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My Favorite Things...127...Seattle and More

I'm just about to run out of pictures from my trip...Thank goodness Penny bought a Canon G9  on the advice of our buddy Gina.  It's amazing to me how much better her pictures are with that camera.   I am having nothing but troubles with mine.  Penny's camera has an anti-blur feature,(and mine doesn't) and my hand is really shaky, so taking a clear picture for me is TOTAL FRUSTRATION!  Following are a couple of examples of her camera's abilities...

Remember the picture of the bear with the bowl of macaroni & cheese, from my last blog?  There is no way I could have taken this picture with my camera, it would have been a huge blur.  BTW, I have written the editors at Food & Wine magazine to see if we can get that recipe...and I'll keep you posted.

Here's my shot taken from our hotel room the evening we arrived...

The same vantage point taken with Penny's camera, which has so much more capacity...YIKES!

After Seattle we drove on to Canada.  On the advice of Paton's cousin Peter, we took the ferry to Salt Spring Island.  Here's a picture from the boat as we neared the port...(The snow capped mountains were on Victoria Island in the distance.)

This is an example of the beautiful countryside is on Salt Spring Island...rolling hills, lush greenery, pastoral farms...

It's no wonder that the price of land and housing has sky-rocketed there, it's has become Canada's version of the Hamptons, with vineyards, cheese makers and artists galore...

Just after I took these pictures, I really started having troubles with my camera...pretty much gave up the tourist thing for a few days, so Victoria island and our trip back to Seattle to catch our plane wasn't captured by my camera...I did manage to get a few good shots on Bainbridge Island.  Here are pics from some of the cute shops in the town near the ferry...

A sweet little "paperie" called Grace & Company...

A lush floral boutique called Flowering Around...

And the cutest little quilt shop, called Esther's Fabrics...(LakeHouse spotting at 9-o'clock!)  I just love to collect fun shopping bags from my travels...

And on that note, it's a wrap! 

Next time, it's show and tell:  New fabrics and projects, our Spring Market offerings are about to hit the stores any day.   ;) 

Back in two shakes...H2

 

My Favorite Things...126...Portland & Points Beyond!

I've been burning the midnight oil with two new collections, (more on them soon) so I still haven't finished my Quilt Market tales, and our post-market travel log.  So here goes...

My last bit of praise for Portland is about the neon signs.  What you say?  Yes I say...In the days before market that Penny and I spent getting lost in and around Portland, we saw a lot of really great oh-so-retro neon signs.  Like this one...

I poked my head inside this store, and I felt like I had time traveled back to a childhood trip that my family took to Jackson Hole. I just love places that make me nostalgic, and Portland seemed to be one of those towns.

Penny and I also saw at last a half a dozen 1960's looking neon signs for Chinese restaurants...
Here's a couple that I could take from the car window without causing a pile up!  She really thought I had a screw loose, but I just couldn't resist these signs, I felt like I was on a movie set a lot of the time.

When is the last time you saw a sign for a Buffet style restaurant? 

At the Golden Dragon, it looks like you can have a Mai Tai, some Chow Mein, and then go next door to see Exotic Dancers.

On Monday morning, Penny and I switched our ginormous SUV to a cute little PT cruiser, and headed for points north, or so we thought...?

We were making really good time, so we stopped for lunch an hour or so out of Seattle.  Turns out when we got back on the highway, we were pointed in the wrong direction. In fairness to Penny, it was an overcast day...Hard to tell north from south when you can't see the sun.  LOL  ;)

We stayed at the Edgewater Hotel in Seattle that night.  It's a cute place right on the water near Pike Street market...It felt more like an Adirondack fish camp than Seattle waterfront...but the room service  brought us the the best Macaroni & Cheese I have EVER had, so it was all good!  Here's a shot of our room's mascot with what was left in the bowl.

I'll be writing Food & Wine Magazine to see if they can get that recipe for us...Seriously!

Back in two shakes...H2

My Favorite Things...125...Coffee and Donuts!

I can't believe I am still reliving Quilt Market.  If I didn't have my hands in (just about) everything here at the office, I could have been finished a long time ago.  (And in this little saga, Penny and I haven't even left Portland yet, let alone crossed over the border into Canada.)

VooDoo Donuts is yet another must visit Portland place that I found on roadfood.com...they are without a doubt the best donuts I have had since leaving Sausalito, and they are only a few blocks away from the best coffee I have had in YEARS.  I learned about Stumptown Coffee from the waiter at Mother's (it's what they serve). It's smooth, not too acidic, and it's not over-roasted and burnt-tasting like some coffees we all know...(who shall remain nameless)  Bonus Points:  Stumptown has a mail order coffee business!

Lots more to show and tell my little quilties...

Back in two shakes...H2

My Favorite Things...123...Tater Tots & What Nots

Gourmet, gourmand...tomato, tomahto, you decide!

I whole heartedly recommend a terrific site started by Jane and Michael Stern called roadfood.com...I used this site to find local eateries in Portland.  Whenever I go to a new city, I plan ahead, so that I can find out where the natives like to eat...

One of the places we really enjoyed was Jake's Famous Crawfish in the downtown historic area of Portland.  Penny and I shared the Macadamia Nut encrusted Halibut (which was in season when we were there)...it was de-lish.  They also had a desert that was really yummy...if a picture is worth a thousand words, drool along with me.

I'm thinking that this looks like a dessert I'd like to try to make at home...you can see that the chocolate "box" was made by pouring chocolate into a paper bag.  Inside was a white chocolate mousse and there were oodles of berries and a berry coulis too.  For me, this was a perfect dessert...the strong and rich taste of the dark chocolate, the creamy softness of the mousse, and the not too-sweet berries...Plus it was HUGE, so we all had our fill.

Here's a picture of a couple of the adjoining rooms at Jake's, you could tell that the restaurant had grown from one room to another over the years; the place was ginormous (and packed!). There were nostalgic landscape canvases painted on the upper walls of one room, and antique oyster platters displayed over the doors in the next...

There's lots more to show and tell of course...

Back in two shakes...H2

My Favorite Things...119...Cupcakes!

When it comes to cupcakes I think of grade school bake sales, girl scout get-togethers, and two very special bakeries in New York City.  A friend who lives in Greenwich Village took me to Magnolia Bakery at least ten years ago, and I have been a rabid fan of their powdered-sugary butter cream frosting ever since.  Many people think that it was Magnolia Bakery that started the "Cupcake Craze" back in the late nineties, but IMHO, the grandmother of this retro addiction is really the Cupcake Cafe.  They had a tiny bakery on Ninth Avenue near the Port Authority almost ten years before Magnolia opened their doors.  The decorations on the cupcakes at the Cupcake Cafe are so beautiful, I almost hate to eat them.  Ann Warren has made quite a name for herself with her handmade flower decorations.  Ann's frosting is totally different than Magnolia's (from what I can tell, it's made mostly of butter, so they don't last long out of the refrigerator, but more on this later)...BTW, see the flower shaped table topper?  It's an adorable new design called Daisy Dew from Gina Halladay of Quilter's Buzz fame, & aka the Threaded Pear.

