KRAFT & CURIOSITIES

A CATALOG
OF
DIY'S & INTERESTS

“Bradbury recently wrote a short essay responding to his favorite Snoopy comic strip about how much rejection he faced when he first began writing. “Starting when I was fifteen I began to send short stories to magazines like Esquire, and they, very promptly, sent them back two days before they got them! I have several walls in several rooms of my house covered with the snowstorm of rejections, but they didn’t realize what a strong person I was; I persevered and wrote a thousand more dreadful short stories, which were rejected in turn,” he wrote.
In a recent issue of the New Yorker, Bradbury wrote about discovering science fiction stories as a child growing up in Illinois. “I would go out to that lawn on summer nights and reach up to the red light of Mars and say, “Take me home!” I yearned to fly away and land there in the strange dusts that blew over dead-sea bottoms toward the ancient cities,” he wrote.”
NEUTRAL SPACES, BRIGHT ART!

NEUTRAL SPACES, BRIGHT ART!

COLLAGES FOR WALL ART

COLLAGES FOR WALL ART

LITTLE FELT BALLS!

LITTLE FELT BALLS!

PLASTER CASTING LEAVES!

PLASTER CASTING LEAVES!

HOW TO DO IT

HOW TO DO IT

MODERN DIY

GRAPHICS FAIRY

CUTE TAPE STATIONARY

Ridiculously Easy Cinnamon RollsMakes 8 servingsAdapted from The Hungry Housewife Print Recipe 1 tube (8 count) refrigerated crescent roll dough6 tablespoons butter, room temperature 1/4 cup sugar 2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon 2 tablespoons butter, melted 1/4 cup powdered sugar 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract1/2 teaspoon almond extractSliced almonds, optional Preheat oven to 375.  Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat.  Unroll and separate the crescent rolls and place on baking sheet.  Set aside. Next, mix softened butter, sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl and spread evenly over one side of the unrolled crescent rolls.  Roll the crescent rolls up and bake for 10 minutes. While the rolls are baking, make the glaze by combining the melted butter, powdered sugar and vanilla & almond extracts in a bowl until blended.  Once the rolls are done baking, drizzle glaze evenly over the top.  Sprinkle with sliced almonds if desired.  Serve warm.

Ridiculously Easy Cinnamon Rolls
Makes 8 servings
Adapted from The Hungry Housewife

Print Recipe

1 tube (8 count) refrigerated crescent roll dough
6 tablespoons butter, room temperature 
1/4 cup sugar 
2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon 
2 tablespoons butter, melted 
1/4 cup powdered sugar 
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Sliced almonds, optional

Preheat oven to 375.  Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat.  Unroll and separate the crescent rolls and place on baking sheet.  Set aside.

Next, mix softened butter, sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl and spread evenly over one side of the unrolled crescent rolls.  Roll the crescent rolls up and bake for 10 minutes.

While the rolls are baking, make the glaze by combining the melted butter, powdered sugar and vanilla & almond extracts in a bowl until blended.  Once the rolls are done baking, drizzle glaze evenly over the top.  Sprinkle with sliced almonds if desired.  Serve warm.

Mini Monkey Breads Makes 18 muffins 3 cans of buttermilk biscuit dough1 cup sugar1 tablespoon cinnamon3/4 cups (1 1/12 sticks) butter1/2 cup brown sugarSweetened condensed milk (optional) Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Place muffin liners in each cup and set aside. Remove all of the biscuit dough from the containers and divide each biscuit into sixths and shape into rough balls. In a large resealable plastic bag or a large bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon.  Stir or shake to combine. Place all of the dough balls in the plastic bag and shake until all balls are evenly coated with the cinnamon sugar mixture.  If you’re using a bowl, just move the biscuit dough around with your hands until evenly coated.  Set aside. In a small saucepan, melt together butter and brown sugar over medium heat, stirring frequently, until sugar is just dissolved, about 5 minutes.  Drop a spoonful of butter/sugar mixture into each muffin cup.  Take 5 coated dough balls (assuming you divided the biscuits into sixths) and place them in a muffin cup on top of the butter/sugar (you need to kind of squish them in there!).  Repeat, filling each muffin cup with remaining dough.  Spoon an additional spoonful or butter/sugar over each muffin and bake for 15 minutes, until puffed and bubbly. Serve muffins warm from oven, topped with a spoonful of sweetened condensed milk, if desired.  Muffins can also be made ahead and reheated in a 300 F oven, covered with foil, for 10 minutes.

Mini Monkey Breads

Makes 18 muffins

3 cans of buttermilk biscuit dough
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
3/4 cups (1 1/12 sticks) butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
Sweetened condensed milk (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Place muffin liners in each cup and set aside.

Remove all of the biscuit dough from the containers and divide each biscuit into sixths and shape into rough balls.

In a large resealable plastic bag or a large bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon.  Stir or shake to combine.

