Lavender Frosting

This is my favorite frosting. I have always had a love for the

scent and flavor of lavender whether its in a sachet, soda, scone, anything! You gotta try it! And don't worry it does not taste like soap.

Excuse the sewing machine in the background :)

I have not measured out how much frosting this recipe makes but there will be enough to frost a dozen cupcakes.

You will need...

• ½ cup milk
• 1 teaspoon lavender buds
• 2 ½ cups powder sugar
• 1 ½ cups (two and a half sticks) softened unsalted butter

Now that you have gathered everything...

1. Microwave for about a minute and a half until hot (or scald the milk on the stove). Sprinkle in the lavender and steep for 7-10 minutes until the milk is very fragrant.
2. Meanwhile, cream the butter and the powder sugar on low gradually raising the speed to medium until smooth. If the butter is not really soft it will initially break up into pellets; don’t worry it will warm to reach the right consistency.
3. Stain the milk and discard the lavender.
4. Pour in the scented milk and beat until blended. Lastly I added 3 drops of red and 3 drops of blue food coloring to give it a lavender hue.

I used the frosting on Oprah's honey cupcakes .

Creamed Eggs On Toast

Creamed eggs on toast was a staple food for my mom growing up in a Mid-Western family. Her Oklahoma born mother fed my mom and her siblings creamed eggs on toast often because it was the perfect comfort food when money was tight, which it always was in the single-parent household. I revamped the recipe a little, but it is still the familiar meal my mom grew up with. 

Creamed Eggs on Toast for 3-4 people

You will need...

• 2 eggs per person
• 2 tbs. butter
• 2 tbs. all purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 loaf of brioche bread (white bread is fine too)

Now that you have gathered everything...

1. Fill a stock pot with a couple inches of water, place on the stove and a insert steamer basket. Bring the water to a boil.
2. Place eggs in the steamer basket.(If you are steaming a lot of eggs you will have to work in batches of six so you do no over crowd the steamer). Steam the eggs for twelve minutes.
   
3. When the eggs are done, place them in to an ice bath in order to stop the cooking. Allow them the cool in the ice bath for five minutes.
4. In the mean time start toasting the bread and making the sauce.
5. To make the sauce set a sauce pan over medium heat. Melt the butter and whisk in the flour until all the lumps are gone. Continue whisking until the roux is golden brown.
6. Lower the heat, whisk in the milk and allow the sauce to thicken. Add more milk if you would like the sauce to be thinner.
7. Add the mustard, salt and pepper to taste.
8. Peel and slice the hard-cooked eggs and scatter them over the pieces of toast. Drizzle the sauce over the eggs and toast and serve immediately. 
   

Easter Basket Fruit Salad

This fruit salad can really be made for any occasion but is particularly special for an Easter brunch centerpiece. You can also make some slight alterations to the watermelons shape make it look like a bassinet for a baby shower. Before I dove and made it I thought it would be challenging, but actually it was really easy. Let's get started!

You will need...

• A watermelon (look for one that is oblong)
• Your favorite fruit salad
• A SHARP chef's knife
• A SHARP paring knife
• A non-toxic marker (like Crayola) 

Now that you have gathered everything...

1. Slice the bottom of the watermelon to create a stable surface.
   
2. Draw a line around the watermelon just above the "equator."
   
3. Then find the half way points on the "equator" you just drew and draw two lines equidistant from the center points.
   
4. Carve away the sections you drew out to create a "handle" (don't forget to save the watermelon that you are cutting away to put it in your fruit salad). 
5. Carve the flesh out from under the handle. 
   
6. Use a melon baller or ice cream scoop to hallow out the watermelon and create a bowl. Be careful not to cut through the bottom!
7. Now if you like you can add some decorative flare, I took my pairing knife and carved a zig-zag edge around the bowl and handle.
   
8. Fill your now completed basket with fruit salad and you're done!
   

Crayon Rain

  One of my good friends, Ivy, showed me how to make crayon rain last year; it's really simple to create but the results are beautiful. Want to learn how?

You will need...

• A 64 count box of crayons (or how ever many you need depending on the size of the canvas you are using)
• A canvas panel, form core board or particle board(I used a 16x20 canvas panel)
• A hot glue gun and hot glue
• A blowdryer

Now that you have gathered everything...

1. Here's the caveat... you have to put the crayons in rainbow order. I was totally shocked when I opened up my new box of crayons and realized that Crayola does not put them in order for you. Well anyway it was kind of fun organizing them. If you have kids you can get them to do it; it will be an entertaining challenge for them to figure out the perfect spectrum.
2. Now we are trying to make a pretty rainbow take out all of the browns, blacks and grays (if you want). I was debating on whether or not I should remove "asparagus" green. I didn't but now I wish that I had. Sorry asparagus you make for a yummy vegetable but an ugly crayon.
3. Now with your crayons all lined up in the order you want them, pick each up one at a time and glue them down on your surface of choice. Make sure the keep them straight and to leave one crayon width (a few millimeters) of space on each end so there can be extra space for the wax to spread.
   
4. Line your wall and floor/table top with garbage bags to catch wax splatters and drips. Now prop up your canvas.
   
5. Take your blowdryer and set it to high heat. Turn it on and start melting those crayons! Watching this project come to life it so fun, just look...

Keep in mind that you can be as creative as you want. Try using only warm or cool colors if you want (you may have to buy a couple boxes then). Also think about the layout of the crayons because you don't have to put them in a straight line. Try a wavy layout or scatter them, whatever you like! Be creative with the surface you choose as well! Look what a friend and I did with our Social Institutions teacher's book shelf.

Hi There!

Hi, I'm Sandrine. I am a high school student living in Los Angeles. I have a passion for cooking and crafting. My interests also extend to rugby, banjo, photography, and yoga. I hope you stick around, say hello and look at what my blog has to offer. Thanks for stopping by!