Ginger Belle Quilt

I'm just tickled to have this quilt finished and on the bed! I started it in October of last year. The pattern is Ginger Belle, from Carrie Nelson of Miss Rosie's Quilt Co. It's in this book

this is, hands down, my favorite quilt book. I love everything Carrie Nelson publishes and she's my favorite designer. There are several patterns in it that are on my list to make, but this was at the top of the list:

I cut everything from my stash of Civil War / Thimbleberry type fabrics.

Sometime I wonder why I have so much fabric and question if I really need it all, but I love digging through my stash when I'm beginning a new project and pulling fabrics. It's one of my favorite parts of the quilt making process and this quilt was a long process. I'd stitch a bit here and there and then another project would take precedence.

Ginger Belle is 81 x 81, but I made it bigger. The blocks are big and after only adding another row, it finishes at 114" x 114". I cut 12 strips for the binding and it took me literally weeks to get it bound. I chose this green fabric that is from Moda's Union Blues collection for the binding:

I backed this one with one of my bargain fabrics that I bought for $3.00 at a little quilt shop that was going out of business a few years ago. I didn't quite have enough, but I found more at Whittles for $5.00/yd. I love that shop. I think I heard about it from Jo, over at Jo's Country Junction. 

Jackie quilted it using a pattern called Cafe de Munde, another perfect choice from my superstar quilter:

Photographing a quilt this size is a challenge. While we were all out shooting pistols the other day, it dawned on me that the flat bed trailer would be perfect

 so my champion quilt holders and the canine assistants were called into action:

I adore everything about this quilt. 

Scrappy quilts just tickle me to pieces and this one is a joy to snuggle under. Right now it has a huge pile of laundry on it that needs folding, but that's not even a chore when I get to see this after everything is put away.

Wishing You All A Blessed Thanksgiving

I've no doubt that your homes are filled with friends and family and that your kitchen is filled with good smells and dirty dishes today. Sending safe travel prayers for those of you who will be traveling and thinking of those who are alone during this season.

When I went into town to buy groceries the other day, I ran into a number of elderly gentlemen who looked as if they could use a kind word. All of them were in motorized carts and seemed to be struggling. I was visiting with a friend and one gentleman was searching for ground cloves so I took him to the spice aisle in order to help. Alas, no ground cloves. However, I must have taken the last jar about 15 minutes earlier so I dug into my cart and gave him my jar. He was reluctant to accept it, but I assured him that I could easily stop at another store. 

At the second store, I ran into a gentleman who was peering intently into the freezers that held the tv dinners. His wife is housebound and he was looking for a turkey dinner. It broke my heart. I told him to come to our home, but we live so far out. He had trouble seeing, as he had forgotten his 'blasted glasses'. :) I told him that I had the same problem without glasses and asked him if I might be able to help him. I'll bet we surveyed the offerings for 20 minutes as we visited. He finally settled on pork ribs and then thanked me for taking the time to help him and for the visit.

At the third store, I noticed a man trying to decide what he could buy with the $20 he had. He was contemplating the yogurt and a store employee approached him and offered his assistance. The gentleman had Down's Syndrome and the clerk was incredibly kind and helpful. This is my favorite grocery store in town. The employees are always especially thoughtful. It's refreshing and appreciated.

I am always in such a hurry when I am in town because I dislike being there so much, but the good Lord knows when to slow me down and take heed of those who might appreciate a friendly smile or helping hand.

I found the following online, but my prayer is that I am mindful of this each and every day, not just on Thanksgiving.

What I've Been Working On

Sewing around here happens in fits and spurts. No sewing for 10 days and then I hit upon an hour or two a couple of days in a row. Saturday was a Quilt Squad sew day in town. I opted out. It's what social hermits do. :) Such a great bunch of ladies, but going to town is just painful for me and there was plenty that needed doing around here.

I went in on Tuesday to help with the extension office Christmas Joy Holiday Showcase at the Civic Center and that was all the socializing I could handle in one week. Those ladies worked hard to put on an impressive program. All I did was show up for the afternoon program and help restock the snack table for the evening presentation. There are 4 stations and everyone rotates every 20 minutes. A ton of projects, recipes, and ideas are presented at each station. So many that I was overwhelmed, but they send you home with a spiral bound book containing every project.

