Baby Shower!

Last night I hosted a baby shower for Melody. It was such a blast! Of course when you get 15 girlfriends together, it's bound to be a great party. :)
We had a baby quilt set up on stands that anyone could work on if they wanted to. We did horizontal hand stitched lines in it. I'm going to finish it up and bind the edges and then I'll give it to Melody. I'll post a picture of the finished quilt.

I took a few quick pics of the food before the party. Melody specifically requested Fruit Soup, so I served that along with a Cream Cheese Strudel, Cherry & Lemon Scones with a lemon glaze, and a Frozen Mango Cream Cake with a macadamia nut crust. I also asked Anona to make Coconut Almond Muffins and they turned out perfect (thanks Anona!).

A few friends wanted the recipe for the Cream Cheese Strudel, so here it is! Courtesy of my sister Melanie who gave me the recipe when I got married. :)

2 ¼ to 2 ¾ c. flour, divided

1 pkg yeast (2 ¼ tsp)

½ c. sour cream

¼ c. sugar

¼ c. water

¼ c. butter

½ tsp salt

1 beaten egg

1/3 c. sugar

4 oz cream cheese, softened (half of a package)

1 tsp vanilla

Mix 1 c. flour and yeast. In saucepan, heat and stir sour cream, ¼ c. sugar, water, butter (cut into small pieces) and salt until just warm, and butter almost melts. Mix into dry mixture along with the egg. Let sit 5 minutes. Beat for 30 seconds on low, then 3 minutes on high, scraping the bowl constantly. (I only beat it until it is a smooth consistency, definitely not for 3 minutes.) Using a wooden spoon (or standing mixer) stir in remaining flour until a soft dough is formed. Knead on floured surface until soft and smooth. Shape into a ball. Place in a lightly greased bowl. Cover and let rise until double in size, about 1 hour. Punch down dough and turn out on lightly floured surface. Let rest for 10 minutes. Make filling by mixing 1/3 c. sugar, cream cheese and vanilla. Lightly grease a baking sheet (I prefer to line baking sheet with parchment paper). Roll out dough into 14x10 rectangle. Spread with filling and roll jellyroll style. Place seam side down on baking sheet. Make slits every 2 inches, ¼ inch deep. Let rise 30 minutes. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes, covering with foil the last 15 minutes to prevent over-browning. Cool on wire rack. I prefer to serve it with a cream cheese frosting, or you could drizzle with powdered sugar icing. Serve with fresh fruit.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

4 oz cream cheese, softened

3 T. butter, softened

3/4 tsp vanilla

1 - 1 1/4 c. powdered sugar

Mix and add milk and more powdered sugar to desired consistency. (You'll have some extra frosting.)