Got that "quiltin'" itch I guess

I bought this kit awhile ago and when I looked at the directions and it talked about English paper piecing I put it away....I had NO idea what they wer talking about! But after taking my quilting class I now know how to do it! So, last night I dragged it out and got almost all my little hexagons sewn up! It is so fun!!! I think I may be addicted to English paper piecing and it is so easy once you "get it" that I got lots done while watching Grey's Anatomy 100th episode last night...oh yeah!

Here's my Japanese Iris by my mailbox. It is deep, deep purple and I just love them! I like them better than the regular Iris. I planted them last year and they didn't bloom but look at them this year! I wonder how soon I can split them and transplant some elsewhere?

Finally finished my quilt!

Well, not completely....the top is done but I need to seam the backing material and take it to Jamie (my friend with the quilt shop) to quilt.....it may be awhile though.....she has a lot of quilts there on hangars! The tulip block was the last one and I used a blanket stitch on my machine. You really shouldn't experiment like that on a quilt....I would suggest you play with it on a scrap piece first but I did learn a few tricks although I probably wouldn't use that stitch again...I think I could have done it by hand faster! LOL!

It has been raining for a week and isn't supposed to end until Tuesday! The good side of it is that I am getting stuff done inside. I FINALLY hooked up my DVD player and a VCR I bought at a garage sale. I have cd's AND tapes so I need both. Also, I have been working on my English paper piecing and I finished it today but while I was ironing it I heard a little "crinkle" sound and realized I had left the paper in the middle of the flower! DUH!!!! I took out all the rest but accidentely left that one in and there it will stay! Cuz I am NOT taking it all apart to take it out! Ha! Ha!

Here are 2 of my FAVORITE gardening books. The author is funny, knowledgeable and right on target with being a frugal gardener. This is all about flowers and cottage gardening. I got these used and have read and re-read them. The most enjoyable reading of a gardening book I have ever experienced....reads like a good novel and she is HYSTERICAL!

Above is Russian Sage or Blue Salvia....these are all perennials ie; plant once and enjoy for years! I don't guarantee plant names...I'm no expert! Exactly WHY I need to have a garden journal so I write them down when I plant instead of scratching my head later!

Tickseed Coreopsis? But then deer like them so why are they still here? Makes me wonder if they are Coreopsis after all.....maybe the deer around here are color blind?

Bearded Iris......if I finally get the names straight then I'll have to learn the Latin names in case I ever rub elbows with REAL gardener type people.

This is Columbine.....pale yellow blossoms on this one...SO SWEET and once again, yellow, my FAVORITE color especially the pale....in clothing I cannot wear bright yellow but the pale, oh yeah!

These are my chives that NEVER DIE....could be because they are near my dryer vent? I can use them all year round. They are blooming now which means my plant is getting BIGGER AND BIGGER! Herbs have some beautiful flowers too that no one ever mentions. So, just remember, if you plant an herb garden you will benefit in more ways then one! You'll get the herb garden and a flower garden to boot!

I ran out in-between rain to take these pictures. It has rained and rained and rained....there's flood watches all over the place. I want to start a garden journal so I will remember from year to year when the different plants bloom so I can fill my different flower beds with plants that bloom at different times so where ever I look there will always be something blooming. High hopes huh?

Whew....tired from all that quilting yesterday

Well, we're starting to put our quilt blocks together in class. Mine isn't "together" yet but here's a picture of the one that we are making. This is the quilt that the teacher's made.

Behind the eightball......

Quilt class is tomorrow and we're supposed to have ALL our blocks done. I've been working all day and only have one done with 2 more to go....woe is me!

Here's the one I finished...Blazing Star which was paper pieced....that is time consuming...whew! I better get back at it!

Okay, I got my house block done....don't look too close....why is it when I do a 1/4 inch seam all around things STILL don't match up? Obviously quilting is NOT an exact science! Off to do paper piecing! I'm loving it!

Here's my butterfly block from my quilt class. I am "behind" and have to have 3 more blocks done by next Tuesday! Oi Vey! But I AM loving the class and there are 2 teachers and they are really great.

Today I worked outside all morning and here are my little pansies that I planted in my flower boxes. I have 2 flower boxes, exactly the same. I had planted wintergreen in them but evidently they didn't like being "in the box" and they didn't come back this year so I filled them with the pansies.

I got this material at the thrift store. They are very "sturdy" fabrics and one for sure is upholstery fabric. I loved the colors and they were like .99 each for YARDS of them! I could NOT pass them up....especially anything with yellow! My Favorite color!

I went to the thrift store yesterday and got these 2 great books. The quilt book is very interesting. I guess she's famous but I am just starting to quilt so I wasn't familiar with her. The cookbook is by the woman that has The Silver Palate restaurant in New York, I think. She, like Alice Walker, I think, spearheaded the "organic" food movement and eating locally grown. Like I NEED another cookbook but it was "such a deal"!!!!

Lizzie is REALLY workin'!

If you're not familiar with Lizzie...she is my sourdough starter who I feed daily except she gets to rest one day and I can now pull from her and bake whenever I want. She's amazing!