You might have heard that we introduced our Little Cupcakes fabric at Spring Quilt Market...So what better way to celebrate this, than with some delicious cupcake giveaways at our booth...Or so you'd think!  It started months before, with me asking my "Girl-in-Portland" the little cheese sandwich herself, Monica Solorio-Snow about who she'd recommend for cupcakes in the Portland area...Monica gave me a list and we started a hunt for a-good-but-affordable-cupcake (it became a bit of an odyssey)...

We started with Saint Cupcake which sounded great: except for the price!  They wanted over $3.00 a piece with custom colored frosting, that's a little pricey even by my ridiculous New York standards.  After contacting several more bakeries, we found the Helen Bernhard Bakery:  real butter cream frosting, and a bargain at just under a dollar each...this seemed the perfect solution...Or so we thought.

We ordered cupcakes in advance, to be delivered each morning of the show.  We planned on putting the cupcakes in a little acetate bag (tied with our LakeHouse ribbon of course) so that the show management wouldn't jump all over us for handing out messy food.  Here's where things went tragically wrong...Let me state clearly: Helen's cupcakes were delicious...problem was that they were frosted with real butter cream alright, but they were the buttery gets soft & unmanageable in 10 minutes out of the fridge type (like Cupcake Cafe), not the travels well, (loaded with sugar) butter cream frosting that Magnolia makes.

Suffice it to say, we had a "pack-o-trouble" getting our little pink cupcakes into their little bags...as the frosting started to get soft and they became increasingly difficult to handle...

All I can say is that it was a bit of a "Lucy & Ethel moment"!

Still lots more to show and tell, so, I'll be...

Back in two shakes...H2

My Favorite Things...116...Road Trip!

Hum along with me..."Let's start at the very beginning, a very good place to start."
"Captain's Log"--Monday May 12th 2008

I had decided that this market we'd do something different with the booth display, and that meant a lot more shopping in the Portland area in the days before Spring Quilt Market opened on Friday May 16th.

Penny and I synchronized our schedule to arrive within a few minutes of each other at the Portland airport.  We rented a jumbo-sized SUV and headed straight to IKEA, which was spitting distance from the rental car parking lot.

With list in hand, Penny and I went in the returns exit (the only way to shop at IKEA and leave with your brain cells fully intact!) and sped through our list of must-have-items.  We then drove to the hotel near the Lloyd center.  It was time for a late lunch...Heck we'd been on the ground for almost an hour.  We hopped the free in-town-light-rail in search of Mother's Bistro, which was recommended to us by none other than the little Happy Zombie herself, Monica Solorio-Snow...Drats, closed on Monday!

We made it on Tuesday morning instead...

They serve Stumptown coffee at Mother's...one of the best latte's I've ever had.

Here's Penny, multi-tasking with her Blackberry as we wait for breakfast.

The pancakes and the cornflake-crusted-french-toast were uber-delish...(my mouth is watering as I type).  Sorry, but we gobbled our food up before remembering to take pictures.

Lots more to show and tell, back in two shakes...H2

109...My Favorite Things...Winter Soups, Part One

It's cold here in these parts, and when it's cold, I want to eat soup, soup, and more soup.  Since I'm usually time-challenged, short cuts are the only way to go...I stock up on these Orrington Farms soup bases whenever they are on sale.  The chicken flavor has about 25% less sodium than some of the other brands, and the beef has significantly less sodium.  Admittedly, all soup stocks have some form of multi-syllabic scary sounding chemicals, but better living through chemistry I say...

My soup starts with my version of "Miripoix" or what some call "the Holy Trinity". Standard Miripoix is equal parts chopped carrot, celery & onion.  I don't use the celery that much, primarily because I cook in a style influenced by several ethnic cuisines, where IMHO, cilantro does a much better job.

If you don't like cilantro...oops!

Fair Warning:  Unless I am baking, (where proper chemistry is the key to success) my cooking style is "add a little at a time and correct".  That's one of the reasons I love soup, because it doesn't take a high level of skill or concentration to make it.

I whipped up this soup for everyone in the office for lunch on Friday, and Danielle our new intern almost whined (!) for the recipe, so here goes:

This soup will have a southeast Asian influence, (Yes I know that in most parts of the US it's nothing like Thailand, but this will still satisfy, I promise!)

In a large stock pot or stainless steel wok (It's what I cook in here at Casa No Cucina):

2 T oil of your choice (I cook mostly with EVOO)
"Hollypoix":  3/4 cup each of chopped carrots, cilantro* & onions

*chop a cup's worth and save some for the garnish

Saute until the onions are translucent. (Keep this mixture moving so that it doesn't burn)

Add:
2 T chicken soup base mix (to start)
2 T low sodium beef soup base (to start)

2 quarts of water

Add your vegetables.
Yesterday I added chopped broccoli...but almost anything green will do.
Allow to come to a boil for a minute.

Add rice noodles...
I use Ka Me vermicelli, it's great because it takes only 3 minutes and doesn't get all gummy.
Boil for 3 minutes.

While it's boiling add 1 lb of chopped chicken breast
(It's really much nicer if the chicken isn't cooked until it's like rubber!)

While you're at it, throw in a 1/2 box of frozen baby peas.
(Also prettier and better tasting when not over cooked.)

Once the chicken is cooked, add 1 T of curry powder (McCormick's is good)

Cook for a minute or so and correct your seasonings...more soup base, more curry, etc.
(Like I said, soup is very forgiving.)

At this point, you have a really good and low calorie soup.

But if you are a "petite cochon comme moi", you'll add:

One half to one full 16 oz. can of coconut milk   

Let the soup simmer for 3 or 4 more minutes (hint:  once you add any milk or cream to a soup, try to not let it get back to a full rolling boil!) 

Check & correct your seasonings one last time.

In each person's bowl, throw a little extra chopped cilantro on top to finish her off.

If you have any soup left over from the meal, I'd suggest that you scoop out the noodles and save them in a separate container from the liquid.  That way your next bowl of soup will be every bit as nice as your first.

Makes 4 to 6 meal sized bowls of soup...

It takes about 15 minutes of pre-prep time and 15 minutes to make this soup.  Paton has gotten really good with his knife skills, so we can have soup made in 20 minutes if we work together.

Enjoy!

