How-to’s

Tip Tuesday: DIY Chalkboard Jar Labels

By in Christmas, How-to's 1 Comment Tags: , , , ,

chalkboard jam labels

Ok. I am totally in love with these jars. I don’t normally share crafty things on the blog but these are so cute and since they make some lovely packaging for giving foods as gifts I just had to share it with you before Christmas. I originally got this idea from wit & whistle and since I’m kind of obsessed with everything chalkboard I had to give it a go.

I love this project for so many reasons. The results are rustic and give the jam or preserves an artisan feel. It really doesn’t use up much paint at all, so it’s a cheap way to add something special to jars that you’re gifting. The receivers of the jars can keep the lid and relabel it for storing other treasures. The fact that the chalkboard is on the lid means that if they’re into canning themselves they can re-use the jar for their own canning project and just discard the lid, no harm done. And the whole project is just so easy peasy.

Here’s what you do.

Step One

Using chalkboard paint (you can make your own if you like), paint the centre of the lid with a paint brush. It’s supposed to look rustic and homemade so it doesn’t have to be perfect. I used only one coat of paint even though the paint I used recommended two coats. It’s a disposable part of the jar so I didn’t feel the need for two coats. Once painted, let dry for 24 hours or follow the instructions on the paint you’re using.

Step Two

Once dry, take a piece of chalk and rub it onto the dried paint, to condition it. If the chalk doesn’t seem to be adhering very well, just keep rubbing, it will eventually start working better. A few of them had little strips of paint that came off when I rubbed the chalk on them but I didn’t clean the lids very well before adding paint, so you may want to clean them more thoroughly or add a coat of primer, before painting. I wasn’t bothered by it though because I think it just adds to the charm, so it’s up to you. Once you’re satisfied with the coating of chalk, wipe it off and start labelling!

A few more tips

  • Remove the ring before starting the project so you’re not trying to work around it.
  • Add a cute scarf by tying on a piece of fabric or yarn. Or add a cute tag.
  • Use the chalkboard to write who it’s to and from, what it is, or just do a drawing.
  • Feel free to use this idea for more then just preserves. There are lot’s of gifts to be given in jars, and not just limited to food.

Have fun!

Tip Tuesday: How to Make Dairy-Free Whipped Cream

By in Creamy, How-to's, Sweets 4 Comments Tags: , , ,

coconut whipped cream

Although we’ve already celebrated Thanksgiving over here in Canada, I know a lot of you will be celebrating American Thanksgiving in a couple of days. This year I seem bent on providing you with allergy-free alternatives. It’s been 4 years since I’ve been able to be home for all of these holidays and  since there are a lot of food sensitivities in my family, I like making sure everyone gets to enjoy all of the holiday classics. I already shared a recipe for gluten-free pie crust, to fill with pumpkin and apple to your heart’s content. But now, I’ve got a dairy-free whipped topping for you, so you don’t have to stop by the freezer isle for any more Cool Whip! ;)

I’ve seen this idea quite a few times in the past year and I thought it was absolutely brilliant. If you’re on Pinterest you’ve probably come across the idea a time or two yourself. Well, I’m here to confirm that it works! Chilling a can of coconut milk, scooping off the cream that has formed on top and whipping it until smooth, makes a beautifully silky whipped topping that is perfect for topping pumpkin pies, latte’s, crepes and pretty much anything you would normally want whipped cream on.

The only thing to keep in mind is that it is made from coconut milk, so it will taste like coconut (surprise!), and may not be the perfect accompaniment to every dish. But, I’m a fan of coconut so for me it goes with pretty much anything. You can also change the flavours a bit by stirring in different spices, citrus zest or flavourings, to go with whatever you’ll be serving it with.

Once made, it will stay good for quite a few days in the fridge, so you can make it ahead to serve for a holiday meal or party. It’s always great to have an option for something guests, who have a food intolerance, can also enjoy. And, this is a great, easy, homemade option to replace the dairy-free toppings you get from the store.

Dairy-Free Whipped Cream

  • 1 can chilled coconut milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup (or sugar or honey)

Scoop off the top layer of thick coconut cream, leaving the liquid behind. Add vanilla and syrup to the cream. Whip until loose and light, adding a bit of the liquid to loosen it up a bit more, if desired. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until serving. (If you add a bit of the liquid it may separate again after sitting in the fridge, just give it a quick whip again before serving.)

