d'oh!mestic

So that happened.

I’ve had this monster for about a month and I am a bad, bad person for not writing about it sooner, but hell, I had this brand spankin’ new Janome DC 3018 computerized marvel taking up my time and the point of hobbies is to spend time away from the internet, right?

Buying the beast was a one-and-done, and I’m almost (almost) ashamed by the lack of shopping around. But when the saleswoman proceeded to run eight layers of denim through the floor model with nary a snag, I was hooked. She reeled me in when she knocked an additional $150 off the price tag and threw in a spare food, five extra bobbins, two spools of thread and (and!) was nice to me.

Bob’s Sew and Vac has a customer for life.

I did what you’re supposed to do with a brand new machine: test runs, project completions, ritualistic blood sacrifices. It hums along, pleased as punch.

The old Singer has been relegated to a corner of the workroom until we can think of something to do with it. I’m reluctant to sell it. I wouldn’t wish that foul craftsmanship on anyone.

And speaking of foul craftsmanship!

In May, I will be inflicting my shoddy wares on the unsuspecting public!

The wonderful women of Hip Stitch have asked me to be their featured artist for the month of May. They’ll be showing off (and, ahem, selling) some of my handmade items, which will act as the soft launch of the D’oh!Mestic homewears-and-leggings* line.

The above photo is just a taste, just a hint of what I’ve been up to. I can’t wait to show off the project in full, but I want to built a little buzz, whet a few appetites and take some decent pictures in natural light. But believe me when I say that it’s going to be a good five seconds worth of awesome, and you might just want to call dibs now. Local readers are encouraged to line up starting Thursday, April 30. (What, we’re all geeks here. Geeks do line events.) Out-of-towners will either have to book their tickets now or wait until we roll out D’oh!Mestic, The Shopping Experience, sometime in June.

Or, y’know, not.

*I am kidding about the leggings. I am not Lindsay Lohan.

Every single day, I get dinged a couple of times by people looking for Guinness cupcakes. So I may as well post the recipe, which I fliched off of the internet somewhere, and may or may not be totally stolen from Nigella, but if that’s the case, I apologize.

It’s also been modified for the mile-high altitude, where cakes (like pie crusts) like a little extra wet. In this case, I added an egg and a teaspoon of baking powder.

GUINNESS CUPCAKES

1 cup Guinness stout
10 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa (I sometimes up this to a full cup and then throw in a handful of semi-sweet morsels if I’m thinking about it)
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup sour cream
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract — (which I’m out of at the moment, which SUCKS!)
2 cups flour
2-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt — I am of the “you need salt” school of thought

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large saucepan, combine Guinness and butter. Place over medium-low heat until butter melts. Remove from heat. Add cocoa and sugar. Whisk like a crazed whisker.

In a bowl, combine sour cream, eggs, and vanilla; mix well. Add Guinness mixture. Add flour and baking soda. Whisk until it’s velvety smooth. Pour into cupcake/muffin tin. I prefer the huge size, but I can’t find size-appropriate cups, so break out that butter and flour!

Drink rest of Guinness.

Bake 45 – 50 minutes or until a tooth pick in the center comes away free, blah, blah, blah. You’ve made cupcakes before.

And then comes the most awesome part: icing the cupcakes. Again, I nicked this off of the internet and I don’t remember where now. If it’s your recipe, props! It’s fantastic.

PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING

1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup peanut butter
3 cups powdered sugar
2-4 tablespoons milk (whole, for the love of all that is holy. You’re making cupcakes for pity’s sake)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Sling butter, peanut butter, sugar and vanilla into your mixer. Trust me, you want a mixer here. Add two tablespoons of milk. Beat the heck out of it. Add more milk a tablespoon at a time as needed until you have the consistancy of beer froth.

And hey, if you’re really talented with the frosting, you can do the traditional shamrock on top.

I am not that clever.

Happy eating. Let me know how it turned out.