Kindle Tote

The Minnesota grand-kids came to visit this summer and stayed nearly a month.  I know Grandma’s house can be boring for kids used to having all of their own toys and electronics… and friends nearby… so I got permission from my son to order a Kindle Fire for each of them as a surprise

summer gift. Their visit coincided with Amazon’s Prime anniversary special, so they were bought at a huge markdown. These children do not have their own computers, so this was (as Quentin said) the best gift anyone could ever imagine!  Charlotte jumped up and down and proclaimed it was the best day of her life!  I sat them down and told them how breakable they are, and they were NEVER to leave them on the floor, where someone could accidentally step on it, or on a chair, where someone might accidentally sit on it.  We designated a place for them to plug them in for charging.  I repeated the rules… more than once... many times more, in fact!  And they were pretty good about following instructions, and were excellent monitors for reminding each other, as well.  Before he went back to Minnesota, my son helped them download a variety of games and books, and initiated the parental controls, so I wouldn’t have to worry about them going on the internet or doing things that were outside their dad’s boundaries.  There was peace in the house… no fighting over computer time, and they enjoyed their reading time every afternoon… or I thought they were enjoying it, until I realized they were playing games instead of reading!  So we had a no electronic rule during the two hours quiet time, and the books with actual pages were brought out.  I have a collection of Thornton Burgess’ Mother West Wind books (among others) that my mother used to read to me when I was a child, and my grandchildren also enjoy these simple stories, knowing that they were part of my childhood.  There is also a library only about a mile away, so we can easily go to check out more books, when the children want something new.

I told them we would make totes for the Kindles, so anytime they took their Kindle out of the house, it would be protected.  And they were delighted to help sew their own totes. 

Kindle tote:

This tote can be made from two coordinating fat quarters.  The grandchildren picked their own favorite colors and fabrics for their totes.  The dimensions given here are for a Kindle Fire HD 6”.  If your Kindle is larger, you may need to add to the cut sizes shown here.

Cut 2 pieces for the front and lining, each 9” x 18”.
Cut one piece of thick batting for the interlining the same size.

For inner pocket (for charging cord and/or other accessories):

Cut one piece of lining 8” x 10”.  

Right sides together, fold lining in half to make a piece 5” x 8”.

Sew around 3 raw edges, leaving a space to turn right side out.

Clip corners next to stitching to reduce the bulk and turn right side out.

Turn raw edges under to the inside, about ¼” to ½”.  Press in place.

Top-stitch opening closed, close to the edge. Stitch down each side and across the bottom of the pocket.  I also made a smaller pocket to hold a credit card or business cards in the same way. (Photo shown at right.) Center it on your larger pocket and stitch around the sides and bottom. You can position it so that the small pocket is on the backside or front of the larger pocket, but make sure the open top is facing up, toward the fold-down flap. 

I made a larger pocket in the same way for the OUTSIDE of the main fabric, placing it about an inch or two down from the front, so that the top of this pocket will go under the flap.  It can be the same as your outer fabric or in a contrasting fabric, if you prefer. This pocket can hold a cell phone for easy access, and was an addition my oldest daughter suggested when she saw the first prototype.  Photo of outer pocket at right.

Place inside pocket on lining, as follows:

Fold lining, leaving 2-1/2” at the top for the flap to fold down over the tote, as in an envelope.

Pin inside pocket to the right side of the lining, one inch from the bottom fold on the LONG side of the lining.  Pin the outside pocket to the outside fabric of the tote.  Photo shown below with the pockets pinned in place, ready to sew.

Put the main fabric and lining, right sides
together.  Place batting behind the two pieces. 

Be sure to position your outer fabric and lining so that the openings in the pockets will be right side up!

This means, the inside lining pocket will be open toward the envelope flap, and the outer pocket will be open near the edge of the tote when it is folded up to stitch the sides in place. 

Insert an elastic hair band OR a piece of elastic cord between the front and lining at the 4” spot on the top side where the flap will be turned down.  If you use a hair band, take care to position it so that the metal piece that joins the elastic is not in the seam line, or you could break the sewing machine needle.

Pin the three layers together and stitch around all four sides, leaving an opening on the SHORT side where the outside pocket is, to turn the Kindle pouch right side out.

Turn right side out.  Press well.  Turn the opening to the inside and top-stitch close to the edge.

This will be on the opposite side of the elastic band, and will be the top front of the bag when finished, so it should look neat.

Fold up with front side out, about 2-1/2” from the end of flap.  Stitch up both sides, reinforcing the top edges where the tote will get more stress.  I top-stitched up and around the top of the flap, also, to give a neat finish to the tote. 

Fold flap down and mark where the bottom of the elastic is on the front pocket.  Attach a button to the center front of the pocket where you have marked, for the elastic loop to go around for closure, taking care not to sew through the front of the bag.  Alternately, you can use a strip of Velcro tape for closure and omit the elastic band and button. 

There is room inside the tote for both charge cords, for your cell phone and Kindle. 
A finished Kindle Tote is shown on the right.

For the children’s totes, we cut two strips 2-1/2” by 18”.  Fold the strip in half to establish a fold, and fold each raw edge in to meet at the center fold.  Fold in half again, right side out, press, and top-stitch along each edge of the strap, about ¼” from the edge. Fold under one end to enclose the raw edge and top-stitch it to the back of the flap, right where it is turned down over the front, one strap on each side of the tote.  We tied the remaining two raw ends into a knot to give the length we needed for each of the children, so it can be put around their head and keep the electronics safe from falling and shattering. It also gives them a good way to keep their cords organized!

