Like The Blue Suede Shoes?

Some things, you just don’t repeat, but some are really cute and bear being overheard and shared … at least that’s my story and I’m stickin to it today. lol

A little back story here, Deb is going Cruising … AGAIN !!!   AND, she’s already said she’ll be going again in December – SMH SMH SMH – What am I now?  chopped Cruise Harley Hotel and Bag Maker?   LOL – I mean, she did just abscond with 10 of my latest bags AND she left the dog?  What’s with that?

 

So, we have this sisters/mother private Messenger chat group, right?

Well, I caught this convo going on yesterday afternoon after Deb had arrived In Galveston.

shhh …. read, but don’t repeat, because we’re almost like … kissing and telling …. ALMOST … NOT QUITE!!!!

 

SAT 3:33 P.M.

SP:  Arrived in Galveston. No Wi-Fi for ipad. Wont stay connected.

Sorry bout that, chief.

 

GP:   Hooray, you arrived safely. Don’t fret about the Wi-Fi, check in when you can. We don’t want to become a chore. Concentrate on the “good times”

 

SP: clip_image0021

 

GP:   Check in tomorrow?

SP:

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GP:

Hope you and Dale enjoy a relaxing evening.

 

SP:   Yez. We do tboard until 10:00am.

Xinner with friends from Kehmah. They come over when we are in Galveston.

I HATE THIS CELL PHONE KEYBOARD!!!!!!!!.

Offuntil later. I have 10 bags i think. May be 8 tjough. Lol

Though

 

GP:   Have fun. Will catch up with you later.

 

SP:   will count them soon and pick one for tonight and tomorrow

SP:  Bye.

GP:  Bye

SP:  L8er

Time Passes ……………………4:47pm

 

…….

Ready to go to dinner. Outside pockets.

Inside zipper pocket.

GP:  Nice bag

Such a clean purse. LOL

SP:  Lenty of room left over. Think i can get my ipad in as well as my phone.

Lol. Suede

Very soft.

GP:  Purse is NO good if iPad doesn’t fit.

Love suede too!

SP:  Lol.

GP:  Enjoy dinner and the company.

SP: Need messenger bag for that. Lol no garage

Lol. Ignore last.

GP:  Thank you iPad…huh!

SP:  Dumb phone. Lol.

Later

Ipad win t connect here.

………….and they moved on to their respective as you were’ing from there —

Here’s the front and back of that bag ..

 

