Monday, September 19, 2011

STUFFED ZUCCHINI FLOWERS

Another one of those dishes that once you make it a few times you will wonder why you didn't do it sooner. The delicacy of the flowers and the rich stuffing make them very appropriate on the most formal of occasions. Or leave them un-stuffed au'naturale and serve their golden fried goodness with a simple squeeze of lemon on the most casual of occasions.










Ingredients List
Deep fryer or pot with vegetable oil
10 zucchini flowers
3.5 oz fetta cheese 
1.5 tbsp  Capers
Sea salt flakes
Black pepper corn mill1 egg (separated)
1.5 cups plain flour
1-2 cups of cold soda water
DIRECTIONS
If youre stuffing the flowers
Preheat oil to 350  DEGREES
Combine the yolk, the  fetta, the capers, a touch of salt and pepper in a mixing bowl and mix until it is slightly pasty.
Depending on the length of the zucchini stem you may need to cut some off, leave approx 2 inchesattached to the flower.
Gently open up the zucchini flowers and using a teaspoon gently spoon the cheese mixture into the flowers and fill to approx 2/3rds.
Gently push the remaining air out of the flowers and squeeze the tips of the petals back together.

For the batter
Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl, add a pinch of salt and pepper and make a well in the centre.
Slowly pour some of the soda water into the well and whisk as you add, slowly moving the whisk out from the well to incorporate more flour until the entire mixture is fluid and thick (it may not require all the soda water, so add it slowly).
Whisk the egg white until frothy and fold into the batter mixture


For the cooking
Whether your flowers are stuffed or not the process is the same.
Holding on to the stem drag the flowers through the batter until liberally covered (do not batter the stem) and hold the flower end into the deep fryer until the batter has sealed (a few seconds) and then drop the stem in as well, cook until golden, they may require turning once.
Remove, drain, season with some sea salt, and serve. Serve un-stuffed flowers with a wedge of lemon.





LOBSTER BISQUE


Lobster bisque, a name many of us haven't heard in restaurants for quite some years. I suppose it may be because too many of us who do remember it being in restaurants, remember many attempts at being sold a  fish stock and we just stopped ordering it all together. With this recipe in hand, you needn't fret that it's hard to find or even if you do, whether it is the genuine thing or not. I hope you enjoy revisiting this classic as much and as often as I do.




Ingredients


  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 can tomato soup
  • 2 medium slices onion
  • 1/4 cup chopped celery
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups milk or  half and half cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 pound cooked and cubed lobster meat
  • 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 pinch ground cayenne pepper

Directions

  1. In a small frying pan place 1/4 cup chicken broth and the onion and celery. Cook over a low heat for 5 to 7 minutes.
  2. In a medium size pot over medium heat melt the butter. Slowly whisk in flour. Whisk until a creamy mixture is created.
  3. Gradually pour in broth, whisking constantly. Whisk in milk, tomato soup, salt, onion, lobster meat, Worcestershire sauce and cayenne pepper. Heat until soup is almost boiling. Do not boil the soup as the milk will curdle when boiled.









Wednesday, September 14, 2011

CUTE AS A CUPCAKE

Too much?

Or just enough cuteness to match the pastry?


Anything with a cupcake on it has to be cute right?



 Here is my newest creation! It is the cupcake headband!
.
 There will be a few other headbands I will probably sell.




 Make every day her birthday with cupcake hair clips.  She will be that much sweeter.
 They make great gifts, and are great party favors as well.


  Having a birthday party? Your little one will be the star of the day.  All eyes will be on her, and her cupcake headband of course!

Monday, September 12, 2011

HANDMADE VINTAGE LACE HANDBAGS


These victorian style handbags would be a lovely addition to wear in the evening, a fancy party, with victorian edwardian dresses or to give as a special gift for the woman with a taste for the elegant look.


Perfect for:
~ A night out 
~ A quick run around the corner
~ Makeup Bag
~ When you need to downsize a larger bag
~ Or use it to organize that larger bag you already love!



Have a Wonderful Day! 



"Cute Cashbox" Mission

I was just going over everything I'll be needing for the Holy Hill Art Fair this weekend. Upon finding my cash box in the garage, I knew everyone would be seeing it on the table, and ewww gross !


O.K so I know I still have alot of things I want to create to sell, but I must step back and think about everything I NEED like signage, table dressing,displays, biz cards, price tags.....


