Author Archives: mlwilkie

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About mlwilkie

Software Developer, Mother, Wife with keen interest in art, design and crafts of all kinds.

Thanksgiving and our wine arrived!!!

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Today, was thanksgiving here in the US. We are very thankful for our family. Sean and I are camping in a tent, in the backyard tonight, to have some quality time together. It is a little cold out here but not too bad under the sleeping bag and duvet. We will see how it is early in the morning.

Talking about family, I am very proud of my brother who is the assistant winemaker at Moana Park Vineyards, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand. He has been kind enough to send over a case of wine which arrived yesterday. I am so excited, the last lot we got was amazing, and I am sure this will be too.

Here are the reserves that we got; Merlot Cabernet, Syrah, Chardonney, Viognier (and yes those stickers are awards and medals on the bottles 🙂 ):

Here are an assortment of wine for the rest of the case (Viognier, Merlot Malbec, Syrah and Chardonney):

Now to enjoy it!!!

Reusable coffee cup sleeves – SOLD!!

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It’s so nice to take a 5 minute break, so I can do some blogging instead of sewing :-).

As I mentioned last week, I signed up to my company’s Christmas craft fair (December 5th); but I was realizing the work I would need to do, to get stock to sell in the craft fair.

WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced

Things are coming along with the reusable coffee cup sleeves, and they are looking good. I have put in a significant amount of work into design, patch working and the quilting of these, but the most important thing…I am having a lot of fun doing it. You won’t believe this but I am having trouble keeping the sleeves for the fair – I have already sold 6 of them!!!

Here are some of the finished ones which I am keeping for the fair.

1. Coffee themed sleeve and coaster (coffee bean fabric from Spoonflower, designer: glimmericks)

  

2. Earth-toned sleeve  (coffee cup featured material from Spoonflower, designer: heidikenney)

  

3. Blue, green and grey block sleeve

4. Red and Black Sleeves – SOLD!!

  

Here are some that are still a work in progress (take a look at last week’s blog for additional design’s):

  

I plan on making 10 coffee cup sleeve + coaster sets, and 20 individual coffee cup sleeve….that is in addition to what I just sold.  All of them are either cut out or have the top at least sewn. This weekend, luckily with the long weekend, I should have them all done.

Sweet things: A pear tart

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One of my favorite german sweets is a pear tart. What a perfect time of year to make one with pears coming into season and needed to take something to a potluck dinner 🙂

My favorite recipe from “Das Buch vom Backen – Die Grosse Schule” is listed below – it is a pear and almond tart.

Ingredients

Pastry
155g flour
90g cold butter (diced)
60g sugar
2 egg yolks
1-2 Tbsp ice-cold water (optional – use only if dough does not form a ball)

  1. Combine the flour and the butter, by rubbing in the butter into the flour, until it appears crumbly.
  2. Mix in sugar.
  3. Make a well in center add in the egg yolks with a fork until pastry will stick slightly together to form a ball. If you think it is still too dry add 1 Tbsp of cold water
  4. Put the mixture in glad wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes
  5. After 30 minutes, place the dough between two plastic pieces of glad wrap and roll the dough out into a circle big enough to fit into a 24cm (~12 in. ) spring form cake tin.
  6. Place dough in the tin, with baking paper covering the dough and weighed down with a pie weight. Place in the oven at 180 degrees C (350 degrees F).
  7. Bake blind (i.e. covered) for 10 minutes, then take off the paper and pie weight bake for 10 more minutes.
  8. Allow the pastry to cool.

Filling
165g softened butter
160g sugar
3 eggs
135g almond flour
1 1/2 Tbsp Flour
2 ripe pears (sliced)

  1. Cream the butter and the sugar in a bowl for approximately 30 seconds.
  2. Add one egg at a time and mix into the cream mixture until well blended
  3. With a metal spoon mix in the almond flour and flour
  4. Place the filling mixture into the pastry.
  5. In a cross formation, place the pears into the filling; largest slices (outside edge) to smallest slices (towards the center).
  6. Place the tart into the oven and bake at 180 degrees C (350 degrees F) for 50 minutes. You need to ensure that the center is cooked.
  7. Take of the spring form cake tin, and allow the tart to cool for two hours.
  8. To serve, sprinkle confectionary sugar (powdered sugar/icing sugar) on top; and serve. The tart goes great with a dollop of whip cream.

Linked up with Tuesday At the Table