Alisa.wray

Melis Buyruk crafts anatomical forms in ceramic some of which are featured on plates and embellished with insects and flowers. She uses ceramic, an often utilitarian material, as a form of presentation of both inner and outer beauty. Anatomical features are served separated from any tie to gender, race, or social position.

I followed up with Melis to ask her a few questions about herself and anatomy:

SA: Where are you currently based?
Melis: I am living in Istanbul.

SA: What motivates you to use anatomy in your work?
Melis: Anatomical parts of the human are the most democratic things about human being I think. I choose to emphasize what all human beings have in common. I transmit my motive to my audience through my choice of ordinary acts of human beings such as eating—a general, mechanical, and instinctive behaviour that is common to all species.

SA: Do you have a background in science or art or both?
Melis: I don’t have background in science but I am an artist. I studied fine arts.

 

View more of Melis Buyruk’s large body of ceramic work at melisbuyruk.com!

 

 

“Your tastes will change as you get older.” One of those oft repeated and eternally true pieces of parental wisdom imparted to me by my mother that crosses my mind on an almost daily basis. Though I certainly don’t think I was at the extremely picky side of the spectrum, neither could it be said that I had an adventurous palate as a child. Though that was in part because of my fairly standard upbringing with not a huge range of foods offered to me, I marvel at the things I disliked as a kid. The one that seems most unfathomable to me now – Mexican food. Sure, I ate tacos made with the grocery store seasoning packets, but that was about it. The idea of anything involving beans of any kind or Mexican spices was an definite no for me.

All I can say is, I am so so glad I have managed to avoid a similar situation with my own kids. The very mention of beans, tortillas, or Mexican anything elicits cheers of excitement. They are well versed in the differences between tacos, quesadillas, enchiladas, burritos, and more. Our absolute favorite local restaurant has the best Mexican and Latin cuisine, and they love it almost as much as I do. When I informed them we were having tostadas with beans, corn, tomatoes and a runny egg on top, they were totally pumped. Because, just like me, they know that almost any meal is better with a runny egg on top. This meal can be made healthier if you choose to crisp the tortillas in the oven rather than fry them but for me, this is one instance when frying is worth it. And definitely make the tortillas from scratch – fresh tortillas are always worth the extra effort!

The post Skinny Cauliflower Cream Sauce appeared first on Our Best Bites.

Spoilers and feels ahead thanks to artist Tyson Murphy. See the entire comic below.

(via GeekXGirls)

The Star Wars / Calvin and Hobbes series by Brian Kesinger continues.

(via briankesinger)

Cast iron is definitely my favorite cookware. You don’t have to worry about chemicals leaching into your food. It’s naturally nonstick if properly cared for. It retains heat very well.

But when I first started cooking with cast iron, I was a bit mystified as to how one is supposed to clean it. Over the years I’ve learned a few tips and tricks that streamline the washing-up process.

Here are 3 ways to clean your beautiful cast iron skillet.

 
 

Method #1

This method is best for lightly soiled pans. Begin by pouring a bit of oil into your skillet.

 
 

Take a paper towel or dish rag, and rub the pan until clean, wiping out any food pieces.

 
 

It’s as simple as that! And since you used oil to clean your pan, it’s all ready for the next time you cook!

 
 

Method #2

This method is best for pans that are a bit more soiled, or have food lightly stuck to them.

Begin by sprinkling an abrasive agent into your skillet. You can use coarse sea salt, cornmeal, etc.

 
 

Scrub the pan with a paper towel or dish rag. Scrape any food pieces into the trash.

 
 

Finish off by rubbing your pan down with oil.

 
 

Method #3

This method is best for pans that have food that is really stuck on, or if you cooked something smelly in the pan (like fish).

 
 

This is my cast iron cleaning secret weapon: steel wool. It takes gunk off like nobody’s business.

 
 

If you’re squeamish about using something as abrasive as steel wool, you can always use a non-scratching scrubbing pad instead.

 
 

Let’s get to scrubbing. Put your pan in the sink, run some hot water in it, and scrub off all the stuck-on food. Rinse.

If the food is really cooked on, you can always let the pan soak for a bit. But don’t let cast iron sit in water too long or it will start to rust.

 
 

Now, if you wash your cast iron with water, it is imperative that you dry it as soon as possible. Otherwise it will rust, especially if it’s a newer pan.

The best way to dry your pan that I’ve found is to set it over a high flame for a few minutes.

You can, of course, just dry the pan with a paper towel or dish towel, but MAKE SURE you use a dedicated dish towel. Otherwise you will turn your best towels black. Not like I speak from experience or anything.

 
 

Let the pan cool for a bit, then pour in some oil.

 
 

Rub it into the pan with a paper towel or dedicated dish rag.

 
 

So there you have it: three ways to clean a cast iron skillet.

