Jen's Fun Little Things

Birds and pies

2012-01-22T14:57:00.000-05:00

Hey there, my friends! Guess what? Lookie!

I finished that cute little bird pillow from this book!

It was a very fun project. The embroidery was a pleasure, and so was the applique...although I did change up the flowers a wee bit. The smallest one was supposed to have appliqued petals, but I didn't want to deal with teeny-tiny pieces of fabric so I just embroidered it and made the next-biggest one applique.

Plus I used buttons for all the flower centers....some of the ones on the pattern are satin-stitched, which is a stitch I dread. I did it for this half a bud...

...but for anything else, especially a circle...no thank you. To me, it is a deceptively difficult stitch. The welting was a bit tricky but I think it's worth it.

So that's it! hope you like it. It adds a nice little touch of sunshine, I think.

Tomorrow, January 23rd, is National Pie Day! Long-time readers of this blog know that we've been celebrating this "holiday" for several years now. I am going to make the traditional Lemon Angel Pie...plus, Nestle Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie. And what would dinner be without pizza pie? Quiche would be a good choice too!

I hope you are enjoying your weekend! Eat some pie tomorrow!

♥ Jen

The best oatmeal raisin cookies

2012-01-19T12:54:00.001-05:00

The other day, Dave requested that I make some oatmeal raisin cookies. I used to make these cookies all the time. This recipe used to be on the back of the Quaker Oats container...but somewhere along the line, they changed it. The current one they use is okay, but this old one is the very best. Luckily I copied it down years ago, and I thought you might like it too.

Quaker's "old" Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

1 Cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 Cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 Cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1-1/2 Cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3 Cups Quaker Oats (quick or old-fashioned, uncooked)
1 Cup raisins (optional)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat together butter and sugars until creamy.

Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well. Stir in oats and raisins; mix well. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheet (I like to line the pans with parchment paper). Bake 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden brown.

Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet; remove to wire rack. Makes about 4 dozen.
*Bar cookies: Bake 30-35 min. in ungreased 13" x 9" metal baking pan.

They're soooo yummy! I had more pictures of the cooking process but for some reason Blogger kept wanting to turn them sideways. Ugh! Anyway, if you try them I hope you enjoy them too!

Remember I said I was making the Chicken & Spinach Pasta Bake a week or so ago? It was delicious! I found the recipe through Pinterest. Here's what it looked like, fresh out of the oven...

It was sooo tasty. I used a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store, so it was super easy.

I felt like I needed a little "boost" earlier this week, so I bought this new lipstick...

Seriously, isn't that the sweetest packaging you've ever seen? And lipstick with a heart built right in? So cute! It's a little bit too "pink" in real life but it's a good layer-er.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy these recipes! Talk to you soon!

♥ Jen

"Rush-Hour Recipes" WINNER!

2012-01-16T08:24:00.001-05:00

Hello and Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day! I hope everyone had a great weekend! My kids have off today, and Friday was a snow day, so they get a four-day weekend. We had some friends over on Saturday night, and they own a fabulous chocolate shop called Lune Chocolat. They brought over a NINE POUND chocolate-peanut butter cake for dessert that was soooo good. It was a really fun night, plus their kids slept over so Annabelle and Mason were in seventh heaven.

Ok, onto the winner of Gooseberry Patch's "Rush-Hour Recipes!" I had my son pick a number and he chose 74, which is....Sheila Shook! Sheila wrote:

"This book would be awesome to win."

Congratulations, I know you will love it! Please send me your address and I will get this in the mail asap!

Off to take a shower...enjoy your day!

♥ Jen

Winter, where are you?

2012-01-10T12:25:00.001-05:00

Are you having strange, unseasonable weather where you are? We have such mild temps, and very little snow. Weird for central New York! Oh well, I'll take it. It is unusual to see grass in January, that's for sure!

I've been doing a teeny bit of decorating for Valentine's Day. This is a little vignette over my sink.

I've had the Welcome plate for awhile, but Dave got me the bird jewelry holder and the milk jug measuring cup set for Christmas. So I've got a little white-theme going here...grounded with a red heart placemat.

I went to Christmas Tree Shops this morning...seems like I haven't been there in a long time! I got the cutest little birdhouse cloche. Only $2.99! I filled it with some mini candles from Bath and Body Works.

That's a Valentine table topper I had a made a couple of years ago.

Last year I had gotten a few heart placemats at CTS, just in a different pattern. I couldn't resist getting two of the coordinating pattern. And you can't beat two for $3.00!

Guess what? I started a sewing project! Thank you, thank you. It felt so good to get back in there, pick out a pattern and fabrics, etc. I'm working on the bird pillow I showed you...

I've got some of the applique done, and all the supplies are ready.

I love embroidery, it's so relaxing!

I have some fun news! My twin sister Karen started a new blog. It's called "My Soul Counts." I love her ideas...it's all about a place to go to recharge, get inspired, and relax. Take a look if you can, it's wonderful!

Don't forget, my giveaway for the Gooseberry Patch cookbook ends next Monday. Enter HERE!

Enjoy your day!

♥ Jen

"Rush-Hour Recipes" Review and GIVEAWAY!

2012-01-04T14:29:00.001-05:00

Hey there, buds! Today I will show you a sneak-peek at Gooseberry Patch's new cookbook, "Rush-Hour Recipes."

I am so glad that I was selected to review this cookbook. As the cover says, it contains, "More than 230 quick-to-fix dinner recipes your family will love...even slow-cooker meals and potluck dishes!" Awesome. Exactly what I need! The six sections are: 5-Ingredient Favorites; One-Dish Dinners; Slow Cookers to the Rescue; Soup's On!; Make-A-Meal Sides; and Speedy Potluck & Party Foods. I selected three recipes to test, and I'm including them here. The first one I tried was "Tomato & Chicken Penne." (please note: Although I am reprinting the original recipe, I cut the amounts in half. Except for the garlic, I used that full-strength!)

(I don't need the casserole dish for this recipe...but I couldn't resist showing it here. A Christmas gift from Dave's brother and sister-in-law. Isn't it great??)

INGREDIENTS:
16-oz. package penne pasta, uncooked
1/4 Cup olive oil
1 tsp. garlic, chopped
28-oz. can diced tomatoes, drained (I used Roasted Garlic and Onion flavored)
1/2 Cup fresh basil chopped, or 1 tsp. dried basil
2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
8-oz. package shredded mozzarella cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Meanwhile, heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic; saute for one minute.

Stir in tomatoes and basil; continue cooking for two minutes.

Add chicken to skillet. Simmer for about five minutes, until heated through.

Transfer mixture in skillet to a large serving bowl; toss with pasta and cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

VERDICT: Yummy, easy and quick. I poached two chicken breasts, but if you have leftover roast chicken, even quicker. I topped each serving with grated parmesan cheese, which added a lot to the flavor. I will certainly make this again! Got the thumbs-up from all who ate it! (Oh, and yes, there are some rotini mixed in there. I didn't have quite enough penne.)

OK, on to the next recipe! Here is one I couldn't resist making..."Better Than Brownies."

INGREDIENTS:
3.4-oz. package cook & serve chocolate pudding mix
2 Cups milk (I used 2%)
18-1/2 oz. package chocolate cake mix
1 Cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 Cup chopped nuts (I left these out)

Prepare dry pudding mix with milk according to package directions; cook until slightly thickened.

From lumpy to smooth!

Remove from heat. Stir in dry cake mix. (Careful, don't make a mess, like I did!)

Spread batter in a greased 13" x 9" baking pan; sprinkle with chocolate chips and nuts.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Cool; cut into squares. Makes about 2 dozen.

VERDICT: I was wondering what this would be more like, cake or brownies. I think it can best be described as a very fudgy cake! Delish. I really like the addition of the chocolate chips on top. This was VERY simple to make and really good too!

The last recipe I chose for this review is "Sauteed Greens & Warm Pecan Dressing."

INGREDIENTS:
2 Tbsps. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. mustard
2 tsps. honey
1/2 Cup pecans, coarsely chopped
2 Tbsps. canola or olive oil
1 to 2 bunches kale, spinach or Swiss chard, chopped (I used one bunch of green Swiss chard.)

In a small bowl, combine vinegar, mustard, honey, and pecans; set aside.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add greens and toss until well coated with oil. (It looks like a lot, but it cooks down quite a bit.)

Cook and stir until greens are wilted but still bright green. (Just enough for two of us now!)

Add vinegar mixture to skillet, stirring lightly. Cook for about one minute and serve immediately. Serves 6.

VERDICT: I chose this recipe because Dave and I really enjoy sauteed greens; I usually just use olive oil and garlic, so it was great to try something different. The pecans add such a great flavor ~ and the sweetness of the honey, the tang of the vinegar, and the spiciness of the mustard give this dish a tremendous taste.

"Rush-Hour Recipes" is a great addition to my cookbook library. As always, I *love* the sprinklings of helpful facts and tips throughout the book...for example, "Oversize cookie bars are tempting, but for a change, slice them into one-inch squares and set them in frilly paper candy cups. Guests will feel free to sample 'just a bite' of several different treats." I also like that idea for portion control!

Would you like to win a copy of "Rush-Hour Recipes?" To enter, please leave a comment on this post by Monday, January 16th. I will use the random-number-generator-thingy to select a winner. As always, if your email address is not linked/included, I will have to omit your entry. So please make sure I have it! If you'd like to purchase it now, you can do so here!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoyed my review!

♥ Jen

New books

2012-01-04T11:21:00.004-05:00

Look at me, posting two days in a row! I am just so excited about the new books I got in the mail yesterday...remember I had mentioned Gooseberry Patch's after-Christmas sale? This is what I ordered...

And all of this was about 20 bucks! I'm excited for the cookbooks of course, but the sewing books are particularly fun! By the way, that candle holder at the top of the photo was a Christmas gift from Annabelle. She's so sweet.

So about the books! Oh-So-Sweet Embroidery has some darling projects...just look at this apron! Love aprons.

And this doll nightgown? I can totally make this for Annabelle's American Girl.

I NEED to make this Bird Pillow. How cute for spring, right?

Sweetly Stitched for Kids also has some adorable projects. How about this sweet doll?

AND, this is my favorite...

SUCH a cute wallhanging. Sigh. I hope I actually make all of these!! Scratch that, I WILL make all of these! Both of these books are still available at amazon (each title is linked up above); albeit not at the sale price. Still I think they're worth it.

Catch you all later!
♥ Jen

Happy 2012

2012-01-03T13:38:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone! Happy New Year! Well back to normal, right? I was sure the kids were going to have a snow day today...they were predicting tons of snow, wind and bitter temperatures. But no delays, nothing...and only a few inches of snow. Bunch of alarmists!

I've been spending the day trying to get my house back in order after all the festivities. The Christmas tree and decorations are still up, but I put some of the presents away, did lots of laundry, dusted, and vacuumed. I have high hopes to get into my crafting space this week and start a new project. What that is, I'm not sure yet! LOL But I know it's in there somewhere!

I have a new cookbook review coming at the end of this week....this one is for Gooseberry Patch's "Rush Hour Recipes." RIGHT up my alley. I am forever looking for quick, tasty meals and this cookbook is jam-packed with them. I'm actually making one of the dishes tonight..." Tomato and Chicken Penne." I'll let you know how it turns out.

Thanks for stopping by...hope you had a great holiday season!

♥ Jen

Merry Christmas and cookbook winner!

2011-12-23T10:00:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas and Happy Chanukah, everyone! OK I thought I was going to be able to post a lot more this holiday season, but that didn't happen (obviously)! To add insult to injury, I have not been crafting at all. That makes me a bit sad but I have lots of plans for next month. That's the good thing about January for me; although the holidays are over, it gives me a chance to catch up on projects. I didn't make any handmade gifts this year, besides the quilt and pillow for my niece. I can't wait to hear how she likes them!

OK, let's get down to business...the winner of Gooseberry Patch's "Fresh From the Farmstand!"

I really loved reading all your comments. Thank you so much for taking the time to write about the recipes I posted, that means a lot! I had to discount a couple of entries since they did not include email addresses (sorry!)....so I had 45 entries. True Random Generator selected number 35, which is...well, well, well! It's Miss Sharon from Red Geranium Cottage! Sharon wrote:

Ooohh I'd love to win that. Awesome that you get to review that first. Lucky you.

Congratulations Sharon! Email me your snail mail address and I'll get this book in the mail to you next week!

If you didn't win and you'd still like to purchase the cookbook, you can do so here. And by the way, Gooseberry Patch has started their annual After-Christmas sale early....I ordered a bunch of great books and calendars myself! Don't forget to check out the sale too!

I am going into Mason's third-grade class later for their Christmas party. We're going to decorate cookies! I love doing stuff like this. I got my last-minute Wegman's trip done this morning...wow what a zoo! It was before 9am and already the parking lot was jammed. I'm going to spend the rest of the morning doing laundry and getting the house ready for company. My sister and her family are coming up tomorrow, we are all so excited. My dad is coming on Monday for a few days too, so the celebration goes even longer!

Merry, Merry Christmas friends...and a very happy new year to you and yours!

♥ Jen

"Fresh from the Farmstand" Review & Giveaway!

2011-12-13T11:05:00.001-05:00

Hello friends! It's time for another Gooseberry Patch Early Bird review!

This time I have received two copies of Gooseberry Patch's latest cookbook, Fresh from the Farmstand. It will be available to purchase soon, but you can win your very own FREE copy here! Details at the end of this post.

To purchase, please click here.

This is a wonderful cookbook, chock-full of fresh ingredient recipes. The book is divided into six categories: Freshly Gathered Breakfasts; Market-Basket Soups & Breads; Garden-Fresh Sides & Salads; Farmstand Feasts; Summer's Best Appetizers; and Berry Best Desserts. I prepared two dishes, and they are both fantastic. The first is "Topsy-Turvy Apple Pie." Apples are plentiful now, and I thought that this would be a good addition to a holiday dessert menu.

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 9-inch pie crusts
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
7 cups Jonathan, Granny Smith, and/or Gala apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced

Here are my prepared apples. I used Macoun...they're my favorite variety for baking. I suggest you use whatever apples you like, but make sure there's a little tartness.

Combine pecans, brown sugar and butter in a 9" deep-dish pie plate; stir to mix. (I used walnuts.) Spread mixture in bottom of pie plate.

Top with one pie crust. (I used Pillsbury ready-made crusts; if you want to make your own, go for it!)

In a large bowl, toss together remaining ingredients; spoon into crust.

Top with remaining crust; trim crust even with edge of pie plate. Bring bottom crust over edge of top crust; seal and crimp. Cut several slits in top crust.

Bake at 375 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes.

