Friday Funny

They aren't hurt!!

Thursday Things... Last Minute Gifts from the Team!

Wool Play Food-- Mexican Food Set -- Tacos, Bean Burrito, Salsa, Guacamole and Scallion Sour Cream from Fair Trade Family

 

Route 66 Travel Tote Bag - Durable Market Bag from SEWsational Sarah

Airplane Applique Infant Shirt from Zany Zebra Designs

 

Spring Mint boxy bag by Sweet Slings

Sandalwood Vanilla Artisan Soap by Relic Soap Co.

And don't forget to check out plenty of other great goods by searching for "team hyena" on etsy!

Wordless Wednesday

Submitted by Shannon of Gillyweeds

Easy Cherry Cheesecake Bombs

I saw this posted on a forum I go to, no recipe just a picture that sparked a major drool fest, thanks Ginny! I decided to use a vanilla bean cheesecake base. The thing is with DH so busy studying so much I wasn't about to get my cheesecake. You see, I don't make cheesecake, maybe once in a blue moon, if even. It's not that I can't, it's just that DH can, and he does, very well. SO, I choose to say "I can't". I seriously debated whether or not I should make this filling. Why ruin an 8 year streak right? But I wanted these Cheesecake Bombs, so there you go. The cheesecake filling recipe I used is below. I had some trouble with the chocolate, due to my laziness I didn't want to temper any chocolate. In the end i should have just got out good chocolate and tempered it because I ruined the first batch of store bought chocolate I melted in the microwave because I added cream and it seized on me. The second batch was so dry and tough I stirred in some ghee to smooth it out, that made it perfect, but still. (And any excuse to use ghee right?) I wanted to avoid shortening, because I didn't want to have to go to the store and we don't use shortening.

What you need
Maraschino cherries with stems
Vanilla bean cheesecake filling completely cooled- recipe follows
Graham cracker crumbs
Chocolate to coat
2-3 teaspoons Ghee if you're not using a chocolate that will be tempered

Drain the cherries on a paper towel and dry them as much as you can.

Take a scoop of cheesecake filling and mold it around the cherry.




 
I used gloves, I can't tell you how much I love my disposable gloves- they make everything so easy, peeling chilies, rolling meatballs and matzo balls. Anyway.
Now you can coat them in the graham cracker crumbs ( I decided to only do a few because I didn't want my chocolate being contaminated by crumbs) Freeze these until firm.

Melt the chocolate and stir in the ghee so it's smooth and dip the cheesecake bombs in it. Place on a rack or wax paper to set. I placed some of them on top of graham cracker crumbs to set.

Vanilla bean cheesecake filling

(this made enough for the cherry cheesecake bombs and Buttermilk Cherry Cheesecake ice cream. OK we ate some also.)

3 packages of cream cheese (softened and NOT fat free)

1/2 cup sugar (I used Vanilla Bean Specialty Sugar)

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon flour

1/2 cup sour cream

2 eggs

Beat the cream cheese until smooth in a stand mixer. Or use a hand mixer. 

Add sugar, vanilla, flour and extract. Beat well.

Beat in sour cream. (that's not dirty sour cream I had some vanilla extract get into the measuring cup)

Beat the eggs in one at a time.
Pour into a pie plate and bake at 325 for about 40 minutes. I baked it a little over to make sure it was firm enough for the ice cream and bombs.

See how ugly it is? That's because it doesn't matter if it's pretty, no need for a water bath, slowly cooling it or anything to keep the top from cracking for this project.



Posted originally at GPAC.

Funny Friday

submitted by Alfabette Zoope

Wordless Wednesday

Sweet Potato Casserole

OK I know Thanksgiving is over but I had like five sweet potatoes on my counter waiting to grow and take root. I had this on Thanksgiving and I loved it. I did leave my potatoes cubed instead of mashed and cut the sugar way down. But it's so yummy.
I didn't really measure, but here are approximate measurements.
5 sweet potatoes peeled, cubed, boiled until tender and drained
1/3 cup evaporated cane juice - if even that much...
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
ground cinnamon
ground ginger
fresh grated nutmeg
1 cup evaporated milk

Topping stir together-
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup pecans
3 tablespoons melted butter
3 tablespoons flour

Beat all ingredients fur potatoes in a bowl, except the potatoes. Stir in the potatoes, trying to keep them as whole as possible. Pour into a buttered baking dish. Top with mixed topping ingredients. Bake for 30-35 minutes, cover with foil if your nuts are getting too dark.
Submitted by Love Abounds, originally posted at GPAC.

December Giveaway: Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays from the Etsy HC Team! what is your favorite holiday tradition? Tell us for a chance to win our December giveaway!

