GIRL'S DRESS

I made this dress to welcome my nephew's second daughter.  As with his first, I chose to handmake a dress that could possibly coincide with her 1 year birthday.  This little gal ended up fitting into it at about 8 ½ months.  Oh well!  

I also made a headband to match, which I can't resist with baby girl outfits!

The fabric was a mauve ribbed knit...can't say it was my favorite fabric to work with.  It was a little flimsy, and unruly, which resulted in a bit more handwork than I would normally include....but in the end the finished product turned out super cute!  And as we know, she was probably able to wear it just a couple times before she outgrew it.                                                                                 So happy that I was able to create a SheaMarie Designs original for her!  

CHOCOLATE MALT ICE CREAM CAKE

 I've always enjoyed a good ice cream cake.  In my hunt for a recipe, I ran across this recipe which used malted milk balls.  Whoa!  Gotta try this one. 

I apologize in advance for this being the only picture I captured.  I wish I would have taken one of the entire cake, because it was super pretty. 

The picture on the right is from the Betty Crocker website, which is where I found this recipe. 

It is a delicious recipe.  Know that it makes a lot....and it's very rich. So it will go a long way!  Also, there are several steps requiring freezing, so be sure to allot enough prep time.  

INGREDIENTS:

1 ½ cups all purpose flour

1 cup sugar

¼ cup unsweetened baking cocoa

½ tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 cup water

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp. white vinegar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup chocolate fudge topping

1 ½ cups (6 cups) vanilla ice cream softened

2 cups malted milk ball candies, coarsely chopped

1 cup heavy whipping cream

¼ cup chocolate fudge topping

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease bottom of springform pan, 9x3, or 10 x 2 3/4 inches with shortening, lightly flour.  In large bowl, mix flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda,  and salt.  Add water, oil, vinegar and vanilla.  Stir vigorously about 1 minute or until well blended.  Immediately pour into pan. 

Bake *30-35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Cool completely, approximately one hour. 

Spread 1 cup fudge topping over cake; freeze about 1 hour or until topping is firm.  In large bowl, mix ice cream and chopped candies; spread over cake.  Freeze about 4 hours or until ice cream is firm. 

In chilled medium bowl, beat whipping cream with electirc mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form. 

Remove side of pan; place cake on serving plate.  Top with whipped cream.  Melt 1/4 cup fudge topping; drizzle over whipped cream.  Garnish with additional candies. 

Enjoy!

Note:  *My cake only took about 22 minutes.  

Recipe c/o  www.bettycrocker.com

HIGH ALTITUDE ALMOND COFFEE CAKE

My daughter and I fell in love with the most scrumptious almond filled croissant in Los Angeles last year and I've been on a mission to continue looking/enjoying them as I find them.   The version we had in Vermont, just wasn't the same...it had almond flavor, but also apple in it.    

In the meantime, I stumbled across an Almond Coffee Cake recipe that included an almond filling, so I thought I'd give it a try.  I knew it wasn't going to have the flaky pastry on top, but the almond filling and struesel caught my attention.  Plus, the recipe was already adjusted for high altitude baking!

INGREDIENTS:

COFFEE CAKE

3/4 cup sugar

6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

2 large eggs

3/4 cup sour cream

3/4 cup whole milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 ½ tsp. almond extract

2 Tbsp. cornstarch

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1 ½ tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. coarse kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)

¼ tsp. ground nutmeg

¼ tsp. ground cloves

FILLING

4 oz. cream cheese, softened to room temp

4 oz. almond paste (not almond pastry filling)

STREUSEL

1/3 cup sugar

½ cup all purpose flour

½ tsp coarse kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)

3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

¼ cup almonds, finely chopped (or ¼ cup almond flour)

ICING

1 cup powdered sugar

¼ cup heavy whipping cream (I used whole milk)

½ tsp. almond extract

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a 10 inch square baking pan with non-stick spray.  In a bowl, whisk together the sugar, melted butter, eggs, sour cream, milk, vanilla, and almond extracts.  In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and cloves.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and whisk briefly just to combine.  Set aside while you make the filling.

FILLING

With an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and almond paste for about 30 seconds until combined.  Spread half the coffee cake batter into the bottom of the prepared pan.  Spoon the filling over the batter, then use a small icing spatula to spread the filling out.  Spread the remainder of the batter over the filling.

STRUESEL

In a bowl, combine the sugar, flour, salt and melted butter until moistened and crumbly.  Stir in the almonds, reserving 1-2 Tbsp. to sprinkle over the icing later if you'd like).  Sprinkle the struesel over the batter. 

Bake the cake on the center oven rack for about 45-50 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.  Set aside to cool while you make the icing.