Makes approximately: 1.5 cups

Tip Tuesday: How to Make any Ice Cream Recipe Dairy-Free

By in Cool, How-to's 6 Comments Tags: , , , , ,

ice creamsThis past weekend we celebrated one of my brother’s birthdays and I was in charge of making the ice cream. A lot of my family members are sensitive to milk so I wanted to experiment with a dairy-free version that everyone could enjoy. I’ve researched a lot online about dairy-free ice creams but have never found anything I felt really confident about, that even dairy-lovers would eat happily.

Finally I came across a recipe that was basically the same as my beloved vanilla ice cream but simply subbed coconut milk for the milk and cream. It made sense. Coconut milk is so thick and creamy, and made with a custard base, seemed to guarantee it creaminess. So, I whipped up a batch of Black Forest Ice Cream (thanks to freezing a couple batches of candied cherries this summer) and Classic Vanilla. I can’t believe it was so easy all along. It worked great.

People were so surprised when they found out the ice cream was dairy-free. Especially the chocolate, because you couldn’t taste the coconut milk at all. You could taste it slightly in the vanilla, but coconut and vanilla are definitely a yummy paring so there were no complaints. The consistency is slightly different than if you made it with full-fat milk and cream but it is still very creamy and far from being icy.

I’ll no longer be searching for specific dairy-free ice cream recipes and will instead just use my favourites and switch out the dairy with canned coconut milk. I found that two cans of regular sized coconut milk came to 3 cups, which was the perfect amount for both of the recipes above.

If you’ve got a dairy-free loved one in your life I encourage you to give this substitution a try. Nobody should have to miss out on the deliciousness of ice cream. And if you try it, let me know how it turns out for you!

*As far as I know, this won’t work as a substitute for recipes that call for sweetened condensed milk (like this no-churn ice cream) or recipes that call for cream that is whipped before folding in (such as with this semifreddo).

Canning Basics & Vanilla Peach Jam

By in Condiments, How-to's 4 Comments Tags: , , , , , , ,

vanilla peach jam

I’ve posted quite a few jam and preserving recipes in the past but so far no canning recipes, even though canning is one of my favourite hobbies. The biggest reason I haven’t gotten around to it is because I wanted to be able to give a little canning 101 before sharing a recipe, so people could refer to it in future recipes and for people to understand just how simple the process is. So now that I’m finally doing it, expect many more canning projects in the future. :)

This isn’t going to be exhaustive because I’m no canning expert. But it’s what I’ve learned, what I know and hopefully will give you a head start if you’re new to this kind of thing. I’ve been making jam for a long time but I only started canning last summer. I didn’t have any special equipment and once I realized how easy it was, I was hooked. Jamming and preserving is one of my favourite activities to do in the kitchen. There’s something so soothing and satisfying about it. Hearing the ping of the jars sealing brings a smile to my face every time.

Let’s get started so you can get in the kitchen and know the feeling I’m talking about! :)

What you’ll need:

  • A large pot: I now own a canning pot, but when I first started out I just used the largest pot I had, which really wasn’t even all that big. If you’re starting out canning I would recommend doing smaller batches and using smaller jars anyways, so you don’t really need a gargantuan pot – that way it’s less stressful and you don’t need to buy any special equipment. You need to try it out first before you invest, right? It’s best if you can have a rack at the bottom of the pot because it protects the jars from the direct heat and keeps them from moving around while the water’s boiling, but when I started I didn’t have one so I just tried to make sure that the jars weren’t clanking into each other. If you have a small, round cooling rack that fits into your pot, you could use that, but again, it’s not absolutely necessary.
  • Canning jars and lids: you should be able to buy these at your local grocery or hardware store. You can also buy them online. I like to use a 250ml size for jams and 500ml for whole fruit (such as sliced peaches).
  • Jar lifter or tongs: This one is important. If you can, I would recommend buying a jar lifter that’s meant for canning. They aren’t very expensive and they make the process of lifting the jars so much easier. At the very least, use a very good, strong pair of tongs. You’ll be using them to take the jars out of the boiling water so you don’t want any chance of them slipping and breaking.

Things you need to know:

  1. Not every recipe can be canned. Make sure the recipe that you’re making is safe for canning. Especially when dealing with low acid foods it’s important that the pH level be above 4.6, so following a recipe is key. But don’t let that scare you off, just follow the recipe and you’ll be golden.
  2. Processing times (time that the jars are submerged in boiling water) depend on altitude. Most recipe’s processing times are for altitude’s up to 1000 feet, if you’re higher than that you’ll need to add additional minutes to your processing time. So find your altitude and follow this guide:
  • 0 to 1000 feet – time as written in recipe
  • 1,001 to 3,000 feet – add 5 minutes
  • 3,001 to 6,000 feet – add 10 minutes
  • 6,001 to 8,000 feet – add 15 minutes
  • 8,001 to 10,000 feet – add 20 minutes

