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Chicken Chili Tacos

h i s d i s h i s a n SP C favo rite that got a new spin from my sister-in-law,

Amanda, who is as passionate about cooking as she is about a good taco. I cant
stress enough how delicious and easy this dish is. I use it a lot for casual entertaining and Ive never had a nose turned up at it. And believe me, this dish has been placed
in front of some pretty picky noses. lk

Prep time: 10 minutes

Total time: 6 hours 10 minutes
Makes: 4 servings
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 5 cups (375 ml) prepared pico de gallo
or salsa
4 cup (60 ml) fresh lime juice
(about 1 limes)
2 tsp (10 ml) cumin seeds, lightly toasted
4 cup (60 ml) chopped fresh cilantro
12 taco shells (crisp or soft/flour or corn)

Place the chicken, pico de gallo or salsa, lime juice and

cumin seeds in a slow cooker and stir to combine. Cover and
cook on low for 6 hours. (You can cook on high for 3 hours.)
Allow to cool a bit. Scoop the chicken out with a big slotted
spoon and place it in a large bowl. Use two forks to pull the
meat apart. The chicken will shred easily. Stir in some
cooking juices from the pot and add the cilantro.
Place the shredded chicken, your taco shells and desired
fixings on the table and let everyone put together their own
perfect taco.

Serving Suggestions
Sour cream
Guacamole
Pico de gallo or salsa
Shredded lettuce (or try arugula, cabbage, baby spinach)
Shredded cheese such as Monterey Jack or cheddar
or try crumbled goat cheese for a flavor change

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BMOs 8-Bit fuse Bead Coasters

ne reason I love fuse beads is that they look just like

retro video-game graphics. Straight-up BMO style!
Maybe you thought that fuse beads (also known as Perler
or Hama beads) were just a kids thing, but youll find that
theres so much you can do with them: make jewelry, hair
bows, wall art, or these drink coasters. Its the most fun
youll ever have ironing.

You W ill N eed

BMOs 8-Bit Fuse Bead
Coasters chart (page 137)
Fuse beads in various colors
for each character:
Ice King: white, yellow-orange,
light blue, black, dark red, and
red
Princess Bubblegum: hot pink,
light pink, yellow-orange, black,
purple, and white
Marceline: black, light gray, red,
white, and pink
Finn: tan, white, medium blue,
lime green, dark red, pink, and
black
Jake: yellow-orange, black,
white, orange, dark red, brown,
and pink
BMO: teal, light blue, white,
black, blue, yellow, lime green,
and red

Fuse bead pegboard, at least

4" x 4" (10cm x 10cm)
Iron
Ironing board
Parchment paper (see notes)

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notes
Some packs of fuse
beads will come with
a sheet of parchment
paper, but you can
also find parchment
paper at your local
grocery store.

Try making your own

patterns at http://
kandipatterns.com.
Mark the bead type
as square and start
designing.

Steps
1 Set the fuse bead pegboard on a flat surface.
Following the 8-Bit Fuse Bead Coaster
chart (page 137), place the beads on the
corresponding pegs of the fuse board for one
of the characters (A).

2 Once all the colors are placed, doublecheck the design to make sure all the beads
are in the right spot and all the colors are
correct. Theres no going back after you iron!
Carefully move the fuse bead pegboard to the
ironing board.
3 This parts for adults only: Preheat the iron
to medium heat and place the parchment
paper on top of the beads. Before you iron,
check that none of the beads have fallen off
or wriggled loose. Gently iron the design in a
circular motion, until the beads begin to fuse.
This should only take about 10 to 20 seconds.
Make sure you get those pesky edges,
too(B).

a
b

4 Wait for the first side to cool and carefully

peel off the parchment paper. Take the
beaded design off the pegboard, and flip it
over onto the opposite side.
5 Repeat the process of placing and ironing
beads for the entire chart until youve made
all the characters, for a total of six coasters.

rhombus home decor

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72

adventure time crafts

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Cr aft

Party Panic!