Cool for 5 minutes; place a serving plate over pie and invert. Carefully remove pie plate and replace any loose topping. (I was scared that the pie would stick to the pie plate...but no worries, all that butter really greases up the pan good!)

Cool at least one hour before serving. Serves 8 to 10.

VERDICT: Wow, this was delicious! I love regular apple pie, but this is extra special. The butter/brown sugar/nut topping caramelizes and keeps the crust moist. Dave and the kids also loved it...Annabelle is usually not an apple pie fan, I think because of the plain crust. This she really enjoyed. The rest of us also cleaned our plates. The topping is gooey and decadent. I will definitely make this again!

Ok, onto the next recipe. This one is called "Ryan's Yummy Pasta Salad."

INGREDIENTS:
8-oz. package refrigerated cheese tortellini, uncooked
2-1/2 cups rotelle pasta, uncooked
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
1 cup deli roast chicken, chopped
2 Tablespoons lemon pepper, or to taste
Ranch salad dressing, to taste
(NOTE: I make ranch salad dressing from the Hidden Valley mix. It's very simple (you just add mayo and milk), and I think it's much, much better than the bottled kind. Thanks to my buddy Sharon for this tip!)

In separate saucepans, cook tortellini and rotelle according to package directions, adding frozen vegetables to rotelle pan. (I chose to stick with frozen corn for my vegetables. I bet it would be great with broccoli florets or some peas to green it up.)

I think I should have used a larger pan! Oh well.

Drain; combine in a large serving bowl. Add chicken to pasta; sprinkle generously with lemon pepper. (Ok, I admit that I don't know what "lemon pepper" is....is it a special seasoning blend, or just lemon-flavored pepper? In any case, two tablespoons sounded a little excessive to me. Since my rotisserie chicken was lemon pepper anyway, I skipped this step and just added a few extra grinds of black pepper.) Add salad dressing to desired consistency and toss to mix.

I used the whole 8-oz. recipe of Ranch dressing that I made. I also thought it needed a little "something," so I shook on some bacon bits...yum!

May be served warm or chilled. Serves 6 to 8.

VERDICT: Very, very good pasta salad! We all liked it a LOT! (well Mason didn't try it, but I figured that would happen). I served it cold with warm biscuits on the side. Next time I will add some chopped parsley and some green veggies too.

I cannot wait to try some of the berry recipes when they're back in season around here. How about you? Would you like to win a copy? Just leave me a comment on this post by Friday, December 23. I will pick a random comment on that day. In order to be considered, PLEASE make sure there's an email linked to your comment, so that I can get in touch with you.

Have a wonderful day!

♥ Jen

Festivities

2011-12-05T11:58:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone! How was the weekend? Today is my husband's birthday...he's finally as old as me! We had his birthday dinner yesterday, since he works later on Mondays. I roasted a turkey breast and made mashed potatoes, stuffing, etc. Yes this is a Thanksgiving menu, but since we were away for the holiday this year we didn't have a whole lot of time with leftovers. So guess what we're having tonight? Hee hee! Oh and I made the world's best chocolate cake ever...Hershey's Perfect Chocolate Cake, with the fabulous frosting. Do your loved ones a favor and make this for them one day. It's simple and oh-so-delicious. I was very full after dinner and yet I couldn't stop thinking about this cake. I'm already excited to have another slice tonight! (Note: this photo is borrowed from the Hershey's website, but ours looked very similar, sans strawberry.)

Click here for the recipe!

Speaking of birthdays, getting old has its minuses. After cooking all day (for dinner and the other incidentals, like breakfast and lunch), my sciatica reared its ugly head and I was stuck on the couch with a heating pad for the rest of the evening. It's a lot better today. I think I stayed in one position all night. Anyway, we gave Dave presents and cards this morning before he left for work, and we'll have a nice evening later as well.

How's the Christmas shopping coming along? I've got most of mine done, I think....next comes one of my favorite holiday activities, wrapping! I love to listen to holiday music, drink coffee and make packages look pretty. Hey wouldn't a gift-wrapping party be fun? Gather with friends, everyone brings their own wrapping supplies and a dish, then you could eat/drink/chat while wrapping! Anyone want to join me?

Well, I got snow tires put on my minivan this morning. Usually I wait until we've already had six inches and I'm scrambling to find someone to do it last-minute. This year I got both cars done early. Of course that means it won't snow for a month.

Have a happy day!

♥ Jen

Thanksgiving weekend digest

2011-11-28T13:10:00.001-05:00

Hello! How was everyone's Thanksgiving? We went to my sister's in North Carolina, like we did last year. It was great....all the kids played together, the food was fabulous, and it was just so nice to spend time together. We hadn't seen them since last Thanksgiving so it was wonderful to go down again. Did I take any pictures there? No. Sigh. I guess I was just otherwise occupied so I never thought to get the camera out. My sister and I did a little shopping on Black Friday...we didn't hurry, we went to Target at 11am when the crowds died down. We both got what we were looking for so it worked out great.

We drove straight through on Saturday, and were home by 5:30 p.m. I spent the day yesterday doing laundry, food shopping, and putting up the Christmas decorations (inside). If you've been reading my blog for awhile, you'll recognize this...

My "12 Days of Christmas" wall hanging that I made a couple of years ago. Those little pears were a pain to make but I love how it came out!

I realized I have a lot of tabletop items but not a lot of wall decor. So when I was at Joann's today, I snapped this cutie up...

Seriously?! How adorable can this be? And their Christmas decorations are 50% off. Nice! I also got this three-plate wall hanging...

It's from the same collection as the first one. I swear, I could have bought everything in that line. I also got some Command hooks to avoid making holes in walls (you're welcome, dear!). I'm hanging the "Seasons Greetings" picture in-between the kitchen and the living room, and the plate thingy upstairs in the hall.

By the way, I will have another Gooseberry Patch Early Bird Review in the next couple of weeks. This one will be for the upcoming book, "Fresh From the Farmstand."

Stay tuned for a chance to win your own copy! Have a great day!

♥ Jen

Rose's quilt

2011-11-13T21:19:00.000-05:00

Hello friends! How are you? I'm finally almost done with my cold. That was a really rough one. I coughed so much that I pulled muscles in my abdomen and near my ribs. Awful! But luckily it's just about gone. I'm feeling good and I got my major project of the year done...my niece Rose's quilt! It's bound, labelled and washed...would you like to see? First, here is the pattern I used, 4OT by Miss Rosie's Quilt Company (fittingly enough!).

I love the colors in the original, but as you know I decided to use 30s reproduction fabrics for mine. I used quite an assortment, with several different designers. The white is Kona Cotton in Snow. I've never used so much white in a quilt, and I really like it! I think it showcases the busy little prints well.

Here it is with the matching pillow:

I got the embroidery pattern from Aunt Martha's Hot Iron Transfers. I love those!!

I've been hoarding this blue little girl fabric for awhile now, just waiting for the perfect project. This is the top of the pillow. I used it for the binding of the quilt as well.

Another fabric I've been hoarding...this pink toile with cottages and windmills. I know, right?! This is the back of the pillow.

The quilt is approximately 72" square...a nice size, I think. I quilted in the ditch for the main grid of the pattern, then added some diagonal lines for some extra stitching and dimension. Want to see some more pics? All righty then! This is the quilt on the guest room bed, which is a queen.

This is the back, folded up a bit. It's kind of hard to tell, but it's a beautiful soft pink with white flowers. It's a Lakehouse print, and I got it super cheap from the same place I buy most of my backings, Desperate Quilters. You can see the binding pretty well here too.

Thanks for joining me in the tour of Rose's quilt. I hope you like it! It was quite a challenge for me but I'm really happy with how it turned out.

♥ Jen

Getting there!

2011-11-05T15:57:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone! How are you doing? I've had a cold all week, which has not been too bad except for an annoying cough. I haven't been sleeping so great because of it. Oh well, coffee is my friend! My mother-in-law is here for the weekend, and she is going to babysit the kids tonight so that Dave and I can go out to dinner. I'm looking forward to that! I got them sushi from Wegman's for dinner which is a huge treat for the kids.

I got Rose's quilt all quilted, now I'm working on the binding. Love a rolled-up strip of binding!

I sewed most of it down ~ next I'll need to hand-stitch it down to the back. Then the label, a wash and it's done! Can't wait to show you!

My dad gave me a gift certificate to Amazon for my birthday, so I ordered this cutting mat. It got really good reviews. The biggest one I had was 18" x 24", and this one is 24" x 36".

I started using it for the binding and for trimming the edges of the quilt...it's wonderful! Nice and thick, and the extra space really helps a lot. Speaking of quilting, I ordered a bundle of PKM fabrics from Sharon at Daisy Cottage yesterday...don't you just adore these fabrics?? I have no idea what I'm going to make with them but I NEED them. They are right up my alley!

Take care buds...talk to you soon!

♥ Jen

I'm a quilting

2011-10-27T18:26:00.000-04:00

This is what I've been doing for the past two days...quilting Rose's Quilt.

I stitched-in-the-ditch around each block. Next I'm stitching diagonal lines through every other block. This is how I'm doing those...

I use painter's tape to mark the quilting line. I pin it because otherwise I find the tape tends to shift when I'm ~~shoving~~ gently running the quilt through my machine. On darker fabrics, I like to use my chalk pencil, but since it's white I can't really use it on this quilt. I'm doing it now so that I can have it completed by Thanksgiving and I can deliver it personally. Not to be opened until Christmas, of course!

Be back soon!

♥ Jen

Tyler's quilt

2011-10-26T10:48:00.000-04:00

Good morning! It's chilly, drizzly and gloomy here...but that's okay with me! I don't mind these kind of days at all. Gives me a good excuse to stay in, sew, cook, and light candles. Right now I'm working on my niece Rose's quilt for Christmas. I'm in the home stretch...it's pinned and ready to quilt. I'll start that later today. Yesterday I made a pillow to go with it...I seriously think it's the cutest thing I ever made. I'll have to wait to show it to you though, until the quilt is done too. But for now I can show the quilt I made for my newest nephew, Tyler! He was born on October 6th. His parents didn't want to know if he was a boy or girl before he was born, so I made a gender-neutral quilt.

It's from a kit put together by the wonderful Sharon at Daisy Cottage. I love love love the vintage-y duck print. I used a variegated blue/red/yellow thread for the quilting.

The back is one of my staples...a polka dot from Holly at Lakehouse Drygoods.

Here are just a few more looks at it.

I used a 30's-inspired fabric for the binding, I think it goes nicely. And of course there's my embroidered label. I never have success writing labels so this is the easiest way for me.

I wanted to tell you a funny story about cupcakes. A week or so ago, I needed to make cupcakes to bring into Mason's class for a late-birthday celebration (he called in sick for the original one). So I baked a batch from a yellow box cake mix. And I BURNED them! Seriously? How does that happen? I didn't let them bake longer than the box said. I think I crammed too many pans on the top shelf and that threw my oven off.

Bad cupcake!

I only had the one box, and I was not about to go to the store to buy another one. So I did a quick internet search for yellow cupcakes, and I found this one from Wilton.

Good cupcake.

These were really good. I watched them super-closely! I'll be hard-pressed to bake from a box next time. I had everything in my pantry, including cake flour which surprised me. Don't they look so much nicer than the ones in the background? Anyway a quick batch of cupcakes turned into an all-afternoon affair. LOL

Speaking of being sick, I'm taking Mason to an ENT for a consultation tomorrow. He's had strep several times over the last year, he snores, and his tonsils are huge. We're thinking it might be time to get those suckers out. I'll keep you posted!

Well thanks for reading, and I'll check back sooner next time!
♥ Jen

Love me a newborn!

2011-10-12T13:25:00.000-04:00

Hey there! How is everyone? Last weekend, we took a trip down to my sister's to see baby Abigail. It was so good to hold a newborn again! She is adorable and such a good baby too. She sleeps, eats, looks around, then repeats. Her big sister is happy as can be and her parents are super proud (as well they should be).

This is my sister and Abby. Kathleen was doing great after her c-section...she was a great hostess and made us FABULOUS food.

Annabelle looks so grown-up, holding her little cousin! I don't know what Mason's thinking here. LOL He had a little cold so he couldn't hold her this visit.

This is their dog Tucker...he is such a sweetie. I'm more of a cat person but some dogs I really like, including him. He doesn't slobber all over me and he's very loving.

I made a Pumpkin Pound Cake for our visit, and I think it came out really good. Would you like the recipe? Just click here. It was really moist and delish. We ate it for both dessert and breakfast!

Speaking of recipes, I wanted to pass along another crockpot dish that I got from Better Homes and Gardens. It's called, "Smoky Chicken and Cheesy Potato Casserole."

I couldn't find Cream of Chicken with Herbs soup, so I just used regular Cream of Chicken soup (actually the reduced-fat version), and added Basil, Oregano, Garlic Powder and Onion Powder. I found Smoked Cheddar at my grocery store; if you can't, feel free to substitute another smoky cheese, such as Smoked Gouda. Anyway this is delicious...we ate it as a main course, with biscuits and veggies; but I can see this as a side as well.

I went to Hobby Lobby this morning...isn't this turkey adorable?

I have no Thanksgiving decorations, so I thought it was time to add something to the mix.

I also got a few spools of ribbon, they were 50% off.

I had a 40% off coupon so I bought next year's Gooseberry Patch calendar...I love these for the kitchen!

We have another addition to the family! Dave's brother and his wife welcomed their third child last week! They have two girls already, and this time they had a son. So I'm working on a little something for him, I'll show you when it's done.

I hope you have a great day!

♥ Jen

Candle Mats

2011-10-06T13:56:00.000-04:00

In between big quilt projects, I like to do a little instant-gratification something. Whether it be handwork, or a small quilt, it gives you something to say is Done while the quilts are looming in your sewing room. A friend of mine did a big favor for me so I wanted to do something nice for her. She and I are both very into tarts/candles...candle mats seemed like an obvious choice! I made two, a fall one and a Christmas one.

The fall one is from the Saltbox Harvest line by Deb Strain for Moda. I quilted it by stitching-in-the ditch, and then one big criscross through the center.

The Christmas one is made from the 12 days of Christmas line by Kate Spain for Moda. I quilted this with an allover meandering stitch. You can't really tell, but the quilting thread is a nice minty green. Both of these were made from nine charms...I sewed a simple nine patch, which made a mat about 14" square. No cutting! A part of a fat quarter for the back, a couple strips of fabric for the binding, and voila! Done in an afternoon.

The backs are Harvest Town by Jacqueline Paton and Holiday Happy by Monica. So if you have some charm packs laying around, and you want a cute project, wouldn't this be nice? You can include a festive candle, and it's a perfect hostess gift!

Have a great day!

