I have had a really busy few days. My BFF, Martha, came to visit on Sunday and we had the added bonus surprise do my BSI, Peggy decide to come and visit also on the spur of the moment. I had gone to the grocery store early after putting the Lemony Delight Bundt cake in the oven to pick up some chicken and small potatoes to make a huge pan of Mediterranean Chicken and Veggies. I wanted to prep everything and have it ready to just pop in the oven so I could spend time with my guests. Pathmark had the big tray of boneless, skinless chicken breasts on sale as well as a gorgeous head of fresh cauliflower and the potatoes And green beans I needed.
I ended up using my largest turkey roster pan to prepare the dish. I washed the chicken breasts, trimmed off any excess fat(there wasn't much) and patted them dry. They were so huge, I cut them in half crosswise so they would cook more evenly in the pan. Into the pan I added, EVOO, the juice and zest of 3 large lemons, 1 tsp salt, 40 grinds of fresh peppercorns, some Italian seasonings(dried), and one large clove of elephant garlic which was coastline chopped.
I also raided my dwindling herb garden for some fresh basil and rosemary along with a touch of parley. I washed these and chopped the parsley and basil and added along with the rosemary leaves to the mix. Tossed in the cut up chicken, the scrubbed and quartered red potatoes (skin on) and the washed and chopped cauliflower florets. I vigorously tossed all of ingredients in the pan to coat and then arranged the chicken along one side and the veggies on the other. If you Re wondering about the green beans, I like mine crisp, so I opted to steam those separately just before serving the meal. For a quick alternative, you can,is them right into the bug pan and roast along with the meal.
I covered the pan with foil and placed into the fridge for 6 hours to allow it to mArinate and the flavors to meld. My kitchen and fridge smelled heavenly with the garlic and rosemary all day.
Martha and I along with my dogs, spent the entire day outside sewing! It was the perfect September day, warm, sunny with a cool breeze that kept the bugs away. It was a lovely visit and the pups enjoyed being out ALL DAY!
Around 4 p.m., I lit the oven to 350 degrees and popped the big foil covered roaster into the oven. set the time for 50 minutes and let it work its magic. Mike was hime by then and Peggy was due to arrive just in time for dinner. when the timer pinged and told me dinner was almost done, I pulled the pan out, removed the foil, checked the meat to make sure it was cooked properly. I put the oan back I. The oven for 10 minutes while I prepped the beans and steamed them in the microwave for 5 minutes. everyone pitched in to set the outdoor table quickly and efficiently. The dogs knew dinner was about to be served And miraciously stayed out from under our feet. P
Just as I was taking the roasting pan out of the oven 10 minutes later, Peggy showed up and we sat down to the gorgeous meal. I had purchased an fresh baked loaf of Olive bread at the store that morning, which was sliced up and served with fresh butter. perfect for sopping up any juices from the main dish.
The chicken was delightfully juicy, tender, flavorful and plump! The red potatoes were perfectly roasted and dripping in pan juices and fresh herbs. The roasted cauliflower was sweet and tender, almost melted in your mouth. It was a wonderful meal and perfect ending to a fantastic day.
We enjoyed the lemon cake and coffee afterwards, just as the sun was disappearing behind the horizon. we came inside to relax afterwards and around 8 p.m., Peggy looked at me and pointed out to me that it was like we didn't even own any pets because they were passed out solid on their beds. They were exhausted from being active and outside the entire day, having missed their afternoon naps.
Thursday, September 25, 2014
Easy Autumn Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake
This is without a doubt one of the easiest cakes to bake. Not only is it moist from the pumpkin, but it's really low fat because there is no oil or eggs added. Essentially there are only three ingredients needed:
1 box Spice Cake Mix
1 15 oz Can of Pumpkin
1/2 cup of warm water
In addition, I added some other ingredients to bump up the spice and flavor to entice my tastebuds.
1 tsp orange flavor extract
A few shakes of pumpkin pie spice
A dash or two of allspice
6 drops clove oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
Blend all ingredients in your mixer until smooth, scraping the bowl often to ensure the cake mix is well blended and the wet and dry ingredients are combined. This is a very thick batter. It took about 4 minutes on medium speed to get to the right consistency.
Prepare your Bundt pan, by spraying with baking spray. Sprinkle the inside of the coated pan with a touch of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice. Just a little will do. Pour the cake batter into your pan and then gently smooth the top of the batter in the pan so it touches the sides and the thick batter is evenly distributed.
Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cake in the pan. If it comes out clean, it's done! I used a silicone tulip Bundt pan for this cake and it only took 40 minutes to bake all the way through. That is shorter than most of the other bundt cakes I've made to date.
Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes on top of a rack. Invert the cake onto your serving platter, remove the pan and allow to finish cooking for another 45 minutes.
If desired, make a spiced orange glaze to drizzle on the cake.
To make the glaze combine 1/2 tsp cream cheese frosting flavor, 1/2 tsp orange extract, 1/8 tsp pumpkin pie spice, 1 TBSP skim milk with 2/3 cup confectionary sugar. Whisk together until smooth. You may have to adjust the amount of milk,or sugar used until you get the desired,consistency for your glaze. I like to thicken it up a bit by placing it in the fridge while the cake finishes cooling. Drizzle over the cake as desired before serving.
Cake will keep for 2 days covered at room temp or 4 days in the fridge covered. Note: It's so yummy it probably won't last that long!
#autumnspicecake #pumpkinbundt #yummycake #tulipbundtpan
1 box Spice Cake Mix
1 15 oz Can of Pumpkin
1/2 cup of warm water
In addition, I added some other ingredients to bump up the spice and flavor to entice my tastebuds.
1 tsp orange flavor extract
A few shakes of pumpkin pie spice
A dash or two of allspice
6 drops clove oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
Blend all ingredients in your mixer until smooth, scraping the bowl often to ensure the cake mix is well blended and the wet and dry ingredients are combined. This is a very thick batter. It took about 4 minutes on medium speed to get to the right consistency.
Prepare your Bundt pan, by spraying with baking spray. Sprinkle the inside of the coated pan with a touch of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice. Just a little will do. Pour the cake batter into your pan and then gently smooth the top of the batter in the pan so it touches the sides and the thick batter is evenly distributed.
Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cake in the pan. If it comes out clean, it's done! I used a silicone tulip Bundt pan for this cake and it only took 40 minutes to bake all the way through. That is shorter than most of the other bundt cakes I've made to date.
Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes on top of a rack. Invert the cake onto your serving platter, remove the pan and allow to finish cooking for another 45 minutes.
If desired, make a spiced orange glaze to drizzle on the cake.
To make the glaze combine 1/2 tsp cream cheese frosting flavor, 1/2 tsp orange extract, 1/8 tsp pumpkin pie spice, 1 TBSP skim milk with 2/3 cup confectionary sugar. Whisk together until smooth. You may have to adjust the amount of milk,or sugar used until you get the desired,consistency for your glaze. I like to thicken it up a bit by placing it in the fridge while the cake finishes cooling. Drizzle over the cake as desired before serving.
Cake will keep for 2 days covered at room temp or 4 days in the fridge covered. Note: It's so yummy it probably won't last that long!
#autumnspicecake #pumpkinbundt #yummycake #tulipbundtpan
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Putting a Value on Your Quilts and Hand Crafted Items
I have been sewing for more than 45 years and quilting for at least 35. Until recently, I never really sold my quilts, most were made as gifts and given away to my family and friends. On rare occasions in the past, I have made quilts for close friends and they paid me to do so. I really didn't make money on those, they were priced at a cost of goods to make the item plus a few bucks to cover incidentals and a small portion of my time.
Now that I am retired, and needing to downsize my stuff, including my quilts and stash, I have decided to try and sell some items. I was hoping to generate some income in doing so, to help pay bills and keep my savings intact. I am trying two venues to sell items. One will be etsy, the well known website where many people have built successful businesses selling their handmade goods. The other is a new local gift shop.
Etsy is easy. You post beautiful pictures and descriptions of your items and post them on your own store within the site and pay a small fee per item to list them. Keywords are used to help potential customers find your items when they search the site and the web. Customers use paypal or credit cards to send you their payment for the item and for shipping and you package up the item and send it to them. The shop owner determines the selling price, shipping costs and which items to advertise, as well as being the one responsible for ensuring the customer receives the item in a timely manner.
