Sister's Choice Quilts

Christmas Craft Projects and Dinner Shortcuts

Who can resist this face? Archie seems kind of chilly since his haircut Monday, so we put a sweater on him. At first, he wanted to eat it but has thankfully given up that notion. I laugh every time I look at him with those fuzzy floppy ears. He is adorable. You can probably tell he is wishing I'd let him in the house.

Eva's ornament gifts have turned out super cute. All I did was glue the felt backing on each one, and frankly, I made kind of a mess of it. My glue gun is absolutely worthless and is going in the trash as soon as it cools down. The glue doesn't even feed through it. I have to push the glue stick through with a spare finger while also pressing the trigger and guiding it around what I am trying to glue. It is so frustrating to use it.

Seriously, that is just a mess. There was no control at all. Does anyone have a link or the name of a glue gun that actually works reliably? I'd love to know.

My Instant Pot and cookbooks by Jeffrey Eisner are keeping me sane these days. If you use your Instant Pot regularly, you must try his cookbooks. Aside from a tendency to put a package of Boursin cheese in every dish (optional), his recipes are delicious. The Boursin is good in some of them too, you just need to use your judgment. I'm writing this on Tuesday afternoon and plan to make his Tortellini Soup for dinner. With no Boursin.

In other news, I am on a new diet. It is called the Chardonnay and Christmas Cookie Diet. Every time I pass by the tin of cookies my sister Kate gave me I have one. Or two. We shall see how that serves me.

Cooking Success and Failure, Cute Archie Picture

This is Archie in his dog bed at naptime. He likes to sleep on his back, and he has a favorite stuffed toy, a puppy, that he positions next to him. Notice he has placed the puppy on its back, just like he himself is relaxing. Sometimes he uses Puppy as a pillow, but typically he just has it in his bed with him to snuggle up with. He has loved this toy since Day One with us and sleeps with it always.

Eva is staying with us this week, and requested enchiladas when asked what dinners she might enjoy. I made chicken enchiladas with green sauce, which actually were quite good, if not somewhat labor intensive. I also made basmati rice, flavored with lime juice and cilantro, which I thought was very tasty and refreshing. It was a great accompaniment to a Mexican-themed meal.

My failure was the refried beans, which I made in my instant pot. My mistake was making them way too spicy. Too much chile powder I think. I used chile adobe powder, which was way hotter than the usual plain chili powder I typically use. I am going to try to make pinto beans in the instant pot again though. I soaked the beans for 8 hours ahead of time, drained them and cooked them for 20 minutes in 3 cups of seasoned water. Once they vented for 10-15 minutes, I mashed them and added chile powder and cilantro. Whew, it was way hotter than Eva's comfort zone. 

Using the instant pot to cook beans is easy and effective, and I will give it another try soon.

How about you? Do you make beans in your instant pot?

And the Christmas Season Begins!

Our Thanksgiving was small, but very cozy and lovely. It's funny isn't it that it is the same amount of work if you have four people or twenty four? We kicked things off with Christmas Cosmos, which were amazing. It is a regular Cosmo cocktail with crushed peppermint around the rim.

The day after recovering from our turkey coma, it was time to put away all the lovely fall decor. It is my favorite season to decorate, and I may have more items than strictly necessary to celebrate autumn.

That took a few trips out to our garage storage cupboards. Thank goodness we have a wagon.

I won't show you all my Christmas decor just yet because it is a work in progress. We spent the whole weekend getting things out and sorting through things to decide what we wanted where. Unfortunately, our main Christmas tree had an entire section of lights that no longer work. That tree cost a fortune and my husband spent hours trying to figure out what was wrong. I think we are going to have to come up with a new tree.

This is my dining table centerpiece. The glass trees are Waterford crystal, and are no longer made. I had a red one which I enjoyed for years and last year my husband surprised me with the clear one and the green one, which he found on eBay. When the light hits them, they glow as if lit from within. Truly exquisite. 

This small tree I put next to my reading chair in our front room/libary. Over the years we have collected a few Waterford Christmas ornaments and this little tree displays them all together. It is best viewed close up, so you may want to enlarge the photo. I truly enjoy this little tree so much. 

So far, Archie has not caused any disasters, but I did catch him biting the end of the garland on my buffet, which hangs down low enough for him to reach. If he had tugged on it, as I think he was planning to, many things that I have cherished for years would have ended up on the floor. We need to up our dog-proofing game. 

In other news, our son, as you know, lives in Dublin, Ireland. On Thanksgiving (which of course the Irish do not celebrate) there was a large civil disobedience occurrence (a riot) downtown. A city train was burned, a double-decker bus was burned, as well as at least one police car. As it happened right at commute time, Ahren was caught in the middle of things. He had to walk about 5 miles until he could find a taxi cab driver who would pick him up and take him home. What an embarrassment for Dublin, and Ireland as a whole. Disgraceful. 

