Waffle Cones

We are big ice cream eaters. So of course, I've invested in some machinery over the years. I have a $60 Cuisinart ice cream maker--the kind you freeze the bowl insert overnight to chill--and I have a fancy $300 machine that requires no pre-chilling, but makes an obscene amount of noise. Lo and behold, the machine that I love the most does not make ice cream at all but the waffle cones instead! My Chef's Choice Waffle Cone Express 838 is just plain awesome. I've decided that store bought cones taste like packing peanuts. (Yes, I have tasted packing peanuts before.) The Waffle Cone Express makes beautiful and delicious cones that come out perfect every time. I'm done making ice cream for now. Making a proper Creme Anglaise ice cream base can be a little tedious. The other challenge is that everyone in the family is picky and wants their own flavor. Making four different ice creams is hard labor instead of fun cooking. To be fair, I would probably enjoy making ice cream if my kids were willing to eat anything that would inspire me, like Burnt Sugar Macadamia or Fluffernutter Jelly. Maybe some day they will. But for now, making the cones in just a few minutes and adding a few scoops of our favorite Vanilla or Chocolate Haagen Daz makes everyone happy.

Forget smelling! Stop and eat the flowers!

There are two summer road side rules I never break:

#1. Never pass a lemonade stand without buying something...and yes, choke back that drink no matter how bad it is, smile, and say thank you. It goes without saying that you should tip well, too.

#2. Never, ever walk past fresh zucchini blossoms on sale at a road side.

And so, I found myself buying a dozen blossoms. Excessive, yes. Moderation was never my strength. Few important things: Handle them as little as possible. Store them in the fridge, but do not store them long. Wash them by immersing in cold water. Double check the inside for the little bugs that love them more than we do. Dry by laying flat on paper towels. Pat gently. I like them stuffed with about a heaping teaspoon of fresh ricotta cheese, flavored with some herbs or lemon zest. Then dip in a mixture of flour and water--the consistency of heavy cream. Pan fry until golden, flipping once. Immediately sprinkle with coarse salt. Heaven.

Teacher's Appreciation...Part II

Hit 'em where it hurts...the sweet tooth:















Daisy Cupcakes
















Mini Cherry Cheesecakes

Teacher's Appreciation...Part I

The upside to being on the yearbook committee is that you have access to all the headshots of the kids. I created this bouquet using the pictures of the kids I already had...

Each flower has two card stock daisies glued around a skewer that I painted green. The kids' faces are glued on one side and their names are glued to the other. Each leaf has a quote from the kids. All 23 students are represented, each one a flower. Then I pressed them into a styrofoam cone set inside a vase. A little wrapping paper and ribbon and we are done!

Knits I have loved and lost.

It's a good thing that I love a Quick Fire knitting project. Especially when my husband has a special knack for losing my hand knits. My poor little peanut had his previous neck-warmer lost at an aquarium (on Dad's watch!) and I couldn't find a decent hat for him that winter. So having fallen hard for Misti Alpaca Chunky yarns, I knit him up a zippy quick little hat and neck warmer set. He loves it and wore it through the coldest days of Connecticut winters.


















It's a basic hat pattern with a rib base. I added ear flaps from the hat pattern in Joelle Hoverson's Last-Minute Knitted Gifts.













And here is a sad procession of hand knits my man has lost...

This vertically striped scarf was made with Aurora. It was a fun technique to try and looked really sharp. Unfortunately, this scarf was last seen in the New York City Area in March of 2008.














This cashmere (3 skeins worth!) scarf was last seen in May of 2008.
















This matching neck warmer and mitten set was also knit in Aurora. The tiny mittens have been put away in the peanut's memory box. They have his initials embroidered on them. The neckwarmer was knit in a larger size as he was SUPPOSED to wear it for many more years to come. Unfortunately the neck warmer was last seen at the Maritime Aquarium in January of 2009.

Wabbits! Lots of wabbits!

Class mom is asked to send in baked goods for the Easter celebration for the first graders. There can only be one answer...

Wabbits, lots of 'em. With Tic Tac teef!














These bunny cupcakes are a composite of ideas I found on the web. The ears are marshmallows cut in half and dipped in colored sugar. The cheeks are mini marshmallows, eyes are blue dragees, jelly bean noses, and chocolate sprinkle whiskers. Because I am compulsive and need things to be matchy-matchy, the buttercream and the sugar for the ears were colored with the same shade of "rose petal" gel paste. You can easily dye sugar just by rubbing in a tiny drop of gel paste and rubbing it in. Your fingers will get stained.

Barbie-licious!

It never fails, someone in Suburbia is always in need of an emergency doll cake. It's always extra tricky when they "don't like the taste of fondant." I find working with buttercream details to be a bit of a high-wire act. Luckily, Barbie was very cooperative.

Other dolls from my past...

My niece's 4th Birthday Cinderella Cake:

Boo's 4th Birthday Princess Cake: