Design Wall for Week 26 - WB 06-30-14

Arizona Skies - originally titled Tequila Buzz
(but I renamed it because of the colors I'm using!)
 I have to figure out where I hid it though!

Irish Double Chain.
Actually I have a fair amount done - just needs finishing - BADLY!

Re machine quilting - ummmmmmmmmm - I'm working on that - and have NO idea what will need to be worked on this week and what won't!  Definitely want all the placemats, table runners and table toppers done (these are my practice pieces before the BIG quilts!).  Then probably the baby blankets would be next - which is probably where I'll be this week!  Probably!

Stash Report for Week 26 - 06-29-14

06-29-14 -Week 26 - The big joke was that I was sooooooooooooo concerned/fearful/whatever it was of working on the Double Duty Quilt that I kept putting it off!  This week it appeared on my Design Wall and Tuesday evening (after a failed attempt to go see a movie which struck absolute horror and memories, yada yada, in me - I decided to do "just a block - to see what it was like!"  LOL - at 2:30 AM I quit and went to bed - ALL except one corner was done - and I did THAT corner the next day BEFORE heading out to pick strawberries!

so - for the flimsy - I used 6 FQ (background), 10 FQ (log cabin), 18 FQ (medium and dark prints, 1 yard (setting triangles) = 34 FQ + 1 yd (which I could convert into quarters - but won't) - 8 1/2 yards + 1 yard = 9 1/2 yards

ALSO done this week - I found where I made my math error (UGH!) - I do a copy/paste of my previous entry - and fill in all the new info.  Apparently for whatever reason, my brain went on vacation to Florida (was chilly around the beginning of May - remember????) and I forgot to update the net used.  And then I messed up again - and just now got done re-correcting entries.  All the other figures were ok - but when I did the next copy/paste - I just kept carrying the same mistake forward!  UGH!  all straight now - and my math double checks!  

Used This Week 9 .50 yard
Used This Month: 23.875 + 9.50 = 33.375 for June
Year to Date: 36.313 + 9.50 = 45.813 yards

Added This Week: 0 yards
Added This Month: 0 yard for June
Added Year to Date:5.63 

Net Used for 2014: 30.683 + 9.50 yards = 40.183 yards !!!!!    

Goals for Week 26 - WB 06-29-14

GO AND DO

• DONE Pick strawberries
• Post office
• DONE Library
• Not this week Tai Chi class with Lynn Thursday
• Fireworks?????
• Amelia Park
• DONE ST Retreat #4 (ends Mon eve!) July 6
• Italian bakery with Lynn on July 6
• New Term begins 07/06 (and I'm DEFINITELY not ready for it!) 
• DONE 3 meals a day
• DONE 3 snacks (part of each meal) - and mention

HOUSE - springtime decluttering - and freecycling

• PAPERWORK - a mountain of it! work on at least a half hour a day
• S 
• M
• T
• W
• R
• F 
• Sa
• 1 hour - Things to do
• 1 hour - Filing
• 1 hour - Bills
• ZONE 1 - remodeling mess - not this week!!!!
• ZONE 2 - 
• Kitchen
• WHB on Fri - 
• Dining Area
• WHB 
• ZONE 3 
• Bath
• WHB on Fri
• Laundry Room
• WHB on Fri
• Sewing Room
• WHB on Fri
• Study 
• WHB on Fri
• ZONE 4 
• BR - 
• Zone - Friday
• WHB on Fri
• ZONE 5 
• LR - 
• Zone
• WHB 

GARDEN - 

• DONE Pick strawberries
• cover leaf crop stuff with wire cages (blasted squirrels!)
• Get all perrenial plants in ground if not done already
• Feed trees
• Mulch trees
• Set up fencing - blackberries, weed out areas
• clean and clear around raspberries.
• weed strawberries
• Trim back brush at edge of garden
• Prune what limbs I can
• Remove ALL sticks to driveway
• Weed garden
• Next planting lettuce, greens

STUDIES - (NOTE - will work on week's assignments - Mon AM to update from weekend frenzy)

• RELIGION
• 40 things 
• DONE 118-121
• TIMG
• DONE 78-79
• DONE 80
• HOLD until working on Shemini Atzeres 81-82
• J. Hols & Fest
• DONE 69-73
• 73-76
• DONE Work on lapbooks
• Song 
• DONE 95
• DONE 96
• DONE 98
• 99
• 101
• Plan next lapbook project
• SCIENCE
• World of Plants (WOP)
• Unit 3
• Biomes
• tundra
• DONE Arctic Tundra
• DONE Tundra
• desert
• DONE Hot and Dry
• DONE Semi-Arid
• Coastal
• Cold
• Lapbook Unit 3
• Coloring Book (college level) (CB)
• CB 9
• THE EARTH
• EH - 
• 63-67
• 68-69
• 70
• 71-73
• 74-75
• Lapbook
• EXERCISE - week 5 (increase times and add a routine - date/3 + R)
• Garden
• Yoga A wk 5 (date/3 +1)
• DONE 07/01
• 07/04
• Yoga B wk 5  (date/3 +2)
• DONE 06/29
• DONE 07/02
• 07/05
• Yoga C (date/3 + 0)
• DONE 06/30
• DONE 07/03
• 07/06
• MATH
• DONE 91
• 92
• 93
• 94
• 95
• 96
• RUSSIAN
• Continue Daily review
• DONE Lesson 11
• DONE Lesson 12
• HANDWRITING
• Book A
• DONE 19
• DONE 20
• DONE 21
• DONE 23
• 24
• CREATIVE WRITING
• Writing Strands 
• 12-7
• 12-8
• 12-9
• 12-10
• 12-11
• LIFE SKILLS
• Paperwork 
• Family Financial Workbook
• DONE Chapter 1
• DONE Chapter 2
• MUSIC
• ART - 
• Work on pix for book - have pix ready

