Leaving on a Jet Plane...

...but I do know when I will be back again.

But first, we just had a wonderful visit with a high school friend. He and his family have been on vacation from Carlsbad, NM to South Carolina on to Branson, MO then here...actually they stopped here on their way to SC, but stayed with his parents. This weekend however is their family reunion and since his parents had a full house, they stayed with us the first night before the family congregated at the State Park. Five adults and 3 children...count them...8 additional people in our home - a two-bedroom house I might add. (We don't count the sewing/quilting room as a bedroom until the queen-size mattress gets inflated.) They were stacked like cord wood! LOL After a supper of hot dogs, I turned to the 6 and 7-year old girl and boy and asked, "What do you want to? Go to bed right now or go swimming?" Everyone knows the answer to that! We had a wonderful visit. Andy and Debbie, you are both braver than me traveling with the troupe you associate with!

Now it is our turn. Sam and I head to north Texas tomorrow; then to DFW for a 6:55 a.m. flight on Sunday. In Seattle we board the Star Princess for our Alaskan cruise - last year's Christmas gift from Sam's son. Thanks, John!

"See" you all after August 12. Stay cool! (99.9 at this moment...)

Lilies and Son

Thanks to Pam - Berry Ponds Quilts blog - I now know that my lilies are crinum lilies. I have two varieties. The red is evidently c.graminicola graslelie. I also have a white with pink that must be c.macowanii Sabie crinum. Both are African. They were all supposed to be red, so once they multiply, I'll be doing some digging to remove the white/pink and replacing with reds.

"My Son" has posted a couple of times; mostly recently requesting "quarts" of salsa! Ah! Children! What did we do without them? What do we do with them?

Born in 1983. Three weeks early by doctor's counting...Twelve years late by my calendar! Weighed 6 lbs. 11 oz. But he made up for it. He ate everything! I had knees like that too! 2002 came all too soon.

Evening Clutch Completed!

I am so excited! I completed the crazy quilt evening bag I intend to use on our cruise. Can you feel the excitement from my fingertips? This is what I started with: And this is the finished project! Front closed: Back: Opened: Inside with pockets and label:
Betcha no one else will have one like it!

Fig Preserves

I will be so glad when figs are ready! We are down to only two pints. My son asked for the recipe.

FIG PRESERVES

1 gallon figs
2 quarts sugar
juice of 1 lemon

Select ripe but not soft figs. Wash and cut off stems. Place alternate layers of sugar and figs in an enamel or aluminum kettle. Cover (with a dishcloth if you don't have a lid for the kettle). Let stand overnight. Put over medium heat and bring to a boil. Keep a good slow boil. Cook until tender, transparent, and amber colored (about 1 to 1 1/2 hours); stirring frequently to prevent sticking and scorching. Add lemon juice. Cook 10 minutes longer. Fill hot, dry, sterilized jars to 1/2-inch from the top. Close and seal.

We like our figs chewy. Cook longer being extremely careful not to scorch your preserves.

You can't have the above recipe without a good preserve cake recipe!

PRESERVE CAKE

3 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon soda
1 cup preserves
1 to 1 1/2 cups nuts, chopped

Sift together flour, cloves, cinnamon, and salt. Cream butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Combine buttermilk and soda. Mix buttermilk mixture into creamed mixture. Add flour mixture mixing well. Add preserves. Blend well. Stir in chopped nuts. Bake in a greased and floured tube or Bundt pan at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 40 minutes.

Notes:
You can use any variety of preserves that you want; we just happen to like figs.
You can also stir up a powdered sugar glaze to go on top, if desired.
If you don't have buttermilk, stir 1 teaspoon vinegar or lemon juice into a cup of regular milk.

I Am Queen Sherry!

Since I made 10 Roly-Nesters, I am now the Queen of Roly-Nesters. Former Queen Karen from Colorado 'just' made eight. Be sure to check it out. Do you have a need for more than 10 Roly-Nesters?

http://www.studiokatdesigns.com/freepatterns.htm

I've Been Sewing!

I had a piece of double-sided prequilted fabric (from Wal-Mart), but had to purchase another yard to finish all of this.

The tote is a Tammy Tadd design that I modified to suit my needs. http://www.tammytadddesigns.com/

The aero pac (for passport, ticket, etc.) is a free pattern from Studio Kat designs (http://www.studiokatdesigns.com/freepatterns.htm) as are the roly-nesters.
When my husband looked on my sewing table at the nested rolys, he looked at me and shook his head as he turned and walked out. I placed a tube of lipstick beside the smallest roly so that you could get an idea as to scale. The zippers are all different because I used a handful of recycled zippers I found in a chest.