Place all of the dough balls in the plastic bag and shake until all balls are evenly coated with the cinnamon sugar mixture.  If you’re using a bowl, just move the biscuit dough around with your hands until evenly coated.  Set aside.

In a small saucepan, melt together butter and brown sugar over medium heat, stirring frequently, until sugar is just dissolved, about 5 minutes.  Drop a spoonful of butter/sugar mixture into each muffin cup.  Take 5 coated dough balls (assuming you divided the biscuits into sixths) and place them in a muffin cup on top of the butter/sugar (you need to kind of squish them in there!).  Repeat, filling each muffin cup with remaining dough.  Spoon an additional spoonful or butter/sugar over each muffin and bake for 15 minutes, until puffed and bubbly.

Serve muffins warm from oven, topped with a spoonful of sweetened condensed milk, if desired.  Muffins can also be made ahead and reheated in a 300 F oven, covered with foil, for 10 minutes.
Petite Pumpkin Spice DonutsMakes 24 mini donuts For Donuts:1 3/4 cups flour1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder1/2 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon cinnamon1/2 teaspoon nutmeg1/2 teaspoon allspice1/8 teaspoons ground cloves1/3 cup vegetable oil1/2 cup brown sugar1 egg1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract3/4 cup canned pumpkin1/2 cup milk For Coating:1/2 cup butter, melted2/3 cup sugar1-2 tablespoons cinnamon (more if you’re a cinnamon lover) Preheat oven 350 F.  Butter a mini donut pan and set aside. In a bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt and spices together and set aside. In a large bowl (or the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment) whisk together oil, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, pumpkin and milk until combined. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the mixture and stir until just combined, careful not to over mix. Using a pastry bag or a steady hand and a spoon, fill each donut cup with the batter.  The donut cups should be fairly full, but not overflowing. Bake for 8-9 minutes, until donuts spring back when gently pressed (if you’re using a larger donut pan, allow them to bake for 12-15 minutes).  Turn donuts out onto a wire rack and allow to cool for a few minutes. While the donuts are cooling, melt butter in one bowl and combine the sugar and cinnamon in another.  When donuts are still hot (but not too hot to touch), quickly dip each donut in melted butter, then coat in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.  Serve immediately. *Note: If you’re not going to serve the donuts immediately, you can bake them up to a day in advance and store them in an airtight container.  Do not coat them in the butter/cinnamon-sugar mixture until just before serving or they may get soggy. You can also adapt this recipe for mini muffins.  Just bake muffins for 10-12 minutes then follow the same procedure for coating. http://www.blueeyedbakers.com/recipes/

Petite Pumpkin Spice Donuts
Makes 24 mini donuts

For Donuts:
1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoons ground cloves
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup milk

For Coating:
1/2 cup butter, melted
2/3 cup sugar
1-2 tablespoons cinnamon (more if you’re a cinnamon lover)

Preheat oven 350 F.  Butter a mini donut pan and set aside.

In a bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt and spices together and set aside.

In a large bowl (or the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment) whisk together oil, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, pumpkin and milk until combined. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the mixture and stir until just combined, careful not to over mix.

Using a pastry bag or a steady hand and a spoon, fill each donut cup with the batter.  The donut cups should be fairly full, but not overflowing. Bake for 8-9 minutes, until donuts spring back when gently pressed (if you’re using a larger donut pan, allow them to bake for 12-15 minutes).  Turn donuts out onto a wire rack and allow to cool for a few minutes.

While the donuts are cooling, melt butter in one bowl and combine the sugar and cinnamon in another.  When donuts are still hot (but not too hot to touch), quickly dip each donut in melted butter, then coat in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.  Serve immediately.

*Note: If you’re not going to serve the donuts immediately, you can bake them up to a day in advance and store them in an airtight container.  Do not coat them in the butter/cinnamon-sugar mixture until just before serving or they may get soggy.

You can also adapt this recipe for mini muffins.  Just bake muffins for 10-12 minutes then follow the same procedure for coating.

http://www.blueeyedbakers.com/recipes/

CUTE VINTAGE RE-ISSUE FROM FOSSIL THIS IS OKAY TOO…MAYBE BETTER SUITED AS A TRAVEL/CAMERA BAG

CUTE VINTAGE RE-ISSUE FROM FOSSIL

THIS IS OKAY TOO…MAYBE BETTER SUITED AS A TRAVEL/CAMERA BAG

CUTE…THEN YOU CAN PUT MESSAGES ON THERE!

CUTE…THEN YOU CAN PUT MESSAGES ON THERE!

O MAN I THINK THIS IS A MAJOR CONTENDER FOR HALLOWEEN COSTUMES THIS YEAR!

O MAN I THINK THIS IS A MAJOR CONTENDER FOR HALLOWEEN COSTUMES THIS YEAR!