"Amsterdam" by Peter Bjorn And John

Here's a song to help you relax on this beautiful weekend.

"Amsterdam" by Peter Bjorn And John

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7GU3msz72I

Tips on Social Networking

I've been social networking for years through AOL profiles, AOL instant messenger away statuses, myspace, facebook status updates, and now twitter.  Over the years you see a lot of information people share - some good, some bad.  Here are a few tips for things to leave out of your status updates:

- do not write about your children puking
- do not write when you're having a down day
- don't complain about people (the energy you put out in the world comes back to you)
- don't write about your stomach feeling sick
- don't complain about it being Monday. Inspire your readers!

Yes, sometimes we have bad days and it may cross your mind to share it on facebook, but is that really going to help?  Always try to put a positive spin on things.  Positivity is as contagious as negativity, so why not put a tad more effort into it and try to cheer someone up?

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream For Ice Cream

My grandfather used to say that all the time and I think of him every time I have ice cream!

Recently I discovered a new cool place to enjoy this delicious treat - Parker Hertel Sweet Shop.  The shop is at the corner of Hertel and Parker in Buffalo, NY.  The shop is painted with lime green paint and decorated quite beautifully with wooden details.  There's a large bar area which brings you back to the nostalgia of the 1950s soda shop with a wall of treats!  You can sit on bar stools at the bar or head outside to some comfy chairs on the patio.  Go here for a fun date after a movie this summer!

Parker Hertel Sweet Shop
1862 Hertel Avenue
(on Parker Ave.)
716-844-8179

Ice Cream, Candy, Baked Goods, Coffee, Tea, Chai, Espresso, Cappuccino, Latte, Hot Chocolate, Birthday Parties, Meetings

F 2p-10p; SA 7a-10p; SU 7p-8p

Honey Bee Chocolate Cake

Looking for a special sweet treat to make for your child or husband this year?  In the past I've made ice cream cakes, but this year I wanted to make something different.  I was reading through different cake recipes on foodnetwork.com and found the Honey Bee Chocolate Cake recipe by Nigella.  I knew the marzipan bee decorations would take awhile so I decided to buy box brownie mix, bake it up then coat it with the special honey chocolate frosting and marzipan bee decorations.

The cake was a big hit and it was absolutely delicious!  I made the bees by rolling out almond paste, dyeing it with yellow food coloring, making them into bee shaped ovals, then i painted stripes and eyes on them with chocolate frosting and added sliced almonds as wings.

Below is Nigella Lawson's recipe:

Ingredients

Cake:

• 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, broken into pieces
• 1 1/3 cups soft light brown sugar
• 2 sticks soft butter
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate soda (baking soda)
• 1 tablespoon cocoa
• 1 cup boiling water

Sticky Honey Glaze:

• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup honey
• 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

Bees:

• 1 ounce yellow marzipan
• 12 flaked almonds
• Special equipment: 9-inch springform tin

Directions

Take whatever you need out of the refrigerator so that all ingredients can come to room temperature, and while that's happening, melt the chocolate from the cake part of the ingredients list in a good-sized bowl, either in the microwave or suspended over a pan of simmering water. Set aside to cool slightly.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, and butter and line a 9-inch springform tin.


Beat together the sugar and soft butter until airy and creamy, and then add the honey.
Add 1 of the eggs, beating it in with a tablespoon of the flour, and then the other egg with another tablespoon of flour. Fold in the melted chocolate, and then the rest of the flour and baking soda. Add the cocoa pushed through a tea strainer to ensure you have no lumps, and last of all, beat in the boiling water. Mix everything well to make a smooth batter and pour into the prepared tin. Cook for up to 1 1/2 hours, though check the cake after 45 minutes and if it is getting too dark, cover the top lightly with aluminium foil and keep checking every 15 minutes.Let the cake cool completely in the tin on a rack.

To make the glaze, bring the water and honey to a boil in a saucepan, then turn off the heat and add the finely chopped chocolate, swirling it around to melt in the hot liquid. Leave it for a few minutes, then whisk together. Add the sugar through a sieve and whisk again until smooth.

Choose your plate or stand, and cut out 4 strips of baking paper and form a square outline on the plate. This is so that when you sit the cake on and ice it, the icing will not run out all over the plate. Unclip the tin and set the thoroughly cooled cake on the prepared plate. Pour the glaze over the cold honey bee cake; it might dribble a bit down the edges, but don't worry too much about that. The glaze stays tacky for ages (this is what gives it its lovely melting gooiness) so ice in time for the glaze to harden a little, say at least an hour before you want to serve it. Keep the pan of glaze, (don't wash it up), as you will need it to make the stripes on the bees.

Divide the marzipan into 6 even pieces and shape them into fat, sausage-like bees' bodies, slightly tapered at the ends. Using a wooden skewer, paint stripes with the sticky honey glaze left in the pan from icing the cake. About 3 stripes look best, and then very carefully attach the flaked almonds at an angle to make the bees' wings, 2 on each one. They might snap as you dig them into the marzipan bodies, so have some spare. I'm afraid to admit, I also like to give them eyes by dipping the point of the skewer in the glaze and thence on the bees: they look more loveable with an expression, which is somehow what the eyes give them, but then this is where the Disney effect comes in. If a more imperial dignity is required, forgo the dotting of the eyes and present this as your Napoleonic Chocolate Cake.

