Pakistani school partnership & letters from Africa

I'm chuffed today- it's been a long long week- and January feels like its going on forever- But it's been a good day.

I've managed to partner our school with a school in Islamabad, Pakistan.
I asked for a school very different to our own to give our students a chance to learn more about other cultures and a chance to learn about other peoples' lives.

They definitely delivered we are partnered with the Islamabad College for Girls:

http://icg.edu.pk/

Islamabad College for Girls f-6/2 was founded in May 1968 as Islamabad Model School for Girls. This prestigious education institution of Islamabad started its classes in an under-construction building without even a boundary wall and with a student population of only 64. Today, by the grace of Allah, it has a student enrollment of nearly 4,000. Initially, Islamabad College for Girls, popularly known as I.C.G. at home and abroad, had classes up to the Matric Level but was upgraded to the intermediate level in 1975 and graduate level in 1985. M.A. English classes were introduced in 1989 followed by the programme of M.Sc. in Applied Psychology. The college is affiliate with the Punjab University at the graduate and post graduate level. It is a great achievement that I.C.G has maintained its standard all along. Along with academic excellence, I.C.G. is renowned for the achievement of its students in sports, co-curricular and extra-curricular activities. This premier institution of the capital houses classes from Prep to Post-graduate level in one beautiful campus and is unique in this regard. It has the privilege of grooming young girls who have gone on to become useful members of society- in fact become the backbone of the country in their roles as doctors, engineers, civil servants, teachers and mothers.

This will be exciting!
I'm looking forward to setting up this pen pall project- you never know, we might even go to Pakistan!
I hope some of their teachers are up for some twinning too! I'd love to learn more about their culture.

As if this wasn't exciting enough I had a letter from Moyo- the little girl I sponsor to go to school in Africa. She'd written me a letter in English- which was really sweet. Last time she sent me a drawing of her village.
So I will need to write her a letter back.

And, I planned an investigation into the terminal velocity of toast.

See, it's all good.
:)

Earl grey poppy seed tea cakes- YES PLEASE! now I just need to get good at cooking...

Earl Grey Poppy Seed Tea Cakes
Yield: four 3-inch cakes
[click for printable recipe]

This recipe requires four 1.75 x 3-inch pastry rings.  One cake is a very generous single serving  (and could probably serve 2).  They have a bright, fruity flavor that I liken to Froot-Loops cereal (no kidding! -or maybe I’m just weird). The extra step of covering them in black fondant and decorating with luster dust is not necessary, but it sure makes them pretty.

Cake: 
3/4 cup extra-fine granulated sugar

1/4 cup loose-leaf Earl Grey tea

2 tbsp. poppy seed

4 eggs
1 1/2 tbsp. canola oil
2 tbsp. buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 drop black food coloring (*optional)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
Powdered sugar for dusting

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease an 11x14-inch jelly-roll pan with white vegetable shortening and line with parchment; grease parchment paper.
2. In the bowl of a food processor, combine sugar, tea leaves and poppy seed.  Process for 2-3 minutes, or until the mixture looks well ground and is very fragrant.
3. In a large bowl, beat eggs with a mixer for 5 full minutes (I suggest setting a timer).  Properly whipped eggs will lighten in color considerably and have the appearance of yellow cake batter.
4. With the mixer still running, slowly add sugar mixture and oil to the whipped eggs.  Next, add buttermilk, and vanilla extract and food coloring, if using.
5. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt.  Slowly add to the liquid ingredients.  Mix until well combined.
6. Pour batter into prepared pan and tilt pan to distribute batter evenly.
7. Sprinkle a cotton tea towel with powdered sugar and rub sugar into the towel with your hands
8. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Check at 12 minutes. Cake is done when it springs back when pressed with fingers. 
9. Turn cake out onto the powdered tea towel.  Dust surface with powdered sugar.  Let cool completely.
10. Use 3-inch pastry rings to cut out 12 cake circles.  Set aside.

Earl Grey simple syrup:

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup water

4 Earl Grey teabags

1. Stir together sugar and water in a small saucepan.  Place over medium-high heat and bring to a bubble. Stir to make sure all the sugar is dissolved.  Remove from heat and place the teabags in the hot sugar syrup to steep.  Infuse for 5-7 minutes, then remove and discard tea bags.  Set aside to cool.

Tip: You may have leftover syrup after assembling the cakes Store unused syrup in the 'fridge and use it to sweeten your tea!

