MARCH OF THE PENQUINS!!!!

Working for Martha Stewart was a fantastic experience.  I learned so much from her and I am so very grateful.  But I must admit there is alot of pressure working for Martha...not so much from Martha herself, but friends and family members who expect everything I do to be "Martha Perfect".  I remember planning my daughter's birthday. Many of the other moms kept saying, "I can't wait to see what she does this time!"  In other words, everything I do needs to be kicked up a notch.  I don't really mind that.  I love going the extra mile ...especially when it brings forth so many smiles. 

And so I needed to figure out what kind of cupcakes would bring my daughter's birthday over the top.  I asked her and she said she wanted Penquin cupcakes.!  Yikes, I thought...how in the world am I going to make those?  But as they say where there's a will there's a way!.....So I put on my thinking cap and baked the base of my cupcakes....I colored some frosting black and put a donut hole on top of the cupcake.  I poured the icing over the cupcake and donut.  For the beak I cut a yellow starburst in half and for the front of the penquins' tummy I sliced the top of a marshmallow.  I had candy eyes to use for the eyes and I took think chocolate wafer cookies and cut them in half for the wings.  They were fun and the kids loved them. 

Warning.....Don't Eat our donuts!!!! Please!!!!

It's not because we're trying to help you be weight conscious....no it's because these donuts aren't meant to be eaten. Our donuts are bath bombs...and they're truly THE BOMB!!!!  Once you have a recipe for bath bombs you can really go skies the limit in creating any shape bath bomb.  Our next stop is a cupcake bath bomb which we are perfecting the icing and once we do we'll share that recipe.  We're also working on a bath bomb donut kit...so if you're interested let us know!!!!

Here's our recipe for bath bomb deliciousness...(remember no eating!!!)

Bath Bomb Ingredients

• 8 ounces Baking Soda (about 1 cup)
• 4 ounces Citric Acid (1/2 cup)
• 1/2 cup (4 ounces)  Epsom Salt
• 4 ounces Cornstarch (about 3/4 cup)
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 2 teaspoons witch hazel (or water) plus a little more if needed
• 30-40 drops of Essential oils (we used lavendar) or powdered dried herbs 
• tsp. mica powder (color of choice) or soap colorant  
• (for donut frosting..use royal icing and sprinkles)

Instructions: How to Make Bath Bombs

1. Combine dry ingredients (baking soda, salt, citric acid, and cornstarch) in a large bowl and mix well until combined.
2. In a small bowl, combine the coconut oil, and witch hazel and stir well. Add essential oils if using.  Add the coloring too.
3. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients a few drops at a time. Mix well with hands (wear gloves if you have sensitive skin). Add powdered dried herbs if using.
4. Mixture should hold together when squeezed without crumbling. You may need to add slightly more witch hazel if it hasn’t achieved this consistency yet. I recommend using a spray bottle with additional liquid to evenly add.
5. Quickly push mixture into molds, Press in firmly and leave at least 24 hours (48 is better) or until hardened. It will expand some and this is normal. You can push it down into the mold several times while it is drying to keep it from expanding to much. 

   

   We love donuts...especially bath bomb donuts!!!

   
   

   

   We bought a donut mold at Michaels

   
   

   

   we also made a round lavender bath bomb...yum it smells so good

   
   
   

If you're a parent buy a chocolate Valentine box--eat the chocolate and do this!!!!!! Your kids will love it!!!!

Over the years I've gotten a pound or two of chocolates in heart boxes....resulting in 10 pounds or two on my figure!(actually 10 not 2)...  The boxes I received were so pretty I always found myself saving them....only to find them crushed later on and never really using them for anything--until I came upon this idea: refilling the boxes with dollar/movie candy.  The kids love it more than the chocolates and it is so colorful.  I place the candy in mini cupcake papers (although sometimes the boxes have built in candy pockets).  My kids love them.  I gave them to them this morning. I normally would wait until Wednesday (Valentines Day)...but this year it's the beginning of Lent and Ash Wednesday so I figured today was the perfect day to share the sweets. 
   
Now if you don't have any heart boxes saved....there is nothing wrong with running to the grocery store/pharmacy etc. and buying a chocolate heart box and eating all the chocolates out of it (it's for the cause---and I'll admit--I've done it!  Shhhh! don't tell).  Then you're starting with an empty box. 

Another thing you can do is wait until Thursday....when all the heart boxes go on sale at half price and stock up....

One year I remember CVS still had some heart boxes on sale when it was almost March.  They were 90 percent off.  I think I bought them out....I melted the chocolate down to make a ganache for a cake....ummmmmmm ok well maybe I didn't...maybe I did eat that chocolate....but no one was looking so it didn't count right???  ha!  enjoy!

Destination Loudon!!!!

Rendering of how Cook N Craft Academy will look

I recently was asked why we chose Loudon, Tennessee as the home for our business COOK N CRAFT ACADEMY.   Well I am going to let you in on a little secret.  It wasn't my first choice.  You see I didn't know Loudon existed.  We were new to the area of Knoxville and so we initially started focusing our search on places in that area. We looked in Farragut and downtown Knoxville.  Nothing felt right.  My husband who was working for TDOC at the time was assigned to some cases near the Loudon area.   He drove through town and I remember him calling me and saying, "You've got to see this town!  It reminds me of a small town I worked as one of my first police jobs.  It's quaint, family friendly...it's like Mayberry, USA.  I think this is where we should look for our business."

