While there is something magical about using traditional mediums of paint, chalk, pencil, etc, I’m also finding digital processing a challenging and interesting journey.
These pieces are pretty basic so far, just playing on the theme of fairy doors, and elusive characters that are just barely there. And having taken some inspiring photos on our camping trip has allowed me that fun concept of adding my own touches to existing beautiful settings…
As we get older, and maybe the effects of a global pandemic are influencing things too, but I think for me it is mostly getting older, I have been finding it interesting to look back at my family.
For birthdays during this year of limited contact, I’ve been perusing old photos of siblings and with the help of my talented husband, creating mini video journeys through time.
And my Aunt- who I am sure that I have met in person way back when I was a child, I have been able to connect with on social media to a degree I never would have otherwise ( waves at J!)
And she kindly has sent me photos of her siblings, including my dad, and her parents, my grandparents . She has also been spreading this journey with my cousin < Waves at another J> who again, without this amazing connector of the internet, I would barely know.
The telephone is not my thing. I have auditory issues that make listening to people irritating ( misophony May be the basis of this, but that’s a self analysis so grain of salt included).That makes email, texting and short bursts of conversation via social media a blessing for me.
But enough about why I don’t want you to call me..,
Jean (Seeley) holding “Eleanor”/Jami and Wilson Vibert with Grace and BertCecil Vibert with Lorraine Vibert 1956…Cecil with Lorraine
Who has been rewatching baking shows while sewing up TAVMasks? Yes. Me.
One of the challenges was a Mille crepe cake, so that looked intriguing.
I had made some Bison chili last week and had kept the aqua fava (?) from the can of chick peas, so that needed to be used.
And the apples we have been getting lately are going grainy super quick, so they needed to be used up…
A quick internet search for recipes using chick pea juice yielded a super easy crepe recipe and off I went!
TAValonia’s Gingerbread crepes:
The liquid from 1 can of chick peas
1 cup flour (whole wheat, oat, whatever you like)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
1 teaspoon ginger powder
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon molasses
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 cup Oat milk -or more- to make the batter thin enough.
Whisk it all together until smooth.
Oil a crepe pan or skillet and cook the crepes using about ¼ cup batter at a time. Made 8 6 inch crepes.
Simple apple filling:
3 to 4 apples
2 tablespoons coconut oil or margarine ( butter if not vegan)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Mix together in the skillet and let cook covered for 10-15 minutes over medium low heat- until the apples are tender.
Assembling:
Layer the crepes and apple filling in individual bowls starting with a crepe on the bottom.
Serve warm or chill to serve later.
Top with whipped topping ( can be made from more aqua fava whipped to soft peaks and flavoured with a bit of sugar) or vegan ice cream ( purée of frozen banana would go well)
Options to try:
-Add a white chocolate genache between the crepes ( heat non dairy milk and pour over chopped while chocolate to melt it)…
Every year, for my fabulous Husband of 22 years’ birthday, I create a cake for him.
It is always based on a “fake” Black Forest style, made with a cake mix, cherry pie filling and whipping cream.
And I try to make it interesting every year that I have the time to do so.
This year, we had watch the movie, Grabbers, and I had already been thinking “tentacles” for the 2020 version, so I was inspired!
I knew I needed cake, and last year I had used a great brown sugar cookie recipe for the face hugger from Alien, so I knew that would work for the tentacles… I did some baking and chilled all the bits.
I spent some time on Friday afternoon looking for images of the Maher’s Pub and did a quick acrylic painting of it, while FaceTiming with my niece – who created a lovely piece as well! I then popped a photo of my painting into Procreate – and added the tentacles for the finished illustration!
The acrylic painting of the Maher’s Pub
Maher’s Pub after the attack.. #Grabbermovie
The following is a photo journey through the process I spent 3 hours completing this morning…
< click on images for captions and to enlarge>
The Pub:
Horizontal slice into the fudge cake
prepping to make the pub
next layer – made from 2 off-cuts of the loaf size fudge cake
whipping cream- of course!
and the roof layer of cake – the chimney did not stay, but that’s cool.
crumb coat
Finished the whipping cream stucco on the pub
ok… so, the chocolate icing has micro lumps from the melted chocolate – thus the piping skills of a drunken irishwoman…
The Grabber…
Tentacles made from sugar cookie recipe.
the Grabber’s body cake
the Grabber body with whipping cream and cherry pie filing between the layers – chilling vertically.
getting the layout figured out
icing sugar and cocoa powder
honey dissolving into hot water and lemon
Juniper Green gel colouring into cocoa royal icing
Eggless royal icing coats the cookie tentacles.
tentacles, flipped over, and smoothed with a bit of water and more royal icing.
the body of the Grabber sneaking up
The Grabber and the Pub < off to chill>
The Grabber and the Pub…#grabbermovie
The Grabber Babies:
Just a half dozen cupcakes from the remaining cake mix…
Poking cherries into the cupcakes.
Prepped with cherries inside and whipped cream on top – ready for the babies to come.
The baby grabbers made from the off-cuts made into cake pops!!
dipped in 72% dark chocolate
Baby Grabber Cake pop!
The displays:
I could not achieve a tiny version of this for the pub – so here’s a cookie version instead !