From Earth*School: Winter Holidays Around the World curriculum unit, print

From Boutique Linnea:  3 cold processed hand made soaps, one of each of the following scents: candy, neroli honey and hot date.  You can read more about Linnea Bare soaps here

From Zimsy Whimsy: the most adorable small AIO, featuring a Star of David embroidery. You can read about ZW's AIOs here (and find specifics about this AIO as well!)

From SEWSational Sarah: 2 gingerbread gift bags

From Sweet Slings: Fill this boxy bag with goodies for a teacher or secret Santa or stuff  a stocking quickly! This bag measures 4" tall, 5" wide and 9" long.  It features a zippered closure, handle and coordinating  inner lining.  Our bags are reinforced with lightweight woven interfacing for shape.

From Holden's Landing:  a mini stocking, made from cute reindeer flannel, measuring just over 12" from cuff to toe

 Total retail value:  over $100

To Enter:
* Leave us a comment telling us your favorite holiday tradition.  Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, St. Nicholas Day, Santa Lucia Day ... anything!


Additional entries:
* Search "team hyena" on etsy and leave a comment with your favorite item
* Blog about, post on facebook about or tweet the giveaway and leave a link in the comments
* Fan the team on facebook and leave a comment saying you did 
* Follow the team blog and leave a comment saying you're a follower

Giveaway is open worldwide and a winner will be chosen using random.org on Friday morning, December 10th.  Good luck! 

Congrats to comment #83! 

Funny Friday! A noise/distraction eradicator!!!

Keeps out the distractions!

Just in case you get chilly while you are working at your computer...keeps your hands and head warm, too!

Submitted by Shannon of Gillyweeds

Wordless Wednesday

My two year old got a  hold of my "handle with care" stamp. Stamped her whole body. Great reminder

Phyllo Cigars

See that ooey gooey goodness up there? That my friends is a delicious, crispy, ooey gooey, BAKED mozzarella stick. Yes, I said crispy, delicious, mozzarella, and baked all in the same sentence. The secret? Phyllo dough! So easy and simple! No need to fry these babies. I first saw these done like this here. Today I wrapped mozzarella cheese sticks and nutella in the phyllo- separately of course! The possibilities are endless though- mini marshmallows and chocolate, minced lamb with potatoes and onions, chicken, pepperoni and cheese, vegetables, crisp pancetta and cheese, asparagus and prosciutto, cinnamon walnut baklava filling, chicken curry, honey and ricotta with orange zest, pate, mini beef wellingtons for appetizers... really whatever you like. For these, cooked fillings that are a little dry are best. This is a method really. Have fun with it! (First posted at GPAC)

A couple of things you want to remember

- keep the phyllo dough covered, I take out a few sheets at a time then roll it back up in the plastic and cover that with a damp towel

- phyllo dough rips easily

- even though it rips easy, it's forgiving, an extra layer to cover up a mistake and prevent oozing of filling is not going to hurt anything

- olive oil or butter in a spray bottle or bowl and pastry brush is your friend

-cooked fillings work best for this method since you're just crisping the phyllo and heating the filling

- phyllo browns quickly at 475 degrees, watch it!

For the Mozzarella sticks

What you need-
Phyllo dough sheets- thawed
String cheese
Olive oil- garlic infused would be awesome

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees.
Unwrap string cheese and cut each one in half. (Or as DH says "into transverse sections".) For each of the pieces of cheese I used one sheet of phyllo, cut in half, again "transverse sections" LOL. Spray the phyllo with olive oil- I have a pump spray, I am sure you can use PAM, it just has to be a THIN coating. Take one of the pieces of phyllo and place the cheese about 1/3 up from a corner. Bring the corner up over the cheese and roll once or twice. Fold in the two corners on the sides, spray with more olive oil. Finish rolling the cheese all the way to the end of the dough. (Step by step pictures, I sure do miss you- I'm not a writer). Now take the rolled cheese and place it on the other half of the phyllo and wrap it again the same way. This is called insurance, so you don't have cheese oozing out all over the baking sheet. Place the roll seem side down on a oiled baking sheet. Once you have them all rolled spray the tops with oil again and bake for 8 minutes. Turn them at four minutes to brown the undersides. That's it, it really is that easy.

You want Nutella ones? Same method... seriously- easy peasy.

Funny Friday!

Tote available at Cafepress.com
Shared by Shannon of Gillyweeds...

Thursday Things... Give Thanks

Give thanks for... 

cute little bottoms

 

 lots of twirl

yummy treats

a sense of humor

holding family close

dreams

and imagination

Happy Thanksgiving from the Etsy HC Street Team!

Wordless Wednesday

submitted by alfabette zoope

Funny Friday... Stop Motion Dance

Break Dance Stop Motion from ben wheatley on Vimeo.

submitted by Alfabette Zoope

Why Handmade?

Why handmade?


