Aperture Kitchen

Hi Everyone!

My friend introduced me to Portal and well....I became addicted.
Plus to make it even more entertaining my friend likes the fact that I share the same name with Glados. Yes that's right people I'm a Caroline. Exact spelling and pronunciation. Maybe...that means I shouldn't play with science or computers....

So I got to thinking what if Glados was like me and liked to cook when she was a human?
I mean cooking is sort of like edible chemistry. That and in Portal she has a cake recipe on some of the computers.

So what do you get when you mix nerdery with cooking?

That's right


Glados's Kitchen

APERTURE KITCHEN

Because lets face it they had to feed their test subjects....occasionally...right?

First one coming up is Chicken stew with biscuit

Because Glados I would like to think after Portal 2 has a new found hatred for birds and potatoes

Youtube video coming soon!
Because everything is better with pictures : )

TV Blanket Completed

Hi Everyone!

As promised here's the finished product from the stitch n' bitch crochet book
I gave it to my friend for her birthday

Sasha was sad to see it go

Left side is what the front looks like and to the right is the back

 

 

This blanket was pretty huge and almost fit a full sized bed

It was done in RedHeart brand yarn

 

All in all this was a fun pattern

To connect the squares I did not sew them together they're held together with grey yarn in single crochet : )

 

 

 

BEWARE! Pet Shopper Scams!

Hi Everyone!

This is a topic of extreme importance!

I want to protect everyone from being scammed no matter what the subject.

But today’s subject is pet scams.



You know you want to get a little puppy for the family or maybe a kitty.

And there's people out there waiting to scam you of your money. They don't care about you and they don't care that you lose your money.

You'd think people this smart would go out and get a real job but no.

Now here's the scoop I was almost scammed recently and I prevented it.

I'm currently unemployed I lost my job at the bank due to reasons I could not control.

I can't waste my money away I'm on unemployment. That mostly goes off to pay the bills I racked up while being employed and to paying off my school bills.

I had some small amount of money on the side I was hoping to get my two dogs a little sister.

A few hundred that's good to look through the paper and online I thought.

So I looked I found a dog site where you post your animals.

The site said the seller was from Greensburg PA not very far from where I live, not a very long drive.

So I thought what the heck I'll give it a shot.

Here's where it got iffy.

I emailed the person yesterday literally Monday night at about 12:30 am aka it's already today (Tuesday) I get an email from them around 3am asking me questions on why I'd like to have the dog and they were looking for a good home and just needed me to pay adoption and shipping fees. I answer thinking maybe they're an extreme night owl like me, trying to be optimistic.

She said her and her husband just got transfered because they worked for the aidsfoundation. And since they were so busy they couldn't give her two puppies the attention they truly deserved. Plus she sent photos of them.
RED FLAG. But I tried to think positive I didn't want to be negative right off that bat.

Well I get another email at an ungodly hour. So I start to think "...this is iffy"

I get informed they had just moved to Kent, Washington.

The woman was highly insistent on shipping her puppy that day due to it being her supposed day off.

She told me she had inquired on shipping prices earlier on how much it would take to ship a dog through the US and it was $240 or $250 if I wanted the dog delivered to my house. And that the airport was 40 minutes from her house.

I had already given her my name, my home address, my cell number, and she had my email address

Well that just sent alarms in my head.



LESSON NUMBER ONE!

Play connect the dots!

If the ad says it' in Greensburg

Then they say they're now in Kent when the ad was posted about one month ago from Greensburg

AND the dog will ship almost one hour away supposedly from another location

THIS IS JUST A BIG NO NO! DOES NOT COMPUTE! DOES NOT MATCH BACK OFF NOW!

Out of curiosity I look up the place they were to ship the dog from a US Shipping Line

This company is NON EXISTANT

The woman literally waited about an hour then kept contacting me saying she registered the puppy and the company was NOT calling me but emailing me confirmation and telling me how to pay for the shipping fees.

