recent finds

I've been doing a little more thrifting lately in the hopes of finding some retro furniture pieces, but unfortunately, I've been coming up empty-handed. Do you know what sucks about living in a city that has an IKEA? Every piece of second-hand furniture is from IKEA. It's getting a little irritating. I have been finding a lot of art pieces and tchotchkes (I knew a guy who would refer to tchotchkes as "pretty-pretties" Fitting, right?). Here are some of my recent favourites.

Meet our new extended family! When I saw this picture at Goodwill, I just couldn't leave it behind. It's one of those photos you can always stare at and ponder, you know? Who are they? What are they all there for? Look at their eyebrows! (The ladies and their hair styles, clothes, and, yes, eyebrows are amazing!)

Oh well. I'm starting to break my own rule of not going down the tchotchke aisle. The blue bird was a little overpriced, I'll admit, but it's also a vase! There's a little container on the back with a string so you can put some tiny buds in it and hang it on the wall. The blue jay was part of a set of three. The other two were both hummingbirds and I already have a hummingbird, so I opted to break them up. I don't usually like breaking sets up, but I thought it would look weird to have all three. The plastic resin was a disgusting tobacco smoke yellow when I bought it, and I thought it was supposed to be like that. But when I washed it to get the sticker off, it came out crystal clear!

Do you ever find stuff that's just too weird and mysterious NOT to buy? This piece is all leather. Yup. A black leather landscape. I really stewed on this one. It had dust in every fold and pocket and I had no idea where I'd put it since it's so far removed from anything else I have, but it was just one of those things that I thought I'd never ever see again. I had to have it. (Even if it meant I'd have to give it regular Q-tip dust cleanings.)

At first I thought it would be better if there were a pair of these, but now I really like that there's just one. It's a little treasure on my bookshelf. Besides, OWL. BOOKEND. Who would ever pass that up?!

The Goodwill I was at (the one near West Edmonton Mall) had a TON of fantastic embroidered art pieces. I've really never seen so many in one thrift store at one time. Unfortunately, there was some guy frantically going through the stacks of art grabbing all of the cheaper ones out (like completely dominating the whole section until he was finished -- so annoying). But I managed to get this one of purple thistles because it was up at the front of the store in an inconspicuous place. It's in perfect condition and it's really quite large (mom has the only other embroidered flower piece I've ever seen that matches its size -- gah. I need to get my grubby mitts on that one, too). Yesterday, Idle Husband suggested we put it on the wall opposite the staircase and it's so perfect for that spot, I don't even notice it's there. It was meant to be.

Not related to thrifting at all, I saw the new installations at Anthropology and I was really smitten with these humongous daisies. I want one!

what the heck do they do with all of this cool stuff when they change the store around again?

vanilla birthday cake with vanilla cream cheese filling and swiss buttercream frosting

I don't really want to talk about birthday stuff. I'm not really that person. And I'm not grumpy at all that I'm 30, so don't think of it that way. I want to say that it feels exactly like all the other birthdays, so I just genuinely don't know what all the fuss is about. And I can't sit here and create fuss when I don't actually feel it, you know?

I'm starting to think this is turning into a real Debbie Downer post.

Ehem. So. (Turn it around already) I finished quite a few things on my 29 list and I'm ok that there are some that aren't crossed off. 29 isn't the last year to do everything ever, but it was fun coming up with stuff in the hopes of challenging myself. And from that perspective, I think the list was a total success.

And since January, I've felt like 2011 was going to be a good year for me, for us, so I feel like 30 is going to be full of new beginnings and that's really what I'm more excited about.

Let's talk about the cake now, shall we? The cake is fluffy, spongy, dense -- it's just a well-rounded basic recipe and my usual default if I want white cake (whatever flavour). This is my first time colouring cake, and I thought I had added enough colour for it not to soften out during baking, but I didn't. I also didn't have time to make more than two colours (since I only have two round cake pans), so I thought to cut each cake in half and then do a sort of stripe, but one cake was thicker than the other and I couldn't cut very straight so that's the extent of my excuses on that one.

This was also the first time I'd ever made swiss buttercream. It's definitely different in process to what I've made before, but it's a lot lighter and less cloyingly sweet. It is very buttery, so if you physically think to yourself about the amount of butter in it, you'll only taste butter. I guess when it comes to buttercream you have two choices: lots of icing sugar or lots of butter. It's kind of hard to find the best of both worlds.

The cream cheese filling came about as I was going to make another batch of Irish potato candies to get rid of the cream cheese. I was just about to add the last of the icing sugar when I realized the mixture was pretty close to a really nice cream cheese icing, so I stopped adding sugar and saved it for filling instead. (I also realized I had absolutely no time to do the cake plus roll out a bunch of cream cheese potatoes.) Lesson learned: had I made each layer's filling a little thicker, I would have had more distinction between layers. Plus I wouldn't have any cream cheese frosting leftover.

