friday fuzzies

[fri'dā fuz'ēz] n. handmade finds of pure cuteness to make fridays even better

every friday i will share with you something or things that i found which meet the following criteria:
1. it's cute
2. it's handmade
and most of all,
3. i covet it

it's my birthday weekend!  all of these things are on my "must have" list and if all works out i might even get to buy a couple of them with some gift money!!!  or in the *unlikely* case that you might not have bought a present for me yet, any of these will do!!! ;)

kitty cat love necklace by pzcreations22... it's purple (my favourite color) and has kitties and a fishbone and a mouse!  oh so cute!!!

take me home zipper pouch from kukubee...  because i AM the crazy cat lady! ;)

i have one of ruth's "quentin quail" necklaces that i won in a contest of hers.  i think i need a matching perched silver bird ring by BirdlandCreations

Newman Peterson by talkproof...  because he's just pure cuteness!!!

and last but definitely not least, nightmare starfish necklace by beatblack...  it's so tim burton-esque, i am in love!

one word wednesday

this fuzzy little baby robin hadn't gotten the hang of flying yet and was sitting in the middle of a street when i was out walking on sunday.  i prodded it with my feet to a nearby lawn and hopefully that kept it safe til it got its wings!  now let's all say that one word as we look at the photo: awwwwwww! =)

graham crackers and marshmallows and chocolate, oh my!

i think i may have stated before that i'm not a fan of chocolate cake.  it always seems to be too dry and tastes fake to me.  couple that with every s'mores cupcake recipe that i have come across has chocolate cake based cupcakes.  that began my quest to make my own recipe for s'mores cupcakes that was graham cracker cake based instead...  i literally put together the best parts of 5 different recipes (some s'mores, some not) to come up with this one, and i have never made a cake that wasn't from a box mix that was this incredibly moist - trust me, you will want to eat this cake batter before baking it!  it is a bit of work to get to the finished product, but i *swear* it is worth every bit of your sweat and time to make them.  so party at my house this weekend if you want one!

two last things before i get to this recipe... adorning my s'mores cupcake is one of my new skully love cupcake wrappers which will be in my etsy shop later today.  isn't it cute?!!!  and i have to give a BIG thanks to sue, pili and rhi for their assistance with creating it!  you'll each be getting a set! =)

yes, i know you probably want to lick the screen right about now.  so here it is!

deb's birthday cupcakes, aka graham cracker s'mores cupcakes

5 c. graham cracker crumbs, divided (3 cups, 1-1/2 cups, 1/2 cup)
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
3 eggs, separated
1-1/2 c. milk
3/4 c. shortening
1-3/4 c. sugar, divided (1-1/2 cups, 1/4 cup)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
bag regular sized marshmallows
milk chocolate frosting (see recipe below)
a couple of hershey bars broken into the little rectangles for garnish
mini marshmallows for garnish
foil lined baking cups for best results

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  turn graham crackers into crumbs using a food processor or blender.  empty contents into large bowl.  repeat until you have 5 cups.  in another large bowl mix together 3 cups of graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt.
2. put egg yolks, milk, shortening, sugar and vanilla into a blender.  cover and process until smooth.  add to graham cracker mixture and mix well.
3. beat egg whites with mixer until stiff.  fold into cracker mixture.
4. place 1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar, and melted butter in a large bowl; stir until well combined.
5. place 1 tablespoon graham cracker mixture into the bottom of each baking cup.  use the bottom of a small glass (a shot glass works really well, lol!) to pack crumbs into the bottom of each liner.  transfer baking cups to oven and bake until the edges are golden, about 5 minutes.
6. fill baking cups about 3/4 full with cake batter.  bake 18 minutes.
7. while cupcakes are baking, flatten as many marshmallows as you have cupcakes with your fingers.  slide oven shelf out far enough to reach without burning yourself.  place one flattened marshmallow on top of each cupcake.  slide cupcakes back in and bake for 4 minutes more.  side note: marshmallows will lose their puffiness once you remove them from the oven and look like a flat icing on the cupcake.
8. let cool completely.  if you would like more marshmallow taste like i do, flatten another marshmallow per cupcake and put under the broiler for about a minute.  this will toast them nicely (see photo below).  just make sure to keep an eye on them so they don't burn!
9. frost cupcakes with milk chocolate frosting.  sprinkle with remaining graham cracker crumbs on top.  garnish with a hershey bar piece and mini marshmallow.

