Tomato Cobbler

 Fresh garden tomatoes from Grandma,

 Smashed black peppercorn,

 Carmelized onion that Grampa grew, put it all together and what do you get?  The most fabulous fall meal!

I found this recipe at Lottie + Doof and it is so good! 

Cherry Pie Filling

I was lucky enough to know someone with a cherry bush in their backyard and score some of these beauties!  These cherries weren't incredibly sweet, even though my little one ate an entire pie worth of the branches, so I made pie filling.  

Pick cherries leaving stems attached.  This slows the oxidizing process.  Pit and treat for darkening.  I used Ball Fruit-Fresh produce protector.  

Combine cherries, (I had about 6 cups), 2T. lemon juice, 1t. almond extract, 3c. sugar, and 4c, water (I used the water cherries were sitting in) in large pot.  Heat until just bubbly.  Next... I didn't really measure, so keep adding until it suits your taste:) Nutmeg, cinnamon and cornstarch mixed in cool water.  Add until you get your desired consistency.  Heat again until bubbly.  

You can use this in fresh pie, but I chose to can for later.  

Pour hot filling into clean, hot jars.  Remove air bubbles, adjust lids, water bath for 40 minutes (at 4,000 feet).  

Rainbow Layer Cake

I guess I was feeling pretty ambitious for a 1st birthday, but you only get them once right?  This cake was stunning, but really pretty simple.  All you need is 3 white cake mixes, food coloring gel, and time.  Let me emphasize TIME.  This wasn't a quickie the morning of.  Nope, I started this tower a full week before the party.  So plan ahead.


Mix cake mix according to the directions.  Divide in half and add a different color to each.  Bake, cool, cover in plastic wrap and freeze.  Repeat with each cake mix. 


Remove cake from freezer when you are ready to frost.  This part I did the day of.  Stack each layer with frosting between each layer.  I learned during this project that a crumb coat is really important.  Cover the entire cake with a layer of frosting and let it harden.  Then cover with a second layer, decorate as desired.  If you don't cover with a crumb coat, you will have rainbow crumbs all over the outside of the cake.  Trust me, do it.  


I'm not a professional cake maker like my Aunt Darla, but for one of my first, I think I did alright.  Baby loved it!

Dobos Torte

I made this eleven layer cake for fun. I have attempted three layer cakes before that turned out utterly disastrous, so of course I would reason... if you can't do three, why not try eleven! By some enchanted and uncanny twist of fate, it worked! Oh yes, it was a great day (for cooking. Shane, remember this is also the day your horses got out while you were on Trek, and Quinn and I had to get the back into the pasture without any smidgen of an idea what do do with a barbaric and uncontrollable hunk of useless flesh. Thank goodness for good neighbors, but you're still going to owe me for a while on that one my love)!

There are lots recipes for this cake, but I followed this one one from smitten kitchen. Mine is not as pretty as hers, but remember that is was from 1 to 11 in about 3 cakes:)

Chicken Posole

This was so good, I couldn't even get a picture. Totally refreshing summer soup, that even my soup-hater husband loved.

• Cook 4-6 cubed chicken breasts in 2T. of oil until no longer pink. Add 1 sliced onion, and 3 cloves minced garlic. Cook until onion is tender.
  
• Add chicken, garlic, and onion into crock-pot with 1t. oregano, 2t. salt, 1t. chili powder, a splash of lime juice, 1 can diced green chilies and chopped jalapenos (opt, but really great. I used only 1, add to your liking). Cover with chicken broth, bring to low simmer.
• When heated through, add 2 cans white hominy and 1 bunch torn cilantro. Cook 20 more minutes.
• Serve with tortilla chips and fresh lime.
  

Don't forget to turn up the Mariachi music and have fun!

Quiet Book pages 2-3

 This page was sooo easy!  I cut felt blocks double thickness to resemble temple blocks.  Lined with interfacing, I then 'drew' lines, doors and windows with silver metallic thread with the small zig-zag setting on my sewing machine.  Moroni has two layers of white and two yellow.  I made him extra tough to withstand the little finger trauma.  I put sticky velcro on the back of each piece and on the corresponding place on my background page.  Bryn loves it!

 Bryn loves to play peek-a-boo at church too.  I made her this family tree so she can play it quietly.

Pretty simple.  Cut out trunk and tree.  Cut out flaps for pictures.  Hot glue two pieces of vinyl onto back of tree to make a window pocket for pictures.  Insert pictures and decorate tree as desired.  This one was a sewing machine rebellion.  Not a stitch (well, besides the background page).  Love the glue.

I-Spy a Quiet Book page

 I finally started a Quiet Book for Bryn to take to church.  She loves books, and is starting to be noisy so...I know she's only ten months, but she needs a quiet book.  The first page was so fun!  It' an I-Spy bag, made into a page.  


To make the page you'll need:

• 10"x10" clear vinyl
• 2- 10"x10" coordinating prints
• 40" single fold 2" wide, bias tape made from one of your prints
• trinkets to spy (my list of trinkets and meanings can be found here)
• 1/2 bag poly pellets

 Sew the bias tape around the edge of the vinyl, raw edges to the outside, to make a frame.  Use long stitches on vinyl (less perforation for the vinyl to tear). Use interfacing to 'stick' the wrong sides together of the inside panel and back panel.  Sew window to back panel with outer pieces facing.  Leave enough space for turning inside out.  Turn, fill, and sew closed your page.  I added eyelets/grommets for my book binding.  You could also use a button hole.  I also added a pocket on the back to hold lists of things to find.  If adding a pocket, do so before interfacing to inside panel.