Do you have any tips for easy cast iron cleanup? Share in the comments!

 

Looking for something different to do with broccoli, then this easy side dish is for you. Perfect side with salmon, cod, chicken or steak. You could even make this a meal by sauteed this with strips of beef or chicken before making the broccoli!




Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

I forgot the peanuts! I hate it when I make a recipe, photograph the whole thing, eat it, and then realize I completely forgot one of the ingredients. Ha! #braindead Anyway, when you’re looking at the photos of this Nam Sod, just imagine little pieces of nice crunchy peanuts on top, mmm-kay? Cool.

So what is Nam Sod? It’s a pork salad seasoned with a flavorful dressing made with lime, ginger, chili, and fish sauce. This stuff is super tasty, is nice and light, but completely filling at the same time. I served mine over rice just to bulk it out a bit, but it’s often served over greens, like shredded cabbage, or as a filling for lettuce wraps. I bet it would be pretty good over thin rice noodles, too! 

Nam Sod is traditionally pretty spicy, but my stomach has been a bit sensitive lately, so my version is a little softer. I left out thinly sliced fresh chilis and opted to use a chili garlic sauce instead. I also went a bit lighter on the fish sauce because, while I do appreciate the potent elixir and the savory base it brings to dishes, I don’t like heavy doses of the stuff. Feel free to adjust the fish sauce, chili, and ginger in the dressing to fit your taste buds. AND, if you have fresh mint growing, add a few sprigs of that as well!

Nam Sod (Thai Pork Salad)

You may also notice the higher price tag for this dish and for the ground pork in particular. As a reminder, my priorities have shifted a bit lately and I’m now trying to buy more responsibly products while still working within my budget. If that’s not something that is a high priority for you at the moment, this recipe may cost you much less. Remember, working on a food budget doesn’t necessarily always mean buying the cheapest food possible. It means making responsible choices based on your needs and priorities, which will be different for each person. Despite my choice to purchase more expensive meat, I’ve still saved substantially over eating out, and that’s what works for me. :)

Step by Step Photos

Start with the dressing so the flavors have a bit of time to blend. Combine 1/4 cup fresh lime juice, (about 2 limes), 1 Tbsp fish sauce, 1.5 Tbsp grated fresh ginger, and 1/2 Tbsp chili garlic sauce. If you don’t have chili garlic sauce (or sambal oelek), you can add a minced clove of garlic and some red pepper flakes. Fish sauce is a main flavor here, so it can not be substituted. You should be able to find fish sauce in the ethnic food aisle of most major grocery stores, at some health food stores, or at ethnic markets. 

Next, cook 1 lb. of ground pork (or turkey) with 1/2 Tbsp canola oil and one clove of minced garlic. Sauté the ground pork in a large non-stick skillet until it’s cooked through (about five minutes). Avoid over cooking the pork as you want to make sure it stays moist and tender for the salad. Drain off any excess fat and allow it to cool slightly.

Once mostly cooled, transfer to a large bowl and pour the dressing over top. Stir to combine.

While the pork is cooking/cooling, peel and shred one carrot. You can use a large holed cheese grater for this, a spiralizer, or mandolin. Thinly slice 1/2 of a small red onion, and pull the leaves from about 1/4 bunch of cilantro.

Add the carrot, onion, cilantro, and 1/2 cup unsalted PEANUTS (sorry, I forgot the peanuts in the photos) to the seasoned meat. 

Stir the salad to combine. And that’s it! (adjustments can be made to the dressing even at this point if it’s not where you like it).

I served my Nam Sod over a bed of rice because I wanted to really bulk it up, but a lot of people eat it over greens or inside lettuce wraps. I made sure to get a little bit of the dressing from the bottom of the bowl to drizzle over the rice. MMMmmmm.

I <3 Thai flavors.

P.S. Shout out to my hair stylist, Amy, who has been telling me about the Nam Sod she makes at home for AGES and making me finally want to go try it myself. ;)

The post Nam Sod (Thai Pork Salad) appeared first on Budget Bytes.

We’ve seen many, many Star Wars / Calvin and Hobbes mashups in the past, but Brian Kesinger‘s versions are certainly better than most. That might be due to the fact that he’s a story artist at Walt Disney animation studios and an artist for Marvel Comics.

Check out more illustrations from his The Force Awakens series below.

