Q.O.T.D.

"Sometimes I distract myself from buying fabric by sewing with it."

Laurie Matthews  Dresdenlane(dot)com

Personally, I am not having such a good sewing day.  Seam ripper overuse.  Simple stuff too.  So when I need to step away from the machine, I head for the ironing board and make mini bolts.

My latest attempt at order

During the drawstring bag blitz, I unearthed all kinds of fun fabrics and as a bonus, found some to share.  Including the estimated five yards I used for the bags, I shared/donated another fourteen and a half yards of fabric.   Should be noticeable but isn't.

Making these mini bolts should help in thinning out the stacks.

Cincinnati Chili

I was a bit nervous about this recipe but so many people raved about it and I had everything in the house so I gave it a try.  It is very good!  It's just so odd.  This picture is of ground beef boiling in beef broth.  Did not brown the ground beef, boiled it.  I never knew anyone did that.  The recipe I started with is found here but I made several changes based on the reviews.

Cincinnati Chili

1 pound ground beef

1 (10.5 ounce) can beef broth

2 tablespoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 bay leaf

1 ½  tablespoons  unsweetened  cocoa powder
 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

Cooked spaghetti

Shredded Cheddar cheese

Chopped onion

• Bring beef and broth to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.  Stir occasionally. 
• Add chili powder, cinnamon, cumin, allspice, cloves, bay leaf, cocoa powder, cayenne, tomato sauce, and cider vinegar. Stir to mix well. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. 
• It is the best to refrigerate overnight. 
• Remove the bay leaf.  Reheat gently over medium heat. 
• Serve over hot, drained spaghetti.  Top with shredded cheddar cheese and onion.

 4 servings

(Suggested as a topping for hot dogs too.)

DSBs... Done!

In the mail and can you believe I forgot to count them!  I think there are 24 bags but perhaps only 23.

When the kids were here in September we (as always) made a trip to DI.  I scored this sleeve board for $1 and it is something I have always wanted!  It came in very handy for pressing the bags.

I bought very little fabric for this project, just a couple of small pieces for the contrasting tops.  Most are lined with muslin of which I do believe I have an unending supply.

Most of the bags are cat related, some are Christmas and there are a few novelty prints just because I had them.  This Peanuts Christmas bag has fabric from 2001 (the red print), 2004 (the blue print) and the green stripe is still on the shelf in the store.  I'm estimating that I used up 5 yards of fabric from the stash.  Hooray!

In celebration, the sewing machine will have the day off tomorrow and maybe the iron too!

Dwindling November

Almost time to switch out the pumpkin plates for something appropriate to December.  Notice the Stuffing Bread in the picture?  Great Harvest makes it just this time of year and it is not bread to use for stuffing, although you certainly could do that.  It is ideal for leftover turkey sandwiches!  Ideal.  I thought why can't they just make this bread year-round.  Answer, of course, is it wouldn't be so special then.

Never did get new fall curtains made for the kitchen.  I have some fabulous Kaffe Fassett fabric that is perfect but by next year may be something else.  It seemed like the curtains would get done and I held on to that thought too long and not only did not get last year's fall curtains up but in fact the summer curtains are still hanging.  Simply scandalous.

Have a very fun Christmas specific fabric for December curtains but they are kind of at the bottom of the production list.

Speaking of lists, this is today's playlist:

• Michael Dowdle, Christmas
• Nat King Cole, The Christmas Song
• An O'Neill Brothers' Christmas, Coming Home 
• The Carpenters, Christmas Portrait

We Heart Amazondotcom

At the door shortly before 5 last night.  I took a breath of relief.  Disaster averted.  We've been two days without their dental chews and the big dogs have been pretty darn grumpy after their dinner.  They pestered me for more than an hour.  Palms up and the words "all gone" were repeated endlessly pretty much to no avail.  It was exhausting.

Also in the box was coffee.  I had four pods (two days) left.  I think if I had run out I could have trumped their grump.

