*Rook No. 17: recipes, crafts & whimsies for spreading joy*: January 2011

January 31, 2011

Smitten Kittens, Retro Valentines, and "A Little Birdie Told Me..." Linky Party #5

Welcome to "A Little Birdie Told Me..." Tuesday!

If you're here to share a craft, recipe or project post, you'll find the linky and the specifics on how to strut your stuff just after the features below.

Welcome to the party!
This week I have some "party favors" for you.
Please feel free to download and get crafty with the vintage-style
valentines above and below:
Retro Valentine Printable

_________________________________

This week, I'm giving my regards
to a group of people I've grown quite SMITTEN with:
--THE REGULARS--
the cast of creative characters that have
blessed this nest
by linking up to "A Little Birdie Told Me"
the whole month of January long
_________________________________

Here's what this swell group of birds
linked up this week:

Christine from Christine & Co.
transformed this ordinary composition book...

...into this boutique chic, vintage inspired treasure:

Read more about it HERE

At last, you no longer have to sacrifice taste for sweet sentiment, when you make your own conversation hearts using the recipe from
Christy of Fudge Ripple! Using her basic recipe, you can branch out into gourmet flavors like "orancello, coconut, green tea, almond, anisette, coffee, and vanilla bean"!

Botticelli may have had his "Birth of Venus"
coming forth from a scallop shell,
but I'll take the Caprese Scallops from
Lisa at The Pursuit of Happiness
over Botticelli's Venus every time.

Jocelyn from Inside BruCrew Life
made my heart swoon for her
Sour Cream Banana Donuts

Katie from Eye Spy DIY

shared tutorials for making these

stylish handmade accessories:

Checkbook cover, wallet, and rosette bobby pins.

Beverly from Flamingo Toes
shared everything I need to create
the perfect mini-spa weekend at home with her
tutorial for a Spa Headband
and Oatmeal Facial...

...and a recipe for Greek 7 Layer Dip

with a healthy twist -- ground turkey,

fresh veggies, feta cheese, hummus, and other

delectable delights!

And then...
...I may have tried to actually fork the
computer screen when I saw the
Cranberry Lemon Cheesecake
from Culinary Adventures with Camilla

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If you've been featured (this week, or in a previous week), feel free to grab the "Featured On" button here:

------------------------------------------------

Now it's time to link-up and share the wonderful things that you've dreamed up!

Just 4 SIMPLE RULES:

1) FOLLOW

Be a "Follower" of Rook No. 17

2) LINK-UP

Link-up the URL of a specific post -- craft, recipe, DIY project, or anything else you'd like to show-off!

3) POST THE BUTTON

Grab the code for the "A Little Birdie Told Me..." button (above) and add it to the end of your post, or on your blog side-bar.

4) VISIT

Show the other birds some "comment love" by visiting the the two links that come before yours.

AND
If you'd like to be considered for a Spotlight Feature in next week's party, ya gotta:

5) COMMENT

Please leave a comment letting me know the thumbnail # of your link (You can find this by putting your cursor right over your link). Everyone who comments will have a link to their project shared on the Rook No. 17 Facebook page.

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January 26, 2011

EASY LEGO CAKE -- A Piece of LEGO That's a Piece of Cake!

WHO DOESN'T LOVE LEGO?

Here's a Lego cake you can make yourself.

You can adapt it to be any size, color, Lego shape, and flavor!

My Lego lovin' little girl turned six the other day. Her birthday fell on a week day this year, but I wanted to have a nice little cake to share with the family that night. I needed a project that was quick and easy, but still had a touch of whimsy and fun. The Lego cake was the perfect solution to my dilemma. You don't need to be an "Ace of Cakes" to make your own Lego cake.

My daughter had been dropping hints for an ice cream cake, so my creation consisted of alternating layers of chocolate cake and mint chocolate chip ice cream. To keep the ice-cream from melting, I had to work quickly and give the components some freezer time at various steps along the way. It couldn't have been simpler, but was more time consuming than if I had gone with a regular (non ice cream) cake.

The simplest way to make this cake would be to do it as a regular cake consisting of simple frosted cake layers. Below you will find a step-by-step tutorial for making the Lego Ice Cream Cake. At the bottom of this post are instructions for how to make this cake without ice cream.

