What's in a name?

I've been wanting to get labels made up to put into all the items I sew. You know, to add a bit of professionalism to them. However, my kids hate tags. One of the girls on sewing mamas made labels using twill tape and that seems like a cool idea to try. But, I've decided I would also get a stamp so I could just stamp my name onto the items. I've found some really cool one's on ebay, but I haven't been able to decide what to call myself. A friend at work made a suggestion, but no one would really get it unless they knew the story behind it. I thought about a nickname from high school. Or a play on my kids name. Or something completely original. I simply can't decide. Do you have a suggestion. How do you decide what to call your creativity? It's so hard to come up with something that says everything you want it to say. Seriously, if you have a suggestion...let me know.

Monday's meal

No respectable southern cook lacks a recipe for red velvet cake. It's a must. I was just at a function this past week and tasted a slice of this delicious southern favorite and thought I would share a recipe for one. Simply Delicious! Enjoy!

Red Velvet Cake

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
3 cups white sugar
6 eggs
1 ounce red food coloring
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar


Icing

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
12 ounces white chocolate
1 cup unsalted butter, softened



Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour three 8 inch pans. In a large bowl, cream 1 cup butter with sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix food coloring with cocoa and add to mixture. Add flour alternately with buttermilk. Add vanilla and salt. Mix baking soda with vinegar, and gently stir into mixture. Be careful not to over mix. Divide batter into three prepared 8 inch round pans. Bake at 325 degrees F for 25 minutes. Allow to cool.
To make the White Chocolate Cream Cheese Icing: Melt the white chocolate and allow to cool to lukewarm. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in melted white chocolate and softened butter. Beat until it is the consistency of whipped cream, then frost the cake layer and stack.

With baited breath

I await the arrival of my newest acquisition...an elna supermatic!!! Woo Hoo, it was one of the last two machines on my wish list, the other being a bernina 830. I had been trolling Craigslist for months, finally expanding my search to neighboring states. Well, I finally located one outside of Richmond, Va. and this morning my good friend D. went and picked it up for me. I'm very excited! Even more exciting, it was free! Seems the last time the lady who owned it used it ran fine, but when she went to check it, it didn't stitch so she said I could just have it. I'm not worried...I'm sure I can bring her back. Now we just have to figure out the most cost effective way for me to get it here as she said it's a tank and weighs a ton! I can't wait to get it and give it a go. I know that Elna's of this era are well regarded and wonderful stitchers. I will have to join a vintage elna group to learn more about these amazing machines! Just wanted to share my joy and anticipation as I await the arrival of my dream machine.

Monday's Meal

The following recipe is truly one of my signature meals. I've been making this recipe pretty much since I moved out of my parent's home and into my first apartment. It was given to me by a friend of mine who was a resident physician. Where he found the time to cook I'll never know, but it is truly delicious and I've continued to use this recipe all these years. It's great made with either chicken or turkey, in fact I usually will make one after the holidays using up some of the leftover turkey. When I make it for my family I always add a bit more garlic powder and Parmesan cheese since we like a lot of both, but either way it's a nice creamy filling meal. Serve it with some red wine, garlic bread and a green salad and you are truly having a fine meal.

Tettrazini

1 tbsp butter
3 cups sliced mushrooms
1 small minced onion
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2/3 cup of chicken broth
1 (8 oz) pack of spaghetti or linguini
1 lb of cubed cooked chicken breast (or you can use whatever parts you like or even leftover turkey)
2 cups milk
1/4 cup cream cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (or more if you're like me)
1/4 cup of sherry (or any dry white wine is fine)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp pepper


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Boil a pot of salted water. Break up your pasta into 4" pieces and add to the water, cooking it al dente. Set it aside (be sure to toss it with a bit of olive oil so it doesn't stick while it's waiting).
Melt the butter in a sauce pan over medium heat, add mushrooms and onions. Saute until evaporated and stir in the flour. Gradually add the chicken broth, milk and cream cheese. Bring to boil, then reduce the heat and cook for five minutes more, be sure to stir constantly. Remove from the heat, add part of your Parmesan cheese, stir in the salt, pepper, garlic powder and sherry.
Now stir the pasta and the chicken into the mushroom sauce. Transfer the mixture into a suitable casserole that has been sprayed with a nonstick spray. Top with the remaining Parmesan cheese and cover, bake it for 20 mins. covered. Uncover it and bake for 10 mins. more.

