Mini Quilts = Mega Fun!

If the idea of making a bed sized blanket makes you shudder inside, then mini quilting is something to try out. You still make up blocks following a pattern, putting them together in strips, sandwiching the top to batting and a back, adding the free motion quilting, and sewing on the binding. These little masterpieces require all the steps of their big brother quilts but can be done in days instead of months and require very little fabric.

Aren't these bear paw blocks cuh-yute?!!! They'll be a petite 2" x 2" when trimmed.

A Useful Tool

I watched some you tube videos about presser feet the other day and saw a foot that would make ruffles and attach them all in one pass on the sewing machine. That caught my attention! I love the look of ruffles but the process is pretty tedious. Mess up your tension settings, sew the gathering line, pull the loose thread in order to scrunch the fabric into ruffles, hoping the thread doesn't break, pin everything down and then you can sew it together. And don't even talk about what scene happens when you do break your thread. Ugh! Do I have a witness?

Breakfast with Grandma

I think my grandmother is the best cook I've known so far. She was the master of the pressure cooker and could make the best pie crusts without ever looking at a recipe. When I would go to her house to stay overnight as a kid, she would whip up french toast for us for breakfast. I miss her but fortunately for me, she told me a few things about what she did to make them so tasty. Here's my take on her french toast.

She would scramble an egg, add milk, a pinch of salt, some cinnamon and nutmeg, and a little sugar. The sugar made it "special" because it would give a slight glaze to the toast. Dip the bread and cook on a hot pan. She may have used cast iron, I don't remember for sure. I made these her way for years. But since we must eat cleaner then ever, my recipes get modified to make them work for us.  

This is my grandma's cleaned up french toast!

Scramble egg whites with vanilla almond milk (plain almond milk works great too just add a pinch of sugar), cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Quickly dip both sides of your choice of bread in the egg mixture, do not soak it, and place on a hot, non-stick pan. Cook until browned and bread is a little firm again. Serve with fresh berries and a drizzle of real maple syrup. 

Fresh juiced carrot and orange goes great with this! Delicious. And I think of her fondly whenever I make them. Thanks for the wonderful memories, Gram!

No one makes you eat right; you have to choose to do it. And you can start with the next meal.