Quilting and beyond . . .

I've completed five quilts over the last few weeks. I have even gone off my usual path of scrap quilt patterns to make planned quilts with actual themes. Yes, it stretched my mind set a bit but I accomplished it! It is much more tempting to work on a quilt in cool weather. Nothing worse than having a lapful of quilt to sew on when the temperature IN the house is heading for 95 and I don't EVEN want to think about the outside degrees!

Cooler weather turned my thoughts to a favorite meal, too. Chicken pot pie! I don't make it as often as I would like to have it because the bottom crust is always an uncertain event. Most of the time, it cooks pretty evenly but I have had bouts with soggy or scorched. I've solved the problem to my family's satisfaction and the crust is ALWAYS crisp yet tender. I bake the crust separately! I prepare my usual chicken pot pie filling. Just before it is ready for the table, I prepare the dough for the crust BUT I roll it out evenly and bake it in the oven. I serve bowls of the hot chicken pot pie filling with a generous portion of the broken up crust. It maintains the pot pie taste, the crust is perfect, and the family enjoys being able to add a bit more to their meal.

I'm not gloomy . . .

They call it June Gloom but it isn't making me sad or unhappy! I remember my school days and the disappointment I felt when the first few weeks of summer vacation often suffered from overcast skies and even some sprinkles. These days, I welcome the extra respite from what I know the depth of the summer months will bring - Hot, hot, and more hot! Too bad we need the sunshine to make the crops grow because I would find it quite easy to fight my gloom with more June Gloom!

When California had some unseasonably hot weather earlier in the year, I figured it was time to resort to stove top, grill, and barbecue for the summer months. I'm enjoying being able to turn on the oven and bake or prepare a roast . . . and it's the middle of June! A friend at daily Mass and I have an ongoing competition about who is praying harder for THEIR favorite weather. Since it IS the middle of June, he just smiles and says, "I can wait for the summer heat. It's all stacked in my favor, you know!" Sigh . . . he is right but I'm enjoying the pleasure of crisp mornings, surprise drizzles, and cold nights for as long as it lasts!