Feed Sack Kitchen Skirt

For those of you that sent condolences on the loss of my sewing machine, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.  There wasn't much of a service, just me saying, "Oh crap!" over the corpse.  But I moved on to a new love.  My new sewing machine is a Brother NX 250.  The thing I like most, you ask, well, thanks for asking, I'll tell you.  It's the easy threading of the machine.  Swish the thread through and push down a button, and viola, the machine is threaded.  Now let me just say, there is nothing wrong with my vision, and I'm not getting old, it's just that they make the needles so small these days.  And don't send me emails saying the needles are the same size as before, because I'm just going to delete them.  

So I recently painted my breakfast rm, click here and kitchen.  

  

That meant that the old skirt I had in my buffet no longer went with the new paint.  Here's the before below.

I've painted the cabinets and will show you the cabinets in another post.  Here's the new curtain.  

I used a canvas fabric and added one of those adorable Target feed sack kitchen towels to the front of the curtain.  

I was having so much fun with my new sewing machine, that I used one of the decorative stitches to the top of the feedsack towel.

This was one of those fun sewing projects that takes a hour or so that I love.  I have 42 YARDS of linen sitting in my office waiting for me to start my living room slip covers (gulp, gulp).  These are going to take me probably about a month, when you factor in meals, sleep,  and all of that stuff my family expects me to do.  I mean really, I think   doing your own laundry builds character, and who among us couldn't benefit from skipping a few meals?  When I explained this to them, they tilted their heads like a dog that's trying to pick up some distance sound it can't quite make out.  I considered using my daughter's tactic and running to my room, all the while yelling that they don't understand me, then throwing myself into a dramatic heap on the bed, but I didn't want to get my new bed spread all wrinkled.   

French Chocolate Cupcakes

Why don't you come join me for some homemade cupcakes?

Yes these are homemade Chocolate cupcakes.

And so you want to know, "What makes them French?"  Well I am glad you asked, because it is the little Eiffel towers and the French poodle on top of course.

I found these French cupcake picks at Sur La Table, and couldn't resist them. (Did I mention they were marked 50% off?)  

I made these for an sleepover I hosted for my prayer group.  


I also purchased Madeleines from Costco for our get-together.  (The Costco Madeleines are made with butter, and so I bought them.  I would not have bought them had they been made with partially hydrogentated oil.)  I dipped them in chocolate, knowing my guests would enjoy them more that way. I know that is not the French way to serve them, but in Texas we don't always follow the rules.  Of course I can't serve Madeleines without thinking of Proust who in Remembrance of Things Past, said they reminded him of his childhood.  Sadly it's not Madeleines, but Captain Crunch that takes me back to my childhood.  Why wasn't I born in France, and raised by clever, attractive, chic Parisians?  Why? Why? Why?  (My sixteen-year-old is probably asking herself the same thing.)  But I digress.

I also used my French script tote box to hold bottles with matching  pink striped straws. 

I got the straws from Pick Your Plum.  They have a different deal every day, and the discount is typically 60% or so.  

The bottles came with Tazo green tea in them.  After we enjoyed the tea, I soaked the bottles in warm water to remove the labels, then used vegetable oil to remove the sticky glue resident left behind.  More cleaning, and they were good to go.    

Want the recipe?  Here it is.  I started with a Mrs. Field's recipe for Devil's Food cake, and modified it to my tastes.



French Chocolate Cupcakes

CUPCAKES
1 3/4 cup boiling water
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups sifted cake flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
10 ounces unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 cups (packed) dark brown sugar
4 large eggs
2 tablespoons Starbucks Coffee Liquor
2 tablespoons Godiva's Chocolate Cream Liquour


CHOCOLATE FROSTING
2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) plus 2 tablespoons unsalted sutter, softened
4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2tablesppons Starbucks Coffee liquor
2 tablespoons Godiva's Chocolate Cream Liquour
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk
Garnish: Chocolate chips, dragees, or nuts 


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin pan with cupcake liners.  In a bowl, pour the boiling water over the chopped chocolate.  Set aside for 6 minutes.  Add the cocoa and stir until the mixture is smooth.  Set aside to cool to room temperature.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar using an electric mixer.  Add the eggs one at a time, then add the liquors, mixing to combine.  Add the flour mixture and half of the chocolate mixture.  Beat on low speed to combine. , then on high for 1 1/2 minutes.  Add the remaining chocolate mixture and butter , and beat to combine.

Pour the batter into the prepared cupcake pans and bake for 20 - 30 minutes or until a cake tester inserted comes out clean.  Let the cupcakes cool for a 10 minutes in the pans on a cooling rack and then remove cupcakes form the pan, but place them back on the cooling rack until cooled to room temperature.    

Prepare the frosting: in a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream the butter.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar and cocoa.  Beat 1/3 of the sugar-cocoa mixture into the butter.  Mix in the liquors.  Add the rest of the sugar-cocoa mixture and the milk, beating until the frosting is smooth.    

Ice the cupcakes and add any garnishes you like.   

Here's a list of the parties that I visit on a regular basis.  I might have shared this link at any number of these.