As for decoration, I wanted to try piping the ruffle icing that I'd seen around the web and found a tutorial for here. Though, now I link to it just so you can do it yourself if you want to. Truthfully, I only watched the video once a month ago, so my ruffles were completely improvised. I'm glad it worked out that way because I really like my look more than the video's. Did something happen to ruffles since the last time I saw some? Because I've never thought of ruffles as stiff, prissy, and perfect. I think it looks more realistic (and pretty) to have loose, relaxed ruffles.

 

Despite everything, I'm really happy with how the cake turned out. I'm so glad I didn't use all of the buttercream or cream cheese because this cake is sweet and filling just as it is. Idle Husband couldn't even finish his piece (granted, I gave him a larger slice). If you make it, use your judgement as to how much of the frostings you want in there. Cake is just as delicious with a light smearing of all that creamy stuff, too. It's really up to your tastes.

adapted from here

2 1/4 cups cake flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups buttermilk

4 egg whites

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl.

Whisk the buttermilk and egg whites together in a seperate bowl.

In a stand mixer, cream together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add vanilla extract.

Beat in flour mixture alternating with the liquids. Make sure to end with the egg mixture and beat a couple minutes more once everything is combined.

Tint the batter if you like. Pour into two buttered and floured (and parchment papared if you've got it) 9" cake pans (this cake will stick to the bottom -- fair warning!). Tap the pan to smooth the top and bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out clean). Let sit in the pan for 5-6 minutes before attempting to remove. Cool completely before stacking and frosting.

{cream cheese filling}

adapted from here

1/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature

4 oz of cream cheese at room temperature

pinch of salt

1 tablespoon honey

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 cups powdered (icing) sugar

Cream the butter and cream cheese together. Add salt, honey, and vanilla. While mixing on low, slowly and carefully add the icing sugar a bit at a time until all is incorporated. Set aside.

{swiss buttercream}

from here

makes 10 cups

10 oz egg whites (I used egg whites from a carton, so I don't know how many eggs this is)

10 oz sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 pounds unsalted butter, cut into smallish chunks, at room temperature

2-3 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a medium sized bowl, combine egg whites, sugar, and salt. Set over a pot of water (as a double boiler) and heat the water until it's steaming and slightly simmering. It doesn't have to be boiling. Whisk until the eggs heat to 150 degrees.

Remove from heat and pour into a mixer bowl. Whisk until the egg whites have lightened and turned white. They get fluffier and lose that loose eggy look. Keep whipping so the mixture has a chance to cool down. I had no idea how cool they were supposed to get so I whipped for a while until they felt warm or about body temperature.

Turn the mixer down and start adding butter a chunk at a time. At one point, the mixture will seperate and look curdled but keep adding butter and it'll all come together again and be perfect. Don't freak out. Whip in vanilla extract to taste.

Assemble the cake with cream cheese filling and frost with the buttercream to your little heart's desire.

friday fixations

{mema's hotcakes}  I haven't wanted to try another pancake recipe for the longest time because I felt like any recipe I made was pretty much exactly like the last. But then I spotted this one on Tasty Kitchen. I was mostly drawn to the name, but the fact that it was also a super easy recipe helped nudge me into trying it. I first made them two weeks ago, and I'm not even kidding when I say that that's all I think about making for our Saturday breakfasts now. They're so delicious, you will eat them like cookies. IHOP pancake recipe in the garbage, MeMa's hotcakes instead.

{pinterest} I requested an invite out of curiosity, but now I find myself getting kind of addicted. This is so much better than saving everything to my computer!

{drop cloth curtains} I've been wanting to get one plain curtain style to go throughout the house, so when this popped into my mind, I thought it might be perfect. I looked at some packages at Home Depot and I really loved the colour and texture. The brand I liked was greyish in colour with little flecks of black and tan. It looked like good quality fabric and, of course, you get a lot at a pretty cheap price. I think they would work perfectly for my quiet curtain scheme (and with the house colours), but I could always print them myself if I got tired of them. I only waiver because the last time I made curtains, I screwed it up royally.

{vertical gardens} Since we moved, I have never been more plant obsessed (which is saying a lot for me). It might be due to the weather, but I think it's something this house is specifically screaming saying to me. So I've been busy collecting ideas for small gardens, and vertical gardens really appeal to me. They address the small yard problem and they look modern and stylish. I love this pallet garden (aka something I'd like to line the entire inside of our fence or deck with) and this idea for using an old picture frame (I kind of want to make a mini version). They're both frickin' genius and gorgeous.

{the awesomehots} They sound like nothing an Edmonton band should sound like (in my mind) which is a good thing. A very good thing. I really like Borda Patro' and you can listen to it here.

