Thursday, July 23, 2020

Zucchini!!

This time of year the garden is overgrown with ZUCCHINI!  So many of those
green things coming on strong!  Zucchini here, zucchini there! 
 What to do with them?
Can't let them go to waste..............
Here are a few of my favorite recipes that handily use up those green cylinders---
For dinner tonight we are having Zoodle chicken casserole--
two ingredients needed--zoodles (you can buy them this way or we have a spiralizer) so make our own--well worth the price of the machine if you have lots of Z's to do.  We are using leftover chicken, jar of alfredo sauce and zoodles--oh yes, lots of cheese on top.
add zoodles to dish, add chicken bits, pour over alfredo sauce (we like Trader Joes' but you can make your own),  add cheese to top and bake till bubbly!  Yum! delish!
Our son likes to use red sauce and ground meat to his zoodles--it's just as good--always a use for leftover meat.  

 And how about desserts--which we're not doing much of now--but this chocolate zucchini cake is to die for--best part--no one knows it contains green stuff!
and there is my favorite--Z-apple pie!  This takes a little longer to prepare but Oh My Goodness--tastes just like an apple pie!    And here are a ton of other recipes you can utilize with that vegetable.  I just wish that all veggies were that verstible.


Sunday, July 19, 2020

Sometime to Motivate Your Quilting Stitches!

Learning a new skill is always challenging--Even at any age! Therefore, I'm on a new adventure and this is right up my alley!

 


This sew along class is free! via you tube--you can stitch up this panel and
join in on the fun of learning how to machine quilt!
Do you have any idea how many machine quilting workshops/classes
I've taken?  Neither to I!  Never had much luck with my machine--so why
not try this one with Natalia Bonner!
These free you tube lessons, beginning September 1, 2020 will
feature the use of rulers--never thought of using rulers, did you?
So, here we go....
I'm stitching up the panel--each nine patch block measures 4" unfinished
block will measure 12" finished.  NIne patches are easy to piece!




Friday, July 17, 2020

Christmas in July

Yes, Christmas in July!!  Why not?!!  If your summers are hot and humid, this is a way to cool off with Christmas fabric and stitching.   Debby Kratovil Quilts is leading us off with Christmas and Hanukkah ideas.
Diadem is Etsy pattern.  She will offer free patterns as she adds to her blog.


making Jelly Snowflake mystery Quilt along is on my list--I'm not using
Christmas fabrics though as my Jelly roll is spring time fabrics--using what I've on hand is
my motto!

Here is the first blocks--each Tuesday throughout July you'll find a different
designer block

Wednesday, July 15, 2020

July/August Reads


I’m reading faster than I thought I would!  Added to my
Stack this past week—found four of these books on
PaperBackSwap 
Never know if the swap masters will have a book
You seek—so was quite pleased to find all these
Titles except “Keeper of Lost Things”

“Three Weeks to Say Good-bye” is a used library
Book, not what I like but it is clean and unmarked so
It could go back to swap when finished. 

"The Far Empty" by J. Todd Scott is a modern western set
in Texas Border Town (all of which I know well)

"The Keeper of Lost Things" by Ruth Hogan--
He finds and keeps your lost items and now his treasures
are passed along to Laura, who is trying to find the owners of
these lost items.

"Shadow of the Wind" by Carlos Ruiz Zafon--
was so happy to find this book as a swap!  Takes place in 1945
in Barcelona, Spain--a book in a book! 

"Three Weeks to Say Goodbye by C J Box (known for his
Montana adventures) takes place in Denver--

"Enemy Women" by Paulette Jiles--
Paulette takes little known events in history to tell
her magical tales of courageous women during the
Civil War

Guess I'm set for reading till September maybe!
What are you reading that is exciting, adventurous, mysterious,
comical, historic....?




Monday, July 13, 2020

American Country!

couldn't decide on borders at first--on right --With borders--American Country is finished!
This is interesting pattern--mostly paper pieced, especially the
trees, From designer Charismas Corner


The pattern on the left is Simple Traditions; her first pattern to be published in a
quilting magazine!  Yay! For Charisma!
You can find this pattern in Autumn Quilter's World magazine.
I'll be looking for this for sure!
There is pumpkins on front cover--I'm sucker for that feel of fall!
Plus, Charisma's pattern has nice open spaces for quilting--since
I'm learning to long arm quilt I need big open spaces to practice with
rulers.



Saturday, July 11, 2020

The Carvings of Gene Zesch

The Carvings of Gene Zesch is another outstanding exhibit

Hold onto your hat folks!  This is laugh out loud show!
We had to chuckle at many of the pieces--such wise sayings along 
with the carvings.  Remember, these are small caricatures--nothing
larger than 6"--  


Just unbelievable work! 
some with cigars or cigarettes in their mouth--all carved by hand!

"End of the Trail"

"Oh--that buck"

"I see by the outfit you are a cowboy"

"Can't Look"

"Now, that ought discourage rustlers"
The cow is branded all over

This is one he did especially for our time period--
" Quarantined"--beer bottles and cigarette butts galore


Thursday, July 9, 2020

Museum Walks

Thanks goodness, museums are open now!
We took a visit to Kerrville, TX Museum of Western Art--
Both of these exhibits will be on display till August 1
Great exhibits for sure--special exhibits too!


You can't help but admire the paintings of G. Harvey
He gives us the bright light of night with his western paintings
This one is "Christmas Eve At the General Store"

"Christmas Ride"  I love the contrast of the horse/buggy with
'modern car'

"In HIs Footsteps" 1979

1980 painting "Mission Well"

Look how the light glows around the animals--
super exhibit!

"Second Generation"
All the paintings are on loan from L.D. Brinkman Collection.
so glad they shared!


It's Time--

 It’s time to think about greeting cards I’ll send out this year.  Most years, if I’m not feeling pressed, I’ll create my own cards.  One ye...