a dress for Frances

This is the wedding dress - the one I was busy making early this month. The one I didn't take any pictures of. The one that Eden did. 

Frances knew she wanted a dress that was all lace. So we embraced that and made her a dress out of the most gorgeous, rich lace - one with a lovely hand and soft sheen. Draped and softly gathered, with pretty little details like the 'diamond' button followed by a row of silk-covered buttons, the dress is romantic and pretty with a nod to wedding dresses of another era. Making the soft, cathedral-length veil was a last-minute decision but it was a very good one and lots of fun, both to make and (apparently) to wear - Frances ended up keeping it on all day. Her mother's string of pearls added another layer of soft glow and kept that memory close. 

Soft, pretty, glowing -  Frances. 

photos courtesy of Eden Lang Pictures. Thanks Eden!!! 

p.s. if you want to see some incredible photos of the beautiful bride in the other dress I had a hand in (alterations only - lol) check out Eden's most recent post. 

for josie

So glad my friend was clever enough to have a baby girl because it gave me a sweet excuse to make these perfect little shoes. The moment I saw them on the Purl bee I was looking for a reason to make a pair or twenty. 


The project journal materials use beautiful wool felt which is hard to source here in Calgary and there wasn't time to order any from any of the online sources I like - the baby shower was imminent. I checked my stash but it yielded nothing even remotely exciting for baby girl shoes. Then I remembered the sweaters I felted last year for making Valentine's Day scarves for Aubrie and Jane. Perfect!!! Just a little more artisanal, a little bit me - something original for beautiful brand-new Josie. Totally fun, fast and easy to whip up I want a pair for myself (working out a pattern for bigger feet and harder wear). 


the Purl bee has tons of great projects and ideas - from sublimely simple to luxe - all attached to a great resource for materials (Purl Soho). Check it out. It's one of my favourite fun reads.

wrapping

For a long time I pretended to myself each Christmas that next year I would get my presents wrapped earlier - earlier than Christmas Eve. Finally I have realized that I like the last minute wrapping frenzy. Almost as much as I like the activity of wrapping presents. And I do honestly love it. I like selecting the paper and box, the ribbon or string, the tag, the embellishments, and then making it all come together in a beautiful package that says 'I love you'. A beautifully wrapped gift is an affordable luxury, one that is within the reach of anyone with the patience to take a little care and use the tiniest bit of imagination. 

I don't think gift wrapping needs to be over the top to be wonderful. It just needs to be neatly executed. Quality ribbon goes a very long way. As do cool tags. Some years I have spent more time than I should have crafting tags of one sort or another (always a ton of fun), other years I have purchased shipping tags or even price tags. This year I decided to use nothing but brown kraft paper or white newsprint paper to cover my boxes, red or black baker's twine, 'ribbon' strips torn from a piece of black cotton, bits of faux Christmas greenery, and velvet ribbons from my ribbon collection*. The tags (which I love) are from here and here. 

Simple. Beautiful. Done.  (Well..... almost. Just four left to wrap. And that is a record for me!)

*Every year I use, save, and re-use 'real' ribbon. I have a large plastic bin full of the glorious bits. It may be a bit eccentric (or maybe just plain weird) but my loved ones accept and even anticipate the collection and saving of ribbon. I like to think of it as being green.

black licorice caramels

I have a passion for black licorice. And caramel. The two together are simply brilliant. I know that not everyone shares my passion for black licorice but I really do think that if you are in the black licorice-hating camp, and you were bold enough to give this a try, you just might begin to be persuaded. If not, well.... as my dad used to say "All the more for me!!" 

This recipe is really just a tiny adjustment to the Caramels with Mediterranean Sea Salt that I posted in February. 

Disclaimer: I am not any kind of an expert candy maker. I have made caramels for more years than I care to share and although they are about the most fool-proof candy out there, there are a couple of tips best kept in mind.

The first tip is that a candy thermometer is a minimal investment and worth every penny. Everybody's grandmother probably tested candy done-ness with a cold water bath and you can too but it takes a bit of trial and error to figure out exactly what a soft ball is as opposed to a hard ball (and we are not talking sports here). If you want to go that route, knock yourself out but you will probably also ruin more than one batch of candy while you are learning. So save yourself some grief and get a candy thermometer. A good one will still be under 10.00. 

