Flowers in Fashion

Jim & I went to the Philadelphia Flower Show on Thurs. The oldest flower show in the nation, it's held the first week of March every year, perfect timing for those of us who need a perk in the middle of the winter blahs.

This year the show's theme was Italy and sections of the country were represented with different exhibits. As usual, all of the show was crowded by the most popular exhibit was by far the Milan display. Fashion was the theme and it was amazing! The shoes were amazing!




Moss insoles anyone? Or maybe petal cushions?

I immediately tried to picture my friend Sandy Brawner in these boots! She's from TX. But the later in a different display, I saw this pair - lime green, DEFINITELY Sandy boots!

Funky flip flops with faces!

And perfect for a hot summer night out - hot ORANGE flip flops!

Ok, I like high heels but I don't think I could walk in either of these even without the flowers!

These remind me of the phrase - "killer heels"! They look like they'd be worn by somone dangerous . . .

How long did it take someone to glue all that inside?

And these black heels? Definitely Madi Gras footwear!

I'll post more pics next time.

Debbie

Baking

One of my favorite things to do besides sewing & quilting is baking. I love to bake and I love to eat what I bake! I like to bake a heck of alot more than I like to cook. Cooking and baking are two totally different things I believe. When I cook, it's usually because I have to, but when I bake, it's usually because I want to. I like to bake most anything - having to do with bread or desserts that is! And if it involves chocolate - all the better.

I bake alot of yeast breads - white, oatmeal, whole wheat, I love it all. I have a recipe from my Nana's Hood's Cookbook dated 1949 that I use to make rolls and I've adjusted most of my older recipes for my bread maker. I can hear those GASPS coming from all over. Yup, I use my trusty, old Hitachi Bread Maker to knead the dough and go through the first rising. Then I take out the dough, shape it however I want it, let it rise again and then bake it in the oven.

I am sure the baker purists out there are horrified (much like the hand quilters are horrified at the machine quilters!) Let me just say that I used to knead by hand, just like I USED to hand quilt but tendonitis in the elbow puts a damper on the kneading & my hands just go numb - I'm sure that's the Carpal Tunnel . . . The spirit is willing but the body is having some problems!

Let me also say, that this is not actually my Hitachi, it's the same model but mine is about 20 years old and it hasn't looked this good in at least 18 of those years . . . It's a hardworker and it shows! Just like I won't show you my sewing room - I won't show you my breadmaker!

So my machine does the hard part and I do the easy part, knead a little before the second rising, shape the dough, bake it and then EAT IT. The eating part I have down pat!

One of our holiday traditions is homemade cinnamon rolls. The kids are now old enough that the rolls come BEFORE the presents and then if there's any left, they come after too! My cinnamon roll recipe is out of Nana's cookbook. Somehow I have to scheme how I am going to get that out of my Mom's kitchen and into mine . . . .

Until next time.