courtesy of the duckman. andie didn't get it, but iona did. and i most definitely get it, duckie.

a hobbity birthday cake

i'm a big LOTR nerd, and i've been planning on making a cake like this for a while. i've always imagined it as what the cake at bilbo's eleventy-first birthday probably looked like. i finally had the LASIK procedure so i was trying to take it easy without straining my eyes on books or tv and computer screens, and my birthday is coming up in a few days, so baking a three layer cake seemed like a pretty good way to occupy myself.

the mushrooms are made of meringue and chocolate, and are traditionally used for a buche de noel, but they're so cute and realistic that i'm probably going to start putting them on EVERYTHING. the cake is so perfectly chocolate - it's not too filling or too rich, it's just perfect. and i used a boiled sugar recipe for the frosting. for this recipe (mushrooms, cake, and frosting) you're going to need a lot of eggs, between 6-8. so it's a good recipe for a day when everyone brings home eggs from the grocery store and you have like three cartons in the fridge.

for the meringue mushrooms (20-30):
1/2 cup egg whites
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup sugar

1 tbsp. cocoa powder
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

toothpicks
a pastry bag with a large round tip
baking sheets, either greased or covered in parchment paper

heat oven to 225º F. pour egg whites into a wide bowl and whisk (with a mixer or by hand) until foamy. add cream of tartar, salt, and vanilla, and whip until the mixture forms soft peaks. slowly add the sugar until stiff peaks begin to form. put the meringue in the bag and squeeze rounded shapes for the "caps" and taller, thinner peaks for the "stems" onto the baking sheets. don't worry about perfection - they'll look more realistic if they're all a little different. bake in the oven for 1-1/2 hours, until the meringue is dry and lifts easily from the pans.

melt chocolate chips in a double boiler. using a toothpick, hollow out small holes in the center of each cap. "paint" on the melted chocolate in the hole, and around the bottom of the caps to form the "gills". press the tips of the stems into the hollows and set aside (far from the stove and oven) for the chocolate to solidify. if you have an empty egg carton, you can use it to hold the mushrooms upside down while they dry. once dried, sprinkle the tops of the mushrooms with cocoa powder "dirt".

you can keep these in an airtight container for several days. don't add them to your cake/frosting until right before serving, or the meringue will get spongy.

for the chocolate cake:
1 3/4 cup flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup cocoa
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt

1 cup boiling water

preheat the oven to 350º F. Combine all of the dry ingredients, the mix in the eggs, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla. Once smooth, mix in the boiling water - the batter will be thin. Pour into two 9" pans and bake for 30-35, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Set aside cakes to cool and cut before frosting.

for the frosting:
4 egg whites
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1/8 tsp. salt


it's important to note that boiled frosting is very temperamental. if it's a wet or humid day, it doesn't tend to set up right, and it's better to make a simple buttercream frosting instead.

combine the water, sugar, salt, and cream of tartar in a saucepan and bring to a boil until it is clear. remove from heat and allow the mixture to set. beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks, and then slowly add the sugar mixture down the side of the bowl, taking care not to mix the sugar directly with the beaters (better to mix the egg white around the sugar to incorporate it). add the vanilla and beat the frosting until it forms stiff peaks.

I STILL LOVE YOU S/S 2011

ben webb and brain gravy creative did an amazing job on the lookbook video for carrie morrissey's new s/s 2011 line - i can't stop watching it!


I STILL LOVE YOU NYC [Spring.Summer 2011] from Brain Gravy Creative on Vimeo.

lasik

this morning i finally got my eyes sliced, and i can safely say that the following images illustrate exactly what the procedure was like.

hand wrapped necklaces

hand knotted quartz wand necklace

i had a lot of leftover chains, cord, and feathers from making earrings the other week, along with a handful of semi-precious stones that i've amassed over the years - so i made a few necklaces while i had some free time.

gold wire wrapped citrine pendant

gold wire wrapped citrine pendant

hand knotted quartz wand necklace

knotted feather necklace

diy coffee dyed ombre monokini

i've really liked the idea of crochet monokinis recently, and ordered a white one with the intention of dyeing it. so i took a poll and coffee and ombre were tied for the lead. so i did both.

this most important thing is that this swimsuit is 100% COTTON. coffee only works as a good dye for natural fabrics (i.e. cotton, hemp, and wool).

along with a few large bowls, you will need a few cups of fresh brewed coffee, the grounds or bags that you used, and a few tablespoons of vinegar. i've read that espresso works really well for a deep, rich brown, but i'm using run-of-the-mill folgers.

first you need to soak the fabric in water. this helps it accept the dye more easily.

i'm doing a few things with this. if you just want a slight off-white, antiqued color, you really only need to dip the fabric into the coffee for a minute or two. wring it out, and dip it again. you can rinse the fabric until it's close to the shade you desire, but remember that it will dry a few shades lighter.

if you want a darker tan color, add the hot coffee, mix it around (be careful not to burn your hands), and then leave it to soak overnight. you can mix in the grounds or leave the teabags in overnight as well. once soaked, wring it out and let it dry (DO NOT RINSE). once it's fully dried, then give it a light rinse, so that any of the dye that would easily come out does it into the sink and not on your skin.

because i wanted an ombre gradation, i left one half in the coffee overnight, and the other half into a bowl of cold water to discourage the dye from seeping up to the top of the suit. it looks like because i lost a lot of color in the images through uploading, but it's very noticeable in person. now i just need the sun to start shining.

and there you have it. it's simple, it's natural, and it's cheap.

le bel été x vanessa bruno

garlic knots

(for about 20 knots) you will need:
2 3/4 cup flour
1 cup warm water
1/8 cup olive oil
2/3 tbsp. yeast
1/2 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt

(for garlic oil) you will need:
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/8 cup parsley, finely chopped
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. butter, melted

combine the yeast, sugar, and water into a small bowl. stir, and let sit for about 5 minutes until the mixture is foamy. in a large bowl, measure the flour and add the olive oil, salt, and water mixture. mix, turn the dough onto a floured surface, and knead for a few minutes until slightly tacky.

place dough into an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap until doubled in size (between 1-3 hours, depending on the temperature of your kitchen).

line baking sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil and set aside. divide the dough in two and flatten with your hands. using a rolling pin, roll each half of dough to approximately 15"x5" with 1/2 inch thickness. slice the dough into 5"x1" strips. sprinkle with flour and roll the strips into ropes before tying the dough into little knots. once shaped, cover the knots with a dry towel and allow them to double in size before baking for 12-15 minutes at 400º F.

while the knots are baking, heat the olive oil, butter, and garlic in a saucepan. stir in the parsley and set aside. brush the knots with the garlic coating and sprinkle with sea salt to taste.

sometimes dreams do come true

(via coolspotters)

a few months ago i fell in love with the pendleton jerome weekender bag. it was the it bag of 2010 but i didn't really like it until they were all gone. then i loved it. needed it. a week or so ago, urban outfitters got in a pendleton overnighter bag, same bag, but with the backside of the fabric vertically oriented. so i ordered it. i mean, it's close enough, right?

urban outfitters' pendleton overnighter bag. cute, similar, but not the one i reeeeally wanted (via urbanoutfitters)

my pendleton bag arrived today and upon opening it i realized that i was not sent the bag that i ordered.

i was sent the bag that i thought was sold out. the one that i wanted. the one that was gone. and i mean gone. GONE. gone like asos had a few that they were selling for like $400 and those are gone too. and i have it. right now. sitting on my bed. plastic still over the handles.

and so, i can safely say that dreams do come true. and best day ever.

(via styleengine)

(via styleengine)

(via styleengine)

blurred the way i remember it.

an attempt to revisit memories. images printed on hand-coated paper.

copyright christina brown.

butternut squash and apple soup

i am slowly learning how to be better at using ingredients that i have on hand. yesterday i had one small (puny, even) butternut squash and some granny smith apples. most of the recipes with apples in squash soup call for large, sweet apples, but i thought that maybe a little tartness would add a zing. and i was definitely right. and a little curry powder? made this soup amazing.

you will need:
1 small butternut squash, peeled and diced into 1" squares
2 granny smith apples, peeled, cored, and diced
2 celery stalks, cut and diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 yellow onion, diced

3-4 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup soy milk

2 tsps. thyme
2 tsps. curry powder
salt and pepper to taste

add the vegetable stock and squash to a large pot and bring to a boil. once boiling, turn heat to medium and simmer for 20-30 minutes, until squash is easily poked with a fork.

add celery, carrots, onion, and apples and season with thyme, curry powder, salt, and pepper. continue to simmer until all vegetables are tender. puree in a food processor or with a potato masher until mixture is creamy. stir in soy milk and serve with fresh, crusty bread.