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November 20, 2009
How-To: Bake a Turkey-Shaped Cake
Bake a Turkey-Shaped Cake
By Cathy Callahan
How about cake instead of pie this Thanksgiving? I don't mind pie but am really more of a cake person. This turkey-shaped cake is a fun way to introduce a cake to the dessert table and is also fun for kids to make for Thanksgiving. And if the "pie people" turn their noses up at it? At least it can also double as decoration for the table.
With the big holiday just around the corner I'm sure many of you are starting to pour over your favorite cookbooks in search of recipes. I really don't own many cookbooks and am an advocate for just having a few really good ones on hand. There's been a lot of talk about classic cookbooks lately. Of course we all love Julia Child's The Way to Cook. The Joy of Cooking has been a staple in kitchens for many generations. On many people's lists of "must haves" are The Fannie Farmer Cookbook, How to Cook Everything, Beard on Food and the list goes on.
But to me an overlooked classic is Baker's Coconut Cut-Up Cakes (1956 edition). Why not have a little fun in the kitchen? It was updated in 1959 and retitled Baker's Coconut Animal Cut-Up Cakes. It was published by Baker's to promote their "Angel Flake Coconut" product. At any given time there are usually a few listed on eBay and there is oftentimes a bidding war to get the older ones. You can sample some pages of the book in charm and poise's Flickr set.
Cut-up cakes are all about the reconfiguration of the standard layer or sheet cake. Following the illustrations, the cake is cut into shapes and arranged to resemble things like boats, bunnies, witches, etc. and then iced, sprinkled with coconut, and decorated with candy; the boat eveb gets Lifesavers for the portholes. And they all have cute names.
I have made the "Ella Elephant," "Fanny the Fish," and "Dear Santa."
I just made the "Gobble-Gobble Gobbler" as a dry run for this Thanksgiving. I tried to follow the recipe as best I could but I have to be honest that a little more explanation would have been helpful. I did have a couple of mishaps and had to approach this project like a small scale construction project. So here I've adapted the original directions in hopes that it will make it a little easier for you. Make sure you wear an apron because it's a very messy, but fun, undertaking.
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Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Nov 20, 2009 05:00 PM
CRAFT Projects, Food, Holiday projects, Super Crafty Kidz |
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How-To: Homemade Crescent Rolls
With Thanksgiving less than a week away, I'm already starting to drool over all the amazing food that we'll be having. These homemade crescent rolls from Calli of Make it Do look like they would be a mouth-watering addition to any holiday table. The pictures are making me so hungry!
Posted by Rachel Hobson |
Nov 20, 2009 03:00 PM
Food |
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CRAFT Pattern Podcast: Katalin Möbius Wrap & Wristlet Set
This week's CRAFT Pattern Podcast is the Katalin Möbius Wrap & Wristlet Set by Shannon Okey of knitgrrl, featured in CRAFT: 10. This cozy pair knits up fast and looks best in any multicolored yarn you like.
Catch up with Shannon on the Knitgrrl blog and check out some of her beautiful fiber, spinning tools, and patterns in the Knitgrrl shop.
Download the Pattern PDF | Subscribe in iTunes
Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Nov 20, 2009 12:00 PM
CRAFT Patterns, CRAFT Podcast, Fashion, Knitting |
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Martha Stewart's Vegetarian Thanksgiving
Vegetarians need gourmet Thanksgivings too! I personally am thankful for Martha Stewart and this sensational meat-free menu plan. I will never forget the Thanksgiving when my mother made broccoli salad for my vegetarian boyfriend at the time, complete with plenty of chopped bacon. I chalk it up to true lack of knowledge about non-meat eaters. In her mind, broccoli wasn't a meat, and the bacon added flavor! This menu is a beautiful meal that needs nothing to shine except fresh vegetables made with love!
Posted by Brookelynn |
Nov 20, 2009 11:00 AM
Food, Recipe |
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Knifty Knitter Loom-Along: Alice Wrist Warmers - Let's Get Started!
Well Twi-hards, the time is here. That special day in November when you no longer have to dream of powdery white skin and the smell of blood (and teen angst) in the morning. You can live it, man. Well, vicariously through the screen presentation of the much anticipated debut of the Twilight Saga's New Moon.
To celebrate, we've ditched the not-so-vamp-friendly knitting needles for a kinder, gentler (read: can't be used as a stake) yarn tool: the Knifty Knitter Flower Loom, to make the Ode to Alice Cullen wrist warmers. Gather 'round, Twi-sters!
