Ali Bee's Bake Shop

Colors of Love - Rainbow Valentine's

2012-02-14T10:29:00.001-06:00

It's Valentine's Day!

So as you may suspect, I have a lot to do making sure the people I love in my life are thoroughly pampered and spoiled :)

So I won't be typing too much for this post.
I still have errands to run and sweets to make and bake. :)

If you haven't noticed by now, my Valentine's designs this year have been inspired by stamps.

And HOPEULLY I will be posting more today!
Otherwise, I'll be extending the love with cookies post Valentine's Day...

Because really, the love should continue long after the day is gone.

Tutorial: Valentine Ribbon Rose Cookie

2012-02-13T14:31:00.000-06:00

Guess what?!

Valentine's Day is tomorrow!!

I'm pretty excited. You probably wouldn't have guessed it, due to my lack of Valentine's posts, but Valentine's is my favorite cookie decorating holiday.

Actually no, I lied, it's my favorite baking holiday period. Even more than Christmas (I know, blasphemous).

So I thought I would share my creative joy with you today. By showing you how to make this:

using the ribbon roses from the last tutorial.

If you can't keep your socks on any more because you're so excited....go on over and check out the VIDEO! And SUBSCRIBE! :)

What's For Dinner? Italian White Bean Soup

2012-02-09T15:53:00.000-06:00

WFD?? (That will be the official abbreviation for What's For Dinner btw)

This is a recipe I make all the time. Like when I have no idea what I want to make for dinner and it's 5:30 and I haven't been to the store and I have a toddler at my heels asking for peanut butter and jelly and ice cream....

Usually because I keep these ingredients on hand all the time.

Anyway, it's super easy and takes under 30 minutes to make.

Italian White Bean Soup

1 TBSP Olive Oil
3 oz pancetta, sliced thin and chopped
1 c onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped (about 1c)
1 TBSP minced garlic
1 15oz can petit diced tomatoes, with juices
2 TBSP chopped fresh oregano (or 1/2 tsp dried)
1/2 tsp pepper
6 c. fat free low sodium chicken broth (or 4c chicken broth and 2c water)
2 inch parmesan rind
2 bay leaves
2/3 c. ditalini pasta
1 15oz can chick peas, rinsed and drained
1c swiss chard, ribs removed and leaves chopped (or 1c chopped fresh spinach)
1 TBSP white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
2 TBSP fresh chopped parsley

Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven. Add pancetta and saute till it just starts to brown. Add onion, carrot, and garlic to pan and saute till softened. Add the can of tomatoes with the juice and the oregano. Cook 1 minute. Then add chicken broth, bay leaves and parmesan rind. Bring to a rolling boil. Add pasta and reduce heat to just boiling (we want to keep as much liquid from evaporating off as possible..) Cook for 8 minutes (or until pasta is 2 minutes shy of al dente). Add chickpeas and swiss chard. Cook 2 minutes till swiss chard is wilted, pasta is cooked, and chickpeas are heated through. Remove from heat. Remove parmesan rind and bay leaves. Add parsley, vinegar and salt.
Top with some freshly grated parmesan cheese and serve with a good crusty bread.

I know it might be tempting to skip the vinegar but DON'T! It makes the whole dish. Reduce it down a tsp or so but don't leave it out. That would be sad, and the soup gods would weep.

Don't make the soup gods weep.

Tutorial: Quick Ribbon Roses

2012-02-09T08:49:00.002-06:00

Or should I say ribbon roses done the cheating way....

I love ribbon roses. I think they're sweet and easy and add a little ooooo! to a simple cookie. Or even an elaborate one....

I say that these roses are the cheaters way of making them because i flat out skip a step.

omg, is that how my hands look? I need some Kiehl's stat....

I skip a step ~~mostly~~ partly because I'm a lazy baker. I should seriously consider re-titling my blog "The Lazy Baker"....or maybe that's already taken. Hey if not, there's a free baking blog name. Your welcome.

Anyway, there's not too much to tyrpe here because I kinda did all the talking on the VIDEO!!

So go check it out and start knocking out the roses...it's Valentine's week after all :)
AND DON'T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE! :)

Birthday Lemon Creme Brulee

2012-02-08T10:00:00.006-06:00

My husbands birthday was this weekend (hence my absence from the interweb...)

