I’m crazy excited to be a part of the Sewing 2010 Day-to-Day Calendar edited by Megan Smith. One hundred simple sewing projects organized in three-day increments fill this crafty calendar of the new decade.

Featured MerrimentDesign.com projects include sewn poppy fabric invitations, bridesmaid’s applique handbags, Thanksgiving felt leaf placecards and napkin rings, and Chicago flag passport cover …and surprise! The back of the calendar box features my guest bathroom towels project.

As you can see the calendar folds into a stand that props up the instructions while you work. My top favorite projects from co-contributors include a bunny pocket pillow and tiny little loveable rag doll by Missy at CraftyCarnival.com and a tin can cover by Meg Spaeth at ElsieMarley.com.

It’s pretty bizarre that it’s almost 2010. Two Thousand Ten!! A new decade. Think of all the things that have happened and changed in our lives and in the world in the past ten years. Sigh. Well, be sure to order your copy of the Sewing 2010 Day-to-Day Calendar before the ball drops!

Whew! I finally edited and posted our episode of ‘Amazing Wedding Cakes’ that first aired June 2009 on WeTV …right after Bridezillas as a part of WeTV’s We Go Bridal night. Check it out below…

The background: While on the road in Austin for SXSW, I got a call from Mary Maher from Cakegirls. Cakegirls is a super creative bakeshop extraordinaire owned by two Chicago sisters, Mary and Brenda Maher. Cakegirls has garnered awards and press galore for their luxury cakes, wedding cakes and specialty cakes. Mary wanted to feature our poppy wedding cake on season 2 of ‘Amazing Wedding Cakes’, a nationally broadcasted reality cake TV show starring the Maher sisters and three other US cake creators from coast-to-coast.

After a little begging with Shane, we stopped by The Cake Girls’ Belmont Avenue shop on a cold winter day to film our segment. I brought along my wedding inspiration – a swatch of retro-poppy fabric – that we used as the central theme throughout our wedding, from our sewn fabric invitations to table numbers, guest towels, ring bearer pillow, place cards, sewn zigzagged programs, menu, reserved signs, whimsical flower garland “altar” and bridesmaid’s handbags.

I probably should have thought to brush my hair or put on a little makeup before going on national TV :) but overall it’s so much fun to see our cake as a part of the show. And I’m secretly relieved that I don’t come off too much like a Bridezilla…

Updated: I found out that I got 4th place beating not only Stephanie Izard, Top Chef winner, but also Roger Herring, chef and owner of Socca in Chicago. Hip hip!

Peanut butter & jelly mac and cheese. Yeah, that’s right.

My totally original recipe for this peanut-butter-infused creamy cheddar cheese sauce topped with crunchy grape jelly breadcrumb crust placed 4th out of 19 cheftestants in the sMACkdown charity mac and cheese competition benefiting the Organic School Project. Yay!

“There was macaroni and cheese with apples; with oxtail; with mustard and pumpernickel; with truffle oil; and, most inventively, with peanut butter and jelly….” Gapers Block, 2009.

Peanut butter and cheddar is a flavor combination you’ll either love or hate. As someone who grew up snacking on cheddar cheese spread with peanut butter, I’m squarely in the “love” camp.

Another highlight was chatting and drinking beer with my favorite Top Chef winner Stephanie Izard who also shares her entry here …what a totally down-to-earth and inspiring lady (and I admit, I was pretty stoked to have bested her in the taste-off). Eight professional chefs and eleven amateur cooks like me competed at Goose Island Brewery for the title including Chef Guiseppe Tentori (Boka), Chris Pandel (The Bristol), Roger Herring (Socca) and James Gottwald (Rockit).

Who won? Chef James Gottwald of Rockit Bar & Grill triumphed with his tasty oxtail mac & cheese …it was my second favorite next to the tried but true 1990s staple, Truffle Mac and Cheese (yum).

So rewind back to elementary school, get over analyzing it, and give my peanut butter & jelly mac and cheese recipe a try!

