Here is a link to a quilting site I have found helpful over the years. It is free which is always a plus with my budget . . . leaves more money for fabric! I have found that even if I don't use the suggested block patterns, I always come away with some ideas of my own. http://quilting.about.com/od/quiltpatternsprojects/ig/Free-Quilt-Patterns/
Also, if you live in Southern California or are willing to travel far and wide for fabric bargains, my favorite place is M&L Fabrics on Ball Road in Orange County area. They offer designer quilting fabric at less than the usual 'store' prices. They have a flat fold section where you can always come across a treasure for $2.49 a yard. There are rows and rows of fabric on the bolt going for anywhere from $2.99 a yard up to $9.99 a yard with lots of prices in between. The place is very basic but the cutting line goes quickly and the staff is nice. Go prepared to do some serious buying or you will regret what you leave behind. If you see something you like tremendously, buy it because the turnover is constant. These are not seconds but past season designs. If you know your quilt cotton designer names, you will be happy to find Kaufmann, Moda, Hoffman and most any other you can think of plus some 'regular' stuff you would see at Walmart and such.
If you have to or like to purchase on-line, Marshall's Dry Goods offers a lot of good, quality fabrics. I have always been happy with what I've ordered from them.
Well, my kitchen floor has been waxed and is dry so my excuses for sitting at the computer are gone and I have to really, really get yesterday's fabric purchases in the cupboards before my husband gets home form work! :-)
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Definitely Gives One Pause for Consideration . . .
The English author, C. S. Lewis, in one of his books, points out that when people become Christians, if they are not careful, their sinning often shifts from the overt, outward, visible sins of lying, cheating, stealing, cursing and swearing, to the more inward, hidden, non-apparent invisible ones ... and among them he lists "a critical spirit" ... a spirit of judgmentalism, a censorious attitude. In fact, he points out that this sin is one of transgression which is more commonly committed by church people than by those
who are not. So prevalent is it in churchly circles, that it is sometimes labeled "Christian cruelty."
This really struck home as a friend was just telling me that her daughter was being snubbed by other girls at a prolife group she belonged to at church. I had to wonder where the 'superior' young ladies were coming from in being part of a church organization that defends the life of the unborn yet disrespects the life of the living.
who are not. So prevalent is it in churchly circles, that it is sometimes labeled "Christian cruelty."
This really struck home as a friend was just telling me that her daughter was being snubbed by other girls at a prolife group she belonged to at church. I had to wonder where the 'superior' young ladies were coming from in being part of a church organization that defends the life of the unborn yet disrespects the life of the living.
Summer produces warm tomatoes and sunshine . . .
Basically, I prefer cooler temperatures but when our tomato plants start providing us with extravagant amounts of tomatoes, you find that you appreciate all the warmth you find in a fresh tomato that is warm from the plant. Of course, with an abundance of tomatoes comes the responsibility for them . . . as in not letting them go go waste.
Last year, I discovered a way to prepare tomatoes for freezing and almost instant use in spicing up pasta sauces. I washed the tomatoes (and we are talking about a lot of them!), sliced them into quarters or into reasonably the same size and thickness. I diced up several heads of fresh, peeled garlic, and mixed them in with the tomatoes, salt, and olive oil. I spread them one layer deep on a baking pan (with a rim) and slowly baked them in the oven at 300 degrees for about an hour or until they lost a lot of their liquid. I put them into another baking pan (greased with vegetable spray) sprinkled them with salt, pepper, and a smidge of chili flakes and froze them. I then put them into a sealed, freezer container and could dip in for my recipes the rest of the year. Freezing them helped keep them separated once you stored them in the container.
I also washed, halved, sprinkled with lemon juice, salt, and pepper the next harvest of tomatoes and divided them up into some zip lock type freezer bags. I put them into 'serving' size for most basic recipes. In fact, I have two bags left from last year to use up before the new tomatoes ripen.
A search on the Internet will find several good recipes for savory tomato jam, too. Of all the jams I made, last year, they got the best reviews from neighbors and friends.
My favorite use of fresh tomatoes? Salad! Here is one of my recipes that gets used a lot during the summer season.
