New Blog is BEAUTIFUL

My oldest daughter has just launched my new BEAUTIFUL blog…I cannot thank her enough for all her hard work!  As she told you earlier you will need to go here and change your bookmark!

I am so excited!  Let me know what you think of the new look!

Moving on up

Hi everybody! This is Jessica, Susan’s oldest daughter.

We are in the process of moving Mom’s blog to new hosting (with a new design!) . For the most part this should be a painless process for everyone but a couple of things to keep in mind:

• Because we are moving her to independant hosting, notquitejunecleaver.wordpress.com will no longer be used. So if you are using that address for any links, bookmarks, or feeds those will have to be updated. However, if you are using notquitejunecleaver.com, you should be fine as soon as the domain has had to time to repropagate.
• I have already done a final export of all the posts and comments here, so any comments hereafter will not make it to the new site. However, as far as I know, Mom will still be getting the email notices, so if, for some reason, you just can’t wait and don’t mind it not showing up on the new site, feel free to comment.
• If, for some unforeseeable reason, you are still getting this website when trying to go to notquitejunecleaver.com at the end of the weekend, please let us know.

I think that’s it, if you have any other questions or concerns, you can find Mom’s email address by clicking on the Email tab at the top of this page.

Friday Baking with NotQuiteJuneCleaver Recipes for August 7- August 14

This upcoming is a very VERY special week for me.  It is the week of my 50th birthay.  Next Friday at 3:11 p.m. I will be 50 years old.  Five decades.  Half a century.  18, 262 days.  Admittedly, I am pretty stoked about it.  One little problem.  My husband will not be home (imagine my very sad face) but we will celebrate when he gets back. My gift from him will be here about the time he is.  I know what it is, not a surprise, something we have talked about for quite a while,  but WOW what a great gift!

Pretty cool huh?  Okay…enough of all that.

Now to the recipes. If you can’t find the answers to any questions you might have on the Friday Baking page (tab at the top) then please email me.  The deadline for getting your name in for this past week’s challenge is 8 am today. I decide to post only one recipe this week.  My favorite cake.  I thought we could all  celebrate my birthday with a great cake…one big PAR-TAY!!!

Italian Cream Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour 3 (9 inch) or 4 (8 inch) round cake pans.

• 2 cups white sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 5 egg yolks
• 2 cups all purpose flour or 2 cups plus 2 TBSP cake flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 2 cups coconut
• 5 egg whites, beaten stiff
• 1 cup buttermilk

Cream sugar, butter and shortening. Add egg yolks and mix well. Mix flour, salt, baking soda in a bowl. Add this flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk. Mix well. Add vanilla, pecans and coconut. Mix well. Then gently fold in egg whites. Divide evenly between your pans. Bake for 25-35 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes then turn out on a rack to finish cooling. Frost when completely cool.

Frosting:

• 8 ounces cream cheese at room temp
• 1/2 cup butter at room temp
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 pound confectioners sugar

Beat cream cheese and butter until light. Add vanilla and mix well. Add confectioners sugar a cup at the time and when all in incorporated beat on high until light and spreading consistency.

ENJOY!!!

Apron Fest ’09 & Julie and Julia Giveaways Updates!

Both of these drawings will be held August 9th so you still have time to get your name in!  Go to the respective posts (links below) and leave a comment!

Apron Fest ’09 Giveaway

Julie & Julia Giveaway

And be sure and check in the morning for Friday Baking with NotQuiteJuneCleaver recipe!

Apron Fest ’09 Apron Pics & A Sweet Gift

I have really enjoyed working on this apron and as I said before I am going to miss her!  She is going to be a fine kitchen companion to some lucky apronista! She is pretty close to what will eventually be “My Favorite Apron”. She’s made of cotton duck and with criss cross straps that go thru loops before tying in the back, she will not fall off your shoulders!  I find that a real drawback with some aprons I own.

Isn’t she cute? And she fits very nicely.   Now…I have to show you what my very dear friend Connie brought me last time she came for supper.  How adorable is this rolling pin!?  And yeah…that’s cupcakes! Such a sweet sweet gift!

Blogging for Bliss Book Launch Today!

There are blog parties going on all over the place today in honor of this book’s launch!

From Amazon.com’s website: Since 2004, TARA FREY’s blog Tara Frey {typing out loud} (www.tarafrey.com) has inspired thousands with its honest, well-written, and often funny prose about subjects both professional and personal. Her blog was honored as a Typepad Favorite Blog in November 2008 and receives more than 6,000 hits a day. Her articles about the lives and blogs of creative bloggers appear regularly in Romantic Homes, Romantic Country, and Artful Blogging. Readers can connect with her at http://www.bloggingforbliss.com.

I just ordered my copy from amazon and it should be here soon. I found out about this over at The FarmChicks – one of my daily stops in blogland.  So get over there and “read all about it!”

