Sunday, December 27, 2009

First Poppet Doll


First Poppet Doll
Originally uploaded by carmenkchan19

After receiving a few poppets from Craftster, I decided to make my first one for MommyTheMaid on Craftster for the 12 day Christmas swap. I definitely have to say that the poppet was a lot easier to than I had thought.

The parts that I had the most difficult with was the hair and the dress. I didn't know how the hair hung so I just cut a random length. I gave her a haircut after I got it on the doll. The dress took a couple of times. For some reason, the dress took me a couple of times, but I ultimately got it right.

Overall, I really liked how it turned out. I'm definitely going to have to try it again. :)

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Pumpkin Chocolate and Pecan Cookies


Pumpkin Spice Cookies With Chocolate 
and Pecans
Originally uploaded by carmenkchan19

This past Monday I attended a cookie exchange party at work. It was the first time I ever done one of these events before. It was a ton of fun. I wanted to make something unique and new. I also wanted something that would look nice.
I got this cookie recipe from bakerella.com. I sort of modified it a bit because I didn't have canned pumpkin, but instead I had canned pumpkin pie ready mix. It turned out pretty well. I just didn't use the spices that were listed in the recipe.
The frosting came out a bit different. I didn't heat the butter up over the stove because it was getting late. Instead, I melted it in the microwave. The frosting turned out pretty drippy, but it still solidified by the time morning rolled around.
The party overall was fun. I do have to say that I thought my cookies were one of the better ones. :)

Monday, December 14, 2009

Monkey Bread


Monkey Bread - Baked
Originally uploaded by carmenkchan19

I've never heard about Monkey Bread till last week. Andy and I were talking to a co-worker last week and he was talking about this delicious gooey bread because he talked about having just bread for lunch.  He mentioned some ingredients and it sounded delicious so I asked him for the recipe.  He was able to get me the recipe that afternoon.  Andy and I went out after work to get everything that was needed and I made it for work the next day.

Recipe:
20 frozen rolls
1 small package of 'cook and serve' butterscotch pudding
1 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup of chopped pecans
1/2 cup of butter
Bundt pan

1. Grease pan well
2. Put pecans in the bottom of pan
3. Put frozen dough balls in next, spread as even as possible
4. Mix pudding, brown sugar, and cinnamon together.  Sprinkle mixture into mold.
5. Melt pudding and pour over rolls and mixture.
6. Leave it out over night
7. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. 

Enjoy!

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Lemon Wreath Cookies for Holiday Parties

Last night I did some baking for work.  Andy needed to bring some stuff for a potluck and I needed to bring a dessert for my lunch party.

Instead of making my usual rice krispies or chocolate chip cookies, I decided to try something new.  I had saw the Lemon Wreath Cookies in the Martha Stewart Living Magazine.  I really enjoy this magazine as there are a lot of good decorating ideas and interesting recipes to look through.  Most likely, I will not be making all these good foods in them, but it definitely gets the brain going on what ingredients to add when cooking.

According to the recipe, I was suppose to make 6 dozen.  I only ended up with half that amount.  I may have made each cookie a bit on the big side compared to what they had in the pictures.  I think next time I will have to use a smaller amount of dough for each cookie.


Each cookie puffed up pretty well.  I think my technique will get better with practice.  I think i will definitely have to save this recipe to my collection.  :)



 I think the best part about this recipe was the frosting.  It was delicious - Lemon and Confection Sugar!  I think overall the cookie looked great, even without the white sprinkles.

Monday, December 7, 2009

Strictly Tucson Phooson & On the Road To The North Pole



On Friday (December 4th), Andy and I attended Stricly Tucson Phooson, hosted by local radio DJs Johnjay & Rich.  There were four acts: Jason Derulo, Orianthe, Justing Bieber, and 3Oh3.  Overall, the concert was great.  I really enjoyed the variety of music there was and the venue it was in.  Unlike Phooson in Phoenix, the Rialto theater made the concert seem more personal.  Also, I was freezing my butt off either.  My only complaint about the concert was the young girls screaming for Justin Bieber, but I guess I really can't complain too much because I was 10 once.  :)  JohnJay and Rich held another great concert and it was all for a great cause - JohnJay and Rich Christmas Wish



On Saturday, we went to the local Gaslight Theatre and saw their winter show On the Road to the North Pole.  The show was spectacular.  I always enjoy the productions they put on at the Gaslight Theatre, but I really enjoyed this one especially because of the Christmas theme.  :)  Aside from the great Christmas numbers, they also had other entertaining tunes.  I also really enjoyed the 2nd musical act dedicated to Happy Days.  If you haven't been to Gaslight before, I really suggest to check it out!

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Holiday Adventures

With the holidays coming up and a couple of office events, I've had more push to try a couple of new things.

First, I got a mini muffin maker from my mother-in-law. I'm actually really excited to use this gadget. My first trial with this was with a pre-mixed mixture for chocolate chip muffins. They cooked fairly quickly, but it was hard to get them out of the machine. I ended up using a spoon and some of them broke as seen in the picture below.


The other thing I tried is cinnamon hard candy. I've made hard candy before but never with a candy thermometer. I definitely do have to say it's worth paying for one.


My candy came out consistent and did not turn into a gooey mess in the mouth. It also didn't taste like a mouth full of sugar like my first time.


As for crafts, I can't really show any at the moment. I just sent out the 2009 12 days of Christmas swap. I will post pictures as they get opened. :) I will start working on my quilting now that one of my last craftster swap is done.