At a garden club flower show last week, amazingly enough there were quite a few specimens in the “hort” (horticulture) section. It had been raining the evening and morning before the show, so I did not traipse around my garden for blooms to show, however I certainly enjoyed what others brought. This branchlet of fuchsia blooms probably did not win a blue ribbon, because I understand that blooms must be at their peak of perfection, not in bud. But I think it’s lovely, anyway.

Visit Macro Friday for other close ups of all kinds, Color Carnival for other brilliantly colored images, and Macro Flowers Saturday always has floral heaven on display.

Do click on Sara’s Fave Photos if there is only the one photo showing here.

My mom used to grow all kinds of bromeliads in South Florida where she lived for many years. She said they like to be watered only from the top and collect water in their centers. You know that the center brilliance is not really a flower, but it sure looks like one, doesn’t it?  Here’s one from the Volunteer Park Conservatory that you might enjoy.

Visit Ruby Tuesday for more fascinating rubiness, Color Carnival for more bright colors, and SOOC for more straight-out-of-the-camera shots. Click on Sara’s Fave Photos above for the complete blog.

Just taken today in the downpour we had this afternoon, this photo of a lovely container planting outside the Volunteer Park Conservatory had some late hellebores happy in all the wet.

I’m trying out a new photo meme today: Distracted By Shiny Things. I think I have one or two things that qualify. Heck, even yesterday’s post of the ocean was pretty shiny!

Don’t forget that you can always return to the latest post by clicking on Sara’s Fave Photos above. And keep an eye out for changes and expansion coming to this blog.

Some bouquets of fresh yellow tulips in cellophane photographed at Pike Place Market a week or so ago for your viewing pleasure. Notice the tiny water droplets on the cellophane wrapper? I love that.

Visit Mellow Yellow Monday, Color Carnival and Macro Monday after browsing around here. Try clicking one of the tags to the lower left. You can return to the latest post always by clicking on Sara’s Fave Photos above.

Today I’m posting a fabulous recipe with notes. It’s long, but not that hard (I included all the details so it will come out right if you make it), so scroll down a bit to see the photos that go with it. My daughter and I made this on Saturday just for the heck of it and it was SO GOOD! To read the story about the history of this cake in my family, read the What Cake story.

By the way, the strawberries on top were HUGE and make the cake look small. It’s not.

You can always return to the most recent post here by clicking on Sara’s Fave Photos above.

Hot Milk Sponge Cake (Sylvia Messer’s recipe), serves approx. 16

325 degrees preheated, (check at 40 min. if using 9″ pans, 45-50 min. for 8″ pans)

Use (2) 8″ or 9″ round spring-form cake pans, UNGREASED

7 large eggs, separated (room temp.)
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 c. sugar (can be half turbinado or raw, mixed with half regular white), divided
2 tsp. vanilla
2 c. cake flour (substitute w.w. pastry flour OK)
2 tsp. baking powder
pinch salt
2 oz. butter
6 oz. milk

3 cups heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
dash vanilla

4+ pints strawberries

Separate eggs. Essential that NO yolk specks end up in whites. Put yolks into small mixer bowl, whites into large mixer bowl. Recommend using small dish per egg separated before dumping whites in large bowl to check for egg yolk contamination!

Beat whites until frothy. Add cream of tartar, mix until almost stiff, then slowly add 1/2 cup of sugar. Mix until stiff peaks but do not overbeat. Set aside.

Sift flour onto waxed paper and measure 2 cups without packing flour in any way. Use large spoon to scoop carefully into measuring cup. Resift. Resift again adding baking pdr. and salt. Check measurement. If using whole wheat pastry flour, use scant 2 cups flour. Set aside.

In small pan, heat milk and butter, DO NOT BOIL, until butter melts. Keep warm.

Beat yolks for 2 minutes. Add remaining sugar and vanilla slowly; beat one more minute.

Add flour mix and hot milk mix alternately, very slowly, into egg yolk mix while beating slowly.

Fold yolk mix SUPER GENTLY by hand into stiff whites. Be patient but do not collapse whites.

Pour equally into two ungreased spring-form pans. Stagger pans in oven so they are not directly over each other. Bake until golden brown and toothpick comes out clean or until surface springs back when pressed gently with finger. 325 degrees preheated oven, (check at 40 min. if using 9″ pans, 45-50 min. for 8″ pans)

While cake is baking and cooling, wash big mixer bowl and beaters. Place in refrigerator to chill for best whipped cream.

Cool cakes upside down on racks ONE HOUR only. Then use table knife to cut cake away from sides of spring-form pan. Remove sides. Use long knife to cut from bottom of pans. Carefully place one cake layer, top side down, on cake plate. (Note: if freezing cakes, freeze while still on bottoms of pans.)

Whipped cream: Beat cold cream in cold bowl with cold beaters at high speed. As cream starts to thicken, add 3 T powdered sugar (or to taste) and dash vanilla. Continue beating until cream begins to firm. Reduce speed and carefully mix cream until very firm, but not gloppy or too firm (i.e., butter)!

Prepare strawberries: Wash, hull, trim and dry strawberries, separating into 2 groups of large, perfect berries and the others. Save imperfect and/or small berries for center layer of whipped cream. You may cut these if still too large.

Assembling cake: Put layer of whipped cream on top of bottom layer, about 1/2 inch. Spread evenly with rubber spatula or frosting knife. Place imperfect, cut or small berries evenly. Cut berries no thicker than half an inch or so for this layer. Press gently into whipped cream. Add more whipped cream to even layer out; spread evenly with spatula. Leave cake sides alone for now.

Carefully place second layer on top of first, top side up. Spread top with whipped cream. Now use remaining whipped cream for sides. Make it pretty with spatula or frosting knife.

Place largest, most beautiful strawberry in the center of the top of the cake. Add remaining strawberries evenly around. Sing Happy Birthday! (optional)

Take a picture; it is so pretty! (required)

Refrigerate after serving. When serving, cut straight down with very sharp knife, using sawing motion.

It’s almost time for presents! Don’t you just want to open every single one? I do. Have a happy Ruby Tuesday, all. Santa’s coming SOON!

We went to the Puyallup Fair, the huge one near Seattle that means the summer is pretty much over, but not today—oh, no, a perfect summer day, and so wonderful for photos. Lots of dahlias exhibited, too. Hope you like the photos.

And all of these qualify for Ruby Tuesday (click HERE for more Ruby Tuesday photos) as well.

Today is Ruby Tuesday! I took these the other day and saved the photo for today. They are Tristar and so sweet. The daughter plants seem to produce more than last year’s old, tired plants. For more Ruby Tuesday photos, click here.