Addendum to Mary Poppins

Hi Everyone,
Well, the show was super!  It wasn't just a remake of the movie, but added some very nice touches and musical pieces.  It was great fun!
In my last post, I mentioned that Providence Performing Arts Center is a most beautiful facility.  I found a virtual tour on their website, and am linking it here. 
Diana also took these pictures and I thought you might enjoy them.

Take care,
Barbara

Mary Poppins!

Hi Everyone,
When my daughter was really young, our favorite show to watch was the musical, "Mary Poppins."  Tomorrow, we are going to the Providence Performing Arts Center to see the stage performance of "Mary Poppins!"  We are so excited to finally see it live!  This is part of the Broadway series at PPAC.  If you haven't had the chance to go there, you owe it to yourself to see this amazing theater and some of the great stage productions done there.


Here are some pictures from the production:

Have a great day!
Barbara

Valintine's Day is Coming! Make your own beautiful rose arrangement!

Hi Everyone,
So, as we know, Valentine's day is just around the corner.  You don't need to spend all sorts of money to have a beautiful bouquet of roses to celebrate this romantic day.  All you need is a vase, some planting medium, a rose bush or 2 from AC Moore, some wired ribbon and a spirit of fun!

So, first, you will find that AC Moore has a fantastic display of flowers most times, but at Valentine's Day, they have lovely little rose bushes that can be cut apart and made into pretty arrangements.

To begin, cut with heavy wire cutters so that the roses, baby's breath and leaves are separated from the bush.

Cut a piece of the medium to fit inside the top of the vase.

Arrange the flowers, being careful to watch that all sides are equally balanced as you add flowers.  This is especially important if they are to be used in a window display or on a table.

When you are done, drape a wired ribbon around the vase, and make a bow.  You are done!

And while we are on the subject of artificial flowers, I had a brainstorm this year for my deck.  Here in Rhode Island, it is very cold in December, but not usually too cold to go outside.  During the holidays, my deck is a place where people go to talk, or if they smoke, to smoke outside the house.  I thought it might be a good thing to add some festivity to it this year, so I left the deck flower pots on the rail, purchased some bunches of silk pointsettias and cut some holly from the tree in the front yard.  The result was very enjoyable.  See for yourself!

Have a great day, and enjoy the romance of Valentine's Day!
Barbara

Springerle Cookies for Christmas

Hi Everyone,

Today I want to talk about the Springerle cookies that I made at Christmas.  Springerle are a molded cookie, German in origin.  These cookies are like little pieces of art, and many people say that they are just too beautiful to eat.  But then, once they take a bite, they are hooked!

These delicious, mostly anise flavored cookies can be made using individual molds, several molds on a block or using a roller, which is like a rolling pin, except that it is filled with images that make cookies.

My friend, Matthew Cox got me started on these wonderful Christmas delights, but I had some difficulty the first few years getting the dough just right.  This year, I went out to the House on the Hill website and Connie had posted, much to my delight, a tutorial for making springerle.  As I watched, I realized that almost everything I was doing was not quite right.  So, using her recipe, which is called, "Nini's Perfection Springerle," and following her technique, I was finally able to make these great cookies.

One of the great things about springerle is that they last for months, if kept in a well, sealed tin, and they improve with age, as the anise flavor grows.  They travel well, especially in the mail, and you will get rave reviews from your most staunch cookie critic!  Connie's grandmother's recipe is on the website, but is also available in a little brochure called, "Too Pretty to Eat," which can be sent to you in your order if you buy any of their products.

This is a typical mold for springerle cookies.  It is an oval with a lily of the valley in the center.  First, you flour the mold so the batter won't stick.  Then you press the mold into the rolled out dough.

Once that it done, you can see the impression when you carefully lift the mold from the dough.

Then you use a special oval cutter to make the cookie take shape around the mold imprint.

Once this is done, you remove the dough around the cookie and carefully pick up the cookie with a flat spatula, placing it on parchment to dry for up to 24 hours.

Once they are dry so that the cookies will not loose the impressions on the top, they are baked at a low heat in the oven and then cooled on cooling racks.  They are then stored in a sealed jar or tin for freshness.

I hope you enjoy looking at the evolution of these great cookies, and at some of the wonderful images on them.  This was one of the best things that I did during the holidays, and I plan to try some for other times of the year, too.

This last one is Symbols of the Brittish Isles.  The cookie was cut using a fluted cookie cutter.

 

 The Nativity always makes a nice image for Christmas cookies.

Try your hand at these unusual and lovely cookies.  I think you will be happy with the result!

Have a great day,

Barbara

Winter Gardening

Hi Everyone!
It has been a long time since I have added an entry, so I am hoping to make up for lost time!  The holidays are always hectic, but this year was unusually so, since our Dean at the Cathedral of Saint John has retired at the end of November, and there were a lot of things to do.
I am going to try to be more faithful to regular blogging this year, and here is one thing that has been going on in my world.

This morning, it is snowing here, with about 6 inches expected.  We can't complain, as this is the first real snowfall of the year and it's nearly February!  I love gardening, and I miss all the lovely summer plants in the yard and on the deck.  So here are some pictures of my Winter Garden.  Enjoy!

Have a great day,
Barbara

Hi Everyone!
Today I am posting another new wedding cake.  Dear friends and neighbors, Danielle and Jennifer were wed yesterday and I was priviledged to make their wedding cake.  Here is a picture:

Also, on another topic,  I am busy learning the newest novelty scarves, making some for my upcoming show in Rehoboth, MA.  The scarves are made with a new novelty yarn called, "Twilight."  It is a  type like "Rizos," which you see below.  It is done by knitting through strands on one side of the yarn.  I am including some pictures of my work so you can see it.  It is easy to do, once you get the hang of it!

 Here are a few pictures of my work:

  This one is another pattern. done in the same way, but has many large loops when finished, and is much more light and "flowy."  This pattern is called, "Triana."  You can find these novelty yarns and the patterns in many of your local yarn shops.  I found mine at "Knit One Purl Too," in Wakefield, Rhode Island and at "The Yarn Outlet" in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.

Have a nice week, and Happy Fall!!

Barbara

The National Cathedral and its damage in the earthquake

Hi Everyone,

So, it's been a while since I have posted, but I have pictures from The National Cathedral after the earthquake this morning and thought I would post them. The damage is certainly bad, but thank God that the damage didn't include any people getting hurt! Anyway, here they are: