Mother's Day Medley

“I don't want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully, tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails.
I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp.
I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbors children.
I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed someone's garden.
I want to be there with children's sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tears of a friend on my shoulder.
I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived.”
― Marjorie Pay Hinckley 

 

 

 

     This sweet little wall quilt has a little bit of everything-paper piecing, applique and regular piecing.  This pattern was designed by Vicki Bellino from Bloom Creek. It's called Remembering Annabelle.  I love birdhouses so naturally I love this quilt; perfect to display for May.



     Everyone gathered at our home again for Mother's Day today.  How very blessed I am to have wonderful women in my life; my mother, mother-in-law, sisters, daughters and a daughter-in-law.  We had a great visit together.  My husband made the main dish and everyone else helped with the meal in some way.  My youngest daughter made the dessert that I requested; Chocolate Drizzled Strawberry Cream Pie. Yummmmm!  This recipe comes from Our Best Bites.

Chocolate-Drizzled Strawberries and Cream Pie

Recipe by Our Best Bites

1 quart fresh strawberries
 1 8-oz. package cream cheese at room temperature (light is fine)
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 c. packed light brown sugar
1 c. heavy whipping cream
1/4 c. powdered sugar
1 9″ graham cracker crust (store-bought or homemade)
1-2 ounces chocolate

In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese, brown sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy. In a separate large bowl, beat the whipping cream and powdered sugar until medium peaks form. Add about 1 c. of the whipping cream mixture to the cream cheese mixture. Beat until smooth and well-combined. Add the remaining whipping cream mixture and mix until just combined. Spread in the graham cracker crust and refrigerate for a few minutes while you prepare the strawberries.

Wash the strawberries and cut off the stems. Blot dry with a paper towel and then gently press, cut side down, into the whipped cream mixture. Set aside.

If using a chocolate bar, break it into equal pieces and place in a small Ziploc bag. Microwave for 1-1 1/2 minutes, stopping the microwave every 20 seconds to mash the bag. You want the chocolate to be melted but not hot at all. When the chocolate is melted, snip a corner off the bag and drizzle it over the strawberries. Refrigerate for at least three hours before serving. Serves 8.

 

     A nice recipe for the Spring and Summer months is Chicken Pasta Salad.  I made this to serve last Thursday at our 70's Ladies Luncheon.

Chicken Pasta Salad

1 8 oz. faralle (bow tie pasta)                            1 small package raisins

1 8 oz. tri-colored spiral pasta                           2 chicken breasts

1 cup cashews                                                  3 green onions, chopped

2 cups red grapes, sliced in half                      1 can pineapple tidbits, drained

2 cups chopped celery

 

            Cook the pasta and drain well.  Cook the chicken and drain thoroughly; cut into small pieces.  Mix all ingredients together well.

Combine:

1 16 oz. bottle Kraft coleslaw dressing

1 cup mayonnaise (Do not use salad dressing.)

            Pour dressing mix over salad.  Toss and refrigerate until ready to serve.

 

 

 

     Since today we are celebrating wonderful women, I chose the book Sister Chicks on the Loose by  Robin Jones Gunn.  This was a fun book about two friends who took off on a trip to Finland and ended up traveling  to a few other places on a whim.  Sometimes the funnest times we have are the times that are unplanned. 
 

¡Feliz Cinco de Mayo!

“I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.” - Bill Cosby

     This is one of my favorite treats that my brother makes for our family.  He's always so good to share with us.

Seven Layer Mexican Dip

1 16 oz. can refried beans                               2 small tomatoes

2 large avocados                                             ½ C. chopped green onions

1 8 oz. sour cream                                           ½ C. grated cheese

1 package taco seasoning mix (mix half with refried beans and half with sour cream)

olives to taste

Mash avocados and add 2 tsp. lemon juice to keep from turning brown.

Layer on serving platter:                                 refried beans

                                                                        avocados

                                                                        sour cream mixture

                                                                        onions

                                                                        tomatoes

                                                                        olives

                                                                        cheese

 

 

     Chicken Enchiladas are one of our family favorites.  This recipe is pretty basic and will feed a crowd.  I usually cut the recipe in half to feed just those of us still at home.

Chicken Enchiladas

1 chicken (boiled)                                           2- 4 oz. cans diced green chilies

            or 6-8 chicken breasts                         24 small flour tortillas

1 lb. longhorn or cheddar cheese,

            grated

Filling: diced cooked chicken, green chilies, half grated cheese.

Fill tortillas.

 

Sauce: 2 cans cream of chicken soup, 1 pint half and half, 1 cup chicken broth.

 

Mix the sauce and pour over the filled tortillas.  Top with the other half of cheese.

Bake covered at 350° for 35-45 minutes.

 

     I just finished this shop hop with my husband and youngest daughter.  Last Saturday we drove over 700 miles through Idaho and Wyoming.  Yesterday we finished it off and hit the two shops in Logan, Utah and the last shop in Preston, Idaho.  We saw some beautiful scenery and both weekends were filled with sunny, nice days.  There were twelve quilt shops in all.  Here are pictures from some of the highlights.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     There are just three short weeks left of school around here.  In honor of that, here's a good motivational book called The Energy Bus.  We read it for Book Club in February.  It turned out to be a nice, little force for good in my life.

