Saturday, December 31, 2011

Quilt for Driscoll's Children's Hospital

My aunt asked how much I would charge for a quilt like this.
I told her I would never sell my quilt. It's for a baby in the hospital.
If I were to sell another, it would be too expensive for anyone to buy.
Too much work went into this quilt.
The baby who gets this quilt will be wrapped in love and prayers.


Making tamales again....posted from my new ipod

Today's menu:
Bean with soy chorizo
Veggies
Cheese
Cheese with Jalapeno
Chicken



I put my controller and remote control in plastic, in case I needed to make changes to the Netflix BBC series I am watching. Don't want all the masa clogging up the buttons. LOL

Chopped veggies and mushrooms.



The first time I made tamales, with help, I used 2 borrowed tamaleras. (steamers)
Then I read online about a girl using an upside down metal colander.
Great idea. Worked just fine.

My veggie filling is three of these boxes of veggies, cooked as per box, and slightly chopped. I added a small can of sliced mushrooms and chopped those too. That's it!! Nothing else but what is in the box and the drained chopped can of mushrooms.



Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Fruit Fly Trap

Got fruit flies? Here is a trap, but you have to be patient. Put the coffee filter on jar with a rubberband and watch the fruit flies enter, and get trapped. If you get impatient and try to swat the fruit flies that land on top of the filter, they will just fly away.

Snickerdoodle Cookies

A family tradition.
I once gave a cookie tin full of these cookies to my nephew, as he walked into our house, and told him
 Merry Christmas. When he and his mother left he handed me the tin. I told him to take them with him. He told me the can was empty and handed to me. WOW!!! Ate them all before the visit was over.

Zucchini Nut Bread

This is a family tradition. Zucchini nut bread. I've been making it every year since 1979.

Making Strawberry Jam

My sis-in-law and I found a flat of eight quarts of strawberries for $3 a flat. Unbelievable, so we bought two flats and gave some away and make jam with the remainder. YUM!! It was delicious.


Making Tamales for the very first time!!!



Thirty Years ago

Yes, this is me, my hubby and my then one year old son.

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Homemade Lotion Recipe

So, I got this recipe off the internet because there were so many great reviews.
The recipe called for:
2-9oz bottles of baby lotion of choice
2-8oz jars of Vitamin E Skin Care Cream
1-4oz Jar of Vaseline

I used:
One 16.5oz bottle of Baby Magic Lavender & Chamomile lotion
Two jars of Vitamin E Skin Care Cream 4oz each
One jar 3.75oz Petroleum Jelly

I whipped it up with my kitchen hand-held mixer.



Then put into a couple of jars, the petroleum jelly jar, and the vitamin E containers.
This stuff is awesome!!
I already gave away the two vitamin E containers of lotion.
I'm going to buy some small purse-size plastic container for this lotion as it is great for dry skin.
Baby lotion $2.23
Vitamin E Cream $3.67 for both jars
Petroleum Jelly $1.32
Total cost $7.81 plus  for 28.25 oz
Less than 28cents an oz.


Tuesday, December 20, 2011

St. John's Quilters-Blessing of the Quilts Dec 4, 2011

Tina, Elida, Father Jerry Frank, and Evelyn

Elida, me-Kathleen, and my mom Frances.

My sis-in-law Marilyn, Hesmeralda, and me!! Kathleen

Elida, me, and my mother....again.

Cute Snacks

Someone sent me this photos of cute ways to make snacks. I know it came from Pinterest, so I will add owner's name once I find info.
Too Cute!!



Dau Karen's First Place Cake

My daughter always participates in her Annual Office Christmas Dessert Contest. Twelve years ago she won 3rd place (Cherry Bars) and a couple of years ago she won 2nd place ( Pumpkin Pie Cake), but this year she make our family favorite and won!!
We have been making/eating this cake for years. It's our favorite and I never thought it was anything special. But I never thought to decorate it like a Christmas Wreath, I always just add a lemon glaze. This looks awesome!!
Recipe? Are you joking?
I just add a box of pistachio pudding to a yellow cake mix and make per box instructions. The original recipe called for an extra egg, some almond extract, and some green food coloring. Sometimes I did this, other times not. My daughter makes it with a white cake mix. Google or make to your liking. I once made it with a tunnel of chocolate going through the middle, but got complaints about messing with perfection.
Enjoy!!


Monday, December 19, 2011

Erica Wilson Nantucket Boutique

Erica Wilson Nantucket Boutique

Rest in Peace Erica, job well done.
You will never be forgotten.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Great Events Thanks to Community Involvement

Great Events Thanks to Community Involvement

Check out my work on the above site.

