Pickles!!! (Demonstration)

by Tracy Cook on 4/16/2024

May 4 is Pickling! This is a demonstration session at Dawn and Elisa’s home, so there’s nothing to bring. If you have an empty mason jar and lid, maybe bring that? But we will have extras. The main topic will be pickling cucumbers, since Dawn put in a BUNCH of cukes last year! We want to be ready for this year, as well. But cucumbers are not the only thing you can pickle. Okra, onions, all sorts of other yummy things from the garden - or from your produce department!

This is a new topic for us, so there will be many questions. Come get pickled with us!

Saturday, May 4, from 3:00-4:30 at Dawn and Elisa’s home. If you need the address, message me at cooking@uutapestry.com or text me, and I’ll send you the address. See you there!

So Much Fun!!!

by Tracy Cook on 4/9/2024

This weekend we held our annual Imposter Foods event up at the church. We had so much fun eating the delicious creations from everyone, and had great conversations. There was a LOT of laughing going on, as well! Thank you for all of you who participated. And, if you missed it because you were traveling to see the eclipse, no worries! You can attend next year’s event! 

Next month we will be pickling at Dawn and Elisa’s home. Bring a mason jar if you can, but if you don’t have one or you forget, there will be extras. May 4 from 3:00-4:30, see you then ❤️

Saturday’s Potluck-style Event!

by Tracy Cook on 4/1/2024

Howdy, Friends and Neighbors! This Saturday, from 3:00-4:30 up at church, we will be hosting an Imposter Foods Event. Don’t know what that is?! This picture is from one year where I brought “nachos”, a sweet offering for all of us. It was cinnamon sugar dusted chips, chocolate pudding ‘beans’, gummy candy ‘peppers’, ‘tomatoes’, and ‘guacamole’, coconut ‘lettuce’, frosting ‘cheese sauce’, and whipped cream ‘sour cream’. It was delicious! This year I’m bringing ‘hot dogs’, ‘bagels and cream cheese’, and something gluten-free which I haven’t decided. Megan has Something Blue for us! What are you going to bring?! Remember those leftover containers so you can take some home for later! 

See you Saturday ❤️

Imposter Foods on April 6 (Potluck-Style)

by Tracy Cook on 3/25/2024

In honor of April Fool’s Day, we are sharing Imposter Foods! Don’t know what that means?! Well, it could be food that looks like one thing but is actually something else: a ‘cake’ made out of meatloaf and frosted with mashed potatoes. Or it could look like it’s not food: a ‘grill’ that’s really made of cake! You can see what we shared last year by going to the Tapestry Facebook page and searching for Imposter Foods, or just go to Pinterest and search for Imposter Foods or April Fool’s Foods and get inspired! Saturday, April 6, at church from 3:00-4:30! This will be a potluck-style event, so bring your food already prepared and ready to eat. Remember those leftover containers so you can take some home for later, too!

Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting

by Tracy Cook on 3/18/2024

Howdy, Friends and Neighbors,

I’d like to announce our Cooking Group for a few weeks from now, April 6 from 3:00-4:30 up at the church. This will be a potluck-style event, Imposter Foods! Bring something that looks like something else, I’ll post some pictures next week.

But today, I wanted to share that absolutely delicious Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese frosting from the Cupcake Bake-Off! It was so YUMMY!

INGREDIENTS:

• One brick (8 ounces) of cream cheese, softened - I leave mine out overnight on the counter
• ½ cup butter, softened - same thing, leave it out overnight on the counter
• 4 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted - this is a pound of powdered sugar, if you’re wondering
• 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste - don’t use vanilla extract, it will water down your butter-cream cheese mixture, and it does NOT give the same flavor!

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Beat the cream cheese and butter together until they are fluffy and there are no more lumps. I turn my stand mixer on 8 and just let it go to town for about ten minutes, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
2. SLOWLY add the powdered sugar on LOW until it is all incorporated.
3. Stir in the vanilla bean paste.
4. Immediately frost your cooled cakes or cupcakes! This hardens pretty quickly and gets a nice “shell” on the top,
5. If you have any leftovers, you can store it tightly covered in the refrigerator. Or just eat it with a spoon, ahem...
   * You may also want to store it away from other things with a strong odor, like onions or garlic or whatnot, as this will absorb the stinky stuff overnight.

To bring the frosting back to its former glory, first allow it to come to room temperature and then whip it up again. You may need to add a splash of milk or whatever you use in your morning cuppa.