Selling items on consignment is a more passive method of getting your goods to market. The consignment shop owner is responsible for advertising, photos, goods placement, marketing, inventory control and ensuring the artists gets paid for their items in a timely manner. In exchange for use of their space and time spent selling your items, they get an agreed upon amount of the final sale price. Terms of the percentages of their take and yours is typically based in a contract or agreement. Consignment rates vary from shop to shop. I believe all are negotiable. Some want a 70/30 split, or 60/40 split where the artist gets the 70-60% and the shop keeps the 30-40%. I think you will find that many shops want a straight 50/50 rate, where you each get half of the selling price of the items you consign.
What does this mean to the artist? Someone is making money off the items they sell and market for you. You have to be willing to price your items fairly and at price points where the items will move, instead of sitting on the store shelves for extended periods. It can be difficult to allow someone to have 40-50% of the price of an item you worked hard to create. However, if the shop has a good established customer base and is located in a market where the economy supports your pricing structure, you can both benefit. For those of you that prefer to create instead of sell, this could be the perfect situation. The artist makes and delivers the items they wish to sell and the shop does the post production work to get the items sold. I highly recommend offering items at varying price points to see which items sell easily in their shop.
The hardest part of all of this is determining what the market will bear in regards to certain handmade goods. Only once in my life did I have a customer refuse to pay what I wanted to charge for a large bed sized quilt. He had purchased the item as a wedding gift for his sister. He felt the queen size quilt should be priced around $60-$100 and I wanted $300 for the quilt. Keep in kind that a queen sized quilt contains at least 7-8 yards of fabric on each side plus 1 yard for the binding and an appropriate sized batting. While I buy my batting at wholesale prices, the cost of the batting would be approximately $25 for quality cotton batting. The fabric costs for quality cotton run approximately $10-11 per year in the current market. If I used 15 yards of fabric @$10 per yard, the estimated cost of goods invested into creating that item would be $175 initially, not counting thread, design and construction time. Even at $300, the quilt took me 20 hours to complete including the binding. Dividing the remaining $125 over cost for manufacturing the quilt, and it works out to be $6.25 per hour I would have earned to make that quilt if it sold for $300. Long story short, I wasn't willing to sell him the quilt for less than $300 so I kept it and he had to find another gift for his sister. We are still friends...
Here are my thoughts on this. Yes, customers can buy a quilt in the local department and discount stores for under 100 dollars. You do not know the origin of that quilt or the content of the materials used to make it, labels are often incorrect. Often these hand stitched quilts are inferior quality fabrics, filled with poly blend battings and when washed the fabrics will shrink, get lumpy and fall apart. They are not built to last like the quilts made by real quilters. They are quilts made by big manufacturers to be marketed to to the masses to look like someone hand made them for you. You can even find quilt bargains on websites such as etsy, ebay and amazon.com. I have been known to buy vintage and antique quilt tops to finish from ebay. I feel like I have a quilt rescue service going sometimes with this treasures.
As a professional quilter and basket maker, I believe I am entitled to make a fair wage for the quality of the items I craft. Many people that do not sew or craft, do not fully understand the amount of work and skill involved that goes into making one basket or quilt. This is one of the reasons I enjoy teaching so much. The most common question I get when displaying my quilts is, "How long did it take for you to make that?" I wonder if they really want to know or that is just their way of being polite and they don't know what else to say when looking at my work. I have found that some of my customers are also quilt makers who truly understand the time, materials and effort that goes into each individual creation.
#quiltvalue #consignmentterms #handcrafted #pricingquilts
Now that I am retired, and needing to downsize my stuff, including my quilts and stash, I have decided to try and sell some items. I was hoping to generate some income in doing so, to help pay bills and keep my savings intact. I am trying two venues to sell items. One will be etsy, the well known website where many people have built successful businesses selling their handmade goods. The other is a new local gift shop.
Etsy is easy. You post beautiful pictures and descriptions of your items and post them on your own store within the site and pay a small fee per item to list them. Keywords are used to help potential customers find your items when they search the site and the web. Customers use paypal or credit cards to send you their payment for the item and for shipping and you package up the item and send it to them. The shop owner determines the selling price, shipping costs and which items to advertise, as well as being the one responsible for ensuring the customer receives the item in a timely manner.