KITCHEN

• SOUPS (serving kept out for Monday - freeze the rest)
• Succotash Soup
• BREAD
• Whole Wheat
• Challah
• Popovers
• Cinnamon Rolls
• MAIN DISHES
• Asian Burritos
• Chicken Pasta with Artichokes
• Honey Mustard Glazed Chicken
• Mediterranean Fish
• DONE Rosemary Chicken Breast halves
• DONE Thai Rollups
• Crockpot taco chicken
• Egg farci
• Mexican Torta
• DEHYDRATED VEGGIES, ETC.
• Cauliflower
• DESSERTS and SALADS
• Strawberry shortcake
• DONE Tuna salad
• DONE Blanc Mange
• Rhubarb
• Fried Apples
• JELLIES, JAMS AND PRESERVES
• Strawberry preserves - 4 x 1 C
• Amber Marmalade (buy in!) - 6 x 1 C
• Carrot Orange Marmalade (buy in!) - 6 x 1 C
• Grapefruit Marmalade (buy in!) - 6 x 1 C
• Rhubarb Marmalade (3 x 1 C)
• Pineapple and Rhubarb Conserve (buy in pineapple) - 10 x 1 C
• Mint Jelly - 7 x 1 C
• Tomato preserves (from last year's frozen yellow pear small tomatoes) - 4 x 1 C
• Strawberry Jam 
• Orange Marmalade (buy in!) - 12 x 1 C
• Preserved Ginger (buy in!)
• Cherry Preserves (buy in!) - 4 x 1 C
• Apricot Preserves (buy in!) - 8 x 1 C
• Pineapple Preserves (buy in!) - 6 x 1 C
• PICKLES AND CONDIMENTS
• Pickled Horseradish sauce - 2 x 1 C

QUILT  (Depending on what I finish today - I may add other projects!)

• DONE STASH REPORT (Sunday)
• DONE DESIGN WALL (Monday)
• BONNIE H. ARCHIVE NIGHT (Tues)
• SLICE AND DICE NIGHT (Wednesday) - 1 bag scraps (only 4 bags left!)
• FINISHINGS - Bindings, movies, spiced tea, hot cider or hot chocolate (Thursday)
• DONE STASHBUSTER WEEKEND RETREAT 4 - plan what goes to this!
• BINDING
• Retreat #4 QUILTING  - as many as possible! (this weekend - RETREAT!)
• Any remaining table runners quilted
• All about Hearts Valentine
• Snow people
• Optical Illusions - St. Paddy's day
• Worked on making quilt sandwich Thanksgiving
• Weekday PIECE
• LE - Jamestown Landing - String  blocks 
• Piecing
• DONE Irish Double Chain quilt
• SEWING
• Sew all 3 blouses

Menues for Week 26 - 06-29-14

SUNDAY
B:Poached eggs on toast, sausage
L:Turkey Burger
D:Rosemary Chicken Breast Halves, steamed broccoli, baby carrots, brown rice
S:Strawberry shortcake

MONDAY
B:Kasha
L:Pasta Fagiole Soup
D:Asian burritos with ginger salsa, green salad
S:apple sauce

TUESDAY
B:Pancakes, strawberry syrup
L:tuna salad
D:Stir fry
S:Strawberry and vanilla blanc mange

WEDNESDAY
B:Egg timbales, toast
L:tuna salad Sandwich
D:Chicken Pasta with Artichokes, salad
S:Rhubarb

THURSDAY
B:Cracked wheat
L:leftover Casserole from freezer
D:Succotash Soup, green salad, whole wheat rolls
S:Fresh strawberries

FRIDAY
B:Popovers, orange marmalade
L:lo luncheon menu item
D:Mediterranean Fish, broccoli, baby carrots, rice, salad
S:Fried apples

SATURDAY
B:Cinnamon rolls
L:Crock pot taco chicken, taco fixin's
D:Thai rollups, green salad, double potato soup
S:cake with strawberries

SUNDAY
B:Egg Farci with curry sauce, toast
L:Grilled cheese
D:Mexican Torta, sour cream, cheese
S:popcorn

Stashbuster Retreat - June 27-30

 PIECING

Toes in the sand - a block I did a while ago.
I have one block that I haven't finished and am another one behind.
Plus I want to get the strips for the rest cut.  Fortunately this won't take long!

 MACHINE QUILTING

Halloween runner - needs quilting - FMQ

Cinnamon Stix table Runner -
not sure WHAT quilting stitch I will do with this - nor what color thread!
May end up holding on to it for another month

Nines 'n' Dashes -
needs border(s), then quilting -
I think Walking foot may be in order

New Year's -
um - maybe a combination of walking foot and FMQ

St. Patrick's day table runner -
definitely walking foot

Yellow Brick Road -
ummmm - FMQ???

And there are others (esp. if I chicken out on the FMQ part!  LOL)

YAY - FOUND the Camera!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OK - here's the pix of my completed flimsies!!!!!!

Celtic Solstice - finished in May, border re-done in June - twice!
Now it's DONE DONE DONE! and ready to quilt!

Celtic Solstice again - trimming will happen after quilting when ready to attach binding.  Originally had an outer border on it (twice) didn't like that either!  Pieced border, however is what was holding up the works!  It didn't match - drat it anyway!

Underground RR - was SUPPOSED to have 2 colors on the "arrows" - I didn't like that - kept what I had!  

Underground RR - showing the border et al (please ignore the blue fringe - my afghan is underneath - as is the Friendship quilt - which has a purple border!)  It was also supposed to have 6" border of contrasting color.  It's big enough!   And I liked THIS color for the outside border anyway!  Binding will be dark green - which should make the dark green color in the sashing print pop!  Underground RR - was SUPPOSED to have 2 colors on the "arrows" - I didn't like that - kept what I had! 

Double Duty quilt - almost as old a UFO as the UGRR above!  Had a class in this - ummmm - 4-5 years ago!  Wanted to finish this up - and dreaded the amount of work from the simple patches!