♥ Jen

Tomorrow is October

2011-09-30T15:25:00.000-04:00

I really love this time of year! Today it's relatively cool out (60s), and it's sunny and breezy. I have the windows open and nice fresh air is blowing in. Yesterday I replaced the flowers in two of my planters out front with mums...

And today I spent the day cleaning and getting ready for Annabelle's party tomorrow. I also made pizza dough for tonight...homemade pizza is so simple and easy! I sent in my recipe to Gooseberry Patch, I'm hoping they'll add it to one of their cookbooks.

One day when the kids and I were in Hobby Lobby, we saw cute two-foot tall artificial Christmas trees, and lots of miniature ornaments to go with them. We thought it would be fun to get one this year for each of their rooms. So, today I ordered two trees from Kohl's, one purple and one green, plus tree skirts too. They were on sale, plus I had $20 Kohl's cash, PLUS I had a 30% off coupon and a free shipping code. You gotta love Kohl's. They take stuff back so easily too...even if clothes have been washed, no tags, etc.

OK, gotta run...have a great weekend friends!

♥ Jen

And the winner is...

2011-09-29T11:59:00.000-04:00

Today is the day! The winner of the Gooseberry Patch Tiny Tips books has been randomly chosen (Annabelle picked the number)! Without further delay, the winner is...

M.J.! Her wonderful comment was, "I would love to win Tiny Tips for the Kitchen.I just love Gooseberry Patch books...thanks so much for the chance." Congratulations M.J.! Please email me your mailing address. I will get your book out to you as soon as I can!

Thanks for playing everyone! I'll have another giveaway soon!
♥ Jen

Perking up!

2011-09-28T11:45:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, Jen asked me how the Crock Pot Girls' Balsamic Chicken turned out...I realized that I neglected to post my review...whoops! Well, it was delicious, I definitely recommend it. Here's the recipe:

Balsamic Chicken

4-6 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts
2-14.5 oz. cans diced tomatoes
1 onion, thinly sliced (Not chopped)
4 garlic cloves
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tbsps. olive oil
1 tsp. each: dried oregano, basil, and rosemary
1/2 tsp thyme
ground black pepper and salt to taste

Pour the olive oil on bottom of crock pot.
Place in chicken breasts, salt and pepper each breast.
Put sliced onion on top of chicken.
Then put in all the dried herbs and garlic cloves.
Pour in vinegar and top with tomatoes.

Cook on low 8 hours or high 4 hours, serve over angel hair pasta.

I really liked the texture of the chicken. It was moist and tender, and of course very flavorful. Leftovers were delicious the next day!

I went grocery shopping this morning, and I was happy to see that this seasonal item was back:

These muffins are soooo good. With a cup of coffee, yum! It's autumn, baby!

Annabelle's birthday party is this weekend, and one of the things we're planning to do is make these cute candy creatures from American Girl magazine...

Aren't they cute? So I've been collecting supplies...starbursts, candy dots, etc. At Wegman's today, they had Runts in the bulk candy section, so I picked out a whole bunch of bananas to use for those little horns. The checkout lady must have been wondering about that one! I mean who would pick the bananas if you were just going to snack on them, am I right? LOL

I'm feeling much better today. Thanks for all the well-wishes, I appreciate them a lot. I might not even take a nap this afternoon! Well we'll see about that. Don't forget, check back tomorrow because I will announce the winner of the Gooseberry Patch Tiny Tips book giveaway! Didn't enter yet? You can do so here.

See you tomorrow! Here's a pic of me and the kids from the weekend...

♥ Jen

Whine

2011-09-27T10:17:00.000-04:00

Being sick for more than a day is just not cool. I woke up this morning, expecting to feel much better...instead I feel pretty much the same. I had to run some errands, so I did that. I caught a glimpse of myself in a mirror at Target and just loved the giant circles under my eyes! Ugh. So I'm lying on the couch now, hoping some rest will help. I see another nap in my near future.

Don't forget to enter my giveaway for the Gooseberry Patch cookbook! I'm choosing a winner on Thursday. I'm too lazy to link to the correct post, but just scroll down a bit and you'll find where to comment. Next week I will probably have another giveaway, this time for some awesome scrapbooking software. I just have to play around with it first, when I can muster up the energy.

OK, enough is enough...nap time is here! See y'all tomorrow!

♥ Jen

Abby's quilt

2011-09-26T12:58:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone! I missed posting this weekend, I was busy with birthday festivities. We postponed Mason's party until Sunday, which worked out well because he was feeling much better (he had Strep). All the kids who were supposed to come on Saturday came the next day. We couldn't get in touch with one girl, so she showed up on Saturday...I felt so bad! But she came back on Sunday so it all worked out.

I can show you the baby quilt I made for my new niece! I sent it to her last week so I won't spoil the surprise now. I forgot to take pictures after I got it bound, labelled and washed but these will have to do! I was in such a hurry to send it off, I guess.

It's made with yellow and brown Lily and Will II fabrics from Bunny Hill Designs. I love the little bunnies worked into the elegant prints. The pattern is a freebie I found at Moda Bake Shop, called Lap Quilt in a Jiffy by Kari Ramsay. It required a layer cake, 1/2 yard of fabric for the binding, and three yards for the backing. It was a pleasure to make and I would definitely use this pattern again.

Today I woke up with a stomach bug. I went back to sleep for three hours after the school bus came! So unlike me. I still don't feel so great but I'm hoping this doesn't last longer than the day. I'm going to go and get some ginger ale. Hope you're having a better day! Talk to you soon!

♥ Jen

TGIF

2011-09-23T13:05:00.000-04:00

Hey there! What's up? My little guy came home sick from school this morning. He woke up and said both his ears really hurt...but then after some Advil they were fine. Dave looked in his ears and they looked ok, so we sent him to school. Well less than two hours later the nurse called. He's got a 101.5 fever, headache, and stomachache. I'm taking him to his pediatrician later this afternoon. He's prone to Strep so I'm wondering if that's what it is. The school cupcake party had to be postponed; I'm hoping he'll be okay for his home party. I don't think we'll make that call til tomorrow a.m. Luckily I got to do some errands before I had to pick him up. Poor Mason...he was all teary when I got to the school. No fun being sick at birthday time.

I have dinner in the crockpot...I'm trying another one from The Crock Pot Girls, this one's called Balsamic Chicken. I hope it's good, I'll let you know! Has anyone tried the Ranch Bacon Chicken? That was a good recipe!

My sister and her new baby are going home today! They're both doing well. My niece has the cutest chubby cheeks! Both of my kids were little when they were born so they didn't get chubby cheeks until well after birth. Love seeing them right away!

Today in my tart burners, I'm melting Gobble Gobble Goodies (a mixture of pumpkin pie, zucchini bread, and sugar corn pudding) and Pink Sugared Noel Cake (Pink Sugar, Vanilla Bean Noel, and Birthday Cake). Mmmm, it smells good in here! Later I'll light some candles too. It's warm out but I'll pretend it's actual autumn weather.

Have a wonderful day!

♥ Jen

Get ready to fall asleep

2011-09-22T21:20:00.000-04:00

Hey there everyone! This is another late post, sorry about that. I've been getting ready for the weekend (Mason's birthday party, Oma's visit), and of course that overlaps with getting ready for Annabelle's party. It's always a crazy few weeks around here! Plus this year, both their parties are going to be at home. They wanted it that way, which is fine but it does add a bit more work.

Did you watch the season premiere(s) of Modern Family last night? That show is hilarious. Tonight I'm sitting here on the computer, watching yet another Republican debate. Getting a bit tired of them, I must admit. Tomorrow I have some housework and errands to do, then I'm bringing in cupcakes to Mason's class. Crafting will have to wait until at least next week, if I have some time between festivities!

I apologize for the boringness of my posts lately! If you're still awake, thanks for checking in with me...hopefully I'll have something more exciting tomorrow!

♥ Jen

Nighty night!

2011-09-21T22:12:00.000-04:00

This is a little late but I wanted to check in and say hi to everyone! This day just kind of got away from me. I'll chat more tomorrow, but it's late and I need to go to bed! I hope you had a wonderful day...sleep tight!

♥ Jen

A day of birthdays

2011-09-20T12:47:00.000-04:00

Hello and Happy September 20th! Not only is it my brother-in-law Greg's birthday today (he's a twin too!)...but my niece Abigail Hope was born early this morning! She weighed 8lbs. 14 oz, and she's 21 inches long. My sister Kathleen and she are doing very well. Rebecca is a proud big sister and Steve is a proud daddy. I can't wait to meet Abby...we're planning to go visit in October (they live about 4-1/2 hours away). I've seen pictures already and she is gorgeous!

Don't forget to enter my giveaway on yesterday's post. I tried the tip about spraying the cheese grater with cooking spray and it really did help! These books are chock-full of these little gems!

♥ Jen

Tiny Tips books review and GIVEAWAY!

2011-09-19T12:48:00.000-04:00

Happy Monday everyone! Personally I don't mind Mondays. I'm sure the fact that I'm a SAHM has a major part to do with that! But after busy weekends, it's nice to get things re-organized, re-clean, and just start fresh. Last night I sat down to read these two cute little books that Gooseberry Patch sent me for review...

These books are made up of the little tips and tricks that are sprinkled throughout GP's cookbooks. For me, the tips and the illustrations (also included) are the best parts! There are other titles in the "Tiny Tips" series as well. Of these two, one focuses on little touches for your home; the other focuses on kitchen hints. Here are some samples from "Tiny Tips for a Cozy Home:"

Need a tablecloth fast? Simply toss a quilt on the table!

Keep an eye open at tag sales for a wicker backpack. Filled to the brim with seasonal foliage, it makes an inviting back-door greeting.

Small candles floating in water-filled glass goblets add sparkle to the dinner table.

There are so many but those are my favorites! Here's a sampling from "Tiny Tips for the Kitchen:"

For thick and creamy casseroles, try using dry bread crumbs instead of adding flour.

Did you know bread will stay freshest if it's stored on the counter, not refrigerated?

For quick clean-up, lightly spritz the outside of a grater with non-stick vegetable spray.

Little books, but big on charm! Would you like to win one? I only have these two, no doubles...so I will part with ONE of them, I can't be too selfish. LOL Just leave me a comment and tell me which one you'd prefer. I'll choose a winner on September 29th. Please please please, make sure your contact info is linked to your name, or at least email me your info...otherwise I can't include you in the drawing. These books are also in-stock on Gooseberry Patch's website if you just can't wait!

Thanks for playing and have a great day!

♥ Jen

Itty bitty post

2011-09-18T13:41:00.000-04:00

Just a little quickie post today! I wanted to check in and say hi...I hope you have a beautiful day where you are! It's sunny, cool and dry here, absolutely gorgeous. I've been hangin' with the family, doing pickups, errands, etc. Mason's birthday party is next weekend, and Annabelle's is the one after that...this time of year is very festive! Anyway we've been getting set for those.

I'm gonna go watch some football, maybe have a beer. Have a good one!

♥ Jen

Crafty and Candle-y

2011-09-17T15:02:00.000-04:00

Hello and Happy Saturday! Did you get to Bath and Body Works today? I heard that their free gift ran out really quickly online, and that some stores sold out early as well. I was lucky, I got to my B&BW right after 10 and they were already allowing you to get the gifties (it supposedly started at 11).

I bought three mini candles for $5 (the ones on the right), and got the ones on the left and the tote bag as a bonus.

The kids each got a little hand sanitizer while we were there. Then, we browsed around Yankee Candle and the Hallmark Store. Lots of the new Keepsake Ornaments are out, so we had fun looking at those. We followed that up with lunch at Wendy's, then came home. It was a good morning. Chilly too! The inside temperature was 63 when we got up. Both kitties slept all snuggled up next to me last night.

I spent a good part of this afternoon ironing. I've had my niece's quilt top finished for awhile now, so I washed the backing fabric and pressed it. The fabric is so pretty...It's from Lakehouse, and it's a delicate white floral on a pink background. I got it from Desperate Quilters for $3.99/yd! Love that when you need 5 or 6 yards.

I also had to press the quilt top since it had been folded up for awhile. I think I have enough batting; if not, I'll be making a trip to Joann's next week.

Allright, gotta run...have a good one, folks!

♥ Jen

Crockpot success

2011-09-16T13:04:00.000-04:00

Happy Friday! It is just beautiful out here...around 60 degrees and sunny. Perfect! Yesterday evening, there was a rain shower and a huge, gorgeous rainbow followed. Love those gifts from above.

So I am happy to say that the chicken recipe was delicious! I couldn't stop myself from scraping the plate, the serving spoon, etc. Here's the recipe, from The Crock Pot Girls on Facebook:

Bacon Ranch Chicken

2 Tbsp of real bacon bits
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 package of Hidden Valley Ranch salad dressing mix
can of cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Egg Noodles, prepared

Combine the first 5 ingredients.
Pour over chicken in slow cooker.
Cook 3-4 hours on high or until chicken is cooked through.
Serve over hot noodles.

I used low-fat sour cream and "healthy request" Campbell's Cream of Chicken soup. Also, instead of serving it over noodles, I made baked potatoes. And, my chicken breasts were frozen so I cooked it for 8 hours on low. It was very, very yummy...the chicken was moist and the sauce is to die for.

So what's going on this weekend? Annabelle's going to a slumber party tomorrow night...they were supposed to sleep outside in tents, but it's supposed to be 40 degrees so now they have to sleep inside. All 13 of them! I feel so bad for the parents. Annabelle wants to have a slumber party for her birthday, but I'm limiting it to 6 guests. I think THAT'S plenty! I've got to get over to B&BW tomorrow, and besides that I'm hoping we get to go to a festival or two.

Enjoy your day...see you tomorrow!

♥ Jen

Rainy Day happenings

2011-09-15T13:14:00.000-04:00

Hey there Peeps! Today is chilly and rainy...I love it! I am so not a summer person...heat and too much sun drain me. A cool day is invigorating! I've been doing a lot of things around the house today...cooking, cleaning, etc. I'm trying another crock pot recipe from The Crock Pot Girls facebook group. The Teriyaki Chicken was disappointing, but hopefully this one works out. It's called Bacon Ranch Chicken. Sounds good, right? If all goes well I will post the recipe tomorrow. Carol had tried the Teriyaki Chicken after I had posted it, but before I had given it a thumbs-down. That one day I didn't post got me into trouble. LOL Carol, if you're reading, let me know what you thought!

I was in Target the other day and spotted this cookie mix. (sorry about the dark picture!)

I love Betty Crocker's bagged cookie mixes. I rarely have good luck with scratch chocolate chip cookies, or sugar cookie for that matter...the bagged mixes always turn out delicious. Anyway I took the suggestion to frost these with cream cheese frosting...

...and I added some cinnamon sugar for a little sparkle. Haven't tasted one yet, but they smell great.

