Come on in…

Feeding four ever-hungry kids and a husband during busy times isn’t always easy.  I’ve said before that the crock pot reigns queen around Morning Glory Lane, and during Christmas time, I sometimes have two of them going at once.  Prep time also has to be minimal for me as I usually don’t have a lot of extra time in the morning before heading out the door.  This gumbo is a favorite, it will be on our table soon…

Chicken and Ham Gumbo

1 1/2 1bs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, chopped

1 Tbsp. oil

10 oz. package of frozen okra

1 cup chopped ham (use leftovers, deli meat, even canned)

2 medium-sized green peppers, chopped

3 (10 oz.) cans cannellini beans, drained

6 cups chicken broth

2 (10 oz) cans diced tomatoes with green chilies (or just use reg. tomatoes and add a small can of chopped green chilies)

Salt and pepper to taste, if desired

1/2 cup rice, uncooked (you can omit this if you don’t have any or don’t like rice)

1 Tbsp. chopped cilantro

Cook chicken in oil until done (you can do this the night before and store in refrigerator).  Rinse the okra in hot water so that it does not stick together.  Combine all but cilantro in the crock pot.  Cook on low 6 – 8 hours, or high for 3-4.  Add cilantro just before serving.

Come on in and sit a spell – the tree is lit and the soup’s a bubblin’,

Elizabeth

Peace amidst the hustle and bustle

           Every year along about early October, I start praying that the month of December will be a month of peace for my family.  That the enormous, never-ending list of to-do’s will somehow be accomplished before the turn of the November calendar page.  Every year I harbor deep-rooted fantasies of simply floating through the month of December, slowly savoring Christmas activities with my family and friends, free from the pressing demands of the the hard work of the holidays.  Some years I feel closer to this than others. 

          This year has been no different in my wishes for a stress-free December.  I have organized, pre-planned, and multi-tasked my way through November, but my list is still there – and I’m not sure it’s getting any shorter!   However, what has been different, is my conscience effort to really think about each task as I’m doing it - trying to find the peace in the “doing.”   I know this isn’t a new concept, but it has given me a new way of thinking about peace.   I easily get overwhelmed, and I have to truly work to center myself in the moment.  But the gift that I experience when I truly do let go and allow myself to be fully engrossed in the task at hand, has taken me a little bit by surprise.  It’s such a common sense type of conclusion, yet it’s one of those things that just doesn’t quite “click” until it happens to you.  

         

I have found one of the easier activities for me to find my center, has been sewing or knitting/crocheting.  So…instead of trying to reduce my number of handmade items this year, I have actually raised it!  And incredibly, this is working for me!  Maybe this won’t always be the case, but for the here and now, I am thankful.   This quilt has been in my ufo pile for a few months, and as I looked at it with new eyes, I decided it would be perfect for my sister’s Christmas present.  The top had been finished,  so now I’m quilting it up and hope to put the binding on this weekend.

  I’ve also knit up a good-sized pile of washcloths for various gifts - I am going to bundle two of them together.  I’ve used various patterns found mostly on-line, but the most popular one has been the easy, diagonal knit pattern of the cast on 4 and increase each row until you have 45 stitches, then decrease each row until you have 4 stitches left, and then finish with a bind off.  Super, super easy and fast.  I may be making more, but I am still keeping it simple!  (btw, the red and green afghan in the background is a favorite thrift store find from a few years ago)

More to share soon.

Sending wishes of peace,

Elizabeth

Quilts for Craft Hope #5

My quilts are on their way via the USPS to their destination for Craft Hope's most recent project, Margaret's Hope Chest.  I can’t wait to hear the results - I think at last count they were getting close to their goal of 400 donated quilts.  It is amazing to think of all the crafters out there who are participating in all of these wonderful projects.  It is amazing to be a tiny part of such a big momentum of love and caring.

  Go take a look at all of the quilt's pouring in, and I guarantee you will be nothing short of amazed, too.
I did some thrifting recently and came home with a few goodies.  I love old knitting and sewing books, and I was excited to stumble across this vintage booklet for baby knits.  I guess it was marked cheap because it was missing the cover - nonetheless, I am happy to give it a new home!  Look at how cute these sweaters are!

And this one, too!

A rather retro-looking nursery rhyme book found it’s way into my cart also.
 
The coastal New England states are hunkering down tonight and tomorrow for the remnants of tropical storm Ida.  Definitely a good time to stay inside and curl up with my new-to-me books – let’s hope the four children who also reside at Morning Glory Lane feel the same!
Warm weekend wishes,
Elizabeth

Finally Friday…

I love Friday’s, don’t you?  I love gathering everyone back in at the end of the week and the freedom of the weekend stretching ahead.  (Although at our house our weekends are nearly as busy as our weekdays!)  Walking over to the school this afternoon to pick up the youngest son, I enjoyed this…and this…

 

and lots of these…

crunching underfoot, and blowing and swirling around.  

After work and before school let out , I had just enough time to eat a little lunch and start ironing several feet of this…

A cup of tea, a few moments of an old movie on the television, and the autumn sun streaming through windows –

a good Friday afternoon, indeed.