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Posted by Vickie Howell |
Nov 20, 2009 10:00 AM
CRAFT Projects, Loom-Along, Tools, Weaving, Yarn |
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"See-thru-me" Light Shirt
See-thru-me is a project by Meg Grant that uses LEDs and light sensitive resistors to give the effect of light being passed through the body. When a light is shined on the wearer's back, the LEDs on the front light up in the corresponding place. It seems to me based on the pictures that there aren't any microcontrollers being used in this project, just each photoresistor controlling one LED. [via Fashioning Technology]
Posted by Becky Stern |
Nov 20, 2009 09:00 AM
Fashion Tech, Soft Circuits |
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Lego For MUJI Paper And Block Sets
These new kits from Lego combine two of my favorite things: Lego and paper crafting.
MUJI partners with iconic building-block company Lego on a super fun new concept. Together they're encouraging us to think outside the blocks ... by punching Lego-sized holes in paper... Available November 27th at MUJI Japan - just in time for the Holiday season. US and European MUJI locations have yet to confirm stock.
I'll be coveting these until they reach the States! [via @allthingspaper]
Posted by Rachel Hobson |
Nov 20, 2009 08:00 AM
Paper Crafts |
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Dale Dougherty's Cheese Talk
CRAFT and MAKE editor and publisher Dale Dougherty gave a talk at Ignite Sebastopol II called "Blessed are the Cheesemakers."
Posted by Becky Stern |
Nov 20, 2009 07:00 AM
Food |
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Cathe Holden's Gift Making Guide
Cathe Holden has put together a super useful gift making guide, complete with more than 40 of her DIY projects that are perfect for your holiday gift list.
Posted by Rachel Hobson |
Nov 20, 2009 06:00 AM
General, Holiday projects |
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Appliqué Your Way Events with Kayte Terry in SF
Our pal Kayte Terry will be having a couple events in San Francisco to promote her new book, Appliqué Your Way. Check out her upcoming book tour dates online. Next up after San Francisco, is Portland on Nov 23rd.
Museum of Craft & Folk Art
Friday November 20th, 6-8pm
Celebrate the release of Appliqué Your Way
Wine & Sweets will be served
51 Yerba Buena Lane SF, CA 94103
The Curiosity Shoppe
Saturday November 21st, 1-4pm
Appliqué Workshop with Kayte Terry
Learn how to make Kayte's adorable felt ornaments
855 Valencia Street (between 19th & 20th)
Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Nov 19, 2009 08:00 PM
Books and Magazines, Events |
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San Francisco Bead and Design Show
A couple of days ago, I posted a flashback to Dev Khan's wire-wrap jewelry DIY from CRAFT Volume 03. Pictured above is a collaborative piece by Dev and Sara K. Woll; Dev wraps the rocks and Sara crafts the necklaces. I just found out that Dev and Sara will be showing their work at the San Francisco Bead and Design Show, which is going on this weekend, November 20th through the 22nd. The show will feature 150 artists, artisans, and suppliers. Their mission is "to reflect the artistic imagination that is intrinsic to traditions of pattern and design in handmade arts such as art couture, bead making, antiquities, fiber art, lapidary, metalwork, ceramics, glass art, handwoven fabrics, art jewelry, fashion design, enameling, fused glass, clay art, designer components, wearable art, textile art, collectibles, and decorative arts." Sounds ornate!
Posted by Goli Mohammadi |
Nov 19, 2009 05:00 PM
Events |
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Moxie's Schmancy Exclusive
CRAFT pal Moxie has a series of needlefelted monsters exclusively at Schmancy in Seattle. They squeak when you squeeze them, and I want them all. More pictures on Moxie's Flickr.
Posted by Becky Stern |
Nov 19, 2009 04:00 PM
Arts & Design, Felting |
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Book Review, Giveaway + Project: The Sewing Bible By Ruth Singer
The Sewing Bible By Ruth Singer
If you are a crafter who loves to sew or are just starting out this book, The Sewing Bible: A Modern Manual of Practical and Decorative Sewing Techniques by Ruth Singer must be in your crafting library! This hard cover book is like a modern sewing encyclopedia with detailed step-by-step instructions and accompanying photos on techniques for hand and machine sewing. The techniques covered in the book are really extensive such as pin tucks, smocking, hems, adding snaps, princess seams, frills and ruffles, quilting, and embroidery. The close-up photos are great and guide you even better on all the steps. Masterclass techniques, such as mitered corners, help refine your sewing skills. The machine-sewing ones are particularly helpful for me personally as I always need to know if I'm using the right presser foot or not. This book is a sewing companion at it's finest!
The Sewing Bible also comes with 20 beautiful sewing projects. I love the Circular Skirt (p.270), Book Bag (p. 111), and Gathered Scarf (p.220) that can be worn in a variety of ways.
Book Giveaway Time!
Three lucky CRAFT readers will each receive a copy of The Sewing Bible. Please make sure you include your email address in the comment form field (won't be published). All comments will be closed by Noon PST on Monday, November 23rd. The lucky winners will be announced later on the site. Good luck!