Back in two shakes...H2

I'll show you pictures of the soup as soon as I can get my flash to work on my camera, it's acting wacky again.  In the M/T, check out my guest post on Kimberly Jolly's blog this coming week...I'll let you know when it's up.

My Favorite Things...106...Recipes from Mom!

On my recent trip to Arizona, I saw MOM in Scottsdale.  She took me to lunch at a nice spot in the historic area near where she lives.  Here she is, fit as a fiddle at 86, sipping her peach iced tea...

Mom mentioned a recipe that she and my sisters are ga-ga for these days...It's sort of a variation on Chicago's "Garrett's" Caramel Corn, and it sounded delicious, so I thought I'd share it with all of you.

Peel & Patch Patty's Potion for Pale People...

In a large, clean brown paper grocery bag, spray non-stick Pam to thoroughly coat the bag.

Add these dry ingredients to the bag, & mix together:
4 cups corn Chex
4 cups rice Chex
1 cup wheat Chex
1 cup small pretzel rings
12 ounces Pecans

In a small pot, mix:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup dark Karo syrup
1/4 cup butter
At medium heat, stir syrup mixture until it reaches a boil, and then allow mixture to boil for 1 minute.

Remove from heat and add 2-1/2 tablespoons of ground cinnamon

Pour cinnamon syrup mixture over dry ingredients in brown paper bag, & mix thoroughly.

Carefully fold top of the grocery bag down a couple of times, in a neat pharmacy fold.  Then scrunch the bag down onto itself to make the bag as small as possible so that it doesn't get stuck in your microwave.  Note: if your bag doesn't move freely, parts of your potion will burn...and you'll ruin a lot of ingredients before you get a nice batch...

Now microwave your potion/bag for 3 minutes.
Remove bag, break up your potion into smaller pieces & re-fold your bag.

Microwave your bag for 2 minutes
Remove bag, break up your potion into smaller pieces & re-fold your bag.

Microwave your bag for 1 minute
Remove bag, break up your potion into smaller pieces.

Divvy up your potion into little tins, distribute to "Sweet Friends" and ENJOY the rest your self!

Part two of my trip to AZ coming soon...Pretty Penny, Miss Cindy, Mr. Bailey and more...

Back in two shakes...H2

My Favorite Things...61...Finding Amanda!

Blog-able Feast Post Script

Good news on several fronts today...

Number One...We sent out the search party, and WE'VE FOUND AMANDA...Most of you didn't know she was missing, but behind the scenes at HOLLYCAKES, there was a panic going on a week ago tonight!
Amanda's back from her quilt retreat..with lots of stories.  She's going to tell us all about her retreat...the teachers, a local barbecue hot spot near her, and her divine dessert recipe too.

So here she is our last, but not our least...Amanda!

Number Two...It's a miracle, after three long weeks of waiting, poof! my Typepad comments area is now working again!  (Maybe all my whining is a winning tactic after all!?)  It looks like I can't go back and answer those of you who commented during the "black-out period"  But I can pick up where we are today...so forgive my lack of blog etiquette, and let's move forward, yippee!

Number Three...Contest & FREE STUFF
In the spirit of a little friendly competition, I thought we'd do a little contest, as an off shoot of our Blog-able Feast...

Here are the basic contest guidelines.

Two categories:

1.  Best Comment, by an attendee/visitor.  Who can nominate for this?  a) Blog-able Feast participants and b) the non-nominated Blog-able Feast guest.  As in...Most thoughtful or thought-provoking, poignant, FUNNY, etc.

2.  Best Blog-able Feast Guest Blogger. Who can nominate for this?  Blog-able Feast attendees OR Blog-able Feast participants who are not nominating themselves!  As in...Best Recipe, "Style Points", Most Interesting, Most Creative...whatever and whomever amused you the most during this event. Megan is excusing herself, since she wouldn't want her little quilt give-away to influence your better nature! And hey, I am giving out the prizes, so we are back to a regular dozen to vote for, including tonight's "post script guest - Amanda!"

Prizes will be given out in both categories:  A $25.00 gift certificate from Williams Sonoma, a pattern for our "Big Pocket Apron", the LakeHouse fabric of your choice & rick rack embellishment (from my private stash) to make it.

How do you do this?

Starting NOW, Leave your nomination/comment on THIS POST ONLY.  On Friday October 5th, I will pick a winner in both categories.

If it's not readily apparent who the winners are in each category, (I'll be the  judge of that!) we'll leave it up to Kammie & Vickie (my bib wearing, whip cream eating, beater-licking kitties) to pick two names "out of the hat".

Sooner we accomplish this, the sooner we can start a new give-away, I say...With so many new things, tis better to give than receive, I always say...aren't I a tease?

Thanks so much to all the participants on both sides of the event.  I for one, had so much fun.  Some of you made me laugh, and other's tugged at my heart strings.

It's all good  ;)

Back in two shakes...H2

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My Favorite Things...60b...It's got polka dots!

Day 13 of 13 A Dazzling Dozen Delicious Desserts -- Part Two

At long last, I pie that has been in the repertoire for decades, it will not disappoint...

Plenty of Polka Dots, and Three Layers of Pie to Dive Into!

Coincidently, Someone's having a birthday, (like Megan's family, we like a "Birthday Pie" too)...And that "Special Someone" is my "Mom-a-Loo"...So let's all sing Happy Birthday to my mom Joann, who is celebrating her 86th birthday today...HOORAY!

So here's a pie that's Light & Creamy, Smooth & Chiffon-y, It's Subtly Chocolate-y, and Oh-Oh-Oh-So- Good!

Polka Dot Pie

Pie Crust
10”  pie shell regular crust or chocolate cookie crust or graham cracker crust
If you don't have a 10" pie tin, use what you have and layer the extra fillings into individual sized glass bowls...they are just as yummy.

First Layer
(a mocha cheesecake)
8 oz cream cheese @ room temp
3/4 c sugar
6 T butter @ room temp
2 T unsweetened cocoa
1 t instant coffee
1 t vanilla

Second Layer
(a light chiffon)
1T unflavored gelatin
1/3 c orange juice  (shake juice container before measuring, to insure full flavor)
1 1/4 c whipping cream
3 egg yolks @ room temp
2 eggs @ room temp
1/3 c sugar
1T unsweetened cocoa
1 t vanilla

Third Layer
(whipped cream)
Pink tint:  red food coloring
Whipped cream  (whip the remainder of 1 qt of whipping cream),
3-4 T sugar
chocolate chips

1.  Make Pie crust

2.  Make First Layer 
Blend cream cheese, sugar, butter, cocoa, coffee & vanilla until smooth and you can see that a little air is whipped into this mixture.  Spread into pie crust.

