Our New Apartment

Modge-Podge Suitcase - Pt. 2

It's complete! Last night Sam and I finished decorating my class old school suitcase while watching "Hugo" (OK movie...don't want to watch it again though). It looks a little white in the pictures because it hasn't fully dried but the case has an entire bottle of Modge Podge on it! I'm really excited to travel in style!

Fruit - and some celery too

Luke and I have decided to eat as much fruit as possible! That's it! Entire meals of fruit! It's been very delicious and completely curbs my desire for Peanut Butter M&M's because if I've been eating sweet things...I don't want other sweet things! Btw...that much pineapple destroys your mouth! Luke learned the hard way!

I found blood oranges at the grocery store the other day (see below) and we tried them (see above). They tasted a lot like grapefruit (which Luke doesn't really like, hence the face). I thought they were good but just made me want to eat grapefruit.

Another delicious fruit meal, this time with a side of celery. So mostly fruits, and some veggies too!

Modge-Podge Suitcase - Pt. 1

Sam Lund and I have been perusing magazines and collecting pages that contain some great pattern to use for decoupaging a suitcase. We finally had the time to organize the pages and start cutting the design.

Modge Podge!

About 3/4 of the surface has been covered! Hopefully we can finish it this Saturday!

Chemistry Cookies

When Ben and Deb were here back in December before Luke's Graduation we made sugar cookies with my chemistry cookie cutters! And then decorated them with appropriate measurements and electron paths!

They were delicious!

Hot Chocolate Sticks - The Injesting

Here they are, hot chocolate sticks fresh out of the fridge!

They all came out of the pan quite easily once I realized that I wouldn't pull out the stick by being rough with them. The marshmallows all stayed stuck on too!

Here are my supplies for the beverage: hot chocolate stick, mug, purchased almond milk, and homemade almond milk. I used the homemade almond milk so that there would be more chocolate flavors and not the processed flavors though I'm sure either would be delicious!

It's melting.......

Done! Delicious! Both Luke and I loved it! Very chocolaty flavored and it got all frothy on its own with just the stirring! Next time I'm going to try it with higher quality chocolate and maybe mix in some cinnamon and cardamom with the batter!

Hot Chocolate Sticks - The Making

Luke's internet addiction comes up with some amazing things! He found a link to this crafty item on thedailywh.at and quickly sent it my way. I LOVE hot chocolate! I think we have 5 different types in the cupboard and I can debate the merits of Swiss Miss vs. Nestle and have wowed friends by introducing them to Abuelita (a Mexican hot chocolate - check out your local Mexican aisle! Amazing! Worth the effort!). So within 3 days of hearing about this....it was made!Everything you need!

Chocolate!

Halving the skewers

Mixing chocolate with sugar and powder is an awkward process!

And you end up with a strangely textured lump of chocolate that you break apart and push into silicon ice cube trays and garnish with sticks and marshmallows.

Before.....and after!

We'll post an "after" picture when they've cooled enough to take apart and test! Try it yourself! It wasn't hard at all and I'm pretty sure it's going to be amazing!

Hot Chocolate Sticks
Makes 15-16 sticks

Update: It seems that some people have had trouble with the consistency of the mixture becoming too thick. I made another batch and weighed the dry ingredients and have included the measurements below. This should help to remove any issues caused by inconsistencies in measuring cup sizes or method of packing those cups.

Supplies
sticks (at least 5 inches long) - I used kabobs and cut them in half because they were way way cheaper!
piping bag or sandwich bag with 1/2″ corner cut off - I didn't need this - the chocolate was easy to handle if you are ok getting messy!
ice cube tray or deep candy mold, each cavity approximately 1 ounce

Ingredients
16 oz. dairy free semi-sweet chocolate (not chips)
1/2 c (1.5 oz) loosely packed cocoa
1 c (4.5 oz) loosely packed powdered sugar
1/8 tsp salt
mini vegan marshmallows

In a medium bowl, sift together cocoa, powdered sugar, and salt. Set aside

Chop chocolate into small pieces (no larger than about 3/4″ inch long) and combine in a glass bowl that is completely dry. Microwave in 30 second bursts on 50% power, stirring between each burst, ensuring that your spatula is also completely dry. Once chocolate is about 2/3 melted (there are still some chunks in the melted chocolate), stir until remaining chunks melt. This prevents the chocolate from getting too hot.

Pour melted chocolate into the mixing bowl containing the dry ingredients and stir until combined. Mixture will be very thick, similar to brownie batter. Spoon mixture into a piping bag (no coupler or tip is needed) or into a sandwich bag with the corner sliced off. Pipe the chocolate into an ice cube tray.

Once all chocolate has been piped, pound the tray lightly on the counter to eliminate air bubbles and to flatten the tops of the cubes if they are uneven. Working one cube at a time, insert a stick and place four mini marshmallows onto the top of the cube. Once all cubes are complete, set aside until cubes are completely dry. You can also place them in the fridge if you are in a hurry.

Once all cubes are dry, remove carefully from the molds. Wrap pretty and store in the cupboard.

To Use:
Heat up 1 cup almond or soy milk (approximately 1 ounce of chocolate should be used for each cup of almond milk, so adjust based on the weight of your cube) and stir in. Cube will take several minutes to dissolve completely.