ICING

In a bowl, stir together the powdered sugar, cream and almond extract until smooth and has a thick drizzling consistency.  Drizzle over the hot cake and sprinkle with the remaining chopped almonds.  Let cool 20-30 minutes.  

NOTES:  I had an 8x8 and a 9x9 square pan.  I opted to use the 9x9 pan and made a parchment sling to ensure I could get it out of the pan nicely.  I did not need to adjust the baking time, and the cake plumped up nicely.  

I didn't make as much icing as it called for and I waited until it had cooled some before I drizzled it so it wouldn't melt into the cake.

I thoroughly enjoyed this coffee cake.  It has a great almond flavor.

Enjoy!

recipe c/o:  www.curlygirlkitchen.com

FALL IN NEW ENGLAND

Spending some time in New England in the Fall has always been on the proverbial list.  I've never been to that part of the country and from the pictures I'd seen over the years, I knew it would be memorable....especially for a gal whose favorite season is Fall.

For those who know me, I do A LOT of research prior to my travel.  Not knowing when I may return, I try to make my trips a totally immersive experience and take in as much as I can.   It also makes it extra special when it's our annual Mother/Daughter vacation.  

I knew Fall color in that part of the country is later than here in Colorado, so I landed on September 26-October 5.  As it turned out, Mother Nature did a fantastic job of showing off for us!

Here's the itinerary I developed: 

• Day 1 - Fly from Denver to Boston
• Day 2 - Explore Salem, then drive to Lincoln, New Hampshire
• Day 3 - Scenic drive to Manchester, Vermont
• Day 4 - Scenic drive to Stowe, Vermont (stay 3 nights....day trips)
• Day 5 - Scenic drive to Burlington, Vermont and Shelburne Farms
• Day 6 - Scenic drive around Stowe/Mt. Mansfield/covered bridges
• Day 7 - Scenic drive Stowe, Vermont to North Woodstock, New Hampshire
• Day 8 - Scenic drive via the Kancamangus highway to Kennebunkport, Maine
• Day 9 - Scenic drive via Coastal Route 1 to Boston
• Day 10 - Fly Boston to Denver  

FYI- My scenic drives have multiple stops along the way                       

 

Must See's:

Salem (self-guided historical walking tour)

Montpelier State House

Hildene- Lincoln Home

Echo Lake

Woodstock, VT

Vermont Country Store

Granville Gulf Reservation State Forest

Flume Gorge (trip highlight)

Shelburne Farms, Shelburne winery

Ben and Jerry's 

Von Trapp Bierhall and Brewery

Mt. Mansfield 

Covered bridges (so many between New Hampshire and VT.....I narrowed it down to five in Stowe)

Cafe' Lafayette dinner train (trip highlight-it's a splurge)

Driving the Kancamangus Hwy

Rockport, New Hampshire

Skip It:

(we did all these and would skip them based upon our experience)

Salem Witch Museum

Burlington, VT

Gondola ride at Mt. Mansfield in Stowe

Disappointment;

Kennebunkport, Maine (many stores/restaurants were closed...bus loads of people being dropped off)

Stowe (as a place to stay....find lodging elsewhere...DEFINITELY do a day trip to the area)                                                                                       

We learned the hard way that many restaurants close at 2 or 3p.   Most of the lodges/inns I booked provided some type of breakfast.  So we'd eat and take off on the scenic ride I had planned for the day....then, by the time we finished it would be mid-afternoon and we had a hard time finding somewhere to have lunch.  No fun being hangry on vacation.  TIP- Do a little research...and pack some snacks in the car.  

Kennebunkport was a disappointment as I shared....but the seafood was amazing.  We split a lobster roll and each had a cup of clam chowder from the one restaurant we found open for lunch.   We chose to go back to the same place (Mabel's) for dinner and split lobster mac and cheese and crab cakes.  Both meals were delicious!

We drove a total of 1,361 miles on this trip, and were mesmerized by the color.  I love Fall in Colorado, don't get me wrong...but the east coast Fall is completely different and you just have to experience it to understand what I mean.  

I did well with the lodges/inns I booked in Vermont and New Hampshire...they were pricey, but I expected that based upon the time of year.   The two worst hotels were those I booked in the Boston area on the outbound and return.   The meals prices caught me completely off guard...but dining out everywhere right now is crazy.  

We both enjoyed New Hampshire more than Vermont surprisingly....it was a little quainter, quieter, and the scenery was better, probably because of the terrain.  It's very hilly, and the drives through the state were breathtaking!                                                                                                                                        

The 2023 Mother/Daughter trip is seven months from now.  Flights and hotels are booked and I've already got a pretty well planned itinerary.  Can't come soon enough for me!

SMOKED GOUDA, APPLE AND HAM GRILLED CHEESE

 Sometimes you just need an easy dinner idea, loaded with lots of flavor.  Here's an "adult" grilled cheese that I came up with that you may find as enjoyable as I did.

