A Christmas Gift

I know, I know. All of us are getting emails, messages, cards to remind us of the true spirit of Christmas. Maybe this post is one more thing to add to that list, maybe it isn't.

I'm not going to tell you not to go out shopping crazily for the season, after all, it's the season of giving, of joy and hell yeah gifts are cool and make us happy!
Today, I found myself on Walmart.com  digging after what I wanted to buy for myself,  because it's been a long year of school and work, why not spend my Christmas bonus with a happy ending?

Whatever way we choose to celebrate Christmas, let's not forget the greatest gift of all - I know, sounds cliché, but truth is what it is. The gift that won't get old, that will always fit, that we can use it anytime and anywhere, the gift of love. In this season specially, the love of Christ and all the joy His birth brought to the world.

Yesterday I had the opportunity to watch the Tabernacle Choir Christmas concert, featuring David Archuleta and Michael York. Yeah, I could probably save words because you already know it was amazing! Gotta love Christmas songs =)

This video is not from this year's concert, it's from last year.. But this organ solo is sick! Haha.. Richard Elliott rocks my Christmas world, for sure. Enjoy!

By the way, I couldn't find anything on Walmart.com that I wanted for Christmas. All that I've wanted, I wouldn't be able to find there anyway. Leaving all my consumerist behind, I just wanted to be home for Christmas.. "if only in my dreams".

Tronco de Navidad

Sim! Eu sei que todos estavam esperando por essa...! Meu famoso (e já lengedário) tronco de Natal veio para adoçar a vida de todos que são talentosos o suficiente para fazê-lo. Hahaha. Sem desanimar niguém, claro. Tá aí uma receita muito boa, que já virou tradição nos meus Natais..

Você vai precisar de...


Massa:
5 ovos
5 colheres (sopa) de açúcar
1/2 xícara  de leite
1 colher de chá de essência de amêndoa
1 xícara  de farinha de trigo
1/2 xícara de amêndoas trituradas
Manteiga para untar


Recheio:
1 lata de leite condensado
1 colher (sopa) de manteiga
1/2 xícara de amêndoas peladas, torradas e moídas


Cobertura:
1 lata de creme de leite
1 tablete de chocolate meio Amargo, picado
Lascas de amêndoas peladas e torradas, cerejas ou morangos para decorar
Saco de confeiteiro


Modo de Preparo


Massa:
Em uma batedeira, bata os ovos até dobrarem de volume
Adicione o açúcar e bata mais um pouco
Diminua a velocidade da batedeira e junte o leite e a essência
Desligue e adicione a farinha e as amêndoas, misturando delicadamente
Despeje em uma fôrma para cookie ou retangular (30x41cm), untada
Leve ao forno médio-alto (200°C), pré-aquecido, por cerca de 30 minutos


Recheio:
Em uma panela, coloque o leite condensado com a manteiga e cozinhe em fogo baixo, mexendo sempre até desprender do fundo da panela (cerca de 5 minutos)
Retire do fogo, acrescente as amêndoas moídas e misture bem
Desenforme a massa e recheie
Enrole como rocambole


Cobertura:
Derreta o chocolate picado em banho-maria
Acrescente o creme de leite
Espere esfriar e leve à geladeira por cerca de 30 minutos


Montagem:
Corte o rocambole ao meio e cubra as duas partes com o ganache, dando aspecto de tronco. Coloque um pouco do ganache num saco de confeiteiro para enfeitar e fazer mais detalhes!


receita adaptada do site Tudo Gostoso

Chocolate x Strawberry Cake

Vanesa was my roomate and is my heart sister! She is obsessed with strawberries dipped in chocolate so last year for her birthday, September 2nd, I baked her this cake. This was just the beginning of a sweet birthday, as after we traveled to Disneyland to celebrate it!

You'll need...

Cake

• 2 cups of flour
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups of sugar
• 1 cup of cocoa powder
• 1 cup of milk
• 2 tablespoons of margarine
• 1 tablespoon of baking soda
• 2 round cake pans (8-inch) 

Filling

• 1 can of condensed milk
• 1 case of strawberries, sliced
• 1 tablespoon of margarine
• 1 egg yolk

Topping

• 2 packages of table cream
• 5.6 oz of semi-sweet chocolate
• 5.6 oz of white chocolate
• 1 case of strawberries

How To..

Cake
Mix the eggs with the sugar and margarine. Then add the flour, cocoa powder, milk and baking soda. Spread the cake pans and apportion the dough between the two pans. Put in the oven in medium heat for 40 minutes or until is baked.

Filling
Bring the all ingredients but the strawberries to a sauce pan to the stove at low heat. When the mixture gets thicker and starts to come off the bottom of the pan, turn it off and let it cool. Slice the strawberries.

Topping
Melt the chocolate separately. Get the amount of strawberries you wanna garnish you're cake with and dipped in the melted chocolate (note: the strawberry needs to be dry!) and reserve. Mix one package of table cream to each kind of chocolate melted.

Building the cake
When the cake is baked, place one of them in the plate that you wanna serve it, to be the bottom. Make the top flat, or the filling won't stay. Spread the creamy filling and put the sliced straberries over it. Place the other cake on top and cover the surface with the semi-sweet chocolate topping. Garnish with the white chocolate topping and the strawberries.

Get Creative!

Just posting more shapes that you can use the same technique from the last post. Also, I included an alphabet so you can make personalized key chains! I picked this font because the letters are thick so it will look cute.. But you can pick other fonts, on this I used size 150.

Click to enlarge!

• Just remember: when you cut the fabric using a letter shape, in one of the fabrics you have to flip the letter, so you can sew both parts together with the nice side of the fabric showing!

Click to enlarge!

Remembering Spring

x

Spring is my favorite season! Sadly, it was kind of short this year here in Utah. This flower was made just for fun but you could turn it into a key chain or so.

You'll need...

• 4in x 4in piece of fabric (2 different patterns)
• Thread of desired color (in this flower, it was used light pink and green)
• 1 sewing needle
• Fire polished beads of desired color
• Cotton balls
• Flower mold

Click in the image to enlarge!

How to...

• Print out the mold, cut the shapes and place them in the desired fabric to cut it. You'll need 2 flower shapes and 2 circles.
• Place the 2 flower shapes on top of each other to sew them together. Start just putting the needle through the fabric that is on top, so the thread's ending is hidden between the two fabrics. Put a bead to it, sew the fabrics together, passing the needle inside the loop the thread makes.  And keep doing it..
• When the flower is about half way closed, start filling it with cotton balls (it's better if you put them loosely)
• Follow the same steps for the circles (on mine, I just put some beads in the middle to decorate it..)
• Sew the circle to the flower.. and smile!  Looks pretty :)

Let me know if you have any questions... Thanks for checking it out!