Twosday

This Tuesday was a great day for two reasons:

1. I received my BTRS Swap package! Emily did a fabulous job on all of it. She made a wonderful bag out of a really fun fabric. I love the way she made the tab closure (I will be stealing this idea, Emily). She also made a really cute pincushion and included new pins, too. THANK YOU EMILY! [Ummm, perhaps I should start sewing for my partner now...]

2. Carrot cake! I made this cake last year when Husband and I celebrated Easter with our Chicago friends [I MISS you guys!] instead of our St. Louis families. It was GOOD then and it was GREAT again on Tuesday night. Husband and I are members of a small group Bible study on Tuesdays of several really great couples in their 20s and 30s. We always have dinner and dessert before we begin. I usually bring dessert (although others have made fabulous desserts, too). As you can see by the large portion that was eaten, this was a big hit. Cake recipe here and frosting here.Use only 1.5 C sugar in cake and 3 C in frosting, or else it will be WAY TOO SWEET!

Time for me to run home (posting from the library again; who volunteers to call the Internet company for me??) and eat the last of that cake!

Caramel Layers

Fall is in the air at the Cultivated house; cooler temps, richer food, warmer clothes. The real benchmark for fall arrived last week- the Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte. Anyone know where I can find a good pumpkin syrup other than the black market Sbux jugs on ebay? Anyone?

Anyways... one of my favorite things about fall is the sweet treats. Some with cinnamon, some with caramel, some with apples. These are the things that make fall. This week I've made Caramel Layers twice. Once for our staff luncheon this weekend and then again yesterday at the request of a co-worker. These are my absolute favorite dessert; salty and sweet, crumbly and smooth.


Caramel Layers

1 C + 2 T flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 C brown sugar
3/4 C quick cooking oats ( not cooked)
1/2 C butter
1 C caramel bits (found near the chocolate chips) -OR- 24 caramels
2 T cream
1/2 C chocolate chips

Mix 1 cup flour, salt, soda, brown sugar and oats. Cut in butter until particles are fine. [I do this in the food processor. Takes less than 30 seconds.] Reserve 1 Cup. Press remaining mixture into bottom of greased 8 inch baking pan. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Do not overbake!

Combine Caramels and cream on top of double boiler till melted. Blend in 2T Flour. Spread over base. Sprinkle with chocolate chips then remaining crumb mixture. Bake 12 to 15 minutes. Again, do not overbake!

Let cool and cut into bars. So good!

A Weekend Well Spent

I spent this afternoon at a great BBQ with coworkers and friends. I made the slab pie from Martha Stewart's baking book (recipe here; the book version did not include the glaze, just brush with cream and lightly cover with 1/4 C sanding or granulated sugar). Easier than a regular pie, and it cools in 45 minutes, instead of 3 hours. This one also feeds more people, and has a better 'crust to pie ratio' as we discovered at the BBQ. Did I mention that I live where baking and math come together in perfect harmony?


Last night husband had to run to work after we were in the local parade. I spent the time embroidering and this is just one of the things I finished.

Pattern courtesy of the lovely ladies at Pimp Stitch. One of the most exciting parts of my weekend (2nd only to hot date night) was being featured on the Pimp Stitch blog! How cool is that?? I can't wait to see what other kind of cool patterns they put out, and I can't wait to have the perfect recipient for such a wise old owl. Overall, it was a weekend well spent.

Pie Time

Finally! I awoke early enough this morning to finish the pie before work. It turned out delicious. Not necessarily the most appetizing looking pie (the filling is a bit watery), but it tastes great. And the crust is perfection; I subbed whole wheat flour for 1/2 C of the 2 1/2 C flour. Gave it a nice hearty taste. I'll be making another of these for a bbq/pool party on Sunday.


In non-pie news... I got fabric for one swap a few days ago. Hopefully I'll get that project washed and cut by Sunday. I'm angeling for this swap, so I want to get it done ASAP, as my partner has already been waiting for months. I'll post pictures when I'm done.

And my biggest accomplishment for today (yes, bigger than the pie) was getting our garden started. Husband and I spent a few hours at our community garden getting our plot ready and planting our first set of plants. This included tomatoes (-tas), green peppers, cucumbers, jalapeños, watermelon, cantaloupe, and several herbs. I'll be adding more as the week goes on, and in a few months, we'll have fresh produce!