Baking and Sewing - Part Two

Another batch of pear cakes.

CHOCOLATE pear cakes this time.

Ummm...shame we don't have scratch 'n' sniff! (Yep...one stuck because I tried to dump it out of the loaf pan too soon.)

Lesson learned: After squaring two blocks, remove each from the cutting table instead of stacking on the cutting table. This is what happens when you square block 3. Colt will be glad that I have plenty of blue fabric.

Cain's quilt top finished!

CHOCOLATE PEAR CAKE

2 1/4 cups Flour, unsifted
2 cups Sugar  
2/3 cup Cocoa, unsweetened
1 1/2 teaspoon Baking soda   
1/2 teaspoon Baking powder   
1 teaspoon Cinnamon   
3/4 teaspoon Salt   
3   Eggs   
1 cup Oil   
1 cup Buttermilk   
2 teaspoons Vanilla   
2 cups Pears, shredded
1 cup Pecans, finely chopped

Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a mixing bowl; set aside.  Combine eggs, oil, buttermilk, and vanilla in large mixer bowl.  Beat on low speed until blended.  Gradually add dry ingredients; stir in pears and pecans until evenly mixed.  Pour into greased and floured tube pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 60 to 65 minutes or until cake tester inserted in center comes clean.  Cool 10 minutes.  Remove from pan; cool completely.  Drizzle with Chocolate Glaze.

CHOCOLATE GLAZE

2    tablespoons Butter   
2    tablespoons Cocoa, unsweetened
1    cup Powdered Sugar  
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla   
2    tablespoons water   

Melt butter in small saucepan over low heat; add unsweetened cocoa and water, stirring constantly until mixture thickens.  Do not boil.  Remove from heat.  Gradually beat in powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth and of glazing consistency.  Add additional water, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, if needed.

Let Them Eat CAKE!

I made another double batch (4 loaves) of pear cakes yesterday evening.  This batch had pecans in it.  Oh my!  Even better.  Of course, I cut the first slice while it was still warm and shared with Sam while we watched more of the Olympics.  

This morning, I cut a few more slices to share at work.  I've also been taking bags of pears with me and dear friend, Gary (who is also a county commissioner), grabbed today's bag.

Another trip to the grocery store after work for more eggs because I had only enough for one recipe last night but didn't realize it until I was already halfway through the process. *eyeroll*  The cakes still worked!  Just not quite as dense as the other four yolks would've made them.

Tomorrow evening - another baking date! ;-)  Maybe a double batch of chocolate pear cakes...

I thought the dress would've been delivered to Isabel today, but I've heard nothing from Brook or Cody. I'll check the tracking number tomorrow because it was left at work...

Sewing and Cooking and Other Stuff

Saw three of these pretties on the way to work one day this week.  Drove the back way to town intending to go by Mama's house.  Instead, I turned left to the highway.

A dress for Isabel sewn on Shirley Ann with fabrics and trim from my stash.

I now wish I'd used blue gingham for all three ruffles.

Button-up back.

Found some blue trim in my CQ chest.

Everything gathered but the pears.  They are shredded in the food processor.

Butter, sugar, and eggs all creamed together.

Instead of baking in two tube pans, I bake in four loaf pans...easier for freezing.

Fresh out of the oven.

Delicious!

My next two projects.  ABC quilts for the grandsons. Cain's ABC blocks are already sewn together (on the right). Colt's blocks are different ABC fabric from Cain's, and I will be using blue fabric instead of the green.

Fresh Pear Cake

 2 cups Sugar   
 1 cup Butter   
 4 large Eggs   
 2 teaspoons Vanilla   
 3 cups Flour, sifted
 1 1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon   
 1 teaspoon Allspice   
 1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg   
 1/2 teaspoon Salt   
 1 1/2 teaspoon Soda   
 3/4 cup Buttermilk   
 1 cup fresh Apples, finely chopped
 1/2 cup Pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cream butter and sugar.  Add eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla. Mix well. Sift flour, spices, salt, soda, and add alternately with buttermilk. Fold in apples and pecans. Blend well. Pour into a 10 inch tube pan that has been greased and dusted with flour. Bake 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. DO NOT overbake. Remove from pan.
NOTE: I bake in two loaf pans for about an hour. 
The four cakes above is a double recipe.

Project Finished

But I can't show you!  So sorry but it's for a FQ challenged during the COF (Circle of Friends) quilting retreat in Branson Missouri.  It has to arrive in a brown paper sack and identity of the maker remains anonymous until after the judging.

I can show you how much fabric was left from the FQ though! 

Chicken Express Today

Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield.

