Taylor, Author at TaylorMade

Blueberry Mascarpone Whip Trifle

September 22, 2011 By Taylor 5 Comments

Turns out, I really like to say “Mascarpone”. Maybe that is part of the reason I made this dessert? That and it’s really, really pretty, and I love trifles.

I found this original recipe on Pinterest. I have started using Pinterest as my personal cookbook. I jumped on the pinning bandwagon early and while it holds a special place in my heart, some of the DIY projects are overdone. Like everyone has seen it. But the recipes keep me coming back. I made this for my Dad’s birthday last weekend and it was a really big hit! The original pin comes from a pretty blog called My Baking Addiction, you can see the recipe HERE. She serves hers in individual jars which is so precious. But I like to do as few dishes as possible :) So trifle dish it is.

Ingredients:-pound cake-blueberry pie filling-heavy whipping cream-mascarpone cheese-lemons-vanilla-sugarI “TaylorMade” a few changes…Her original recipe has an option for making the Blueberry Sauce from scratch but I found organic Blueberry pie filling and it was all natural so I figured it wasn’t too far off. Also, I couldn’t find pound cake at the store but I could find something called “Sour Cream Pudding Cake”… Ohhh Kay! And like I said, I did my dessert in a trifle dish so I have more layers too.Head to My Baking Addiction for the full recipe.

I also might start putting the Mascarpone Whip upon everything, it is pretty much to die for. Do you love trifles as much as I do and do you like to say Mascarpone (it makes me feel like Giada)?

Turkey Tostadas and Homemade Pico

September 15, 2011 By Taylor 6 Comments

I might be sparking a debate here but… I have an addiction to Mexican Food, I blame it on living in Houston my whole life. Texas has the best Mexican Food in the world. Let me back up by saying our food here in Houston is technically Tex-Mex… but I think it is better than authentic Mexican. Tex-Mex is more flavorful to me… more cumin, cilantro, cheese and meat. I grew up eating Tex-Mex so authentic Mexican is a little bland in my humble opinion. Speaking of my opinion, I have tried “Mexican Food” in other parts of the country and it shouldn’t even be allowed to claim the name. Ask anyone who has left Texas what they miss and Mexican Food is on the list. Tostadas are a favorite at our house and I think I have found the perfect order of ingredients :) I also like to use ground turkey instead of beef. Turkey Tostadas:-Tostada Shells-Refried Black Bean (you need some glue)-Ground Turkey (add a taco seasoning packet)-Shredded Lettuce-Homemade Pico -Queso Fresco or Greek Yogurt (or both)

Homemade Pico-2 tomatoes-1 small white onion-1 jalapeno -1 bunch of cilantro-juice of 2 limes-1/2 tsp saltBack to the controversy of Mexican Food. What do you like better? Have you had TexMex in Houston… why not? Do you live in an area where you “think” you are eating good Mexican Food :) And while I’m asking a bunch of questions… why do some restaurants call them Tostadas and some call them Chalupas? Same with Taquitos and Flautas?? Please discuss.

Girl Clothes

September 7, 2011 By Taylor 7 Comments

Say whaaaat? It’s true, I made some girl clothes a few weeks ago.

Finn’s friend had a birthday and I took it as an opportunity to make girl clothes :) Here is how the conversation went in my head. “Oh your daughter wants a certain toy and will be bored if she has to open clothes? Welp, I have two boys and would like to make a skirt.” I think it’s the perfect situation- I get my two funny, rowdy, crazy boys and I will make all of our girl friends dresses so I won’t have to miss out on that. One thing I will gladly miss out on… the drama-filled, moody, teenage girl years.I used Dana’s Simple Skirt Pattern for the skirt. Her pattern is for 3-4T so I just subtracted 2 inches or so for a 2T. It was really easy and quick.

For the top, I started with a plain off white t-shirt. Ironed fusible web to a scrap piece of the skirt. Cut out the letter “K” and ironed it in place. Then I hand embroidered around the edge of the letter. Lastly, I added a little heart just to girl it up even more.

I added a taylormade tag.

And wrapped it up.

Truck Table

September 5, 2011 By Taylor 20 Comments

If you ask my son, “What do you want to do today?” you will get the same answer every single day. “Pway Twucks “. So in order to have even more truck playing time in my life, I made him a truck table for his birthday. I actually started out looking to buy one but they were all so bulky and expensive… DIY to the rescue.

Here is how the truck table magic happened:I started with a cheap coffee table from Walmart. First step is to prep the table top. I did most of this but I had my husband pose for the pictures. The man can build anything but can’t take a picture to save his life.

Tips for the table prep:– Don’t attach the legs– Brush off the extra dust after sanding– Make sure the tape goes all the way to the edge– Apply 2-3 thin coats of primer and let that dry overnightNow you want to tape off your “roads”. Just get creative. I measured two matchbox cars side by side and figured 3″ could be a good width for the cars to pass each other. So all of my roads are 3″ wide. Use painters tape to cover where the roads will be. I made a big square for the parking lot.

I painted green for the grass and added a lake in the corner.

Remove the tape…

Paint your roads in with black paint.

For the street lines, I used white vinyl and cut it into tiny strips.

Cover the whole table with a clear coat.

My favorite part is the drawer that I thought of :) Pretty much just an “L” shaped rail that we screwed to the bottom of the table. Make sure to get a tupperware with a lip so it can slide in and out.

I would say it was a successful bday present! I knew about sports but no one warned me when I had boys I would play trucks every day :) But I am ok with it.