Greetings from my Stamp Collection!

Greetings!  (Again) So I know I've been a little MIA the past couple weeks.  I could tell you all sorts of excuses- I cut off my communications from the outside world to prevent creepers stalking me, I've been on stake-out at my garden 24/7 keeping away skunks and deer, or I was just plain lazy/forgot.  I'll let you determine which you think is the truth.

This post is about greeting cards.  When I started to get involved with scrapbooking, I started making greeting cards as a way to save money.  I don't care who you are or how important you are to me, I just can't bring myself to spend $3 ($3!- that's a margarita at happy hour- don't worry, I'll be thinking of you!) for a piece of paper to which I'll sign my name, you'll tear open, read once (maybe twice), and set aside (or worse- throw away!), never to be seen again.  (However, I might splurge if I've already been to happy hour and the card is really funny).  And let's face it, I don't have a history of being much of a planner, so I love being able to go downstairs on someone's birthday or the day of someone's wedding and graduation and emerge fifteen minutes later with a card in less time than it would take me to go to the store. (And my boyfriend always wondered how I could stand last minute plans!).

I started with a few stamps from the dollar store...then I noticed that JoAnn's, Michael's, and Pat Catan's all had cheap stamps.  Really cheap stamps.  So I began a collection.

Some call it more of an obsession...

 You'll have to dig through the bargain bins near the registers for the stamps, but they change every couple of months or so, so there's always something new and exciting.  Here are some of my most recent creations using the latest batch of stamps at JoAnn's:

There were plenty more.  I just have to limit myself or else I'd be drowning in these things.

I just loved the camera.  I'm thinking of "...because you deserve to" inside

At first I wasn't really sure what I wanted to do with these word-y stamps.  They just seemed so busy.  But I loved them as a background, either as an entire card or for just blocks on the card.  The clear stamps and block make it easy to line up the stamp to look seamless in its repetition.  The birthday stamp was a little more difficult to line up than the thank you one, but once you add the focal stamp to it, you can't really tell that the spacing is a little off.

I also "discovered" sewing on cards in a card magazine.  I'm pretty sure this is nothing new to those who follow the cardmaking world, but I want to share that it's not half as scary as it looks!  I'd like to share some words of advice when sewing on cards (in the whole three or four I've made thus far):

Most importantly, (if you take anything from this post it should be this) make sure the card is open before sewing.  It's a real downer to have to throw away all of your work (because let's face it, a needle is like lightning, never hits the same place twice- you're not going to get it to line up with the holes you already sewed through your paper).  Not that I've been absentminded enough to do this or anything.  I could just imagine that it would be sad to ruin your work like that.

Loosen the tension on your machine.  You don't need to do it much, just enough so it won't pucker the paper.

Lock your stitch if possible.  The thread comes out very easily if you tug even the slightest bit on it.

I have yet to recommend sewing squares.  I haven't been successful in making even borders, with the stitches always being a little shorter or further, never just right to make that perfect, square corner.  My solutions- zig zag stitches, having a backup plan to cover up an uneven corner, or to avoid them altogether. (Does anyone else have any advice on this?)

My favorite thing about making my own cards is that they are so personal.  You aren't limited by the sentiments Hallmark prints, or the color schemes in American Greetings' cards.  I plan to fill these cards with sayings or quotes that I will print on cardstock or vellum and fasten inside.  They have dimension, personality, and they won't force you to give up happy hour!

As American as Apple Pie...

Disclaimer: this post is not about America (unless you consider the fact that I am in America, then it is).  Or apples.  Or apple pie.  It is, however, about making pie.

I am no expert in the pie field.  I can count on one hand how many pies I've made on my own, and probably two hands (and maybe a foot) how many pies I've participated in making over the years.  I do not claim to have experience and extensive knowledge (or even adequate knowledge) in the field.  The pie baking in the oven is the collaboration of my determined wild black raspberry picking, my boyfriend's mother's knowledge in baking black raspberry pies, and my mom's assistance in mixing the crust (after two failed attempts on my part).

