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Selasa, 12 Februari 2013

Pink Velvet & Berry Parfait

08.33 Susanto No comments

My husband rocks. He is so passionate about cooking & even though he's not a professional chef, his meals really impress me.

I'm always posting them on my instagram, so if you follow me there, you'll see what I mean. He made these amazing parfaits for the LOVE LETTERS/Cartas De Amor digital Mag we put together, they were delicious! Below he'll add the recipe in case you want to impress your significant other! You can view the entire Love Letters magazine here.

Also a quick shout out to Holly of Decor8 for sharing the 'Love Letter' mag on her blog! Thank you!

Here he is prepping...

Parfaits:
Cake (any kind of sponge or regular cake like the pink velvet)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar (powdered)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Berries - cut strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries

In a chilled bowl, whip the heavy cream with a whisk attachment until it begins to peak. Add the sugar and vanilla and finish whipping - should be light, soft peaks.

Cut small cubes of the cake and place in the bottom of a parfait or tall shooter glass (if you don't have those, champagne or wine glasses also work well). Carefully spoon about 2 tsp of cream on top then gently knock the bottom of the glass to force it down. Add a layer of berries, then another layer of cream. Top with an exceptional berry, or even a nice bing cherry!

Stay tuned for a few more sweeeeeeet Valentine's Day recipes this week!

-images by jen ramos

FOOD: Heart-Shaped Napoleon with Raspberries

00.30 Susanto No comments

Hi everyone! Alison from Heart of Gold & Luxury blog! I'm here with my first post for MadeByGirl! I am excited to share with you an impossibly romantic dessert to enjoy with your sweetie this Valentine’s day. The Napoleon is a classic dessert that combines layers of flaky puff pastry, luxuriously rich pastry cream scented with almond and vanilla, topped with plump ruby red raspberries and finished with a dusting of confectioners sugar.

This dessert might look intimidating but it is incredibly easy - you just have to use your creative eye to assemble this confection. This is one recipe that will impress your other half, not to mention your friends and family. In fact, you just might have them wishing that this day filled with roses and chocolates would come around more than once a year.

Ingredients:
16 ounces puff pastry, dethawed
2 cups whole milk
½ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure almond extract
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
4 egg yolks
¼ cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, diced
½ pint fresh raspberries or strawberries

Equipment: Heart-shaped cookie cutter (optional)

For the Pastry Cream:
Combine 2 cups milk, ¼ cup sugar, almond extract, vanilla extract and pinch of salt in a small pan. With stovetop on medium heat, allow for mixture to come to a simmer. Set aside.

In a bowl, combine 4 egg yolks, ¼ cup sugar and ¼ cup cornstarch. Slowly whisk in the warm milk mixture to combine. Pour mixture back into pan and return to medium heat, stirring constantly. Pastry cream will begin to thicken rapidly. Once mixture is thickened remove from heat, add butter and stir until combined. Pour into a heat-safe bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Be sure to coat the top of the pastry cream with the wrap, otherwise you will have a film that forms on the top. Allow to cool completely in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or up to 2 days.

For Napoleon Assembly:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Unroll puff pastry and place on lined baking sheet. Pierce holes with a fork all over the dough. Place a heavier baking sheet on top (a Pyrex pan is perfect) and allow to cook for approximately 25 minutes. Pastry is done with it is golden brown. Allow to cool completely. Once cooled, cut out pastry into hearts if desired. Place pastry cream into a sealed plastic ziplock bag. Cut the tip off and fill one side of the pastry with cream, top with raspberries and then place another piece of pastry on top. Finish with a dusting of confectioners sugar.

*Makes about 3 to 4 servings depending on size of cookie-cutter

*Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart

10 Lovely Tops

11.11 Susanto No comments

Welcome back everyone! With Valentine's Day around the corner & all these heart & lip shirts popping up everywhere, I decided to jump on the trend! There are so many options available, but I ended up buying this one which was super affordable - you can find it here at Forever 21.

So, tell me, are you liking this heart & lip trend?

1. im in love
2. chinti and parker
3. shop the trend
4. forever 21
5. asos
6. forever 21
7. markus lupfer
8. wildfox
9. Jcrew
10. markus lupfer

20 Picks for Valentines Day

13.30 Susanto No comments

Are you in LOVE?? I know I am. I'm so grateful to have a wonderful & loving husband. I'm looking forward to being with him this February 14th sharing a special dinner & exchanging gifts. I'm very much into romance & all things 'LOVE', in fact it's one of my favorite words, can you tell??