3.  Make Second Layer
Sprinkle gelatin over OJ in small bowl set in pan of simmering water.  Stir until dissolved.  Allow to cool off.
Beat cream to soft peaks in med bowl.
Beat yolks, eggs, sugar, cocoa and vanilla in another bowl until smooth
Stir in gelatin mixture, then gently fold in whipped cream, until thoroughly mixed.
Refrigerate approx 15 minutes until gelatin thickens & just begins to set.
Spoon over pie
Refrigerate until well chilled

4.  Before serving:
put a layer of pink whipped cream on top
Sprinkle chocolate chips in a polka dotted pattern

Pie can be prepared 3 days ahead, but whip the cream topping at the last minute and top pie just before you serve it.

E  N  J  O  Y  !

More FQM projects, more give-aways  & "a dessert making deserter" returns from quilt camp (in a good way!) tomorrow...

Back In Two Shakes...H2

Leave a comment, and win a "now famous"  LHDG Cherry Baby Kitty bib...we'll draw for the winner next week. Please specify blue bib or pink bib drawing!  Your favorite feline can be the "Cat's Meow" too!

My Favorite Things...60a...Who Wants to Lick the Beaters?

Day 13 of 13 A Dazzling Dozen Delicious Desserts -- Part One

While we're renovating, what passes for a kitchen at the Boulders (aka Casa God Awful) is in the basement.  This gives the cats, Kammie especially, a bird's eye view of what's cooking!

She knew we were due to make our entry for the Dazzling Dozen Delicious Desserts, so Kammie wore her new Cherry Baby bib to celebrate the occasion...(thanks Auntie Megan!)

Here's the little hoover herself, waiting patiently for good fortune to shine on her...

Pink is her favorite color...

Who wants to lick the beaters?

Hey wait a minute, this is my party...and besides I was here first & mom loves me best!

Lickety-Split.

And they licked...

And they licked...

And the party's only just begun!

Please join us again tomorrow morning for part two of the last of our Baker's Dozen of Dazzling Delicious Desserts!

Oh, and in case you are wondering, the last is really just the beginning...right after that, we'll have prizes galore for not only our favorite DDDD bloggers, but also our favorite guest commenters.  And I'm giving you all 24 hours to think something up!...a funny observation, a favorite family food story, etc...

I'll even have a list of other blogs you might enjoy visiting for more delicious recipes.

Back in two shakes!...H2

Oh, and one more ridiculous thing...I don't want you to think that I don't enjoy your comments.  But for over 3 weeks now, I have not been able to receive your comments, nor have I been able to reply to them, as I normally try to do.  I have contacted typepad's tech support over 6 times, with no change.  Have any other typepad bloggers had this problem?  They just keep telling me "we're looking into it"  "rest assured, we're looking into it" "hold your pants on, little lady"...blah, blah, blah...uh oh, I'm whining again.

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My Favorite Things...59...Marvelous Megan!

Day 12 of 13 A Dazzling Dozen Delicious Desserts

Laverne & Shirley, Lucy & Ethel, Thelma & Louise...

Megan & me...

It's true opposites attract...
She's a people person, I'm a bit of a loner.
She's the nice one, I whine a lot.
She's coiffed and manicured every day, I am "Miss Yoga-Pants".

Those of you who've met or talked with Megan over the phone, know that Megan knows just the right thing to say.  She's also incredibly well-rounded (annoyingly so!); and in addition to wearing a lot of hats here at LakeHouse Dry Goods, she is a prolific quilter, has been the president of several guilds, and is, as I like to say "our own Erma Bombeck".

If you want to hear Megan and me being interviewed recently by quilting's podcast queen Annie Smith, click here.

So here she is, super-mom & domestic goddess Marvelous Megan Johnson...Let's give her a big hand, won't you?

Back in two shakes...H2

Oh, and here's a few quotes from Erma:

"Insanity is hereditary. You can catch it from your kids."

"In general, my children refused to eat anything that hadn't danced on TV."

"When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, 'I used everything you gave me.'"

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My Favorite Things...58...Pam Kitty!

Day 11 of 13 A Dazzling Dozen Delicious Desserts

Thought I'd show you what I have been toiling over for days...Charm Square Packs for the new FQM  intro's.  Here's a Sneak Peak at one of the labels I'm working on...I just love it.  So girly!

Our next guest, loves & collects cherry things, so it is only natural that she would come to mind when I designed this new line.  I shied away from using cherries in my work for YEARS, not because I didn't love them, but because when I thought about using cherry motifs in anything,it felt like I'd be perceived as imitating Mary Engelbreit...but not anymore...this new collection is uniquely LakeHouse, if I do say so myself.

You are in for a special treat today...our guest blogger is the duchess of do-good, the contessa of quilting, the mistress of the Internet...that's right dear blogging friends, it's our own "Cherry Baby" herself...HRH Pam Kitty! 

Pammie dearest, what have you for us today?  I hear you have been a busy girl lately...might you have something new to show your royal subjects?

Back in two shakes...H2

PS...make sure to drop back at the end of our Dazzling Dozen Delicious Desserts on Wednedsay...we'll be having a little contest and giving away some gift certificates & prizes...and if you're really, really good...I bet there will be some Charm Pack give-aways in the near future too.

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My Favorite Things...57...Miss Bunny!

Day 10 of 13 A Dazzling Dozen Delicious Desserts

The excitement is palpable here at the studio...we're busy like Santa's elves on December 23rd, trying to figure out what fabrics go to whom, and get the boxes out asap.

I'm starting to have a few "moments" about how the booth is all going to come together...But that is just part of the design process...so stay tuned!

Here's one of my first little studies for a quilt that uses some of the La Belle Rose fabrics intermixed with some of the new Cherry Baby line that we will show at FQM at the end of October.  This mix of "old & new" is done completely on purpose...I love mix and match, and I love that one collection "self seeds" right into another...(and selfishly, I'd like our fabrics to make a big presence for you in your local quilt store!)

Also, as I have probably mentioned before, I am trying to make a conscious effort to do simpler quilts...This is no small task for me, as I my tendency is to overwork and over-think almost every thing I do...Something about this quilt gives me a nostalgic feeling, don't-cha think?

We all have memories of childhood that are indelibly etched...sensory things, like colors, tastes, smells and places. I have some especially fond memories of Christmas time at Marshall Field's department store in downtown Chicago.  Velveteen dresses, patent leather shoes, white tights, brunch under a ginormous decorated evergreen tree in a dining room that seemed to me to be a hundred feet tall.  My mom and dad "were in" for the food, (the apple doesn't fall far from the tree) because Field's had an unparalleled gourmet dept for it's time...things like Frango Mints and Cheddar Cheese Soup.  My favorite place back then was the children's toy & book department. I can still remember odd little details, like the paper curling ribbon that they tied the packages with and the children's gift wrap paper (colorful animals and toys on a celery green background). 