My youngest daughter brought over some neon Velcro closures in various colors for the children to choose which one they wanted, and showed them how to wrap their cords into a circle (not a figure 8, which could damage the wires in the cord), and close them with the Velcro. 
The photos below show each of the children sewing their totes.  I love the expression of determination on Quentin's face as he sewed!

       

The photos below show each of the children with their finished totes.  Ava's was taken at 6:30 in the morning, fresh out of the shower, when she was about to leave for her flight home.  She was going on a mission trip with her church group, so had to leave early.

        

And now, for the rest of the story… all of our care in making a safe carrier, in explaining and reiterating how important it is not to drop them because they are extremely breakable, did not have the desired effect.  I was told that when they got home, Charlotte went out of the house with her Kindle tucked under her chin and both hands full with other things… and you can guess the rest of the story!  It dropped and cracked one corner… still usable except for the inch that is cracked, but broken, nevertheless.  Some of us learn our lessons the hard way!  When his dad told 10-year-old Quentin to put his Kindle in the tote, Quentin said they only made the totes because…”Grandma was teaching us to sew on the machine.”  His misconception (or twisting of the facts) was quickly corrected!  One more update:  Ava and Charlotte called me the other day and asked how forgiving I am.  I replied I think I am pretty forgiving… and Charlotte admitted that she had AGAIN dropped her Kindle, this time on the wood floor in their family room, and the screen had shattered.   Ava said it still works, but she is concerned Charlotte might cut herself when she uses it.  My son said he will check it out and see if a screen cover will help, or if it needs to be replaced.  Accidents happen… and there is no point in punishing her.  I think the loss of her favorite gift is punishment enough.  Some of us just need to learn our lessons the hard way, and hopefully it’s only a small bump on the path toward wisdom… and common sense!

Log Cabin Quilts

Log Cabin Quilts:

July 4^th came and went, one of my favorite holidays of the year!  I am as excited as a small child, watching fireworks, but this year I watched from my deck, although I only saw faint edges of the display in the distance.  I was entertained by the firefly show displayed against the dark trees, however.  They seemed to be agitated by the booming noises surrounding us, and really put on a show of lights of their own.  Last summer, grandson Quentin was fascinated by the fireflies; they would sit on his hand and flash their phosphorescent glow.  We Googled them and discovered that is the way they attract their mates, and by the show of lights on my lawn, there must be a lot of firefly merging going on!  They don’t seem to be as abundant in the neighbor’s yards, and I wonder if it is because I don’t poison my “weeds”.  What most people consider weeds are actually wonderful herbal medicine in many cases, and I enjoy the bursts of color… purple violets, golden dandelions… a wonderful array of royal colors adorning my grass.  Two poems came to me while I was watching the show of lights, two tributes to summer.  I tried without success to capture the fireflies, and the fireworks were just as elusive on camera.

Fireflies, flickering

a phosphorescent dance,

seek romance;

inherent trust

Lighting the dusk

of a sultry summer night.

Fireworks hidden by tall trees;

Lingering sparks

Reach for the stars;

booming trails

shatter the silence,

On the dark side of the moon.

Nature in all her splendor offers inspiration to those of us who need to feed the artist within, whether our medium is paint or fabric.  Perhaps my pleasure in budgeting contributed to my love of scrappy quilts… they use every bit of fabric in some way.  Two of my favorite traditional patterns that I’ve made many times are the Log Cabin (it uses 1-1/2” strips of all colors) and Around the World, which I make with 2-1/2” strips.  There are many variations of Log Cabins and many different layouts of the blocks.  I prefer cutting my strips to the correct lengths before sewing them into blocks, but others just sew and then cut the strip off after sewing.  When I have leftover scraps of fabric, I often cut them into 1-1/2” strips and put them into a Ziploc bag or basket.  A plastic bin with a lid also works great for storing those bits and pieces.  If you like, you can further cut those strips into the largest sizes you can for your “logs”… see below for the lengths needed for each block.  If you are REALLY organized, you can even put the same length strips into Ziploc sandwich baggies so they are already separated into the sizes you need. 

I’m enamored with Robert Kaufman’s Far East and Luxe fabric lines!  Some have metallic accents and many have an Oriental flavor… truly elegant and lovely.  I am using them in several patterns, but the Log Cabin done in his Far East and Luxe lines is what the focus is in this blog.  It’s a very easy block to do, and goes quickly.  I cut my pieces to length before I start sewing, and lay them out in order; a cookie sheet is a good way to organize the strips according to size.  

(See photo at left)

Traditionally, the center square of the block is red, orange or shades of gold, to signify the fire in the hearth of the cabin, or the “heart” of the home.  I use a 2-1/2” square for the center, and work out from that, attaching 1-1/2” strips to each side.  The center of these blocks is a gold print.

There are four strips in each round of the block, and you can do as many rounds as you like, depending on the size block you want.  I first attach a strip of light to the center square, then working clockwise, I add another light strip, then a dark and the final strip on the round is another dark.  Four rounds will result in an 8" finished block.  One more round would make a 10" finished block.