Lil #kyloren explores the forests of starkiller base with his imaginary friend. #calvinandhobbes #starwars #mashup #darthvader

A photo posted by briankesinger (@briankesinger) on Jan 7, 2016 at 7:24am PST

#poedameron deals with the bullies of the first order. #calvinandhobbes #starwars #mashup #kyloren

A photo posted by briankesinger (@briankesinger) on Jan 6, 2016 at 7:17am PST

The intrepid spaceman Finn crash lands on the mysterious planet of jakku. #calvinandhobbes #starwars #mashup #finn #fn2187 #spacemanspiff

A photo posted by briankesinger (@briankesinger) on Jan 5, 2016 at 9:56am PST

#Rey and #bb8 love sledding down the dunes of jakku! #mashup #calvinandhobbes #theforceawakens #StarWars

A photo posted by briankesinger (@briankesinger) on Jan 4, 2016 at 9:52am PST

We featured the brilliant Calvin and Hobbes / Star Wars mashups by Disney and Marvel artist Brian Kesinger earlier this week, but his latest one is the best of the bunch in my opinion.

Check it out below (spoiler warning).

Thank you all so much for the amazing response to this series, I hope you had as much fun looking at them as I did drawing them. out of respect for the copyrights of the original character creators, these will not be sold as prints or tee shirts. (Sorry). To all the new people who have discovered my page over the last couple of days, stay tuned for a fun mix of fanart, mashups and original work. Cheers! #starwars #calvinandhobbes #hanandleia #kyloren

A photo posted by briankesinger (@briankesinger) on Jan 8, 2016 at 7:22am PST

There’s something almost magical about an upside down cake. The fruit begins to fuse into the cake as it bakes, but the flavors are kept gloriously distinct as well. It makes you want to dance with happiness as you take a bite. That is, if you’re one for dancing.

Pears make an especially good upside down cake—they have an almost custard-like taste and texture. The hint of spice in this cake batter adds a touch more depth of flavor.

Here’s the step-by-step process to making this fabulous cake!

The ingredients you’ll need: pears, maple sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla extract, whole wheat pastry flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, salt, and cream of tartar.

Butter a round cake pan and set aside.

In a small bowl, mix together some maple sugar and melted butter.

Spread this in the bottom of the cake pan.

Peel, core, and slice your pears.

Arrange the pear slices over the butter/sugar mixture in the pan. I’m so good at arranging pears perfectly. NOT.

Cream the remaining maple sugar and butter until light and fluffy. This should take about 5 minutes.

Add the egg yolks…

And vanilla extract.

Mix it all together!

Whisk together the dry ingredients.

Add half of the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar/egg mixture and mix.

Add the milk and beat.

Add the second half of the flour mixture and mix again.

In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar together until stiff peaks form.

Gradually and gently fold the egg whites into the batter.

Spread the batter over the pears in the pan.

Bake in an oven that’s been preheated to 325 degrees F for about 40-50 minutes, or until the cake is browned and it springs back when lightly touched. Let it cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes.

After the cake has cooled a bit, invert it onto a serving plate (or cake stand, if you’re feeling fancy).

I brought this cake to my husband and his co-workers for 3:00 break (which is totally a thing). My sister provided homemade eggnog. I was late because I decided it would be easier to hand-whip the cream to go on top rather than wash the beaters for my hand mixer. Logic, that. Anything to avoid washing dishes!
My husband commented that he particularly liked the parts where the pear caramelized around the edges of the cake.

This cake is really best eaten warm from the oven with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Make it extra fancy by sprinkling it with some freshly grated nutmeg. You could even make a custard sauce to pour over the top. Delightful.

 

December is such a sneaky month.  Every year, it rolls in from out of nowhere and surprises me. Somehow I’d like to figure out a way to slooooow it down though, so I can enjoy every little bit of it.  Ahhhhhh….December.

And with a new month, comes another Michaels Makers challenge…..and this month was of course, Christmas themed! All of the Michaels Makers received a different theme and mine was — Simple Hostess Gift Ideas.  Oh hello, in case you haven’t met me, my name is Ashley and I have a special LOVE for quick projects….so I was excited about this challenge (plus, it would also help me cross some names off my gift list! :) )

As I started thinking about what I would make, I started thinking about hostess gifts that I would actually be really excited to receive……and USE!!!!  So, that’s when I came up with these 3 ideas —

 

Okay, and I know this post is packed with pictures and normally I don’t try and fit 3 separate ideas into 1 post, but we were challenged to come up with 3 ideas……so they are QUICK to make and actually really FUN!  And I also think that hostess and neighbor/friend gifts can definitely overlap, so I think these would be great for anyone on your list!

First up — and the most simple of all 3, Etched Wooden Spoons.  Yep, you read that right…..those letters are burned right into the wood of those spoons!  There are so many ideas that you could use to make your spoons unique….and I’m telling you, once you start etching with a wood burning tool, you’ll be hooked.

 

The words are actually etched into the back of each spoon and will never fade or wash away.  This is a such a fun personalized gift that any hostess (or friend/neighbor/etc) would love….especially if you paired it with some new kitchen towels or maybe an apron!

