Blackberry Rhubarb Crumble

To celebrate the beginning of my favourite season of the year, I decided it was time to make something that I had been talking about for quite a while. A delectable, fruit filled crumble!

And goodness, it was fantastic. So good, in fact, that I didn't take the time to grab my DSLR and photograph it for my blog until after I had started to devour it ... Sorry.

Blackberry Rhubarb Crumble ~ 6 to 8 servings

Topping ~

1 1/3 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

3 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons raw cane sugar

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup melted, unsalted butter

Filling ~

4 cups  blackberries

1 1/2 cup rhubarb, cut into pieces half-inch pieces

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 large squirt of lime juice

1/2 cup sugar

4 tablespoons cornstarch 

Preheat oven to 375°F

To prepare the topping, mix the flour, baking powder, sugar and cane sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon and melted butter together in a medium sized mixing dish until it becomes very clumpy. Store in the fridge until needed.

To prepare the filling, mix all the fruit, vanilla extract, lime juice, sugar and cornstarch together in a large mixing bowl and then transfer to a 9-inch casserole dish.

Take your topping out of the refrigerator and spread it evenly on top of the filling.

Bake for 50 minutes, until fruit is bubbling and the crumble has turned a golden brown.


I hope you are as satisfied with this delicious crumble as I have been! Good luck not eating it all in one sitting ;) 

The Last Survivor

A few days ago I got a text asking if I wanted to be in a shoot for a school project. I only had about a hours notice, which was fine for once, since I was to be a last survivor of a zombie apocalypse... So looking disheveled actually worked for me :P

The shoot was supposed to tell a story in just three photos. They needed to be set in a realistic fantasy and present a personal dilemma. However, the project had to be done in film. So I only got a few digital pictures to show the event. Although I am quite fond of the ones we did get!

The basic situation was that I was running from zombies and became trapped, with only one bullet remaining.

Tika Michelle Photography ~ Michelle is a friend of mine and a great photographer to work with. Not only is she fantastic behind the camera, she did make-up as well! A very talented girl.

www.facebook.com/pages/Tika-Michelle-Photography/190475757632305
www.tikaburton.deviantart.com

I knew most of the people dressed as zombies so this shoot was an absolute blast to be a part of :)


To see more of my work, check me out at:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kaylee-Marie/148262868567353

Ginger Molasses Cookies

I love Starbucks' Molasses cookies. They please me greatly. However, at over $2 a cookie, I figured it was about time I found a recipe similar enough to satisfy my insatiable cravings! These may not taste exactly the same, but they sure are tasty!


Ginger Molasses Cookies ~ Makes two dozen


1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup white sugar*
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 cup white sugar

* I used a little less than a full cup, to avoid them being too sweet


Preheat oven to 350°F

In a large bowl mix oil and 1 cup of sugar. Add egg and molasses, mix well, then add 2 cups of flour, baking soda and spices, beat thoroughly.

Roll dough into balls, about an inch around in size. Then roll the balls in 1/4 cup of sugar. Place cookies a couple inches apart on ungreased baking sheet.

Bake for 12 minutes, until cookies start to crack. Cool on pan for five minutes, then transfer to cooling racks.


Enjoy! :)

The Howling: Reborn

Alright, so before I review this movie, I need to give you some background. My biggest fear is werewolves. I know it's silly. I know that they do not exist. But I am completely terrified of them. And I feed my fear. I own over twenty werewolf movies, and many of them I can't even watch alone. In fact, I'm sort of freaking out just trying to find some relevant picture for this post ... I'm retarded.

I also have a strong opinion on what makes a werewolf realistically frightening. For example, it needs to stand on two legs, and it needs a long, wolfish snout. Not a flat pig-face like the original Wolfman. A large, hulking werewolf looking down on you with its cold, evil eyes is much scarier than the ones that just look like big puppies on all fours ... I have a rather extensive list actually, but those two points are crucial.

The other big factor in what makes a werewolf convincing is the transformation. Nowadays, a quick computer generated sequence and its over in seconds. But that doesn't cut it. It needs be long, drawn out, and painful. I love Underworld's transformations, hearing the bones break and reshape themselves is unforgettable. Many might consider the transformations in the Howling series to be over the top, and I might agree, but they have always stood out to me above all others. The first Howling movie (1981) was well-noted for its special effects, and they went all out using different effects and puppetry in order to make the scenes as realistic and terrifying as possible.

The original Howling is among the best of the Werewolf films, second only to Dog Soldiers (scariest movie of all time). Unfortunately, the series declined in quality as the movies continued to be produced and eventually became a joke to Lycanthropes everywhere. But now, 16 years after the release of their last movie, The Howling: Reborn has been made and is giving the series a chance to reclaim its position in the horror genre! Or so I hoped ...