Might I add this woman would not call my phone to speak to me she kept using mobile yahoo messenger

Also when I asked for a phone number to contact her with the number she gave the area code was (330)

330 is the area code for AKRON OHIO

How did I know this? I know this because my best friend when I met her was from Akron Ohio and that's the area code for her cell phone.

I tried to make polite conversation and said "oh I see you used to live in Akron Ohio, my friend is from there and that's her area code, it's nice there isn't it" well that set the woman off and she told me I was upsetting her and kept asking me what this was about and why I didn't trust her.

I merely said I was just trying to make small talk.

After a while I get the email from the shipping line company.

The title comes from a NATION WIDE PET DEPARTMENT

The email looked very fake. Pictures were not clear at all it looked like they were copied and pasted and made to look larger. The pictures in general were fuzzy which if you are a real certified company you would not have your emails or sites look like that at all. And they requested prompt payment from your debit/credit card or only money order.

If it was a reputable shipping company they would give you far more options. Such as billing you.

Also before I received the email from this supposed company I called the two airports near me and asked them if they dealt with this company I was told they never heard of it. Another red flag people!

I called Pittsburgh International Airport and the woman I spoke with informed me that the animal that would be shipped would only come from an airline. Not some shipping company. Once again another red flag.

I clicked on the website provided. It was a locked domain. And it stated it was a personal website. Not a business or a corporate, it was personal. So within that time the woman from my opinion had set up this domain in the hour she waited to contact me again. Plus I had my best friend call the number provided, it was a nonfunctioning unlisted number.

I told the woman the email did not work and the site did not work.

My last message from her was "How can you say that???"

I apologized saying I could not take the dog apologized for wasting her time and her day off and said I hoped she would find a good home for the puppy

I'm so glad I got away safely with my money still in my pockets.

I just have to hope they don't do anything with my name, home address, cell number or email.

But then again if someone wants your information darn it there's just nothing that will stop them.

I'll have to keep checking my files to make sure nothing was touched.

The sites given were

USPSHIP.COM

Nationwide Pet Department

Nationwide Pets delivery @gmail.com

From personal experience I have NOT seen a company have a Gmail account so once again this shows how fake this transaction is.

Please everyone connect the dots when purchasing online.

Even when doing online job submittals like I am.

Think of it this way

IF IT SOUNDS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE IT IS!

It means back away it's faker than a woman's breast implants!....pardon my comparison....I'm just rather angry I got that far in being scammed.

I want to warn you

Please purchase your pets at reputable shelter you can physically walk into or at a pet store you can physically walk into.

Do not deal with pet sellers online learn from my experience

Also this goes for jobs if they tell you you'll work from home.

That they'll send you a pay in advance and they want you to send some back or something like that.

It's fake it's too good to be true and in the end you're out a lot of money

Because one the transfer is fraudulent and the bank will take it out, the money you send back in transfer is instantly gone and you can NEVER get it back, and whatever you spend out of that fake money you will owe back to the bank because it was money that you never had in the first place.

I saw this too many times at the bank.

Please protect yourselves.

I'm just so happy I didn't send them anything.

Please listen to my warning

Thank you for your time.

And thank you for listening to my warning slash rant.

Please protect yourselves

....I know I'm a broken record.

Receita de Bolo Prestigio/Recipe for Prestigio Cake (Mounds Cake)

Hi Everyone!


Come summer time I become a baking fool! It just seems every month is someone's birthday. June for my mom, July for me, August for my dad.
For my mom's birthday I made Bolo Prestigio.

 Now Prestigio is a candy bar from Brasil.

The best way to describe it is that it's like a Mounds bar….but far better. It's milk chocolate with a creamy and flakey coconut filled center. I apologize to America but when it comes time for this poor Halfling of an American Brasilian to choose between which country has the best food I will always say Brasil, and they just beat us at chocolate.Just seeing a picture of it makes my mouth water
If only ordering from the Brasilian stores in the USA didn't cost an arm and a leg to ship things -___-;


Now you might be wondering how you get a cake to taste like prestigio or a mounds bar. Simple.
You search the net for the recipe and take an eternity to decide which one is the best one.
I'm not dissing my fellow bakers out there, your pictures and descriptions were marvelous. I just couldn't help going with the one recipe I knew to be fool proof.
NESTLE!
Nestle has their own site on the web dedicated to their Brasilian recipes. And when I found the recipe for this cake there I was ecstatic.
Here's what mine looked like. Granted there are probably far prettier ways to decorate it.

