Fun Storage/seating for a little kids room

Ms. Olivia's room is coming right along and the newest addition would be the animal storage and seating I have added.  These where sooooooo soooooo easy to make.
I have them set-up under her window like a bench. As you can see we put the animals in to look like a little jail, which Olivia loves!

What you will need to create these:
Crates
Foam for the seat                                    
Material
Plywood
A hot glue gun



Step one:  Buy all the materials: Buy the crates first and measure the top of the inside ledge. Then go to a store like Lowe's and find a piece of plywood.  Have them cut the wood into the measurements you need to fit the inside ledge of the crate.  Then go to the craft store and buy the foam and material, plus hot glue supplies.
Step two: Cut foam to the same size of the plywood.  Then using the hot glue gun attach the foam to the plywood.
Step three:  Measure and cut materiel.  You want to make sure that the material fits all the way around the seat.  You are going to glue the materiel down on the underneath side of the plywood.  Glue all the sides of the materiel onto the plywood, while doing this make sure you are pulling the materiel tight so it fits snug over the seat.
Step Four:  Put any toys inside the crate and place the seat on top.  And enjoy!!

Chocolate Chip cookie cupcakes

Everyone (ok almost everyone) loves cookie dough.  I am one of those people who loves cookie dough, brownie batter, and so forth.  When I came across the idea of making an eggless cookie dough frosting I feel in love.

I used a yellow cake box mix and add mini Chocolate chips.  Bake the cupcakes for about 15-17 mins with oven at 350.  Cool cupcakes and start to prepare frosting.

 Choc. chip cookie dough filling:

Ingredients
Frosting base:
1 3/4 cups confectioners sugar 1/2 cup butter, chilled
1/8 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon milk eggless cookie dough
Eggless Cookie dough:
1/4 cup butter, softened 1/4 cup brown sugar plus 2 tablespoons
2 teaspoons water 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup flour 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup mini choc.chips
Instructions
Eggless cookie dough:
Cream the butter and brown sugar in a small bowl. Add water and vanilla and mix well. Add flour and salt and stir to combine. Stir in mini choc. chips.
Frosting:
1. Use an electic mixer to make this step. Combine 1 1/4 cup of confectioner sugar, butter, salt, and vanilla. Scrape the sides when needed.
2. Add milk and continue mixing until well combined, add remaining 1/2 powdered sugar and mix well.
3. Fold in the eggless cookie dough. 
4.  Put frosting into a gallon ziplock and press down to one corner.  Cut off the corner and pipe the forsting onto the top of the cupcakes. 
5.  You can bake your own choc. chip cookies or just buy some to add to the top of your cupcakes.  I bought my cookies as I had so much to make for the carshow that I could not make my own cookies.

Graduation Party Treats

Congratulations Ms. Emily for finishing High school!!!  I was so honored when I was asked to make the wonderful treats for this young ladies graduation party.  The Order was for 24 German choc. cupcakes, 24 cake pops, and a Very Berry Vanilla cake.  I had so much fun making each part of this order.  Here is how everything turned out.

Half of the German cupcakes I added a little graduation cap made from Piped chocolate and a peanut butter cup, also some candy for the tassel.

Cake pops were vanilla cake on the inside and white choc. on the outside.  Half of them where made with sprinkles and the year of graduation.  The other half where little people heads with a graduation cap on.

Now to the fabulous Very Berry Vanilla Cake: 

Ingredients:  Cake and Cream cheese frosting

                 Vanilla Cake:

Two boxes of vanilla cake mix   (I go with simple if I know it works and tastes good)

 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

Blueberries

Raspberries

Strawberries

one lemon

Dark Chocolate

                Cream Cheese frosting:

1 brick of cream cheese (softened)
1/4 cup butter (softened)
2 teaspoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups powered sugar

Directions:
                 Cake:  Oven 350
1.  Make cake batter as directed on the back of the box but also add the teaspoon of vanilla.  I know it is a vanilla cake already but the vanilla is never tasted so adding a little more will help the flavor to pop.  (tip:  I make each box one at a time.  The second box you will only need half of the batter so have a plan for the remainder of the batter......cupcakes or cake pops are a great idea.)
2.  I made this cake a triple layer cake so you will need to make three cakes the same size.  Bake each cake round for about twenty mins.   Once the cakes have finished baking take them out of the pans and allow to cool.   (tip for baking your cakes:  Spray the edges of the pan with spray oil.  Then line the bottom of the pan with a round piece of wax paper.  I just trace the bottom of the pan onto wax paper and then cut out the round.  When you do this you will not have the cake stick to the bottom of the pan every time!!)

