Darlene Slocum is this week’s lucky winner! If you are not Darlene and want to see all the socks at Piece O’ Cake, click here. Have a good week!
Wednesday Giveaway
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Join me at the Grand Hotel!
The Needle Art Seminar is a special event in a lovely place and I do hope to see many of you there! I’ll be teaching classes in hand applique, foundation paper piecing, and color. There are 4 other wonderful teachers, giving you even more class options.
Registration begins on Dec. 4 and I’ve been told that last year several classes filled in the first 12 hours. Click here to see the brochure with class listings, details about the event, and the registration form.
Registrations can be sent via email or fax any time after midnight early Dec 4 morning but not before. That is the best way to register. Fill out the registration form, scan it into your computer, and email it. Or just fax it. Don’t take a photo of the form and text it because it’s not legible at the other end and you might not get into the classes you want. The classes must be paid for at the time of registration in full.
Hotel room reservations are made by mail or fax using the special form that will be sent to those who are registered for classes. The form is included in the confirmation packet you will receive. The hotel will not take phone reservations for this package via phone.
If you have more questions, call the number on the form. If that doesn’t work, email me and I’ll provide you with another number.
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Fresh Air…
I had the boys, Jack and Bear, today, all day. My strategy is the same as the one I used on my own boys when they were little: take them outside and run ’em.
Fresh air, lots of movement, and by 2:00 or 3:00 I can do what I need to do and they will be too tired to complain. The strategy still works!
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I think we walked 3 1/2 miles. That’s pretty impressive for Bear, at 4 1/2. He only sat down at the end, and he did get back up because my days of lugging a kid that size are over. The first park had a play structure, the second park had a lake that we walked around.
The only downside is that I’m kind of tired too… but they are more tired! Judy, their other grandmother, has them overnight. I guess I’ll find out if I did my job tomorrow. My hope is that they go to bed and sleep soundly all night long.
Tomorrow, Steve and I are taking them out hiking again. Outside. I like it way better than screens.
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I’ve spotted a magical unicorn quilt!
Debbie Stubbs shared these pictures of the magical unicorn quilt that she made for her granddaughter, Avery, for her 4th birthday. Avery is a very lucky little girl! 
And look at that unicorn cake!
Thank you, Debbie, for sharing these pictures of your quilt. You made a wonderful quilt that Avery is sure to treasure.
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Wednesday Giveaway
Have you noticed that I haven’t written many actual blog posts lately? I’m sad about that, because I do enjoy writing them. However, there has not been enough time in the day for a long time. I do post more often to Instagram, and those posts go to facebook as well, so I’m not completely silent. Do know that keep thinking about things to blog about and I am working on ways to simplify my life so as to have more time to sew, and to write.
Carol Y is the lucky winner of the Sewline Fine Marking Pen and Eraser.
To be honest, I don’t have any reason to use this pen, and I’m not sure I ever will. However, it is an interesting option for those of you who need to make erasable lines on fabric. I very strongly recommend that you wash your project afterwards as there is a chemical residue left behind. Click here to read more.
Leave a comment/reply on the blog post to enter the drawing. A winner will be chosen by the random number generator Thursday, November 9.
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GF Chocolate Raspberry Ice Cream Cake
Elanor requested this for her birthday and I said ‘sure, I can make that!’ I turned to my favorite cookbook, Gluten Free Baking Classics, for inspiration.
I thought I would make either sponge cake or shortbread layers but wasn’t sure, so I emailed the author, Annalise G Roberts, and she emailed back with ideas. Call me a fan! .
The plan is this: chocolate sponge, raspberry sorbet, crushed chocolate shortbread cookies, sorbet, sponge. Each piece will get a splash of warm chocolate sauce, whipped cream, and fresh raspberries. I used the recipes in Gluten Free Baking Classics.
First I made 2 sponge cake layers. I have avoided this cake because there are so many ways to mess up when beating separated eggs, but it turned out well. Annalise’s recipes always work if you follow the directions!
Next I made the chocolate shortbread cookies and the chocolate sauce (recipe at bottom of post).
I let everything cool, then thawed the sorbet for 15 minutes. I spread plastic wrap in the 2 round cake pans and placed a sponge layer in each.
I spread the sorbet on each layer. It would have been better if I had smoothed the outer edges of the sorbet to make it even with the layers.
I covered the layers with plastic wrap and froze them overnight. This morning I pulled them out, unwrapped them, and placed the sorbet layers together with crushed shortbread cookies between them.
It was not as tidy as I hoped it would be…
Next time I’m going to smooth out the edges of the soft sorbet and maybe put the whole cake together before refreezing. Luckily it looked better when sliced AND it tasted great! Everyone, including Elanor, says it is one of the best cakes I’ve ever made. How about that!
As promised, here is my Mom’s chocolate sauce recipe. She always served it the Bisquick’s Velvet Crumb Cake and ice cream.
Chocolate Sauce
- Melt together 1 cube butter (1/2 cup) with 6 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips.
- Stir often.
- When melted, add 1 cup powdered sugar. Stir well.
- Add 1 lean cup of milk and add 1 tablespoon vanilla.
- Stir constantly until it begins to boil Keep on a low boil (still stirring) f
- or 8 minutes.
- Serve warm. Refrigerate any remaining sauce.
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