Mickey Mouse Caramel Apples

My best friend Sarah and I went to Disneyland last year and we saw these adorable Mickey and Minnie Caramel/Candied Apples in one of the Sweets Shops.  After taking about a bunch pictures of them, we tried to recreate them for a birthday party our friend was throwing for her son. Just wanted to share the idea with anyone out there throwing a Disney themed party, or anyone that thinks these are just too cute not to make as a fun weekend project!

Here are the original Disney Apples we saw during our visit:

For this project you will need:

• Large Apples
• Some type of a stick (if you can find some that are round and thick enough to support the weight of the apple that is ideal, maybe something like a dowel you buy at Michael's or any home improvement store)
• Caramel - DO NOT GET THE CARAMEL YOU USE FOR DIPPING SLICES OF APPLES INTO!!! It will not harden and will be a huge mess....trust me, we learned the hard way!
• Melting Chocolate
• Jumbo Marshmallows
• Jelly beans for the buttons on Mickey's pants
• M&M's for the button on Minnie's Skirt
• Red Sprinkles
• Some type of ribbon for the base of the stick if you plan to make Minnie Mouse Apples (you can use real ribbon or an edible item)
• A Double Boiler to melt the chocolate
• Wax Paper to set the finished product on
• Cookie Sheet
• I also had some ribbon that we used to tie the little flags/bows on the tops of the sticks just for extra decoration

Step-by-Step:

1. Wash Apples and remove stem.

2. Stick the stick into the top of the apple.

3. After melting your caramel in your double boiler, use a tiny bit to secure two marshmallows on their sides for the ears.

4. Dip the apple into the caramel and set on a cookie sheet covered in wax paper (you may also be able to drizzle the caramel over with a ladle or spoon, making sure to coat the entire apple, but we used the dipping method).

5. Let the caramel harden.

6. After melting your chocolate in your double boiler, dip apple into melted chocolate and set on cookie sheet covered in wax paper while chocolate hardens.

7. To create the pants/skirt/bottoms, dip only the bottom half of the apple back into the chocolate and cover with sprinkles while the chocolate is still wet so the sprinkles will stick, set back on cookie sheet covered in wax paper.

8. Take a tiny bit of melted chocolate and use it like glue to stick the jellybeans or M&M's in the place you want them on the pants/skirt/bottoms.

9. Affix bows at base of stick if you are doing the Minnie Mouse Version.

Let it all harden and dry, then add any other decoration you would like...for example, little paper flags on the stick, or bows, name tags, etc.

Here are some pictures of our finished product (Please keep in mind it was our first time doing this, and we did A LOT of of guessing and trial and error, next time they will hopefully be perfect) - Also, we didn't have Jelly Beans for Mickey's buttons so we used white M&M's:

DIY - Canvas Tote Bags

A few weeks ago I made these little canvas tote bags for my mom and sister as a fun project one night when I was bored.

Like I mentioned in my previous blog, my mom is in a cake decorating class and has become very into baking...so hers was a cake theme and I figured she could use it to carry supplies to her baking classes.  My sisters was a Fleur de Lis (something you will probably see a lot on my blog...since I am obsessed with it).  I bought both images as digital downloads off of Etsy.com ---Side note -Etsy is hands down one of the best sites ever created I swear--- okay, back to the bags, I printed them on to iron-on transfers that I bought at WalMart ($9.98 for 6 sheets), and ironed them on to canvas tote bags, which I also bought at WalMart (I think I got a package of three for under $6.00). After I had the images on the bags I used some Jewel-It glue by Alene's to glue rhinestones onto the design. You can also find all of these supplies at Michaels, Joann's and other craft stores, as well as online.

Here are a few tips:

• Make sure you buy transfers specifically for either dark or light fabric, it makes a difference.
• Make sure you print anything with writing as a mirror-image, the option will be in your printer preferences, so that when you iron it on the letters don't turn out backwards.
• Cut away as much unprinted are away from the transfer as possible so that only your design is left.
• The canvas bags I bought were pre-washed and ready to use, but a lot of things you do with fabric will require washing and drying before hand to eliminate any chances of shrinking and distortion of your image later on.
• Don't use steam with the iron, press down and hold the iron firmly in the same place for at least 30 seconds...it only says 20 on the package I had but it definitely needed more time when I did it.

Here are my finished products:

The front of my mom's bag (there are tiny pink rhinestones on some of the dots on the cake)

The back (I found this quote online and just typed it up in Word and then printed it...since it had words on it I had to remember to print it as a mirror image)

My sisters bag (there are black rhinestones on the five circles, they're just hard to see (I need to start using my SLR and not my iPhone for pictures, it's just such a pain when I'm in a hurry though)

This was such an easy, fast and inexpensive gift to make! I think I'm going to make these as part of the gift basket I am going to give my bridesmaids too!

Happy Crafting :)

Hello Blogging World!

Welcome to my new blog!  I decided to start working on this about a month ago and am just now getting around to getting up and running (I have a feeling it will be a continual work in progress and I am still trying to figure out my way around the blogging world...but I'll get the hang of it eventually I'm sure).

