Tiered Cake Stand Project

I recently went to a tea party where the host showed everyone how to make tiered cake stands.  It was a great little afternoon project that was really quick and easy for such a great end result.  Any type of plates, bowls, or mugs can be used for the cake stand, and the final product works well for formal or casual events.  Here are some instructions to make your own:

Tiered Cake Stand

Materials:

*2-3 dishes of your choice (plates, bowls, saucers, or tea cups)

*Cake stand stems pack (can be found at craft stores and online)

*Tape measure

*Screwdriver (or drill if preferred)

*Power drill 

*Tile (diamond) bit for drill

*Choose two to three dishes to include in your stand.

*Mark the center of each plate with a tape measure and a marker by making a small dot in the center.

*Using a tile drill bit (may be called a diamond bit) and a power drill, drill a hole in the center of each dish in the spot marked. Tip: The end of the drill bit may need to be dipped in a very tiny bit of water between drilling to cool off the bit.

*Using the purchased stem kit, secure a washer and then a screw to the bottom of the first plate.  Put a soft washer on the top side of the plate on the screw and then apply the stem fitting to this.

*Repeat until all dishes and stems are secured together.  The top tier will have the embellished stem on top.

*Enjoy!

Women in the Built Environment

It's International Women's Day!  Since there are few women in the built environment fields, I'd like to honor those who have made significant contributions to architecture, urban planning, or engineering.  These women have put their hearts into their work and shown a substantial drive to make our surroundings better.  It's easy to forget just how important designing our built environment is when people do their jobs as well as these women.  Let's take a moment and recognize some of the outstanding efforts of women who make our daily lives easier, more efficient, and more enjoyable because of their contributions to the built environment.

Jane Jacobs

* Urbanist, writer, and activist

*Wrote The Death and Life of Great American Cities

*Organized grass-roots efforts to preserve local neighborhoods

Zaha Hadid

*Architect and first female winner of the Pritzker Prize

*Known for:

 Vitra Fire Station, Germany

Terminal Hoenheim Nord, France

London Aquatics Centre, UK

Vitra Fire Station

(Photo by Rory Hyde)

Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk

*Architect and urban planner

*Founding member of the Congress for the New Urbanism

*Advocate for improved neighborhood walkability and reduction of sprawl

Maya Lin

*Architect, landscape designer, and artist

*Known for:

Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington D.C.

Civil Rights Memorial, Alabama

Vietnam Veterans Memorial

(Photo by dctim1 at Flickr.com)

Homemade Valentines

Valentine's Day is the perfect time to show the people in your life that you care, and homemade valentines are a nice way to do that.  They let you express exactly how you feel and add personal touches for those special people.  The cards can be as simple or as elaborate as you'd like to make them, too.  You could stamp a nice saying on a blank card or go all out with ribbons and embellishments.  Just make sure to put your heart into it, and they'll get the message that they're loved.

If you like the cards below, check out the We R Memory Keepers Love Struck collection to create your own projects with these papers and embellishments.

S'mores Bars

What's more fun on a cold night at home then warm, gooey s'mores bars to remind you of a summer campfire?  This is the perfect treat for a kids sleepover.  It's a no fuss recipe that kids can help make and drool over as they bake in the oven.  They can even be packaged up for the neighbors, kids at school, or the soccer team.  Of course, even the adults will love this nostalgic dessert.

S'mores Bars

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 cup butter or margarine, melted
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 package miniature marshmallows

Directions:

* Heat oven to 375 degrees F.

* Stir together 2 cups of the crumbs with the flour, butter, and sugar in a large bowl until well combined. 

* Press half into a greased 13 x 9 pan.  Bake for 18 to 20 minutes.  Remove from oven and pour the chocolate chips over the top.  Let sit until the chocolate begins to melt and then spread the chocolate over the crust.

 * Set the oven to broil.

* Sprinkle with marshmallows and the remaining 1/4 cup of crumb mixture. Press the marshmallows into the chocolate lightly.

* Broil in the oven on the top rack for 30 seconds to 1 minute until the tops of the marshmallows are toasted to your liking.

* Cool and cut into bars to enjoy.

