Martha Stewart's - Cookie of the Day

Dissertation = Done!

Yup....that's right. I finally finished writing! I'm quite impressed with myself, because meeting my deadline didn't involve any all-nighters or involve any major disasters!

Here's the proof!

I'm Being Naughty

So........I really don't have time to be blogging right now. I wouldn't even call this procrastination, this an instance of very poor prioritizing. My dissertation is nearly finished....just doing some last minute changes from my advisor (who I think in general was positive about it). But, this thing has been frying my brain, so I took the night off yesterday and..............made a card......

Our friends had a baby yesterday, and what kind of disaster would it have been if I had arrived to visit without some sort of handmade token? As it is, I still need to add buttons to the baby bibs!

Anyway....here it is for your viewing enjoyment!

Sydney: Yarn Hound

I couldn't resist putting this up. Sydney was nestled up on the couch with one of my knitting projects last night, and my husband got this pic of her...

Baby knitting....with pictures!!!

Not too much time to go on and on about things....but I did want to put up some pictures of some things that I have been knitting. I've been spending almost all of my bus time with 100% cotton yarn....I was really in a book thing for a while, but I just got stuck on Life of Pi. I'm going to have to pick somthing else soon....

I have been pretty busy with school lately. The pressures on, and I hope to defend my dissertation at the end of July or beginning of August. I did take some time this past week to update my "stash" and "projects" on my Ravelry page. Here are a few of them:

What do you do with fresh strawberries in May?

That's right, you make lots of strawberry daiquiris and get silly drunk!

So--anyone reading this is going to want to go to their local farmer's market this month and buy a bunch of local strawberries. Better yet--pick your own. I recommend doing this mostly sober though.

Take the strawberries home and find your blender.

Combine ice, 2 parts fresh strawberries (stemmed and hulled), 2 parts rum, 1 part triple sec, and some lime juice to taste. Add some fresh mint, too. Blend until it's perfect, and pour into a really fun glass rimmed with sugar.

Enjoy outside under an umbrella and congratulate yourself for supporting local produce farmers.

Heat Sinks

Ok...this weekend, I had my most embarrassing/disastrous baking incident of my entire life. This even tops a few episode from my unruly adolescent years...

On Saturday evening, we attended a BBQ at a friend's home for our church 20's and 30's group. As an accomplished cook and baker (ha!), I decided that I should RSVP for both macaroni and cheese and cupcakes...since both my husband and I would be attending. But in typical Big R fashion, I was running late--I had to dash to the lab, then to Target for groceries, and then home to do all of this cooking. I get through the front door at 4:15 and the party starts at 5, and I still decide to attempt mac and cheese and cupcakes....mistake...

I manage to get the cupcake batter made while the pasta is boiling for the mac and cheese. The cupcake recipe is One Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook. I've made them in the past and they are really yummy and easy. The cupcakes go in the oven, and then I move on to assembling my mac and cheese, and put it in the oven. I start to wonder why nearly 40 minutes later, the cupcakes still don't look done. I pull them out and they are still just goo. After sitting out of the oven for a few minutes, they all collapsed in the middle. I didn't even think at the time to take a picture for the blog, but it would have been really comical. So word to the wise--allow enough time to put your cakes in the oven separately from a full 9x13 Corningware of macaroni and cheese. Apparently, that takes up A LOT of the oven heat!

While I was waiting for those suckers to do something in the oven, I did manage to whip up some awesome Peanut Butter Buttercream Icing to put on the cupcakes. I brought that along to the party, and that was so good, people went ahead and slathered on chocolate cake that another guest had brought. The rest is in the fridge right now, and it is so cold that I was thinking I would mold it into balls and dip it in chocolate to make some candies....yum.

Here's the recipe I made up:
Peanut Butter Buttercream Icing
Ingredients
1/2 c. butter, room temp.
1/2 c. peanut butter
4 c. confectioner's sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2-4 Tbsp. milk

Cream butter and peanut butter in an electric mixture until smooth and creamy. Gradually add confectioner's sugar ~1 cup at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Mixture will be very dry at this point. Add vanilla, and then milk 1 Tbsp. at a time until frosting is desired consistency.

I'm Back!!!

Well, I suppose this is one of those strange scenarios where I haven't felt like I have been under a lot of stress, so I haven't really needed to "procrastinate" in the more traditional sense. Therefore, I really have had to waste time by writing about wasting time.

We did get the reviews on my paper back, and I have a few more experiments cooking right now. Once that puppy gets sent back in for its second review, I'm sure I'll get that introduction for dissertation cranked right out! I'm an "under the wire" kind of girl. Ugh...that's enough science talk.