Needless to say, with my limited experience I'm willing to take anyone's advice and seek assistance when making a pie (especially with such precious black raspberries!).  So when my mom raved about this pie crust maker she got a while back, I decided I'd give it a shot.

A simple enough "invention"- just roll the dough between the plastic.

The concept was simple enough- roll the dough out between the plastic, unzip the case and flip the crust into the pie pan (awesome! I wouldn't have to roll the pie crust over the rolling pin to transfer it, something that for some reason always makes me nervous).

The first attempt proved that I did not put enough flour in the pie crust maker, and the crust stuck to the plastic and tore as I tried to peel it out.

Even with more flour (lots more flour) on the second attempt, you cannot get enough flour on top of the dough.  The crust does peel away from the top layer of plastic if you are patient and pull the plastic away from your rolled crust slowly.  (To avoid this you could open it up and put more flour on as you roll, which makes it more time consuming with constant opening and closing.)  But there was enough flour to make the crust come off the bottom of the plastic easily.  Taking a deep breath, I flipped the crust into the pan, the crust landing in a messy pile in the dish, folding into itself and sticking together.

Needless to say, I became more nervous about the various aspects of using the pie crust maker than in the task of rolling it out without any snazzy tools.  Would it stick in some random place and put a big tear in the crust?  Would it fold into itself as I flipped it into the pan?  I feel much more in control of the crust when I roll it out on the counter, shifting the dough to make sure it's loose on the bottom and adding flour as I need it on top.  I'd rather roll the crust over my rolling pin and drape it over the pie dish from there.  And the extra items to wash were also a downside.  All in all, I felt that the pie crust maker was more trouble than it helped.

Has anyone else tried the pie crust maker?  What is your preference?

Saving Summertime

The beginning of summer is my favorite time of year.  Naturally I was originally in love with the season because it meant no school.  Now I am no longer in school and while it means I'm working during many of the hours I used to spend swimming, playing outside, and reading, there is still something that makes me so happy about the summer months aside from the longer days- fresh produce.  Yes, you can buy asparagus all year round and strawberries from March through July at the grocery store, but there's nothing quite like something fresh from the field.

Unfortunately the sweet start of summer is beginning to make way for other delightful feasts and the strawberry season is coming to an end, so I'm making a last minute effort to save every morsel of succulent, sun-ripened goodness that I can.

This weekend I took my niece to pick strawberries at Molnar Farms in Poland, Ohio.  She's two and a half and I wasn't quite sure how long we'd end up being in the field, or if she'd even be interested (I hear stories every year about how I fell asleep in the strawberry patch at a local farm when I was in elementary school), but she thought it was wonderful.  Sure, we picked a few smooshy strawberries and a few that are a little less than ripe.  After about two quarts I asked her how many more strawberries she wanted to pick and she said "one."  We snagged another berry before she changed her mind (clearly she can be a lot like me) and said "a lot!"

Showing off our strawberries.

For the past few years I've commandeered my parents' deep freeze to freeze strawberries (and corn, green beans, peaches, etc, all for other posts I'm sure).  And although strawberries lose their firmness once they are frozen, there's nothing like a little taste of sunshine in the middle of a snowstorm.

I clean and quick freeze my strawberries before putting them in Ziplock bags.

Here are a few things to do with frozen strawberries:
Smoothies
Perhaps my favorite (and my niece's), a fresh smoothie is a simple way to get your fruit and kids think it's a super awesome treat (no one tell them how good it is for them!).  Using frozen fruit replaces the need for ice in a smoothie, making it richer and thicker since it won't melt into water.  To make a smoothie I usually put about 1 cup of yogurt in the bottom of my blender and add about a cup of fruit (usually a banana and frozen strawberries, and sometimes frozen peaches or blueberries-I've even frozen grapes).  This half yogurt half fruit blend gives a smoothie thin enough to drink without a straw but not too watery.  I add more yogurt if I am using all frozen fruit and less if the fruit is fresh.