It's topped with coconut flakes and 2 mounds bars.

 Here's the inside of the cake, tempting isn't it

I loved every bite of this cake.
Now before the recipe a small lesson on Brasilian cakes.
From my understanding of these beautiful delicacies is that they're not at all like the kind we find in America.
America we have them super soft and moist and topped with a thick layer of butter cream icing. Tasty yes but I've really never seen one during my visits to Brasil.
Brasil tends to take a more French look to their cakes. Some are a bit more dense while some are still airy and light. It's just a different experience and you just got to try it out.
Now I'm translating this as best as I can from its Portuguese original. I made a few changes to how it's prepared which I say improves the texture of the cake.
The cake as you can see has multiple layers. The cream, the cake and the topping.
Original link: http://www.nestle.com.br/site/cozinha/receitas/Bolo_Prestigio_de_Festa.aspx


Ingredients:


Batter/Massa:

• meia xícara (chá) de manteiga ½ cup of unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 xícara e meia (chá) de açúcar 1 ½ cups of sugar
• 6 ovos 6 eggs at room temperature
• meia xícara (chá) de leite ½ cup of milk
• 1 xícara e meia (chá) de farinha de trigo 1 cup of flour
• 1 xícara (chá) de Chocolate em Pó DOIS FRADES® 1 cup of chocolate powder (brand of your choice) or 7-9 oz of good semi sweet baking chocolate (I used lindt)
• meia colher (sopa) de fermento químico em pó ½ tbs of baking powder
• manteiga para untar butter to spread on your baking pan
• farinha de trigo para polvilhar flour to dust and coat your baking pan

Cream/Creme

• 3 claras 3 egg whites
• meia xícara (chá) de açúcar ½ cup sugar
• 1 lata de Creme de Leite NESTLÉ® 1 can of creme de leite Nestle (this can be found in the hispanic section of your grocery store, also titled Media Crema)
• 2 xícaras (chá) de coco em flocos seco 2 cups coconut flakes

Cover/Cobertura

• 1 lata de Creme de Leite NESTLÉ® 1 can creme de leite nestle
• 1 tablete de NESTLÉ CLASSIC® Meio Amargo picado 1 bittersweet baking bar or even better the kind you buy to eat by itself : ) I'm a major fan of lindt

What you need to build it/Montagem

• meia xícara (chá) de leite ½ cup of milk
• 2 colheres (sopa) de leite de coco 2 tbs of coconut milk
• coco ralado para decorar coconut flakes to decorate
• raspas de chocolate para decorar grated chocolate to decorate (optional) can also use a mounds or prestigio bar to put in the center of it

Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Ferenheit
In a large mixing bowl mix your butter and sugar until combined and creamy. Seperate your egg yolks and whites. Add the yolks to the butter mixture and mix them in until blended. Do this one yolk at a time.
Slowly mix in the flour and your chocolate. If your using the powdered chocoalte feel free to mix it in with the flour. If using a chocolate bar please melt it gently in a double boiler (aka the two pots you use at once, the bottom filled with hot water and the top pot ontop of that one melting your chocoalte).
Mix in your milk and baking powder.
At this time take a mixer and beat your eggwhites into stiff peaks. Once that is done gently fold them into the batter.
Using a round baking pan (a large one, not one of those small 8 inch ones where you have to use two). Butter and lightly flour the pan. Add your batter.
Gently drop it onto your table and spin it do this about two times. It will help get the bubbles out of it.
Bake this for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
After that's done let it cool completely.
Now work on your cream:
Once again using your double boiler or a the lowest flame setting on your stove in a pot, mix the egg whites and the sugar over a very low heat for about 3 minutes. DO NOT let it boil or simmer. This is just quickly tempering the egg and help it get the consistency you want. After the three minutes are up quickly transwer it to a mixing bowl. Using a mixer turn the eggs into stiff peaks. Then gently mix in the creme de leite and the coconut flakes.
Cover it with plastic wrap and refridgerate until you're going to use it.
Covering:
This is honestly the easiest part of the cake! It's pretty much a simple ganache. In your double boiler gently melt your chocolate bar. Remove from the heat and mix in the creme de leite. Blend completely and leave to cool.


