Contraction Cupcakes

Contraction Cupcakes

This is a short post for everyone, I am writing in between contractions.  I started these contraction cupcakes earlier today, not realizing it really might actually do the trick.  These are Red Raspberry Leaf Tea Cupcakes with a pineapple on the bottom and Lemon Drop Icing.

Here is how to make the cupcakes:

First brew a cup (9 oz) of 2x strength red raspberry leaf tea. Let sit for about an hour or more to really brew together.

Take a pineapple, and cut the top and bottom off.

Cut off the outer skin.

Cut the pineapple into thin-ish slices, about the thickness of a two quarters.

I used my canning funnel, but cut circles out of edges of the pineapple, don't worry if you get some of the core in there, it will not matter.

Place the precut circles into a lined cupcake pan.

 Using Dark Brown Sugar sprinkle a bit on the pineapples in the cupcake pan.

Mix together the batter for the cupcakes now...
Set 1 stick butter in saucepan on low heat on stove to melt.

Using a funnel, and a coffee filter, drain out the tea leaves from the tea.

Put the entire bag of white cake mix.

Add 4 eggs.

Once butter is done melting down SLOWLY add it to the batch.

Once the butter and everything is very mixed together, add it to the cupcake liners.

Bake in a preheated oven of 350 degrees for 20 minutes for standard cupcake size.

 Once they are cool enough to handle place in fridge to get colder.

Let us make the frosting now...
Using 8 Tablespoons of Butter and 6-8 Tablespoons of Vegetable Shortening, blend together.

Add the juice of one lemon.  Also the zest of the same one lemon.

Using the mixer put in about 1 lb of confectioner's sugar, mixing until very smooth looking.

 Place into gallon bag.

Cut off a corner and move icing to that side for instant icing bag.  Ice the cupcakes away!

I know this was a terrible blog post, but seriously I am in some serious contractions right now.... hopefully we will have baby news soon.

Recipe:

Contraction or Labor Cupcakes
Cupcakes
1 fresh pineapple
4 tablespoons or so of dark brown sugar
1 box white cake mix
4 eggs
1 stick butter, melted
4 tablespoons of red raspberry leaf loose tea, or two tea bags of it
9 oz of boiling water

1.  Brew tea with boiling water, let sit one hour.
2.  Cut the pineapple into thin slices and cut small circles that fit into the bottom of lined cupcake pans.
3.  Sprinkle on brown sugar to pineapples in lined cupcake pans.
4.  In a mixing bowl, mix together eggs, cake mix and 1 stick melted butter, and filtered tea, mix together.
5.  Put batter on top of pineapple slices in lined cupcake pans.
6.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes
7.  Once cool, take out of cupcake pans and place in fridge to cool more.

Icing
1 stick butter, room temperature
6-8 tablespoons of vegetable shortening
1 lemon
1 lb of confectioner's sugar.

1.  In a mixing bowl blend together butter and vegetable shortening.
2.  Cut lemon in half and squeeze juice into icing mixture.
3.  Using a small grater, zest the outside of the lemon into the mixture.
4.  Blend together again and then slowly add confectioners sugar, mix until smooth.

To Ice the cupcakes place icing in gallon bag.  Cut a bottom corner off and push the icing to that corner.  Do a fun swirl or design on it.  Enjoy!

Gardening and Muffins

The garden is coming along splendidly.  We are very excited about our investment and the potentional payoff of it.  I has been difficult this year with the investment of the light shelves for seedlings.  Along with finally putting the last fence post in and then stapling a critter proof fence to the split rail.  We only needed to purchase 12 Kale plants so far.  Along with all of the seedlings we had to try something else new, hardening off seedlings.  This made me the most nervous of all.  We purchased a set of shelves and then mounted them to a simple board with wheels.  I was able to roll out the plants, several hours every day and then roll them back into the garage.

The first day the plants were out 8-12 then 8-2, then 8-4, then 8-8, then 24 hours a day.  This plan worked wonderfully since we had some beautiful weather last week.  I was able to plant 27 cabbage plants, and 18 Broccoli plants.  I then watered them with Miracle Grow Organic Plant Fertilizer.  Using a simple hose attachment I watered all the new plants, here is the one I purchased at our local true value .  It worked wonderfully for the fertilizer and the fruit tree spray.  We also purchased a new Cortland Apple Tree and planted it near the Golden Delicious from last year.  I sprayed down both trees very well, hoping to avoid the Apple tree scab that we had last year.

Here are the Cabbage Plants

The peas have seriously sprouted

Some of the broccoli is looking a bit shocked this morning, but not too bad, I have faith that it will live.

Onions and the Kale have sprouted, just waiting on the carrots.

This year we also put in a garden gate.  We just purchased a simple gate kit from Home Depot and installed it.  After a few tries we had it level and ready to go.  Hopefully this will help keep the critters out also.

