REVIEW OF "KING SIZE TOWEL ORIGAMI: 50 FANTASTIC FOLDING PROJECT FOR YOUR BATH TOWELS, BATHROBES, AND BEACH TOWELS"

  
   I love making gift baskets and it started long before I moved to CT. Ever since I saw in the 1980's a teddy bear in a clear balloon at a birthday party I have been interested in gift presentation. Also as a child I had gone to many wedding showers  (I was the one who always gifted the "something blue [and obscene]"). I grew to love and be impressed by cellophane and gift baskets the brides would receive. Because of my past facination with gift presentation those that invite me to their parties know that I always aim outside the norm. They also know that I love packing tape to keep the presentation of the gift together and that is something that I would like to change.I had been wondering about this book on Barnes and Nobles online discount bin for a couple of days.

   For Easter I got a gift certificate to Barnes and Nobles. I used the gift certificate along with a discount code I found on Retailmenot.com and I got 6% back on my purchase through Ebates. So basically when I picked up this item for $7.19 and free shipping I figured what did I have to lose?  With all of that in my arsenal I decided to give this book King Size Towel Origami: 50 Fantastic Folding Project For Your Bath Towels, Bathrobes, And Beach Towels a chance.

   I have to say that I was a bit disappointed. Does that statement sound sad? Is it sad that I was not happy with a towel origami book. But I am inspired to attempt to work from these designs and improve on them. I am not going to use this except for gifts or to make gift baskets. I am not a Stepford Housewife no matter how hard I try I cannot learn to like to do housework. I do not even get to do my own laundry because we do not have laundry on the premise. Sigh, my husband does our laundry and everything is forever wrinkled. That is one of my only complaints of this condo. I wish I had a washer and dryer in my condo. I miss the joys of doing and folding my own laundry fresh out of the dryer.

  First of all I have to say that this book does have very easy to follow directions. Alison Jenkin's directions are broken down into clear steps with easy to follow along pictures as well. I have to praise her for her chapter on "Bathtime Snacks" and "Buildings." Her "people and creatures" were kind of scary but not in the intended way. I did not like her people they looked "off." Lassie, and King Kong were the only good parts of the "People and Creatures" section.

Killer Whale page 102

 Here is a list of the better projects:
1.) Lassie
2.) King Kong
3.) Chrysler Building
4.) Cupcake
5.) Wedding cake (although I did not like the "topper.")
6.) Ice Cream Cone
7.) Burger
8.) Hot Dog
9.) Shark
10.) Whale
11.) Killer Whale
12.) Penguin
13.) Swan
14.) Hippo
15.) Owl
16.) Lighthouse
17.) Sailing boat
18.) Palm tree (although I wish it would stand up by itself)
19.) Clam Shell
20.) Dog Whelk
21.) Crab
22.) Seal
23.) The Parthenon
24.) Sydney Opera House
25.) Big Ben

The below are examples of towel people that are just "off" and I cannot explain so I am going to have to show examples:

Billy Bathtowel page 14

Marilyn page 26



  With the only half of the projects even interesting me I have to say my recommendation is that it is a good library rental. It was great for inspiration and there are a couple of great projects but only with half being good makes it seem like not the best deal. I think I want to try these with perhaps floral wire and start simple and then branch out when I make my towel origami.

All pictures are copyright 2010 Ivy Press Limited taken by Andrew Perris and Calvey Taylor- Haw. The book was publishedby Metro Books  by Arrangement of Ivy Press Limited. Creative child of Alison Jenkins author of this book. I do not claim to have the use of these photographs that I scanned to illustrate. 

OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD-COOKIES!

  

  This recipe is actually inspired by two coupons for buy one get one free Milky Way candy bars.The original Milky Way candy bar is made out of chocolate-malt nougat, caramel and milk chocolate. As I was chopping up (and tasting) these candy bars I thought what would bring it to the next level and so I decided to include sundae toppings. I had gotten Jonathan an ice cream maker for one Christmas and we still have not opened the sundae toppings! They sort of winked at me the other night. So out of this first experiment with making what I have named "Out of This World Cookies" have come out two cookies. That is not bad for a night of baking and experimenting with cookie batter.