Happy Friday to you and yours,

Elizabeth

A little bit of this and a little bit of that

We took a quick jaunt “down south” to Hartford, CT for a tour of  Mark Twain’s home and museum.  We couldn’t take any pictures in the house, but it was beautiful.  Go see this house if you can.  It is well worth it.  They divide the tour into two parts – the main house and the servant’s wing – both were great.   The servant’s wing gives you an inside view of the kitchen and how such a large house was managed.  The main house is a longer tour, covering more territory, but both tours are filled with wonderful stories of the family.  The tour guides did an excellent job of making the house come to life.

Here’s my version of Rae's Itty Bitty Baby Dress.  This was a gift to my bother and his wife’s new baby daughter – my first niece!  I hope it fits her and that she will get a little bit of wear out of it before the winter.  I bought a  pink onesie turtleneck and some pink tights to go with it (in lieu of the dotted pants) in case it gets cold sooner than later!  I saw her shortly after she was born, but she lives in Chicago, so I’m relying on pictures and emails until we see her at Christmas!  Babies are so sweet.

  And just in case you feel the need for something sweet, I leave you with some Monster Cookies, mine are missing the M&M’s this time, but with four ever-hungry kids (and hubby),  they still got eaten just the same.

Monster Cookies

2 cups white sugar

2 cups brown sugar

2 cups shortening

1/2 cup peanut butter

4 eggs

2 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups flour

2 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoon salt

3 cups oatmeal (you can use old-fashioned, or quick)

6 oz. chocolate chips

6 oz. M&M’s

In a large mixing bowl, combine sugars, shortening, peanut butter, eggs, and vanilla.  In another bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and salt.  Stir into sugar/shortening mixture.  Add oatmeal and chocolate chips and M&M’s.   Batter will be very stiff.  Drop onto cookie sheet.  You can make these really large (i.e. Monster Cookies), or just regular size.  Bake at 350 degrees.  Time will vary with size.  Regular size is usually around 10 minutes.

Elizabeth

 

Day Trippin’

We’ve been taking advantage of the fall weather and taking a few weekend day trips.  We started with a quick trip into New Hampshire and then just over the state line into Vermont.  Along the way we saw Alpacas, pumpkins, and the beginnings of some fall colors.

Some from a distance…and…

…some up close.

According to the recent news reports, the New England pumpkin crop has suffered this year.   So I was expecting to see a smaller number of pumpkins at the local farm stands, but when we stopped at an apple orchard, I wasn’t quite prepared for this!  We were greeted with some pretty slim pumpkin pickings…

But then down the road, we saw this…

I snatched up a few for my front porch, but we will still need to get a “big one” for carving the traditional jack-o-lantern closer to Halloween.    Have you seen some of the pumpkin carving patterns over at Martha Stewart?  Have you tried any?  I don’t know that my talent runs in that direction, but they are impressive.

As the leaves begin to fall, my sewing machine has been humming, too.  I fell in love with Happy Zombie's Poochie Bags!  They are very cute – and fun to make to boot!  This one I made for a friend as a “thank you” for all her advice and encouragement.  She is an unbelievable knitter, so I filled it with some great yarn I had thrifted.  (She’s a great thrifter too, so she was doubly appreciative!)

I really, really like these bags.  They are a great size, but in case you might want a smaller tote, Monica has also written up an additional pattern for  a mini version.  The Itty Bitty Poochies are very sweet, too.  I am already planning several of these for teacher gifts at Christmas.

  I only used two fabrics for mine (instead of three), but I really think you could get super creative with this pattern.  I think it is an ideal pattern if you only have a little bit of a favorite fabric, as you could easily line the inside of the bag and pockets (and even make the straps) with a solid.  I also was thinking that for the lining and the pockets, you could experiment with some repurposed shirts or pants – or even a blanket or coat.   Lots of possibilities indeed!

Sewing and road trips – does it get any better than that?  Just last weekend we were off on another adventure a little closer to home.

More on that next time…

Elizabeth

Still here…

Boy, it’s been a long time since I posted.   Summer has slipped away.  The kids have started school, vacations are over, family reunions have come and gone, and slowly, we are settling into the rhythm of  fall. 

I have been working on items for my etsy shop, just not as fast as I would like!  And…I am still plugging away on my nine patch from Crazy Mom Quilts blog.  I think many of the quilters are on their second (or maybe it’s their third?!!) quilt by now.  I just keep on keepin’ on – making a few blocks here and there as I get the chance. 

I’m up to 59 blocks, and I’m still aiming for 72.  I’m getting closer!  I spread them out on a white bedspread the other day to help me “try out” the white sashing, and I really like it.  I think I’m simply going to follow Amanda Jean's suggestions, including the scrappy border.  

As apple season begins, I’ll leave you with a common treat that I sometimes forget.   It smells so good and takes the chill off the house while it’s baking.  I know they make little baking pans for these, even some for the microwave, but I still like to do them in the oven!

Baked Stuffed Apples

4 large baking

about 1/4 – 1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup raisins, walnuts, or pecans (or a mix)

cinnamon

nutmeg

butter

about 1/2 cup water

Core apples.  Mix brown sugar, nuts and/or raisins and spices.  Divide evenly between apples and pack into the hollowed-out center.  Dot each with butter.  Place in baking pan and pour the 1/2 cup water around the apples.  Cover with foil and bake at 375 until tender and heated through.  Time will vary with size and type of apples.  30 – 60 minutes.  You can also slice the apples as if for pie and mix all ingredients together except for the water.  Place in a greased dish, cover with foil or lid, and bake until tender.  Tastes just like the inside of an apple pie, only better!

Happy Fall!

Elizabeth