Today is a big day for seedlings, today we are going to be starting our Tomatoe and Pepper plants, also we will be working on transfering some Lettuce starts to bigger pots.

Now onto the best part of the day, other than coffee, my new recipe for Oatmeal Cranberry Muffins, using Mary Jane Farm Baking Mix

1 cup milk
1 cup Quick Cooking Oats
1 egg
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
1 2/3 cup Baking Mix
1/2 cup apple juice infused dried cranberries

In a mixing bowl, mix up the milk, oats, egg, oil, sugar, and baking mix.  After mixed through fold in the dried cranberries.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Enjoy!

Bagels and Badges

We are working on merit badges for Mary Jane's Farm Farmgirls today.  Writing and submitting, here are my some of my recent submissions.

Quilting-Intermediate

 



Heirlooms Forever - Beginner

Tatting - Beginner

Alot of people that know me, understand that the Farmgirls have changed my life and and how my family lives.  It is an amazing sisterhood of women that want nothing more than to help each other and make everything at home.  For more information about the Forums and all the great information on them go to http://www.maryjanesfarm.com/snitz/default.asp and for the Farmgirl Sisterhood http://www.farmgirlsisterhood.org/

As for today my family is in love with bagels.  I wanted to post our recipe for making homemade bagels in a very easy way.  They barely last 24 hours in our home.  You can make them by hand by mixing the ingredients and then letting rise until doubled.  But to save time I use the dough setting on my bread maker.

Homemade Bagels
3,5 cups Flour
4.5 teaspoons of yeast
3 Tablespoons of Sugar
1 Tablespoon Salt
1.5 Cups Hot water (110 degrees)

Boiling Water bath
1.5 Quarts of water
1.5 Tablespoons

Place Bagel ingredients into breadmachine in manufacturer's specified order.  Set to Dough setting and run.

This is what the dough looks like when it is done.

Make into 8 balls and then poke holes with thumb into center.  Stretch them out a bit and place on wax paper.  Let rise about 10 minutes.

Prepare the Boiling water bath in pot.

Using a slotted spoon give the syrup a stir in the boiling water bath.

(can you tell I made Spagetti Sauce)
Place the bagels into the water and let boil on each side for about 30 seconds.  Place onto Renoyld's Non-Stick Foil on a cookie sheet.  (I have also used a LATHERED with butter flavored crisco cookie sheet)

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes.

After they are finished immediatly pull them from the foil and cut with a bread knife.  Enjoy!

A Friend In Need

So after my post about baby diapers I received an email regarding Post-Partum Reusable Pads.  This woman was very unsatisfied with what she was finding online and wanted to know if I could come up with a pattern for her.  This pattern uses the leftover pieces of fabric from my previous diaper post.  If purchasing the fabric for the liners you will need 12 inches of PUL fabric, and 6 inches of one sided fleece.  Each pad requires one cloth prefold diaper and 1/2 yard of 100% cotton flannel.  Also you will need snaps.  Also about 12 inches of ric rac for each pad.

For your PUL fabric and one-sided fleece I will plug the Kids in the Garden here For the Prefold diapers you can purchase them at Babies R Us (12 for 16.99).  Last the Snaps, I love KamSnaps to no end here .  For the 1/2 Yard of 100% flannel I suggest grabbing it at Joanns, every once in a while, the price drops to 2.79 a yard.

First to do is print out the pattern here when the pieces come together they will look like this

You must cut the following pieces, per pad.... 1 one-sided fleece of "Pad Liner", 1 flannel of "pad Liner" and "Pad Shell", 1 prefolded diaper of "Pad Liner", 1 PUL of "Pad Shell".

 

Here are all the pieces cut out for 2 pad sets.

 

To sew the liners, place the right side of the fleece to the right side of the flannel, topped with the prefolded diaper, pin together.

 

 

I left the space to turn it right side out along the side.

 

To Pin the ric rac in, place it about two inches from the very ends of the pad shell, pin in place.

Now place the lining on top and pin together the Pad shell PUL to the flannel.

I left the opening to flip right side out on one end of the Pad shell.

 

 

Sew along the edges about 12-13 mm away from the needle all the way around, leaving the opening to flip right side out.

Cut notches all round the curves. 

Then flip right side out. 

 

Stitch about 12 mm again around the outside and across the wings to secure the seams.  Coming close to the edge of the opening used to flip it right side out. 

 

 

 

For the Pad Liner I doubled stitched.

 

 

 

 

The Pad Liner fits right into the Pad Shell under the ric rac.  Add a snap on each of the wings to secure it to the undergarment.

 

They do fold nice and discreetly fit into a purse.

 

 

These are great practice if you are trying to gear up to sew some diapers, same fabrics and same snaps.

 

Have a wonderful day.