December 4--Unbaking!

Each December Day, I would make at least one cookie recipe--sometimes there would be cookie exchanges, when I baked 12 dozen cookies--a dozen for 12 people who shared their cookies with me.

The kids loved this tradition!  Me, not so much!

 

 

This was an easy recipe to have on hand for those days when friends dropped in to visit 

and the kids could make them too.

 

Unbaking!  is the way to go!

 

How about making these for your friends?

 

Unbaked Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies--my version:

2 C sugar, 8 Tbsp. cocoa, 1/2 C milk--bring to a rolling boil; remove from heat and add 1 stick of butter, 3 cups of Quaker one minute oats, 1 tsp vanilla.  Mix well and drop by teaspoon onto wax or parchment paper (we didn't have parchment so used wax paper) 

let harden and then EAT!

there was always some kid standing there to lick the pan!!

 

 

December 3--Let's Bake!

 

See this worn recipe notebook?  I've had it since early 1977--right after our home was destroyed by fire at Christmas time, 1976.  Neighbors opened their arms, homes and hearts to our family.  Thumbing through my recipe book gives loving thoughts of those who gave us comfort and shared their favorite recipes.

 

Don't you have that book that is stuffed with pages from magazines?  handwritten recipes or newspaper clippings.  Let me assure you--every recipe in this book has been tested many times over.

this is one of those time honored recipes from a loving neighbor, Helen, who being Italian made these every Christmas.  I was honored that she would share her family treat with me.

 

Fig Cakes! 

1 C shortening, 1 C sugar, 3 eggs, 1 tsp. vanilla, 7 C flour, 7 tsp. baking powder, 1 C milk, 1 tsp salt

Cream shortening with sugar; add eggs and vanilla.  Sift flour and baking powder, gradually adding milk until dough is moist.  Roll out dough, cut into strips about 2" wide.

 

Filling:

2 pkg. dried figs, 1/2 C raisins, 1/2 C chopped pecans, 1/2 pt fig preserves, grated orange rind and juice of orange, dash of black pepper--soak dried figs about an hour until soft.  grind figs, pecans & orange rind, add to other filling ingredients.  Spread a Tablespoon of filling down the center of each 2" piece of dough; pinch the top over. place on cookie sheet and bake in 400* oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Once the fig cakes are cooled, sift one box of confectioners sugar and little milk and drizzle over the tops--talk about yummy!!

 

December 2--Delicious Fruit Cake!

 In 1977,  my favorite listening station was WWL out of New Orleans, Louisiana and the host of one program gave recipes and tips on cooking.

This was my absolutely favorite Fruit Cake Recipe of all times!!  And I love fruitcake--not many people do, but if you had tasted this fruitcake, you would have been a lover too!

 

 

As you can see this recipe is handwritten--not by me, but the radio personality who hosted the show.  If you wanted a copy, all you had to do--was write (YES, write as in a letter) and send a SASE (Self addressed stamped envelope) and he would send you a copy.

 

It became the tradition each fall, right before Thanksgiving, to gather all the ingredients and make this fruitcake--you see it had to "Age" for a good while.  Each day, I would pour a small amount of rum over the gauze covered fruitcake and then when I thought I couldn't take it anymore--maybe, a week before Christmas, I would cut into this fruity, nutty cake! 

I'm sure I ate more than the kids or husband!  I absolutely loved this cake!

December 1--Down the Path of Reflection

Every year for many years when the kids were younger and all living under one roof, I will prepare for the holidays by making something special each day leading up to Christmas.

This year I brought out my old cookbooks and strolled down that reflection path.  With each page flipped, I remember the person who gave me the recipe and how much we enjoyed the flavors and sharing of the moment.

 

This Booklet was from Fall, 1981 when a group of us attended the local newspaper sponsored luncheon.  There were demonstrations and tasting, of course! 

 

Here is one of my favorite recipes from that time and place==pickled eggs!

And here is the recipe that I made as gifts--

 

Leader and Ender Projects

 

When you sew--do you just pull out the threads after seaming?  Or do you use a small scrap of fabric to stitch and break the thread?  Or do you use a leader/ender project?

After many years of sewing--I learned to use this method of saving not only thread but working on another project as I'm completing one.

Bonnie Hunter had the idea first!  Here is her 2014 leader/ender Lozenges--it just takes a little prep work to get started

 

cut into those scraps to get 3.5"x 6.5" (that's what I'm using) rectangles

then there are these 2" squares leftover from another project

sew dark to light on each corner--diagonally

light on dark--press, cut corners and repeat

stack them up and keep sewing throughout the year to have a completed quilt top!

Of course, I'm thinking--this leader/ender project is becoming 2015 UFO!

Happy Turkey Day!

HOPE YOUR DAY IS FILLED WITH GOOD HOLIDAY CHEER! 

The Wilds of the Quilt Studio!

The studio is definitely going Wild lately!  Once it was nice and organized and now, there is another side working in the studio!  How do you keep fabric organized when you pull out colors, patterns, textures to fit your sewing needs? 

I HATE putting things back in their place!!!!

 

There are just a 'few' UFO's sitting around the studio--

 

Finished the Quilt by Row--featured on the side panel--really enjoyed working on this one row a month.  I'm looking for just the right blue to put on the border and then I'll look for just the right backing.  So guess, what?  I'm auditioning fabrics for border and backing......another reason the studio has gone wild!

The owls are hooting cute!  But--once again, I'm auditioning fabric for the borders--another batch of fabrics pulled out.

I did find this great backing fabric (ON SALE)--just need to seam it up, press and it will be ready for the quilters.

Oh, gee whiz!  I have this pile of 2.5" batik strips--what to do with them???  Have no idea, so they just lie around for some inspiration to hit the brain--

And.................I have all these embroidered blocks!  I love doing stitching--doesn't matter what the pattern is--I will do it!  Now, I have a collection of Christmas pieces--

and while auditioning the border fabrics, I found the great brown tree fabric that will work for borders for this quilt--if we ever get to it.  Into one of my plastic bins, this will go!

See this pile of T-shirts?  I didn't count--but must be over 20 of them.  I don't wear T-shirts much anymore and after seeing my Judy friends with their T-shirt quilt designs, I'm thinking Why Not?

These are just a few of the sheep shirts that have been collected over the years--into another bin--got to keep these 'wild' things in check somehow! 

Hope your studio isn't too wild to tame!