Pin It, Do It: Tile Coasters

Coasters by Jenny

For the third installment of the Pin It, Do It challenge, I decided to make a set of coasters.

I found this tutorial awhile back, and planned to make a set of coasters for my sister's birthday in August. She's moving out of the house soon, and somehow I don't think coasters are on the top of an 18 year old's list of things to buy. However, since they were going to be a present, I thought it would be a good idea to do a trial run.

The original instructions called for a coating of polycrylic, but the clerk at the craft store said that Mod Podge was basically the same thing, and I didn't see the point in buying both products. If after using these for a bit it turns out the Mod Podge isn't holding up, then I'll use the polycylic next time. Hence the purpose of a trial run.

My supplies

I used scrapbook paper with old typewriter keys on it. I love the colors, and how it looks old-fashioned-writer-ish. I'm sure old book pages or illustrations would look really nice, too.

I think I covered the tiles with four coats of Mod Podge. They look nice, but they don't have that "covered in a thick layer of acrylic" look. I think it's fine, but I can see how a thicker coating would be nice, too. I guess I could give them another coat or two of Mod Podge, but I'm not really that concerned.

When I put on the felt "feet" I super glued them even though they had sticky backs. I just didn't want them falling off and then having to replace them. This way they should stay on a while longer.

Here's the finished project :

 I can't wait until they're completely cured so I can snuggle up and set my cup of tea on them while I read an old book. Thanks, Trish, for pushing me to be all crafty. This was really fun!

Pin It, Do It: Cheddar Pecan Crisps

I've been wanting to join the Weekend Cooking fun, hosted by Beth Fish Reads, for a while now, but never had anything that fit the theme. Thanks to this edition of the Pin It, Do It Challenge, I do! Go check out this week's other Weekend Cooking participants here.

So.

I had high hopes of writing about a delicious cocktail, named after serious drinker Ernest Hemingway. I figured if he drank a bunch of them, they had to be pretty decent. Unfortunately, the Hemingway Daiquiri calls for maraschino liquor, which is proving nearly impossible to find. My local liquor store said they'd order some, but when I called back to see if it had come in, they told me they were unable to find any. I tried ordering it online, but I can't find anyone that will ship it to me.

When I find the elusive ingredient - and I WILL - I'll be sure to let you know. I hope they're good, because otherwise I'll be using the stuff to make homemade maraschino cherries, which actually do look pretty lovely.

Instead, I've made Cheddar-Pecan Crisps (pin here). Last year, I read A Tiger in the Kitchen by Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan. I was impressed by her willingness to put in the work and learn how to cook some of her favorite foods. Ever since, I've been wanting to try some of her recipes. These crisps aren't her creation, but she wrote about them on her blog, which is still actively chronicling her journey with food.

Crisp batter, photo by me.

As I'm writing this, the first batch of crisps is bubbling in the oven. They smell like HEAVEN.

The details of the recipe are a bit
lacking - it looks like maybe they were cut off. I've put them in a 350 degree oven and set the timer at 20 minutes. That seems to be working.

The batter is very thick - I ended up mixing it with my hands, as my poor little electric mixer just wasn't cutting it. Ahh, to dream of a kitchen with counters and storage and a Kitchen Aid stand mixer. Someday.

My crisps didn't come out exactly like the picture. Here's the first batch, fresh out of the oven:

Crisps, again, photo by me.

 I am curious to so if I could track down the complete recipe somewhere. Maybe I was missing a step, or not doing something completely right. Also, they aren't nearly as cheesy as I expected, especially based on how they smelled when they were baking. They taste like savory tea biscuits. Good, but nothing I'd probably make again.

Lu-Lien Tan does have other recipes I want to try. Her family recipe pineapple tarts sound amazing, and served as the inspiration for her cooking project. The recipe makes A TON of tarts, though, so maybe I should wait until I've got the above-mentioned counter space :-)

If you could make a recipe based on a literary inspiration, what would it be? Or maybe you have already - tell me about it!

Pin It, Do It, Take 1

This is my first entry into May's Pin It, Do It Challenge, hosted by Trish over at Love, Laughter, and a Touch of Insanity.

Here was my inspiration:

Pin; Source

Of course, there were no instructions. Boo. So, I went hunting on youtube, and, voila! I quickly found a corner bookmark tutorial:

After a bit of tinkering, I'm pretty happy with the end result. I bought both solid and patterned paper, so I plan on making a few more. They'd make cute little gifts. My secretary likes to read, and I bet she'd get a kick out of one of these cuties.

My monster's a bit more sleepy looking than scary looking, but I like him!

 

Be sure to check out what the other participants have been up to with Trish's Challenge Progress Post!

Pin It, Do It

Trish over at Love, Laughter, and a Bit of Insanity is hosting a Pin It and Do It challenge for May. I really like Pinterest, and use it on a pretty regular basis. I do make a lot of the recipes I find on there, and I use the "Pin It" bookmarking tool to save recipes and projects I find elsewhere on the interwebz. 

Of course, as is typical for me, I have to put my own twist on this challenge. This is a book blog, and although I tie in other topics, I like my blog firmly rooted in the "bookish" category. So, all the projects I choose will be book-related somehow.

I've committed to 1-3 pins, or the "Timid Pinner" level, so I don't overwhelm my blog with crafty posts. But hey - if people like them, maybe I'll make them a more regular feature! One never knows...

Here's my Pinterest profile - if you have suggestions for me, let me know!

Oh, and on a not-bookish note (since I don't think they make me put my hand on the Bible or anything), I'm getting sworn in to the Florida Bar today!!! Officially a real lawyer!!!