Peanut Butter Mac and Cheese Ingredients:
1 pound elbow macaroni
2 tablespoons butter (for macaroni)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter (for cheese sauce)
3 tablespoons flour
3 cups whole milk
1 cup half-and-half
4 tablespoons smooth natural peanut butter
2 1/2 cups of sharp yellow cheddar cheese, shredded
2 1/2 cups of mild white cheddar cheese, shredded
Salt to taste
Enough butter to butter your baking pan

Make the peanut butter mac and cheese
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook 7 minutes or until al dente. Drain and cool immediately with cold water. Return to a pot.

Melt the butter in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for about 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly to keep lumps from forming. Gradually whisk in the milk and simmer, whisking often, until the mixture is smooth, about 10 minutes. Stir in 5 cups of cheese until melted. Stir in the peanut butter; feel free to use a bit less or a bit more according to how subtle or strong you’d like it to be (NOTE: I used a blend of mild and sharp cheddar cheeses so if you’re using more mild cheeses use a bit less and if you’re using more sharp cheeses use a bit more). Season with salt to taste.

Add 2 tablespoons of butter to the macaroni to coat. Add the cheese sauce to the macaroni, stir well.

Pour macaroni into a greased 3-quart baking dish and top with jelly breadcrumb topping (see recipe below). Bake for 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven or until hot and bubbly.

Grape jelly crunchy breadcrumb topping
4-5 cups fresh homemade bread crumbs (see directions below)
4-8 tbsp butter (depending on your taste)
1/4 cup grape jelly

Place bread piece/slices on an ungreased baking sheet in a single layer to dry out. Bake in a 300F oven for 10-15 minutes; turn them over about halfway so they dry evenly. Remove from oven and let cool. Tear dried bread into smaller pieces and place in your food processor; chop into course breadcrumbs.

Melt butter in a medium, deep skillet. Add breadcrumbs and toast just until lightly brown. Add in grape jelly, allow to melt, and stir to coat. Continue to toast until starts to get crunchy. Remove from heat and set aside. Put on top of mac and cheese before baking. See you at recess!

PB&J Mac and Cheese logo by Heather Crosby.

COPYRIGHT NOTE: You’re more than welcome to use this original Merriment recipe for your own personal use. Please post a comment below or email me so I can smile when I see it’s being used. Craft and pass it on!

Mary and Brenda Maher of Cakegirls are two of the most talented and inspiring self-taught ladies I’ve ever encountered. Their cakes are not only totally original and visually arresting but taste delicious too (I’m a sucker for the chocolate fudge cake with chocolate mousse).

So when Mary called me last week while I was in Austin for SXSW to see if we were available to film a segment for their reality TV show, Amazing Wedding Cakes on the WE tv network, I couldn’t say “yes” fast enough. Oh, and I was able to convince Shane too :)

As you know, Cakegirls made our bold and tasty poppy wedding cake based on a swatch of retro poppy fabric that we gave them. The cake they created added edible flair to the poppy theme that we also used on our sewn poppy fabric invitations, sewn return address envelopes with custom stamps, table numbers, ring bearer pillow, place cards, sewn zigzagged programs, menu, reserved signs, whimsical flower garland “altar” and bridesmaid’s handbags.

The entire Amazing Wedding Cakes crew was so friendly that they made the whole process seem like a piece of cake (oof). And it was super fun to get a little glimpse into the television show making process.

So set your TiVo for Amazing Wedding Cakes on the WE tv network (find your local airtime). And Chicagoans, be sure to check out Cakegirls in Roscoe Village for your weddings, baby showers, birthdays and other special events. Their cakes are the best.

We are so grateful to The Knot Magazine. Not only did they feature us in their 2007-2008 Fall/Winter national issue of The Knot magazine on newsstands, but now they’ve featured us on their homepage as their Wedding of the Week. How fun! I’m smiling from ear to ear right now…

We are thrilled to have been one of four couples featured in The Knot 2007/2008 Fall/Winter national magazine including this feature on The Knot TV! Really, everyone we have met at The Knot is amazing. And it is such a great resource for DIY brides and bridesmaids.