3.  While your cakes are baking and cooling it is time to prepare the berrys for the inside of the cake.  In a sauce pan put two handfuls of raspberries and blueberries,  then cut up five smaller strawberries into thin flat slices, add 1 1/2 tablespoons of sugar, zest of one lemon, and then lastly juice from half of the lemon.   Turn your heat onto low and let the sugar melt.  Stir very carefully and heat for only five mins.  Set aside to cool.
4.  It is time to make your frosting:  If you have one use your whisk attachment.  Cream together the cream cheese, butter, milk, and Vanilla until nice and fluffy. Add in the powdered sugar while the mixer is on low speed. Will be done when smooth and spreadable.  Place in fridge until ready to use.

Now it is time to put your cake together!!!!
1)  Two of your cakes you will need to trim off the top bump of each cake.  Make them flat so when stacked they will slack flat.  Put one of the trimmed cakes on the bottom, cut side up. 
2) Add a very thin layer of the frosting on the cake top, but make a ring around the edge with the frosting. (this will act as a wall so that the fruit filling will not leak out.)   Use a spoon with holes so that the liquid will drain before you add them to the cake.  (You do not want a ton of liquid or it will make your cake soggy.)
3)  Time to add the next layer of cake, Place the other cake round that you cut the top off and put the trimmed side down on top of the berries.  Repeat step two once again, the add the last layer of cake, Look at picture above and that is how it should look like.  Place in fridge to set.  You want the cake to settle before frosting or your frosting will crack.
4)  Once the cake has settled, its time to frost the whole cake.  Start with the sides and then do the top.  To make the little flowers on the bottom and top rim use pipping tip 21.  
5)  To have some Choc. covered strawberries melt some dark choc. and dip a few strawberries, place on wax paper and allow to harden. 
6)  Now place fresh berrys on the top and round the bottom of the cake,  place in fridge until ready to serve. 

Coffee cupcakes

I am not a coffee lover but my husband loves it for sure.  So I thought why not make a cupcake that was dedicated to coffee.  This one has a cream cheese frosting, caramel sauce, and a choc.covered coffee bean on the top.

Coffee cupcake

I feel when it comes to baking that when something works do not mess with it.  I like to make cakes from scratch but many times those cakes come out to dry or to dense.  So I tend to use box cake mix to get the lighter and moister cupcakes. That is what I have done here for these coffee cupcakes.

Ingredients:  
               Cake  (yields about 18 cupcakes)
1 box white cake mix
1 cup double brewed coffee
1 tablespoon used coffee grinds

              Cream cheese frosting
1 brick of cream cheese  (softened)
1/4 cup butter  (softened)
2 teaspoons milk
1 teaspoon coffee extract
4 cups powered sugar

              Also needed
1 thing of caramel sauce
1 bag of chocolate covered coffee beans

Directions:
               Cake  (oven 350)
1.  Make the box mix as the instructions say on the back of the box except substitute the coffee for the water.  Once the batter is mixed add the coffee grinds and mix again.
2.  Fill cupcake pan with cupcake wrappers,  Using a 1/4 cup fill each wrapper with batter.
3.  Bake cupcakes for about 20-25 mins.  Once done baking take out and allow to cool completely.
4.  Cut out a small hole in the top of each cupcake.  Remove the core.  Set aside for the time being.

               Cream cheese frosting
1. Cream together the cream cheese, butter, milk, and coffee extract until nice and fluffy.  Add in the powdered sugar while the mixer is on low speed.  Will be done when smooth and spreadable.
2.  Put 1/2 cup of frosting in a separate bowl and add a little more of the used coffee grinds, mix well.  Take a sandwich zip bag and fill with this 1/2 cup of frosting.  Squeeze to one corner and cut off the corner.  Pip a little of the frosting into the hole of each cupcake.  DO NOT fill the hole all the way with the frosting, you will then fill the rest with some caramel sauce.
3.  Take the remaining frosting to put into a gallon zip bag and squeeze to a bottom corner and cut that corner off also.  Pip a nice layer of frosting on top of each cupcake.

