Tuesday, July 30, 2013

The Ultimate Fruit Tart




  Have you tried the fruit tarts available in the bakery at Safeway? They are so yummy! I wanted to purchase one for a barbecue at our friends house, but when I saw the price, I decided I could make two of them for the price of one at Safeway.

First, I searched the Internet for a recipe that looked close to the ones at Safeway. I found what I was looking for from Betty Crocker. It's a recipe called Ultimate Fresh Fruit Tart.
I gathered the ingredients.



Refrigerator pie crusts, baker's chocolate, whipping cream, apricot jam, strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries
The crusts are baked and then cooled.

 You even get to see my not-too-clean oven.
Next, the baker's chocolate is melted and mixed with whipping cream.
The melted mixture is then spread into the bottom and up the sides of the crusts.



The chocolate coated crusts are then put into the refrigerator to cool.
The best part of these tarts is the custard filling that comes next. The custard is a typical egg yolk custard, made with corn starch and butter.



After 3 hours in the fridge, the custard is ready to be mixed with whipped cream and added to the chocolate coated crusts.
Then it is just a matter of putting the fruit on top of the custard and coating the whole thing with melted apricot jam.



An hour and a half in the refrigerator makes these ready to slice and enjoy. Soooo good!
Here is a link to the recipe: http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/the-ultimate-fresh-fruit-tart/549f8418-8b2b-48b5-86ee-8ee21bf1e2c8

Friday, July 26, 2013

An Evelyn Bag for My Mom



 This is another Evelyn Bag from ChrisW Designs. I made this one for my mom for her birthday.
It is only 2 weeks late, but I had to find the right hardware for it.

I really love how it turned out. I used decorator samples that I got from Joanne's for $1 a piece.

I used 4 different samples, and some faux leather for the handles and accents.


One of the things I like about it is how autumny it looks. I don't think that's a word, but I do like anything that reminds me of autumn. The colors in this bag are very reminiscent of autumn leaves.

This bag pattern is wonderful. It is the perfect sized bag and the instructions are super easy to follow.
With all the different pieces and sections, it is fun to try out different fabric combinations.



I even put a tag in to let my mom know I made it especially for her. 


Friday, July 5, 2013

Evelyn Handbag

The Evelyn Handbag is sewn from a pattern designed by ChrisW Designs at http://www.chriswdesigns.com.
The fabric is from the Hobby Lobby clearance bin. This is the most structured bag I have made to this point. It has feet and a hard bottom insert.
The directions provided with this pattern were great. Very easy to follow, and the pictures helped immensely.
The back zipper pocket installation was especially well described and I will use those directions to install other zipper pockets on other bags.
The inside pockets are great for carrying all the little necessities of life that are carried in all women's purses.
 
 








The side pockets have elastic and are the perfect size for an iPhone or other smart phone.
Some ideas for variations using this basic pattern have been bouncing around in my head, but I have to make a couple of bags as gifts for some dear friends, so those ideas will have to wait.