Enjoying the Small Things

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The No-Cursing-While-You-Build-It Gingerbread House

December 3, 2018 By Kelle

So this is how it goes with the gingerbread houses in our home. We usually buy pre-made box kits with ready-made hard-as-a-rock pieces that A) usually include one cracked or broken wall and B) never stand up and stick together like they’re supposed to. Constructing a gingerbread house from a box kit is a job very much like stretching too-small fitted sheets over a large mattress or trying to open a double stroller while resting a baby on your hip–both things I’ve attempted more times than I’ve liked and rendered pulling out my toilet vocabulary. The things I mutter under my breath during gingerbread house construction most definitely take the Christ out of Christmas, and when the icing isn’t strong enough to hold the south wall up, you bet the glue gun’s coming out.

We’re coming at it a different way this year with a lay-flat gingerbread house that is not only easy to decorate but also doesn’t taste like a spiced 2 x 4–the No Cursing Ginberbread CAKE! Easy enough to make that you can bunch several of them together to construct an entire lay-flat gingerbread village.

We used this recipe for the gingerbread cake, and it’s perfection–“gingerbready” enough where you recognize that rich holiday spice flavor but still mild so kids like it, especially with a little buttercream frosting.

I used my mom’s classic buttercream recipe which I never measure–softened butter, powdered sugar, a little vanilla and milk. And I skip the pastry bag and spoon it into a large gallon-size Ziplock (stiffer than the small ones) and clip the tip to decorate.

We used this house cake pan and this evergreen tree silicone mold.

I love the options with a lay flat cake. You can stretch butcher paper out on a table and create an entire winter wonderland scene with these. And kids can extend their decorating skills to the paper, dusting powdered sugar snow, adding drawings, etc. I love the simplicity of just the brown cake with a little white frosting, but for kids you can go wild and add all the candy fixings, colored frosting, etc.

The trees are about the size of a cupcake, so you could set up a gorgeous dessert table with a village scene for a holiday event. Or lay out several of these cakes for a gingerbread house decorating party where kids aren’t crying because their houses are caving in. See? WIN for all.

When you’re done gazing at how pretty the finished product looks, slice it up and serve it, because it’s so good!

Save your cursing for when your tree dries up two days before Christmas, or when you run out of tape at midnight Christmas Eve with nine gifts still left to wrap, or–here’s a new one–when your brother buys all your kids Yellies for Christmas (no seriously, click on it. It’s a real toy with the single design goal of making parents lose their shit).

But gingerbread houses? Nothing but peace and love now.

Happy Monday!

Filed Under: Holiday, Make Stuff, Uncategorized 9 Comments

Pompom Christmas Necklace

November 15, 2018 By Kelle

Repeat after me: The best way to spread Christmas cheer is…

If you’ve seen Elf, you know that sentence ends with “singing loud for all to hear,” but I’m going to give you some other options so that you have a little smorgasbord of cheer to choose from, okay?

The best way to spread Christmas cheer is…swinging from a chandelier.
The best way to spread Christmas cheer is…going to Butch McGuire’s for a Christmas beer.
The best way to spread Christmas cheer is…making a festive necklace with a little Christmas deer.

I’m planning to do all three this season, but to keep this kid-friendly, let’s jump right into that last one because it’s easy, and kids will love turning any outfit into something festive and fun with these darling necklaces.

If you’re gutsy, combine all three and make one of these necklaces to wear at Butch McGuire’s while you swing from their chandeliers.

Here’s what you need – a small, lightweight ornament or Christmas trinket that would serve well as your “charm” (or a collection of them if you want to make more than one necklace). Since we made these, I keep spotting more little ornaments that would make the cutest necklace. We found our gingerbread plush ornament at Target, the reindeer one at Hobby Lobby, and the miniature bottle brush tree in a pack of 5 in the Dollar Spot at Target. These little snowmen are pretty cute too.

Then, all you need is some suede lacing (inexpensive, usually sold in packs with different colors at any craft store), some pompoms, and a needle and thread. I’m sure you could also use glue to adhere the pompoms, but sewing them on with just a few loops of thread secures it a little better.

Cut off any long hanging loops on the ornaments. If there’s not a ring on the ornament to slip on the suede cording, sew one on. I sewed the gingerbread man on by looping the thread around a few times, but leaving it a bit loose so it could “slide”. For the miniature bottle brush tree, I just tied some thread tightly toward the top of the tree to make a loop.

Sew the pompoms where you want them along the suede. We used different sizes of pompoms and sewed two on one side, one on the other to give it some interesting asymmetry.

And that’s it. You’re officially dressing festive!

These are great to give to little friends as gifts or make a great party craft. Then hang them up, and have fun choosing which one you’ll wear each day from now until Christmas.

Filed Under: Holiday, Make Stuff, Uncategorized 2 Comments

Easy Caramel Apple Pop Tarts

October 5, 2018 By Kelle

On a rainy morning in Washington D.C. a couple of weeks ago, I had one of those memorable food experiences–the perfect setting (bar window seats looking out to 14th street, the girls by my side) combined with the perfect pastry–Ted Bulletin’s famous pop tart (so many IG readers told me I had to try it!). It was insanely delicious–so memorable that I wanted to try and recreate a version of it, so last weekend we took a shot and made a fall version–the caramel apple pop tart.

I’ve seen more elaborate pop tart recipes that layer dough, but I wanted something simple and quick so I used my mom’s pie crust recipe because it never fails me. We filled our dough with apples and cinnamon, spooned a little powdered sugar glaze over it and then, once set, drizzled caramel on the top. They were quick and easy to make–the perfect weekend treat, and everyone loved them.

Preheat Oven to 375° F. Recipe makes 4-6 pop tarts, depending on how big you make them.

Pop tart Dough
1 cup flour
1/2 cup shortening
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup milk

Pop tart Filling
3 large apples
2 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
lemon juice

Glaze
powdered sugar
milk
8-10 caramels

I’ve made my mom’s pastry dough so many times, I could mix it in my sleep. Pour the flour and salt in the bowl first, add the shortening, and then thoroughly fork the shortening into the flour until the dough looks like little peas. Slowly add the milk, folding it into the dough with the fork to mix. I always take over with my hands to get it thoroughly mixed, making a big dough ball. For a flakier pop tart, chill the dough first, and then transfer the dough ball to a floured surface. I don’t know if the next step matters, but I follow my mom’s dough voodoo to a T, so here’s how it goes: you punch the dough once and then talk to it like you’re its mother. Tell it what to do and “show it who’s boss,” as my mom says. Then roll it out to about 1/4 inch thickness. Dash was getting a little frustrated that the dough wasn’t doing what he wanted it to do, so Brett came in with Bones to avoid a meltdown. His little smile.

Cut the dough into rectangles (ours were about 4 inches long, but you can make them whatever size you’d like). Brush a little beaten egg with milk to the top of the bottom layer if you want to ensure the filling sticks.

For the filling, peel and chop the apples into small pieces and add cinnamon, sugar and a little lemon juice.

Scoop a small spoonful of filling onto one rectangle and cover it with another dough rectangle.

Seal the pop tart by forking the edges together, and cut a little “x” on the top for venting.

We greased a sheet of aluminum foil on top of a cookie sheet to avoid a messy pan, but next time I make them, I’m skipping the foil because I didn’t grease it very well, and a couple pop tarts were hard to pull away from the foil after they baked.

Bake pop tarts at 375° F for 20-25 minutes or until golden (check them closely toward the end).

Pull tarts out of the oven and let them cool 5-10 minutes before removing them from cookie sheet. In a bowl, mix a little powdered sugar with milk and vanilla (I never measure this) to desired thickness to make your pop tart glaze. When tarts are cool, spread glaze on top. Unwrap caramels and place in microwave-safe bowl with 1/2 tsp water. Microwave in 20 second increments until melted and stir. When glaze is set, drizzle caramel over the tart. The kids loved the caramel glaze, but I think I would have loved it with just a little cinnamon and sugar sprinkled over the top.

Either way, the finished product was delicious and initiated our fall baking season.

Happy Weekending, Friends!

Filed Under: Make Stuff, Uncategorized 12 Comments

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