Weekend Report

And a "Happy Good Monday Morning" to you all!

Once again another weekend has passed and the week lays before us. Let's make it a good one. What did you all do over the past weekend? Anything exciting you care to share?

Here in my neck of the woods it rained all weekend, so outdoor adventures were impossible. I did make a trip to the local library to look for some craftbooks. Couldn't find anything interesting, but did walk away with some other reading material, a book by Dorothea Benton Frank - Return to Sullivans Island. So far I have enjoyed reading it and made it about half way through.

I also bake a cake this weekend and thought I would share this recipe with you. This great-looking Black Forest Cake is originally called Schwarzwaelder Kirschtorte. 

Ingredients:
===============
PASTRY:
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups (butter-) milk
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup Schwarzwaelder Kirschwasser (I used home-made cherry liquor)
FILLING:
1 cup sugar powder
1 pinch salt
1 can (0.5 liter) pitted cherries, drained
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon kirschwasser
TOPPING
1 square semisweet chocolate, or remaining crumbs

Cooking:
==========
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line the bottoms of two 8 inch round pans with parchment paper circles (since I didn't have such paper, I just greased the pans). Sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda and 1 teaspoon salt. Set aside.
Cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat well. Add vanilla. Add flour mixture, alternating with milk, beat until combined.
Pour into 2 round 8 inch pans. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Cool completely. Remove paper (if any) from under the cakes. Cut each layer in half, horizontally, making 4 layers total (as you can see from my picture, I chose not to cut the layers because they looked too fragile to cut them). Sprinkle layers with 1/2 cup Kirschwasser.
In a separate bowl, whip the cream to stiff peaks. Beat in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and 1 tablespoon Kirschwasser. Add sugar powder, and a pinch of salt. Beat again. Spread first layer of cake with 1/3 of the filling (use 1/2 of the filling if you have only 2 layers instead of 4). Top with 1/3 (2/3) of the cherries. Repeat with the remaining layer(s).
Frost top and sides of cake. Sprinkle with chocolate curls made by using a potato peeler on semisweet baking chocolate. Or you can use the remaining crumbs to sprinkle the sides of your Black Forest Cake.

Now don't you just want to pull up a chair, grab a good cup of coffee and share a piece with me? Wish you could.

My doggies weren't so happy over the weekend, as they don't like the rain and get very impatient when their playtime outdoors is interrupted. They quarreled like children, not even their toys could make them happy for long. Just to play around a little bit, I made a red crochet bandana for one of them. I thought it would look good over his black hair. When I put it on him, he wasn't a happy camper at all, but sat stiffly in the chair. Once he jumped of the chair, he did his utmost best to remove the bandana and his siblings tried to help him as well. It was fun to watch them in this activity. Here is a little pcture of him still wearing it.

 

Here now a little report on what I am currently working on:

1. colorful rounded ripple blanket for myself
   
2. blue and yellow ripple blanket - custom order
3. continues granny square blanket - family request
4. Alabama "Roll Tide" blanket - custom order
5. white shawl (picture on previous post and almost finished)

 

 

I also started working on some projects for Valentines Day. Here is a little preview. Will share more later.

Last, but not least I wanted to comment on one of the blogs I follow on a regular basis. You need to check out her wonderful photos. It's worth the trip there just for them, but she is also a wonderful storyteller. I think you will enjoy reading it as much as I do.

http://thegardenbell.blogspot.com

 

Well that's it for me for today. Getting ready to have another cup of java and get my day and it's regular routine going. Hope you all have a wonderful day and to see you soon.