Another Little Candling Party

If you read this blog regularly, you're a liar, because I don't regularly update. It's been awhile since I've posted a craft, but it's also been awhile since I've crafted. To be honest, I think crafting should be done out of necessity rather than hobby. Also, I believe that crafting should provide a useful outcome that is cheaper than manufactured goods. Christmas was this past week, and I say good riddance to the season of merry-making and cookie-binging. Christmas is costly, I decided to cut fiscal corners this year in providing gifts to extended family. There comes a time in life when it's no longer okay to come empty handed to a holiday party, especially when you're related to most of the guests. Candles are a cost-efficient way to impress people with your handiness, if I had more practical skills I'd probably make something better than candles. 

Rosemary-Eucalyptus Candles

Frequenters will remember the black licorice candle I made a few years back. That one didn't really turn out very great because I didn't use enough essential oil. With that in mind, I made these with the same amount of wax but used twice as much oil. I like my candles like my men, strong and stinky. I chose this scent combo because I had one last year that I loved. The piney-minty scent is festive but not too festive and it helps your sinuses clear up during the sniffly season. Kinda smells like a retirement home. 

you will need the following: 

jars

2 lbs wax (or however much you need)

wicks

1 oz rosemary essential oil

1 oz eucalyptus essential oil 

a candy thermometer

a disposable mixing bowl 

a disposable rubber spatula

a disposable pitcher 

STEP 1: Chop candle wax into coarse pieces and place in disposable mixing bowl. Put that bowl in a large pot of water. Double boil the wax and allow to melt. Stir frequently with disposable rubber spatula. Don't let the wax boil as it is flammable. Keep an eye on the temperature with your candy thermometer. The idea temperature is between 120 and 140 once the wax is liquid. 

STEP 2: Dip the wick bases in melted wax and adhere to the bottom of jars. Pinch the tips with clothespins so the wicks stay in place. 

STEP 3: Once wax is at desired temperature, mix in essential oil and thoroughly distribute. Transfer wax from bowl to disposable pitcher. Pour hot wax into jars reserving one cup to fill in where candles sink. Allow to cure overnight. It is normal for the wax to drop in the center once it cools. This is why you'll need the extra cup of wax. 

STEP 4: Reheat cup of wax by placing the picture in a pot of boiling water for a few minutes. Pour melted wax into caverns formed by the candle cure. Allow another 24 hours to cure completely. Once cooled, trim wick down to 1/4 inch before lighting. 

I used random supplies I had in my craft box to trim and decorate. People loved these and they smell amazing. Happy Holidays!

A Little Cookie Party: Stave Two

When you have a cookie party, it's important to have more than one kind of cookie, otherwise you look cheap. The cookie party idea isn't helping people think you have money, come to think of it, neither is the studio apartment. Anyways, that's beside the point. The point is to make some cookies and drink some wine. I'll admit I'm putting this blog up in a hurry - I'm on my way out of the office for the day. Not the office of this blog, that would be cool though. The office of the company I work for, where everyone loved these cookies. 

Peppermint Cut-Out Cookies

I love chocolate mint flavored stuff, but I've never found a good choco-mint cookie except for grasshoppers and thin mints. So, rather than buy the cocoa powder and pretend I knew what I was doing, I simply made my tried-and-true sugar cookie and swapped out the vanilla for peppermint extract (which I smuggled out of the grocery in the fennel bulb I rang up as celery). I added a touch of peppermint to ordinary cookie frosting, store-bought. I'm Sandra Lee this holiday. 

you will need the following: 

2 c flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 c butter at room temp

1 c white sugar

1 egg

1/2 tsp peppermint extract 

Frosting

1 can frosting 

1/2 tsp peppermint extract

Step 1: Mix dry ingredients and set oven to 325. 

Step 2: Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and peppermint eventually. 

Step 3: Mix dry into wet and mix to heart's content. Ball it up and roll it out on a floured surface with a floured rolling pin. 

Step 4: Chill cut-outs in the fridge for 15 minutes before baking. They take about 12 minutes in the oven, which is just enough time to mix your Lazy-Mom frosting. 

You can use the same sandwich baggy trick for this cookie as well. Look how well my friend is icing, you can hardly tell he's wasted, until you start eating the cookies and realize how much frosting is on them. 

A Little Cookie Party: Stave One

The worst part about Christmas is the inevitable bankruptcy it will drive you to. The best part of Christmas are the gifts and confections. When you live in a studio apartment it's hard to get everyone in your life together, so instead I have individuals over to help me bake and get baked. Rather than buy people anything I just send them home with way too many cookies, I imagine most of them end up in the trash but it's the thought that counts, I guess. 

I'm obsessed with these cookie cutters I got last year. Since I was a big ol' post-break up Grinch last Christmas I didn't get a chance to put these guys to use until this year. They've been getting a work out. I think they're supposed to look old but really they're new and I got them on sale at T.J. Maxx. I really don't care for plastic cookie cutters, but these metal ones really get the job done. 

Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookies

I've been sitting on this recipe for a few years now but for some reason felt really intimidated by the molasses it calls for. I'm not sure why I thought molasses was some sort of baking challenge, it's not even expensive or hard to find. I will say it tastes and smells like diesel fuel but it does make a quality cookie. Interesting to few, but this recipe doesn't contain eggs, in case any of your cookie party guests have IBS. 

you will need the following: 

3 1/2 c flour 

1 tsp baking soda

pinch of salt 

1 tbsp pie spice 

1 tbsp cinnamon

1 1/2 sticks room temperature butter

1/2 c brown sugar 

1 c molasses 

1/4 c cream 

for frosting 

1 c powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla 

1 tbsp cream 

Step 1: In one bowl mix dry ingredients together. In another bowl cream butter and brown sugar together until fluffy. 

Step 2: Add cup of molasses to butter mixture and again stir until fluffy. Once sufficiently fluffed, slowly add flour mix in small doses. Upon adding final bit of flour, add in cream and mix until smooth. Add more cream if you're drunk. Wrap dough in plastic and chill in fridge for at least two hours. (or 30 minutes in the freezer if you're almost out of wine)

Step 3: Divide dough and roll out on a floured surface with a floured rolling pin. Roll to about 1/4" thickness and use cookie cutters to punch out shapes. This recipe makes approximately a fuck-ton of cookies depending on the size of your cookie cutters. 

Step 4: Make frosting by mixing powdered sugar, vanilla and cream. If you're too basic to have pastry bags (like myself) take a sandwich baggy and fill it with frosting. You can cut the tip out of one of the corners and ice cooled cookies. Allow frosting to dry for easy store-n-stack