I have always had a cheaper is better mentality. When you don't have any money, cheaper means you can afford more. It's basic math. But is cheaper any better? Do you really get what you pay for?

I have been trying to adjust my thinking, here over the last several years. Here's some of my math:

I can go and buy a pair of pants from Walmart for $4.00 for my daughter. They will get stained, most likely, will maybe shrink, and will be thin. They will likely wear out before she has outgrown them. They will be machine washable, and can be worn for about a season.



Or I can go spend upwards of $40 for wool yarn. Then spend a few days to a few weeks making them into pants. Then have to wash them by hand forever. But, they can be worn indefinitely. As long as I have a wool shaver, and water, these pants could last generations. My grandchildren could wear these same pants.

So which one's the real value? To me, it's a no-brainer. After having been crocheting and knitting my daughter's woolies for so long, I completely understand how some women would be willing to pay $75-$100 for a pair of pants for her child that will probably outgrow them after a few months.

That same pair of woolies will last long enough to fit their grandchildren. Not only that, but each stitch, each join, each detail is lovingly created. Who can spend hours upon hours, thousands of stitches, producing a garment without loving every minute of it? And, as most of us knitters and crocheters knows, most of what you make is for someone else!

I know that I will be doing my best to support those men and women out there using their hands and hearts to create products that are good for the environment, and using the money they make to support their families. I will think twice about where I spend my money from now on.

Wordless Wednesday

Meet Featured Artisan Eva of BoutiqueLinnea

I'm Eva, the creative force behind Linnea. Boutique Linnea is upscale Euro style kids' clothing, Linnea Design is clothing for women designed to be sexy, stylish and comfortable, Linnea After Dark is lingerie and sleepwear, Linnea Grrrlz is for tween fashionistas and the newest addition Linnea Bare is artisan soap and skincare. On Etsy, it all operates under BoutiqueLinnea where you can expect to see a variety of items from all my collections. I have a background in design and marketing, and have always been creative and had a need to express myself through art in various forms.

My passion is to dress women in clothes that make them feel not only good but great about themselves. Everyone deserves to feel sexy and stylish, and it should be really simple to treat yourself. Of course kids should be able to dress in custom made clothing meant for play while still looking good too! I truly believe in treating yourself and your family to what "luxuries" you can, and think handmade, custom items are wonderful for that.

As long as I can remember, I have been slightly obsessed with scent and body care luxuries so when I first encountered artisan soap it was a natural step for me to get interested in the process and learn how to do it myself. I did lots of research and before long I was completely hooked. Soap making is a wonderful craft and very calming to me. I truly enjoy coming up with various recipes and planning the feel, look and of course scent of each soap I make. My focus as a soaper is on smell, feel and aesthetics, in that order. My goal is to make each bar a decadent treat. To me, it's similar to clothing design, the same energy and creativity goes into it and by tweaking little details you end up with totally different results. The idea behind it is the same as well, it's a way to spoil yourself just a little. Whether it's a custom made garment or a luxurious hand made soap, it brings you joy every day you use it.

Being a WAHM can be difficult. It's hard for me to balance it with being a Mom and a wife and woman as well. I have great care for my customers, but truthfully my family does and always will come first. That means that I try to get some work done every day, but some days are better than others. I feel fulfilled and blessed when I'm able to do it all, but most of the time it isn't as balanced and harmonious as I would like it to be and it's a struggle to perfect that balance without having anything suffer. I'm a firm believer in needing time for oneself to re-center, and I do make sure I take that time for myself... in the end, it's the absolute best thing for everyone. My downtime is often spent with books, and I get lots of inspiration from the beauty of literature, dance and other art around me.

Giveaway Information: For this feature, I have chosen to do a surprise soap sampler giveaway to celebrate the opening of Linnea Bare. I will select a few full sized bars for the winner, in various scents and formulas. 

To enter: 

* Visit BoutiqueLinnea and leave a blog comment telling us your favorite item

Additional entries: 

* Fan BoutiqueLinnea on Facebook and leave a comment telling us you did

* Fan the Etsy Hyena Street Team on Facebook and leave a comment telling us you did 

* Tweet, blog, or post on Facebook about the giveaway and leave us a link

Make sure we have a way to reach you if you are the winner.  Winner will be chosen using random.org on Monday, November 22nd!

A winner has been chosen via random.org... congrats comment #14 (kkfoster35) on winning the BoutiqueLinnea giveaway!

Thursday Things... disguised as Wordless Wednesday :)

submitted by alfabette zoope

Tutorial Tuesday: Rustic Herbed Cheese Bread

It's no secret that I love bread. Love it. There are a lot of bread recipes on here if you go through the archives. And most of them start with the same recipe/method, the no-knead method. This bread is no exception, but the taste is absolutely exceptional! This is a great dinner bread, but I recently served it hollowed out with an herbed sour cream dip as an appetizer and it was phenomenal!