Things I've made...a photo tour

I was looking through my photobucket and came across a ton of things I've made in the past and never shared picture of so I thought I'd do that now. I'm not in the habit of taking pictures of stuff I make regularly...it's not an automatic for me. With blogging I'm getting so much better about it, lol. So many times in the past I wished I had remembered to photograph my efforts. So...here you go, some of my efforts. I've learned a ton along the way, including serging, trying new techniques, morphing patterns, and how to throw the directions out to window. It's been fun!




A backpack for O. from the Sewbaby totpack pattern. I love that I made this for about $1. I got all the fabric from the PTA thrift store in Chapel Hill. Gotta love a bargain.



A bag I made for a craft swap I participated in. Love that Kaufmann fabric. I still have some more I plan to make myself a bag from.



2 knit dress morphed from an Ottobre (3/07 I think) and using yummy Chez Ami soft jersey. O. loved those dresses...I'll have to make her some more.



Dress made from thrifted curtain fabric found at a thrift store. I believe this fabric is also Kaufmann and called faces in the crowd. It's a really fun print.



My first redondo skirt made w/a great chez ami print (wish I had got more). I detested working with the bias tape and have abandoned that method in favor of an easy peasy rolled hem on other redondo's I've made.



My faux mini boden outfit copied from the catalog. This was the first time I tried applique. Obviously I hadn't done the satin stitching yet when I took this picture. I love how it came out.



A sweet little tunic made from a fun print with purses on it. For some reason I didn't take a picture of the coordinating pants. They're really fun too,gauchos made out of a blue knit fabric with oversized multicolored polk a dot.



This outfit is one of my all time favorites and with the exception of O's quilt probably the most I've ever spent on fabric for a single project. I got these 2 prints at Elegant Stitches. The crossback jumper is reversible and the little bloomers...oh so sweet. The pattern is a reproduction from Simplicity and I remember having the very same outfit when I was little so I had to have one for my sweet girl.



This was the first patterns I ever tried from Ottobre. It's this great sweater knit I got from a Sewing Mama. I didn't think to line the hood since the pattern didn't tell you too and I hadn't quite stepped out of my "must follow the pattern" box at the time. Now...I break all the rules, pattern be damned!


Hope you've enjoyed this jaunt down memory lane and that it was as fun for you as it was for me.

Like butter!

I just finished sewing seven, yes count them seven curtain panels. I just have 4 more that I need to make and then I'll have some window dressings for all the living room windows. Now I just need dh to hang up my new window hardware. But, what's this about butter you ask? Well, it's how wonderfully easy it was to sew them up on my little brown wonder the Viking 6440. Ahhhh...she is so smooth and the stitches are just fab. I know I've gushed about her before, but my goodness what a pleasure she is to sew on. She really does sew like butter. Here's a picture of her so you can admire her in all her splendidness!




And while I'm talking about butter I should mention my scissors. I finally broke down and took 3 pairs in to be sharpened. It's amazing that I could actually cut anything on them when I compare them to how sharp they are now. If you've been struggling with a pair of dull scissors, I urge you to run, don't walk and get those things sharpened! It'll make your life so much easier.

Monday's Meal

My ds's birthday is fast approaching so I've been thinking a lot about cake. Should I bake one or should I buy one. M. is a true chocolate lover and would probably rather have chocolate than just about anything else. I think I will make this cake for his birthday(which happens to be on a Thursday) and plan to buy the cake for his birthday party which will be on the following Saturday. As I was flipping through my recipes I remembered this one and recall how deliciously chocolate it is and how the whipped layers add an extra special something to this doctored up wonder. Anyway, why don't you try it and enjoy it with a nice tall glass of cold milk.

Chocolate Candy Bar Cake

1 (18.25 ounce) package devil's food cake mix
1 1/2 cups milk
3 eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 (3.5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)
4 (1.5 ounce) bars milk chocolate candy, coarsely chopped



Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour 3 (8 inch) pans.
In a large bowl, combine cake mix, milk, eggs, oil and instant vanilla pudding mix. Beat on low speed until blended. Scrape bowl, and beat 4 minutes on medium speed. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.
To make the frosting: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with the white sugar and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Fold in the whipped topping, pecans and chopped chocolate. Spread between layers and on top and sides of cake.