Double Duty quilt - LOL -  started working on this one evening - just putting "a few" together.  This was at 630 PM.  Almost had the whole thing together by 230 AM when I pooped out and went to bed!  Finished the next morning!!!  LOL  So much for the "long and drawn out " work to be done!  LOL

Where IS that camera????

Aargh!  I hate it when I "dribble" items around in various places that make NO sense whatsoever to anyone who is looking for them!  Currently missing - my camera!  I DO have a place where it "lives".  Unfortunately it is now "visiting" SOMEWHERE in this apartment!

And - I have several quilts - the flimsies, at least that are DONE!!!!!

FLIMSY done - of course, the Celtic Solstice - but that was finished some time ago, border taken off and replaced.  And now - this past week - the border is back off - this time to STAY off (the quilt is quite big enough - and I LIKE it this way!  Admittedly, I probably should stay-stitch 1/8 inch from edge all the way around so that it won't have the seams come undone!

And then there is the Underground Railroad - which DOES have a border - BUT I didn't like the one it had - so I replaced it this week - and LOVE it!  Do need to finish up the backing for it.

AND now - the DOUBLE DUTY quilt - which I just picked up to work on this past Monday - and the flimsy is done done DONE!  (no borders - just the binding and that's it!)  Yeehaw - and is it cute!

Now - don't you wish I would hurry up and find the camera so you could see what I'm talking about?

(Oh yes, the design wall I set up earlier this week - all from pix I already had!)

Design Wall for Week 25 - 06-23-14

Toes in the Sand -
actually I'm working on a different set of blocks than this one
 (I missed my class!)

Leader Ender Challenge - Jamestown Landing

Piecing - Double Duty - UFO -
 I want to turn this into a flimsy - hopefully this week!

Nines 'n' Dashes -
I STILL need to put that one border on  - I know what and how I want to do it!
THEN to quilt the little blanket!

Yellow Brick Road baby quilt -
I'm going to FMQ this one!  Honest!

Stash Report for Week 25 - 06-22-14

06-23-14 -Week 25 - 

Apparently I never counted the yardage for the Celtic Solstice flimsy - and never reported done (which was a good thing since I have re-done parts of the border 2-3 times! - still not happy with it - but it will do!):(this is yardage given by Bonnie for smaller quilt which is STILL huge! - does NOT include backing, binding NOR batting) Neutrals: 2 yards, yellows: 1.5 yards, Greens 2.00 yards, Rust: 2.25 yards, Blues 2.25, outer border: 0.50 yards = 10.50 yards

Also completed THIS week (Sunday) Underground Railroad flimsy. Reds: 1.00 + Black: 0.125 +Beige: 3.25 + Brown: 0.75 + Green: 1.00 + Blue: 1.25 + lattice: 6.00 = 13.375 (does NOT include backing, batting and binding!

Used This Week 23.875 yard
Used This Month: 23.875 for June
Year to Date: 36.313 yards

Added This Week: 0 yards
Added This Month: 0 yard for June
Added Year to Date:5.63 

Net Used for 2014: 6.808 yards + 23.875 yards = 30.683 yards!!!!!

Ta Da - Week 24 - Sunday 06-22-14

To be filled in later - when I find my camera!!!!

Celtic Solstice flimsy (done - with border Re-done - and Re-done - some time ago!)
I'm filling in the Stash used in this - since apparently I never did count this - at least it doesn't appear ANYWHERE since Jan 1! = 10.50 yards

Underground Railroad flimsy - (done - completed - last bit - last night!  STILL not positive on border!
Stash used - 13.375 yards

And once again Sunday rolls around.....

GO AND DO

• Pick strawberries
• Toes in the Sand quilting group - Sunday
• ST Retreat #3
• 3 meals a day
• 3 snacks (part of each meal) - and mention

HOUSE - springtime decluttering - and freecycling

• PAPERWORK - a mountain of it! work on at least a half hour a day
• S 
• 1 hour - Things to do
• ZONE 1
• Side Porch 
• Decluttered - Sunday
• Zone 1 - Sunday

GARDEN - 

• Pick strawberries
• cover leaf crop stuff with wire cages (blasted squirrels!)
• Get all perrenial plants in ground if not done already
• Feed trees
• Mulch trees
• Set up fencing - blackberries, weed out areas
• clean and clear around raspberries.
• weed strawberries
• Trim back brush at edge of garden
• Prune what limbs I can
• Remove ALL sticks to driveway
• Weed garden
• Next planting lettuce, greens

STUDIES - (NOTE - will work on week's assignments - Mon AM to update from weekend frenzy)

• RELIGION
• 40 Things
• p. 114-117
• TIMG
• p. 91-95
• Jewish woman
• p. 203-205
• p. 205-211
• p. 212-216 
• J Festivals and Holidays
• 57-60
• 60-62
• 62-68
• How to Run
• 332-338
• 338-341//
• Work on lapbooks
• Song 
• Plan next lapbook project
• SCIENCE
• World of Plants (WOP)
• Unit 3
• Biomes
• 3-1R 
• 3-2R 
• 3-3R 
• 3-4R
• 3-5R
• 4: 4-1 IL 
• 4: 4-2 IL
• 4: 4-1R
• 4: 4-2R
• 4: 4-5R
• Lapbook Unit 3
• Unit 4
• Lapbook Unit 4
• Coloring Book (college level) (CB)
• CB 9
• CB 10
• CB 11
• CB 12
• CB 13
• THE EARTH
• EH - 
• 63-67
• 68-69
• 70
• 71-73
• 74-75
• 76-79
• 80-81
• 82
• 83-84
• 85-88
• Lapbook
• EXERCISE - week 5 (increase times and add a routine - date/3 + R)
• Garden
• Yoga A wk 5 (date/3 +1)
• 06/22
• 06/25
• 06/28
• Yoga B wk 5  (date/3 +2)
• 06/23
• 06/26
• 06/29
• Yoga C (date/3 + 0)
• 06/24
• 06/27
• MATH
• 92
• 93
• 94
• 95
• 96
• 97
• 98
• 99
• 100
• 101
• RUSSIAN
• Continue Daily review
• Lesson 11
• Lesson 12
• Lesson 13
• Lesson 14
• HANDWRITING
• Book A
• 12
• 13
• 14
• 15
• 16
• 17
• 18
• 19
• 20
• 21
• CREATIVE WRITING
• Writing Strands 
• 12-7
• 12-8
• 12-9
• 12-10
• 12-11
• 13-1
• 13-2
• 13-3
• 13-4
• 13-5
• LIFE SKILLS
• Paperwork 
• Family Financial Workbook
• Chapter 2
• Chapter 3
• Chapter 4
• MUSIC
• ART - 
• Work on pix for book

