Saturday, 30 June 2012
Egg-cellent Baked Eggs!
Happy weekend everyone! So, I am NOT and I repeat NOT a cooking genius, I usually leave those pins for Marquette, who has much more experience and adventurism (is that a word?) in the kitchen than I do, however that being said, she is out of town still, sad day, I know you probably miss her fun posts (and so do I), but alas, she comes home tonight! (Holy run on sentence batman...sorry). Anyways, Natalie sent me this awesome post about baked "hard boiled" eggs! Never in my life have I heard of this, I mean I JUST discovered baked bacon, like I said not a magician in the kitchen (sorry mom) , but hey The Mr. Chips doesn't complain. So here is Natatlie's Pinstrosity.
The Original Pin
The Pinstrosity
Here's the catch. The eggs have to be cooked in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Rather than stick them in the mini muffin pan, which I thought was totally smart I probably would have done the same thing, place the eggs length wise straight on the oven rack like so:
This keeps them from rolling around, and this minimizes browning due to the fact that there is hardly any egg surface area touching the oven rack. when the eggs are done, pull them out of the oven with tongs or an oven mitt, and place them in iced water wait till they are cool enough to peel and then proceed to peel. IF there are any brown spots, it is NORMAL, and they will soon disappear in the cold water. There may be a small brown spot on the actual egg white itself, this is also NORMAL and the egg will still taste the same. As soon as they are peeled put them back in the cold water for another ten minutes or so and voila! Hard Boiled Eggs minus the Boil!
P.S. I know what you are thinking, "Didn't she just say how awful she is with recipes and such?" Yes I did, and yes that is true. I am no Picasso with Poultry, but I did some research for this one, and all the info was the same, and Alton Brown (Food Channel, funny guy), these are HIS recommendations, and well he is on the freaking food network, so I trust him. Now worries chaps, I did my homework :) Another freaking long sentence, I will need to work on that. Sorry!
-Emilee
Friday, 29 June 2012
Sunshine In AND Out of a Jar
Hello All!
Happy Friday! Michelle sent us this awesome pin, which turned out to be a little TOO awesome!
The Original Pin
The Pinstrosity
The name of this oh so delicious creation is "Sunshine In a Jar", Michelle said she followed the directions, but since she was making this for a baby shower, she decided to put them in a baby food jar. This didn't turn out quite like she had hoped. I would suggest, if you are putting this in baby food jars, which is a super cute idea by the way, that you put 1/3 the amount of cake mix in the jar than you would normally. This should help to minimize spillage, and makes for great presentation, and well, no cleanup, which is always a plus at my house :)
Before doing this for an event, I would suggest taking several different jars of the same size and putting different amounts of batter in each, baking and deciding which one suits your purpose.
These super fun single serving cakes would be great for a kids party, or just a fun dessert with easy cleanup! Bon Appetit!
-Emilee
dressed in summer with stylemint {day 3}
T Shirt: Willow T c/o StyleMint; Skirt: H&M (similar style here); Jacket: Old Navy (similar style here); Shoes: J. W. Anderson X Aldo; Sunglasses: Karen Walker; Watch: Michael Kors
When it comes to dressing up for dinner and drinks over the summer, I love pairing seemingly basic pieces with some of my more polished items -- just to turn things upside down a bit. This T Shirt, with it's sheer paneling and longer asymmetrical cut, lent itself nicely to a fitted peplum hem skirt. Unexpected but still effortless and laid back (with a side of statement heels, of course).
If you're just joining now, check out my other StyleMint looks here and here and, as always, you can shop their full selection here.
Disclaimer: While this is a sponsored post, I just wanted to reiterate that I would never partner with a company that I didn't completely believe in myself.
Thursday, 28 June 2012
My Life at the Theater: Moonglow
We saw MOONGLOW at the Performance Network Theater in Ann Arbor in 2006. It was the world premiere of Kim Carney's play about her mother's battle with Alzheimers. It softens the blow of this topic by having her the woman strike up a relationship with a man in the Alzheimers Unit, a device also used in the movie AWAY FROM HER.
Kim Carney is a Michigan playwright whose plays have been performed widely and to acclaim. The Performance Network has never let us down with their productions and this was a fine one.
Shark Weak
Emilee here, feeling very punny this morning, as seen in the above title (get it "Shark Weak" "Shark Week" bahaha I know it's early can I at least get a little chuckle for that one?) Anyways back to business, Sarah a lovely and adventurous lady sent us this Pinstrosity, although in my opinion it turned out adorable! Just a few small revisions and she is ready to hit the big time, here it is!
