Egg art - a tutorial

Hopefully I can explain this! I promise, promise, promise these are easy!!! First...the finished product....A simple little egg with a chick inside. This one is truly easy enough for kids to [help] do. And they get to get their hands ewey, gooey messy with glue!!!

Now.... the supplies:

Start with blowing out eggs. I do them the old fashioned way, you know they way you get salmonella. You might want to use a syringe.

next supply:

Mod Podge MATTE finish. The only glue worth using! (in my opinion)

and some tissue

......a few little garnishes for the inside and out. Oh, and some paint. You can find little figurines at Micheals or JoAnns.

First, Paper Mache the eggs with strips of tissue and the Modge Podge. Just slather that glue all over the egg and smooth on the strips of tissue. I like mine not so smooth and you'll see why in a bit

Let the eggs dry (dudn't take too long)

get out your favorite gun in the world.....THE HOT GLUE GUN!! and heat it up....now.....I would be remiss if I didn't put a warning on this..DO NOT LET YOUR KIDS USE A HOT GLUE GUN!!!!...DO NOT BURN YOURSELF....IT WILL LEAVE A SCAR AND YOU WILL SHAKE YOUR HAND AND JUMP AROUND LIKE A MAD PERSON IF YOU GET IT ON YOU......

Stab the dry plastered egg with a pair of your best scissors, just so you can mess them up (like I have done)

Now cut out a perfect hole. It's easy, just follow the curve in the egg.

At this point you should disinfect the inside of the egg and dry it out really well.

Now....take your fingers, hold the egg from the inside and paint the outside. I chose an ecru color and you'll see why in a sec.

when dry, paint the inside, I chose pink (obviously)

After those dry, I chose to do an umber stain on the outside. This is similar to a wall technique that is used after tissuing a wall with tissue. You paint over the tissue and then stain with a watered down umber or an umber color mixed with glaze. (see you can practice on an egg!)

(when the stain was applied)

and when the stain was wiped off (I actually like it better not wiping the stain off! OH well)

Take the oh so HOT glue gun and put a wad in the inside of the bottom of the egg. Then stick a little moss on top of the glue

add a little chick

then take the HOT glue gun and glue around the rim of the egg. Glue a string of decorative lace around the edge. PLease be careful not to burn yourself. At this point if you are working with kids, you may want to take over. Ask my daughter Callen who has a scar on her arm from 15 yrs. ago.

now glue around the egg for a little loop

and then add a loop

add a pretty bow and manipulate it like you want for the look you're lookin for....

There ya have it chickies! (no pun intended)

Easy egg art!!!

Getting ready for Easter- decorative eggs

I have a craft that I learned how to do when I was about 9 or 10 that I want to show you. (Seriously, I was a weirdo craft-a-holic way back then.) My parents would have to pry me away from any craft. And I couldn't stop, I would get totally obsessed. My mom took me to this lady in Dothan, Alabama who made these beautiful eggs. They are made out of actual hand blown eggs and are meant for a Christmas tree or an Easter tree. I have done both. Anyway,,,,about oh 8 yrs. ago I decided to try my hand at these little egg ornaments again. I had broken my baby toe,,,and I mean where you know you catch it on the door frame? It was sticking out at a 45 degree angle....okay enough of the grossness. Anyway, I couldn't play tennis, so this was the perfect time to try these beautiful little babies again. I ended up making.....yes......144 eggs. I'm really surprised I didn't get salmonella. I am going to make a few this week and will show you how it's done. They are fairly easy, you blow them out, paper mache them cut out the center, paint, and decorate. Even kids will have a fun time doing these. Here are a few of the Christmas and Easter ones I've done.

I'll be back later chickies!!!

High Museum Dinner and Cindy's Yummy Shrimp-N-Grits

So....Mawtha is gone :( and Cindy stayed :) We went with fun Elizabeth M. to Canoe Restaurant for one of Atlanta's High Museum Wine Auction parties. Martha was one of the chefs invited to participate in this oh.....so.....yummy event! We sat at a table with some new "Best" friends and had a wonderful time. Seven course meal with wine pairings. Can you say "oh my". It was seriously like being at the French Laundry in Napa but better.

One of the courses. This was just heavenly!

Martha on the line at Canoe
Sweet Chef Virginia Willis and Mawtha

Then.....Cindy stayed with Lynn and me at the lake. Now, when I say how good of a cook she is that is just an understatement. I can't even begin to describe how yummy her shrimp-n-grits are! She made them for hubby and me last night!

And.....lucky me she is giving me the recipe to share with YOU!!!

Here's dim ingredients:

then dim shrimp....

...and dim grits....

wit dim really sharp cheeses

Mix dim up real good

Get ur 2T of bacon grease and a little fiiine olive oil hot

Din sawtay dim little suckers!

