Posted in Recipes, tagged Sourdough on July 26, 2024| 2 Comments »
Over the last month I have been playing around with Sourdough. Feeding it and making bread with both the active starter as well as discard recipes. We love the Banana Nut Bread but my favorite is the plain sourdough loafs. It’s fun to make and a little of a challenge to see if it will turn out. It’s a different kind of “art”.
Posted in Holidays, Recipes, tagged strawberry cake on December 26, 2023| Leave a Comment »
As a kid my favorite cake was my mama’s Strawberry Cake. I always asked for it for my birthday. I haven’t made one in years but for some reason I got it in mind lately to make one. At Thanksgiving my granddaughters asked if I would make Carrot Cake for Christmas and I said sure. They like my Carrot Cake….it’s my Big Mama’s recipe and it is really good! You can find that recipe here. But I thought maybe I would two cakes for Christmas. :-) And I did! The Strawberry Cake was a big hit and after posting a photo of it after I made it yesterday I got requests for the recipe. I am sharing it here. I was surprised when a couple of people said that they had never heard of Strawberry Cake. WTH???? Where have they been living? Or is it just a Souther thing? I don’t know….but what I do know is that it is a GOOD cake! I hope you will give it a try and enjoy it too.
Ingredients:
1 box white cake mix (18.25 ounces)
4 large eggs
1 small box strawberry-flavored instant Jello (3 ounces)
1 15 oz. package frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed and pureed (hold out ¼ cup of puree for frosting)
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
For the frosting:
7 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 package cream cheese (8 ounces), softened
1/4 cup softened butter
1/4 cup pureed frozen strawberries held out from packaged used in cake
1/2 teaspoon strawberry extract
Instructions:
1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine cake mix, strawberry Jello, pureed strawberries, eggs, vegetable oil, and water. Mix well.
3. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans and bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in center of cake.
4. For the frosting, beat softened butter and cream cheese until smooth.
Add 1/4 cup strawberry puree and strawberry extract to the cream cheese mixture. Mix until combined.
5. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar, beating until smooth and creamy.
6. Once the cake layers have cooled, frost the cake with the strawberry cream cheese frosting.
7. Garnish with freshly sliced strawberries.
Posted in applique, Collage, Crochet, Drawing, Embroidery, Felting, Furniture, Holidays, Knitting, Paper Art, Pet Portaits, Portraits, Quilting, Recipes, Sculpture, Serendipity, Sewing, Small Town Life, Still Life, The Studio/Classes, Weaving, tagged gifts, handmade on December 24, 2023| Leave a Comment »
It ‘s Christmas time. The family is all gathered together. The gifts are beginning to be passed around. And you see it…there it is…. right there… all wrapped up…a gift from Grandma or Papa or Aunt Noreen or Cousin Virgil. You know exactly what it is before you open it. It’s a handmade something ________ (you insert the item here….a knitted hat, a crocheted scarf, a painting, a bowl cozy, a quilt, a vest, a pottery mug, etc.) They always “make” you something for Christmas. Well, this year when you open that handmade gift hope you will think of this.
You should consider yourself extremely special and loved….and here is why.
First, making the gift requires much consideration and thought to choose just the right project and design for you. The giver wants it to be something special that is specific just for you. Often this takes hours of research and thought to find the right design and colors. A handmade gift is NOT an afterthought.
Next, the materials must be assembled. Sometimes they are easily found but other projects like quilts require that the designs are drawn, yardage is figured and fabric is ordered and purchased. Again, this can take many hours and quite a bit of expense. Based on the size of the quilt a conservative estimate of the supplies alone is at least $125.
Then the actual project begins to be made. Depending on what the object is this could take a few hours to several weeks. What you need to know and remember is that the giver is willing to give up this much of their life for you….to make something special for you! And while they are making it they are often thinking of you and the fun times you have had together. Again, in the case of a quilt a conservative estimate for an small quilt is 25-30 hours.
So when you consider the time plus the cost of supplies that goes into a handmade gift you begin to see the real value. It would be so much easier for the giver to go online to Amazon or Walmart and order a cheaply made object that would cost less in money and time. But because they obviously love and care for you they gave you their time and made you something that is one of a kind…just like you!
