Secrets and Cake Mixes

signedandsealed — Tue, 18 May 2010 02:36:34 +0000

I usually cringe at any food that comes in a box. (Hamburger Helper and its cohorts, Tuna and Chicken, instant potatoes, Rice-a-roni…) But one of my exceptions is the cake mix. Versatile, cheap and impossible to screw up. When ever someone is planning a get-together and I volunteer to bring something, I always secretly hope they’ll ask me to make dessert (secret #1). Three such opportunities have arisen in the last month and all three confections started with a cake mix. (secret #2- I love making things from scratch, but I will make an exception for cake mixes.)

# 1.- Orange Poke Cake

The poked poke cake

I kinda made this recipe up, half followed this one, but played by my own rules. So here’s my version: Mix up a white cake mix, bake as directed in a 9×13 pan. Meanwhile, melt 1/2 cup butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat with 3/4 cup sugar and 3/4 cup orange juice. Boil for two minutes. Poke holes in the top of the still warm cake and pour the orange syrup over it. Let cool. Mix 1 container Cool Whip, 1 package instant vanilla pudding and substitute orange juice for the milk listed on the vanilla pudding package. Whisk together (optional- add 1 to 1-1/2 tsp almond extract) and spread over cake. Chill until ready to serve.

Tada!!

I made this one for a family dinner. It was well received and they decided to keep me around for a little while longer, for my baking skillz.

#2. Lemon Delight Cake

I wish I could take credit for this next beautiful image, but I can’t. I’ve made this cake multiple times and it never turns out this pretty. Still tastes good, but I dream of improving my plating and presentation skills. This one starts with a lemon cake mix and I made it for my Grandma for Mother’s Day.

Kudos to Taste of Home (and Lydia Mason of Brainerd, MN) for sharing this delight of a cake, aptly named Lemon Delight Cake. It makes Gma D very happy.

#3.Pan-Toasted Angel Food Cake with Vanilla Custard

This one might be my favorite of the trio- light, summery and different. I made it tonight for a get-together (half of the people I didn’t even know, the other half was my beloved roomies. It’s hard to cook for people you’re trying to make a good first impression on.)

The recipe calls for a pre-made angel food cake, but I used a mix (cause it’s cheaper). I also didn’t have a tube pan, so I had to make it in a jelly roll pan, which made it easier to “toast”. My custard-making skills need a little work. I think I cooked it at a too high temp, which made the eggs “scramble” and my custard lumpy. Tasted good, but didn’t have a smooth consistency. It also called for lemon peel and a preserve sauce that I skipped. (I was working on a deadline.) But I loved the toasted cake and it is definitely a concept I want to experiment with.

Pan-Toasted Angel Food Cake with Vanilla Custard, courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens. (Also their photo, mine looked nothing like that, but I aspire to make things that beautiful.)

I also secretly love the taste of cakes made from a box. That’s secret # 3, and I love licking the spoon. Cake batter=yummy!

The Subjectivity of Art, or There Once Was a Man from Nantucket

signedandsealed — Mon, 03 May 2010 01:59:53 +0000

Art is subjective, the beauty is in the eye of the beholder. In my design classes, we examined all kinds of works of art and created some too. But it always seemed like my drawings were met with that “why are you here? Do you even know what three-point perspective is?” look. I thought they were good (sorta), but I wasn’t the ultimate judge, that task was delegated to my profs. After two agonizing years of studio classes, I hightailed it out of design and became a journalism rock-star. (The faculty newspaper advisor always said, “Why are we journalists? Because we don’t know crap about math and science.” To which I always added, “And drawing!”) I did earn a design minor, so I picked up a few things about the subject. But still, this piece has left me befuddled.

I bought it as an “Arts and Ends” sale, a fundraiser for the Des Moines Art Center. Classiest and rockin’-est rummage sale I’ve ever been to– Salvatore Ferragamo shoes and Prada jewelry and other more typical, yet still awesome, rummage sale merchandise. I was in the art section and picked up and put down this piece like five times (literally). At one point, I had put it down and was looking at another pile of paintings, and a guy picked it up and I almost tackled him and ripped it out of his hands. That surge of protectiveness and willingness to do bodily harm, led me to conclude that I should buy it. So I did. Then I told one of my roommates (who is out of town), “It makes me smile, but I don’t know if it’s a ‘that’s quirky and cool’ smile or a ‘that’s so ugly it makes me laugh’ smile.” (So Lynn, this is what awaits you at the Villa.) I like it, because it’s different and has a graphic aesthetic, and it goes with the “beach, yet not beach” look we’re going for. But it does have beach motifs, which have the potential to be borderline kitsch.