KITCHEN

• SOUPS (serving kept out for Monday - freeze the rest)
• Double potato soup
• BREAD
• Whole Wheat
• WW biscuits
• MAIN DISHES
• Country fried steak
• DESSERTS and SALADS
• Strawberry Shortcake!!!
• Cole slaw

QUILT  (Depending on what I finish today - I may add other projects!)

• STASH REPORT (Sunday)
• STASHBUSTER WEEKEND RETREAT 3
• TOES IN THE SAND QUILTING GROUP (Sunday)
• Retreat QUILTING  - as many as possible! (this weekend - RETREAT!)
• Any remaining table runners quilted
• All about Hearts Valentine
• Snow people
• Optical Illusions - St. Paddy's day
• Thanksgiving

Menues for Week 25 - 06-22-14

SUNDAY
B:Poached eggs, toast, sausage
L:Double Potato Soup, spinach salad, whole grain rolls
D:Country fried steaks, mashed potatoes, coleslaw, ww biscuits
S:fruit in season

MONDAY
B:rolled oats and strawberries
L:Soup - lo potato soup
D:Orange Honey mustard fish, pumpkin dish , green beans, brown rice
S:strawberry shortcake

TUESDAY
B:apple filled flapjacks and syrup
L:salad - fruit salad or a fruit pizza
D:Green Chile Chicken Casserole, salad, baby carrots
S:fruit in season in pudding

WEDNESDAY
B:Scrambled eggs with red peppers, cheese, toast
L:Grilled cheese, soup
D:Turkey with squash and apples, fried eggplant, steamed broccoli, brown rice
S:fruit in season

THURSDAY
B:Corn meal mush and strawberries
L:lo casserole dish
D:Tuscan Bean and Sausage soup, green salad, whole grain rolls
S:fruit in season in yogurt or sour cream

FRIDAY
B:Corn meal griddlecakes
L:lo luncheon menu or sandwich
D:Honey Mustard Glazed Chicken. brown rice, green beans (from dried), fried green tomatoes

S:popcorn, fruit in season

SATURDAY
B:Coffeecake (spicy apple)
L:Crock Pot Beef Stew, steamed greens, baked pumpkin dish
D:Thai Roll ups, green salad, double potato soup
S:Fruit in season, cake with icing

SUNDAY
B:Fried eggs, toast, hash browns
L:lo stew
D:Rosemary Chicken Breast halves, steamed broccoli, baby carrots, brown rice
S:Fruit in season

Goals for Week 25 - 06-22-14

GO AND DO

• DONE Pick strawberries
• DONE Post office
• DONE Library
• DONE Cook off Kick off - library - how to grill a pizza
• NOT DONE Toes in the Sand quilting group - Sunday
• Strawberry Festival
• Music Festival
• Walk in the Park
• Amelia Park
• NOT DONE  too intense for me Movie - Heaven & Earth
• DONE ST Retreat #3
• DONE ST Retreat #4 (begins Thursday!)
• DONE 3 meals a day
• DONE 3 snacks (part of each meal) - and mention

HOUSE - springtime decluttering - and freecycling

• PAPERWORK - a mountain of it! work on at least a half hour a day
• S 
• M
• T
• W
• R
• F 
• Sa
• 1 hour - Things to do
• 1 hour - Filing
• 1 hour - Bills
• ZONE 1
• Front porch
• WHB on Fri
• Side Porch 
• Decluttered - Sunday
• Zone 1 - Sunday
• WHB on Fri
• Entrance
• WHB on Fri
• Back Stairs
• Zone 1
• WHB
• ZONE 2 - 
• Kitchen
• Zone - Monday
• WHB on Fri - 
• Dining Area
• Zone - Monday
• WHB 
• ZONE 3 
• Bath
• Zone - Tuesday
• WHB on Fri
• Laundry Room
• Zone - Tuesday
• WHB on Fri
• Sewing Room
• Zone - Wednesday
• WHB on Fri
• Study 
• Zone - Thursday
• WHB on Fri
• ZONE 4 
• BR - 
• Zone - Friday
• WHB on Fri
• ZONE 5 
• LR - 
• WHB 

GARDEN - 

• DONE Pick strawberries
• cover leaf crop stuff with wire cages (blasted squirrels!)
• Get all perrenial plants in ground if not done already
• Feed trees
• Mulch trees
• Set up fencing - blackberries, weed out areas
• clean and clear around raspberries.
• weed strawberries
• Trim back brush at edge of garden
• Prune what limbs I can
• Remove ALL sticks to driveway
• Weed garden
• Next planting lettuce, greens

STUDIES - (NOTE - will work on week's assignments - Mon AM to update from weekend frenzy)

• RELIGION
• Jewish woman
• DONE p. 205-211
• DONE p. 212-216 
• 
  
• J Festivals and Holidays
• 57-60
• 60-62
• 62-68
• How to Run
• 332-338
• 338-341//
• Work on lapbooks
• Song 
• Plan next lapbook project
• SCIENCE
• World of Plants (WOP)
• Unit 3
• Biomes
• tundra
• desert
• forest
• 3-1R 
• 3-2R 
• 3-3R 
• 3-4R
• 
  
