Cupcakes to Pie...Get Over It!

                                                               sugarcatstudio

   Last week I signed up for the Pie Revolution, agreeing that cupcakes have over stayed their 15 minutes of fame. But I'm beginning to feel like a double agent. I mean, I have baked a lot of cupcakes in my time.  School parties, church bake sales, baby showers, I've baked cupcakes for all of them and more...and I have the grungy looking muffin pans to prove it!

   So, I offered equal time to Cupcake Stylist and spokesperson, Alison of  Sugarcatstudio.  Alison feels that cupcakes are the divas of the dessert table. Just by adding some sprinkles and a wrapper, cupcakes can go from a backyard barbeque to an elegant wedding, from a school lunch box to a bachelorette party.  Cupcakes are both stylish and versatile.  Alison adds, " I like pie, but there are some places it just doesn't fit in".  Pie spokesperson Kim of chocolatebykim responds that this is just an argument for style over substance.

   Well, ladies, I think we all need to cool off and call a truce in the Pie Revolution.  The only way to settle this issue is to put on a pot of coffee, pass around the dessert platter, and let the crumbs fall where they may.

Off to Middle School...Good Bye Super Heroes

My grandson, Joe, is off to Middle School. I believe he is a little anxious about the transition, not knowing exactly what to expect. But he is sure about one thing...a Middle School student cannot have a "Baby Room". So, we are cleaning, painting, bringing in a new desk, a recliner (yard sale special), and new bedding. And it's out with the Spiderman sheets, the Incredibles rug, the Batman clock (and lamp), the retro wall posters, and my favorite, the Pez Shadow Box (above). I can't even count the number of convenience stores I had to go to to find the different Pez Super Heroes. Good Bye baby room...Hello Middle School!

Move Over Cupcakes...It's Time For A Pie Revolution

              I come from a long line of pie bakers and at an early age I learned to love and appreciate pie..Later in life, when I realized that the DNA for making pies had not been passed on to me, I learned to love and appreciate pie bakers.

             So when professional baker Kim of Chocolatesbykim, stated that cupcakes have had their 15 minutes of fame and we were in for a Pie Revolution, I rushed to signed up for the front line (actually I  rushed to signed up for Kim's Pie give-away).

            The Pie Revolution starts here with Kim's family recipe for pie crust and then I'm doing my part with a free printable Pie Recruiting Poster.  We won't give up until we see the cupcakes waving a white flag!  Let them eat Pie!
                                           Pie Crust

                                            2 cups flour
                                            1 cup shortening
                                            2 shakes of salt
                                            1 Tblsp sugar
                                            1/8 tsp cinnamon
                                            ****throw everything in a Tupperware container and shake
                                                    the hell out of it (sorry, but that's how professional bakers talk).
                  
                                            add just enough ice water to hold it all together.  Stir gently until a
                                            ball forms, pat it into a disc, wrap in plastic and chill for at least an
                                            hour.  This allows the gluten to relax (and the cook).
                                            ** Never roll out pie crust more than twice-preferably only once.
                                                 The gluten will get overworked, and more flour is added due
                                                  the rolling.

       Free Printable Pie Poster

                                         Click and download                        approx. 8X10

Free Printables!   Lunch Box Love Notes               

   It's that time of the year...the groaning, the moaning, the excitement, the new backpack.  I've done up some little Lunch Box Love notes you can drop in with the peanut butter and jelly and surprise your little ones (or embarrass your older ones).  Enjoy!

                                      Full size 8"x11"  best if done on card stock

A DIY Puppet Stand

                                                                              ConnieLouFabrics.etsy.com

    I love puppets. I like giving them at baby showers.  I think they are great fun for babies.  But the best thing about babies and puppets is that the person operating the puppet has just as much fun!  I've seen introverted people, intimidated by little babies, become toe tasters and belly ticklers just by putting a puppet on their hand.  I've seen starched and proper folk turn into Jim Henson wannabees, talking like they've been sucking on helium, and singing like the BeeGees!  Babies must get a kick out of that.

  The problem is that once the hand is removed from a puppet, there isn't much left, and it ends up hugging the bottom of the toy box.  When my grandson, Joe, was born and I started making and collecting puppets for him, my son solved that problem by designing a very simple puppet stand. It was great for both storing and displaying the puppets.  So, here's what he came up with; I think it's brilliant (and cheap).

Slow down guys, I'm trying to work!

  The fun part of creating new stuff is the thinking, the drawing, the scanning, the shipping it off and waiting impatiently for the fabric to show up in the mailbox.  The not so fun part is the sewing the prototype, tweaking the little figures, re-shipping, re-waiting impatiently, re-sewing, re-tweaking...you get the picture.  This is my second re-tweaking on the Ninja guys.  They seen to be having fun! Me?...I'm not so sure.