Gingerbread House

I love Christmas and everything about Christmas. This year at work I wanted to do something Christmas-y and decided to build a gingerbread house from scratch. Below is how my house turned out with instructions on what I did to achieve some of the elements of the house. I have no prior training on baking other then home basics, so a lot of this was trial and error.

To start I took a tray (You can use any cookie sheet or flat surface tray you have available) and covered it in tin foil. I then mixed icing sugar and water to get a base layer of "snow" and covered the bottom of the tray with it. Once it dried enough on the surface I sprinkled layers of dried coconut, icing sugar and sugar to get a textured snow look. The snow hills are just icing sugar with small amounts of water added to get the hills to form.

To make the trees I used wax paper and shaped it into cones and used icing. I piped the icing onto the paper to make it look like trees (Next time I would use royal icing instead of regular icing as it never fully hardened and the tree points broke and smushed in when I tried moving the trees). The shrubs were made of small dipping sauce containers with icing over them. The tree in the far right is gingerbread cut into a tree shape and piped with icing. To get the snow look I sprinkled them with coconut and sugar. Again, I have no real decorating experience and all my techniques were trial and error and what I thought looked good.

My gingerbread house assembled. I used a gingerbread recipe I found on the internet (Will get it and put it on my blog). I cut the shapes before I baked the gingerbread and let them cool before assembling the house. I used royal icing to keep my house together (Will provide the recipe for this as well). Also, before assembling the house I did the big decorations on the sides so it was easier to do then trying to tackle it while they were standing vertical.

The gingerbread tree was placed on the back of the house. An attic window I made. The roof is tiny marshmallows iced to the roof. After they were dried on, I took food coloring (copper and black) and textured the roof to a color I thought looked good. I made more small details by piping icing along the edges of the roof and along the top.

The ice lake I made. This was accomplished by melting water and sugar in a pot (be very careful you don't caramalize the sugar and cause it to turn brown) and adding blue food coloring to it. I allowed it to harden before putting it in the snow. Luckily the snow base was still soft and allowed me to carve a hole into it so the lake could be placed into the snow instead of just resting on top of it.

For the windows I melted candy canes (melt at 350oC for roughly 5 min or until melted) and let them cool. I had to be very careful in shaping them to the square shape I wanted (I bit the sugar pieces to get the shape I wanted, and yes I know this isn't food safe but this house isn't meant to be eaten). Once shaped I iced them onto the side of the house, then piped green icing around the edges to give it the window outline. I used black licorice as shutters. I did the same thing for the round attic window seen above, except I used a round candy shape instead of a square one, and did a fancier window outline.

These windows were built into the sides. I made cutouts before I baked the gingerbread. Once cooled, I placed small pieces of candy cane into the window holes and allowed it to melt to create a stain glass window effect. Again, using licorice shutters.

Here is the finished product of my gingerbread house. I used oreo cookie crumbs to make a path leading from the house. I added a couple of snowmen, 2 candy canes on either side of the front door, and a chocolate fence. To make the chocolate fence I just melted chocolate chips and piped them into the shape i wanted the fence to be. I used parchment paper and let the chocolate solidify before I peeled the fence pieces off and stuck them around the perimeter of the house.

Here is a close up of the front of the house and the stain glass candy window. I added icicles to the edges of the roof by melting sugar and water. I wanted more of a clear icicle effect, but this is how the sugar ended up hardening. So I just used hardened sugar that looked like icicles and iced them to the edges of the roof.

Side view of the house.

Snowman. To create the snowman I used 2 large marshmallows. For the face I used black food coloring to make the eyes and mouth. I used the end of a toothpick in orange food coloring to make the carrot nose. The arms are toothpicks in brown food coloring. The red buttons are just a toothpick dipped in red food coloring that was poked into the bottom marshmallow. I then iced the head marshmallow to the bottom one and added an icing scarf. For the hat I cut a large marshallow in half and dipped one half in black food coloring and icing-ed it to the head of the snowman. Then I took a small marshmallow and dipped it in black food coloring and icing-ed it to the bottom piece of the hat. I then Icing-ed the snowman to the snow. *I used royal icing to cement all my pieces to the tray or to one another. Royal icing hardens while regular icing only hardens on the surface leaving the middle part to still be soft (better used for decorating edible objects)

Right side view of the house

Finished product!