• 3-5R
• 4: 4-1 IL 
• 4: 4-2 IL
• 4: 4-1R
• 4: 4-2R
• 4: 4-5R
• Lapbook Unit 3
• Unit 4
• Lapbook Unit 4
• Coloring Book (college level) (CB)
• CB 9
• CB 10
• CB 11
• CB 12
• CB 13
• THE EARTH
• EH - 
• 63-67
• 68-69
• 70
• 71-73
• 74-75
• 
  
• 76-79
• 80-81
• 82
• 83-84
• 85-88
• Lapbook
• EXERCISE - week 5 (increase times and add a routine - date/3 + R)
• Garden
• Yoga A wk 5 (date/3 +1)
• 06/22
• 06/25
• 06/28
• Yoga B wk 5  (date/3 +2)
• 06/23
• 06/26
• 06/29
• Yoga C (date/3 + 0)
• 06/24
• 06/27
• MATH
• 92
• 93
• 94
• 95
• 96
• 
  
• 97
• 98
• 99
• 100
• 101
• RUSSIAN
• Continue Daily review
• Lesson 11
• Lesson 12
• 
  
• Lesson 13
• Lesson 14
• HANDWRITING
• Book A
• 12
• 13
• 14
• 15
• 16
• 
  
• 17
• 18
• 19
• 20
• 21
• CREATIVE WRITING
• Writing Strands 
• 12-7
• 12-8
• 12-9
• 12-10
• 12-11
• 
  
• 13-1
• 13-2
• 13-3
• 13-4
• 13-5
• LIFE SKILLS
• Paperwork 
• Family Financial Workbook
• Chapter 1
• Chapter 2
• 
  
• Chapter 3
• Chapter 4
• MUSIC
• ART - 
• Work on pix for book

KITCHEN

• SOUPS (serving kept out for Monday - freeze the rest)
• Double potato soup
• BREAD
• Whole Wheat
• Apple filled flapjacks
• Challah
• Corn meal griddlecake
• WW biscuits
• whole grain rolls
• pancake/waffle MIX
• Rolls for sandwiches/burgers
• Spicy apple coffeecake
• MAIN DISHES
• DONE Orange Honey Mustard fish
• DONE Green Chile Chicken Casserole
• DONE Turkey with squash and apples
• DONE Tuscan Bean and Sausage Soup
• Honey Mustard Glazed Chicken
• Crock pot beef stew
• Thai roll ups
• Rosemary Chicken Breast halves
• DEHYDRATED VEGGIES, ETC.
• Green tomatoes
• green beans
• eggplant
• DESSERTS and SALADS
• Fruit salad
• Pumpkin side dish
• Strawberry Shortcake!!!
• Cole slaw
• JELLIES, JAMS AND PRESERVES
• Strawberry preserves - 4 x 1 C
• Amber Marmalade (buy in!) - 6 x 1 C
• Carrot Orange Marmalade (buy in!) - 6 x 1 C
• Grapefruit Marmalade (buy in!) - 6 x 1 C
• Rhubarb Marmalade (3 x 1 C)
• Pineapple and Rhubarb Conserve (buy in pineapple) - 10 x 1 C
• Mint Jelly - 7 x 1 C
• Tomato preserves (from last year's frozen yellow pear small tomatoes) - 4 x 1 C
• Strawberry Jam 
• Orange Marmalade (buy in!) - 12 x 1 C
• Preserved Ginger (buy in!)
• Cherry Preserves (buy in!) - 4 x 1 C
• Apricot Preserves (buy in!) - 8 x 1 C
• Pineapple Preserves (buy in!) - 6 x 1 C
• PICKLES AND CONDIMENTS
• Pickled Horseradish sauce - 2 x 1 C

QUILT  (Depending on what I finish today - I may add other projects!)

• DONE STASH REPORT (Sunday)
• DONE DESIGN WALL (Monday)
• BONNIE H. ARCHIVE NIGHT (Tues)
• SLICE AND DICE NIGHT (Wednesday) - 1 bag scraps (only 4 bags left!)
• FINISHINGS - Bindings, movies, spiced tea, hot cider or hot chocolate (Thursday)
• DONE STASHBUSTER WEEKEND RETREAT 4 - plan what goes to this!
• DONE STASHBUSTER WEEKEND RETREAT 3
• NOT DONE TOES IN THE SAND QUILTING GROUP (Sunday)
• BINDING
• Retreat QUILTING  - as many as possible! (this weekend - RETREAT!)
• Any remaining table runners quilted
• All about Hearts Valentine
• Snow people
• Optical Illusions - St. Paddy's day
• Thanksgiving
• Weekday PIECE
• LE - Jamestown Landing - String  blocks 
• Piecing
• DONE Finish Underground Railroad FLIMSY
• DONE Double Duty quilt 
• DONE FINAL time on Celtic Solstice Border
• SEWING
• Sew all 3 blouses

Thermal cookery.........

In my last post I discussed cast iron pots - and most specifically the dutch oven.  This time I want to discuss thermal cookery.  It doesn't really cook in and of itself - BUT when  you bring food to a boil, if that food is in an insulated pot or situation - it will continue cooking - WITHOUT additional heat being applied.

Cast iron pots - and most specifically the Dutch oven - is great for this - particularly if you dig a hole in the ground, build a fire in it and let it go to coals, then place the pot in on top of it and cover with coals and dirt.  The fire goes out (oxygen is prevented from reaching the fire) and what you are left with is an insulated place where the contents of the Dutch oven, having been brought to a boil earlier - can continue cooking!

Another method - actually there are 2 that I'm thinking of - what Rodale Press's book Build It Better Yourself (1977) calls a hot box.  Basically this is a wood box - with lid - that has styrofoam that serves as insulation.  A hole is cut in the styrofoam - to fit snugly around the Dutch oven and aluminum foil covers all surfaces.  The pot is brought to a boil, then placed in the snug hot box, covered up and left there for about 4-5 hours.  Temperature of the food inside the pot will drop to about 160 F.

Another method - which is essentially the same and a variation uses urethane insulation.

My BIGGEST problem with the last two has to do with the words STYROFOAM and URETHANE both of which will create highly toxic gases when heated which may be able to happen with the hot pots.

