Latest Sewing Project

I made this quilt and pillow for my friend Mary. It was a Christmas gift for her little granddaughter.

Winter Storm Pics

Yes, we did get our fair share of snow but not a much as others did. The power was off for thousands, but we were blessed. Our power stayed on. Here's a few pics.






Nothing beats the cold like a homemade turkey pot pie.

Snow Is On The Way!

It's all over the news. A big snowstorm is headed this way! I'll post some pics once it gets here. Looks like we may have a White Christmas here in Hitchins! Yay!

Comfort Food for Winter Evenings

The weather man is predicting several days of snow for Christmas week. We can't wait!


Chicken soup isn't just good for the soul, but also good for keeping warm. Here's a recipe that will do just that.




Savory Chicken Soup

2 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 to 3 potatoes, peeled and quartered
Optional: 2 onions, sliced
14-1/2 oz. can chicken broth
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cube
2 c. water
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper

Place all vegetables in a slow cooker; add chicken. Pour in broth and water; sprinkle seasonings over top. Cover and cook on low setting for 8 hours, or on high setting for 4 hours. Serves 4 to 6.

My Folk Art Painting

This is a folk art painting I did about 2 years ago. I hang it in the living room every Christmas.

Bon Bons

I made these bon bons for the first time yesterday. They turned out great! They're so good, I just had to share the recipe with you. So here it is:

Bon Bons

1 ½ pkgs of Nestles Semi-sweet Morsels
3 blocks of chocolate flavored almond bark
14 oz pkg of coconut
1 can Eagle Brand Condensed Milk
2 lb bag of Confectioners Sugar

Line a large cookie sheet with waxed paper.

In a large bowl combine the confectioners sugar, coconut and Eagle Brand Condensed Milk. It’s quicker if you use your hands to mix it all together. Keep a butter knife handy to scrape it off your hands when it’s finished. Once it’s all mixed, wash your hands and dip them into a plate you’ve added some confectioners sugar to, and roll them into one inch balls. You may have to keep dipping your hands into the Confectioners sugar after each ball. It simply makes the process go faster. Fill your lined cookie sheet with the balls and place them into the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before coating them with chocolate.

In a double boiler or a sauce pan on low heat, melt the 1 ½ pkgs of Nestles Semi-sweet Morsels and the three blocks of chocolate flavored almond bark together. Using toothpicks, dip the coconut balls into the chocolate and place back on the waxed paper.
Chill them in the refrigerator until they’re set.

Note: Some recipes call for paraffin wax to be added to the chocolate morsels. Almond bark looks just as pretty and you don’t have that wax taste. I think it’s just better.

Hard Christmas Candy

This is the first batch of my homemade hard Christmas candy. This flavor is orange but I plan to make some raspberry candy closer to Christmas. Here's the recipe.

HARD CHRISTMAS CANDY

2 c. sugar
1/2 c. white corn syrup
1/2 c. water
1 tbsp. vinegar
Pinch of salt
1/2 tsp. food coloring
1 tsp. flavoring

In a heavy saucepan, stir the sugar, syrup, water, vinegar, and salt together until the sugar is dissolved. Cook over high heat until it reaches the hard crack stage (300 degrees F. on candy thermometer). Remove from fire and add coloring and flavoring. The candy can be divided and made into different flavors, green peppermint, red strawberry, or cinnamon, yellow butterscotch, etc. When the flavorings are stirred in the candy may steam.

Note: Line a cookie sheet with foil and then fill with powdered sugar. Using your finger, dig trenches into the powdered sugar. Pour the hot candy syrup into the trenches and cover with more powdered sugar. It will start to cool quickly. Once it's cool enough to handle, snip with scissors. Once it's completely cooled, roll in the powdered sugar and put it in your candy dishes. You can also use powdered sugar on your store bought hard candy. Simply add the powdered suger to the bag, close and shake until all sides are covered. No more sticky clumps of hard candy!

"Let it Snow" Door Banner

I designed this little "Let it Snow" door banner to welcome our friends and family this Christmas season.

Christmas in Hitchins

The Christmas season has arrived in our little old railroad town of Hitchins.
This is a pic of our tree this year. It was up the day after Thanksgiving as well as the decorations outside.