 

The next hostess gift idea is something that I have REALLY been wanting to make and I thought, “hey this would be a fun hostess gift too!”…….so I added it to today’s gift ideas and finally made some ‘Engraved Home State Coasters’.  So yes, every state we’ve lived together as a married couple/family, made its way onto a coaster.  So, this actual set isn’t one I’m giving away….but I have extra wood slices to make more!  (And as a bonus, my kids think it’s a geography game!)

 

These are made with thick pre-cut slices of basswood and are so earthy and perfect!  You could make your hostess a set of matching coasters from the state she’s in now, or figure out the places she has lived and add those to some coasters. Such a fun conversation starter too, am I right??  :)

 

The last hostess gift idea is something you could give to anyone—–your neighbor, a co-worker, a friend, a guy, a girl……anyone would love this!  Plus, it takes 2 seconds to make and doesn’t cost much at all!

 

I made each of these butter flavors in 1/2 cup portions and put them in these cute little jars and printed out some labels for the top (labels included below).  I’m not sure which one is my favorite but my kids can’t get enough of the Cinnamon Honey Butter.  But the Sweet Cranberry Butter is perfect for holiday time and is just—yum!  But oh, if you prefer a savory spread (or want something to accompany your dinner)……that Parmesan Garlic Butter will knock your socks off!

 

Each of the butters are whipped, so it’s light and easier to spread but still carries a lot of flavor with each bite!  Now, just layer some of this stuff on hot bread and OH MY WORD!!!!!!…..Yum.  (If you want to make this gift even better, pair it up with some homemade bread.  But, with it being holiday time……..it’s totally fine to grab some from the bread store. Permission granted. ;) )

 

Wow, so many ideas floating around in this post…….but you could make all 3 ideas in one afternoon.  Or whip some up with friends!

 

Okay, onto the first idea—

Flavored Whipped Butters

I made 3 different flavors and all are equally simple.  I purchased the 4-ounce crystal jelly jars from Michaels….and they’re the perfect size for these recipe sizes.  I’ll share the ingredient lists first and then below that, will share how quickly they come together.

 

—> SWEET CRANBERRY WHIPPED BUTTER

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup salted butter, room temperature
• 2 Tbsp jellied cranberry sauce
• 1 Tbsp honey

 

 

—> CINNAMON HONEY WHIPPED BUTTER

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup salted butter, room temperature
• 2 1/2 Tbsp honey
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon

 

 

—> PARMESAN GARLIC WHIPPED BUTTER

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup salted butter, room temperature
• 2 1/2 Tbsp parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp parsley flakes
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

 

 

If you only make one of the butter flavor recipes, you’ll notice that there’s only 1/2 cup of butter.  If you try and whip 1/2 cup of butter in a mixer, it won’t whip because it’s too small of an amount and the beater can’t reach it. (Unless you use a hand mixer or a smaller food processor, etc.)  So, I mixed all 3 butter amounts together (1 1/2 cups)….and then divided into 3 portions after whipping the butter.

Turn your mixer on high and start whipping your room temperature butter.  After whipping a minute or two, you’ll notice that the butter will start to lighten in color and will look like it’s increasing in amount.  This is good….that means air is being added to the butter, making it light and fluffy.  Scrape the bowl occasionally and continue to beat on high until fully whipped.

 

Now, divide your butter into 3 bowls and then add their different ingredients.

 

Hand mix until well blended (refer to the images above) and then place each flavor combination into the 4-ounce jelly jars.

 

I added labels to the top of my jars that you’re welcome to use, HERE.  (I printed mine out on brown card stock.)

 

 

Okay, next hostess gift idea —

Engraved Wooden Spoons

SUPPLIES:

• wooden spoons of any kind
• wood burner tool
• oil conditioner, optional (I used Fractionated Coconut oil and it worked great to warm up the color of the wood and made it look higher quality. But not all oils work as a conditioner.)

 

Print out whatever word you want on your spoons, and flip the words in your Word document to be mirror image.  Cut out your word and place face down and tape in place onto the spoon, to hold it in place.

 

Use a pen or pencil and trace around your lettering, nice and hard……creating an outline of your word on the wood.

 

Peel back the paper and you’ll see some of the printer ink transferred onto the wood.  That’s good….it will help the outline show up a little better.

 

Heat up your wood burner tool with the diagonal tip attached……and BE CAREFUL!!!  This tool gets HOT!!! Now, grab some scrap wood and practice a bit.  It takes some time to get the hang of it but just remember, it doesn’t have to be absolutely perfect.  Just go with it….and love it!

I found it easiest to burn around the edges of each of your letters and then filling the extra space when needed.

 

Now repeat with your other spoons.

 

Now, this is completely optional but these were very inexpensive spoons and didn’t have much color to them.  And wooden spoons that haven’t been used yet look a little dry.  So to help warm up the color and improve the look a bit, I rubbed Fractionated Coconut Oil onto each spoon.  (I have the oil on hand for dry skin and such but it worked well on the wood.  You can also use a wood conditioner or beeswax or mineral oil, if you have some.)

