Eufaula Quilt Show

A couple of weeks ago, a friend and I took a road trip to Eufaula, OK to a Quilt show. It is a small town that is a couple of hours from where we live, and we saw a good variety of very pretty quilts and several vendors. Three beautiful quilts were made by one lady for her small grandchildren to be given to them when they graduated high school, as she knew she would not live long enough to give them herself, very touching. There was also an area at the show of quilts that had been donated along with some beautiful antique quilts, that were all for sale with the proceeds going to a charity. They had a tea room that was available for lunch, which we also enjoyed. It was a beautiful day to be out and about, and we had a good time.

Here are a few of my favorites. I personally like scraps and lots of colors.

These were the antique quilts that were for sale. We enjoyed quite a show just watching these quilts being turned.

The small quilt guild that we are in, The Logan County Piecemakers,  will be having our own quilt show in a couple of weeks, so we are always on the lookout for good ideas. 

 

THIS WEEK'S RECIPE

POSOLE

I love to make this, it ranks right up to the top as one of my favorite soups/stews. It makes a lot and freezes well. The original recipe is Ken's Kickin' Posole that I found on Allrecipes, but I have made a few slight changes. One of the ingredients is hominy, which I don't like, but it is perfect in this. 
1 can chiles

1/2 pound bacon, chopped

2 pounds cooked pork loin, chopped. I usually cook this during the day in the crock pot

1 chopped onion

10 cloves minced garlic

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced

1 tsp dried Mexican oregano

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped

8 cups chicken stock

1 (14.5 ounce) can mild red enchilada sauce

1 (15 ounce) cans white hominy, rinsed and drained.

shredded cabbage-as much as you like, I use as much as I can until the pot is full

Cook and stir the bacon in a very large pot until it is beginning to crisp, and dip onto a paper towel lined plate.  Stir in the onion and garlic; cook and stir until the onion has softened and begins to turn brown. Stir in the chiles, jalapeno peppers, cilantro and spices and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the chicken stock and enchilada sauce. Stir in the bacon, pork, hominy, and cabbage and cook for about an hour.

Romans 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?



Making Fleece Blankets

Everyone loves a nice soft fleece blanket. They are the best things to wrap up in and keep warm.  The church I go to has a small group of ladies and we try to meet once a month to have lunch together and stay connected.  Yesterday was our September luncheon. We usually meet at a restaurant, but this time we had a great potluck meal. Then instead of parting ways, we had a project to work on, to make blankets to donate to the local children's home. I think every lady of the congregation participated in this project, and it was a fun one.


Most of the blankets were sewn together ahead of time, but we did still have several that had not been. Each blanket was made of two pieces of fleece, some were tied together, but most were sewed together. There are numerous Youtube videos on making these in various ways. We had a good assembly line going. There were ladies that were putting the pieces together, and a couple of ladies sewing, then a few more that were measuring them and folding them, another that was tying a label on, and then some ladies that were tying a remnant of the fleece around it to make it look like a gift. We ended up with 43 blankets, a big pile of softness, and none were exactly alike.


Quilts will always be my favorite, but I personally like them big and on beds.  They are expensive and can be time consuming to make.  Fleece is available in every color and design imaginable from many sources. My local sources are Walmart and Hancock's, my favorite being Hancock's. The fleece blankets are so quick and easy to make, and are durable and easy to care for. 

These should be delivered to the children's home in a few weeks by a couple of the ladies.  Now, I am inspired to make some of these for myself, maybe even some for Christmas gifts. 

THIS WEEK'S RECIPE

CRANBERRY APRICOT GRANOLA

This is another recipe from Paleo grubbs, and it is a delicious snack. It is quick and easy to make, and makes a fairly good amount, so it lasts a while.

1 cup each of walnuts, almonds, chopped dried apricots, and dried cranberries

1/2 cup each of unsweetened coconut flakes, shelled pumpkin seeds, and shelled sunflower seeds

1/4 cup each of coconut oil and maple syrup

1 tsp each of vanilla, cinnamon, and salt

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the walnuts, almonds, coconut flakes and pumpkin seeds into a blender or food processor and pulse to break the mixture into smaller pieces.

In a larger bowl, add the melted coconut oil and maple syrup, stir in the vanilla and cinnamon. Add the mixture from the blender, the sunflower seeds, and the dried apricots and stir to coat.

Spread the mixture out evenly onto the baking sheet and cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring twice, until the mixture is lightly browned. Remove from the oven and stir in the dried cranberries and salt. Press the granola mixture together to form a flat, even surface. Cool for about 15 minutes, and then break into chunks. Store in an airtight container or resealable bag.

Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.