Open House went well last night. I got to talk to each teacher and both kids are doing great. I wrote them notes and left them in their desks for them to read today. I signed up to be Mason's class Room Mother. I alternate every year, and Annabelle had a turn last year. I wish I could do both but I can't be in two places at once.

When I got home from that, Dave told me that Waterfall the goldfish had expired. Sure enough, the poor little guy was motionless at the bottom of the fishbowl. We had a toilet bowl funeral, a la Bill Cosby, but we didn't get dressed up. Bubbles is doing okay, she's hiding her grief well.

Ok I have to go fold three loads of laundry so that's it for now. Be back tomorrow!

♥ Jen

This is today's post title

2011-09-14T14:23:00.000-04:00

I've been trying to thing of something semi-interesting to talk about today, but I'm not coming up with much. How about shopping?! Jen told me that she bought one of the candles I mentioned, so I thought I'd make a PSA and tell you that Bath and Body Works is having a Home Fragrance Event this Saturday, Sept. 17th. All you have to do is purchase any home fragrance product and you get an adorable tote bag and a three-pack of mini candles. Click on this link if you want to see what you get.

If you're looking for ideas of what to buy, might I suggest this little guy...

This scent, lavender macaroon, is wonderful. Apparently it only came out in the large 3-wick candles in a few "test" stores. The rest of us can only get the mini ones. But I got three for $5 and they are yummy! So you could nab a few of these (or even just one!) and get the freebies. Plus three-wick candles will be 2/$20. Just thought you'd like to know.

Tonight is Open House at the kids' school. This is the last year that they'll both be at the elementary school...I can't believe Annabelle will be in the middle school next year! Crazy. Whoever said, "The Days are Long, but the Years are Short" wasn't kidding!

Have a good one!

♥ Jen

Good dinner...phew!

2011-09-13T13:26:00.000-04:00

The enchiladas were really yummy. It's one of those recipes that I wonder why I don't make more often. You can prepare it ahead, and the leftovers are really good too. In fact guess what we're having for dinner tonight!

I did some errands today, lookie what I got at Dunkin' Donuts!

I'm so excited to try these. If you notice, there's only 14 in the box, and it's a pretty big box too...sneaky! And it costs the same as a regular 18-pack. We'll see if it's worth it.

I went to HomeGoods and found the cutest felt autumn garland. Do you like?

It was $7.99, I could never make it for that cheap. I had seen it last week, and debated whether or not to get it. I ended up putting it back. Since then I've been picturing it on my fireplace. I took it as a sign when I only saw one left today and grabbed it. I'm glad I did, I think it adds a nice touch.

While I was taking pictures I remembered I wanted to show you this little dish I bought at Christmas Tree Shops. One dollar! I had the stand already. It's on the ledge over my kitchen sink, and it makes me smile every time I look at it. It's little, only about 5 or 6 inches in diameter.

Off to take some cookies out of the oven...see you tomorrow!

♥ Jen

Monday, Monday

2011-09-12T13:28:00.000-04:00

Does it still feel like summer where you are? It's warm again here, around 80. Not too bad, but 10 or 20 degrees cooler would be better. I have the screen door open to the backyard, and I just saw a little chipmunk peeking in the house! I wish I had gotten a picture, because one of my cats was sitting with her back to the door and didn't notice a thing. I turned her around to see, but by that point the little fella had scampered off.

I changed the fabrics in my laundry room embroidery hoops, to reflect the season...

This one is not very autumnal (it's rotary cutters and other quilting supplies), but I thought the colors were. It's from a Debbie Mumm line at Jo-ann's, from a few years ago.

Here's the same one I used for the candle mat...love it!

And I have this picture frame on a shelf...I change the picture out when I think of it.

Isn't that a cute little still-life? Michael's has packs of notecards in the dollar section, and I think they're really nice for a buck.

I'm making Chile-Chicken Enchiladas for dinner...this is a tried-and-true recipe in my house, so hopefully no debacle tonight. I whipped up a pan of cornbread to go with it. Krusteaz Honey Cornbread mix is delicious, FYI!

I'll see you tomorrow...have a great night!

♥ Jen

Whoopsie!

2011-09-11T18:33:00.000-04:00

I forgot to post yesterday, aack! I'm trying to post every day for the rest of the month, and I didn't last a week! Ugh. That's what getting old does to you, you forget simple every day tasks.

I neglected to tell you how the Teriyaki Chicken turned out...well, it was forgettable, that's for sure! Do yourself a favor and DON'T make it. I don't know, it tasted like overcooked bad Chinese food to me. Blecch!

How is your weekend going? I've been watching a lot of the 9/11 programs. It's amazing how fresh and raw that day still seems, and it was 10 YEARS AGO. What were you doing when you heard? I was pregnant with my daughter, and my mother-in-law and I were driving to my ultrasound appointment in New Jersey (I lived in PA at the time, on the PA-NJ-NY border). My appointment was for 9:00. When we got to the office, the staff there was watching tv and told us what had happened. Rumors were swirling...the white house was attacked was one that I remember. We were in a town not far from New York City, so there was a lot of traffic on our way home. It was just so hard to believe...it still sort of is. I think the new memorial at Ground Zero is beautiful and a perfect way to remember those we lost.

Well, on a lighter note, this is yesterday's portion of the post (I'll just combine two into one, ok?). We spent the morning apple picking! We've really been missing fresh crisp apples, and we got pounds and pounds of them! I was hoping for Galas but they're not ready yet. Anyway we got Cortlands, Jonamacs and MacIntosh. I have to bake something with them....any ideas? Then later we were going to go to the Irish Festivial in downtown Syracuse, but by the time we got there and tried to find parking, it was getting late. We decided to just go out to dinner at that point. We went to a great brewery restaurant called Empire Brewing Co. Then out for ice cream...I got Toll House ice cream, which has a brown sugar base with chocolate chips and walnuts. Yum!

Today we went to a harvest festival at a local nature preserve. It's great, we go every year...there's music, entertaiment (including a great musician), games, food and crafts. I bought two jelly jar candles from a local vendor. I never could resist a good candle! It was a beautiful day, not humid at all and nice and sunny. I wish all summer days could be like this!

Have a great night...and I will see you tomorrow (promise)!

♥ Jen

Candles and such

2011-09-09T13:37:00.000-04:00

TGIF! Although wow, it felt like a short week anyway. A holiday week and then school started midweek. The kids are adjusting well to a new school year...making new friends, reconnecting with old ones, etc. And they both like their teachers. Mason's is actually the same one he had for first grade, they did some staff-shuffling this year. She's great so we're happy about that.

Do you love candles? If so you're going to love these, I think.

The scents are Vanilla Pumpkin and Cinnamon Oatmeal Raisin Cookie. I ordered them from one of the ~~many~~ few e-tailers for wax tarts and candles that I've found...Broken Wheel Primitives. Aren't they cute? That's whipped wax on top of the regular wax, with wax doo-dads embedded in it. I also went to Bath and Body Works today and got a few candles...Marshmallow Fireside, Cinnamon Sugared Donut and Creamy Pumpkin. I think I'm set for the fall!

Speaking of candles, here's a candle mat I made last month...bigger than a potholder, but smaller than a placemat.

I had gotten a fat quarter assortment of harvest-colored plaids from Pumpkin Patch Primitives last fall...this seemed like a perfect project for them! The center fabric is from the Harvest Town line by Jacqueline Paton for Red Rooster Fabrics.

Annabelle had been asking me to make her a cat plushie, so I drew up a pattern and made one for her, and one for Mason.

See the little square dudes on the right? Annabelle sewed the one in front! She was hanging out with me when I was sewing one day, and she was checking out my machine. She was curious how it worked, so I got two charm squares for her and helped her sew them together. She turned it inside out, stuffed it, and picked out the buttons. Maybe I'll have a little sewing friend after all?? Then Mason wanted one too of course...he picked out the squares and buttons, but he left the sewing to me. I made the owl that's on the left last year.

I hope you are having a great day...see you tomorrow!

♥ Jen

Thursday already?

2011-09-08T12:14:00.000-04:00

Geez, I guess when the kids start school midweek, the end of the week comes up quickly! How's everyone doing? Told you I'd be back! lol I had to take Dave's car in for maintenance this morning, then I ran some errands so I'm finally able to have a cup of coffee and write. The sun is shining, which is nice...I feel terrible for everyone who's getting flooding in the Binghamton area and Pennsylvania. My grandmother is in PA and her town was evacuated. Luckily there's other family nearby. Scary stuff. Thinking of any of you who are affected by these relentless rains.

On a happier note, I wanted to show you a cute little Halloween wall-hanging I stitched up!

I'm pretty sure I got it from Sharon at Daisy Cottage Quilting...it was a while back, don't quote me on that. In any case it's a Buttermilk Basin pattern. It was fun to do the embroidery...I had never done chain-stitching before (it's the thick stitching, like for the cat and the pumpkin outlines). Basically, it's a continuous daisy chain stitch. Simple! Anyhoo I think it's a cutie.

I took a few photos of my fall decorations. I don't have a whole lot but here's the fireplace...

And here's the little foyer table.

Across from that table, on the other side of the hall, I put this basket with a pumpkin and sunflowers (fake ones)...

I still have to do the outside, and I'll put out Halloween stuff later this month. The kids just love unwrapping everything and remembering things from previous years. I used to get the same feelings when I was a kid, bringing out seasonal decorations...I'm so glad they like the tradition as well.

Are you on Facebook? There's a new group called "Crock Pot Girls" and their popularity has exploded over the past few weeks. I guess there are lots of us who love slow cooking! Anyway I'm making one of their recipes tonight, for Teriyaki Chicken. Here's the recipe:

1 16-oz. bag baby carrots
1 20-oz. can chunk pineapple, drained
1/2 large red onion, cut into chunks
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup Teriyaki Sauce
Salt and Pepper to taste

Place carrots on bottom of slow cooker. Add pineapple, onion and garlic. Place chicken on top. Pour Teriyaki Sauce evenly on top. Add s & p. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Serve over rice.

I've heard good things about the finished dish, I'll let you know tomorrow what the verdict is here! Have a great day friends!

♥ Jen

It's me!

2011-09-07T13:45:00.000-04:00

I'm baaaack! I have missed my little blog a lot! Today the kids returned to school, so here I am! I was messing around with my blog layout and I decided to revamp my title...so the one up there is just temporary. Although I kind of like it! Apple-picking season is starting, thus the background. Yaay! I live for autumn every year. The cool, crisp days and nights...apples and pumpkins, harvest decor, and lots and lots of candles! Here's one that my sister-in-law got for me, and I couldn't resist lighting that baby.

It is rainy and chilly here. I felt bad for the kids going back to school today, but at least it wasn't too hot. Annabelle and Mason weren't particularly thrilled to go to the "boredom convention," as they call it. But they seemed a little excited this morning, even if they were careful not to show it.

I've worked on a few projects while I've been gone. The two major ones are still top-secret...here's a little peek at one's binding...

...but in the coming days I'll show you some of the completed little things I've done. My goal is to post every day for the rest of September. I have Gooseberry Patch reviews coming up, for two of their newest little books. They are collections of little tips, like the ones they sprinkle throughout their cookbooks! Look for those later in the month. Aren't the covers adorable?

Well take care friends, and I'll check back with you all tomorrow!

♥ Jen

A short break

2011-08-01T14:21:00.000-04:00

Just checking in to say hi and to tell you I'm still around! The kids and vacations have been keeping me busy, so I think real blog posts will have to take a hiatus. I'm hoping to have more free time towards the end of the month. In the meantime, I hope you all are enjoying your summer! See ya soon!

♥ Jen

Flowers!

2011-07-18T20:55:00.000-04:00

Hey there! Are you staying cool? Here it's been miserable...I am not a summer person, I tend to wilt when it gets about 80 degrees. I braved the heat and took some photos of our flowers. Let's start in front of the house, shall we?

I have two of these pots, one on each side of the sitting wall. They're a bit past-peak here.

Two of these as well, on either side of the front door. They've really filled out nicely!

A variety of coleuses (colei?)

Going around the side...

The two white hydrangeas are the "Annabelle" variety. Of course we had to plant those! They do really well on the north side of our house. The middle purple hydrangea was a gift from my mother-in-law a few years ago and he's happy as well.

Now in the back...

I just thought this sunflower was funny...it sprang up from a dropped seed from the bird feeder.

In the fairy garden...

This is one of three oak-leaf hydrangeas. The deer love these and eat them down to nubs in the winter. We tried protecting them with burlap but it was too late last fall. This year we'll start earlier, so hopefully we'll have blooms next year!

That's as far as I got...I can't stay out for long, as you know! Anyway thanks for taking this little tour with me!

♥ Jen

Teeny update

2011-07-12T13:38:00.000-04:00

Why hello! We meet again! Sorry for not posting much lately. The past two weeks have been pretty crazy, with the kids off, activities, and visitors. But I am very happy that for the next couple of weeks, we have very little scheduled. Today I slept until 8:15 (woo hoo!), then we went to the mall for a few hours. Got a cute couple of shirts for Mason at Old Navy, including this one...

And new pjs for Annabelle from Justice (her favorite store!)...

We had lunch and ice cream and did some various shopping and window-shopping. I got a Java Chip Frappucino from Starbucks...have you ever tried one? Mmmm, so yummy! I got it a tad bit lighter by ordering 2% milk...but still got the whipped cream, ha!

Sewing-wise, I'm working on a new project but I can only give sneaky-peeks for now...isn't this fabric beautiful??

I also need to do some more stitchery. I just need to. I have some iron-on transfers that I have to get going on...have you ever used Aunt Martha's transfers? They have some really cute patterns out now. Cheap too! This is one of the ones I have that I want to start on...

Ok well Mason's waiting for me to play poker with him so I better go. I will check in again soon! Hope everyone's doing well!

♥ Jen

Cute little stitchery

2011-06-27T19:07:00.000-04:00

One of the things I look forward to most about completing a quilt is doing some handwork right after. It's so nice and relaxing, don't you think? I love embroidery. Recently I got a sweet stitchery pattern from Sharon at Daisy Cottage Quilting, so I worked on that...

It was simple as could be...the stamped muslin even came with it, so no tracing! I backed the stitching with a piece of cotton batting (a tip I got from Di). When I was done and trying to figure out what to do with it, I realized that I hadn't made Mason a pillow cover to match the new quilt. So I added a few leftover fabrics from his quilt and put together this 15" square pillow.

This is the backing fabric. It's one of my all-time favorites from Darlene Zimmerman. I didn't have enough of it to use in the quilt but it worked out perfectly for the pillow back.

