March goes out like a Lion

We were pelted with little frozen stones from the sky last night. .....actually twice. The ground has little dents where the hail hit the earth. These came down about 6:30pm and the second round came about 11pm. Two inches of rain and this hail doesn't compare to all of the damage sustained in OKCity...but we still didn't like it!




There's a chance of more storms tonight. It's gonna be a long Spring.

Not a lot of sewing going on right now. When it's almost 80 degrees, I'm going to be outside after work as the days are getting longer.
The garden has been plowed, and we should get potatoes in the ground in the next few days.

I did get the binding put on the bargello but that's about as much bonding as the Bernina and I have done. When there's been more progress, I shall return!

Gettin' closer to Spring Break

What do you do when you find a BIG piece of that fake yucky fur that for some unknown reason I had stashed in my sewing room?

If you leave it on the floor, Rusty finds it and drags it over to where the rug is suppose to be.

This was taken BEFORE he found the skunk.

The bargello made it back from the quilter and I'm happy with it...it's not finished, but it's quilted. She did an all over paisley...swirley...something design on it. Don't know what it's called, but it satisfied me and it'll satisfy the recipient..who is going to get it for that masculine holiday in June.

Didn't realize till I already had this uploaded that there's a string in the middle. Okay..it needs binding and needs some strings trimmed. I still love the plaids and paisleys! Found some blue plaid for the binding. Still think those plaids multiply in my sewing room by themselves!

~~Strings~~

This was an on-going project for our local guild. The members made the string blocks and I 'volunteered' to put them together. I learned there are several different ways to bind a quilt during this project! I had a gal who longarm quilted four of them and then the rest were either tied or Bernina-quilted by me and my DIL. She was a big help in getting them done. Thanks Janice!

As we were taking them down from the clothsline, I snapped this picture to show the second row.

Seventeen string-blocks will be donated to the local youth-shelter in our county. I hope this was inspiration for the members to keep doing it....but sure hope they get somebody else to 'volunteer' to put them together!

We had a wedding, built a house, numerous stock shows and two major holidays during this project.

Outside....

It was actually warm enough to be outside this afternoon. We're hoping for 80's this weekend.

We have some old girls in the cow-lot by the house. It's fun to go out and get up-close and talk to them.

She's as wide as she is long--yes, she should have a calf any day. Here's a young girl who will have a calf in about a year.

Old gray cat peeking out of the barn.

DH's prized red angus heifer...he has about 20 of these.

This is one of the old Mama's in the lot. Tame, gentle, half-blind, very productive old cow. They do NOT like the cats close-by and about two seconds after I snapped this picture, that cat was half-way back to the barn!

This cow's name is Bug-eyes. When she was a calf, it was realy cold and the bottom half of her ears froze off. This is about as close as I get to her. She'll eat you in a heartbeat!

Old mama and calf. She did not like me this close to her baby.

We have a barn full of cats. Most are real friendly and have to show off when we're outside.


We're all getting a bad case of cabin fever, so when it's warm we'll be outside.

(I left these pictures big, so they may be a little large if you click on them!)

Spring has to be close....

Flying north and making a lot of noise. If you click on the picture, you can see the geese even better.

Cinnamon Roll Recipe

I've used many different recipes over the years for cinnamon rolls. This one works for me.
I use my Kitchenaide mixer for this; starting with a regular paddle and then go to the dough hook.


Mix together:
3 Tbls. yeast
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 c. warm evaporated milk
1 c. very warm water
Let this mixture set for about 5 minutes.

Stir in:
3 cups flour
6 Tbsp. butter
3/4 c. sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. salt


Add 3 3/4 cups of flour and mix until dough pulls away from sides of bowl. Before I add this last batch of flour, my dough hook is put on. It's hard to do, but turn it on and walk away from it. The mixer will do the work without you standing there watching it--about five minutes of mixing on low with the dough hook.

Let dough rise till double in size:
I usually warm my oven up to 200 degrees, turn it off and let the dough rise in there for about 45 minutes. I use the mixing bowl --sprayed with Pam--to let the dough rise in. (Cover dough so it doesn't dry out--I use Press'nSeal)

Punch down dough(let rest for a couple of minutes) and turn onto counter. Roll dough out into a large rectangle until it's about 20" x 24". This is a matter of personal preference...do you like thick cinnamon rolls or small ones? I roll the dough out into a big rectangle and will roll from both sides to middle to make smaller ones for my muffin tins.

Center sweetness: I use brown sugar, cinnamon, and granulated sugar. We're not counting calories here, we're making fatening cinnamon rolls. I don't measure any of these three ingredients. Probably a couple handfulls of brown sugar, several Tablespoons of cinnamon and then a light sprinkle of white sugar on top. Back to personal preference, my family doesn't like a heavy cinnamon taste, but I want them to taste.

Roll dough up from the long edge towards the center and pinch edge to seal. Cut into desired thickness--mine are about 1 1/2" wide. Put cut circles of dough into greased (butter/Pam/shortening) pans, put back into warm oven and let rise till double in size again--about 25 minutes.

Bake 350(muffin tins--325) for 25 minutes. Please, please..do not overbake these...they'll be dryer than dry.

Frosting: I've made several different ones over the years, but the fastest is powdered sugar, milk and a half-cap of Mexican Vanilla. If you look at my pictures in the previous post, the frosting looks like strings--use your wire-wisk to frost them and drizzle it over the tops. I have a brown-sugar frosting recipe that I can dig out if anybody is interested in it--it's cooked first...and oh so good.

We eat with our eyes first, and as MamaSpark says..."These look seriously YUMMY!! "

It's not rocket-science to make these. Just remember: not too hot of liquids, don't mix your salt with your yeast, don't overmix or overbake. Simple!

Homemade Sweetness

Sticky goodness. Isn't it amazing as to what your kids volunteer Mom for. Betcha there'll be a few missing before they head out the door tomorrow.

ps--I learned while I was in the business to bake them in muffin tins. They serve easier and I think look prettier. We eat with our eyes and nose before it even hits the mouth!

Missing Pan

If I happened to of left this pan at your house would you kindly return it? I've got to make cinnamon rolls for tomorrow morning's teacher appreciation breakfast and I can't find it!

Of course mine isn't this pretty or shiney or new, but mine is seasoned and dented and well-used...but it's MINE and I want it back!

EDIT: The pan has been located. Apparently somebody else cleaned out the dishwasher and stashed it in a bottom drawer. At this moment there are 3 dozen cinnamon rolls raising....and I didn't use the pan afterall!

Which one are you?

memememe

I like this one...fast and easy. Stole it from Amy.

How about a meme?
One Word...
You
Can
Only
Type
One
Word(It is not as easy as it looks)

1. Where is your cell phone? kitchen
2. Your significant other? Dean
3. Your hair? wet
4. Your mother? sweetheart
5. Your father? tall
6. Your favorite thing? Bernina
7. Your dream last night? none
8. Your favorite drink? cold
9. Your dream/goal? retire
10. The room you’re in? office
11. Your ex? none
12. Your fear? incompatibility
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? home
14. Where were you last night? here
15. What you’re not? timely
16. Muffins? dry
17. One of your wish list items? travel
18. Where you grew up? farm
19. The last thing you did? shower
20. What are you wearing? pj's
21. Your TV? loud
22. Your pet? Rusty
23. Your computer? addictive
24. Your life? busy
25. Your mood? happy
26. Missing someone? always
27 Your car? red
28. Something you’re not wearing? makeup
29. Favorite Store? discount
30. Your summer? hot
31. Like someone? many
32. Your favorite color? red
33. When is the last time you laughed? today
34. Last time you cried? rarely
35. Who will/would re-post this? several

BARGELLO!