Second tip: Proof that new (or old) candy thermometer. What? How? Remember back to grade school science? We learned that water boils at 212 F (or 100 C). That is true but it is also true that it is true at sea level and elevation makes a difference. Way up here in the foothills of Alberta water actually boils at 202 F (according to my thermometer) so unless I want to overcook my candy and have a tooth-pulling mess, I need to account for the difference when making candy. What this means for you is - when you get your candy thermometer put a pan of water on the stove, clip your thermometer on the side, and note at what temperature the water boils. If it boils at 202 F,  when your recipe says to cook the candy to 245 F, you know that you only need to cook it to 235 F.

black licorice caramels

1 cup butter
2 1/4 cups brown sugar
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 cup corn syrup
1 15-oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp anise oil (sometimes called extract)
1/2 tsp black food coloring paste - optional


Melt butter in a heavy 3 quart saucepan. Add the sugar, salt, corn syrup, and condensed milk.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. Stir. And stir. And stir some more. At some point in the stirring clip your invaluable thermometer onto the side of your pan so that you know when you have gotten to the firm ball stage (245 F). It may take a while - or it may not be more than 12-15 minutes. (You can see the advantage of the thermometer, right? When you have a bit of experience making caramels it is easy to see from the color of the cooking candy, and the thickness of the syrup that you are close to where you want to be - but as I say, experience is the critical thing here.)


Remove the pan from heat and stir in the anise oil and food coloring if you are using it. Pour into a well- buttered 9x13-inch pan. Cool.


When thoroughly cooled, turn the candy out onto a cutting board and cut into squares using a large sharp knife. Wrap in 4" squares of waxed paper.


And December 15th has flown by. 

cumin fried rice

One of the very best things that my wonderful Japanese neighbours taught me was how to make fried rice. It is a super meal for busy nights or the times when you haven't really planned and there isn't much in the fridge or pantry for fixin's. For years I made one variation or another on the Japanese fried rice I was shown by my lovely friends in Osaka (where, by the way, they pride themselves on their cuisine) but I kept it pretty close to an Asian profile. 


Last night I had planned quite well but as often happens at this time of year, my day - although wonderful and fun - did not go exactly as I had planned and I was left with far too little time to work my plan. On to Plan B. Which really means standing in the open fridge and wondering what to do, what to do..... There was a bit of left-over roast beef from Sunday dinner, the bare minimum of boring vegetables, hmmmmmm and sigh.....  and then (I must honestly say - based on how incredibly yummy this was) inspiration struck. Fried rice with a Mediterranean flair! Fast, easy, and so, so good. 


Another of my plans - as I perhaps somewhat foolishly announced last week - was to count down the days to Christmas with a Christmas-themed post per day. Try as I might I can't find a way to spin this as a Christmas thing. The closest I can come is to simply suggest that everyone still needs to eat, preferably something yummy and healthy, and since the days are full and busy perhaps others might want something like this in the idea bank.


I realize that chances are pretty good that everyone doesn't have a little left-over roast beef waiting to be used in fried rice. If you don't I would think that a bit of whatever you like (chicken, beef, or turkey) whether already cooked and waiting, or quickly stir-fried would work just as well. Since our stays in Japan we are committed converts to Japanese short grain rice - it works particularly well in fried rice and is what I prefer.


cumin fried rice


2 cups Japanese short grain rice, cooked
1 cup roast beef, chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
2/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp dried sage
1/2 tsp cumin
4 cups baby spinach, washed
1 tsp sea salt (or to taste)
freshly ground black pepper, to taste


Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Saute the onions and carrots until the onions begin to soften. Add the garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, sage, and cumin and cook for another minute or two. Toss in the beef and cook for a minute or until hot. Sprinkle the spinach leaves into the pan and quickly stir-fry until they wilt, then add the hot cooked rice and quickly but gently stir the rice into the mixture. Be careful not to over-stir otherwise the rice can get a bit gummy - not good! Season with salt and pepper and dig in!


As I look over what I have written for this recipe it looks too .... simple? like I must have missed something but I really think that's it. It really is fast and easy and good. I have learned that making fried rice is not a science but a very forgiving art. Just about anything works and often the simpler the better. Like most good food.


