buzzville

return from Quilt Market!

Mariko and I just returned from the spring Quilt Market in Salt Lake City. It was a lot of fun, although both of us had an ailment of some kind while we were there. I came down with a rotten cold on day 2, which was less than perfect timing. Despite this, we had some fun, saw lots of fabric, and got to meet great people! It's been a while since I was last in Salt Lake City, but we enjoyed ourselves and the little reminders of where we were...

Bright orange flags are available to pedestrians on either side of the street so that you can hold one and (hopefully!) cross in safety!

Although I didn't get to meet Denyse Schmidt, I did see the new line of fabric for Free Spirit (recently acquired by Westminster), and the quilt for the new line, Katie Jump Rope (apologies for the pictures - they have horrible, bright shop lights on all of the quilts that make for terrible pictures!):

I did, however, get to meet both Heather Bailey and Anna Maria Horner and see both of their lines in person. Both were sweet and bubbly, which is particularly wonderful given that I talked to them on the last day of the show. They looked much better than I did, with my runny, pink nose and in my drugged (on Dayquil!) mental state! Here is the quilt for Anna Maria's new line:

 

I also chatted briefly with Joel Dewberry next to the gorgeous booth (it won a prize!) displaying his new line. I overheard him describing some of his inspiration for the line as a recent trip to Tuscany... here's a sneak peek:

Many of the displays were quite creative and fun, and it would seem that several (although not all!) of the fabric manufacturers are starting to pay some attention to the growing new generation of crafters. Here are some fun displays I snapped at Robert Kaufman:

I forgot to snap a picture, but Michael Miller was showing a great ironing themed fabric (not yet on the site) and they made a great display with an ironing board covered in the fabric - very cute!

Although Quilt Market is geared as a shopping spree for the trade they also have a small display of quilts and "wearable art" at the show. I took some quick shots of a few of the quilts and added them to my flickr page and the Quilt Festivals flickr group. Enjoy!

But, what news of superbuzzy fabrics?!? We met with many of our friends from Japan, did quite a bit of shopping, and came up with all sorts of grand schemes for the next year. There are too many pictures to post here, but check out the superbuzzy flickr group to see pictures of what is in the shop now, or soon to come! 

preschool madness

It's the end of the year at Brynne's preschool (2.5 weeks to go), and the year is ending with non-stop activity. We've enrolled her in the co-op program, which means that parents are required to work in the classroom for a certain number of hours per week, and we're also pretty involved in all sorts of fun activities. Each semester, the co-op has a 2-day, end-of-term bake sale to raise money for field trips and new classroom supplies. I baked up a storm on Sunday to prepare for the madness on Monday and Tuesday. Martha was in full effect as I mixed up batches of Peanut Butter Surprise Cookies (from Everyday Food Collectible Cookie Edition - Holiday 2006), Snickerdoodles, and Chocolate Crackles (both from the 2005 Holiday Cookies special issue of Martha Stewart Living). I forgot to snap pics before they were all packaged up, but here's a mediocre shot of the 3:

The classroom is currently in a temporary building with large windows, just the right height for walk-up and drive-up windows:

 

And of course, everyone is treated to service with a smile!

All three recipes were delicious - and I really mean that! Those of you who remember my cake-of-the-month experiment from last year will know that I can be critical of Martha's recipes, but these 3 were all extremely successful, and it's hard for me to pick a favorite.

The chocolate crackles are extremely rich, with a crunchy outer layer that separates a bit from a chewy, brownie-like interior. They are rolled in granulated sugar and then confectioner's sugar prior to baking - that is what gives them the gorgeous white crackles as they bake.

The peanut butter surprise cookies are also outstanding, and these were the first to sell out at the bake sale. The peanut butter cookie dough is really good - good enough to stand alone without the peanut butter cup smashed into the top. This dough is rolled in granulated sugar before baking, and this gives the exterior a nice caramelized, sugary exterior. And, of course, adding a peanut butter cup certainly doesn't hurt!

The snickerdoodles are simple, but I figured they were a bake sale must-have. The finished product was chewy, buttery (but not too buttery!), with just the right crunch from the cinnamon and sugar on the outside.

All of these recipes are online, but the peanut butter surprise recipe is the only one that is identical to the one I used. So, I'm including the recipes below in case someone wants to give them a try. Enjoy!

Snickerdoodles (makes about 20)

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. Put butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in eggs. Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in flour mixture.

2. Stir together cinnamon and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in a small bowl. Shape dough into 20 (1 3/4 - inch) balls; roll in cinnamon sugar. Space 3 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.

3. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges are golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks. Cookies can be stored between layers of parchment in airtight containers at room temperature up to 3 days.

Chocolate Crackles (makes 5 dozen)

• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup whole milk
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup confectioner's sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350. Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring. Set aside, and let cool. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.

2. Mix butter and brown sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Mix in eggs and vanilla, and then the melted chocolate. Reduce speed to low; mix in flour mixture in 2 batches, alternating with the milk. Divide dough into 4 equal pieces. Wrap each in plastic; refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.

3. Divide each piece into 16 (1-inch) balls. *Hint: don't use your hands to do this! Use a knife or spoon or other utensil - this dough melts instantly when handled!* Roll in granulated sugar to coat, then in confectioner's sugar to coat. Space 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.

4. Bake until surfaces crack, about 14 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks. Cookies can be stored between layers of parchment in airtight containers up to 3 days.