Crazy Eggs

I wouldn't really classify this as a craft or do-it-yourself project.  Just something to make you smile whenever you open the fridge or to do if you're super bored.  I saw the internet meme to the right quite a while back and while my roommate was out of town a few weeks ago, decided I had to do my own version and surprise her.  

It's super simple, just grab a sharpie and go to town!  It took a few sessions because they'd build condensation after a few minutes and marker doesn't work on wet surfaces, duh.  Anyway, I realize it's a silly thing to do, but it cracked me up at the time. 

Here are my results:

Homemade Pop Tarts #2 / Homemade Hot Pockets

So, a while back I posted an entry about making pop-tart like pastries at home.  I liked how they turned out for the most part, except I grabbed the wrong measuring spoon for the salt content in the crust... not so good.  Not too long ago, I tried again, without so much making everything from scratch.  At the same time, I decided to use the same method to make homemade pizza pockets.  It was a bit experimental, so I only made two of each, in two different sizes.  

It's super simple.  Instead of making pastry crust, you open a can of ready-made crescent rolls, or croissants.  Press two of the triangles together to get a rectangle and roll them out with a rolling pin to make them a bit bigger.  Paint an egg wash all over the top of the pastry

For fruit filling, simply spread jam around the middle, leaving an edge.  I think I did a layer of peach jelly and a layer of applesauce, 'cause I'm wild like that.

For pizza filling, spread with pasta sauce, leaving an edge.  On half, top with cheese and your favorite toppings.  I did olives, bacon, turkey, and artichoke hearts.

Wet your finger and moisten the clean edges, fold pastry over to cover, and press all edges to seal.  (A fork dipped in flour works well).  Brush the tops with egg wash.  I also sprinkled cheese on the pizza pastries. Use a sharp knife or fork to poke holes in the top for ventilation.

 

Stick them in the oven (on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper) according to the temp on the croissant package, for the time stated, or until golden brown.  This. picture is really light, they're a touch darker than it looks.  

These are best served warm, but can be stored in a zip-lock baggie or Tupperware in the fridge for a few days.  

I enjoyed these.  The taste and textures were both delicious.  They aren't as hold-in-your-hand friendly as the store bought versions, but tastier and not chocked full of preservatives.  Enjoy!

Fun Food: Crazy Cupcakes

It turns out that an odd trait my sisters and I have inherited from our father, apparently, is an insatiable desire to try and make food, specifically deserts, just a bit more "fun".  Growing up, we used to roll our eyes and laugh about some of the things he did, like the multicolored, polka-dotted birthday cake, among other things.  As it turns out, we seem to have grown into the idea.  After all, life is too short for boring food.  A cake in October?  Decorate it like a pumpkin.  Waffles?  A batch in pink and a batch in purple, please.  Plain white frosting?  So blasé.  A bit of food coloring to your favorite recipe can change everything.  It puts me in a better mood almost every time.

Here are a couple batches of cupcakes made at my house.  The first batch was done a few months ago.  I feel that they're quite whimsical as light teal with purple polka dots.  These, by the way, are carrot with cream cheese frosting.

My sister made these spice cake cupcakes yesterday.  She actually mixed cream cheese frosting with regular frosting for these and colored it, at my suggestion, blue and orange with swirls!  So fun.  Afterward, I was looking at them and realized that there were a few sports teams with those colors, though the shades would need to be darker, that wasn't my intention.


There's actually quite a variety these days as far as food coloring goes.  Along with the standard four pack droplet bottles in classic colors, you can get other colors you don't have to mix yourself.  There's even neon and gel versions (not as messy).  Try it yourself and go wild!

Homemade Poptarts

Getting ready for work, I don't always have time to eat a proper breakfast.  I usually find myself with a glass of juice, an Eggo, and a pop-tart in front of the bathroom mirror while I'm getting ready.  While I pride myself in enjoying the whole wheat frozen waffle, pop-tarts are not exactly high on the healthy-meter, nor the scrumptious factor.  I decided not too long ago, that that needed to change.  My two options were that I could scour the local health food store for a slightly "better for you" option that probably tasted like cardboard (not that the name brand version doesn't) and cost three times as much or make it myself.  I realize that the second option isn't necessarily healthier (most of us know all about pastry crusts), however, making it oneself does ensure that you know what all the ingredients are and can pronounce them.  This is the option I chose the other day.  Unfortunately, I didn't think about taking pictures and posting them until I was done.  So I have a couple finished products, the recipes I used, and some tips/hints I learned as I went.

I combined a few different recipes.  Most of the ones I found were relatively the same.  I also used three different fillings.  The first is a fresh fruit filling I found with this recipe, using real strawberries.  I recommend trying this; it's really good!  It's also one of the very few that called for real fruit, not jam.  Another aspect of this recipe that I used was the colored frosting and sprinkles.  I wasn't going to dye the frosting or use sprinkles, but I saw them in the spice drawer while looking for vanilla and thought that I'm only young once and life's too short not to have fun baking.  Who says I can't be a kid again?  I am making pop-tarts, after all.