can't pronounce. So I had always wanted to try making it, but every recipe I found involved boiling sugar on the stove and candy thermometers. Although I do like making candy, for fondant it didn't seem worth it. Then I found this recipe for marshmallow fondant.

It's an amazingly simple recipe that produces a fondant that looks exactly like the real deal. Best of all, you can put vanilla in it and it tastes like a chewy vanilla marshmallow candy. That way it can actually be an enjoyable part of the cake instead of just a decoration. It does get messy, but it isn't hard to make at all. I used it to make the buttons and needles on these sewing-themed cupcakes.

The recipe below is essentially a repeat of the linked one above, but I wanted to detail it here too with my own findings from my experience of making it. In a post very soon I'll go through actually using it for decoration.

The only special thing you need is gel food coloring if you want to dye it. You can get that in the baking aisle at Michaels. I supposed you could try liquid food colors, but you will only be able to achieve pastel colors because the liquid colors aren't as concentrated as the gels.

Marshmallow Fondant

16 oz bag mini marshmallows

2 lb bag powdered sugar

2 tbsp water

2 tsp vanilla extract or other desired flavor

[haven't tried it but almond or lemon would probably be good, depending on the cake flavor]

Crisco

1. In large bowl, combine marshmallows and water. Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring after each, until marshmallows are just melted. I only needed 3 intervals before they were melted.

2. Add vanilla and stir. Add 3/4 of powdered sugar. Crisco a large spoon and stir the powdered sugar into the marshmallows as best as you can.

3. WARNING: The next part gets a little messy. Liberally rub Crisco on your hands and a large cutting board or your counter. [I prefer a cutting board because it's much easier to wash.] Turn the marshmallow mixture out onto the cutting board and start kneading it together. Your hands will be covered in epic stickiness, but just keep kneading.

4. Continue to add the rest of the powdered sugar as you knead. After the dough has come together a bit, scrape off your fingers, wash your hands and re-Crisco them. Continue kneading the rest of the sugar in, or until you have a large ball of stiff dough.

5. At this point you can split the fondant up if you want and dye individual pieces with the food coloring. To do this, glob a little gel color into the fondant with a toothpick and knead it until the color is distributed.

6. If you're not going to use the fondant right away, rub it with Crisco, wrap it in plastic wrap, put it in a ziplock bag and stick it in the fridge. It's best to use it for decoration within a few days.

Garden Babies Update

2010-07-13T19:29:00.000-07:00

The days have flown since I planted all those seeds in the ground, and my garden babies are babies no more.

Take a look at the size of the baby cornstalks in this picture. Now take a look at them today:

Right now the corn stalks are all releasing their pollen from the top of the stalks:

It's a fine golden powder that must drift down and hit the cornsilk peeking out below:

Each strand of the cornsilk [I recently learned] must receive its own individual grain of pollen. The strand then connects to a potential corn kernel that will only form if its silk is properly pollenated.

Right now all the zinnias are flowering:

And gorgeous morning glories open and close every morning, hiding from the hot sun behind protective leaves:

And here's one more gratuitous picture.

Salted Caramel Rice Krispy Treats

2010-04-29T08:51:00.000-07:00

Is there anything better than homemade rice krispy treats?

I mean yes, probably there is. But not a lot of things. Rice krispy treats are so easy to make [you almost don't even have to cook] and soooo good. Like insultingly good. Like I can just sit there and eat a whole pan of them, ripping off pieces with my fingers and shoving them into my mouth.

Sadly, they seem to be a [dessert? snack? I say breakfast food] reserved only for kids. Whoever decided this clearly was not a nice person, not one that I'd like to know anyway. So in an effort to make a more adult-appropriate rice krispy treat, I came up with this Salted Caramel variety. The sprinkling of kosher salt really brings out the buttery flavor of the caramel and makes the perfect salty/sweet combination. I'm sure kids would love these too, just don't tell them about the salt, it might gross them out.

The caramel sauce I used was actually a dulce de leche spread made by La Paila. You could use any kind of caramel sauce you have [this would be a great way to use up extra caramel ice cream topping if you have it] or even melt caramel candies. Definitely buy the kosher salt for this, you have to buy a big box but it's only a few bucks and once you taste it you'll end up putting it on everything.