My problem was amplified when I observed another shopper pick up a (in my mind) truly ugly painting, and exclaimed over it’s loveliness, proving my point, art is subjective. Then I thought, are there people secretly laughing at me, thinking, “This poor little girl, obliviously carrying around that ugly painting like it’s the Hope Diamond. Oh well, money for the Art Center.” And to them I say, art is subjective. I’m looking at it now, as it sits on the mantel, and I’m smiling, and congratulating myself on my great taste.

P.S.- In high school, my choir sang a medley of limericks, parts of which were spoken word and others were sung. One of them was “There Once was a Man from Nantucket.” I thought about that song when I first saw the painting. It was a weird song, hence my initial hesitation. I didn’t want the song to pop in my head every time I looked at it.

Love It! Monday: Restore

signedandsealed — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 03:26:48 +0000

East Village…Valley Junction…Casa Cucina…Gma and Gpa’s house…and now, Restore. My list of place I love in Des Moines keeps growing. The latest addition is Habitat for Humanity’s Restore outlet. Habitat re-sells their project “leftovers” at amazing prices and all profits go back to the organization. Help the environment, help a good cause. I like it.

I had heard a lot about the Des Moines location, but had never been until this Saturday. And I was like a kid in the cliched candy store. I started envisioning millions of projects I could do with all the odds and ends within the warehouse. I actually came to the store looking for scraps of trim to make a gigantic frame for this wallpaper remnant I got at a prop sale at work. (I heart my job!) But instead, I found a ready-made one, which was actually a cabinet door frame. I was so happy with my find, that I practically skipped out to the parking lot. (But didn’t want the cutie volunteer I had eye-flirted with in the tile section to think I was an idiot. Yet another reason to heart Restore.)

So with a little bit of measuring, cutting, and wrestling with the roll of wall paper: (I promise, I do use those weights for more than just craft projects…)

And a prepped frame, formerly cream with a weathered finished, which I spray-painted black:

… and I now have artwork!!!

And now my room smells like wallpaper. It’s a little bit nauseating.

Love It! Monday: Jonathan Adler

signedandsealed — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 00:57:54 +0000

We believe that your home should make you happy.

We believe tassels are the earrings of the home.

We believe you should throw out your Blackberry

and go pick some actual blackberries.

We believe our lamps will make you look younger and thinner.

We believe in irreverent luxury.

–Excerpts from “Our Manifesto” Jonathan Adler

Yes please! Jonathan Adler is in a league of his own. In his manifesto he mentions “rustic modernism,” “Palm Beach style,” and “mantiques.” Browse through his online store (or the real deal, if you’re lucky enough to live in a posh metropolitan area) and you will see an array of styles that somehow all just…work. Here are three of my favorite pieces from his new “Junior” collection.

Junior Tempelton Chair — wouldn’t this look great with a mirrored side table?

Junior Lampert Sofa – Love the high back and bolsters.

Canarby Hollywood Lamp — Would love this for my yellow and gray bedroom.

P.S.- Jonathan is collaborating with 7 for All Mankind for a spring clothing collection–get a sneak peak of the pieces in the May InStyle.

Photos: JonathanAdler.com

Chain Gain or Fashion Magazine?

signedandsealed — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 03:00:51 +0000

My mom once bought this great suit that she absolutely loved. (And it was, indeed, very chic.) She wore it to work for the first time, strutting confidently down the hallway, garnering compliments from passersby. She was on top of the world until she saw a monkey dash by, wearing the exact same suit. And then she woke up. This anecdote resonates with me today, because I was afraid of seeing an inmate, rather than a primate, wearing my identical dress. Yes, I believe I wore prison garb to work today.

I purchased this dress on a whim last summer at Atomic Garage, a vintage clothing store in Valley Junction. I was a little skeptical about the R&K Originals dress (a popular vintage brand, still sold today), even though the tag touted its amazing-ness. I was hesitant to wear vintage, I’m not sure I’m cool enough. So the more I overanalyzed it, the more I thought it looked like frock from a 1950s women’s correctional facility.

