Strawberry Cheesecake Mini Cones ~ An Olympic Torch Inspired Dessert

Last week I shared my tutorial for making easy and elegant little cones for savory appetizers or diminutive desserts!

Today I'm sharing my recipe for a cheesecake mousse filling.  I dipped the fresh cones into cinnamon sugar, then piped in the mousse and topped them off with a fanned strawberry for an Olympic Torch inspired look!

Flour Shop Boutique Cakerie
Cheesecake Mousse 

1/2 Tablespoon unflavored gelatin

2 Tablespoons room temperature water

8 oz. cream cheese at room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided

3 large egg yolks

1/2 vanilla bean, split & scraped

3/4 cup heavy cream

1.  In a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over the water.  Set aside.

2.  In the bowl of a standing mixer, beat cream cheese and half of the sugar.  Set aside.

3.  In a double-boiler over medium-low heat, whisk egg yolks, vanilla scrapings and the other half of the sugar until thickened and pale yellow (I use an electric whisk).  Remove from heat and gently stir in the gelatin until it has completely dissolved.

4.  Beat the egg mixture into the cream cheese mixture.

5.  In a separate bowl, whip the cream until it forms medium peaks.

6.  Add whipped cream to the cheese mixture and beat just till the two come together.  

7.  Transfer to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Roll fresh cones (recipe/tutorial HERE) in cinnamon sugar.  Use a pastry bag fitted with a round or star tip to pipe into cones.  Top with a fanned strawberry.  Serve Immediately.

 

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Dangerous Cake & Magic Straws Foodie Pen Pals, S. Illinois Edition

This was my second month participating in the Foodle Pen Pal fun from The Lean Green Bean. This go-round I was delighted to be paired up with a gal whose blog I've been following and enjoying for a long while:  Susie of Susie QT Pies Scraps of Life!

Just look at all the fun treats that arrived in my box from Southern Illinois!

Thank you Susie!!

• Cardinals Peanuts -- Susie and her family live just a short drive from St. Louis.
• Alongi's Italian Dressing -- The signature dressing from Alongi's Italian Restaurant, established in 1933 in the heart of Susie's small town.
• Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce -- Another local specialty!
• Duncan Hines Frosting Creations -- Some sweets from a sweetie
• Got Milk Magic Chocolate Straws -- For my girls.
• Recipes & Recollections from the Bethel Lutheran Church & School:  A book of recipes from Susie's church featuring pages full of wonderful recipes (many from Susie herself).

My girls broke in to the magic milk straws right away!

There are several recipes from Susie's cookbook that I'm looking forward to trying, but I couldn't help being tempted by her "Most Dangerous Cake in the World" -- A 3-minute molten chocolate cake you make in a mug!  Scrump!

If being a Foodie PenPal sounds like it might be your cup of tea (or cake as the case may be), here's the rundown from the amazing gal behind all the fun -- Lindsay at The Lean Green Bean

 

-On the 5th of every month, you will receive your penpal pairing via email. It will be your responsibility to contact your penpal and get their mailing address and any other information you might need like allergies or dietary restrictions.

-You will have until the 15th of the month to put your box of goodies in the mail. On the last day of the month, you will post about the goodies you received from your penpal! 

 
-The boxes are to be filled with fun foodie things, local food items or even homemade treats! The spending limit is $15. The box must also include something written. This can be anything from a note explaining what’s in the box, to a fun recipe…use your imagination!

 
-You are responsible for figuring out the best way to ship your items depending on their size and how fragile they are. (Don’t forget about flat rate boxes!)

 
-Foodie Penpals is open to blog readers as well as bloggers. If you’re a reader and you get paired with a blogger, you are to write a short guest post for your penpal to post on their blog about what you received. If two readers are paired together, neither needs to worry about writing a post for that month. 

 
-Foodie Penplas is open to US & Canadian residents.  Please note, Canadian Residents will be paired with other Canadians only. We've determined things might get too slow and backed up if we're trying to send foods through customs across the border from US to Canada and vice versa. 

If you’re interested in participating for August, please CLICK HERE to fill out the participation form and read the terms and conditions.

You must submit your information by July 4th as pairings will be emailed on July 5th!

*If you're from somewhere besides the US, Canada or Europe and want to participate, send Lindsay an email and she'll see if there's enough interest this month!

*If you'd like to browse all of the other Foodie PenPal reveal posts for July, click here.

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Friends of Colleen Jorgensen ~ Giving Back Fundraiser

"Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time, and always start with the person nearest you."