How it works:

  • First you need to sterilize your jars and lids. To do this, first wash them in warm, soapy water then transfer the jars to a large pot (I use the same one that I’m going to process them in) along with hot water, to cover. Bring the water to a boil and let boil for 10 minutes, keep the water at a simmer until you’re ready to fill the jars – this will ensure that they stay sterilized up until the last moment. Do the same with the lids, but put them in a separate, smaller pot and do not boil; instead keep them at just barely a simmer, you want to soften the seal around the lids but if you boil them they may soften too much and create a false seal with the jars.
  • Remove the jars and lids from the boiling water, you don’t need to worry about drying them off, the heat will evaporate any water droplets. Fill the jars with whatever you’re canning, according to the recipe instructions. Wipe the rims and outside, clean of any drips. Place the lids on top of the jars and screw on the rings until fingertip tight (just until you reach resistance), this is also to make sure that you don’t create a false seal. Place the jars back into the boiling water, making sure the water is 1-2 inches above the top of the jars and that the jars aren’t touching; bring to a rolling boil before starting the timer according to the processing time indicated in the recipe (see: ‘things you need to know’ for processing times). This is called a boiling water bath.
  • Remove the jars and set on a kitchen towel, on the countertop, to cool and seal for 24 hours (while they cool you’ll hear them ping, which means they’ve created a vacuum seal). If some have not sealed by the end of the 24 hours put them in the fridge to use immediately. To check for seal: remove the rings from the jars, grip your fingers onto the edge of the lid and lift the jar a couple inches off the counter, if the lid stays in place, it’s sealed! Now you can store the jars in a cool, dark place to be enjoyed at a later date!

There, that’s not too hard, is it? ;) It may seem like a lot of information to process at first but once you do it, it will all begin to make sense and everything will go that much more smoothly and quickly. I promise you, it is worth it! If you have any questions or tips to share feel free to pipe up in the comments section.

And now for a recipe to put this all into practice. :)

I made this jam for the first time last year and was so sad when we moved from Norway and we couldn’t bring them along. I knew I had to repeat it again this year because peach jam is the epitome of summer canning, in my opinion, and the little bit of added vanilla just speaks of summer days. I’m looking forward to cracking these open and brightening up some of the cool winter days ahead. Peach season is holding on by a thread, so make this quickly while you still can!

Vanilla Peach Jam

  • 3 lbs peaches, peeled, pits removed and diced
  • 3.5 cups sugar
  • 1 vanilla bean, split and seeded
  • juice of one lemon

Add all ingredients to a large pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally, until mixture is thick and  passes the wrinkle test*. Meanwhile sterilize 4, 250ml jars along with lids, as instructed above.

Remove vanilla bean pod from jam. Fill the jars to within 1/4 inch of the top with jam; top with lids and tighten rings to fingertip tight. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes (see: “things you need to know” for processing times above 1000 feet). Remove jars from water bath and set on a kitchen towel to cool for 24 hours. Check for seals before storing in a cool, dark place until ready to use.

*Wrinkle Test:

This applies to any jam that is made without using pectin.

Place a small plate in the freezer while you make your jam. Once you think the jam is ready place a dollop on the frozen plate and return to the freezer for two minutes. Remove the plate from the freezer and push through the jam with your finger, there should be a slight film on top that wrinkles as you push. If it’s not ready yet, boil it for a few more minutes and repeat the test.

Makes: 4 (250ml) jars

Adapted from Annie’s Eats, originally from Tartelette.

Dino Party: Red Dino Cake

By in Cakes, How-to's 4 Comments Tags: , , , , , , ,

red dino cake

This post is part of a series for a Dino themed birthday party.  To view the rest of the series head on over to the Dino Birthday Party post.

This was the most important aspect of the party to me. If I got nothing else done I knew I just had to make this dinosaur cake because it was what Max was the most excited about. Anytime anyone would ask him about his birthday his first response was to tell them about his “red dinosaur cake”!

He knew from the very beginning that he wanted a red dinosaur cake. So one day, we went online to Cake Central to look for some inspiration. He would say, “no, don’t like it” to every one, until he saw this one. The moment he saw it, it was decided – it had to be that cake. I did my best to recreate it and he would come over to check up on me and make sure I was making it “zactly the same” (so cute!). Of course you can never make something exactly the same, nor would I want to. That’s the beauty of making it your own.

Here’s how I made mine.

