Master at Cake Decorating

I have become the master of cake decorating. Well, not really because I just learned how to do it. A week ago, my sister had ask me to make birthday cake for Samuel. All of suddenly, I had so many different idea to make cake for Samuel's birthday. At first, I was like I could make Car out of cake, but I realized it will take a lot of work. Then I decided to do really simple cake.

At first, I started to draw the cake before I started to make one. I showed the picture to my sister and she had agree it. Then I bought the frosting, food color, and the decoration supplies. My sister bought the cake mix of the flavor. I just know that my nephew love chocolate, but it is better to balance with vanilla and chocolate.

On Saturday, I went out shopping to get decoration supplies at Hobby Lobby, I was surprised that they were good price and lucky they were on sale. So I figured it out everything and I bought it. I went home and I started to bake the cake. I remember that we live on high altitude so I add the flours. 35 minutes later, the cake looked really great. Then I started my process for the decoration and I realized that I missed one important thing. It was the ring coupler. That thing to hold the bag and the tip together. While the cake was cooling down and I quickly ran to nearby store to get one specific thing. I got it.

Then I started to decorated the cake. It took me forever but really it only took me 30 minutes to decorate the cake and it look really great. Also I did borrow my nephew's car to decorate the cake. I did use plastic wrap to protect the cake and the toys. I am really proud of myself that I make this really cool cake.

The cake decoration is simple but it came be complicated. That four shape is that I used chocolate frosting to represent for the road. I had food color to add to the vanilla frosting in three separate as one for green, yellow, and red. I start the yellow outline to make it into a road. Also trying to frosting the chocolate to stay in yellow is not quite easy but it come out great. Also I used the green to make it into grass. So overall, it does look great to me...

Just Little part six of cross-stitch

Hello again, I am sure you are wondering why I had worked so quick. Really, this part six is really short. It is just how the system work for the pattern of cross-stitch. So the part six is really short and it is easy to work on it because it is part of the sky and cloud.

I have finished the top part, it seem it took me three months as from October to January. I am just say that I am proud that I was able to do this challenge cross-stitch. Here is the finished of top part...

The image of the first top part so that you can get the idea of what it look like.

Cross-stitch Part Five

Coming again with cross-stitch, it is part 5, this one is a lot easier, because it only required few color on it. I was focus on the sky and clouds. One thing about the cross-stitch, I realized that I did not have any room to make more part. So I bought new material and cross-stitch the part five.

The photo is the part five of cross-stitch...

Then I sew to rejoin together. It was not the easy thing to sew together at this moment but I did it well.

So that is the finished result of it. But there are still more to go with it. I will fix it to make it look good.

More will come soon.

The Part Four of Cross-stitch

I started my fourth part of cross-stitch, I know that I did start in December. Some of the days were not too busy for me. So I had time to do the cross-stitch. I absolutely love to do the cross-stitch. I started on December 5 and I finished today on December 29. Most of time, it will take a month for me to finish each part, but this part was easy because there is no complicated colors to fill it in. I will be working on my 5th part tomorrow or whenever the day that I will start on. I just want to finished it but it will take long time because there is 20 parts of the cross-stitch and I have like 19 to go. so it will goes to take a while. So here is my process of cross-stitch so far.

Never have too many Kisses

It is never have too many Kisses. Every year on December, there is always one favorite cookie that I love the most. I love the Kisses from Hershey's. This specific cookie that I love the most. It was the Peanut Butter Kiss or you can called it Peanut Blossom, or many other name that you call it. This time, I make three different kind of Kiss cookie. All of those three cookies are called Candy Cane Kiss, Cherry Cordial Creme Kiss, and Peanut Butter Kiss.

The first one I make is Candy Cane Kiss. You can buy Candy Cane Kiss at the store, it might be only happen during Christmas month.

