I am a Honey Bee

All about my adventures with cooking, crafts, and travel

Archives for December 2009

I’m a lumberjack and I’m okay

This year was the first time the Price and I did Christmas cards together. You know the ones with photos, the ones where the whole family is dressed in white shirts and jeans sitting on the beach… Well since it’s just us I figured it would be best to have a little fun with the whole thing. I decided we needed a theme, and what theme best describes Christmas and freezing Boston weather…. LUMBERJACKS!

The folks at Gap also made it their mission to throw as much paid at the general public as possible this season. A few weeks ago when shopping around for Christmas presents Price found the most amazing (he thinks annoying) hat ever!  Since buying it I try to wear it whenever possible, even on the ‘warm’ days and it is not really needed. So with hat in hand I had to think of a way of incorporating it into the Christmas card… which is how a theme of lumberjack came about. Emily suggested props to make the photo more authentic (and hilarious) which is why there is an ax. Plus we would just be weirdos wearing plaid, and me with my hat.

So Price was a good sport setting up the camera and timer to take a bunch of photos with us. There were so many outtake photos since I was not sure if I wanted the picture to look American Gothic like. So at the last-minute we would crack up when trying to look serious. Enjoy…

 

  

Photos were adjusted using Maggie Holmes’ Photoshop Actions. Love them!

Merry Valentine’s Eve

I am a little, okay- A LOT, horrified that while out at the food store getting food for the buns that I saw a large display of Valentine’s Day crapola. Today is Christmas Eve!!!!!

What the hell is going on?????

Some Seriously Amazing Cinnamon Rolls

 

Two weekends ago I ventured into the territory of baking with yeast. I learned how working with yeast can be a pain in the ass but if it works you get great results. My first attempt was a miserable fail with a sticky, dense, dead ball of dough. I figured out my milk was at 112 and the was way too hot for my yeast so I tried again at 100 and SUCCESS!!!

I went through all this trouble because I saw these amazing Peppermint Bark Buns at Fake Ginger. I could have gone for the peppermint and chocolate filling but I am not a big fan of white chocolate so I decided to stick with a cinnamon roll and this would be a springboard into making the cinnamon rolls.

 

 

 

These cinnamon rolls were worth the trouble since they were an amazing treat for the weekend. Plus I felt like I conquered a big fear with using yeast. I made an orange frosting for them which was good- a nice complement to the cinnamon but standard milk based frosting is more my thing. I think eggnog would be fantastic!

Seriously Amazing Cinnamon Rolls

makes 12 rolls

Ingredients

Dough

  • 1 cup warm milk (skim works)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/3 cup unsalted butter melted
  • 4  cups bread flour, 1/2 cup reserved
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 packet dry active yeast

 Filling

  •  1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup of brown sugar
  • 4 tablespoons cinnamon
  • 4 tablespoons butter, softened

Glaze

  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • milk or orange juice until you have reached your desired frosting thickness
 

Process

  1. To prepare the dough, start by heating the milk per yeast instructions (between 100-110F). Melt the butter, set aside. Beat eggs in a very large bowl, set aside. Once the milk has reached the right temperature add the yeast and let proof per instructions. Mix in the sugar and melted butter into the eggs. Gently mix in the milk/yeast to the wet ingredients. In half cup intervals mix in the bread flour until 4 cups has been incorporated. With the remaining 1/2 cup, dust a clean smooth surface and coat your hands. Kneed the dough into a ball incorporating the remaining flour. Place into a greased bowl, cover, with plastic wrap and let double in size (several hours).
  2. While your dough is rising prepare the cinnamon sugar mixture by combining the sugars, cinnamon, and the softened butter. Set aside.
  3. Preheat oven to 350 and grease baking pans.
  4. Roll out dough into a 16 by 21 inch rectangle. Spread butter mixture evenly over dough. Roll up dough jelly roll style and divide into 12 rolls. Arrange evenly in pan(s), cover and let rise until doubled.*
  5. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
  6. While rolls are baking combine the cream cheese and sifted powered sugar. Add milk/oj to the cream cheese until it reached the desired consistency. Spread frosting over warm rolls before serving.

*I did not do this since I wanted them right then and they turned out fine. So this extra rise is up to you.