Baking

I split the batter between all of the pans – 2 cups for each half of the ball pan, the remainder in the 9×13 pan. Bake at 350ºF until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire wracks to cool completely. Wrap one half of the ball cake in plastic wrap and freeze.

Preparing

Prepare a double batch of Whipped Vanilla Frosting; tint green.

Color fondant to desired colours by kneading gel colourings into the prepared fondant. I made my own using this recipe, but you could also buy it pre-made.

Take the frozen half-ball cake and gently carve it into a dino head shape by taking it in slightly at the top and sides to form a nose. Working with a frozen cake helps it to not fall apart while you carve it. Once you get the look you want, let it thaw.

Cut two cardboard cutouts to match the bottom of the half-ball cakes; wrap them in plastic wrap. Use a small bit of frosting to stick the cake to the appropriate board. This will help later when you want to cut the cake into servings. It also makes transferring the cakes much easier.

Frosting

Lightly coat the half-ball cakes in Whipped Vanilla Frosting. Roll out the desired colour of fondant and drape over. Smooth and trim to fit the cake perfectly.

Frost the 9×13 pan with Whipped Vanilla Frosting. Place the half-ball cakes on top in desired placement. If at any time the frosting seems to be getting too soft or starts to melt, refrigerate before continuing.

Decorating the Dinosaur

I used this wilton kit to help me with the decorating

  • I flattened two white pieces of oval fondant for the eyes. Shaped and flattened some red fondant to cover part of the eyes, for the eyelids. Shaped and flattened two half circles out of black fondant for the pupils.
  • I rolled one large piece of fondant to make the neck and connect the back to the head
  • I rolled another larger piece of fondant, rolling it thinner on one end, to make the tail. I attached it to the end of the dinosaur and curled it to fit on the base cake.
  • I rolled out some blue fondant and cut out triangles to make the spikes on his back. I drug lines through, to add dimension. I made them differing sizes and shapes. They stuck on easy on their own but you could also use a bit of water, if needed.
  • I put lines along the nose to look like it’s crinkling
  • I made indents with a ball tool to look like nostrils
  • I rolled out the blue fondant and cut out circles to add to the body and head

Decorating the Base

  • I rolled thin strings of brown fondant and placed them in a vine-like fashion around the cake.
  • I rolled out green fondant and cut out leaf-like shapes in differing sizes and shapes. I drug lines to make the veins and placed them around the vines and the dinosaur.
  • I rolled small thin pieces of fondant into grass-like shapes and used them to fill up any empty spaces.

And, that’s it. I didn’t use many special tools, I personally like to form most of it myself with my own hands just using a paring knife to cut unique shapes. Hopefully my description is actually helpful and not confusing. I may not be the best instructor via writing, but hopefully you get the gist. :)

 

Dino Party: Dino Egg Chandelier

By in How-to's 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , , , ,

dino egg chandelier

This post is part of a series for a Dino themed birthday party.  To view the rest of the series head on over to the Dino Birthday Party post.

I know this post isn’t about food but it does contain a recipe so I hope that counts! ;) I couldn’t help but share this Dino Egg Chandelier with you because it’s so much fun to make and the results are so adorable, yet chic. They were a big hit at the party and I love that you can customize the colours to suit the colour theme of your party.

All you need to make these dino eggs is some yarn, petroleum jelly (vaseline), cornstarch, school glue and balloons. Let’s get started!

Blow up the balloons until they form an egg shape. I tried to make mine differing sizes to add some dimension. Hang the balloons in a dry area using a piece of yarn (we started outside on our deck and moved them to the curtain rod on our shower for night). Coat the balloons in petroleum jelly, making sure to cover every inch.

Mix together glue ingredients (recipe below). Cut a long piece of yarn and coat it thoroughly in the glue mixture. Squeeze out the excess, while still keeping them nicely coated. Tie one end of the coated yarn to the yarn that the balloon is hanging from; wrap it around the balloon in all directions until you get look you want. Tie the loose end of the yarn to another piece at the top of the balloon. Let dry for 24 hours.

Once dry, pop the balloons. This was the part where I thought for sure they weren’t going to turn out. I was expecting the yarn to go all floppy once the balloon popped, but to my excitement they held their shape! Remove the balloons; and the dino eggs are ready to hang. Group them together to form a chandelier or spread them out, as I did, along the edge of a patio or porch. And, enjoy!

Dino Egg Glue

  • 1 cup cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup cool water
  • 1 bottle of school glue

Mix together ingredients until smooth.

Makes enough for approximately 6 balloons (depending on size and how much yarn is used to cover).

Inspired by Hostess with the Mostess and Turtle Crafty Girl.

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