for the love of coconut

Coconut layer cake from Bon Appetit magazine (link)

I made this for a customer, but I had a reeeeeally hard time not eating this myself. I think I know what the next family get-together dessert is going to be. (In case you’re interested, here’s my cheesy little cake website. Just a stand-in until I get time to make a nicer one.)

I deviated from the recipe a bit by baking three layers because my cake pan are shorter than the ones called for in the recipe. Also, I toasted the coconut a little to add some color and extra flavor. And I mixed some into the frosting. YUM.

a diaper box “horsie barn”

I made a “horsie barn” for Edda out of another old diaper box. It was a huge hit, much like the diaper box dollhouse was in its day. (It’s getting a bit ragged these days.) I noticed that a lot of people have been arriving at my blog by using search terms like “what to do with an empty diaper box,” so I thought I would oblige them with another project.

It’s not very polished or fancy. Mostly because you have to hurry when you have a two-year-old helper that wants to play with her new horse barn ASAP. But you get the general idea.

Materials: diaper box, scissors, glue, tape, construction paper, black sharpie, yarn or string, darning needle (or any needle with a big, fat eye.)

Cut off the flaps.

Tape the short flaps in as seen in the photo and glue along the seams. (I put them against the edges of the box’s bottom flaps– now the back of the barn– to give a sort of ledge to help them stand up.) Stalls are created!

Poke some holes in the side of the barn and the short edge of one long flap as seen in the picture. Make sure they line up.

Use the darning needle to make some yarn or string “hinges.”

et voila.

Glue/tape on some construction paper “siding” and add details in sharpie marker.

Let the glue dry (or not) and start filling your barn up with horsies and all their friends.

The diaper box dollhouse was brought in as a second story of the barn.

And much playing ensued.

Happy times.

wow.

It has been quite a month. (Lots and lots of crafting and doing) Details to come. Sorry for the almost-month-long break.