I love to entertain, and a crafty gettogether is the perfect excuse to turn on

some jams and go crazy with your besties.
Here are some of my favorite tips for
hosting a totally math D.I.Y. party:
 ick a relatively easy project to do
P
together. Your guests may have
different skill levels, and most people
like to finish a craft that they can take
home with them. The Fan Fiction
Finger Puppets and Stage (page 10),
Princess Hair Adornments (page 60),
and Shrink-a-Cow-Tastic Jewelry (page
42) are good projects for all abilities.
 ave a clothing swap! Ask guests to
H
each bring at least one item of clothing
in good condition that they no longer
wear. With a little paint or a stitched
embellishment, you can turn that
boring sweater or old pair of sneakers
into a chic fashion statement.
 et up a nail art bar with a few shades
S
of polish and striping brushes. If your
friends finish their craft projects early,
they can do their nails, too! Check
out Chalkboard Nailss tutorial for
Oh My Glob, Nail Art! (page 56) for
inspiration.

rhombus home decor

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Dayk_9780449015834_8p_all_r1.indd 104

6/4/13 11:00 AM

aul says this is the perfect brownieas long as I dont sprinkle Smarties
on it. For such a liberal guy, he has a lot of traditional qualities. I told him to come
and join me on the wild side and give the Smarties a chance. If I am feeling a little
more serious, I swap out the candy for walnuts.

Smartie Pants Bar

1 cup butter
3 cups bittersweet chocolate chips

1.

Preheat the oven to 350F.

2.

In a double boiler, or in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan

6 large eggs

of simmering water, melt the butter and chocolate and whisk to

2 cups granulated sugar

combine.

1 tablespoon pure vanilla

3.

1 cup all-purpose flour

sugar and vanilla to combine. Add the flour and salt, and whisk

1 teaspoon salt

to combine.

1 cup Smarties or 2 cups walnut

4.

halves
makes:

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and sprinkle evenly

with Smarties or walnuts.

24 bars

you will need:

Transfer to a large bowl and whisk together with the eggs,

5.

(9- 13-inch)

Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until the

brownie has puffed up and cracked. This is a very fudgy brownie:

baking pan buttered and lined

It will ultimately fall after being removed from the oven, to

with parchment paper (see

create a dense bar.

page 30)

6.

Remove from the oven and allow the slab to cool completely.

7.

Run a small knife along the two edges of the pan that do not

have parchment handles. Carefully remove the slab from the

pan and cut into approximately 2- 2-inch bars. Make sure to
use at least a 10-inch knife to avoid cutting and dragging the
knife across the bars.

These bars will keep in an

airtight container for up
to 1 week or in the freezer
for up to 3 months.

BARS AND SLICES

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6/4/13 11:00 AM

Cyan Magenta Yellow Black

P o m -P o m A n i m a l s
These characters are easier to make than they look, thanks to a useful
little tool called a pom-pom maker, available at crafts stores or online.
Once you get the hang of winding and snipping and fluffing, you can put
together a cuddly friend in no time.

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44

ow ls Whooo goes there? Why its

a mama owl, made from a small
pom-pom stitched atop a larger one,
and her single-puffball baby.

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Cyan Magenta Yellow Black

bunnies

C r e at e a f e w C h a r a c t e r s

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Shy rabbits hop along

a field of tall shredded-paper grass,
looking for veggies to bring to their
picnic. If you dont have a pom-pom
maker small enough for a baby bunny,
you can always make a larger
pom-pom and trim it down to size.

45

Cyan Magenta Yellow Black

po m - po m a n i m a l s Ho w - T o
Supplies:
Pom-p om maker

kit in size small

Yarn in various

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46

colors, sizes, and

thicknesses
Small scissors
Embroidery floss
Needle
Pom-Pom Animals
templates (see
page 329)
Pencil
Felt in various
colors
Waxed thread in
white and brown
Tacky (clear) glue

Basic Steps:

the two arms on top of a pom-pom

maker and start winding yarn at one end;
g o back and forth over the arms with the
yarn until it is wrapped as densely as desired.
C lose arms and open the arms on the
bottom; repeat wrapping.

1. O pen

2.

Holding the pom-pom maker closed, use

scissors to sni p the yarn along the center of
the rounded edges. Then cut a length
of matching embroidery floss and tie the
pom-pom in the center; pull tight and
knottwice.

Stew_9780307954749_5p_01_r1.indd 46

the pom-pom makers arms, then

carefully p ull the two sides of the maker
apart and off the pom-pom.

3. Op e n

any long or straggly yarn ends; if

desired, t ri m the pom-pom further for
a denser, smaller ball.

