I'm a firm believer in the saying that if you can't do it, let the experts do it. I discovered that I really don't have a talent in rubber stamp carving. Even though how much I tried, I just can't carve out a simple motif even if my life depended on it. Thank God for those professional rubber stamp carvers, I can just pick out my favorite design from my Japanese craft book and commission them to do the carving. The result? Something neatly produced from the original design. Now I can decorate my new year journals and notebooks, confident that the pages will not look like something the chicken scratched. How about you? How would you be decorating your journals?
Thank you to all who joined my 7th Blogversary Giveaway post. I've picked a winner via true random number generator. The lucky winner is #6--Bagladee
Congratulations! I'll get in touch with you soon.
Thursday, January 08, 2015
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My 7th blogversary giveaway ends today! Hope you have dropped your name in the hat. Have a fantastic week!
Tuesday, January 06, 2015
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Tired of sugary sweet cupcakes? Try refreshing green tea cupcakes for a change.
GREEN TEA CUPCAKES RECIPE
Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons ground cashew nuts
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp almond extract
- 1/2 cup butter
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp packed matcha green tea powder
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
Green Tea Buttercream:
- 1 cup confectioner's sugar
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/2 tsp match green tea powder
Directions:
1. Cream butter, sugar and eggs. Add vanilla.
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
3. Add the dry ingredients to the creamed butter mixture. Add milk and matcha powder.
4. Bake in cupcake liners for 15 minutes. Set aside cupcakes. Let cool.
5. Decorate with piped green tea buttercream and silver dragées.
6. Dust with matcha green tea powder.
Monday, January 05, 2015
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Happy New Year everyone! May 2015 bring us lots of craft, creativity and inspiration.
Here's a belated holiday post. It's another gingerbread recipe to add to your holiday baking repertoire. The recipe is from Paula Deen and its the most ginger-ful cookie I've ever tasted. Very wonderful.
GINGERBREAD BOYS AND GIRLS (AND BABIES)
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1 stick butter or margarine, softened
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting work surface
- 2 tsps. ground ginger
- 1 1/2 tsps baking soda 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Icing:
- 1 cup confectioner's sugar, sifted
- 1 to 2 tablespoons milk
- Food coloring, as desired
Directions:
1. Using an electric mixer at low speed, cream the sugar and butter until well combined. Add the eggs and molasses and mix until combined. Sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and combine with a spoon or spatula.
2. Remove the dough from the bowl and wrap in plastic wrap and chill until firm.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
4. Roll out dough and cut with gingerbread man cookie cutter. Bake until done.
5. Decorate with royal icing.
Friday, January 02, 2015
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