 

 

Garden of Weedin'

"To plant a garden is to believe in the future."--Unknown

"When weeding, the best way to make sure you are removing a weed and not a valuable plant is to pull on it. If it comes out of the ground easily, it is a valuable plant. "~Author Unknown

 

     We planted peas a few weeks ago and even though the weather has been very unpredictable and cold,  they have managed to keep on growing.

 

    

     This was a fun quilt to make.  The blocks were simple as was the applique.  This pattern is called Fantasy Garden designed by Nancy Rink.

     Crepes are a tasty treat in the Spring.  They can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Basic Crepes

3 eggs                                                              1 ¼ flour

2 cups milk                                                      ½ tsp. salt

3 Tbsp. butter, melted

     Mix all ingredients in blender until well mixed.  Heat a medium non-stick frying pan over medium heat.  Pour ¼ cup mix into pan and rotate pan until bottom is completely covered with batter.  Let cook until crepe begins to brown and use rubber scraper to flip crepe over and continue to cook until light brown.  For sweet crepes add ½ tsp vanilla and 1 Tbsp. sugar to the batter.  The crepes can be filled with pie filling, pudding, fruit, whipped cream, or a cream cheese filling.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

     For dinner crepes fill with meat, gravy, cooked veggies, cheese or a cheese sauce.

 

     My friend gave this recipe to me a few weeks ago.  It's easy to make and pretty tasty.  Thanks, Jayme.  I think I'll try putting some diced asparagus in it sometime.

 

 

Ham and Swiss Casserole

1-8 oz. pkg. egg noodles, cooked and drained                       1 cup sour cream

2 cups cubed fully cooked ham                                              ½ cup chopped green pepper

2 cups shredded Swiss cheese                                                ½ cup chopped onion

1 can cream of celery soup

Layer half of the noodles, ham and cheese in a greased 9x13” baking dish.  Combine the soup, sour cream, green pepper and onion in a large bowl.  Spread half over the noodles, etc. in the baking dish.  Repeat layers and bake uncovered, at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until heated through.  Makes 6-8 servings. 

 

     My family enjoyed this treat a few weekends ago.  It's so easy to make and so good.

Blueberry Sky Pie

8 oz. pkg. cream cheese                                  8 oz. container whipped topping

6 oz. can frozen lemonade                              21 oz. can blueberry pie filling

14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk            2 graham cracker crusts

Beat cream cheese until creamy; add lemonade and sweetened condensed milk.  Mix until well blended.  Fold in ¾ of the whipped topping and 2/3 of the blueberry pie filling.  Spread into graham cracker crusts and chill.  Garnish with whipped topping and remaining pie filling.  Makes two pies.

 

 

    

     I enjoyed this murder mystery.  The main character is a percocious eleven year old girl who enjoys dabbling in chemistry.  I hope in future books she gets along with her sisters a little better.

    My friend, Susan, made this little snap purse for me.  The opening is made using a metal tape measure enclosed in a fabric casing.  It easily opens and snaps closed. 

 

Life is a Picnic on the Beach!

“I do not exist to impress the world. I exist to live my life in a way that will make me happy. ”
― Richard Bach, Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah


     Last week we took off on a twelve hour drive for Spring Break.  The road trip ended in Solvang, California.  Solvang is a town that was originally settled by Danish immigrants.  It has a charm all it's own.  It's famous for it's bakeries and pastry shops.  I enjoyed the farmer's market they have each Wednesday.  A common mode of transportation in the town is bicycles built for four or more.

 

The nearby town of Buellton is the home of Ostrich

Land and a colorful quilt shop called The Creation Station.

 

 

 

     We loved the time we spent at the beaches near Santa Barbara.  The boogie boards were a hit with the kids.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     That last picture reminds me of a book I read just after my husband and I were married.  The book was given to my husband by his parents and it was one of the few he read as a teenager.  It's an allegory of a seagull that rises to be the best he can be-- Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach.

 

     My daughters, my daughter-in-law and I enjoyed a girls night out by eating out at a local restaurant and making some wooden pallet signs.  This seems to be the current trend going on here.  This is the sign we made for my yard.

 

Twice a year, in the Spring and in the Fall, the family gets together and we have Chinese Sundaes.  Some people call them Hawaiian Haystacks.  This is an easy meal and everyone can make theirs just how they like it.

 

 

 

Chinese Sundaes

1.     rice                                                              8.  tomatoes, diced

2.     chicken, cooked and diced                          9.  shredded cheese

3.     bacon, cooked                                             10. cream of chicken soup, more

4.     cream of chicken soup, dilute with 1/2 can of milk                  11. crushed pineapple, drained

5.      chow mein noodles                                    12. coconut

6.     celery, diced                                                13. maraschino cherries

7.     green onions, sliced

 

            Heat soup and chicken in crockpot.  Serve buffet style and layer as desired on individual serving plates.