And I was going to make his standard cake: yellow butter with chocolate icing.

But then I ended up throwing a dinner party (that I wish I would have taken pictures of but I was so busy running around that the opportunity evaporated as quickly as it came). Anyway, I asked him what dessert he wanted at his party and he said creme brulee.....

Yes, let's just start by pointing out that I have never made creme brulee. I haven't even really had a lot of creme brulee before at restaurants. When that dessert menu comes along I'm opting for whatever chocolate is on the menu. So in short, I'm no creme brulee expert.

However, I do enjoy a challenge. We had just gone to Dallas the previous weekend and I couldn't resist picking up ~~a ton~~ a modest few meyers lemons, Anyway, I was dying to use them in something. So I googled.

Google is my boyfriend. He gives me everything I need as soon as I ask.

Mamma likes.

I found this lemon creme brulee recipe from Bon Apetit. I subscribe to Bon Apetit. I haven't tried too many things from Bon Apetit that I DIDN'T love with all my taste buds. So sure, why not. Let's give it a shot.

I have to say that it's WAY easier than I thought it would be. Time consuming, but really very easy. (Except for the part where I forgot to add the vanilla before pouring it into the ramekins and then I had to pour them all out and add it and then re-pour.....but I think that's just me).

Again, I am no creme brulee expert. However, my husband and his family is....and they said it was up there as one of the bests. It's a very creamy creme brulee - not an eggy custard. So I'm thinking ....high five.

It's already in my recipe book, and I'm enjoying some as we speak....yum!

Make it! Like now! And then come over and I'll help you eat it....if I must. :)

Feature: Today's Wedding Belles

2012-02-08T08:00:00.006-06:00

If you want to see more photos of Leah and Scott's GORGEOUS wedding photographed by Whitney Scott Photography, go check out Wedding Belles Online.

Not only has Ali Bee's been mentioned but you can also grab info about all the other vendors involved in the event :)

What I'm Reading: Alchemy Fine Events Blog

2012-02-07T12:31:00.002-06:00

Just a quick side note....rant...blurb....whatever.

I know a lot of people are WAY more into social networking than I am...which is an easy feat actually because like I said, I'm not the best blogger... which is why I am sure some of you have discovered this blog before...

Anyway, I JUST found Alchemy Fine Events and I'm in love!

Check out some of these tidbits:

Heart rate rising....

flippin' adorable!!

gorgeous

I think my invitation to this one must have got lost in the mail....

So anyway, this is what I will be reading this week. :)

Computer Issues

2012-01-31T22:07:00.000-06:00

Alright now, I know it's another week and it's tutorial time but for some unexplained reason my computer won't connect to my external hard drive and it's driving me mad!

MAD I TELL YOU! MAD!!!!!

I'm ok...

Anyways, I will post new tutorials as soon as I get the problem fixed. :)

In the mean time I suppose I will have to find more creative things to blog about...so much work....

Tutorial: Icing Consistency 101 - The Basics

2012-01-26T09:08:00.000-06:00

When it comes to decorating cookies (or anything) with Royal Icing, the most important thing is consistency. If your consistency is off, your details wont come out like you want them. If it's too stiff, it struggles to come out of the icing tip or wont lay down for a smooth flood. If it's too thin, your perfectly piped details run into each other and your flood runs over your edges all too make one big runny mess.

So yes, consistency is key.

Now everyone will have a different consistency they prefer working with. Some people have just one consistency for everything and some have up to like...i dunno...5. I have 2. Well, I have more than two really...more like 4....but for basic decorating I have 2: Piping and Flood.

An example of cookies made with 3 icing consistencies as opposed to the basic 2

For piping icing you want to make sure that you have it stiff enough to hold it's shape, but not so stiff that it could possible be used as cement.

Piping consistency

For flood icing, you will want it to be thin enough that it will smooth down leaving you with a smooth satin surface, but not so thin that it oozes everwhere. I don't use a 10 second rule. Too thin for my liking. I use a 12 to 15 second rule.

Smooth flood icing

Now, I will confess that the secret to perfecting icing consistency is practice. If you look at any of my early cookies you can tell that I wasn't quite there yet. 2 years later, I still don't get it perfect all the time.

