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Archive for September, 2010
Candy Apple Cupcake Toppers
It is getting that time of year when my kids need items for their school's bake sales and I always try to find something fun. These cupcakes would also make a sweet gift for neighbors and friends!
They were simple to make! I used a candy mold and candy writers.
Place the tubes in hot water (not boiling) for about 5 minutes until candy coating is melted.
Snip of the end and begin filling the mold. I loved how easy having the green candy coating in a tube made painting the leaves. While it was easy to use the red, one tube didn't fill the entire mold. Next time I will just melt red candy melts and put them in a zip lock bag and snip of a bottom corner of the bag to fill the mold.
Allow the green to harden before filling with the red.
When completely hard, turn mold over and tap out the candy apples. Mold can be placed in the freezer for about five minutes to speed up hardening time.
Stuffed Pork Loin
Last night we had some great friends for dinner! We served pork loin stuffed with roasted red pepper, bacon, cream cheese and spinach along side roasted asparagus and mashed potatoes.
This is a simple and delicious meal for company!
Stuffed Pork Loin
Approximately a 4 pound pork loin
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 cup fresh baby spinach
6 slice(s) bacon, cooked and chopped
12 oz (or larger jar) roasted red pepper drained
Directions
Butterfly pork loin (cut down the center without cutting through the pork and open it up like a book). Pound to an even thickness.
Spread cream cheese over pork. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Top with spinach, chopped bacon, and roasted red peppers.
Roll up pork like a cylinder. Secure with butcher string at 2 inch intervals. Drizzle with a little olive oil and season pork with kosher salt.
Place pork, seam side down, on a lightly greased cooking sheet or rack. Bake at 425 degrees for 30 - 45 minutes or until it registers 155 degrees. Let stand 15 minutes.
Remove string and slice pork. Serve.
This can also be made with pork tenderloins.
Roasted Asparagus
Wash and trim asparagus, dry. Drizzle asparagus with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Place single layer on a baking pan. Cook at 425 degrees for about 7 minutes-- until just crisp tender.
Made By You Monday
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Handpainted Bottle Stoppers
From now until Christmas I will be sharing past homemade gift ideas for my Friday Flashbacks! I hope you enjoy!
Simple, fun and easy enough for kids to make. Fill a bottle with homemade flavored vinegar or olive oil and cork with your handmade stopper. There are also many recipes for flavored vodkas and fun liquors. You could even put homemade lotion in a fun cork-able bottle. My bottles will be filled with homemade Irish Cream liquor (I'll share that recipe later).
Supplies:
1 1/2" wood ball knobs
acrylic paint
acrylic primmer
acrylic polyurethane
bottle corks
gorilla glue or hot glue
Lightly sand wooden ball and then wipe with a damp cloth. Once ball is dry ( a minute) prime the ball with acrylic primer. When the primer is completely dry give your ball a base coat of color and then begin painting your design. I stick a wooden dowel or the end of a paint brush in the hole of the ball so I have something to hold onto while I paint. The wooden dowel can be stuck into a piece of styrofoam so the ball can dry. Once your painted design is finished and dry, give your ball two or more coats of polyurethane. Allow polyurethane to completey dry between each coat.
I have tried many brands of acrylic polyurethane and I am partial to this one.
Glue the ball to a cork. Be careful if you use Gorilla glue, it can be messy but it is strong!
The balls would also make nice draw pulls!
