Tutorials

Last Minute Valentines

February 14, 2012

Any holiday that is all about chocolate seems like a good idea to me. My husband and I are chocolate lovers, and every Valentine’s Day I try and find one new home made goodie to surprise him with.

This year I have to admit that the holiday snuck up on me, and Sunday night found me in my kitchen with a bag of bittersweet chocolate, some cream, and the strawberries I was saving for the boy’s breakfast the next morning. The result was a chocolate strawberry truffle that  is so decadent I almost couldn’t share.

I am not a truffle person under most circumstances, but when you want a strong chocolate punch they really do the trick. Most recipes call for around 8 oz of chocolate and 1/2 cup cream. I chose to up both a bit to see if I could get an equally intense but creamier consistency. I really wanted the strawberries to be incorporated into the chocolate, and I decided to test the idea of a puree directly into the ganache. The flavor is subtle, but just enough to remind me that this pairing was made for each other.

Of course it is also the outer layer of a truffle that makes it worth it’s weight, and  two that stuck out (ok, the only two that I had in my pantry, but still that stuck out) were white chocolate and sweet ground chocolate. I have to say that all three of my boys voted the white chocolate as their favorite, and I was right there with them, but the ground chocolate was a close second. All in all the truffles took 10 minutes to prepare, 2 hours to firm up, and 20 minutes to roll. Not bad for a last minute Valentine’s treat.

Bittersweet Chocolate and Strawberry Truffles

12 large truffles 

Truffle
10 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup heavy cream
5-6 strawberries, chopped and pureed

Outer layer
White chocolate, chopped
Chocolate Cocoa

Place the bittersweet chocolate into a glass/heat proof bowl. Heat the cream almost to just a simmer. Remove from heat and slowly pour over the chocolate, whisking as you go. Allow to cool for 5 minutes. Add the pureed strawberry and fold until just combined. Pour into an 8×8 glass pan, cover with foil and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

With a melon baller or table spoon, scrap chocolate into desired size. Roll with hands just until smooth and roll in desired topping. Refrigerate for another 20 minutes or store in an airtight container between sheets of waxed paper.

While eating chocolate is always my favorite way to enjoy it, bathing with it is a very close second. I love cocoa butter. Love it. I use it whenever and wherever possible, and besides smelling good it is a savior for my dry Colorado skin this time of year. My family’s preference has always been our chocolate lavender oil, but this year my skin was in serious need of some exfoliation.

Salt scrubs are a great way to soften and refresh dry skin, and while I normally keep a jar on the side on the bath, this batch was my first adding in cocoa butter to our recipe. Though I love the benefits of cocoa butter, I often wonder about it’s propensity to harden up. I tested this recipe a few weeks back, and I am excited that so far I have seen nothing but a smooth and clear consistency. Avocado and olive oil top the recipe off for a scrub that hydrates skin for hours.

My favorite way to enjoy a salt scrub is in the bath, where I can let the oils soak in and take their full effect. A chocolate salt scrub, a strawberry chocolate truffle, and a glass of champagne is a simple way to celebrate Valentine’s Day, or any day for that matter.

Chocolate Salt Scrub

1.5- 2 cups dead sea or epsom salts
7 oz avocado oil
3 oz olive oil
2 oz cocoa butter
2 oz coconut oil
15 drops of lavender essential oil (optional)

In a heat proof glass bowl set over simmering water (the double boiler method), combine the oils and allow to melt.  Remove from heat and add the lavender essential oil. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes. Pour over salt, mix, and store.

*I make this recipe in a small enough batch to use within 1 month. 

Pin it

{ 17 comments }

Handmade Holidays::Ice Luminarias

December 7, 2011

Holiday decorating is always a joy of the season, and I feel most connected to the rhythm of this time of year when I use natural materials to decorate, both inside and out.

I lived in the suburbs of Chicago from the time I was 6 until I was 12, and one of the our most treasured holiday traditions was to line our driveways (and sometimes streets) with brightly lit luminarias on Christmas Eve. It looked so magical as we would drive away to midnight mass, and it embodied the return of the light that this season celebrates.