The issue of thermal cooking however is NOT new - and there are other things that have been used - such as burying the pot in sawdust - and, yes, I've also heard of bread being baked in a covered pot that was brought to boil then sealed up - top and sides with clay - which hardened and made a kind of insulated covering.  With the latter - when it was time to eat, the clay was busted and the pot removed from the shards, wiped off and food was served up - nice and piping hot!

However - I don't have clay here - here it is sand with a bit of loam added.  A LOT of sand! - which of course I COULD do a nice bury the pot in the garden which would be fine - as long as I don't get distracted and forget about it!

Extolling the virtues of Dutch Oven (and other cast-iron) cookery

I love Dutch ovens!  Truly, I do!  Which does NOT explain why I do not have one!  (During one of my moves, I had help!  Unfortunately when I arrived at my destination several states away - my Dutch oven had walked!!!  And I have yet to replace it - which I want to do this year, if possible!)

You can cook stews, soups, make a roast, Hungarian Goulash, even make a cake in it!  AND if need be, you can also put coals on the lid (turned bottom side up) to provide more even heat to the dutch oven (nestled in other coals) to bake items - including cakes!  And yes, mine invariably turned out VERY lopsided!!!  (I needed to turn the dutch oven!)

Dutch ovens were the original slow cookers and a meal prepared in one and shoved to just the right spot in the coals could guarantee a hot meal later in the day.  Hot coals could be carried inside the dutch oven from one location to another - for the purposes of being able to start a fire elsewhere.

Some folks have dug a hole in the ground about twice as large and twice as deep as the Dutch oven and built a fire in that, nestling the pot in among the coals.  This helped to maintain the heat and distribute it more evenly than an above ground fire which would be subject to winds and temperature changes.  Should you choose to do this, then once the pot is nestled down among the coals, put more coals on top and re-bury the dutch oven with the top dirt covering being about 4" or more thick.  this is a slow cooker method - and 4-8 hours later the meat or beans, etc. should be nicely cooked.

As you already know - they are great for roasting in - but did you know you can also deep fat fry in them?  You need the pot about half full of fat (or oil) for deep fat frying.  You can cook anything from french fries to tempura to fried catfish (oh man, I'm making myself HUNGRY!)

Should you want hot cakes or griddle cakes - you can use the oiled bottom of the dutch oven - or the lid - if you have a flat one.  Just make sure it is oiled and hot - like a regular frypan.

Things you can bake in a Dutch oven include biscuits, muffins, cakes, pies, cornbread, cobbler - just make sure the pot is oiled.  I know of some folk who have made bread in theirs.  Regardless, while some say you don't need to preheat - I always did.

You DO need to watch - and turn the pot about halfway through the cooking - to kind of distribute the heating - unless you have the pot buried in a hole.

Cleaning up - ummmmmmmmm - depends on who you talk to.  Many say NEVER soak in sudsy water - because it will remove the seasoning and your pot will rust.  And there can be truth to that.  However - that being said - I really hate the idea of cooking something in yesterday's gooey meat and bean gravy!  And wiping out thoroughly - even with a damp rag, may not do it - and certainly won't if I've done my level best to char whatever is in there (I get distracted entirely too much!)  So I wash - with sudsy water.  I don't soak however - and I periodically re-season my pans - which is easy to do.

I also like other cast-iron cook pots - and have a saucepan which gets used for just about everything I would use my Dutch Oven for (family is smaller now!).  I also have a cast iron corn stick pan - which I use - mostly for making bread stix when I make this'n'that bread (otherwise known as go through the refrigerator and see what can go in the bread!)  Works quite nicely!  And I LOVE LOVE LOVE my 2 medium sized skillets for everyday, my very small fry pans I use when I make blintzes! or crepes! and my big square griddle that truly would work better over a campfire - or a wood stove than it does over the round heating elements I have!  I also have a cast iron muffin pan - which I like - not just for muffins - but also for those times I make coddled eggs or breakfast sandwiches.

How I would cook with no power should we have emergency situations like a few years ago........

While I would love a bona fide grill to use, I don't have one although hopefully by summer's end that will change.

That being said - you don't NEED a bona fide grill.........  You DO need some place safe to build a fire however.  I do have a very large cast iron skillet (a chicken fryer!) - and can build a charcoal fire in that.  Cast iron is nice that way!  Just think of it as a strangely shaped Hibachi!  HOWEVER I can NOT build that inside the house.  Why?  Because any fire gives off smoke, various gases - and I would rather not asphyxiate myself with the smoke and all - especially when it is so simple to cook out of doors!

Granted - if it is the dead of winter - I will NOT be thrilled to cook - or really do ANYTHING out of doors - especially if the weather is really bad!  However... in terms of necessity......

I had previously investigated solar ovens - and while very intrigued with them - I truly am unprepared to invest a lot of money in that direction.  That being said - I CAN make one for very little outgo - and that I am more than enough willing to do - and probably should do before much longer!

then too, if need be - I CAN make a coffeecan stove - but truly do need something beneath it that is relatively fireproof - and I'm back to the cast iron chicken skillet again!

Well - that's great for cooking.  My biggest concern has more to do with HEATING during a major power outage.  No problem in summer.  Not TOO much of a problem in late spring or early fall!  But there is NO WAY that I enjoy a cold winter!  I had at one time thought of a fireplace - which I do have - but it is non-operational - and since this is an apartment building - it is going to stay that way!

I know of folks who use pellet stoves and swear by them.  I would love one.  MOST of the ones I know of however are still electrically operated at least in terms of timing and releasing each pellet.  Not all though.  Regardless - they still take chimneys - and therein lies my problem!

Other than wood heat, there would be solar power for heat - which is something that would not be terribly successful here - mostly because of the number of overcast days, etc.  However there are folks who do use solar power as a backup to their current heating.  I need to do a lot more investigating on this.

That's my thoughts on the subject and that's it for now!