The bargello bowl is finished and the teams have probably already spent the money they made from the actual football game, but I'm a straggler finishing a few weeks late. Almost the whole quilt is made from a sack of plaids I picked up at Quilt-Guild one night. There are a few shirt-scraps in it, but not a bad sized quilt for a $5 investment of fabric. I also extended it 3 extra rows on the sides to use up the strips I already had cut. Do plaids multiply in other people's house like they do mine?

I actually had 14 come for Valentine's night. It was a good time. Guess we're practicing for Sunday's lunch group.....we have no idea how many to expect. Glad teenagers aren't picky eaters.

We've had over 2" of rain and a little ice. Had to travel about an hour away for a stock show--which was not a good show for our show-team. There will be another one next weekend, so life goes on!

Tme to get the mystery quilt back out and finish it. Jeanne is going to have hers finished before I do.

Straight from Debbie Mum's website. Fun things to make us smile.

Have about 15 coming for supper tonight and was told last night (about 11pm) that the FFA officers are coming for lunch after Church on Sunday. Don't know how many to prepare for...but was told "fix plenty in case more than just a few show up."

Okay...Mom...take a deep breath. Remind yourself that you're thankful that they all like to come around....another deep breath....and go turn on the oven.

Not a week for sewing.

This time of year we're busy with kids. Stock shows fill our weekends for the next couple of months. If/when I find time to sew, it'll be slim.

Left picture is Troy and his blue-ribbon pig. He won a third place with the other one, but the best prize was Senior Showmanship. He does a good job.

Pies...low-fat, no-calorie, chocolate and coconut creme pies (lies, but sounds good). Sold for $2 a slice in the concession stand. I just now noticed that my dishwasher is open in this picture. Thank goodness for the maytag....it gets used daily around here.

I have another big group coming for supper on Valentines Day. Just going to close the door on the sewing room and tell them that the occupant is busy!

Naturalization Ceremony

This video was on a local news show interviewing a pregnant lady who was becoming a U.S. Citizen. My DIL just happen to be standing next to her. (DIL has on a red sweater).

If you've never been a part of somebody wanting to become a citizen, it's an amazing process. It took 6 years of paperwork to get it all done.

I'm in the video too...but you'll just have to wonder which one is me!

Sewing a little...

It's Superbowl Sunday. Somebody said that means football...I couldn't even tell you who's playing. One of the guys will probably have the tube on, but I'm sure there's something else I can spend my time doing....like SEWING!

Here's what sewing I've been doing... It's the scrappy bargello from Bonnie's Quiltville site.

First Panel:

Second Panel sewed and cut ready to be re-assembled.

There is no way that my guys would let me sew long enough to put this together in one day. Mom just isn't allowed that much time alone!

You can also see (in the first picture) how many blocks I need to sew together to finish the Mystery quilt.

Thanks to everybody who posted and emailed me get-well wishes. Thank Goodness for drugs--they're working beautifully.

Last week of January

Sickness has fallen upon me, so be patient with me posting.

CIPRO: Ciprofloxacin is also known to cause swelling of joints and cartilage, and cause tendon rupture and chronic pain. --Don't know if the infection or the medicine will get to me first!

I'm still assembling my Mystery Quilt and trying to finish some charity quilts for our local guild. Will return to post a picture of my progress as soon as I get something finished.

Must have Dessert

I was asked to make a strawberry cheesecake as a trial-run for a wedding. The groom wants cheesecake for the groom's cake. Since it did turn out good'nuff'to'eat--is there really an ugly cheesecake?--I took a picture before it left the house.

.....AND...the wedding is in the middle of wheat harvest.

Mystery progress

The final mystery step was revealed and of course I had to do it different. The rail fence blocks are going into the border and I swapped their block for solids. The sashing also made the blocks stand alone more. There will be an inner red border and a wider blue outside one.


Something chocolate and very fattening. Mini-brownies with carmel Kisses. Easy snack that is devoured.