"Sense"-ational Tuesday also known to me as Take the Time Tuesday

"Sense"-ational Sundays came from Emily Adams an old co-worker who used to blog her senses every week. She always started with this... "Our senses tell a story. I've committed to recording my 5 senses for the past week - every week - as an exercise to explore my sensory world. I challenge you to do the same. If you choose to do so, just blog your 5 senses every Sunday (or Tuesday for those of us who are a little lazy on Sunday); let me know - I'd love to read along!" I find that it is a great way to share with my family and friends some of the highlight of things that I have done during the week that mean the most to me.

See:
Daddy trying to teach Laci how to play Putt Putt. We went to a place called Amazing Jake's that has games and stuff inside. It was really fun. I can't wait until Laci is bigger and can do more stuff and more stuff by herself. She is just so short that we have to do everything with her. So we rode the mini train and the carousel. I had a great time, and the pizza was AWESOME!


Hear:
Last night Laci wanted to read and her book basket was closed. She had a couple books out, but kept telling Daddy I want Pooh. I went over and opened her book basket and sure enough she pulled out a Pooh book. I was really sad that Daddy wouldn't let me take a picture of Laci sitting in his lap while he read. It was REALLY CUTE!

Touch:
I touched a lot of Christmas presents when we opened the boxes at Aunt Jennifer and Uncle Tim's house. Along with that was the peanuts. Laci is going to make out like a bandit this year for Christmas. I can't wait because last year was fun, but this year is going to be even better because she will know that she can open the presents on Christmas. It is fun to re-live the Holidays through a child's eyes.


Taste:
This is easy. I taste the mint from the pink part of the butterflies. They were so tasty.


Smell:
Last year before Thanksgiving we bought gas fireplace logs. the fireplace isn't very big and we didn't want a wood burning one that we had to clean up the mess. So we bought the logs. Missing was the smell and sound. Well this year we went to the fireplace store for the crackle box (sounds like a real fireplace), and while we were there found these incense that are AWESOME! I can't decide what I like best because they are all so good!


Make sure to tune in tomorrow or Thursday to see my dress tutorial...
TTFN!

Edible Butterflly Tutorial

****Don't forget to check out the GIVEAWAY from the 10/9/09 post!****


So the comments I got today were along the lines of "these are too pretty to eat". What do you think? Here is the picture of the final products & below that are pictures & tutorial on how to make the butterflies.


Ok, so start with the butterfly template. Draw or print one off and copy it a couple of times. May want to make the wings further apart than I did so that they don't run together, but if they do they break apart really easy after getting hard. Put Wax paper on top so that you can peel the finished butterflies easily.

Then take your melt able candy (looks like larger smashed chocolate chips, can find them at any baking store) and put one cup into a zip lock bag. Leave the bag open, and heat for 10 seconds at a time for about 60 seconds, kneading between times until no lumps are left. You can do both colors at the same time in the microwave. Squeeze the air out and seal the bags, then cut a tiny 1/16 hole in the corner.

Start tracing your template, working on (1) wing at a time (this stuff dries quick!). You may have to go around twice depending on how thick you do the edges. Then take your other color and fill in. Once filled in pick up your pan and rap it on the counter a couple of times so that the colors run together and flatten out.


After you have flattened this out you need to take the toothpick and pull into run the outside color in. Then rap the pan on the counter again.

After that take your white pareils and sprinkle them on the top. As pictured it is easiest I found to put them on a paper plate and bop the paper plate from the bottom to pop some off until you think you have enough.

This was the stuff I used.

Once you have finished a pan of the butterflies you need to pop them in the refrigerator for a couple minutes to get them to harden even more. Don't forget to do a vertically smooshed V for the antennas with the chocolate.


After you finish all your butterflies make a cake or cupcakes, then you need to tint your icing and spread out your icing on your surface. Then if you are doing cupcakes, don't forget to rim your cupcakes with the crystal like sprinkles (adds the finished touch). Once your cupcakes are ready you need to have (4) brown MnM's (2 on each side) to pop up the wings. Take the antenna and stick it in the cake or cupcakes to pop up. Then last take a Ziploc bag with tinted icing and pipe down the middle to make the body of the butterflies.



They turned out pretty cool, and I got a good response at work when I brought them in.


If you make any let me know. I would love to see.

TTFN,

What Makes You Happy?

For me it is:

The rainbow right after it rains

Beautiful clouds after a storm

An amazing sunset out on the deck

My daughter giving me a cheesy smile

And, after opening some boxes seeing my daughter play in the packing peanuts with my sister, my brother in law and their dog.

These were all taken yesterday, and are all PRICELESS!

TTFN!