Selling items on consignment is a more passive method of getting your goods to market. The consignment shop owner is responsible for advertising, photos, goods placement, marketing, inventory control and ensuring the artists gets paid for their items in a timely manner. In exchange for use of their space and time spent selling your items, they get an agreed upon amount of the final sale price. Terms of the percentages of their take and yours is typically based in a contract or agreement. Consignment rates vary from shop to shop. I believe all are negotiable. Some want a 70/30 split, or 60/40 split where the artist gets the 70-60% and the shop keeps the 30-40%. I think you will find that many shops want a straight 50/50 rate, where you each get half of the selling price of the items you consign.
What does this mean to the artist? Someone is making money off the items they sell and market for you. You have to be willing to price your items fairly and at price points where the items will move, instead of sitting on the store shelves for extended periods. It can be difficult to allow someone to have 40-50% of the price of an item you worked hard to create. However, if the shop has a good established customer base and is located in a market where the economy supports your pricing structure, you can both benefit. For those of you that prefer to create instead of sell, this could be the perfect situation. The artist makes and delivers the items they wish to sell and the shop does the post production work to get the items sold. I highly recommend offering items at varying price points to see which items sell easily in their shop.
The hardest part of all of this is determining what the market will bear in regards to certain handmade goods. Only once in my life did I have a customer refuse to pay what I wanted to charge for a large bed sized quilt. He had purchased the item as a wedding gift for his sister. He felt the queen size quilt should be priced around $60-$100 and I wanted $300 for the quilt. Keep in kind that a queen sized quilt contains at least 7-8 yards of fabric on each side plus 1 yard for the binding and an appropriate sized batting. While I buy my batting at wholesale prices, the cost of the batting would be approximately $25 for quality cotton batting. The fabric costs for quality cotton run approximately $10-11 per year in the current market. If I used 15 yards of fabric @$10 per yard, the estimated cost of goods invested into creating that item would be $175 initially, not counting thread, design and construction time. Even at $300, the quilt took me 20 hours to complete including the binding. Dividing the remaining $125 over cost for manufacturing the quilt, and it works out to be $6.25 per hour I would have earned to make that quilt if it sold for $300. Long story short, I wasn't willing to sell him the quilt for less than $300 so I kept it and he had to find another gift for his sister. We are still friends...
Here are my thoughts on this. Yes, customers can buy a quilt in the local department and discount stores for under 100 dollars. You do not know the origin of that quilt or the content of the materials used to make it, labels are often incorrect. Often these hand stitched quilts are inferior quality fabrics, filled with poly blend battings and when washed the fabrics will shrink, get lumpy and fall apart. They are not built to last like the quilts made by real quilters. They are quilts made by big manufacturers to be marketed to to the masses to look like someone hand made them for you. You can even find quilt bargains on websites such as etsy, ebay and amazon.com. I have been known to buy vintage and antique quilt tops to finish from ebay. I feel like I have a quilt rescue service going sometimes with this treasures.
As a professional quilter and basket maker, I believe I am entitled to make a fair wage for the quality of the items I craft. Many people that do not sew or craft, do not fully understand the amount of work and skill involved that goes into making one basket or quilt. This is one of the reasons I enjoy teaching so much. The most common question I get when displaying my quilts is, "How long did it take for you to make that?" I wonder if they really want to know or that is just their way of being polite and they don't know what else to say when looking at my work. I have found that some of my customers are also quilt makers who truly understand the time, materials and effort that goes into each individual creation.
#quiltvalue #consignmentterms #handcrafted #pricingquilts
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
Quilt Class Samples
After I finished 3 samples for an upcoming Applique class I will be teaching, I started working on samples for a strip piecing class that I will be teaching in November.
I have always loved piecing better than applique, and strip piecing is so easy to do. I was asked to create 4 blocks that can be made from a jelly roll. I have a rather large collection of jelly rolls and bali pops in my possession for a long time. They sit on the shelf waiting for me to be inspired to create something with them. I especially enjoy that I can pick one up, and start sewing with them almost immediately, with little to no cutting and very fast results.
I was surfing the web today and found hundreds of free patterns for jelly rolls. There are many books also available on how to use these these little fabric packs. After about 20 minute of surfing I had found my inspiration and have now jotted down some ideas to try and create the 4 blocks. The shop owner, Beth, gave me the fabrics to be used to create the sampler quilt.
It am mocking up the designs with my own fabrics first, to ensure the actual shop samples do not have any mistakes in them. I have to tell you, it's harder than it looks to create new designs from scratch and then make them rice to ensure your instructions are clear and without errors.