After making them I realized that if I wanted the salt to be visible I should have drizzled some extra caramel over the top, then sprinkled the salt. Oh well...next time...

[p.s. I made a full pan of these last night, and at 11 am the next morning there were only two left to take pictures of. They must be good.]

Salted Caramel Rice Krispy Treats

3 tbsp unsalted butter

10 oz regular marshmallows (1 small package)

6 cups rice krispies cereal

1/2 cup caramel sauce or melted caramels

1/2 to 3/4 tsp kosher salt

1. Spray or butter a 13"x9" pan.

2. In a large saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat and add caramel. Stir until mixed.

3. Add cereal to marshmallow mixture. Stir until cereal is evenly coated.

4. Dump cereal out into buttered pan. Using wax paper, press cereal mixture evenly down into the pan. If desired, drizzle extra caramel over top. Sprinkle kosher salt over cereal. Cool and cut into squares.

Garden Babies

2010-04-14T16:11:00.000-07:00

So this isn't a craft. But I still have to post it.

A few weeks ago my oh-so-nice boyfriend let me plant a garden in part of his landscaping [he even helped me!]. I cannot tell you how long I have pined after just a little dirt to dig in. With a string of shady second story apartments in my LA past [shady re: the sun, not management, except for one in Chinatown], I've never lived anywhere I was allowed access to the ground. After the the deaths of multiple tomato plants on various hostile patios, I will never take it for granted again.

So I ravaged the seed rack at Lowe's and planted corn, sunflowers, watermelon, zinnias, and morning glories. They're protected by a border of pest-repelling marigolds that just happen to be blooming in USC's colors, a non-coincidence that I casually pointed out to my boyfriend [brilliant huh?? bringing sports into gardening!]. I also stuck a strawberry plant in there, but I've never grown strawberries before and the little green berries are already getting chewed up by bugs, so I'm not sure how that will end up [any tips??]

This past week all the little baby seedlings having started sprouting, and I literally want to just sit in a chair and stare at them, they are that cute. I'm most excited about the corn babies because they just like miniature cornstalks. I daydream of one day picking corn and taking it straight to the grill [ideally in an adorable gingham-lined basket]. Probably a little too optimistic, but I can dream, can't I?

fox&hootie featured in national magazine!

2010-03-10T10:21:00.000-08:00

I'm very excited to announce that my fox&hootie Tomboy Unicorn Baby Quilt No. 24 was featured in the March issue of "Pregnancy and Newborn" magazine, on newsstands now!! They found my quilts on Etsy and loved them so much that they asked for a sample to photograph for consideration of inclusion in their March magazine. I happily obliged, but didn't know until two days ago that my quilt made it in. Check out the cover and page below:

And here's the quilt on Etsy:

I better make more!!

Laptop Bag

2010-02-08T09:39:00.000-08:00

If you've ever gone shopping for a laptop bag, chances are you've found yourself in an aisle at Staples, staring at a wall of black nylon illuminated by bad flourecsent lighting. Why do 98% of laptop bags have to be black?? They're dark and boring and you can't see anything once you put it inside.

So what are you supposed to do if you want a cute computer bag? Make one, I guess. This was a Christmas gift for my mom this year. The outside is made from Echino laminated cotton/linen, and the inside is lined with another Echino print from the same collection. I love the big scale tiger on the inside, smiling craftily over his shoulder.

I used some batting (thank you quilting scraps) to make the bag soft and padded, and a big red button keeps the top flap of the bag closed.

A little tip for any laptop bag makers out there - I had the dimensions of the computer but wasn't quite sure how big to cut the fabric, so I just made it 2" bigger all around. When it was all finished it was just barely too small for the computer to fit. That's right, this custom made bag doesn't actually fit the computer it was intended for. Let's not talk about that too much. The good news is that my mom had another computer that did fit, so all was not lost. But the next time I make a laptop bag I'll be older and wiser and I'll (hopefully) make it the right size.