I am not exactly sure when I became aware of Anne Sutton & Bunny Hill.  But I can tell you that Anne's work is very evocative and like Christmas memories, it too awakens the child in me...Judging from the popularity of her blog and her quilts, I'm guessing that I am not alone.

It's some sort of a weird full circle thing then, that when I first started putting things together for the latest collection, I kept thinking of Anne.  So I'm particularly proud to have her share with all of us what she's been making and baking these last few weeks.  So here's Anne to tell you all about it!

Back in two shakes...H2

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My Favorite things...56...Cat Snacks

Day 9 of 13 A Dazzling Dozen Delicious Desserts

"What's for dessert?"  (Setting aside her catnip-flavored-bong*) Vickie asked, donning her new monogrammed bib...

And tonight, V is also for Vivian...Vivian Love to be exact (what a great name, and oh the alliteration!)...She's yet another online blogging buddy who just happened to be a) in the small world category, a friend and neighbor of the marvelous Gina Halladay of Quilter's Buzz  b) showing a quilt on her blog back in July that she made for a her daughter's wedding gift...and somehow pictures of that quilt came back to me.  I am so glad it did...It seems like it took years for someone to come up with the easiest, (and  IMHO one of the prettiest), quilts using the now famous Hydrangeas & Raspberries fabric.  You can read the whole story and see it on Vivian's blog.

Tonight, Vivian also has a special dessert for you...and perhaps a peak at what she's working on too.  Could it be something for FQM?  Just wondering...Chocoholics take notice, here's Vivian...

Back in two shakes...H2

*come on, lighten up, you think her eyes are spooky and stoned looking too, right?

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My Favorite Things...55...New Fabrics & New Friends

Day 8 of 13 A Dazzling Dozen Delicious Desserts

It's a big day here at our humble studio-by-the-lake...lots of new goodies...you're on notice Brenda, Elizabeth, Pam, Anne & Annie...It's better than Christmas morning around here when the first rolls of fabric arrive before market...

We could have waited until tomorrow, but then again, who knows when the courier service would have arrived...?  So we drove to my agent's office tonight and got the boxes of ROT...FYI, we don't say it like its rotten, we say R-O-T...that's the term for fabric, when it comes "rolled on tubes"...

Paton, wielding a box cutter under the cover of darkness...

"Paton step back", I said.  " I need to get a shot of this for the blog"...(taking my instructions from the LHDG shameless promotion department, of course)...

So here they are ladies, the first of the new fall fabrics...The colors are soft and clear and remind me of sherbet and ice cream...What's really great is that the new things for Fall 07 cozy up next to the May 07 collection really, really well.  One of my "ab-fab-favorites" is the Saturn pattern...the pink circle tone-on-tone.  "La Grande Rose"...is one of the new additions to the La Belle Rose collection.  It's big pink rose on the pearl background, and let me tell you, it is not fooling around!  The roses are 4-5" across and they are in bouquets that fill an 8" square. So now the La Belle Rose collection (that has only been out since July), has teensy-weensy, small, medium, large & now extra large roses too.  Still delicate & pretty enough for a smaller quilt, but big enough for a knock-down-drop-dead-gorgeous queen size bed quilt as well...It's a beauty, if I do say so myself!

More show and tell soon...we have the whole back of the wagon to unload in the morning.  I'll be sure to have my camera with me.

Meantime, let's not forget about dessert...(quel horreur, certainment pas!)

Tonight is a blogger who puts a smile on my face.  I still remember the first time I went to Thimbleanna's post...She had all sorts of amusements...I instantly fell in love with her banner...you simply must see it, the banner is worth the cost of admission!  Next, she had a place in her side columns for other blogging "Anna's"  (that touched me, in a "being kind to others sort of way").  The thing that made me crack up was her description of her family members.  So genuine, and yet such a kick in the pants!

Meantime, she too likes to cook and has many yummy sounding recipes in addition to her sewing and quilting posts.  From her description of her dessert, it sounds like a winner to me...So take it away, Anna...(I want to taste it all by now, don't you?)

Back in two shakes...H2

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My Favorite Things...54...Missing...Miss Moore!

Day 7 of 13 A Dazzling Dozen Delicious Desserts

Well leave it to me to create a little chaos during the middle of this fabulous sugar high.  It turns out our originally scheduled guest is on a quilting retreat with "a lot of her friends"...and I knew that, and yet scatter-brain that I have become, I scheduled her  to present herself right in the middle of that retreat, then I wondered at about 10 pm tonight...hmmm, whatever happened to...?

The "as-of-yet-unknown-quilter" did send me some preview shots however, and I can tell you that her mystery dessert will not disappoint.  Honestly when I first saw the picture, my inclination was to jump into it and roll around, like some fantasy sequence from Austin Powers...yeah baby!  I digress.

Instead tonight we have the very talented Miss Moore, of "One More Moore blog" fame.  Make sure to take a good look around, if this is your first visit to her site.  The girl is so versatile and oh-what-a-pretty-blog-it-is...great banner, pretty photos, yummy food...she's even got an Etsy shop.  I am oh-so glad that she is joining in on the fun...so without further ado, I give you Morgan Moore  for a lot "Moore fun".

Hit it Morgan!

Back in two shakes...H2

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My Favorite Things...53...Unexpected Pleasures

Day 6 of 13 A Dazzling Dozen Delicious Desserts

Can you guess what this is?

Tonight Paton & I had  sushi at a new Japanese restaurant in Ringwood, New Jersey.  I've had sushi in a lot of places, including Asia, Paris & California...and I have never seen a garnish like this little radish carved into a lantern.  Isn't it precious?  My favorite part about blogging is definitely the show & tell.  Something fun comes your way, and with the flash of a digital camera...it's blog-able.

So without further ado, it's time to introduce our next "Dazzling Dessert Hostess with the Mostest"...Angela Byington of Cottage Magpie.  Angela's a woman who seems to have more energy than 3 people...her blog is one of the most ambitious ones that I've seen so far.  The only thing that has slowed Angela down a wee bit in the past month or so has been her moving to a new house. 

She is thoroughly enthusiastic and entertaining in a Lucy and Ethel "throw yourself into everything you do" sort of way...So let's have a big round of applause for "My Favorite Magpie"!

Back in two shakes...H2

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My Favorite Things...52...Another Beautiful Day

Day 5 of 13 A Dazzling Dozen Delicious Desserts

What a beautiful day for a LHDG lunch meeting out on the terrace.

That's Jean, Su, my new assistant Donna (finally someone in-office to watch over me!), and M2...we were gathered to have the first of our pre-market planning meetings.  They are actually quite scripted by now. We all jog of our respective memories by referring to notes & lists saved from the season or year before.

