What a great weekend! We celebrated my youngest sons 3rd birthday yesterday & today. And I'm sure the celebrations will continue through the week! Untill we see my family -Boy do we love to celebrate.
Today we went wine tasting with our best friends! I have a lot of pictures to post but I'm having technical deficulties... My computer is with my IT guy for a few more days and I'm working off my kids computer...ugh! So bear with me.

The Art & Wine festival was a sucess overall... It was 110 degrees on Saturday. The traffice was slow but, Sunday was much better. I was happy with the sales and I've had quite a few orders and lots of potentials!
I appreciate my sister (who always helps me) friends, and dads who came out to see  & help me- even in the hot heat! You guys are great!
I even won second place out of all the vendor booths! I'll post pictures soon!

Some new glass blocks

Hello!I finished up some glass blocks over the weekend. I ordered several different sizes to see how they'd look. My DH drilled holes in the top and I placed wine corks, shells and some other things inside them. I hope you like them.

Brentwood Art & Wine Festival Aug 29-30

I am still struggling with dark pictures- lack of a flash... So, please bare with my dark pictures. I've been working my hiney off getting ready for my 1st public event. I've done some boutiques but never an Art & Wine Festival. I'll be uploading some new glass blocks tomorrow in the mean time here are the Fesitval details.

Here in town! Brentwood California.
Aug. 29-30th from 10:00am- 7:00pm (long day for me)
If you'd like additonal details please contact me via email.
DapSchrader@aol.com
Thank you!

New tiles for an Art & Wine show

I had a busy day. Every year in Aug. my side of the family goes to Sardine Lake for a week of just being a family. This year, my dad and sister took my youngest son Ben (who's 2-1/2) a few days early. I'm going tomorrow with my 2 older sons. In the mean time I completed 47 tiles this weekend! Here are just a few. I hope you like them.

Paradise Beach Bread

Every July we take a family trip with our close friends to Capitola Beach. We always enjoy a nice dinner at Paradice Beach. One of our favorites is this bread dish- my husband caled the chef and recieved the list of ingredients. I've learned "more is better"!

Preheat oven to 350

Mix the following together:
Smoked Gouda cheese -shredded
Mozzarella cheese- shredded
Chopped parsley
Shallots
Green onions -chopped
EVOO –-Extra virgin olive oil

Score a bread bowl with a serrated knife. Providing openings for the cheese mixture.

Using a spoon- put the cheese mixture into the cuts of bread.
Top with additional EVOO

Bake for 15-20 minutes –until brown

Toffee Carmel Cheesecake

This is our awesome dad, my sister Dawn & I.
Notice Gina's missing... we need to update our dad pictures!

My dad loves cheesecake and anything with carmel. So, a few years ago I made this for Thanksgiving and it's been a hit ever since!

Gingersnap crust
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1 1/2 cups ground gingersnap cookies (about 7 1/4 ounces)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons (packed) golden brown sugar

Cheesecake
4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, melted
5 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Caramel topping –If you don’t have time, use pre-made ice cream topping
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 cup heavy whipping cream
4 1.4-ounce English toffee candy bars (such as Heath or Skor), chopped


For gingersnap crust:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom of 9-inch springform pan with 2 1/2-inch-high sides with nonstick spray. Stir ground cookies, butter, and sugar in medium bowl until moist clumps form. Press cookie mixture firmly onto bottom of prepared pan. Wrap outside of pan with 3 layers of heavy-duty foil. Bake crust until firm and beginning to darken, about 14 minutes. Cool crust. Maintain oven temperature.
* Short on time or ingred.? -Use a sleeve of gram crackers, a few tablespoons of butter & 2 tablespoons of sugar. Mix & bake.

For cheesecake:
Beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until smooth. Beat in butter, then eggs, 1 at a time, until just blended. Beat in vanilla. Pour batter over crust in pan. Place springform pan in large roasting pan. Add enough hot water to come halfway up sides of springform pan. Bake cake uncovered until filling is puffed around edges and moves slightly in center when pan is gently shaken, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Remove pan from water; remove foil. Place hot cheesecake uncovered in refrigerator overnight.

For caramel topping:
Stir sugar, water, and lemon juice in large saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat; boil without stirring until mixture turns deep amber, occasionally swirling pan and brushing down sides with wet pastry brush, about 9 minutes. Add cream (mixture will bubble). Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until reduced to 1 1/4 cups, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Chill until thickened but still pourable, about 15 minutes.
Spoon caramel over top of cake just to edges (do not allow caramel to drip down sides). Garnish top edges with chopped English toffee. Chill at least 2 hours and up to 6 hours. Run knife around pan sides to loosen cake; release pan sides.

Makes 10 to 12 servings.

Lemon Twist Cake

My favorite dessert is from Consentinos bakery in Campbell Ca. This is a similar recipe. It’s a little time consuming but it’s so-very-good nad can be made a day or two ahead.
Especially good with white chocolate shavings on top. Yum!!


CURD:
8 large egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons (packed) grated lemon peel
1/8 teaspoon salt
Strawberries w/ sugar


FOR CURD: Whisk all ingredients in heavy medium saucepan to blend. Cook over medium-low heat until curd thickens and candy thermometer registers 170 F, stirring constantly, about 7 minutes (do not boil). Pour curd into small bowl. Press plastic wrap onto surface. Chill at least 1 day and up to 3 days

FOR FROSTING: Bring 3/4 cup cream to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and salt; stir until smooth. Transfer frosting base to bowl. Cover; chill overnight.

Cake Ingr.
3-1/2 cups cake flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/4 cups (2-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar, divided
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1-1/2 cups whole milk
8 large egg whites

FOR CAKE: Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter and flour three 9-inch-diameter cake pan with 1-1/2 inch high sides. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Gradually add 1-3/4 cups sugar, beating until well blended. Beat in vanilla and lemon peel. Beat in flour mixture alternately with milk in 3 additions each. Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites in another large bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar, beating until stiff but not dry. Fold whites into batter in 3 additions. Divide batter among prepared pans

Bake cakes until golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 15 minutes. Cut around pan sides and turn cakes out onto racks. Turn cakes right side up and cool completely.
–Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap tight in parchment paper, foil & place in a plastic (garbage bag) and store @ room temp.

Using serrated knife cut off maundered tops of cake layers to level. Place 1 cake layer on platter, trimmed side up. Mix Strawberries w/ sugar and set aside for several minutes. Spread with half of lemon curd & top berries on the curd. Top with second cake layer, trimmed side up. Spread with remaining lemon curd. Top with third cake layer, trimmed side down.

Whisk remaining 1-3/4 cups chilled cream into frosting base to loosen. Using electric mixer beat until frosting holds stiff peaks. Spread frosting over top and sides of cake, Chill until frosting is firm, at least 3 hours.