A little girl named Cora, who was just over a week younger than my baby Capri, passed away recently from cancer.  To read more about her story please go to:

http://themcclenahans.blogspot.com

AND

http://corapaige.blogspot.com

Many etsian sellers have decided to sell specific items whose profit will go directly towards a playground in Cora’s name.  I could not hear this story and see pictures of this family and not imagine what I would hope other’s would do if I where in this situation.  I have chosen five adorable onesies to donate their proceeds to this amazing cause.

Snails & Butterflies

 

 

 

 

Starry Dusk

 

 

 

 

 

Cotton Candy

 

 

 

 

 

Beautiful Rose

 

 

 

 

 

Horizon

 

 

 

 

 

 

100% of all proceeds from these listings goes directly to:
CORA  PAIGE PLAYGROUND FUND

To find links to more shops participating in this fundraiser please go to:

http://thesefavoritethings.blogspot.com/2007/01/coras-playground-etsy-benefit-sale.html

Thank you.

I know! I can’t believe it either! My baby girl is one today! In remembrance of that special day I’m going to take a little look back…

February 24th, 2008

I woke up that morning extremely uncomfortable because I was ridiculously pregnant and baby girl was hanging out with her feet jammed under my ribs. Also, today was my due date and baby had not dropped…I was NEVER going to have her. Jared knew I was not in a good mood so he said he would watch Cedi while I went and sewed a bit…sewing relaxed me.

My mother-in-law, sister-in-law, and I had decided to make a quilt for Katrina’s wedding (Barb’s daughter). Karma had just gotten me her blocks the day before and I decided I would try to get my portion done since I knew that once baby did decide to come I wouldn’t have much time for sewing. I ended up finishing my part in the quilt that morning.

I think Karma called me around 1:00 to wish me “Happy Due-Date.” I responded with, “Shut Up, this baby is never coming.” Around 2ish I felt something weird…but wasn’t quite sure what it was (I was induced with Cedi and once I started contracting I pretty much had my baby-so I wasn’t really sure what contractions felt like). Cedi was napping so I told Jared that we should do the bills while she was down.

I decided to take a shower. When I got out I realized that my contractions were really close together. I told Jared he should call his parents…we needed to go to the hospital.

I think we arrived at the hospital around 4 or 4:30. Jared said that the roads were the best they had been all winter. (thank goodness!) I felt like I was in Triage forever before they finally got me my own room. All I wanted was an epidural.

My doctor got to the hospital pretty quickly…it was her first anniversary and I tore her away from their dinner (sorry but thanks!). All I wanted was an epidural. My doctor ordered one for me as soon as she got there but she knew my labor would probably be short. They called to say the epidural would be there in fifteen minutes. I made Jared tell me the time so I could try to keep track. Thirty minutes later and 8 cm I had given up all hope. I even looked at my doctor and said, “This is going to be you in three months!” (she was pregnant too…)

But, miracles upon miracles, the anesthesiologist arrived right then. Stuck an insanely large needle in my back while I was having contractions (I had to sit absolutely still, but it really helped me deal with the pain by having something to focus on). It started to work pretty much right away. I had them put the Oscars on. They told me that a lot of women like to wait and rest before they start pushing. I said, “Let’s just get her out.” Fifteen minutes later (at 8:16pm), my beautiful baby girl, Capri, joined us. She was 8lbs 1oz and 21-inches of absolute perfection!

Happy Birthday my beautiful and sweet baby girl!

Cedi (at 15 mo) meets her baby sis for the first time!

And here we both are…exactly ONE year later! Happy Birthday Capri!

The Dedication to Apple-tizing Recipes from Lapacek’s Orchard reads as follows:

This book is dedicated to my[Diane’s] mother, Iva Donahoe. I dug to the bottom of my recipe drawer looking for more recipes to test for use in this book. There, in the very back corner, I found a small notebook of handwritten apple recipes that Mom had given me when we first planted apple trees back in the early eighties. Thanks, Mom, for still being here besides me.