As a special treat, we've got this Stripy Apron project for you! It's a cute apron you can sew up by recycling two men's shirts.
Download the Stripy Apron PDF
(right click and download to your computer)
Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Nov 19, 2009 03:30 PM
Books and Magazines, Contests, Sewing |
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Sunset Painting with Watercolors
The backdrop of Hawaii is overwhelming with inspiration. Colors are everywhere, and in full saturation. The sunsets are the exact reason why I brought my travel art kit. I've never painted in my life, but have been wanting to dip my toes in. We took our supplies down to the water's edge tonight to set about putting color to paper.
My uber talented husband Nat added a palette of simple watercolors to the art supplies. He sketched with the paint and black pen to render this pretty little painting.
I'm a novice, and so the clever watercolor crayons were a perfect introduction to the medium. I scribbled out the color, then blended it with the wet brush. It went from drawing to painting in an instant. I can't wait to play with the rest of my materials, including the sharpies and the oil pastels, to create a new sunset every night!
Posted by Brookelynn |
Nov 19, 2009 02:00 PM
Crafty Travels, Paper Crafts |
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Homemade Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream
Homemade Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream
By Jennifer Perkins and Chris Boehk
Every fall my husband Chris whips up a batch of his world famous pumpkin pie ice cream! This year we served it at a Halloween party and are planning to take it to a Thanksgiving potluck! Since this is his special fall creation, I let him write up the instructions and I took the pictures!
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Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Nov 19, 2009 12:00 PM
CRAFT Projects, Food, Holiday projects, Super Crafty Kidz |
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CRAFT Holiday Gift Guide 2009: For the Foodie
I'm a big fan of homemade food gifts, which in my mind include alcoholic items, condiments, spices, etc. In fact, my mom recently told me that one of her favorite gifts in years past was a jar of Bronzed Chicken Spices that I mixed together in a big batch and doled out to family members along with the recipe. Mom said it took the hard part out of making a yummy dinner, and it was a thoughtful and helpful gift. Bonus!
That conversation greatly influenced my selections when I sat down to choose the items in this year's Foodie Gift Guide. It can take just pennies to make a gift that's likely to end up as someone's favorites list this year, so why pick products that cost a fortune, no matter how cool they are? Sure, we'd all like to have a fancy mixer or espresso machine, but in today's economy, a nice whisk or a pound of good coffee are just as welcome.
So here's a baker's dozen of food and kitchen items that you can either make as gifts this holiday season, or pick up without emptying your larder, er, pocketbook. (Puns definitely intended!) I'd love to hear about other gifts you plan on making or buying for the foodie in your life. Please tell us about them in the Comments! Merry merry, happy happy!
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Homemade Coffee Liqueur
A few years ago we made two different versions of coffee liqueur, dutifully marking them brew #1 and brew #2. Some recipes call for instant coffee and some call for a pot of brewed java. The bad news was that we forgot which recipe went with which number. The good news was that both batches were tasty, and our friends and family really appreciated the gift, especially when certain name brands can be quite pricey. This also needs to sit for a month, so factor in the time this needs to sit on the shelf aging to perfection.
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Posted by Shawn Connally |
Nov 19, 2009 11:00 AM
Food, Gadgets, Holiday Gift Guide 2009, Holiday projects, Homemade |
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How-To: Host a Snowman Making Party
This fun idea for a winter party from The Finer Things is making me yearn to live in a part of the country that actually gets snow!
Posted by Rachel Hobson |
Nov 19, 2009 10:00 AM
Holiday projects |
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Pictures from Hack PGH's Soft Circuit Workshop
Check out Matt Mets' pictures from the Hack Pittsburgh soft circuits workshop. I love the variety among the participants, from little girls to hacker dudes.
Posted by Becky Stern |
Nov 19, 2009 09:00 AM
Soft Circuits |
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How-To: Giving Tree
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein is one of my all-time favorite books. Tali of Growing Up Creative shares an acitivty to do with kids after reading the book. It's a great way for kids to take the lessons from the book and translate them into a project to which they can easily relate.
Posted by Rachel Hobson |
Nov 19, 2009 08:00 AM
Kids |
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Luv-able and Hug-able Show at gallery hanahou in NYC
This year's Luv-able and Hug-able show at gallery hanahou in New York City is bound to be a hit! And if you just can't get enough plush, join artist Jenny Harada for a Wee Peppermint Beast plush ornament workshop!
Luv-able and Hug-able
December 3 through January 9
Opening party December 3, 6-9pm (RSVP)
gallery hanahou
611 Broadway, Suite 730 NYC
Workshop: Make a Wee Peppermint Beast Ornament with Jenny Harada
Saturday, December 19, 1-4 pm
Cost: $20 (email to sign up)
Posted by Becky Stern |
Nov 19, 2009 07:00 AM
Amigurumi, Arts & Design, Events |
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