By the way, when I was single..... I used to get buy myself a Valentine's Day gift - I know, it may be a little odd, but it was my way of letting myself know, that I loved me! But NOT in a vain way....

With that said, here are 20 cool picks for Valentine's day. Which ones do you like best??

1. diptyque candles
2. coin purse - paper source
3. je t'aime gold lips - MadeByGirl
4. lingerie - anthro pologie
5. mast brothers chocolate
6. shakespeare
7. mini mon amour by Louis Vuitton
8. gold feather pilow- Jayson Home & Garden
9. macaron lip gloss - paper source
10. the perfectly imperfect house book
11. valentino
12. sugar free recipies by babycakes
13. your/mine glasses
14. nutella cupcake - billy's bakery nyc
15. v-day cards paper source
16. gold heart earrings via cwonder
17. Jcrew Darling cashmere sweater
18. what i love about - via paper source
19. mast brothers chocolate
20. heart sticky notepads via paper source

How About We?

08.44 Susanto No comments

A few weeks ago, my guy surprised me with tickets to the Broadway show "Once" which I'd really wanted to see since we both LOVED the film.

To say the least, the show was fantastic & I can't wait to see it again!

My husband told me he got the tickets through a site he'd found called HowAboutWe (for Couples). This super cute site is basically for dates...NOT to find a date but to go on one.

I mean, have you ever been clueless about where to go on DATE NIGHT with your husband or wife? Well, this site will guide you with that.

The homepage of the site isn't all that interesting, but once you get inside...WOW, what a difference! The site has a whole bunch of ideas for dates...from samplers at restaurants to pottery classes to wine tours. Talk about cool date ideas!

It is a subscription site - for $22 a month, you get some major discounts on some pretty cool stuff. Those "Once" tickets, normally $125 each - but my husband scored them for $80 for the pair on How About We!

And the site is really well done. You can "wishlist" dates as a reminder, or book them. Once you book a date, they send you an email and you provide the best days for your date...then go!

We already have our next date set up...

images via how about we

Food: Cookie Hearts

17.56 Susanto No comments

Hello Friends!!! It is Lori and Michelle from pure2raw.

Today we have a super easy and super tasty Valentines Day inspired dessert! It can be made ahead of time too! And another great part about this chocolate dessert is that there is no baking required, so whipping these cookie stacks can be done easily!

This dessert is made out of cashews for the cookies and is layered with a creamy banana cocoa mousse. Perfect for those chocolate lovers at heart like us. And any amount of chocolate screams Valentine's Day right? These may look difficult to do but promise they are not. An exquisite looking healthy dessert that anyone can do! Just our kind of recipe! We pulled out our Valentine day heart cookie cutters and decided to use 3 different sizes to make a cookie stack.

We love desserts with layers. What about you? Recipe: Cashew Banana Cocoa Mousse Triple Cookie Heart Stacks prep-time: about 10 minutes the amount of cookies it makes varies depending on what size cookie cutter you use.

Cashew Cookie Ingredients:

1 cup cashew pieces
1/2 cup coconut flakes
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup agave nectar (maple syrup or honey would be fine, or even a few pitted dates)

Directions: Place all your ingredients into food processor and pulse till combined. You want the batter to be holding together but without being to wet.

Place cashew cookie batter onto a cutting board and roll out. We used a rolling pin. You can use your hands (great for kids)

Once the cookie dough is rolled out grab your cookie cutters and start cutting into the shapes.

Set aside the cookies. And the hard part now is trying not to eat them all.

Now time to make your banana cocoa mousse for the filling. Banana Cocoa Mousse Ingredients:

2 medium bananas
1/4 cup cocoa powder
3 tablespoons coconut oil
splash vanilla

Directions: Place bananas, cocoa powder, coconut oil, and vanilla into a blender and blend till smooth. Pour filling into a bowl and let sit in fridge for 5 minutes to set. This makes it easier to use on cookies for layering. Once you have everything ready time to begin building the stacks. We got three stacks with a few extra cookies.

Place one cookie down on the bottom and top with some mousse. Repeat layers till you get a stack of 3 cookies. With our cookie stacks we did 3 different sizes of hearts so we started with the large cookie heart on bottom followed by the medium size heart and then topped with the smaller heart.

We feel with the 3 different sizes really helped give this dessert more personality and depth. But if you only have one size cookie cutter that is totally fine too. The stacks will still look amazing!

After building all our stacks we placed them in fridge and let them set for a few minutes. This makes them a little easier to eat.