After randomly discovering the movie and shrieking like a monkey, I checked out some trailers online to get an idea of what to expect. It quickly became obvious that this new film was trying to feed off the Twilight obsessed youth whilst using a well-known name in the industry to its own advantage. However, plot was not a concern for me. As long as it kept up with the magnificently done Werewolves and transformations true to the Howling tradition, I would be content.

Well, I was definitely accurate in my assumption that the movie was directed towards a younger audience. The plot was not my cup of tea, but acceptable enough for a low budget film, and they did alright at trying to keep you guessing until the secrets were finally revealed. However, the only werewolves they were showing were some sort of awful, snout-less orc looking henchmen versions. I was pissed. And then, right at the end of the movie, they had them! The Howling werewolves I had come to know and fear (as seen in the pics above and below). They even tried to make up for it all by throwing in an epic end battle between rivals and succeeded in gaining back my respect. But despite bringing back the beloved beast as it was meant to be portrayed, they really let me down in terms of transformation. It was oozing with computer-generated nonsense and did not evoke much fright. Not much at all :(

Aside from the end scene, there really isn't much to love about this movie. Regardless, I still accept it and have added it to my collection. I will never have enough!!!

Birth By Sleep ~ Kingdom Hearts

I am a big fan of the Kingdom Hearts series.They are a lot of fun to play and have soundtracks, characters, story, and gameplay to brag about. I never would have thought that Disney and Final Fantasy could blend so well together.

Birth By Sleep takes place before the original story, leading up to the first game and giving everyone a chance to experience the story of the Keyblade Masters. You play as three different characters; Terra, Aqua, and Ventus, who each have their own story to play. It is a unique design as each character makes choices along the way individual to their personality as well as each fighting with different strengths and weaknesses.

There are many similarities to Kingdom Hearts I & II in Birth By Sleep, as well as several notable differences. You play on many different worlds, meeting familiar and new characters as you progress, as it is with the previous games. However, the battle system and abilities have changed. At first I was a little intimidated by them, but I quickly became accustomed and actually quite fond of playing with different magics and skills, and learning new abilities as a result. The other noteworthy new feature was the Multiplayer mode. I found it a fun pastime with friends, not much more than that, but still enjoyable.

I played through the game on the Proud difficulty, which I would recommend for two reasons. First, it is a much better challenge than the Standard difficulty. And second, on Proud mode all you need to do is beat the game and get all of Xehanort's Reports to achieve the secret ending. Yes, you want the secret ending. I do not suggest Standard mode because, lack of challenge aside, the requirements to get the secret ending are much more difficult and time consuming. Also, take note that trying the game in Critical mode is just crazy. That sort of difficulty is far beyond reasonable limits...

If you own a PSP, I would definitely recommend this game. And if you have, for some strange and bizarre reason, never played the Kindgom Hearts games, best you get started!

Kaylee's Super-Awesome Oatmeal M&M Cookies!

Looking for something truly scrumptious? These cookies are what you need! Although the recipe makes about three dozen, they are always gone within a week! Bring some to work, give some to friends, and, of course, keep some for yourself!


Oatmeal M&M Cookies ~ Makes three dozen


1 cup softened butter
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
3 teaspoons vanilla extract *
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups oats **
1 cup M&M's


* I LOVE vanilla, 3 teaspoons is not necessary, feel free to use less if you prefer
** Quick oats or old fashioned oats will both work in this recipe, just use whichever you have on hand


Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, sugar and brown sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Then whisk in the cinnamon, flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Stir in oats and M&M's.

Use ungreased baking sheets, placing rounded balls of dough about two inches apart.

Bake for 11 minutes, be sure to keep an eye on them. Cool on pan for five minutes, then transfer to cooling racks.


You can get much more or less out of this recipe depending on your preference for larger or smaller cookies. Just remember to keep checking on them while in the oven. Nobody likes a burned cookie. Enjoy!

The Paper Bag Princess

Every girl dreams of being a princess, and it just so happens that this princess bested a dragon! So, when the opportunity came to become the Paper Bag Princess, I grabbed it.

It took a lot of work from a talented group of individuals, but together we pulled off one of my favourite shoots to date!

Thirteen Shots Photography ~ It was my first time working with this photographer and he was a blast! I am extremely happy with the results. If I am lucky, I'll have many more shoots with him in the future.

www.thirteenshotsphoto.com


Bisque ~ Make-up Artist and Costume Designer. I absolutely love this girl! She is so creative and always fun to work with. Also, we are both Gamer Girls, so that's a bonus ;)

www.facebook.com/xBisque

You can also check out some of her designs at:

www.etsy.com/shop/foxtaledesigns


Emily Van Roggen ~ It was my first time working with Emily as well, she is a fantastic Hair stylist and I'm sure I will be seeing more of her as my shoots continue!

To see more photos from this shoot, go to:

www.facebook.com/pages/Kaylee-Marie/148262868567353