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Wednesday, January 17, 2018

SNOW DAY & BAKED DONUTS


Today we had a snow day! The whole family was home, including daddy. We got about 6 inches of heavy snow throughout the night. I decided to make it extra cozy by making some homemade goodies. 

I have always wanted to make homemade donuts. When I was younger I would read 'Farmer Boy' by Laura Ingalls and I always loved how his mom had the house full of good smells and good food. Every chapter is filled with delicious foods his mom was making. I sometimes get in the mood to read it before bed...especially on cold nights!

FREE RECIPE PRINTABLE AT THE BOTTOM OF POST!


My oldest help me bake...it was so nice to spend the day with her in the kitchen!

INGREDIENTS
For the donuts:
* 1/4 cup unsalted butter (melted and cooled)
* 1/4 cup vegetable oil
* 1 cup granulated sugar
* 2 large eggs 
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour 
* 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt 
* 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 1 cup buttermilk

For the glaze:
* 2 cups confectioners' sugar
* 2-3 tablespoons milk
*1 teaspoon vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly spray a 6-cavity donut pan with non-stick cooking pan.

2. In a large bowl, whisk the butter, oil and sugar together until combined. Add the eggs and vanilla...whisk until well combined.

3. In a separate bowl, add the flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda and nutmeg. Stir with a whisk. Stir in half the flour mixture into the wet ingredients...followed by the buttermilk and then the remaining flour. Stir until combined...the batter will be thick.

4. Transfer the batter into a disposable piping bag or zip-lock bag with a small corner cut off. Pipe the batter into the prepared pan, filling each 2/3 full. 

5. Bake for 7-9 minutes or until donuts spring back when pressed lightly. Set the donuts on a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Meanwhile make the glaze.

To make the glaze:
1. In a medium bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, milk and vanilla. Stir until well combined, adding more milk if needed.

2. Dip the donuts while they are still warm into the glaze and set them on a wire rack to set.
Optional: In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar and a 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. Stir to combine and sprinkle on top of the glazed donuts.

*Best served warm. Will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Making the vanilla glaze...

 Fresh from the oven!

Dipping in the vanilla glaze.

Apple turnover recipe in another blog post...

Looks like they enjoyed them!


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Friday, November 10, 2017

Becoming A Spoon Flower Designer!

BECOMING A SPOON FLOWER DESIGNER!
By Arianne Plehandzic

Anyone else love calling themselves a designer?!!
Well...I do!! It is so fun to be a designer for Spoon Flower! I know some of you are asking 'What is Spoon Flower?!'... a few months ago I was asking the same question. Let me give you the run down...

(I am not an affiliate for Spoon Flower, but a designer. I do not earn commission for this post. I am simply sharing my excitement and knowledge with you! See my disclosure page for more details.)


GROWING AS ARTIST!

I am so happy to be doing what I love for a living. Painting is my passion, my dream! As much as I love having my Etsy shop and sharing pictures of my paintings... I wanted to grow as an artist. See what else is out there. The best way to grow and get better at your craft is to challenge yourself. Right?! I started to look around to see what other artists were doing and what other challenges I could give myself. 

I noticed other artists talking about their entry for a Spoon Flower challenge. I was curious. Then I started to see artist sharing these beautiful products they were making out of their artwork. Turning their watercolor paintings into beautiful blankets, cute pillows, lovely wrapping paper. I thought 'I WANT TO DO THAT!!'. You can get tired of making just paper goods sometimes. So I decided to research this company 'Spoon Flower'.

LOOK WHAT I MADE!

When I went on www.spoonflower.com , I was blown away by all the neat things you could do. As an artist, you can upload your paintings to start a design. Then you can create a product like fabric, wallpaper or gift wrap. Which opens up a whole new window of opportunity! I can order my own fabric and make my own products to add to my Etsy shop. I can make cute pillows with my fabric or a cozy fleece blanket...all featuring my own watercolors. 



ANOTHER MARKET FOR MY ART!

The other very cool thing is I can simply upload my watercolors and let other people buy my designs to use!! That means I make a commission from Spoon Flower whenever someone buys my design. What a super fun and easy way to make some extra income! Plus you have the joy of being featured by other markets and enjoying collaborations! For instance, if a famous seamstress buys your design... you then have instant free promotion for you and your designs. Or if you collab with someone that has a good following, you also get free promoting. On top of that, you are building wonderful relationships with fellow designers and building your reputation! The only catch is you do have to order a small test piece before you can sell your design. This is to ensure that its a good design and that you are a legit designer.

DESIGN CHALLENGES

One thing that I really enjoy about Spoon Flower is their Design Challenges! They always have challenges going on. Which I find so fun! I love stretching my wings and creating a challenging piece of art. This month they have a GINGERBREAD HOUSE challenge that I am very interested in!

(DID YOU KNOW? Did you know that Spoon Flower offers 'Emerging Designer Grants'? If you are currently enrolled in design school, you might be eligible. They help you to create custom fabric and wall media for fashion shows or exhibits. They also support the designer in as many ways possible...check it out! www.spoonflower.com/design_grant)



MORE TO COME!

I just got my first test piece and it is beautiful! I am super excited!! Did you know that you receive a designer discount? Really happy about that! I have already ordered my second design. I am turning my second design into a fleece blanket...perfect product for winter. I can't wait to share it with you!
It is also a wonderful place to connect with other designers/artists and spread your wings!!!

CHECK OUT MY SPOON FLOWER SHOP: www.spoonflower.com/profiles/lilacfarmsstudio