Stacey Makes It

Thought I'd do a variation of That Chocolate Cake... Stacey's That Almond Cake Ingredients: 2c sugar, organic 1c unbleached white flour, organic 3/4c whole wheat flour, organic 2 tbs cornstarch 3/4c almond flour 1 tsp salt 1 1/2 tsp baking soda 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 2 eggs, organic 1/2c sesame oil 2 tsp vanilla bean paste 1.5c whole milk (cream top organic) 1/2c boiling water 10x10" cake pan Parchment paper First, I preheated the oven to 350F and lined the cake pan with the parchment paper.  Then, I mixed all the dry ingredients together.  I slightly beat the eggs with the oil, and heated the milk with the vanilla in the microwave for about a minute - temp gun said it was about 90F.  I added the wet ingredients (minus the boiling water) into the dry ingredients and mixed.  Once it was mixed, I added the boiling water and stirred until it was combined.  It was really soupy, but I figured I'd just give it a try.  I poured it into the p...

I went out to have a picnic with two of my best friends, Ester and Young out in Napa.  We brought Ester's dog Fergus and I took a picture. I've started a new hobby of trying to turn my photos into drawings (and maybe paintings someday when I have the time).  Here is my first (and perhaps only) attempt at an ink rendition. I did pencil first, since I tend to have problems with proportions, then filled in later with ink. You can click on the images for larger versions.

Time for another soaping recipe!  I have so many soaping supplies/ingredients, I decided I can't buy any more soaping stuff until I use it all up. This recipe was to use my Fresh Mango fragrance oil from Bramble Berry . Stacey's Soap Recipe #B2 (b for blog) with Fresh Mango scent : ( soapcalc.net results ) Solid Oils 13.44 oz Palm Oil (crisco or shortening) 5.76 oz Coconut Oil (76 deg) 2.56 oz Palm Kernel Oil / Flakes .64 oz Red Palm Butter Liquid Oils 8 oz Castor Oil 1.6 oz Olive Oil 12.12 oz distilled water 4.51 oz lye NaOH 1 oz Fresh Mango fragrance oil Glossy Tray Mold Old pot used only for soaping 3/17/11 - First I made my lye solution so it would have time to cool.  I always put the lye solution container into some ice water (make sure none of the ice water bath gets into the solution) to help it cool faster. Then I put all of my solid oils into the pot and melted them over low heat. Melted... Once the solid oils were melted, I added the liquid ...

My awesome mom got some orders for me for Easter so I made a few Easter / Spring boxes.  I've been fairly busy lately, so I didn't have a whole lot of time yet to post recipes for all of these, but a random smattering of these was in all the boxes. Bailey’s Milk Chocolate Truffles Guittard milk chocolate blended with organic cream and Bailey’s Irish Cream liquor. Covered in a milk chocolate shell. Peanut Butter Meltaways Guittard milk chocolate with organic peanut butter and coconut oil that melts luxuriously in your mouth.  Covered in a Guittard 64% dark chocolate shell. Milk Chocolate Almond Caramels Vanilla bean caramels topped with a toasted almond and then dipped in Guittard milk chocolate. Dark Chocolate Pecan Caramels Vanilla bean caramels topped with a toasted pecan and then dipped in Guittard dark chocolate. Dark / Milk Salted Caramels Vanilla bean caramels dipped in Guittard milk and dark chocolate, topped with a pinch of Australian Pink Flake ...

I know, I haven't been posting very much.  Come on, at least pretend that you've noticed.  Thanks, I appreciate it.  :)  Anywho, it's because of the new office and some big candy orders.  It's harder logistically for me to bring treats in, and I've been working on a few candy orders in my spare time.  But, I did have some time a little while ago to make some more miniatures.  Somehow animals look cuter when they've been reduced to blob-like facsimiles with only a few distinguishing features.  Here, I'll show you. Pink bunny blob Blue bunny blob And I thought I'd do a Martha Stewart style egg basket (you know, since HER chickens make different colored eggs - I've also seen these on her show... they are crazy) although I figured I'd take a little more poetic license, since I'm painting my eggs and not retrieving them from my little free range clay chickens. All together now.  Bunnies, look at the eggs... no, no no! With more longing! ...

I am in love with Mexican hot chocolate and solid chocolate.  It's spicy and wonderful.  I bought some recently when I found it and I had to find out what the magical ingredients were that made it so delicious.  To my surprise, it was just sugar and cinnamon.  I was a tad disappointed.  I tried to make spiced truffles once, and I put all sorts of spices in them.  Chili, cayenne, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves... It was too spicy for some of my co-workers.  I thought it was okay, but definitely not as exciting to me as Mexican chocolate.  So, now with the goal of doing something a bit more simple in terms of flavor, I decided to try an ode to Mexican chocolate, truffle-style. Stacey's Mexican-Inspired Cinnamon Truffle Ingredients : 20 oz Guittard 64% dark chocolate couverture 4 oz Guittard 38% milk chocolate couverture 12 oz heavy cream, organic 2 tsp vanilla bean paste 1 tbs cinnamon 1.5 oz butter, salted, organic 3 oz glucose Cacao nibs Tur...