So I mark off December 7. One day closer to Christmas!

advent calendaring

The summer that Eden was a year old (go ahead, do the math, and yes it was a long time ago) I saw a pattern for an advent calendar in the Vogue Pattern Catalogue. I saw it and knew that I had to make it. I burned to have one for my little family. I do not exaggerate my desire. As David was still in university (read: we were poor students) I had to cut a few corners and be a bit creative on a couple of fronts in order to accomplish my goal but I did it. I drew my own version because I just could not afford a piece of felt large enough for Vogue's true vision but I tried to make up for that by embellishing the ornaments that count down the days with sequins and beads - something that Vogue's designers had somehow overlooked. Every afternoon during the precious hour or so of nap-time for my two toddlers I would pull the bag of felt and bits out and sew, then hastily stuff it back in the bag and under the sofa when I heard the first stirring child. It took months of hand-stitching - every stitch sewn with love and the anticipation of how much my kids were going to enjoy this special tradition. I don't think I could have ever guessed how well-loved this advent calendar would be. If I were to die tomorrow, this could well be the most ardently desired item.  

Since that time I have wished that I had used white felt instead of red for the background, occasionally decided that perhaps we could use another idea for an advent calendar (always vetoed), have backed the original with supporting fabric to prolong it's sagging life, lost and found ornaments that have been squirrelled away by tiny hands, and refereed more squabbles than I can count over exactly who's turn it is to put up the ornament for the day. (With five kids it was always a race since everyone wanted to do it every day. lol)

I have made several other advent calendars in an attempt to give more hands an opportunity to mark off the day. They have each been lovely, or cool, or fun, but none has reached the status of the calendar.

Counting down the days to Christmas Day is something that I have always loved. We did not have an advent calendar in our home when I was growing up but I always drew my own version and religiously marked off each day with mounting excitement. Now that there are no little ones running to mark the passing days with my (now nearly vintage) calendar a lot of the fun is lost but I still find myself drawn to the concept of this activity. I have intruded myself on my kid's families and made sure that they each have an advent calendar of some sort (whether they want one or not) and would probably make a new one for each family every year if I only could get myself organized early enough to do so! (somehow I never think about starting it in August anymore.) The red calendar goes up on December 1st here - even though I am now a bit embarrassed by some of the work on it - because of the sweet memories it stores. 

For my personal countdown this year, I am planning hoping to mark each day from now to Christmas by sharing something here. Something that I love about, or do, every Christmas. Seems like a fun way to count the days of this wonderful season.

elf stuff

The last day of November! Tomorrow the Christmas fun begins in earnest - and toward that end I present my version of the 'elf on a shelf'. It is truly not that I think I need to one-up the book and packaged elf (does that sound patronizing? hope not) but I just kind of like a handmade product over a mass-produced one. And I like to make things. Hopefully our littles will be enchanted with these elves - one for each family - and have just as much fun with the tradition as many others have.

Years ago David used to tell his little brother Reid stories about Greeny the Elf. Greeny kept an eagle-eye on Reid during December and truth be told (from the stories I have heard) I think poor little Reid was a bit afraid of Greeny. But it was a lot of fun for David, and Reid was a very good little boy for at least a month. Clearly the concept for an elf on a shelf has been around and waiting for ages.

Elf on a Shelf is a cute story and has garnered quite a following. If you google 'elf on a shelf ideas' you can find long lists of elf activities, from simple to elaborate. Many of them way more elaborate than I would be willing to undertake but if that's your thing, that's your thing. Me? I just like to make elves.

These little guys were very simple, fast and fun. I used some old wooden spools, some lovely wool felt, a sharpie to draw the eyes and nose, and a bit of wool I pirated off a fluffy/curly wool pillow that sits in my sewing room. One short seam to sew up the hat and a line of fabric glue to secure the "clothes" and ta-da! done! (Since the elves are not to be touched by childish hands - a rule of the tradition - they don't need to be terribly tough child-proof. Makes making one a lot simpler.)

I printed a set of "Rules" to go with each Elf Scout along with some suggested activities for parental eyes only. Can't wait to deliver these little guys and watch the fun!

