GIVEAWAY!!!

Check this out!!  http://www.ryanwalshquilts.com/  I absolutely love his blog and now he has a giveaway!  He is so inspiring and I just love to read his postings and view his projects.  AMAZING!!

Some Neat Things!

So I have been busy in my sewing room this week making up for lost time.  The dinner theatre takes an incredible amount of time, so I had to give my sewing machine some attention so it wouldn't forget who I was!  LOL  As I mentioned in a prior post, I joined an on-line quilt along.  It's been a lot of fun and I'm proud to say I kept up with making my weekly blocks during the craziness of dinner theatre!  You can check them out by clicking on this link  http://www.flickr.com/photos/46134220@N05/

Now on to something you fellow crafters might enjoy!  There's a real nice gal on flickr that posted this Poochie Bag with the link to another wonderful gal who designed, and is sharing, the pattern.  Here's the bag:

The link to the pattern is here:  http://thehappyzombie.com/blog/?p=368  You can also join the Poochie Pouch flickr group.  The bag I made is for my two year old niece.  I thought she would enjoy using it to carry around her baby dolls or any other little goodie she finds.  (Suzie - I KNOW you will end up making this bag, so you'll have to let me know how you like it and post it of flickr!  LOL)  The pattern is so easy and it's just a fun bag.  So thank you to the Happy Zombie for being so generous!!!  Can I just say that I absolutely LOVE that name...Happy Zombie....seriously...how can that NOT put a smile on your face!!

Okay...I just have to share this because I'm still freaked out by what I saw this morning.  So, as I said, I'm really enjoying this flickr stuff.  I've meant so many nice quilters and crafters and have enjoyed the things I'm learning on there.  I wanted to add some more groups, and I did find some nice quilting ones.  So I do my morning ritual...get up....make a pot of coffee...turn the computer on...get my cup of coffee...sit down at the computer to see what's new in the quilting world before I have to get ready for work.   I hit the Explore icon on flickr and you can view the most popular photos...so I did....Oh.......My.............Gosh.............what I clicked on scarred me for LIFE!!!  It was photos of all these women with their BARE BUTTS!!!!!!  Oh yeah....real people....sharing their birthday suits.  Like I told my sister...that woke me up faster than any cup of coffee ever did!  I know there are a 'different' kind of people out there, but you know, when you're wanting to see quilts and crafts, but end up seeing 'cracks'.....that's a bit of a shocker!!  So this chick got out of Dodge real fast!!!

I hope you all are doing well!  Until the next post.....'bottom's up!'  (get it!!  oooo.....I 'crack' myself up!!!!!)  Okay....I'll stop.....  :o)

I'm Still Here!

Sorry it's been so long since I've blogged.  Did you notice I was gone?  LOL  Currently we are in the middle of our annual community dinner threatre.  Here's a picture of the gang!

These are the HiLiters, which is the group I'm in.  We are your waiters and waitresses then do a few singing and dancing numbers before the play starts.  It's an annual event we perform this time every year.  It's a TON of work, but it's a great way to give back to the community.  All money raised supports scholarships, school trips, community needs, etc.  The last performance is this Saturday.  It's kind of bittersweet.  You'll miss getting together with everyone, but at the same time, it's nice to have a few free moments to yourself again.

Now on to something I think you will really find yummy!  This nice chef found me on Twitter and I'm glad he did!  I can't say enough about his recipes!  I got his permission to post his recipe to share with all of you.  You can also sign up to receive his daily email at this site:  www.cheftraveler.com  His recipes are PACKED with flavor and are so good for you!  His emails also include healthy tidbits of information.  It's a great bonus to your day!  Here's one of my most favorite recipes of his so far:

 Chicken Piccata   

This Italian classic is sure to be a hit with the family; you might want to omit the capers and cut back on the lemon juice if you are feeding kids.  You can buy the cutlets ready to go out of the package to save time, or pound them out yourself.  I give instructions below to pound them out if needed.  Butter or cream is usually used to finish off this dish to add richness.  This version is light and clean.

