Miscellaneous Thoughts

Lucy's eyes are always so round and wide!

She is the most vocal of The Triad...Meow, Meow, Meow.  I wish I knew what she was saying...or maybe I don't.

The whole idea of Lucy elicits a yawn from Stinker.

The other day when I asked if anyone had any good heart-healthy recipes,
sophie left a link in the comment section: My black bean chili is from the Greens Cookbook. Greens is a vegetarian restaurant in San Francisco run by the Zen Center. It's on the waterfront and is a great place to visit if you find yourself in San Francisco. I just googled and found the recipe online here:

http://www.panix.com/~clay/cookbook/bin/show_recipe.cgi?chili+recipe2

I printed it out, and it looks delish.  Sophie also has some great new quilt blocks in process here.

Other recipe suggestions are always welcome.  And what are you working on today?

I Love

Nutella.  I should stop buying it.  It is just too tempting.  I lie.  Not about it being too tempting, but that there is any chance that I might stop buying Nutella.

It is Delicious on almost anything, but we love it on Ritz Crackers.  An ordinary cracker transforms into what tastes like a wonderful chocolate cookie/candy.

This recipe for Nutella & Mascarpone Cream Chocolate Tarts from Ms. Adventures in Italy:  My Stomach, The World looks...mmmmmm...heavenly.

And be sure to read the comments on the post of some of the other recipes people prepared for World Nutella Day!

Michelle Fabio's Banana Nutella Brownies are calling me!  Recipe here. Michelle's Bleeding Expresso blog has more wonderful recipes for Nutella and other tasty delights.

Who else is a fan of Nutella?  Do you have a favorite way to consume it (other than just sticking a finger in the jar)?

Scrappy Stuff, Soup, and Casseroles

Hanging things up...

I've had making covered hangers on my list of "to make" for a long time. In my sorting and organizing frenzy, I found a bunch of strips I'd pieced together for a purpose that now escapes me. Three infant-size plastic hangers discovered in the closet... and thus began the hanger project.

After quilting the pieced strips to a scrap piece of batting (just the top and the batting, only two layers), I traced the plastic hanger shape onto the quilted piece, cut it out, added a pleated strip to the bottom, sewed it up, and Voila!

Digging more scraps from the pile, I quilted and sewed another version. Now, are they worth the time involved? Only if you enjoy the process! But I enjoyed using up some scraps and plan to make a few more.This is really the perfect time of year for sewing. It has been rainy and chilly for the last few days, and staying in becomes a bit of a treat.

I have beans soaking for bean soup right now. This weather makes me crave the comfort of soups, which I love anyway.

Connie posted this recipe for a hashbrown casserole (how could this recipe have eluded me? it looks scrumptious) that seems like a great fall dish. Of course, I can't serve it to Fee who is having to watch his cholesterol, but it would make a great casserole for a fall get-together.

What recipes are fall-comfort-food for you?

This and That

More rain this morning! Nice, soft, gentle, and hopefully, persistent.

I bought this material last week and plan to cut into it today.

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Going through some of the stuff at Laddie's, I found these odds and ends of buttons and an old buckle(?). Everyone saves buttons; buttons can probably be found in 0ver 90% of junk drawers nation wide. There are button jars and loose buttons and buttons still in the little paper envelopes-- multiplying and waiting for the next occasion of their being put to use.
The important one is the Sledge button - my mother's father was a dentist, but he also owned a general store in Castor, LA. (Wickipedia lists Castor as a village; its current population 209. It could never have been much more than that.) I believe he bought the store in the 1920's. The Sledge button must have been on some promotional item in the store.

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I made some of the lentil/spinach soup yesterday...it was good. Fee liked it...but it wasn't heavenly. Don't get me wrong, if I hadn't tasted Sunshine's lentil/spinach soup, I wouldn't even quibble, but I had and this just wasn't as good.

The recipe made a big batch, so some of it is in the fridge for today's lunch, and a couple of bags are now in the freezer and will be greatly appreciated a few months from now. In the meantime, I will attempt to find out the secret to the soup of the gods served at Sunshine Health Food's restaurant.

I love soups. Here are a couple more recipes that sound good to me; I must try this dilled tomato and eggplant soup and this roasted eggplant and tomato soup from Epicurious soon. Then, if they are really good, I'll make a batch to freeze for those fall and winter months when soup is even tastier.