The Original Pin
The Pinstrosity(kind of...)
Sarah said she wanted to try this out for a Memorial Day weekend festivity and it went...ok. She said her family liked it and she thought it went alright, but that she wished it had turned out a little better. In my opinion a lot of the original pin is presentation. Here are a few tips though:
Make sure you have an awesome knife (something Sarah said she wished she had). When doing a little research I found that for these kinds of projects it is helpful to have a "fruit carving knife" you can find a decent one on Amazon that isn't too expensive.
Another point is that this was her first try at watermelon carving, so grab two melons before going all Da Vinci on "The Melon" and practice a bit, and if all else fails you have an awesome bit sized snack!
Third, and I already said this, is all ornamentation, jazz it up a bit, by the cute shark candies and maybe stick a Swedish Fish to his tooth, make it fun!
All in all not too shabby for a first time melon experience, just a few minor changes. Happy Summer Melon-ing!
-Emilee
dressed in summer with stylemint {day 2}
Shirt: Jessie T c/o StyleMint; Shorts: Levis (loving this pair recently); Hat: H&M; Sunglasses: Ray-Ban
No beach-bound round up would be complete without some nautical stripes -- and I'm pretty smitten with the baby blue on this version! With a swipe of red lipstick, some broken in cutoffs and canvas sneakers, it's hard not to channel your inner Bardot in this getup.
If you're just joining now, check out my first StyleMint look here and, as always, you can shop their full selection here.
Disclaimer: While this is a sponsored post, I just wanted to reiterate that I would never partner with a company that I didn't completely believe in myself.
Wednesday, 27 June 2012
Mancave Mishap
Em here, I survived the tests and am back and ready for some Pinstrosity action!
Katie wrote in with a project for her husband's man cave that didn't go as she had hoped, check it out.
The Original Pin
The Pinstrosity
The project consists of taking bottles, any sort of glass bottle, and cutting it using yarn soaked in acetone nail polish remover lighting it on fire (the yarn) and as soon as the flame has traveled all the way around the bottle, dip in ice cold water and the bottle splits right where the yarn was, this will supposedly yield a drinking glass, vase, candle holder etc,. Katie said she followed the instructions to a "T" and as soon as she pulled the glass out from the water all she had was a wet bottle, a cold wet hand and no drinking glass. Thoroughly disappointed, she decided it was a dud and so far, so do we.
There are a few things that could have gone wrong here:
Make sure the polish remover is pure acetone, and not the non-acetone, the website didn't specify but I believe this may be where the problem was.
When letting the flame move around the bottle, perhaps let it go two times around the bottle to ensure it went all the way around.
In the directions it calls for 5 or 6 strands of yarn wrapped around the bottle, but then the original pinner used three strands braided instead, I might go with the 5 or 6 just because it gives you a wider area to work with and it might get that added heat needed to cut all the way through the glass.
I have to admit this one intrigues me, the directions are very simple yet it didn't work, I will have to try this one out for myself on my next pin testing day and see how it goes, although it wouldn't be a bad idea to have a fire extinguisher close, Katie says she opted out of increased fire safety , she lives on the edge that one . I will report back when the project is complete and hopefully we will have a pin win on our hands.
-Emilee
dressed in summer with stylemint {day 1}
Dress: Pico dress c/o StyleMint; Jacket: Old Navy (love this darker version); Hat: H&M (similar style here); Bathing suit: Old Navy; Sunglasses: Versace; Necklace: flea market find
Having thoroughly enjoyed the unseasonably warm weather we've been experiencing here in SF, I knew I wanted to spend a majority of this past weekend over in the man friend's neighborhood (to take full advantage of the 5 minute walk to the beach). That said, weekend packing isn't exactly my forte (let's just say I almost always bring too much with me) so I wanted to make sure to pare down to just a few basics -- hence a lot of T Shirts.
Of course, it's easy to underestimate a good T, which is why I'm so excited to be sharing some of my favorite StyleMint pieces over the next few days to help dispel that notion. The fit and the fabric quality of these Ts never disappoint and the fact every piece is designed by Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen certainly doesn't hurt either. But I digress.
The first look in our beach-bound lineup? A breezy little T Shirt dress, perfect as my bathing suit coverup for the afternoon! I went with some of my summer go-tos to accessorize this look (hello denim jacket and straw panama hat!) but I'd love to know how you would style this number! Let me know in the comments below.
Disclaimer: While this is a sponsored post, I just wanted to reiterate that I would never partner with a company that I didn't completely believe in myself.
