This weekend I enjoyed a girlfriend getaway. I was able to enjoy a beautiful weekend at the Oregon Coast with my Beach Babe friends. I just had to share a few pictures of what we enjoyed this weekend – don’t drool on the keyboard!
Limoncello Cream Torte – we actually enjoyed this two days in a row – amazing!!! Anyone have a recipe for Limoncello Cream Torte to share? I want it!!
And then there was the yummy Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Pie.
And I didn’t get a picture of the amazing chocolate peanut butter pie we had too! We enjoyed these yummy treats at the Full Circle Cafe in Ocean Park, Washington. There is also a fun yarn shop attached to the cafe where we spent quite a bit of time too!
The title of this post is Pretty Pincushion not Pretty Desserts but it could be named that too!
One of my life philosophies is, if you have to have something, it might as well be pretty. For years I have always used one of those standard, boring red tomato or is it a strawberry shaped pin cushion – you know the one I’m talking about. Not too pretty is it….
Well, a few weeks ago it was my friend Meg’s birthday. I had seen this pattern for a pretty pincushion on a quilting blog I visit. I decided to make Meg a pretty pincushion.
Isn’t it cute!? But it looked a little lonely all by itself so I decided it needed a friend and I needed a pretty pin cushion so I made another one. One for Meg and one for me.
I have two costumes to make for Tessa for the school play she is in (She is Miss Minchin in Little Princess) so I am going to enjoy using my pretty pincushion a lot this week!
If you live in the Portland area and want a fun theater experience you might want to check out the Westview High School production of Little Princess. Westview does an amazing job with their productions. The show will run Oct. 22, 23 and 24th. There will even be a tea party on Saturday that you can buy tickets to – enjoy some yummy tea party treats (prepared by me!) and meet some of the characters from the show! A perfect mommy or daddy/daughter date. Boys can come too!
Email me or leave a comment if you’d like more information on getting tickets.
What a cute pincushion. I’ve made the Sweet Lullaby quilt from Cotton Quilt and it’s one of my favorite baby quilts. It was very easy to sew too.
How cute the pin cushion is! I’m sure Meg loved it! Glad you had a nice get away weekend. How fun! The treats look so good too!
I would love further information on getting tickets for the play. We live in Sherwood and have two daughters aged 6 and 8 that would love to see the production.
Thanks!
I just googled Limoncello Cream Torte and came across a few that look pretty good. Cheesecake Factory has a pretty yummy one and a similar recipe is online.
I would love the pattern for the pincushion. It is so cute and it looks easy. Thanks Leigh Anne
cute pincushion! And…it looks pretty quick. I have a couple other pincushion patterns if you get in the mood for another one.
Hey Leigh Anne,
The Olive Garden has a yummy lemon cream cake and this is the Todd Wilbur “Top Secret Recipes” version. It was printed in the Chicago Sun Times. I haven’t tried this recipe (although I have eaten the cake at the restaurant and I love it), but the components look like they would be yummy, easy to put together and you could play with it if you wanted. Personally, I think the filling he has here would be enhanced with the addition of a high quality lemon curd. Or you could create a new filling using lemon curd, cream cheese and melted white chocolate–with or with out whipped cream folded in. I really like the crumb/streusel topping, but the photo of yours looked like it doesn’t have any and it could certainly be left off. You are insanely talented in the kitchen and, after all, lemons are your specialty. I can’t wait to see what you do!
‘Top Secret’ version of Olive Garden lemon cream cake
August 7, 2007
MAKES 12 SERVINGS
I like simple. So, to keep this clone as uncomplicated as possible, I’ve designed the recipe using a common white cake mix. I picked the Betty Crocker brand, but any white cake mix will do. Just note that each brand (Duncan Hines, Pillsbury, etc.) requires slightly different measurements of additional ingredients (oil, eggs). Follow the directions on the box for mixing the batter; then pour it into a greased 10-inch springform pan and bake until done. The filling recipe is a no-brainer and the crumb topping is a cinch. When your cake is assembled, stick it in the fridge for a few hours, and soon you’ll be serving up 12 cloned slices of the addictive Olive Garden dessert.
CAKE
1 18.25-ounce box Betty Crocker white cake mix
1?206-140? cups water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 egg whites
LEMON CREAM FILLING
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup heavy whipping cream
VANILLA CRUMB TOPPING
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup powdered sugar
?206-140? cup cold butter
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Confectioners’ sugar, for garnish
Make white cake using water, oil and egg whites and following directions on the box. Pour batter into a greased 10-inch cake pan or springform pan, and bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes. Allow cake to cool completely when it comes out of oven.
Make lemon cream filling by mixing cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Mix in lemon juice. Whip cream in a large bowl with electric mixer on high speed until it forms stiff peaks. Fold cream cheese mixture with whipped cream. Stir gently by hand until blended.
Make crumb topping by combining flour and confectioners’ sugar in medium bowl. Add butter and dribble in the vanilla extract. Use your hands to mix cold butter into flour and sugar. Break butter into smaller and smaller pieces as you incorporate it into the dry ingredients. Be sure not to press the mixture together. You want to end up with a very crumbly consistency with pieces no bigger than a pea. (If you have trouble making small crumbs, pop the bowl into your fridge for a few minutes.) Chill this crumb topping until you are ready to use it.
When the cake is cool, slice it in half horizontally through the middle and remove the top. When the cake is cool, slice it in half through the middle and remove the top. Spread all but ½ cup of the lemon cream mixture onto the bottom half of the cake, then carefully replace the top half of the cake.
Spread the remaining ½ cup of cream filling over the top and sides of the cake. Sprinkle the crumb topping on top of the cake and press it onto the sides all the way around the cake. Now chill the cake for at least 3 hours before serving. When you are ready to dig in, slice cake into 12 slices. Serve each slice topped with confectioners’ sugar tapped through a strainer.
From Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 2 by Todd Wilbur
Nutrition facts per serving: 490 calories, 25 g fat, 10 g saturated fat, 44 mg cholesterol, 63 g carbohydrates, 5g protein, 383 mg sodium, 0 g fiber
Great looking desserts! I need a good limoncello recipe!
I wish I could see the play! My little step-sister is in it as well. I loved that book when I was a girl
I would love ticket information for the play. My girls and I could use a good girly date.
Cute pin cushion! My mom has started making the cupcake pincushions as b-day gifts for her friends. Who doesn’t love a cute pin cushion!!!!