Season Opener

I know there are many (my sisters) who have been listening to Christmas music pre-Thanksgiving.  I've always been able to hold off and for the last couple of years I am pretty certain I have not played any Christmas music at home, at all.  When you work retail it is always playing in the background and depending on the length of your shift, it will loop through and repeat at least once.  The radio station that we are supposed to have on starts the Christmas music season on November 1st.  Arrgh.

So I was excited to start singing at home today!  This is what we opened with:

I try to alternate vocal and instrumental and we did have some quiet time as well.  The "play list so far:

• A Christmas Together, John Denver, The Muppets
• Christmas, Mannheim Steamroller
• The Christmas Song, Roger Whittaker
• Christmas, Kurt Bestor
• Christmas with The Rat Pack. Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr.

There are many more to come!

In case you were wondering, the John Denver album came out in 1979.  Yikes.

Green Beans and Thanksgiving Re-Cap

The green bean story is that I made three different recipes this year.  I have been having Thanksgiving with Jan and her family for a long time.  We can't seem to pinpoint it exactly but it is many years.  I pretty much can decide what I want to bring and over the years that has included salads, sides, even a turkey one time when I wanted to try brining but I'm pretty sure I have never brought dessert as that is something I do not generally do well.  And really, a Parker Thanksgiving is synonymous with PIE.  Oh and Jan makes fabulous rolls from scratch.  No need for me to mess around there either.

So, this year I brought:
1.  the Green Bean Casserole - which to me is Thanksgiving.  I never have it any other time.
2.  Tangy String Beans - Gaye said this is her family's favorite green bean recipe and something her mother made.   Gaye emailed me this picture from a church cookbook.  It was the one her mom had contributed.  Everyone liked it and I will definitely make it again.
3.  Caramelized Green Beans - this recipe can be found here on Our Best Bites.  I followed the recipe exactly and used frozen green beans.  This one was the favorite, most likely because of the, you know, bacon.  (Stewart said "We are pork fat people."  I'll be laughing about that one for some time.)  I'll make this one again when Don's fresh right-out-of-the-garden green beans are available.

Jan had a girls activity for after dinner.  She had scrapbook supplies, bunches of pictures and we just had at it.  The granddaughters jumped right into it and made pages with pictures of themselves and did a great job of it!  Debbie also did some fabulous pages.  I was more than content to look through the pictures and marvel at the changes over the years.

It was a delightful Thanksgiving day and one of the best so far.

It Works!!!

I know other people do this but I had to do it once to prove it to myself.  It works!

It is Alton Brown's recipe found here.  It shouldn't surprise me because I already swear by his mac and cheese recipe and his baked brown rice.  What a guy.

I heart AB

I have a fairly puny microwave and while I got a full bag of popcorn and a nice size bowl full, only 3/4 of the kernels popped.  Could be the corn or it could be the microwave.  There is no best by date  stamped on the corn.  The original recipe called for jalapeno seasoning which I left out.

Plain Brown Popper - Recipe courtesy Alton Brown

Makes 1 serving

• 1/4 cup good quality popcorn
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon popcorn salt
• Paper lunch bag
• Stapler

Toss the popcorn with the olive oil, salt, and jalapeno seasoning mix in the paper bag. Fold the top of the bag over and staple the bag twice to close. Place the bag in the microwave and microwave on high for 2 minutes to 3 minutes or until there is about 5 seconds between pops.

NOTE: Popcorn salt is a super-fine salt that is designed especially for sticking to food such as popcorn. It has the taste of regular table salt, but its granules are much finer.

That Moon Girl

You know I despise commercial tv.  In fact, the day you see me watching The Price Is Right, load me into the car and head for Oregon.

It's not that I don't watch programs made for tv of course, I just do it on Netflix, commercial free.  Lately I have been watching a lot of Frazier.  Perhaps too much.  I find meself speakin' like Daphne Moon.  Just in my head, not out loud.

I have to watch Netflix on the computer, at the kitchen table.  It gets uncomfortable fairly rapidly.  Must get me knickers out of a knot and find the bloody WII remote!

Stayin' In

Yesterday it was mostly sunny and even when there were clouds, it was very bright out because of the snow.  A project came to mind.