Of course that's our little mascot, "Kam-burgler" waiting for good fortune to come her way.  Paton's hiding off camera waiting for the shots to be over with...feeling a mite peckish.

The salad is my ab-fab favorite BLT Salad, that I mentioned back in July, along with some grilled chicken paillard (really thin cutlets) deftly prepared for the ladies by his lordship...Can you tell we were being good and saving ourselves for dessert? 

Today, we're bringing you a two-part entry from the creator of Grand Revival Designs...Tanya Wendelken.  First, the perfect early-fall recipe...and then Tanya promises to share a bit of her latest creations in an adjunct post.

I always LOVE Tanya's photos...she's a natural with a camera, so I'll be eagerly awaiting whatever it is she has to show.

Back in two shakes...H2

Next time it's a "diva of domesticity", who quilts in her spare time...any guesses?

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My Favorite Things...51...Annie Bakes!

Day 4 of 13 A Dazzling Dozen Delicious Desserts

Today we are so happy to have Annie Smith take us on a trip down memory lane, with one of her family's favorite recipes, and she's working on the cutest new project, too!

And make sure to check out the interview Megan and I did with Annie on her recent east coast trip.  She just posted the second of two parts a few days ago it's Simple Arts podcast #98.

I must say, Annie is a great interviewer, me thinks "our little quilt community" has a budding Oprah on our hands...I'm just saying...

Annie put Megan and I at ease immediately...and she seemed genuinely interested in what we had to say...imagine that!?  Our conversation was so much fun, we laughed and cackled for hours like the three little hens.

So here's Annie with her mom Joyce's Lemon Jello Cake.

Back in two shakes...H2

Meanwhile, Kammie's guarding the new stash...

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My Favorite Things...50...Three's A Charm!

Day 3 of 13 A Dazzling Dozen Delicious Desserts

I just can't say enough nice things about Fig Tree Quilts.  Since meeting Joanna at the Portland show in May 2002, I have admired not only her work, but her discipline as well.

I'm guessing that she's the kind of gal that can be satisfied with one dessert...while I am more the type to ask for the dessert sampler.  She has a color palette for her blog and she's sticking to it, and I'll change my whole blog top to bottom to go with yet another one of my wacky ideas. 

Just want you to know though, that we've booked side-by-side cabanas at the Loony Bin for retired self-employed designers. She can look out her window to see something new and different every day, and I can look over and...OMG,"that Joanna, she's color coordinated her flower beds to match her shutters..."  I jest.

Our common thread you see is that we are both Francophiles (we love anything French)...Here's a snapshot of a typical Parisian Patisserie...nothing out-of-the-ordinary, mind you...just a little neighborhood place.

So it's particularly ironic that when I started "gathering the girls" for this event, Joanna offered up her version of a very French Dessert.  I for one can't wait to have a stove, so that I can make it here at "Casa No Cucina".

So without further ado, I bring you Joanna Figueroa...even her dessert goes with her color palette!

Back in two shakes...H2

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Favorite Things...49...The Cat's Out of the Bag?!

Day 2 of 13  A Dazzling Dozen Delicious Desserts

This is our little office trouble maker..."Crown Vic" aka "Vickie Von Dixel"...I bet with a little work in Photoshop, I could turn her into a purse...(doesn't she look like she's got a handle growing out of her back?) For some background on Vickie see my post from June 25th...

Let me explain what you are seeing in the photo...Vickie is on a 6 foot long low bench (one of two) that I lay out the new fabric swatches on, as they come in from our mill in Korea.  On a tack wall behind the benches I have the May 2007 LakeHouse Library cards pinned in place so that I can see how the all of the existing and new designs work together.  It's fairly late in the game now, so I have all of the Fall 2007 intro fabrics all laid out in neat little waterfall style piles to approximate how the salesman sample cards will be laid out.  I guess it's really my fault that Vick decided that she could make herself comfortable on top of these new fabric samples.  Somewhere in the midst of the day, I must have thrown my purse ontop of all of this arrangement, and the next thing I know Vickie's enjoying "the splendor of of it all"...(rolling around on her back, of course!)

You know how it is with cats, whatever you are working on is the place that they want to be, right?

Our guest today is yet another animal-loving-quilter...Brenda Riddle of "From Little Acorns" fame. Bren is also getting ready for FQM, and she's made something "yummy for your tummy" too.

Take it away Brenda !

Oh, and just so all of you out there in the quilting blog-o-sphere don't think that our all of our guests are working on projects with only LakeHouse fabrics, I'll give you a hint:  tomorrow's guest is one of the most prominent jewels in the "Moda Crown"...Hope to see you then.

Back in two shakes...H2

 

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My Favorite Things...48...Having a Party

Day 1 of 13  A Dazzling Dozen Delicious Desserts

Welcome one and all to our first ever Blog-able Feast...the atmosphere at our humble little studio here at "Chez Boulders" is festive (if a bit frenetic) and filled with the anticipation of good things to come.

My faithful side-kick Kammie, aka Kamma-Noodle-Von-Poodle (my list of pet names for Herself is a long one)...allowed me one good photo of her in a new "Cherry Baby" neckerchief ...Is it just because she's my girl or is she precious?

My hope is that I will be able to get Miss Thing to pose in some other Haute "Cat-ure" outfits before the last in our series is feasted upon.

Speaking of crazy ladies who like to dress up their pets...Our first Blog-able Feast guest is none other than the quilt-making grandmother of four...wait for it...Guinea Pigs, Elizabeth Scott.

In addition to her going to her Late Bloomer blog to check out what she's working on for Fall Quilt Market (hereafter known as FQM) and her yummie dessert, YOU MUST go to Elizabeth's May Archives  (scroll down to May 21) and check out the Grandpigs enjoying the quilts she made for them.

You can see a gallery of Elizabeth's other projects at her site Late Bloomer Quilts.

So without further ado, I give you Elizabeth making something cool & creamy in Livermore, CA.

Our next Blog-able Feast is tomorrow.

Back in two shakes, H2

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My Favorite Things...47...A Fun Week Ahead

H O L L Y C A K E S   is   H O L L Y B L O G   with sugar and spice and everything nice!  It's time to have a little celebration...as they say:  "so many desserts, so little time".  What better way to kick off our little escapade than a banner that's just that?

It looks like this is going to be a big week here at our little studio at LHDG ...

First, I can't let another minute go by without telling you about the podcast interview that M2 and I did with Annie Smith on her recent trip to the east coast.  Aunt Blabby (you know I am talking about moi, right?) & M2 yacked it up so much with Annie that she was forced to split the conversation into 2 parts.  I am told that they are podcast programs number 97 and 98.

