Log Cabin with Panels & Super-romantic Anniversary Gift & Strawberry Rescue

Here's a woods-ey, autumn-ey Courthouse Steps Log Cabin with 16-patch centers.  And panels for the alternate blocks.

Whew - that's a lot of description!  I cross-hatched the panels.

I quilted s.i.d. in the logs, with a motif in the 16-p centers.

The borders were s.i.d., and border designs were quilted in.

This is a yummy light blue flannel back.  But OMG, it was so HOT when I was quilting this, that just the thought of flannel was making me feel faint.

Aah, the romantic anniversary gift.  Nothin' says lovin' like a new roof and insulation. :P C'mon...you didn't really think something romantic was going on, did you?

STRAWBERRIES
I've had strawberries in the garden for years.  In the spring when they are most prolific I usually get to eat one or two berries.  Then the birds discover them and I get zilch.  That leads to my strawberry depression (yes - a true medical condition!).  Then I leave them to get swarmed & buried by the other plants.   This year I made it my MISSION to get some berries.  DH kindly made these little covers that so far... are working.

Look!!  A berry!!  And I get to eat it!!

aaand...
ZUCCHINI REPORT
Picked this week:  5
Picked YTD:     12

Double Irish Chain & My Yearly Dose of Excitement

This beautiful Double Irish Chain is destined to be a wedding gift.

Fist step in the quilting was s.i.d. inside the blocks, and throughout the three borders.  Then Celtic Knotwork in a heart design was used in the blocks, with c/c in the chains.

The block design came with a coordinating braid border.  I filled in the diamond border with hearts & flowers.

Beautiful back!

Bucket List:  Paul McCartney concert.  Check.   :-)

ZUCCHINI REPORT

I swear to God this zucchini was not there yesterday.  Oops.  (ha ha... that'll teach DH for watering the garden so much.)

Picked this week:  5
Picked YTD:      7

Jellyroll Donation Quilt & the First ZUCCHINI REPORT of 2016

I belong to an offshoot group of the Caledonia Quilt Guild, called the Scrappy Club.  In theory, we work with our scraps.  You know, the leftover bits from other projects.  In reality the ladies are often using lovely just-purchased fabrics that were always intended for a certain project.  But whatever - we mostly just like to sew together, have lunch together, and trade the odd bit of gossip.

But at our June meeting I HONESTLY used scraps.  Remnants.  Yay me!  I tried as best I could to pull together a range of creams, greens, reds, & golds.  It's not the prettiest of quilts, but it does have really cute border fabric.  Which, b.t.w. is ALSO a remnant from last year's Christmas gifts.

In an attempt to cutsie this up I added a cat applique.  Everybody loves cats, right?

The quilting really is super cute though - hugs & kisses.

And a nice label.  This is getting sent to Fort Mcmurray for the fire victims.  I will be dropping it off to Quilt Junction in Waterford as they are sending a shipment some time in August.

Now, drumroll please....

ZUCCHINI REPORT

Picked this week:  2
Complaints from Husband:  2
Picked YTD:        2

Umbrellas & Garden Update & Recipe

Umbrellas!  Oh my gosh, so cute.

I quilted s.i.d. around all the applique, then quilted the umbrella spokes.  Next, an echo-ey meander filled in with splish-splashes.

GARDEN UPDATE
Cabbage - check, Peas - check

Potatoes - check, check, check, check, check, check..... Good lord.

Zucchini in the cutting garden - check

Cherry tomatoes almost ready to eat -check

Now, can anyone tell me what friggin' rodent is digging this tunnel EVERY SINGLE DAY?  I fill in this hole every day, and every day it reappears.  It's getting a little bit tiresome.

RECIPE

We have been eating asparagus for quite a while and now I'm also picking peas every day.  Yum.  These combine really nicely in the following recipe.

Sautéed Asparagus and Peas

By Jennifer Segal

Servings: 4

Total Time: 15 Minutes

Ingredients

·         2 tablespoons unsalted butter

·         1/4 cup minced shallots

·         1 bunch thin asparagus spears, ends trimmed, cut into 1-1/2-inch pieces on a diagonal

·         1 cup thawed frozen peas ** I've been using large dice of fresh peas in the pod

·         Salt

·         Freshly ground black pepper

·         1 teaspoon honey

Instructions

1.   Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, 4-5 minutes.

2.   Add the asparagus, ¼ teaspoon salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Continue cooking over medium-low heat, stirring frequently so the shallots don't burn, for about 5 minutes or until tender-crisp. Add the peas and honey and cook about one minute more until the peas are warmed through. Add more salt and pepper to taste (I usually add about 1/8 teaspoon more salt and a few twists of pepper) and serve.

Copyright © Once Upon a Chef
http://www.onceuponachef.com/2011/04/sauteed-asparagus-and-peas.html

Another Christmas Quilt & a Strawberry Recipe

You can never be prepared for Christmas too early.

The maker re-purposed vintage linens - either napkins or hankies (?).

Now... just to wait for December!

It has been so dry here that the hose is watering something pretty much every day.  Local strawberries won't last long in a drought, but they're always available at the grocery store.
I made this last week and it was very good!  Give it a try... (from Sweet Cayenne website)

Strawberry Buttermilk Cake from Back in the Day Bakery

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Yield: Serves 8

This Strawberry Buttermilk Cake recipe is an easy cake you can whip up in no time on a nice spring day. It's perfect to make when you're expecting last minute company to enjoy with a cup of coffee! Adapted from the Back In The Day Bakery Cookbook by Cheryl and Griffith Day

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups unbleached all purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• ½ cup buttermilk (I used lowfat)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 pound strawberries, hulled and halved
• Optional: confectioner’s sugar for dusting

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and make sure you have a rack in the center. Butter and flour the bottom and sides of a 9-inch deep dish pie pan. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl if you plan to use a hand mixer), cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of bowl as needed. This should take 2-3 minutes.
4. Add the egg, buttermilk, and vanilla, mixing until just blended, about 1 minute.
5. Gradually add the flour to the butter mixer with the mixer on low speed until just combined.
6. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and use a rubber spatula to fold in any flour residue into the batter.
7. Add the batter to your prepared pie pan and use the rubber spatula to smooth out the top. Tap the pan firmly on the counter to remove any air bubbles and ensure the batter is evenly distributed. Arrange the strawberries on top of the batter, cut side down, into a design of your choice.
8. Bake the cake for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven heat to 325 degrees F and bake for 45-55 minutes more until the cake is set, the edges are golden, and a toothpick inserted into the center of cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack.
9. Dust the cake in the pan with powdered sugar before serving. You can slice it straight out of the pie pan.
10. Store the cake in a airtight container in your refrigerator for up to 3 days. It’s wonderful chilled or warmed!

The Nylons - O Canada