So get in that kitchen and start your alchemy! A little drop here, a little drop there. Be patient and experiment and see what your icing will do for you!

Spark People

2012-01-25T12:00:00.001-06:00

Ok this is probably wholly unrelated to cookies but I thought I would share. It's January which means it's that time again! New years resolutions....ugh.

Now, I know that a very long time ago I talked about how I was going to go on a quest to lose weight but nothing really happened... since then a few things have happened:

1. Texas instated the cottage food law and business EXPLODED. Combined with my husbands sudden unemployment (don't worry he is gainfully employed now) - any "me time" went straight out the window.

2. We moved, and remodeled a tornado damaged house. Eating take-out for weeks? No thank you scale....

3. Since we moved, to Missouri, who has a cottage food law (run by county and not state)....we come to find that the county we live in doesn't allow home bakeries....bummer.

4. I quit selling cookies....that's right, I don't sell. Sorry. Take it up with Jasper county. Tho, I totally understand their laws and the reasoning behind them. And no, the health department didn't shut me down. I quit selling once we moved. I sure don't want to settle in to a new town and get on the wrong side of the law.

5. Sophie started pre pre-school. It's just two days a week for a couple hours...but she LOVES it. She told me yesterday that she wants to go to school 3 times a week instead of two. Cute kid. :)

6. I suddenly have "me time" again for the first time in years....

So I really have run out of excuses....

I've done Weight Watchers before....but I never stick to it. My mom, my mother-in-law, a couple friends and I have banded together this time to form a support network. And while they are still tackling it Weight Watchers style...I have strayed....

This is why Weight Watchers has never clicked for me. I think Weight Watchers is a wonderful plan. If you stick to it it really does work. It is a lifestyle change and not a diet. Their support system is great and it works for a ton of people. Jennifer Hudson is looking GREAT these days. However, I always want to do my own thing and make Weight Watchers fit into it instead of just sticking to the plan.

I studied Nutrition in college. So I have these ideas and notions in my head about nutrient ratios and vitamins and caloric goals....and when i look at Weight Watchers all I see is points...it's like it isn't complicated enough for me. I don't see the nutrients... When i was in college I would use dietetic analysis software to track EVERYTHING! And I was never in better shape.

So I was Googling the effects of melatonin on endocrine disorders (yes, this is how I spend my free time. Self professed NERD here) and I came across a discussion on SparkPeople and I'm like what the hey is SparkPeople??....

You guys! It's like FREE dietetic software!! I'm in heaven! And never felt more in control of my weight loss. I started tracking and can you believe I have been calorie DEFICIENT? I'm not eating enough to lose weight! Would never have guessed that was coming. Anyway, it's pretty awesome. And since I started 2 weeks ago I have already lost 3.5 lbs and I'm sleeping a lot better. So since, so far, this is looking like a better long term solution for me, I will be following the SparkPeople plan. And we will see where it takes me.

So take note: this is my before picture

photo taken by Whitney Scott Photography

I think I will check in monthly and let y'all know how it's going. I'm not turning this into a weight loss blog...this is all about the sweets here. But I thought I would bring you all along on this journey with me. Maybe I'll be more likely to stick to it if i know hundreds of people are watching. Haha!!

(And no, no one paid me to write this. I really am loving the website and the support I am getting over there. If you want to give it a shot use me as a rec. My sparkpeople screen name is Alibeebu. We can do it together. )

Show Me Magazine

2012-01-24T14:07:00.002-06:00

If your local you may have already seen this, but recently I was featured in a local magazine!

The magazine is called Show Me the Ozarks. It's a very nice publication :)

How did I pull this off? Luck. I did these cookies for a wedding months back:

Remember these??

Anywho, the photographer at said wedding was the brilliant Whitney Scott Photography. Amazing work! She took these photos of the wedding:

see my cookies??! :)

To see the rest of the photos from this wedding visit their blog. And while your there check out the rest of the portfolio too! Super sweet and professional people! I highly recommend!

Anyway, I received an email from said talented photographer asking if I would like to do a small featurette in the January issue. Um...YEAH! :)

So go on and pick up the magazine...

Oh wait, not everyone lives in Joplin....ok ok....I'll go ahead and post it here :) Because I know you're all just dying....maybe, a little, or just mildly curious...

