Carrot Cake

Cook, Crafter and Wonderer's  Famous Carrot Cake

If there is one cake I'm very proud of, it would be my carrot cake. I like the fact that I can say it is low in fat, that it is delicious and that it is a household favorite. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Carrot Cake Ingredients

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
3 eggs or equivalent egg substitute
3/4 cup milk and vinegar mixture ( to 1 cup of milk- any type- add 2 tbsp vinegar and let sit for 5 minutes)
2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup applesauce
1 cup shredded coconut ( I use unsweetened)
1/2 cup chopped or crushed pecans
1/2 cup chopped or crushed walnuts
1 cup raisins
1 8oz can of crushed pineapple with juice
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour cake pans or if using  a cupcake mold place paper liners.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together flours, rising agents, salt and spices. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine eggs, milk mixture, applesauce, sugar and vanilla. Mix well.
4. In a medium bowl, combine shredded carrots, coconut, nuts, pineapple and raisins.
5. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix well until completely incorporated using a large spoon or spatula.  Add carrot mixture to batter and fold in well.
6. Pour into prepared pans, and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 20-25 minutes.  This cooking time is for 3 8-inch pans, if baking on a square pan or bigger diameter, adjust baking times accordingly. I would suggest you check  your cake in the center with a toothpick for doneness (if it comes out clean, it's done). If baking cupcakes, you can use an ice cream scoop to put the batter into liners and bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
7. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before transferring to wire rack to be completely cooled. 
8. Once completely cooled, frost cakes with cream cheese frosting ( recipe below). You can add chopped nuts on side for added decoration.
9. Enjoy! 

Cream cheese frosting 

Ingredients:

1 package of room temperature cream cheese ( Neufchatel cheese can be used)
1 stick of butter at room temperature
1/4 tsp salt
4 cups confectioner's sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
2-3 tbsp milk ( fat free half and half works as well)

Directions:

1. On a stand mixer, cream butter and cream cheese for 5 minutes at high speed until mixture turn paddle and if very fluffy. 
2. Lower speed and as salt and flavorings until incorporated.
3. On low speed, slowly add sugar to mixture. Once combined add milk for desired consistency. The less amount of milk, the thicker the frosting.

Hot Air Balloon Mobile

I have a wonderful friend who is expecting and while visiting her she showed me these beautiful glass balloons she had purchased for her baby's room. It gave me a wonderful idea, to make her a handmade gift that would incorporate her balloon theme. I had seen some balloon mobiles on Etsy and Pinterest and thought to myself that  I could make one.

Here's what you'll need to make one:

1. Felt in different colors (I ended up using about 1/4-1/2 yard of each color)
2. Embroidery thread ( I used white and brown)
3. Embroidery ring
4. A book ring
5. Glue gun and glue sticks
6. Balloon pattern
7. Pen
8. Scissors
9. Cotton filler
10. Embroidery needle
11. White acrylic glue
12. Paintbrush

The first step in making the mobile was to find a balloon pattern online, I just performed a Google Search and printed the balloon I liked the most. Once that was done, I cut out the pattern and traced it on the felt. Each balloon had 4 sides, I needed a total of 24 balloon cutouts, but you can modify to who many balloons you'll need.

Once the patterns were traced and cut, my next step was to work on the balloon baskets. For the baskets, I ended up cutting strips of brown felt and creating a weaved pattern of 4 strips height-wise and 12 small strips lengthwise. Each strip was about 1/2 inch. Once I had the weave completed, I glued everything down. I was able to fold the weave in half, (height-wise) and end with a 2 x 12 strip. I then started cutting my assembly down to 2 x 2 pieces and gluing approximately 3 inches of brown embroidery thread on each side. Below is a picture of the finished product.

For the balloons themselves I started by gluing two sides together as shown below.

That was followed by adding glue to the second side of the balloon and placing one of the strings of the embroidery thread on the glue (picture below).

I repeated both of the previous gluing steps and this is the finished product.