Cook em up real nice with dim bacon peeces

add ur garlic and a little liquid sassisfaction

and dim som scallywallions (my new name for scallions)

And.....

a little salad (that will be another blog!)

Then...I totally screwed up!!! And took a horrible pic of the finished product!

So...you'll just have to imagine the outcome.

So here are dim directions!

Grits:

1 cup quick grits

4 T unsalted butter

3/4 C extra sharp white cheddar cheese

1/2 C grated Parmesan cheese

1 t. cayenne pepper

1 1/2 T tabasco

Salt and pepper to taste

Shrimp:

2 C chopped smoked bacon

3 T olive oil (and a little bacon grease)

1 1/2 Pounds (20 - 30 count) shrimp, peeled

Salt and black pepper

1 T minced garlic

3 C. sliced white mushrooms

3 T white wine

2 T lemon juice

2 C sliced scallions

Cook grits according to package instructions. As they are cooking whisk in butter and cheeses, cayenne, paprika and tabasco to taste.

Cook bacon pieces until they begin to brown. Drain. Strain drippings.

Heat a large skillet until very hot. Add olive oil and 2 T bacon drippings. As oil begins to smoke, toss in shrimp to cover bottom of pan. Before stirring, season with salt and pepper.

Stir until shrimp begin to turn pink; let pan return to original hot temp.

Stir in minced garlic and bacon bits, being careful not to burn garlic.

Toss in mushrooms and coat with oil briefly. Add lemon juice and wine and stir for 30 seconds or so until everything is well coated and incorporated.

When ready to serve, stir in sliced scallions and cook about 20 seconds.

Serve immediately over the yummy cheese grits!

There ya have it chickies!!! Cindy's Shrimp-n-Grits!

Ebelskiver.....a family tradition

Okay, here we go!!!!.....first.....my Grandmother taught me how to make these yummy little delights when I was about nine....you do the math....that's a LONG time ago. When Martha, pronounced "Mawtha" Foose came to visit me last year I got up the nerve to serve this JAMES BEARD AWARD WINNING CHEF my recipe. Well, she loved them and wanted to make a recipe of her own. SO the challenge was on...to make a better recipe than me...hum. We had a blast yesterday morning challenging each other for the honor of the "Best Ebelskiver" maker.

Here's some pics....both recipes will follow!

That's me on the left and the famous chef on the right! (Cindylou's takin the pics! THANK U!!!)

The ingredients:

The pan (I promise it was clean)

www.lodgemfg.com

Mawtha showing off her egg white beating skills (I was doin mine the ole fashion way with a mixer)

After 41 yrs. I still have to read my recipe (nice glasses huh?)

hummmmm. what's she doing over there????

This is how you do it:

After making the batter (recipe below)

Take clarified butter (about a tablespoon in each hole) and heat the pan until butter is bubbly. Stove should be medium high and then you might need to lower the temp.

Put a large spoonful of batter into each of the divets

Cook until they look like this (careful not to burn!)

Using a wooden pic, gently turn them halfway until they look like a little pacman

Mawtha's pick doubled as a hair ornament

Then gently turn the little pacmen again letting the batter sort of drop.

This is what these little yummercious balls of yummy delight should look like.

Then Mawtha threw me a curve ball with a secret surprise...little wieners stuffed in the middle....dang, why didn't I think of that?????

and....added a little powdered sugar (which I also do)

And there you have it! Martha's are in the front, mine are in the back. Oh......we added the best mimosa's I've EVER had. (notice that was plural)

to my surprise we had the same recipe! except for a few changes Mawtha made. Mawtha added a little cinammon and nutmeg to her batter. She also convinced me that the clarified butter instead of oil was the better choice (I agreed) I loved her little wiener idea and my kids are gonna LOVE those! So, here's the recipe!!!

Ebelskivers

2 cups flour

1 t. baking soda

1 t. baking powder

1 t. salt

2 cups buttermilk

3 eggs (separated)

2 tsp. sugar

Clarified butter

oh,,,,don't forget the syrup!!!

Mix the flour, soda, powder and salt together in a large bowl.

Beat in the buttermilk.

Separate the eggs.

Mix the yolks together and blend into the batter with a mixer.

In a large bowl stiffen the egg whites with the sugar.

Gently fold the egg whites into the batter mixture.

Heat the pan until clarified butter is bubbly. Add a large spoonful of batter into each hole. Let the batter brown. Turn halfway, then turn again to make a perfect ball. Sprinkle powdered sugar on top (optional) and drizzle with syrup. Makes about 30 which means you probably need to double the recipe (not joking)

Mimosa

Champagne

Simply Orange Mango juice

(um, um, good!)

....and a link to Martha's website just in case some of you would like to purchase her cookbook!

www.marthafoose.com

enjoy chickies!!!