I Blinked And....

 

I blinked and they grew up! OMG!!!! 

Since Covid-19 came into our lives I hadn't seen my little people for over a year. And now some of them aren't little anymore. They all had hugs and kisses for GoGo and I love every precious moment.

We played Connect-4.....I lost numerous times. We talked in the pasture to visit the two bulls who were not impressed because we failed to bring cookies (AKA - range cubes); Austin stalked the humming birds with little success and finally they played in the rock pile that Mr. Cowboy hasn't finished spreading.

The boys haven't changed that much.....maybe a bit stouter....hehehehehehehe!  One has been working in another state but is back for good I hope.

And my daughter-in-law is looking great. I am truly blessed!

We all pigged out on burgers, hotdogs chips, pickles and sweet tea.

I baked three pecan pies. One for the day and other two went to each son. Now GoGo is about to crash on the sofa after all that clean-up.

Hope everyone has a great Memorial weekend next week. 

Mine came early.

2017-The End

Wow, I can't believe that this year is just about over. I'm so glad that I have a way of looking back to see what I've been up to.  So I've decided to a monthly look-back on this year.

January 2017 - I participated in "A Fresh Blog Hop" so I decided to make a buffalo nickel mini; a Fire Department block; and a lemon sweet and sour experiment.

February 2017 - I was the speaker at a local guilt guild' next block Marine emblem; an Army emblem; an Air Force emblem and canned tomatoes.

March 2017 - I chopped a bushel of onions and froze them; made a strip quilt; and started making backing from my stash.

April 2017 - Went to Deer Camp with the wacky girlfriends.

May 2017 - Cousin Clark's first real experience with the wild hog epidemic; made another fractured diamond quilt.

June 2017 - Canned figs; straightened my stash; started to identify the feet of my sewing machines.

July 2017 - Mr. Cowboy finds a CLEVIS!!!; canned pickles.

August 2017 - Harvey devastation in Texas; had lost my Mojo but finally found it; ate at Bud Jones Bayou restaurant in Tyler, TX; and Mr. Cowboy caught and released an 8 pounder.

September 2017 - Making Veteran quilts to give away in November.

October 2017 - A get-away to Galveston with Mr. Cowboy; my fascination with elephants; and my celebration of 1600 posts.

November 2017 - Honoring Veterans with the quilts.

December 2017 - My water color venture; a commissioned quilt; and recipe using Chow Mein noodles.

 

And now some family stuff.

Daddy and the little people.  Can you identify the "wild child" in this photo......LOL!!

Mommy, Daddy and said wild child.

See this sweet little face. Who could possible resist her.  The other day when the family visited, this little one wore GoGo out. In fact I'm still recovering......WHEW!

Enjoy this last day of 2017, celebrate with discernment and then............................................  Happy New Year!!!

Yumminess

Sorry about the poor quality of the photo.

Many thanks to one of my favorite blogs Plain Chicken for this fantastic recipe. Of course I tweaked it somewhat to fit my family's taste, so if you want to original recipe, pop over to Plain Chicken to find it plus some other great recipes of all kinds!!!

Here's my version.

• 4 cups chow mein noodles
• 1 cup candied pecans
• 1 cup cashews
• 1/2 cup of your other favorite nuts
• 1 candy bar finely crumbled
• 3/4 cup semisweet white chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 to 1 cup peanut butter

 

1. Combine chow mein noodles, nuts and crumbled candy bar together and set aside.
2. Combine sugar and corn syrup in saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until sugar dissolves. This takes about 5 minutes.  Add peanut butter to that and continue to stir another minute or so until peanut butter dissolves. Remove from heat. 
3. Pour melted mixture onto dry mixture.  Gently stir together and pour onto a large greased pan spreading mixture evenly.
4. Allow to cook at least 4 to 6 hours or overnight.
5. Cut into bars and enjoy!!!

This was the second batch I've made in a week so they go fast!!

 

Now onto something awesome, if I do say so myself.

Two of my grandbabies are growing up so fast it blows my mind.

Merry Christmas everyone!!!

Happy Thanksgiving Holiday

2016 is nearly gone & the fall & winter holidays are here. Mom & dad use to ask what we kids were thankful for. We'd swing into a list of things. I've never forgotten those time. So this year I wanted to do a small bit of my thankfulness.

I am thankful for:

Knowing that I am a child of God!

For my mom

For my little people

For my Mr. Cowboy

There's more but I'll share that when we gather for Thanksgiving dinner!