Things I have been doing: BAKING! We got a new oven a couple weeks ago, and I have been using it to try out new recipes from the Martha Stewart Cookie Book. It works great, and I have had the chance to try out the convection feature. Last week (in one night!) I made the Peanut Butter Cookies from the book--which were awesome, chocolate chip cookies (off the back of the Nestle bag, there is just no substitute), and white chocolate macadamia nut cookies--recipe courtesy of Nicole. Yum! I should have posted some pictures of those, but I thought that would be mean. I'm started to collect cupcake ideas for my graduation party--yes I think I have spent more time thinking about the graduation bash rather than writing my dissertation.... Check out this blog for incredible ideas--they update it constantly: http://www.cupcakestakethecake.blogspot.com/. I'm going to try to remember to add that to my favorites.

I have also been try to knit as much as possible. Now that TV is back on, it leaves me with a lot of quality multitasking time--i.e. make a burp cloth while watching the office. I've decided to work on a bunch of burp clothes and bibs for the babies that are coming up in the summer--I don't think the mamas are going to want to put the new babies in little sweaters on July--sounds cruel.

Speaking of baby knitting--
My friend Laura was in town this past weekend (that's knitting friend Laura from D.C., not to be confused with paper-crafting friend Laura who lives here in Durham). Together, we made an important discovery which is that Peaches 'n Creme 100% cotton yarn (as their label suggests) is way softer than the Sugar 'n Creme yarn that is sold at most craft stores. We found the Peaches 'n Creme at my Wal-Mart in Durham, but it is also available online at http://www.elmore-pisgah.com/. Totally the worth the shipping. Laura also turned me on to a totally sweet website called Ravelry. It is an online knitting community that just looks awesome. I am on the waiting list for an invitation right now...but from what I can tell from their online tours it looks like it is extremely useful/addictive, so I am looking forward to some quality procrastination time once I get on there.

N.B.--the Baby Kimono pattern from Mason-Dixon knitting fits on 10lb. babies. I found that out twice in April!

Ok--I'll get some pics up this week to make this thing a bit more interesting.

Easter Eggs....

So....I didn't really do much "work" this weekend, but I was able to cross off a couple things from my "Easter crafts I would really like to try but don't have the time list." It was sooooooo awesome. I lost track of how many eggs I bought.

Below are pictures of egg craft #1. I saw this idea in Martha Stewart Living (April 2006). You use a Dremel tool to make ~1/2 inch hole in the bottom of the egg, blow the egg out, and sterilize. (My husband did all the drilling....thanks honey!)

After the sterilizing, you dye the eggs with food coloring, and let them dry for two days... That's why this project is so intense, you need a lot of advance planning, which generally is not my forte.
After the eggs are completely dry inside, you fill them completely with chocolate, or make them into chocolate truffles, which is what we did. The finished products are shown below, on display.

Here's a link for the actual instructions (Chocolate Egg How-To)
We had to take a break from all the eggs to see UNC dominate Mount Saint Mary's in the first round of NCAAs at the RBC Center in Raleigh....



Next up was my husband's favorite-ever egg project, straight from the creative archives of Martha Stewart. A couple years ago, she had this lady on who uses cut up silk neck ties for dying Easter eggs. We raided my husband's closet for ties that he never wears any more and got to work. Here is a picture of the first batch twist tied up with silk touching the egg and covered with a square of old white tee-shirt. You just boil them for 20-25 minutes.......

.....and you get this! You have to try it... Here's the link: Silk Tie Easter Eggs

I'd like to take a moment to point out other fine examples of Easter baking and crafting.

Example 1: Chocolate cake with chocolate rolled fondant.... The finale to a 21 course Easter dinner at the home of our friends Ben and Jason.

Example 2: Eggstra special handmade card from Laura D.

Another one of these baby sweaters that I'm trying to finish up. I've pledged to only knit at home while I am watching reality television.

My evening activity... New purchase from Barnes and Noble.

Not enough time for procrastination...

This weekend, my dad and brother drove all the way out from Kansas to spend a few days with us in Durham. This meant that I had to stow away all things paper crafting, and turn the "craft room" into a second guest room. Putting away the rubber stamps may have been a blessing in disguise, as I think I have been a bit over-indulgent with the card making. I think the table will only go back up once all chapters of my dissertation are drafted. (I use the word "drafted" loosely).

Don't worry about me though. Even though I won't be card making, I do have a knitting project that needs to be finished up soon, and I have a couple of eggcellent projects lined up for Easter weekend. (Sorry, I had to do it.)