The strips are cut as follows: 

                          Light:                             Dark:
          Round 1:  2-1/2”                            3-1/2”

                           3-1/2”                            4-1/2”

           Round 2:  4-1/2”                            5-1/2”

                            5-1/2”                            6-1/2”

            Round 3: 6-1/2”                            7-1/2”

                            7-1/2”                            8-1/2”

Here are photos of each round. 

Round 1:

Round 2: 

Round 3, Light and Dark at left

This is a photo of the quilt my son took in a guest bedroom upstairs.  It does not have a border yet.  It will be queen sized, and grace the bedroom of him and his wife someday when it is completed.  I am much better at sewing the tops than quilting them, so I hope they aren’t holding their breath in anticipation!

Here are photos of a few more log cabin tops I have waiting to be quilted.  The one with the fire-breathing dragons is for my oldest granddaughter, who wanted a quilt in blues and oranges and loves dragons.  I found this little remnant of dragon fabric for the center blocks, and discovered my daughter had found the same fabric many states away and made curtains for her bedroom from it.  My granddaughter now has her own apartment and a queen sized bed... so I need to add some borders and get this quilted, finally!

This is a lap quilt that has not had any requests for a permanent residence yet, made totally from scraps with no planned color story. 

In a prior post, I have a tutorial for an offset log cabin, where the lights and darks are not the same width strips.  

http://diamonnaturals.blogspot.com/2013/02/quilts-of-valor.html

I have also made a 9-Patch Log Cabin, 

with a 9-Patch block as the center, rather than the 2-1/2” square, and using 2-1/2” ‘logs’ instead.   

The quilt on the right went to my youngest daughter, and is actually quilted!

The variation on the left is made completely of 2-1/2" scraps left from other projects, and is loved by my youngest granddaughter, Charlotte.  She loves the kitten border, especially, and this one is also quilted.

Log Cabin quilts are very easy to make, a great way to use up your scraps from other projects, and they look pretty, too!  

Living on a Budget and Crayon Baby Quilts

Living on a Budget and Crayon Baby Quilts:

For many years, I was a single parent without much income, and I learned to budget my money to keep five little tummies full!  I learned to stretch a dollar from my parents and grandparents, and although money wasn’t plentiful, we never felt poor.  My mother sewed beautiful clothing for us, and there was never a day that we didn’t have homemade bread slathered with fresh butter with our meals, and homemade cake and cookies in the pantry.  My cousins, Roger and Art, were the same age as I… our mothers were sisters.  One day, we were arguing about whose mother made the best bread, and Art chimed in with, “My mother makes bread so good you can’t even taste it!”  His mother was the sister who didn’t bake!  I still like to save money on meal planning… it leaves more to spend on my quilting passion! 

Groceries seem to get more expensive all the time, but I can get a 50# bag of bread flour at Costco for under $12.  I often use the bread machine to make the dough, and shape it into dinner rolls or loaves of bread and bake them in the oven.  I can get a lot of bread and rolls from a 50# bag of flour.  One of the cheapest meats lately seems to be chicken.  I can buy a family pack of boneless, skinless chicken breasts for under $2 per pound, and make enough meals to feed a couple of people for a week.  I simmer the breasts in a pot of water, and then cool them.  Sometimes I grill them instead of boiling.  A couple of the chicken breasts are cut up to add to a hearty chef salad, and will make about 4 or 5 large salads.  I shred one or two of them to make chicken and cheese quesadillas or enchiladas for another meal.  Another meal I like is a pasta salad with diced cooked chicken, green onion and green and/or red seedless grapes, with a mayonnaise based dressing but because pasta is high in carbs, I don’t eat that often.   I dice the rest of them (usually about 4 of them are left at this point) and use the water that I cooked them in to make a pot of chicken rice or chicken noodle soup.  The remaining chicken goes into a crock pot to make a Mexican medley to eat as is with cheese, guacamole, and sour cream, or serve over rice or quinoa.  Here are my quick and easy recipes for the last two.

Chicken Rice Soup:

Add enough water to the pot you cooked the chicken in to have about 3 quarts of liquid. 

Add 2 Tablespoons of chicken soup base paste, or to taste… do NOT use boullion, which is saltier.

Add 1 Tablespoon of Mrs. Dash’s for extra flavor.

Bring the liquid to a boil.  Turn down the heat and add 1 cup of long-grained rice, rinsed.

Add one or two diced cooked chicken breasts.  Cover and simmer until rice is cooked.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.  May add diced onion and diced celery to the water before boiling, if desired.  It looks pretty to garnish the soup with some chopped chives or green onions, when served.

Delicious with some crusty garlic breadsticks on the side.  Another of my favorite comfort foods is chicken soup accompanied by a peanut butter sandwich.

Spicy Mexican Bowl:

Put the following ingredients into a 3 quart crock pot:

2 cans RoTel tomatoes with peppers (or 1 large can of diced tomatoes, if peppers aren’t pleasing to you)

1 can black beans

1 can chili beans

1 to 2 cups frozen whole kernel corn

2 Tablespoons dried onions

1 Tablespoon Taco seasoning

1 or 2 cooked chicken breasts, diced

Mix ingredients.  Cover and cook on high for about an hour until it begins to bubble, then turn down to low.  At this point, add 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh Cilantro, optional.  Continue to cook on low for a half hour or until dinnertime.