I put the oil just on the upper corner, to show you how it really changes the warmth of the wood.  Looks a little more worn and soft.

 

 

 

And now, the 3rd hostess gift idea…

Engraved Wood Slice Coasters

SUPPLIES:

• Basswood Slices for Coasters
• wood burner tool
• polyurethane (I had some in the garage from another project but you can also find polyurethane in spray cans in smaller amounts.)
• felt
• hot glue

 

To get a silhouette shape of your desired state, google your state name and then copy/paste into a Word document.  Then, print out the size you need and trace onto your wood coasters, the same way as the wooden spoons from up above.  I added each of the hearts in the location that we lived in each of those states…..but you can leave them off if you’d prefer.

 

Then, cut out a piece of felt that’s slightly smaller than your coaster and hot glue it to the bottom of your coaster.  (This is keep it from possibly scratching any of your surfaces.)

 

Lastly, apply a layer of polyurethane to your coaster, to keep the wood from warping if it gets wet.

 

And that’s it! 3 gift ideas for you to whip right up and tell your hostess “Thanks!”…….or for anyone else you know, to show them you care!

Enjoy!

-Ashley

 

Check out with the other Michaels Makers have been making:

 

The post Simple HOSTESS GIFT IDEAS: (flavored butters, engraved coasters and spoons) appeared first on Make It and Love It.

This casserole takes one of my favorite appetizers (arancini) and turns it into a weeknight meal. Freezes well, great for potlucks and family friendly!

I can't take full credit for this, this is pure genius from my friend Julia of Julia's Healthy Italian. I originally shared this in 2011, but I thought it was time to reshoot the photos. I tweaked her recipe to lighten it up a bit, but she takes full credit for the creativity. Servings are large and very satisfying, you could serve a simple green salad on the side if you want more greens.

The filling is ground turkey with a little sausage that adds lots of flavor, plus peas and sauce. If you don't like peas, swap it with another vegetable. I'm thinking of trying a broccoli and sausage version next. I've made this with brown rice, it works fine too.


Julia usually makes double and freezes the second casserole to use later. I halved her original, but it makes sense to make two for the same amount of work it takes to make one. I serve mine with a little extra sauce on the side and have also made this with brown rice and it works great.



Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

If you asked me what my favorite dessert is, I might just tell you that it’s a bowl of ripe berries or peaches with a HUGE dollop of whipped cream on top. So huge of a dollop that it might not even be called a dollop anymore. But the point is, the gloriousness of freshly whipped cream cannot be understated. It’s simple, has the most luxurious lightness to it, and boasts a heavenly sweet cream flavor that can’t be beat.

 
 

I understand that convenience is a huge part of our lives in the kitchen, but for me, canned aerosol whipped cream and the frozen tubbed stuff will never hold a candle to freshly whipped cream. Plus, homemade whipped cream is so darn easy to make.

Today I’m going to share four different ways to make it. Let’s start with my favorite way.

 
 

Using nothing but a balloon whisk and a bowl

This method is my favorite for a few reasons. It’s the most consistent, evenly whipped cream, and also the most satisfying to make. It does take a little bit of arm work to whip, but there’s something truly enjoyable about the act of hand-whipping cream. You get to watch it transform from a pourable liquid into a thick, luscious cloud with every whip of the arm. And, because it’s a fairly gradual process, you’re less likely to overwhip the cream.

 
 

To get started, pour the heavy whipping cream into a large bowl.

 
 

Now it’s time to add your sugar.

Generally, I prefer to use granulated sugar over confectioner’s, because the cornstarch present in the confectioner’s sugar makes whipped cream slightly gritty. (This is another reason I prefer to hand-whip cream, because you can’t use granulated sugar with the stand mixer method, which I’ll explain more about later.)

 
 

Lastly, add in a splash of vanilla extract. You can also use other flavorings or sweet alcohols like Amaretto or Frangelico.

 
 

When you first start whisking, the heavy cream will form very large bubbles on top.

 
 

Over the next minute or two of whisking, those large bubbles will disappear and you’ll see the cream thicken up, with ridge trails left by the whisk.

 
 

Even though it looks thick, you can tell it’s still too runny.

 
 

After another minute or so of whisking, it’s perfect, and has reached soft peaks.

 
 

You can test for soft peaks by lifting the whisk straight out of the bowl, flipping it over, and seeing that the dollop of whipped cream falls ever so slightly to the side. It’s now ready to be used!

 
 

Using a hand mixer

Everything about this method is the exact same as above, but instead of using your arm, the electric mixer does all the work for you.

You can use granulated sugar for this method and it will dissolve just fine as you whip the cream.