  I however feel that the recipe that I made needed more Milky way candy bars. I doubled the recipe then realized I ran out of milk chocolate and there never was enough Milky Way candy bars so the texture was off for the cookie. The cookie currently tastes very good but not the right texture.

   But I do know how to solve the issue and the recipe that I am going to post is for the corrected cookie. The pictures are going to be from the first experiment as I have yet to do the second experiment (that will be a future venture with updated pictures!).  I feel that if I am going to give the moniker "Out of This World Cookie" then it better turn your back pack into a rocket pack to the moon!

  I do not want some poindexter to be in his/her nerd herd and say "it may not be out of this world--but the play on words milky way candy bar/our galaxy the Milky Way is divine." I do not want then a whole controversial Kirk vs. Picard and then riots to epic dorkdom. Oh and if then the Star Trek Fan boy/girls then ran into the Star Wars Fan boy/girl the town would be full of slaps/broken action figurines. I just need this recipe to live up to its name-- not a Nerdpocalypse!

OUT OF THIS WORLD COOKIES

(This recipe makes Makes 2 Giant cookies and at least 12 big cookies or 72+ big cookies)

4 cups of Milky Way Candy Bars ( 8 regular sized Milky Way Candy Bars)
4 cups of Nestle Toll House Milk Chocolate Chunks
(Tip: if you prefer add another 4 cups of Milky Way Candy bars or another 8 regular sized Milky way Candy bars. You can also use any milk chocolate bar and just rough chop the chocolate. There is no need for any brand loyalty as long as it is quality chocolate)
1 cup Hot fudge sauce
1.5 cups Caramel sauce
1.5 cups packed brown sugar
1.5 granulated sugar
4.5 cups of all-purpose flour
2 eggs
4 sticks (2 cups) of butter softened
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
2 teaspoons of baking powder
2 teaspoons of salt

1.) Cream butter with brown sugar and granulated sugar in stand mixer with the flat blade.
2.) Beat the eggs with a fork and mix in the vanilla extract. Slowly add in one egg at a time into the mixture so that the fat emulsion can spread through out the mix.

(Tip: This will help the fat spread throughout the batter and when you bake it will have more of an even taste/texture. The fat will be mixed throughout the cookie making the cookie taste much better )

3.) Mix in the hot fudge sauce at room temperature into the batter until well mixed.

4.) Mix in the caramel sauce into the batter until well mixed.

(Tip: I used William Sonoma's Hot fudge Sauce and William Sonoma's Caramel sauce that was already stored at room temperature. I am not sure the quality of the product if you go crazy in a Ice Cream Shoppe or shop or store if you use straight from the hot fudge warmer. I have not been able to test this product as if I were a fat kid in a Candy Store that also has ice cream sundaes).

5.) In a side large bowl shift together flour and baking powder. Then add the salt but do not shift the salt in the mix.

6.) Gradually mix in the flour mixture into the batter using the mixer hood and at low speed.
7.) Add in the Milky Way candy bars and the Nestle Toll House Milk Chocolate Chunks. Or if preferred you can just add in the Milky Way Candy bars and omit the Chocolate Chunks.

(Tip: I find in my Artisan KitchenAid Stand Mixer that I need to scrape down with a spatula and gradually mix in my additions (i.e. sprinkles, chocolate, candy bars, etc) to the batter. So what I like to do is scrape down one side add in some of the additions then sometimes I even have to manually mix in the items to make sure that the bottom has just as much additions as the top of the batter. Or even better I might even cut the batter in half mix in the items then put aside then repeat the process. Then I merge them together and do one more mix).

8.) Refrigerate for about 30 minutes until it is firm enough to roll into big cookies or to put in the Wilton Giant cookie baking pan.

I  ended up only making one Giant cookie and then I made about 36 big cookies which I froze.



 9.) After 30 minutes two options for the cookie dough:

A.) Big cookies should be baked at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10 to 15 minutes or until golden.

(Tip: I like to use reusable baking mats but parchment paper also works well. Never grease a cookie pan for a cookie or else it will slide right off of the cookie sheet).

B.) Please refer to my post Giant Chocolate Chip Cookies With A Hint of Peanut Butter or you could refer to the label of Wilton's Giant Cookie pan on how to prepare the Giant Cookie.

The cookies should bake 15-20 minutes or until golden. Let the cookie cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then move onto the cooling rack.