This is me, in my kitchen....smiling WAY too much but SO happy someone wanted to do a little piece on moi.

Anyway, cute huh? Big thank you to Show Me Magazine and Whitney Scott Photography! :)

Bow Tutorial

2012-01-23T08:35:00.001-06:00

Happy Monday!! It's tutorial time!!

A lot of folks have been asking me to show them how I make my bows, so bows it is!

Come check out the new tutorial and be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel for weekly updates!

You Tube Channel

2012-01-17T18:35:00.002-06:00

The YouTube channel has finally LAUNCHED!

And if you want a link to the first video you will have to hop on over to Sweet Sugar Belle's and get it!!

About the channel:
I will be posting videos weekly on tips and methods. Basically this is easier than making blog photo tutorials....for me anyway. I am not organized enough for photo tutorials. Blah.
You will unfortunately have to deal with my rambling, mumbling, scatterbrained self...uncensored....scary. But hey if want to mute me and watch in silence I wont hold it against you. So if there are any questions you may have or anything you want to see demonstrated let me know. I'll be posting things from the very basic techniques to random, this is how i made this videos. And hopefully this will be helpful.
Considering that I am putting myself out there, if you hate it, tell me in the nicest way possible maybe? k??
And if you make something from a video and post it on the net if you want to link back to the tutorial i wouldn't hate that. :)

Anyway, head over to Sugar Belle so you can head over to my channel and SUBSCRIBE!!! :)
Thanks y'all for your continued support over the last couple years :)

Baby It's Cold Outside....

2012-01-12T09:14:00.001-06:00

It snowed last night....well, iced more like it.

Hasn't stopped Sophie from trying to go outside to make a snowman....

You know, when we first moved to Missouri everyone kept talking about how you get 4 true seasons....so far it's reminding me a lot of north Texas. 2 days ago it was 68 out....which feels really nice. And this morning there's snow and ice on the ground.....spastic weather? Yep, just like Texas. That or the weather has decided to play along so that I felt more at home this winter... :)

Belated Christmas

2012-01-12T09:08:00.000-06:00

Dude, I totally forgot to post these...

whew ok. better late than never...

Dashing Through the Snow...

2011-12-17T13:57:00.002-06:00

Christmas 2011

2011-12-10T15:34:00.000-06:00

Here's what the kitchen has turned at so far...

The snow on the tree was inspired by Lisa @ The Whole Cake and Caboodle
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lisas_cakes/5241584465/in/photostream

I'll be back with more Christmas cookies later!! :)

Martha and Pies!! Oh my!!

2011-12-09T16:18:00.000-06:00

hey y'all! Check it out!

My dear friend MAryann will be demonstrating MY pies on the MARTHA STEWART SHOW!

Tune in December 12!!

http://www.marthastewart.com/871460/cookie-baking-and-decorating?xsc=eml_tvm_2011_12_09&om_rid=IntEJQ&om_mid=_BO4lqyB8e09wEB#ooid=I1b2I0MzqTdsy_hk-q8NHDORF6f39mXr

Birthday Preview

2011-12-04T19:17:00.000-06:00

Today was my daughter's 3rd birthday.

We're still cleaning up around here so I don't have time to chat.

But here's a preview:

Stay tuned...

My Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-30T18:38:00.000-06:00

Now that it's the last day of November I think I'll finally get around to telling y'all about my Thanksgiving...

I drove 11 hours to Houston
I ate
I shopped
I slept
I laughed
I drove 11 hours back home

Did I mention I ate??

This is a much smaller feast than last year. I'm guessing my Dad was feeling less than his ambitious self this year...no Turduken...

At least there's greens

Good ol' fashion collards

And cookies of course

Just a small sampling....

I know this isn't a very in depth story about my Thanksgiving. No cute stories or anecdotes today. Just strait forward facts. Mostly because I need to get my (now larger) rear end back in the kitchen. I have a 3rd birthday party to plan and a million Christmas cookies to make. I am only slightly exaggerating about the million part. Only slightly.

I hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday!

Thanksgiving Pies

2011-11-18T14:08:00.000-06:00

and 4th of July pies too!

Remember these??

I made these for Thanksgiving last year.

Since then I have seen pies like this everywhere...apparently people like them :)

Well, anyway, a while back I made a tutorial on how to make these pies and sent it to my dear friend Sweet Sugar Belle for her blog....by a while back, I mean July....