Lego Ice Cream Cake

click HERE for a downloadable version

Components

1 9x13 sheet cake (a dense cake is preferable)

1 rectangular box of premium ice cream

6 oreo cookies

1 1/2 cups buttercream frosting

6 Oreo Cookies

1 1/2 - 2 pounds rolled fondant

a sheet of corrugated cardboard or cake board

Assorted Lego

Before you start: make some room in your freezer to accommodate the cake.

Step 1: Bake and cool cake. Wrap and refrigerate overnight. This will tighten up the crumb.

Step 2: Level the cake using a cake leveling tool, or a large kitchen knife.

Step 3: Measure your box of ice cream. Most boxed ice creams are around 5x7. Cut a template out of light weight cardboard or cardstock that matches the dimensions of your boxed ice cream. In my case, the box measured 5x7. I cut my template to be 4.75 x 6.75, since the ice cream inside the box is smaller than the box itself.

Step 4: Lay your template on one side of the top of the leveled cake. Using a sharp kitchen knife, cut cake around the template. Repeat with the other side of the cake. Remove scraps. What remains should be two rectangular cakes.

Step 5: Slide one of the cakes on to a cake board or piece of corrugated cardboard cut to the same dimensions as your template. This is cake A.

Step 6: Slide the other cake on to the template (to make it easier to transport, and less likely to fall apart). This is cake B.

Step 7: Stack cake B (still on the template piece) on top of cake A. Freeze for 1 hour.

Step 8: Prepare your work area with a small cutting board and sharp chef's knife. Remove ice cream from freezer and remove from packaging. Working quickly, slice two 1" thick layers from the block, lengthwise. Set to the side of your small cutting board. Put the left-over ice cream in the freezer and remove the frozen cake layers.

Step 9: On your small cutting board, set cake A (the piece with the cake board). Put a an ice cream slice on top. Slide cake B off of the template and on to the ice cream layer. Finish with the final ice cream slice. Put the cake, still on the cutting board in the freezer immediately. Freeze for 1 hour.

Step 10: Prepare buttercream frosting. Remove cake from freezer and quickly give the cake a light 'crumb coat' of frosting on the top and all 4 sides. This will help fill any gaps and give the rectangle a nice even shape. Do not over-frost. The main purpose of the buttercream is to smooth out the shape and give the rolled fondant something to adhere to.

Tip: Use an offset spatula to frost your cake. They can be purchased at many grocery stores and craft stores. They are inexpensive and a worthwhile kitchen tool.

Step 11: Place the six Oreo cookies on the top of the cake to simulate the look of a Lego piece. Make sure you can fit a finger in-between the cookies. This will make it easy to form the fondant over the little knobs later. Work quickly, and return cake to the freezer when you have finished. Freeze for 1 hour.

Forgive my photo editing!
I forgot to take a shot after putting the Oreos in place.

Step 12: Prepare your work surface to roll the fondant. Rolling fondant is like rolling pie dough. Lightly dust your work area with cornstarch to prevent sticking. Gently knead your fondant to bring it up to room temperature. Once it has softened up, use a rolling pin to roll the fondant in to a 14" circle (about 1/4" thick).

Tip: Rolled Fondant can be purchased at most major craft stores in the cake decorating department. It can be purchased already tinted or plain white. You can tint it yourself by kneading in small amounts of gel food coloring until you achieve the desired color. You can also make your own rolled fondant, which is simple and cost effective. I like the recipe from cake maven Colette Peter's. You can find her recipe HERE. For this project I purchased the rolled fondant made by Duff Goldman, the "Ace of Cakes". It was easy to work with and tasted fantastic. It was tinted a perfect shade of red, which typically takes an exorbitant amount of red gel color to achieve (messy, messy work -- wear gloves). I definitely {heart} Duff's Buttercream Fondant and highly recommend it!

Step 13: Remove cake from freezer. Slide on to a clean work surface near the fondant. Gently lift fondant circle and place evenly on top of cake. Lightly press fondant to adhere to the shape of the cake. Use the side of a finger to mold the fondant around the little Oreo knobs on top.