Apron Fest ’09 August 3-7 GiveAway!

Click on the graphic above to view the sideshow of my aprons.

How many giveaways can I have going at once???!!! Okay…we have the Julie & Julia Giveaway going on.   And I just drew for the July Friday Baking with NotQuiteJuneCleaver winner.  So really adding this one is no biggy right?  That’s just two going on now.  Well…unless you count the fact that the last day of August will bring about another Friday Baking Winner!  Anywho, I had to add my apron to this wonderful event hosted by The Apronista.  Get yourselves over there…there will be LOTS of giveaways to enter.  Show your support!

The apron I will be giving away will be especially made for Apron Fest ’09 and will have an embroidery patch to remind you of this event everytime you wear it!  So you think you want a Apron Fest ’09 Apron from NotQuiteJuneCleaver?  Well all you have to do is leave a comment saying so.  You know, if you have a little apron wisdom to share, feel free.

Then visit The Apronista for more info! And take this button to add to your blog!

Or get the code when you visit The Apronista!

I will be posting pictures of the Apron Fest ’09 apron later today so check back!

UPDATE: As Promised, PHOTOS!!

You know what I love MOST about this apron? It is practically repurposed!  I have had this fabric for several years.  I really can’t remember how long.  I have been intending to make me an apron from it forEVER.  But when I started digging though my fabric for something pretty yet serviceable for this Apron Fest ’09 apron, this fabric practically leaped out of the box at me!  I have washed and dried it several times to soften it. Oh it is going to be OH SO hard to part with!  It also is serving as a template to my ongoing work on “My Perfect Apron”.

Good Luck EVERYONE!!

Winner of July’s Friday Baking with NotQuiteJuneCleaver & Info you need!

Lorin at From Lorin’s Kitchen ! Congrats!  I need your mailing address via email please!  I will get your goodies out to you this coming week.  Lorin made several of the recipes for July’s challenges and you should go take a look at her heart shaped cream wafers! A-dorable!

Now just some FYIs and then I have to get busy today.  Going to a ball game this afternoon with my kids and little grandson, Sam.  Fun to be had! My brother (the one that just had the triple bypass) is general manager of the BattleWings arena football team and you know you gotta support the team! Go WINGS!

Also, don’t forget the JULIE & JULIA Book and Apron Giveaway!

And stay tuned because next week you will be getting more information on the up and coming International Overalls Day in November.  I will be uploading pictures to our flickr account (today if my internet allows it!).

Have a great weekend!

Featured Blog of the Day at Foodista!!!

I am honored!  Please click on the link above and peruse this very LOVELY foodie site!

I would have posted earlier but my internet has been out most of the day!!!

Tomorrow I will post July’s Friday Baking Winner!

Friday Baking with NotQuiteJuneCleaver Recipes for July 31- August 7

Today is the last day of the month and closing of recipes for week ending today.  You have until 8 this morning to get your recipes posted.  Tomorrow morning I will draw for the July giveaway!

Here are your recipes for July 31-August 7.

unBELIEVABLE Chocolate Cookies

* 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped
* 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
* 2/3 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
* 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 2 large eggs
* 3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 package (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chunks

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat chopped chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl in 20-second increments, stirring in between, until almost melted; do not overheat. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.

In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla on high speed until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low; beat in melted chocolate. Mix in flour mixture until just combined. Stir in chocolate chunks.

Drop heaping tablespoons of dough 2 to 3 inches apart onto baking sheets. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until cookies are shiny and crackly yet soft in centers, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on sheets 10 minutes; with a thin metal spatula, transfer to racks to cool completely.

And now for something a little different…but still BAKING!

Meyer Lemon and Herb Baked Chicken

1 baking hen thawed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Fresh  (oregano, thyme, tarragon or rosemary)
Butter

1 Meyer lemon cut in half and then one half sliced

1 onion quartered

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Remove the giblets from the cavity if using a whole chicken. Rinse the chicken under cool water.
Pat it dry with paper towels. Separate the skin from the breast and push 4 slices of lemon under the skin, two on each side. Add one tarragon leave to each side and season the chicken (inside and out) with salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Put 1/2 the onion in the cavity of the chicken, followed by half a lemon, sprig of rosemary, other herbs to taste and the remaining half of the onion.  Tie the hen’s legs together with cook’s twine.   Place the chicken in a roasting pan or a large oven-proof skillet, breast up. Rub with butter. Add 1-2 cups water or chicken broth to the roasting pan. Bake, covered for 1 then uncover and bake another 30 or so minutes or until the skin is golden brown and the meat is cooked through. When the internal temperature reaches 170 degrees for breast meat, 180 for thighs (measured in the thickest part), the chicken is done. Let a whole chicken rest for 10 minutes before carving.