Getting Inspired Again

While architecture school requires you to be creative I always approached my projects pragmatically. I like grids, rhythm, and realism. While I could have gotten a bit more wild and free with these I liked to imagine them as real projects, with structure, budgets, and codes. The last class I really felt creative in was a C (third) level studio when I sewed a majority of my project. It was a horrible pain in the ass and it required the sewing machine (that my dad designed when he worked for singer in the 80’s) to be serviced. I had shades of red to pink to represent users and the feeling invoked related to those users. It’s not to say that I did not like my other classes but that was the most hands on creative one.

Now that I am getting out of school I am determined to try every crafty thing I can get my hands on. Even if I try and fail or hate it I am going to try it. Different mediums, different techniques, different classes, etc. Up next is learning to crochet.

Over the weekend I made a wreath using a  12″ foam form. I wrapped the whole thing in the majority of a skein of yarn. Then I wrapped it in ribbon, from Stampin’ Up! Broke it and then stuck it back together with toothpicks. You would never know I cracked it but dumb move on my part. Then I decorated it with holly leaves that I diecut using Stampin’ Up! papers and a sizzix template. The berries were buttons, also from Stampin’ Up! Lastly, I added some wire (SU!) to add some depth to the wreath.

Stick a fork in it

I’m DONE!!!!!!!!

 

My last class was last night. It was a rough push for this final review but it came out well and the review was great. Typical comments of ‘ you could have done this…’, ‘did you consider….?’ ‘ I appreciate that you did this….. because….’. There were positive and negative comments which is fine. I designed a school into an exisiting Big Box store which has its own design challenges there but I had never done any school work before. This project idea came to me because there is a collision of schools that were built in the 60’s that need expansions or major renovations and a lot of vacant Big Bix stores (in Oct commerical real estate reached a 12% vacancy rate in MA). Some people design schools as a specialty so it was pretty nice to get some positive feedback since was my first school design.

 

As soon usual things came down to the end. I was printing right until I had to pin-up. Luckily, it was only 5 big sheets for this final review instead of all the process reviews with sketch paper pinned up and several 8.5×11’s photos tacked up there.

The hardest part about presenting a project is the printing. In this case I had a 1/8th inch scale plans at the last review which were too big to visually process so i reduced them to 1/16th.  I also reduced the sections and elevations to 1/16th so they would directly line up with the plans. this was a fail in layout design… they would have read better larger. Oh well, hind sight is 20×20.

Plus color on your computer is really different than color printed. This is a continuly problem but I thought I solved it by picking a LIGHT blue in illustrator. My sky blue  in my elevations is screaming blue (see first image). Again, oh well.

 

My model was awesome though. It was 4 slices that came together to be 40″x60″. That’s right, my model was 5′ long- just slightly smaller than me! It came apart in 12 pieces 4 roof sections, 4 second floor sections, and the 4 first floor sections. Price was a MAJOR part of getting my model done- umm he was my slave labor on wed and thursday. He was amazing and so helpful. I really would have been screwed without him. I love him so much for killing his hands for me.

Once I get to relax a bit I will finish the couple of walls that we forgot about as we were moving from section to section so quickly, the 3 exterior walls that I ran out of time to print and cut, and the columns that decided they did not like the frantic car rides from home> work> school.

It seems really bizarre to be done. It really has not sunk in yet, granted it has not even been 24 hours. Things will really be done when I don’t have to register and take classes in January again.

So today I am celebrating my FREEDOM!! by going out to go shopping at lunch. Finally a lunch that is not devoted to homework!

 

Pecan Snowdrops

Pecan Snowdrops, more commonly known as Mexican Wedding Cookies, are my favorite Christmas time cookie. They are nutty, buttery, sugary, and bite size! They are as easy to make as they are to eat. I use a great Christmas cookie book, fittingly called The Christmas Cookie Book, by Lou Seibert Pappas. It breaks down different types of cookies into chapters from timeless traditional, family favorites, cookies for gift giving and mailing, and elegant party cookies. These cookies fall under the gift giving and mailing chapter since they can ben stored in an airtight container for 2 weeks, that is if they last that long!

Price and I made a BIG batch (4x the typical recipe) on Friday night for a Cookies Exchange we hosted through our Meetup group. It was a lot of fun, a good break from the madness of finals, and we met a bunch of great people who brought some really great cookies.

