Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Alphabe-Thursday

K is for Key
The Keys to my heart.

You have probably seen these pictures before since they are some of my favorites.  My hubby, daughters, grandchildren and my dad.  All hold the keys to my heart along with all of you my bloggy friends! Thanks for stopping by and go check out what everyone else has to share at Jenny's.

Jenny Matlock 

This has been a day of posting for me.  Three posts in one day, pretty sure that will not happen again very soon.  I did not figure out how to keep my blog anniversary gift post for my awesome friend/followers at the top of my blog, so jump down a couple of posts and leave a comment if you would like a chance to win a gift for being such great friends this first year of blogging for me. One day I will figure out all the bells and whistles but until then I guess you'll just have to scroll your way down. Thanks for coming by enjoy the rest of your week! 
 

HBinFive Braid

It is time for the bread braid over at Big Black Dog with Michelle.  We had two breads that we were suppose to bake this time around but I have only managed to get around to one.  I check the ones that I do off the list and plan on going back to bake the others when I have more time.  This time around we were suppose to bake Carrot Bread.  This whole grain bread has carrots, coconut, dried fruits and walnuts in it.











First Rise.



























The first loaf looked really good but it was a little too moist in the middle so I tried again.  The second time I used a bread crock that I have had for years and not used yet.



































This time around I added another 5 minutes to the baking time and it turned out great.  I forgot to take a picture after cutting it but it looked great cut in the round slices.  I took some to a sewing group with some whipped cream cheese and everyone liked it a lot.  I have bought a special thermometer to check the temp from now on so I am hoping to have more good breads than flopped breads.  Linking up with all the other bakers at:
http://www.bigblackdogs.net/

Thanks for stopping by!  If your one of my follower friends I have posted a blog anniversary give-away.  I am going to try and keep it at the top of my blog but if you do not see it check under this post!

Blog Anniversary Give-away

I am so thankful for all the new friends I have made this past year that I want to give a gift to one of my new friends/followers. It has been quite a surprise to me that I have 45 followers/friends.  When I started this blog I did not expect even one truthfully.   My blog anniversary was the 29th but I just did not get the gift ready on time so I am going to post today and if you are one of my friends/followers and leave a comment I will put your name in for the gift.  I will add any friend/followers name to the drawing that comments until Friday evening at 8:00 P.M. and have hubs draw a name the old fashioned way because I have not tried to learn the number picker thingy yet.  I have found a pretty journal and a box to match that I thought someone might use in their blogging area.  I go through a ton of sticky notes and other pads of paper making notes for my posts and jotting down info I want to remember from other blogger sites, so I have added some of those items to the box.  There are some pretty pink pens to write your notes with and a sticky note cover that I made quite a lot of, a few years ago, and still had a couple left.  I am also adding one of the needle/pin keepers that I have been making for the last few weeks because there are so many creative sewers that come and visit me.  And you never know, I might find something else to add before shipping out to the winner next week.

So again thanks to everyone that visits me and leaves such sweet comments.  For well wishes, prayers  and just fun conversations.  Thanks for all the new recipes that have been shared and the wonderful creative ideas I have found on so many of your sites.  It has been a fun year and I hope to enjoy this next year just as much.
Thanks for stopping by and many blessings to each of you.

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

30 Minute Pillowcases

Just wanted to share with all of you what I did on Sunday afternoon.  I got together with my friends that I went to the quilt shop hop with to sew.  We picked up a lot of free how to sheets at the different shops we went to weekend before last and decided we would get together to work on the different projects.  So the first one we picked to do is called a 30 Minute Pillowcase.  After you get the first one under your belt they are super easy.  I am not sure I could finish one in 30 minutes but definitely I could make one within an hour.  One of the ladies had already did this project in the past so she was our sewing teacher for the afternoon.  She helped each one of us with our first one and answered questions on the 2nd one if we needed help.  We all brought a little snack (no one even asked us to we just did) and the basketball game was playing in the background.  They all live within a few miles of each other but I live about one hour away so I hope I can work some more group sewing classes into my schedule!  I thought about doing a tutorial for anyone that might want to know how but I have not done one before and I am a little afraid to make that step.  Stopped by my daughters house on the way home from the sewing group and gave the grand daughters their pillowcases.   Here is how they turned out.












































 I want to make some for my grandsons so I will be watching for some fabric sales.  I forgot to take pictures of the group but they made some beautiful cases.  Some bright children's prints and some lovely prints for adults.  It was great fun!  Thanks for stopping in! 

