I’ve just returned from a great trip to Texas. I started in Midland, Texas. The home of Laura Bush. Her mother still lives in Midland. If I got the story correct President and Barbara Bush also lived there for several years, along with their children. But, enough about politics! I was there to work with the Midland Quilters Guild, www.midlandquiltersguild.com
Mary Hanel was my contact person for the Midland guild. She picked me up at the airport and we then went out for Mexican cuisine. I love Mexican food and lets just say it’s better in Texas than in Pennsylvania. Another night we went out for Mexican and I had an avocado enchilada that was to die for. I say this all the time….quilters know where to find fabric and food. Excellent combination. One night some of the ladies from the guild took me to a Japanese restaurant. And unlike my trip to Maryland when we went for Japanese….this time I remembered my camera! This restaurant was just like the one I had been to in Maryland a couple of weeks ago. The chef cooks right at your table. And the food is really good and really fresh.
Here is the chef making my grilled vegetables and noodles. In addition to cooking the chefs show off some of their knife skills which are really fun to watch. This chef actually played basketball with each person at his table. He shot a small ball of rice into each persons mouth! Very funny.
One of the things I had forgotten……… several years ago the Midland Quilt Guild had asked for permission to use my Midnight Floral Fantasy quilt pattern for there raffle quilt. Well, the same thing happened with the Midland guild that happened in my guild when we used this quilt for our fund raiser. A guild member won the quilt. That hardly ever happens in our guild and the Midland guild said the same thing. Here is a photo of me and the quilt winner, Pam Simmons. Pam was kind enough to bring the quilt to the lecture so I could take a photo of it. Thanks for sharing Pam. The quilt looks fabulous.
Next I had to fly to Dallas to get to San Antonio. The airlines are strange but what are you gonna do? Gail Dentler from the Quilt Guild of Greater Victoria was nice enough to drive from Victoria to San Antonio to pick me up because I could not get a good flight time into Victoria. I did not take any pictures while in Victoria. Sometimes I get so wrapped up in teaching and talking with the students that I forget to take photos. Not taking photos does not mean I did not have a good time. I had a great time in Victoria! I had been to Victoria a long time ago. So long, that I had forgotten I had been there until I walked into the church where they hold their meetings. I remembered being in their meeting room. To learn more about this great guild go to: www.quiltguildvictoria.org . This guild did something a little different for lunch. They have guild members who are not taking the workshop provide lunch. A guild member or several members will make food and bring it for the workshop participants. The food was excellent both days. And there was a lot to choose from. The first day Jean Dean made a coconut cake that was to die for. It melted in my mouth. Jean was nice enough to allow me to share her recipe.
Coconut Cake recipe by Jean Dean
5 eggs
1/2 cup milk
2 cups sugar
8 ounces Baker’s Flake coconut
1 cup oil
1 teaspoon coconut flavoring
2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare an angle food pan or bundt pan with Crisco and flour. Cream eggs, sugar and oil. Mix dry ingredients together in a separate bowl. Alternately add milk and dry ingredients to the egg, sugar and oil mixture. Mix well. Add flavorings and coconut. Pour mixture in prepared pan and bake for 1 hour.
While cake is baking prepare the glaze:
In a small saucepan put 1/2 cup water, 1 cup sugar, 1/4 cup butter. Bring to a boil and then set off heat. Add 1 t. coconut flavoring and 1 t. vanilla.
When cake is finished baking, bring glaze back to boiling, and while cake is hot, punch holes with a skewer all over cake in pan and pour glaze over cake. Let cake cool completely before attempting to take out of pan. Wrap tightly in Saran Wrap and then in foil. This method of storage is recommended over storing in a covered cake pan. This cake freezers well.
Jean says she hopes you all enjoy this cake as much as her family.
I’m home for a week and next week I’m off to Fort Wayne, Indiana the first part of the week and New Jersey later that same week. It’s gonna be a hectic week.