Birthday Cake

My Dad's birthday was November 1st. He loved to cook & bake. On Halloween he always made his own birthday cake. After hitting the street and filling our pillow cases with goodies we all headed for the kitchen table to sing Happy Birthday, have a piece of his favorite Pound Cake and apple juice.

Today I baked his pound cake in his tube pan from long ago. It rose to the top just like I remembered. We are looking forward to having a piece in his honor after the kids are done knocking on the door.

Joe's Pound Cake

1 cup crisco
1 lb. 10X sugar
4 eggs
3 Cups sifted cake flour
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup milk
3 tsp. vanilla
Cream crisco & sugar..add dry & wet ingredients alternately. Add vanilla. Bake 350 for about an hour to an hour and a 1/4.



HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD



Mini Quilt Swap

We are just about done our Mini Quilt Swap...they are all landing in their new homes. Check them out..go to HGTV mini quilt swap 2010...by clicking on it on the right side.

Today's Treat

I just felt like a taste from home so today I made a Philadelphia German Butter Cake.

From Cooks.com

Dough

1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. crisco
1/4 tsp. salt
1 ex. lg. egg
1 env. active dry yeast
1/2 c. milk
2 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1 tbsp. vanilla

Mix sugar with crisco & salt. Add egg, beat one minute. Dissolve yeast in warm milk. Add flour, then yeast mixture & vanilla. Mix 3 minutes with dough hook or by hand. Turn dough onto floured board, knead 1 minute. Place in lightly greased bowl 1/2 dough recipe, and cover with towel..set in warm place to rise for 1 hour or until doubled. Refrigerate other half up to 1 week. Prepare Topping and set aside.

Roll out dough to fit 9 x 13 well greased pan. Crimp edges halfway up the sides to hold topping in. When dough is spread, prick dough with fork to prevent bubbling. Spread topping over dough. Let cake stand for 20 minutes. Bake at 375 for 21 mintues. Topping should be crusty but gooey.

Topping

2 sticks of butter
2/3 c. flour
2 c. sugar
2 ex lg. eggs
5 tbsp. milk

Cream butter, stir together flour & sugar. Beat sugar mixture into butter. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well. Add milk gradually until all are well blended.

Finished my last Pollyanna gift

When you are no longer 25 and skinny, clothing designers give you serviceable clothing. I wonder if they think older, heavy women are no longer women. I wanted my Pollyanna to have one very pretty gift, soft and pink. I found a pattern for a victorian bed jacket, but the largest size was XLarge, about 3 sizes too small.

I bought the pattern and found a blouse in the right size at good will. After taking the blouse apart I was able to increase the size of the pattern by using the blouse as a guide.

I started sewing in my teens making clothing but lately after getting a serger, for myself, I just ran clothing items through the serger and whatever I ended up with was okay. For this project I went back to the basic sewing lessons I learned a long time ago.

I guess it's like riding a bike. As I worked with the pattern the old rules just came back to me. I am very happy with the end results. Since my Pollyanna does a lot of traveling I hope this is something she will use. It's just nice to have something to put over your nightie without filling your suit case up with a bulky robe. Bed jackets are also nice just for those chilly mornings when you are having your coffee or when sitting and watching a movie in the evening.  Now why don't they have store bought clothing that is pretty for us older gals?  If I had found anything close to this I would have bought it, but what I found was ugly fleece that you could use for a fishing trip!

The fabric's are cut chenelle and flannel lined satin. I made the collar without lace so it's not picky.

Roolens Scrappy Flower Quilt

I almost forgot what I've been spending  lot of time on. I need a gift quilt for the spring. Our Russian friend, roolen, http://roolen.blogspot.com/, posted a photo on HGTV of her Scrappy Flower Quilt. I think it's just perfect for the person I need a quilt for. Roolen was kind enough to allow me to copy her pattern.



roolens Scrappy Flower Quilt

I took all the fabric's for the blocks from my scrap bin. Now to find a nice fabric to finish it. Thanks so much roolen!



Scrappy blocks



Quick Fall up date

Lots of surprise company so I've been out an about. The fall days are just perfect here in Texas. Warm and sunny days and cool nights. I've had the windows open and the air off for at least a week now. The sky has changed, no more puffs of white clouds, just royal blue sky.

I pass these boots all the time but never had my camera ready.

I have my boxes packed and ready to send for the All I Want For Christmas Swap. I only have to finish up the last gift. I am making a special gift for my Pollyanna out of cut chenelle and flannel lined satin.

Then to finish off the day we made a fall Jewish Apple cake...yummy!

And now, back to some chatting and visiting!