Finished Homework

I did my homework, plus a little extra for class. I think it's coming along well. We didn't have to put our 9 patch row together, but I went ahead and finished so I could see what it would look like.
I'm so excited about it that I bought fabric to make another one (on half price). I don't know any little girls, but I just couldn't resist. I spent a long time in Jo-Ann's trying to find the "feature" fabric and the butterflies just stuck out to me (even though I wanted a neutral one). It took me quite a while to get the other coordinating pieces, but I think it goes well together! I'll be cutting it out soon. They said in class that making a second one at the same time helps the concepts to stick in your head. I'm all for that...and trying to get someone else to do it with me. Any takers??? I can send you the directions!

I've got my 4 pillowcases made for ConKerr Cancer and plan to donate those when I go in for my class on Sunday. I told Ben that I'm not going to make any more because they are kind of boring!! They were really easy though, if any one else wants to do some!

Quilt Progress

I got some time to work on D's quilt last night and got some of my homework done. I just have a little to go before class on Sunday. It is really fun and I enjoy doing it! I think it's going to turn out looking great!

I am also making some pillowcases for ConKerr Cancer which has a collection site at the quilt shop where I take classes! I saw this on Martha a few months ago and thought it sounded interesting. Then when I saw the brochures in the quilt shop, I knew I had to participate. I wonder if I can include a note with my pillowcase... Anyway, read about more at the site, but you donate pillowcases to this organization that takes them to hospitals to give to kids with Cancer.

Birds

I found this pattern the other day for Mr Blue Bird and decided to try it so I could practice my sewing skills before going back to quilting class. I then thought I would join the Advent Calendar Sew Along by making 25 of them. I'm on my way and they are turning out so cute! Here is a picture of them from the other night when there was ice (and icicles) on all of the trees!

D's Quilt

While we were visiting Nana and Pop for Christmas, we got this quilt from a lady whose husband works with Pop. Isn't it great?? It's so soft and warm and D just loves it!! I think this is an awesome gift--I can only imagine how much time and energy she put into making this for him!

Quilting Class

I'm bored with Gratis Means FREE and will do a blog makeover.

I am really into quilting and sewing now. I read a ton of crafty blogs and would love to share some of my new hobbies on this blog. I am going to mail my mom my most recent project and will post a picture of it on here after she sees it.

For now, I'll put a picture of the quilt I'm making for D. I'm in a quilting class and we're doing a quilt. I should be done the first week in February and can't wait. Do you like the fabrics??

Quilts!

I would love to win one of these awesome quilts! It's from Old Red Barn Co.. What do you think??

Jesus and Nicodemus

This is a painting that my husband and I got from my parents for our one year anniversary. We love it because it is different than any other paintings, so it attracts a lot of questions. We saw this painting while at the Passion Play in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. It was painted by Harry Antis. Here is that the brochure about it says:

"This painting is filled with symbolism. First the choice to come to Jesus during the darkness of night represents the lack of spiritual understanding by the Pharisees. The red sleeves denote that it was at the hands of the religious leaders that the prophets were stoned. The white that appears under his garment speaks of his desire to know truth. Nicodemus is sitting with his feet in the fire. The flames represent Hell itself. He thought he was right with god because of his good works, but the spirit of man died when Adam and Eve sinned. When we come to Jesus, believing, and asking him to forgive us, our spirit is given life eternal. We then are born again. Note the three white robed figures represent the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit."

"How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb and be born?" John 3:4

Grandad's Pie

Over at Today's Housewife, we are having recipes from our family members. I put my mom's veggie dip on there and also wanted to share this recipe from my grandad.

Low Sugar Millionaire Pie (Like from Furr's Cafeteria)

20 oz. can of crushed pineapple (in its own juice)

1 small box of no sugar instant vanilla pudding

1/2 cup of chopped pecans

1/2 cup of coconut (if desired)

Cool Whip (Lite) 2 or 3 large tablespoons

1 graham cracker or short bread crust

Mix cream cheese with pineapple juice (drained off crushed pineapple). Add the Cool Whip and the instant pudding and then mix in the pineapple, pecans and coconut. Pour into the pie crust. Add more Cool whip on top and sprinkle more chopped pecans on top. Then refrigerate.

Did you know?

I got this previously from my mother-in-law and it has some good tips in it. Thought I'd share!

Peel a banana from the bottom and you won't have to pick the little 'stringy things' off of it. That's how the primates do it.

Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store. If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster.

Store your opened chunks of cheese in aluminum foil. It will stay fresh much longer and not mold!

Peppers with 3 bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating. Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are firmer and better for cooking.

Add a teaspoon of water when frying ground beef. It will help pull the grease away from the meat while cooking.

To really make scrambled eggs or omelets rich add a couple of spoonfuls of sour cream, cream cheese, or heavy cream in and then beat them up.

For a cool brownie treat, make brownies as directed. Melt Andes mints in double broiler and pour over warm brownies. Let set for a wonderful minty frosting.

Add garlic immediately to a recipe if you want a light taste of garlic and at the end of the recipe if your want a stronger taste of garlic.

Leftover snickers bars from Halloween make a delicious dessert. Simply chop them up with the food chopper. Peel, core and slice a few apples. Place them in a baking dish and sprinkle the chopped candy bars over the apples. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes!!! Serve alone or with vanilla ice cream. Yummm!

Reheat Pizza -- Heat up leftover pizza in a nonstick skillet on top of the stove, set heat to med-low and heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy micro pizza. I saw this on the cooking channel and it really works.

Easy Deviled Eggs -- Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal, mash till they are all broken up. Add remainder of ingredients, reseal, keep mashing it up mixing thoroughly, cut the tip of the baggy, squeeze mixture into egg. Just throw bag away when done easy clean up.

Expanding Frosting -- When you buy a container of cake frosting from the store, whip it with your mixer for a few minutes. You can double it in size. You get to frost more cake/cupcakes with the same amount. You also eat less sugar and calories per serving.

Reheating refrigerated bread -- To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place them in a microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food moist and help it reheat faster.

Newspaper weeds away -- Start putting in your plants, work the nutrients in your soil. Wet newspapers, put layers around the plants overlapping as you go cover with mulch and forget about weeds. Weeds will get through some gardening plastic they will not get through wet newspapers.

Broken Glass -- Use a wet cotton ball or Q-tip to pick up the small shards of glass you can't see easily.

No More Mosquitoes -- Place a dryer sheet in your pocket. It will keep the mosquitoes away.

Squirrel Away! -- To keep squirrels from eating your plants, sprinkle your plants with cayenne pepper. The cayenne pepper doesn't hurt the plant and the squirrels won't come near it.

Flexible vacuum -- To get something out of a heat register or under the fridge add an empty paper towel roll or empty gift wrap roll to your vacuum. It can be bent or flattened to get in narrow openings.

Reducing Static Cling -- Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing panty hose. Place pin in seam of slacks and ... ta da! ... static is gone.

Measuring Cups -- Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill with hot water. Dump out the hot water, but don't dry cup. Next, add your ingredient, such as peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes right out.

Foggy Windshield? -- Hate foggy windshields? Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the glove box of your car When the window s fog, rub with the eraser! Works better than a cloth!

Reopening envelope -- If you seal an envelope and then realize you forgot to include something inside, just place your sealed envelope in the freezer for an hour or two. Viola! It unseals easily.

Conditioner -- Use your hair conditioner to shave your legs. It's cheaper than shaving cream and leaves your legs really smooth. It's also a great way to use up the conditioner you bought but didn't like when you tried it in your hair.

Goodbye Fruit Flies -- To get rid of pesky fruit flies, take a small glass, fill it 1/2' with Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dish washing liquid; mix well. You will find those flies drawn to the cup and gone forever!

Get Rid of Ants -- Put small piles of cornmeal where you see ants. They eat it, take it 'home,' can't digest it so it kills them. It may take a week or so, especially if it rains, but it works and you don't have the worry about pets or small children being harmed!

INFO ABOUT CLOTHES DRYERS
The heating unit went out on my dryer! The gentleman that fixes things around the house for us told us that he wanted to show us something and he went over to the dryer and pulled out the lint filter. It was clean. (I always clean the lint from the filter after every load clothes.) He told us that he wanted to show us something; he took the filter over to the sink and ran hot water over it. The lint filter is made of a mesh material ... I'm sure you know what your dryer's lint filter looks like. Well ... the hot water just sat on top of the mesh! It didn't go through it at all! He told us that dryer sheets cause a film over that mesh that's what burns out the heating unit. You can't SEE the film, but it's there. It's what is in the dryer sheets to make your clothes soft and static free ... that nice fragrance too. You know how they can feel waxy when you take them out of the box ... well this stuff builds up on your clothes and on your lint screen. This is also what causes dryer units to potentially burn your house down with it! He said the best way to keep your dryer working for a very long time (and to keep your electric bill lower) is to take that filter out and wash it with hot soapy water and an old toothbrush (or other brush) at least every six months.
He said that makes the life of the dryer at least twice as long! How about that!?!

Read Your Receipts

Have you been out to eat lately at a fast food place and noticed at the bottom of your receipt is sometimes a "prize" if you complete a short survey? I have become a master at scouring these receipts and finding the deals...even on the back. Here are some things I've gotten:
*Multiple FREE regular roast beef sandwiches at Arby's
*Frosty float from Wendy's
*Multiple 10% off one item at Burlington Coat Factory
*$1 off next purchase at Taco Cabana (got that one today)
*Free bean burrito or taco at Taco Bueno
These things take just minutes to fill out (online or on the phone) and are well worth it in my opinion. I just wanted to share this if you guys haven't taken notice of your receipts recently. Anybody else gotten some great deals out there for completing a survey for the company?