Part II of Spring Sewing and Recipe! Update and Giveaway Below!

I had to take time out with cooking and washing, now it's 9:30 here and I'm determined to finish my pillow. I thought I would get more done by now. Quilting as fast as I can. Stay tuned...

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Well the first thing getting sewn today is a pillow for my guest bedroom. You would think I just love pink and green due to my blog and this bedroom, but it is the only room that has these colors to go with my antique dishes and dainty things. So it needed a little pillow for guest and it was spring colors.

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Now for a recipe for all the ones still in the cold and just wishing for spring.

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Sips & Stirs

Warm Sips Spice Bundles

Delightful after a day of fun in the snow.

8 cinnamon sticks, crushed

2 whole nutmegs, crushed

1/3 c. whole cloves

2 T. orange zest

2 T. lemon zest

1/4 c. whole allspice

cheesecloth

Combine ingredients in a mixing bowl. Place one tablespoon mixture in the center of a double-thickness 4"x4" square of cheesecloth and tie closed; repeat with remaining mixture. Store in an airtight container before giving; attach instructions. Makes about 15.

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Instructions:

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Simmer one quart cider or tea with one spice bundle in a large saucepan. Ladle into mugs. Makes 4 servings. Your home will smell wonderful.

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Gift Idea

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Fill a small box with several Warm Sips Spice Bundles and wrap it up in snowy white paper, topping it off with a bow. Add extra warmth by using yarn in place of ribbon...just wind it around the package several times for thick, fuzzy stripes.

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Keep Stitchen'

It's been too long!!! Giveaway and Pumpkin Upside Down Cake Recipe

It's been way to long and I've missed all the blogging and visiting. How about a fast giveaway (Thanksgiving Apron), drawing will be this Thursday and mailed out on Friday. You should get it for Thanksgiving. Sorry but it will have to be in the states to do this. If you read my blog you'll know about it, so just for the ones that pop by.

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Traveling to Virgina on vacation was wonderful. I can't download my photos on the blog. I bought a larger card for my camera and it want read it. Now I need a card reader for this one, so they will have to be put on later. We had a great time seeing all the history sites and the fall leaves were beautiful.

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This is delicious

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Pumpkin Upside Down Cake

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1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin

1 (12 0z.) can evaporated milk

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 (2 layer yellow cake mix)

1 cup pecans chopped

1 cup butter melted

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

12 oz. whipped topping (cool whip)

Line a 9 X 13 baking pan with waxed paper. Combine the pumpkin, evaporated milk, 1 cup sugar, eggs and cinnamon in a bowl and mix well. Pour into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the cake mix over the pumpkin mixture. Sprinkle the pecans over the cake mix. Drizzle the butter over the layers. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Cool in pan. Invert onto a flat service.

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Combine the cream cheese, 1 cup sugar and cool whip in a bowl and mix well. Spread over the top of the cake. Chill for 1 to 2 hours or longer.

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Hope to visit you all soon,

Keep Stitchen'

Fall Inspiration and Baked Apples Recipe

Hope this gives you some Fall Inspiration!!!

Baked Apples

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4 medium baking apples

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup finely chopped pecans

4 cinnamon sticks

1 cup apple juice

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Preheat oven to 375

Core apples, taking care not to puncture bottom. Peel skin 1/2 inch around top of apples.

In small bowl, combine brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans.

Place a cinnamon stick in each apple and fill with sugar mixture. Place in a 8-inch baking dish and add apple juice. Bake 20 to 25 minutes.

Keep Stitchen'

Don't do this!!!

Don't do this!!!

Well I have a wonderful recipe for you, but don't do what I did.

My Salsa

1 Large Can of Rotel Tomatoes

1 Can of Rotel Hot Tomatoes

1 tsp Cumin

1TBS Cilantro

1 tsp Garlic Powder

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Black Pepper

Put in blender or food processor and mix. Heat in Microwave, but not for 5 minutes...

This is what could happen

I had no idea the bowl was going to fold up and spill all over my arm. OUCH!!!