All the clouds I cut freehand, I made sure to fold my felt in half so each time I made a cloud I ended with two identical copies. If cutting the clouds freehand seems a little too daunting of a task, you can always search online for a cloud pattern or template and use that as a guide.

Instead of gluing the clouds together as I did for the balloons, I used the embroidery thread and needle to stitch them together. Before going all the way around on the stitching, I used cotton filler to fill the clouds and give them a 3D effect.

The embroidery ring was a plain wood once, I ended buying an 8 inch but looking back I could have used a smaller one. Since I didn't want the wood to show I painted the ring white using some acrylic paint and a paintbrush.

Once the ring was dried assembly time came. I used the glue to place clouds all around the outside loop of the embroidery ring, making it seem like the balloons were reaching the sky.

Using my white embroidery thread and needle, I "sowed" a knot on the top of each balloon and added different lengths of thread in order to create my balloon heights. I I also added some thread to plain clouds to help me fill any gaps between balloons.

To complete the assembly, I tied 5 long strings of embroidery thread to the inner loop of the embroidery ring. 

I had all the strings tied to a book ring that can be used to mount the finished product.

I also tied the balloons and clouds that were connected to embroidery thread to that inner ring before placing the outer ring and tightening. That way no thread knots can be seen from the outside and it keeps the mobile able to be adjusted without affecting the outer look.

Here's another picture of the finished product:

Mother's Day Flower Bouquet Card

I figured it would be a good idea to share one of my Mother's Day card ideas with all of you. I got the inspiration from a post I saw on Pinterest. Although that was an amazing card, I couldn't  really find detailed instructions on how to make it, aside from the picture  so I figured I would make it my own and write a blog about it, giving it my own personal spin.

Here's what you'll need:
Plain cardstock (for flowers)
Ribbon
Patterned cardstock (2 different styles will work best)
A plain cardstock card or you can do like I did and make your own
A personal cutter (scissors and a steady hand can work as well)
Scissors
Paper doily (smallest size you can find)
Twine
Double-sided tape
Craft glue (I've tried several, but my personal favorite is Scotch's Scrapbooker Glue)

Here's what to do:

First place your card right side up on top of  a flat surface. I love working on top on my cutting mat. It provides a dark background and measurements at the same time. My card measured about 6 inches by 4 inches. You can always customize to your needs.

I chose this really pretty patterned paper to form the edges of my card. You can't really tell, but it's textured, adding another layer of detail to the card.

 I used my personal cutter to cut 2 strips of about 6 inches by 1.5 of the patterned paper.

Using my double-sided tape, I started attaching the patterned paper to my card. I used a small piece of tape to fastened the corner, and then created pleats as I worked until the other end was reached. I made sure to place tape underneath all the pleats, to fasten the entire piece of paper. You can use glue, but it will take longer to set.

           

Next came the paper doily. This was the smallest I found at the store. I just folded the bottom third inwards and then created a cone as you can see (I apologize for the graininess of the second picture).

 

I then cut three pieces of ribbon and attached them to my card, making sure the bottom edges were tucked into the pleats. I then added a strip of pattered paper that I had cut about half an inch wide and using the same pleating technique attached at about 1/3 of the way down from the top of the ribbon.

I then attached my cone, which was slightly bigger than I anticipated and ended tucking behind the bottom pleated paper. 

For the flowers, you can do several things, you can go the easy way and add flower stickers which will look just fine. You can also use your die cutter and cut flower patterns and paste them (I tried, but my flowers came out a little too big, I was tired and didn't want to set the cutter up again. Or for a more rustic feeling, you can cut a mismatched circle out of cardboard and then cut the circle into a very long string. Folding the string on itself, will yield the flowers you see below. I should have added the pictures of making the flowers, but I forgot.

Using a little bit of twine, or even very fine ribbon, adding a little bow at the bottom of your "bouquet" is a nice little accent. I fastened  a strip of  the twine with tape to go across the bouquet and secured it with tape to the back of the doily. For the little bow, I made it first and then just glued it to the top of the string of twine.

