ABC Baby Quilt

I finished the other baby girl quilt I was working on today.  I got the top stitching done over the weekend, so all I had left was the binding.

Now it's time to get my house cleaned while the kiddos are still asleep. :)

Date Night

For the first time since having the baby girl Joel and I were able to go on a date.  Another fellow intern at the hospital volunteered to watch the kiddos.  She's so nice. 

It was Mormon night at The Crew.  I think it's hilarious that if you used the code "LDS" you could get 10 buck tickets.  A quartet of missionaries sang the National Anthem.  Besides that it was just a fun night of soccer.  The Crew ended up winning 2-1.  We really enjoyed the night out.

Crazy days

We had a crazy thunderstorm come out of no where yesterday and bless us with some serious hail.  These are pictures from my front porch during the storm.  My only sadness is that it split one of my tomato plants down the middle.

 (The hail was so thick it almost looked like snow on the ground)

Meanwhile, I finished one baby quilt this week and started to work on the second one when I realized I had messed up.  Do ever just do stupid things that make no sense?

I started sewing on the border when I realized I had completely forgotten to top stitch it.  Maybe it was a Freudian slip since that's my least favorite part of quilting - I don't know.    Anyway, now I get to top stitch it with a partially sewn on border.  I seriously feel like a crazy lady sometimes.

Anyway, stats for the week: New projects - 0 (I was a good girl and focused on ones I've already started)

Completed projects - 1 (yay!)
Currently in progress – 4

Mistakes- 1 big one

Goals: Top stitch and finish baby quilt #2 (and try not to make any other mistakes)

Go check out the other WIP.  There's some fun stuff.

Scrappy Finishes

I finished a baby girl quilt last night.  The entire front is made of scraps - even the binding (which makes me super excited), but the most exciting part of this quilt for me is the back.  Do you ever buy fabric because you love it, but don't have any idea what to use it for?  I bought this fabric in a tiny quilt shop in Annville, Pennsylvania a number of years ago and have been waiting for just the right project.  I love the different grades of purple in it, and it's the perfect size for this quilt. 

June WIP

I can't believe it's June - crazy - where did May go?

It's WIP Wednesday again and I've completed another baby quilt top for a friend who's having a girl.  This tummy time quilt is a small version of Quilt Dad's ABC Menagerie.

This week's stats: New projects -1
Completed projects - um, 0
Currently in progress –5
Goals: Time to layer and top stitch my 2 baby quilts.

Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

With the sun shining and a rose bush that looks like this, how can you not have a great day? We're headed to a Memorial Day picnic sans husband a little later (apparently kids still get sick on holidays, so he's stuck at the hospital).  The weather is perfect for a little barbecue with friends.  Hope everyone is enjoying this beautiful day!

WIP Wednesday

My Wednesday Works in Progress:
I started my scrappy Wide & Narrow Log Cabin quilt this week- as a little, tummy-time quilt for a friend who's having a little girl.  I am very proud of myself that the entire front so far is from my scraps.

This week's stats: New projects -1

Completed projects - eh, 0

Currently in progress –4

Goals: To figure out a border for this quilt and get started on another friend's baby quilt. 

Chili Wheat Goodness

Over the years my dad has "upgraded" the classic chili wheat recipe my Grandma Hales used to make when my mom was a kid.  This was a staple meal in my home growing up, and for the first time ever I made my own batch of it today (My husband says it's about time, because he always asks for it, but we only ever have it when we're visiting my parents).   

You can change things up by doubling or even tripling the wheat and leave all beans and/or meat from the recipe.

Here is the Official Stuetz Family Chili Wheat Recipe:

Place 4 cups of whole-kernel hard winter wheat (red, white, etc.) in a very large pot.

Add 32 ounces of beef stock and 32 ounces of water and cover pot. (Chicken stock or additional water may be substituted for beef stock.) Boil hard for 1 full hour (not including pre-boiling period) making sure not to run out of liquid and burning it.  This is what it looks like after it's been boiled:

After one full hour of boiling most of the moisture will be absorbed by the wheat kernels. Turn off heat, cover and let sit on the stove for an hour or so. Do not drain excess liquid.

Add a combination of 4-28 ounce cans (quarts) total of tomato sauce and dices tomatoes. Add 1-40.5 ounce can of dark red kidney beans. Add 1-40.5 ounce can of light red kidney beans. Add about the same amount of canned black beans or other favorite canned bean.

(Note: If using dried beans, you must add additional water and boil them with wheat kernels. However, dried beans will likely take longer to get soft.)

Thicken with tomato paste (start with 2-12 ounce cans) to desired viscosity.

Add 4 McCormick “Chili Seasoning” packets (either hot, mild or combination).

Fry 3-4 lbs. of lightly seasoned (salt & pepper) ground beef, pork or turkey – a combination works well too (I did ground turkey and pork in this batch). Drain fat and add to pot once cooked through and slightly browned.

Stir well, cover and simmer on lowest possible heat for an hour or two. Stir somewhat regularly as this stuff will burn on the bottom. Simmer, simmer, simmer controlling viscosity by adding additional tomato sauce or water . . . stir, stir, stir.

This recipe yields 10-11 quarts. (I halved the recipe and it still made a ton.) It freezes really well and may be pressure canned in quart jars for 90 minutes at 10 pounds of pressure with full 1 inch of head room in jars.

 

(My hubby also likes to add sour cream and cheese to the finished product)

It looks like we'll be enjoying Chili Wheat for dinner this evening.....yum!