- Mother Teresa

You may know my friend and fellow blogger Colleen. She's known as Mural Maker to the blog world. 

 

Colleen is a caring person and is truly a giver by nature. She and her husband each took care of their aging mothers on a 24/7 basis. They were forced to live separately while they cared for the women who raised them. They did spend as much time together as their lives allowed, especially while caring for their 4 year old grandson.

She and her husband Marlon were struggling to make ends meet after the thoughtless and fraudulent actions of one person turned their lives upside down. Just when they thought they had hit rock bottom, a glimmer of hope arose and it looked like there might be a way to erase (if that's even possible) 20 years of literally paying for an erroneous paper filed with a goverment agency. While in the process of filling out mountains of paperwork to undo this "wrong", Marlon began to make the first steps out of an extremely fragile financial 

situation.

   

Three weeks after he was starting to get his life back, Marlon developed an aortic tear (if you remember John Ritter's sudden death, he was struck by the same medical condition.) Most people die instantly from an aortic tear, but not Marlon. He fought for his life and so did the surgeons. After several surgeries, he was in recovery but the damage was done and he slipped away peacefully.

Colleen was devastated, her husband was her rock and her best friend to lean on. He was her ever positive outlook guy . As she dealt with the blow of his death, she didn't realize that the worst was yet to come. Soon after the funeral, the bills started to flood in. Medical bills from the surgeries and all the emergency room and ICU fees. Bills for the funeral. And their normal bills.

   

Amidst all the hands outreached for money, Colleen has one that presents a more pressing need. She suffered a debilitating back injury years ago, which still requires medical treatments so she can endure the pain. At this point, I think you understand that her need for funds to pay the bills and just simply survive (until she can get back on her feet) are unimaginable. Colleen would never ask for money for herself, but she has agreed to let me post these details of her life and help her set up a fund raiser. A Friends of Colleen Jorgensen Fundraising Page has been set up with Rally.org (a unique site for helping people fund raise for their causes.) All the money raised will go directly to Colleen. Payments can be made with credit card or eCheck. And all your information and the amount you donated is kept private.

   

So, who's with me? Can you help give back with a small donation?

 Or can you help spread the word?
Simply paste this code onto your sidebar (or in a post) to help spread the word:

<div align="center"><a href="http://rally.org/friendsofcolleenjorgensen" title="Friends of Colleen Jorgensen Fundraiser"><img src="http://www.prettyhandygirl.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Colleen_fundraiser_button.jpg" alt="Friends of Colleen Jorgensen Fundraiser" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Your kindness will be rewarded in good karma. I definitely believe in karma, do you?

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Free Vintage Graphics ~ Antique Sewing Ads with Children

 

Achooooo!

Hey there my crafty friends!

Please pardon  my sniffles.

I had hoped to share my Olympic Torch inspired desserts this weekend, but since I'm buried under mounds of blankets (and homework) trying to fight off a fever and ear infection, the treats will have to wait.  Before I hit the books, however, I figured I'd procrastinate take a moment to share a few more charming graphics from my great-grandmother's scrapbook.

This collection of images share two things in common:  They are all antique advertisements for items related to sewing or millinery and all feature children.  

Which is your favorite? 

   

 

   

Wow! Buttons, hats and a cure for Malaria all in one place!

No wonder they call them the "good old days."

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Free Vintage Graphics ~ Hot Air Balloons

It's been a while since I've shared any free graphics or scrap sheets, so today I have both!  From the pages of my great-grandmother's 1876 scrapbook, come these two fanciful little hot-air balloon graphics.  You can download them individually, or as a scrap sheet.  I'm imagining them as the most charming little cupcake picks for a Bon Voyage party!

Enjoy!

Download the scrap sheet HERE

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Olympic Torch Appetizer V1 Salmon Tartare in a Wonton Cone

Yesterday I shared my tutorial for how to make these delicious, easy and versatile little wonton cones.  Today I'm sharing the recipe for one of my favorite fillings. If raw fish isn't your thing, I have something to tempt your palette tomorrow -- Mini Cheesecake Mousse Mini Cones.

If you're still with me, here's my recipe for the  absolutely delicious, melt-in-your-mouth Salmon Tartare Olympic Torch Appetizers...

