Back In March....E-Mealz Update

Back in March I blogged that I joined the "E-Mealz" program. It's $15 every 90 days. I am supplied a list that provides recipes & shopping list for 7 planned dinners. I am currently using the "family" plan which feeds 4-6 people. I am only feeding 3 adults, and it's still a LOT of food.

Anyway....We have been deligently using the "program" and I am pleased to report that 90-98% of the recipes are really VERY GOOD. I have not been able to match the shopping list to the EXACT price they have listed, but I come within $5. Most of the menu's that I have used have been under $85 for the whole week. $85 is STILL pretty good, seeing as I NORMALLY spend $175 to $230. Keep in mind that includes all the other "stuff" I buy...like dog food, staples, toiletries...etc. With the "E-Mealz" menu's I am saving a whole lot more money!

DD#1 will be moving out sometime next month, once her house is painted & chainlink fencing is installed, and I am going to change my subscription to the "2 Person" menu. I looked at the sample of the 2 person menu on the E-Mealz website & it shows 5 meals for 2 people and the total cost (get this...) under $40. That is awesome.

It makes me think though....I have wasted a lot of $$$ on FOOD. Just FOOD. If I can do it with this program, I should have been more miserly & been able to do it myself! But, since I am not smart enough (nor do I want to exert the effort) to "do" it all on my own, it is worthwhile to spend the $5 per month to be spoonfed (pun intended...) a list with recipes, directions and shopping list!

The menu's sure have been putting a lot of variety into our diets. This week we had Cheesy Chicken and Vegetables and another chicken dish called Chicken & Stuffing Casserole. Both were excellent. We gave them a 9.0 !

If you are looking for a deal or a break, and also want to try & save some $$, then you should think about joining the program. I'm not affiliated, I'm just a happy camper.

sam

Night And Day Top / No Borders Yet

Don't these blocks look like they are set "on point"?

They are set straight, not on point. They look so different now that they are sewn together.

We all know that I like to make big "queen" size quilts. This is not gonna make it to be a queen! I don't want to make any more blocks, I have 2 left over, I am done with them.

You have to remember.....each block has 16 pieces. SIXTEEN. that is 32 for each set. I ain't making no more.........

I like how they look & I like how it looks all set together, I still lack borders. i will have to search through my stash & see what I have in enough yardage to use as borders. Maybe I have enough of the cream print left to make an inner border. We shal see....tomorrow!

So? What'cha think?

Sam

Everytime.......

I lay out a quilt top on the floor to take pictures, the fat dog has to get in the middle of everything.

Unprovoked, uninvited, she gets right in the middle.

While I was lamenting....DD#1 decides to join the jester....and have some fun too!

Sam

Way back in January....Night & Day Blocks

Way back in January (of THIS year, thank you very much...) I was blog surfing & found a block called "Night & Day". Very grafic, positive/negative thing going.

I had a bunch of Civil War Repro fat quarters that I got dirt cheap, so I cut them into 2 inch strips and had a cream Thimbleberries print and cut that into strips. Well we all KNOW how life gets busy & my blocks were put aside.

Last night I finished them! I am so glad to get them done!!

DD#1 & I laid them out and I am sewing the blocks into a top. I think I lack 2 more rows & then I have to sew the rows together. I will post photos when I get that far.

I refuse to go shopping, so I will be using fabric from my stash for the borders. I am thinking that the biggest part of the borders will be black. We'll see once it's all together.(and what I have in my stash.)

SAm

Silly Dog!

We have discovered that my Springer Spaniel, Bourbon, is a "mouser". How did we disvocer this? Weeeelllll....I was cleaning his kennel & he was unusually preoccupied with digging under his water bowl. (I use the term "bowl" loosely, as it's a 17 gallon wash tub....) Seems there were 2 little mice under there. Once I lifted the water bowl, they scurried out & Bourbon scooped them up, chomped on them & dropped them. ICK !!!! Once they stopped moving, he wasn't interested in them anymore....Bourbon has also been Turkey hunting.

We have a Turkey hen running around the area & since I feed the birds, she's come regularly to our yard. Drives the dogs nuts! Once I let them out, they are hot on her trail. I hope she does not lay anywhere, she'll tear those dogs up if they come near her nest.....

The only thing Briscoe hunts is a tennis ball.....

Sam

My Niece's Baby

This is my niece, Jenny, and her new baby!

I will be traveling to L.A. this Friday to visit with Jenny, her family & my sister-in-law.

See Ya !

Sam

Come December......

I will be a Grand-mother!

DD#2 is going to have grand-child #1. Too early to know which it will be. Doesn't matter, if it's a boy, though, I won't be able to smock little clothes for very long....



DN#2 (neice) is having baby #3 sometime between NOW & next week. It's a girl. I think they are naming her Maddison. I'm not too sure about the 2 d's.....anyway, Maddy will round out the brood to an even 6 for the family.

