/do-over & new reads

Chocolate glazed mini baked doughnuts. So good.

The first time I made these, they were just as delicious even though the glaze failed miserably (I dipped them in melted butter and cinnamon-sugar, so the problem instantly eliminated itself), and I didn't have plain yogurt. I still don't remember what I substituted for the yogurt the first time, but still didn't have it today so I ended up putting some cottage cheese in the blender. In retrospect, that's kind of gross... but it worked out!
 
This time around the glaze was lovely and shiny, just like a real doughnut shop!

Moving on to a little Christmas gift 'round-up', if you will.

I've kept an amazon.com wishlist for quite a few years now, and always remind the family of that when Christmas or my birthday come around. :) It's basically just music and books, with a few fancy items for fun.

This year (as with most years) was the year of the utilitarian book. Here are my favorites:

Sky High  Irresistible Triple-Layer Cakes - Alisa Huntsman & Peter Wynne

Sky High comes highly recommended from Deb at Smitten Kitchen, so it was obviously going to be good. (It is! It is!) I haven't made anything from this book yet, as no event in the last couple weeks has really warranted a 3 layer cake. I have promised my sister though, to make one birthday cake of her choice later this month.

Cool Couture   Construction Secrets for Runway Style - Kenneth D. King

Looking at the cover of this one, I first assumed that it was published in 1995. It was published in 2008.
That aside, I always love reading Kenneth King's technique tutorials in Threads magazine, so this seemed like a good bet. There are some very practical techniques that won't necessarily be covered in a basic 'complete' sewing manual, like piped curves, piped curved pockets and double and triple piping (there's a lot of piping going on here). Although I can tell there are some techniques I'll never ever use (double and triple tassles, Chinese knots), it's quite fun to read through and try to translate how I'd use each concept in something I would design.

The Handmade Marketplace - Kari Chapin

This one's a little clue to something I've got brewing.
We'll see about that.
In the meantime, I've been having tons of fun and ah-ha! moments while scouring The Handmade Marketplace. It's definitely one to be scoured. It's got great up to date internet & blogging age tips, not to mention pretty thorough information on how not to get in trouble with the IRS while running a crafty business. That would be a downer.


On today's agenda; hem 9 pairs of trousers and jeans... I'm going to need lots and lots tea!