4. Tri m

the floss you tied off with intact

if you plan to attac h the pom-pom to
another one.

5. L e av e

5/10/13 6:16 PM

Cyan Magenta Yellow Black

tips
Follow the instructions on the pom-pom
makers package, but also keep these
suggestions in mind:

ears

The more times you wind the arched

arms, the denser and fuller the results. (You
may want to wrap four or five times for
thicker yarns and at least six to eight times
for thinner yarns.)

eyes

Its normal for a pom-pom to look imperfect

when it comes out of the makertrim it to
give it a tighter appearance and to make it
the proper size.

no s e

Tie off the center with a length of the same

yarn, if its strong enough to be pulled
tightly. If not, choose a fine, strong yarn
(or even embroidery floss).

Once its knotted, youll have a two-strand

tailleave this long if you plan to attach the
pom-pom to something like another pom-
pom or a piece of fabric.

to make a bunny
did you know?
You can use any kind of yarn you like
when making pom-poms; silk, mohair,
wool, acrylic, or a blend of these will
work well, and each yields a different
finished effect. In general, fuzzy,
soft, lofty yarn is best. And the smaller
you want the pom-pom to be, the
thinner the yarn should be.

two light b rown pom-poms, one for the

body and the other smaller, for the head.

1. MAKE

the head to the body using a needle

and the tail of the embroidery floss used to tie
it (or attach with tacky glue).

2. STI TC H

3.

Use the templates (page 329) to C U T out ears

from tan felt; C U T tiny eyes and a nose from
black felt. C U T whiskers from white waxed thread.
GLUE in place.

C r e at e a f e w C h a r a c t e r s

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whis kers

47

Cyan Magenta Yellow Black

P o m - P o m A n i m a l s Ho w - to

eyeb row s

eyes

b ea k
h ea d

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48

ant ennae

3
w i n gs

body

wings

to make an ow l
two pom-poms, a dark b rown
one for the body and a smaller, striped
gray-and-brown one for the head (see
tip, opposite, for how to make stripes).

1. MAKE

the head to the body using a

needle and the tail of the embroidery
floss used to tie it (or attach with
tacky glue).

2. ST ITC H

templates (page 329) to CUT out

the owls wings and facial features from
felt. GLUE in place.

3. Use

48

to make a bumblebee
two pom-poms, one striped with black and
yellow (see tip, opposite), the other slightly smaller
and solid black.

1. MAKE

the head to the body using a needle and

the tail of the embroidery floss used to tie it (or
AT TAC H with tacky glue).

2. st i tch

templates to C U T a pair of wings from white

felt. For antennae, C U T two lengths of waxed
thread, and knot at one end. glue in place.

3. U se

fav o r i t e c r a f t s f o r k i d s

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Cyan Magenta Yellow Black

tip

bumblebee

The striped pom-pom of

a handmade bumble is one piece crafted in
alternating bunches of black and yellow. Felt
wings and waxed-thread antennae complete
his buzz-worthy suit.

C r e at e a f e w C h a r a c t e r s

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To make stripes, wind one

color around a portion of the
pom-pom makers arm
and cut yarn. Switch color and
repeat for as many stripes
as desired. Repeat process
in reverse color order on
other arm.

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6/25/12 11:05 AM

whole-wheat raspberry ricotta scones

n my first Mothers Day, I decided I would host brunch for my

husbands and my families. That morning, because Im, well,
me someone who considers the constant monitoring of pantry
staples exhausting, even though this always causes me troubleI
discovered that I was nearly out of the white flour Id need for my
scones. Also heavy cream. And, heck, even dried fruit.
So I cobbled together my remaining white flour with whole-wheat
flour and ricotta and fresh raspberries. And heres the thing about
scones and biscuits: If you try enough recipes, you realize that youre
generally following some unspoken rules. Whole-wheat flour isnt a
friend to biscuity things, because it makes them too dense; ricotta
would just be weird; any fruit added must be dried. If you added fresh
fruit, such as berries, the dough might be too sticky, and in the oven
maybe the berries would melt into pockets of jam, and maybe theyd
look a little wild, with buckled indents from the cooked fruit and
craggy shapes . . . and . . . Wait, what? Why is this a bad thing again?
This is what I realized when I pulled them from the oven: Everything I thought would go wrong had gone really, really right. Raspberries plus ricotta plus whole-wheat flour equaled everything I wanted
out of a breakfast baked good, tucked neatly into a portable shape.