Putting the cake together:
Carefully cut your cake into three sections.
Place the bottom part down and gently spread the cream onto it. Then put on the second layer. This is where you use the milk and coconut milk. Gently mix those together. With a toothpick poke little holes into the second layer of cake. Then gently drizzle some of the milk and coconut milk mixture onto the cake layer. Then cover with cream. Put on the final cake layer and cover with the ganache. Decorate with coconut/chocolate flakes. Some people just cover it with chocoalte sprinkles like a brigadeiro cake (recipe coming soon!).
Let the cake chill until you plan to serve it. I say chill it just because I think it makes the flavors better but trust me you don't have to wait to eat it ^_^
I hope you give this recipe a try.
Please let me know what you think of it or even send me pictures of your own bolo prestigios
Have a great week everyone!

Heat Wave: Ideas for Kids and Pets

Hi everyone

In this month of July I just want to remind everyone to stay cool.
It's painfully hot out watch out for your pets it's sad to see on the news animals dying because their owners neglected them in the hot sun without water. Remember if you can keep them inside and always make sure they have water and an area in the shade to rest in. I mean seriously how would you feel if someone tied or locked you up in this heat without water? It wouldn't be fun!

Ideas for your pet pals:

Keep them in the shade

Check them at least once every hour to see how they’re doing.

Give them water, make it even better put some ice in it. You enjoy it so do they.

Also this may sound silly but it makes my dogs so happy. Give them a bath. A nice cooling bath makes them so happy.

Also

Ideas for your little ones:

If you can keep your younger kids inside do so please

Lots of hydration and no I don't mean juice or sodas. Water is the best drink of choice.

I'm personally not a fan of giving kids things like Gatorade...empty calories, bad for their teeth
If your kid does sports there are waters that contain electrolytes just like Gatorade and it won’t' leave your kid thirsty (Any sugary drink never truly quenches your thirst, water is the best thing) One I like very much is Smart Water No calories, just good water with electrolytes : )

If you have a pool or can get access to one, go to it and enjoy it. Water activities are more appropriate for the types of temperatures we've been having. We don't need anyone keeling over.

Sun block! Children need it and they'll thank you in the future. You're not just protecting them from skin issues like cancer but also from premature aging. Let’s face it your little girls when they're my age will be happy you did this! I know I'm thankful to my mom.

Keep them cool give them an icy treat:
Ice-cream is nice and so are popsicles
This is where you can give them their juice fix!
Actually any drink can be done like this

So apple juice, grape juice, iced tea, lemonade

All can be made into homemade popsicles plus it's easy to make and you know what you'll be giving your kids, no funky neon food coloring there!


I hope you use some of my ideas and let your little ones and your pets have a fun and safe summer : )

Craft Treasures at Auctions

Hi Everyone!

I just wanted to share with you something that I personally love to do. I love going to auctions. Someone else's stuff can become your new found treasure ^.^ Examples I replaced my family's dishes from auction purchases. About two weeks ago I went to an auction and the prices were fantastic. I literally got 4 boxes of dishes each box being a buck a piece. I basically ended up with two brand new sets. One being a brand called GibsonUSA and a set of plain white Corelle dishes. It was wonderful.
Depending on the style of dishware or cooking utensils and on how your auctioneer handles his work, you could be walking off with some great stuff and all dirt cheap. The only ones I see going for insane prices are cast iron skillets and pots depending on their condition but still worth trying to buy. Also different sets of cookware that are much older like the 40's and 50's and earlier where they were really well crafted pieces.

