Showing posts with label Quilts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Quilts. Show all posts

Monday, June 3, 2013

Apple Fritter Cake, Cute Quilts, and Shark Cupcakes. . .Good Stuff!

well my goodness...
even i don't know what to say after this latest absence!
sooooo much has happened in the past few months
that i want to write about.
one of these days i'll play catch up.
i have to...because i use my blog as a yearly memory album and there
are a few things i want included.

and i'm so sorry i haven't visited my special friend's blogs to
keep in touch.
i will...promise!
in the meantime, i have a shabby chicks facebook page 
that i post a lot of fun stuff on.
pop on over and like my page so you can follow along!

but for now, how about a light, kinda random post
to get me back in the groove.
ready?
let's do this:)

first off,
with school getting out, summer fun around the corner...
and shark week on TV,
how about some 
shark cupcakes?



awesome, don't ya think?
go to joanns.com for a supply list and info on the wilton shark cupcake kit.


summer decorating calls for a lighter hand, 
maybe a fresh new color or fun carefree accessory.
these pillows are just the ticket to lighten things up...


and you can find them at Pottery Barn Teen of all places!

speaking of teens (and the rest of us).......

great advice!

usually i make you wait till the end for the YUMMY recipe. . . . .
but not this time.

APPLE FRITTER CAKE. . . .
melt in your mouth goodness:)

Apple Fritter Cake
original recipe: http://nerdybaker.wordpress.com/2011/11/18/apple-fritter-cake-and-ufos/

Ingredients:
For Filling:
1 heaping cup of sliced apples (I cored and quartered and then sliced)
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
small pinch freshly grated nutmeg
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons water
Plus
1/2 cup brown sugar (I used a 1/4 cup each of dark and light)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

For Cake:
1/3 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup greek yogurt (you could use plain yogurt as well or sour cream)

For Glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
6 tablespoons milk

Instructions:

For filling: 
Make your filling by combining apples, sugar, water, cinnamon and cornstarch in a small saucepan.  Cook on low heat for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring constantly until the sauce is thickend and the apples are a bit soft.  Set aside to cool.  In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together until well combined and set aside.

For Cake: 
Preheat oven to 350°.  Grease and flour a 9×13 baking dish.  Set aside.
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Add applesauce and vanilla and mix till combined.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Sift the dry ingredients together.  Add the dry ingredients to the batter in three parts alternating with the yogurt in two parts, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.  Beat until just combined.
Spoon half of the batter into the prepared pan.  Spoon the cooled apple mixture over the batter carefully and spread as evenly as possible.  Sprinkle 2/3 of brown sugar cinnamon mixture over apples and cover with the rest of the batter.  Sprinkle the rest of the brown sugar cinnamon mixture over the top.
Bake for 45-55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

For Glaze: 
While the cake is baking, make the glaze.  In a bowl, mix the powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk until the glaze is desired consistency.  When the cake comes out of the oven, immediately but carefully pour onto hot cake.  Try to pour as evenly as possible.  You might have to pick up the cake and tilt it to spread the glaze evenly.  I even poured some out that pooled at the corners and repoured that over the top.  Let the cake sit for awhile for the glaze to set.

beware...it's reallllly good:)

 awwwww.....


how about some mini munchies. . . . .
don't you love these ideas?


last, i really love this quilt!
so plush looking with the velvet squares and the pom poms:)


okay, that's all for now:)  
hope everyone is happy and healthy!
xoxoxo
Suzanne

Friday, March 18, 2011

6 Things I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE...

...and that make me a very HAPPY girl!
(well, besides being back at my blog, of course:)

let's get right to it...
1.  this AMAZING, GORGEOUS, perfectly SHABBY quilt 
made by my extremely talented sister Kathy
for my sweet girl's 16th birthday.
 I know what you're thinking...
how come I didn't get this sewing/quilting gene
passed on by my Grandma!
trust me, I ask myself this SAME question:)
Isn't it PRETTY?
  oh my gosh, I fell in love with these rag quilts when I first saw them.
so COZY!!!
yes, she makes very INTRICATE quilts too, 
but when she said she wanted to make a quilt for her sweet 16,
I begged her to make Taylor a rag quilt that she would have forever!
 she loves it...we all love it!
in fact, now Jordan wants a shabby chic room 
so she can have a quilt from Aunt Kathy someday too:)
see why I LOVE this? 