Salmon Tartare

Sashimi Style

(makes enough for 12 cones)

12 Wonton Cones (recipe HERE)
1 Tablespoon Light Soy Sauce 
1/2 Teaspoon Toasted Sesame Oil 
1 Teaspoon freshly grated ginger root 
1/4 teaspoon wasabi paste 
1 garlic clove, pressed 
The green portion of one scallion, thinly sliced   
optional: 1 teaspoon minced serrano chili
optional: 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds 
10 ounces sushi grade raw salmon *

Eating raw fish can be dangerous if the fish has not been processed for parasites properly.  Please read the safety information at the bottom of this post.

1)  Slice salmon into small cubes (1/4 - 1/2").  Place in a medium bowl and set aside.

2)  In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, sesame oil, fresh ginger, wasabi and garlic to make a dressing.

3)  Pour dressing over the cubed salmon.  Gently stir to coat.  

4)  Stir in scallions and serrano chile (if you like a little kick).

5)  It's easiest to use your hands to fill the cones with about a tablespoon of salmon tartare, to insure that the cone is filled down to the tip.

6)  Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and serve immediately. 

*IMPORTANT:  Be sure to purchase "sushi-grade" salmon from a reputable fishmonger.  Sushi-grade salmon will have been frozen for at least 15 hours and at -31 degrees F to kill parasites. The experts say that farm raised is slightly safer than wild, but to be on the safe side, wrap your fresh salmon in plastic and freeze for 15 hours in a freezer where the thermometer reads -31 degrees or below.  When ready to use, it can be thawed in the refrigerator for 24 hours.  Be smart. Be safe. Stay healthy.

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Easy and Elegant Olympic Torch Appetizers

 

The perfect appetizer for your

Olympics Party

(or any occasion)

These savory little wonton cones are easy to make, can be prepared ahead of time, and can be filled with just about anything you'd like. They can also be rolled in cinnamon sugar for a small-bite dessert.  Filled with my Cheesecake Mousse, they're a guaranteed gold medal winner!

 

I filled mine with Salmon Tartare (I'll be sharing the recipe tomorrow), but I know that raw fish isn't everyone's idea of a good time.  

 

Instead, imagine a spinach or artichoke dip, chicken or shrimp salad, or smoked salmon and creme fraiche.  There are so many creative possibilities!

Here I've filled the cones with an apple chicken salad.  It gets its orange color from smoked paprika.  So delicious!

What would you put in

your wonton mini cones? 

 

Wonton Mini Cone How-To

 Won Ton Wraps (in the produce section of your grocery store)

Kitchen shears or scissors

Large, fresh carrots (one for every 6 cones you want to make)

You'll be using the carrots as tools to form the cones.

A small bowl of water

Used to seal the wrappers

A pot filled with 4" oil

Optional:  Candy thermometer to monitor temperature of oil

Step 1:  Set a stack of wonton wraps and small bowl of water by the stove.  Have a cooling rack or plate lined with paper towels nearby as well.  Wash and thoroughly dry carrots.  Bring oil to approx. 400º F.  

Step 2:  Use  kitchen shears to trim one side of a wonton wrap as shown above.  Save the scraps.  You can fry them up at the end and save them in an airtight container to use on salads and soups.

Step 3: If you've ever rolled a paper cone, you can do this -- same principle.  From the same position as illustrated above, wrap top edge of wonton wrap over two fingers (the rounded edge will be facing out; the pointed end pointing to your palm).  Dip one of your fingers (from your other hand) in the water and gently moisten the flap of the wrap that lies over your fingers as illustrated below.

 Step 4: Bring the bottom flap up and over the moistened flap to form a cone.  The water acts as a glue.  Press the seam tightly and work out any air bubbles.  

Step 5:   Insert a carrot into the cone.  Holding carrot by the top, dip cone (still on the carrot) into the hot oil so that the bottom tip of the carrot touches the bottom of the pan.  I found that spinning the carrot on the tip as the wrap fries helps create a nice uniform shape.  

My carrots were a little smaller than I would have liked.  A carrot that is 1 ¼” wide, 2" up from the tip is a perfect size to use as a form.

Step 6:  Remove carrot (wrap will come with it) when wrap is golden brown (around 10 seconds).  Make sure to tip the cone back into the pan to drain any excess oil.  Remove cone from carrot and repeat with remaining wraps.  I found that I can get about 6-8 cones out of each carrot before they go soft.

Invert the cone and let excess oil drip back in to the pan.

Step 7:  Use right away or store in an airtight container for up to a week.  When ready to use, fill just before serving.  The longer the filling sits inside the cone, the softer it will become.

Enjoy!

