Archives for December 2014
HOW TO PERFECTLY WRAP A GIFT
FEATURED: HOLIDAY CENTERPIECE TUTORIAL
1. Fancy Shmancy Japanese flower arranging scissors. Or regular kitchen shears… (Anything between a machete to safety scissors will do)
7. Greenery – take some clippings from the christmas tree, your local forest, or a neighbor you feel like stealing from. Source your pretty greens as this is where it all begins.
8. Random “Foraged” (stolen) Berries – If you have dogs or children, use with caution.
9. Magnolia Leaves – these are a classic holiday accent to any arrangement or wreath. Some people spray paint them gold, but who has time for that?
10. Holiday Food – Pomegranates, Pears, Persimmons, Pumpkins etc. Anything that starts with the letter P will do. (Pinecones…not food but totally acceptable)
11. Protea – This is a great “focal flower” that will last the duration of your family’s stay and into the new year. Succulents are another great option.
12. Ornamental Kale – Hippie/Hipster approved. These take up a lot of real estate. If you are super lazy, this is a solid addition.
13. Tulips – Great color splash – check out french tulips if you want a sassy option.
14. Star of Bethlehem – Cause its Christmas y’all. (Note they also last for a long time and will continue to bloom for weeks).
15. Peonies – This is the popular girl in school. She hangs out with the funny chicks (tulips) but steals their boyfriends. This is your other focal flower of choice. (Caution: much like the popular girl in school, they are fragile and fall apart easily)
Thistle Be is Matthew P. Bollwinkel, who was born in Sibu Sarawak Malaysia in the winter of 1980 to missionaries Mark and Elizabeth (Bonnie) Bollwinkel. Upon their return to the United States, the family spent the subsequent years moving from town to town in California and Nevada with various churches. To this day, the place Matt calls “home” is the San Francisco Bay area.
Matt’s artistic inspiration includes Japanese imagery and culture, feminism, loud and dissonant music, photographs in old medical encyclopedias, animals, rust, dirt, gold, and and the love he has for his wife Sara and their two dogs Albert and Norman. Matt is a studio musician, a baker, and a business man. His love for flowers began when he was a young boy, but his draw to floral design began in the winter of 2013 when his community began commissioning his work. Matt’s notoriety has circulated primarily by word of mouth, as he operates out of his home in Los Feliz in Los Angeles, CA (or in a glass case of emotion….or on location).
For more information or to set up a consultation please contact:
THE BEST CHOCOLATE CAKE!
THE BEST CHOCOLATE CAKE EVER EVER EVER
Ingredients:
Directions:
- Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl and mix until combined. I actually don’t like using an electric mixer with this recipe- it’s too liquidy
- In a medium bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla.
- Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry.
- Slowly add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake 20-25 minutes. Always bake for a few minutes less if you’ve never made this recipe before, so you don’t over-bake the cakes. You can always add more time, you can’t take away. When you start to smell it, it’s probably almost done. Give the pan a jiggle when you start smelling it. Keep adding 3 minutes on your time and checking it again. It should jiggle like solid pudding, not like jello. It will keep baking in your pan after you take it out of the oven. If you want to really check it, put a knife in the middle and it should come off with a few crumbs.
- Cool in the pans for 5 minutes (unless you’ve over-baked it*). Run a knife around the edges so the cake will come out more easily. Turn the cake out onto a cooling rack lined with parchment paper and cool completely. It’s a gooey cake, so the parchment paper on the cooling rack is KEY. If you’re baking it in a sheet pan, you’ll already have the parchment paper to just pop off and place on the cooling rack.
Ingredients:
Directions:
- To melt the chocolate, place in a double boiler over simmering water on low heat for about 5-10 minutes. Add a pinch of sea salt. Stir occasionally until completely smooth and no pieces of chocolate remain.
- Remove from the heat and let cool for 5-15 minutes.
- In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat the butter until creamy, 3 minutes
- Add the milk carefully and beat until smooth
- Add the melted chocolate and beat for 2 minutes.
- Add the vanilla and beat for 3 minutes.
- Gradually add the sugar and beat on medium until fluffy.
MARSHMALLOW FROSTING
This will make the cake taste like a s’mores!
* If frosting a sheet cake, I like to halve the recipe since you’re not covering as much area. This frosting is rich!
Whip together:
1 cup salted butter, room temp (or add 1/4 tsp salt to unsalted butter)
14 ounces Marshmallow Fluff
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING
Ingredients:
Directions: