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Christmas Quilt

Something about being a mom convinced me that I needed to make a Christmas quilt for my growing family. You know, wrapped in it's warmth, sipping hot cocoa, listening to sounds of the crackling yule log on cable.

Usually, Christmas fabrics don't do it for me, but this line from Michael Miller couldn't be more full of classy yuletide style!

I did randomly colored wonky stars with a pure white background. I may or may not finish quilting this before Christmas...chances are very slim, but it IS the season of hope!

Scandinavian Almond Cake

Have you ever had the pleasure of indulging in a slice of Scandinavian Almond Cake? No? So sad. So unfortunate. You've really got to try it. It's light, it's subtle, it's perfection.

The recipe is beyond simple and all you need is this handy-dandy pan that you can find in any Scandinavian boutique. You can also get it here if you're prone to online shopping. I'd send you to this link first - the BEST Swedish store ever - but their online store is under construction. If you live in Chicago, you need to find some time to get yourself to The Sweden Shop in Albany Park. It's a dream-world full of tomtes, clogs, dala horses, and Marimekko.

In addition to the almond cake pan (and some Andy Williams Christmas music playing in the background), you'll need some basics: flour, baking powder, sugar, an egg, milk, almond extract, and butter.

Two things you don't want to go through the holiday season without are almond extract and butter. Let's be honest: almond extract is like liquid gold. Every drop is a blessing from above. Extracts were buy one get one free the other night at Jewel-Osco, so I jumped on it. If you're saying to yourself, "Duh...why would I buy almond extract for just this one recipe?," I'll say in response to you that you'll most likely want to make this cake again, and I'll also ask if you remember the recipe I posted for Almond Chex Mix last year.

The recipe is below and all you really need to remember is to be sure that you let the cake cool completely before you try and release it from the pan. Don't get any bright ideas here...you can't rush perfection. Enjoy!

Scandinavian Almond Cake
1. Spray pan with Pam or cooking spray.
2. Beat well 1 1/4 cup sugar, 1 egg, 1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract and 2/3 cup milk.
3. Add 1 1/4 cup flour and 1/2 teaspoon baking powder.
4. Add 1 stick melted butter.
5. Mix well.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes. Edges must be golden brown. Cool completely in pan before removing. Cake will break if removed too soon. Sprinkle with confectionery sugar.