Colt's Second Birthday!

Baby brother Cain trying to decide which end of the toy to eat first.

Ah-ha! Success! :D

John and Erin decided to purchase a bounce house instead of renting one. They said that the cost was the same a renting twice. It was used on Colt's birthday, then inflated again on Thanksgiving. Sounds like a good buy to me!

Colt checking out his new jungle gym - er, I mean, picnic table.

What do you mean "Don't touch it?!"

I'm only TWO! I HAVE to touch it!

Isabel and Colt just pretending to be asleep. So cute!

Gorgeous early evening view.

My soap was gummy. I asked Sam if he could take a piece of wood and cut lengthwise grooves on one side and widthwise grooves on the other creating holes for drainage.

It works!

Just Stuff...and a New Pie Recipe!

This hawk is sitting on a high-line pole nearly every evening. One day I'm going to be prepared and catch him on that pole!

I made one placemat at the COF 2012 retreat in Branson - well I started it there. I finally completed all eight and made the tablerunner to match from a PJ party on the HGTV quilting forum. :D I'm happy!

A couple of weeks ago we spent Sunday with Isabel and her parents. She was starved for barbeque at lunch...

Ah...sated!

This is what 15 mph looks like at 7:40 a.m on the way to work via a country road. He got up to 20 and hit his breaks to slow down. LOL I leave early enough that I don't always go straight to work, sometimes I take an alternate route. This guy may have thought he was "getting to" me...but I was behind him laughing. neener neener He turned right at the farm-to-market road and looked over his shoulder - I guess to judge my degree of frustration. He was a young guy. Go figure...

Remember that Ozark Mountain Pie I had at the Rainbow Cafe in Mt. View Arkansas?

Here's my version.

I sorta held a naming contest with some quilter friends: To Die for Pie, Sherry's Sinful Indulgence, Sherry is a Big Tease (LOL), No Name Pie...but the winner is ...

Big Butt Pie

1/4 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup light Karo
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup coconut
1 cup walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugar. Add Karo and vanilla, mix in. Then add eggs and beat until all is blended in. Stir in chocolate chips, coconut, and walnuts. Pour into a prepared pie shell. Bake 40-45 minutes.

Note: I used dark chocolate chips, but you can use milk chocolate chips if you prefer.
 

This is my "Does this hat make my butt look big?" gift from Sue - aka Florida Farm Girl. Yes...there's a story. ;)

My new crust recipe. 
When I got my new KitchenAide food processor last year I searched for a pastry crust recipe. So flaky it melts in your mouth!

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pulse a couple of times to mix.

8 tablespoons of lard (I weigh it - 4 ounces)
Cut into chunks and spread on top of flour. Pulse 3 times counting to 3 each time.

Run and sprinkle in three tablespoons of ice cold water. This comes together real quick. Turn off. Gather up into a bundle. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least an hour.

Note:
You can use shortening instead of lard. Some of the fat can be butter, but butter tends to toughen the crust.

Projects

Colt was two years old this week. We will go to his party on Sunday. Sam made a kid-size picnic table out of cypress.

Isn't it just gorgeous wood?! ...with a simple oil finish... This should be around for a long time.

Short-stuff Erin will be getting a red oak step stool for her kitchen.

 

Colt's and Cain's ABC quilts are complete with a polka dot backing on both.

Isabel's is finished too!

I have some 'rescued' quilt blocks and hope to get three snuggle quilts made in time for Christmas. I also need to make more Christmas stockings.

We've got to start staying home on weekend so I can get some things done around here!

Colors are Gorgeous in Northeast Texas!

As are the clouds in our sky. :D

My Week

My first - and probably only - ATC (Artist Trading Card).

A field of frost.

Early morning full moon.

Smokey morning drive to the dentist. After I got back to work I found out that this was a controlled burn that got out of hand. The forest service was called in to cut a fire break. Back under control and allowed to burn.

At the car wash...

 Fall colors on the drive home from work.

Pumpkin Patch

 

Long Weekend Trip - and Other Stuff

These are in the "other stuff" category. I fooled around with the templates in my cell phone. LOL Sam did not really appreciate the photo below. Wonder why?!

I took a couple of days vacation for a trip to Mt. View AR.  The colors are gorgeous! Once upon a time Sam would stop so that I could take pictures. Now I shoot them while he's driving. sigh...

This is called Ozark Mountain Pie. I got a slice at the Rainbow Cafe in Mt. View. OH MY GOODNESS! So good! I asked for the recipe. RATS! It's a specialty of the restaurant and they wouldn't share. However, I think I can replicate this. More to follow later. Butter and eggs are on the grocery list.

 When we were in Branson MO last month, Sam won a couple of tickets to a show. Grand Country Jubilee (or something like that). We took the opportunity to make a side trip to use the tickets.

This is the view I had. Sam sat to my right. Every time the performers moved to the left, I leaned left. The guy on that side probably thought I was putting the moves on him.

At intermission, he and his wife changed places. (This is probably the shortest hair-do I've ever seen on a woman. And, yes, Sarah. This is a woman.)

We ate at Jack's restaurant on the White River. A group of Miatas were in the parking lot. I took a photo of the car in the group I liked best. Sam told me I had good taste - this is a Porsche. :D

On the way home we spotted this on a trailer. Yep. I could see myself in either one of these cars.

This is the main reason we go to Mt. View...jam sessions on and around the courthouse square.

These photos of fall foliage are just south of Branson.

By now I believe y'all know how I love clouds. Aren't these in the Missouri sky unusual?!

This is for The Monitor - the local paper from the north end of Morris County. ;-)

Two years ago I purchased the two fabrics in the foreground from The Quilting Bee in Mt. View. I visit every time we are there. I found the fabric in the background in the sale bin. Pert near perfect match!

Big brother Colt reading to little brother Cain. I LOVE IT!

 It's truly funny how you associate "things." That pie up above. I thought to myself while I was eating it..."This better than sex!" Of course I didn't say anything out loud with Sam sitting across the table from me. Since the booth directly behind me was occupied I had to keep down the "When Harry Met Sally" scene... Anyway, I thought about...you-know-who. OH YES!