Tea on Tuesday

This is a delicious recipe that is nice to serve at a party. Most of the preparation is done a day ahead.

Baked Rum Pineapple

Recipe From "Enchanted Evenings" by John Hadamuscin

List of Ingredients

2 ripe medium pineapples (with the tops on)
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 TBSP. butter, softened
1/3 cup dark rum

Instructions

1 day ahead: Combine the molasses, brown sugar, cinnamon, butter and rum to form a paste. Chill. Remove from refrigerator 1/2 hour before using.

2 hours before your party: Cut the pineapples, including the leafy
tops, into quarters. Cut the core off. Cut the pinapple off of the
skin, and cut it into bit size slices. Return it to the shell.
Place the pineapples onto foil lined baking sheets and cover the
leafy tops with foil. Brush the pineapple pieces with the rum mixture. Cover with plastic until baking.

To bake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake the pineapple until glazed and brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Arrange on a platter with toothpicks, and serve warm.

TIP: Bake one pineapple at a time, because this is always eaten up quickly, and you will want to have more to serve later in the party.

Tea on Tuesday

Cranberry Tart

This stunning red tart is the perfect centerpiece for a holiday tea. You can make it using your favorite tart shell, or you can make a perfectly fine shell using a Pillsbury All-Ready Pie Crust. The filling is a snap to prepare, and you can make this 1 day before serving. Keep it chilled until 1/2 hour before your party.

List of Ingredients

One 10 inch tart shell, baked and cooled.
2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup cold water
Two 12 ounce packages of fresh cranberries
2 cups sugar
1 cup red currant jelly
2 TBSP. Kirsch or Brandy

Instructions

Rinse and drain the cranberries and remove any blemished berries. In a small bowl, soften the gelatin in the cold water. In a 3 quart heavy bottomed sauce pan, combine the berries, sugar, jelly and Kirsch (or brandy) and cook over LOW heat for 10 minutes, just until the cranberries are softened. Remove from the heat and let cool 5 minutes. Stir in the gelatin and cool completely. Pour into the tart shell and chill until firm. Keep chilled until 1/2 hour before serving.

COPYRIGHT 2000 - 2009 Invisible Loom and Craft, Renee's Tea Party, all rights reserved. Personal use only.

The Best Stitchers

May I highly recommend the Blind Stitchers Group at google group. They are an amazing group of knitters, crocheters, and a few loomers, too. The members are able to answer any question, and they are friendly and helpful as well.

http://groups.google.com/group/blindstitchers/

Bow on a Cloche

A sweet and simple hat.

Supplies:
Hat loom with 48 pegs
Small 12 peg loom, thumb loom, or 8 peg spool loom
1 skein bulky weight cotton yarn
Small amount of Contrast cotton yarn for brim (Cast on plus 6 rows)
1 skein wool/wool blend bulky yarn
(sample used Lion Nature’s Organic Cotton in Pecan and Strawberry, and Crystal Palace Cameo in White)
Crochet Hook
Loom Hook
Embroidery needle

Pattern notes:
The hat is e-wrap knit with two strands held as one strand. It is worked from the brim to the top in a simple e-wrap knit that allows the brim to curl. The brim is worked in the contrast cotton color, then the main color is used for the top of the hat and the bow. The wool is used for the hat, but not the bow.
Bow on a Cloche Pattern

Copyright 2009 - 2011 by Invisible Loom and Craft, all rights reserved. For personal use only.

Baktus Scarf for the Loom

Baktus Scarf for the Loom

Supplies:
Round or straight loom with at least 30 pegs ½” gauge
2 skeins WW yarn (sample used TLC Cotton blend in White) about 300 yards
2 skeins mohair (sample used Lily Chen Tribeca in white) about 300 yards
Loom hook
Crochet hook

Pattern notes:
The pattern is knit with one strand of each yarn held together as a single strand. It is worked as a flat panel. All knits are E-wrap knits. All increases and decreases are made on one side of the scarf only. Be sure to slip the end stitch before making the increases or decreases.
Baktus Scarf for the Loom Pattern
Copyright 2009- 2011 by Invisible Loom and Craft, all rights reserved. Personal use only

Vote for the Peppermint Tam

Voting has started at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Markman_Looms/ for the 2009 Holiday Patterns. You can come over and vote for the Peppermint Candy Tam and join the fun. The pattern is in the group contest files.

