Whip It Good

Remember my luscious looking frosted cupcakes?

I shared how to fool people with a box cake mix

but didn't share the frosting recipe.

I'm such a tease that way and

I'm truly sorry for that.

I didn't want to share the recipe

because I was going to do another post

with the cupcakes that I made for our

Son and DIL's baby shower.

Oh are these ever yummy!

I know, I shouldn't tease you this way.

I made 75 cupcakes!

The baby shower was a Nautical theme.

I used some of the cupcakes to create an anchor.

Then I created these.

Cupcakes with little whale tails.

I made some marshmallow fondant and created the whale tails.

The cupcakes were a HUGE success!

This frosting is the only frosting I will EVER make again.

It is a whipped frosting with

 just the right amount of sweetness.

It is light and fluffy, unlike the super sweet,

heavy Buttercream frosting.

Let's make some Whipped Frosting!

First you need to make a thickening agent.  In a medium saucepan, whisk one cup of milk with 5 tablespoons of flour.  Heat over medium heat whisking constantly.  Continue to stir as the mixture thickens and has the consistency of cake batter.  Stir in 2 teaspoons of vanilla and set aside to cool COMPLETELY. I placed mine in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

Place 2 sticks of softened butter with 1 1/4 cups of granulated sugar into a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, and whisk until light, fluffy and white in color.  Whisk until all the sugar is completely incorporated into the butter.

Add the completely chilled milk/flour mixture into the bowl and beat on high speed until everything is smooth and well blended.  The frosting should be as light and fluffy as whipped cream.  I beat my frosting mixture for 5 or more minutes, stopping and scrapping down the sides.

I was able to frost 24 cupcakes with one batch of frosting.

Here is the recipe.

The Best Whipped Frosting EVER

1 cup milk

5 tablespoons flour

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup butter (2 sticks), at room temperature

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar (not powdered sugar)

In a medium saucepan, whisk one cup of milk with 5 tablespoons of flour. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly.  Continue to stir as the mixture thickens and it reaches the consistency of thick cake batter.  Stir in 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and set in refrigerator to cool COMPLETELY.

In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat 2 sticks of butter with 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar until light, fluffy, and white in color, making sure that sugar is completely incorporated into the butter.

Add in the milk/flour mixture and whisk until frosting is light, fluffy, and has the consistency of whipped cream.

Now, go frost some cupcakes, or a cake.

Recipe adapted from Missy Dew on Tasty Kitchen

ENJOY!

Until Next Time,

Veronica

What Are They?

Does anyone know what these are?

One of Hubby's co-workers brought these in from her

garden and ask him if I would like to have them.

I had no clue what they were.

Once she told me what they were I ended up

taking several of them.  I knew exactly what I

was going to do with them.

They are called Lemon Cucumbers.

Don't let the name fool you,

they taste just like any other cucumber.

I LOVE anything fresh from the garden,

so when co-workers bring in fresh produce

from their gardens I always make sure I grab some.

My favorite type of pickles are Bread and Butter.

I thought I would make a couple of pints of

Bread and Butter pickles using these cucumbers.

They turned out fantastic!

They were SO GOOD that I ended up eating

one pint in 2 days all by myself!

I took a few samples to work with me and shared them with

co-workers.  Everyone commented that they were really good.

I gave a sample to the co-worker who gave me the cucumbers

and she said that they tasted just like the ones her Grandma

used to make.  She had been wanting to make Bread and Butter

pickles for a while but she didn't want to do the canning and

couldn't find a recipe that tasted just like her Grandma's.

She was surprised when I told her that these were

Refrigerator Bread and Butter pickles.

No canning required!
She ended up bringing me in more cucumbers and
requested a pint of my Bread and Butter pickles.

If you know me, you know that I try to find recipes that
are quick, easy and tastes great.
This recipe is all that and then some.
These pickles don't only taste great,
they also have the perfect crunch factor.

Hubby is a Dill pickle kind of guy.  He saw me eating
so many of these that he actually tried some.
His comment was, "those are really, really good".

Would you like to make some of these?
I promise, you won't regret making them.

To make my cucumbers have the same thickness
I used my mandolin.  I LOVE this thing. It makes
slicing anything quick and easy.
It gets A LOT of use in my kitchen.

I didn't take any pictures of the process because I started
making these before I headed off to work one morning.
The recipe is very easy to follow and I'm confident that
you will be able to make these.

Before I give you the recipe, I wanted to show you
these HUGE Vidalia onions that I picked up at
our local grocer.  These are locally grown.
I've NEVER seen onions this big.  Hubby
was my hand model so that you can see
for yourself just how big these were. I bought
3 of these and chopped them up to freeze. I
ended up with 20 cups of onions.
That should last us a while.