These should look familiar too...

The girl gets busy! I can't blame her for not posting it until today!

That's right, you heard correctly. The tutorial for this post is up on her blog today! You should go check it out...I am sure I will see many more pie cookies in the near future. :)

Fall

2011-11-11T17:37:00.000-06:00

I have a love - hate relationship with fall

Things I love:
The leaves turning colors
The way it smells outside...admit it, the air smells different. Fall has it's own smell
It's the perfect temperature outside for at least 2 or 3 days.
There's a holiday (and we're talking decorating holidays) almost EVERY MONTH!
It's chocolate covered cherries season! (Yes, I am addicted)
The FOOD!! :)

Things I hate:
I seem to get fatter around this time of year....
It's perplexing....

So there you go, my love-hate relationship with Fall

Although it's mostly LOVE :)

2011-11-08T11:06:00.000-06:00

The Give-a-way is CLOSED!!

I want to thank everyone who entered! I am thrilled!

However there can only be one winner....

True Random Number Generator

Min: 1

Max: 539

Result: 37

And that winner is....

Julie H. said...: I would love Gwynn Wasson's pirate party design for one of my two boy's birthday. It is so cute!; November 1, 2011 12:37 PM; Congratulations Julie! Please contact me to get your free items!!; alibeesbakeshop@gmail.com

Golden Anniversary

2011-11-06T17:02:00.001-06:00

I don't really DO cakes too often...

They are very time consuming, and tedious, and involve physics and a PHD or something....I really don't get it.

Probably because I'm not immediately awesome at it.

But I went ahead and got suckered into making a cake for a 50th anniversary for a neighbor and family friend.

By the end I was glad I did it. It was kind of fun. I don't know what changed...perhaps it was because this time I decided to stick with what I know....

Now I want to take this moment to say: the idea of putting cookies on cakes...not mine. I'm just not that brilliant. If you want to see some more cakes decorated with cookies then head over to One Tough Cookie. It's awesome.

However in this panicked moment of "you REALLY want me to make a cake?" the idea of using what I knew for this was a no brainer.

I am loving my airbrush...I just got a new airbrush...did I forget to tell you that?

For this cake I used a vanilla cake recipe and a cream cheese buttercream that I found over at Glorious Treats. It's DELICIOUS! You HAVE to go over there, make it, and then eat it, and then hide it from yourself so you don't make yourself sick on frosting like I did today.... it was worth it.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Sunday. Next think you know it will be time to go back to work... (NNNoooooooo!!)

Don't forget to enter my giveaway!! Monday November 7 at 11:59 Central is the deadline!

Festival of Tables

2011-11-03T22:04:00.001-05:00

Every year the Women's Ministry at our church holds "Festival of Tables"

I made cookies for this last year.

But I didn't have a clue what it was.

From what I understand, each women or a team of women volunteer to decorate a table or two. The fancy place settings and all that. Usually with a theme. Then they have a dinner and listen to a speaker or see a presentation or something of the like.

I made cookies again this year
I got a little carried away.....

I hear it's fun. I say that I HEAR it's fun because even though I had a ticket to go this year, my hubby (God bless him for working so hard) didn't get home in time to relieve me from toddler duty so that I could attend. *sigh*

So I guess I will just have to wait till next year....

Hey, as long as I have you here....be sure to go enter my give-a-way....wont you please? I desperately want to give you free stuff. Free stuff from Gwynn Wasson, Julia Usher, Karen's Cookies, and ...well me....I would like to bake for you if you would be ok with that. The give-a-way ends Monday November 7th at 11:59pm central.

Then when your done with that go enter Sweet Sugar Belle's give-a-way. She's giving away a mixer. Then you should have all you need. No excuses to put off your destiny of being as obsessed with cookies as I am.

After your done talking about how much cooler her give-a-way is than mine..."ooo but SHE'S giving away a mixer blah blah blah....." tell your friends to come back and enter MY give-a-way. Don't forget about the little people here. Hey, the odds are better for my give-a-way anyway...

I luv u Callye

Anyways... that's enough rambling from me. I think I will go join my husband and try to squeeze a whole days worth of conversation into half an hour before he falls asleep. :)

Night y'all.