I found the coolest little seam ripper recently and it's been getting a good workout this week so far. It is called SEAM FIX. It essentially is two pieces and one end has a little ridged rubber nib on it that is a very cool feature. You rip the stitches out and then rub the rubber tip across the fabric and it removes the broken stitches quickly, easily and completely. Kudos to the designer of this little gem! Pick one up at your favorite quilt shop. The come in two sizes and run between $4.25 and $7.00 each. Well worth the price of admission in my book. Here is a picture.
I like that you can cover the sharp end when not in use or when traveling back and forth to classes. It will protect it and certainly make it last longer. When was the last time you replaced your seam ripper? Most quilt shops stock these and I highly recommend you try one!
I have always loved piecing better than applique, and strip piecing is so easy to do. I was asked to create 4 blocks that can be made from a jelly roll. I have a rather large collection of jelly rolls and bali pops in my possession for a long time. They sit on the shelf waiting for me to be inspired to create something with them. I especially enjoy that I can pick one up, and start sewing with them almost immediately, with little to no cutting and very fast results.
I was surfing the web today and found hundreds of free patterns for jelly rolls. There are many books also available on how to use these these little fabric packs. After about 20 minute of surfing I had found my inspiration and have now jotted down some ideas to try and create the 4 blocks. The shop owner, Beth, gave me the fabrics to be used to create the sampler quilt.
It am mocking up the designs with my own fabrics first, to ensure the actual shop samples do not have any mistakes in them. I have to tell you, it's harder than it looks to create new designs from scratch and then make them rice to ensure your instructions are clear and without errors.
I found the coolest little seam ripper recently and it's been getting a good workout this week so far. It is called SEAM FIX. It essentially is two pieces and one end has a little ridged rubber nib on it that is a very cool feature. You rip the stitches out and then rub the rubber tip across the fabric and it removes the broken stitches quickly, easily and completely. Kudos to the designer of this little gem! Pick one up at your favorite quilt shop. The come in two sizes and run between $4.25 and $7.00 each. Well worth the price of admission in my book. Here is a picture.
I like that you can cover the sharp end when not in use or when traveling back and forth to classes. It will protect it and certainly make it last longer. When was the last time you replaced your seam ripper? Most quilt shops stock these and I highly recommend you try one! Sunday, September 7, 2014
Spicy Autumn Apple Cake
This week, everyone is celebrating the return of the new school year and while the weather doesn't feel like Autumn yet, the calendar shows its already September.
I decided to welcome in the new month with an Autumn Apple Cake.
I had finally found my missing Star bundt pan hidden away in a cabinet up high on the shelf out of site. I couldn't wait to use it because it really does make a pretty cake.
Ingredients:
1 package yellow cake mix
1 package instant vanilla pudding mix
1 cup applesauce
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 egg white
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
4 drops nutmeg oil
4 drops of clove oil
1 tsp rum extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare bundt pan with grease and flour or spray with baking spray. To ensure easy release of finished cake, use a brush to wipe inside the pan and ensure the coating is even.
In a large mixing bowl, blend all ingredients. Mix on medium high speed for 3 minutes. Pour evenly into prepared pan. Place a towel on the counter and gently tap the batter filled pan several times to remove any air pockets.
Place in a preheated oven for 50 minutes at 350 degrees F. Cake is done when tester or toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pan on cooling rack for 30 minutes.
Invert cake onto serving platter, tapping pan to release cake if needed. Cool completely (approximately 1 hour).
Drizzle with Spiced Glaze (see below).
Spiced Glaze ingredients:
1.5 cups powdered/confectioners sugar
1 TBSP softened butter
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 TBSP of cold milk
4 drops of nutmeg oil
Blend together in a small bowl until smooth. I use a whisk to get it nice and shiny smooth. Spoon or drizzle over cooled cake and if desired, sprinkle with a touch more pumpkin spice on top for color.
I would recommend keeping cake in fridge covered, until it is gone. It won't last long, I guarantee it!
Makes 12-14 servings.
I decided to welcome in the new month with an Autumn Apple Cake.
I had finally found my missing Star bundt pan hidden away in a cabinet up high on the shelf out of site. I couldn't wait to use it because it really does make a pretty cake.