I had Salsa on the ceiling, cabinets, counter across the kitchen and all over the floor. I was raised where we always laughed when things like this happened. After I yelled OUCH, I did start laughing and cleaning. Sharon, this is good to eat on a diet too. Just not with chips.

It really is good Salsa, just don't heat it for 5 minutes.

Vacation, Economy, Quilt, Fabric Sale, Giveaway, SSCS, Angel Swap and Rambling

Vacation, Economy, Quilt, Fabric Sale, Giveaway, SSCS, Angel Swap and Rambling

Boy, I have a lot to talk about. First I'll talk about the good things, we are going on a little vacation, not very far. With gas prices, just far enough away to relax and get some family time and stitchen' in. We leave Friday and I'm trying to cook some things and freeze before we leave. I hope to post tomorrow a Mexican Casserole dish I make. It is so good and you can freeze it for a later date.

Another happy thought I wanted to post a picture of a quilt I had done and it hung in the shop for decorations at Christmas time. I am now cutting out another one to make for myself, due to a lady begging me to sale her that one. (could kick myself for doing it) It is one of the first patterns I had made. Now I'm working on some other patterns and hope to have them posted soon. So below is Mr. Santa.

Now if he doesn't get you in the Christmas mode, (not to decorate) but to start and finish some gifts, I don't know what will. He's looking at you and checking his list.

OK, here is a bad thought, good thought. ECONOMY!!! I don't like listening to the news anymore. I know it's not right of me to want to bury my head and have you wake me up when it's over, but that is the way I feel. After having a shop and struggling to keep it open, I moved on to better ways and one is online. So here comes the good news. I know as a quilter/seamstress I want fabric, patterns or you know the fix we have to have. I'm lowering (is that a word) the prices on my fabric and patterns. I hope to have all the fabric at $6.50 a yard, I mainly carry Moda and Alexander Henry at this time. I'm setting up shop as we speak and after the vacation will be taking pictures and putting all of it online (which should have taken place already) So look for all this to take place in about a week.

Another happy thought is having things cut out and ready to sew for my Angel Swap partner and my SSCS to take with me on our trip.

Now that I have rambled on and on I still want to remind everyone to sign up for the giveaway. If you don't wear aprons, maybe it could be a gift for you to give to the hostess. See post on September 26th for APRON GIVEAWAY!!!

Come on back for the recipe tomorrow.

I am so ready for the FALL!!!!

The Fall Season Is My Favorite Time Of The Year

Giveaway Coming Soon!

The foliage has been losing its freshness through the month of August, and here and there a yellow leaf shows itself like the first gray hair amidst the locks of a beauty who has seen one season too many. ~Oliver Wendell Holmes---Oh my, if you count my gray hair I've seen way too many.

I don't know if it's the family get together, the leaves turning and falling or maybe the good baking going on in the kitchen, I just love this time of year. The picture above is a wedding party, but some of our family gatherings were as large as this one.

Being from Texas, the fall season is very short and not celebrated like further north. We stay hot until you have to start thinking about Christmas. I have found the further north you go, they celebrate fall with full force. How nice!

I plan on having a giveaway just because thinking of this season makes me happy and I hope to have a giveaway now each month until the end of the year at least. So keep checking back with me. It may be a handmade item or an antique treasure or something from the online store. Just leave a comment when I post it and help spread the word of the giveaway.

Well it's still hot here so I thought I would post a recipe that is so good.

Mandarin Orange Cake

1 Pineapple Cake Mix "yellow"

4 Eggs

1 cup of Oil

1 can of Mandarin in juice

Combine all ingredients

3 layers or 9X13 pan. This is good with 3 layers to get all the icing in the layers, but you can also bake it in a tube pan, much easier.

Bake as cake mix states on box, depending on pan used.

Icing

1 can Crushed Pineapple with juice

Big box of Instant Vanilla Pudding

Mix together until mixture thickens, fold in large container of Cool Whip

This recipe was given to me by a quilting friend that would come to the store to quilt and always brought a goody with her.

Delicious!!!