(to give credit where credit is due I was inspired by a simple craft idea in Canadian Living magazine. Their elves were made with toilet paper roles and filled with candies or small toys. 24 of the little guys and you have an adorable advent calendar. I found them totally charming and since I had already determined to make my own elf on a shelf, I just tweaked the idea a tad and had a blast.)

berry clafouti

My grandmother used to have an old cast iron skillet. Certainly not very noteworthy  - I expect almost everyone's grandmother had a cast iron skillet but my mother did not and so I found it very intriguing that my grandma never washed hers in soapy water and (stranger still) kept it in the oven! It was one of the more minor marvels of my childhood, one that I probably never remarked and definitely forgot over the years. Kind of like I forgot about my own cast iron skillet, pushed to the back of the cupboard in favour of slick and shiny non-stick skillets. I have grown tired of the short lives of most non-stick skillets and more than a bit alarmed at the possible health risks they may pose, to say nothing of how tiresome it is to always be warning ones children to please use the proper utensils so as not to harm the delicate non-stick coatings. Cue the return of my classic cast iron pan to more regular use - and I am reminded of just why it is a classic. Granted it may not provide the kind of skate-across-the-pan non-stick that a shiny new ceramic or teflon-coated pan does but it is nevertheless virtually non-stick, will last forever with a tiny bit of tender care, and doesn't pose any health risk that I am aware of. Add easy to clean, great for cooking  anything from fried eggs over an open fire to dessert, and totally cool looking (in a classic, I'm not trying kind of way - which is more or less my definition of totally cool). I'd say it is a tool to love. 

This week I have used my trusty skillet to make a berry clafouti. It is not the commonly recommended* baking dish for clafouti but it works very well. Traditionally, the dessert is made with cherries but with cherries long out of season I used some frozen mixed berries - cherries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries. I also made a gluten-free version as well as one using flour. Equally good either way. All things being equal I think I will probably go with the gluten-free recipe from here out. If clafouti is new to you, it is more custard than cake - very moist and full of fruit. It is super fast and very easy. A healthier dessert option than many. I promise not to start offering two versions of every recipe I share but thought it was worth sharing both the gluten-free clafouti as well as the more traditional. The gluten-free version is healthier on a few levels but both are delicious, easy, and a good dessert choice. Jonathon called one night this week asking for a quick, light dessert recipe to share with friends and I suggested this. The next morning he called back and said I needed to blog the recipe....soon! So here it is.

berry clafouti 

(scant) 1/2 cup sugar

heaping 1/4 cup flour

pinch sea salt

3 large eggs

3/4 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup milk

2 tsp grated orange zest

2 cups fresh (or thawed frozen) mixed berries

Whisk together the sugar, flour, salt, eggs, cream, milk, and zest.

Scatter the berries into skillet (or buttered baking dish). Pour the batter over top. Bake at 400 F. for 35 - 40 minutes - until puffed, slightly set, and brown around the edges. Cool for 15 minutes before serving (it will deflate). Sprinkle each serving with powdered sugar and top with a spoonful of freshly whipped heavy cream. 

gluten-free berry clafouti

(from alive magazine)

4 large eggs

3 Tbsp melted coconut oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp almond extract

1/3 cup honey

1 cup coconut milk

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

3/4 cup almond flour

3 cups frozen mixed berries, thawed

Whisk together the eggs, coconut oil, extracts, honey, coconut milk, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and almond flour.

Scatter the berries in a 10" skillet and pour batter over top. Bake at 400 F. for 35 minutes or until puffed, slightly set, and lightly browned. Cool for 15 minutes before serving. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of powdered sugar - or not.

*If you don't have a cast iron skillet (or just don't want to use one for this) you can make your clafouti in any 1 liter baking dish you like.

double chocolate flapjacks

"Rickety Uncle" might very well have a long-lost British cousin. Here in North America 'flapjack' is simply another name for 'pancake' but in the UK and Australia  - so I am told - flapjacks are a type of oatmeal square or bar cookie, one that has a distinct familial resemblance to an uncle we love. And because we have loved Rickety Uncle (and the hacked uncle too) I thought it would be worth the whatever to play around with a recipe that I found online for flapjacks.