We hope you all enjoyed our Valentine Day inspired dessert! Making these cookie stacks are a perfect way to show that special someone how much you love them.

Enjoy! Lori and Michelle

Sugar Paper...

13.59 Susanto No comments

Here are four different ways to say - 'I love you' this Valentine's Day. However....if you're a romantic like myself.......these will do any day of the year! Via Sugar Paper.

- found via a little dash of ash

Food: Pom Citrus Trifle

00.02 Susanto No comments

Hello again MBG readers! It's Heather from The Lovely Cupboard, and I've got a something sweet to share today. Are you looking for a dessert to serve up on Valentine's Day?

This trifle is fresh, light, and feels decadent all at the same time. Pomegranates, navel oranges, and blood oranges not only taste wonderful together, but they have the look for the occasion too. Here's what you need to pick up at the store.

1. Start by cutting the navel and blood oranges into "supremes", or slices without the pulp. Set aside.
2. In a sauce pan, heat 1/3 cup of marmalade and 1/3 glass of OJ on medium heat until the marmalade has dissolved and the liquid begins to bubble slightly. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
3. Combine 1 cup of heavy whipping cream, 1/4 cup of sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla, and 8 ounces of mascarpone cheese (a soft, slightly sweet Italian cheese that looks a bit like cream cheese). Mix in an electric or hand mixer until stiff peaks form.
(Typically 4-5 minutes)

4. Begin assembling the trifle by dipping the lady finger cookies in the marmalade mixture and stacking on the bottom of your trifle bowl.
5. Once the bottom of the dish is covered in cookies, add the cream mixture with a rubber spatula, spreading evenly.
6. Layer slices of the oranges and a handful of the pomegranate seeds.
7. Continue layering cookies, cream, and fruit until the dish is filled. Top with remaining fruit.
8. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours before serving.

Isn't it almost too pretty to eat?

-images & post by Heather Freeman

DIY: Festive Welcome Mats

00.02 Susanto No comments

Happy Valentine's Day Made by Girl readers! Jenny May here popping over from the Swede Records once again to give you a quick n' easy DIY project.

One of my oddly favorite home fixations are festive welcome mats. They're a fun way to show off your personality as guests arrive and really make a statement before you even open your door. My Mom was always one to decorate our home for every occasion, even on Valentine's Day so it kinda stuck with me.

This year, I decided to throw a little Champagne Party for friends on Vday so I've been thinking of little ways to decorate. With my love for Spray Paint and doormats, this DIY was the perfect addition that took under 10 minutes to make.

Because the door mat I bought was so dark, I chose white as the base color so the red hearts would easily stand out. I started off by spray painting with several white coats until the whole mat was evenly white.

I then took the heart stencil, carefully placed it over the mat, and generously sprayed the center with the red can.

Once complete, I let the mat dry for 48 hours before stepping on.

I plan on making one of these for Saint Patrick's Day, Easter, and the 4th of July but next time I will use a bristle mat! If you all decide to make one of your own, be sure to send them to Jen or myself!

-post by jenny may

Fashion: Chic Valentine's Day Outfit

11.41 Susanto No comments

Hello beautiful ladies! Lauren here again, and I'm here to share with you lots of of hearts, color, glitter, and sparkles!

As Valentine's Day is just around the corner, I decided to round up a totally chic, color-filled outfit that is perfect for dinner with your man, or even a day at the office {which I plan to do!}.

{ image sources } : 1 / 2 / 3 / 4

1. Topshop Wide Leg Trouser / 2. Shopbop Equipment Blouse / 3. Steve Madden Blush Heels / 4. Ban.do / 5. Nars Lipstick in Schiap / 6. Deborah Lippmann It's Raining Men

Not only will you be perfectly dressed for Valentine's Day in this outfit, but you will also be rocking the color block trend. Win win, right?! Have a chic Valentine's Day :)

-post by lauren wick man

LOVE...

10.09 Susanto No comments

Wow...Valentine's Day is around the corner - do you have any plans?

My guy says he's got a nice surprise planned, so I'm looking forward to our first V-day (in over 12 years) in New York City! Speaking of LOVE...have you thought about adding the newest GOLD love print from MadeByGirl to your home? Here is what it looks like in a home office...pretty huh?

You can get yours here. Also available in other colors!

-image via white lacquer

Plenty of LOVE to go around...

23.56 Susanto No comments

Looking for something sweeeet this Valentine's day? Maybe for yourself, your guy or your girlfriend? Below are some pretty selections to consider!