This recipe is my version of the Refrigerator Bread and Butter Pickles.

REFRIGERATOR BREAD AND BUTTER PICKLES

5 1/2 cups thinly sliced pickling cucumbers

1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt

1 cup thinly sliced Vidalia onion

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup white vinegar

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons mustard seeds

1/2 teaspoons celery salt

1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric

DIRECTIONS:

Combine cucumbers and salt in a large, shallow bowl; cover and chill 1 1/2 hours.  Move cucumbers into a colander and rinse thoroughly under cold water. Drain well, and return cucumbers to bowl. Add onion to the bowl and toss with the cucumbers.

Combine the granulated sugar, white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, mustard seeds, celery seeds and ground turmeric in a medium microwave safe bowl; microwave  for 5 minutes on high, or until sugars are completely dissolved. Pour the hot vinegar mixture over the cucumber mixture; let stand at room temperature for 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate 24 hours. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 2 weeks.

Recipe adapted from: Brown Eyed Baker

You're Welcome.

I know that you will thank me for sharing this simple, easy and great tasting recipe.

Until Next Time,
Veronica

How to Make A Farmhouse Clock

Would you like to make a Farmhouse

clock like mine?

Let's begin.

First, you will need a round wooden circle,

choose your size, and an image of how you would

like your clock to look.

My wooden circle measures 24 inches.

This is the image I used for my layout.

Lightly sand down the top and sides of the disc.

I didn't sand it smooth because I wanted a little

bit of imperfections.

I used my handy, dandy, hand sander to make sanding quicker.

Yes, this sander is all mine.

Wipe off all the dust from sanding.

I applied one coat of this stain to the top and sides.

I knew that I wanted the center of my clock to have the dark

stain showing.  I drew a 10 inch circle in the center and then

painted 2 coats of white paint outside the dark circle.  I wasn't

worried about getting a little paint inside the center circle.

Let your paint dry completely.

After the paint had dried, I lightly sanded over the whole disc

until I was satisfied with the look.

This is what I use to draw my large circles with.

This tool makes drawing circles a breeze.

Next, I drew 3 more circles to accommodate the

numbers and the second hand lines.
I didn't measure these, I just eyeballed them.

I created my Roman numerals using the Abraham Lincoln font

and sized them to fit my space.  I cut each set of numerals out

and placed them onto the disc using the template as a guide.

Once I was satisfied with the placement of the numerals,

I placed a piece of carbon paper behind each set and

traced the numerals using a ball point pen.

Once I had all the numerals traced, I used these to

outline and paint them in.

Figuring out how far I needed to place my second hand lines

took a little bit of math skills.  Once I figured it out I used

a piece of string and marked 2 black dots to use for a spacing tool.

I made my mark and moved the string for the next line to be marked.

I decided that I wanted my Farmhouse clock to be purely decorative

for now.  I can easily turn it into a working clock later if I change my mind.

To create my clock hands I purchased a piece of Balsa wood

from Michael's which costs $1.29.

I printed out a set of hands that I created from my Silhouette Cameo
machine.  I traced the hands onto the Balsa wood using the same
carbon paper method.  Once the hands were traced I cut them
out using an Exacto knife and painted them using the paint markers.

Before I placed the hands on the clock, I applied one
coat of this wax to the front and sides of the clock.
I wanted to protect all of my hard work.

In my haste to finish my Farmhouse clock I forgot
to take pictures of  how I attached the hands.
Basically, Hubby drilled a center hole for me
and I used a small piece of dowel rod and
glued it into the center hole.
 I placed the hands onto the dowel rod with
a washer between the two hands so that I
could easily move the hands to set different times
when the mood strikes me.
To hold the hands onto the dowel rod I
used a thumb tack that I painted using the paint markers
and pushed it down in the center of the dowel rod.

I found this package of hangers in Hubby's garage
and had Hubby attach the hanger on the back
of the clock for me.

And that was how I made our Farmhouse Clock.

I hope you enjoyed my little Farmhouse clock tutorial.

Until Next Time,
Veronica

Perfectly Imperfect Farmhouse Clock

I don't know what it is about clocks

that draw me in.  I LOVE them.

I have clocks in just about every

room in our home and some rooms

have more than one.

Our Son and DIL bought this clock

when they moved into their home.

Hubby and I really liked this clock

when we saw it.  That's unusual for Hubby to

comment on home decor so I knew that he was serious.

Our Son and DIL bought this from the local HomeGoods store.

Unfortunately for us, this was the only one.  Dang. That's the thing

about HomeGoods stores, if you see something you like

you had better buy it when you see it.

So I have since been on the look-out for another clock similar to this one.

Have you seen all of the Farmhouse style clocks

that are popping up everywhere?

