friday fuzzies: saturday edition

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

yesterday i was a little too distracted and forgot about my picks til late...  then i couldn't come up with a theme so i decided i'd do them today instead.  this special saturday edition's theme is owls, another halloween icon.  in fact, i think i'm going to do halloween centered themes every week between now and then because it's by far my favourite holiday of them all.

first up we have a shop with some of the cutest birds ever.  this wise grey owl hoot in dusky greys from feltmeupdesigns is the most adorable of her owls, in my opinion.

time flies series 1 vintage brass finish owl by RingRingRing...  i love its big eyes and little clock tummy!

halloween owl banner by aprilfoss...  cute plushy owls to help decorate your home for halloween!

pumpkin owl wristlet by queenbee55...  it works for both autumn and halloween!

owl and tree silhouette pillow by YellowBugBoutique...  a perfect owl-themed throw pillow for the season!

glazed muffnuts

back in july i read this recipe on smarmyclothes' blog for something called "cinnamon sugar muffnuts".   now what the heck is a muffnut, you ask?  well, they're a cross between a muffin and a donut.  they're also healthier than a donut and are made in muffin form.  i HAD to try it immediately BUT... had the word "donut" not been thrown in there i would have been 100% satisfied with the recipe as it was (they really are quite good!).  what the recipe actually made and what i was expecting (or maybe i should really say wanting) were two different things.  i wanted something more towards the taste of a glazed donut because donuts are my BIGGEST weakness.

after making this recipe about 5 times and tweaking a little something each time, i finally came up with my own version of this.  it now totally satisfies the homer simpson in me - mmmmmm... muffnuts!

glazed muffnuts - debified!

1-1/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
1-1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
pinch of ground nutmeg
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup skim milk
1/4 cup half & half
2 tsp vanilla extract

for the glaze:
2-1/2 tbs sweet cream butter, melted
1 cup powdered sugar
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbs half & half

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees F. prepare a muffin pan with 12 baking cups.
2. put all ingredients in a large bowl and use a hand mixer to beat until smooth. transfer batter into a large measuring cup. pour batter into each baking cup, about 3/4 full.
3. bake for 16-18 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. let cool.
4. for the glaze, mix together all ingredients in a medium sized bowl. either dip finished muffnut tops into the glaze, or brush glaze across tops of them.

makes 1 dozen. enjoy! =)

♠ ♠ ♠

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

today's theme is spiders with my favourite holiday, halloween, being just around the corner!  i know a lot of people aren't big fans of spiders, but i promise these will bring a smile to your face.


bob the spider by TheUndergroundMarket...  i badly want this burton-esque spider for my house!!!  and pretty much anything from this shop would be a great addition to your halloween decor.

custom black widow clutch bag by warning label creations...  you choose your colour and she'll provide you with one *AMAZINGLY* crafted bag.

spider charm by DragonsAndBeasties... awww, this is one cute-as-can-be spider.

spider, spider art print by gorjuss...  i adore suzanne's work.  this print is no exception.

pacha the spider by lovelia...  this wide-eyed little girl spider can be made into a brooch or a magnet and would be happy to come live with you!

back on track

ahhhhhhhh, it's been a whirlwind recently in my house...  a lot has been happening.  i started a new part-time job which has rearranged my schedule quite a lot, among many other things.  but now it's time to get back to the grind in many ways - and one is healthy eating.  i've done a little too much fast fooding in the last couple of weeks between stress and convenience so here's step one in getting back on track to my normal healthy lifestyle.  my sister introduced me to chicken sausage a couple of years ago - i had no idea such a thing existed.  this dinner is something i CRAVE because the chicken sausage is such a nice compliment to fresh vegetables.  i can't wait to eat it tonight!

 
















chicken sausage pasta salad

1 box (1 lb dry) penne pasta
1 package (1 lb) sweet italian style chicken sausage, sliced
1 green pepper, sliced into small strips
1 red pepper, sliced into small strips
1 yellow pepper, sliced into small strips
1 zucchini, halved then sliced
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 small to medium red pepper, finely diced
1 tsp garlic powder (or 2 fresh cloves, minced)
salt & pepper
optional - small yellow onion, diced
optional - marcona almonds

1. cook and drain the pasta according to box directions.
2. in a large skillet, warm the chicken sausage on medium-low if it is pre-cooked.  otherwise cook the sausage on medium til slightly golden.
3. in a dutch oven, steam the peppers, zucchini, and grape tomatoes.  i steam them separately and only a few minutes each to keep their crispness. once they get oversteamed they become soggy and hard to work with.
4. combine the pasta, sausage and vegetables in a large bowl.  if desired, add a small yellow onion at this point.
5. begin making the dressing in a small bowl using the olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper.  mix well.  add the red onion to the dressing and continue to mix.  pour over large bowl contents and toss.  if desired, toss in some marcona almonds as well.

makes about 8 servings.  enjoy! =)

♠ ♠ ♠

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

chocolate in the morning

i was given a TON of zucchini last week fresh from a garden, and needless to say i didn't want it to go to waste.  i made zucchini bread, provencal-style stuffed zucchini, grilled zucchini, and then decided i needed to try something new.  i made these zucchini chocolate chip muffins for my breakfasts.  they're a really nice alternative to zucchini bread and very convenient in their size to take on the road if needed.  plus chocolate for breakfast is always a good thing, right? ;)

chocolate chip zucchini muffins

3 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup hershey's unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
3 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
3 eggs, beaten
2-1/2 cups finely shredded zucchini with the skin on, no large seeds
1 cup vegetable oil or vegetable shortening
3 tsp vanilla extract

1. preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. in a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugars, chocolate chips, cocoa powder, walnuts, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
3. in another bowl, mix together the eggs, zucchini, vegetable oil and vanilla. add this bowl's contents to the dry ingredient bowl and mix well.
4. line muffin pan with foil-lined baking cups. fill cups 3/4 full. bake for 16-18 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

makes 2 dozen muffins. enjoy! =)

♠ ♠ ♠

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