So this holiday season when you receive a special handmade gift from your creative family and friends whether it’s a quilted banner, knitted mittens or crocheted sweater or scarf or a painting, a table runner, a wooden bowl, a pottery mug, etc. be grateful to the person who cares enough for you to give you hours of their time and thought to make something special just for you! Be grateful for something handmade!
Merry “Handmade” Christmas!
Posted in Recipes, tagged easy fudge, Fudge on December 22, 2021| Leave a Comment »
This week our Book Club had our holiday lunch and we exchanged little gifts. This group of girls have everything….and really there is nothing they need. So what to give them that they might enjoy??? I opted to make them some fudge and peanut butter balls. Here is my easy fudge recipe. Super easy and fast so if you need to make a last minute gift….here it is!
Kelly’s Easy Fudge
3 cups sugar
1 (12 oz.) package chocolate chips
¾ cup butter
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 (7 oz.) jar marshmallow crème
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional…but who would want walnuts when you can use pecans! LOL)
Combine sugar, butter and milk in heavy 2 ½ quart pot. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce to medium heat and continue boiling for 5 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips till melted. Add marshmallow crème and vanilla. Stir to mixed well. Add nuts if you want. Pour into a greased pan….13×9 inch if you want small pieces and 9×9 if you like thicker pieces. Cool at room temperature. When cool, cut into squares. Makes about 3 pounds.
Posted in daily painter, Recipes, tagged coconut pie, impossible pie, pie on January 24, 2020| Leave a Comment »
From time to time I get the urge to bake. Recently I was craving coconut and my favorite coconut pie is also the easiest to make. I’ve had this “Impossible Coconut Pie” recipe for years and don’t even remember where I first got it. But it is easy…and so delicious. Give it a try. (The photo above is how it look before it goes into the oven and the photo below is how it looks after it’s done.) 
Posted in Recipes, Serendipity, Small Town Life, tagged Big Mama, Crochet, Recipes on February 10, 2018| 3 Comments »
Big Mama, Sister, Brother and me
Big Mama and Papa Honeymoon photo
One of my favorite photos of Big Mama with Morgan
Mama, me, Brother & Big Mama – 1961
Big Mama, me, Mama, and Sister -early 90’s
Big Mama
NOTE: I am repeating a post I made several years ago in honor of Big Mama’s birthday. She was so special and I miss her every day.
Anyone who has taken a crochet class (or almost any other type of class I teach) at The Studio has heard me talk about Big Mama and all that she taught me.
She was my maternal grandmother and a wonderful person who lived a good long life….almost 100 when she passed. Today would have been her 110th birthday! Everyone loved her. Once I took some friends home to meet her and when they got back home to Kentucky they sent her a thank you note for the lovely lunch she made for us. They didn’t know her name…only Big Mama. So they mailed the envelope to “Big Mama, Offerman, Georgia” and it was delivered without delay. LOL
She taught me so many things….things I still use to this day and that I try to share as I teach.
I have written about Big Mama before to share some of her recipes…most recently when I made the Carrot Cake at Thanksgiving. I also shared her recipe for Syrup Candy and talked about her in a Plum Jelly post. I love her recipes and making anything that she used to make for us always brings back floods of memories.
Crocheting was the thing she taught me the most about. She loved it and was almost always making something. The amazing thing about her crochet was that she just kept patterns in her head. When I would asked her to teach me to make a certain stitch or design she would just pick up a hook and start crocheting. She would tell me what she was doing and I would write it down. I think that is where I get my “making up” patterns from. I think she would like that!
So today I am so grateful that I got to know all four of my grandparents and am especially blessed that Big Mama played such a big role in my life. I wouldn’t be enjoying this creative life I am living with having known her. Happy Birthday Big Mama!
Posted in Recipes, tagged Fudge, fudge recipe on December 23, 2015| Leave a Comment »
For over 30 years I have used this recipe for fudge. It is the easiest and the best. I make it with and without nuts. It’s great both ways. Give it a try.
Easy Creme Fudge
3 cups sugar
3/4 cups margarine
2/3 cups evaporated milk
1 – 12 ounce package of chocolate chips (semi-sweet, milk chocolate or dark)
1 – 7 ounce jar marshmallow creme
1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring
1 cup chopped pecans
Combine sugar, margarine and milk in heavy 2 1/2 quart saucepan. Bring to full rolling boil stirring constantly. Continue boiling for 5 minutes over medium heat or until candy thermometer reaches 234 degrees, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips until melted. Add vanilla and marshmallow creme. Stir until smooth and blended. Stir in nuts. Pour into a lightly greased 13″x9″ pan. Cool at room temperature. Cut into small squares. Makes about 3 pounds. Enjoy!
