Recipe Friday

I have been busy with school lately but I did manage to sew a little last night. Thanksgiving is getting close and the meal planning has begun. Here is our family's favorite dish for Thanksgiving...

Grandma Norma's Jello Salad

2 pkg. frozen Strawberries
1 can crushed pineapple
6 oz Strawberry Jello
1 or 2 bananas
1 cup sour cream

First put a bowl and beaters in freezer.

Then drain juice from strawberries and pineapple to make 1 1/2 cups, bring to a boil then remove from heat add jello to dissolve

Let cool till it starts to harden then add strawberries, pineapple and banana. Place in fridge to set. When berries, pineapple and bananas are set, beat sour cream for 5 minutes with frozen bowl and beaters, then mix all together (sour cream and fruit mix) with spoon, return to fridge to set.

Enjoy!
Melody

Recipe Friday

Here is another fall recipe that I enjoy making when I have friends over for drinks. It is not for the faint of heart.... lots of fat and calories in this one! Best when served with Pita Chips, I recommend Stacy's Pita Chips from Costco.

Hot Artichoke Dip Recipe

1 (14oz) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 cup mayonnaise
1 (8oz) block of cream cheese
**1 cup of shredded mozzarella
Dash of Tabasco
Salt & Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

** I used the already shredded cheese (6 cheese Italian blend, 2 cup bag) from the store and used 1 ½ cups in the dip and ½ cup sprinkled on top of the dip.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Then beat in the mayonnaise until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and stir together until combined. Transfer the dip to a shallow pie plate or gratin dish. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes until the top is golden brown and the cheese is bubbling. Serve hot with crackers, tortilla chips, pita chips or veggies.

Enjoy,
Melody

Quick start and finish....

This is Lily helping me quilt. She has to be on the table looking out the window while I am sewing. When working on little quilts such as this one, it works, but when I have larger quilts on the table she gets demoted to the floor.

This is a little quilt I finished last night about midnight. I love the back! I used a Santorini charm pack from Moda and the pinwheel tutorial on the Moda Bake Shop website, less the prairie points. It is very quick and very fun to make.

Here is the front. I used a white on white flower print to keep the flower theme and the brown has a tiny white polka dot. The binding is green with larger white polka dots.

Below is some of my practice on free motion quilting that is not meandering. I took a class from Judi Dains a couple weeks ago to get some confidence in my free motion quilting without marking. I love the way these flowers turned out. I used a basic white cotton machine quilting thread on the back and then changed the front on the border to a Sulky Rayon variegated purple. It was my first time using rayon to machine quilt and I loved the effect. It has a shine to it that really helps the flowers stand out.

Melody

Recipe Friday

With the holidays in the horizon, I have been feeling a little sentimental lately. It has been one year and eight months since the passing of my beloved Grandmother Norma (L). I miss her deeply and think of her everyday. She was robbed, in my opinion, by the deadly disease of dementia at the age of 81. Her sister Aunt Kay (C) is fighting the disease too and is currently in a care home. Aunt Midge (R) is all we have left of the ten brothers and sisters of the Gallino Family that can spend holidays with us.

One of my favorite recipes that my Grandma Norma made was Persimmon Drop Cookies. Grandma Norma wasn't much of a cook, being at the younger range of siblings, she was responsible for watching the older siblings children. But when she did cook/bake it was something we all loved. During the fall and winter, it was almost unheard of not to smell the freshly baked Persimmon cookies in her house. I am posting the recipe for all to enjoy this holiday season.

Persimmon Drop Cookies

1 cup persimmon pulp 2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup sugar ½ tsp. ground cloves
½ cup butter ½ tsp. nutmeg
1 egg beaten 1 cup nuts
½ tsp. salt 1 cup raisins

Beat till creamy: pulp, soda, sugar & butter

Add: egg & beat well

Sift flour & spices

Add: flour, raisins & nuts to creamy mixture

Drop by spoonfuls on greased cookie sheet

Bake 375° 12-15 min. Makes 3-4 dozen

Figgy Trees

Figgy Trees is done, well sort of. It is quilted and I am currently sewing the binding on by hand. I should have it done in time for the Church's meeting on Sunday. I hope they like it. I sure do.