makes at least 2 dozen cupcakes.  ENJOY!!!! =)

toasted marshmallow photo:

milk chocolate frosting

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
2/3 cup hershey's cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 to 1/2 cup half and half (the hershey's recipe calls for milk but i think half and half makes it taste way better)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. melt butter.  stir in cocoa.  alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency.  add small amount additional milk, if needed.  stir in vanilla.

makes about 2 cups frosting

♠ ♠ ♠

download a printable copy of this recipe at...
http://www.oncupcakemoon.com/recipes/grahamcrackersmorescupcakes.pdf

friday fuzzies

[fri'dā fuz'ēz] n. handmade finds of pure cuteness to make fridays even better

every friday i will share with you something or things that i found which meet the following criteria:
1. it's cute
2. it's handmade
and most of all,
3. i covet it

cupcakes!  CUPCAKES!!!  yes, that is the theme of this whole week actually.  i have some new products coming with this theme, been baking them, and in general i just have cupcakes on the brain.  so let's get started with today's picks...

when Concertina3 first posted this on her facebook page i was completely overwhelmed with its cuteness.  OMNOMNOM amigurumi cupcake might someday have to make an appearance in my niece's room!

i was obsessed with stamps when i would play in my grandpa's office as a kid.  however "received" and "paid" don't have anything on this cupcake with sprinkles hand carved rubber stamp by skullandcrossbuns.  plus i love her shop name - how charming is that?!

i have to thank pili (check out her blog!) for pointing me to this shop.  collisionware has some great kitchenware and carryware, but this cupcake oven mitt is too too cute and a perfect reward for all the time i spend in my kitchen!

i couldn't mention cupcakes without picking one for my kitties.  they already have one of these adorable cat toys (the kitty pictured in the listing is my little austin!).  but since it's one of their favorite toys i have to give another shout out to craftycatlady for her sweet crocheted catnip cupcake. (oh, and read my blog post about her shop)

lastly since it *is* my birthday next week, i think i need this delightful cupcake cutie princess birthday crown by chicbabyrose to help me celebrate my day!  there will be freshly baked cupcakes at my house, so don't be late! =)

turtle girls unite!

a while ago i spent some time trying to create some of my little characters in polymer clay and i learned i am severely challenged in the 3 dimensional arts.  i don't know if practice will one day (ever) make perfect, haha, so in my quest to create my beloved turtles in 3-D, i enlisted the custom services of a favorite etsy shop, michellesclaybeads.  her style is very similar to my drawing style so she was the perfect person to help me make this a reality.  here's my design, and what she made for me:

i truly could not be more pleased with the job that she did on them!!!! =)  they are PERFECT!!!!  so now you ask why did i have her create them?  well, first of all they are an *exclusive design* made just for me!  if you purchase a minimum of $30 of my turtle girl design (can be any or a mix of lined or custom invitations, labels, and cupcake wrappers) you get to pick a turtle bead of your choice for your little (or big) turtle girl.

above is a sampling of some of the other beads of hers that i have purchased. all of them are incredibly cute, and when you see the actual size of them (they are very petite little things) they become even cuter!  they are very well made and she ships SO fast.  my experience with her and her shop has been nothing short of outstanding.  michelle lists new beads/items every so often, so make sure to heart her shop to make sure you'll get first dibs on her latest creations.

colorful and flavorful

ohhhhh nordstrom, how i miss thee!  i used to work a couple of blocks away from one of their stores and i quickly learned how wonderful their food was.  at least once a week i was at the cafe or espresso bar picking up my lunch.  one of my favorite items was their caprese sandwich on homemade focaccia bread which i tried to duplicate.  i wasn't very successful until one day i discovered that nordstrom had put out a cookbook.  the bread recipe was in there so it was a no-brainer on the purchase.  this bread is one recipe i barely change anything with, but i feel i've taken the sandwich insides to a new level.  this meal, whether you do it vegetarian or not, is extremely flavorful and satisfying.  and pretty to look at too.