I Won!

I won a give-away over at ...Pieces, too...! Isn't that just the coolest way to begin Spring?

What a marvelous idea - tree cosies or cheerful knitted sweaters for trees! I'd love to walk down town and see these trees dressed in brightly knitted, form-fitting yarn. Via Extreme Craft.

Robin suggested slicing up bananas and freezing them. Sounded like a great idea to me, so I sliced and covered with plastic wrap... And yum, yum - - I will always freeze my bananas from now on: Frozen banana slice are the best!

Or...almost the best. At least equally as good is to take those frozen banana slices, add some milk, and some cinnamon and put them in the blender for a Banana Smoothie. Then, if you happen to have a little left over pineapple and some pineapple juice, dump that in, too. Dee-licious and filling, too!

On Pineapples and Bobbins

Mmmm, pineapple.



We've had some big storms moving through our area yesterday, and we lost electricity for hours. I went to the gym and to the grocery store during the morning and early afternoon, before it went out, but then, on my way to see Laddie, I noticed the police directing traffic and realized that the traffic lights were down. Lights were out at Garden Court, too.

I got home about 2:30 and had to leave the car in the driveway because the garage door wouldn't open. No electricity at home, either.

The lights didn't come back on until around 6:00, but after reading a while in the dining room where there was some light, I finally gave up and took a nap. Fortunately, we missed the worst of the bad weather, but the wind was really something.

Yesterday morning, before leaving on all of my errands, I hemmed a pair of pants and used the Sidewinder to wind the bobbin. The automatic shut-off for when the bobbin was full didn't work. This morning, I tried again. When the bobbins were about full, I stopped and didn't wait for the automatic shut off.

Jude is right, it doesn't wind as evenly. Maybe if I slow down a bit, it will do a little better. Overall, at this point, I agree with Jude. It is disappointing. I will use it some, I'm sure; especially if the winder on the machine frustrates me, but it isn't what I expected.

The Salad Days

I've been trying to eat better (not less, never that), adding fruits and vegetables more frequently. Fruit with breakfast - and as snacks during the day. I've just finished all of the cantalope and must buy some more. A fresh pineapple sits on the counter; the scent is beyond delicious. And bananas...after an email Robin sent me about the benefits of bananas, I bought a bunch, determined to eat them and not just save them for banana bread.

Bananas are beneficial for depression, heartburn, hangovers, SAD, stress, prevention of strokes--among other things. Wow! I had no idea. My medical knowledge of bananas was limited to the fact that bananas (high in potassium) are useful for people who have leg cramps. I found a version of the email here (and who knew that bananas beat apples in protein, vitamins, & iron).

My favorite salad is spinach with whatever else is available. In yesterday's version: mushrooms, broccoli, avocado, tomato, green onion, hard-boiled egg, olives, and lots of pepper. The dressing is just an olive oil and vinegar dressing. And two pieces of toasted French bread. Now, I have no idea how many calories are involved (and don't want to know) because this meal has lots of greens, is quite filling, and counting calories depresses me. My current goal is to simply increase the fruits and vegetables. That is enough of a challenge.

An Award and Some Sweet Treats

Kim over at Mouse Medicine honored me with this award. Thanks so much for including me, Kim!


I lifted the following wholesale from Kim's blog:

"Art Prize and Award

"This prize has arisen from the daily visits that I dedicate to many blogs which nourish me and enrich me with creativity. In them I see dedication, creativity, care, comradeship, but mainly, ART, much art. I want to share this prize with all those bloggers that entertain me day to day and to share this prize with those who enrich me every day."

I love vanilla's take on 'the rules' which are:
The usual rules apply, post award on blog, pass award on to five others. You know the drill."

:) Yep, we know the drill.

As usual, this is a difficult proposition, and I can't possibly list all of the blogs that inspire me, so here are a few, in no particular order:

Emmy at Cramzy - I've followed her blog for a couple of years, I guess. Her lovely colors are a big inspiration as well as her work with the embellisher.

Gerri at GerriCon.designs - Another blog that I've followed forever. Gerri's old header contained the words: “The artful creations of a high fiber grandma with occasional political rants.” The artful creations are my favorite part!