And I had never worn it until today. I make a few modifications to mellow the “Sandra Dee Goes to Jail” vibe the dress was giving off. I cut off the sleeves and the button embellishment at the neckline, and replaced the existing belt with a wide black one. This morning, I put on my fave black peep toes and bravely walked into work. I feared someone would start singing Folsum Prison Blues, or wonder if I was an escapee from the nearby Mitchellville women’s prison. But no one tried to make a citizen’s arrest, and my boss’s boss actually complimented me on my outfit. It was comfortable and the cut is beautifully tailored. And after a second look, maybe I did exaggerate my comparison to prison-issue garments. Mea Culpa, pretty dress.

Love It! Mondays

signedandsealed — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 23:53:30 +0000

Smart move, Bloomingdale’s. Don’t put all your goods online. That’ll keep ‘em coming into your actual stores. But woe to us who live great distances from the nearest Bloomies. The department store’s ads for their Hudson Park collection, featured in the April 2010 issue of Elle Decor, caught my eye and I was ready to jump on the next train to Bloomingdale’s, Iowa style, i.e. open Firefox and type in their URL. No Bloomingdale’s in Iowa. Heck, we’re still wishing for an Ikea. (Here that Ikea? Build it and they will come! Love, the Field of Dreams state.) Unfortunately, I could not find the collection online. So the print ads will have to suffice.

Love the chandeliers and how they contrast with the casual rattan chairs. And that wallpaper? Yes, please!

I could live here. I love the subtleties in these designs. Notice how the “X” stool mimics the pattern in the rug, and the open design on the shelf reflects the open structure of the coffee table.

Industrial without feeling cold, a marriage of masculine and feminine design. Ideal modern bedroom for a couple.

Modern and fresh without being odd. Sometimes I leaf through upscale design magazines and think, weird. But more often than not, Elle Decor, Vogue Living, Veranda, etc. provide a lot of eye candy to chew on, like these gorgeous ads. What I like about this collection is that it’s accessible. It’s West Elm/Pottery Barn without that mass-produced suburbia sameness. Nothing against West Elm or PB. In fact, we do have a Pottery Barn in Iowa. No West Elm, though. Maybe they’ll put it next to the Ikea and Bloomies…

Photos: Elle Decor

I Ain’t Afraid of No Coast

signedandsealed — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 03:45:59 +0000

My brother has a t-shirt that says: “The Mighty Midwest. I ain’t afraid of no coast.” This witty declaration got me pondering, residing in the Midwest, can we pull off beach-inspired decor? (My brain often wanders back to decorating, even at the mention of things seemingly unrelated to the topic. I’m weird like that.)

The recent Pottery Barn catalog is very nautically-themed and makes me want to head beachward. Since cash and time prohibit that aspiration, why not bring a little beach to my Midwest abode? My roomies and I are redecorating our living/dining/kitchen area and, without realizing it, picked a very oceanic color palette– a rich, dark blue-green for the kitchen/dining area and a very pale earthy sage for the living room. We’re still in the decor development stage, but I’d love to see the finished product with a little bit of beach panache. The challenge in that- we live in Iowa. Can we do beach without looking kitsch? To borrow a phrase from Pres. Obama’s campaign days, yes we can. With these ground rules:

1. No sea horse, fish, or palm tree motifs. (I shudder.)

2. Lots of natural materials- weathered wood, jute, recycled glass.

3. Modern twists- bold patterns, pops of an unexpected color, like red.

4. Casual vibe=beach vibe.

5. No beach landscape artwork. (That will read as trying too hard.)

And the end result may go something like this: (Enjoy for now, I’ll give my dissertation on it later.)Dean sofa, in Lichen, Room & Board; Modern Love rug, by Amy Butler for Chandra, at Burke Decor; Round red bamboo vase, Target; Reclaimed elm parquet coffee table, Restoration Hardware; Recycled French bottle lamp, VivaTerra; Fan coral embroidered pillow, Pottery Barn; Reassembled mirror, Anthropologie.

I don’t want a boyfriend…just his blazer

signedandsealed — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 21:57:03 +0000

Okay, so not entirely true, read on, I had a little epiphany this weekend:

I signed up for eHarmony. I don’t know why. I just did. Giving myself options? I don’t know. Here’s how it went down: lazy Saturday morning, in my PJs, drinking a cup of coffee, not quite ready to be productive, I thought, “hey, I’ve got time to kill. Why not check out eHarmony?” (Let the record show that I DO NOT do my best thinking in the morning.) So I filled out a profile, got to the last page, clicked “Find Your Matches” and…..nothing. Not a single match within a 30 mile radius of my digs. Oh the irony. Clearly, this was not meant to be. I laughed. Seriously, I did. Online dating is definitely not my style, so I’m not really sure why I was even on the site to begin with. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with it, just not my thing.

