Delicious

I have to tell you that my Stereo Installer is one heck of a good guy to have around the house. This week we've been in the kitchen together. (And no, he wasn't replacing the tap, but he could, if I asked him, hmmm, maybe I should ask him.)

He was baking. Here he is rolling out pastry dough for the apple pie he made.

He made an extra shell for me for a salmon quiche. Which is awesome, because I cannot make pastry to save my life. That pastry-making gene skipped me.

He then baked some bread for us - no breadmachine needed.


And cinnamon buns. Yummers!


And just in case you thought I was goofing off while he was doing all this hard work, here are some of my tasty ginger cookies. So good!


Then a beef stir fry with mushrooms, asparagus, green peppers and tomatoes on a bed of jasmine rice for supper.

Yep, we eat pretty good around here.

What's cooking at your house?

M

Baby Blanket Bonanza

I've been making baby blankets for my former students for a few years now. After the last batch, I was pretty sick of making them and was trying to swear off stitching up any more. But now there's a special baby on the way.

So I pulled out some supplies and started in.

These are prefab flannel blankets from a discount bin. They cost $1 each. Very servicable but not very interesting.


With my ruler and rotary cutter in place, I prepare to trim the edge.


Cut, slice, cut, slice.


Using scraps from past projects, I stitch on a new binding.


And voila! A pretty new blanket with a handmade look. Good enough for any baby to spit up on.


Lather rinse repeat for two more.


A bushel of baby blankets ready to go.

Happy Friday, M

Cooking Is A Craft

I have been doing fibery things, honest, I just don't have any pix uploaded yet. So I thought I would share a few of the tools from my crafty cooking for now.

I do love to cook. You probably know that if you've been reading my blog for awhile.

Many of my generation never really learned to do much more than microwave instant meals, make sandwiches and order in, which I find kinda tragic.

But, then again, my mother's favourite meal is popcorn so maybe it isn't just my generation. In order to survive on something other than insta-food, I started taking some cooking classes at the community college about ten years ago.

Not only did I learn to cook the things they claimed I'd learn, I also got a lot braver about trying new things. I'm not suggesting for a moment that they're all wonderful but they are rarely inedible, which I consider pretty succesful.

Like my craft room, my kitchen has some wonderful tools and gadgets to help the process along.

Crockpots are a favourite with me. I invested in one several years ago, then inherited my grandmother's. A third one moved in with the stereo installer.

In this shot, both of these ones are working because it was my weekend for restocking the freezer with lunch options. (I haven't had a chance to get all three working simultaneously yet but I'm hatching a plan!)

My blender gets used almost daily. Soups, smoothies, all kinds of yummy things.


The breadmachine is also so easy to love because it's so easy to use.

That being said, the stereo installer and I have started making bread by hand recently and, wow, is it good. Not always enough time to do it, though, so the breadmachine will never be out of work.

The right pans, bowls and utensils are also vital in my kitchen.

For many years, I did everything with very few but very versatile pieces. These days, I have such a well stocked kitchen that it sometimes amazes me.

Want to know my secret about how it got so well stocked? I'm one of those women who likes to get kitchen gear for Christmas and birthdays. No need for jewellry here. A chopper will do nicely, thankyouverymuch. In fact, I got a new vacuum for my 30th. Loved it!!!

What's your kitchen like?

Happy Tuesday, M

Happy Groundhog Day!

I predict there will be six more weeks until spring. Given that the spring equinox is approximately six weeks away, this seems like a pretty safe bet. :-) Silliness.

In honour of rodents with weather predicting talents, I bring you pictures of a lovely.

This is my Sara's Stars quilt, finally quilted and bound. I am tickled with how beautifully it's turned out.

For the border, I decided to try some hand quilting of free-hand clam shells. For a first time, it's not bad.

That's another finish for Craft Everything.

So far, I've been finishing up old projects that were already in process. But I have also been working on some socks that I didn't start until this year so it's all going to work out even . . . I hope.

Happy February, M