Second, we start our "Blog-able Feast" subtitled "A Dazzling Dozen Delicious Desserts" aka "HOLLYCAKES" on this Friday September 14th.   The summer's almost over, the kids are back in school...so what better time to reacquaint yourself with your bundt pan?...I ask you!?  It's time to do a little baking and start a new fall project, don't you think?
I've asked all of the participants to share photos and recipe for a favorite dessert, as well as a picture or two of what they are currently working on.  You know what you-know-who is currently working on, so "big surprise", it will be more of what is coming in for our new Fall 2007 collection.  I'm such a tease, aren't I?
So make sure that you mark your calender for Friday and come see what's a-goin-on!  Not giving away any names of participants or what they are up to just yet, but I am pretty sure that you will get some sneak peaks at some really beautiful new projects from some of my favorite blogging designers!

Third, we will have a private preview for our distributors both domestic and international up and running by week's end. We won't be able to show you this online until after the collection's debut in Houston, but it will go up right after market.  I must say, I am thrilled with the way it is coming together, the colors are so yummy and one design element flows beautifully into another...(it even surprised me a bit!).

So that's all from the Boulders...

Back in two shakes...H2

My Favorite Things...40...Midlife Crush

A man who loves to cook, loves to talk about cooking, is a tall, sinewy, sexy drink of water...that man is Anthony Bourdain, cooking's bad boy.  I am am here to bring you a trifecta of hilarious and roudy "reads" for what's left of your summer.

Oddly, I started eating at his restaurant eons before he became a best selling author...why did I make the huge trek down town to 28th and Park when I live 2 very expensive cab rides away uptown?  Great bread, large tables of good looking men to look at, great wine, really cute waiters in ties and denim shirts, the New York City's absolute Best French Fries and that Parisian favorite "steak frites" (steak with french fries).

"Kitchen Confidential" is what put Anthony Bourdain on the map..."A Cook's Tour" memorializes his "global adventures in extreme cooking", and "The Nasty Bits" are some of the gems he's penned since becoming a globe trotting cable network chef & demi-god...Just Google him...I'm not the only one who is reminded of bad-boy boyfriends of days gone by.

Read it, you'll like it. My one caveat is that he is as take-no-prisoners and foul mouthed as one of our quilt community's own---let's just say a famous (infamous?) magazine editor and leave it to that.

Reminder, our blog-able feast starts in early September...think chocolate, lemon, creamy, flaky, crispy, crunchy, raspberry, chiffon, apple, chocolate, blueberry, repeat...It will be a baker's dozen worth.

Back in two shakes...H2

My Favorite Things...36...Burst in Bloom Quilt

I just got a couple of quilts back from McCall's Quilting magazine  and thought you all might like to see a few more close-up shots of my "Burst Into Bloom" design...

This is the center of the quilt and a detail of Cheryl Winslow's applique' & machine quilting...She actually did both things at once for this quilt. For those of you with any doubts...there is a reason she is my QOATF-- "Queen of All Things Fabric"...Oh, and yes the magazine is free to write up their version of how to construct something, and frequently it's "way different" from the way it actually was made by Cheryl.  On that note, I have had numerous unsolicited accounts from people who have taken her classes, like "how great Cheryl is at teaching techniques" for a variety different projects, and also how "great she is at understanding fabrics and knowing an easier way to do something" (in fabric)...

Here's a magnified photo so you can see how Cheryl did this...

The left picture is a bit of a funny one...I think it shows a wee bit of the design challenge ahead of me at the Boulders...My white wicker and whitewashed furniture set against the over sized masculinity (the giant boulder patio for example)...Paton's got very masculine taste...except for when it's not, and that's when things seem to get way beyond eclectic...in "what were you thinking?" country...IMHO. My taste is affected by my formal training, so I tend to be way more conservative, and also way more feminine.  I actually do have a plan for how things will look really great, (most of my stuff goes in the little guest cottages!) but at the rate the unfinished projects are piling up around here...it's looking like "not anytime soon" that the "non-construction-grade furniture" aka JUNK that should have been thrown away a long time ago...will be in place!

For those of you wondering about the Blogable-Feast, it's coming right along...It's looking like we may start it in early September, since many of the participants are away in the last two weeks of August and we don't want to have any coordination headaches.  Since we are doing desserts first, the name for this jaunty affair is "a dozen delicious & dazzling desserts".  Some recipes may be more cool whip than dazzling, but we'll have a nice assortment of "from scratch recipes" as well as the ones you can make with 4 ingredients, while talking on the phone, putting in a load of laundry and keeping an eye on the "kidlets" in the backyard...

Oh and B-F participants who are I haven't heard from this week (and you know who you are)---get cracking!  Anyone else who has something sweet & scrumptious to share that I might have forgotten (terrible memory, forgive me) let me know, for the right recipe, we'll work it out, even if you don't have your own blog...Since I read recipes for the fun of it, I can spot a really good one pretty darn quick.  In case you're wondering, I have a three layer chocolate pie that is so sublime it will make your toes curl!

Back in two shakes...H2

 

My Favorite Things...27...BLT Salad

Ladies, this is my new favorite summer salad!

I know it looks so simple...so how could it be so wonderful, right?

The secret's in the ingredients...

1/3 to 1/2 package of bacon, cross-cut into 1" strips...cook to your liking!  (my newest favorite is Coleman's Uncured Hickory Smoked...it's been on sale a lot lately at my local A&P)

9 oz. package of pre-washed organic Hearts of Romaine...torn into bite sized pieces
(this also has been recently on sale a lot...)  more on "why organic?" later!

1 large tomato (preferably in season somewhere near you!)
2-3 pinches of sea salt
3-4 T Nakano Rice Vinegar  "Roasted Garlic" (this vinegar has much less "bite" than regular vinegar)
1/4 cup First Cold Pressed Olive Oil...the greener the better!
A few hits of freshly ground pepper

4 T finely grated Parmesan cheese

In a large bowl, coarsely chop your tomato in the bottom.  Sprinkle on the salt...this will "sweat" some juice out of your tomato. The juice from the tomato is important!  On top of this, pour on your  vinegar, then olive oil & pepper.  Toss this mixture a bit to bring out the full flavor.

Now carefully fold in your lettuce and cheese, and finish the top of your salad with the bacon bits.

Toss this salad at your table and enjoy!

So what's the big deal?  The flavors.  You get a combination of sweet and salty, a mild vinegar bite, the smoky of the bacon, and the little bit of finely grated cheese holds just enough of the dressing on the lettuce leaves to make this a real treat! 

I am generally on the go from a half an hour after I get up to an hour or so before bedtime.  I would love to have a personal chef (and the bank account that goes with this!) but back here in the real world of old home renovation, (and we're into our 10th month with no kitchen), Paton and I scramble a lot for food.  It's got to be quick and easy and satisfying!

