Yummy morning breakfast...

DO YOU EVER get your kids involved in your breakfast making? I like to encourage as much help in the kitchen as I can get! Breakfast is one of those easy meals that kids usually like, you can have many helpers, and at least in my home gets our day off to a better start!

Until I married my husband I had never had 'Dutch Baby'. In my family we had 'Popovers', which I think are similar. However, I like the idea of making them sweet rather than savory. Although I do love popovers! I my home we've taken it one step further by adding cinnamon sugar at the end. So here we go...

Your Mom's Dutch Baby

1/4 cup butter

3 eggs

3/4 cups flour

3/4 cups milk

 

 

 

Turn on your oven to 425 degrees. Spray a 2-3 quart casserole dish. Place the 1/4 cup of butter in the casserole and place it in the oven as it pre-heats.

 

 

While the butter is melting I put all the ingredients into a mason jar.

 

 

Then I let my helpers shake...

 

 

Once your batter is 'shaken up' remove the pan from the oven and pour batter into the melted butter.

 

 

Put it back in to bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until 'puffed' and golden brown.

 

 

Then we sprinkle cinnamon sugar over the whole thing and dig in! Some like maple syrup too!

 

 

Yummmmmmmmm....!

 

Enjoy your day!!

 

Just a note... here are your ratios if you have a larger crowd.

 

3 - 4 qt pan 1/3 cup butter, 4 eggs, 1 cup flour and milk

4 - 4 1/2 qt pan 1/2 cup butter, 5 eggs, 1 1/4 cup flour and milk

4 1/2 - 5 qt pan  1/2 cup butter, 6 eggs, 1 1/2 cup flour and milk.

 

 

 

 

 

Quilt top done!

WELL I FINALLY HAVE THE final boarders on, and am done with my quilt top. If you've been following me along you can now see the finished product. I think it turned out really lovely!

After doing the center of this quilt it really was just about getting the boarders on. You'd think that, that's the easy part and while you're right it is, there's a right way and a wrong way to go about it. If you haven't taken a class or read anything about adding boarders, you may think that you just measure out the fabric and slap them on. However if you choose that method and send your top out to a 'longarm' quilter, you may find she's not so happy with your top. If you don't measure properly your quilt will not lay exactly square and will give her problems on her quilt frame.

When you sew a new boarder onto your quilt, you need to treat it as if you're just adding on to another block. Which indeed you are! For my interior boarders I was able to add them without having to use more than once piece of fabric, but as I added the more outer boarders I then had join pieces together.

When I do this I join my fabric like I do when I'm making a binding, by adding it on in a diagonal. I place the fabric in a 'L' position, mark the diagonal, sew and cut.

Then I cut a 1/2 seam allowance and press the seam open. This gives a bit stronger seam.



Now that I have a long enough piece to boarder the longer edges of the quilt I measure in three places. Across the top, middle and bottom. Then you add them up and divide by three to get the average length of your quilt. Then you cut your strip the length of the average. For example, say your quilt measures 34 + 34.25 + 34.5 = 102.75. Then you divide 102.75 by 3 and get 34.25, that's what you would cut your boarder. Then you get the middle of the boarder and the middle of that side of you quilt and begin pinning from the center out. You would do this for each boarder you're adding. This will keep your quilt top nice and square and give you top a much nicer look and make it much easier to quilt.

The last important thing to remember when adding boarders or any part of your quilt for that matter, is the pressing. Remember to always PRESS and not iron. So that you have nice crisp seams and don't unintentionally distort your fabric. Hope these tips help you along your way.

As always enjoy your day!!

Fruits of summer...

NOW THAT WE ARE entering the last weeks of summer I'm trying to get in all the fruits I can before they are gone. To that end, I think I purchased a few to many peaches and so I just had to make a cobbler. Isn't that a shame? My only problem with that was that I had to share.

Anastasia's Wrapping Up Summer Cobbler

4 or 5 medium, ripe peaches                         1 cup of fresh blue berries

2 Tbsp quick cook tapioca                            2 Tbsp sugar

2 tsp real vanilla                                            1 Tbsp melted butter

First bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Dip the ripe peaches in the hot water for a few seconds and then peel off the skin of the peaches. Then slice them into a bowl, removing the pit in the process. Then add the tapioca, vanilla and sugar to the fruit.

Once you gently mix the fruit and other ingredients. Place the fruit mixture into a greased baking dish. And drizzle with melted butter.

Next put together the topping.

Shortcake crust

1 1/2 cups of flour                              2 tsp baking powder

1/4 cup packed brown sugar              1/4 cup melted butter (4 Tbsp)

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

In  a large bowl combine all the dry ingredients. Whisk them together to make sure they are evenly distributed. Then add the cream and butter. Mix with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together. It will be a stiffer dough. Don't over mix!

Spoon the dough on to the fruit. And then bake at 425 for 25 minutes or until golden brown.



When it comes out I let it cool for about 30 minutes, then I serve it with ice cream or just heavy cream. Yum!! Enjoy!

Tasha Tudor...

HOW MANY OF YOU are familiar with Tasha Tudor? Well if you love good children's literature you probably are, but maybe not. She's was a wonderful American illustrator and illustrated nearly one hundred books. I just love her things and the way she lived life. What made me think to blog about her was an email I received the other day for some fabric inspired by her and some lovely "receipts" of hers.

If you are a Charlotte Mason homeschooler you will probably love Tasha Tudor, if you're not already familiar with her. She was passionate about the "home arts". Creating a comforting haven for her and her family. Sewing, knitting, spining, gardening, keeping chickens, just creating things for every day life. Afternoon tea always included some of her "tea stories". I imagine if I was a young child in her home I would have cherish these afternoons of tea, treats and stories. Doesn't that sound lovely?

If you're ever visiting Vermont you should look up her museum. There are always events going on featuring things from her life and home. In upcoming events they will be showcasing her favorite frocks, there will be a spinning bee and other crafty things on display. I think if I lived in that neck of the woods it would make for a fun outing. The Tasha Tudor website also spotlights many of her "receipts" and patterns for aprons and other things she enjoyed.

If you too love this type of homemaking, check it out! You won't be disappointed!

Enjoy your day!