Serve in a bowl, topped with shredded Mexican blend cheese and garnish with a dollop of sour cream and/or gauacamole.   May serve it on top of rice or quinoa, and garnish with slightly crushed taco chips.

My Minnesota grandchildren spent part of the summer with me, as they usually do.  This year, they have two new babies in their family, so I thought they would enjoy making some baby quilts.  I got some fabric crayons, and thought they would express their artistic talent by drawing their own pictures to transfer to fabric, but they didn’t like that idea.  Instead, we downloaded some simple pictures to color, and the results were excellent! 

Fabric Crayon Baby Quilt:

Cut 8” squares of paper for drawing designs (or printing).

Color designs with fabric crayons, outlining with a dark color to set the colors off best.

Cut 10” squares of white or unbleached muslin or cotton fabric.

(Coloring the pictures with fabric crayons, right)

(Ironing the picture onto fabric, below)

Place one empty 8” square of paper on ironing board to protect the ironing board cover.

Center one 10” square of fabric over paper.  Iron fabric so it is wrinkle-free.

Place one colored picture, crayon side down, on the center of the cotton fabric.

Match edges with the paper under the fabric; it can easily be seen through the fabric.

Iron with a hot iron, without steam, lifting the iron, not sliding it, so that the design is not moved.

Cut 2” strips of a color for sashing the blocks. Cut these into 10” segments to go between the blocks.

Cut 2” squares of a contrasting color for the cornerstones to put between the main color strips, if desired.   

Join the 2” sashing strips to the blocks horizontally.   (Auditioning sashing, below)

Join the 2” sashing strips to 2” contrasting squares for the row between the sashed blocks.

Join all rows.  We used 9 blocks in the quilt top.

Measure one side of the quilt top.

Cut 1-1/2” strips of the contrast color for the first border.  Cut 2 of the strips the length of the quilt.

Sew one strip to each of the 2 opposite sides.

Measure the quilt from side to side, including the borders you just sewed on and cut two9 more 1-1/2” strips that length and sew them on.

Cut 3” strips for the outer border.  Again, measure the length of the quilt and cut 2 strips that length and sew them on.  Repeat for the remaining 2 sides, cutting to the new 

measurement that includes the outer border.

Press the top well.  

(Charlotte, age 6, quilting the quilt, right)

Cut a coordinating backing the size of the front.

Cut the batting the size of the front. 

Place the batting on a hard surface, then place the wrong side of the backing against the batting. 

Place the top, right side down, on the right side of the backing, making a sandwich with right sides together.

Pin at intervals to hold all three layers together.  Sew around quilt, leaving an opening to turn the quilt right side out. 

Remove pins and turn the quilt right side out. This method of making a quilt is called “birthing a quilt” and does not require binding. 

Poke the corners out so they are square.  Turn raw edges left open for turning to the inside. 

Topstitch all around the quilt top, making sure to stitch the opening shut.

Smooth quilt out neatly, and lay on a hard surface.  Tie the quilt, using a heavy thread, crochet cotton, several strands of sewing thread, or yarn.  Knot the ties securely with a double knot or square knot.  

Start by placing knots at the corners of the blocks, center of each sashing strip, center of the cornerstones, etc., and work several ties into each block to secure the layers well.

We chose to quilt the layers with a walking foot instead of tying it. 

Your quilt is done and ready to “hug” a baby in the love you fashioned out of fabric.

You can see the looks of pride on their faces, with the completed quilt for their cousin!

This second quilt is for another cousin, and still waiting to be quilted.

The children picked the pictures, the colors, and fabrics, and signed each block they colored.  

Ava, age 14, went over spots that needed more outlining with a Micron pen.  It was a great project for them to work on with Grandma, and I think they learned a bit more about quilting this summer.  

All three of them got new Kindle Fire tablets, and this last photo shows why the second quilt didn't get quilted by the grandchildren!

Serbian Potato Salad and Baby Quilts in Progress

I want to be one of those women whose homes look like pages from a Better Homes and Garden magazine.  But… unfortunately, I am not.  I am not even close.  I am so far from close that one of my daughters says she is going to stage an intervention and call Hoarders to feature me on their show!  That is a slight exaggeration, unless you dare to open a closet door or go into my basement or garage.  I have watched Hoarders a time or two (quite by accident, mind you) and most of my house looks nothing like theirs!  I will admit, however, that with the ease of online ordering on my computer, and the eagerness of merchants to send me emails announcing their fantastic deals, even with free shipping, I have taken advantage of a few of those specials! Most of my Christmas gifts were ordered online and delivered to my front door in record time.  When the weather makes driving hazardous, I can order many things online from the big superstores, from flour to canned foods, yarn, and fabric… and every other non-perishable thing I can think of. I've discovered most perishable items can be ordered in powdered form, like milk, eggs and butter.  Dried and canned fruit are readily available, as well, but I haven’t found any substitute for a good, fresh salad!  I am a seasonal recluse, seldom going out by myself when the sidewalks may be slippery.  Too many of my friends have slipped and fallen, and I do not yearn to be in their number.