We have newer, faster ways to do this of course, it's possible to use your printer to print an embroidery pattern directly onto adhesive wash-away stabilizer and then just stick it on to your fabric and start stitching.  This pattern is redwork and I just traced it on with a pen that disappears when you apply heat.

I did notice someone watching me.

The Supervisor, a snow lover!

Today, more excitement.  A dusting of snow this morning but power went out for about 2 1/2 hours just before noon.

Man on a pole!

 

 

 

Lucky that crocheting does not require plugging in. 

Simply Perfect Potato Soup

Why is it there is a  15 pound bag of potatoes on the kitchen island?  Well, the 5 pound bag didn't seem to have enough potatoes in it.  The 10 pound bag was $1.99.  What a deal!  Except...what's this, 15 pounds is $1.79!!  Less than 10 pounds?  Can't pass that up!

That was about a month ago.  The potatoes are fabulous and fresh out of the ground.  Right away I gave 6 to MNDeb.  I have baked two for dinners and used another two to cut up and cook with onions and an egg in the mornings.  I took a quick count and found still a dozen remaining.  Time for another recipe. Although as it turned out it only took two potatoes to make the 4 cups.

Fast and very good.  MNDeb and I had it with a little cheddar cheese shredded on top.  Just a little.

Simply Perfect Potato Soup

Adapted from AllRecipes(dot)com

4 cups peeled and diced potatoes      1/2 cup diced celery 1/2 cup finely chopped onion 1 cup diced cooked ham 3 1/2 cups chicken broth

1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste 1 teaspoon black pepper* 5 tablespoons butter 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 cups milk

	Combine the potatoes, celery, onion, ham and water in a stockpot. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth, salt and pepper.
	In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in milk so as not to allow lumps to form until all of the milk has been added. Continue stirring over medium-low heat until thick, 4 to 5 minutes.
.	Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot, and cook soup until heated through. Serve immediately.

*This might seem like a lot of pepper but I thought it was perfect.

Mostly Good : Some Bad

About 6 this morning.

Good:
          We need the moisture badly.
           It's Saturday and the first Saturday I haven't worked in m.a.n.y. weeks
          The big dogs really love it.
          Shoveled early and now the sun is peeking out.
          Ran a quick errand yesterday and now have stitching supplies on hand.
          Do not have to leave the house until Wednesday.
Bad:
          Leaves still on some trees, chain saws are out.
          Big wet dogs.
          Cable is out.  Not so bad really but you know... my fiber shows on Saturday at 6am.

Broken limb in front of Jeep and a hanging limb in back.

Measured 10 inches on the chair!

         

W.O.T.D.

aposiopesis:  the leaving of a thought incomplete usu. by a sudden breaking off

I'm reading a very interesting book, Ella Minnow Pea.  There are many, many made-up words in this book so I am doing a lot of look-ups.  Here, however is a real word and I love it!  While it's not quite the same meaning, I like it a lot better than the trite "senior moment".
 

Not dirty windows but heavy thick snow!

The Day After

Just checked.

Yep.

World still spinning.

Have You?

I am fortunate to vote in the historic Utah County Court House.  It makes for a fabulous experience, all that marble makes me think of Thomas Jefferson!

I found a parking spot easily which was a good sign but after all it was just 11 o'clock.  People in line? Three (3) and Larry, who ripped out my kitchen cabinets, planted evergreens, set the new sink in place, he was right in front of me.    Behind the check-in/check-off table?  A regular customer at the store.

It's a wonderful opportunity.  Thank you ladies!

U.S. women suffragettes demonstrating for the right to vote, February 1913 (Wikepedia)

Propitious

Yesterday, I picked up a piece of paper with this quote:

“Sometimes we let our thoughts of tomorrow take up too much of today.  Daydreaming of the past and longing for the future may provide comfort but will not take the place of living in the present.

This is the day of our opportunity, and we must grasp it…

There is no tomorrow to remember if we don’t do something today, and to live most fully today, we must do that which is of greatest importance.  Let us not procrastinate those things which matter most.”

Thomas S. Monson, 2008

Okay then, a new chapter begins!