 

Serves 4

Cook time: 25 minutes

 

1          Tablespoon  Olive Oil

4ea.      Chicken Breast Cutlets

4ea.      sliced  Green Onion

2          teaspoons minced  Garlic

1          cup  Chicken Broth low sodium

3          tablespoon  Lemon Juice

2          tablespoon  Capers

2          tablespoon  Parsley, chopped

                       

Method

Heat skillet over medium heat, meanwhile pound the chicken in to thin cutlets between plastic wrap. Add oil and chicken cutlets to the skillet, and cook for a few minutes a side, until cooked through, set aside on plate. Add the green onion, and garlic, to the skillet and cook for a few minutes until the onion starts to soften. Add chicken broth and lemon, and bring heat to high and cook for a few more minutes until reduced by 1/2, scraping any bits on the skillet. Add capers, parsley and chicken, and mix to combine.

 

Per serving:

243.25 calories;    24.75 gram protein;   17grams total fat; 

0gram fiber;   5gram saturated fat;  1.75grams carbohydrates;

72 mgs cholesterol;    465.5 mgs sodium

 

Seriously, you will NOT be disappointed in this recipe, or anything of his!  I serve this one with brown rice and roasted asparagus. My family, which are very picky eaters, have really been enjoying things I've been receiving from him. 

And one more nice thing of the day.  I found an online quilt shop thru Etsy.  This gal is one of the nicest people I've come across.  Between Kym and Chef Jeff, it just doesn't get any better than this!  If you're looking for amazing customer service, high quality fabric very reasonably priced and extremely reasonable shipping costs, look no further!  Just go to: http://www.etsy.com/shop/FabricFascination  Trust me, you won't be disappointed!

I'll be posting more about my quilt retreat too, after the play is over.  It was such a great time, I just have to blog more about it!  I hope this finds you all happy and healthy!  Take care!

While I was Sleeping...

So these past four days I've been at the annual Cotton Shop quilt retreat.  It was a great time and I just can't say enough about all the gals that come there.  They are all so special!!  I wanted to take a catnap so I could stay up and sew a little more before I went to bed.  All I can say is I love my sister and my friend Julie...these girls.......

Some of these pictures remind me of the movie, "Weekend with Bernie", where they were hauling around the dead guy....LOL!!  What can I say?? I have awesome family and friends!!  :o)  There will be more blogs coming this week about the retreat, or as Trish calls it, "quilt camp"...and whoever said quilters where boring, never spent a weekend with all of us!

Happy Valentine's Day!!

This is my oldest son, Jesse.

 

Today I have to tell you how wonderful he is.  This is a busy time of year for me.  I work full time and am a member of our local fine arts group.  We are getting ready for our annual dinner theatre in March.  So, I've been busy practicing.  I'm what you call a HiLiter.  This group is your wait staff for the dinner and then we do about a 1/2 hour singing and dancing performance before the play starts.  I also work one Saturday a month at the quilt shop.  A girls gotta support her hobby!  LOL  I worked at the quilt shop yesterday and came home, pretty tired.  After working all week and having practice, then working at the shop, I was wore out.  I walked in the door last night and Jesse asked if I wanted to go out for supper - just the two of us (my husband is working nights this weekend).  How could a mother refuse such an offer?  And what was even sweeter - he drove AND bought dinner.  We had such a great time.  He let me know how much he appreciated how his dad and I were always there for him.  I can't even begin to tell you what that meant to me.  How many 22 year old young men would take their mother out for supper on a Saturday night?  LOL  At the very top of my grateful list this morning at church when I give thanks, is going to be Jesse.   So, Jesse, if you read this blog, I want you to know how very proud, and grateful, I am that God blessed me with you as my son.  I am so thankful to have you in my life.

I hope you all have a wonderful Valentine's Day!

xoxo

Our Outdoor Adventure

It was a great, sunny, Saturday morning today.  My husband and I went to Wild Cat Den to enjoy some sunshine and fresh air.  This has been a long, gray winter, so we were thrilled when we saw the sun!  Though there were a few clouds in the sky the sun peaked out enough to just put a smile on our faces.  I thought I would share some pictures from today.  Enjoy!!

Tuna Burgers

As promised,  here's my tuna burger recipe.  It's great for a quick, weeknight supper.  I hope you enjoy it!

Cindy's Tuna Burgers
2 lg cans tuna in water (drained)
Juice of 1 lemon
1-1/2 tsp dill weed
2 small eggs (or 1 X-LG)
3/4 cups plain bread crumbs (more or less, depending on how moist your mixture is)
Red pepper flakes to taste (I use about 1 tsp)
Salt & Pepper
Mix all ingredients together and form into 8 equal size patties.  Heat skillet with butter and olive oil. Cook 3-4 minutes on each side until nicely browned.  Serve plain or on a bun with your favorite toppings.  Enjoy!