Tuesday, October 23, 2012

halloween treats: "bloody band-aids"


Halloween is right around the corner! Do you have any favorite Halloween themed treats you plan on making? I thought I would make some “bloody” band-aids using a homemade strawberry glaze. These band-aid treats are great for kids and adults alike. Plus, they are super easy and fast to make. They are guaranteed to give everyone a fright!

What you will need:
Cinnamon graham crackers
White frosting
2 lbs of California Giant strawberries
½ cup of sugar
2/3 cup of water
1-tablespoon cornstarch
Red food coloring (to deepen color of the “blood”)

Prepare your band-aids by breaking graham crackers into band-aid shaped strips. Use a knife to spread white frosting in the shape of a square on graham cracker. 

Prepare the “blood” by combining strawberries (with stems removed), water and sugar in a saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to low, and cook mixture for up to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. As the strawberries soften, use a wood spoon to break them into pieces in the saucepan. Remove from heat and use a strainer to separate the liquid from the solid strawberries, return liquid to low heat. 

Meanwhile, whisk cornstarch with 3 tablespoons or water in a bowl. Then pour into the simmering pan of strawberry juice. Increase heat to high and whisk mixture until it thickens into a glaze (3-5 minutes). Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature before putting in refrigerator. 

Once chilled, add 20 drops of red food coloring to mixture. Then use a spoon to dab the blood on the band-aid. I had quite a bit of strawberry glaze leftover, so I poured it into skull vases as blood. Muah-ah-ah-ah (that was suppose to be a scary laugh). 








Monday, October 15, 2012

new beginnings

My twin brother, Michael, proposed to his gorgeous girlfriend, Molly, on Sunday. Michael is a farmer and proposed to Molly in one of his cotton fields. How beautiful is that backdrop? I was lucky enought to spend the day with the couple and photograph the spot where Michael proposed. I'm so excited to welcome Molly to our family. Can't you just picture how adorable their children will be?! 






Wednesday, October 3, 2012

pink ombre cake

Life is all about trial and error, right? Well, when I found this recipe (found here) for a pink ombre cake, I thought I could bake it in a pinch. (By the way, this is the first cake I have ever baked.)

Fast forward a few hours into the cake baking process and I was about to throw the cake away.I was so frustrated because the cake was not looking anything like the picture. But instead I called my friend, Dionna, and she came over and helped save my cake from the garbage.

Here are a few things I learned on how not to bake a cake:
1.     Always level the top of the baked cake before stacking
2.     Allow your cake to cool completely before taking it out of the baking dish
3.     Make sure you are using room temperature butter when making homemade frosting 
4.     Always make sure your cake is completely baked before taking it out of the oven. Or it will "fall". Trust me

We were able to save the said cake. It might not have turned out exactly like the picture, but I loved the outcome. And it’s the perfect cake to bake in October in honor of breast cancer awareness month. 




Not so pretty to begin with...

My messy kitchen. And yes, I cheated and used boxed cake mix.

Obsessed with this "bubblegum" colored frosting.


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