There is usually a quilt in progress on my design wall, which consists of a flannel-backed tablecloth hung in front of the fireplace in my family room.  Here are the baby quilts I have had there recently… the first is a basic 9-Patch, made with Fossil Fern fabrics and a tone-on-tone white cotton background fabric.  I finished the edges of the basic quilt by using just two parts of the 9-Patches.  I love the Fossil Fern fabrics... Alyssa says they look like watercolors, and I agree with her.  I made this from 2-1/2" strips of fat quarters I ordered online from Craftsy... when they had a sale I couldn't resist!  They were only a little over $1 for each fat quarter, sold in a box of 90, and each of the fat quarters is a slightly different shade, with all the colors you could imagine included.  The white center blocks are 6-1/2" squares.  By pressing the seams on the 9-patch blocks in opposite directions, I didn't need to do any pinning until I pinned the rows together for sewing.  It's a quick and easy quilt to make, and the result is beautiful and colorful.  I will not put a border on this, but will bind it in one of the Fossil Fern fabrics, probably blue or green.  

The other is made up of leftover pieces from a Quilt-Along Wedding Dress Blue is featuring on her Blog.  A link to her Blogspot is included below. Check out her blog... she has some lovely free quilt patterns and tutorials, plus a uniquely designed wall quilt rack that her father makes from oak that can be ordered.  I am getting one for myself... my birthday is coming up this summer!  https://weddingdressblue.wordpress.com/calico-rose-quiltalong/.   I made mine a bit differently than she did, using strip cutting and piecing.  I made the big queen sized quilt with mostly jewel tones.  The center of the star is a 16-patch and the star points were made by sewing a colored 8" square to an 8" background colored square and making 8 half square triangles at once. http://diamonnaturals.blogspot.com/2014/09/gluten-free-popovers-and-speedy-half.html

My friends know I enjoy cooking and baking as much as quilting.  Recently, I was talking to one of my favorite people, who happens to be Serbian.  She told me about two recipes that she makes, even in the nursing home where she now resides.  The first is something I will dub “Raw Onion Relish”, which she said is delicious as a condiment to accompany the roast chicken you can buy already roasted in many grocery stores.  The other is her version of Serbian Potato Salad.  Both sounded so good, I had to make them both last week.

Raw Onion Relish:

Chop one onion and place it in a small bowl.

Drizzle with about one tablespoon Olive Oil.

Sprinkle with salt to taste (I used flaked Sea Salt… Becka stressed NO PEPPER)

Mix well.  Delicious served with roast chicken.  Becka’s instructions:  Take one bite of roast chicken then a bite of the onion relish and chew them together!  It really is delicious.  I didn't have a chicken to roast, but I fried a chicken breast and it worked well as an accompaniment to the onion relish.  An added bonus… raw onion and garlic are great antioxidants. 

Becka’s Serbian Potato Salad (my version):

Bake 4 large red potatoes in the microwave

(or boil or bake in the oven; see link below for the bag tutorial)

While the potatoes are baking, dice one medium onion

Peel potatoes when they have cooled enough to handle.
I left a lot of the red skin on, as I had scrubbed the potatoes before baking.

Dice the potatoes into a large bowl.

Put diced onion over the potatoes in the bowl.

Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt (I used flaked Sea Salt)

Drizzle with ¼ cup Olive Oil

Drizzle one to two tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar over all, depending on taste

Optional:  may sprinkle with black pepper

Mix well.  Can serve warm or cold, as a side.

http://diamonnaturals.blogspot.com/2013/03/quilts-for-microwave-awesome.html

Since food should look pretty, also, I think this could be garnished with a chopped hard-boiled egg and/or some chopped chives to compliment the red potato skins.

Daughter Tricia grilled boneless pork chops, and we had a delicious fresh fruit bowl and lightly cooked asparagus spears on the side, along with the Serbian Potato Salad.  Fresh strawberry pie for dessert, rounded out the dinner menu.  Dinner on the patio with a warm sun and gentle summer breezes… and the company of good friends… that’s what memories are made of!

Springtime in Cincinnati and Taco Pie

Spring has finally arrived!  It seems that Mother Nature is about a month late this year… but now the bushes and trees that edge my back yard are leafed out and I once again feel as if I am all alone in this big city when I look out my family room window.  I cannot see the neighboring houses, and the strip of trees shield me from the houses whose properties join with mine in the back.

A robin has chosen the wreath by my front door as her nesting place, and she chirps loudly every time I collect my mail!  I think it’s probably a safe place for her eggs, with all the squirrels who inhabit the trees and the cats that roam the yards, some of them probably feral.  My oldest daughter looked today, and there are little blue eggs in her nest already.  I don’t go in and out very often, and get more phone calls than company, so outside of the mailman visiting daily, she has the front porch to herself.  You can see a close-up of the wreath with the nest, and also how close it is to my mailbox.  Speaking of squirrels... a month or so ago, I noticed a squirrel lying on a branch of a tree... way out near the end of the branch, where the wind was rocking the branch.  The squirrel was being rocked by the breeze, and laid there for a very long time, obviously enjoying the experience.  

I then noticed another squirrel on a tree nearby, doing the same thing. Who knew squirrels had that sense of adventure?

On the left is a photo I took of a cat on my back deck through the window... he doesn't look very friendly!  He was napping on my deck chairs for quite a few days, and I think he may have been without a home.  Hopefully the robin and her nest are safe from predators on the front of my house.

Today, my oldest daughter and her husband took me to lunch at Newport on the Levee… on the river that separates Ohio from Kentucky near the downtown area.  It’s a hub of activity, with many stores and markets, and a picturesque area to shop.  After lunch, we picked up some new chairs for my front porch.  They aren't exactly what I wanted, but they are what I settled for.  They are metal, with metal mesh for the back and seat, and the little table matches.  Anyone for tea on the front porch in the afternoon sun?  

