New Tutorial From Preferably Prim - Pumpkin Door Greeter

Look at what my friend Christine from Preferably Prim gave us today: an awesome tutorial for this adorable Pumpkin Greeter.

She has the tutorial and downloadable templates available, just click HERE
to read the instructions and download the full-size patterns.
I'm off to make two (Ashley always gets one of whatever I make)after supper.
Thanks so much, Christine!
Susan

Another Recipe For The Weekend

(Text and photos copyright Recipe.com)
These are called Brownie Bombs and they remind me of the expensive mix that my daughter Ashley had to have. And, you know you don't get a lot with pre-packaged mixes. Now you
have a whole batch to bake!

BROWNIE BOMBS

Ingredients
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate 1/2 cup butter or margarine1-2/3 cups sugar 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 3 eggs3/4 cup all-purpose flour1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
4 teaspoons all-purpose flour1 egg1/4 teaspoon vanilla 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate pieces
Directions
1 In a saucepan, melt the unsweetened chocolate and butter over low heat. Remove the mixture from the heat.Stir in 1-1/3 cups of the sugar and the 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Cool the mixture for 15 minutes. Beat in the 3 eggs and the 3/4 cup flour.
2 In a mixing bowl, mix the remaining 1/3 cup sugar, the cream cheese, the 1 egg, the 4 teaspoons flour, and the 1/4 teaspoon vanilla.
3 Coat an 8x8x2-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Spread 2/3 of the chocolate batter in the pan. Spoon cream cheese layer over batter. Dollop with remaining chocolate batter.
4 Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with chocolate pieces. Bake for 12 minutes more. Cool. Cover; store in the refrigerator. Let the chilled dessert stand at room temperature for 30 minutes to serve. Makes 16 servings.

Recipes For The Weekend

This recipe is called "Chocolate Picnic Cake", but I don't think you need a picnic as an excuse to bake this wonderful cake:
(all recipes from www.recipe.com)

CHOCOLATE PICNIC CAKE
Recipe from Midwest Living

Use coffee instead of the water to give this cake a different flavor. Serve it warm for dessert with vanilla ice cream and drizzle with chocolate sauce.

Prep Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 50 mins
Servings: Makes 12 servings.
SEE MORE MIDWEST LIVING RECIPES
INGREDIENTS
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour1-1/2 cups sugar 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1-1/2 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. salt 1-1/2 cups water or strong brewed coffee, cooled1/2 cup canola oil or cooking oil4-1/2 tsp. vinegar 1-1/2 tsp. vanilla Picnic Topping (recipe below) Vanilla ice cream Grandma Betty's Chocolate Sauce (recipe below)
DIRECTIONS
1 Grease and flour a 13x9x2-inch baking pan; set aside. In a large mixing bowl stir together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Stir in water, oil, vinegar and vanilla. Beat mixture with a fork until smooth. Pour into prepared pan. Sprinkle with Picnic Topping.
2 Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool cake slightly in pan on a wire rack. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and drizzle with Grandma Betty's Chocolate Sauce. Makes 12 servings.
3 Picnic Topping: In a bowl, combine 1 cup chopped walnuts, 1 cup semisweet chocolate pieces and 1/2 cup sugar. Sprinkle topping to cover cake batter.
4 Grandma Betty's Chocolate Sauce: In heavy small saucepan, combine 1-1/2 cups sugar, 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder and a dash of salt. Stir in 1/2 cup whipping cream and 1/4 cup milk. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring constantly, then reduce heat. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Remover from heat. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla. Transfer to bowl; cover surface with plastic wrap. Cool to room temperature before using.

Pretty Little Pincushion

Hi, Primmies, I found this cute Strawberry Pincushion tutorial on Martha Stewart's website. It's larger than the little berry that hangs from my grandmother's tomato pincushion. The template could be enlarged to make a bigger strawberry, that's what
I'm doing. Here's the quoted text from Martha Stewart:

"You may remember seeing charming strawberry pincushions like these in your grandmother's sewing box. Hers were probably sewn from scraps of leftover fabric; ours are made with ribbon remnants, shirting fabric, and felt, which works especially well because its edges won't fray.

TOOLS AND MATERIALS
Fabric and ribbon remnants
Sewing machine
Needle and thread
Scissors
Fine sand or emery
#3 pearl-cotton thread or felt, for berries' tops
6-strand embroidery floss, for seeds
Fabric glue

STRAWBERRY PINCUSHION HOW-TO'S:
1. Begin by printing out our TEMPLATES. Trace the cone template onto fabric, then cut out the shape. Fold the fabric into a cone shape, right sides facing, and stitch together along one edge, leaving a narrow seam allowance.

2. Sew a loose, even running stitch along the perimeter of the wide opening, which will become the top of the berry. Before cinching the top, place the cone in a small jar or bottle for balance, and fill it with sand or emery, which will keep pins sharp. Pull the thread taut, and stitch the top closed.

3. For the strawberry's top, trace the cap template onto a piece of felt, cut out the shape, and affix it in place with a drop of glue; then sew along the edges with a slip stitch. Or, create leaves by sewing long stem stitches onto the strawberry using the pearl-cotton thread, leaving a loop of floss at the top for a handle. Embroider seeds onto berry using embroidery floss with a single stitch or a French-knot stitch."

All photos and text copyright Martha Stewart
"Read more at : Strawberry Pincushions - Martha Stewart Crafts"
If you have any problems with this post, go to Martha Stewart Crafts> Sewing Projects> Embroidery Projects