One minor downside to this method is the whipped cream will not be as even as the hand-whipped cream. You’ll notice larger bubbles at the beginning of the whipping process than with the hand-whipped cream, and toward the end, you may notice part of the cream has reached soft peaks while the cream is more liquid underneath. You can mitigate this by using a relatively low speed throughout the whipping process.

 
 

Using a stand mixer

Only use this method if you’re making large amounts of whipped cream. Because the whisk attachment doesn’t actually touch the bottom of the bowl, small amounts won’t whip properly. It is also for this reason that you only want to use confectioner’s sugar to sweeten the cream. Granulated sugar will not be touched by the whisk attachment, and will sit at the bottom of the bowl, undissolved.

As with the hand mixer, try to use lower speeds with the stand mixer, so you get a more even whip.

Making whipped cream in a jar

This method is most different from the others. If you think back to your elementary school days, do you remember making butter in a jar by shaking heavy cream vigorously until it separated into butter and buttermilk? That’s exactly what we’ll do here, except we’ll stop before we reach the butter stage.

 
 

Fill a jar halfway full with heavy cream, and add confectioner’s sugar and vanilla.

 
 

Shake the jar for a couple of minutes until it thickens into whipped cream, watching carefully that you don’t over-shake the cream into butter.

This method is a bit of an arm workout, and you have to be careful about monitoring the thickness of the cream. However, it can be a fun way for kids to help out in the kitchen.

 
 

That’s it! The method you prefer is a matter of personal taste, but no matter the method, homemade whipped cream is always worth the effort. Enjoy!

 

Snickers Layer Cake is a candy lover’s perfect cake. Layers of chocolate, caramel and peanut butter nougat frosting combine to make an unforgettable dessert.

We really need to work on becoming a society that celebrates more than just life changing, physically demanding accomplishments.

Like I understand that marathon running is having “a moment” right now, but can we talk about how much Halloween candy I can eat without getting sick?

Or the fact that I’ve binge watched all of the best shows on Netflix? Or my impressive collection of handbags? Can’t any of that that count for SOMETHING? Not all accomplishments look like muscular calves and rock hard abs, after all.

I might be squishy, but I’ve always got chocolate in my purse and I can give you the latest on the Blake Shelton/Gwen Stefani drama. And that has to count for something in this world.

For the record, I am not a fan of the Blake and Gwen romance. Doesn’t anyone stop to BREATHE after a divorce?

Do we all just run around dating all willy nilly these days? For the love, people – this isn’t HIGH SCHOOL. Take a moment to get your crap together and maybe take up a new hobby. Knitting is always useful – people love scarves! Or woodworking? There’s something to be said for a hand-carved elephant sculpture. But immediately stepping out with the Hollaback girl? Maybe not the best route to emotional stability.

Speaking of my many accomplishments, let’s talk about this cake that I carefully created. It’s layers of chocolate cake with peanut butter nougat frosting, caramel, peanuts, and chocolate ganache.

If a Snickers bar’s fairy godmother visited and transformed it to a magical dessert, this would probably be it. And you don’t want to miss out on that, do you?

Of course not.

You can also find this Snickers Layer Cake recipe on Food Fanatic, where I am a regular contributor of all things sweet.

Enjoy!

The post Snickers Layer Cake appeared first on Confessions of a Cookbook Queen.

D. Vader is a photo series by photographer Pawel Kadysz that depicts Darth Vader living an ordinary life and doing things like drinking coffee, doing chores, and listening to music.

In the narrative of the piece, Vader has taken up photography as a hobby and floats the camera and releases the shutter using the Force.

photos via Pawel Kadysz

via Mashable

  This post is lovingly sponsored by one of my very favorite companies to work with–Nielsen-Massey Vanillas. I was compensated by Nielsen-Massey for my time in developing this recipe and post. As always, all opinions are my own. And I really do love their products. We made it! We’re at the final side dish for our small Thanksgiving gathering! All that’s left is dessert, for which

Bill Murray and friends get snowed in at the Carlyle Hotel in the new trailer to the Netflix holiday special A Very Murray Christmas. Murray is in good company, as he is joined by Amy Poehler, George Clooney, Miley Cyrus, Michael Cera, and many more celebrity guests.

The special will be released on Netflix on December 4, 2015.

We rarely never get any VIDEO submissions for Nosevember, so we hafta go out and search for just the right video.

Found it.

Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: Nosevember 2015, Snoring ZZZZ, Speakers UP

Belo Horizonte, Brazil-based artist Fred Birchal has created a wonderful series of stylized illustrations portraying popular outfits worn by movie characters. Prints of Birchal’s illustrations are available to purchase online from his Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the “Hollywood Costumes” exhibition. The projects also contains a deck of cards with all the illustrated costumes.

images via Frederico Birchal

via Fubiz

For the past few Thanksgivings, I’ve been experimenting with creating my own green bean casserole from scratch. With fresh green beans and mushrooms. And without any canned cream soups—because homemade gravy is such a wonderful thing. I’ve kept notes from year to year to year, making improvements and honing in on the prize.