This little beauty is for my cousin's wedding in two weeks.... She is getting married in Redding CA and I can't wait to see her. I have not seen her since our Aunt's funeral last January. This time it will be a fun ocasion. I hope she likes it. It is quite a stretch for me, scrappy and not very symetrical.

Melody

My Fall Challenge Update # 2

WOW, September is really flying for me. It is already half way gone... I have been super busy at work, school and with the Cattlewomen's Assocation. I did happen to find some time to quilt and here is my progress at finishing those quilts on my list:

1. QFK # 1 Done, needs a label

2. QFK # 2 Done, needs a label

3. Kelsea's Bento Box quilt Done, needs a label

4. Hunter's Zigzag quilt is quilted but needs binding and a label.

5. Figgy Trees top is finished, needs to be quilted, binding and a label.

Do you see a theme here???? "Needs a label." What do you do for labels? Because I give away as gifts or donate all of my quilts, they need labels. I find that I don't like handwriting on a piece of muslin type labels. I think quilt labels should be as interesting as the quilt, but easy to read. I could hand embroider my labels but we all know that takes time, something I usually don't have.

So there is my dilema... Any comments or ideas for me quilt blog world? I would love to read them!

Melody

Fall Challenge Update #1

Did I tell you all how much I love the Figgy Pudding line??? Here are the courthouse blocks that I finished last night. All I have to do now is add them to the trees and the top will be done.

I can't wait to see this come together and I'm sad that I have to give it away.... But it is going to the St. James Episcopal Church for their annual Christmas fundraiser, and that makes me happy.

Melody

My Fall Challenge

Fall Challenge Starts August 26, 2009 and ends September 30, 2009.

I just realized how many projects are in my "to be finished" list. WOW! My husband will be leaving next Wednesday for the first of many weeks this fall to guide elk and deer hunts in Oregon. This is my challenge.... I want to finish all of my projects (already started) on the list before he comes home from his last trip (sometime in late September). I will also not purchase any new fabric or start any new projects during this time. I really want to go into Fall with a clean slate, that way I will have two full months for Christmas projects/gifts.

I will try to blog/check in about my progress at least every other day and you all will be more than welcome to join me. We can help keep each other on task... So are you ready for the Fall Challenge?

Leave me a comment and I will add you/your blog to our Fall Challenge list. I will also send out a prize to the person who finishes the most "already started" projects during the Challenge time.

Melody

Design wall Monday...

Two projects that I am working on....

Vacation ...

At least I thought it was... So we have been back a week or so from our quick trip up the north coast. I have to say hands down the most beautiful area in California. I love the north coast. We stayed two nights in Fortuna, CA then went on to Cresent City, CA. Here are some pictures:

Cresent City Harbor

View from Cresent City Lighthouse back towards Cresent City

Cresent City Lighthouse

Fortuna, CA
Hubby standing next to big tree at Mystery of Trees in Klamath, CA

Big Diamonds

Big Diamonds is officially finished and Lily is testing it out. I have it on my bed and we have slept under it for 2 nights! It is the largest traditional quilt I have completed to date. I love the colors and fabric (mostly Urban Couture and MoMo from Moda).

I have also been working on some donation quilts for Quilts for Kids . These two just need binding and they will be finished and on their way to new homes.I am on fabric restriction... My stash has been growing over the last couple of weeks so I have plenty to work with for a while Plus my husband has been laid off work for the rest of the year. (He worked in Non-Profit fundraising in California, not a good line of work here in this economy.) He has some odd jobs lined up for my parents and grandparents at the ranch, also some guiding (elk & deer) work in Oregon for the month of September. Sort of a bummer but we will make it work.

We had a weekend trip planned long ago to Fortuna, Eureka and Arcata, CA for this weekend. We have decided to go regardless. We both need a break far from life here at home, even if it is only for a couple of days.

