The Better DIY: Smart Phone Projector

If you are ever at a party and want to show off the latest viral cat video, here is a super easy DIY for creating a projector. Obviously this isn't going to give you HD quality projections, but its better than having 10 people huddling around you to see the screen. 

 

1. Draw a circle on your box that is a tiny bit smaller than your magnifying glass

2. Using an x acto knife (be carful) cut circle into box

3. From the inside of the box glue magnifying glass down so it is right behind the circle opening

4. This step is optional. But since I can never leave well enough alone, I chose to cover my "projector" with some scrapbooking paper. 

If you want you can make yourself a little makeshift kickstand using a paperclip. Place your smartphone in the box. You will have to play around with your phone to see how close you should put it to the magnifying glass to get the picture in focus. Also try moving the box closer and further to the projection wall to help get a sharper image. It is important to turn off the setting that rotates your image with your phone automatically. This is because for the image to be projected right side up, the image on your phone needs to be upside down. It may seem a little confusing now, but once you make your own and mess around with it for a few minutes, you will understand. 

Now it's time to pull up your favorite Youtube video or show off your Instagram feed!

The Better Cheesecake Topped with Snickers

After much research I have learned the perfect cheesecake making techniques that will get you a silky, crack free dessert. 

Step 1: Line cover the bottom of your spring foam pan with foil

Step 2: Wrap foil around the whole pan to prevent water from seeping in (pictured above)

Step 3: Use ROOM TEMPERATURE ingredients (if it seems like I'm yelling here it's because I am)

Step 4: Make sure crust cools COMPLETELY before pouring filling

Step 5: Strain filling with a fine mesh sieve to remove any lumps

Step 6: Cook in a water bath

Step 7: Do not cook completely; there should be some center jiggle

Step 8: Allow to cool in an open oven with heat turned off

Step 9: Refrigerate for at least 24 hours

Although I used this recipe from My Baking Addiction, cheesecake is and will forever remain the most versatile dessert. A little lemon in the filling and voila it's the perfect treat to be topped with berries. It's also a great way to use leftover cookies (in the crust) or your favorite chocolate andy bar (roughly chopped and sprinkled on top). YUM-O!

The Better Mini Sandwiches

I've said it before and I'll say it again with just as much conviction: everything tastes better in mini form. I've known this since I was in pre-schoo,l and my refined toddler pallet had a preference for petite finger food with no crust. Fast forward 15 years and still, not much has changed. I made two varieties the classic PB&J and a BLT. Both of which were taken to new levels of sophistication by their small size. 

To get the perfect sized bred rounds I used a mini cup, also seen in this post.

However, be warned that doing this does result in a lot of excess bread. I felt bad about tossing it so I saved it in a plastic bag and will be using it later for bread pudding. Resourceful? I think so.

A mandolin is key here for slicing the tomato. Usually I'm a fan of the big, thick slices on sandwiches and burgers, but those kinds of tomato slices have no place on a mini sandwich. Every thing here is about being cute and delicate.

The Better Carrot Cake

To be honest, I'm not the biggest fan of carrot cake. The idea of a vegetable getting anywhere near my dessert is rather off putting, and the thought makes me grimace. But since other people go wild for it, and that includes my father, I decided I'd make one using a recipe from Smitten Kitchen. For those of you that don't know I am a big Deb fan and would gladly marry her. Unfortunately my dowry is just not large enough to tempt her away from her family...but I digress. The point is that I trust her recipes.

 

{To keep the cake stand clean I like to put strips of parchment paper around the edges and pull them out when it's time for the cake to be served}

 It turns out that Deb is so magical that even I, hater of carrot cake, went back for a second, third, fourth, and even fifth bite. I was defiantly behaving like one of those kids that likes the food you feed them until you tell them there's something healthy in it. Only I'm worse because no amount of carrots will counterbalance the sugar and butter, but that's not the point. For the quadruple layer cake I doubled this recipe and baked the cakes in two 9x2 cake pans. 

The Better Berry Lemonade

I am a firm believer that when life gives you lemons (or any fruit for that matter) you head to the kitchen make a lemon debutant cake, a lemon pound cake, lemon bars, and a batch of lemonade. Life has not handed me any lemons as of late, so I went to smart and final and bought two large bags. Usually while listening to my favorite podcast I will zest and juice the lemons then put everything in the freezer for future use.

 

RECIPE

INGRDIENTS

*½ cup berry puree

½ cup lemon juice

**½ cup simple syrup

4 cups sparkling water (still works too)

DIRECTIONS

1. In a heat proof bowl mix simple syrup and berry puree

2. Microwave syrup-berry mixture on high for 4 minutes

3. Remove from microwave and whisk vigorously

4. Strain mixture through a fine mesh sieve

5. In a pitcher mix syrup-berry mixture, lemon juice, and water

6. Serve over ice

*To make berry puree blend your favorite berries (fresh or frozen) until smooth. If using frozen berries thaw and first before adding to blender.