You may have already noticed from the pictures...but I learned with this project that not all embroidery floss is colorfast. The brownish-black I used for the sheeps' faces and legs is a non-DMC brand; it says it's colorfast but it is NOT. I found this out when pressing it with a damp press cloth. I tried lots of things to get the dye off the muslin, short of bleach (which scared me), so I colored in the big sheep's face a bit with some pink crayon, to make it look like blush. It really annoyed me but now I guess I know for next time! Oh well. Sheep aren't known for being the cleanest animals, right?

Anyway, talk to you all later!

♥ Jen

All done

2011-06-23T14:40:00.000-04:00

Mason's quilt is d-o-n-e DONE! I finished the binding, stitched up a label, and washed it with a few color catchers...very little dye on them, by the way! Here it is spread out on the couch...

And here is the backing.

Mason just got home from swimming and now he's cuddled up on the floor with his new quilt. Perfect timing! Now onto the next project...???

♥ Jen

The home stretch

2011-06-21T11:33:00.000-04:00

I am nearing completion on Mason's quilt!

I'm working on stitching the binding down now...although I must admit I haven't had much time lately to knock it out. School is ending this week...and that means picnics, chaperoning, plays, teacher gifts, etc. So needless to say, I've been sorta busy. Anyway here's a sneak peek of the quilting...

I used a Gutterman cotton variegated thread, in shades of yellow. I like it, it seems to work well. Once it's all done, labelled and all, I will post pics of the entire quilt.

I got a few cute new things I thought I'd share. Check out these placemats, aren't they adorable?

They're from Kohl's. I got them on sale, then 30% off, then free shipping. Can't beat that! I love the cherry appliques.

Then I found this painted wooden tray at Christmas Tree Shops this morning. I have a thing for trays! Seriously, if you put all the stuff that's on your counter or dresser on a tray, it looks so much more organized...give it a try!

Annabelle's teacher gave me this set of baskets as a thank-you for being the Room Mom. I love them!

Baskets are another thing of mine (for the same reason as above). She also included a thank you note that all the kids in the class signed, it was so sweet. When I was there yesterday, a bunch of the kids even asked me to sign their yearbooks. I was very touched! They're a sweet bunch.

I have a bunch of stuff to do this afternoon...it is the last day the kids have a full day of school so I need to take advantage of it. Although Willow does have a good idea...

Well, maybe later! Anyway have a great day!

♥ Jen

New fabrics and other fun stuff

2011-06-07T10:40:00.000-04:00

We're getting ready for another hot few days, how about you? Ugh! I'm prepared to turn on the A/C, and I am grateful to have it...but still, there's nothing like a day in the 70s with nights in the 50s. That's the perfect summer weather to me! Anyway stay cool to all my hot friends!

My Desperate Quilters order arrived today, yaay!

Hol likes them too!

These are all fabrics for Mason's Wee Folks quilt. I've been wanting to sew for the past couple of days really bad, but everything's on hold. So I'm going to wash these quick, press them and get to cutting!

I've been really into wax tarts lately. Of course I started with Yankee Candle's, for many years they were the gold standard for me. But then I discovered an entire world of small-batch, highly-scented, cheaper and stronger tarts online. It's so fun to pick out a new tart or two to melt each day. Check these out!

Yes, these are wax! And they smell sooooo good. These particular ones are from Koko Botanica, but I get tarts (mostly in cups/scallops) from many other places. Anyway just wanted to share my latest obsession with you! If you want more info or want to chat about tarts, let me know!

I've got the famous Pulled Pork in the crockpot today, and I'm going to make Cucumber Tomato Salad to go with it. Seems like a good day to keep the oven off! Have a good one folks!

♥ Jen

Sweet blooms and happy quilts

2011-06-02T12:44:00.000-04:00

Hey there peeps! Are you having a good day? I took the cats in to the Vet to get checkups this morning...always an adventure! Luckily they were good and charmed everyone. Still they were glad to get home! They're both healthy, weigh 8.5 lbs each, and got overall good reports.

We got a lot of gardening done over the weekend. I'll have to take pictures of my front planters, once they fill in a little bit. I did cut a peony from the bush that we have...oh how I love these!

They are so fragrant...I can smell this one as soon as I come downstairs in the morning!

I finished Mason's quilt top...

...but now I'm going to add a border to beef it up a little bit. I placed an order with Desperate Quilters this morning...all Lakehouse. This is going to be a 6-inch all-around border.

Then I got this for the backing (on sale!)...

...and this for the binding.

I'm planning to quilt it with stippling. Pro: Goes quickly...Con: Uses lots of thread!

Has the heat let up where you are? It was brutal over the weekend, and up until today...now it's in the 60s and breezy. Ah! That's my kind of weather! I am cranky and tired when it's hot out. Sad but true.

Talk to you later!

♥ Jen

Winner and Memorial Day

2011-05-30T11:09:00.000-04:00

It seems weird to say "Happy Memorial Day," so instead I'll say that I am very grateful for those who fought and gave the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. I hope all of you who have lost someone in the armed forces find peace.

And now for the second-chance winner of Gooseberry Patch's "101 Easy Everyday Recipes!" My son chose number 5 this time, and that's Roxanne! Roxanne said:

Count me in for a chance to win the cookbook. And not having to match seams is a pleasant relief from the drive we quilters have to do perfect work.

Congratulations!! Please email me your address and I will mail out your cookbook this week!!

Take care and have a safe Memorial Day!

♥ Jen

Contest redo and happenings

2011-05-26T10:33:00.000-04:00

Hey all! How are you? Gosh it's been over a week since my last post, huh? Sorry about that! First things first...the winner of "101 Easy Everyday Recipes" never got in touch with me...why I'm not sure, I emailed her twice, but oh well. Good news for you, I will hold a second-chance drawing. Comment on this post if you'd like to win the cookbook. I'm not going to draw from the old list because I want to make sure a regular reader gets it. Enough of this "hit and run" commenting. LOL I'll pick a new winner on Sunday, okay?

I have been working on Mason's quilt, so I have something to show! I'm using a layer cake of Wee Folks by Moda, it's such a cute line!

I got a book of layer cake patterns out of the library, but honestly nothing seemed to float my boat. Amanda Jean of Crazy Mom Quilts had an awesome tutorial though...not necessarily for layer cakes, but I adapted it. She named the pattern "Easy as Pie," which is always what I'm looking for. Don't tell the Quilt Police....and you know they're out there.

Anyway, here's one row I made...I love the little gnomes!

All I did was slice the 10" squares in half. I took a few of those rectangles and cut them in half again. At the start or end of each row, there's one of these quarter pieces. So now none of the seams have to match. Brilliant! Should be done in no time. SHOULD be. I still have to get backing fabric for Rose's quilt...I'm kind of putting that on hold until I need to back this one. I figure I can order for both at once.

Today is my cats' birthday! They are three years old. Annabelle made them each a toy which they love.

I got them a new scratching post at Walmart today. Thinking of baking a cake too. I've got a hankering. LOL Take care buds!

♥ Jen

Cookbook winner!

2011-05-18T08:24:00.000-04:00

Good morning! I wanted to get this post up early this morning so the suspense can end! :-) I had almost 200 comments, including the ones that Blogger lost but I saved. My son picked the winning number, 87, who is...

Anonymous: I am loving it...such a fun blog!! Thank you..Can't wait to try the cc cookie pie!! e-mail: mickgigi@comporium.net

Congratulations! Please email me your snail mail address and I will send you your copy of "101 Easy Everyday Recipes" right away! Thanks to everyone who left me such nice comments, I loved reading each and every one. We will have another giveaway before you know it.

♥ Jen

The show must go on!

2011-05-17T11:10:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to make sure everyone has commented to win an advance copy of "101 Easy Everyday Recipes," generously provided by Gooseberry Patch! Blogger had a major goof last week, and although they promised missing comments would be restored, I have yet to see them. Not to worry! I have them all saved on my email, and there's still time to comment if you haven't already. The drawing will go on as planned tomorrow! Be sure to come back then to see if you won!

lilacs picked from my garden

Have a great day!

♥ Jen

Two fabrics and a quilt

2011-05-12T11:06:00.000-04:00

I've been working hard on the 4 OT quilt for my niece, and I wanted to show you my progress. This is the original pattern...

And while I love the color combinations that Carrie used, I wanted to make a bright, 30's repro version. I got some of the blocks sewn together the other day...

As you can see, the top and bottom rows weren't together, nor were the ends of each row. But I've gotten that done and now I'm in the process of sewing all seven rows together. The home stretch!! I like how the big pink and yellow stars are popping out!

I went to a local quilt shop today...I'm running dangerously low on Best Press so I needed to restock.

I didn't find anything else there that I wanted. I can rarely find fabric there anyway. But that's okay, when I got home, this was waiting for me in the mail!

I had reserved the book at the library and it was ready for pickup today, coincidentally. Mason asked for a new quilt, so we picked the Wee Folks fabric out together. Isn't it cute?

Green Fairy Quilts has awesome prices, by the way, and very reasonable shipping! The Bunny Hill layer cake will be for one of a couple baby quilts I'm making soon.

So when I get some time later, I'm going to sit down with the book and pick out some patterns! Can't wait! Have a happy day! Don't forget to enter my giveaway on yesterday's post!

♥ Jen

"101 Easy Everyday Recipes" review and GIVEAWAY!

2011-05-11T10:11:00.000-04:00

Hello friends! I recently had the privilege to review an advanced copy of this new cookbook from Gooseberry Patch.

This is the first time I have tried one of their photo cookbooks, and I was very pleased with it. I love to see a photo of the dish I'm cooking, don't you? This book is divided into five sections: Easy-Breezy Breakfasts, Toss-Together Suppers, Dinner's in the Oven, Sides in a Snap, and No-Fuss Desserts. I tried out three recipes so far...two desserts and one main dish. Shall we get started?

The first one is Joyce's Chocolate Chip Pie.

You will need: 2 eggs, beaten

1/4 Cup all-purpose flour

1/3 Cup sugar

1-1/2 Cups brown sugar, packed

1 Cup chopped pecans

1/2 Cup butter, melted and cooled slightly

3/4 Cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

9-inch pie crust

Optional: whipped cream, additional mini chocolate chips

In a bowl, mix eggs, flour, sugars, pecans, and melted butter until well blended. (I didn't have pecans...so I used walnuts, and only maybe 1/2 cup. You know the no-nuts policy here that the kids have. But I figured it needed some, at least.)

By the way, do yourself a favor and wear an apron. If you're anything like me, your shirt may end up looking like this...

Sprinkle chocolate chips in unbaked pie crust. (I made mine from a box mix.)

Pour egg mixture over top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until golden.

Pie will become firm as it cools. Garnish as desired. Serves 8.

RECIPE REVIEW: The children have declared this their Favorite Pie Ever. It is sweet, chocolatey, gooey...everything a kid could want. It's not firm like a typical chocolate chip cookie pie...it's more like a pecan pie with extras. It's really good, super easy and I will definitely make this again!

Ok, onto the next one! This dish is called Sunday Meatball Skillet.

You will need: 3/4 lb. ground beef (forgot to put this in the picture)

1 Cup onion, grated

1/2 Cup Italian-flavored dry bread crumbs

1 egg, beaten

1/4 Cup ketchup

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 Cups beef broth

1/4 Cup all-purpose flour

1/2 Cup sour cream

8-oz. pkg. medium egg noodles, cooked (although I used extra-wide)

Garnish: chopped fresh parsley

In a bowl, combine beef, onion, bread crumbs, egg, ketchup and pepper. May I say something here? Ok, have you ever tried to grate an onion? What a mess! I ended up with a little bit of onion pulp, and a lot of onion juice. I even squirted some in my hair and my eye. Ick! So I gave up and went with a Tablespoon of this...

My son doesn't like the texture of onions in meatballs so I figured this was a win-win. Anyway, let's continue!

Shape into one-inch meatballs.

Spray a skillet with non-stick vegetable spray. Cook meatballs over medium heat, turning occasionally, until browned, about 10 minutes. Remove meatballs and let drain on paper towels. In a bowl, whisk together broth and flour; add to skillet.

Cook and stir until mixture thickens, about five minutes.

Stir in sour cream. Add meatballs and noodles; toss to coat. Cook and stir until heated through, about five minutes. Garnish with parsley. Serves 4.

Recipe Review: Really really yummy. I didn't stir the noodles into the meatballs; I just spooned the meatballs on top. The flavors are really good togther and it was a quick meal on a busy evening. Definitely not just for Sunday!

All righty, the last one is another dessert...Coconut Cupcakes.

You will need: 2/3 Cup sweetened flaked coconut

1-1/4 Cups powdered sugar

1-1/2 Cups all-purpose flour

1/8 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 Cup butter, melted and cooled slightly

5 egg whites, beaten

12 raspberries (I used strawberries, we like them better)

Vanilla Frosting (see below)

In a bowl, combine coconut, powdered sugar, flour, salt, and baking powder.

Mix in melted butter.

Ugh, this stirring by hand is too hard for my lazy self.

Ah, much better! Stir in egg whites until well combined.

Line a muffin tin with 12 paper liners; fill liners with batter 2/3 full. (My tip: use a nonstick cooking spray-coated ice cream scoop. You might not get 12 but still, it makes life easier.)

Bake at 375 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes, until firm.

Let cool. Make the frosting.

Vanilla Frosting: 1-1/2 Cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
4 to 5 tsps. hot water

In a bowl, combine all ingredients. Beat to desired consistency, adding more water or sugar as needed. Spread Vanilla Frosting onto cupcakes; top each with a raspberry and let set. Makes one dozen.

RECIPE REVIEW: Delicious! A nice little treat that we all enjoyed. The combination of vanilla, coconut and strawberries is great. They don't keep long so don't make them too much ahead of time, FYI.

I hope you enjoy these sample recipes! 101 Easy Everyday Recipes is a fantastic cookbook, I know you will enjoy it! If you'd like to pre-order it (it won't be available until mid-June), you can do so here. But I hope you enter my giveaway for a free copy! All you have to do is leave a comment on this post (with a way to contact you, please), and I will draw a random winner next Wednesday, May 18th. Good luck and thanks for visiting!

♥ Jen

Sitting room

2011-05-05T09:11:00.000-04:00

Good morning! Hold onto your hats...the SUN is shining today! It's been awhile around here. It's chilly but I don't care! The rain has been unreal. It's nice to see that the sun does still shine every so often.

Check out this little pillow I made the other day!

It's a cutie, don't you think? The pattern couldn't be simpler...it's from an old issue of Quilts and More. It took maybe an hour. Of course I didn't make a patchwork center, I cheated and used one print. The main fabric is from French General, and the dot is from Robyn Pandolph.

Since there's some natural light today I thought I'd take a few pictures of my newly updated sitting room. If you recall we've been waiting and waiting for a perennially-backordered chair. It finally arrived yesterday. I think it was worth the wait...the colors really go well in this room, and it's comfy.