yield: nine 2- inch (5 cm)

square scones

1 cup (120 grams) whole-wheat our

1 cup (125 grams) all-purpose our
1 tablespoon (15 grams) baking powder,
preferably aluminum-free
cup (50 grams) sugar
teaspoon table salt
6 tablespoons (3 ounces or 85 grams)
unsalted butter, chilled
1 cup (4 ounces or 135 grams)
fresh raspberries
cup (190 grams) whole-milk ricotta
cup (80 ml) heavy cream

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
In the bottom of a large, widish bowl, whisk ours, baking powder, sugar,
and salt together.

with a pastry blender

Add the butter (no need to chop it rst if

your blender is sturdy), and use the blender to cut the butter into the
our mixture until the biggest pieces are the size of small peas. Toss in
the raspberries, and use the blender again to break them into half- and
quarter-berry-sized chunks.

without a pastry blender

Cut the butter into small pieces with a knife,

and work the butter into the our mixture with your ngertips until the
breakfast 15

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whole-wheat raspberry ricotta scones (continued)

mixture resembles coarse meal. Roughly chop the raspberries on a cutting

do ahead

board, and stir them into the butter-our mixture.

Scones are always best the day they

are baked. However, if you wish to get a
lead on them, you can make and divide
the dough, arrange the unbaked scones
on your parchment-lined baking sheet,
freeze them until rm, and transfer them
to a freezer bag. If youre prepping just
1 day in advance, cover the tray with
plastic wrap and bake them the day you
need them. If youre preparing them
more than 1 day in advance, once they
are frozen transfer them to a freezer
bag or container. Bring them back to
a parchment-lined sheet when youre
ready to bake them. No need to defrost
the frozen, unbaked sconesjust add
2 to 3 minutes to your baking time.

both methods

Using a exible spatula, add the ricotta and heavy cream

to the butter mixture and stir them in to form a dough. Then use your
hands to knead the dough gently into an even mass, right in the bottom
of the bowl. Dont fret if the raspberries get muddled and smudge up the
dough. This is a pretty thing.
With as few movements as possible, transfer the dough to a well-oured
counter or surface, our the top of the dough, and pat it into a 7-inch
square about 1 inch high. With a large knife, divide the dough into nine
even squares. Transfer the scones to the prepared baking sheet with a spatula. Bake the scones for about 15 minutes, until they are lightly golden at
the edges. Cool them in the pan for a minute, then transfer them to a cooling rack. Its best to cool them about halfway before eating, so they can set
a bit more. I know, way to be a big meanie, right?

cooking note The trickiest thing about these scones is the dampness of
the dough. Yet that same trickiness yields something that seems impossibly
moist for a scone and, especially, for a whole-wheat one. Remember to keep
your counter and your hands well oured and you wont have any trouble
getting the scones from bowl to counter to oven to bellywhich, after all, is
the whole point.

16 the smitten kitchen cookbook

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Tiffin
PREPARATION: 30 minutes,

plus chilling
COOKING: 5 minutes

A small piece of this nutty cookie-like cake delivers an intense

chocolate hit, so you can cut it up into small piecesperfect for serving
as a petit four with an after-dinner coffee.

MAKES: 36 squares

1 Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper. Gently melt the

generous 5 tbsp unsalted butter

3 cup corn syrup

butter and syrup in a pan, stirring to combine.

2 Put the remaining ingredients, except for the chocolate, into a bowl

1 tbsp brandy (optional)

and mix well. Pour in the butter and syrup mixture and stir until

cup unsweetened cocoa

thoroughly combined.

powder

3 Pour into the prepared pan and level. Chill until solid.

7oz shortbread, roughly chopped

4 Put the chocolate pieces into a heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently

generous cup raisins

simmering water. Let melt, stirring once or twice until smooth. Pour

scant cup hazelnuts, toasted

evenly over the cookie base and let set at room temperature.

10oz milk chocolate, broken

5 Once set, cut into 1-inch squares. This tiffin keeps for up to two

into pieces

weeks in an airtight container.

The delights of chocolate

105