Sam

The Best Brownie Pan Ever !

For Mother's Day, DD#1 gave a gift card to me.

I LIKE gift cards.

This one was for Amazon.com I ordered 4 books (one a pre-order quilt book) and the Brownie Pan pictured.

Normally, I would NOT spend $35 on a pan JUST FOR BROWNIES. but, it WAS a gift card & gifts are indulgences, are they not?

When I opened the box, I was sceptical that it would perform to the degree of the reviews that I read on Amazon. Also it is NOT dishwasher safe.

One of the books I ordered is called "Brownie Points" for Brownies of course! But it didn't come the same day as the pan, I had a few (yes more than one...) box of Brownie mix in the pantry and mixed one up & poured it into the pan....you have to pay attention when you're pouring the batter because of the design of the pan.

Well, people, this is the best Brownie Pan EVER ! I mean it. There are edges on every piece. It cooked evenly, and the non-stick worked like a charm.

The Best Brownie Pan ever! it's by Bakers Edge. And the pan is called (oddly enough) Brownie Edge Pan....imagine that!

So, if you're a sucker for indulging in chocolate, Brownies, buy the pan. Having good equipment makes all the differnce in the world.

I took the brownies to work yesterday. I was very popular...

Sam

Pink Chocolate Fabrics

On my quest to buy additional fabric for my quilt, I bought the complete Fat Quarter collection of the Pink Chocolate line! I got htese from Bonnie Blue Quilts. Wonderful site - they are very customer oriented.

I also got one of the fabrics that was in the quilt kit to make pillow cases to match the quilt in the kit I bought at Paducah. Some of the fat quarters from the set will likely be used to make the quilt in the kit bigger.

I still lack buying additional fabric for the borders. It has to be the exact one & I have bought one that is similar but not the right colorway....Darn...Once I make that quilt i am going to call it "My Pink Paducah".

Kitchy, huh? Ha Ha Ha

Sam

Paducah Play Pretties

I'm about 3 weeks late posting this, but here is my "haul" from Paducah.

Photo #1
This is a Quilt Kit I bought form Primitive Gatherings. It makes the quilt pictured in the book. I love, love, love the colors in the kit. (which is NOT the same colorway as pictured in the book) It is from a line by Windham Fabrics called Pink Chocolate by Nancy Gere (?) the book is called "Quilting for Joy" by Barbara Brandeburg & Teri Christopherson.

The kit only makes an 80 X 80 and I want it bigger....I have been on a quest to find the border fabrics....No luck so far & I have made 2 orders at 2 separate places...

Photo #2
these are the fat quarters that I bought. Browns, Pinks, Blacks and 2 Purples. I'm on a pink & brown kick right now...

Photo #3
These are Long Arm Continuous Line Design books & a DVD by Sharon Schamber. WOW is all I can say about Sharon's talent.....I can't watch more than 20 minutes of the DVD, or I fall asleep.

I fall asleep during ALL sewing DVD's....ALL of them. Eleanor Burns (and she's really animated), Karen McTavish (and she's interesting to SEE) Lisa Calle, Dawn Ramirez...I fall asleep during them all. I don't know why, i just do!

Photo #4
These are 2 books from that Chinelle by the Inch company. These sweatshirts were the cutest thing! So adorable. I could not resist. You use a basic sweatshirt & decorate it. Too cute. The Chinelle was a design element, but certainly the cuties could be made without it!

I bought another book too, one of those by the author that makes quilts from 5" squares...I left it at work & didn't get a photo of it.

Anyway - this is what I got! I was a happy camper!

Sam

March 23rd to May 13th..........

Remember the Irish Chain? the Triple Irish Chain with the Seminole border ??? Ala Eleanor Burns?

I posted a photo last week of it with the binding sewn to the front.

Today, folks, it's had it's label attached & was stuffed into a copy paper box & is off to the wedding which commences on Saturday.

It was a joint venture. DD#1 & I worked very well together. She does NOT like the rotary cutter. (I'll tell you about that later...)

We did not sew on this monster everyday, but we dented the project pretty good in April.

it's done & it's gone. WE DID IT !!! So? Am I good or Crazy? (chris that question is for YOU!! Ha Ha)

Back to why DD#1 does not like rotary cutters. Way back when rotary cutters were new, they didn't have safety devices like they do now. I think I bought my first rotatry cutter in 1983 or 1984...it was a Japanese made one. Sort of a gray colored plastic. I STILL have it!!! Anyway, one day I was changing the blade on it & DD#1 was sitting near me (remember, at this point in history, DD#1 is about 3 years old)and I put the old blade down and told her DO NOT TOUCH it. She did. that darn blade wouldn't cut through anything. Nothing. it was dull, dull, dull....but when the baby picked it up, it was STILL sharp enough to cut skin & it did. None of the cuts were deep, and I overreacted (as do young Mothers....I was all of 21 then....) she cut open her fingers & there was more blood than anything....we ended up in the E/R (took the blade with me....I was scared they would accuse me of abuse or neglect....) & all they did was clean her hand & fingers. The cuts were not deep enough to need stitches.They were more like scratches from a kitten. Told you, I overreacted. so now? At 26 she is scared of the rotary cutter. Odd thing is, she has NO memory of it. Nearly didn't beleive me when I retold the story.