I love the style and simplicity of these clocks,

but what I don't love are the prices.  These

clocks are selling for $55.00 - $400.00 or more,

depending on the size you are looking for!

WHAT!!!!

SERIOUSLY?

Oh course, I wanted a big one.

I'm sure it has something to do with the show Fixer Upper.
Here is a shocker to some of you.
I have NEVER seen a Fixer Upper show!
I've heard plenty about the show though,
such as, how much I would like the show
because of the simple, clean styles and the DIY projects.
I know, it's crazy right?
I just don't have the time to sit and watch t.v.
I'm too busy creating my own style.

It doesn't look like I'm going to get a big Farmhouse clock any time soon.

(insert pouty face)

But wait!

I was wandering around Home Depot one

night with Hubby and came across this round wooden disc

and my wheels started turning.

I could make my own Farmhouse clock!

I was so excited to find this!

You should have seen the look on a couple of guys

faces in the aisle with me when I discovered this disc.

They were probably thinking "that is one crazy woman".

Seriously, how many woman get crazy over a piece of round wooden disc?

It only cost $6.88 and it measures 24 inches!

So it came home with me (I mean us).

Of course Hubby couldn't understand when I told him I
was going to make a Farmhouse clock with it,
 but that didn't stop me from throwing it into the cart.

This WOMAN was on a mission!

Here is our new/old Farmhouse clock.

It is Perfectly Imperfect.

I LOVE it!

It appealed to Hubby also because he commented that

"I make really nice things".

Isn't he just the sweetest.

It turned out just how I imagined it would.

And the best part about this DIY?

It costs less than $10.00 to make!

WHAT!!!

SERIOUSLY????

Yes, seriously.

I had everything except the round wooden disc

and the Balsa wood to make the hands.

My mission has been completed.

If I get tired of the clock above the fireplace
there are a lot of other areas in the house
where this clock will look good.

Check back next week and I will show you

how I created my Perfectly Imperfect Farmhouse Clock.

Until Next Time,

Veronica

Fooling The Senses

I have been asked if I could make some cupcakes

for our DIL's upcoming baby shower.

Imagine that, me being asked to bake something.

Oh, and they had to have a nautical theme to them!

What is that you say? 

Another challenge?

I've made plenty of cupcakes before,

both from scratch and a box mix,

but nothing that had a theme to it.

I was more than willing to contribute

to helping with the baby shower in any way I could.

Challenge accepted!

Because I have to make so many cupcakes,

I wanted to be able to make the cupcakes

quickly, but yet I wanted them to look

and taste like they just came from the Bakery.

Have you ever bought cupcakes from a Bakery?

They look and taste so good!

That's how I want my cupcakes to look and taste!

I thought I would play around with a few recipes

before the shower and take them to work to see what

my co-workers had to say about them.

My co-workers LOVE to be my guinea pigs taste testers!

I apparently nailed it on the first recipe!

Here are a few of the comments I received.

1. "What is up with these cupcakes. They are

so incredible! Where did you buy them?"

2. "These are to die for.  Where did you buy them?"

3. "This is THE BEST frosting I have

ever tasted!  Where did you get these cupcakes?"

4.  "Seriously, you need to quit your day job

and open up your own Bakery.  These are

THE BEST cupcakes I have ever eaten

and I have eaten my share of cupcakes!"

These are the cupcakes that I took to work.

How did I fool them?

These are my secret ingredients.

Yes, I fooled them by using a box cake mix!

By simply substituting a few of the ingredients

you will end up with a cake, or cupcakes, that

tastes like they just came from the Bakery!

Here is how I made my "Just From The Bakery Cupcakes".

Any box cake mix will do.

I just happened to have this box mix in my pantry.

Open your box mix and pour into a mixing bowl.

According to the box mix directions, add 1 cup of water,

3 eggs and 1/2 cup of oil.

INSTEAD I substituted and added,

1 cup of 2% milk

4 eggs

1 stick melted butter, (salted or unsalted)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Don't worry that your batter will be thicker and look like pancake batter.

Pour the batter into your cupcake molds and bake according

to the cake box mix directions.

Remove from oven and let cool completely before frosting.

Word got out quickly at work about my cupcakes.

I happened to look at the desk where I placed

the cupcakes and it was like a feeding frenzy

was going on!

No joking!

I have since had a few people ask if I have

any of "those cupcakes" they can buy from me.

Sorry, they were gone in mere seconds!

24 cupcakes gone (picture me snapping my fingers) just like that! 

Who would have thought that by substituting and

adding a few ingredients would make that big of a difference?

Later I will do a post about "THE MOST INCREDIBLE FROSTING".

You will be surprised how it is made.

Until Next Time,

Veronica