Let's all hope for better things in 2024. Hope you had a great weekend! surrounded by family and good food on the table. 

Hourglass Log Cabin Blocks

I've made a good start on the log cabin alternate blocks for the Hourglass quilt. 12 are finished, 13 to go. They come together quickly and easily. This quilt top is going to be finished before I know it!

My homemade cranberry reilsh is done. It has oranges and Grand Marnier in it and is so good! Last year it was kind of soupy and I figured I hadn't cooked it quite long enough to set up. I made sure that didn't happen again this year.

Today Eva gets out of school early and we plan to make pies. A pumpkin and a pecan. For four people. Oh well, it's just once a year right? We can have two pieces.

I probably won't post again until next Monday. This weekend our plan is to get our Christmas decorations put out, so that will keep us busy. I hope you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving if you are in the US.

I wanted to give you all an update on my nephew, since being grateful is very much on my mind. He is home from the hospital after his cardiac arrest. The CPR he got while waiting for the paramedics to turn up caused him to have several broken ribs, so he is getting over that as well as the procedure to install a new pacemaker with a built in defribilator. I tell you, if that bystander had not been right there to see him go down and immediately started CPR, we would be telling a very different story today. So I am grateful for the kindness of strangers who step up and try to help in those first crucial seconds when it really counts. And also grateful for all your kind thoughts and prayers and for the grace of God to give my nephew another chance to live his life. We are counting our blessings this year.

 

 

 

End of October Activities

Eva's school has been having some special Halloween-themed events, and this past Friday was a big one for 7th graders. They had a Halloween dance and dinner which seemed to be well attended. Eva and her friend Riley were Power Puff Girls, a thing that was popular in the 80's or 90's. I can't keep up. Anyway, I have no clue if anyone "got" their costumes, but Eva was representing a character called "Bubbles" from a cartoon popular back in the day. Whether or not anyone else knew what the heck she was, she was pleased with her interpretation.

Eva hung out with us for most of the weekend, and we made some epic cookies. Honestly, the next time you have a tea party, or just want to serve some stellar cookies, give these Earl Grey Tea Cakes a try. This recipe was a keeper for sure. They were excellent. My favorite was the lemon-glazed version.

And this boy...What can I say? Archie is the cutest for sure. We are trying to give him a bit more free time to roam about the main floor of the house, and he is definitely finding his way around. He gets into trouble if he isn't supervised every moment, but is learning the rules. It's a process.

I sure do hope you all had a marvelous weekend.

Fabric Search & S'Mores Cake

Just throwing this out here:

Does anyone have 2.5 -3 yards of this fabric they might want to sell me? It is Nantucket Summer by Camille Roskelley 55260 11.

I've searched everywhere online,  but there is none to be found.

It would make a great border for the Designer Mystery 2023 project I am wrapping up. The quilt top as designed finishes at 80 x 80, and I'd like to make it a bit bigger. 

*Added later:  A dear reader came through for me and allowed me to purchase the piece of fabric she had bought for her project!  Thanks everyone!

Yesterday was the last day of summer vacation, so, Eva and I made a S'Mores Cake! We used a boxed mix:


Nothing to it, just a Betty Crocker Chocolate Fudge cake mix. You could probably use any chocolate cake mix you have on hand. It is the special topping that turns it into a S'More.


To make the topping, mix a container of whipped cream cheese frosting with about half a jar of marshmallow cream. Crumble up some graham crackers and chop up a milk chocolate Hershey bar and sprinkle over the frosted cake. 

Eva and Grandpa Denny say it is so good!

 

 

 

Haunted Halloweeen Week 3 and Salmon Bowls

This is a mystery sew-along, so I am not sure exactly where we are going, but this layout looks like a possibility. I finished Week 3's block, the haunted house. Which is a stretch. It kinda looks like a haunted castle, but that's ok. And the cat is huge in proportion.  It's ok, the sew-along has been fun and I will wait and see what happens next. 

I have another Halloween sew-along I must have signed up at The Quilt Spot for after 3 or 4 glasses of Chardonnay. It just started coming in the mail, with the first month's block and fabric. Remember the Fig Tree Halloween Figs Sampler of a couple of years ago? It is a repeat of that one, only with Joanna Figueroa's latest fabric collection, Harvest Moon. I signed up for a year-long sew-along, but will have to give you the details in a future post. Maybe tomorrow. 

It's a great quilt, especially if you aren't afraid of a bit of applique. I promise, I will tell you more about it in a future post. 

Since gaining ten pounds after last year's Christmas holiday season, I have been trying to eat healthier. I have lost nearly 15 pounds (14 to be exact) and am having fun being thinner. I actually bought a pair of size 8 jeans last weekend, which is kind of amazing. Single-digit sizing is kind of a new world. I can't seem to drop another ounce, so I must be at an ok weight. I wasn't that chubby to begin with, but who wouldn't like to drop a size or two? Anyway, my husband and I continue to try to eat less carbs, more veggies, and healthier choices overall. This dinner we had last night was so good, I just have to share. Easy peasy and so good.