Ok, now I'm going to get out and enjoy the day...I hope you do too!

♥ Jen

New stuff

2011-05-02T13:05:00.000-04:00

Hello my friends! I hope you are off to a good start this week. The weather was soooo beautiful in Syracuse this weekend, for a change. I'm telling you, I think we all needed a few nice days. A little natural vitamin d was just the thing! I got some weeding done, helped Dave put an arbor together, and played a lot of frisbee with the kids. They had a few friends over yesterday and they played outside most of the time, which was nice! A bunch of 7-10 year olds are LOUD, did you know? lol

So I was reading Nanette's blog yesterday, and for some reason I missed the fact that Denyse Schmidt has a fabric line at Joann's. And coincidentally, I planned to stop at the big one near here since it's near my dermatologist (had my yearly check, all is good). The regular price per yard is $9.99, but they're on sale this week for $7.99. I got five 1/2-yard cuts.

The fabric cutter asked what I'm making (don't they always?), and I told her I didn't know but couldn't resist them. This particular Joann's didn't have all the prints, but from what I understand they're going like hotcakes so I was lucky to get what I did. I love the colors! I'm thinking a bag, maybe a new pattern from here...

After that I went food shopping at Wegman's and was lucky to find that they had ranunculus flowers for sale. Aren't they pretty? They remind me of a cross between peonies and roses. And since the tulips and hyacinths I had in the kitchen are gone, I bought a bunch. I do have red tulips out in the garden but I hate to cut them!

While my sister Kathleen was here for Easter, she told me about Penzey's Spices. They have b&m stores but they also sell online. Really good spices, really good prices. And since I was almost out of some basics I placed an order.

I was able to use two coupon codes...one for $5 off, another for a free 1/2 cup spice! These spices are GREAT. I made meatballs last night and you could really taste the amazing oregano and basil.

So peeps, I just got another Gooseberry Patch pair of cookbooks in the mail!

It's in GP's Photo Cookbook series, so each recipe has a big full-color photo that goes along with it. I've been wanting to get one of these cookbooks for awhile now (there's a whole series). Looks like some yummy delicious recipes will be made soon! And of course another giveaway! Stay tuned, this cookbook will not be available to purchase until June, but if you can't wait and would like to pre-order, you can do so here.

Talk to you soon!

♥ Jen

Time with family

2011-04-26T14:19:00.000-04:00

Hey there everyone! Did you have a nice Easter weekend? It was so nice here. Well, the weather wasn't, but the company was. My dad came to visit from Brooklyn, and my younger sister Kathleen and her family came too. They live near Philly so we don't get to see each other as often as we would like. This visit was almost canceled, in fact - my 6-year old niece became very ill last week with a kidney infection. She was in the hospital for a few days but was perfectly fine by Thursday. And they were able to visit! So we had extra blessings this year. Kids are so resilient, aren't they? My sister and her husband are also expecting baby #2 in September, and my brother-in-law and his wife are having their third in October. It's so exciting, I love being an aunt! So anyway, here are some Easter pics.

I haven't posted much lately, and I'm sorry about that...but honestly I don't have any crafty stuff going on. The past two weeks have been spent visiting and all that is associated with having guests/being guests. I made the Reuben Dip for Easter...oh it was sooooo good. I also tried a new appetizer recipe from Gooseberry Patch...here's the recipe, it's from Mom's Very Best Recipes.

Have you ever made little cucumber sandwiches? I've always enjoyed them at Teas, Showers, etc. but never thought to make them myself. Even the men gobbled them up!

I did want to show you these cute bags that the kids got from the Easter Bunny...sweet right? No I didn't make them!

How is the weather by you? It's in the high 70s and sunny here - perfect! I put the screens in the windows and the cats and I are enjoying the fresh air. Just waiting for the allergies to kick in!
Have a wonderful day!

♥ Jen

Giveaway WINNER!

2011-04-19T22:04:00.000-04:00

First of all, thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway! My random number generator (aka Annabelle) chose number 37, who is GERAE!

Gerae (info@geraelindsey.com) said...: The cinnamon rolls look yummy! I have the hardest time making them from scratch. This looks totally do-able!

Congratulations Gerae! Please email me your snail mail address, and I will send you your copy of "Quick & Easy Autumn" right away! Thanks so much to everyone who took the time to leave me a comment and enter the drawing...I will have more so please stick around!

I must apologize for not being around this past week. We went to my mother-in-law's to celebrate Passover and we just got back today.

Mason, Annabelle, and their two cousins we visited

We're having family come up this weekend for Easter, so I've got tons to do to get ready for that. Gotta cook, clean and do laundry. One of the recipes I'm going to make is Reuben Dip. Oh I love this! A get-together is a good excuse to make some yummy appetizers, right?

OK, I've got to go to bed...it's been a busy few days! Take care friends!

♥ Jen

"Quick and Easy Autumn" Cookbook Review and GIVEWAWAY!

2011-04-11T17:14:00.000-04:00

Good morning! Are you ready for another Early Bird Gooseberry Patch cookbook review? Well then let's get started! "Quick & Easy Autumn" is all about my favorite season! It's not available yet but you can pre-order it from the link.

Now don't worry, there are lots of recipes in here that can be made year-round. In addition, this book has a lot of wonderful little stories, cooking suggestions, and adorable illustrations. I like to curl up on the couch with a Gooseberry Patch cookbook and read it.

In "Quick & Easy Autumn," I was particularly drawn to the breakfast recipes. The first one that caught my eye was "Easy as 1-2-3 Cinnamon Rolls." I love a good dose of carbs first thing in the morning! These are so yummy that you could even serve them for dessert too.

You will need: 1/2 Cup chopped pecans

20-ct. pkg. frozen dinner rolls (un-risen)

4-oz. pkg. instant butterscotch pudding mix, divided

1/2 Cup brown sugar, packed

2 Tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 Cup butter, melted

Note: I changed this recipe a bit. I thought about not changing anything, for the purposes of the review, but I don't think my changes are too drastic. I cut the recipe in half and made the rolls in a 8-inch round cake pan. I substituted french vanilla pudding for the butterscotch. And finally, no nuts. I think you know my family's no-nuts policy. So I will show you pictures of my cooking but keep in mind the recipe is for the original ingredients/quantity.

Sprinkle pecans in the bottom of a greased and floured 13" x 9" baking pan. Arrange frozen dinner rolls on top of pecans; set aside.

Measure out 1/4 Cup dry pudding mix from package; reserve the remainder for a future use. In a bowl, combine 1/4 Cup pudding mix, sugars and cinnamon; mix well...

...and sprinkle over rolls. Pour melted butter evenly over pudding mixture.

Let rise for 8 hours or overnight, uncovered, on kitchen counter. Here's what they look like when you wake up:

Bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes. To serve, turn rolls out of pan onto a plate. Makes 20.

RECIPE REVIEW: Very tasty, and smelled delicious while baking. I love having breakfast all ready to go in the morning. And this was easily made for a school morning too. My family's used to cream cheese frosting on their cinnamon rolls, though, so next time I will add some when they come out of the oven. The cinnamon filling is fabulous.

In the breakfast spirit, I put this next recipe together one night and it was ready the next morning.

Overnight Maple & Fruit Oatmeal

You will need: 2 Cups milk

1/4 Cup maple syrup (the real stuff!)

1 Tablespoon butter, sliced

1 Cup long-cooking oats, uncooked (I used steel-cut oats)

1/2 Cup raisins

1 Cup apple, peeled, cored and chopped (two smallish apples)

1/2 Cup chopped walnuts or pecans (again, left these out)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon salt

The night before, combine all ingredients in a slow cooker and mix well.

Cover and cook on low setting overnight for 8 to 9 hours. Stir before serving. Serves 8.

Recipe Review: Couldn't be simpler. The maple-cinnamon-apple flavor was very good. Some additional milk on top was delicious. Next time I will take the author's suggestion to use a plastic slow-cooker liner. I'm still trying to scrub mine out!

So would you like to win a copy of this book? Here's what you need to do: Leave a comment on this post by Tuesday, April 19th. I will use the Random Number Generator to pick a name. Do me a solid and make sure I have a way to contact you...no contact info, no entry. Okay? Okay! Good luck and I hope you enjoyed my review!

♥ Jen

Signs of Spring

2011-04-06T09:56:00.000-04:00

Hey there, folks! I hope everyone is doing well. I'm watching a black squirrel trying to climb up the birdfeeder pole right now...there's a baffle near the top (a dome-shaped plastic thingy) that seems to be doing its job. He's cute but he can eat something else!

So what's new? I'm so glad the sun is shining today. It's been pretty gray and rainy lately; yesterday it even snowed a little! It's even getting up to 70 over the weekend, supposedly...that will feel awesome. Last weekend, we bought a basketball hoop for the kids and spent a few hours putting that together. Then Annabelle had softball evaluations, and she is very happy that she will be on the team she wanted. One of her best friend's dad is the coach...it helps to know people. LOL

I told you a few weeks ago that we were going to the maple farm, right? I have a few pictures. Here's the yummy buffet breakfast we had. With real maple syrup, of course!

Mason and I playing on the pirate ship playset.

Annabelle coming aboard.

It was freezing out so we didn't go on the tractor ride out to the sugarbush. But we've done that lots of times before so it was no biggie.

I also made some simple pillow covers over the weekend for the sitting room. We covered the couch in a denim slipcover; so the old greenish chenille pillows didn't work.

I made them very simpe...not even any piping...because the pillows themselves have piping and it would have been too bulky. I'm going to make some more in different fabrics too...you can never have too many pillows, right? If you're ever looking for a tutorial, this is the one I use.

I also got all the main blocks done for my niece's quilt. Now I'm working on the large stars. I think it's going to be super cute!

All right, I've got to get going and take some sinus medicine. Do you have seasonal allergies? Man, lately mine have been awful. I'm even more spaced out than usual. LOL Anyway take care and enjoy your day!!

♥ Jen

Is it Friday yet?

2011-03-31T10:32:00.000-04:00

Oh my goodness, it's been quite a week! Mason came home from school on Monday not feeling well....sore throat, tired, and 100.3 fever. I took him to the doctor the next morning, and sure enough, strep again. That's the third time this school year...and he's never had it before. I think we might have to consider getting his tonsils out if this trend continues. Anyway, he's on amoxycillin again and he's feeling much better. He stayed home for two days, but he went back to school tonight. Poor little guy. He doesn't complain much so when he does you know he's really not feeling well. I'm glad he's better today, because tonight is the school's Open House. He and Annabelle have all sorts of things to show us in their classrooms so he'd be really disappointed if he couldn't go. Plus the kids get to make-their-own sundaes there....hmmm, maybe that's the real reason he doesn't want to miss it??

I haven't been sewing much lately, since hangin' with the sick child. I did manage to do a little shopping this morning at Walmart...I got these pretty Better Homes and Gardens storage boxes...

The one on the right is a 2-pack. I love the trim and coordinating lids. There were a few other styles as well; also matching baskets and candles. I bought a matching picture frame, forgot to take a picture. Anyway, these will go in my laundry room, along with my fancy pink boot tray.

It is almost time for another Gooseberry Patch cookbook review and giveaway! I received two copies of this in the mail this week...

Now I am a HUGE fan of autumn....and autumn cooking. By September I am sick of grilling hamburgers and eating salads. Turning on the oven during the summer is frowned upon in this establishment. So when it's chilly outside I love to make a roast or casserole or something like that. So, with that in mind, we're going to make a few of these recipes before it gets too hot out. So I've got a good three months. Just kidding, I'll test them out in the next week or so. Then you'll have a chance to win a copy by random drawing. I'll let you know! If you just can't wait, you can pre-order this book here!

Funny story about this cookbook. The other night, I was browsing through it, noting which recipes I wanted to make. I got to a page that had a recipe by me, and one from a woman from Syracuse on the facing page. I said to Dave, "Hey look, they put someone from Syracuse right....next...to mine..." Ha! I didn't even know that they were publishing a recipe of mine in this book! OK, I'm sure Gooseberry Patch must have told me...in fact I have a vague recollection...but I completely forgot! So I said, "Hey! I'm in this cookbook!" Dave of course thought it was hysterical. Oh I am so scatterbrained sometimes! My recipe is a really good one, I must admit..."Simmered Autumn Applesauce." I won't review it, because obviously I like it, but I'll include it in my sample of recipes

Have a great day!

♥ Jen

Birds, baking and boots

2011-03-25T12:43:00.000-04:00

Hey peeps! Are you glad it's Friday? It's been a busy week, I'm looking forward to spending some quality time with the family this weekend. We're planning to go to a Maple Farm on Sunday. Every year at this time they have tours of the sugar bush, maple syrup-making demonstrations, and a delicious pancake and ham breakfast (with fresh maple syrup, of course!). Unfortunately it's going to be pretty cold, but we'll just bundle up. We actually didn't go last weekend because it was a bit chilly; little did we know it would be even colder this weekend! Ah well.

I seem to gravitate towards birds in my springtime decorating. I have little faux nests with eggs all over in addition to ceramic birds. I just got these two cuties at Hobby Lobby the other day...

I love the aqua. 50% off, not too shabby either! See that fabric under them? I just got that today from Desperate Quilters. It's from the Penelope line by Lakehouse. My plan is to make pillow covers for the new sitting room. Dave wanted a pop of red and I like how it has some blue, yellow and green in there too. I also got this...

I have a thing for toiles, and of course I love the birds. This one is from Pom Pom de Paris from French General. I'm thinking of making one small accent pillow out of this one.

My kids like to have a little something to eat when they get home from school. (Don't they all?) If at all possible I like to keep it homemade. Today I was mentally wandering around my pantry and came across Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie Mix. Don't you love when you find things in there? LOL Anyway I made Raspberry Streusel Bars for today, and yum they look good! But I'll be good and wait to have a smidge later.

Speaking of eating, I'm happy that I've been doing Wii Fit every day this week. I've been feeling a little stiff lately--my back tends to give me a bit of trouble. Plus I need to get in shape for lighter clothes. So anyway, the yoga and stretching has really been helping. The jogging was tough at first but it's gotten better. I just have to keep up!

Before I go, I just wanted to show you something that I thought you'd get a kick out of. This is what makes a mother from Syracuse happy...

A pink boot tray! Found at Target. Hey, if we're going to have muddy/snowy shoes, at least we can make the best of it!

♥ Jen

Favorite slow-cooker recipe

2011-03-21T12:26:00.000-04:00

Hey quilty buds! How are you doing on this fine day? It's rainy and chilly here, but cozy and warm inside! Did you have a nice weekend? I got some work done on Rose's quilt...this is my favorite block so far...