** To make simple syrup place 4 cups of sugar and 1½ cups water in saucepan. Cook over medium heat until sugar dissolves

The Better Basic: Yellow Cake and Buttercream Frosting

This cake is as simple and classic as it gets: a yellow cake with a vanilla buttercream frosting (I dyed mine pink and put a lemon on top purely for aesthetic reasons). Some people may even be tempted to hit their local grocery store and buy a mix (gasp!) or frosting from a can (the horror!), but I know my readers are far too good for that kind of behavior...right? Right! 

And just in case you didn't know cake can be stored in the freezer for a few months if well wrapped in plastic wrap. So why not just bake an extra cake to have on hand? It's honestly the best way to assure yourself that you will never resort to grocery store mixes no matter how desperate you are. 

Remember that chocolate cake with salted coffee chocolate frosting I made not too long ago? This is the same cake, just outfitted in a different dress. I like frosting cakes but I'm not too fond of breaking out my piping gear to decorate the edges. I disguise my laziness by saying, "I like a slightly homemade look to my cakes,." And in all honesty, it's true. Perfection is overrated.

The Better Lemonade and Dessert Party: Part III

There are good parties and there are great parties, and really they are very similar except for a few things here and there. Details are what separate "meh" from "WOW!" Aside from streamers and balloons, here are some details I think really made my lemonade and dessert party successful.

{Monogramed, linen, cocktail napkins from Neiman Marcus}

{Mason jar cups with lemon slice, ribbon, printed card, and a moustache straw!}

{Dessert cards to describe each treat to guests}

{Cake stands are far better than plates. Bottom three from Macy's Martha Stewart collection, top two purchased from Costco}

{Handmade triangle banner and coordinating tablecloth}

{Candy bar}

I was very surprised to learn that candy bars don't come cheap. Luckily I live in the Los Angeles area and was able to find this store. The candy bar pictured above in addition to the candy table, and snickers for the cheesecake totaled to about $175. It seems like a lot but once you start researching the cost of bulk candy you'll commend me for my thriftiness.

Lemonade and Dessert Party: Part II

I often use a combination of Paperless Post and Facebook to send invites to my guests. While real invitations sent via snail mail are my favorite choice, I prefer to save money here, and reinvest it elsewhere. When you decide on a date and time, be cognizant of how much food you are preparing. I decided that an afternoon party would be best as to allow me time for morning preparations.  

Choosing the recipes and making the grocery list is probably the most tedious and time consuming part of pre-cooking preparation. It is important to print out (or photocopy from books) the recipes that you will be making. Not only does this save your cookbooks and laptop from kitchen splatters, but it also an easy way to keep everything at your finger tips. Next, go through your recipes and calculate how much of everything you will need (i.e 50 eggs, 12 lbs sugar, 1 L buttermilk). Check, double check, and triple check your list. Doing so will help you avoid multiple trips to the store for the small items you forgot to write down. I also suggest that you make you list at least a week prior so that you don'g leave anything off due to a frazzled state of mind.

 

Create a schedule and try your hardest to stick to it. I did, and it helped me stay calm when it seemed the amount of work left to do was overwhelming. But most importantly expect that one or two things will not go as you planned. The day before the party I was insistent upon having pink and white paper straws. I ended up spending hours driving around town and calling all over only to be disappointed. It happens. 

The freezer is going to be your best friend. Cakes, frosting, and other treats (like lemon bars, brownies, and rice crispy treats) freeze very well when wrapped in plastic wrap or stored in Zip Lock bags. It is your only hope of getting everything done on time and keeping it fresh. 

The Better Lemonade and Dessert Party: Part I

This past weekend I celebrated and lamented the impending departures that my friends and me would be making to college. It was a bittersweet party because I have known most of these girls since I was 4 years old, and saying good-bye --even if it's only for a little while-- is never easy.

Preparing 8 different cakes, three types of cookies, and several desserts was not easy either, but it was definitely  possible with the right kind of preparation. Over the next few posts I'll explain in detail how you can plan one of these little soirees yourself without crying in the cake batter from the stress of it all.

Here is a peak at what went on inside my house. Enjoy!

{Dessert table}

{Mini BLT sandwiches}

 

{My beautiful friend, Mackenzie}

{Trying to decide what to eat first}

The Better 4th of July Fashion

The 4th of July is near and that means parties and backyard BBQs a plenty. Any get-together where the guests color coordinate will rank highly on my list, plus there is usually a barbecue. And fire works. I like fireworks. Luckily I have outgrown the unattractive habit of smearing grease on my white pants to clean my hands, but for those of you who haven't, there are some non-white options as well.  

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