My middle son was going to help me choose a new gas grill today, and assemble it on my deck, but it has been raining all day… not a good time to be building anything outside, so we will try again next weekend.  I’m so fortunate that three of my children live within a half hour or so from me, and a fourth is less than five hours away.  Last weekend, my daughter-in-law came down by herself and we had a fun “girls only” weekend, just me and my daughters.  Her son (my adorable teen-aged grandson) thought it was “weird” that she would come down to visit his dad’s family.  She laughingly told him, “They’re my family, too!”  I’m blessed to have a daughter-in-law who chooses to spend time with me.  My son made a good choice when he chose his wife!  And as a bonus, she loves to sew!  One of my daughters is passionate about gardening, and the other enjoys beading… they both sew, but aren’t as excited about it as their sister-in-law.  She knows she will inherit my stash in the future… and my son just groans!  He grew up in the house that grew the stash! 

I’m long overdue in posting a blog… I have some recipes to share.  One of my younger granddaughters has chosen to be a vegetarian, and her brother is glucose-intolerant.  They love Taco Pie, and last summer I made one with meat and one meatless.  Since then, I've developed a gluten-free, meatless Taco Pie that I think will satisfy everyone’s dietary needs in one casserole.  The meatless one uses vegetable soy protein, and it is really quite good.  I mixed the soy protein with hot water, which reconstituted the soy protein, and then used it as if it was ground beef in the recipe.  It’s the first time I've used it and I was pleasantly surprised.  Both recipes have black beans and cheese for more protein, so I think it’s quite a healthy meal for anyone.  I’ll list both my original recipe and the gluten-free vegetarian version in this blog.  I buy my spices and textured soy protein from Frontier Herbs (Decorah, Iowa) online, but many health food stores have them.

TACO PIE:

Makes 6 servings

1 pound lean ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)

1 small jalapeno pepper, seeds removed, diced (optional)

Taco seasoning to taste (I use Frontier)

Brown ground beef, then add chopped onion and jalapeno pepper and cook a bit more.  Put in the bottom of a casserole or large pie pan. 

Top with a can of black beans, drained and lightly mashed.

Sprinkle with about a cup of Fiesta blend shredded cheese.

Topping: 

1 cup milk

2 eggs

½ cup biscuit mix

1 teaspoon hot sauce

1 teaspoon taco seasoning

Blend in the blender.  Pour over meat/bean mixture. 

Bake at 350 degrees about 20 minutes.  Sprinkle a large handful of shredded Fiesta cheese (more, if you like) over top and continue baking for another 10 minutes, until the biscuit topping is “set”. 

Cool 5 minutes. Serve with salsa, sour cream, and guacamole, if desired.  May sprinkle chopped green onions or chopped cilantro over sour cream as a garnish.

Gluten Free/Wheat Free Vegetarian Taco Pie: 

1 cup textured soy protein

1 cup hot water

Mix and let sit a couple of minutes until soy absorbs the water.

Add:

2 Tbsp. dry vegetarian onion soup mix

1 Tbsp. vegetarian beef flavored dry broth mix

1 teaspoon taco seasoning mix

Place in bottom of 7 X 11 pan.

Sprinkle ½ finely chopped jalapeno pepper over mixture, optional.

Drain (don’t rinse) 1 can black beans and distribute over soy mixture.

Sprinkle 2 cups grated Mexican blend cheese over beans.

Topping: 

1 cup milk

3 eggs

½ cup wheat free/gluten free biscuit mix

1 teaspoon hot sauce

1 teaspoon taco seasoning

Blend in the blender.  Pour over soy protein/bean mixture. 

Bake at 350 degrees about 20 minutes.  Sprinkle a large handful of shredded Mexican cheese (more, if you like) over top and continue baking for another 10 minutes, until the biscuit topping is “set”. 

Cool 5 minutes. Serve with salsa, sour cream, and/or guacamole, if desired.  May sprinkle chopped green onions or chopped cilantro over sour cream as a garnish.

On my design wall (which consists of a flannel-backed tablecloth hung over my fireplace) is a sample quilt I made for oldest daughter, Michelle.  She has dressers that have gray/black marble tops and a burgundy wall, so I chose a floral burgundy fabric and a jelly roll of Stonehenge fabrics, their Winter line, plus white.  The pattern is a simple 9-Patch, and the design comes from the way I put the colors together.  The first sample I made used the same fabrics, but it was really a boring quilt to sew (below left)!  When she saw the samples, she felt they had too much white and would get soiled too quickly, so I am back to the drawing board.  I have a few ideas, and will use  the same colors, but with much less white and some gray instead. These two samples are both big enough to become lap quilts.

Enjoy this lovely, balmy spring weather before the heat and humidity set in!  My oldest son said they got about an inch of snow in Minneapolis the other day, but it melted soon.  At times like this, I am SO GLAD I moved to southern Ohio!  The flowering trees in the neighborhood are in full bloom and offer a treat to eyes weary of the grayness of winter. 
The Ornamental Pear trees on the boulevard in front of my house are already dropping their petals on my lawn.  Until my yard guy came to mow yesterday, my yard was a blaze of color… yellow dandelions and blue violets vying for attention, dusted with the white petals from the pear trees.  Life is good. 

