Baby It's Cold Outside - Time For Soup

We've had nothing but really cold weather and lots of fog for the past week.  Usually, we all get super excited about the cold temps, because it might mean a rare snow day.  Sadly, the only moisture in the air is in the form of REALLY thick fog. 


I couldn't resist snapping a few photos of the frozen trees.

A cold day, combined with feeling under the weather, calls for some homemade chicken soup. I used my new electric pressure cooker.  I'm kinda loving this new appliance.



Here's what I did:

I used the saute feature first.
I put a little olive oil in the pot,
followed by 1/2 a diced onion,
2 cloves diced garlic,
1 diced carrot, and
1 diced celery stalk.

Then I added some leftover chicken I had in the freezer,
6 cups of chicken stock,
 about 1/2 cup uncooked brown rice,
and turned the pressure cooker on high for 9 minutes.
After 9 minutes, I let it cool for about 15 minutes to release the pressure naturally.

Maybe it's because it's cold outside, or maybe it's because I don't feel too well, but that soup tasted so good!  I asked my hubby if he loved it as much as I did because it's really good, or if I was just loving it because I'm feeling pathetic.  He thought it might be a little of both.  My kids on the other hand, thought it was the best soup they'd ever eaten.  They both went back for seconds.

(Side story:  When my son was just learning to feel himself, as a baby, if he really loved something, he'd start kind of humming as he was eating.  You could just tell he was perfectly content and loving his meal. I was almost like he was saying, "Yummm, yummm, yummm." as he was eating. To this day (he's almost 12 now), when he eats something that he really loves he does the humming thing when he eats.  At the dinner table tonight, my hubby and I just looked at each other and burst out laughing because my son was in his humming mode as he was eating this soup.  Needless to say, he really enjoyed this recipe.)

Stay warm, friends!

Vintage Rectangle Quilt

In my opinion, there are several different types of quilters.  There are people who like to find a pattern, pick their fabric, and then follow the instructions.  Some people like to fly by the seat of their pants and buy pretty fabric and then just start sewing.  There are also quilters with an eye for design.  They find beautiful fabrics, get inspired, and draft out their own pattern.  I tend to be a follow-the-instructions type of quilter.  Flying by the seat of my pants is just way too uncomfortable for me.  I've tried it, and I just don't like it.  I tend to freeze and then my quilting project ends up looking really pathetic.

I've always admired people who can design their own patterns, figuring the yardage they need, keeping seam allowance in mind, and always creating with an artists' eye.  Over the past few months, I've been trying my hand at designing quilt patterns.  Although I don't think I will EVER have an artists' eye, I've certainly been having a lot of fun creating.  I've been buying fabric, or using fabric I already own, and then designing from there.

Last week I showed this quilt top to you.

I had purchased this Honeybun from the Moda line and really didn't know how I wanted to use it.

It sat on my shelf for a really long time, because as much as I loved the fabric, I just didn't know what I wanted to do and I didn't want to waste it or start something and make a mistake.  Well, I finally got inspired.  I found a Jellyroll pattern that I liked.  I knew it would be slightly different, by using a Honeybun, so I needed to plan it out. (Remember, a Honeybun is a smaller version of a Jellyroll.)

Here's the picture I created to help me wrap my head around the way I wanted it to turn out.


To make this quilt, you need one Honeybun and 1 5/8 of a yard of light fabric.

I started by sewing the Honeybun strips together, in pairs.
Then, I cut the strips into 2 1/2 inch blocks.
By sewing the 2 1/2 inch block to another 2 1/2 inch block, I got the little "block of four".
Finally, it was time to sew the blocks to white rectangles (2 x 4 1/2 inch rectangles).
It always makes me happy to sew the strips together because the quilt finishes up so quickly. A little 2 1/2 inch border on the edge and the quilt top was complete.

It looks like a lot of work, but because I used the strip piecing method, it actually came together very quickly.

Happy quilting!

Because I Needed Another Hobby!

I came home with yarn and knitting needles one day and my hubby just looked at me, shook his head, and asked, "Why?"

To me, the answer was obvious, "Because I needed another hobby!"

It's cold out and I can't garden in the winter.  I'm trying not to bake as much because we really don't need to be eating warm cookies all through the winter.... those soft, warm, yummy cookies... sorry... got distracted.  Anyway, my hubby and kids say I always have my nose in the computer and I thought knitting might keep me busy when I just feel like I need to sit down for a bit.  (I tend to curl up with my iPad and start pinning fun ideas when we're watching movies or relaxing in the evening.  I call it multi-tasking.  They think I'm being anti-social.)  Well, my friend at school helped me get started and I'm happy to report that I have a pretty new scarf!



I bought the chunkiest yarn I could find and some really big knitting needles.  I bought a size 13 needle, if that means anything to you knitters out there.

Yep, feeling kinda proud of my new hobby!

Happy knitting!