 

~~~ the end ~~~ (as I say in the group )

So, in the mean time….

Live Every Moment, Love Beyond Words, Laugh Everyday,

~Jennifer

4TxSisters at Etsy

Crown Royal Quilt #2

Last year, I created a Crown Royal patchwork quilt. This year I decided to use the fronts and backs to make this one.

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There are 9 rows of 7 bags.  The quilting will be along the edges of the bags. I edged the sides (all 4 sides) with a dark purple flowered print, then added the batting and a yellow gold satin for the backing. I will use the edges of the backing for the binding. I will add a picture of the finished quilt at a later date.

Chile Rellenos

One of the best Mexican food dishes I like (and like to make) is Chile Rellenos either stuffed with cheese alone or with a combination of meat & cheese.

 

I usually make my Chile Rellenos with Anaheim peppers but they are quite tasty made with Pablano peppers. First I roast the peppers & chill them in ice water to stop the cooking. I slit the pepper open and scrape out as many of the seeds & veins as I can so they are not quite sooooo hot!!!

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Usually I cut a block of Colby Jack cheese into strips and stuff at least one strip in each pepper.  If I am adding meat, this is the time to fill them.

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To make the batter, I usually use the same number of eggs that I have peppers.  If I make 4 peppers, I use four eggs, at room temperature. Divide the yolk from the white. Add about 1 tsp flour per pepper, 1/2 tsp salt, pepper to taste, & 1 tsp of Season Salt, 1 tsp cumin. Whip the egg whites, with 1 tsp of Cream of Tatar, to stiff peaks.

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Add about a “big” spoonful of the egg whites to the egg yolk mixture to thin it out.? Gently fold the yolks into the whites so as not to break the fluffiness.

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I heat oil (lard, about an inch)in a large skillet. I use a ladle to pour some batter on top of the heated oil.  Be sure to pour enough so that the pepper can lay across it without having the pepper in the oil.  Lay the pepper on the batter base & spoon more batter over the top of the pepper.  Using a spoon (or ladle), scoop oil across the enclosed pepper.  This will provide some stability when you turn the pepper. I use a silicon covered spatula to turn the peppers. After the bottom browns, carefully turn the pepper and let the pepper turn golden brown. Use the spatula to move the cooked pepper to a paper towel covered plate. Serve immediately.

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Crown Royal Quilt

One of my friends from the Richard A. Anderson VFW Post #8953 told me they had quite a few Crown Royal bags. For those of you who might not know what that is – I didn’t either because I don’t drink Crown Royal. It is a bag made of a very lightweight flannel in a size to fit the bottle. They come in small sizes & large sizes. After working with them for awhile, I found out that within each size, they are not even the same size all the time.

So, I took on the project of making a Crown Royal quilt. Let’s step back here a minute – why is it that when you sew, everybody thinks you can do everything? I have NEVER in my life made a quilt. This was to be my first quilt & I was scared to death.

I spent months & months researching patterns for the quilt, bought books, searched on the internet, & thought about it a lot. Since this was probably going to be my one & only quilt, I turned to an Excel spreadsheet to lay out the pattern instead of buying a quilting program for my computer. For those who don’t know me, I am slightly Obsessive Compulsive Anal Retentive, to some maybe a bit more than slightly. I laid out 3 different patterns that I liked & this is my final decision:

Crown Royal Quilt

This is a King/Queen size quilt and there are 625 individual squares that make up this quilt. I sewed 5 squares together in a line & then sewed 4 more rows of 5 squares. I combined these 5 rows into one big square. I repeated this 24 more times (giving me twenty-five 5″ square squares).

I started with a specialty square in the middle of the quilt & built my strips, alternating colors as I went. I used the flannel bags, front & back, & light fleece – white, purple tie-dye, darker purple & a light lilac, for the front.  Finding the right colors was another time consuming thing.

Now remember, I am using a home sewing machine, with this HUGE quilt once it is all put together.  By rolling the quilt up so I only had a little bit at a time under the needle, I finally got all of the squares within squares put together. Now comes the fun part – putting the batting & backing on the front. I laid the quilt front side down & laid the batting on the back then, after piecing the backing together (wasn’t large enough), I pinned the 3 layers together to do the quilting. What to do! what to do!

More tight rolling to get it in the needle area & turning it around to do only 1/4 at a time. I decided to do the quilting in the corners only instead of across the whole quilt & started in the middle & worked my way to the outside of the quilt.

I decided to use the sides of the bags as my binding so I had to cut them & sew them into a long strip – long enough to go around the outside of the quilt. I pinned it on the back side & folded it over & sewed it.  I had a few problems with the corners but persevered & completed the quilt. It only took me 2 years or so to complete it because as I ran into a problem, I would put it aside so I could do some more research. I don’t like to keep working on a problem after I become frustrated with it – I just get in more trouble.

Here is a picture of the quilt before I put the batting, backing or binding on it.

Crown Royal Quilt 2

T-shirt Quilt

I had purchased several t-shirts for a benefit run by our local VFW over the years.  I decided to make a quilt for the benefit using the previous year’s t-shirts as the basis.  Each t-shirt had two design faces so that enabled me to have 8 panels.  I found  additional t-shirts of a patriotic theme so that I would have an even number (12).  This quilt was a personal size quilt (or maybe it would fit a twin size bed).

I cut out the panels in 12″x12″ squares.  In order to strengthen the fabric, I used some iron-on stabilizer.  I laid the pattern out in 3 panels across and 4 panels down.  For one of the extra panels, I had to manufacture.  I was trying to keep my additional colors to either a black or blue background.  The only other suitable panel I found was on a white t-shirt.  So, I cut out & glued the white part I cut out onto one of the black t-shirt backs & stitched some rick-rack around the edge to cover the white border.  I thought it came out pretty good.

 

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I used the edges of the backing as the binding.  I quilted it & then cut & folded the sides to make the binding.

Food & the Glycemic Index

 

What do you know about the food you eat & how the carbohydrates in it affect your body?

As a society, we are eating more & more carbs without increasing our activities. This is a formula for disaster for us! More & more of us are becoming diabetic and NOT just adults!

As a diabetic, that means we can no longer have the sweet goodies, potatoes, rice, pasta, bread, etc., that we used to eat. So, I ask again, what do you know about the food you eat & how does it affect your body?

I found this really neat site from “Self” magazine!

http://nutritiondata.self.com/topics/glycemic-index

There is good general information about diabetes & how the food we eat affect us.

Hope this helps someone!

 

Love always,

Deb