Party recipes!

After posting the photo below of my lovely apple cake many asked for the recipe. 

Here it is!!
1 whole egg, beaten
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking powder
5 apples (recipe calls for Pippin apples, I used Granny Smith)

Topping: 1 egg beaten
3 tablespoons melted butter
3 tablespoons sugar
some cinnamon

Mix all ingredients for the cake, not including the apples and put into a straight sided 9" buttered cake pan. Peel and cut apples into thin slices. Add apples onto batter making concentric circles using the apple wedges. This is how I placed the apples...

First place a circle of wedges forming a circle and then form a smaller circle with wedges cut in half.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Drizzle topping over cake and continue baking for an additional 15-20 minutes until lightly brown and bubbly on top. (Don't use all the topping, it's really enough for 2 cakes).

TADA!

I also made my favorite winter fruit salad which you may want to try.

I cut pineapple, kiwi, and mandarine into small pieces. Add pomegranate arils, they bring such beautiful color and taste! Mix 1 tablespoon honey and 2 tablespoons lemon or lime juice. Add the honey and lemon dressing and top with a few pieces of fresh mint. A real winter treat! (it's on the table in the photo above).

Read more...

Studio time

When moving into a new home, one that has just been built, you are foolish to think that it's back to normal. We just had whole sections of the house repainted, touched up, and today the entire place, (aside from the studio), is covered with a film of dust. In the meantime I've been busy improving on some of the design books, writing new instruction books and setting up homes in display cases for my jewelry work. A large glass case is being put together for some smaller needlepoint pieces as well.

I now have an outdoor area and a greenroom for plants galore. I've been working on terrariums and plantscapes and having a wonderful time with my hands in dirt!

This big beauty is going to a new home and a new family today! There are many more in the works.

Read more...

Back.

I'm back from four wonderful days with some of my favorite people in the world!

We went on a walk at Dumbarton Oak Gardens, which was quite lovely! Very humid and hot, but lovely.

Still, my favorite view was the top photo.😉

Read more...

New York and Stitch and Bitch?

Of all the Stitch and Bitch venues around the country, this one is the most enticing! I'm off to NY today but can't fit it in on this visit. You better believe I'll be there next visit!!

Lonely planet says this:

You’ve heard of B-Y-O-B (Bring Your Own Booze) but this is more B-Y-O-Yarn. Knitting novices and crochet aficionados will be pleased to hear that a niche club night is catering for them. ‘Stitch and Bitch’ evenings will be held at the newly opened Club Cumming on Manhattan’s East Village. The venue is the brainchild of actor Alan Cumming, and the roster of events on his agenda is as wacky and wild as you would expect from the eccentric thespian.

Check it out HERE!

Read more...