Disclaimer: While this is a sponsored post, I just wanted to reiterate that I would never partner with a company that I didn't completely believe in myself.
Tuesday, 26 June 2012
Pulp Ink Free on Amazon
In preparation for PULP INK 2, PULP INK 1 is free on Amazon for five days.
PULP INK 2 will be raising money for a charity that offers talking and play therapies to children in schools.
raffia
Top: Rachel Roy slip dress worn as a blouse; Skirt: Proenza Schouler; Bag: 3.1 Phillip Lim; Shoes: Zara; Sunglasses: Karen Walker; Jewelry: Gorjana "Super Star" necklace, Michael Kors watch
Forgotten Movies: Alice Adams
ALICE ADAMS was based on a novel by Booth Tarkington and directed by George Stevens. It contains a great scene of the problems of summer heat at the turn of the last century, which is why I thought of it now. Anxious to impress a beau with her cooking, Alice and her mother whip up exactly the wrong sort of dinner for a hot Indiana summer night. Charming, perhaps dated, this film is an old favorite. Fred had many hats, and this is a nice one.
For more forgotten movies, see Todd Mason.
Monday, 25 June 2012
Away on holiday!
By the time you read this, I'll probably be on my way to Tasmania! Darren and I decided I needed a break and Tasmania was on our 'to-go to' list. We've never been there before and we've heard so much good things about it. So, one thing led on to the other and we're off on a holiday! I'll be back next week, but until then, I'll leave you with a new piece I've just completed minutes ago. Along with all these work in progress shots I took along the way. I've actually uploaded it all onto instagram, but just thought I'd share. It's always nice when everything's pieced together in one big long post, rather than in bits and pieces right?
As you can tell, I've already got all the seafood yumminess in my head. Can't wait to taste those prawns, mussels and oysters while at the bay. I heard Tassie's pretty awesome when it comes to seafood. YUM! See you guys back here next week. Oh and just a little heads up, bookings for my upcoming succulent painting class opens next week! Enjoy your time wherever you are, and stay warm!
frills and all
Dress: Topshop; Shoes: Celine; Bag: Vintage; Sunglasses: Karen Walker "Perfect Day"; Jewelry: Gorjana "Super Star" necklace c/o
I posted about this darling drop waist dress in a recent "Currently Craving" installment -- and craved it so much that I had to have it! And I'm glad that I did -- it's proving to be quite the summer soiree hit. This particular time, I wore it out for a night of drinks and dancing with these new to me crystal-embellished Celine heels I scooped up a few months back.
How was your weekend? Any fun excuses to wear your summer-ready frocks?
My Dream Apartment: Then and Now
From THE MAD MEN, of course.
And it reminds me of the cool New York pad on Make Room for Daddy which had similar bi-level floors and sleek furniture. Or the Brady house in California.
I was always kind of amazed that a band leader like Ricky Ricardo had such a modest apartment.
Of course, the Honeymooners pad will live in infamy--until those who remember it are dead.
Did all my ideas of sophisticated adult life come from TV and movies? I think so.
Whose TV home stands out in your mind?
Sunday, 24 June 2012
Throat Lollies for Frankie Magazine
Look what's in the latest issue of Frankie Magazine! My throat lollie drawings. The lovely Frankie team sent me a whole box full of lozenges and I did these drawings for them. I must say, the lozenges came at the right time! I've been falling sick on and off the past couple of weeks. And I am super thankful I've got 8 different types of Lozenges to try! Haha. Have you eaten any of these before? Which is your favourite and which works best for you? So far, I'm really liking the Butter Menthol. Only problem, it tastes so much so candy, I can't stop eating it! Talk about getting addicted. Whoops!
Your Favorite Science Fiction Short Story
I know I could not pose this topic with just any group, but I think I have some SF fans here. It came to mind when Jerry House posted a FFB about the work of Judith Merril Friday and I read her story "THAT ONLY A MOTHER," which was awfully fine. And then, googling her, I ran across a list of stories by Locus Magazine--what they regarded as the top stories a few years aback. I have no idea if the list is a good one or not but here it is.
I am sure some people will regard three Harlan Ellison stories in the first five as too many, but I couldn't say.
So what would you rank as some of the top five SF stories (not novels)? I am looking to add some to my 365 challenge. I am sure my taste would run toward stories like hers rather than stories about alien invasions and intergalactic warfare. But that's just me. Anyway, my tastes aside, what are your favorites? Any great ones been written in the last decade?
And I want to thank Todd Mason for sending me the three collections of SF I have.