Design Wall for Week 24 - 06-16-14

Stash Report for Week 24 - 06-15-14

 
06-16-14 -Week 24 - 

Nothing new this week - Drat it!   - and I'm working on the UGRR INSTEAD of the quilting!  Which, of course, is WHY I'm not done! 

Worse yet, this will be the week that WAS (between my studies, the garden, and I'm beginning to put up  jams and preserves! which I will post WHAT and how much on my preserving kettle page - hopefully!)

Used This Week 0 yard
Used This Month: 0 for June
Year to Date: 12.438 yards

Added This Week: 0 yards
Added This Month: 0 yard for June
Added Year to Date:5.63 

Net Used for 2014: 6.808 yards 

Sunday - what will I do? 06-15-14

B:potatoes, turkey sausage, and a onion, jalapeno pepper, cheddar omelet
L:Cheeseburger, soup
D:My Big Fat Greek Stuffed Peppers, baked potatoes, Fried Eggplant

GO AND DO

• Father's Day
• Pick strawberries
• ST Retreat #2 
• 3 meals a day
• 3 snacks (part of each meal) - and mention

HOUSE - springtime decluttering - and freecycling

• PAPERWORK - a mountain of it! work on at least a half hour a day
• S 
• 1 hour - Things to do
• Side Porch 
• Decluttered
• Zone 1
• WHB for Last Fri
• Back Stairs
• Zone 1
• WHB for Last Fri
• ZONE 2 - 
• Kitchen
• Zone
• WHB for Last Fri 
• Dining Area
• Zone
• WHB for Last Fri
• ZONE 3 
• Bath
• WHB for Last Fri
• Laundry Room
• WHB for Last Fri
• Sewing Room
• WHB for Last Fri
• Study 
• WHB for Last Fri
• ZONE 4 
• BR - 
• WHB for Last Fri
• ZONE 5 
• LR - 
• WHB for Last Fri

GARDEN - 

• Pick strawberries
• Hot pepper on beans
• onion and garlic powder on greens and coles
• cover leaf crop stuff with wire cages (blasted squirrels!)
• Get all perrenial plants in ground if not done already
• weed strawberries
• DONE Weed garden

STUDIES - (NOTE - will work on week's assignments - Mon AM to update from weekend frenzy)

• RELIGION
• How to Run 
• 329-332
• Work on lapbooks
• Song 
• Plan next lapbook project
• SCIENCE
• World of Plants (WOP)
• Unit 3
• Biomes
• Lapbook Unit 3
• THE EARTH
• EH - 
• 63-67
• Lapbook
• EXERCISE - week 5 (increase times and add a routine - date/3 + R)
• Garden
• Yoga C (date/3 + 0)
• 06/15
• MATH
• 91
• RUSSIAN
• Continue Daily review
• Lesson 11
• HANDWRITING
• Book A
• 12
• CREATIVE WRITING
• Writing Strands 
• 12-7
• LIFE SKILLS
• Paperwork 
• MUSIC
• ART - 
• MUST FINISH OSCAR Work on pix for book - 

KITCHEN

• MAIN DISHES
• Big Fat Greek Stuffed Peppers
• DESSERTS and SALADS
• Strawberry Shortcake!!!

QUILT  (Depending on what I finish today - I may add other projects!)

• STASH REPORT (Sunday)
• STASHBUSTER WEEKEND RETREAT 2 - plan what goes to this!
• Retreat QUILTING  - as many as possible! (this weekend - RETREAT!)
• Any remaining table runners quilted
• All about Hearts Valentine
• Snow people
• Optical Illusions - St. Paddy's day
• Thanksgiving
• Weekday PIECE
• LE - Jamestown Landing - String  blocks 
• Piecing
• Finish Underground Railroad flimsy- Pieced sashing for quilt
• 
  

Goals for Week 24 - WB 06-15-14

GO AND DO

• DONE Father's Day
• DONE First Day of Summer (Sat, June 21)
• DONE Pick strawberries
• DONE Post office
• DONE Library
• DONE Bills (ugh!)
• DONE ST Retreat #3
• DONE ST Retreat #2 (begins Thursday!)
• DONE 3 meals a day
• DONE 3 snacks (part of each meal) - and mention

HOUSE - springtime decluttering - and freecycling

• PAPERWORK - a mountain of it! work on at least a half hour a day
• DONE S 
• ZONE 1
• Front porch
• DONE WHB on Fri
• Entrance
• DONE WHB on Fri
• ZONE 2 - 
• Kitchen
• DONE WHB on Fri - 
• Dining Area
• DONE WHB 
• ZONE 3 
• Bath
• DONE WHB on Fri
• Laundry Room
• DONE WHB on Fri
• Sewing Room
• DONE WHB on Fri
• Study 
• DONE WHB on Fri
• ZONE 4 
• BR - 
• DONE WHB on Fri
• ZONE 5 
• LR - 
• DONE WHB 

GARDEN - 

• DONE Pick strawberries

STUDIES - (NOTE - will work on week's assignments - Mon AM to update from weekend frenzy)

• RELIGION
• How to Run 
• DONE 329-332
• 
  
• EXERCISE - week 5 (increase times and add a routine - date/3 + R)
• DONE Garden
• Yoga A wk 5 (date/3 +1)
• DONE 06/16
• Yoga B wk 5  (date/3 +2)
• DONE 06/20
• Yoga C (date/3 + 0)
• DONE 06/15
• MATH
• DONE 91
• RUSSIAN
• Continue Daily review
• DONE Lesson 11

KITCHEN

• MAIN DISHES
• DONE Sloppy Joes from ground turkey
• DONE Big Fat Greek Stuffed Peppers

QUILT  (Depending on what I finish today - I may add other projects!)