Since I really don't have a lot of time, or the kitchen for that matter, I am what I would call an "armchair cook"...That is, I read about cooking for pleasure in planes, trains and automobiles...As you must know by now, I get a lot of pleasure from food and sharing that food with others who can enjoy it too..I LOVE to read books by fellow food lovers...

Here's a couple of things that I have either observed, read or heard about food over the years...

1.  The French shop once a day, and bathe once a week (kinda the opposite of Americans)
It's true about the shopping, they buy fresh produce for their meals every day, on their way home from work.  Twenty years ago when I first started going to Paris, there were definitely some people who fell into that category. In the last many years though, I've noticed that the Parisians, in addition to being slim and trim (and still enjoying their food like nowhere else) are meticulously groomed and outfitted...but I digress.  My point here is this:  most American's adulterate their foods, because they are looking for something that tastes good, and when foods aren't fresh or high quality...that takes a lot (just read the labels on what we eat sometime).  It's ironic then that the French in fact became so proficient, and justifiably famous, for their heavy sauces because they had so little meat, and what they had was generally well on the way out (before the age of the refrigerator).

2.  From Alice Waters of Chez Panisse fame...(heard on NPR), the grand dame of California cuisine...good cooking is really all about knowing how to food shop and how to select your ingredients! 

3.  From  the wonderful author Frances Mayes of Under the Tuscan Sun & Bella Tuscany,  I learned about the what, when and whys of native Italian cooking...It goes something like this:  what?  simple &  uncomplicated (recipes rarely have more than a half a dozen ingredients)...when?  when it's in season of course...why? nourishment & health, the innate sensuality of high-quality foods (especially locally grown harvests, private stocks and the like), and the company of others...the sharing and enjoyment thereof.

I'd like to not wait for my next life to be born Italian.  Instead, I'd like to embrace a few bits of their culture and in turn pass what of it I know on to you.

I'll have a few summer reading selections written by fabulous foodies sometime soon too...

Back in two shakes...H2

My Favorite Things...25

I had been telling my old California friend Michelle how the Hickory Pit in Strawberry (ironic...right?) near my old house in Marin had closed and how disappointed I was about it...and how I loved the goopy Strawberry pie there...and that it was just like the kind we used to get at the Bob's Big Boy back in Mount Prospect. She said, that's so funny, there is still a Hickory Pit near my mom's house in Alamo.  That's where we got this pie. Don't ask me what possessed me to take this picture...sure wasn't the "food styling"...the first slice is always a challenge to get out!

Yesterday Paton saunters into my office and asked if I wanted to go for a swim...it had been a really hot day, and we both had cabin fever.  We go upstairs to change into our suits and while I am trying to pull my suit on, I murmur..."it's time for strawberry pie"...he replies, "you really are all about the food, aren't you?"...I'm thinking how nice the lake is going to feel in a couple of minutes and you're thinking about strawberry pie?

Paton's Mom's Strawberry Pie

Easy and yummy!

When quarts of strawberries are two for the price of one, it's time to make this pie!

Baked pastry shell (9")
1 and 1/3 c flour
1 stick butter
1/2 tsp salt
3-5 T ice water

Bake at about 400 degrees for 12 minutes with pie weights
Remove pie weights, turn pie shell (to avoid burning edges)
Do another 2-4 minutes watching so as not to burn edging.

1/2 c sifted confectioners sugar
Sprinkle on top of 2 q washed, hulled strawberries in glass baking dish
(use partial or extra dark & ripe berries for boiling mixture)

Boil 1 c water and 1/2 c crushed strawberries from above

Strain liquid, throw cooked strawberries away...

Cool liquid for 5-10 minutes & return to the pot

2T cornstarch in 3-4 T water...Mix with wire whisk
(so that when you incorporate liquid, it doesn't clump)

Whisk in cornstarch mixture into berry water mixture

Bring to a boil whisking until clear and thickened
(color is a bit odd--best described as "mauve"...add red food coloring if you like)
Add 1/2 c sugar to this and keep whisking until smooth and incorporated

Arrange as many berries as possible in the cooled pie shell
Large in middle, smaller to outside, 1/2 berries at edge

Pour warm (not hot) berry water mixture on top of berries using a rubber
scraper to assist

Cool

Whip 8oz heavy cream to use as dollop, or top as per the pie shown above

Keeps over night in fridge --- serve when cool or
cold (couple hours in fridge)

Pie has as shelf life of about 24 hours, after that, it's edible but just not as good.

Something tells me you won't have any trouble finding help finishing this pie...so that is probably a "moot point"!

back in two shakes...H2

My Favorite Things...15

Speaking of my favorites...this is a picture taken at the first lake house when our fair Kitty was just a tiny pup. It will have to suffice for now...I was all set to show you a picture (on a table set with some of the new fabrics!) of some yummy Corn Salad I just whipped up and poof, my digital camera is fried!  Since we're all about the food...take my word for it...try it, you'll LOVE IT!   It's colorful and is total heaven on the tongue!

5 ears of sweet corn, boiled for 5 minutes NO LONGER!
Let them cool, then cut all the kernels off with a sharp knife.

Carefully fold in the next five ingredients:

2 medium tomatoes cored, and chopped into 1/4 pieces

4 T fresh cilantro (stems and all) finely chopped
(if you hate cilantro, fresh basil will be great too!)

1/4 cup of Olive Oil
(I use FIRST COLD PRESS, the greenest, most flavorful I can find!)

4 capfuls of white vinegar 
(this is just enough to cut some of the sweetness of the corn, adjust to your palate!)

Seat Salt  (adjust to your taste!)

Small ball of fresh mozzarella--cut into small cubes
Gently toss in at the last minute...

This is best eaten on the day you make it.

ENJOY!

Meanwhile, we have only three more booth displays to go and then I have some incredible pictures from my recent California trip (design inspiration galore!), etc.  This next booth was from Houston QM Fall '04.  It was so much fun to dream up...(the set up, not so much!)  My description of this booth and collection was "Lilly Pullitzer goes Asian"...

This was a lot of fun to play with, until they turned on the air conditioning, and all of the lanterns started blowing off the display!

I went a little over the top with paper lanterns and parasols, it was a riot of color...

This was also the beginning of me "going off the deep end" with the dots, stripes and striped dots!  It was one of the most joyful collections I've ever worked on.

I don't exactly know what I'd call these little table displays...follies?  In any event, people loved them...We lent them out to Carolyn & Kathy of The Fabric Patch for their vendor booth at Road to California.

Lots more colorful pics of our Fall '04 booth next time.

Back in two shakes...H2