I hope you liked my little card. Please let me know in the comments if you try it and how it came out.

Date Honey

We're starting the Daniel Fast in my household this week. I confess to being slightly addicted (my husband will say completely) to sweets, as you'll find out with the progression of this blog. The lack of sugar confections in my diet will be my greatest sacrifice for the next 3 weeks.

Since the use of sweeteners is not part of the Daniel Fast (even Stevia is out) I had to find out if there was anything I could use instead. There's nothing worse than bland oatmeal in my opinion. I did my research and found various mentions of dates as a source of natural sugar during the fast, and some people even making honey/spread from them. In my search I found this amazing blog called Ultimate Daniel Fast where there's a recipe for date honey as well as a good amount of Daniel fast recipes for those interested.

So without further ado, here's my recipe for Date Honey

Ingredients:

1. 10 onz package of pitted Dates (I got Medjool dates at the supermarket)
2. 3+1 cup water

Directions:

Place the dates in a medium saucepan and cover with water. In my case it took about 3 cups to cover them completely.

Cook on medium-low heat for 40-50 minutes. The water will evaporate and the dates will look very plump as shown in the picture below.

Place dates in a high power blender (I used my Magic Bullet since I don't have a Vitamix) and blend. If the mixture becomes too thick, add hot water as necessary. I ended up having to add about 1 cup of hot water since I worked in batches.

Place date honey in a glass jar and store in the refrigerator. The date honey can last  up to 3 weeks in the fridge. 

I hope this was helpful, even for those who are looking for a more natural sweetener and not necessarily following the Daniel Fast.

Springtime Wreath

Springtime Wreath

I had been meaning to make or buy something for my front door, to update the look from what we had during Valentine's to a Springtime or Easter decor. I was out shopping when I saw a wreath with Easter eggs all around and said to myself, "I can make something like this for half the price!" 

Thus the creation of this wreath happened.

Here's a list of the materials I used to create the wreath:

1. Glue gun and glue sticks
2. Ribbon- different colors gives it a unique look. I did use a wider ribbon for the main loop and bow.
3. Chipboard letters- I was really fortunate and found a SPRING door hanger at Target for a couple of dollars. I just disassembled it. I was able to save time painting the letters, but had to live with a couple of extra holes on some of the letters. 
4. A fake flower branch. Pretty much anything that's not really bulky and will help fill the gaps.
5. Small Easter eggs. I got mine for a dollar at the Dollar Store. They are foam, but plastic will work as well.
6. A bunny ornament or any other focus ornament. My bunny was on sale at Joann's.
7. Floral wire and shears.
8. Branch wreath. Using a foam wreath won't really work on this project.

I started by placing the bunny first on one of the sides of the wreath and securing it with a loop of floral wire.

I love the look of my burlap bunny

I then laid the wreath down and placed all the letters on top, making sure my spacing was right before using floral wire to secure each to my wreath.

                        

                    I added a branch because I wanted to see how the colors were working together

Once all the letters were secured, I started adding the eggs by gluing them unto the wreath. I left a significant gap on the top of the wreath for the ribbon loop. I did place a trio of eggs on either side to fill the space. I then filled some areas of the wreath with sporadic eggs, making sure I did not use the same patterned egg consecutively  Once all the eggs were placed, I moved unto the flower branches making sure I placed enough on the inside as well as the outside circumference of the wreath.

With the different types of ribbon I formed a couple of bows which I glued throughout the wreath, adding another splash of color to the finished product. For the loop, I simply cut a long enough piece of ribbon, looped it on the wreath and tied it together. Once the loop was complete, I moved the tied part to the back and with some hot glue secured the ribbon to the wreath. I finished the wreath by adding a finished bow to the front part of the loop.

I'm so happy with the finished product. In the end, with a couple of basic crafting tools, some creativity and springtime craft decorations I was able to create something pretty adorable for about 10 dollars.