Ingredients:
1 package yellow cake mix
1 package instant vanilla pudding mix
1 cup applesauce
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 egg white
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
4 drops nutmeg oil
4 drops of clove oil
1 tsp rum extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare bundt pan with grease and flour or spray with baking spray. To ensure easy release of finished cake, use a brush to wipe inside the pan and ensure the coating is even.
In a large mixing bowl, blend all ingredients. Mix on medium high speed for 3 minutes. Pour evenly into prepared pan. Place a towel on the counter and gently tap the batter filled pan several times to remove any air pockets.
Place in a preheated oven for 50 minutes at 350 degrees F. Cake is done when tester or toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pan on cooling rack for 30 minutes.
Invert cake onto serving platter, tapping pan to release cake if needed. Cool completely (approximately 1 hour).
Drizzle with Spiced Glaze (see below).
Spiced Glaze ingredients:
1.5 cups powdered/confectioners sugar
1 TBSP softened butter
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 TBSP of cold milk
4 drops of nutmeg oil
Blend together in a small bowl until smooth. I use a whisk to get it nice and shiny smooth. Spoon or drizzle over cooled cake and if desired, sprinkle with a touch more pumpkin spice on top for color.
I would recommend keeping cake in fridge covered, until it is gone. It won't last long, I guarantee it!
Makes 12-14 servings.
Thursday, September 4, 2014
Cinnamon, Chocolate, Banana Bundt and Lemony Delight for Martha
I was up at 6 am this morning to let the dogs out. I'd had a good night's rest so I out the coffee on and set out to bake two cakes. One was for us and the other to take along to a friend's tomorrow.
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My Lemon cake was simple.
Ingredients:
1 box lemon cake mix
1 package lemon pudding
2 TBSP fresh squeezed lemon juice
Zest from 2 lemons
2 tsp lemon extract
3 whole eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup Canola oil and
1 cup of water.
Add all ingredients except the zest to the mixing bowl and stir until moistened. Beat on medium high speed for 3 minutes. Add the lemon zest and beat for another 30 seconds or so.
Scrape down beaters and pour into prepared bundt pan. I used the rose pattern Bundt pan for this lemony delight.
Next I mixed up a batch of Cinnamon, Chocolate and Banana cake batter and baked it in the Bavarian pattern Bundt pan.
Ingredients:
1 Chocolate cake mix
1 box chocolate pudding
4 eggs
2 very ripe bananas smashed
1 cup water
1/4 cup oil
1 tsp rum extract
3/4 cup cinnamon chocolate chips
Add all ingredients except cinnamon chips to the batter bowl and beat for 3 minutes until smooth. Scrape down beaters and bowl as needed.
Pour 1/3 of batter to prepared pan. I used baking Pam and then I sprinkled the bottom inside of the pan with some chocolate and coffee bean sugar I had on hand (from Trader Joe's). I ground it right into the greased pan, then tapped it around so it stuck to the sides and center tube a bit. Add approximately 1/3 of the batter the pan. Then add the cinnamon chocolate chips over the batter, evenly distributing them around the ring. Top off with the remaining batter. Use a spatula to smooth the top of the batter in the pan.
Tap both pans on towel placed on counter to remove any air bubbles. Place in oven preheated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for 45-50 minutes. Cakes are done when tested with a cake tester or toothpick and it comes out clean. Cool in pan, on rack for 30 minutes.
Invert each cake onto serving platter.
To complete the Lemon Delight, make a simple lemon glaze. The lemon glaze is made from 2 TBSP fresh squeezed lemon juice and 1 cup powdered sugar. Whisk together until smooth. Drizzle over cake as desired..JPG)
My BFF's son thought the cake was so delightfully tasty, he opted for a second piece!
The Chocolate cake stood on its own with no additional glaze or sugar needed. We served each slice with a small dollop of whipped cream.
Perfect!
I was quite surprised at how great this combination turned out. The cinnamon chips melted nicely into the finished cake and the bananas added a lot of buttery texture and banana flavor to the deep rich of the chocolate cake. It was moist and very delicious. The chocolate and coffee bean sugar I had coated the baking pan with added a beautiful sheen to this one.
.JPG)
My Lemon cake was simple.
Ingredients:
1 box lemon cake mix
1 package lemon pudding
2 TBSP fresh squeezed lemon juice
Zest from 2 lemons
2 tsp lemon extract
3 whole eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup Canola oil and
1 cup of water.