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Sunday Praise

 Sorry late again.  Something very pretty for you to listen to.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Alphabe-Thursday

J is for Junk
Junk that I can make over for use in our home.  I think the saying is Trash to Treasure, but I am claiming Junk to Treasure.  I do buy new furniture when I find something I just cannot live without but usually when it comes to tables, bookcases, end tables, any wooden item I can repaint I am happy to recycle.  Of course hubs is happy if I buy things that do not need a lot of work from his area of expertise but I am afraid I do not always consider that.  I have a pile of furniture that is waiting for painting for the spare bedroom/my computer room where all the grandchildren sleep when they visit.  I just need to finish up the family room makeover first.  I will post some pictures of that probably in the next 2 weeks or so. Here is some pictures of my junk waiting for some pretty paint.
























There are two bed frames and a bed side table.
The white bookcase style use to be one of my 
daughters beds.  The one behind it with the
foot board my in-laws found on the side of a street 
for free.  They knew I was looking for another
bookcase type headboard so I could do some 
similar decorative painting on them. And the little 
table I bought real cheap to use on an enclosed
porch years ago.  Time to put it to use elsewhere.


















When I get this room done in a couple of months I will be sure to post a picture so you can see how I did with the makeover on this somewhat junky furniture.  In the meantime take a hop and a skip over (thinking about the Easter bunny) to Jenny Matlock's blog to see what everyone else is sharing for the letter J.
Jenny Matlock
Thanks for stopping in!  Sorry I did not get my blog anniversary gift quite together yet check back next week!

Monday, March 22, 2010

Quilt Shop Hop Trip

I went on a little trip this past weekend and had a wonderful time!  The local quilt shop was part of a shop hop and I gave my newsletter to a friend and she and three more friends wanted to participate.  Yeah!  So this past Friday morning we set out to visit nine shops over two days.  We had a blast!  You buy a pass which was only $5.00, at each stop you receive a punch or a stamp, and when you visit the last shop you leave your pass to get a chance to win a sewing machine.  A really nice sewing machine!  We also got our names in daily drawings at each shop for gift certificates.  As of this moment I do not think any of us has won anything, I have not at least.  But as I said we had a ball!  Each shop offered a quilt block pattern for free and you could buy the kit that went with it for $3.00, and we all did.  Also each shop made the blocks up and put them together differently offering a finishing kit that you could purchase to finish a quilt top.  Here are my kits and the finishing kit I picked:













Here are a couple of examples of the quilts we could make from the block kits we were buying:

































Here are my long time and new friends that I got to make the rounds with:
I am the short one in the the middle.  Sorry I never smile at the right time when the picture is taken.  It was hard to pick a picture that someone was not squinting or not smiling at just the right moment so I decided to pick the picture that everyone else was looking good in.  One day I'll take a picture that I am happy with and finally have one to add for my profile.  One day...
We had a favorite shop that also included a large yarn section:












And one of the ladies has a cottage on a lake that we got to spend two nights at. 






























We all brought food to share and made some awesome dinners and had some great dips and snacks.  One of my new friends taught me how to knit along with another friend who already knew how but needed some help starting a new project.  We are working on this dishcloth pattern:













I cannot even explain how we were getting taught but it was hilarious and I think we laughed so hard that it wore us out more then our day of shopping.
I made everyone a felt book to keep needles or pins in.  Here is what they look like:


The outside.
















The inside.










I have more of these cut out ready to put together, I just need to find more of the scissor charms that I used.
It is my blog anniversary this month,  I have been putting together a little something to give to one of my bloggy friends and I want to add one of these needle books to it.  So stop back this week when I post because sometime between today and the 30th I hope to post a give away!  I know this was a long post but I had such a great time I wanted to share it with you.  Thanks for stopping by and have a great week!

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Sunday Praise

 I am a little late today with Sunday Praise.  Had a delightful weekend trip with some friends!  Thought you might still enjoy this until I post again!  Have a blessed day!

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Alphabee Thursday

I is for Independence Day
Forth of July

Some historic information from Wikipedia:
After voting for independence, Congress turned its attention to the Declaration of Independence, a statement explaining this decision, which had been prepared by a Committee of Five, with Thomas Jefferson as its principal author. Congress debated and revised the Declaration, finally approving it on July 4. A day earlier, John Adams had written to his wife Abigail:
The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.[6]
Adams' prediction was off by two days. From the outset, Americans celebrated independence on July 4, the date shown on the much-publicized Declaration of Independence, rather than on July 2, the date the resolution of independence was approved in a closed session of Congress.[7]
One of the most enduring myths about Independence Day is that Congress signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.[8][9] The myth had become so firmly established that, decades after the event and nearing the end of their lives, even the elderly Thomas Jefferson and John Adams had come to believe that they and the other delegates had signed the Declaration on the fourth.[10] Most delegates actually signed the Declaration on August 2, 1776.[11] In a remarkable series of coincidences, both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, two founding fathers of the United States and the only two men who signed the Declaration of Independence to become president, died on the same day: July 4, 1826, which was the United States' 50th anniversary.