And now, this morning, I wake up to find 6 “matches” sitting in my inbox. One of whom wants to communicate. Ahh!! Abort mission, abort mission! Needless to say, I will be deleting my eHarmony profile shortly. Life is good, navigating the waters of the single, 20-somethings scene. I will gladly welcome Mr. Right when he comes along. And to all my single ladies, that’s what we all really, truly want- Mr. Right, right?

I compare our situation to the aptly named “boyfriend blazer.” Love the look, there are lots of blazers in the sea, but finding the right one is a challenge. The other day, I tried on a really cute DKNY blazer and I looked like a bag lady. The cut was too big and was made for someone taller. And the yellow trim that I liked so well on the hanger? Not so great when I was actually sporting the blazer. I relegated the blazer back to its rack and carried on. Boyfriend blazers are tricky, you need just the right cut for your body type to pull off the look. So take this metaphor as a dual lesson: not any random blazer/man will do, set your sights on the right garment/guy for you. And don’t sign up for eHarmony for kicks and giggles.

I’ll step off my preachy soapbox and let you enjoy this roundup of awesome boyfriend blazers, while I go delete my eHarmony profile.

Pinstripe Boyfriend Blazer, Banana Republic

Long Boyfriend Blazer, J.Crew

Aqua Boyfriend Blazer, Bloomingdales

Silence & Noise Open Front Blazer, Urban Outfitters

Love It! Mondays (on a Tuesday)

signedandsealed — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 01:48:53 +0000

I apologize for the tardiness of this post. I was in Minnesota over the weekend for Easter, visiting my family, and Monday was travel back day, not much time for posting. So I bring you this Love It! Monday on a Tuesday. And without further adieu, EmmersonMade — hand-crafted, hand-dyed, hand-stitched blossoms that appear on everything from clutches to shoes to bouquets.

Cute clutches — perfect for spring!

Dahlias pins for belts, lapel broaches and more. (My favorite, made from 100s of petals!)

Flower shoe clips (shoes not included!)

Not only are the goods on Emersonmade darling, the woman behind the business, Emerson, and her husband/partner Ryan, are super cute, doing much of the modeling on the site. If they were my neighbors, I’d invite them over for a barbecue. Is that creepy, stalkerish? Anyways, I’m a fan!

P.S.- Read her blog too, Emersonmade.blogspot.com.

The “It” Cookie

signedandsealed — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 01:08:09 +0000

Butter v. shortening v. margarine, how much of this v. how much of that. Something as simple as the chocolate chip cookie becomes a very complicated matter- almost a science. And searching for the quintessential recipe can be a daunting task of trial and error. And it is also a matter of opinion. Some crave thin and crisp, or a cake-like cookie, or, like me, want it all: crisp outside, soft inside. So how do you do it? What does it take to create that euphoric chocolate chip cookie experience? I don’t know, but I intend to find out. So here it is, the search for the “It” chocolate chip cookie. First experiment, what Better Homes and Gardens dubs, the “Essential Chocolate Chip Cookie.” The recipe combines both butter and shortening (which has a lower melting point, thus causing the dough not to spread out as fast), and calls for more brown sugar than white. See the rundown after the pics.

Mixing it up- I have yet to buy a mixer for my new place. So I did it old school and mixed everything by hand. Many thanks to former roomie Bethany for the use of her mixer for 2 years at ISU.

Ready to bake…

…and ready to eat! I pressed an Easter M&M into the cookies for a festive look.

Rundown: Pretty darn good. Amazing dough (yes, I’m one of “those” people, I eat cookie dough and brownie batter), golden cookies that hold their shape well, excellent texture, good flavor- not as buttery. But that’s a trade-off when adding shortening- less butter flavor, but a softer texture. So that’s the next hurdle- how do you bake a cookie using all butter, but still achieve a soft texture? Maybe I’ll try Food Network star Alton Brown’s recipe next. (P.S.- To my fam in northern MN- I’m coming home this weekend with a container of these cookies for you to sample, so have your chocolate chip cookie critiquing taste buds ready!)

So what’s it to you? What is the “It” factor when it comes to chocolate chip cookies? What tips and tricks have brought you victory in the chocolate chip cookie arena?