Saturday, June 25, 2011

Some Saturday Cuteness

It's a beautiful Saturday and little CP just went down for a nap...thought I would share some cute Etsy finds with you all...

Needle Felted Owl by FeltJar
Peach Snail Amigurumi by CuteWorkshop
Folk Miniature Wood Town by Says The Tree
Pudgy Snowbird by BubbleTime

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Our BedRoom is Finally Painted!

Since my last day of work, which coincidentally was also Mr. CP's last day of school, we were very busy working on the house and running errands.  Some tasks were in preparation for the baby, like taking the hospital tour, writing up a birth plan and setting up diaper service, while others were things we just wanted to get done because we knew we would be too sleep deprived to tackle them after the baby arrived.

Below for your viewing enjoyment are some before and after photos of our bedroom.  We still have to finish the room the baby will eventually sleep in, but I figured if we at least mostly finished our room, we'd have some place for all of us to sleep for at least a few months before we move the baby into his permanent digs.

The room started out with relatively cheerful yellow walls and an off white ceiling.  There were a number of cracks in the walls, that I decided to repair with some spackle and joint tape (and some help from my brother).
Close up of a plaster crack
First layer of joint compound
Third layer of spackle (courtesy of my brother). It was a lot of work!

We decided to go with a no VOC primer and paint for a number of reasons, mainly since I was pregnant and at home for most of the day after I stopped working and because the baby would be moving in so soon.  It's also good to reduce the future off-gassing in the house in general.

And here is the painted room...For colors, we choose a soothing light gray and a Benjamin Moore shade called snow white for the ceiling and mouldings.  We purchased our paint at Ecohaus here in San Francisco.  They used the Yolo brand base and tinted it with the Mythic and Benjamin Moore shades that we had chosen.  The job definitely required two coats for the ceiling and the walls, though I suspect that many or all no-VOC paints require a double coat, because they are less pigmented than conventional paints.


We still have to install baseboards eventually, but that's a project for another time. We did manage to find a close match to the moulding that we removed at a place in Millbrae called The Moulding Company.  The staff there was helpful and we'll probably order from them when we're ready.  We are also planning to replace all of the doors, so we didn't bother to paint them for now.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

He's here!

Sorry, I've been MIA for a few days.  Our Little CP arrived on June 7 at 6.18pm weighing in at 7 lbs and 15 oz and measuring 20.5 inches tall.  Here are some photos from his first day at home.
Almost a smile!
Check out my nostrils.

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Apple Cinnamon Sticky Rolls

When I was in high school, my siblings and I went to day camp where we played violin in a youth orchestra.  In the afternoons, we would participate in different activities such as hanging out at a pool, playing ping pong or baking delicious cinnamon rolls.  I was craving those rolls recently and decided to make something similar with the addition of some apples.

Ingredients

For the Dough:

1 envelope (= 2 1/4 teaspoons) yeast

3/4 cup milk, warmed to about 100°F
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, very soft
1/4 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs

For the Apple Filling
2 large cooking apples, chopped
1 tablespoon AP flour
1/4 cup white sugar
1/8 cup butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
 
Instructions
1)  In the bowl of a stand mixer sprinkle the yeast over the warmed milk and 
let it sit for a couple minutes.

2)  With the mixer paddle, stir in the softened butter, sugar, vanilla, and one cup of the flour.

3)  Stir in the salt and nutmeg. Stir in the eggs and enough of the remaining flour to make a soft yet sticky dough.


4)  Switch to the dough hook and knead for about 5 minutes or knead by hand for 5-7 minutes or until the dough is elastic and pliable.



5)  Spray the top of the dough with vegetable oil, and turn the dough  over so it is coated in oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a  towel and let the dough rise until nearly doubled - about an hour.

6)  Prepare the apple filling - In a saucepan, mix the chopped apple pieces, flour, sugar and butter and bring to a boil over medium high heat.  Cook for about 3 minutes.  Reduce heat to medium low and cook for another 10 minutes, stirring constantly until thick.  Stir in cinnamon and nutmeg.  Cool completely.


7)  Lightly grease a 13x9 inch baking dish with baking spray or butter.  (I use a small convection oven, so I split the rolls into one 8x8 inch dish and one 5x8 inch dish.)  On a floured surface pat the dough out into  a large yet still thick  rectangle of about 10x15 inches. Spread evenly with the filling over the dough. Roll the  dough up tightly, starting from the top long end. Cut the long dough  roll into  12 even rolls, and place them, cut side up, in the prepared baking dish.

8)  Cover the rolls with a towel and let them rise for an hour or until puffy and nearly doubled.


9)  Heat the oven to 350°F. Place the risen rolls in the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into a center roll reads 190°F.

Thursday, June 2, 2011

How is it already June?

I can't believe how quickly June has arrived.  Grandma CP lands in SF today in anticipation of the arrival of Baby CP, which should be any day now.  Grandma CP will be in town for about a month to help out.  I'm sure I'll be needing it!

After we get her settled in, the first task on the list will probably be food shopping.  My mom will probably be taking over most of the cooking responsibilities here and we need to stock up on those healthy green veggies and protein for Chinese soups and other yummies!

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Bicycle Notecards Back in Stock!

In addition to printing my 2011 Father's Day Cards over the long weekend, I also printed 20 sets of our popular Bicycle Note Cards Rainbow Pack. They're ready to ship now!
ChunkyPineapple on Etsy