First and foremost, I have always been the first person to voice my opinion that I think blogging can be kind of narcissistic (just ask my best friend, she's heard about it more than once), and that I think people with blogs should either be parents and have a family that they are keeping in touch with loved ones by posting about their life and putting up pictures of their adorable babies....OR a person that has something to share with others that they can actually use.  What I'm getting at here is that I really don't like people that blog just to blog, when they have no kids, no crafts, and no reason to.  I know a few people that blog DAILY about what they had for lunch and what they wore to work and if they were having a bad hair day or not....I am not a fan of those types of blogs.  SO, I am hoping not to be one of those people (someone tell me if I turn into one) and the mission of my blog will be to first, post things that people will enjoying reading and seeing and that you can use and share (DIY, crafts I have completed or am working on, wedding planning ideas, great websites, coupons, recipes, etc.) and second, to stay in touch with my family and friends since we are all so spread out and I miss everyone being a part of everything.

If you read my about me section I'm sure you already know that I am a bride-to be and I have quickly learned that wedding planning can be overwhelming and overly expensive.....it makes me just want to crawl into bed and pull the sheets over my head sometimes, but other times it can be really fun.....so up until my wedding I am predicting that many of my posts will be to help other brides like me and to share all of the amazing ideas I have found throughout my wedding planning adventures!

I hope that you enjoy reading what I have to say and I would love to hear from anyone who has comments, ideas or suggestions!

Lemon Blueberry Layer Cake

My mom has been taking cake baking classes for the past few months and when I found this recipe online at http://juneberry-lane.blogspot.com/2011/08/yummy-yellow-triple-lemonblueberry.html (which is one of my favorite blogs btw), I knew I had to send it to her and see if she could work her magic and whip this yummy creation up! She called me a few days later and said she had made it (all from scratch) and that everyone was saying it is the best cake she has made so far! Just looking at it makes my mouth water! This cake looks too good not to share, so here is everything you will need to make one of your own! Also, I was thinking you could also use strawberries instead of blueberries and just dye the frosting pink instead of yellow...yum!!!

Here is picture of my mom's version (it was her first try and she had some bugs to work out but she said it tasted delicious):

Here is the post from Juneberry-Lane:

Lemon-Blueberry Layer Cake 


Ingredients:

2 cups plus 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

3 cups fresh blueberries

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup whole milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3/4 teaspoon pure lemon extract

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened about 20 minutes out of refrigerator

1 1/2 cups white sugar

4 large eggs

Method:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare three 8″ round cake pans with parchment paper, butter and flour. Sift dry ingredients into medium bowl. ***Note from my mom*** Dry ingredients does not include the sugar, keep the sugar out of this mixture because you will need to use it separately later. Transfer 1 tablespoon flour mixture to larger bowl. Add fresh blueberries and toss to coat them with flour. Set remaining flour mixture and blueberries aside.

Stir whole milk, sour cream, vanilla extract, lemon extract and lemon zest in small bowl. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar, until pale yellow and very fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time, until well combined. Mix in flour mixture alternately with milk mixture, starting and ending with flour mixture. Stir until just combined. Gently fold in blueberries. Divide batter equally among 8″ round pans.

Bake cakes until toothpick inserted into centre comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks for about 10 minutes, then invert onto racks until completely cool.

Zesty Lemon Frosting        

Ingredients:
1 cup soft unsalted butter

2 teaspoons lemon zest

5 cups icing sugar (or 6 for  sweeter version)

60 ml fresh lemon juice

6 tablespoons whipping cream (35% cream)

1/2 teaspoon pure lemon extract

2 tablespoons water

pinch salt

1 drop of AmeriColor “Electric Yellow” gel color (optional)

Method:
Cream butter and lemon zest in bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, about 3 minutes. Slowly add icing sugar, mixing on low speed for about 2 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and beat on med-high for 3-4 minutes until very fluffy. If using color gel, add a drop or two (really, no more than that, because too much sunshine really can be a bad thing!), then beat until blended. Yields enough to frost outside of three layer 8″ round cake.

Filling: 2 x Lemon Curd recipe from Martha Stewart

Assembly:
***Note from my mom*** You will want to add either a little powdered sugar or put the frosting in the refrigerator before you begin, to make sure it is firm, otherwise it will be difficult to do the piping on your cake and it will kind of melt and not look as clean. 
Spread thin dollop of frosting on an 8″ thin cake board. Transfer 1 cake layer to board, face up. *Create a dam around the perimeter of the layer using frosting in a pastry bag fitted with a coupler, then spread lemon curd (apprx 1 cup) inside the dam–this prevents the curd from reaching out over edges. Top with another cake layer, face up; repeat frosting around perimeter and lemon curd filling. Top with third cake layer, face down (brown smooth side up). Spread thin layer (crumb coat) of Zesty Lemon Frosting over top and sides of cake, using offset palette knife and bench scraper for smooth finish. Place cake in refrigerator for apprx 30 mins. Remove from refrigerator and using same method, frost cake with generous layer of frosting, smoothing again. For ruffled border, add frosting to piping bag with petal tip (Wilton #123), and with skinny end facing out, use back and forth/up and down motion to create short ruffles.

Due to the lemon curd filling, keep cake covered and refrigerated (for up to 2 days) but serve room temperature.

Is this cake not so gorgeous!? I hope she'll make another one for me to try when I go home to visit!

Bon appetit!!!

*Since I don't know all of the rules about re posting things I found on other peoples blogs and websites, I want to make sure I give credit where credit is due....I found this recipe and the pictures at http://juneberry-lane.blogspot.com/2011/08/yummy-yellow-triple-lemonblueberry.html
*The Lemon-Blueberry cake base adapted  from Epicurious
*Juneberry Lane originally got this recipe from the bakers over at http://sweetapolita.com/