I found the wallet pattern on America Sews with Sue Hausmann. Changed the pattern a bit for me. http://usaapp.husqvarnaviking.com/education/pdf/1802wallet.pdf

The little purse with the shoulder strap is similar to Joan Hawley's Sew Sweet Satchel. http://www.lazygirldesigns.com/PDF/Sew_Sweet_Satchel.pdf

I also made a tissue holder and a small makeup bag...both something I just "whipped up."

Now, I'm ready for the cruise. Oh. I have to pack.

Just Stuff

Sam made another trip to visit his son and daughter. We woke to beautiful temperatures for mid-July - 72 degrees. Sam said he had to stop when he got to town to put his jacket on. LOL I don't know what the correct name for these lilies is but aren't they gorgeous? I know, the photo doesn't do justice...
So let's get closer...And look what's about to open up!
Mama came over and we made salsa...and what a story we have about this! I have a recipe from a dear lady who is now dead. I've made this specific recipe before, but I'm sure it was back in the 70's, so here we go...I wondered why it called for 8 cups of sugar for only 1 gallon of tomatoes. So, I put 1/4 cup of sugar in it. As we tasted and grimaced, we realized why...it had 6 cups of vinegar! Mama peeled more tomatoes, I opened three cans of diced tomatoes, 1 can of Rotel tomatoes, and three cans of tomato sauce. We added more sugar, but not the 8 cups the recipe called for. I sent Mama on home to rest and continued to cook until Sam came in and gave it a taste test...it passed, so I jarred it. I was seriously considering tossing it...what a waste that would have been.17 1/2 pints later! We won't have to make more salsa for another three or four years! It IS pretty though, isn't it?! In case you are wondering why my mother comes to my house for canning - I have all the canning implements. AND, my mother has been waiting on the gas pipes in her home to be replaced for several months now...no cooking at her house until that happens. Unfortunately, it will probably take the onset of cold weather before the guy remembers that she's sitting in the cold...even though she calls him on a regular basis. She trusts him...so she will wait...as long as her patience holds out.

Another Story Published!

A local monthly newspaper-type magazine (does that make sense?) recently published one of my short stories. I sent them the three-part story I posted here in January of this year. For some reason, he picked only the center part to print! Beats me as to why...but it gives me another publishing credit!

I was in the library working when one of the members of our Friends group came in grinning from ear to ear. I didn't even know the story was going to be published - arrangements were made through NETWO (Northeast Texas Writer's Organization www.netwo.org). When Bobbie told me, you could've knocked me over with a feather. Later that day, another friend called and was so excited for me. I was walking on cloud nine.

OH! Almost forgot - Northeast Texas Journal out of Mt. Pleasant, Texas. Unfortunately, they don't have a website or I would post it!

Sam made it home Friday. He has nothing scheduled for out-of-town. I got a bit of house cleaning (dirty words) done while he was gone. We have a great expanse of tile floors - DON'T DO IT!!! It is hard, cold, and loud. Sam generally walks outside when I get lazy and run the vacuum over it instead of dust mopping. Really...it is loud!

I have been patiently waiting for my crepe myrtles to bloom. They have bloomed all over town...but not at my house...until...aren't they gorgeous? I wanted the old-timey watermelon red CMs.















A few posts ago, I mentioned canning squash pickles with Mama. I think I've posted the recipe not once but twice. Here's the finished product. They are like a bread 'n' butter pickle.

Baking Again...

...and alone again. Sam went to south Texas. His brother and sister-in-law are selling their home and the closing should be early next week...after not closing on either the 24th or 27th last week. Ah, the joys of waiting on someone else to do their job! I planned on going, but had committed to work at the library Monday through Wednesday...before the closing was postponed. Sam went down to help move them.

I made these Thursday.

Blueberry Muffins

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cups blueberries

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, beat butter until fluffy then beat in sugar and eggs. Add vanilla. Stir flour mixture into the butter mixture, along with the milk. Fold in blueberries. Either grease muffin tins or line with paper liners. Fill tins a bit over half. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

I don't know how many this makes! I got 24 small muffins and 6 regular size muffins out of the recipe. (I needed the bite-size muffins for a book signing at the library.)