This year we are hosting a winter solstice/advent spiral in our home, and for each of the 8 children present, there is a candle along the spiral for them to light. Last year the candle was set in the traditional apple, but this year the boys wanted to create ice luminarias along their path.

We experimented with milk cartons and coffee cans, but finally settled on two decorative brioche pans as the molds that I would use for the candle holders. We played with a few different ways to create the hole for the candle; using a standard can, a dixie cup and finally a 4 oz freezable ball jar.

The jar worked out perfectly, as it is can withstand extreme cold, is reusable, and allows for the maximum amount of light to filter through the candle holders.

Now I think we are ready to let the children walk the spiral, return to their center, and awaken renewed.

I can not wait to lay the evergreens and celebrate the return of the sun, the promise of brighter days, and the light that shines in each of us.


Ice Luminarias

A mold of your choice (I used stainless steel brioche molds)
4 oz ball freezer safe jar (If using a tall mold, you may want to consider an 8 oz jar)
Candles for each luminaria
Decorations for each luminaria; cranberries, star anise, evergreens, sliced oranges, apples, etc.

Place your 4 oz jar in the center of your mold. Fill the mold up half way with ice cold water and fill with decor of your choice. If the temperature is below 32 degrees you can leave the molds outside to freeze, or place in the freezer.

Once frozen, fill the mold to the rim of the freezable jar and once again add your decor. Freeze once more. Allow to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes, unmold, place a tea light into the jar, light and enjoy!

Of course no celebration of the return of the light would be complete without a sun catcher (I used the instructions from Amanda’s book), and they are the perfect way to put to use any left over fruit, cranberries, star anise, etc. that you might have left over.

Pin it

{ 18 comments }

Getting Out

May 5, 2011

Do you ever have those wake up moments where something that you should have thought about so much sooner suddenly comes flying into your brain with an almost panic sense about itself?

Yesterday I realized that my garden was not only not planted, but that I had not set foot out into it since my husband did our fall clean up in October. I think that somehow time has stood still  these past ten weeks, and I still feel like we are coming out of winter, rather than fully ensconced in Spring.
Having your seven year old approach you with his garden plan is just a small hint that perhaps you should get up off your lazy tush and begin to engage in the things that keep your household running; like fresh food in the summertime. So off we plodded, out to the side yard, compost in tow, to begin the process of turning the dirt and getting ready to plant. 
Tears almost flooded as I looked across the way at my neighbors beautiful garden patch, already full with lettuces, kale, chard and the like. I scolded myself for my lack of enthusiasm these past months, knowing full well that our growing season for greens will be mighty short this year. 
So what do you do when gardening depression sets it? Head to the Farmers Market. 

There is nothing like the Boulder Farmers Market. I say this cautiously, since it has in fact been ten years since I have visited any other farmers markets with regularity, but it seriously is a joy for the Rocky Mountain region. Those first few weeks of the market are filled with such small bursts of colors: red radishes, the emeralds of mescalin, arugula and pea shoots, the browns of fresh baked bread and mushrooms, and those first flowers of the growing season. 
Bernadette was in town for Rhythm of The Home (how is it that I did not take any pictures???), and our final stop in seeing her was the first Wednesday that the market opened. Live music, tons of food (the gluten free selection of foods at the market makes my heart swell), and perfect weather made for a great evening. It was also a real treat to meet a fellow blogger and her family. Kellen of Enchanted Mama and her four sweet kiddos were sitting next to us when we sat down to eat. I am sure that many of you have experienced this, but it is really cool to connect to another mama blogger in person. Somehow the whole process becomes so much more personal, and there is a renewed sense of joy in the community that this virtual world creates. 
As is always the case, the market season brings a small bit of happiness to my sewing machine with the family market bag. Every year we make a new bag to take with us, and while it is a small project, it is a lot of fun to fill the bag with all of the season’s bounty (and by bounty, I mean gluten free key lime pie that calls my name rather incessantly). 
This year was an upcycled bag kind of year, as three worn place mats were used. When I say simple, I mean simple. To make the bag, just match two place mats together, and using a 1/2″ seam allowance, sew the sides and bottom together. Using the third place mat, cut 4″ strips to create the handle, and attach from the inside of the bag. I used super sturdy place mats, and our entire day of produce filled the bag perfectly. 
Landon seemed rather intrigued by the spectacle of so many people, dogs and food all in one place, and it was fun to have this be one of our first outings. As has been the case for the past ten weeks, Landon’s hat (made by the incredible Julia), got more attention than the child himself. Sometimes it is a bit disconcerting when so many people come up to you and say, “Oh my goodness, what an adorable…….. hat!”. I always figure that they are going to say kid, but nope, it is the hat every time. 
There is something special about a day at the market, and today was no exception. I personally thought that the produce was the highlight, but for the kiddos it was the balloon man on the corner making blow up Daschunds that stole the show.
Hey, to each his own. 
Pin it