This recipe will make two sandwiches. 

INGREDIENTS:

4 slices sourdough bread

Dijon mustard

Miracle Whip

Honey

4 slices deli style ham slices

1 Granny Smith apple

3 oz. Smoked Gouda

Real Bacon Bits

DIRECTIONS:

Butter one side of each slice of bread.    Slice the Granny Smith apple into very thin slices.  Grate the cheese. 

On one of the unbuttered sides of bread,  add a skim coat of Dijon, top with a skim coat of Miracle Whip (or mayo) and finally a drizzle of honey.

Add two slices of deli ham on top of the condiments, layer on top the apple slices to cover the ham.  Pile a generous amount of the grated cheese on top of the meat and finally shake on some bacon bits. 

Top with the second slice of bread, butter side up.  

Add the sandwich to a heated skillet and brown on both sides until toasty and golden.  

Enjoy!!

BAKED PENNE WITH PROSCIUTTO AND FONTINA

I'm always looking for unique pasta recipes, so this one caught my eye.  I rarely use Prosciutto and I don't remember every using Fontina cheese.....so, this one hit all the marks for me.  It was absolutely scrumptious!

I used mini casseroles per the recipe, which was fun, but I would opt for one large casserole next time. 

INGREDIENTS:

10 oz. penne pasta

1/4 tsp. kosher salt plus extra for salting the water

3 oz. thinly sliced prosciutto, torn into 1 inch pieces

3 oz. coarsely grated Italian Fontina cheese

1.5 oz. finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1.5 cups heavy cream

3/4 cup fire roasted diced tomatoes

1/2 cup chicken broth

2 tsps. minced garlic

2 tsps. dried rosemary or 1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. fresh minced

1-2 tsp. hot pepper flakes (optional)

3 Tbsp. butter, cut into thin slices

DIRECTIONS:

Cook pasta to the Al dente stage.  Drain the pasta.  

Spray a large casserole dish with a non-stick spray.  

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

With the exception of the butter, combine all the ingredients into a large bowl.  Add the pasta to the bowl and combine well.  Arrange the butter slices over the top of the casserole dish.  Bake the pasta until bubbly and brown.  Approximately 25-30 minutes.  Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

What a wonderful flavor!  I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.  

NOTES: 

You'll find the original recipe at www.saramoulton.com if you'd like to see the original.  This is my adaptation, after having made it exactly per her recipe.   I don't know if the high altitude played a factor, but her process of just letting the pasta soak prior to cooking resulted in very chewy pasta.  I actually had to put my dishes back in the oven to cook longer.  That's why I'm recommending cooking to the Al dente stage, prior to assembling.  I also lowered the cooking temp and increased the cooking time.

 

GOLDEN BIRTHDAY DRESS

 I just recently learned what a "golden birthday" is, and promptly went into creative mode when I learned that my daughter was hoping I could make her a dress for her golden birthday.  She had told me she wanted a gold dress, and sent me some pictures of dresses that were loaded with all sorts of "bling".  

Now that I knew what she was looking for, she went to work purchasing all sorts of jewels, chains, etc., and I went to work looking for some flashy gold fabrics....sequins, laces, etc. 

The whole project was very different than how I usually work......first thing, my daughter kept stressing that this dress was strictly for her birthday.  Because of that, the approach I/we used was very foreign.  I normally would have made a pattern, working hard on the fit....Constructed it the way I usually would a strapless dress, with good foundational techniques included.  But I didn't do any of that.  I actually began with by creating a strapless tube dress in nude spandex.  From there I began layering various fabrics and trims we found to create the final product.   

                  

I found this super cool fabric which was a heavily embroidered nude mesh fabric with what I referred to as "fish scale" sequins. I also found some gold lace thread appliques that I felt would make some nice accents.  While my daughter found some beading, and gold rhinestone chains for some added embellishments.  I chose to add a side zipper knowing that the two non-stretch fabrics were going to make it difficult to get into.  I layered the fish scale fabric on top of the spandex, only catching it in the zipper.  Then I began adding on the appliques....cutting them and pinning them to appear as if they were part of the original fabric.  

I cut off many of the fish scale sequins so they would lay around the appliques, all of which were hand sewn  to the "fish scale" fabric only.  

The picture to the left is after the first fitting.  The appliques are just pinned in place.   At the hemline you can see we had decided to add some gold faux rhinestone strands around the hemline.  

The beads I glued on using E6000 glue.  I was aware of that technique having sewn a few dresses for a competitive dancer friend of mine.  After I did created her gown, hundreds of beads were glued on. 

So that's my part sewing, part arts and crafts project that took me out of my comfort zone and turned out pretty darn good!