Tuesday=Recipe day!

I've got a recipe for ya to try out!
And perfect timing for the big weekend festivities!
I make these every time I have to bring bars to church.
They're really quick, incredibly simple and outrageously delicious!

IRRESISTIBLE ALMOND BARS

2 sticks melted butter

2 Cups white sugar

4 Eggs

2 Cups flour

3 tsp. Almond extract

Mix in the above order and pour in a greased 9x13 cake pan.

Bake at 350 for 30-35 min. or till edges separate from pan and top is a little crunchy and just starting to look toasty .

I also like to drizzle with a simple powder sugar icing/glaze (with a little almond flavor) and top with a few toasted, slivered almonds.

These little guys also freeze well!

Slow Progress....

So....On Sunday I told y'all that I was going to work on something new all day. In reality, that didn't quite happen. One thing led to another and this is all the progress that got made. However, durging that time I put aside to sew I had vegetable fajitas (yummy!) with my parents, 3 loads of laudry got folded-ironed-put away, and I now have 2 new rulers.

It's also that time of year when gardens are producing faster than you can pick! Because I thoroughly enjoy doing things that June Clever would do (ok, and my mom, grandma and granny), I canned....9 pints of corn salsa, 8 pints of bread and butter pickles. Maybe tonight I'll do in some tomatoes, but who knows!
And flowers....I love garden flowers (and golden rod). My parents get a CSA box every week filled with wonderful vegetables and garden pretties. I don't remember off the top of my head what CSA stands for, but I do know that they get all sorts of good stuff every Tuesday that a lady by Ellendal grew in her garden. Usually it consists of a mojority of common stuff and one or two varieties of heirloom vegetables or odd stuff I've never heard of or tried (you can see the cute little red peppers, cream colored pepper and purple pepper in the pink measuring cup). This week the parents are on vacation so I took ownership to their stuff.....and some pretty flowers and a HUGE bunch of basil. I've never had fresh basil before and I'm in love with it....it makes my kitchen smell wonderful...who would have thoght!? Also, the wall in my kitchen is not as blue as it looks.....however, it's soon to be green so don't get too attached!

I've also managed to read 4 books-cover to cover-over the past week....don't know where that time came from!

On that note, I hope you all are well and enjoying these beautiful fallish days we're having down here in Southern MN. Any fun projects being cranked out? Canning? Books being read?

Happy Sunday!

Happy Sunday everyone!

It's blazin' hot out there again!

Here's what I'm doin today!

No hints....I'll post a progress picture tonight

Fabric: Luna Notte by 3 Sisters

Look what I finished Friday night

The September Schnibble

"Bennington"
Fabric: Fruitcake by Basic Gray

That's all for now folks! I gots me some stitchin to do!

More Shop Hop!

Ok, so.....all I can think of is that Saturday Night Live skit.....you know, the one with Will Ferrell and Christopher Walken and Blue Oyster Cult. Instead of "I have a fever.....and the only prescription is more cowbell", as a quilter "I have a fever....and the only prescription is more shop hop" (or in my case, charm packs and fat quarter).

The SUPER DUPER STASH DASH

started Wednesday and runs through this Saturday, August 21

Shops Included in the hop are:
Calico Hutch - Hayward, MN

Debbie's Quilt Shop and Gifts - Osage, IA

Heartland Quilt Shop - Algona, IA
Iowa Falls Sewing Machine Co. - Iowa Falls, IA
Saintly Stitches - St. Ansgar, IA & Mason City, IA
Seams to Me - Algona, IA
The Quilted Forest - Forest City, IA

Each of the 8 shops will give you a pattern for a block. Combine all the blocks and you'll have a wonderful quilt just in time for the cuddling season! All shops also have a little somthin' sewn up using their block.

ANY PURCHASE AT EACH SHOP EARNS YOU A FREE FAT QUARTER

I NEED ONE

I stumbled accross this while surfing Bernina online

& drooling over the new Bernina 380....

COVER PLATES FOR BERNINA SEWING MACHINES!

As you know, I currently sew on the 240 and will never in a million-trillion years part with it. However, I am considering trying out the 380...

But...I definitly NEED one of these...only $29.95...it's a must!

The very coolest part of the whole shebang is that ALL the proceeds from these awesome customizers go to breast cancer research!

You can even upload your own picture (pets, kids, grandkids, favorite fabric, quilt....) and turn it into a sweet skin (cover plate) for your Bernina.

How will I ever live without it??

Seriously though...check it out...it's too cool for words

No need to send out a search party, I'm still alive...

Here's what's been keeping me from you

Riding horse: His name is Buck...he's a whole lot of fun
I got him as a baby...I'll never let him go-

This pic is from last fall....you get the idea though

Sorting/cleaning/getting ready for new shelves in my sewing area.Here's a taste of this huge project I decided to undertake:

Organizing fats (note: they're all folded the same!)

Pile of backs and some civil war fats (L)

3 sisters fats (R) and fun Oz fats (Middle)

Working on the project for the Sept. Schnibbles group:
"Bennington" using Fruitcake by Basic Grey

Here it is....in progress...on my design wall

Cruising the Mississippi river:
The grandparents took the whole fam on cruise down the river on a real paddlewheeler...
A limo took us from the hotel to the boat...well, 14 of us anyway!

View from the dockRailroad bridge...the only spinning one on the Mississippi
(can't think of the technical name)Locked through Lock & Dam #7

And I've met with the insurance adjuster and the contractor....my roof is getting fixed! Most of the damage was done by huge hail.

And, Mom and I managed to make it to 7 shops on the shop hop...to be completed this weekend

And, I got 3 more vintage farm prints at an antique store in LaCross to add to my collection...I don't know what it is about old pictures of farms, but I love em....especially cows and pigs...I could live without sheep (to be expained later).

Did you know that another shop hop starts on Monday? More details coming soon!

Hope you all have been staying cool and finding time to relax!

Katie

(from Friday night)