Dolly's Skating Cape

The American Girl Dolls are a favorite of Tween Girl, and Teen Girl when she thinks we are not looking. This is a little cape modeled by Lindsey, for her Winter skating outfit.

Dolly's Skating Cape

For an 18” doll, such as an American Girl Doll
Inspiration: The lovely doll clothes my grandmothers, Nettie and Doris, made for me. They sewed from scraps, or crocheted with leftovers for my dolls, and taught me to make the clothes as well. I sat below the sewing machine, sorting and tidying their baskets, while they worked on the family mending. When they finished, they made a little something for my dolls from the cuttings.

Supplies:
1/2 inch gauge loom with at least 30 pegs, Markman half gauge adjustable loom used in example, or a KK long loom with loom clips.

Bulky weight yarn (number 5) less than 1 skein [Wool of the Andes Bare used in example]
Small amount of trim yarn or ribbon [Lily Chin Tribeca in Red used in example]
Loom hook
Crochet hook

Pattern Notes:
The purl side is the “right” side for this cape, which is reversed to show the purl pattern, taking advantage of the bulky yarn. The capes bulky pattern is inspired by my teen girls, who love the patterns in the “Twinkle” knit pattern series. They are very bulky knits, and often made with the “wrong” side showing. They thought their dolls should be fashionably dressed in the same style knit wear they want.

Any decorative edging you prefer is fine, and will finish the cape off beautifully for your dolly and her doll!

Dolly's Skating Cape Pattern download now

Copyright 2009 - 2011 by Invisible Loom and Craft, All Rights Reserved. For Personal Use Only.

Tea on Tuesday

In honor of my Peppermint Candy Tam, my favorite Peppermint Cookies. We have had such nice weather, I still have a little peppermint growing in the garden.

Peppermint Shortbread

From "Along the Garden Path" by Bill and Sylvia Varney,

List of Ingredients:

12 TBSP. unsalted butter, softened
9 TBSP. sugar
1 1/2 TBSP. brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 tsp. peppermint extract
1 TBSP. finely chopped fresh peppermint leaves
1/8 tsp. salt
2 cups flour
Instructions
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.

In a mixer, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat
in the egg and extracts. Add the flour on low speed. Stir in the
peppermint leaves and salt.

Divide dough into three portions. Place on plastic wrap and roll into
cylinders 1 1/4 inch in diamenter. Wrap in plastic and chill until
firm. (1 hour)

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Unwrap dough and slice into 1/4" thick
slices. Rotate the cylinder to keep it round. Keep the slices even and
thin. They do not spread much, so you can place them close together on
the sheet. Bake for 8 - 10 minutes until the bottom edges are just
barely brown. Remove to rack to cool.

For cut out cookies, divide dough into three portions and place on a
large sheet of plastic wrap. Place another sheet on top and pat or
roll the dough out into a very thin sheet. Chill the sheets of dough
until firm, about 30 minutes. Remove and cut quickly with minature
cookie cutters. Bake 8 minutes - watch these little cookies can brown
very quickly. Remove immediately to rack and cool. For square cookies, shape logs with flat sides and chill and slice as above. This dough can be made and frozen unbaked. Thaw slightly in refrigerator before baking.

These little cookies are especially pretty in minature butterfly
shapes surrounding a piece of cake. Enjoy!

Copyright 2000 -2009 by Renee Van Hoy,Renee’s Tea Party, and Invisible Loom and Craft, All Rights Reserved. For Personel Use Only
All Rights Reserved.