Here are some whole wheat sourdough blueberry muffins I whipped up really fast and they turned out great and tasted delish!

Spring in the Ozarks

I'm a little late with the Spring part because the redbuds are pretty much done and the dogwoods have been blooming for a week now but I was out of town Friday and the other days have been rainy...in fact I took these pictures inbetween rain storms! You'll also STILL see damage in the woods from the ice storm we had in January...so sad.

Made dessert for Craft's Group tonight

I have Craft's Group on Wednesday evenings and we have it at Jamie's Quilted Heart quilt shop. We used to meet in each others homes and the hostess would make dinner for all of us and we would "craft" after dinner. It's much easier to concentrate after a great dinner and dessert. Plus, we can't move much after eating so we keep our hands busy with the "crafting"! LOL! Anyway, since Jamie opened her shop we meet out there but we were bringing "bag" suppers.....not so much. Half of the fun was the great food! So, lately Carol's been making a dinner and I've been making a dessert....so here's our dessert for tonight...Lemon Merengue pie.....my favorite!

and MORE books!

Here's what I am reading right now....so many books....so little time! What are YOU reading? You ARE reading I hope?

Books, books, books!!!!

Oh how I love my books....it is my passion no doubt about it! Here is a book I just received that I had ordered. Oh, I love vintage anything and here's a book with LOTS of those old patterns that remind me of my childhood. Aren't they just the CUTEST?

I made my first batch of homemade laundry detergent!!!! I haven't used it yet because I am trying to use up what I have on hand. This recipe gets RAVE reviews on Mary Jane's Farm website so I will include the recipe here for any of you who are interested. It is pennies to use and gets clothes clean plus I use 1/2 cup of white vinegar for softner and my towels have nap and the clothes just FEEL cleaner without all the "gunk" on them.

1 cup of Washing Soda

1 cup of Borax

1 cup of grated Fels Naptha or Kirk's Castile

1/4 cup of Baking Soda

I have a grater on my Kitchenaid mixmaster that grated the Fels Naptha bar soap in no time! But there is a website where you can buy it already grated and where I got most of my supplies: http://www.soapsgoneby.com/

You only use about 1 Tablespoon per laundry load or more if you have especially dirty or greasy clothes.

Ran out of batteries!!!!

Every time I went to use my camera the batteries were dead and everytime I went to the store I forgot to buy them! I hope everyone had a nice Easter. I mowed on Saturday and look what I found! I almost ran over her. I think it is a her because someone told me a long thin tail is a boy and a short fatter tail is a girl. The picture REALLY doesn't do her justice because she's beautiful! She has red on the side of her face and is SO CUTE! I haven't named her yet...I have to think on that for awhile.

Here's my Card Trick block! I'm all set for class tomorrow now with my "homework" done! Now all I have to do is pack a "school lunch"! LOL! No, really. I don't know what were working on tomorrow but I'm taking my camera and will photogragh the finished quilt that's hanging on the wall at the quilt shop. Oh, this is FUN!!!!!

Here's my second quilt block from my quilt class. It the log cabin block which you quilters will certainly recognize. My quilt teachers gave us a tip for storing and transporting our blocks.......a "new" (clean) pizza box! They are like 14" square and most blocks are 12" square so it works perfectly! What a great idea!

Well.....baked my Mary Jane's Farm Farmhouse sourdough and had hot bread and butter for breakfast! YUMMO! Some might think it is too sour but I LOVE IT!!!! It still doesn't rise a whole lot but it's enough for me and the texture is wonderful. The recipes are on her website www.maryjanesfarm.org
It's like having a pet though....you have to feed it every day!

OH!!!!! Is this cute or what!!!!????? I stopped at the Thrift Store on my way to Wally World and there it was. I was really looking for some extra measuring cups but since they didn't have any I looked around and found THIS! I am old enough to remember Dick and Jane and Spot too!
It is framed under glass and was only $13.00! I know, Nancy Jo, not as good as the prices you get but I wasn't letting this one go! It had my name on it! Well.....not literally but you know what I mean.

So sorry I haven't been on.....I'm still recovering from the "germs" the grandchildren left me and also I've been having problems with subscriptions at Mary Jane's Farm and yada, yada, yada.
But here's a little of what's been going on here in Horseshoe!
Here is a quiche I made last night that was SO easy and SO good but it is not too filling so I had 2 big pieces plus they suggested having some crusty bread and a salad with it....neither of which I had made.

Butter, for ramekins

Coarse salt

1 package (10 ounces) frozen broccoli florets

6 large eggs

1/2 cup half-and-half

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (3 ounces)

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Butter four 8-ounce ramekins (or a 9-inch pie dish); set aside. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add broccoli; cook 1 minutes. Drain well; transfer to a cutting board, and blot dry with paper towels. Chop coarsely.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, half-and-half, 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir in broccoli and cheese.
3. Place ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet. Ladle broccoli mixture into ramekins, dividing evenly. Bake until golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Serve with crusty bread and a mixed-green salad, if desired.