I wasn't there to witness it but apparently when Daylan took a first bite of the batch I sent home with Eden his reaction was "Kazowie!!!" (Not often that a comic book superlative is applied to something I make, so naturally I was pretty flattered.) Following the kazowie!! there were a few issues of sharing and hoarding that had to be addressed. That seemed like a good enough endorsement to share the recipe.

I made it two ways and simply can't decide which version I prefer.  The first is fudgier but a little messier. The second is a little more packed nutritionally. Both are pretty addictive.

double chocolate flapjacks v 1.0

1/4 cup butter

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

4 Tbsp honey*

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 cups quick rolled oats

1/3 cup Dutch process cocoa powder

1/2 cup slivered almonds

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 tsp sea salt

3/4 cup dark chocolate chips

2 Tbsp water

Melt the butter and honey together, stirring well. Add the vanilla.

Combine the brown sugar, oats, cocoa, almonds, coconut, cranberries, salt, and chocolate chips. Stir until thoroughly mixed. Add the butter, honey, and vanilla mixture. Stir. Add the 2 Tbsp water and stir until all the ingredients are very well distributed.

Turn the mixture into a 9" square baking pan lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 F for about 40 minutes - until the flapjack is bubbling and the edges are well browned. Cool in the pan on a wire rack. Don't try to cut these until they are absolutely cool - you will just end up with a terrible mess.

When the flapjack is completely cool, lift out of the pan and cut with a sharp knife into squares. Wrap and hoard store in an airtight container.

double chocolate flapjacks v 1.2

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup coconut oil

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup honey*

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups quick rolled oats

3/4 cup rolled oats processed into oat flour in a blender or food processor

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup finely chopped almonds

1/2 cup shredded coconut

2 Tbsp sprouted chia seed powder

1/4 cup hemp seed hearts

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 tsp sea salt

3/4 cup dark chocolate chips

1 egg white

Melt the butter, coconut oil, and honey. Combine with brown sugar and vanilla.

Mix the oats, cocoa, almonds, coconut, chia seed powder, hemp seed hearts, cranberries, salt, and chocolate chips. Add the butter/honey mixture. Stir well. Add the egg white and stir very well.

Turn the mixture into a 9" square baking pan that has been lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 F for 45 minutes. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Same warning as for v 1.0 - terrible mess (more like granola than a bar) if you try to cut this prematurely. Admittedly it still tastes pretty good but if you want a bar .... be patient! Cut and wrap and be as generous or as Scrooge-ish as you like. I have no idea how long these will keep - ours lasted about 2 days :)

*On the Lyle's website they insist that Lyle's Golden Syrup is the essential ingredient (no big surprise there!). Wanting to use as little refined sugar as possible I chose to use honey as an alternative. I must admit that I haven't tried the Golden Syrup so highly suggested - and it may be far superior in taste - but the honey worked very well. And tasted really good too!

owl costume for aubrie

Eden reminisced last week that her all-time favourite costume was the dinosaur costume I made when she was five. I think that was just about the last big, over-the-top costume making year for me. That was the year that I was pregnant with Mark (our fourth child). Up to that point I had always had a blast planning and making extravagant Halloween costumes for the kids. That year I felt like I was pushing a boulder uphill all the way - way, way too much going on - the result being... after the sewing spree was finally over I became The Scrooge of Halloween. No costumes that required any amount of sewing or purchase were allowed. Miraculously the costume box always revealed enough treasure to disguise the littles and what was lacking there my personal wardrobe and ingenuity supplied. 

This year I appear to have finally recovered from the trauma (a long, long recovery to be sure) and I have found my costume-making mojo again with Aubrie as my muse. Eden suggested an owl mask - an idea too cute to be ignored and my imagination slipped the leash. From one simple concept to another this costume was totally, totally fun to make. Really simple too. I used cheap (I don't use that term loosely - I hate polyester felt but it worked for this application) felt for the top of the wings. The rest of the fabrics are all quilting cottons. The wings have unfinished seams with the raw edges of the cotton contributing to the idea of feathers. The tummy patch on the pinafore is simply made of rough circles with unfinished edges (more feathers) that are overlapped and stitched on. The mask is made from some felted wool sweater fabric I had left from an earlier project and a bit of cotton quilt batting. I sewed elastic loops into the seam near the wrist of the wings so that she can flap her wings as all good owls can.

