Lemon Tart with Rosemary and Strawberries

Ok, it's about time for a recipe.

The man of the house reaaaaallllllly enjoys cooking. And he is good at it. But every now and then, a dessert is nice. He does not bake, so that excursion into food decadency is left to me.

This recipe from Woman's Day Magazine caught my eye. Perhaps it was the fresh rosemary leaves in the tart shell that seemed like an interesting combination in a pastry.

Here is a picture of the featured dessert "Lemon Tart with Strawberries", courtesy of Woman's Day.

If a list of ingredients calls for sweetened condensed milk, it MUST be tasty! The ingredients are shown below, in case the picture whets your appetite, and all the instructions can be found here at Woman's Day.

Tart Shell: 1 1⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
1⁄4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 Tbsp freshrosemary leaves
1⁄4 tsp salt
1 stick (1⁄2 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 large egg yolk mixed with 1 Tbsp water

Lemon Filling: 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
5 large egg yolks
2 tsp grated lemon zest
1⁄2 cup lemon juice

Decoration: 12 strawberries, hulled and halved

Our tart did not finish up quite as pretty as the professional picture, but it probably tasted just as fine. Man, was it good!

Any by the bye, there are 400 calories per serving. Sigh.

(Picture found at Flickr.)

Knit Sweater Finished by Valentine's Day

When I saw the sweater pattern highlighted in Ravelry on this page: Pullover for Women, I knew I wanted to knit this since the needlework begins at the neck.

So, months later, here it is finished:

This pattern can be found at Knitting Pure and Simple. And a better picture of the same knitted sweater, again supplied by Knitting Pure and Simple, is this one:

This gal is much cuter than the broad sporting the red sweater, and the model's sweater does not have the mistakes in it that can be seen on the red sweater!

But with a scarf around the neck, most of the glaring mistakes are (hopefully) camouflaged.

This sweater took 10 skeins of DK yarn to complete, and the pattern is only $5.00. Check out more patterns at Knitting Pure and Simple.

How to Make a Pop-up Valentine Card

Looking for a way to make a personalized valentine, I came across this video; the two cuts that are the beginning of any pop-up card are the key for a three dimensional look.



Using recycled Christmas cards (many are red in color), "thinking of you" sentiments on all occasion cards, and a pair of scrap booking scissors with a decorative edge, you can make many different kinds of cards for your valentine.

Here is one re-made from a get-well card with the Bible verse included: I am overcome with joy because of Your unfailing love, for You have seen my troubles." Psalm 37:7 -- That verse is on the inside of this little recycled note card.


A bit of confetti or excelsior used in packaging adds a decorative touch. Knock yourself out, and give others a lift with a hand made card for any occasion.