2.   I absolutely adore this bag made for me by
Kellie from Bag Full of Posies.
 she makes these adorable fabric rosettes and 
prints your blog name (or whatever you like) on the bag. 
 It's big, roomy...
and oh, so SHABBY!
I get stopped everywhere I go by people who rave about the bag,
so check her out on etsy...
you'll be so HAPPY you did!

3.  I LOVE strawberry season!
 strawberry shortcake, strawberry pie, strawberry cake, 
strawberries on toast...on ice cream...
strawberries & cream...
and now, strawberry MUFFINS!!!
 these are so YUMMY...
oh my gosh, one bite and you can't stop.
so next time I write about dieting, you'll know what I've been stuffing my face with:)

4.  The English Home magazine.
 oh...this is so LOVELY!
well written articles, beautiful pictures.
I fell in love with England when we were there last Fall...
so when I saw this magazine at Borders (40% off sale you know)
I picked it up and fell in love.  
see for yourself...
 now put the kettle on for some tea and grab yourself a strawberry muffin...
snuggle under a COZY quilt and I promise...
you will ENJOY this one! 

5.  Flowers...on SANDALS!
yep...a big thing this season.
you may still be in boot mode but trust me,
when you get around to warmer weather,
you'll see all kids of shoes embellished with flowers.
now, I'm not talking about some tacky flower thingies but
PRETTY accents on sandals. 
these...I LOVE!  
since I am a jeans-wearing mama...BIG TIME... 
I think a pair of these would make me a HAPPY shabby chick! 
these are a bit dressier but SO pretty and delicate!
my girls REALLY like these...me too:) 

 6.  Cookie Brownies...
or as Jordan and her BFF Lucy have named them...
"Crownies"!
 Oh man...are these good.
I know...more food.  
hey...I send most...well, some of them...home with Lucy...5 kids there:) 
they're really simple and below I'll give you the recipe.
 but don't worry...my friend Duncan Hines has a box mix at the store:)
 every recipe I've seen calls for a top layer of chocolate frosting or ganache
but we have never done this.
we don't need to.
they're all warm and gooey with just the right blend of 
fudgy brownie and cookie dough as is.

Recipe for Crownies:
1  box (1 lb 2.4 oz) Betty Crocker® Original Supreme Premium brownie mix
    Water, vegetable oil and egg called for on brownie mix box
1  pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® chocolate chip cookie mix
1/2   cup butter or margarine, softened
1  egg
(or you can make brownies and dough from scratch...if you're one of THOSE people:)  haha 

 1. 1 Heat oven to 350ºF (325ºF for dark or nonstick pan). Spray bottom only of 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray, or grease with shortening. Make brownie mix as directed on box. Spread in pan.
   2. 2 Make cookie mix as directed on pouch, using butter and 1 egg. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls evenly onto brownie batter; press down lightly.
   3. 3 Bake 42 to 47 minutes or until toothpick inserted 2 inches from side of pan comes out almost clean. Cool on cooling rack 30 minutes.
 (or like I said, there's an easy box mix...if you can find it:)

 well, there you have it.
It's been a time of shoe shopping, 
going to the beach with my new bag,
reading magazines, 
stuffing my face with strawberries and CROWNIES
while curled up under a pretty quilt.
(actually, there is NO eating allowed anywhere near that pretty quilt:)

hope everyone is HAPPY and HEALTHY!
XOXOXOXOXO
Suzanne 
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