Psalm 33:20

No Matter How Small the Project

It's still called "sewing." ;-)

Mug rug for Nancy

Siggy squares for a quilting retreat (COF) in Branson MO.

PS Pool is clearing up!!!  Sam ordered new filters which he'll install next week sometime.  I decided our pool brush was too soft so bought a firmer brush today and it's knocking the last of the algae off.  Gotta get the swimsuit dusted off! 

Pool Update

The pool is FINALLY starting to look pretty!  The water is blue - just a bit murky - but we can SEE THE BOTTOM!  Woot!  Woot!  There's still some algae growing in 2 or 3 areas close to the top of the water.  Sam's been diligent about the daily maintenance as "prescribed" by the pool chemist at the place in Longview.  Maybe...MAYBE...we can be in it sometime next week. :D

I made a batch of pimento cheese this evening.  I always share with Da Judge. She's always doing nice things for me.  AND she really likes my pimento cheese. For the recipe, scroll down the right tool bar - "Labels" - and look for "Pimento Cheese."

Not much going on around here.  Sam has been fighting a losing battle with the swimming pool.  It's still green with algae growing on the walls.  Saturday a week ago, Carol and I were going to Longview, so I filled a fruit jar with pool water and took it to a pool place.  Came home with instructions on what to do.  Sam didn't have all the required chemicals so took another sample along on Monday and talked to the manager himself.  He's been diligently working on it this past week and the walls are clearing up a little...but it was so far gone we may not even get to dunk our toe in it before cold weather starts.

He decided to order new filters (old ones are 10 years old) which should arrive Thursday.

We did celebrate our 15th anniversary. Sam would not tell me where we were going to eat, but I knew not to dress for a night club...we don't go dining and dancing...besides, we don't have night clubs around here, we have beer joints. :D

When he headed east, I was pretty sure we were headed to Lamache's in Jefferson.  But he stopped at Wildflower Restaurant in Hughes Springs - a diner.  A diner I'm not that fond of.  I looked at him with a WTH look and he started laughing as he pulled through the parking lot and back to the highway.

I had Chicken Diavolo and he had Shrimp Pesto...at Lamache's.  DELICIOUS!

Generation Gap - It's Just a Slip

I have a few slips that shrunk during storage - whistle...whistle...whistle...

When Jonathan, Sarah, and the girlies were visiting, I asked Jonathan if Sarah wore slips?  He replied that only old women wore slips.

Yes.  I gave him "THE LOOK"!!!  I'm seriously considering writing him out of my will.

Today, after church, Sam and I went to Mt. Pleasant to Catfish King.  A man and his almost 18-year old daughter were sitting at the table next to us.  She got up to talk to more of their family sitting at another table.  I caught Dad's eye, and told him that she needs to tug her hem down.  Yep...dress hem was stuck where it wouldn't have been had she had on a slip.

So...just because young women do not wear slips any more...does not mean that they shouldn't! 


And while I'm on the subject of undergarments - why-oh-why are you buying your thongs two sizes too small? (I purposefully did not try to find a photo to go with this paragraph!) When you wear a clingy dress or tight pair of slacks, do you want to know what it looks like to an "old" woman?  A sanitary napkin belt.  Yep.  Just dated myself.  For you younger people, do a search.  I'll not give you the specifics here.


But for modesty's sake, please purchase your garments and undergarments in correct sizes.

Harmony with Ducky's catch out of my pond. (Ducky is what the girlies call my son, Jonathan.)

In addition to frying fresh pond-caught fish, I made popsicles!  The first batch was banana-blueberry made with Cabot Greek yogurt, a dash of vanilla, and finished off with some milk.

Fill to within 1/2" of the top.

I have learned - the hard way - to not snap the covers down.  The pops are hard enough to unmold without having to snap the covers off.  I just set them in place... I next made a batch of apple-craisin pops.  THESE are delicious too!

The girlies are on a queen-size air mattress on the floor of my sewing room.  I heard a thump and investigated.  LOL  Serenity (on the left) is half on/half off the mattress.  Kaylee is laying on top of Harmony's head.  This was a sight to see!

We are on antennae.  We have found that it doesn't matter if you have 20 channels or 1,020 - you watch only a few of the channels available.  Before digital TV signals, at least when you had a weak signal, you still had a picture of some sort.  Since digital TV, this is what you get when the signal is weak - then it goes off completely.  Yep...when you've got a signal, you have a pretty picture.  No signal...NADA!!!  My husband thinks I'm silly because I'd rather have a picture to watch - even if it's not sharp and clear.  HELLOOOOOOO!!!