{beans} I know it's so weird to say, but I'm really fixated on beans right now! Kidney beans, black beans, white beans, brown beans -- you name it, I want it. Idle Husband decided he'd eat them now since they're healthy (deeelicious -- no; I threw that in) and part of this diet. Now I'm searching for new dinner ideas to incorporate them. I found this post which rounds up a bunch of bean recipes, and this foodie blog is posting lots of delicious looking recipes which focus primarily on the diet concepts. I'm over the moon excited to try some of these out. Oh! I just remembered about chili! Proper beany chili! Oy. I'm crazy excited about beans.

{doodle jump} I'm still sticking behind my motto that the best game concepts are always the simplest and cutest (and cheapest). Doodle Jump scores on all of those. It's insanely addictive (who thought jumping would be such a time-suck?), easy to learn (even I can do it and it's motion-controlled), and hard to master (damn you, black holes!).  Plus I'm a sucker for the doodled graphics and the option to switch between different (equally cute) scenes (I even love the soccer level). (Below, you'll find a Ragetoon that adequately expresses Idle Husband's feelings on the game.)

basic frittata

You know what I really love about frittatas? You can make them to suit whatever it is you have in the fridge. As long as you've got eggs, you've got a meal.

This is the first time I've ever made one, and I can tell you that it won't be my last.

My frittata consisted of mushrooms, fresh spinach, parmasan cheese, roasted purple garlic, and some leftover rotini pasta. It's amazing what a few simple ingredients can accomplish.

This isn't the first time I've seen pasta in egg dishes, but it's the first time I've actually tried it. I happened to have some cooked frozen rotini and based on this recipe, I decided to add a cup. Pasta and egg, where have you been all my life?

based loosely on Martha's

(you can add any vegetables you like, this is just a basic blueprint)

6 eggs

1/4 cup (or more) parmasan cheese

4 sliced mushrooms

4 cloves of roasted purple garlic (or regular garlic roasted or not)

about a handful of chopped fresh spinach

about a cup or more of any cooked pasta, I used multicoloured rotini

salt and pepper to taste

red chili pepper flakes to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl, mix all of the ingredients together until the eggs are thoroughly combined with everything. Heat a 10" cast-iron pan (or any pan that's oven proof) on medium high heat with a drizzle of oil. Once heated, pour the egg mixture into the pan and gently spread it around so it's a nice even layer in the pan. Cook the eggs, undisturbed, until they look as if the top is just beginning to set and the mixture is pulling away from the sides of the pan a bit. Then transfer the entire pan to the oven and bake until the eggs are completely set, about 10-15 minutes. Test the center with a fork if you're not sure it's done. You can serve it right out of the pan or carefully invert it on to a plate. We had ours with a side salad and extra parmasan cheese.

wish list 2011

do you have to pick out your own birthday gifts, too?

source

{macarons} I would definitely love them in edible form (of course!), but I also feel like it's the right time to get a book, too. I'm still so obsessed with them and even if it meant not making another batch, these books would make great coffee table fodder. I'm kinda leaning towards Pierre Herme Macaron, I Love Macarons, Macarons: Authentic French Cookie Recipes, and Mad About Macarons.

{picnik subscription} Since we've all determined photoshop is too much money, I'll probably never own it (unless, by some miracle, I go pro). So I've gotten super good at using this site for everything photo related (show me something Doodle can't fix). I don't use as many of the fancy photo processing gimicks as I used to, but I would really like to be able to work with more than five images at a time.

{ceramic cat measuring cups} I can't find them on the Urban Outfitter's website, but they're there. I kind of want them as a cute (and useful) homage to my lovely cat, Lucky.

{marie claire} I've decided I like this magazine. It actually talks to my age while still managing not to fill every page with children and recipes.

{amelie} I swear I ask for this movie every year. It's getting as bad as the time before I had the Pee Wee's Playhouse collection.

{vanilla layer cake with vanilla frosting} Don't worry, I'm totally busting this out for myself. I'm thinking about something kinda like this. (Duh! You'll see the pictures when it's done.)

{some kind of cool watch} I really love the simplicity of this red MUJI bangle watch and the fact that it looks like a bracelet but still has functionality. I also love this similar cling wrap watch for its addition of bracelet like chains. And, on the other hand, I kinda feel like I could also make something with a similar feel to it, so I'm really oddly torn up about it.

{camera lens adapter} I've done a lot of research on this subject and all I got was a lot of varying degrees of advice. I know there's an adapter out there and I'm pretty determined NOT to buy more lenses when I already have two that would be really helpful -- lenses are expensive! So I guess I'm going to have to suck it up and ask a professional.

{super mario 25th anniversary edition} It's no secret I love me some Mario. Even though this is apparently a reissue of an allstar edition they did in '93, I've only ever played one of the games with any frequency. So playing these classic games with cuter graphics and sounds is totally new and awesome for me (Mario lost levels? I've been missing out!). And no; I'm still not going to get rid of my NES.