Apple Danish Pastry Bars

2 1/2 c. flour

1 tsp. salt

1 c. shortening

1 egg, separated

milk

1 c. crushed corn flakes

8-10 peeled apples

1 c. sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

Blend flour, salt, and shortening. Beat egg yolk and add milk until you have 2/3 cups. Add to above. Mix well. Divide dough. Roll 1/2 out thin and put on cookie sheet. Sprinkle with crushed cornflakes. Mix apples, sugar, and cinnamon and pour over cornflakes. Roll other 1/2 of pastry thin and place on top. Brush with slightly beaten egg white. Bake at 400-degrees for 30 minutes. Frost with thin powdered sugar glaze.

I’ve never actually had this recipe but it looks absolutely delicious…maybe Diane will want to make it sometime (wink, wink)!

We are starting to put together some ideas for upcoming apple seasons. I've put up a poll on this blog and a different one on my other blog, www.kimscraftyapple.blogspot.com to try to get some feedback. Please take a minute to answer both of these polls...who knows, maybe we'll get enough positive feedback we'll try something new!? like cider donuts...yummm...

My sitter just called to let me know that she just had an anatomy lesson with my daughter. She was changing a little boys' diaper and my daughter (Cedi) asked what "that" was. My sitter explained to her that it was a penis and only boys and men have them...not girls. So she asked, does mommy have one, "No", Capri, "No", Daddy? "No...he has a wiener!"

I almost forgot to post Sunday's recipe! But, luckily for you I didn't! The recipe I chose to post today is one that my mom and aunt's all RAVE about. (Did I mention that I have 17 aunt's...)

It is Kathryn Lapacek's (my grandma-in-law) French Apple Pie

Crust
1 1/2 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. sugar
1/2 c. oil
2 T. cold milk

Mix flour, salt, and sugar together in pie pan. Add oil and cold milk to flour mixture. Stir together with fork and hands. Press into pan to form crust.

Filling
6 c. apple slices
1/2 c. sugar
3 T. flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
dash salt

Mix ingredients together and put in crust.

Topping
3/4 c. flour
1/2 c. butter
1/3 c. brown sugar

Mix ingredients until crumbly. Bake 50 minutes at 425-degrees. Cover with foil the last 10 minutes if top browns too quickly.

Recipe Note: Best served warm

Grandma Lapacek is an amazing cook and baker. This pie is delicious! Also, I just wanted to give her a shout-out for winning the chili cook off at her residence this past week. Seventeen different people entered and hers won hands-down! Congratulations Grandma!

This recipe, along with 100 other's can be found in our "Apple-tizing Recipe's" for sale in the fall at Lapacek's Orchard or available year round at my etsy site!

***NOTE!*** Registration is OPEN for the 2012 Dyeing Workshop: http://www.quiltsbybarb.com/2011handdyeingworkshop.htm*** Yup! It's time to get ready for the 2009 Summer Dyeing Workshop Sponsored by Quilts By Barb!

Once again it will be held a Lapacek's Orchard in Poynette, WI. Hopefully we will have a wonderful and gorgeous day for dyeing and will be able to do it out in the sun and on the lawn...otherwise we'll be in the spacious shed.

All of the details on the dying day can be found at: http://merr.com/users/lapacek/dyeing_day.htm or just go to http://www.lapaceksorchard.com/ and click on the '2009 summer dyeing workshop' link.

I'm going to use this blog to tell you a little bit about how the day actually goes, show you examples of things you can accomplish in one day, post pictures of quilts we have made from our hand-dyed fabrics, give you ideas for clothing dyeing options, and hopefully we'll hear from some people that have attended the workshop in the past!

Today I'll tell you about what you can expect in the morning (I'm hoping Diane will comment to let me know if I am accurate or forgetting something).