rosemary & olive oil focaccia bread

2 pkg yeast
2 cups warm water (105-115° F)
1 tbs sugar
5-1/3 cups flour
2-1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
dried rosemary
black pepper

1. mix yeast in a small bowl or measuring cup with water, sugar and 2 tbs of flour.  let rise for 10 minutes.
2. in a large bowl, stir together 5 cups flour & 1-1/2 tsp salt.  make a well in the middle and add yeast.  begin kneading.
3. when dough is smooth and elastic, shape it back into a ball and put in a bowl with 1 tbs. olive oil .  turn ball once to coat.  cover bowl with a cloth and let rise about 45 minutes.  punch down with a fork and let rise for 35 minutes longer.
4. use 1 tbs oil (or olive oil flavored pam, works just as well) to grease a 11x15 baking sheet.  press and roll dough flat into the sheet.  cover with plastic wrap & let rise 15 minutes more.  while rising preheat the oven to 425° F.
5. remove plastic and poke dough with a fork to make a nice pattern.  brush top with remaining olive oil (to your taste).  sprinkle rosemary, salt & pepper across the top and then bake for 18-22 minutes or until top starts to gain a golden color.

bread recipe makes enough for about 8 sandwiches.

♠

cheese sandwich

deli pepperoni (optional)
fresh hand pulled mozzarella cheese, sliced
baby spinach
red onion, sliced
tomato, sliced
extra virgin olive oil
garlic powder
dried basil
salt & pepper

1. mix together olive oil, garlic powder, basil, salt & pepper.  i usually do about 2 tbs of olive oil for 4 sandwiches, with about 2 tsp each of the garlic powder & basil.  salt & pepper is to taste.
2. lightly brush olive oil mixture on top and bottom of bread.
3. layer the sandwich with pepperoni, cheese, onion, baby spinach and tomato.

enjoy! =)

♠ ♠ ♠

download a printable copy of this recipe at...
http://www.oncupcakemoon.com/recipes/focacciacheesesandwich.pdf

friday fuzzies

[fri'dā fuz'ēz] n. handmade finds of pure cuteness to make fridays even better

every friday i will share with you something or things that i found which meet the following criteria:
1. it's cute
2. it's handmade
and most of all,
3. i covet it

i'm late, i'm late!  i normally get these done first thing in the morning but i was printing an order from my new etsy shop and was trying to get it done before the mail carrier got here.  since my order was for my monkey pirate design, me thinks me's pickin' pirates as the theme fer today.

if you don't know by now, i love rocky.  and i love a pirate theme.  this pirate tote bag by rockythezombie is a match made in heaven to carry all my treasures.

i could wear this black and white skulls underbust vest by annaladymoon.   maybe then people would take my pirate speak more seriously...  or maybe not.  either way my closet would be proud to have this in it.

or maybe a cute mini wicked skully necklace by LORiOLA would do the trick.  i love this smaller lampwork skully of hers, and the lock and key toggle makes this necklace even better.






















i believe this mini pirate mushroom print would be perfect in my kitchen.  it's by myzoetrope.  if ye don't likes me grub, ye be walkin' the plank!

but i'm thinking maybe my best bet is to get a pet to join in on my pirate adventure.  i'd have to recruit my parents' pooch to wear this pirate dog bandana by vedesigns.  oh brown dog, where are you??!

one for the boys

one of the custom design orders i received last year was for an invitation for two boys graduating - one from middle school and one from high school.  both were very active in sports at their respective schools so my customer asked for me to use the school mascots as well as incorporate the actual sports that the boys played.  a challenge to say the least - and how do i not make this one "cute" since it is for two boys?!  after spending a lot of time trying to use the traditional sporting equipment icons for football and baseball and having very little success with a design that worked, i came up with the idea to make framed jerseys for each boy and put the mascot in between.