• DONE STASH REPORT (Sunday)
• DONE DESIGN WALL (Monday)
• DONE STASHBUSTER WEEKEND RETREAT 2 - plan what goes to this!
• DONE STASHBUSTER WEEKEND RETREAT 3
• Weekday PIECE
• SOME DONE LE - Jamestown Landing - String  blocks 
• Piecing
• DONE Finish Underground Railroad Pieced sashing for quilt

Menu for Week 24 - WB 06-15-14

SUNDAY
B:potatoes, turkey sausage, and a onion, jalapeno pepper, cheddar omelet
L:Cheeseburger, soup
D:My Big Fat Greek Stuffed Peppers, baked potatoes, Fried Eggplant

MONDAY
B:Corn meal mush
L:soup from freezer
D:Pasta with garlicky greens and beans,carrots

TUESDAY
B:Corn meal griddlecake
L:salad - cabbage/green peppers/onion - slaw and egg salad sandwich
D:Crock-pot Tuscan Chicken and Beans, broccoli and a little romano cheese


WEDNESDAY
B:ww Biscuits and gravy (t. sausage), fried eggs
L:leftovers OR cheese/peanut butter spread sandwich
D:Salmon burgers, cole slaw

THURSDAY
B:Kasha
L:leftover casserole (from frozen)
D:Double potato soup, spinach salad, whole grain rolls


FRIDAY
B:Apple filled flapjacks
L:leftover luncheon menu
D:Green Chile Chicken Casserole, salad, baby carrots

SATURDAY
B:Spicy Apple coffeecake
L:Crock pot beef stew, steamed greens, baked pumpkin dish
D:Thai roll ups, leftover soup and big green salad

SUNDAY
B:Eggs a la Suisse
L:sloppy joes from ground turkey or chicken
D:Honey mustard Glazed Chicken, brown rice, Green beans (from dried),

Friday morning and to heck with Thursday!!!

with Thursday (couldn't sleep at night - so slept most of day!  Geesh!)

FRIDAY
B:french toast
L:lo lunch menu
D:spiced fish with cilantro and lime, mashed garlic potatoes, peas and carrots

SATURDAY
B:Doughnuts
L:Crock pot Tuscan Chicken and Beans, Spinach salad

D:my big fat greek stuffed peppers, (use ground turkey), baked potatoes, greens

GO AND DO

• Pick strawberries
• Bills (ugh!)
• ST Retreat #2 (begins Thursday!)
• 3 meals a day
• 3 snacks (part of each meal) - and mention

HOUSE - springtime decluttering - and freecycling

• PAPERWORK - a mountain of it! work on at least a half hour a day
• W
• 1 hour - Things to do
• ZONE 1
• Front porch
• WHB on Fri
• Side Porch 
• Decluttered
• Zone 1
• WHB on Fri
• Entrance
• WHB on Fri
• Back Stairs
• Zone 1
• WHB
• ZONE 2 - 
• Kitchen
• Zone
• WHB on Fri - 
• Dining Area
• Zone
• WHB 
• ZONE 3 
• Bath
• WHB on Fri
• Laundry Room
• WHB on Fri
• Sewing Room
• WHB on Fri
• Study 
• WHB on Fri
• ZONE 4 
• BR - 
• WHB on Fri
• ZONE 5 
• LR - 
• WHB 

GARDEN - raining!!!

• Pick strawberries
• cover leaf crop stuff with wire cages (blasted squirrels!)
• Get all perrenial plants in ground if not done already
• Feed trees
• Mulch trees
• Set up fencing - blackberries, weed out areas
• clean and clear around raspberries.
• weed strawberries
• Trim back brush at edge of garden
• Prune what limbs I can
• Remove ALL sticks to driveway

STUDIES - (NOTE - will work on week's assignments - Mon AM to update from weekend frenzy)

• RELIGION
• How to Run 
• 329-332
• Work on lapbooks
• Plan next lapbook project
• SCIENCE
• World of Plants (WOP)
• Unit 3
• Biomes
• 3-1R 
• 3-2R 
• Lapbook Unit 3
• THE EARTH
• EH - 
• 60-62
• 63-67
• 68-69
• Lapbook
• EXERCISE - week 5 (increase times and add a routine - date/3 + R)
• Yoga A wk 5 (date/3 +1)
• 06/13
• MATH
• 90
• 91
• 92
• RUSSIAN
• Continue Daily review
• Lesson 11
• HANDWRITING
• Book A
• 12
• 13
• 14
• 15
• CREATIVE WRITING
• Writing Strands 
• 12-7
• 12-8
• LIFE SKILLS
• Paperwork 
• Family Financial Workbook
• Chapter 2
• MUSIC
• ART - 
• Work on pix for book

KITCHEN

• SOUPS (serving kept out for Monday - freeze the rest)
• cream of broccoli cheddar soup
• BREAD
• Challah
• Doughnuts
• pancake/waffle MIX
• MAIN DISHES
• Tuscan Chicken and Beans
• Big Fat Greek Stuffed Peppers

QUILT  (Depending on what I finish today - I may add other projects!)

• SLICE AND DICE NIGHT (Sunday and Monday) - 1 bag scraps (only 4 bags left!)
• FINISHINGS - Bindings, movies, spiced tea, hot cider or hot chocolate (Saturday, Sunday, Monday)
• STASHBUSTER WEEKEND RETREAT 2 - plan what goes to this! Friday - piece, Sat-Monday - Finishings
• Retreat QUILTING  - as many as possible! (this weekend - RETREAT!)(Saturday, Sunday, Monday)
• Any remaining table runners quilted
• All about Hearts Valentine
• Snow people
• Optical Illusions - St. Paddy's day
• Thanksgiving
• Weekday PIECE (Friday)
• LE - Jamestown Landing - String  blocks 
• Piecing
• Underground Railroad - Pieced sashing for quilt
• SEWING
• Sew all 3 blouses

Stashbuster Retreat June #2!!!

Jamestown Landing - only 5 million 58 more to go!
 LOL  - this is my Leader Ender Project!

Piecing of Underground Railroad Quilt - Pieces are DONE -
I'm finishing up sashing - then attaching borders!

(Representative of various table toppers - my computer is SICK SICK SICK!!!)
Machine quilting of table toppers - placemats and tablecloths