Kim at SkybellArts - One of my favorite items is Kim's Weekly Collage. I admire her creative take on things and the discipline with which she applies herself to her projects. I also love that our thinking often coincides in areas outside of fabric art.

Marie at ZQuilts - From painting to quilting to felted purses and crows (do check out Epley), Marie runs the gamut of creative endeavors.

Bari at Bari J: A Journal of Creative Inspiration -- I love her belts and purses and her way with color and fabric combinations.

Tonya at Lazy Gal Tonya -- Sheer exuberance! Colorful, fun, self-taught, and this quilter is unafraid to follow her own path!

Kathy at Kathy Nida -- Wow! She blows me away with the most unusual and fascinating styles I've encountered!

Acey at Nichobella -- From embroidery to herbs and flowers to quilts to philosophy. Much to see and think about here.

Jude at Spirit Cloth -- A teller of stories, Jude's work always has a narrative, is always experimental, and always has layers -both physical and emotional. Her What If blog examines the imaginative and experimental processes involved in her work.

There are so many more, but they will have to wait- especially since I didn't stop at five. I should do one of these for traditional quilters and one for creative crafters because of the pleasure I experience in all of the blogs I visit, but I've run out of computer time (until I complete some of the necessary chores and visits, etc.)

Last night, Fee called while I was busy with dinner and asked if I needed him to pick up anything. Oh, yes, please! Something sweet, maybe some cookies?
When will I learn? By the way, those Hershey cookies are delish! Notice the diet cookies in the midst of all of those calories?

Aren't Post Titles a Chore?

Fee brought home this lovely (massive, great big) container of biscotti. How do I love biscotti, let me count the ways...until they are all gone! Good man!I'm working on so many projects at once that I have to make a list to make sure that none of them are neglected. Today, I'll make letters "B" and "E" for the Winter Class of liberated piecing and cut some more strips for the newest quilt with Anna Maria Horner's fabric. If those 2 things get done, whatever else happens will be fine.

No real arrangement for the Winter Class piece has yet emerged, but these are the blocks I've done so far, photographed on different backgrounds. Actually, I'm still not sure this one will go anywhere, but I'm learning about pieced letters anyway.
This is a picture of my hutch, located near the door to the patio. The hutch serves many purposes including holding whatever might be wanted when taking outside breaks. Yesterday's high was 84, but today is much cooler, and outside breaks will soon be a thing of the past. The point is to show you what it looks like when the area is clean. Clean? you might say--it looks pretty cluttered. But no, it is as uncluttered as it will ever be; yesterday, I cleared off 90% of what was stacked here and will be stacked here again. By the end of the day, hutch accumulation will have gotten underway. When it reaches a certain level of chaos, I'll post an update.

Yesterday, I relocated 5 books and 6 or 7 magazines (into neat stacks elsewhere: by my chair, by the bed, in the sewing room), put my note pads and "hard copy" journal in the drawer, put most pens, pencils, and highlighters in the white container (which is always there, but the pens are often just lying on top of books), cleaned up crumbs from the dog biscuits that are in the blue and white bowl, moved my sun glasses, overlooked the binoculars (dark object in left corner) because the birds and the butterflies are so active.

Sunday Morning

Fee and I went to see Laddie yesterday morning before going to brunch. He was busy reading his paper (a lifelong habit), but I got some pictures while there.


This is the sun room which has a nice view, although often used as a place for a quick nap.




Part of the dining area, taken from the bar and open kitchen area. Behind the white bookcase is another seating area with a comfortable couch and chairs.





Then to brunch at Giuseppe's, MMMM! Carpaccio for an appetizer, melt-in-your-mouth good. Of course, I don't think of taking pictures until we've already damaged the beautiful presentation! Lovely dressing with thin slices of fresh Parmigiana.




My Eggs Benedict were to die for...absolutely the best I've ever had. The Mimosa's were delicious, too.

My favorite waiter posed for a picture even if we weren't seated at one of his tables! Craig is really a friend from tai chi class, but once in a while I see him out of his element and looking quite handsome in another kind of uniform.



Entertainment? Oh, yes, and a wonderful way to enjoy a great meal with lovely chamber music in the background.