Models Don’t Eat Chocolate Cookies

Get Crafty

To do the decoupage craft in the book, you’ll need the following:

decoupage paste (sold in craft stores under the name Mod Podge) or white glue that dries clear.
a small plastic dish or paper plate, to hold some of the paste
votive candleholders, or a glass vase
sponge brush (sold in most craft stores)
tissue paper—any colors you like—torn into various-sized pieces (none bigger than the object you’re covering)

To decoupage:

Choose a flat, clean area in which to work. Cover the surface with newspaper or an old tablecloth or sheet.
Thoroughly wash and dry the exterior of the candleholder to remove any dirt.
Pour some of the decoupage paste onto the plate or into the bowl, to make it easier to access.
Put the candleholder over two or three fingers of the hand that you don’t write with.
Using the sponge brush, smear the entire exterior with the paste.
Stick the tissue paper to the candleholder. Overlap the pieces and mix and match the colors!
When fully covered, gently use the sponge brush to spread a thin layer of the decoupage paste over the tissue paper.
Place the candleholders on a flat surface to dry.
Voila! The paste dries clear. When a small light or candle is placed in the candleholder, it glows like stained glass.

∗ Note:

You can use decoupage paste on any smooth-surfaced object, such as plant pots, vases, mirrors, piggy banks…etc. And instead of using tissue paper, try wrapping paper, images cut from magazines, or your own illustrations!

∗∗ Double Note:

If you craft a candleholder, be smart about using an open flame—get parental approval before you light it, never leave a candle unattended, and keep any flammable material away from the heat and flame.

Tempting Treats

Aunt Doreen’s Butterscotch Apple Crumb Cake of Temptation

½ stick of butter
1 cup of flour
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
½ cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup sour cream
1 macintosh apple, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1 cup of streusel (below)
Butterscotch Ice Cream Topping

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, grease a loaf pan (9x4 or 5)
Beat the butter, sugar, egg and vanilla until light and fluffy. A stand mixer does this very well.
Add about ½ the flour, baking powder, soda and salt, then the sour cream, then the rest of the flour and all that.
Pour about ½ the batter into the loaf pan, lay about ½ of the apple slices on the batter, top with ½ of the streusel, then another layer of apples, top with the remaining batter, and then the reamining streusel.
Like this: batter, apples, streusel, apple, batter streusel
Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.
Remove the cake from the pan to cool on a rack, drizzle with butterscotch topping - serve while still warm… Yummy with ice cream and more butterscotch.

Rough streusel recipe:

½ stick butter, room temperature
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup white sugar
2 tsps cinnamon (just dump it in until it feels right)
couple of dashes cloves
1 tablespoon flour
2 handfuls of nuts - optional, in case nuts will kill you. I used walnuts, but I bet pecans would be delish.
Smoosh it up until the texure is right - kind of crumbly.

Tempting Treats

Mom’s Homemade Mac and Cheese

1 lb pasta shells
½ cup milk
1 cup sour cream
1 tbsp dijon mustard
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
4-6 oz extra sharp cheddar
½ sleeve Ritz crackers
parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and spray casserole dish with cooking spray.

Bake for 30 minutes and enjoy!

Recipes

Courtesy of Dianne Simonini (with thanks to Martha Stewart’s Cherry-Struesel Coffee Cake)