Frosting
Having some strawberries on hand in the freezer helps to change up frosting recipes.  For a strawberry whipped frosting, I have use a brand called Bettercreme (by Rich's, available at GFS) and some bakeries use a similar whipped frosting and are willing to sell it.  I simply put thawed strawberries in my mixer with the whip attachment and mix them for about a minute on low to medium speed to break up the berries.  Then simply add the mix and whip until it's the consistency you wish to use it.

A similar approach can be used for a shortening-based buttercream- make as usual but in place of the water add some thawed and mashed strawberries (and juice).

Jam
If you don't have time to make your jam now, you can freeze the strawberries and make freezer jam (such as this recipe http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/strawberry-freezer-jam/detail.aspx) later when you have time.

Some other things to make with frozen strawberries:
Strawberry Daquiris/Margaritas
Pie
Cheesecake
Punch (acts as ice too!)
Cobbler
Ice Cream or Milkshakes

The Truth About Ovens...

Recently we got a new oven.  I was thrilled.  Sure, the old oven worked fine, but the ever untrustworthy stove was slowly losing functionality in its burners and the handle had a habit of popping off right when you really needed to get whatever delicate pastry you were baking out of the oven.  So alas, our 17 year-old oven finally retired and we got a new one.  It’s a simple oven and we didn’t change between electric and gas or get any cool new features, but I still have a lot I am learning about the oven.  When baking, it is important to be aware of your oven’s consistency (or rather, the places where it can be inconsistent) in order to produce consistent results.  Knowing about your oven’s temperature and hot spots, and leveling the oven are three simple things you can do for less than $5 to improve your baking outcome.

Leveling your oven

If you’re baking cakes a level oven will allow a more even bake and a lot less waste if you trim it (or if you don’t trim it, at least it won’t leave you with a lopsided cake!).  We never thought about leveling our oven until I got serious about cake baking and my dad noticed that my cakes were consistently coming out lopsided.  I blamed myself, thinking I hadn’t spread the batter evenly but alas, it was our trusty (or rather untrustworthy) old oven’s fault.

Leveling an oven is simple.  Okay, it’s a little more complex than leveling a picture frame, but it doesn’t take much time or effort (not to mention saving frustration from having uneven cakes).  It is important not to check the top of your range alone, but rather the racks on the inside of your oven.  Don’t just check from left to right, but also ensure that your oven is level from front to back.  If your oven is not level, simply slide something (such as a square of cardboard) under the legs where your level was reading low.

Placing the level on a cookie sheet keeps it from wobbling on the racks as you  check the level.

Knowing its true temperatures

An oven thermometer will help you understand the temperature tendencies of your oven.  You can get one for around $5-6 from amazon.com, Bed Bath and Beyond, or local restaurant supply stores.

Ovens run in cycles, kicking off when they reach a temperature higher than what is set and turning back on at some point lower (which varies for each model of oven, and is often up to 25 degrees different).  When reading your thermometer, you’re looking to ensure that the average temperature of your oven is the temperature you have set you oven for.  Some oven thermometers do not react quickly, so if it appears to read a consistent temperature it actually reflects the average temperature in your oven. 

It is good to check an empty oven but also to monitor your oven as you bake.  The temperature changes with the amount of items in your oven and the location of the racks, so I like to keep the thermometer hanging in my oven to monitor its temperature.  If the temperature fluctuates too much with several things in the oven, especially between locations (top and bottom racks), it might be a good idea to bake fewer things together or adjust baking time to compensate for the temperature difference (most things will bake just fine in a temperature slightly hotter or cooler).  It’s also important to check the temperature on occasion as ovens sometimes change in consistency as they age.

The important thing is not how your oven reads (high, low, or just right), but whether its temperature readings are consistent.  Our new oven runs about 5 degrees under the set temperature.  If your oven lies about its true temperature and the thermometer consistently reads higher or lower, you should adjust your baking temperature accordingly; I add about 5 degrees to the temperature when I set my oven. 