 My hat goes off to our home economist, Shannon, and everyone that made it a success. I was not even remotely thinking about Christmas before I stepped into that Civic Center, but I felt as if I had been transported to the North Pole once I arrived. It messed with my "No Christmas until after Thanksgiving" mentality.

Bulls were gathered and put out with their respective tribes this week:

And this project was pieced and is now ready for borders:

Chiddlers will be coming and going for Thanksgiving. Their visits will be short but sweet and I am thankful that they want to make the 4 hour drive to be home for such a short time.

So I won't be starting anything new before then, but I'll have a finished quilt to show after Thanksgiving. Just waiting for my quilt holders to arrive. I'll bribe them with pie. Works every time!

Rise and Shine

Bacon...pretending to be beef. Doesn't this look like a bovine? Made me chuckle this morning. Looks like an Ace Reid cow.

And the Lord was up bright and early this morning painting another masterpiece across the desert sky

Around here, it's worth getting up before the sun when you are greeted by these breathtaking colors

Even my very dirty windows looked pretty as they reflected the extraordinary colors

Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness
Lamentaions 22-23 (NKJ)

Yummy Corn Casserole

Seems I struggle with finding enough side dishes when I cook for the boys. They'll eat just about anything, but I don't want to get too far off the beaten path with them, yet I really try to mix things up and not serve them the same thing twice. So, through the years I've worked to have 12 different menus that I fix when we gather and brand in the spring and then again when we wean and ship in the fall.

A few weeks ago I just had a small crew of 6 and I tried a new recipe: Million Dollar Spaghetti. It was ok, but none of us really cared for it so it doesn't make the cut.

Today I'm going to share an easy side dish that I tried out last year and it received rave reviews. I found it on Pinterest here and it became an instant favorite, although I changed some of the amounts and added the bacon.

YUMMY CORN CASSEROLE.

2 1/2 C frozen corn

1 can creamed corn

1 8-oz block of cream cheese, softened

4 oz green chile - I highly recommend fresh green chile  for the best flavor if it is available to you.
4 Tbsp butter
1/4 C chopped green onion
1/4 C chopped red or green pepper
4 slices diced bacon
1/2 tsp Paprika
salt and pepper to taste
Pinch of Cayenne
1 - 6 oz can crispy fried onions

*Saute green onions, peppers and bacon in skillet with 1 Tbsp butter. Spray a 2 qt baking dish with cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine frozen corn, creamed corn, cream cheese, green chiles, 3 Tbsp melted butter, green onion, peppers, bacon, salt, pepper, paprika, and cayenne. Stir to combine and pour into baking dish. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and stir in 3/4 of the fried onions. Add remaining onions on top and return to oven. Bake for another 20 minutes.

They should hire me to be a green chile spokesperson because I put it in everything. The canned chile just does not have the flavor of fresh roasted. Ya'll probably roll your eyes every time I say that. :)

Saddle Up Quilt is On It's Way To Nebraska

I started this quilt a few weeks ago. The pattern is called Whimsical and can be found here. And here's the link to a previous post where I talked a little about the construction of the blocks:

Saddle Up

I took this quilt in to Jackie on a Thursday evening and she called me the following Thursday morning to let me know that it was ready. She's a wonder! The last quilt I finished was the beginning of August and I am binding another right now. I asked her to just move this one up in my line of quilts to be quilted, but 3 or 4 weeks would be fine so I was surprised to hear from her so soon.

It was Saturday before I got into town to pick it up and I spent every spare minute stitching on the binding for 2 days, boxed it up and sent it on it's way with wishes and prayers that it will bring some warmth and comfort to DH's cousin as he tackles his cancer treatments. It's the only way I could think of to send love and hugs across the miles.

He and his wife both rodeoed and they raised their 3 boys on the family ranch so I hope this quilt will be a good fit. I enjoyed revisiting all the fabrics I had collected through the years and choosing the ones I wanted for this quilt:

I chose a brown Minky backing for added warmth and at 55 x 70,  I think it'll be small enough to take along to treatments and large enough to fend off the cold that often prevails in hospitals.

Jackie quilted the perfect barbed wire meander across it:

When I began this quilt a few weeks ago, I didn't know I was making it for DH's cousin, but as I made the first few blocks, the Lord put him on my heart. I love it when He does that!