Yes, I received some pushback from my husband that first year, prior to setting it on the table. A diehard fan of the traditional green bean casserole that graces most Thanksgiving tables each year, his thinking was, “Why mess with a good thing?”

But you know me. I love playing around with old hotdish and casserole recipes, updating them with fresh twists, and I couldn’t rest until I got this one right. This version is definitely more time-intensive than the classic recipe, but it’s true that good things—really good things—come to those who wait. This Green Bean Casserole with Bacon and Fried Shallots will have a place on our Thanksgiving table for many years to come.

 
 

What I love best about this green bean casserole is the fresh green beans. They’re one of my family’s favorite vegetables. The beans are cooked in a pot of boiling water for just a few minutes, until bright green and tender crisp. Then they’re plunged into a bowl of ice water to stop them from cooking further.

 
 

I’m also quite fond of fresh mushrooms. Each year I’ve made this homemade green bean casserole, I’ve upped the quantity of mushrooms. Which doesn’t make our youngest daughter too happy, but she’s learned to just pick around them. We’re all good.

 
 

The greatness of bacon is a given in any dish, so let’s move right on to the shallots. I sliced up a number of them, nice and thin, and then (mostly) separated the rings.

 
 

Then I tossed them in a lightly spiced flour mixture. An easy way to ensure that every surface of the shallot rings gets coated is to combine everything in a bowl, top the bowl with a lid, and shake. Works like a charm.

 
 

The shallots then get fried in oil until lightly brown and crispy. If you like onion rings, you’ll find it hard to resist snitching these fabulous little bites. While I was frying these, and eating way too many, I actually had to cut up a couple extra shallots so I’d still have enough to pile on the casserole. I recommend you do the same.

 
 

This homemade green bean casserole has won over my family, even my once skeptical husband. The gravy is creamy and luscious, and beautifully flavored with fresh rosemary and thyme, perfect for hugging up all those bright green beans. And when topped with savory goodies—chopped bacon and crispy, fried shallots—well, there’s just no going back to that old green bean casserole we all grew up with.

 

Artwork by TheyCanTalk.com.

Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: Bunday Morning Comix

I was certain when I had kids that my motherhood chip would finally kick in, that I would finally start to react to babies the way I reacted to dogs and cats. Because surely that maternal instinct in my heart had merely been misdirected all these years, and was simply in need of a little oxytocin and fine-tuning to point it to the appropriate species upon which I should lavish my affection.

Now my kids are 11 and 9 and I can say this with absolute certainty: not so much.

Don’t get me wrong: I love my kids, I love being their mom, and I couldn’t imagine my life without them. Well, I could, especially on certain days when the attitude is dialed to 11, but I much prefer it the way things are.

As in, I don’t want more kiddos and never have. When my friends go into Babies R Us to pick out a shower gift, they sigh and say, “Don’t you miss those days?”

And I, inspecting the newest Diaper Genie version and wondering if it would work for cat litter, reply honestly: “No.” I was exhausted and overwhelmed the entire time from 2004-2011 or so.

When I see a pregnant woman waddling by and others remark on her glow, I think about how sweaty she must be, or if her bladder hurts as much as mine did, or if she has complete strangers lift their hands up in shock and go “WHOA!” when she turns around in her ninth month of pregnancy with a 9 pound son and they get a glimpse of the battleship of an abdomen.

Motherhood has changed me in some ways: I look at people’s new babies and I smile. But I don’t need to hold them. I am so, so, SOOOOOO much more compassionate about people with babies on planes. I hold doors for parents with strollers trying to get through. That sort of thing. And I look upon it with nostalgia, but not a lick of longing. No pun intended.

When I was getting my hair done a while back, a woman came in with a duckling. I lost my head at the cuteness and almost lost my hair too because I kept jumping out of the chair to squee. I went home and tried to get my husband, once more, to agree to raising a couple chickens (he said no.)

A woman at my gym brings her chihuahua in on occasion. I never get anything done when she does. (My husband has also said no to a chihuahua.)

The point is less that he said no to more animals and more the fact that I want them, the way I imagine some mothers must see a baby sleeping in a stroller and say to herself, “Oh, I wish I just had one more.”

This morning as I was walking by a cafe, I spotted a family with a black lab sitting at a table about 50 feet away. The dog and I locked eyes, and before I knew it I was on the ground laughing getting dog kisses as the family grinned. I don’t remember how many people there were or what they looked like but the dog was a boy, black labrador, about 50 pounds, with a blocky head and the tiniest bit of grey peeking around his muzzle. He is 9, his name is Brock, and he likes to lay down with his legs splayed behind him.

