Using Inspiration

A while back, while I was still living in Texas, and still selling, I had a bride call me for an order.

She wanted Alice in Wonderland for her wedding.  And I was stoked.  She sent me an image she had found.  They were Alice in Wonderland cookies done by my dear friend Sweet Sugar Belle.

Now I'm not one for straight up copying.  It feels wrong, and in the end I'm creatively numb.  Not my style.  I need to make things my own.  So I asked my dear friend if I may use her cookies as inspiration.  And she said yes, because she's awesome like that. 

So we have her cookies as a jump off.  But I wasn't done with inspiration yet.  I was inspired by the Tim Burton movie and wanted to add elements of that in. But I was also loving the vintage Through The Looking glass feel.   So here's what I came up with for the wedding:

WFD? Smokey Three Bean Chili

I thought about calling this Texas Three Bean Chili, because the flavor reminds me of Texas BBQ in a sort of  way.  However, it's SO not a traditional Texas chili (or traditional chili in a lot of ways).  Chili is the official dish of the state of Texas and Texans take their chili very seriously.

I think the Texan in me just wont let me call it Texas Three Bean Chili.  It would be near blasphemous...

I digress...

I wanted to make a chili that didn't have ground beef or turkey or chicken or whatever in it.  I know traditionally chili is made with chopped meat and no beans (we're talking back on the chuckwagon in Texas  folks).  But you know me, I thought let's do the opposite and use ALL beans!  And maybe a little of this too!  NO ONE WILL SUSPECT BUTTERNUT SQUASH!!

So NOT a Texas chili.  It's anti-Texas chili.  Maybe I should have called it that.  

Anyway...

Tutorial: Making Royal Icing

It's hard to decorate a cookie without icing.  Some use butter cream, some use glaze...

I use ROYAL.  I like royal simply because it gives me the versatility and detail that I like.  I can make transfers, flowers, crisp clean lines, leaves...just about anything I like. 

 Royal Icing

5 TBSP Meringue Powder
1 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 c. water
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp additional flavoring (optional)
2lb confectioners sugar
1 TBSP to 1/4 c. Light corn syrup


Place meringue powder, cream of tartar, water and flavoring in the CLEAN bowl

From The Vault: Mardi Gras

Sick.  I've been sick.  Deathly ill.  So the totally awesome Mardi Gras cookies I made this year, aren't yet ready for posting.  Mostly because I don't think snot is a very Mardi Gras kind of thing.  Doesn't fit with the theme.  Well, not for me anyway.  Different strokes for different folks....

Tutorial: Ruffles

I'm pretty girly girl.

I mean not pink and zebra and glitter kind of girly...  I mean like lace and ruffles and makeup and shoes kind of girly.  And sparkly things....can't forget pretty sparkly things.

So it's no real surprise that I love putting ruffles on cookies.

WFD? Roasted Tomatoes with Angel Hair

OK, I LOVE PASTA!  I'm not kidding.  I have to control my pasta intake because I am a pasta nut.  I will eat my weight in pasta.  (and hunny that's a lotta pasta...)

This is a recipe that I commonly make for lunch.  Mostly because it's light, tasty, and only calls for a few ingredients (most of which I always have handy).

"Peppermint Smoothie" Cupcakes

For Valentine's Day yesterday, Sophie wanted to make a birthday cake for Daddy.  I tried to explain to her that Daddy's birthday was over, but she is the kid that still says "Merry Christmas" every night before she goes to sleep.  So, you can guess how that conversation went.

So I made a compromise, and told her we would make Daddy Valentine's birthday cupcakes.

 

My Valentine's Day

Well, since I never got around to posting these yesterday I might as well post them now and tell you about my Valentine's Day

Colors of Love - Rainbow Valentine's

It's Valentine's Day!

Tutorial: Valentine Ribbon Rose Cookie

Guess what?!

Valentine's Day is tomorrow!!

What's For Dinner? Italian White Bean Soup

WFD??  (That will be the official abbreviation for What's For Dinner btw)

This is a recipe I make all the time.  Like when I have no idea what I want to make for dinner and it's 5:30 and I haven't been to the store and I have a toddler at my heels asking for peanut butter and jelly and ice cream....

Tutorial: Quick Ribbon Roses

Or should I say ribbon roses done the cheating way....

Birthday Lemon Creme Brulee

My husbands birthday was this weekend (hence my absence from the interweb...)

And I was going to make his standard cake: yellow butter with chocolate icing.

But then I ended up throwing a dinner party (that I wish I would have taken pictures of but I was so busy running around that the opportunity evaporated as quickly as it came).  Anyway, I asked him what dessert he wanted at his party and he said creme brulee.....

 

Feature: Today's Wedding Belles

If you want to see more photos of Leah and Scott's GORGEOUS wedding photographed by Whitney Scott Photography, go check out Wedding Belles Online.

Not only has Ali Bee's been mentioned but you can also grab info about all the other vendors involved in the event :)

What I'm Reading: Alchemy Fine Events Blog

Just a quick side note....rant...blurb....whatever.

I know a lot of people are WAY more into social networking than I am...which is an easy feat actually because like I said, I'm not the best blogger... which is why I am sure some of you have discovered this blog before...

Anyway, I JUST found Alchemy Fine Events and I'm in love!

Check out some of these tidbits:

 

Heart rate rising....