Zesty citrus buttercream:

1 cup of unsalted butter, softened

2 cups confectioners’ sugar - the finest you can find (usually 10x)

1 tsp.  clear orange extract

Juice of 1 small lemon

Zest of 1 small orange

Zest of 1 small lemon

* Milk or heavy cream, optional

1. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix together the butter and confectioners’ sugar.  Begin mixing on low speed until crumbly, and then increase to high and beat for 3 minutes.
2. Add orange extract and lemon juice; beat again for another minute until light and fluffy.  Add zests and mix on lowest setting until evenly dispersed.  Transfer to a piping bag or zip-top bag with the end snipped (no decorator tip necessary)

*Note: If you find the buttercream is too stiff, you may add milk or heavy cream 1 tablespoon at a time until the mixture is piping consistency.

Assembly and decoration:

1 1/3 cup ready-made black vanilla rolled fondant

Silver luster dust

Small cup of water

Culinary stencil or other plastic non-toxic craft stencil

Small soft-hair artist’s brush

1. Place 1 cake circle in each of the four pastry rings; brush cakes liberally with Earl Grey syrup (if you don’t have a pastry brush, you can drizzle two tablespoons of syrup over the cake).  Pipe in a layer of buttercream and top with another cake circle; press cake circles down into the buttercream to create an even layer.  Brush cake circle with syrup and add another buttercream layer.  Top with remaining cake circle and press  it down so that it is level with the top of the pastry ring.  Brush with syrup. 
2. Chill cakes in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. Press cakes out of the molds from the top onto a baking sheet.
3. Lightly grease a work surface with white vegetable shortening.  Knead and roll out a 1/3 cup piece of black fondant.  Lift piece with a rolling pin (or your hands – it’s small enough) and drape over a cake. Smooth fondant down and around the cake and trim the excess with a sharp knife.  Repeat process with remaining cakes.  Place a stencil on top of each cake.
4. Tap out a little silver luster dust onto a clean plate.  Dip the paintbrush into water and then into the luster dust; work it into a paint-like paste on the plate with the brush.  Repeat dipping/working until your brush is loaded with luster dust “paint”.  Gently apply in even strokes over the stencil.  Carefully lift stencil to reveal the design.

Tips:

Roll out a piece of fondant to practice your stenciling.

The stencils I used had a lightly adhesive backing.  I coated the sticky side with vegetable shortening and then wiped most of it off with a paper towel. This took enough of the stickiness away so that it would not damage the fondant’s surface. If you use the same brand of stenciling that I did (below), be sure to use this method and test the stickiness on a test piece of fondant before applying to the cakes.

Valentines crafts from Etsy ... Sssshhh don't show Traff incase I get creative and make one for him!

The valentines card:

Supplies You’ll Need:

A self-healing cutting mat
Steel ruler
A sharp cutting knife and spare 30 degrees angle blades
A4 cover weight paper of your choice; something thick and stiff that can still run through a printer.
Printer (optional)
Gold pen and glitter or a wallet-size photo of your choice (optional)

Directions:

1. Download the template.

2. Print out the template on your paper. If the paper is too thick for your home printer, print it at a local print shop.

3. Time to get down to business! Cut out the design on your self-healing cutting mat with your cutting knife, using a steel ruler when needed. Begin with the smaller shapes and work yourself to the bigger cuts that surround them. That way the paper won’t tear.

Tip: For an easier job, don’t use the standard blades that come with the scalpel knife. Instead buy a pack of the sharper 30 degree blades.

4. When you’re done with all that cutting, you can either write in your message at the center (I used a gold pen and glitter) or glue in a wallet size valentine photo instead.

That’s it, you’re done. Happy Valentine’s Day!

Lollipops:

Here’s my list of edible flowers that are accessible and tasty:
Basil
Chamomile
Johnny-jump-ups
Lavender
Marigolds
Pansies
Roses
Violas
Violets

Fresh flower heads can be used in lollipops, provided they are not large and bulky. Thin, flat flower heads, such as violas, violets and chamomile, are ideal. Marigold and rose heads are bulky and contain too much moisture, and will cause the hard candy to “weep.” Consider using their petals instead.

Be sure to use organically grown flowers. Eat only those flowers you are positive you can identify. Use pesticide-free plants from nurseries and herb gardens that offer organically grown flowers; pick them from a trusted friend’s organic garden or your own.

Hard Candy Notes: It’s a good idea to check the accuracy of your candy thermometer before you begin. You can do this by placing it in a saucepan of water and bringing the water to a boil. At boiling, the thermometer should read 212° F; if the reading is higher or lower, take the difference into account when testing the temperature of your candy mixture.

Your candy can take on a burned flavor if it is heated beyond the hard crack stage 310°F. You can remove the liquid candy from the heat once your thermometer registers 300°F. Allow the temperature to rise on its own for the last 10 degrees.

