I get to spend the day sewing with friends.
I’m bringing brownies for everyone to snack on. The recipe can be found here, but I used 1 teaspoon of mint extract in place of the espresso powder.
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teacher gifts and a tunic and a quilt
22 DecIt’s red bag season, again.
I also finished this tunic over Thanksgiving break. It’s the schoolhouse tunic pattern.
Mine is made out of a fine wale corduroy. I did the shoulders with a french seam to give it a more finished look and did some extra top stitching along the waist.
I also finished this honeycomb quilt a couple of weeks ago. It was so long ago that you can see all the fold lines.
here’s the back
The kids start their winter break today. We are all getting ready for a fun weekend. This picture was taken this past Tuesday, this lack of snow is very un-Iowa.
lemon shortbread squares
20 Oct
I love shortbread.
It’s buttery, crunchy, travels well, and last for days.
These travelled with me to the sewing summit.
I think it’s always best to travel with cookies.
lemon shortbread
2 sticks butter (at room temperature)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
zest of one lemon
2 teaspoons vanilla or vanilla paste
2 drops lemon extract
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
2 cups flour
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
In bowl of mixer combine butter, sugar, salt and lemon zest. Beat on medium speed for about five minutes, or until the dough is soft and light in color. Add vanilla, lemon extract, and ginger and mix to combine.
Slowly add flour and mix until just combined. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and press by hand into a thick rectangle, wrap with plastic wrap and chill dough for 1 – 2 hours.
Once chilled, place dough on lightly floured surface and roll to about 1/4 inch thick. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into squares. Place the squares onto a parchment lined cookie sheet, sprinkle with sugar and bake for 20 – 25 minutes or until the start to just turn golden on the edges. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes or so before removing to cooling rack to cool completely.
gooseberry crumble
13 JulThis was our first crop of gooseberries.
Just enough for one crumble…
My mom sent me the recipe. We had a can of whipped cream leftover from lulu’s sundae bar and I have to admit, by the end I was adding the whipped cream right in the pan.
gooseberry crumble
3 cups gooseberries
1 1/2 cup sugar (divided into 1 cup and 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup water
2 Tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
dash of salt
first make the filling-
Combine gooseberries, 1 cup sugar, and water in a saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring until berries have burst.
While the berries are cooking, mix together 1/2 cup sugar, flour, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt. Once the gooseberries are cooked, remove from heat and stir in spice mixture and set aside to cool slightly.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease 8″x8″ pan, set aside.
crumble base and topping-
In a large bowl, blend together
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup cold butter cut into small pieces
Sprinkle one half of oat mixture onto bottom of pan. Pour cooked gooseberries over top and spread evenly. Sprinkle remaining oat mixture on top of berries.
Bake 45 minutes.
raspberry, mascarpone, and blueberry
6 JulKeeping with tradition, I made another red, white, and blue dessert for our friends July 4th bbq.
fourth of july trifle cake
1 pound raspberries
1/2 pound strawberries (cut into pieces)
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 cup powdered sugar (divided 1/4 and 3/4 cups)
16 ounces mascarpone cheese
2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
pinch salt
25-30 lady finger cookies
3/4 cup blueberries
Cut two strips of parchment that are at least an inch taller than the side of your springform pan and line the inside with them. (I used a 9″pan.)
In a bowl, combine raspberries, strawberries, 1/4 cup of powdered sugar, and lemon juice. Use a fork to slightly smash the berries and let sit for ten minutes.
In the bowl of a mixer, whisk together the mascarpone and 3/4 cups powdered sugar until smooth. Then whisk in the cream, vanilla, almond extract, and salt until soft peaks form.
Break the ladyfingers into three pieces each and make a single layer of cookies on the bottom of the pan. Top with half the berry mixture. Spread half the mascarpone mixer over top of the berries, smoothing the top with an offset spatula.
Then repeat, a layer of cookies, then berries, then mascarpone.
Top with a layer of blueberries.
Wrap gently with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, up to overnight.
party for 7
4 JulTurning seven that is…
I spent an evening last week knotting strips of scrap fabric on to a piece of twine.
Lulu wanted a camp theme so we set a plan for an afternoon in the backyard with a tent full of balloons and games like bocce and basketball. Then it turned out to be the hottest and most humid day we’ve had this year. We still had the tent, but went with a water fight to try to cool off.
Then they painted birdhouses.
They decorated bangle bracelets made from popsicle sticks. (here they are undecorated)
They made paper fortune tellers and signs for their rooms.
We had a sundae bar with all the fixin’s along with cupcakes.
After all of that, they each went home with their own hobo bindle filled with goodies…
…and I slumped into a chair and didn’t move for hours.
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