Fashion Night

While my mom and sister were here I heard an advertisement on the radio about a fashion night at one of our local malls. I didn't pay much attention to it until I heard it again driving home the day of the event. Hubs was going to be out of town, so I asked my mom and sister if they wanted to go check it out.  They said sure, so about 1.5 hrs before the fashion night started we drove to the mall and waited in line for our goodie bags (The first 200 shoppers in line got a goodie bag valued at over $100). Our wait in line was so worth it, we each managed to score a goodie bag which consisted of:

• A reusable shopping bag
• Bottle of water
• Purdy's chocolate bar
• $40 gift card to use at the mall
• $10 gift card to Chatters hair salon
• $20 gift card for Banana Republic
• $20 gift card for Guess
• $20 gift card to an eye glass place
• Magazine and magazine subscription
• Earbuds
• A scarf
• Candles and incents
• A gift certificate for a free Purdy's chocolate
• Random gift certificates for free items/discounts at various stores
• A free magnetic bracelet
• Shampoo samples from Aveda
• Makeup mirror from Sephora

At the event there were also mini makeovers available, drinks being made at a bar in the middle of the mall, discounts at participating shops (10-40% off), 3 draws for a $5000 shopping wardrobe makeover.

We had such a blast shopping on someone else's dollar. It was truly a fun girls night out!

Homemade butternut squash ravioli

I have always wanted to make my own homemade pasta, but never got around to it. Finally, at the grocery store the other night I decided to buy a squash and make homemade butternut squash ravioli. First Hubs had to put back my apparently massive squash and pick a smaller one for me (I guess I did pick the largest one in the pile, oops).

Once home, I decided that it was the night I would attempt making my own ravioli and butternut squash filling. Below is my directions for making the ravioli and filling:

Roasting the Butternut squash:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Slice the squash lengthwise and remove the seeds. Put the cut side down on a greased baking sheet (or sheet covered with parchment paper).
2. Roast the squash in the oven until tender when pierced with a fork. For smaller squash it could take 30 – 40 minutes. For larger squash it could take up to an hour. (This is a good time to mix your dough so it has time to rest )
3. When squash is done scoop the pulp out into a large mixing bowl and discard the skin. Add all ingredients and stir together thoroughly.

Ravioli Dough:

• 6 eggs
• 3 cups flour

1. Blend the eggs and flour together in a food processor (with dough blade), kitchen aid mixer (with dough hook), or by hand with a fork.
2. If using a processor or mixer the dough will be one large ball chasing itself around the bowl when it is done.
3. If the ball of dough is even slightly sticky when you take it out then pat it with flour. Wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest for at least 20 – 30 minutes on the counter.
4. Either roll it out by hand or use a pasta machine to thin out the dough and make sheets of pasta (follow manufacturers instructions).

Butternut Squash Filling:

• 1 cup ricotta cheese (I used asiago cheese instead and just judged on how much I added)
• 1/2 cup butternut squash puree
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• I also added a pinch of cinnamon

Blend all ingredients with a mixing spoon until smooth. Set aside.

Rolling your dough:

You can use one of numerous pasta rolling machines out there, but since it was my first time and I don't own a pasta machine I used a good old fashioned rolling pin. I basically rolled my dough out as thin as I could get it and as square as I could make it (which still ended up being a little too thick but still pretty good) and plopped my filling in a line, leaving space between each ravioli.