Rustic Herbed Cheese Bread

Ingredients:
3 cups flour
1 5/8 cups water
1 1/2 tablespoons oil
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon yeast
Garlic powder
Sesame seeds
Onion powder
4 ounces sharpest provolone, shredded
Corn meal and additional flour for dusting/shaping


Mix all ingredients but cheese in a large bowl, just until combined. I didn't add the measurements for the spices because I don't measure. I like my breads strongly spiced, so I used approximately half of a small container of sesame seeds, and generous amounts (1 1/2 - 2 1/2 T) of garlic and onion powder.

There is no need to knead or over mix this dough. Simply combine the ingredients and that's it. Cover the bowl (this dough will double in size so make sure your bowl is big enough) and let sit overnight. I let mine sit for at least 12 hours, but have let it sit for 48 hours and the bread still comes out amazing.

After it has sat, place a dishtowel or paper towels in a warm place (I put mine on the stovetop with the oven on) and sprinkle generously with cornmeal. Using only enough flour so that the dough doesn't stick to your hands, ball the dough and place it on the prepared towels. Dust with more cornmeal or flour and cover with another cloth/paper towel. Let rise 1 - 3 more hours, until doubled again in size.

For the last half an hour, place a baking dish (it needs to have a cover) in the oven at 450 degrees to heat up. Turn dough out into the preheated baking dish, cover and bake for approximately 25 - 30 minutes. Remove cover and bake another 15 - 20 minutes until the bread is browned and sounds hollowed when you thump it.


Herbed Sour Cream Dip

Into 16 ounces of sour cream, mix 2T Healing Pixie's bread and cheese herb mix, 1T garlic powder, 1T onion powder and 1T garlic salt. Chill for at least an hour to allow hers to soften and flavors to meld.

from Bonnie, Holden's Landing

November Giveaway: Food!

It's that time of year again ... holiday time! Thanksgiving, Christmas, Yule, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa ... and they all come with an abundance of foods.  What is your favorite holiday food?  Leave us a comment to be entered to win our November food-themed giveaway!

From Alfabette Zoope: 2 gorgeous batiked cloth napkins, sure to liven up any holiday meal!


From SEWsational Sarah: - A reusable sandwich wrap and a reusable snack bag


From Go with the Flo: -  11" Petite Maxi in the  "Chocoholic"colorway


and from Love Abounds: - a package of Mango Peach decaf Sip Your Bliss tea




Retail value over $40! 




To Enter:
* Leave us a comment telling us your favorite holiday food


Additional entries:
* Search "team hyena" on etsy and leave a comment with your favorite item
* Blog about, post on facebook about or tweet the giveaway and leave a link in the comments
* Fan the team on facebook and leave a comment saying you did 
* Follow the team blog and leave a comment saying you're a follower

Giveaway is open worldwide and a winner will be chosen using random.org on Friday morning, November 12th.  Good luck! 

 *Congrats to Liz - we will be contacting you for your address!

Funny Friday on Saturday!

Posted by Gillyweeds for Lilikoi Lane...enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday: Are you ready for the holidays?

from Bonnie, Holden's Landing

Tutorial Tuesday: Apple Spice Cupcakes

There is nothing I like better in the kitchen than baking with fresh ingredients. When A's parents brought over a ton of fresh apples from a local farm, I knew I had to whip up something sweet with them, but didn't want to go with the same old recipes, so I came up with this recipe for apple cupcakes with spiced brown cugar buttercream frosting. We had these at our Halloween party this year (along with vanilla and chocolate cupcakes with dark chocolate and peanut buttercream frostings) and they were the most talked about item that day!

Apple Spice Cupcakes
(makes 2 dozen)

Ingredients:
2 sticks butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 whole eggs
1 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 fresh apples (I used Spencer apples), peeled and chopped into chunks
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional, but they really make these cupcakes!)
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (to taste)
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Disolve baking soda in buttermilk.

Alternately add flour and buttermilk, mixing well after each addition. Mix in vanilla and spices. I use my kitchen aid for this and let the batter whip for a minute or two to make it light and fluffy. Add apples and walnuts and mix to incorporate.

Bake in preheated 400 degree oven until toothpick comes out clean.


Spiced Brown Sugar Buttercream Frosting

Cream 1 stick of butter with 1/2 cup brown sugar. Add 2 1/2T cinnamon and 2 cups powdered sugar. Mix until the consistency of frosting (you may need to add 1-2 T milk to reach a good consistency). This frosting will be slightly grainy due to the brown sugar. Pipe onto cupcakes using a large star tip or spread over tops with a knife. This keeps very well in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Just let stand at room temperature and re-whip before frosting.

from Bonnie, Holden's Landing