Templeton Landing is Divine

Recently I went to Shanghai Red's Restaurant, but sadly Shanghai is no longer in Buffalo, NY.  The good news is it's now Templeton Landing http://templetonlanding.com/.  It was their opening night and the place is gorgeous.  Templeton Landing offers contemporary American cuisine. We were greeted by Specialty Restaurants Corp. director of training, William Tallichet.  They offer everything from seafood dishes and salads to ribs, and steaks.  The same water fountain and fireplace are outside to greet you.  The color scheme is blue - makes you feel like you're far away on a cruise ship.  I ordered the crab cake appetizer and Veal Oskar as the entree.  It was delicous!  Each plate is a piece of art created by Executive Chef Norman Nichols, formerly executive chef of Seneca Niagara Casino, Harrah's Entertainment and Carnival Cruise Lines.  From the window, I looked onto the large patio next to the water.  There were at least eight fire pits!  Templeton Landing is the only place I can think of in downtown Buffalo with fire pits!  There's something so calming and beautiful about fire by the waterfront.  They built a brand new bar too - very large!  This is the hang out of the summer.  Go grab a cocktail and appetizer after work, sit back and relax, enjoy the sunset over the water!  Happy Dining!

 Or try some grilling at home with a Martha Stewart cookbook!
Everyday Food Magazine From the Kitchens of Martha Stewart Living July/August 2003 (Issue #4) - Special Summer Grilling Issue

We Love Tulle

 

The above are some pics of me wearing our rice rafferty tulle accessories with fiber optic elements.  Pictured from top to bottom - Trapeze Dress/Tutu (wear as a dress or tutu), Short Tutu, Detachable Tulle Accessory, Tulle Bridal Veil, and Tulle Gauntlet.  All pieces have hand dyed silk elements embedded in the tool. www.ricerafferty.com

If you're interested in a child size tutu - click here - Small Miracles Girl's Glamour Light Up Tutu 

Every Girl Needs a Tutu

 

When I was a little girl you couldn't get me out of my tutu.  I remember twirling and dancing around the house.  I quit my dance lessons (sorry mom), but that didn't stop me from dressing up and dancing free style.  I felt so elegant and grown up.  The revival of the 80s dance wear as street wear is very exciting to me.  

The above picture is showing our Ultra Feminine Warrior tutu, made from layers of white tulle embedded with strands of silk and upcycled silk flowers with bead stitching and fiber optic lights. $80 www.ricerafferty.com

www.ricerafferty.etsy.com

When I was in college my art building was shared with the dancer/theater majors so I was heavily influenced by exposure to dancer clothing.  Even though my hands were full of art books, sketch pads, and paint brushes I'd wear leg warmers and leggings and my hair up in a messy bun several days a week.  Gee!  No wonder my favorite painters were Renoir and James Tissot!  I'm not a dancer, but drawing/painting ballerinas and wearing dancer clothing made me feel like one.  Wearing dancer clothes also puts me in the mood to work out, stretch, maybe do a little ballet workout (check out the NYC Ballet Workout - really great for your posture and makes you feel very graceful).

DANCER LOOK

Wear the tutu with black leotard or leggings and a tank top if you plan on dancing. 

 TRENDY LOOK

If you're a tad more daring with fashion, like Carrie Bradshaw, pair the tutu with a short skirt and blouse/tank (maybe a blazer if it's chilly) with a few strands of pearls and stiletto heals. 

RICE RAFFERTY LOOK

Pair it with our Ultra Feminine Warrior silk one shoulder turquoise tunic and bib or statement necklace.

NIGHT TIME LOOK

Simply flip a switch and turn on the fiber optic lights if you plan on going dancing!  

My favorite dance movie is Center Stage (Special Edition)

I seriously can't get enough of this movie.  I've watched it at least a hundred times.

Away We Go

Yesterday I had dinner with my friend Crystal, a fellow graphic designer, who just got back from Europe.  She recently traveled to Dagenham, UK.  This was her first time traveling ALONE and outside North America, so I was very proud of her.

She also ventured to Scotland UK, Wales UK, London Uk and Salisbury UK. I enjoyed hearing all about her adventure.  She was telling me how all the stores you can find here in a US cities are there as well.  She mentioned H&M and I said oh yes we have that here.  She was searching endlessly trying to find unique gifts for her friends, but it was all Made in China and generic.  Crystal ended up bringing home some beautiful seashells for her family.  With the internet we have really become so connected as a society, yet we lose some of our individuality.  She imagined the UK to be different somehow...maybe not so modern?  She absolutely loved it though!  If I was there I would have loved to check out some textile museums or studios!  Crystal said the trip made her appreciate home more.  There's no place like home, but she's ready for more traveling in the future!  :)

Have you seen the movie Away We Go??!?  A young couple is on a quest to find a place to move, to call home, and start their family.  They travel to Wisconsin, Montreal, Miami and Arizona visiting friends and checking out different lives.  Aren't we all on this journey trying to find a place where we fit in this world?  Have you found that place?  Where is it?

Now YOU can make rice rafferty accessories!

Whenever I show friends our rice rafferty accessories they are always curious how we make things.  I've decided to compile some tutorials showing how to make some of our designs.  I'm making a bib necklace instruction manual right now.  Above is a photo of a bib necklace I found on the internet.  Our instructions will help guide you, but also encourage experimentation.

Are there any items you would like to try making on your own?  Go to www.ricerafferty.com to see more of our accessories.

We really support being green - collect items from estate sales, garage sales, flea markets so you can incorporate these fun finds into your designs.  We love to up cycle items! 

Is that YOU wearing RICE RAFFERTY?

Here's a photo of one of our happy customers wearing a rice rafferty up cycled 2010 silk floral headband.  When we saw this photo our hearts just melted.   This is why we do what we do.  Seeing this photo makes all our hard work worth it!  Come visit our new site www.ricerafferty.com to check out all our products (aprons, accessories, apparel) and our personal websites!