              Finish up:
1.  Once the frosting is done on all cupcakes, drizzle a little caramel sauce over the top of each cupcake.
2.  Add one or two choc. covered coffee beans to the top of the cupcakes to finish the look. 
3.  Keep in fridge until ready to serve.
Enjoy your cup (cake) of coffee:)

German Choc. cupcakes

I love to design and work with cupcakes, I have said this before but I have to say it again.  Something about cake in little wrappers is just so much fun for me!!  So in the next couple posts I am going to give ways on how to make yummy cupcakes.
At the car show the German Choc. cupcakes where hands down the favorite so I am going to give you the know how now. 

German Chocolate cupcake

Ingredients: 
                  Cake  (yields about 24 cupcakes)   By Betty Crocker's New Cookbook
4 ounces sweet cooking chocolate               2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup water                                                1 tea. baking soda
2 cups sugar                                                  1 tea. salt
1 cup butter softened                                     1 tea. vanilla
4 large eggs                                                   1 cup buttermilk

                 Coconut-Pecan Frosting       (TO fill and cover 24 make a double of this recipe)
1 cup sugar                                                     3 large egg yolks
1/2 cup butter                                                 1 1/3 cup flaked coconut
1 cup evaporated milk                                    1 cup chopped pecans
1 tea. vanilla

Directions:
                 Cake             (oven 350)
1.  Fill cupcake pan with cupcake wrappers and set aside.
2.  You will need a small sauce pan, put chocolate and water in pan. Turn stove on to med. heat and melt choc.  Stir, once completely melted remove from heat.
3.  In a mixing bowl, beat on high sugar and butter.  Beat until light and fluffy.
4.  Add in eggs one at a time while mixing, beat in melted chocolate and vanilla.
5.  In a small separate bowl combine: flour, baking soda, and salt.
6.  Begin to add flour mixture to the creamed ingredients, only add half and then add half of the butter milk.  Add the remaining flour and then once again the buttermilk.  Scrap sides of bowl and mix again.
7.  Use a 1/4 cup and fill cupcake wrappers with cake batter.
8. Bake for 20-25 minutes.   Once done let cool completely.  Once cool cut a small parring knife and cut a small hole in the middle of each cupcake and remove the core.  You will be filling in the hole with the frosting.

                 Frosting
1.  You will need a small sauce pan,  put in sugar, butter, milk, vanilla, and egg yolks.  Mix well together and cook on Med. heat for 12 mins.  Stir through out.
2.  Add in the coconut and chopped pecans.  Mix well and remove from heat.  Allow to cool for 30 mins.

Assemble:
1. Once cupcakes and frosting is cooled it is time to put it all together!!  Make sure you have cut a hole into the middle of all the cupcakes.
2.  Fill a gallon zip bag with half of the frosting.   Push down to one corner and cut off the corner to make a hole.   Pipe in the hole in each cupcake.  It is ok if  you have it coming out of the top.
3.  Add a nice layer of frosting to the top of each cupcake and spread out smooth.
4.  Melt a little choc. and drizzle over the top.  (tip:  I used the end of a knife to do the drizzle.  Let the choc. set and serve!!

        

Car Show Bake sell

 Every year our church holds a car show to raise money for the teen ministry.  This year I was privileged to hold my very first Goodies By Design bake sell.  I baked and baked for a whole week and had a great turn out of treats and money raised for the teens.  My husband's father drove up from Alabama with his Ford mustang to enter the show.  Below is a picture of the our little girl Olivia with her Pa and his car.  He was awarded best top twenty car out of 91 cars. Great job dad!

           The menu for the bake sell was: six different b-fast breads, six different cupcakes, fruity pebble pops, cake pops, thin mint and Oreo truffles, and brownie bites.  I also made a cupcake race car and little cake cars.  I did not want to go to a car show with out my own cars!!  So for the next couple posts I will give out recipes for the breads and some cupcakes.  Also an explanation on how to make your very own cupcake car. 
           On this post I just want you to enjoy some pictures of the tables I had set up. ;)

Cupcake car w/ mini cake cars

breads, cake pops, fruity pebble pops

coffee, PB&J, and lemon cupcakes

S'more, German Choc, and choc. chip cookie dough cupcakes

The Shelby mustang

My blog cards

Brownie bites, thin mint and Oreo truffles

The engine of the mustang