Bellini Petal Lollipops
Yield: 12-15

Materials:
2 cups sugar
2/3 cup corn syrup
2/3 cup water
1 dram bottle peach candy flavoring oil
1 dram bottle champagne candy flavoring oil
1-2 drops red liquid food coloring
Organic rose petals
Organic mint sprigs
12-15 lollipop sticks
Cellophane wrappers
Twist-ties or ribbon

Step 1: Cover a heat-proof work surface with parchment paper. Two or more metal baking sheets can also be used.

Step 2: Stir together the sugar, corn syrup and water in a small saucepan. Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pan.

Step 3: Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Continue to heat without stirring until the bubbling mixture reaches the hard-crack stage (302-310°F). This will take approximately 25 minutes. Remove pan from heat.

Step 4: Stir in flavoring oils and one or two drops of food coloring. (Be extra careful because the mixture will steam with these additions.) Stir well. As you stir, the mixture will develop small bubbles.

Step 5: When most of the bubbles have disappeared, drop the liquid candy onto the parchment paper by the spoonful using a metal spoon. Allow the candy to stand for a few moments before placing the petal or mint leaf (or combination of the two) on the hot candy. If you place the petal on the hot candy too soon, it will wilt immediately.

Step 6: Place a petal or mint leaf face down on the candy round. Use a finger (carefully!) or the end of a lollipop stick to slightly press it into the candy. Pour just enough hot candy over the petal to cover the back side, encasing it completely in the candy. Place a lollipop stick in the candy and rotate 1/2 turn. Allow the candy to harden and then lift from the parchment paper. If the lollipop appears cloudy, you may quickly and gently rinse it under a thin stream of warm water. If you do this, allow the lollipops to air-dry overnight before packaging.

Step 7: Wrap lollipops in clear cellophane and tie-off with a ribbon or twist-tie. Display lollipops in sugar-filled glasses or jars. You can also use flower pots with Styrofoam inserts.

Heart shaped cake topper:

Supplies:
yarn
pom pom maker (I prefer Clover brand, and used the 2.5″)
lollipop sticks
hot glue
scissors

Following the instructions on the pom pom maker, wrap the yarn around each side, thoroughly.

Carefully cut the loops in half, following the channel.

Using a piece of yarn, tie a knot around the yarn pieces, right around the center (where you just cut) and pull tight.

Pull the sides of the pom pom maker apart. Roll the finished pom pom in your hands to fluff.

To trim into a heart shape:

a.) Trim a diagonal line (about 45 degrees) around the bottom of the pom pom, like a cone shape.

b.) Trim a channel in the center across the top, front to back, like a reverse mohawk.

c.) Now your pom pom resembles a shaggy heart, continue to trim into a puffy heart shape.

Place a blob of hot glue on the end of a lollipop stick and insert into the bottom of the heart pom pom.

Enjoy! You could use these little heart poms at a placesetting or string together to make a garland!

Paper craft:

Materials Needed:

- cutting mat

- cutting knife

- paper doilies

- pencil

- permanent marker

Directions:

1. You’ll use one doily as your guide for the actual papercut. Use this to plot out the look of your valentine, and when it’s time to start cutting, it will be the first layer you cut through.

Decide what message you’d like for your valentine to say. Write out the words in your own handwriting on your doily guide. Then, take your pencil and bulk up your lettering. You can also start with bubbly letters, however I find this technique creates lettering that is truer to real handwriting.

2. Peel 3 doilies from your stack of dollar store doilies. Don’t separate them — keep them stuck together. This will make it easier to cut, as they won’t start sliding around. Color the top doily with a color of your choosing using a permanent marker. As you can see, I chose red, in keeping with classic Valentine’s Day colors. Since the ink will bleed through, you’ll end up with one fully colorful doily, one with a mottled effect, and one white. You can of

course decorate them in anyway you’d like!

3. Time to start cutting. Line up your doily guide on top of your stack of 3 doilies. Using a fresh sharp knife, start cutting out the most delicate interior shapes first. Start at the center and work your way out, cutting through all the layers at once. Take your time, and just cut out little bits at a time.

If the paper starts to slide around too much, you can tape the doilies right to your cutting mat with masking tape. When I do this, I usually will stick the tape to my shirt or pants before sticking to to the paper, so it’s a little less sticky and lessens the risk of tearing the paper when it is time to peel it off.

4. Once the cutting is complete, carefully peel away the layers of doilies. Ta da!

5. If you’d like, attach your papercut doily to an uncut doily, so your lettering pops out, using a glue stick or Glue Dots. 

6. Give it to your valentine with love!