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Summer Fashion Grand Slam with Cookie's Kids

At the pace my girls outgrow their clothes and shoes, it doesn't make sense to spend a fortune on their wardrobe.  When it comes to shopping, I'm thinking "Frugal" and my girls are all about "Fashion".  It's nice when you can find a place where the two converge.

 

That's why I'm happy to be sharing an online store for kids with style and 'tude and the parents who outfit them -- #Cookie's Kids. 

I love a company with a great story, don't you?

In 1972, a young man named Cookie and his brother Marvin went into business together. They rented a 1600 square foot store in Jamaica, Queens, fixed it up, bought inventory and Summer and Fall, and opened a day after Thanksgiving with a full stock of holiday toys. The toys were a success and they put the extra money toward buying children's clothing for the next season. When that did well, they bought more clothing. The business was on it's way.  In the late '90s came an important addition to Cookie's Kids' inventory: school uniforms. It was the steady success in uniform sales that paved the way for founding CookiesKids.com.

Here's where I come in -- Summer of 2012, kids chomping at the bit to take advantage of our unusually nice weather and play some tennis.  So I jumped at the challenge from Collective Bias to outfit my girls for less than $30 on CookiesKids.com.  So, how did I do?  See for yourself...

I started out on the Cookie's Kids homepage -- friendly, easy, accessible!

I headed to the Girls Department first.  The Cookie's Kids website makes it easy to navigate to exactly what you're looking for thanks to drop-down windows and expanded search options.  In a single frame I was able to specify Girls Dept>Sizes 7-16>Dresses>Casual Dresses.

There were four pages of dresses in all, but I found just what I was looking for on the first page:  A classic pique tennis dress by one of my favorite athletic brands, Puma.

They had it in stock, in the color I wanted, and the best part is it was on sale for $9.99!

Would I be as lucky shopping for  my little one?  She's something of a tomboy -- having sworn off dresses, skirts and "girly" embellishments years ago.  I first looked in the girls department under "Active Wear>Sets".  The Chevron & Stripe 2-pc Track Suit was perfect (and only $9.99), but unfortunately it was sold out in my daughter's size.

Next, I headed to the Boys Department to look for some gender-neutral shorts.  Cookie's had nearly 80 pairs to choose from in the size 4-7 range, but it only took a moment to hone in on the perfect pair.

I love the breezy resort style of these cotton cargo shorts!  The price is unbeatable -- just $8.99 and it includes a cotton D-ring belt!  The Chams brand of plaid cargo shorts comes in several different colors, all available at Cookie's. 

To top off the classic look I chose a unisex cotton tank top for only $4.99.

I had spent $24 so far, leaving $6 in my budget.  I headed over to the Shoe Department to see if I could continue my winning streak.  I found a perfect pair of Phat Farm athletic shoes on clearance for $9.99.  I decided that it was well worth going over my budget by $4.   

Just for fun, I shopped around a little more and posted my finds on Polyvore (all but the racquets are available at CookiesKids.com)!

Cookie's Kids Summer Sportswear  polyvore.com

Two tennis outfits, plus a pair of shoes for under $35!  That's nothing to shake a stick (or racquet) at!  I'd say this shopping experience was an Ace! 

Cookie's Kids Summer Sportswear  polyvore.com

Shipping was only $5, and my order arrived quickly.  I was pleased with the quality of all of the items.  The girls were thrilled with their new clothes and couldn't wait to try them out on the court.  My little one has requested a pair of the cargo shorts in each of the colors sold at Cookie's.  With the way my older daughter is growing, I'm going to grab a Puma tennis dress in the next size up too.  For $9.99?  Why not?

I almost forgot to mention that my order (of over $30) qualified for a free, no-strings-attached, subscription to Parenting magazine.  Cool!

What are your kids up to this summer?  No matter what you have planned, CookiesKids.com has your child covered. AND, if your family is attending any dressy events this summer, you'll want to check out their Boys and Girls Dresswear.

Plus, with the Back To School season just around the corner, you can avoid the crowds and get a jump on their fall wardrobe while saving money at the same time. Cookie's even has a huge selection of school uniforms essentials!   Right now you can get free shipping on all school uniform orders over $49!

Stay connected with Cookie's Kids for the latest bargains and special offers by following them on Facebook and Twitter!  

Want to see more from my experience online and our day on the tennis court?  Click HERE!

Well, that about ties things up!

Happy shopping and happy saving!

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I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This content has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™. and CookiesKids.com #CBias #SocialFabric.  All opinions are genuine and my own.

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