Need some inspiration?

If you do or even if you don't (LOL) -- visit Rhonda. She has a fantastic sense of color. Have a wonderful weekend and see you back here on Monday.

Blessings,

Giveaways

I have entered a giveaway and you can too at Quilty Threads and Other Things. And at Lila Tueller Designs a fabulous giveaway. She is giving away two great prizes. Do you know of other giveaways? Leave a comment and I'll pass it on.

Blessings,

Piggy stuff

Thought you might like to see some of my piggy stuff. Two are cookie jars and some are salt shakers and the pink and purple ceramic one--made by DGD Aimee (it has scotch tape--she dropped it before she gave it to Nanaw, bless her heart) and the two pigs wrestling/cuddling I bought for DH. I have more throughout the house but I haven't dusted so you aren't going to see them yet. We are expecting two litters in a little over a week. And then another a week later. It will be the piggy maternity ward around here for awhile.

We had cooler temps yesterday and today. Humidity, yes, but cooler. I picked blackeyed peas this morning and liberated some more okra from the grass. "You are set free little okra; now grow up and make us proud."

This is the empty pie plate. I was in too big a hurry to take a picture Wednesday before we ate it. The Zucchini Pie was good. I want to tweak it a little. It was a little watery. And it needed some more spices of some kind. The recipe called for cayenne pepper. There was no way that I was going to subject 80 and 90 year old little ladies to cayenne pepper. And no, Jan, no cinnamon. Did I tell you that story? No? At retreat Jan cooked a couple dishes for us. She looked in the cabinet for some spices having forgotten to bring some. And all she found was cinnamon. Yes, sigh, cinnamon. We had some garlic bread left over from the lasagna meal I took and we all got hungry Tuesday evening. Jan and Dixie (they're sisters) went in the kitchen to rummage us up something. They took grated cheese, black olives, some mayo, not sure what else, and you guessed it--cinnamon and spread on the garlic bread and heated it up. It smelled really good. I took my first bite not knowing there was cinnamon in it. What a surprise! And me being me said, "It has cinnamon in it!" Jan said, "That was the only spice in the cabinet." Okay. VERY DIFFERENT! We had some good laughs. That wasn't the end of our "only cinnamon" episode. Sigh, no, it was repeated the next morning at breakfast. Kathleen made us Big Mama's French Toast and yes, it has cinnamon; IT'S SUPPOSED TO. Jan thought we needed some protein to go with all that sweet. She made us a sausage/scrambled egg cheese thingy that was really good. Alas, first bite -- you guessed it. Cinnamon! And me being me said, "It's got cinnamon in it." And Jan said, "It is the only spice in the cabinet." I am going to make sure I take some spices next time.

Oh, by the way, the first batch of Zucchini Jam I made I used peach jello. Okay. The next I used apricot jello. Really good. Last year when I made it-just once last year- used strawberry jello. Again okay. I will be making more with apricot jello. I have some raspberry jello. Hmmmmm. And no, no cinnamon.LOL

If you haven't guessed already; no, there isn't anything quilting going on right now. But I am expecting an order in from a supplier. Mostly books and patterns are coming this time. We talked yesterday at Kraz-z Quilters about getting easily distracted. I think I am going to get easily distracted when that order comes in. "Shhh! blackeyed peas, I will shell you later."

Blessings,

Blooming 9 Patch Hopeful

Here are three fabrics I have picked so far for the Blooming 9 Patch I want to make. After taking the picture I really like how these look together; I think. Question is--what fabric do I go for next? I was going to use the more yellow piece in the center but after seeing the photo I think the one with the most white is the better choice. There is some green and dark rust/maroon in the yellow fabric if I go with it for my third choice. Oh, I don't know what to do! I hope to go shopping at a nice little shop that has 42% off til the 14th for the rest of the fabric. Anybody for a field trip?

Today, I am making more Zucchini Bread and Zucchini Jam. And tomorrow I am trying out a Zucchini Pie on my Kraz-z Quilers. It is like a quiche. I'll let you know. Oh, by the way, the Zucchini Jam got DH approval. Yes! No, "Marmaduke Puke".

Blessings,

Mary's Quilting Notes: Flower Box Quilt

Mary's Quilting Notes: Flower Box Quilt is a baby quilt I want to make soon. Very simple yet it has such impact! After I do some others first, LOL.