On my machine right now...

This little beauty is on my maching right now just waiting for me to finish her. I bought a couple of charm packs this spring and had yet to use them sooooo..... I looked at Moda Bake Shop and found this pinwheel baby pattern designed by Jodi at SimplyThisThatandtheOther. Jodi used Snippets in the original pattern but I love how Natures Chorus gave it a more elegant look.

The quilt below is for the Loomis Mule Deer Foundation Banquet to be held this Saturday. It is our local chapter of MDF and my husband is the Regional Director of California for MDF. So I donated this quilt to the chapter to be auctioned off at Saturday's Banquet. This was the first time I made a tumbler quilt. I was amazed at how quick it went. I purchased a plastic template at my LQS Cabin Fever Quilt Shoppe in Auburn, CA. It is perfect for a lap quilt or for a toddler's bed. As you can see Lily is inspecting the work as usual.

A Couple of Finishes

I finally finished the cowboy quilt for my friend's little boy Wes. I also finished my Stars and Stripes quilt just in time for the 4th. I love how it turned out. I hope everyone enjoyed their 4th of July Celebrations. We spent the afternoon/evening at my parent's ranch. We had bbq and enjoyed the company of family and friends.

The Clara Quilt

Here is the latest project I started this week. My cousin's little girl Clara has a birthday on July 3, so I decided to make her a quilt. It is of course the same pattern as the "Emma" quilt but this time I made it not so controlled scrappy. I bought a jelly roll at WalMart, of all places and starting sewing yesterday. It has bright colors of yellow, pink and blues.

As you can see I have hung a new design wall in my work space AKA the bedroom. Some day I will clean out the Craft room so it can be used as the craft room!

Stars & Stripes

Wow! I have blogged 2 days in a row now.... Having the new laptop sure makes a difference. Well here is my Stars & Stripes quilt. I have it basted and ready to quilt but not sure as to how I am going to quilt it. I normally just do stippling (that is what I taught myself) but I think this one needs something extra. Maybe stars on the border? What do you think?

New Computer & "Emma" quilt

I finally purchased my new laptop. It has been over a week and I am still trying to get it where I want it software wise. Today the mission was getting the camera/download pictures to work. It took me almost an hour just to find the cd that came with the camera. So here are the pictures of the finished "Emma" quilt. I took it to her last weekend and she loved it. I made a matching pillowcase out of the left over material. Had I known how easy they were, I would have been making them a long time ago. French seams are my new favorite.

Wow where has the time gone?

Did you think I was gone for good? I thought I was! I started school again. The mission this time is my Masters. I attend class every Wednesday night from 6pm to 10pm in Sacramento. That gives me one very long day each week. I leave for work at 7am and do not return to the house until 11pm. I have been finding time to quilt in between the reading and paper writing though.

I finished piecing the "Emma" bento box quilt a couple of weeks ago but have not been able to post the pictures on a timely basis. Since this picture was taken I have quilted and finished the binding. I also made a pillowcase with the leftover backing and binding fabric. Maybe I will get those pictures posted next month.

I have started a new project, my first mystery quilt by Cathy O. from an online group I belong to. Here are my colors and fabrics. I just love green and blue and paisley!

Tax Day has come and gone, Finally!

So now that the taxes are out of the way... And yes I did wait till the last minute! I have a couple of things to show today. First: I went to my very first quilt show at the beginning of the month. I was sick and had been branding calves at my parent's ranch that morning so needless to say I am glad they let me in. It was very small and hosted by the local quilter's guild. Of course I had to purchase many little things.

I like to think that I am green in my sewing but I couldn't help but try the new Dream Green batting. It is made from recycled plastic bottles. We shall see how it quilts sometime soon...

I have some WIP's going on right now. This is the diaper bag to match the stacked coins Jungle Quilt for my Cousin Erica. The Baby Shower is Saturday and it looks like all will be complete tonight! YAY for me.

