sketch-a-day every other day #136

sketch-a-day every other day #135

sketch-a-day every other day #134

sketch-a-day every other day #133

sketch-a-day every other day #132

sketch-a-day every other day #131

sketch-a-day every other day #130

sketch-a-day every other day #129

sketch-a-day every other day #128

sketch-a-day every other day #127

sketch-a-day every other day #126

sketch-a-day every other day #125

sketch-a-day every other day #124

pan de muerto

well, i thought maybe i would get this posted on the actual day of the dead or (dia de los muertos), but i wasn't quick enough. the past couple years i've seen recipes for pan de muerto (day of the dead bread). i never made it till now. its kinda like challah, but this contains anise seed, which adds a nice subtle flavor to an otherwise basic rich dough. this loaf also receives a skull and crossbones shaped from a portion of the dough that is placed on top to give it some added flare.

this is the recipe i used.

pan de muerto

note: the second egg wash should only be place on the skull and crossbones to help give them an extra brown color, so they stand out. i assumed this was the case, but went a head and followed the directions as they were written. this gave me an all around dark loaf with little indication of the accent on top. as you can see below. still a cute little hunk of bread though. perfect toasted w/ some jam for breakfast or anytime for that matter

sketch-a-day every other day #123

sketch-a-day every other day #122

jack at the beanstalk gallows

well, i actually took some time to make my halloween costume this year. i often find myself putting it off to the last minute and then frantically trying to shove something together the night before. this is a shame since i really like halloween and constructing costumes, even if its only to dress up as a dead person. i'm a firm believer in keeping it morbid on halloween, although i have gone funny and cute in the past. not to say i won't do it again either, but i like a little darkness come oct 31. so, this year i was going to a party themed "the end of fairy tales". for some reason jack from jack and the beanstalk popped into my head. then i thought what better way to make the costume slightly gruesome then having jack hung up on the stalk like its a noose. presto, my costume was born. i gathered up some clothes for a pesent farm boy and went about sewing together a beanstalk. these are the results.