Smooth out wrinkles, and trim excess fondant with a sharp knife.

Freeze until ready to serve.

Tip: Putting rolled fondant on a cake with sharp angles can get a little tricky. If you're new to working with fondant or haven't covered a square/rectangular cake before, watch this helpful video from Sarah Jones of the Especially Delicious Cake Company HERE.

Step 14: Decorate: I presented the cake on square cake plate lined with a flat sheet of Lego. The Happy Birthday candles that I purchased at a local market fit nicely into the cake and were supported by the hands of the little Lego people. The candles on the board were tricker. The picks were too thin to be held firmly in the hands of the Lego people. To help the candle picks stand upright, I rolled a tiny ball of fondant and stuck it to the bottom of each pick -- worked like a charm! These candles were really cute but burned way too quickly! Next time, I'd probably try the tall, skinny birthday candles sold in most craft stores (made by Wilton). I have a hunch they'd fit into the Lego people's hands perfectly, and wouldn't burn up quite so fast.

For the Lego Cake Without Ice Cream

Components

3 1" cake layers (a dense cake, like pound cake is preferable)

6 oreo cookies

3 1/2 cups buttercream frosting

6 Oreo Cookies (or more depending on your desired Lego piece shape)

1 1/2 - 2 pounds rolled fondant

a sheet of corrugated cardboard or cake board

Assorted Lego

Step 1: Cut cake layers to the desired shape.

Step 2: Set one cake layer on a cake board cut to the same size.

Step 3: Spread a layer of frosting on this layer. Top with a second layer of cake.

Step 4: Spread a layer of frosting on the second layer of cake. Top with the final layer of cake.

Step 5: Spread a crumb-coat of frosting on top and all four sides of the cake. Set Oreo cookies on top to simulate the look of a piece of Lego. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Step 6: Roll fondant to 1/4" thick and wide enough to drape the cake.

Step 7: Remove cake from refrigerator and set on a clean work surface near cake. Place fondant on top of cake. Work the corners first, then the sides. Using a finger, gently work the fondant around the Oreo knobs on top. Trim excess fondant from bottom of the cake.

Tip: If you refrigerate the cake after applying the fondant, the fondant will develop a wet and shiny look. It is best to store the cake in a cool room until ready to serve. The fondant helps to seal in the moisture and freshness. For an excellent video tutorial on applying fondant to a cake, click HERE.

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January 25, 2011

Inspiring Projects with Flowers and Flours -- A Little Birdie Told Me #4

For my little tomboy's birthday

I opted for Flour rather than Flowers

with this Lego themed ice cream cake.

I'll be posting a tutorial later in the week.

What did you do this week?

Welcome to "A Little Birdie Told Me..." Tuesday! If you're here to share a craft, recipe or project post, you'll find the linky and the specifics on how to strut your stuff just after the features below:

_________________________________

Last week,

A Little Birdie Told Me...

...The guests brought Flowers and Flours

--FLOWERS--

1. Eye Spy DIY took a pair of pair of ho-hum shoes from the clearance rack at Target and gave them a chic makeover complete with handmade rosettes.

2. Protodoom completely won me over with a glittering stylized skull adorned with paper roses. So original! So creative! I dig this gal's style!

3. Musings From Kim K. appealed to my whimsical side with a beautiful wreath made from coffee filters! The coffee filters look like delicate, ruffly carnations, and are beautifully accented by vintage embellishments.

4. Mural Maker & More shared a step-by-step tutorial for painting daffodils. If you're looking to "brush up" on your painting techniques, Colleen is a friend and mentor you'll want to meet!

--FLOURS--

1. Culinary Adventures with Camilla never ceases to amaze me with her culinary creations. This week, Camilla shared her recipe for Mint Tea Shortbreads.

2. 504 Main toyed with my tastebuds with her tantalizing recipe for Parmesan Pull-Apart Loaf. I've had the pleasure of taste-testing her blissful bread creation before, and now I just can't get it out of my mind!