These Bento Box squares are for Emma. Emma is a darling little girl that belongs to our friends Allen and Jennifer. She is the tiniest little thing and she loves pink. I think she is going to love this quilt.

These are rectangles or hst's ready to be sewn together to create a wonderful quilt of diamonds without sewing the diamonds! I have some wedding gifts I owe to some friends and this is going to be one of their choices. I have decided to sew up some quilts and just let them pick out which ones they want.

So yes I have been bad about posting, but I have been really busy too. I am off to Napa this weekend for some much needed time out of the house. I love that I only live an hour and a half from the California Wine Country!

Quilterblogs.com

My Blog has been added to Quilterblogs.com! I am so excited about this new adventure. I use this site on a daily basis to find inspiration and tips, it is such a great tool for quilters and crafters. I am honored to be among the list of artists.

I finished my first machine quilted quilt a couple of weeks ago. As you can see my Lily loves this quilt. It happily fits in her kennel and she sleeps on it every day.

Here is the Jungle quilt that I finished last week. It is the stacked coins quilt and my 2nd try at machine quilting.

I love the Zebra stripe back and binding. This is for my Cousin Erica and her baby boy. I am making a diaper bag to match. If you haven't tried the stacked coins quilt, you must! It was super easy and Amandajean has a great tutorial on the Moda Bake Shop site.

My next project is a Bento Box quilt using these yummy fabrics.

And last but not least... I happened to sneak up on my precious Lily checking out my sewing area the other day.... Bad puppy!

Crazy Weekend Ahead...

Sorry it has been a while since my last post. I have a ton of new pictures to add but sadly they are at home still in the camera. Yes I am at work right at this very moment. I finished the Jungle Stacked Coins baby quilt for my Cousin Erica. It is definitely one of my faves. I have the matching diaper bag cut out and ready to sew. I have been collecting a couple different stacks of fabrics for future projects. Again I have pictures but again they are still in the camera. I hope I can post them for you all soon.

So I have a crazy weekend ahead. Tomorrow I have the day off from work so I can help the Tahoe Cattlemens' Association set up and decorate for their annual Spring Dinner and Dance. Then I leave that wonderful dinner (sadly) at 6:15pm to arrive at my California Cattlewomen's Association (CCW) Spring Executive Meeting in Folsom, CA. After I am done there I meet the Cattlemen again back in Loomis to help clean up after the dinner. (And Yes I am still talking about Friday night.) Saturday I have another meeting in Folsom for the California Cattlewomen's Heritage Foundation at 8 am. After this meeting the CCW is having a wonderful workshop on Marketing and 21st Century Beef Promotion. At 3 pm I am back in Lincoln for the 11th Annual California Waterfowl Association fundraising Banquet. Brian and I have been on the committee for this dinner since the beginning. So Sunday I get to rest right? Well not so fast. Sunday morning at 8 am it's back to Folsom for the CCW Spring General Membership Meeting. Can you say CRAZY?!? Yes I am crazy, but after this weekend, I have all the time in the world to do what I love, Quilt.

The Weekend Project

This weekend's project is cutting the fabric for my Cousin's baby quilt. Her theme for the nursery is jungle with bright colors. I am going to try my hand at a stacked coins quilt. You can see a great tutorial of one on the Moda Bake Shop website. There are many cool ideas for crafting and quilting. I visit at least three times a week! The tutorial was written by Crazy Mom Quilts who also blogs here. I visit this blog at least once a day for inspiration... Such talented people on the web these days! Another great location for inspiration on the web is Quilterblogs. There are hundreds of blogs to browse in one location.

Finding Inspiration during this depression....

It's been a great while since I posted here... But I have been hooked on reading other's "Quilt Blogs". I have found so much inspiration in the middle of this financial down turn. I love sewing and lately I have been too busy to finish a few projects, one being my Mom's Christmas Quilt. Sorry Mom! Others include two quilts for my cousin's daughters in Colorado and serveral baby boy quilts for all my prego friends. I will get to it tomorrow as tonight is Bunco Night!