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Hillsboro, Oregon, United States

Saturday, March 22, 2008

Carrot Cake Supreme!

1 1/2 lbs carrots, trimmed and shredded
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups corn oil
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
pinch of salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup of raisins
1/2 cup walnuts grated or broken into small pieces (optional)
Cream Cheese Icing (see following recipe)
Makes 1 1/2 cups
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 lb of butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups sifted confectioners sugar

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
Scrape and grate the carrots into fine shreds. There should be about 4 cups firmly packed.
Butter the insides of 3 round 9 inch cake pans. Line each with a round of wax paper cut to fit neatly. Butter the paper. sprinkle with flour and shake out the excess. Set aside.
Beat the sugar and eggs until thickened. Beat in the oil gradually.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Stir this into the egg mixture. Add the vanilla. Fold in the carrots, raisins and walnuts.
spoon equal amounts of the batter into each of the prepared pans. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until the top springs back when gently pressed with fingers. Turn cakes out onto a wire rack and let cool.
Meanwhile prepare the icing. Use to frost the cake between the layers, around the side and on the top. You may wish to double the icing recipe................I do.....I LOVE cream cheese incing.
If you're skilled you can make a two layer cake and after they've cooled, slice them in two horizontally. This way you have a four layer cake.that's when the extra icing comes in handy!

ICING DIRECTIONS
Blend the cream cheese, butter, vanilla and sugar and beat well!
ENJOY!!!
http://www.grouprecipes.com/45497/carrot-cake-with-cream-cheese-icing.html

Creating my first banner.....so easy a caveman could do it!

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Pageant Stuff For Sale!

About a year and a half ago my daughter-in-law and I were on a pageant frenzy! We, that is me, was going to make the winning pageant attire for my darling Beautiful granddaughter. I browsed the Internet and was sucked into the pageant world! After spending copious amounts of time and money, both Andra and I gave up! Actually it was Ava who was not ready for the pageant world.
Needless-to-say, I have "Pageant Stuff" for Sale.

This is what I have:

Jumbo Spandex(Super Stretch)White
Style: JS-016Width: 45"Per Yard Price: $ 12.00Description: White, Heavy Weight 2 Way Spandex, 66%-70D Bright Nylon 24%-40D Semi Dull Nylon 10%-280D

Spandex 2 yards @ $12/yd = $24.00
Purchased from SpandexHouse.com

Crystal Organza White Crystal Organza 100% Nylon Sheer Crystal Organza. Measures 44 inches wide. Fabric is very sheer, with a crystal shine spread throughout the fabric. Color may vary due to differences in computer screen settings.

7 yards @ $3.99=$ 27.93
Purchased from Syfabrics.com

Venice Lace

4 yards of 2.5" wide Daisy Venice lace @ $1.10/yd =$4.40
2 yards of 1.5" wide Flower? Venice Lace @1.00/yd =$2.00
Purchased from Lacehaven.com

Two (2) Christy Argo "My Pageant Kid" Pageant Shell and Skirt Instructional DVDs. Electronic pattern for bodice and skirt size 3. $20(DVDs) $10(patterns)

$89 value for $50!! Plus shipping.


Sewing for Momma


Ok, so I'm not really happy with the results..........It was the fabric that gave me FITS! It's the most ravely fraying fabric I've worked with in ten forevers. I tried it on for shoulder fit and decided that with your narrow shoulders Mom, I needed to either make darts or a pleat in the back neck area before attaching the band. I pleated about an inch out of that area which brought the shoulder (sleeve cap line) up on each side. See what happens when we live 3,500 miles from each other!
I don't feel like sewing today; Beth and Sara are coming over for Easter Diner tomorrow. we're having Spiral ham, potato salad, sweet potatoes, fresh green beans and I am making a homade carrot cake with cream cheese icing! OMG! TDF!
Did someone say "Weight Watchers???




It's been years since I made anything for my Mom. I think the last time I sewed for her, my youngest child was two! She's now 35! Wow it has been a while. Mom has always been a fancier of oriental design; a year or so ago I talked her into buying a piece of fabric which is a gorgeous purplish blue with gold dragonflies. I was thinking Mom would sew it into something wonderful but the fabric was put aside; until I showed up for Christmas! OK, I'll make you something, I told her........(I secretly think she did it on purpose)she gave me a pattern she had purchased but I think she knew as well as I that the pattern just didn't suit her, the style leaned more towards the size 00 Vogue models. (Mom used to be 00) So last week I ordered a Burda wrap blouse/Kimono type pattern, sent her the link and she approved with delight! I'm off to cut this beauty out and will post my progress. This ones for you Momma!
Well Mom, I got too busy trying to sell the "Pageant Stuff". It takes a while to do the research for all the products that I threw the reciepts away for. I've got the fabric laid out at least........

Quote Of The Day!

  • "Asking a seamstress to mend something, is like asking Michaelangelo to paint your garage."

A Little Bit About Me

Hi, my name is Connie; I am married to a wonderful man and have a 2 year old cat named Ariel. I have four beautiful children and seven gorgeous Grandchildren! My grandchildren are my inspiration for life and my current day sewing.

I've been sewing for just about all of my life! I began sewing when I was five years old! Yep, five! My Aunt Maybelle taught me to hand sew way back in 1953; I made a green flannel turtle. I soon became interested in my grandmothers old Singer. At thirteen, my Aunt taught me to use her Sears Kenmore. I'll have to ask her why I had to wait until I was thirteen. Geesh my grandchildren have been using a computer since they were old enough to sit up!! At any rate, I was mesmerized with the art of dressmaking and sewing.

I sewed on and off through out my youth and later made my children’s and my mothers clothing. In 1978, after my last child was in Grammar school, I realized I needed a real, money making career. I attended college from 1979-1982 and graduated with an Associates Degree in Electronics Technology. Needless-to-say, my sewing went by the wayside.

Fast forward to 2008..............With a state of the art Husqvarna Sewing Machine a Serger and a new found love of the art, I'm back at sewing again and loving it even more! I take an abundance of pride in each piece that I create. I am always amazed after creating a garment from a flat piece of fabric. I am currently quite "into" creating from Vintage Patterns. It's absolutely thrilling to work with a pattern that's older than me!

It seems that everytime I create a garment there may be a technique that I either don't know or have never tried.
I'll be sharing these tips and techniques with you as I learn them or try them out for the first time.