my customer loved it and i'm very happy with how all it turned out because i feel it's still "me" (my drawing style) but definitely very boy.  i also just received another order for this invitation so i'll be working on that today.  with graduations on the horizon and this being a prime time to order your invitations, find this truly personalized design with the option of your school mascot & jerseys on my website at http://www.oncupcakemoon.com/item.asp?i=26001

friday fuzzies

[fri'dā fuz'ēz] n. handmade finds of pure cuteness to make fridays even better

every friday i will share with you something or things that i found which meet the following criteria:
1. it's cute
2. it's handmade
and most of all,
3. i covet it

this week's inspiration for my picks is a photo i took recently which reminded me of the red queen's garden.  it's now the wallpaper on both my laptop and my phone...

















♥ ♥ ♥

i love the red queen character in "alice in wonderland" and therefore i declare it is queen of hearts day.  maybe i'll celebrate it further by making a tart recipe for posting next week but in the meantime please check out my friday finds.

i would lurves to own this queen of hearts corset by smarmyclothes.  the sass that helena bonham-carter brought to the big screen comes through in this edgy design.

to keep my sexy corset clean while baking tarts i think i'd have to wear this red & black betty boop apron by dotsdiner.  the touch of the skulls on the bottom ruffle makes me covet this even more.

i don't think i could ever rest my head on this queen of hearts deluxe pillow by mymimi.  she'd have to have a place of honor to match her royal cuteness.

i would add whimsy to my outfits with this adorable red queen necklace by chickitout.  the detail she achieves in her tiny polymer clay creations astounds me!

and of course i'd have to get me some fabulous fan art for my wall...  sandragrafik did an utterly *amazing* job of capturing the red queen's character in her queen of hearts alice in wonderland print.

feliz cinco de mayo!

did you know that "cinco de mayo" is not mexico's independence celebration - september 16th is.  may 5th marks the battle of puebla and the mexican army's defeat of a much larger and better-equipped french army attempting to conquer its weakened government.  even though today is not what many people think it is, isn't this minor mexican holiday still a great reason to make some recipes from rick bayless' cookbook and down a couple of margaritas? =)

♠ ♠ ♠

i received a custom order last fall for a unique theme - a mexican jumping bean for a child's second birthday.  this was a bit of a challenge as i didn't really know where to begin with it.  it took me about 5 versions, both horizontal and vertical before i got to the final design.  i am very happy with how it turned out, and my customer really loved it too.  i even created matching jumping bean address labels with the middle bean. (more design info can be found at http://www.oncupcakemoon.com/item.asp?i=2009)























i think this design works very well for anyone wanting to celebrate any of the mexican holidays, or anyone who wants a cute and different theme for a birthday party.  so now go get your maracas, put on your sombrero, and let's fiesta! olé!

quick, easy, cheap and healthy

so i've gotten a couple of comments lately on how reading my blog recipes might possibly make people gain weight...  i sincerely don't want to cause anyone scale anxiety, so i'm not doing a dessert this week.  this recipe is not a true risotto, but i don't know what else to call this concoction.  it is very tasty, easy and fast to make, and pretty good for you.  if it doesn't get fully consumed at dinner, it makes great leftovers.  and it looks really yummy in my photo too.

chicken and vegetable "risotto"

1 tbs. olive oil
1 whole chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces
1 can (14 oz.) chicken broth
1-1/2 cups instant white rice, uncooked
2 chicken bouillion cubes (optional)
4 cups baby spinach leaves, chopped or torn
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 small onion, diced
salt and pepper to taste

1. heat oil in large skillet (i find a wok pan to work well too) on medium.  add chicken.  cook 7-10 minutes stirring frequently.
2. add rice, spinach, onion and broth (and bouillion if desired).  mix well.  bring to a boil.  reduce heat to low.  cover and simmer about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. add salt and pepper, and toss in the tomatoes.

makes about 4 servings.  serving suggestion: serve with italian bread.  enjoy! =)

♠ ♠ ♠

download a printable copy of this recipe at...
http://www.oncupcakemoon.com/recipes/chickenandveggierisotto.pdf