It’s the 15th of June, the halfway mark for 30 Days of Creativity. It is going very well for me. Having plans for possible projects has made a huge difference. I started copying down ideas along with websites and supplies or ingredients needed several months ago. A few weeks before the start of June I put them all in a chart.
When the 30DoC calendar was posted I was able to look at my chart of ideas and pick out ones that could work with the themes, although that wasn’t a big concern for me. The themes are fun and sometimes help direct me towards an idea but I don’t focus on them most of the time.
I’m happy to see that I’ve still been flexible and open to other ideas so I’m not completely tied to my chart. I’ve created three things that were not on the original list (and we’ve still got 15 days left). What I’m noticing is that even with plenty of projects to choose from, more than enough to get through the month, I’m more affected by the weather than I thought I would be.
I’ve got a Chewy Granola Bar on my list but when I’ve had time to make it, it’s been too warm out to turn on the oven. Even a project that won’t heat up the apartment but is more tuned to cold weather (a Felt Flower Scarf) isn’t very appealing when it’s 90 degrees outside. Not that I won’t ever make these things, but they just may not debut as a creation during 30DoC!
Two nights ago I made Magic Shell Chocolate Sauce. I started to write a post and put some pictures together but I was really, really exhausted. It was the day after my dad’s Memorial Service and though it went beautifully, it was emotionally draining. So here is the sauce. It isn’t a fail but nor is it a big success. Kind of a “meh”. Luckily, Rem and I put together the vegcycle that evening so I still had a creation to post!
Attempt: Magic Shell Chocolate Sauce
Maybe because I was tired and cranky, but chocolate usually makes me happy and this was disappointing. I saw the recipe here on Whipperberry. Heather on Whipperberry was adapting a recipe from foodnetwork.com. Maybe if I used the tip from Aarti Sequeira on Food Network and did it with something besides chocolate chips (she specifically says not to use chocolate chip), I’d like it more. On the other hand, Heather said she used chocolate chips without any problem.
I tried the sauce the next evening and was still underwhelmed. It is fairly thick and gloppy. Not very magic. It’s still chocolate so it can’t be all bad!
It takes just two ingredients:
2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil
8 oz. Dark Chocolate chopped up in small pieces – I used chocolate chips
Heather suggests you use a double boiler for melting, but I used a microwave. In a microwave-safe container, melt the coconut oil. Stir in the chocolate chips and heat in short bursts of 15 to 20 seconds at a time, on 50% power, stirring chocolate sauce after each heating time.
When the sauce is cool, drizzle on your ice cream and watch it harden. Rah. Magic.
Ta da!
The flavor of the coconut is apparent in the sauce which for me was fine. It reminded me of a Mounds Bar. But keep this in mind if you are serving to a coconut-hater.
I’m glad to be doing the 30DoC again this year. It does take time and energy but that is really a plus for me in these days after the death of my dad in late May. Grief ebbs and flows but the crafts give me focus and I’m very comfortable sitting at my craft desk making something. Creativity also seems to attract more creativity so I’ve been cooking and making things that I don’t blog about. It is wonderful therapy for me.
Now, I’d best go create something for today, Day 15!
Thanks for sticking with this and with me through the 30DoC.
dianne faw 