Log Cabins in Springtime and Kielbasa with Kraut

Grandpa Charlie used to say we were British, Scotch, and a few other nationalities, with “a little bit of fighting German.”  Well, today that little bit of German is manifesting in my kitchen.  Yesterday afternoon, I made a modern version of Peach Kuchen.  Last night, I put some sourdough rye bread fixings in a bowl to “ferment” overnight, and this morning it has been fashioned into a round loaf that is raising in a casserole as I write.  There is a pot of Kielbasa Sausage with Sauerkraut simmering on the stovetop, sharing its aroma bountifully.  I put a few cut up potatoes in it to make a one-pot meal. 

The snow is falling softly still, as it has been all day.  I think we've got about 3” of light snow on the ground at this point, and the “winter storm” is forecast to continue until tomorrow morning.  The storm actually feels more like a lamb than a lion, but it is persistent, so the accumulation will be storm-worthy.  I’m happy to be snugly inside, enjoying the winter wonderland through the picture window. 

It’s a good day to be seated at my sewing machine, with visions of sugarplums dancing in my hands… soft and spring-tinted pastels marching across my design wall in a version of Fons and Porters “Cabin Rose”, a You-Tube video I came across that caught my eye.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=Feb3vnmohP0 . 

Here’s the video, so I won’t give you a tutorial, other than to say I cut 2-1/2” pieces to form the bottom of the “cabin” block, and cut the strips for the “logs” into segments that measured for each round:  2-1/2” and 4-1/2”, 4-1/2” and 6-1/2”, and 6-1/2” and 8-1/2”.   Two logs make up each round of this half-cabin block, shown at right.

Here is the photo of my design wall, shown
below, with the first 32 blocks sewn.  I have not yet decided if I will make several baby quilts, a large throw, or a bed-sized quilt.  I love the soft pastels that combine to create a quilt very relaxing to look at.  It feels like springtime, even though the storm outside tells me it isn't! Recipes for the bread and kuchen follow.

Sourdough Rye Bread:

1 cup sourdough starter, 3 cups bread flour, 1-1/2 c water, 2 Tbsp. sugar (or honey or molasses)

Mix well, cover bowl and let stand overnight.  The dough should be doubled by morning.

In the morning, add: 

1-1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup rye flour plus additional rye flour to make

a soft but wet dough.  I used about 1-1/2 cups, but that varies depending on humidity and moisture in your flour. 

Put dough in a greased bowl, shown on left.  Raise until doubled, about 2 hours.  Scrape out onto a well- oiled board or countertop and fold over itself several times, as shown on right.  Round up, place on a sheet of parchment paper, sprinkle with flour, and put in a casserole bowl to raise for about 2 more hours, until doubled again, pictured below. 

Heat another covered casserole or Dutch oven in a 450 degree oven for 20 minutes.  Slash top of dough with a very sharp knife. Transfer the dough, parchment paper and all, to the hot casserole.  Cover and bake for 15 minutes.
Remove cover and bake another 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown.  Remove from parchment and cool bread on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before cutting.  Notice I did not add any additional yeast to this recipe… my starter is so active I didn't need to.  It made a large loaf, with a crisp, chewy crust and an interior that is tasty and hearty.

 

My sister, Doreen, gave me this recipe for Apple Kuchen, but I changed it a bit and made it into my  own version, with peaches instead of apples.

Peach Kuchen:

1 c. sugar (may add ½ cup more if you like it sweeter)

1 teaspoon salt

1 c. butter

Cream sugar, salt and butter in a mixer until fluffy.  Add:

3 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

Beat well.  Add:

2 c. flour

Spread 2/3 of batter in a greased 9 x 13 pan.  Top with:

1 can peach pie filling, spread over filling.  (May substitute any flavor pie filling you choose)

Spoon remainder of dough over peach filling.  Spread over filling as much as you can, with a butter knife or spatula.  Sprinkle topping over the top.

Topping:

1 Tblsp. butter

1 Tblsp. flour

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 c. brown sugar

Bake 40-45 minutes at 350 until golden brown.

Are you ready for an ethnic meal?  What are your favorites?  Years ago… MANY years ago... a couple of friends joined us and we wives made ethnic dinners, complete with menus we printed out.  We dressed up, and ate by candlelight… as close to a romantic evening as couples with little kids can get!  I will always remember our Chinese meal, and my first attempt at making fried rice.  I added the eggs to the rice and heated it, instead of scrambling them on the side… and I ended up with a dish my friend’s husband referred to as... please pass the Chinese Oatmeal.  Remember that, Paula?  We had some good times, although in hindsight we really didn't get very adventurous, but outside of the Chinese Oatmeal, most of what we made was delicious.   Every time I make Fried Rice now, I think of that dinner and smile.  