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Pecan Snowdrops

Makes about 3 dozen

Ingredients

  •  3/4 cup butter, at room temperature
  • 1/3 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup finely chopped pecans or toasted, skinned hazelnuts (finely chop the nuts or run the through a food processor)
  • Powdered sugar for Dusting

Process

  1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.  Lightly grease baking sheets or use nonstick or parchment-lined baking sheets.
  2. Using a stand mixer or a large bowl and a handheld electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.  Add the vanilla, salt, flour and nuts and mix well.  Roll the dough into ¾ inch balls between your palms, and place on prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 ½ inches apart.
  3. One sheet at a time, bake the cookies for 15 to 18 minutes, or until light brown.  Transfer to rack to cool slightly.  Place the still-warm cookies on a sheet of parchment paper or aluminum foil and heavily dust with powdered sugar shaken through a sieve.  Let cool completely.
  4. Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks

Fried Rice

Making Chinese food with my Dad has become one of those experiences that leads to great food, dirty dishes, lots of laughs, and full stomaches. One year our bird, Studley, ‘got hungry’ and flew into the bowl of fried rice- no one was happy then. Or we always seem to bring up the time when my brother, Dad, and I made chinese food and the kitchen looked like a nuclear holocaust. Food on the floor, sauces dripping down the cabinets, spills in the fridge, and a sink full of bowls. Of course everything was worth  it since the food is always amazing. We have made shrimp with lobster sauce, chicken with cashews, chicken and shrimp chow mien, and, as always, fried rice.

When my Dad came to visit a few weeks ago we planned on making chinese food so he brought up some of the ingredients and his wok. This excited me to no end. It had been so long since I had the fried rice. Sure, you can get fried rice at your local chinese food restaurant, but I have to say that it’s not the same. I find the fried rice from most chinese food places has too much soy sauce for my preference. So that is why it is worth it to take the time to make amazing fried rice.

Fried Rice

3 C. rice
1 C. diced chicken or shrimp or pork
Marinating sauce

  • 1 TBS. cooking Sherry
  • 1 ½ tsp. sugar
  • 1 ½ TBS. Cornstarch
  • 1 ½ TBS. Soy sauce
1 chopped onion (small)
3  eggs
½ tsp. black pepper (optional)
½ C. diced celery
4 Tbs. oil (wok oil is prefered)
diced scallion
soy sauce as much as desired
 
 
 Marinate the meat in the sauce for 30 minutes to an hour.
 
Cook 3 cups of rice accordingly.
 Add 1 TBS. of oil to a wok on medium heat.  Add the eggs into the oil and break them into bite size chunks while scrambling them. Cook until they begin to set. It is very important not to cook them entirely as there will be carry-over cooking. Put the eggs to the side until ready to use them again.Add the rest of the oil to the wok.  Add the onions and stir-fry for a minute.  Push to one side of the wok when done. Then put the meat and celery in the wok; stir-fry until the meat is beginning to brown. Add the rice, soy sauce, and pepper; Mix that for about 2 minutes/until everything is coated. Then add the diced scallion and the reserved scrambled egg and stir-fry until everything is well mixed.** If you use shrimp add the celery a minute prior to the shrimp because of cooking time.
 

Fundays- December

Everyday should be a holiday.

Boston thinks this. They have so many holidays, and so many parades. No joke. In 2009 there were over 25 parades that celebrated everything from St Patrick’s Day, Independence Day (even Greek), Gay Pride, neighborhoods, revolutionary war battles, pets, nationalities, etc. So if the city of Boston can have Evacuation Day, Patriots’ Day, or Bunker Hill Day there can be National Cookie Day.

December- National Tie Month

12/1- National Pie Day

12/2- National Fritters Day

12/3- Jazz Day

12/4- National Cookie Day & Wear a Beard of Bees Today Day

12/5- International Volunteer Day & Walt Disney’s Birthday

12/6- National Gazpacho Day (seems out of season to me)

12/7- Cotton Candy Day & Anniversary of Pearl Harbor (1941)

12/8- National Brownie Day

12/9- National Pastry Day

12/10- Human Rights Day

12/11- National Noodle Ring Day

12/12- Poinsettia Day

12/13- Violin Day

12/14- National Bouillabaisse Day

12/15- National Lemon Cupcake Day

12/16- National Chocolate Covered Anything Day

12/17- National Maple Syrup Day

12/18- Bake Cookies Day

12/19- National Oatmeal Muffin Day

12/20- National Sangria Day (the 21st must be the unofficial hangover day!)

12/21- Look At the Bright Side Day & National Flashlight Day (check your batteries)

12/22-  International Arbor Day & Winter Solstice

12/23- Fools Day

12/24- National Egg Nog Day

12/25- Christmas and Pumpkin Pie Day

 

12/26- National Candy Cane Day

12/27- Visit the Zoo Day and & National Fruitcake Day (confession: I love fruitcake!)

