The Bucket List

 Every year I try to do something I've never done before. I love learning new to me skills, or at least brush up on the old ones. This year, I decided I was going to quilt something. I, at first, subscribed to the Mrs. Quilty boxes, but that didn't last long for me. I found it to be fun, but I found some of the projects and fabrics were not my taste. I did enjoy receiving them though. These were all from the first box. I still have a couple more to things from the box to make.

I had a lot of fun doing these projects and found so many more things to sew. Now to just find the time. Now that the kids are grown, we are in the planning and process of making their rooms into an office and sewing/craft room. My daughter is coming from the west coast to visit next week and after she leaves, the make-overs will begin. 

I'm also downsizing everything and donating and cleaning out stuff. The kids left a ton of stuff and then everything I inherited from family needs gone through and rehomed. Daughter doesn't want any of it, and son is particular with what he wants. I just want to get through everything so there is less for them to deal with when we pass on. It's better that they get what they want now anyhow. 

I'm starting to put meals and mixes up in jars. It's always so nice to go to the panty and pull out something that won't take long to whip up on those days when I don't have the time to make a proper meal. I used up everything I had put up before, so this year, I'm going to expand things. I'm trying to make as much of our groceries as possible. I found by doing this, it not only saves money but things taste so much better than store bought!

A Vintage Surprise

As we approach our first anniversary here in our new home, I figured it was time to start going through the boxes of things that came out of our attic - things from our past as well as from my mother and my mother-in-law when they both died. Many boxes were just stuffed and delivered to the attic at the old house without ever going through them. Our intention was to sort the things after the pain of loss had lessened. Well, it was easy to ignore them in the attic... out of sight, out of mind! That was until we had to move them all here.

With the cold months quickly approaching and the garden has grown quiet, it is now the  perfect time to start sorting and seeing what treasures and memories those boxes have in store for us. One thing I came across that I had completely forgotten about was a cross-stitch quilt top that needs to be put together, embroidered and then the whole thing quilted. It is a very pretty piece and has all the threads and fabric included. I wish I knew what time period it was from. I'm guessing the 50's but so far, I can't find any information on the web about it. 

This top appears to have been offered in "Bride and Home" magazine and I've found some issues on the web dating back to the 50's and 60's. I've combed through everything in the bag but nothing gives a clue on the age of this lovely top.

The piece is in panels that need to be sewn together before embroidering it. I'm not sure how I'm going to like seams running through the piece but they may disappear in the background after it is finished and quilted. The strips are yellowed - some more than others and there lines where it was folded. I can't wash it before working on it, because it's possible the printed design will wash out. I guess that will just be the charm of the piece when it is finished. Now I just need to live long enough to complete it! 

Do you have any interesting vintage things that you love or have to make? I'd love to hear about them!!!

Warm Things

Since we just found out that heating oil prices are about $3 a gallon, I'm going to be looking at other ways to keep the family warm. I so wish we would have had the boiler fixed this summer, but hopefully it can and will be done soon. Then we'll just get wood each weekend until we have enough. At around $750 for a tank of oil, we really have to think of other alternatives! So, this entry will be dealing with warm things or things that make me toasty :)

I've been making many oven meals for the duel purpose of warming us both inside and out. :) Monday, I got out some chicken breasts that weren't skinned or deboned, so I defrosted them and then did the deed myself. By buying my breasts this way, we end up with 2 meals, one of a nice oven roasted breast dinner, and the other, I take the bones and little meat I cut off and make a broth out of.

I tried a new recipe with the breasts - so simple and soooo good.

Crunchy Onion Chicken
2/3rd's can French's Original Fried Onions
4 boneless and skinless chicken breast halves
1 egg

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper (not really necessary, but makes easy clean-up!)Crush fried onions in a sandwich or similar sized plastic bag. Pour into a bowl or pie plate. Set aside. In another bowl or pie plate, beat egg - set aside. Take chicken breasts and dip in egg then in crushed onions - coating both sides. Place on cookie sheet. Press on any left over onions if desired. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until no longer pink. Makes 5 servings.

I found that there was enough egg to dip a total of 6 breast halves, and if you are going to do six, you might want to crush the whole can or close to it. I baked these for 30 minutes because the breasts were nice and large.

While the breasts were baking, I put the bones in a pot and covered with water. I brought them to a boil, and them simmered for a good hour or so. I cooled and strained the bones from the liquid, then put in the fridge overnight.



About an hour and a half before I wanted to serve dinner on Tuesday, I took out the broth, skimmed off any fat, and poured in a pot. I had about 6 cups of broth. I then added a few fresh carrots (sliced), a diced onion, 3 cloves garlic, and 2 small leafy stalks of celery along with about a cup of diced cooked chicken. This simmered for about a half hour after coming to a boil. Then I brought a pot of water to a boil and and cooked some wide egg noodles until almost done. While the noodles were cooking, I added some leftover lima beans to the soup, as well as some salt, pepper, one "ice cube" of frozen chopped parsley, and one chicken bullion cube. When the noodles were done, I strained and added them to the soup. I cooked more than I needed, for those of us that like a more "noodle-y" soup. They were kept to the side. YUMMY!!



I finally finished my DS's pair of hunting socks. He has size 13 feet, so the photo of these covered almost my whole coffee table! I hope his feet have finally stopped growing :) I still need to make him another pair or two of heavy wool socks, and one more for DH, but the way things are going, I'm not going to get them all done before hunting season this year. Then, after I need to do some for DD as well as myself, but that will certainly be down the road.

My quilt needs to be brought out and sewn. I am looking forward to working on that. I found a couple of pillow cases that I put away of the children's from when they were little. DD's is an Little Mermaid case and DS's is a Barney pillow case. I have decided to pull them apart and integrate them in the quilt along with a few other scraps from things they wore when they were young. It will probably look weird, but hey - I've decided to make it even more warming with thoughts of the children every time I use it. I offered to put them in each of the children's quilts that I am going to do for them, but neither wants them - so... It'll be my memory type quilt. :)