Sourdough English Muffins

The temperatures are dropping and the cold wind blows!  It’s a good excuse to heat the kitchen up with bread baking.  I used to have sourdough going most of the time, but I haven’t done that for a few years.  Fruit flies love sourdough, and they invaded my house.  I lost that war, so the sourdough went out the door, followed by the fruit flies.  Lately, I've been making Artisan breads and they begin to sour naturally as they sit overnight, so I got the idea of keeping about a half cup of the soured dough in the bowl, and just adding to it for the next loaf.  After a week or more, the dough is nice and sour and makes a delicious, crusty bread with a tender, moist center. My late husband, Ted, used to be especially fond of the sourdough breadsticks, and when we were dating, he had a habit of sticking a few in his shirt pocket when he stopped by my house on his way to work, which prompted little sister Sherri to quip her version of Mae West’s classic remark, "Is that a breadstick in your pocket, or are you glad to see me?”  My shy guy giggled and blushed for many years after that when I made breadsticks, remembering her remark!!!  Sourdough has been around for thousands of years, and was once the only method people used to leaven their bread.  Ted told me that the old prospectors always made their bread with sourdough starter, and that's why they were referred to as "Sourdoughs".  I read online (and we ALL know everything we read online is true, don't we?) that San Francisco Sourdough is world famous and claims to be the best made... but in blind taste tests, another city in California made the best San Francisco sourdough bread.  San Francisco demanded a re-test, and the second tasting revealed the same results!  Now you will have the means to create your own masterpieces of sourdough baking.

When using sourdough, do not use metal containers or spoons... glass or even plastic bowls and wooden spoons are fine.  The dough has to be "fed" once a week, and if it isn't used weekly, store it in the refrigerator.  Whole grained breads contain more "wild yeast" than refined flour, so you might add a bit of rye or whole wheat flour to your starter to make it more active.  If desired, you can add a bit of extra yeast when making your recipes, to make a lighter dough that still has a good "sour" flavor.  We like light breads, so I usually add a bit of yeast to my recipes, although the hard-core Sourdoughs would cringe at the thought.  Starter will last forever if you continue to use it and renew it regularly.

To make a simple starter:

2 Tbsp. active dry yeast

1/2 cup water, 110 degrees

Soak yeast in water for 7 minutes  OR  add 2 Tablespoons Instant yeast (do not soak) to the flour.

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups warm milk, not hot

3/4 cup sugar

2 Tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar

Mix with wooden or plastic spoon.  Keep it in crockery, glass or plastic... no metal!!!  Let starter sit for 3 or 4 days before using.  The lid should be loose over the starter… a cotton tea towel works fine as a cover.  Keep it in a nice, warm place.  Stir at least once daily.  Every 5 days or so, feed the starter with 1 cup water, 1 cup all-purpose flour, and 1 Tablespoon of sugar.  Mix well, and let sit at room temperature until it bubbles and raises a bit.  If you use the starter twice a week, you can leave it at room temperature, otherwise refrigerate it so it doesn't spoil.  The starter can also be frozen. 

Because I have the soured Artisan bread dough, I will use that as my starter instead of making this starter, but used the same recipes for making the breads.  I added 2 cups of warm milk to about 2 cups of my soured Artisan bread dough, 2 cups of bread flour, ½ cup Rye flour, 1 teaspoon instant dry yeast, and 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar.  I mixed it well and covered it with a clean tea towel and let it sit overnight.  Sourdough before sitting overnight is shown above,

Sourdough English Muffins:

1 cup starter

1 cup warm milk

1 to 2 cups flour

1 Tablespoon sugar

Mix well, adding only a cup of flour at first to make a soft, wet dough, and adding more flour as necessary.  I find my flour is very dry this time of year and a bit over one cup was enough.  Let stand at room temperature until bubbly, from an hour or two to overnight, if you wish.

Add to dough mixture:

1 teaspoon instant yeast

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 Tablespoon Olive oil

Up to 1 cup all-purpose flour

Blend until smooth.  Knead in additional flour to make a dough that is soft but not sticky.  Let rest a few minutes.  

Roll out about 1/2 inch thick and cut into rounds.  (photo at right)

Place on baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal.  Turn over to get a bit of cornmeal on both sides.  Let rise until doubled. (photo above left)

Bake on dry griddle (I like electric best, set at about 350 degrees) until golden on each side.  Turn the muffins about 3 or 4 minutes after they begin to cook so that both sides are flat.  If they bake too long on the first side, they will rise and get round on top instead of being flat.  They can be turned again, after they begin to brown, to cook evenly on both sides.  Refrigerate muffins that you don't eat that day.  Makes about 1 dozen English Muffins.  Breakfast tip:  Slice muffin and toast lightly; fry an egg (yolk broken), and a couple of slices of crisp bacon or a sausage patty, topped with a slice of cheese for your own breakfast sandwich!  Also delicious toasted or plain, with the jam of your choice or honey.

Speaking of honey, yesterday was Valentine’s Day… my sweetheart has been gone for eight years, but my dear friend stopped by yesterday with a gorgeous floral bouquet and a box of chocolate mints!  She is also a widow, so I am her sweetheart this year!  It brightened my day, for certain.

The weather might be colder, but I’m rejoicing as the days get longer!  Now there is about an hour more daylight in the evening, and that makes me happy.  I don't know how much earlier daylight arrives, because I don't get up that early! The winter has been mild here in Cincinnati, with our biggest snowfall having come before Thanksgiving, which is early here.  My daughter told me we may still get a blizzard or two before we can claim it’s spring… and I think she jinxed us!  We are in the midst of a winter storm warning… about 3” on the ground so far, and it’s supposed to continue until tomorrow morning.  I’m thankful that I don’t have to go out and trudge through the snow!  I can enjoy it from my family room window, wrapped in a cozy quilt. I'm hoping you have a warm place you can watch it, too!