New car!

Rosemary has been retired. Well, she's been passed on to the Toad who gets his permit in December.  I've named her Dinah and she is beautiful and fabulous and I love her. :)

Pumpkin patch time

We went with Jess and her kids.... didn't buy pumpkins, but I nearly adopted a goat. Eh... soon. Soon.

 

 

 

Beignets!

Ingredients:

2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

1/2 cupwhite sugar

1 teaspoonsalt

2 eggs

1 cupevaporated milk

7 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cupshortening

1 quart vegetable oil for frying

1/4 cup confectioners' sugar


Directions

1.In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add sugar, salt, eggs, evaporated milk, and blend well. Mix in 4 cups of the flour and beat until smooth. Add the shortening, and then the remaining 3 cups of flour. Cover and chill for up to 24 hours.
2.Roll out dough 1/8 inch thick. Cut into 2 1/2 inch squares. Fry in 360 degree F (180 degrees C) hot oil. If beignets do not pop up, oil is not hot enough. Drain onto paper towels.
3.Shake confectioners' sugar on hot beignets. Serve warm.

Watching oil temp to make sure they pop

All fluffy

Sugar added

As always, Toad tested and approved. In fact he ate half of them. :)

Apricot Cream Cheese Danish

 Step one: Pre heat oven to 375. Take one package of seamless pastry, roll it flat. Use a piece of parchment paper between the pastry and the cookie sheet.

Step two: Cut cream cheese and lay it out across the middle of the pastry.

Step three: (Optional) Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar

Step four: Put preserves on top of cream cheese. 

Step five: Fold into thirds over topping, pinch ends together and flip over onto seam side.

Step six: Brush top with beaten egg to make it golden.

Step seven: Cut slits in top, put in oven.

Step eight: Yummy!

First attempt at Collage Couture

I need to work on designs, but for a first try it didn't come out too bad. I need paint pens for the shoes and hair though.

Note, use double sided paper or be more aware of which direction the patterns are when cutting out. I accidentally cut the first couple backwards, because I traced my pattern onto the back of the paper, I had turned the pattern piece upside down. Not a huge deal, but sort of a pain when I went to start putting it together. So, label your pattern pieces to avoid having to re cut anything.

Pretty bobbie pins

 

When you have curly hair, you go through bobbie pins like crazy. I like mine pretty and thought I would pass along how I make them so.

Piece of cardstock and some nail polish, once they are dry you are all done. :)

Demon book (WIP)

Steps three and four: Black paint, then a rub of blond bronze. The drying time is what kills me. I am way too impatient to wait for paint to dry.

Dia de los Muertos skulls

Work in progress.... I took a dollar store skull and have begun painting it.

Demon book (WIP)

Just getting started on a demon book. I love halloween.

Step one: Glue parts down to book.

 

 

 

Step two: cover with tissue