Blackeyed Peas and Zucchini Jam

I picked blackeyed peas this morning and then shelled them this afternoon. I also made a batch of zucchini jam. I did taste the jam. I'm not sure DH is going to like it. I made a Pear Marmalade years ago and he called it "Marmaduke Puke". Both the Pear Marmalade and the Zucchini Jam have pineapple in them. Anyway I pureed the zucchini and pineapple after cooking the zucchini then I made the jam. Only time will tell on it's fate. BUT the Zucchini Bread I made and posted last post has all been eaten. We both liked it immensely. I plan on baking another loaf tomorrow.

Blessings,

Zucchini Bread Recipe

Okay, I have a winner! I love this recipe--Zucchini Bread VI. I made some adjustments--left out the cinnamon (I simply forgot it!)LOL I think I like it better. I used 1/2 cup vegetable oil and filled the remaining amount called for in the recipe with bottled lemon juice and checked it at 50 minutes and it was done. 'Cause I know my oven ; ) . Oh, and I put a glaze on made with powdered sugar and bottled lemon juice. Yum! My picture doesn't look like the one on All Recipes--they must chop their pecans very fine.

Blessings,

BOM

I really would like to join Judy L with her BOM but I can't justify starting another project now until I finish what I have started. Sorry, Judy. It is lovely and I really would like to learn how to set on point and do a ribbon border. I will follow along and watch all the gals as they are sewing.


Oldest DS came this weekend and saw the Time Travel flimsy and likes it but wants it big enough to fit his bed. His bed is queen size. If that's the case, it's not finished like I hoped it was. And I will need to figure out how to make it bigger. : ( Sigh! It is 69" X 92". He has a deeeep pillow top mattress. Can I talk him out of it? I may try. I can always promise to make him another quilt. After I finish the Dresden Plate for his sister and his little brother asked me this weekend if I had made them a wedding quilt. I'm behind before I get started. : ( And DD has asked me to make a baby quilt for her pastor and wife who are expecting in August. Sigh! Patsy, the Turning Twenty quilts are looking better and better. I think my kids don't realize how much time and work goes into these quilts. Oh, well. It does give me an excuse for shopping for fabric! LOL Oh, my gosh! There's also the Mystery Quilt the guild is doing! I gotta go sew!

Blessings,

Another "Mason" weekend

Yes, it was another "Mason" weekend. We enjoyed him so much. I keep saying that he is a sweet baby--but he really is--and I have babysat lots of babies over the years. I got to rock him to sleep! He is crawling very fast these days. He was much better about the cabinets. He knows what the word "No" means. And you know what I am tired!

But he wasn't the only reason I'm tired. Thursday I pulled grass from the rocks in our rock patio. I refuse to use weed killers. We lost a darling Brittany Spaniel years ago to cancer and I read that weed killers are believed to contribute to cancer in animals. I could sure tell the next day that my muscles in my "rear end" had been used to squat and bend. I couldn't stand for our boys to see our patio all "grown up" since they always did such a good job keeping the yard when they lived at home with us.

This weekend we celebrated my youngest son's 25th birthday. I am amazed at him. He is so mature. He was recently promoted to assistant project manager at his engineering firm and he told his dad that he may be made project manager soon. So for his birthday celebration DH grilled steaks; I made a jello salad, homemade rolls, fried squash and a red velvet birthday cake from scratch. "Patting myself on the back". This is the second time this season that I have fried squash. We usually eat them steamed.

Friday, I went to Wal-Mart early. I needed print cartridges for the printer and of course lots of other "stuff". I found this neat stripe fabric to back one of the 4PSP baby quilts I made. I just love the way it turned out.

This quilt or the other one I made will go to Houston to a brand new little girl named Brooklyn.

DIL thinks the mommy might like the one with the polka dots better. This one is my favorite. But it's because I LOVE the shade of pink in the sashing. Click on the photo and look at the itty bitty 4 patches that make the corner stones. Aren't they so fun?

I wanted to post some more pics from the quilt retreat at The Quilt House. Patsy, I learned how to do the linky thing from Split Decisionz. Yippee! The bed to the right is where I slept.

Dixie is cooking lunch for us. Her Mexican dish was wonderful! I gotta get her recipe. Jan is cutting at the cutting table.

Kathleen posing with her Boondoggle quilt she completely sewed at the retreat. Great job! Jan's 4PSP she cut and sewed a big part of it at retreat. Another great job. Click on the photo to see the beautiful fabric. Dixie's quilt (sorry, I forgot the name of the pattern) on the design wall. Before we left she had put all the blocks together and some of the borders. This last Wednesday Jan and Dixie brought their completed quilt tops. I will have photos next post. We had a very productive retreat.

Blessings,