I have about 5 blocks to go, then I have a bunch of setting triangles and such to make. It's not the easiest project, but I like it because it's challenging. Plus all the cute little 30s prints are so cheerful.

A new cookbook arrived in the mail today from Gooseberry Patch!

I have another recipe in this one. My twin sister Karen gave it to me several years ago, and it is a staple in both of our houses. Definitely my favorite slow cooker recipe of all time.

Try it, I know you'll like it! Only, if at all possible, use the red wine, not the beef broth. It adds just so much flavor!

I'm going to go do some Wii Fit now. I don't think I've been on that thing since November, aack! Time to shed my winter coat!

♥ Jen

Randomness

2011-03-16T11:39:00.000-04:00

Is randomness even a word? Well, I'm using it anyway. How are you? Annabelle was home sick yesterday with a stomachache/headache/fever thing, but thankfully she's feeling better today so both kids are at school. Wednesdays are early days...she has to be at orchestra rehearsal at 8:00 a.m., so Mason and I drop her off then kill some time at Walmart until he has to be there at 9. At least I get shopping done early!

I went to Michael's afterwards and got a basket to hide my cable modem and router in the "new" living room.

It's a bit better than the tangled mess it once was. OK it's still a tangled mess but at least you can't see most of it now.

Over the weekend, Dave and I hung up some artwork and sconces in the living room.

I got the sconces and flameless candles at Hobby Lobby at 50% off. The candles are on a timer so they come on automatically every evening. Very cozy! Underneath that is the new liquor cabinet. It's pretty cool, the doors have storage in them, and when they're open, the top folds out so there's a big drink-pouring surface. Now we have some drinking to do. LOL That lamp there will one day house a terrarium. the lamp part lifts off and you can fill the glass bottom with whatever. Christmas Tree Shops! Oh and all the art is from there too...

I love all these prints! And they were super-cheap! Here's the other wall, not quite finished though...

Dave and I have spent several evenings in this room already. In fact I even took an inadvertent nap there on Sunday!

On Monday I was inspired to make my own laundry detergent. I belong to a handmade soap group on Facebook, and some of the vendors make and sell their own laundry detergent as well. That appeals to me because it's gentle, natural, and cheap to make! So rather than pay for someone else to do it I figured I could give it a go. I took pictures of the process but unfortunately I deleted them from my camera by mistake. Oops! Anyway it was easy...you just need three ingredients.

2 bars of soap (I used Fels-Naptha laundry soap; but any pure-type soap will do, like Ivory)
2 Cups Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (found in the laundry aisle)
1 Cup Borax (also found in the laundry aisle)

Grate the soap with a cheese grater or food processor. (*note: I used a hand grater - be prepared to work out your arms! You can buy the soap pre-grated, I'm looking into doing this next time!) Mix all ingredients. Most laundry loads will use 1 tablespoon; large or heavily-soiled loads, use 2 tablespoons.

The verdict? I LOVE it! It smells so fresh; my clothes get very clean; it was cheap beyond belief; and last but not least, how cute does it look in the jar??

Anyway, that's my frugality of the week!

Have you decorated at all for spring/Easter yet? Annabelle and I got a few things out yesterday while we were home. I don't seem to have a lot of spring decorations, but these are the tall bunnies we put by the fireplace every year. They hold the kids' Easter baskets until the big day.

I bought these little painted eggs at Wegman's the other day; aren't they sweet? The plate is from Target last year.

Here's a decorated cake stand, crowded-out by the new book that arrived today from Amazon...can't wait to read this! Kathleen you can borrow it when I'm done!

I've been working on the 1930s quilt that I started last year. Each block takes me awhile to do, but hopefully at this rate I should be done in time for Christmas. I better be, geez! Anyway this will be for my niece who is already looking forward to her Christmas quilt! She's such a sweet girl so I think the dainty little prints will be perfect for her.

The pattern is 4 OT from Miss Rosie's Quilt Company...which suits my niece perfectly since her name is Rose!

Talk to you soon!

♥ Jen

Painting done!

2011-03-10T12:40:00.000-05:00

Hey there! I hope you're enjoying your day...all is well here, except for my silly sinuses. It's raining and whenever it does I get a lot of congestion and pressure, including headaches and fatigue. But enough about that, let's talk about fun things!

Last week the painters came. We had them install crown molding in all the bedrooms as well as do the living room. In the living room we got molding with a rope detail, a matching chair rail, and standard shadow boxes installed. Before/during...

And After!

Now bear in mind I'm just showing you the painting and molding. We still have a lot to do in the wall hangings and furniture department! We're not keeping the striped chair in here...it just seems too big and bulky. We've got a more streamlined one on order. The walls are Lenox Tan by Benjamin Moore on top; white on bottom; and a very light blue for the ceiling. Can you see it? Here's a closer-up shot...

And of course that's the chair I got at HomeGoods awhile back. Bookcases by Target; couch slipcover from LL Bean.

We're looking for an ottoman/coffee table, and an end table too. We also ordered a liquor cabinet/bar that should be here next week. And, I'm going to make new pillow coverings for the couch, I think in some sort of a red print. I have a few in mind, more on that soon.

I stopped at Joann's the other day and I could not resist this rotary cutter! Isn't it cute?

I have the standard yellow Olfa one but a girl's got to have variety, right?

Talk to you soon!

♥ Jen

A few finishes

2011-03-01T11:20:00.000-05:00

Hey buds! It's a bee-utiful day today here! Ok, still a bit chilly, but the sun is shining! Also, it rained a lot yesterday so a lot of the snow melted away. AND, it's March 1st, spring is not far behind!

I finished my little teacup table topper. I think it came out great!

I had a hard time figuring out what to use for the binding. Ideally I wanted something green...but I didn't have anything appropriate in my stash, so I went back and forth with a few other options. Finally I decided on a red with white polka dots (one of my favorite fabrics), but I only have a teensy bit of it left. Instead, I cut 16 charm squares in half, pieced them all together and made a binding strip that way. Took a little extra time but I like the result. Here, you can see it better on the back. (Backing fabric from the Fresh Palette line.)

I did an allover stippling for the quilting pattern, which has become fun to do!

The pink polka dot fabric I used for the inner border is from Lakehouse; and you may recognize the outer border from this project. I adore this fabric!

I also wanted to show you a pot holder I made for my sister Kathleen. I gave it to her as one of her birthday presents last week.

It's the first potholder I ever made. I've had that cherries panel forever, it was just waiting for the perfect project to come along. The pattern was in Quilts and More magazine (I believe it was the winter issue??). It was easy as pie, I'll definitely be making more of these!

Ok all, off I go--have a fabulous day!

♥ Jen

New table mat

2011-02-24T12:38:00.000-05:00

Wow, it's been a week since I last posted? Geez! The kids have been off so that's my excuse. They have "winter break" here in the northeast. Mason kicked it off with strep throat, and we're off to the doctor in a bit to see if Annabelle has it too. I hear it's going around! (Update: No strep! Yaay!)

I started a new table topper the other day. Since putting away my Valentine-themed mat, I felt the need for a new one. I had bought a Lakehouse panel that I thought would be perfect. Plus the Bliss charm packs I have were calling my name. So I loosely based it on the Schnibbles "Madeline" pattern and came up with this so far...

What's that you say? My center squares are too small so the corners don't go to the end of each block? Yes you're right. I have no idea why that happened, I thought I measured correctly. But we'll just pretend it's supposed to be that way, 'k? Here are some fabrics I'm thinking of for the borders. I'm loving all the pinks and greens.

I know this is a quickie, sorry! Off to play with the kids...glad we got some errands done before more snow falls tonight and tomorrow!

♥ Jen

Winner(s)!

2011-02-16T11:22:00.000-05:00

Hi all! Thank you to everyone who took the time to leave comments and for entering the Gooseberry Patch cookbook contest! Without further ado, the Random Number Generator chose comment number...

30, which was from JONNI! Jonni, Congratulations! I will get your cookbook to you asap! Since we're so close I can hand-deliver it!

And I have a second place prize too! Remember I showed these heart placemats?

Well some of you liked them as well, so I picked up a set of 4 for you! And the winner is comment number...

2, which was from DONNA! Donna, Congratulations to you too! Donna please send me your address when you can and I will send you your package!

If you didn't win, don't despair, I have more cookbook reviews and giveaways coming up! Stay tuned!
♥ Jen

Come Around for Coffee All Year

2011-02-14T11:24:00.000-05:00

Last year I participated in a self-chosen Block-of-the-Month. The only requirement was that our quilts had to be either tea- or coffee-themed. I'm not much of a tea drinker but coffee is one of my favorite things in life. Coincidentally, Pam had recently published her Come Around for Coffee placemat pattern. I instantly fell in love with it and knew it would be perfect for my quilt. And now, it's completely finished! I finished the binding last week, quickly embroidered a label and washed the quilt in Woolite. Officially done!

Note the scrappy binding...I love how it turned out!

Here is the back. I pieced together two coffee-themed fabrics.

Love a finished quilt! Thank you Pam for inspiring me...it is a great pattern and I loved working on each and every block! ♥

Have a happy Valentine's Day everyone! Any big plans? The kids and I will make chocolate-covered strawberries when they get home for dessert. We do this every year, they're so simple and delicious.

Chocolate-Covered Strawberries

16 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 Tbsps. vegetable shortening
1 lb. fresh strawberries with leaves

In a double-boiler, melt the chocolate and shortening, stirring occasionally until smooth. Holding them by the leaves, dip the strawberries into the chocolate mixture. Turn the strawberries while dipping and let excess drip off. Spoon sprinkles, mini M&M's, or coconut flakes over the chocolate. Cool on waxed paper.

The cookbook winner will be chosen in two days! Make sure you left a comment on the post linked to HERE. I hope your week is starting off well!

♥ Jen

Crafting here and there

2011-02-12T12:34:00.000-05:00

The frames that I ordered for Annabelle's letter blocks arrived the other day, and they are perfect! Is there anything you can't find on ebay?? Anyway, I needed 11" frames, which are hard to find in stores.

I had mitered the borders of the blocks, which was not difficult, really. Then I just put a piece of batting between the block and the frame backing. Want to see each one (sort of) up close?

So that was my little project. :-) I even hung them myself and they are level, if you can believe it! I took a picture of another wall in Annabelle's room...I had found these wall stickers at Target last summer.

We had a lot of fun putting these up. And they're easily removable, a big plus!

I went to Christmas Tree Shops the other day...hadn't been there in awhile! Check out these heart placemats I found.

They're nice and big...and look at the quilting! There are little hearts quilted right in!

The best part...$3 for TWO! Ah, love that store. I also got these two storage boxes for some sewing supplies...

These were $4 each, I think. I just love the pattern!

I couldn't leave my kitties out of the fun...so I bought them a new "Super Scratcher." Just add catnip and watch them go nuts!

This morning I took the kids to a Country Folk Art Craft Show. It was nice, but not as big as usual. Anyway I did buy this pretty pincushion.

The vendor had a gorgeous booth. Her website is www.pinkpaperrose.com in case you're interested. The cupcake was made from sweaters. Lots of other cute shabby chic stuff too.

Don't forget to enter my giveaway for the Gooseberry Patch cookbook! I'll be selecting the winner next week! Have a great weekend everyone!

♥ Jen

"Best-Ever Cookies" Review and GIVEAWAY!

2011-02-10T12:27:00.000-05:00

It's another Gooseberry Patch Early Bird Review and Giveaway! As you may recall, my first review was for "Homestyle in a Hurry," and that was lots of fun! I was so excited to receive this one last week...

This will be available at the end of March. Want to pre-order? Click here!

What a great excuse to bake! Not that I really need one, I love to bake. Growing up my sisters and I were always in charge of birthday cakes and Christmas cookies. So over the weekend I chose a few recipes...it was hard to narrow down my list, there are so many yummy ones in this cookbook! The book is divided into chapters, which include "Cookie Jar Classics," "All-American Cookies," and "Holiday Cookies," to name a few. The first recipe that jumped out at me was from the chapter "Best-Ever Brownies and Bars," called Nebraska Brownies. My family loves brownies...and truth be told, they're more than happy with a boxed mix. But taking the time to make them from scratch is worth it. Are you ready? Here's the recipe for Nebraska Brownies.

You will need: 1/2 C. boiling water; 1/2 C. baking cocoa; 1/2 C. butter, softened; 1/2 C. shortening; 2 C. sugar; 3 eggs, beaten; 2 C. all-purpose flour; 1/2 C. milk; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; and Optional, 1 Cup chopped nuts.

In a small bowl, stir together boiling water and cocoa.

In a separate bowl, blend together butter, shortening and sugar.

Beat in eggs;

Add cocoa mixture. Stir in flour and milk alternately; beat well.

Stir in vanilla.

Fold in nuts, if using. My kids are "anti-nut" in their brownies, so I left them out.

Spread in a greased 18" x 12" jelly-roll pan. Now, I don't know about you, but I have no idea what kind of pan they're talking about. So I just used a good ol' 13" x 9". Thick brownies are better, I figure! Oh, and do yourself a favor, try this trick. Instead of greasing the pan, get some non-stick foil with which to line the pan.

Tear off a sheet, turn the pan over, and press over the pan. Then flip the pan back to the right side, and it will fit right in. Just make sure the non-stick side of the foil is up.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Even though I used a smaller pan, they were ready at 30 minutes as well. See the toothpick holes? I didn't believe it either. LOL

See? You just lift the edge of the foil out of the pan (when the brownies have cooled a bit) and it comes right out!
Cool slightly before topping with FROSTING.

You will need: 1 C. powdered sugar; 2 Tablespoons baking cocoa; 1/4 C. water; 1/2 C. butter, softened: 1/2 C. all-purpose flour; 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; and 1/2 teaspoon vinegar.

Stir together all ingredients until smooth. Does yours look like this?

If you're using a stand mixer, switch to your whisk attachment...Aah! Much better! No lumps.

Frost your brownies. Makes 2 dozen.

A tip from me to you: Cut your brownies with a plastic knife. No sticking!

I wanted a yummy beverage to go with these, so my next recipe to try was Hot Vanilla Nightcap.
You will need: 1 C. low-fat milk; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 teaspoon sugar; 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, divided; and whipped topping, for garnish.

Pour milk into a microwave-safe mug; stir in sugar, vanilla and 1/8 tsp. cinnamon. Microwave on high for about 70-80 seconds, until hot but not boiling. Top with a generous dollop of whipped topping and remaining cinnamon. Makes one serving.

