3/10/14

Many Things Monday

Today I had a lot of things on my to-do list, and I managed to get them all done. We (that would be Smitty and me) started by filling the bird feeders, and then I had a couple of housekeeping tasks on my list. I'm pretty terrible at figuring out reasons to put off housework until tomorrow...or next week...or next month...but today, I got it all done.

While I was cleaning up my kitchen, it seemed a good time to try out a new recipe for Lemon-Blueberry Pound Cake that I've been salivating over.


That's not my picture...that's the one from the recipe page. I think theirs has more blueberries in it than mine does, and so it was prettier. Nevertheless, mine was moist and tasty. It is made with lemon yogurt, and so the cake is nice and moist. Also, it has a glaze made from confectioner's sugar and lemon juice...not to mention the tablespoon of lemon zest in the cake. This is one lemony cake. Lemon lovers, pay attention. 

Usually when I put a glaze on a cake, I use a small ladle to ladle it over the cake and allow it to drip down the sides. The instructions for this cake suggested brushing it on 1/3 at a time, allowing it to soak into the cake completely, and then continuing on with the next third. By doing that, it gave a nice covering, and it add to the moisture within the cake itself. Then, when it was completely dry and cool, the glaze gave it a nice little crunchy coating. A very good cake. Not difficult. I will definitely be making this one again.

So while I was baking the cake, I finished up all of my housework. Oh, but before I go on, I wanted to tell you the latest seedling news. The tomatoes and herbs are doing well, although I never have much success starting Italian parsley from seeds. A couple of my seeds are growing, but one inexplicably died. I may end up buying starts for that because I do needs me my Italian parsley. The dill and basil are doing better. The tomatoes are starting to get their first true leaves.


I thought I might have another time lapse video for you, but when Mike tried to download the images from the memory card this weekend, he found that not a single picture had been taken. We are both a little perplexed about this, but he thinks he may have neglected to press "start" when he programmed it. It was turned on, but we think one must also tell it to begin taking pictures. Anyway...it's set up again, and hopefully we'll have another video by the end of the week.

Once I had my housework done, I made my way into the sewing room to start on the next of the Folk Art Cats. I'm making the one on the left in the second row this time. Mine will be completely different because my colors are different, but I wanted you to notice that this cat is bouncing a beach ball from his front paws.


I'm not sure how they did their background on their block, but I followed the pattern for mine. The top half is paper-pieced, and this is the background I ended up with.


Then I added the purple cat. The ends of his paws extend into the sashing above, and so they are only fused down about halfway up the leg. And as I think about this, I won't be able to top-stitch the whole of the leg until I have completed the whole second row of blocks. I'll need to sew it to the row above before I can fuse it down completely.


I made the beach ball today too, but I'll probably end up remaking it. It was surprisingly difficult to make those "slices of pie" come together in the center, and mine were sadly off. He'll need to be top-stitched, and then I'll be adding the checkerboard sashing around three sides. There is also some machine embroidery around his nose where I currently have a white chalk mark, and I'll give him a hot fix nailhead for an eye. The sashings on this quilt also have little mini pieced quilt blocks for cornerstones, and I'll be making two of those as well. There's still quite a bit to do on this, and so it probably won't be finished for a couple of days at least. 

Tomorrow is a swimming day, and I need to go to the grocery store. I might put that off until Wednesday. Wednesday I'm getting my monthly pedicure and Thursday I'm getting my hair permed. So it's a busy week with lots of away-from-home things to do. Not my favorite kind of week, but there you go. 

How about you? Are you going to have time to sew this week?

16 comments:

WoolenSails said...

That cake looks delicious, I made blueberry muffins, nice treat. Love the purple kitty, such a fun block.

Debbie

Vroomans' Quilts said...

I just love anything blueberry so this sounds delish! Your kitty is so cute - this is just a whimsy quilt pattern. I am doing little sewing - trying to catch up on house cleaning and paper work (tax time).

quiltzyx said...

Mmmmmm....LEMON! My Mom made the BEST lemon meringue pie, very tart - but no recipe. I had her show me once, but it didn't stick. We do tend to be a "to taste" bunch of cooks in my family. Ah well.

Love that the new cat is sticking out its tongue! LOL That is such a fun quilt!!

I drew & colored in 3 postcards to send off for a swap I'm in. One to the U.K. & one to FL, one to IN. They were fun. Tomorrow I must work on sewing stuff. I must, I must, I must!

Donna said...

I love your royal purple cat!

liniecat said...

yummmmmy

Purple cat is wonderful, love him!
I had to take my very old, 'Fergus' the once extremely feral , black boy for his last trip to the vets last evening,
so am feeling gutted and raw today.
It was however the right time for him to let go.
So So doubly lovely to see such a lively fun purple puss here!

Lynda Halliger Otvos (Lynda M O) said...

Thanks for asking...
This week is finishing up the piece I started last week and my daughter asked to have as a wall hanging for her bathroom last night while eating me out of house and home after a long day in neighbor's attic running wire. I have one more border and then backing/binding. I think I'll self-bind: turn it inside out, sew it mostly and then turn right side out and finish seam by topstitching all the way around. A bit of light quilting will be sufficient I think.

Then on to another project I keep looking at the pull for and not quite being satisfied...

Dana Gaffney said...

The cake looks delicious, blueberries and lemon, yum. You've made me hungry and I need to go walk. Love the purple cat.

gpc said...

I am definitely a lemony gal so that cske is going on my blueberry-season list for sure! I suggested to the Grands that we pick our own this year since we live in blueberry country, and they liked the idea. Your cat quilt is going to be amazing! I never like the idea of errand days, OR house cleaning days, but good for you for getting so much done. :)

Anonymous said...

Love the purple kitty!!

I am getting some hand embroidery time in this week but not sure how much machine sewing I'll get to do. I just picked up some more work (I work from home doing closed captioning for the deaf) so I'm pretty busy during the week now.

Dogwood Lane Rambles said...

First off stop tempting me with beautiful cakes I'm trying to lose some weight here! I think your kitty quilt is turning out so much cuter than the original, so much more colorful and playful. Color makes all the difference doesn't it?

Diane Wild said...

Good timing with that blueberry cake, Barbara. I just bought some fresh blueberries and have a couple of lemons so I may give this a try. Will use blueberry yogurt because that's what I have. Love the cat but then I love all things purple.

Will try to get some sewing in today but must make a few birthday cards and attend a meeting later. Quilting may have to wait.

carla said...

Hi!!!! I love your kitty and Smitty!!!!

Lynette said...

He's cool! I like your colors so much better.

Brown Family said...

The cake looks delicious. We have tomato plants in the store, now, but I have not found my sweet 100's yet!
I wonder how they maid their back ground so different from the pattern?

I did post Dallas Quilt show photos and will be posting more today.

Kate said...

The cake sounds very yummy!

Love your purple putty tat (sorry couldn't resist).

Michele said...

Yummo! Hubs loves lemony things so me be thinking I'll be trying this one myself.