Oh Baby, Baby and Bread

Baby Cake Pops!

Baby Cake Pops!

I LOVE making cake pops! Baby cake pops are one of my favorites as well. I was very happy to spend my weekend on a rush order for a baby shower for my friend. She is a party planner and this party needed a fast plan! Luckily, she asked me if I would make cake pops! Yes!
This was my first time putting hair on babies and I really love how they turned out. The little mohawks are my favorite. Do you have a favorite among all the cuteness?

This is my third time baking with the starter.

This is my third time baking with the starter.


Since baking the first free form loaf several weeks ago, I have tried a making the recipe suggested on the starter another time in a loaf pan. The recipe calls for 2 1/2 Cups of the starter. To me, it has a very strong sour taste which my family liked, but I didn’t. So, I decided to try another recipe. This one calls for only 1 Cup of starter. It also is flavored with some softened butter and warm milk put directly into the dough. It rises well, it browns to a deep golden color (crusty) and tastes fantastic! I have a large loaf pan that is stoneware. I made three loaves before I figured out how long to bake it. It takes an hour. I had some doughy middles in the first two loaves.
For those of you who would like to try out this recipe, I will post it below. This photo shows the height on the loaf.
This photo shows the height of the loaf

This photo shows the height of the loaf

San Fransisco Sour Dough Bread
1 C. Sour Dough Starter (Make sure your starter is room temperature and has bubbles. If it doesn’t feed your starter and let sit a few hours or overnight.)
4 1/2 C. All Purpose or Bread Flour
1 Heaping Tablespoon of Salt
3 Heaping Tablespoons of Sugar
1 Pkg. yeast (I only use 1/2 a pkg)
1 C. Warm Milk
2 Tablespoons of softened butter
1 Egg
Combine 1 C. of flour, salt, sugar, yeast, butter and 1 C. of flour in your Kitchenaid mixer with the paddle attached. Allow this mixture to become well combined. Now slowly add flour about 1/2 C at a time until it is all added. Change to your dough hook here or before you add the extra flour. Allow the dough to be kneaded for about 5 minutes. You can do all of this by hand if you do not have a mixer with a dough hook. Once kneaded, form your dough into a nice round and place in a greased large bowl. I used olive oil and turn the dough over once to coat the top. Cover with a towel and allow to rise until doubled in height. Punch dough down in the center and pull edges down into the dough all the way around. (I have this process posted in the first bread post) Form dough into a loaf and place in a well greased bread pan. Allow to rise until doubled in height and volume. Slit the top with a razor blade of sharp knife. Beat the egg with a splash of water and brush the top of the dough. Bake for at least 1 hour at 375 degrees. Be prepared to have your home filled with a very fragrant, heavenly smell. #bakingbreadsmellsfantastic

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Welcome Sunshine!

These feel and look great!

These feel and look great!

“Everything looks better sprinkled with a little sunshine”!  I love looking out at our backyard and seeing grass, birds, flowers, and the dog running around playing instead of gingerly going down the steps avoiding ice and snow.  I am so ready for all that spring brings.  While it’s still too chilly to have a coffee on the deck, it’s evident that the weather for that is soon upon us.  I am also very happy to finally feeling better!

I decided to try out a few new mediums this week.  It seems that wide headbands are worn by almost every lady these days.  I made one for myself and a friend so we could try them out.  Guess what?  We LOVE them!  It’s the perfect way to secure your hair out of the way for working on almost anything.  I am always getting glue, sticky vinyl pieces, melted chocolate, icing etc…in my hair.  I now wear my new headband and just keep that hair out of the way in a cute stylish way.  They are also very affordable!  I will have some in my in my FB shop today.  Just send me a message if you would like one!    Once I made this one for my friend, I decided to give some glitter htv (heat transferred vinyl) a try!  Some folks like a little bling with their headbands!  Well, it is time to go outside find some JOY today!

Bring on the Bling!  Yes, that is an awesome summer weight scarf sitting there too!

Bring on the Bling! Yes, that is an awesome summer weight scarf sitting there too!

Sick but Hopeful

HopeEven though I have spent the week feeling pretty bad, I still managed a few new designs for bangles.  Our plans were to head to Memphis, Tennessee today but that will not be happening.  Fever and feeling much worse, so I am just resting and drinking Pom Wonderful juice.  My daughter had a friend recommend it to her a few years ago and she feels that it helps to ease symptoms right away. We shall see!  If I feel better tomorrow, we will travel!

Here are a few of the beauties made especially for this show.  The HOPE is a wide 2 inch bangle and I think it may be my new favorite.  Believe is also new and on a 2 inch iridescent bangle.

Believe

Believe

Embrace Grace is an original design.  This “Grace” bangle is a smaller width of 1.5 inches.  Very simple and sweet.

Grace.

Grace.

These are all custom requests.  The first has Faith, Hope and Love.  The second has Philippians 4:13.

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It’s Snowing!

Yesterday was a beautiful sunny day here on the west side of the Ohio River.  Today, not so much.  It’s been snowing for less than an hour now and there’s probably a inch already accumulated.  Fortunately, we had plenty of inside chores and activities to keep us busy.

I received a new shipment of bangle bracelets yesterday and I am so excited to show them to you.  They are a rich jewel tones combined with black to make a very nice animal print.  I couldn’t wait to turn a few of them into my “Blessed” bracelets.  These are a bit different in shape as well.  The band is graduated to where it is thinner on the back side.  They are also a hinged a design.  They fit a normal to to small size wrist very well.   

I have four ready to go that I will share with you today.  Let me know if I can do a custom bracelet for you, just send me a private message on my Facebook page and we will discuss it.  I hope you are in a warmer part of the country but if you are not stay warm!Image