We made brown rice in the rice cooker. I chopped up a bit of red onion, a bit of diced cucumber, a bit of shredded carrot, chopped fresh local cherry tomatoes, and some herbs from the garden. Then we cooked a small piece (less than half a pound for the two of us) of salmon in a nonstick pan. To serve, put some brown rice in a bowl, top with veggies, and a serving of salmon. Drizzle some Skinny Girl Fat-Free, Sugar-Free, Chipotle Ranch Dressing (less than $3 at Walmart), and you have a delicious dinner. Try it, I think you will agree, it is a very good thing.

Worked on piecing the Summer Memories top yesterday and made my Halloween Mystery haunted house, so some sewing is happening.

How Did It Get To Be June?

My life has been pretty dull lately, but I do have a great recipe and a good book recommendation for you.

The dish pictured above is called Caprese Chicken Stuffed Mushrooms. I took the photo just before popping them in the oven to bake for 25 minutes. They were so good, I swear I could eat them every night for a month straight and still not get tired of them. It is low-calorie and loaded with flavor. What you don't see in the picture is the balsamic glaze I drizzled over them for even more taste sensation. 

They were easy to make too. Mix cut-up raw chicken breast bits and season with garlic salt and pepper and some olive oil. Clean your portobello mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Fill with the chicken mixture, then press in halved cherry tomatoes wherever there is a gap. Sprinkle lightly with mozzarella (that was my addition), more salt and pepper, and then drizzle with balsamic vinegar you have reduced with some honey. Bake for 25 minutes at 425°. So good. I thought they were perfect.

I am all prepped for the 4th week of the Summer Memories sew-along. I am thoroughly sick of making half-square triangles and basket blocks. It is an effort to force myself to keep going with this project, but I am determined. It is actually stealing away my sewing mojo. The finished quilt top will be gorgeous and I know I will be happy in the end that I stuck with it. I see hsts in my sleep.

This book is doing a great job of holding my interest and keeping me in the rocker on my front porch. The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle by Jennifer Ryan. You may remember this author's previous works The Chilbury Ladies' Choir and The Kitchen Front. Her novels tend to be set during WW2 and concern the women in England who were left behind to hold down the fort and keep things going at home. In this novel, a group of women work together to repair a beautiful vintage wedding gown so it can be passed from bride to bride so they have something traditional, white, and beautiful to wear for their wedding. Fabric suitable for a wedding gown was nowhere to be found, so they cleverly figured out a way to "make do". I am really enjoying it. 

Have a great weekend everyone!  How did it get to be June already?

Back on Track

After a rough start on Monday, I had a better sewing experience on Tuesday. I discovered that the one block I had finished for week 2 I had made too large. Of course I did. I cut my lattice strips a quarter inch too wide, so I had to take the block apart and put new lattices on it. Honestly, Monday just wasn't my day.

The project is still very slow-going. It's week 2 and I have only finished two of the four blocks. Maybe I can get caught up the rest of this week and make a start on Week 3 on Saturday. I have to admit the blocks are super cute. I just need to develop a better system of making them.

Eva and I had a smash success for our Tuesday baking project. (By the way, she told me that Tuesday is her absolute favorite day of the week. Aw.) We made Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies from the Best Bake Sale Cookbook. I firmly believe that my constant failures with chocolate chip cookies stem from leaving the nuts out (Eva's preference). The dough is just too buttery and the cookies spread out into one big mess because nothing is holding the dough together. With the addition of oatmeal, these cookies come out chewy and cakey and exactly right.

We were so proud of these we shared a dozen of them with a neighbor who recently helped Eva fix a flat tire on her bike.

Lastly, here is a recent purchase. How. Cute. Is. That? Owl-o-ween by Urban Chiks. This is the third Halloween collection they have come out with and it may be my favorite. I see a new table runner in my future.

Hope you are all having a splendid week.

Lemon Crinkles: Best Cookies Ever

Well, our Tuesday baking project produced the best cookies ever.

A week ago, Eva's step-sister, who lives in Alaska, posted a photo on Instagram of some lemon cookies she made. Eva and I love all things lemon, so we decided we were going to give them a try the next time we baked. I found a recipe for Lemon Crinkle Cookies on Sally's Baking Addiction, a reliable recipe source I have used before.

These cookies came out great. They were melt-in-your-mouth soft, with loads of lemony flavor. I now have powdered sugar all over myself and the kitchen, but it was worth it. 

You do have to chill the dough for 3 hours prior to baking, which I did. I just mixed up the dough in the morning and Eva and I formed and baked the cookies when she got home from school. The recipe made three dozen or more, so we had some to share.

I am still plugging away at my writing assignments, so no sewing is happening. Hope your week got off to a great start. And here we are at Wednesday already. Where does the time go?