As I lamented about my hopelessness to my friend Jen, she remarked, “You just have a fuzzy heart is all.” And I think she’s right.

I’m also pretty sure it’s genetic.

 

 

I have a theory. I think that when we get a pet, they grab a piece of our heart and give us a bit of theirs in return. It’s how we will find them on the other side. And the older I get, the more pieces get replaced; my heart is getting furrier and furrier, and it’s made not only of my own pets but the clients I adore, my friends’ animals I have loved, the strangers like Brock who know just where to find it.

 

Nashville-based artist Jwall of PRINT THAT THING has beefed up his brave feline friend, Bobo, by creating an amazing set of 3D printed armor for the cute cat to wear. The 3D printable models are available to download via Thingiverse.

images via Thingiverse

via Geeks Are Sexy

Artist Kyle Hagey has envisioned what Star Wars characters are like on vacation—and it’s not what you would expect.

Whether it’s Boba Fett knitting in a meadow or Yoda not having to be so “calm” all the time, these portraits are a look at what their lives are like when they can relax and be who they really are.

You can also purchase one of these prints if you so desire.

See more examples after the break.

Product Page ($25)

(via Geek x Girls)

Redditor hachi6 turned some blank wooden Catan hexs, clay and paint into the stunning board you see here. Flipping the table in a rage would be unthinkable.

And wait till you see the sheep up close! You’ll actually want them for once.

See how it was made in the gallery after the break…

Hachi6’s custom Catan board!

Have you guys heard of Sugru before? It is a moldable glue that sticks to pretty much anything and cures just by exposing it to the air! It's as easy to use as playdough or air-dry clay before it curies, and turns into flexible rubber overnight.


It's a DIYer's dream because you can fix, make or improve basically anything with Sugru. They have just launched two new kits that make home hacks easy and fun. The Sugru Starter Kit comes with a mini-booklet of ten cool home hacks, along with five packs of Sugru in a cute little tin. (a cute gift idea!)


The Sugru Kit Guide, comes with five packs of Sugru, the same mini-booklet and tin, plus all the accessories you need to complete the ten hacks!


I tried a few of the projects from their guide around our house over the weekend. I made some little hooks for Evie's room using Sugru to attach plastic toy animals to the side of her bookshelf.


There are a million ways to use this cool product! And great news - Sugru is giving away Sugru Kits to four readers today! And one of those winners will also get a $100 Amazon voucher. Just check out the Sugru site and pick your favorite project and leave a comment here. (Open to readers world-wide!). The winners will emailed next week. Good luck!

And thank you to Sugru for sponsoring this post!

Starry Night

In their very first Agar Art Challenge, the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) recently put a culture challenge to microbiologists around the world. The object of the contest was to create art from different strains of colorful bacteria onto a background agar. Among the submissions received was a recreation of Vincent Van Gogh‘s “Starry Night“, a detailed image of human neurons (“Neurons” – first place winner), a a map of New York City (“NYC Biome MAP – second place), an inviting home in the country (“Harvest Season” – third place) and even a drawing of the TARDIS in a teal blue.

This [TARDIS] design was drawn using the E. coli background DH5?, which contains a chromosomal copy of lacZ?, an allele that synthesizes only one part of the ?-gal protein (the ?-peptide). Both strains were transformed with a commercial vector containing the lacZ? fragment, which can complement in trans when expressed. The complete LacZ protein is therefore made in the blue strain, but not in the white one. Blue/white screening is a common method used by cloning vectors to determine whether the plasmid construct contains either the correct piece of DNA or the correct orientation. Allons-y!

The ASM took great care to ensure that the contestants used the utmost of care while creating these works of art, implementing the “Guidelines for Biosafety in Teaching Laboratories” as the rule.

These guidelines represent best practices for safely handling microbes, based on the safety requirements found in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC)’s Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL). Guidelines for safely handling microbes at both biosafety level 1 (BSL1) and at biosafety level 2 (BSL2) were developed. The guidelines are brief by design for ease of use and provide educators with a clear and consistent way to safely work with microorganisms in the teaching laboratory.

First Place: “Neurons” – submitted by Mehmet Berkmen of New England Biolabs, with artist Maria Penil.

Second Place: “NYC Biome MAP” – Christine Marizzi, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory/DNA Learning Center

Third Place: “Harvest Season” submitted by Maria Eugenia Inda, CSHL

Owl

Microcosmos

TARDIS

images via American Society for Microbiology

via Huffington Post

Marvel gave the world a sneak peek at the cover of “Deadpool and Cable: Split Second” #2 from artist Reilly Brown. I wonder why they picked today of all days? Weird.

Unfortunately, you’ll have to wait until January to read this issue. Unless, you know, you have a time machine handy.

(Marvel via CBR)