Kisses Candy Cane Blossoms

48 Kisses Candy Cane (the number did not matter, it is up to you)
1/2 cup butter, softened (1 stick)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 - 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 TBS milk
Red and green sugar, crystal, sugar, or powered sugar ( I just use regular sugar and I add the food color to mix it up for red and green individual, it work great)

1. Heat Oven to 350 F. Remove wrappers from candies ( I remove it later)
2. Beat butter, sugar, egg, vanilla in large bowl, beating until well-blended. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt: add alternately with milk to butter mixture, beating until well blended.
3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in red sugar or green sugar, or any other sugars. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.
4. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are lightly brown and cookie is set. Remove from oven, cool for 2 to 3 minutes. Press candy cane kiss to the center of each cookie. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. About 4 dozen.

*You can find more information on Hersheys.com/holiday*

Another Kiss of cookie, this time I made tradition Peanut Blossom which I call them Peanut Kiss. It was just very simple cookie and easy. This is one of my favorite kind. Here is the recipe for it. 

Peanut Blossoms

48 Kisses (again, number don't matter)

1/2 cup butter, softened (1 stick)

3/4 cup peanut butter (any kind if fine)

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 egg

2 TBS milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp salt

Sugar

1. Heat oven at 375 F. Remove the wrappers (Again, I do it later for the wrappers)

2. Beat butter and peanut butter in large bowl until well-blended. Add 1/3 cup of sugar and brown sugar, beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk, and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda, and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture. 

3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in sugar, placed on ungreased cookie sheet. 

4. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or lightly browned. Immediately, press a chocolate into center of each cookie; Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack and let it cool. 

At last, the one last Kiss that formed into Cherry Cordial Creme cookie. This is the most complex thing. I did make it and it kind of fail. So it was little tough to do it. I learned from my mistake is to cook little longer and plus greased your cookie sheet. It was just complete different kind and it was my first time to do it. Here is the recipe.

Cherry Cordial Creme Cookies

60 Kisses Cherry Cordial Creme

1 package ( 1 lbs 6.5 oz) original supreme brownie mix with syrup pouch

1/4 cup Hershey's cocoa (any cocoa will be fine)

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

Powdered sugar

1. Remove wrappers from chocolates. Place in freezer for several hours or overnight. (the reason to put chocolate in the freezer because of the inside of the Kisses)

2. Heat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour cookie sheet. 

3. Stir the brownie mix, syrup pouch, cocoa, water, oil, and eggs in medium bowl until well-blended. Take spoon onto the cookie sheet. 

4. Bake for 8 minutes or until the cookie is set. Cool for few minutes; sprinkled with powdered sugar. Immediately press frozen chocolate into center on each cookie. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. About 5 dozen. 

Now come to last, I have finished make those cookies, except the last one Cherry Cordial Creme cookie, I did not take picture because it was kind of fail. So this is other picture that I found on Bing to show you what it really look like. I hope you have very good Christmas. Spend time with family and friends. Enjoy it!

Childhood Christmas Tradition

I read one of my good friend's blog so I borrowed this Christmas Tradition Question. I thought it will be fun to let people read and help them remember their Christmas Tradition that we have grew up. As in hope that I will start my own tradition in the future.

Here is my Childhood Christmas Tradition!

Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?

I prefer Hot Chocolate only when it is cold outside, I would stir it with Peppermint Stick instead of spoon. It always taste so good. I remember when I was little girl, I always love Egg Nog but now I don’t like Egg Nog anymore. I still drink Hot Chocolate with Peppermint stick.

Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?

Well, My parents were very trick, they know the way around it. They will leave few presents under the tree but Santa will add more presents under the tree on Christmas Eve and surprised us on Christmas morning with more presents

Colored Lights on tree/house or white?

It depend at my parents’ house, at my mom’s house, we have colored lights on tree and house. At my dad’s house, we have white lights on tree and on house. In my future, I will just have blue, white, and silver on tree and house, just like Winter Wonderland.

Do you hang mistletoe?

At my mom’s house, we always have mistletoe every since I was little girl and today we still have it. Mistletoe was one of my favorite thing to hang because you have to figure it out where the people will stand the most under the mistletoe.

When do you put your decorations up?