When you arrive at the orchard you will sign in and pick up your 'kit' for the day. We will have a small 'shop' set up with more pfd fabric, articles of clothing, dyeing supplies for you to take home, etc, that you will be able to look through as you eat your muffin or donut (not sure what we'll have just yet...I'll keep you posted).

APPLESAUCE! APPLESAUCE! APPLESAUCE!

Make sure to stop by this fall to get a jar to try out for yourself!

Yeah! I've remember three weeks in a row now! I'm getting good! Here's your recipe for today:

Apple Crisp Parfait from Apple-tizing Recipes!
by Kim Lapacek (aka ME!)

1 c. rolled oats
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
4 T. butter, melted
3 c. apples, sliced and peeled
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 T. Spumante Champagne (or lemon juice, but not as fun because you can drink the rest of the champagne after you open the bottle for this dessert!)
1 qt. Vanilla ice cream

In an 8x8x2-inch baking pan, combine oats, brown sugar, and butter. Bake in 350-degree oven for 10 minutes (mixture will be soft). Cool and crumble. Mix apples, second 1/2 cup of brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon and champagne. Microwave on high for 2 minutes, stirring half-way through. Divide apple mixture among 8 parfait glasses. Top with slightly softened ice cream and crumble oat mixture.

Makes 8 services

This is one of my FAVORITES!

Are you getting to that time that you wish you could stop by Lapacek's Orchard and pick up some new earrings or a bracelet? Well, I'm here to tell you that I will be at Capri Gallery in Poynette tomorrow, February 7th, from 1 until 4 for a 'meet the artist' special.

I will be there to answer any questions people may have and I may just be working on a few new projects myself. Stop by to say Hi and see what's going on. There will be other local artists to meet as well!

Hope to see you tomorrow!

Tonight, Cedi and I were watching 'The Little Mermaid' and we asked Pappa Daddy (Jared) to get us each a piece of string cheese since he was over in the kitchen. He came about four-feet from us and then tossed me the string cheese. I have no hand-eye coordination so obviously I didn't catch them both.

One of the string cheeses' amazingly fell in the crack of our sofa that is next to impossible to retrieve things from (we've already pulled a few upholstery staples out to retrieve the remote). Now the fun began. Of course, the string cheese was not reachable at first (but we did find our missing DVD remote!). Jared decided he would lift the other end of the couch up to shake the cheese over the side more...in doing this he knocked over our lamp which proceeded to shatter all over the floor. I immediately grabbed both the girls and held them clothes while Jared stopped his search for the string cheese and swept the glassy mess up....I then handed the girls to him while I vaccuumed-just in case (glad I did).

One more lift of the couch and the string cheese has been found!

When Pappa Daddy (Jared) gave the almost lost cheese stick to Cedi, her response was, "I don't want this cheese."

A perfect ending to a fun search! We had to laugh.

I almost forgot to post Sunday's Recipe! But I didn't...here you are:

Caramel Apple Bars
by Karma Lapacek

Crust
3/4 c. butter or margarine
1 c. packed brown sugar
1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. oatmeal
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 c. chopped pecans, optional

Cream butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Add flour, oatmeal, salt, and baking soda. Mix well. Stir in pecans. Set aside 2 cups. Press remaining oat mixture into bottom of ungreased 13x9x2-inch baking pan.

Filling
4 1/2 c. coarsely chopped, peeled apples
3 T. all-purpose flour
1 (14-oz.) pkg. caramels
3 T. butter or margarine

Toss apples with flour. Spoon over crust. Melt caramels and butter over low heat. Drizzle over apples. Top with reserved crust mixture. Bake at 400^F for 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool before cutting into bars. Yield: 15-20 servings.

This recipe is taken from 'Apple-tizing Recipes' from Lapacek's Orchard. It can be purchased at my etsy store... www.kimscraftyapple.etsy.com year round or during apple season at the orchard. We are starting to run low on supplies and will soon be publishing a new cookbook. Make sure you don't miss out on this wonderful cookbook (over 100 apple recipes and we've recieved A LOT of wonderful feedback!).