QNS and anyone else who wants to try it - here is the recipe:

Caramel Apple Cake

3 eggs
2 cups sugar
1-1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
3 cups chopped peeled apples
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans

TOPPING:
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
1 cup packed brown sugar
pinch salt

In a large bowl, beat eggs until foamy; gradually add sugar. Blend in oil and vanilla. Combine flour, salt and baking soda; add to egg mixture. Stir in apples and pecans. Pour into a greased 10-in. tube pan; bake at 350° for 1-1/4 hours or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate.

In a small saucepan, combine topping ingredients. Bring to a boil; boil 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Let cool slightly then spoon over warm cake (some topping will run down onto the serving plate.)

Thanks, JeanieG., I copied the recipe and saved it; also printed out a copy to try. I am planning a Pork and Beans cake soon...it uses pineapple in it too....especially tasty with BBQ meal.

Dublb, It sounds like you had a wonderful time in SA; your descriptions brought back memories of SA for me. The River Walk is wonderful to walk or to ride one of the boats. A great break for you, and I am so happy you enjoyed yourself. Have a great day everyone!

Good morning--just checking and and hope everyone is well. Sounds like lots of good family time for everyone--so, so important. I've lost so many family members in the last 2 years.

Great day planned today. Going to the Quilting & Sewing Expo in Pittsburgh with my 2 quilty friends. I love going anywhere with them but the Expo is one of my favorite places. Everything under one roof, tons & tons of new stuff. I can hear my credit card whimpering already! I'll let you know what new goodies I find.

Have a great day everyone, do something you love.

Back to square one, according to the eye Dr. my sight is back to where it was prior to April 1st and the Optic Nerve swelling up. So as soon as I can, I will pick up my projects and catch up on each one.

Tomorrow is canning Missouri Peaches....a great way to start a new day. Celebrate the new day by doing something you love to do.

Any cake left? Thanks Jeanie. Will have to give this a try. It will be apple time soon.

Glad you had a good time in San Antonio, dublb. I've never been to Texas.

So Jan what did your credit cards buy today? What fun.

Oh what good news, QNS. Brighter days are ahead..

Two days, two road trips. Yesterday took GD #1 to orthodontist (1 1/2 hr away) to be fit for braces while Mom took GS#1 to State Fair to give his presentation on flag folding with 3 other young fellows. Today we met DD half way and swapped kids. DD got 3 girls and we brought back 2 boys (12 yo's--a friend tagged along who wants to be on the farm.) LOL on the way home as I told the 4 boys I know where every quilt shop is between here and home and if you don't behave we will stop at every one.... That worked for a while. Toward the end I had to do a little disciplining--mostly geared at the 4 yo. I turned in my seat and straightened him out saying "That's enough!" 15 minutes later we hear from the middle seat little Sam telling the 2 12 yo's.."Gramma said, 'that's enough, so quit it!'" I guess what Gram says is law--we had to smother our laughter....

Last night got the binding finished on a long table runner for our TV stand. Today on the road I have the jingle bells on all the Santa ornaments I've been finishing up for the last 2 years!:shock: Will get photos, soon.

QNS--that is great news! Hope that your canning goes well and you can get back to sewing soon. :)

Jan--how was your shopping day??

We started school this week...just a couple days to introduce new books. Next week will be our first full week. I am packed and ready for my quilting weekend with BF. We're planning to go to a few shops and then quilting at the hotel. I am going to work on my 50 Star blocks. I have fabric for several of them pre-cut in hopes that I can get lots accomplished. :) Next week I need to work on quilting my nephew's quilt. I go to the neurologist next week to talk with her about my headaches again...we'll see what new ideas she has.

QNS, great news about your vision. Take care of yourself and don't over do it trying to catch up on all your projects.

Carrie, sorry you're having so much trouble with headaches again. Hope your neurologist has a solution.

Quilting Expo was lots of fun; my credit card is now a little piece of melted plastic LOL. Not really, just got a few FQs and some background fabric for my Christmas wall hanging. More vendors were selling yardage this year instead of just precuts. The main focus of the show seemed to be quilting machines of all makes and sizes. I saw lots of people purchasing long and mid arms--doing their best to boost the economy.

There was something that's bothering me. When we walked in we saw beautiful quilts on display in the distance. All "old fashioned" patterns: Grandmother's Flower Garden, Coxcomb, Irises, Tulips, etc., all done in "old fashioned" fabrics. As we got closer we thought they're not quilts, they're rugs. When we got in front of them they were quilts but the quilting was super, super dense, so much so it looked like the nap or pile on carpets. I mean, quilted pebbles the size of erasers; straight lines less than 1/4" apart (looked like chenille); squares less than 1/2" in size. I wanted to quote OKSewglad and say "enough!!!". Is this the new "thing" in quilting? It was obviously done by computer and I didn't find that it enhanced the quilt blocks at all. If this is the new quilting, does my dislike (disdain) make me officially an old Geezer? No pic were allowed, I'd have loved for you to see examples. What are your feelings towards this type of quilting? If this is what's expected of show quilts my poor Spike quilt doesn't stand a chance at our local show in Sept. Sorry for the rant--to be blunt, they were awful LOL.

Oh I so agree with you Jan! As an old geezer, I'd like to have a quilt that drapes well and invites one to cuddle up in. At what point are these textile art works instead of quilts? Doing a google search I found this article written 18 months ago.

http://www.quiltingdaily.com/blogs/q...-to-watch.aspx

As the quilt "industry" has evolved into a multi million dollar business, someone is out there to get the most $$. One has to come up with new ideas to keep the industry going forward. Reusing old non copyrighted blocks is so limiting--innovation is the key to this success. Designers are out there asking "What if...?" and coming up with new designs and techniques, each needing to be tweaked a little bit to make it their own. I feel that the big players (i.e., fabric manufacturers and sewing machine companies) are pushing to make it bigger, better for them to make bigger, better profits.

You hit the nail on the head when you stated:
"The main focus of the show seemed to be quilting machines of all makes and sizes. I saw lots of people purchasing long and mid arms--doing their best to boost the economy."

So many of us have more fabric than we know what to do with. The next best thing to make $ with is machines with all the bells and whistles to create the new trends. Personally I would love to have a long arm machine, but I can not justify the cost. (I need a new car instead....)

I am sure there are "artists" out there who will defend their creativity and their acquired skills, because admittedly it does practice as well as ability to achieve the results you describe.

"That's enough, old geezer!" I'm off my soap box now. Thanks for bringing this up.

On another note little 4 yo fell out of hay mow today 10' down onto the cement floor--broke his forearm in 2 places, thankfully not near the growth plate and no concussion from landing on a cement floor. Yes his arms "broke" the fall. He didn't like the cold veggie packs Gram made him keep on for at least 10 minutes.... All will be well, but just another "this is not how my day was supposed to go" experience and maybe a little more cautious 4 yo.