Hot spots

Knowing your oven’s hot spots will help you set up baked goods and rotate pans accordingly.  To check your oven’s hot spots, line a cookie sheet with bread and put it in a preheated oven (I did mine at 350 degrees).  It will take a little while (mine took about 25 minutes), but the bread will begin to toast.  This shows where your oven is a little hotter, and demonstrates the importance of rotating pans for an even bake. (Or, if you’re a little inconsistent with some of your rolling/cutting for cookies, it shows how to set up thicker/bigger cookies to be in the hotter spots while the smaller/thinner cookies are in the cooler spots, allowing a tray to bake more evenly even if your cookies aren’t perfect.)

My oven is hotter in the back, with it's coolest corner being the front right.

As I’ve adjusted to our new oven, I’ve realized one wonderful thing: it has a window.  While seemingly simple, it was actually quite an adjustment to just turn on the light and check my cookies and cakes rather than opening the oven door.  This benefits my baking by allowing my oven to maintain its temperature, giving a more even and a quicker bake time (and in this weather, a much added bonus of keeping the heat in the oven!). [To really understand just how much heat you lose from your oven when you open the door, go ahead and open the door for a few seconds and as you close it, reset your oven temperature to the same temperature.  It will “preheat” again, sometimes taking a few minutes to gain the temperature that has been lost.]

Being familiar with your own oven will allow you to bake more efficiently in a new or unfamiliar oven.  You can’t do much for an unlevel oven unless you plan to level it, but you can make adjustments for temperature.  I like to err on the side of caution when baking in an unfamiliar oven and assume that the oven runs warmer.  I don’t change the setting in the temperature in case it actually runs cooler (in which case it would be much cooler), but I monitor the goodies baking in the oven a little more closely, checking on them sooner.  And even if the oven is the same one you've had for years, hopefully these tips will help you get a little more acquainted with your oven.

And so it begins...

Greetings blog readers.  So I’m having a bit of trouble coming up with a name for this blog.  I can’t think of anything cool like Cake Wrecks and the things I think of are either taken or feel too narrow.  Or maybe I’m being picky about the whole thing because it’s a way for me to hide in my shell a little longer, hoarding my ideas and guarding my creations from the horrible, harsh world we all live in.  Oh you’re not harsh?  I’ll remember that when you get to taste one of the recipes that doesn’t turn out so good.

I love to create.  Give me fabric and I will cut, pin, and sew and give you a blanket.  Give me eggs and I will make you a cake.  Give me pictures and I will craft you a scrapbook.  Give me yarn and I will crochet you a hat.  I don’t want anything that sounds stupid like Virginia’s Crafts or Ginny’s Kitchen.  Come on, I’m way more creative than that.  But I’ve always had a problem with showing the world what I do, and especially in writing (good thing a picture’s worth a thousand words, eh?).  Don’t ask me why I was a writing major when I hated showing others my work in workshops and wasn’t all that thrilled about presenting my senior project to a room full of people who would be honed in not on my content, but rather the text.  I’m not sure why my love for creation stops just short of words with pictures, food, and fabric.  I have no problem expressing my thoughts and ideas verbally (my poor co-workers, sister-in-law and boyfriend all heard about an awesome quilt pattern I found three days in a row now), but when I write it feels so much more permanent, and that scares me.  I’m hoping that through this blog not only will I share my creations with others, but grow in both ability and confidence as a writer as I tell you about my success and frustrations in crafting.  We’ll laugh, we’ll cry (oh too cliché?) You’ll laugh while I cry?  That’s a possibility for sure.  Let’s hope that doesn’t happen for your sake and mine.  And my poor family’s.

I hope to become comfortable with the fact that writing is like all of the other creating I do.  It is like baking- sometimes it might not turn out just right, but usually no one notices if you messed it up a little.  It is like sewing- taking many pieces and putting them together one at a time (and sometimes requires a little tearing apart).  It is like scrapbooking- combining items from different places and different experiences into a cohesive album through a number of techniques.  I hope that this writing will help to put my writing skills into a perfectly Crafted Context.