Example I bought an electric waffle maker for $3 at the same auction I got my dishes, now I used to have a brand new one from Wal-Mart but it was terrible the pieces didn't come out for you to clean them so I was stuck making pathetic attempts at cleaning an electrical appliance then being terrified to plug it in the next time.
The model I got at the auction is older, made out of full metal and only rubbery/plastic handles. It also has one of those neat old time cords. BUT the best part of it is that the iron is detachable by screw. Meaning I can actually wash it and not worry about getting the entire machine wet. Yay for not having to fear electrocution as much!


Now a fun and exciting tip for my fellow crafters!
Did you know you can get craft supplies at an auction???
When I realized this it was the best day ever.
Some auctions are from older couples who are either moving away, moving into a home, or sadly they have passed away. While this can be very sad you can personally make sure their love of crafting goes on. Let them see your excitement over their collection of old buttons and fabric. It might spark some conversation on some of their old projects, share ideas. A crafter is always a crafter! When I'm old decrepit and incapable of doing crafts I hope to God there will be someone young willing to ask me about my old projects and ask me about techniques. It at least lets you enjoy what you used to do and love through conversation.

 Depending on what it is your craft supplies can go at dirt cheap prices at an auction.
Collectible items or magazines can be pricey especially if there is another fellow crafter going after the same thing. I've had my dad bid for me just because he's better at it so I didn't completely lose without a fight.

Today (July 14, 2012) I went to another auction and hit the mother load. And I took some pictures to share with you all ^.^

But first here's the story of my auction today.
I got there bright and early at 8am to just see everything up for auction. Now I had my eyes on this little sewing thread holder. It's made out of wood, the top has a pin cushion attached, and it came with wooden spools....and we all know you don't really see those anymore for sale in stores. But while looking around I decided to visit the attic, the attic had EVERYTHING from books to dressers etc. But in the very corner there was some sewing and quilting supplies. It looked like a small stash and I thought it'd be fun to try and get it.

Well by the time that lot came up it was between me and another lady. The starting bid was $3 and we battled until I won at $20. Now thinking it's such a small stash I could just whisk it away no problem....now here's where the fun began. I get informed by the auctioneer I did not just bid on this small stash but the ENTIRE corner of the attic which is supposedly all sewing supplies. So I go look.

It's covered in junk. Papers and plastic bags everywhere. I did out old foam padding for cushions, so old it was unusable. I did find some nice strips of quilting pieces to play with. I've always had an urge to make a quilt and thought it'd be something fun to practice with. So I set that aside....then diving deeper into the giant pile I find more remnants of quilt pieces....which they should have pitched. I was fine I kept diving. Out of a massive pile of what I can personally call crafters leftover and unusable trash I found some good pieces.

Two bolts of old upholstery fabric. I have 2 dogs so they are so getting new pillows out of that if the fabric holds up. Good value there. Plus all the quilt pieces I could use, bags upon bags of those in blues, yellows and reds, old knitting magazines, a crochet hook NEVER out of the packaging, and crafts from what I can see being the 60's. The titles on the bags are "Gift Craft Unlimited" which is from National Handcraft from a fad of the month club. Looked like fun. There were different kits, one to make your own gilded birdcage planter, one to make a little dustbin with hand painted designs, and one for Christmas.

It took me over six trips going up three flights of stairs to get barely half of it into the van we borrowed from my aunt. I was a bit of a stinker and left the rest there since it wasn't of much use to me. I didn't need a beat up old lamp or chair.

Well when all is said and done I sit with my parents and find out my dad got me the sewing stand I wanted that I spoke of earlier. Plus they bundled it with something else! So When I get home I take a look what's in the box. I found old buttons. Which is just perfect! If you love to knit or crochet having that odd button around to decorate your work is fantastic and gives it that one of a kind feeling. I filled almost an entire organizer tray with these buttons.

All in all I'd like to say it was a great day for crafting.