3. A Whisk and a Prayer combines two classic sweets in her nostalgia inspiring Oatmeal Cookie Coffee Cake.

4. "Flour?" you ask. Yes, flour indeed! Enraptured with Love and Projects upcycled the lids that come with refrigerator cinnamon rolls to create this heartwarming piece of art. What better way to round out a week of creativity and sharing, than with the phrase, "It's a wonderful life"?

-------------------------------------------------

If you've been featured (this week, or in a previous week), feel free to grab the new "Featured On" button here:

------------------------------------------------

Now it's time to link-up and share the wonderful things that you've dreamed up!

Just 4 SIMPLE RULES:

1) FOLLOW

Be a "Follower" of Rook No. 17

2) LINK-UP

Link-up the URL of a specific post -- craft, recipe, DIY project, or anything else you'd like to show-off!

3) POST THE BUTTON

Grab the code for the "A Little Birdie Told Me..." button (above) and add it to the end of your post, or on your blog side-bar.

4) VISIT

Show the other birds some "comment love" by visiting the the two links that come before yours.

AND
If you'd like to be considered for a Spotlight Feature in next week's party, ya gotta:

5) COMMENT

Pin It Now!

January 22, 2011

FREE SCRAP SHEET -- OLD FASHIONED LITTLE GIRLS

"Little Girls, little girls, everywhere I turn, I can see them..."

~Miss Hannigan, 'Annie' the musical

Today, my "little girls" and I put together some small collages using assorted scrap images, ephemera, copies of old family photos, and good ol' Mod Podge, to use as cards to thank our family and friends for birthday and Christmas gifts received in the past few weeks.

Each mini collage features an old fashioned little girl and a strip taken from an old dictionary for the word "thankful". Most of the little girls featured in the collages were scanned from family photos, and the rest were taken from vintage postcards and ephemera.

Feel free to download and save the collages for personal use for tags, cards, or other creative projects of your own. I'm also including a free downloadable scrap sheet containing the images of the little girls and another with the "thankful" strips. Enjoy!

Little Girl Scrap Sheet

Thankful Scrap Sheet

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January 21, 2011

Chocolate & Pretzel Dipped Peanut Butter Balls on a Stick -- Now THAT'S a mouthful!

This most recent "ON-A-STICK" creation was directly inspired by the mouth-watering Peanut Butter Pretzel Truffles from Lisa at The Pursuit of Happiness. I made some the other day and was so enamored with the flavor combination of peanut butter, chocolate and salty pretzels, that I couldn't help but create my own version to serve "ON-A-STICK" style. I came up with an extremely creamy and smooth peanut butter center that puts Reese's to shame, and did a twist by putting the pretzels on the outside

"STICK" around, after the recipe, for links to more

Delicious Stuff "ON-A-STICK" Tutorials!

CHOCOLATE & PRETZEL DIPPED PEANUT BUTTER BALLS ON A STICK

(makes 2 dozen)

Ingredients

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup butter

1 1/4 cups confectioners sugar (powdered), sifted

parchment or baking mat lined baking sheet

10 oz. melted chocolate (candy melts, tempered chocolate, or bark)

1 cup crushed pretzel sticks

24 lollipop/candy sticks (can be purchased at most craft stores in the cake decorating section) (you can also use a bamboo skewer or wooden dowel)

Step 1: Melt peanut butter and butter together in a microwave or in a saucepan. Stir until smoothly combined.

Step 2: Sift powdered sugar into the peanut butter mixture. Whisk to thoroughly combine.

Step 3: Freeze for 20 minutes, or refrigerate for an hour.

Step 4: Scoop peanut butter mixture into Tablespoon sized balls. I use a Pampered Chef stainless steel scoop to make a level scoop, then rest the ball, flat side down on a parchment (or baking mat) lined baking sheet. Once you've scooped all the peanut butter balls, place the pan in the freezer for 15-20 minutes.

A collection of food portioning scoops in various sizes are on

my list of "Must-Haves" for any home baker.

Step 5: Melt your chocolate, candy melts or bark in a small bowl

Step 6: Remove pan from freezer. Insert a stick into each ball.

Step 7: Holding the stick, dip ball into melted chocolate. Tap off excess chocolate. Dip bottom of ball into crushed pretzels, then set back on the lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining peanut butter balls.