DD#1 did the majority of the strip sewing. I did all the cutting. Every bit of it. She sewed all the blocks together & I webbed the top, sewed on the borders, quilted it, bound it & appliqued the label that DD#1 designed. (In like 2 minutes...) She is very happy with the end result & I hope the bride & groom will be too! and for every night that I was busy sewing on it, she cooked. i STILL did the dishes....couldn't milk it that far....

Now I can get back to sewing for myself. I also have 2 customer quilts waiting in que.


Sam

Graduation Girl

Well folks

Saturday , my baby girl graduated college. COLLEGE.

I had her in August of 1986. I was un-married, I was scared. She was #2. Sometimes life choices are not always easy, I think it all game out okay. Better than okay.

College was not even a pinpoint of light at the end of an endless tunnel. But you know what? It happened. I didn't get her there all on my own. We are far more blessed than I can ever put into words.

This little baby graduated with honors too! Isn't that great?

Prince Charming & I are 2 for 2. Both through high-school & both through college.

Way to go girls!

Aren't they beautiful?

Congrats baby girl! Good Job!

Momma

Commercial Break

You ever see that commercial on T.V. where those ladies are in the grocery store & they have thier right arm in a sling? And they keep telling lies how they hrut their arm? then they bump into one another & the one says to the other: " Hard water spots?"....eveidiently they end up with thier arm in a sling because of the vigorous scrubbing they have to do....You ever see that commercial????

I think I need both MY arms in slings. I am so sore, and I am so tired, and we are not half done.

Done what?

Painting. Remember, DD#1 bought a house. Every wall in it has to be painted. EVERY ONE. Not only painted, but primed FIRST because the colors were very bright. Tasteful, but VERY bright. We painted (primer remember, so we get to do it AGAIN) the master bathroom, the master bedroom, the living room, and the 2 little halls on each side of the living room.

We still lack the kitchen (which may not need primer), the 2nd bathroom & then the 2 other rooms. One of the "other" rooms is 2-tone pink striped. Like cotton candy pink & Barbie pink. Stripes. Yeah.....THAT is going to take more than ONE coat of primer.....for sure.

I am sore, sore , sore. i don't feel 24 today....I feel more like ......oh, I don't know.....70? I don't think I can do this at 70. It hurts at 45.....

My husband is a Prince. A true Prince. Once he gets a project going, he is like the energizer bunny. He keeps going, and going. I do not even TRY to keep up with him. He painted & painted & painted. Bless him !

Wel, it's still early & i am going to FINISH putting the binding on the Irish Chain. I only lack 1/2 of one side & I'm done. Done is so good!

Anyone out there that is a really good painter, y'all step up to the plate. I'll let you paint all you want. I'll feed you........

Cheers!

Sam

Irish Chain Update

Here are the photos.

I sewed the binding to the front, last night. I am going to try & sew SOME of it down tonight.

It is dark outside today, raining, raining & MORE rain. So it was dark in our bonus room, so it looks like I took these at night. It's only 5 PM.

Talk to y'all later!

Sam

Little Local Show

Dickson County TN has a little "Old Timers Festival" every year, ont he first weekend of May.

This is my first May here, and the guild I belong to has a little show. I entered 5 quilts. it's NOT actually a real show, as there are NO judges & NO awards. Just "Viewers Choice" and it's informal. My guild has a LOT of talent.

I told Prince Charming that I wouldn't place. And I didn't. it was fun, and I spent all day Saturday making sure people didn't touch the quilts. Which I thought was a stupid thing to be watching for, since they passed out plastic gloves....

this is "me" in front of 3 of my quilts.

The Bargello is the one that won "Viewers Choice".

Sam

It's the Baby Dog

My favorite Fat Dog

DD#1 took her piture yesterday. The favorite Fat Dog was lying in the mulch......one of her favorite places.

Good News!

DD#1 bought a house, closed today. We spent the afternoon getting utilities put in her name. It wasn't hard, just lots of running around. Once she is able to move in, I'll post a picture. It's a nice starter home. I am so proud of her. Now she gets back all the stuff I have sotred since she went off to college. THAT was in 2001.

Time really has flown.

It's rained all day. ALL DAY. Nashville, in places has got 5 inches.......

Sam