Big Beads!

Usually when I choose a large bead to work with, it is a focal, dead center in a necklace. This time, I fell in love with some rocks called Crazy Horse agates. They are so beautiful, reminding me of Appaloosa ponies (called "painted ponies" by horse people). So after obtaining a reasonable selection of different shapes from Fire Mountain, I sat and thought about what to make from them. Because they are HUGE. I mean HUGE for my beading standards. Then I found some Botswana agates, coin shaped, and in shades of black/smoke/cream, and some larger coin shaped beads, called red agates, also from my favorite beading spot, Fire Mountain. So I came up with a necklace for myself, and ideas for future gifties. Didn't turn out too bad either.

Baking a Valentine's present

Got busy in the kitchen this week, and tried a recipe from Midwest Living magazine. Last week, when I made the chocolate truffle cupcakes (they called them "Black Tie"), our Sunday school classes scarfed them up because they were so yummy. So this week I tried the Chocolate Mocha Gooey Butter Cake recipe. Remember the Gooey Butter Cakes we all used to make in the 70's and 80's? Well, this is a different twist on the same recipe, and quite tasty too.

For the base, you take a box mix of any 2-layer cake mix, but HAS to be chocolate, mix this well (dough will be stiff) with 1/2 cup melted butter and 1 egg, and press into the bottom of a PAM sprayed 9 X 13 inch cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Meantime, beat until fluffy, one 8 oz package of cream cheese (I use light or Neufchatel) softened to room temperature, in a large bowl. Add 2 eggs, one at a time, and then gradually add a 16 oz box of confectioner's sugar )or 3 and 1/2 cups if you buy it like I do, in a big bag). Then slowly add 1/2 cup melted butter, 1/4 cup chocolate fudge ice cream topping, 2 tablespoons espresso coffee brewed (I used a heaping tablespoon of espresso instant in 2 tablespoons hot water), and 1 teaspoon vanilla, continuing to beat until all is well combined. Now I KNOW you will say, wow, that's a lot of butter. Well, this is the "gooey butter" part of the recipe! Pour the batter over the baked cake crust, because by this time, the bottom part of the cake is ready to remove from your oven. Bake 35-40 minutes, and cool in pan on a rack. The center will jiggle a bit when you remove it, don't worry, it sets up. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, cut into bars when cooled, serve with ice cream or plain, and store in the fridge. I keep mine in a sealed plastic container so the bars don't dry out. Serve to your friends for a little Valentine treat year-round!

Book pages

I found it! I found the perfect book! It is "The Gentle Art of Domesticity", chock full of wonderful writings, and loaded with eye candy pictures. Jane Brocket, the author, writes and illustrates a blog, and this book is a compendium of her past postings. So, if you want a book on sewing, knitting, baking, "art and the comforts of home", this is it!!! And by the way, do look at her blog, www.yarnstorm.blogs.com for inspiration and enjoyment.

Where did Spring go?

Ok, I know I am early on this, but we had some absolutely gorgeous Spring-like days this past week, and poof!!! They are gone! With the wind! Got so nice when we started out on our drive down into KC for the Lawn and Garden Show, we had jackets. When we got out, along with everyone else, we shed our jackets and were down to shirtsleeves-Wow! I know I know it is only February. BUT it sure was nice to get a glimpse, even tho tiny, of spring. So we did spring things--like airing the Jewel orchid which opened up its tiny jewel-like blooms for me in my kitchen window; visiting butterflies in the butterfly house at the American Royal; sewing Valentines for friends. Those kind of spring things. Anyway, it's back to blankets on the sofa while we watch tv, and heat. Even the kitties don't want to poke their noses outside today. As I said, it WAS nice to taste spring!

Beading again

Had some millefiori glass heart pendant focals set back for Valentine gifting, so got hubby to silver solder the eye rings, glued them into the holes of the pendants, and put together some leather necklaces for young people, like my daughter, daughter-in-law, and nieces. Got them all shipped out so they can wear them. Then I remembered that I still had a shell focal, shaped like a heart, from our Hawaii trip, so got it out, and made up a pearl and crystal necklace and earring set for my sister, and got it boxed and sent to NYC. She liked it! I call it "Champagne and Pearls", because the colors remind me of that mix.

Now to get to the wood focals I brought back from Santa Cruz--redwood pieces. Got to dip them in a resin to preserve them. And put them on some leather cord necklaces. A good memory of Holly's wedding.