RECIPES REVIEW:
I am very, very pleased with these recipes! The brownies are rich and lightly chocolately, with a wonderful brownie texture. I was a little nervous about the frosting ingredients....flour in frosting? Vinegar? But I had to stop myself from licking the bowl. Really really delicious. The sweetness from the frosting definitely compliments the flavor of the brownies.
The Hot Vanilla Nightcap is fabulous. Warm and comforting, the vanilla and sugar go just right with the cinnamon and milk. It's a great accompaniment to the brownies. I didn't have any whipped topping when I made this, but it was still yummy.

OK, I have one more recipe to review, and it's another good one! This one is called Lemon Crinkles.

You will need: 18-1/4 oz. pkg. lemon cake mix; 1/2 C. frozen whipped topping, thawed; 2 eggs, beaten; 2 Tablespoons lemon zest; 1/2 C. powdered sugar; and extra powdered sugar for garnish.

In a bowl, combine dry cake mix and remaining ingredients except garnish. I used French Vanilla Cool Whip, oh boy that's good stuff! Next time I make a Hot Vanilla Nightcap, this is going on top!

Mix well. Roll into one-inch balls; roll in powdered sugar.

Place on lightly greased baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. I use parchment paper to line my baking sheets...no need to grease the pans. Also you can have some ready to go for the next batch!

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes, until centers start to crack.

Remove while warm to a wire rack; cool. Makes 2 to 3 dozen.

RECIPE REVIEW:
Seriously Scrumptious! Both the flavor and texture of these cookies are excellent. They're chewy in the center and a little crunchier on the outside. The lemon combined with the powdered sugar makes a great sweet-tart cookie! I think this is my favorite recipe of the bunch!

GIVEAWAY:
To win your very own brand-spankin' new copy of this cookbook, just leave me a comment on this post. Please make sure to leave me your email address! Any entries without a way to contact you will unfortunately be disqualified. I will randomly select a winner on Wednesday, February 16th! Thanks for stopping by and GOOD LUCK!

♥ Jen

Quilting and Giveaway Heads-Up!

2011-02-03T08:58:00.000-05:00

Who would have thought that free-motion quilting could relax me?! Seriously! Before I started that, though, I stitched-in-the-ditch three times around each block...center square and two borders. It was a lot of work, turning the quilt for each right angle. No marking, that was good...but ugh! Then I decided to stipple the outer border...it was great! I found myself daydreaming even! LOL Plus it took practically no time at all, and I'm really happy with the result. So good news, the quilting is done!

On to the binding. I'm going scrappy, which I've never done before. I have a Whimsy jelly roll that I've been nibbling on here and there...so I took a bunch of prints from that, stitched them together and now I have a little binding roll.

I rather like putting on the binding. It's simple to stitch down on the machine, then I get to sit down with it on my lap to hand-stitch it to the back. What could be better on a chilly winter's day, I ask you?

I have good news on the giveaway front...I'll be reviewing another cookbook this month! This one is called "Best-Ever Cookies." It will be available in March but we can test it out before then!

Click here to pre-order!

Oh how fun will it be to sample some of these recipes! Hey, someone's gotta do it! LOL So just a heads-up, this will be coming soon!

♥ Jen

Colors and fabrics

2011-01-28T12:25:00.000-05:00

Redecorating is continuing. Remember I posted those two color samples for the living room walls? We weren't quite sure about either one...so I got another one, Benjamin Moore's Tyler Taupe. Here are all three on the wall...

Peanut Butter, Fudge Truffle, Tyler Taupe, respectively. It's funny, with the last one up we revisited the Peanut Butter and decided that one was it. It's funny how colors look depending on what they're next to, isn't it?

Last weekend we bought a chandelier at Lowe's and hung it in the foyer.

Up until then, we had the ugliest brass/glass fixture that the builder installed. Ick! I just kept putting it off, couldn't decide what to get, etc. Anyway I really like this one, it's not too big which is good because we don't have an "open" foyer. But it's different enough to be interesting, I think!

On the crafting front, I've been quilting this guy.

I decided to stitch-in-the-ditch around each block, inside and outside the borders. Plus a little square 1/4" in from the block's center. Simple enough, but turning the quilt a million times on my machine is tedious! I think I have four blocks done. Slowly but surely, right?

Would you like to see some fabrics I've gotten recently? These are some Fresh Palette prints I got from Fat Quarter Shop's 50% off sale a week or two ago...

And these are some Lakehouse prints I got recently as well. They were 50% off too (except for the top panel).

Actually they all look nice together! I have no idea what I'm going to do with them, but a sale's a sale!

Last night I made Sharon's Ranch Chicken for dinner. Mmmm, was that good! Nice and creamy and perfect with the angel hair pasta she suggested. I used low-fat mayo and milk, but canceled that out with all the butter. Ha! It was worth it!

Have a great weekend...

♥ Jen

A is for Annabelle

2011-01-25T10:50:00.000-05:00

Several years ago, my daughter was given a book by Tasha Tudor called "A is for Annabelle." Appropriate since that is her name! So you can imagine my excitement when I saw this fabric recently at Fat Quarter Shop...

I bought the panel and some coordinating striped fabric...but what to do with it? Annabelle has a bunch of pillows that I've made her already. So, as luck would have it, all three of her initials are on this panel (there are two panels in the collection, for both halves of the alphabet). I decided to make three wall hangings--each one will be a letter block bordered by the striped fabric.

Since it's so simple, I'm trying mitered corners for the border. I like how that looks with stripes. So far so good, for my first attempt anyway. I'll show those next time. Anyway I'd like to find white frames...Hobby Lobby didn't have them, I'm going to try Michael's next.

By the way, in the above picture, that's the new ironing board I made. I took a piece of plywood, covered it in two layers of cotton batting, then one layer of Insul-Brite batting, then stapled that pretty Fresh Palette fabric around it. It's a great size, I made it to fit on top of a cabinet in my dining room, so it can easily be removed. Until now I've had my regular ironing board set up in there...not very attractive. I'll still get that out when I have yardage to press, but this is good for everyday pressing.

Ok, I'm going to go make some Cucumber Tomato Salad for dinner tonight. I've got pulled pork in the crockpot so this will go well. Have you ever tried McCormick's BBQ Pulled Pork Seasoning? It's really really good. Better than the "from scratch" recipes I've made!

Enjoy your day!

♥ Jen

It's that time again...

2011-01-23T07:38:00.000-05:00

Yes, today is National Pie Day! Celebrate by eating some pie...we're having Elizabeth's famous Lemon Angel Pie, Blueberry Pie (that my husband is making) and pizza pie. I'll make the pizza dough and then everyone will make their own pizzas. Mmmm! A good eating day!

Did you see that the famous pamkittymorning blogged about my coffee cup quilt? Wow, I was so honored! I really respect and admire Pam...she is so very talented and she is such a sweet person as well. Thank you for featuring me, Pam!

I hope everyone enjoys their Sunday! Talk to you soon!

♥ Jen

Moving right along

2011-01-21T10:50:00.000-05:00

Hey guess what? I finished the quilt top! *happy happy joy joy*! As you can see, the sashing and borders are nothing fancy. But, you have to remember that although the block pattern came from Pam, I figured out the other parts by myself. And that involved lots of math. So I'm just happy it's all sewn together in an approximate rectangle!

Now I have to figure out what to use for the back. The quilt is about 72" x 50-something", so I'll have to get about 5 yds. of backing. I'm thinking about piecing one, and just using fabrics from my stash. I've never done that before, I usually use one lone print. OK, I'll try it!

Is it supposed to be cold where you live this weekend? Oh man, here it is. They're saying in the negative degrees at night, and that's not windchill. I'm wondering if the kids will have school on Monday, Sunday night is supposed to be -15! They've canceled school before due to cold. Now that's Arctic.

Ok friends o'mine, I'm off...have a great weekend! Stay warm!

♥ Jen

Coffee Cup Quilt progress

2011-01-18T10:33:00.000-05:00

Hello folks! I went food shopping this morning and now I'm home, drinking coffee, and melting a Pumpkin Flapjacks tart from Candles from the Keeping Room. This day is getting better and better! I wanted to show you what I've been working on since the weekend...I finally got the sashing and border fabrics washed and pressed so....the sashing is done...

I really like the red sashing. I'm usually not one for solids, but I'm learning to appreciate them more. For busy blocks like this, solid sashing gives your eye a place to rest, don't you agree? And as you can see I'm working on the inner border.

Next up will be the outer border...that's going to be a red/brown floral, also from Fig Tree. Then for the quilting! I'm kind of at a loss as to what quilting pattern(s) I should do. Any thoughts? I was thinking stippling, but the cup handles may get in the way of that. Hmmmm, I don't know....?

We're making progress on our new sitting room. In fact we got two paint samples that I have to put up on the walls this week. They're Behr colors (from Home Depot); the first one is called "Peanut Butter" and the other is "Fudge Truffle."

One of those will be for the top half of the walls; the lower half will be white from the chair railing down. The chair railing that we have to install, of course. Hopefully this weekend we can get the top half painting done, at least!

Have a great day!

♥ Jen

Hooray for HomeGoods!

2011-01-11T11:22:00.000-05:00

I finally found some of those awesome dishes at my HomeGoods! They were sneaky there...they had the tiered stands separate from the plates, not in a whole display or anything...but I found them! Yaay!

I love both patterns for the little plates. Each is a pack of four for $6.99.

Why did I get two stands? Because I love them both and I couldn't decide! The 3-tiered one was $12.99, the other was $9.99. I thought those prices were awesome.

All they had were stands and little plates...but I'm going to keep checking for the big plates and mugs. So Jen and Sharon, and everyone else who couldn't find them, maybe they'll be at yours soon too!!

Have a great day!

♥ Jen

New chair and new winner!

2011-01-09T07:07:00.000-05:00

Hello friends! Well, samisu57 never contacted me, I'm sorry to say, but happy to tell PAULA that she now wins the cookbook! (My son randomly picked her number.) Paula's comment was:

Beautiful blog! I have just discovered the Goose Berry Patch cookbooks and love them. I'd be thrilled to win one :)

So Paula, congratulations and please email me your mailing info and I will send out Homestyle in a Hurry ASAP!

I also wanted to show you a picture of that new chair I bought at Home Goods. Pretty right?

Yesterday we put up the shelving and set up the day bed in the basement...but we got a little sidetracked playing with our new smart phones. These things are so fun. Do you have the Talking Carl app? Hysterical.
Enjoy your Sunday!

♥ Jen

A bit of decorating

2011-01-07T10:50:00.000-05:00

First, a bit of business--I still have not heard from the winner of the cookbook, samisu57. I'll wait until Sunday, but if I haven't heard from you by then, I'm going to pick another name. So readers, you may still have a chance!

Do you like Shabby Chic decor? I really do. I love the way houses look in Country Living magazine. So when I saw Deb's post about the dishes she got at Homegoods, I swooned. Aren't they gorgeous??!! But usually whenever someone from the west coast posts about a find from Homegoods, the stores here don't have it. Sadly, that's the case with these dishes. Oh well, I'll keep an eye out but I'm not holding my breath. To console myself I bought a few bucks worth of goodies at Michael's. LOL

My Desperate Quilters order arrived the other day!

The bottom three are all Fig Tree, and I plan on using them for the sashing and borders on my Coffee Cup Quilt. I'll prewash those and hopefully get started this weekend. The top fabric is one I just liked, from Carrie Nelson's Fresh Palette. I see placemats or a table topper, or perhaps an apron?

So what's everyone up to this weekend? We've got some work to do around the house. Our front room has been, up until now, a playroom. But since the kids are a bit older now they hardly ever hang out in there. It's pretty much wasted space. So we're setting up a kids' area in the basement...I put down a big rug, bought some shelving, and we're going to make Annabelle's old twin bed a "couch." Will they play down there? Who knows. But at least we'll get that room back!

Our plan is to slipcover a couch and chair, get some nice accent furniture and make it a Sitting Room. No tv, just reading and relaxing. Isn't that what grown-ups are supposed to do? I bought a beautiful chair at Homegoods today (Take THAT, west coast! LOL) which is still in the car, otherwise I'd post a picture for you. Soon though! We're going to add wainscoting and crown molding to the walls...I think it'll be really nice once it's done!

Hey if anyone wants to stop by and help move stuff to the basement, by all means, don't be shy!

♥ Jen

A winner and a thank you!

2011-01-04T11:23:00.000-05:00

Hello my friends! I just finished taking the Christmas tree down...phew! What a chore! I love putting it up but man, taking all the ornaments off, lugging the tree out to the curb and cleaning up stinks! But at least it's done and two cats, who will remain nameless, can't drink out of the stand anymore.

So is anyone wondering who wins the Gooseberry Patch cookbook? I had an unprecendented amount of comments (113!)...thank you soooo much to everyone who entered and took the time to write something. I hope that those of you who are new to my blog will stick around! We'll have some fun and don't forget, I have at least four more upcoming Gooseberry Patch cookbook reviews and giveaways! So, without further ado, the randomly-chosen winner is...

Comment Number 12, samisu57! She wrote: Christmas in Southern Illinois was white with snow & wonderful. Food, family, & fun!! What more could one ask for. Recipes look scrumptious. Must try the Chicken casserole. Love Gooseberry Patch!!

Samisu57, your profile is set to no reply, so I can't email you directly. Please email me your address and I will send your copy of Homestyle in a Hurry to you right away! (My email is found in my profile)

Thanks again to everyone who entered! More to come!

♥ Jen

Last coffee quilt blocks

2011-01-02T20:46:00.000-05:00

All of my coffee quilt blocks are done! I did the last two over the weekend. Wanna see? Here's November...

And here's December...

Something a little sad? I went to post them to the Flickr group I belong to and I wasn't allowed in. I guess since I hadn't posted since my October block, they deleted the "inactive" members. *sniff* It's okay, really. I'll make my quilt anyway, all by myself. *sniff*

To cheer myself up, I squared up all the blocks and then figured out how much fabric I'll need for sashing and borders. Then I went onto Desperate Quilters and got some great deals on Fig Tree fabrics. I'll show them to you when they arrive. There, I do feel better! A little retail therapy always works!

So how was your New Year's? Dave and I stayed up til midnight, and the kids almost made it. We woke them up a few minutes before 12 and then they promptly went to bed about 5 minutes later. LOL I like our cozy New Year's Eves, I'm never hungover and I get to eat a whole bunch of leftover Christmas cookies!

Don't forget to check back on Tuesday (January 4th)...I'll be announcing the winner of the Gooseberry Patch cookbook, Homestyle in a Hurry! Leave a comment on last week's post to enter!

♥ Jen

Happy 2011

2010-12-31T21:53:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year! It's coming up on 10:00 here, the family and I are taking a break from playing games so I thought I'd check in. Will we make it to midnight? I took a short nap today so I'm hopeful. Dave's looking pretty sleepy there though. LOL

Here's to another fabulous year!

♥ Jen