Our family celebrates Independence day each year in a big way.  My Hubs parents live in a small town right on the main street across from the town park.   This town has a week long celebration that includes tractor pulls, ball games, a kids day with kids parade and a petting zoo.


























There is a carnival set up in the park, hubs and I usually go on the Ferris wheel so he can point out all the places he hung out at as a child and teenager.  There is a big parade that goes right past Mom and Dads house on the Forth where we all sit, along with many friends and neighbors, on the lawn and porch to watch, clap and stand for the flag when it passes.













  Hubs parents always have a pot luck and everyone brings a dish to share and come and go all day.  There is usually a walk to the ice cream shop and hubs has to go get an Italian Sausage at one of the vendors that is always there.  A great celebration for our country's freedom.  Of course there are fireworks at the end of the day but we are home and chilling out from our long day by then.
 Thanks for coming by and I hope you go check out the rest of the party participants over at Jenny Matlocks.
I will be away for a couple of days so I will have to visit everyone when I get back.

Jenny Matlock

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Alphabe-Thursday & HBinFive Braid

H is for Healthy Bread
I recently joined the HBinFive bread group hosted by Michelle at Big Black Dog.  I love to bake and cook but I have not had good results in the bread category.  Michelle's group is baking their way through a new cookbook by Jeff Herlzberg M.D. & Zoe Francis called Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day.  The breads we are suppose to bake and link up on the 15th are Pesto Pine Nut Bread and Avocado-Guacamole Bread.  I mixed up the Pesto Pine Nut Bread and a Soft Whole Wheat Sandwich bread this past Sunday.  You let it go through the first rise on your counter top and then place in the fridge until baking day.









As you can see my container was not quite large enough for the whole wheat bread.
















My week started out busy and I did not get to bake until Tuesday evening.  I baked the loaf of Pesto Pine Nut Bread and I believe it came out as it was suppose to.  We tried it with a slice of mozzarella and a little olive oil drizzled over it.

























I also baked a loaf of the Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread.  It came out fine except I read the recipe wrong and I needed to use more dough than I did.  The next loaf I used the remainder of the dough but I think I should have adjusted the time more than the five minutes I added.  This is what the two loaves  looked like.










Hubs made some grilled sandwiches the next evening that were really yummy.  Sorry,  I did not get pictures of the sandwiches to share.  The next evening I used the rest of the Pesto Pine Nut Bread to make a pizza.  Hubs and I both liked it best this way.












There is only the two of us so I will not be mixing up more than one batch at a time from now on.  As my husband said we have had a lot of healthy bread this week.  Please go over the Jenny Matlocks to check out the rest of the participants in the Alphabe-Thursday game here.
Jenny Matlock
Of course I am also linking this post up to the HBinFive Braid on the 15th here:

http://www.bigblackdogs.net/
I promise HBinFive group the next Braid post will not be as long!  Hoping to still try the Avocado-Guacamole Bread.
Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Sunday Praise

Have a blessed day!

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Alphabe-Thursday

G is for Game

G is for the Carrom Board Game that I received after my grandparents passed away.  All the cousins played this game when we had family gatherings.  Our parents were usually playing games of Yuker while all all the cousins took turns playing Carrom.  The Carrom Game Board company is in Ludington, Michigan.  I have lived in Michigan for many years but I am from Indiana and that is where this game board was played with most of its lifetime.  I have done some research on Carrom Board Games and found the one I own was produce during the WWII years which means my Dad and his siblings played this same game when they were children.   I would call this the front because this is the side we always played on.  If you click on the picture for a closeup you will probably be able to see the playing pieces I have stored in the old canning jar.













































If you want to learn more about this game you can go to this site
http://www.carrom.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=47&Itemid=76
where they have the history of the game and pictures of other vintage game boards.  I am linking up to Jenny Matlock's Alphabe-Thursday please try and check out the other participants entries today.  There are so many interesting people playing along!
Jenny Matlock
Thanks for coming by I hope everyone is having a great week!