Know that you are loved and prayed for, Dave.

Soft and Fluffy One Hour Rolls

For someone who claims to eat fairly healthy and rarely eats bread, I sure do post a lot of bread recipes. :)

Can I use the excuse that I only make it for the crew and for family gatherings? We won't mention the fact that I made a batch of 20 rolls the other day and only had 4 extras to feed. And it's entirely too easy to walk through the kitchen and walk out with a roll in hand before my brain even registers what just happened.

Thus, there is a great need to walk more often...and father...much...much farther!

I posted a picture of these last week and from your response, I take it I'm not the only one who loves fresh home baked bread. :) So as per request, here's the recipe:

Soft and Fluffy One-Hour Rolls

1 1/2 C warm water
1 Tbsp yeast
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp softened butter
1 tsp salt
3 1/2 - 4 cups flour
3 Tbsp melted butter
Sea salt

* In stand mixer (I have a Bosch), with dough hooks, add yeast, sugar, and warm water. Let proof for 5 minutes. Add butter, salt, and 3 C of flour, mixing until combined. Add additional flour a little at a time until dough pulls away from sides of bowl. Dump onto lightly floured surface and knead for a minute or two. Dough will be a tad sticky. Place in bowl, cover, and let rise for 20 minutes. Punch down and divide into 20 pieces, shaping each piece into a ball and placing in 9 x 13" pan. I kept my fingers floured to keep the dough from sticking. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with sea salt. Let rise another 20-30 minutes. Bake 15 minutes or until rolls are golden brown. Remove from oven and brush with additional melted butter if desired.

Here's the link to the site where I found the recipe:
http://www.thebakerupstairs.com/2015/09/soft-and-fluffy-one-hour-rolls.html

 Her pictures are much nicer. My rolls look more...ummm...let's just go with rustic. :) . Not sure if that's a good thing for a roll to be, but around here, no-one judges the rolls on their looks and if they do, they get to wash the dishes. :)

I like that I can whip these up pretty fast and as I mentioned in my previous post, that added sprinkle of sea salt, is the perfect finishing touch. Cowboys love meat, potatoes, bread, and dessert and as long as I keep dishing it up, I'll have a happy crew.

Happenings

November?! How did THAT happen? Goodness! It's all going by so fast. Just odds and ends filled up last week and another long day at the sale barn wore me out yesterday so it made no sense that DH and I were both awake at 2:40 this morning. I took advantage of the extra hours and had a cherry pie baking in the oven by 3 a.m. It was out of the oven and cooling by the time the boys came in for breakfast. Their eyes lit up when they walked in and every one of them said, "Pie for breakfast!". Just like little kids.

I just have a small bunch today and made egg-sausage-cheese McMuffins, potatoes, and fresh fruit for breakfast. They are getting Million Dollar Spaghetti, fresh rolls, green beans, and a big salad for dinner.
My bread baking sabbatical didn't last very long. The little sprinkle of sea salt on top of these just makes them our new favorite.

I've got a fella coming today to stay in the bunkhouse while he works on a gas well. I don't know how long he'll stay and his crew of men will be here tomorrow. I don't think I'm expected to cook for them, but I'll have Devon over to eat until his men show up. I probably won't be able to keep myself from at least baking them cookies later in the week. :) So I've been hauling and washing bedding from the bunkhouse and waging war on the wasps while DH moved feed bunks:

Our girl blew through this weekend on her way to Oklahoma and left us with this rascal:

And Skeet loved having Uncle Harvey around:

I don't know who wore who out, but I think we're going to call it a draw:

On the sewing front, I did finish piecing the western quilt and took it in to Jackie on Thursday when we went in for a Safari club meeting. I completely forgot to take a picture before handing it off. I have also been binding a quilt for 2 weeks now and I still have 2 sides to go:

It's a big one, but I'm a slow binder and I did start another quilt, using this pattern:

I thought it might be constructed using 2 1/2" strips, but when I got the pattern, I realized that it uses 3 1/2" strips. It's been too long since I made a QOV so this is up next:

I'll have enough leftovers for supper so I hope to sneak in a little sewing this afternoon. And that concludes a very long, rambling update on what's taken place around here lately. :)