Monday, February 24, 2014

Design Wall Monday

Projects and Party Pics

Monday again! Where does the time go??? This is my second Turkey Wallhanging. I finished the sashing over the weekend and have it sandwiched and ready to go.


Labels ready to be sewn on. This quilt is for a wedding gift. The wedding is in Park City Utah this Saturday. I need to get it in the mail today.


This is the second baby quilt made from these scraps.


The label is made and ready to attatch.


I promised to post pictures of our Winterset evening from this past weekend


It was a Beautiful evening. I was so blessed to share it with my family. This is the family....Dr Jon, Jenny, Mama (me), and Dr. Kristy.

Dr's. Kristy and Ryan

 

Me (Mama) in the middle and my two precious daughters.

We miss you daddy...wish you were still here with us!


Happy Trails,

Mtn Mama

 

Saturday, February 22, 2014

Country Morning Maple Muffins

Busy Saturday

Today is busy because tonight is the annual Osteopathic Founder's Foundation gala event. Winterset as it is called is a fun filled evening with dinner and dancing. Very fancy...black tie which means we girls get to "dress up like Cinderella" once a year. So hair and nails get done today which makes it a busy day!

This year the money raised from Winterset will be given to Clarehouse and Emergency Infant Services as well as scholarships for OSU-CHS Medical Students. Jeff and I were chairpersons in 2005. What a great experience! Tonight I will have both girls and my son-in-law attend. It is so nice that we all support the same things....after all we are all involved in Osteopathic Medicine!! A Great place to be!!

I made the most delicious muffins this week for a neighborhood coffee. These "little poppers" were loved by everyone. They are so easy to make.

I chose to put them in mini muffin tins but you could put them in any size that you wish. They have all the elements of a great breakfast....oatmeal, maple syrup, and pecans.

Country Morning Maple Muffins

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup flour

3/4 cup rolled (old fashioned) oats

2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter , softened

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/2 tsp maple extract

1/4 cup pecans, chopped

Method:

1. In a small bowl, stir together flour, oats, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.

2. In a seperate bowl cream together brown sugar, butter and egg.

3. Add milk, maple syrup and maple extract to creamed mixture until blended.

4. Combine dry ingredients with creamed mixture.

5. Stir into pecans.

6. Spoon batter into greased muffins tins.

7. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees.

Yields 12 large or 24 mini muffins.

Do not over beat the muffin batter.Stir with wooden spoon just until the ingredients are combined. If you beat too much you will have peaked muffins.



 

Enjoy these muffins they are really tasty. Will be back tomorrow with lots of pictures.

Happy Trails,

Mtn Mama

 

Sunday, February 16, 2014

Better late than never I say!!

Sunday Stash Report

Better late than never to jump and join the "Stash Busting" squad over at Patchwork times. Last year I was a regular in the beginning then not so much at the end.....but I am revived after a very busy Sept-Dec season followed by a January of recovery..(lots of sewing, sleeping, and enjoying the winter weather by staying inside and looking out at the beautiful snow!!) Now I am ready to push forward again. I must admit that I just received an order from Connecting Threads.....I just couldn't pass up their Flannel Quilter's Candy on sale last month. I LOVE flannel quilts and needed some small pieces to add to my stash so that I could use what I already had. That's fair game isn't it??? Buy to use what you have collected??? Anyway I will start with a clean slate today.....(I am making my own rules and I love them!!)


Week 7 - Sunday Stash Report, February 16, 2014

(Really my week 1 but that's ok it's suppose to be fun, right??)

Used this Week: 3 yards

Used year to Date: 3 yards

Added this Week: 0 yards

Added Year to Date: 0 yards

Net Used for 2014: 3 yards


New Projects completed:

I have been having a blast with my embroidery machine. Isn't this a hoot? I have a set for the 12 months of the first year. This is for my "to be" grandson. He is due the end of March.


This is another new font I purchased last week from e-bay. I love the big swooping letter followed by the name. You can see I am having too much fun!!

Happy Trails,

Mtn Mama

 

Friday, February 14, 2014

Finishing Strong!

Happy Valentine's Day

Sunflowers are my favorite!!! They remind me of the late summer months...that are just around the corner! My sweet neighbors gave me these beautiful flowers along with Chocolate Covered Strawberries. Yummmmmm!!


 

This week I have put the sewing machine pedal to the metal and finished strong. I finished Baby Girl Kayla's quilt yesterday. Love how soft it is after washing. The teel and pink colors are so pretty. I put it in the mail today!! Yeah....I was a little late with this gift....the baby was born in October. Better late than never!!


A heart shaped plate of Chocolate Mint cookies for all my Valentines!!


Last week I went antique shopping with a friend. I found several treasures. One was this Longaberger "Cake" basket with lid. I don't have one with a lid. It has become my new favorite basket. It was very reasonably priced!! Below it is full of Honey Whole Wheat Bread that I made for friends. I feel like "Little Red Riding Hood" when I carry this basket!! HaHa!!