All in all, I am very pleased with the result. The sad thing? - that Aubrie's beautiful eyes are behind the cute mask. The best thing? - (aside from her pleasure) that the pinafore part of the costume is so cute she will simply wear it daily. Being a grandy is the best job ever!!!

To see some beautiful pictures of Aubrie (and siblings) in costume check out Eden's blog. I love Eden's work. She is incredible!

pumpkin granola

The approach of every season is exciting to me for reasons that are unique and specific to that season. Fall beckons with warm colours and smells, the bounty of the harvest, crisp air, thick wool sweaters, school rooms (despite the fact that it has been ages since I was a student), soups, stews, and .... cooking with pumpkin! I love pumpkin cakes, waffles, pastas, cookies, soups ... the list goes on and every year new ideas join the queue.


Shan and Gabby were over the other night and eventually the conversation got around to granola. (Doesn't it always?) Gabby said that she had made some really yummy pumpkin granola and I was immediately intrigued. After they left I hopped online to see what I could see. I don't know where I have been but it seems as though everyone and their dog has been making (and posting a recipe for) pumpkin granola. Not wanting to be behind at all I determined to make a batch asap. Almost every single posted recipe is the same one and I figured that meant it was probably a good recipe but, me being me, I made a few adjustments when I tried it myself. The result is most likely not any better than what others have posted but I have to say it is absolutely delicious. I share my version here and beg pardon if it is just one too many pumpkin granola recipes for the world to support.


It smells so very good as it bakes and tastes like fall and comfort and warmth on a spoon. In texture this is a softer, chewy granola rather than crunchy but that is just the way that Jonathon prefers it (and if you haven't tried it you should because it really is yummy). The other recipes I saw were fat free - which is a virtue I know - but I like a little fat with my sugar and salt, so I added some coconut oil with all of the benefits it brings.


pumpkin granola
(adapted from several posted recipes)


3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
3/4 tsp sea salt
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup coconut oil (melted)
4 cups old fashioned rolled oats
3 Tbsp chia seed
3 Tbsp hemp seed hearts
2 Tbsp milled flaxseed
1/2 cup flaked coconut
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup roasted pumpkin seeds


Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.


In a large bowl mix together the pumpkin puree, spices,  brown sugar, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and coconut oil. Add the oats, chia seed, hempseed hearts, flaxseed, and coconut. Stir well. The mixture will be moist.


Spread the mixture evenly on the baking sheet. Using the back of a spatula pack the mixture fairly firmly together so that it is about 1" thick. Bake for 20 minutes. Turn the granola over (it will break up a bit - that's okay, just pack it back together). Bake for an additional 20 minutes. Allow to cool completely. Break up the granola and add the dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds. Stir. Store in an airtight container.


Serve with milk or yogurt. My personal preference is coconut milk. But that is a matter of record by now.

Jane Deliciousness

Sorry - I have been trying to resist this but I just really can't don't want to. I have been working on flower girl dresses for Mark and Tiffany's wedding and Jane tried on the prototype for me yesterday. Eden snapped a few shots so that I could show Tiffany what the dress was looking like and both Jane and Eden's eye (even when it was just for an email 'this is what it looks like what do you think?') were so sweet I had to show off.  The dress will be fine but Jane feeling beautiful is what I love. 

Isn't she just delicious?!!

The Carrot Cake

Apparently some people have a bias against carrot cake. I was shocked (and saddened) to be made aware of that but there you go ... as they say, it takes all kinds to make the world. We love carrot cake. And that is not the royal we but actually includes the entire family. Whenever the question arises as to what kind of birthday cake somebody wants, carrot cake always makes the short list and often wins the day. Of course it is also an everyday favorite as well. 


