2011 September

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Cake Pops – A How To

September 29, 2011 By Spring

Author: Spring (Jordan)

I wrote about making cake pops for our movie party post, which you can read about here, and today I will show you how I made them. They are the “it” food treat right now. I wasn’t sure how they were going to turn out, but I still wanted to give them a try. Overall, the recipe was easy, and they tasted good. But, they took a lot of time.

First, bake a basic cake. I just used a cake mix.

Once the cake has cooled, crumble it up. Here I used my hands as the tools.

For the second cake, I decided to use the food processor, and that is the way to go. It breaks up the edges of the cake much better than I did using my hands.

Once the cake is crumbled, add 3/4 of a pre-made container of icing. Since this was a vanilla cake, I added vanilla icing.

Once it is mixed, make balls a tad larger than a Tootsie Pop and place them on a cookie sheet covered with wax paper. Put them in the freezer for 15 minutes, and then store them in the refrigerator till you are ready to add the candy coating.

Here is the candy coating I used for the first batch. I just melted candy wafers (available at Michael’s) in the microwave. They come in different colors so that you can coordinate them with your party theme, if you wish. The second time around I put the wafers in a small crock pot and heated them that way. This method was easier, and the coating stayed warm, which made it easier to work with. To make the “pop”, I took a lollipop stick and dipped it in the candy coating before putting the cake ball on the lollipop stick. This helped it attached better.

I wasn’t having much luck just dipping the cake pop into the icing without some of the cake crumbling. I then decided to just spread the candy coating on it with an offset knife. After the candy was on, I added some sprinkles or other frosting as decorations. The possibilities are endless.

If you decide to use the lollipop sticks you will need some styrofoam to put the finished product in so they can “set up” while sitting up.

The best part about these treats is that they are the perfect serving size. One is just enough to help satisfy a sweet tooth.

Cheers!

Linking to

Filed Under: Food

Movie on the Lawn

September 29, 2011 By Spring

Author: Spring (Jordan)

As I mentioned on Tuesday, we recently hosted a movie party on our lawn. The evening went off without a hitch, and I am excited to share the details with you. You can read about how to make your own invitations here. Even though it is almost fall, we decided to show the summer classic, “National Lampoon’s Vacation”.

Syracuse is a rainy city, so, I was a little worried about the weather. With that in mind, I had a back up date in case Mother Nature wanted to remind me of who’s the boss on the night of the party. I also checked to make sure it was not a night with a full moon. We wanted it to be really dark so we could see the movie.

We made our own movie screen at the back of our yard. I bought a white king-size sheet. I also wanted to hide the neighbor’s garage, and so, I purchased two red full-size sheets to act as the curtains. We lucked out because we have two large trees in just the right places to hold the screen and curtains. The red sheets looked like the old velvet curtains from the old movie houses of days gone by.

Here is another shot of the screen. We used the tiny table you see there to set up the projector, the dvd player, and to hook in the speakers. As for projectors, you can rent them. However, I happened to be at Kohl’s one day, and they had projectors on sale for $100. It is by far not the best projector, but it worked perfectly for our party. Plus, it has already paid for itself because renting one here would have cost $100. We had extra light bulbs on hand just in case.

You can’t have a movie without popcorn. We ended up renting a theater-like popcorn machine at a local party store.

Mr. Spring was making some popcorn and noticed this in the directions. We thought it was pretty funny and wanted to share with you. Now we know why movie popcorn is so good. It must be the flavacol!

I bought these popcorn containers at Target in the dollar section. They are plastic, and we can use them year after year.

Candy was another easy movie food we had available for our guests. We tried to have similar selections to what you would find at the theater.

I have been wanting to make cake pops, and I thought this was a good excuse to make them. I painted the styrofoam holder red to make them pop a little more. Overall these were a big hit and fun to make. I will do a post on how to make them soon.

I have been busy traveling with work and didn’t have a lot of time to hunt for table decorations. I decided to use some frames I had around the house and print out some pictures from the movie. I had the pictures placed around the snacks and drink table.

Glow sticks were fun to have on hand once it was dark.

The bugs can come out at night so I made sure I had a variety of bug sprays and ointment in case someone did get a bite. I hung this basket on a hook we had on our fence. I didn’t want it near the food.

Hope you enjoyed the viewing. We plan to do this again next year, and we are starting to think about which movie to select. If you had a movie party, what movie would you show?

Cheers!

Linking to

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Filed Under: Projects

The Lamp Post

September 27, 2011 By Autumn

Author – Autumn (Janette)

Here in Lexington, there is a small family-run business that makes lamps. They can take almost any item that you have and turn it into an interesting lamp. They have been in business for many years, and now the son and his wife are involved. They have made four lamps for me, along with the shades, and I am thrilled with them.

This lamp that is in our guest room was originally a ginger jar that Mr. Autumn bought for me in Singapore.

It has all of my basic decorating colors in it, which means it will fit into the decor in any room in our house.

In its former life, this lamp was a cream can. You can see the farm name’s plaque in the mirror’s reflection.

My mother tole painted it, and for years I used it just as an accessory.

Then one day a light bulb went on in my head, and I decided it would be a great lamp.

And I was right!

The last lamp I am sharing with you was a little silver tea pot. The lamp shop electrified it for me, too.

It looks very sweet sitting on one of the marble countertops in our kitchen, here.

Even though I learned to make lamps, which I wrote about here, all of these lamps required drilling so that the wires could be hidden inside. That is beyond my expertise.

Hopefully I shed some light on the idea that practically anything can become a lamp.

Take care.

Linking to:

Filed Under: Decorating

Movie on the Lawn Invitation

September 27, 2011 By Spring

Author: Spring (Jordan)

A few years ago, I read an article in a magazine about a couple having a movie party in their backyard. I always thought that was a great idea, and I told myself I wanted to host a movie party one day. I was thrilled when we purchased our house and knew that after we completed our major back yard landscaping project, we would have a place to host a movie party.

Our neighborhood is very close-knit group. They have an annual holiday party, Halloween party, and the wine crawl. We were sure they would welcome the chance to get together in a different setting.

I decided that I would hand deliver the invitations so that I would have more freedom to be creative with them.

I went to a few stores and looked online for invitation ideas, but I wasn’t really finding what I wanted. Plus, they were pretty expensive. I went to a local party store and found some cute, small popcorn containers. I purchased them along with some tissue paper, yellow crinkle paper, and bags.

What I was going for was a popcorn container with the movie ticket in the back. The movie ticket would have the party information on it.

I put something simple together on the computer and added it to some card stock to give it some definition. I put a rain date, just in case. We are showing ”National Lampoon’s Vacation”. Since there are a few questionable scenes for younger ones, we provided a link so parents can read parents’ guide ahead of time. They can then make an informed decision about bringing their children to the show.

As filler for the invitation, I stuffed the popcorn box with tissue paper and then put some hot glue on the top. Then I added the yellow crinkle paper to give a popcorn effect. I put the movie ticket/information in the back.

When I delivered the invitations, not everyone was home. I put their invites in clear bags and tied them with ribbon. It protected them from the weather and kept the paper contained.

After we have the party, I will be sure to write a post to let you know how it goes.

Cheers!

Filed Under: Projects

Joining the Paint Train

September 25, 2011 By Autumn

Author – Autumn (Janette)

“My mamma didn’t raise no dummy”. That’s right. After months of reading about the fantastic results everyone is achieving when using chalk paint, I had to jump on board. I know a good thing when I see it read about it, and so, I ordered my first quart of chalk paint in the most basic of colors – no color.

We have an Ethan Allen night stand that was showing its age after years of use and a few moves. It is still very solid, is a great size, has perfect storage, and has a history with our family. It is cherry like the headboard it belongs to, but I decided by painting it, then it could be the one piece of painted furniture in the master bedroom.

I don’t like a room full of painted furniture. I like just one painted piece and let it be the exclamation point! for the room. It gets to be the star.

I did all of the necessary painting, sanding,………..

And waxing, and it turned out like this…….

It’s not bad for the first time.

I left the hardware in its original brass finish but plan to paint it with ORB.

I had to paint part of the hardware because it wouldn’t come off, and Mr. Autumn wasn’t here to help me. We’ll remove it, though, when it’s ORB time.

And here is the finished project, doing its job adding bedside storage for me and an exclamation point! in the room.

Take care.

Filed Under: Before and After, Decorating

Buffalo Chicken Dip

September 23, 2011 By Spring

Author: Spring (Jordan)

Football season is here and for our recipe today this is something easy to make, and great for football tailgates.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

1 1/2 lbs Chicken, cooked and shredded.

1 (12 ounce) bottle of hot sauce

2 (8 ounce) containers of cream cheese, softened

1 (16 ounce) bottle of blue cheese or ranch salad dressing

3 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Preaheat oven to 350 F.

In a large bowl mix shredded chicken and cheese. In a saucepan, over med-low heat, combine cream cheese and salad dressing and stir until smooth. Stir in bottle of hot sauce. Pour heated mixture into bowl with chicken mixture. Stir well to mix.

Pour into a 13″ x 9″ baking pan. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes or until bubbly—-make sure the top doesn’t get browned. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Serve with celery or crackers.

Have a great weekend and Go Dawgs!

Cheers!

Filed Under: Food

Put a Cork in It

September 22, 2011 By Autumn

Author – Autumn (Janette)

We have just a quick post for you today to show you something that I bought at a local gift/antique shop.

Maybe you saw my jar of corks when I wrote about our bar, here.

Look more closely. Do you see it?

One of those corks is actually a candle.

When I put it into an empty wine bottle, I either have an instant intimate centerpiece or an instant party. Hmmmm. Tough choice!

Take care.