Fresh Greek-Style Tomato Salad
Four to six ripe, red tomatoes, preferably Roma
4 ounces Feta
½ tsp. dried dill
½ tsp. basil
½ tsp. oregano
1 tsp. ground pepper
½ tsp. salt or to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons finely chopped, red onion
Cut the tomatoes into bite-sized chunks and place in bowl. Mix the olive oil, vinegar, onions, spices and herbs together in a small bowl. Pour over tomatoes, toss gently and let marinate for at least a half hour before serving. Just before using, crumble in the Feta. The room temperature tomatoes make a nice contrast to the chilled cheese.
This will serve about four people if used for a side dish. You can just double/triple the ingredients if you are feeding a crowd or using it for a light lunch for the family/friends.
Last year, I discovered a way to prepare tomatoes for freezing and almost instant use in spicing up pasta sauces. I washed the tomatoes (and we are talking about a lot of them!), sliced them into quarters or into reasonably the same size and thickness. I diced up several heads of fresh, peeled garlic, and mixed them in with the tomatoes, salt, and olive oil. I spread them one layer deep on a baking pan (with a rim) and slowly baked them in the oven at 300 degrees for about an hour or until they lost a lot of their liquid. I put them into another baking pan (greased with vegetable spray) sprinkled them with salt, pepper, and a smidge of chili flakes and froze them. I then put them into a sealed, freezer container and could dip in for my recipes the rest of the year. Freezing them helped keep them separated once you stored them in the container.
I also washed, halved, sprinkled with lemon juice, salt, and pepper the next harvest of tomatoes and divided them up into some zip lock type freezer bags. I put them into 'serving' size for most basic recipes. In fact, I have two bags left from last year to use up before the new tomatoes ripen.
A search on the Internet will find several good recipes for savory tomato jam, too. Of all the jams I made, last year, they got the best reviews from neighbors and friends.
My favorite use of fresh tomatoes? Salad! Here is one of my recipes that gets used a lot during the summer season.
Fresh Greek-Style Tomato Salad
Four to six ripe, red tomatoes, preferably Roma
4 ounces Feta
½ tsp. dried dill
½ tsp. basil
½ tsp. oregano
1 tsp. ground pepper
½ tsp. salt or to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons finely chopped, red onion
Cut the tomatoes into bite-sized chunks and place in bowl. Mix the olive oil, vinegar, onions, spices and herbs together in a small bowl. Pour over tomatoes, toss gently and let marinate for at least a half hour before serving. Just before using, crumble in the Feta. The room temperature tomatoes make a nice contrast to the chilled cheese.
This will serve about four people if used for a side dish. You can just double/triple the ingredients if you are feeding a crowd or using it for a light lunch for the family/friends.
Which of these dogs is not like the other dogs . . .
One has to be careful when opening the front door as rather large dogs have been known to appear on their doorstep! Yeah, and we have a resident cow, too. Okay, the test for today: Which one is the real dog?
I guess we have raised our children right as showing up in costumes outside of the realm of Halloween is about the wildest thing they have done. Hey, we count our blessings!
Earthquake smarts?
Although many people do not live in known earthquake country, it seems that quakes can happen when or where you least expect them. I live in earthquake area and still missed one on this earthquake safety quiz. If you live where you have the potential to enjoy the rumbling of the ground, try this quiz and see how prepared you are for such an event. If you have never experienced an earthquake, try your luck and see how you would do. You never know when such information will come in handy.
http://www.members.shaw.ca/gf6/earthquake.html
Starting off the morning with some quotable quotes . . .
"Where lipstick is concerned, the important thing is not color, but to accept God's final word on where your lips end."
-- Jerry Seinfeld
-- Jerry Seinfeld
"In a real dark night of the soul it is always three o'clock in the morning, day after day."
-- F. Scott Fitzgerald
-- F. Scott Fitzgerald
"The greatest use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it."
-- William James
-- William James
"Consistency requires you to be as ignorant today as you were a year ago."
-- Bernard Berenson
-- Bernard Berenson
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