First Post

I've been thinking about starting a blog for some time now, and have decided that my 30th birthday is a good time to do it.  I'm not sure how often I'll post, as I'm mostly trying to record completed items.  Having a blog to post them on means I might actually remember to take pictures of things before gifting them!  Primarily, I'll be posting finished quilts and quilts in progress, but will also post my baking adventures and possibly knitting projects.

I've been making my own birthday cakes since I was around twelve, and have continued to do so.  I make cakes for my immediate family too.  My family knows that they can request whatever cake they want for their birthday (within reason - it's a birthday not a wedding), and I will make it.  One sister tends to find the cake she wants months in advance, and sends me a link on facebook with the message "I think you should make this" and usually I do.  I will post that cake later.  The other sister is less particular and only requested "tasty".  I ended up giving her a few options and she went with homemade carrot cake and cream cheese icing.  Since her birthday is two days before mine, we had just finished off her cake and I didn't want another large cake just yet.  We had pick your own strawberries from the CSA yesterday, and I wanted to make a strawberry tart for my birthday.

Birthday Strawberry Tart

I'm not going to write up the recipe, but it's Dorie Greenspan via Smitten Kitchen. The recipes I used were "The Great Unshrinkable Sweet Tart Shell" (using the press in the tart shell method) and "Strawberry Tart".  Originally I was going to split it into four small tarts, but I was assured we would eat it if I made it in my 9" tart pan.  It was tasty.  There is one slice left.