Bake For A Cause

In case you hadn't figured it out by some of my previous posts, I like to bake.  A lot.  There's just something about the precision of measuring flower and fat and a leavening, adding just the right amount of sweetness to savory that I find extremely satisfying.

There's the added bonus that you can share the treats you made with others.  Their enjoyment is even more gratifying.

Below are a couple of ways that you can bake and help out some pretty cool Brooklyn causes.

On January 23rd, enter a pie (or pay $5 admission to show up and eat) in the Third Annual Pie Contest to Benefit BK Farmyards at K&M Bar in Willamsburg.  The pies will be judged by chefs Diane DiMeo (Red Box Bistro, Chopped), Seamus Mullen (Boqueria, The Next Iron Chef) and Cody Utzman (Papacitos, Brooklyn Standard, Chopped) and I will be competing.  Come and vote for my tasty pecan-bourbon pie (as of today, that's what I think I'm entering) or enter one of your own!

Every Wednesday in Greenpoint, the ever-changing group of volunteers in Craig's Kitchen bakes dessert for those who are eating dinner at the Greenpoint Soup Kitchen.  I've done this myself several times and am signed up for a couple of Wednesdays in February.  It's a great chance to bake a yummy dessert for people who will really appreciate it!

Know of any other great ways to bake for a cause?  Leave it in the comments section!

FUNemployment

As you know, my gentle readers, your MatchGirl has been trying to hone her skills while unemployed. A career change is the long term goal, but more skills for my current one is an added benefit.

In the class I am currently taking at FIT, we are learning some pretty basic Photoshop with CS4. Our current assignment, due tonight, was simply to free-hand some abstract designs, which is kind of fun and also reminds me of the stuff that my sister and I used to do on McDraw and MacPaint on our first family computer (a little Macintosh SE) back in the mid 80s.

Here's one I did based on some fabric I had hand-painted to make a bag from:



And here's the fabric I hand-painted that inspired it:



And here's a photo of my LA friend J and me, by my dear friend Violet Shuraka, after a rehearsal dinner in Boston on 11 September, with the cute bag tucked under my arm:

FUNemployment

Above are a couple of little stuffed elephants I have made for some babies I know. After the first one was a big hit, and some interest was shown, I've decided to try my hand at selling them on Etsy.

Keep an eye on LesEnfantsTerribles.etsy.com for a whole slew of crafty prezzies for the kids in your life ... and probably some grown up stuff, too!

xo

FUNemployment

A little bag, of re-purposed vinyl, I whipped up last Friday. A rainy day is great for projects!




The hot-pink cotton lining of the bag ...