On the weekend after Thanksgiving, we know it is the best time to decorated the Christmas on beautiful day before the cold weather come, it always worked the best.

What is your favorite holiday dish?

Um, that is good question. It depend which at my parents’ house, at my mom’s house, it will be mashed potato and gravy. At my dad’s house, that will be the devil egg. So I just love the holiday dinner.

Favorite Holiday memory as a child?

That one will be at my dad’s house, when my sister, my brother, and I went at my dad’s house. When we saw this super huge present, and we had no idea what it is in there. We always guess by what it in. Every Christmas morning, we always guess what it in, most of time, we were right. But this present is huge and we still have no idea. The first thing came in our mind was the coffin. I don’t know why we think of it. At first, we opened all our presents before open the huge present because it was for my sister, my brother, and I all together. We opened the present together. We found out that it was the trampoline. We were happy that we got it because we always want one.

When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?

I always know that the truth about Santa ever since I was little girl, BUT I do believe in Santa because I swore I saw Santa in sleigh with eight reindeer and Rudolph. I do swore that I saw Santa on Christmas morning when Santa flew to the mountain. I still do believe in Santa.

Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?

Yes, we open gift on Christmas eve, as only one gift. So it is hard decision to know which one to open to receive the good one. Every time, I opened present on Christmas Eve, it ended up a little good thing by not what I want, but still love it.

How do you decorate your Christmas Tree?

Mostly of time, it was my parents decorated the tree. Sometime they will not let us decorate the tree. But at my mom’s house, she had some ornaments that is our and let us decorate it. At my dad’s house, it really depend, so it does not matter to me at all.

Snow! Love it or Dread it?

Honestly, I just hate snow because I do not like to drive in snow with all those crazy people but I overcome my fear. But what I like the most is snow on Christmas Eve while watching movie with hot chocolate and the fire in the fireplace, just love it. I love to have White Christmas morning.

Can you ice skate?

Yea, Of course, I can ice skate. I have been ice skate in 3^rd and 4^th grade and I still do it good. It had been a while since I had skating.

Most Memorable gift?

That will be the Nutcracker, that my mom make. I always love the Nutcracker ever since I was little girl. I have too many memorable gift and I cannot remember that much.

The gift that my mom make and gave to me

What’s the most important thing about the Holidays for you?

The most important thing to me is spend time with family and be surround with love from family and friends. The most important thing is to giving to people who need it.

What is your favorite Holiday Dessert?

That will be Peanut Butter Kiss, I just love them. I will be the only one will eat it.

What is your favorite holiday tradition?

I would like to start my favorite holiday tradition, is to watch Christmas movie as to drink hot chocolate with peppermint stick, and eating popcorn. I am hoping to start this tradition someday in the future. My family holiday tradition is going to church, but it is not my favorite. I am hoping to start my holiday tradition in the future.

What tops your tree?

I have two things, at my mom’s house, it will be the angel. At my dad’s house, it will be the star. So I have two Christmas tree at different house.

Which do you prefer giving or receiving?

I prefer giving because it make me feel good to give to someone who should deserve it. I remember when I was little girl, I was little selfish, I always rather to receiving than to give. But I learned a lot is that giving is always the good deed and show that you are loving and loyal to the people. So I did pay it back by giving to people that gave to me.

Candy Cane: Yum or Yuck?

It is yum, only if it is peppermint as red and white. I do not like any other flavor, only the original. 

Third Part of Cross-stitch...

I finished the third part of Cross-stitch and I did finish it in less than 4 weeks which I did in three weeks. I am proud of how it came out. But there are still more to go. I somtime stop the cross-stitch for a while because it is December which you will be get a lot busy than ever. You know you have to shop for gifts for all of your family and friends. Also you go out to see the christmas lights and all of the events, included the party too.

I gave myself a break for a while because the needle had been poked my fingers which it is not good thing. Also I need to get myself moving around so It is good thing for myself to take break. I am going to wrap the gifts, bake the cookies, and among many other things.

Here is the third part of cross-stitch...