12/28- Card Playing Day, Eat Vegetarian Day

12/29- Broadway Day

12/30- National Bicarbonate of Soda Day (baking soda)

12/31- National Champagne Day & Check Smoke Alarms Day

Have Fun this Month!

The Facts of Life

You take the good, you take the bad,
you take them both and there you have
The Facts of Life, the Facts of Life.

That theme song perfectly described my day yesterday…

Good- wake up early to do homework.

Bad- I suddenly realize that I left my chicken soup out of the counter at work. The story behind this is that it was still completely frozen at lunch on Tuesday even though I put it in the fridge on Monday to defrost. Planning on taking it out for a few hours would help it thaw so I could have lunch on Wednesday. However I realized I never put it away.

Bad- I wanted to toast bagels for Price and myself. Our toaster oven has a mind of its own so it can either take a long time 1 day or go quickly the next. The smoke detector going off before 8am is a sign that 1) it toasted quickly yesterday 2) I burned the bagels. But I ate it anyway, yep I did. Burned bagels are awful.

Bad- Get to work. Fears confirmed that my soup is ruined. Throw out a big container- like 3 lunches- of soup.

Good- I’m getting faster at doing Photoshop. I really struggle with it so things seem to be looking up. I love learning new things and pressure but I was hating on Photoshop yesterday.

Bad- Right before leaving for class I hear people discussing the meeting tomorrow, the meeting all this struggling in Photoshop is for. Although the client accepted the invite for 4pm they can’t do it then. I have to leave for class before finding out the new time.

Good- although I had to ‘listen’ to my crazy teacher for an hour and a half I enjoyed class because 1) I got to read magazines in class. 2) Today for some reason he mentioned space shuttles and the technological faults behind them (Challenger and Columbia), except he was wrong and someone told him that. That does not seem like a big deal but no one speaks in class, well we just mumble to ourselves when he says things like “WWII demolished Japan” and “You know what I’m trying to say…” 200 times a class.

Good/Bad- My boss emails me that the meeting is now at 10am. FML. Sooo glad to know so I can get in early but damn that’s a big loss of prep time!

Good- Get home- vent to Pricer about my day and go through the mail…. Christmas/birthday presents I ordered arrive, check from my dad, and Liz Kartchner’s new book!

Aretha Franklin performs at the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony in New York December 2, 2009.

Good- While doing homework I watched the tree lighting at Rockefeller Center and then Glee. (Aretha Franklin needs a new stylist)

Bad- Go to bed way too early at 11.30 but I decided that I needed to survive the day getting up at 5 and not having a meltdown because of Photoshop and Revit. Now need to stay up even later on Thursday and just about everyday until the final review.

I think that is crap, stress, and mood swings lead to my dream of being held hostage by Kirk Cameron. Yep, Growing Pains’ Kirk Cameron.  So here goes…. for some reason I am being held hostage. He is the guard for this operation. He tells me that he really does not want to see anything bad happen to me, since he is a Christian. Things even get to the point that he tells me he is willing to let me go if I agree in Creationism. I really want to go but I can’t agree. So I beat him with his crocoduck poster (seen above) and escape.

 Let’s see what today brings.

Pass- Scrapbooking Page

I have slowly been catching up on scrapbooking. Like photos that are 2-3 years old. They have been hanging out in a folder just waiting for some love and attention. The problem is lack of time and that I keep adding more pictures to this folder so things keep getting shuffled around. Well, I have been taking some time to get organized- but then it all went to hell- and do some quick scrapbooking. Like 15 minute pages.

This page is from January 2007! I took this picture of Price to commemorate his passing grade on his Segment 1 portfolio. ( Our school requires 2 portfolios of work to date to be submitted before being able to move on. Portfolio, like everything else at out school, sucks the life out of you. Plus, it is subjective and list of people who fail on their first attempt is quiet impressive. ah hem, we both failed the first submission. Mine stung even more because I took a portfolio class right before submitting. Super….) Well we went to school on the night of studio registration to find out if he passed or not, and then register for classes. After receiving the good news we went out to a bar to celebrate.

Solid paper, adhesive, chipboard, ink, and corner rounder punch are from Stampin’ Up!, patterned letters are from Martha Stewart, date stamp is from 7 gyspies, and patterned papers are unknown.

This is the current state of chaos out office is in. ALL MY FAULT! ALL MY CRAP! Thankfully Price is the most amazing boyfriend in the world and lets it get this bad without killing me. I promise it will be clean by Christmas!