Per serving: 266 calories; 19 grams fat; 17.2 grams protein; 5.9 grams carbohydrates; 1.7 grams fiber

This recipe came from www.pbs.org on their Everday Food t.v. program that comes from Martha Stewart's kitchens. I watch Everyday Food on Saturdays here in Arkansas and they have great recipes. I went to Walmart grocery shopping today and got several recipes worth of groceries so I will update you on how they turn out. They were all from Everyday Food.

Lizzie seems to be working!

My sourdough starter, who is named "Lizzie", came through once again this weekend as I made Mary Jane Butter's cinnamon raisin, nut bread. It is great although being ill lately has been very detrimental to my taste buds.

I have been doing nothing but laundry and blowing my nose the past few days and I am convinced that I have used a tree's worth of it so far.

But I am slowly catching up and even did some ironing today but now I need to go lay down.

Trying to "catch up".....

Here is my first quilt block that I made at my first quilting class last Tuesday. It is a Jacob's Ladder block. Don't look TOO close.....it is my first after all. I have to have a Log Cabin block done by this coming Tuesday and I had better get going!

Whoa Nellie!!!

Oh boy......I didn't think I would ever get back to this blog again! First I had company and then I got sick while they were still here and for a few days after they left. In fact today I got up with a "coughing jag" that I could not quell at 3:30 a.m. so I just keep "keepin' on" until I get too tired I guess.

My company was my son, Ben with his son Uriah and my daughter Amy with her son, Sam. We had a ball and made a lot of good memories and those grandbabies are darn cute but a little "germy" evidently.

Here is the sign out in front of my friend, Jamie's quilt shop. There's her phone number too if anyone wants to call her and buy from her or get her to quilt for you since she has 2 long arm quilting machines. I bet she is less expensive than some you may know! Cute sign huh? This is where I am taking my Beginning Quilt Class on Tuesdays from 10:00 - 2:30. Next week I will post the quilt we will be making....also very cute!

Here is my quilt material for my new quilt that I will be making in my Beginning Quilt Class! I am so excited because although I have tried almost every type of craft...quilting is one I have shied away from. I love these colors and the fabrics. We were to pick out 10 fabrics in darks, mediums, and lights. I had the hardest time with the lights since I LOVE the darks! They kept telling me to "go towards the light" but I kept wanting to go "over to the dark side"! LOL!

It is time for Spring cleaning or rather ANY cleaning around my place would be an improvement. I have WAY too many irons in the fire but I digress. I am going green and today is St. Patrick's Day...how symbolic! I am replacing my chemical/store-bought cleaners with homemade "green" cleaners. PBS has been having their "pledge week" and of course they bring out all the BIG GUNS and one was Graham Haley of "Haley's Hints" so I ordered one of his cleaning books but also wrote a few recipes down to test before ordering and the above was his carpet and upholstery cleaner. Well......my BIG dog just happened to throw up BIG TIME on my beige carpet the other day. IT was a big mess to clean up and it smeared into the carpeting and left a yellow stain even after using commercial carpet cleaner on it. So, I whipped up Haley's recipe which is the following and you can see the result...FANTASTIC!!!!

CARPET & UPHOLSTERY CLEANER:
1 tsp vinegar
1/2 tsp ammonia
3 Tbs dish soap
3/4 C water

Put in a "foaming" bottle and mix. He said you could get "foaming" bottles at the drugstore but being the PACKRAT I am I had saved a foaming hand soap bottle from Bath & Body! It worked perfectly! Now, I need to go back and clean all those new "free" chairs I got! A woman's work is NEVER done! Happy Spring everyone! OH......forgot to mention one of the handiest gadgets I have that I highly recommend. For about $20.00 I got a label making handheld machine at Wally World. I label everything with it....files, bottles and containers, even drawers! LOL!
Trust me...I need all the help I can get!

Saturday was baking day with my sourdough starter and here are the results. The cake is carrot cake with the infamous cream cheese icing. I am not a big cake person because many times the frosting etc, is just TOO sweet for me but this turned out excellent I must say! It was Julie's (Willowcreek) recipe from Mary Jane's farm blog on "Bread, the Mary Jane Way" . It called for raisins but I don't care for them so I left them out and instead of walnuts I used pecans. I didn't want to eat the whole thing (and I very well could have it was THAT good!) so I took 2 pieces to each of 3 neighbors....I keep telling myself "be the change you want to see in the world" so that's a start!

The pizza was also great. I had Italian sausage, red onion, tomato sauce, fresh mushrooms, red pepper (on sale! and cheaper than the green can you believe it?) and Provolone cheese and Italian 5 cheese blend on it. I used my parents old stone for baking it but the bottom was a little too soft for my taste (I like crispy crust) so next time I think I will just put it directly on the oven rack without the stone. It's the best pizza I have ever made so I think my Italian relatives were helping me from above!

One question...does anyone know how I could "dress up" the cake a little for company? Like should I sprinkle some grated carrot on top? Cooked or raw? It looks a little plain and I know sometimes chefs put something on items to tell the "eater" what is on the inside. Any ideas would be appreciated to "gussy up" my food....they say you eat with your eyes first but personally....my food goes straight to the mouth!