letter c design now has a facebook page. keep your eye on it for product updates and special offers.
honey taste test
every now and then my aunt asks me to send her granola. the last couple of batches were a little too sweet and the only thing i can think that might be different is the type of honey used. so i thought i would send her a little honey taste test. we’ll see which is honey is just right – orange blossom or clover.
new goods in the shop and discounts
over the past couple of weeks some new products have been added to shoplettercdesign.com. here’s a few of them and a couple of discounts.
free shipping on Letter C design iPhone cases until Sunday, March 17. use this link to receive the discount.
lots of new hand foil printed place cards to help celebrate any occasion. the little birds will add a cheerful spring touch to an easter table or spring baby shower.
it’s been awhile since new address label designs have been added. in this batch the kraft balloons are my favorite right now (prefer them in color – no problem).
new pocket journals are now available. they come in a set of 3 – use one and give a couple away or keep them all for yourself – it’s up to you. (sadly that iPhone to the left there is no longer around. i learned my lesson and now use the rainbow brush strokes cover for my new phone).
go ahead and add a little cheer to your paper goods this spring. take $10 off your order of $25 or more on www.shoplettercdesign.com. use the coupon code luckymarch when checking out.
code valid until march 31, 2013 and can not be combined with other offers.
simple salad bar
saturday my sisters and nieces came over for dinner, so i pulled together a salad bar. the first one we made was for my sisters birthday last summer. her girls wanted to throw her a little party. i asked what her favorite food was and they said salad. not sure if it is really her favorite food, but we went with it. i made a salad bar and they were in charge of decorations. it was a hit and now i wish one set up in my kitchen all of the time.
this salad bar came together easily. i made some simple pizzas to go with it, so while the dough was rising and sauce was simmering i got to chopping. the beets and carrots were roasted, chickpeas were cooked with a bit of olive oil and seasoning, broccoli was sautéed with onions & garlic and the rest was cut up or just placed in a serving dish. if more people were coming i would have used these for labeling the dishes.
there was more than enough food. after we ate, my niece made my mom and dad salads for delivery (since they have new puppies and couldn’t join us), then my sisters each took some to go. everything else was dumped into the lettuce bowl and now i have lunch for days.
there are a lot of good things about making a salad bar for company:
• you can use any ingredients you have on hand
• make it simple, make it complicated – it’s up to you
• all the chopping can be done ahead of time
• no need to worry about matching serving dishes – use what you find
• make it a pot luck type of meal and assign toppings to other people
• perfect for any size of get together – just add more or less of each of your ingredients
• you don’t need to worry about what people will & won’t like – they have choices
• it’s ready to go and you can enjoy your company
• my favorite part – the leftovers for lunch the next day (or two)
here’s some salad bar suggestions:
• any kind of lettuce (i chop mine in small bites for easier eating)
• spinach
• cucumbers
• tomatoes
• green peppers
• carrots
• celery
• roasted peppers
• banana or hot peppers
• olives
• corn
• shredded brussel sprouts
• green beans
• roasted beets
• broccoli
• peas (i use frozen and let them thaw before serving)
• salsa
• avocados
• grilled zucchini
• slivered almonds
• beans (if using from a can i cook them a bit to get rid of the can taste)
• tuna fish
• hard boiled eggs
• ground beef with taco seasoning for a mexican salad
• cubed ham
• shredded chicken or turkey
• salami
• cheese – cubed, shredded – whatever you like
• crumbled bacon
• gold fish
• croutons
the possibilities are endless. if you’re feeling extra creative you can go with a theme. maybe italian and along with the basics include mozzarella, cured meats, tomatoes and basil, onions, olives & garlic bread croutons. or southwest with ground beef or bbq shredded chicken, salsa, avocado, corn, jalapeños, black beans, cheddar cheese & tortilla strips.
march desktop
welcome march. here’s a background for your computer and iphone to match your letter C calendar and planners.
pancake balls
i’ve said it before, but every time one or more of my sister’s kids sleep over i offer to make something good for breakfast – waffles, omelets, baked oatmeal, hash browns … doesn’t matter what choices i give them – they always want pancakes (even these little guys are actually pancake batter cooked in a waffle shaped skillet).
last week when my niece slept over i was trying to think of how i could mix up the normal pancakes for breakfast routine. my first thoughts were to make them a shape or maybe more crepe like, but then i remembered about the aebleskiver pan i bought on a whim a little while ago. not sure why i put it in my cart, but the next time i checked out i decided to keep it in there. i don’t know why. i have amazon prime. i didn’t need to spend more for free shipping.
aebleskiver are basically little dough balls originally from denmark. the name translates to “apple slices”. there were no apples used in the making of these. they do take some time to make, but are a nice addition to my breakfast options. the dough is more waffle-like than pancake-like so the balls were a little crisp on the outside and light and soft inside. next time i think we are going to try making stuffed aebleskiver.
the recipe i used is a combination of one i found here with the recipe that came with the pan.
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 2/3 cups milk
3 eggs
melted butter (for pan)
separate egg whites and yolks. beat egg whites in an electric mixer until soft peaks form. while the mixer is going start the rest of the batter. combine flour, sugar, baking power, cinnamon and salt. then stir in milk and egg yolks. once the whites are done gently fold them into the batter.
heat the pan over medium high heat. brush with holes with melted butter. fill each hole about 2/3 full of batter. cook a few minutes. take a skewer and run it around the edge of each ball. if the ball easily moves, rotate it a bit. i was using a skewer and a fork. you’ll end up rotating each ball about 4 times until each side is cooked. it’s a labor of love.
once the balls are done take them out of the pan. they say eat them right away, but we ended up putting them in a 250 degree oven while we waited for my mom and my other niece to join us for breakfast.
add a little cheer to your iPhone
you can now get letter C design iPhone cases and pillows on society6. right now a few of the most popular patterns and images from over the years are available, but more will be added. is there a certain pattern or image you would love to have on your phone or couch? just leave a comment.
dry erase picture frames
my nieces were hanging out with me in my studio today since there was no school. for a little project we came up with these dry erase picture frames – simple to make and tons of fun.
start by taking a photo (these are from my phone and printed on a laser printer – a high quality photo is not need here), cut it to size and place in a simple and inexpensive glass frame.
then just draw on them with dry erase markers. add mustaches, silly hair, make up or anything else you can come up with.
wipe the glass with a tissue and start all over again.
my frame – not as fun, but a little more practical.
a fresh coat
it snowed just enough this morning to cover up the dirty snow from last weekend’s blizzard.
lately around here
my niece and nephew working on some paintings.
why use paper swatches when you can choose from boxes of envelopes?
took a quick (12 hour) road trip to cincinnati for my uncle’s 80th birthday.
made a simple ice cream cake for my sister – cake with pretzel & chocolate toffee ice cream.
making valentines for my nieces.
did a little digging out this weekend after getting 2+ feet of snow.