Happy Trails,

Mtn Mama

 

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Embroidery and Cookie Fun

Heaven Touching Earth

I just LOVE this picture!!! It looks like heavens rays are reaching down and touching the fountain. This is the memorial fountain I put in my backyard garden to celebrate Jeff's first Birthday in Heaven (August 17, 2013). It is surrounded by 'Memorial stones" from friends and family. I enjoyed it so much last fall that I didn't winterize it. I have really enjoyed it with the cold weather because not only is the ice sculpture beautiful it is a haven for the birds. Miss Ella says...Tweet, Tweets!! We stand at the laundry room window and watch them when she is here. I love just stopping and meditating on the birds and how God has created such beauty for us to see if only we take time to look.

Thank you Lord for the beauty of the earth. May we slow down our hurried lives and drink in all that you have put before our eyes acknowledging that you created it all! Amazing God...amazing grace....AMEN!!


Fun Embroidery Projects:


Burp Rags for Baby Boys!!! Seems like I am having a run on baby boys!! These designs are perfect for the little guys.



I have been having a blast embroidering with my "new" software for my machine. It is new to me anyway. I bought it on E-bay last week. It is not the latest version for my machine but newer than what I had and is able to be used with my newer laptop. That's the problem .... the technology changes so quickly and we are forever having to upgrade!!! Oh well....this was a whole lot cheaper than the current software and does more than I will ever use. I am just happy to be able to send designs from the computer directly to my machine now without having to use a jump drive. Such simple pleasures!


Monogrammed Baby Boy Quilt



I finished this quilt last week by embroiering the child's name on it in my Mega hoop. I was so happy with the result. Finished just in time....Grayson was born on Monday. I sent the quilt to Dallas with his MeMe so that he would have it when he came home.



My number one cookie decorator....Kristy came up over the weekend and decorated these beautiful Valentine's Day cookies for me.


 

She also made these great looking Whoopie Pies. We lived in Lancaster, PA for two years and learned to love Whoopie Pies. Now they are popular all over but we still think of Lancaster when we make them.



Kristy is a Doctor by day and a closet cookie decorator for her mama at night! Thank you Kris....I LOVE YOU and your cookies!!




Happy Trails,

Mtn Mama

 

Work in Progress Wednesday

 


Swirls and Curves Baby Girl Quilt


The quilt is quilted I just need to bind it. This is for a childhood friend of mine who just had her second grandchild in October. So YES .... I am a bit late. I could have just sent a purchased gift but I wanted to make her a quilt...so I am hoping she will think it is worth the wait. It is flannel and very soft.




The picture coloring doesn't do it justice. It is bright pink and teal. A very pretty combination. Very girly!!


I practiced my swirls and curves on this quilt. I am getting a little more creative with my FMQ.


Last week my college roomate from over 40 years ago came and we sewed all week. She made this "High Heel" quilt top for her son's PhD advisor. He will graduated in May. We are so proud of him. She is takng it home with her to have it quilted there.


 

We also got a jump start on next year by making this Thanksgiving Turkey wallhanging.

 

Glad I am ahead in one area....at least for now!!

 

Happy Trails,

Mtn Mama

 

Monday, February 10, 2014

TJ's Baby Sprinkle

Go Baby Go!


Have you ever been to a "Sprinkle"? This was my first time to host or even attend a "Baby Sprinkle". It is the term used for a baby shower for a mom who has already had one child. The idea is that the gifts are smaller since they already have all the basic baby hardware. Kristy and I hosted a Sprinkle last Saturday at my home for my eldest daughter, Jenny, who is having her second child in late March.



It was a Saturday "come and go" brunch. She is having a boy so the theme was, Go Baby Go. Lots of trucks, cars, planes and trains were used as decorations.


This table was set in the kitchen area for guest to sit and enjoy their food.


I covered cardboard pieces with wrapping paper to make placemats.


We made lemon cakeballs, brownie bites and lots of great cutout cookies. Kristy is the best cookie decorator I know. She made planes, trains, dump trucks and sailboats that were so darling. My college roomie was here to help and made the cutest "pacifier's" out of lifesavers and jelly belly's to put on top of the mini cupcakes. I requested these because she had made them for my baby shower when I was expecting Jenny. We have come full circle now.



Our baby boy will be named Thomas Jeffrey after both of his grandfathers.




We served Broccoli Cheddar soup with homemade clover rolls. The day was cold so the soup was enjoyed by everyone.


A large bowl of fresh berries were a big hit!


The main course was a salad bar. The greens were in the large pewter bowl in the center surrounded by "fixin's".



Grilled Chicken, croutons, cheeses, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, chopped eggs, celery, green onions, dried cranberries, pine nutes, glazed pecans....all my favorites from the salad bar placed in individual glass containers around the salad bowl. That way everyone could make their favorite salad.

Debby made these adorable Thank you bags and filled them with blue Hershey's kisses that said...It's a Boy!!



A clothesline of baby boy gowns and onesies!


Thanks to everyone for blessing TJ that day. It was fun. We had about 25 people. It's always special to welcome a new life into the world.
Thank you Lord for the blessing of babies. We acknowledge that they belong to You and are lent to us for a short while. Thank you for entrusting their lives into our hands and our families. May we teach them your ways and show them your love so that when they are older they will know and love you with their whole heart. In the name of Jesus we pray...AMEN!!


Miss Ella came to the Sprinkle. Boy....is she about to have her world rocked....
Welcome TJ!!!


Happy Trails,
Mtn Mama