Add all ingredients except the zest to the mixing bowl and stir until moistened. Beat on medium high speed for 3 minutes. Add the lemon zest and beat for another 30 seconds or so.
Scrape down beaters and pour into prepared bundt pan. I used the rose pattern Bundt pan for this lemony delight.
Next I mixed up a batch of Cinnamon, Chocolate and Banana cake batter and baked it in the Bavarian pattern Bundt pan.
Ingredients:
1 Chocolate cake mix
1 box chocolate pudding
4 eggs
2 very ripe bananas smashed
1 cup water
1/4 cup oil
1 tsp rum extract
3/4 cup cinnamon chocolate chips
Add all ingredients except cinnamon chips to the batter bowl and beat for 3 minutes until smooth. Scrape down beaters and bowl as needed.
Pour 1/3 of batter to prepared pan. I used baking Pam and then I sprinkled the bottom inside of the pan with some chocolate and coffee bean sugar I had on hand (from Trader Joe's). I ground it right into the greased pan, then tapped it around so it stuck to the sides and center tube a bit. Add approximately 1/3 of the batter the pan. Then add the cinnamon chocolate chips over the batter, evenly distributing them around the ring. Top off with the remaining batter. Use a spatula to smooth the top of the batter in the pan.
Tap both pans on towel placed on counter to remove any air bubbles. Place in oven preheated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for 45-50 minutes. Cakes are done when tested with a cake tester or toothpick and it comes out clean. Cool in pan, on rack for 30 minutes.
Invert each cake onto serving platter.
To complete the Lemon Delight, make a simple lemon glaze. The lemon glaze is made from 2 TBSP fresh squeezed lemon juice and 1 cup powdered sugar. Whisk together until smooth. Drizzle over cake as desired.
.JPG)
My BFF's son thought the cake was so delightfully tasty, he opted for a second piece!The Chocolate cake stood on its own with no additional glaze or sugar needed. We served each slice with a small dollop of whipped cream.
Perfect!
I was quite surprised at how great this combination turned out. The cinnamon chips melted nicely into the finished cake and the bananas added a lot of buttery texture and banana flavor to the deep rich of the chocolate cake. It was moist and very delicious. The chocolate and coffee bean sugar I had coated the baking pan with added a beautiful sheen to this one.
Monday, August 25, 2014
Hawaiian Applique Inspires PineApple Coconut Cake
I will be teaching a Hawaiian Applique by Machine Class at Rock Paper Scissors in Momtclair, NJ October 9th 2014. I spent parts of the weekend making samples for the store to display and use to promote the class. I really enjoyed the process of updating the well known classic technique to something a bit more modern and faster.
Hawaiian Applique traditionally is two pieces of fabric where one is applied to the other, either using hand applique or reverse applique. In my class, we use freezer paper and glue to create the Hawaiian motif and make the piece to be applied down on the background. How my class differs is that we use the sewing machine, invisible thread and tiny electronic stitches to finish the edges.
I love Hawaiian Applique because it brings me back to my childhood. Do you remember taking a sheet of paper and folding it several times, then cutting out designs that would make snowflakes? This technique is very similar to those school kid snowflakes we all made and loved. Instead of construction paper, we use freezer paper which has a waxy coating on it that will stick to washed fabric when heated with an iron.
On Friday, I finished one Hawaiian block, and two others on Saturday and Sunday.
Suddenly I discovered I was craving something tropical with pineapple and coconut. I baked a delicious Pineapple Coconut bundt cake in my new Bavarian Bundt Cake pan from Nordic ware. The pan is made of heavy non stick aluminum and is decorated with a beautiful swirl pattern that resembles some of my quilting designs. I was excited to try it out for the first time.
Here are the ingredients:
1 yellow cake mix
1 box coconut cream pudding mix (use lemon or vanilla if you can't find coconut cream flavor)
3/4 cup of egg whites OR 3 whole eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 can crushed pineapple with juice
1 TBSP Coconut Extract
1/2 TBSP RUM extract
1 cup of shredded coconut (sweetened is what I used)
baking spray (the kind with the flour in it)
Here is how you make the cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prep your bundt pan by spraying with non stick spray. Brush the sprayed pan to ensure all nooks and crevices are evenly coated on the inside, including the middle tube.