1. I then did an egg wash (I used 1 beaten egg and a brush) on the sides of the dough and over the filling before I covered the dough.
2. Once sealed I ensured there was no air in my ravioli's, and cut them with my pizza cutter.
3. I then used a fork to get the fancy looking edges on my pasta.
4. I placed my ravioli on a cookie sheet and placed them in the freezer to harden. Once frozen, I put the ravioli's in a freezer bag and placed them back in the freezer.

To heat: Boil a pot of water and cook ravioli from frozen for about 4 min.

*I didn't find it too hard to make these, however they were time consuming. I do like the fact that I can pull them from the freezer quickly and they will make a fast meal (I plan on trying other filling recipes too).  I also made these a little bigger so you don't need as many to fill you up.

My finished ravioli's

The fancy edges

Remembrance Day

In honor to pay respect and remember all those who fought, and died in the wars, and those currently fighting, is blog will remain silent today in order to remember and pay respect. I thank you for everything you gave up to give me the freedom I have.

In Flanders Fields
by John McCrae, May 1915 (http://www.greatwar.co.uk/poems/john-mccrae-in-flanders-fields.htm)

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Cuisinart Professional Triple Ply Cookware Set

Hubs and I have been on the look out for more Cuisinart pots to add to the small set we already have for quite a while. Everytime there was a sale on somewhere, we would stop to see if they had the set that matched the pieces Hubs already owned (unfortunately they stopped making that specific set). The same story always ended up happening: the pots were too thin, the lids were made of glass (I can't stand glass lids on my cookware), or it didn't include the pieces we were looking for.

While my mom and sister were here visiting, Canadian Tire had a sale on all their pots, and a pretty darn good sale at like 80% off! I decided to stop and check on my way home from work to see what they had. One particular set caught our eyes but its always one thing to like it on paper, and to see it in person. Luckily, by the time I got off work and got to Canadian Tire they still had one set left and I was pretty impressed when I seen it. There was no glass lids, it was a 12 piece set, that included many great additions to the set we already owned and a couple of the same pot sizes that always come in handy. I picked it up on sale for $180 down from the original $900 (what a score or what!) and we have loved it every since.

Here are the specs on the cookware:

• Features a pure aluminum core bonded to brushed stainless steel exterior and stainless interior
• Heat Surround Technology provides consistent, even heat distrubution along the base and side walls of the cookware.
• Cool Grip Handles are solid stainless steel riveted stick handles that stay cool on the stovetop
• Features tapered rims to eliminate drips and spills while pouring
• Stainless steel lids that fit tight to seal in moisture and nutrients
• Oven safe up to 500° F/260° C, freezer safe, induction cooking safe and dishwasher safe
• Includes 1.5 qt, 2 qt, 3qt Saucepans with lids, 3.5 qt Saute Pan with lid, 6 qt Dutch Oven with lid , 10'' Open Skillet and steamer insert
• Lifetime exchange warranty redeemable at any Canadian Tire Store (when purchased at Canadian Tire)

Daylight Savings Time Ends

Don't forget to set your clock back an hour tonight as Daylight Savings Time ends today!

Hard to believe so much has happened since I last posted. Hurricane Sandy caused some pretty severe devestation. My thoughts and prayers go out to all those who lost their homes, sentimental items and family members. Please help out any way you can and donate to the Red Cross or another charity close to your heart.

We had a couple of earthquakes pretty close to where I live and also had a Tsunami evacuation warning. Luckily, a Tsunami never hit and the earthquakes didn't cause much damage and no one was injured.

Halloween at our house was pretty quiet this year. I worked till 7pm and the weather wasn't the best (Thankfully it didn't rain for the trick-or-treaters). We didn't get any trick-or-treaters again this year :( Although I did see a few kids out walking on my drive home from work.

We have had so much rain here lately, it must be making up for the lack of rain all summer long. I'm starting to forget what the sun and blue sky looks like.

Someone very close to Hubs passed away earlier this morning as well. It was pretty sudden and we are still dealing with the loss. Out of respect for my Hubs and his family I wont say who it was or write too much about it.