That weekend my husband and I drove into downtown Loudon.  Everything felt right.  This is where we belong.  We walked along the streets checking out the very cute shops, even stopping for a bite to eat in town. Everyone was extremely friendly.  There was this feeling like we were living back in time....like the 1950's--when people talked to one another, weren't bothered by electronics, phones etc.  Everyone had a smile and talked to you as if they really wanted to get to know you and cared about you.  Yes we felt like we were in the 50's but with all the modern amenities of present day--which just didn't get in the way. This felt like home.  And so our search in Loudon began.  We looked at the Carmichael Inn but felt it was a bit too big for us--but such a cute place.  We looked at a few other buildings--which we liked but weren't 100 percent sure about.   Then we stumbled upon the former SunTrust Bank on Wharf Street. And being the "crazy kids" we are--started thinking outside of the box.  "We can put a stove by this teller window, and we can place the refrigerator by the vault...and etc, etc. ).  Now while our building is still being renovated it is so exciting to see this vision come to fruition....fingers crossed we are planning a March Grand opening.

Here's how we plan on making COOK N CRAFT ACADEMY operate.  We will offer classes for kids of all ages--and since we're all kids at heart we will have classes for everyone.  We plan on having Mommy and Me Classes, Classes for kids, for teens, for seniors, for moms night out, ladies night out, couples night out etc.    Classes will be listed on our website at www.CooknCraftAcademy.com .  If you don't see a class you're particularly interested in, let us know we may offer it--we are open to suggestions. 

Classes will be offered Monday through Saturday.  Occasionally we will offer classes at special requests on Sundays--but mostly birthday parties. (Yes we do offer birthday parties  https://cookncraftacademy.com/birthday-parties ).

Classes will most likely be limited to 20 students per class.  Registration will be required ahead of time.

Now I mentioned earlier how we fell in love with the shops, cafe's, antique businesses in Loudon.  If you are a parent dropping your child off for a class, you have the option of staying in our building or venturing out and checking these wonderful Loudon businesses for yourself.  Most classes are 2 hours so it gives you plenty of time to see for yourself why we fell in love with Loudon!  xoxoxo

DON'T THROW IT....GROW IT!

Do you know you can re-grow your vegetable discards?????  I recently started re-growing my romaine lettuce.  Just placed the bottom part you would normally discard and grow it in water......you can do this with alot of veggies....

. Lettuce

Lettuce, Bok Choy and cabbage are relatively easy to grow from scraps. Instead of throwing out those leftover leaves, simply place them in a bowl with just a bit of water in the bottom. Keep the bowl somewhere that gets good sunlight and mist the leaves with water a couple of times each week. After 3 or 4 days, you will notice roots beginning to appear along with new leaves. When this happens you can transplant your lettuce or cabbage in soil.

2. Celery

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Celery is one of the easiest foods to grow from leftover scraps. Just cut off the bottom or base of your celery and lay it in a bowl with just a bit of warm water in the bottom. Keep the bowl in direct sunlight as long as possible each day and after about a week, you will begin to see the leaves thickening and growing along the base. When this happens, you can transplant your celery in soil and wait for it to grow to full length.

3. Lemongrass

If you love using lemongrass but have a difficult time finding it, simply regrow your own. Lemongrass will grow just like regular grass. You just place the root that is leftover in a glass bowl or jar with enough water to cover it and leave it in the sunlight. After about a week, you will notice new growth and when this happens you can transplant your lemongrass in a pot or in your herb garden.

4. Bean Sprouts

If you love cooking with bean sprouts you can grow them yourself as well. You just need to soak a tablespoon or so of the beans that you want to grow in a jar with shallow water. Leave this overnight and in the morning, drain the water off and put the beans back in the container. Cover the container with a towel overnight and rinse them the next morning. Keep doing this until you notice the sprouts begin to appear and then until they reach the size that you want. This works well with mung beans and wheat berries.

5. Avocado

Avocado seeds can be used to grow a steady supply of this super food. You just have to wash the seed and use toothpicks to suspend it over water in a bowl or jar. The water should come up enough to cover the bottom inch of the seed. Keep the container in a warm place but not in direct sunlight and remember to check the water every day and add more as needed. It can take up to six weeks for the stem and roots to appear and once the stem reaches about 6 inches you will need to cut it down to 3 inches. When leaves begin appearing, you can plant the seed in soil, remembering to leave about half of it above ground.

6. Potatoes

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Virtually everyone knows that potatoes can be grown from potato peelings. You need peelings that have eyes on them. Cut those peelings into two inch pieces, ensuring that there are at least two or three eyes on each piece. Allow them to dry out overnight and then simply plant them about four inches deep in your soil. Make sure that the eyes are facing up when planting. It will take a few weeks before you see the potato plant begin to grow.

7. Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes can be grown much like regular potatoes. You just have to cut the sweet potato in half and suspend it using toothpicks above a container of shallow water. Roots will begin to appear in just a few days and sprouts will be seen on top of the potato around that same time. Once those sprouts reach about four inches or so in length, just twist them off and place them in a container of water. When the roots from this container reach about an inch in length, you can plant them in soil.

8. Ginger

Ginger root is very easy to grow and once you get started, you can keep your supply of ginger full. You just need to plant a spare piece of your ginger root in potting soil, making sure that the buds are facing up. You will notice new shoots and new roots in about a week or so and once this happens you can pull it up and use it again. Remember to save a piece of the rhizome so that you can replant it and grow more for the next time you need it.