Fresh Broccoli Salad

4 or 5  years ago, a lady brought this to our annual safari club summer picnic and we loved it. She said she's expected to bring it to every gathering. She was sweet enough to share it with me and it became an instant family favorite. The ingredients seems a little odd, but somehow, it all works and it's a nice change of pace in a summer salad lineup. I was craving it last week, but it was just the 2 of us so I made a smaller batch. 

Broccoli Salad

1 1/2# Broccoli crowns, cut into bite sized pieces

8 pieces bacon, cooked and diced

1/8 C Sunflower Seeds

1/2 C grated Cheddar Cheese

1/4 C Dried Cranberries

1/4 C Red Onion, diced small

Dressing:

1 C Mayo

1/4 C Apple Cider Vinegar

1/8 C Sugar (I probably use 1/2 of that)

Pepper

We grill a lot out here and it's not just a summer thing for us. I grill year round, but since it's been over 100° here, I've been grilling or smoking something every day. I served this salad with grilled pork chops I marinated overnight, grilled corn-on-the-cob, and the first garden tomatoes of the season.

Scrap Dance Waltz

 Today I'm sharing another UFO that's been hanging around for a while. In 2016, I stumbled upon a quilt along over at My Carolina Home and I thought it'd be a good opportunity to use some of my 30's fabrics and I paired them with Kona Snow. Heaven knows I've got a healthy stash of 30's! I wonder how many quilts I need to make before the bin will close. LOL.

Well I gave it the old college try with this quilt. The blocks were such fun to make:

I can't believe it's taken me 6 years to finish this quilt. I made 81 blocks and finally finished the top in 2018. It's impossible to be grumpy when sewing with these happy fabrics

I was so delighted when I started laying the blocks out that I'm pretty sure I stood back and clapped my hands. LOL. 

Carole, you knocked it out of the park with this design! 

                                                 

I backed it with one of Lori Holt's wide prints 

and pulled an orange from my stash for the binding. I rarely use orange, but it worked well with both the front and the back although with a scrappy quilt, anything goes.

Jackie laughed when I dropped it off because I told her I had enough big quilts, and this one is 92 x 92. She quilted it with another perfect design called Chantilly Lace in a white thread:

As I was stitching on the binding, I realized what happy fabrics these are. I haven't made a quilt with these fabrics since and I think it's time to make more quilts with them. My bin does close now, but there's nary room for a 2 1/2" square.

But as for now, I get to enjoy this one! I love the movement the combination of blocks creates throughout the quilt:

I checked Carole's blog and it looks like the Quilt-along posts are no longer available, but she has converted the Scrap Dance Series to patterns and Scrap Dance Waltz is available here:

Scrap Dance Waltz Pattern

It feels good to be celebrating another happy, finished quilt

                                    

Feather and Fur Update

Before I get to today's post I wanted to address a question I've been asked frequently. 

How do I subscribe to your blog? 

Good question and I'm afraid I don't have a good answer. I am challenged when it comes to technology. I started this little blog 14 years ago here. It is free. I don't have any costs associated with it, but I also don't have a tech team behind me. From what I understand, Blogger has done away with the 'follow by e-mail' option. There is a link on the right side of my posts that allows you to follow via Bloglovin'. I also have a Feedly account and I follow blogs via that platform so you may consider that as an option. I hope that helps.

I'm also not receiving e-mails notifying me of your comments so I'm not able to reply to your comments. I'm trying to find a solution to that. I have a love/hate relationship with technology.

Today I thought I'd give you a feather and fur update.

The chicks are big enough that I moved them into the coop and they have been released from their little cage

But my feed tub brooder didn't stay empty for long:

I picked up 24 Guinea Keets from the seed store a few weeks ago. 

They are even smaller than chicks, but chicks are much gentler. Guineas are wild - at least the ones we've had always have been, but I love having Guineas. They are good insect and snake deterrents as well as excellent egg layers. They will stay here for about a month and then move into the coop for another month before I release them to free range.

When I walked past the sage bushes one morning I noticed this baby Oriole nestled within the branches:

It was practicing it's new flying skills

I was on my way to feed Oliver

For those of you asking about him, he is now fat and sassy

And fully reunited with his littermates

I'm grateful we don't have any doggie calves this year because my baby dance card is full

Oatmeal Scotchies

 Saturday we had the Annual Safari Club Picnic out at the Skeet Range. The meal was catered, but Board members brought desserts. I just baked cookies since whatever we brought had to sit out on a counter. I made Oatmeal Scotchies the night before

I've been making these for a long time. I don't  know when they came out with the Butterscotch Chips, but that's about how long I've been making these. I just use the recipe on the back of the bag, but I add a little more flour because we like a cookie that's a bit more substantial and not so flat. I doubled the recipe and this time I used 1/2 quick oats and 1/2 old fashioned oats.

Oatmeal Scotchies

1 1/2 C flour and I usually add just a little more. (the original recipe calls for 1 1/4 C, but if I don't add more flour, my cookies turn out too flat.)

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 C butter, softened (not melted)

3/4 C sugar

3/4 C firmly packed brown sugar

2 eggs

 1 tsp vanilla 

3 C quick or old fashioned oats 

1 12 oz bag Butterscotch Chips

*Preheat oven to 375°. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon, Set aside. In a large bowl, beat butter, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla until creamy. Gradually beat in flour mixture, Stir in oats and Butterscotch Chips. Drop onto parchment lined cookie sheets. Bake for 9-11 minutes, but this really varies, depending on your oven and if you prefer a soft cookie or one with a bit of a crunchy edge/tender center.