Todays Mission :Cute Cashbox


Here's the steps I used to do it with  paper napkins, Mod Podge, and lace/jewelry scraps.
I decoupaged some pretty paper napkins, and some doily scraps on the lid and sides using none other than Mod Podge.Embellished using E6000 glue for pearls, doilies, lace, and jewels. Finished with a nice thick top coat of MP to seal everything, and make cleaning easier .
The top is actually a pin  I had, and the bottom skirt is part of a doily and an earring I only had 1 of.




The only problem now is I don't want to put her back in the garage. I must find a use for her in my kitchen. Any ideas? Please e- mail me www.suzy.homefaker@yahoo.com.   Thanks everyone.





Kindle Coverlet

It's 1:30 am. I'm still sewing?, even though I can hardly see straight. 


 This is a "cute as a bug in a rug "coverlet to take your Kindle in style.


It's made from all recycled scweebles of this and that  I've collected in a big bin over the years.


It's time for zzzzz'S.  Sweet Dreams Everyone!

Sunday, September 11, 2011

FAKE BAKES

"This faux cupcake looks sooo real, you might want to dig in with fork. It's a great home and kitchen decor...but might even look good on your office desk. It can also hold notes and photos."
No, you can't eat them. No, they do not contain anything edible. So what then can they be used for? 


They make great card holders! Just put a card with something along the lines of "Happy Birthday to one SWEET girl" or something cheesy like that.


They make wonderful ornaments too, since they are incredibly lightweight. They can hold photos or business cards too...if you own a bakery or know someone who does, they can also be used in window displays.


 These do NOT contain any food ingredients, so they wont attract pests or animals, mold, rot, or deteriorate. They will last virtually forever.


Petite Fake Bakes are great Christmas tree ornaments !
Or hanging from a chandelier?





DIY Directions....



Materials Needed:
  • a small can of expansion foam (ask for it at your hardware store)
  • cupcake papers
  • newspaper
  • rubber gloves (you WILL want these!)
  • muffin tin
  • mini muffin tin and papers (optional)
  • plastic bags
  • acrylic paint
  • fine glitter (optional)
  • a container of LIGHTWEIGHT Spackle
  • an electric mixer
  • a spoon
  • a bowl
  • pastry bag with star tip (big star tip!)
  • paintbrushes

First step.. Put expansion foam into the papers, inside a muffin tin. Fill 1/2 full.




If anyone tries this – don’t squirt in too much foam – the cakes just kept on growing. Also DO NOT TOUCH THEM – there is no stickier stuff on the planet.



Next was the painting (the foam took about 5 hours to dry). I used acrylics.



After drying out properly overnight, I had a go at the frosting..




  I used a lightweight  SPACKLE filler. The filler might be to thick so you might need to mix with a little bit of water.


Next step..EMBELISH!!!












Cut in half, and glue a magnet to the back, and get these adorable magnets for your icebox!



                  For the liners I used a silver doily cut like this.

Faux Cupcakes are a perfect idea for Gifts, Wedding Bomboniere's, (Shops) Tea Room Displays, or for that Delectable looking Kitchen Display!

**********************************************************************************
I will be selling these on Etsy next month .Look for Suzy Homefaker !




Tuesday, September 6, 2011

GLITTER PUMPKINS

Can I just tell ya glitter is my Crack !!


 I loves me anything that glitters, shines, sparkles, lights up.....


You can use fake pumpkins ,or real .I like the fake jobbies cause I can keep them from year to year.I did mine about 3 years ago, and store them in the basement, and they look as great as the day I did them.
Instructions

    • 1
      Spread glue evenly over the pumpkin's surface using the paintbrush. You'll want to do about one-fourth of the pumpkin at a time, spreading glue and adding glitter. Make sure there are no clumps of glue anywhere. You can also use spray glue.Make sure to lay down enough newspaper.
    • 2
      Sprinkle glitter over the pumpkin until the glue is fully covered. The newspaper underneath will catch the extra glitter so you can reuse what has fallen off. Repeat Steps 2 and 3 until the pumpkin is fully glittered.
    • 3
      Once the pumpkin is completely covered with glitter, let it dry for an hour.
There are about a dozen glitter pumpkins on this tablescape, but with all the food, you cant see them very well. Any way, they are beautiful against candlelight.Trust me!
I have also used them at each place setting with name cards attached, but be careful if you do this....your guests will take them home with them!