While the family was in town, we did a lot of basketball watching, since NCAA Division I conferences had their tournaments this weekend and figured out our brackets. (GO HEELS!) (An aside--if you are interested in joining a just for fun bracket challenge, e-mail me ASAP!) While my father and husband went golfing one afternoon, my brother and I checked out the North Carolina Museum of Life and Science in Durham.

Red Wolf

Butterflies

Gobble gobble...

Baaaa Raaaam Ewwwe

He is short, but this pygmy goat does not look like he wants to be messed with.

The Paper is Submitted!!!

Woo Hooooooooo!!!!!!!!!

Procrastination Levels are Low!

FYI:
I put together the post with all the pictures of cards last night, and added it to the blog when I got home this evening. I did not craft anything tonight, but we did watch a movie. I didn't blog at all during the day, and I was actually quite productive, both scientifically and with regards to my law school application. While I was watching Lost (DVR'd), I was editing my paper figures--the paper is getting submitted tomorrow!!!! Woo Hoo! Although, I better give those figures another check in the morning just to make sure I didn't label any axes with "Ben is a freakin' psycho" or "Last of the Oceanic Six Will Be Revealed." Tomorrow is card class day, so I'll have structured crafting time built into my day.

I just thought I would clarify that I actually do manage to get work completed during the day, just in case anyone was worried about me.

New Cards!

I recently reorganized my paper-crafting area--see below.
I think it's looking pretty good.... This is just "how I roll."


Below are a few cards I made this week--I'm finally trying to get the post-birthday thank yous out...



I think I should attempt to find an alternate backdrop that doesn't have sharp knives and dirty wine glasses in the background. I'm procrastinating, I don't have time to be perfect.

Candles, Sour Cream Containers, and Sweaters.....Oh my!

Well, my accomplice in crafting (Laura) and I had a lovely afternoon of hungover crafting a few weeks ago. I am very impressed that we started out with just materials, and came away with a very cute variety of favors.


Exhibit A: Sour cream container. We got this idea from our Stampin' Up Demonstrator Paula. We had originally done this with vellum card stock with heat embossed red hearts for Valentine's Day (filled with Hershey's Kisses, of course). After searching around on Splitcoaststampers, we saw that people were doing this with transparencies. Laura used Versamark ink to stamp the image (which, by the way, is the best baby stamp ever) and opaque white embossing powder. This was kind of tricky, as we quickly realized that if the heat tool got too hot, it would melt the transparency. We used sticky strip adhesive (the stuff that comes on the orange roll) to adhere the edges. Laura then filled with impending baby boy-appropriate blue and white Jelly Bellies. You just can't even order stuff this cute. Way to go Laura!Exhibit B: I also made some sour cream containers from some light blue patterned scrapbook paper that I had around. I would suggest using card stock, because they will be a little sturdier. I made these just a smidge bigger, and used the paper crimper to give the edges that authentic "can I get chives and sour cream with my baked potato?" look. They're not as cool as the ones that Laura made, but they do have chocolate inside, so they can't be all bad.Exhibit C: All of this sour cream container making was actually in addition to our original favor idea, which was hand-poured jar candles. A couple years back, while savaging through the rummage of a closed, run-down, out of NIH funding lab, Laura found this box of jars that we thought would be potential snow globe vessels. Unfortunately, the lids that came with them didn't actually fit the jars. We then decided that they would be adorable for little jar candles, and when our friend Jessica announced that she had a bun in oven.....GAME ON!


All of the favors together, in situ.

I have been spending a lot of time on my 25-minute each way bus ride knitting with my new favorite yarn -- Sugar and Creme 100% cotton worsted weight. Right now, I'm trying to make it through Pillars of the Earth, but for the past few weeks I have been hard at work on these, taken from Mason-Dixon Knitting.

As soon as I finish Pillars...it's back to quality TTA knitting time. I need to get a couple more of these busted out before April!

ISO More Ways to Procrastinate

Well, in completing my dissertation, it is inevitable that I have sought out as many ways as possible of procrastinating. I quickly learned that the Internet is only so vast, and that CNN.com can only be checked so many times within 10 minutes. News only happens so fast kids.

So, I decided to give myself yet another distraction--creating an online chronicle of my crafty distractions. As I try to preserve my current level of sanity, I find myself knitting furiously on the bus, or just sitting at my desk thinking, "I wish I was paper crafting...." If these diversions weren't swallowing up enough of my time, I have decided to waste even more time by taking pictures of everything and putting them up here. I probably have a better shot of curing heart disease this way.

Enjoy :o) I know I will.