Filed Under: Things We Bought

Neighborhood Tour

September 20, 2011 By Spring

Author: Spring

After we moved to our Syracuse neighborhood, the neighbors told us about a project in which members of the Cornell Historic Preservation Planning Program did a cultural survey of our neighborhood. The members put together an 80-page booklet for the residents telling them what the study learned about the neighborhood and its different styles of homes. They even included copies of the original ads that were published when the plots were being sold. The area was marketed as an easy commute.

This area was on farmland only two miles from downtown Syracuse. In 1910, 140 acres of this area was sold to a company that now is the name for our neighborhood. The landscape architect and urban planner for the neighborhood was Arthur C. Comley. He graduated from Harvard, which had the first landscape architecture program in the country.

He wanted to make a great first impression with the entrance into the neighborhood and designed a cobblestone and pedestrian friendly entrance in 1916.

This is the pedestrian friendly entrance to the neighborhood.

The neighborhood became famous throughout the city because it had Syracuse’s first electric house with exterior electric lights and built-in appliances. It was the talk of the town, and the mayor even visited the house.

The house designs are quite eclectic. Come along and take a peek at a few of them.

This style is early Italianate and is the only remaining building from the original farm. The time frame is from 1840 to 1885.

Italiante is a square plan with simple details, and it is borrowed from the rural architecture in the northern party of Italy. These homes have decorative crowns.

This is an example of Spanish Eclectic. These were built from 1915 to 1940.

These styles have low pitched roofs which are most likely tile. There is often at least one prominent arch above a door or window. These homes also have some sort of balcony and decorative iron sconces and are frequently stucco.

This is an example of a Tudor Revival.

These houses emphasize highly pitched gabled roofs and elaborate chimneys. Many of the Tudor Revivals have decorative half-timbering as well as tall, narrow windows with multipane glazing.

This home also shows the half-timbering and paned windows.

This is an example of Colonial Revival.

Houses built in the Colonial Revival style have the simplicity and refinement of Georgian and Federal styles while incorporating details that are more modern.

These houses are generally rectangular with a high gable or hipped roof. Common character defining features include an accentuated front door, supported by columns, windows with double- hung sashes.

Colonial Revival

Our house is an example of a Craftsman style house.

This style originated in Southern California and inspired by the English Arts and Crafts movement. This was the popular style for smaller homes built from 1905s through 1920s. The features are low-pitched gabled roofs, exposed rafters.

Although this is just a small sample of the homes in our neighborhood, you can see that the early neighborhood developments are quite different from the developments that surfaced in the 1950′s. Those homes lacked the character of their predecessors.

I hope you enjoyed the tour.

Cheers!

Information provided by Cornell Historic Preservation Planning Program.

Filed Under: Out and About

Martha, Can You Hear Me?

September 20, 2011 By Autumn

Author – Autumn (Janette)

Dear Martha,

I have been a fan of yours since your very first PBS Thanksgiving special back in 1987. Do you remember that one? I have loyally used your products, subscribed to your magazine and watched your show throughout the years, even when it was aired at 6 a.m. on Sunday mornings. I preached on your behalf during your little legal scandal and even stayed up late to watch your release from jail. I’ve been there for you, Martha, through every step of your rise to billionairedom. (I even created that word for you).

I always felt I could trust you, your name, and your brand. So, you can imagine how thrilled I was when I fell in love with your cabinet hardware at Home Depot. I saw it when we were remodeling our entire place. I saw it. My mouth dropped open. It was love.

I loved the shine because it reminded me of silver. And you know, Martha, that I love a touch of silver in each room. It works like jewelry. The design was perfect because it was a traditional look with a touch of “up-town” to it.

I put your hardware on E.V.E.R.Y. cabinet in our house. That includes five bathrooms, laundry room, bar area, kitchen and pantry. And guess what! It is DISCOLORING. That’s right. Every time we touch it, our fingers leave a mark that won’t wipe off. Yikes!

It looks like tarnished silver – tarnished silver that won’t shine up.The people at Home Depot say they are working on it.

But, Martha, this isn’t like you. Did you know about this? DO you know about this? I think if you did, you might be p _ _ _ _ _.

Do I now need to stop and think before I purchase your products? Martha, please make it right.

Take care,

Janette

Filed Under: Things We Bought

Rosemary Cashews

September 16, 2011 By Autumn

Author – Autumn (Janette)

I recently hosted a little cocktail party in our new townhouse. Our neighbors put up with so much noise and chaos during the four month long remodeling process, that we wanted to show them our appreciation.

One of my go-to recipes for these occasions is The Barefoot Contessa’s Rosemary Cashews. It is a simple recipe but very tasty. I thought it would be fun to share it with you today. Oddly enough, she got the recipe from the Union Square Cafe in New York City.

ROSEMARY CASHEWS

1 1/4 pounds cashew nuts
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon melted butter

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Place the nuts on an ungreased baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes until they are warmed through. Meanwhile, combine the rosemary, pepper, sugar, salt and butter in a large bowl. Toss the warm nuts with the rosemary mixture until the nuts are completely coated. Serve warm.

Take care.

Photo from www.thefoodnetwork.com

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Filed Under: Food