Linda Nelson, Author at Linda Nelson - The Createaerie

EAT MY BLOG!

December 27, 2016

Now that I’ve got your attention, and, no, I haven’t gone mad, I’d like to share with you a decadent little chocolate lover’s dessert I made for Christmas, a brownie log, or “blog”, for short. Perhaps you’d like to serve blog for New Year’s.

©Linda Nelson 2016

This is what you’ll need –

a simple fudgey brownie recipe (for an 8″ square pan)
chocolate-hazelnut spread (such as Nutella)
confectionary sugar
rolling pin
parchment paper

Begin by baking your fudgey brownie recipe for the minimum time allowed. It’s very important that it’s a fudgey brownie recipe, not a cake-like one. When it has cooled to room temperature, invert the pan onto a sheet of parchment paper roughly 16″ long. Remove the pan and place another 16″ length of parchment paper on top of the brownie. Using your rolling pin, roll the brownie out to a thickness of about 1/4″ thick and to roughly measure 10″x13″.

©Linda Nelson 2016

Peel the top piece of parchment paper off and trim away the irregular edges of the brownie so that you have a nicely shaped rectangle. Use the trim pieces to “spackle” any areas as needed. Using a cake icing spatula or butter knife, cover the entire surface of the brownie with a thin layer of the chocolate-hazelnut spread (about 1/2-3/4 cup). Use the bottom sheet of parchment paper to assist you in rolling up your brownie into a tight log (do not roll the paper up with it!). Now, wrap the log up in the paper and gently squeeze it on all sides to secure the brownie’s contact with itself. Set aside until serving time.

©Linda Nelson 2016

When you’re ready to serve the blog to your guests, simply dust it with confectionary sugar and slice.

That’s all there is to it.

So, to ring in the New Year, eat my blog!

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A “STRIKING” LITTLE GIFT IDEA

December 20, 2016

I’ve been wanting to make homemade fire starters for quite some time, and finally set aside time to do so. Guess what? They don’t take much time at all to make, and are a cute little gift idea to boot!

©Linda Nelson 2016

There are quite a few different ways to assemble fire starters, but I was drawn to ones that were made using cupcake/truffle candy liners. Pictured are the materials and utensils I gathered –

mini cupcake pan and paper liners
an old candle (I used a knife to cut it into meltable chunks)
an old pot and a tin can (my makeshift double boiler)
tongs (for grasping the tin can when pouring the melted wax into the liners)

©Linda Nelson 2016

My choice of ignitable material was pine pet bedding pellets, excelsior (aka wood wool), dried rosemary, whole dried cloves and mini pinecones.

©Linda Nelson 2016

Toss some candle chunks into a tin can and place the can in the pot. Add an inch or so of water into the pot and simmer until the wax melts. In the mean time, pack your ignitable material into the paper liners, then use your tongs to grasp the tin can and pour the melted wax into each liner. Let the wax harden (all of ten minutes), and you’re done! It’s that stinkin’ easy.

Now, for the “strikingly” creative part. Purchase a box of kitchen matches, decorate the matchbox, toss everything in a little tin pail, and…… Voila! Gift making accomplished!

©Linda Nelson 2016

Now, do you need to add some final touches to your holiday decor? Then, just add candy canes.

©Linda Nelson 2016

Seriously. Don’t you just want to dive in there? It reminds me of the game Candy Land, or something out of Willy Wonka Land.

©Linda Nelson 2016

I purchased the holiday print straws and baking cups from the Dollar Store purely as eye candy props. It evokes that vintage kitschy “thing”, and I like that.

Here’s another idea for adding an extra sparkle to your holiday decor –

ðŸŽ¶ La, da, da, da, da, da, da… put a ~~ring~~ pin on it!

©Linda Nelson 2016

Go ahead, tuck a few holiday brooches here and there. Hey, we basically only wear one at a time, so why let the rest just sit hidden in a jewelry box?

And finally, I just have to share with you this absolutely darling little gift I received from a very special friend –

©Linda Nelson 2016

It is NOT getting packed away after Christmas. Nope, this will be my kitchen sink window ornament and I want it to hang out with me all year round.

Happy Holidays, my fellow bloggers and readers!

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MEET BAUBLES AND BLINGSTER

December 16, 2016

Ha! I bet you didn’t know that Santa had two other reindeer….. Baubles and Blingster. I’m somewhat late with decorating for Christmas this year, but fashionably late, don’t you think?

©Linda Nelson 2016

Here’s a glimpse of some other little curiosities I’ve placed about.

©Linda Nelson 2016

I think a vintage glass doorknob makes for a great bauble.

©Linda Nelson 2016

I made this angel last year. Actually, I made three, sold two and kept this one for myself. The faceless cherub….. Isn’t she sweet?

This is my little candle and tree forest. I love candles; however, I’m “one of those”, in that I usually don’t light my candles because I want to preserve their “newness”. I’ve christened two of them; that’s a pretty good track record for me. Silly.

And, finally, a trio of “cement” ornaments I made. These will be shipped to a friend. Check out my tutorial if you’d like to make some, yourself.

Our local weather forecast is calling for a rainy weekend, which will be perfect for cozy indoor activities like baking cookies and wrapping gifts.

Stay tuned…… I hope to squeak out another post before Christmas.

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MAKE A BACKYARD BIRD COZY

December 2, 2016

Each year around Thanksgiving, a gal pal of mine heads to warmer parts of the world for the winter, and a few days prior to her departure we do a little nature-y, garden lover’s gift exchange. One sweet thing I received from her was this bird hive roosting pocket.

Isn’t it adorable? I hung it just outside my dining room window so that I will have the perfect view of my feathered little buddies taking shelter when those blustery winter winds arrive. My bird feeders are also close by, making it convenient to fill them up and watch the feeding action.

Now, you’d think that I’d just leave it at that; however, that’s not my style. Nope, the gears in the brain start turning, and the hands, heart and soul start creating. That’s been a Linda trait as far back as I can remember. I needed to make a roosting pocket, and I was going to call it a “backyard bird cozy”. So, that’s what I did. I scavenged my garage for some materials and this is what I made.

The tin was a yard sale find from this past summer, and the faux grass mat was a sample piece from one of my landscape supply vendors. I wouldn’t be surprised if a squirrel tries to stuff its fat little body in there. My squirrels are “shapely” because I don’t bother deterring them from the bird feeders.

Then, while rummaging through one of my fabric bins, I came across a sleeve from a wool sweater I felted a few years back. I paired it with a dollar store child’s megaphone (they’re great mannequins for making cone templates!) and…….Voila! Another little bird cozy was born.

Hey there moms, winter break is not too far off; this would be a neat activity to keep your kids occupied…….. at least, for a little while.

I’m not sure about leaving them up during the summer; they could become hornet or wasp cozies! But that’s too far into the future for me to think about. First, I’ve got to get through snow shoveling season.

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