Here's the pictures of what I got from my auction hunting ^__^

The previous owner kept her buttons in her old prescription bottles.

I found some as far back as the 60's and it was nice to open them.

They were so not child proof ^^;

An old wood container for sewing needles from The Boye Needle Co.

This was a misc. container which various needles mostly larger sizes and as luck would have it a small crochet hook ^.^

I'm only 25 years old and I never saw a metal portable tums container and I just think it's neat.

Plus it has sewing needles

These two came with the sewing stand.

This is a crochet hook from a brand called Marcia Lynn.

Interesting to see how much these cost back then, 29 cents!

Apparently this was on sale for 24 cents at Ames then.

I love to knit and I never get to see this type of needle in stores.

My aunt always told me about them and even showed me her own pair.

Always tried to find my own but never had any luck.

Now they're mine all mine!

I love knitting older knitting books.

The styles are still cute I don't care what popular teens say!

Plus the children’s designs are just adorable!

Here's that stand I told you about, I just love it ^.^

Here's inside one of the magazines.

Might I add that some of these patterns I have never seen in newer books.

I find them to be wonderful and should be brought back

While going through my purchases I found that the previous owner saved this little magazine clipping.

Telling young ladies how they can make their own wardrobe in about week!

Ladies do you see any knit dresses that look familiar?

Seriously find the patterns pick your favorite colors and make them!

I believe in the long run they'll be far cheaper than when you get them at the store.

Because by the time you get them on sale it's no longer fall or winter.

Here's what one of the little crafts I found looked like. They’re all neatly packaged.

Some of them have the paint with them. I assume the paint is too old and will just have to use what acrylic paints I have.

Still looks like fun.

Here are the instructions for one of the crafts this is for the gilded cage. I hope to do this one. I'm praying the supplies are still usable.


So you can see that you can get lots of neat craft supplies at an auction. In total we spent approximately $40. And the stuff I found are worth more than that. So give it a try guys!

I did and loved it!

If you do let me know how it went : )

Coming Soon!
The Nerd Blanket: Remember my last post about the TV crochet blanket?
Well I couldn't get the pieces photographed....by the time I was finished I was so bound and determined to start piecing it together that I completely forgot to take a picture. I'm half way putting it together. When it's done I'll take a picture for you guys I promise : )

Blanket plans

Hi everyone!
Long time no blog life's been very stressful but happy to be back : )

I'm experimenting with a new project. My best friends birthday is coming up and I'm crocheting her a blanket

The pattern is from the book happy hooker. From the stitch and bitch series. It's the blanket with the tv design. If you're a 80s or 90s
kid you'll remember that lovely set of colors going up on your tv when the tv or VCR went out.

Being the nerd that I am I couldn't pass it up. Plus in the book they give you a link to a site that will graph out pictures for you so you can knit crochet or cross stitch them : ) I had a lot of fun playing with it. I'll post the link to it soon plus a picture of one of the ones I picked to play with.

The pattern is pretty simple it's the very basic granny square.

You need to make so many squares of each color
21white
14yellow
14light blue
14 green
14 pink
14 red
14 dark blue
9 grey
9 purple
17 black
Each red heart skein made close to 14 squares for me but it all depends on how tight or lose your work tends to be

Now I'm all for budgets and not over spending. The book states specific colors and yarn types. I am personally using red heart brand yarn I got from Walmart for 2.77 a skein
I'm also using a different sized hook I'm using a 6.50 mm hook.

I'm almost half way through the squares I finished my pink purple dark blue and I'm half way through red and yellow. I'm excited!

Plus I've decided after I'm done and piece it together if I don't think it's large enough I'll use my left over yarn from my stash to make a border around it to enlarge it.

I'm volunteering today at Saint Vincent College at the basilica gift shop

It gave me a chance to make some squares....6 in about an hour I don't know if that makes me a slow crocheter or what ^^;

I think they're turning out ok I hope to post a pic of all my squares finished before I put them together

Well hope someone gives this a try and if you have let me know how yours went : )