Lemonade Cupcakes

Last week I posted pictures of my sweetheart themed party and all of the food that I made for it.  Today, I'm going to give you the recipe to make those amazingly good lemonade cupcakes that you can top with the freebie heart toppers.  These are the perfect way to say "hello" to the coming Spring or celebrate a special event.  The cupcakes are light with a cream cheese frosting that compliments the cake very nicely.  Your sweet tooth will thank you for these!

Lemonade Cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
• 6 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
• 3 tablespoons thawed lemonade concentrate
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs 
• 2 large egg whites 
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/4 cups fat-free buttermilk
• Cooking spray 
• Frosting:
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
• 2 teaspoons thawed lemonade concentrate
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 8 ounces 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
• 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

1. * Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. * To prepare cake, mix sugar, butter, lemon rind, 3 tbsp lemonade, and vanilla with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 5 minutes). Add eggs and egg whites, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. 
3. * In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda; stir well with a whisk. 
4. * Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; beat well after each addition.
5. * Pour batter into cupcake tins sprayed with cooking spray.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pans. Cool completely on wire rack.
6. * To prepare frosting, place butter, lemon rind, lemonade, vanilla, and cream cheese in a large bowl.  Beat with a mixer at high speed until fluffy. Add powdered sugar, and beat at low speed just until blended (do not overbeat). Chill 1 hour.
7. * Frost cupcakes and store loosely covered in the refrigerator.
8. * Enjoy!

(Recipe from Myrecipes.com)

Sweetheart Party with Free Printable

I recently hosted a party for some military spouses in the area as an opportunity to chat and catch up on what everyone had been doing.  Since Valentine's Day is fast approaching, I gave the party a sweetheart theme and based my party goods on the little candy hearts that are so ubiquitous every year.  The luncheon came together nicely with some turkey wraps, sides, and lemonade cupcakes.  I made toppers for the cupcakes, wrapped them in heart papers, and designed food and drink labels to match.

If you like the sweetheart theme, here are some free (for personal use) cupcake toppers that are ready to print.  Just print them, cut out the squares (or the hearts if you prefer), tape each one to the top of a toothpick, and stick into the middle of a cupcake.  Enjoy!

Soft Pretzels with Cheddar Cheese Dip

Anything dipped in cheese has to be good, right?  Soft pretzels are an especially fun snack to make and eat.  These are a great replacement for popcorn on a movie night or even as an appetizer for that Super Bowl party coming up.  Planning ahead for this recipe is key because there are a few steps involved.  Make sure you've got some time to prepare the dough early in the day or the night prior.

Soft Pretzels with Cheddar Cheese Dip

Ingredients:

Soft Pretzels:

1 1/2 cups warm water

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

1 package active dry yeast

3 ounces unsalted butter, melted

2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

4 1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour

Vegetable oil

3 quarts water

3/4 cup baking soda

1 whole egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water

Coarse sea salt

For the cheese sauce:

½ Tablespoon unsalted butter

½ Tablespoon all-purpose flour

½ cup milk

8 ounces Cheddar cheese, grated

Directions:

* For the Pretzels: Combine the water, sugar, yeast, and butter in the bowl and mix with a mixer dough hook until combined. Let sit for 5 minutes.

* Add the salt and flour and mix on low speed until combined. Increase the speed and continue kneading until the dough begins to pull away from the side of the bowl. If the dough appears too wet, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. Remove the dough from the bowl, place on a flat surface and knead into a ball with your hands.

* Spray a bowl with cooking spray, add the dough, and lightly spray the dough as well. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot for about 1 hour.

* Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

* Bring the water to a boil in a medium-sized pot and add the baking soda.

* Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a flat surface. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a long rope measuring about 20 inches. Cut the dough into one inch pieces to make the pretzel bites. 

* Boil the pretzel bites in the water solution in batches for about 30 seconds. Remove with a large slotted spoon and place on a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper.  Brush with the egg wash and season the tops with the salt. 

* Bake for 15 to 18 minutes until golden brown.

* Remove to a baking rack and let cool while making the cheese sauce.

* To make the cheese sauce:  Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the milk and cook until slightly thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in the Cheddar cheese until smooth and completely melted. 

(Recipe from Two Peas and their Pod)