"In God We Still Trust"

If this song speaks to your heart, then please pass it on.

Continental Congress 2009 NPC Press Conference

Preamble adopted at the Continental Congress 2009

We The People

In defense of a free people, the time has come to reassert our God-given natural rights and cast off tyranny.

Let the facts reveal - the Federal Government of the United States of America, which was instituted to protect the rights of individual citizens, instead - threatens our life, liberty and property through usurpations of the Constitution; and emboldened by our own lack of responsibility and due diligence in these matters, has exceeded its mandate, and abandoned those founding principles which have made our nation exceptional;

Our servant government has undertaken these unconstitutional actions in direct violation of their enumerated duties, to the detriment of the People's liberty and the sovereignty of our Republic.

Over many years and spanning multiple-political administrations, the People who have, in good conscience, attempted to deliberate our grievances and voice our dissent against these offensive actions through both petition and assembly, have been maligned and ignored with contempt;

The people of the several States of Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illionois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming, justly alarmed at these arbitrary and unconstitutional actions, have elected, constituted and appointed delegates to meet, and sit in general Congress in the City of St. Charles, Illinois.

Whereupon these delegates, as duly elected representatives of the several States, have gathered in defense of divine justice, liberty and the principles of limited government, and we stand in clear recognition of the supreme law of the land - the Constitution of the United States of America.

Therefore, We demand that Government immediately re-establish Constitutional rule of law, lest the People be forced to do so themselves; and we hereby serve notice that in the defense of Freedom and Liberty there shall be NO COMPROMISE to which we shall ever yield.

It's time we take our country back from the control of the two-party socialist elites who are pushing for world control through commerce and finance.

Join me and millions of others...

http://www.givemeliberty.org/

Happy Thanksgiving!

Latest Rag Quilt

Sunrise in Hitchins

Ray took this pic pic last month. Sunrises in Hitchins are always special.

The Glorious Apple

You know fall has arrived when the delightful candy apples start showing up on the supermarket shelves. Apples are definately our family favorite. They're so versatile too! They make a great snack, slices fried in a syrup of butter, sugar and cinnamon make a great side dish too.

Here's a recipe for one of our favorite apple dishes...

APPLE CRISP

3 cups thinly sliced cooking apples
1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup self rising flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup butter

Ice cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 F.
Grease 10” x 6” baking dish.
Arrange apples in dish; sprinkle with lemon juice.
Mix sugar with next 4 ingredients until crumbly;
Spread over apple.
Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until tender.
Serve warm.

Something We all Need To Remember

Nature's Wonder

Isn't it amazing how pretty a spider's web looks adorned with morning dew?
This one is decorating the top of our Smoke Tree.

New Quilt

This is the latest rag quilt and matching pillow. Finally finished clipping it and washed it today.

I love the warm colors. It reminds me of autumn.

Ray really likes it too so it looks like this one won't be going anywhere either. Maybe the next set will be added to the craft show box for sale.

Velvet Queen Sunflower

This is my first year growing this type of sunflower. It's called Velvet Queen. Unlike other varieties that only produce one flower head, these produce several. I'll be growing the Velvet Queen from now on.

Garden Fresh

We planted a small garden this year and I thought it wasn't going to be worth the effort. I was surprised at how much this little garden has produced already. We also planted our tomato plants in plastic pots this year and they have been great! They're way less acidic if you use potting soil mixed with 1/4 cup of powdered lime and some Miracle Grow (mixed according to package directions), at least once a week.
I watered the tomatoes daily though.

The Joy in Country Living

I decided to plant zinnias, nasturtiums, cosmos and sunflowers across the front of the house this spring. With daily watering, and some good seeds from Gurneys, they've more than met my expectations.




There's nothing that says country more than a Mason Jar vase with fresh cut Zinnias.
I clipped these this morning.

Crafts I've Made

Memberships

http://www.sisterhoodofquilters.blogspot.com/

A Bright 4th of July

I hope you had a safe and happy 4th of July. Ray and I didn't have to leave our front porch to enjoy the fireworks this year. Our neighbors were well prepared to give us all a bright display. We've promised to join in next year. Here are some highlights from July 4th 2009.