{ 30 comments }

Quick Creating with Children: Checkerboard

April 7, 2011

As life is slowly returning to a more normal pace, the boys have begun asking for our crafting time to return. The other day Jacob, who is obsessed with playing chess and checkers, asked if we could sew him a portable checkers set like the backgammon board I had made him last summer. Part of me really wanted to go down into my sewing room and put something amazing together, but the more realistic part of me knew that there was no way that I was going to be able to cut out dozens of 1.5″ squares of fabric and piece them all together. 

So the world’s easiest checkerboard was born. A 12″x12″ piece of outer fabric, a 12×12″ piece of duck cloth, one ribbon, and a set of small square stamps is all that you need to make this set. 
With right sides together and a 1/2″ seam allowance, simply sew the edges together, leaving a 2″ opening to turn.
Turn right side out and press. Top stitch, making sure to catch the opening that was left. Mark out where you want each square to go, and stamp according to a model checkerboard. 
We used one of our snack bags to hold the checker pieces, and then simply placed it inside and rolled the entire thing up. 
It may not be the most gorgeous sewing piece I have ever made, but I am learning that all my kids really want is for me to take the time to create with them. Perfection is never something that they expect, only something I place on myself. Now we are off for a few fun games together in this gorgeous spring weather. 
Pin it

{ 17 comments }

A Story Book

March 29, 2011

When I spoke yesterday about not being able to get my rhythm going, the one thing that I realized is that it is our external rhythm that we have struggled with, rather than our internal one. The boys and I seem content inside the walls of our home, it is when we attempt to join “reality” that we sometimes lose our footing. It has been 34 days since Landon’s arrival, and we have managed to stay mainly within our family unit, and have slowly made the transition from two children to three.

Our days have looked quiet, but full of small projects that we can do together while holding a baby or while the wee one is napping. Friendship bracelets and dream catchers have been made, poems have been created and about a million yards of i-cord now lay about the house. Nothing major has been conceived or completed, just little bits of fun here and there to keep the days flowing.

After the holidays, the boys and I began lessons on poetry, and they have sat each day and come up with a short verse. I love watching children create poetry, it is so much fun to see how they interpret the idea of a poem. We were recently introduced to this book, and it has been a wonderful resource for the boys to see how almost anything that they can think of can become a unique poem.

Elwood had seen the book that I had made around the holidays out of a few Artful Blog clippings and some left over scrap book paper, and they decided that they had to do the same to their own boring school composition books that they were using for their poetry. It is a very simple craft that can be done in about an hour, and can turn any ordinary composition or sketch book into a pretty space to create in.

You will need the book of your choosing, scrap paper or fabric, glue, scissors (I used pinking shears for a more designed effect), and a paint brush or foam brush.

Begin by cutting out your paper or fabric in shapes of your chosen size. These will most likely be cut down even further in the process of making the book, but it is good to start a little bit bigger.

Begin by layering one piece of paper/fabric at a time onto the book, letting kids know that it is okay to place the pieces wherever they see fit, and encouraging them to layer each new piece onto the last. Don’t worry if the paper extends beyond the edge of the book, that will be easily remedied once the project is dry.

Once all of the paper has been placed, allow the book to dry for about an hour, and then take your scissors and trim the edges of the book, giving it a finished look.

Journals, poetry, school books, the possibilities are endless for what these can be used for. After we were done making these last week, Jacob went around the house and found every last blank book he could find and turned them each into scrappy journals. I have to agree with him that they just make doing a book report or writing poetry a little bit more fun.

Pin it

{ 32 comments }

← Previous Entries