The Coming Fall Harvest . . .

 I'm excited this year. One of my favorite treats is a Pomegranate. They are always expensive in the store and you are never sure if you will select one that meets all the attributes of tang, taste, and sweetness.

Two years ago, my husband planted such a tree in our backyard. Every Spring I would see the spindly tree put out some hopeful buds only to see them scattered underneath the tree, no fruit for that year. This year, many healthy buds appeared. I wasn't impressed. Months later, they were still on the tree and I figured the dog would also take note and help himself. The buds remained unscathed and, as you can see from the picture, I just might enjoy a home-grown Pomegranate this year.

There are about 15 on the tree and they are bigger than a fist. I ignore the tree around the dogs lest they start taking an interest in it.

Back to Quilting . . .

 Driving my son back and forth to college has taken a toll on my sewing time. I've finally worked out a schedule that gives me at least an hour most afternoons to do a little bit of work on various projects.

Right now, I decided to try a large, Dresden Plate design. In my anticipation of doing this one, I started cutting before realizing that each square takes 21 pieces to for the Dresden Plate. Three day later of cutting and pressing, I finally got the first few pieced together.

Yesterday, I found sales at the fabric store and even have my backing fabric and the color I wanted for the applique work on the front. Nothing like getting what you need/want and at a discount, too.

The final triumph was a sale on batting, the stuff that makes the quilt fluffy, and a 40% off coupon got me a wholesale roll of it which is now sitting in our entry way. My husband didn't notice it the first three times he went that way but he has now. This should get a closet cleaned up as I attempt to find a resting place for the bulky item.

Christmas Baking - Gluten-Free Style!

When we initially decided to go gluten-free, my husband was concerned that many of his favorite Christmas treats would no longer be an option. At that point, we were trying eating gluten-free and didn't realize that many of my husband's health concerns turned out to be gluten intolerance. I assured him, however, that we could still figure out a way to replicate some of his favorite cookies even without the use of wheat flour.

Once we discovered that my husband really couldn't ingest wheat/gluten products, it increased my research to find books that helped us eat well, healthily, and creatively. With the Christmas season coming all too soon, I was very happy to discover two gluten-free baking books geared especially for scenting my home with the smells of Christmas baking while still protecting my husband's health concerns. Thought I'd share them with you.

Gluten-Free Holiday Baking
by Ellen Brown
More than 150 cake, pies, and pastries made with flavor, not flour.

This book is destined to be a keeper midst my other cookbooks of the same genre. Some of the recipes? Popovers, Pannetone, Stollen (to tempt my German ancestry), Gooey Sticky Pecan Buns, and more. There is even a gluten-free version of Old-Fashioned Southern Biscuits. I'm already thinking of hot biscuits with sausage gravy for a special treat.

Gluten-Free Baking for the Holidays
by Jeanne Sauvage
60 Recipes for Traditional Festive Treats

Again, lots of wonderful recipe surprises along with hints, tips, and helpful information. My husband's first question was whether it included a recipe for his favorite Mexican Wedding Cookies . . . and it does! Biscotti and Lemon Bars are in evidence. Rugelach, Spritz, and Shortbread are there for the trying. It even has directions for baking and making a traditional Gingerbread House.