Royal Icing for decorating

My baby was turning 2 and in love with giraffes. I am not an artist and was at a loss as how I could make something I would be happy with.  After talking to my very talented artist/ cake decorating sister, she suggested using royal icing to make it.  I haven't worked much with it so I was unsure but willing to try it out.

First I found cartoon clip art that was about what I wanted, sized it and then printed it off.  Next I made a batch of the Wilton Royal Icing. I split up the batch into different bowls according the amount I needed for each color. I used the Wilton color gels for all the colors except brown, I used the Hershey's Extra Dark Unsweetened Cocoa to get the desired dark brown.

To begin drawing your design, place wax paper over the printed design. Tape down to your surface, I used a cutting board to make it easier to move for drying. Next pipe the outline using at 3 or 4 tip and allow to dry for several minutes. Then fill in each area, allowing the icing to flow and fill each section. I did go back over the outline a second time to better show the details.  Set aside in a warm, dry place for at least 48 hours. They need to be completely dry all the way through. Otherwise it will be hard to peel the wax paper off.

When it is time to place the decorations, gently peel the wax paper off. If you look really close at the tree, it broke but ended up adding to the details. The bigger the design, the more fragile it will be. Carefully plan your placement on the cake because you won't want to move it once it is on the cake.  Then set it in place and finish decorating.

Enjoy a beautiful creation!

Duck Dynasty cake

My family doesn't have cable or satellite, so we were slow to board the Duck Dynasty train.  We love to watch it as a family, which I can't say that about most shows.  I love that they are religious and people I'd actually like my kids to learn from. They are good, hard working people.

I decided to surprise my son with a Duck Dynasty cake. I found a great tutorial here.

My beard turned out too gray and the headband should have been bigger.  I used royal icing instead of fondant. It turned out good enough, so try your hand at it!

I'm back!

Sorry that I have fallen off the face of the blogosphere!  I got busy with vacations and back to school preparations. I was busy testing out new ideas and baking lots of fun things but never found to share them.  So I hope that I can start catching up and sharing some great things.

I loved hanging out with my sisters!

I also completed my second half marathon which was actually 14.1 miles on single track trails through the Ogden Divide.  Gorgeous views but I couldn't walk right for several days.

Homemade corn dogs and baked fries

I've been either too busy or lazy to try new things much.  But it was time to break out a couple new ones.  My kids love corn dogs and I don't buy them very often because I'm trying to save money.  So I decided we should give them a try and throw in some baked fries too. I would count this as a success.  My son is begging for me to try them again since he missed out.

I found the corn dog recipe here. This blog, outoftheboxfood.com, focuses on avoiding preservatives and using organics.  I just used what I had on hand.  My focus is from scratch and cheaper. The biggest tip I have to share is a wide mouth canning jar. Also, be careful not to let the batter get too thick on the corn dog.  Mine pooled in the oil while it cooked.

Now for the fries!  I loves french fries and I've been looking for ways to get the crispiness without all the fat. The recipe for the oven baked fries, from Annie's Eats, is pretty easy and saves you some fat.  The soaking step is really important. Watch them carefully towards the end and cook them to desired crispness. I also used seasoning salt instead of kosher salt. Enjoy a great treat!

Strawberry-Rhubarb Cream Cheese Cobbler

We have pretty big garden and sometimes I wonder if it is worth all the work.  Well we got a lot of strawberries this year, just in time for Father's day. (I am really slow sharing this recipe because June was a whirlwind!) I let my hubby peruse my pinterest board to choose his dessert for Father's day.  He wanted to use strawberries and rhubarb from the garden, so this one caught his eye.

The original recipe can be found here.  My husband loved it but I don't know if I'll make it again.  I followed the recipe except we added 2 cups of chopped rhubarb along with the berries.  I would recommend this recipe for anyone wanting to try a new rhubarb dessert.  Tell me what you think?

It is finished!

Over the last few months, I have gained a lot of respect for the parents of Eagle Scouts.  It has been such a roller coaster and hard to sit back while he figures things out.  As the Boy Scout Committee Chair for our troop, I really wanted to make sure my son's project fit all the criteria and accomplished the overall goals for an Eagle project.

My son had wanted to do an outdoor project but it was not going to fit into his busy summer.  So we started looking into other ideas, none seem to fit our timetable or criteria.  One day I was talking to my friend about projects that the Mountain West Strings Academy needed.  She suggested a few ideas, then remembered that our local elementary school wanted cello racks.  The custodian had said he would build them but he hadn't had time yet.  With that idea, we started to figure out the details.  

Here is the before, lots of cases everywhere.  Disaster waiting to happen!

Now a safe place to store 10 cellos and a very happy custodian!  I was so relieved to get them delivered and the paperwork signed.  There are a few little things to wrap up but at least what should be the hard part is done.

Some things I learned:

1.  Lower your expectations.  It just needs to be good enough not perfect.  Your scout won't do things quite the way you would but the point is for them to figure it out with your guidance.

2.  Don't do things for them that they should do themselves.  My scout didn't like making phone calls and I would just tell him what he should do then back off.  It was really hard for me not to jump in but he needed to learn from experience and a few mistakes.

3.  Take the time to read through the whole packet before deciding on a project. BSA had provided lots of great advice for parents and leaders.  It will help you make sure you have chosen a good project from the beginning.  Some projects that were suggested to us, in my opinion, were not worthy to be called Eagle projects. Choose wisely.

4.  Let your scout develop his leadership skills. Try to find the balance between offering advice and guidance to taking over the project.  I kept telling my scout if I do this then it will be my project not your's.  Give him the gift of really earning his award.

5. Your scout will surprise you.  I found it was a big step in letting him grow up.  I've been telling my kids that my goal is to raise them to be self-sufficient adults.  Now is them time to let them show you what they are capable of and see all your hard work payoff.

Green Chili Chicken Pasta

Everyone at my house was getting bored with my dinners and I wanted some inspiration.  So I started perusing my pins for something new to try. This one caught my eye and was different.  I always think pasta has to be Italian but why not Mexican? The genius behind this one is Joyful Momma.  I made some changes to her recipe to better suit my family's taste and what I had on hand. So feel free to make it her way or try some idea you have!

This recipe is basic and easy to adjust without risking a flop meal.  First, here is the original recipe.  My family likes a little kick, so I added some cumin and chili powder.  Also I changed the sauce to use my Cream of Chicken soup mix instead of the roux.  This recipe would be great for using up grilled chicken, it would add great flavor.  Also, I even skipped the baking step to save time and it turned out great, just heat it through.  So here's my twist:

Green Chili Chicken Pasta

1 box penne pasta, cooked according to package directions

2 cooked chicken breasts, diced

2 cans cream of chicken soup or equivalent mix

1 cup plain greek yogurt

1 tsp. cumin, adjust to taste if desired

1 tsp. chili powder, adjust to taste if desired

4 oz. can diced green chilies

2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese.

Grease a 9 x 13 pan. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  Layer cooked pasta and chicken.  Combine the cream of chicken soup, greek yogurt, cumin, chili powder and green chilies in medium bowl. Pour over the pasta and chicken.  Top with cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until the top is bubbly.