A few weeks ago Eden needed to take a dessert to a dinner party and after a bit of discussion re options she decided to take a carrot cake. After all we reasoned, who doesn't like carrot cake?! That's when we found out that there are a lot of people that don't start to salivate at the mere thought of it. The response to her contribution was initially disappointing but the other guests at the party were (fortunately for them) too polite to refuse dessert and they consequently had a life-changing experience. Eden came into the kitchen some time after dessert had been served to find one of the men eating cake straight out of the pan with a fork, mumbling through his full mouth that this carrot cake was amazing!!! That's when somebody else piped up with much the same opinion..."I don't usually like carrot cake but this carrot cake is amazing" and more of the same ensued. Huh! Well, we were dumbfounded. Dumbfounded but happy to know that in the end we had spread a bit of carrot cake goodness to previously unenlightened souls.


The result of this experience is my deciding to share the recipe for  The Carrot Cake that we love so much. I know that carrot cake is not new and that there are lots of recipes for many variations floating around but ..... seriously, this carrot cake is amazing. It is not the kind of cake that will win any kind of notice at the Carrot Cake Beauty Pageants. Definitely not showy, it is in fact a bit of an embarrassment in the looks department. But like many good books it should not be judged by its cover. The ingredients are simple but the combination is divine.

Carrot Cake

2 cups flour

2 tsp soda

3 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp sea salt

2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups oil

4 eggs

2 cups grated carrots

Whisk dry ingredients together. Combine the eggs and oil - mix into the dry ingredients. Add the grated carrots and mix until well combined. Bake in a 9 x 13 pan for 50-60 minutes at 350 degrees F. 

(As you can see this is an old recipe - a lot of oil and not much for method. Ha! but trust me it is good!)

Cream Cheese Icing

8 oz cream cheese

3 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Cream the cheese until smooth, add the sugar 1 cup at a time (unless you want to powder-sugar coat your kitchen - in which case go for it and add it all at once) beating until smooth. Add the vanilla and mix well.

Frost the thoroughly cooled cake and enjoy.

Ysa's Quilt

Babies grow so fast and Ysa has outgrown the pretty little quilts that Merin made with such love and anticipation - which gave me the opportunity to make her a new one. When Eden suggested the project I knew immediately which of the fabrics I would choose from the stash in the sewing room closet. Merin had wanted to make a larger throw-quilt and we had chosen fabric for it but never got around to making it. The fabric was just sitting there wanting to be used and this was the perfect thing.

I gathered those fabrics plus a few more that had significance*, got a bit inspired with a design, and had the most wonderful time creating a quilt that I must admit I am very pleased with. In fact, I think it is one of the very best things I have ever made. I love it! (laugh at me!)

The design and process are both very simple. I used a linen/cotton blend for the background fabric and hand appliqued the fabric circles onto that. To make the fabric circles nice and round I sewed featherweight iron-on interfacing together with the fabric, right side of the fabric and iron-on side of the interfacing in. I sewed around the entire circle, then cut a slit in the interfacing and turned the circle right-side out. Simple finger pressing of the edges made the line nice and clean, and then it was time to experiment with placement.

When I was satisfied I pinned the circles in place and ironed them down. Sadly, as great as the iron-on concept is it is not good enough to stand multiple washings and constant wear (which I really hope this quilt gets) so I hand-stitched each circle in place. Next step was to layer the backing fabric (Merin's first choice of fabrics for her quilt and her favorite of them all - a lovely soft, satiny rayon/cotton blend), the cotton quilt batting, and the top. I hand basted those together and finally got to the quilting - around each circle as well as a few "shadow" circles in the negative spaces. A simple binding with the same fabric as the backing and the quilt was complete. Simple....but I must admit it took me a while.

Making this quilt was a real labor of love. I can't decide exactly who I am expressing love for - Ysa, Eden, Merin... so perhaps it is a hand-stitched statement of my love for all three. Certainly I feel like it is a bridge of sorts. Lots of unfocused thoughts here that I am not sure I really want to articulate but they are good, positive, pleasant thoughts that look back as well as to the future. Most likely this quilt will not mean nearly as much to anyone as it does to me but that is just fine. I have gotten my money's worth and I am happy.

Happy snuggling Ysa and Eden.

*There are bits of fabric from Japan, scraps from Merin's old pajamas, a piece that was leftover from an apron making project that Merin did one Christmas, a piece from a skirt that I made Aubrie last summer, bits from the baby quilts Merin made, and you might recognize the voile I used to make the up-cycled baby romper for Ysa. Lots of pretty color, texture, and memories.