Posted in Recipes, tagged Banana Bread, Banana Nut Bread recipe, Recipes on May 18, 2015| Leave a Comment »
Kelly’s Banana Nut Bread
Sunday morning I made Banana Nut Bread for breakfast. I often buy bananas and don’t eat them until they get soft and I don’t like them like that so I end up making bread. I mentioned in previous posts that I grew up in a pecan orchard (read that and get those recipes here and here) so we had LOTS of pecans to cook and bake with so I love them and still cook with them even though I don’t have the wonderful endless supply that I once did. Here’s the recipe that I use for Banana Nut Bread. I like it because its moist but not too sweet. Enjoy!
Banana Nut Bread
2 cups self-rising flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 eggs, beaten
1 ½ cups mashed ripe bananas (about 5 medium or 2 large)
1 cup sugar
½ cup cooking oil OR melted butter
1 cup chopped pecans
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine dry ingredients (except pecans) and then mix in eggs, banana and oil or butter. Mix well. Fold in pecans last. Pour into a greased and floured loaf pan and bake for about 55 minutes for a large loaf pan or 40-45 minutes for a small loaf pan. Cool for 10 minutes and then remove from pan. A slice is perfect with a little butter!
Posted in Recipes, tagged Chewy Nut Cookies, Cookie Recipe, Cookies on May 9, 2015| Leave a Comment »
Mama’s Chewy Nut Cookies
I made these Chewy Nut Cookies for Open Studio yesterday. This was one of my mom’s standby recipes especially for our snack when we came home from school. We grew up on a farm in the middle of a big pecan orchard so we put lots of pecans in everything. I love these and every time I make them I am reminded of her. If you like pecans I hope you will give them a try.
MAMA’S CHEWY NUT COOKIES
2 1/8 cups light brown sugar, packed
1 stick butter
2 eggs
2 cups self-rising flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans
Melt butter. Add sugar, flour, eggs, and vanilla. Mix well. Fold in nuts. Pour into greased baking pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 30-35 minute. Center will seem like it’s not quite done. Let it stand until cool and then cut into squares
Posted in Recipes, Serendipity, Small Town Life, tagged Big Mama, Crochet, Recipes on February 10, 2015| Leave a Comment »
Big Mama, Sister, Brother and me
Big Mama and Papa Honeymoon photo
One of my favorite photos of Big Mama with Morgan
Mama, me, Brother & Big Mama – 1961
Big Mama, me, Mama, and Sister -early 90’s
Big Mama
Anyone who has taken a crochet class (or almost any other type of class I teach) at The Studio has heard me talk about Big Mama and all that she taught me.
She was my maternal grandmother and a wonderful person who lived a good long life….almost 100 when she passed. Today would have been her 107th birthday! Everyone loved her. Once I took some friends home to meet her and when they got back home to Kentucky they sent her a thank you note for the lovely lunch she made for us. They didn’t know her name…only Big Mama. So they mailed the envelope to “Big Mama, Offerman, Georgia” and it was delivered without delay. LOL
She taught me so many things….things I still use to this day and that I try to share as I teach.
I have written about Big Mama before to share some of her recipes…most recently when I made the Carrot Cake at Thanksgiving. I also shared her recipe for Syrup Candy and talked about her in a Plum Jelly post. I love her recipes and making anything that she used to make for us always brings back floods of memories.
Crocheting was the thing she taught me the most about. She loved it and was almost always making something. The amazing thing about her crochet was that she just kept patterns in her head. When I would asked her to teach me to make a certain stitch or design she would just pick up a hook and start crocheting. She would tell me what she was doing and I would write it down. She didn’t use patterns very often. I think that is where I get my “making up” patterns from. I think she would like that!
So today I am so grateful that I got to know all four of my grandparents and am especially blessed that Big Mama played such a big role in my life. I wouldn’t be enjoying this creative life I am living with having known her. Happy Birthday Big Mama!
The Studio 