In a large mixing bowl combine all ingredients except the coconut and beat until moistened on low. Turn mixer speed up to medium high and beat batter for 3-4 minutes until fluffy. Add 1 cup of coconut and continue to beat until well incorporated, scraping bowl,and beaters as needed.
Pour your batter into the prepared pan, ensuring it is evenly distributed and no more than 2/3 full. Make cupcakes if your pan doesn't hold all the batter. (Note: These cupcakes bake for 20 minutes) Place a towel on the counter and tap the pan to ensure all air bubbles escape and all crevices and designs are filled in. Pop into the preheated oven and bake for 52-55 minutes. The cake is done when a tested inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool the cake on a cooling rack for 30 minutes. Once cooled, invert onto serving platter.
Optionally, you can add a coconut glaze. While the cake stands on its own without the glaze, I think the coconut glaze makes it exceptional. To make the glaze combine in a small bowl
1 TSP Coconut milk (I used unsweetened)
1 TSP Coconut extract
1 cup powdered sugar
Whisk together until smooth. You may need to adjust the amount of sugar to get the right consistency. Drizzle over the cake as desired and sprinkle the cake with additional coconut flakes while glaze is still wet and it will stick to the top and sides of the cake. It really is as yummy as it looks. Moist, sweet, with pineapple chunks to please your palate.
#PineappleCoconutCake #HawaiianApplique #HawaiianBundtCake #BavarianBundtpan
Hawaiian Applique traditionally is two pieces of fabric where one is applied to the other, either using hand applique or reverse applique. In my class, we use freezer paper and glue to create the Hawaiian motif and make the piece to be applied down on the background. How my class differs is that we use the sewing machine, invisible thread and tiny electronic stitches to finish the edges.
I love Hawaiian Applique because it brings me back to my childhood. Do you remember taking a sheet of paper and folding it several times, then cutting out designs that would make snowflakes? This technique is very similar to those school kid snowflakes we all made and loved. Instead of construction paper, we use freezer paper which has a waxy coating on it that will stick to washed fabric when heated with an iron.
On Friday, I finished one Hawaiian block, and two others on Saturday and Sunday.
Suddenly I discovered I was craving something tropical with pineapple and coconut. I baked a delicious Pineapple Coconut bundt cake in my new Bavarian Bundt Cake pan from Nordic ware. The pan is made of heavy non stick aluminum and is decorated with a beautiful swirl pattern that resembles some of my quilting designs. I was excited to try it out for the first time.
Here are the ingredients:
1 yellow cake mix
1 box coconut cream pudding mix (use lemon or vanilla if you can't find coconut cream flavor)
3/4 cup of egg whites OR 3 whole eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 can crushed pineapple with juice
1 TBSP Coconut Extract
1/2 TBSP RUM extract
1 cup of shredded coconut (sweetened is what I used)
baking spray (the kind with the flour in it)
Here is how you make the cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prep your bundt pan by spraying with non stick spray. Brush the sprayed pan to ensure all nooks and crevices are evenly coated on the inside, including the middle tube.
In a large mixing bowl combine all ingredients except the coconut and beat until moistened on low. Turn mixer speed up to medium high and beat batter for 3-4 minutes until fluffy. Add 1 cup of coconut and continue to beat until well incorporated, scraping bowl,and beaters as needed.
Pour your batter into the prepared pan, ensuring it is evenly distributed and no more than 2/3 full. Make cupcakes if your pan doesn't hold all the batter. (Note: These cupcakes bake for 20 minutes) Place a towel on the counter and tap the pan to ensure all air bubbles escape and all crevices and designs are filled in. Pop into the preheated oven and bake for 52-55 minutes. The cake is done when a tested inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool the cake on a cooling rack for 30 minutes. Once cooled, invert onto serving platter.
Optionally, you can add a coconut glaze. While the cake stands on its own without the glaze, I think the coconut glaze makes it exceptional. To make the glaze combine in a small bowl
1 TSP Coconut milk (I used unsweetened)
1 TSP Coconut extract
1 cup powdered sugar
Whisk together until smooth. You may need to adjust the amount of sugar to get the right consistency. Drizzle over the cake as desired and sprinkle the cake with additional coconut flakes while glaze is still wet and it will stick to the top and sides of the cake. It really is as yummy as it looks. Moist, sweet, with pineapple chunks to please your palate.
#PineappleCoconutCake #HawaiianApplique #HawaiianBundtCake #BavarianBundtpan
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