St. John Quilters


My Tuesday group "Piecemakers" from our Savior Lutheran Church in McAllen is very supportive of my local group "St. John Quilters".....I have taken all that I've learned and helped set up the same operation in San Juan. One of the quilters from Piecemakers was a guest speaker at our local group. Elaine, of "The Quilted Cat"  gave a show-and-tell that inspired us to further our skills. We all had an awesome time sharing.


Our stack is growing.



Our baby quilts will be donated to Driscoll's Children's Hospital in McAllen.


Houston International Quilt Show

We planned this trip for a year. I traveled 8 hours (with a smoker) and was thrilled to be in my Hometown of Houston, just a couple of blocks away from where I attended high school. "Incarnate Word Academy" an all-girls Catholic School. I attended under protest.
So we are watching a demo when I hear someone calling my name. I looked up and resting on a nearby chair was our quilting instructor!! We jumped up and ran to greet her. What a surprise! Of course we should have know she would be there, but to actually meet up with her...Wow!  So I styled my jacket for her. My Dia de los Muertos Jacket (from a sweatshirt) that I made in her class. Numerous fellow quilters stopped me to take a photo of my jacket and ask how I made it.

My Best Friend/sis-in-law "Marilyn"

I wish....maybe if I win the LOTTO.

Made by the ladies in Shiner, Texas. (home of Shiner Beer)

Yes, you guessed correctly. Eleanor Burns. Quilt in a Day.

This lady is just precious.

This lady won in the "Text on Textile" 3rd and final year.
She came from Australia after the airlines were ordered off their strike.
I was so impressed with her Genealogical Quilt. That is mixing both my loves.
"Ethel’s Diary" by Eileen Campbell. Photos and words on a quilt.
She talked to us and answered my many questions. A very sweet lady indeed, and such an awsome story to tell.



Quilts for Kids-That I made and sent off.

I named it "Penny's Evinrude" and if you guess why, I'll be surprised.


The Blessing of the Quilts

I made about 30 of these quilt-tops.



Over 400 quilts are blessed and then distributed to children at local schools.

I made this flag quilt for 9-11. It went to an exchange student who will take it home to Spain when she leaves the U.S. I am honored that she specifically chose my quilt. The Piecemakers give a quilt to all graduating seniors. She leaves in Jan, so she was present to get her quilt. She was given one of my other patriotic quilts but then chose my flag, when she was told that it was an option.




Sunday, October 30, 2011

The Volunteer's Creed

The Volunteer's Creed




To laugh often and love much;

....to win the respect of intelligent persons and the affection of children;

....to earn the approbation of honest citizens and endure the betrayal of false friends;

....to appreciate beauty;

....to find the best in others;

....to give of one's self;

....to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;

....to have played and laughed with enthusiasm and sung with exultation;

....to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived - this is to have succeeded.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Make your own BEAN SPROUTS

I have always wanted to make my own bean sprouts. I love eating them, but the ones you get at the market are always old looking. I met a lady at the Organic Veggie Farmer's Market who said she bought a $100 machine to make them. I bought some of her sprouts and they were fresh and delicious. Yum!! So I came home and Googled sprout-making and Voila'......Make your own in a jar. I got out some canning jars (Wide mouth jars would be better, but I was too lazy to go out to the Bungalow/storage to get them. Once grown, they are hard to remove from small mouth jars. Learn from my mistake.)
I got a sheet of plastic canvas and cut out a circle using the innner seal as a template.That way you can pour water into the jar as you must rinse the bean a couple times a day and then turn them over onto
the dishdrainer.

Step number 1: Buy some Mung Beans and some Lentils.

Step number 2: These beans are dried, so soak a half of cup of each in a jar over night.

Step number 3: Pour out water and pour in more water to rinse beans, pour out and place upside down jar onto the dishdrainer. Rinse beans 2-3 times a day, and drain.

DO NOT KEEP BEANS/SPROUTS IN THE WINDOW. I JUST PLACED THEM THERE FOR PHOTOS. I PLACE THE JARS UPSIDE DOWN IN THE DISHDRAINER NEAR THE WINDOW.



Lentils on the left. Mung beans on the right.



Bean sprouts from Mung Beans are done sooner than the Lentils.


Harvest Time after 4 days!!! Ate some on a cheese sandwich. Ate them like as a snack. Shared my harvest with my granddaughter. Packed her some in a ziplock bag.


Lentils are still growing. Day 6. They are ready to eat, I just want to see how long they will get.