I hope everyone who celebrates this time of year has a wonderful time.

Man Verses Beasts

You may not be able to see but this trap has three wild hogs in it. My cousin, Clark borrowed the trap from another cousin, Ed. Allow me to digress a bit. Up until last week Clark was into trapping "moles." You know those tiny, almost blind, sort of hairless burrowing creatures that make mounds in your yard!! Clark is the king of trapping them but for some unfashionable reason, he decides to get into this new venture. I advised him that wild hogs are not the docile creatures like the moles but he didn't seem to grasp that concept.

Mole mound where the little critter lurks!!

Back to the present. Three hog wind up in the trap & charged it & him. Suddenly Clark realizes the viciousness he faced. So Clark called on three cousins for help. Mind you, all four of these guys are over 65 years old. This was not going to be pretty.

Picture four slow moving guys with two pick-up trucks backed as close as possible to the trap with raging, salivating, ferrel hogs just waiting for an opening to making someone's day.

I couldn't watch.

Let's just say there was a lot of screaming (like a teenage girl), hollering, praying & profuse sweating. All coming from the guys. My back was turned & I was safe seated in my Jeep ( I'm no fool). But by some miracle no one was injured only a bit shaken & limping, the guys, I mean!!

The hogs, still quite unhappy, were driven away to a processing plant.

On a brighter note, cousin Thelma landed a 10 lb. catfish. Dinner looks promising!!

Happy Fourth of July

Ayden & Austin wishing everyone a great 4th of July!!!!

My little people are growing up so fast!

What I've Been Doing

First, I made pink cupcakes for Ayden's birthday. The class gobbled them up!!

Next, there was a grade level Thanksgiving program. The kids were adorable all dressed up. Afterwards, they sat down to a great feast provided by the parents & grandparents.

Baby Austin showed up to encourage big sister. And GoGo was all over those fat cheeks. I did manage to get most of the lipstick off......;-)

Monday, Monday

Pop over to Judy's to see other DWM participants.

First, see my little man, Austin with his quilt. Isn't he a cutie!!

Sorry, I just had a GoGo moment. He has a cowlick that his mommy can't seem to tame. You can just make it out if you look carefully. He's such a happy baby and weighs a ton already. I know this because every time I get to play with him and lift him over my head a few times, I'm completely worn out, my arms feel like limp noodles.......LOL

Here's what I've gotten done along with baling hay & canning.

A little machine embroidery. It's not much but I think I'm back in the saddle again!!

Here's hoping everyone has a great last week of July...........can you believe it's the end of July!!!

Baby Brother

Ayden has a baby brother. He's a little over a month old. I'm a happy GoGo!

Grandma, The Early Years - A True Story

Scampering up the trunk and branches of a China Berry tree to the roof of the house, "They're gone," Hertha (my grandma) shouted to her brothers and sisters as her parents rode out of sight in their wagon. Hertha jumped from the roof and ran to the chicken coop where her mom's setting hens were scratching around for corn kernels. Kenchion grabbed the axe while Clark (Stewie), Hertha and Rosa moved slowly towards an unfortunate hen.

In a cloud of dust plus a few scratches Stewie managed to grab the hen, placed her on the stump.... Poppa Abe used as a chopping block, and Kenchion swung the axe.

Quickly, the girls poured hot water over the body and began to pluck the feathers, loading said feathers into a bucket to be buried somewhere in the field. The job was messy and the smell of wet chicken feathers lingered in the air.

The hen was plucked, washed and cut up, Rosa began to melt the lard, season and flour the bird parts to be fried while Hertha (my grandma) got a big bowl down from the cupboard to bake a cake. Grandma had seen her mom make cakes on many occasions so she figured it would be easy. While the boys held the bowl Hertha (my grandma) began to add flour, eggs, salt, milk and a little too much sugar. "You put too much in, Hertha," Kenchion whined as his arms began to shake from the efforts of holding the bowl. Hertha shooed him to silence and carefully poured the too stiff mix into the cake pan.

Annie B. looked on in disapproval not liking the fact that she was too small to help. She couldn't understand why nobody would let her help and boldly stated that she was going to tell. Not a wise decision on her part as the other siblings turned to glare at her. Threats of being locked in the chicken coop or out in the barn with the horse and even worse locked in the outhouse convinced Annie B. that telling was not a good idea at all.

Rosa's chicken was frying up nicely while Hertha's cake smelled sweetly from the oven. Everyone's mouth began to water as the table was quickly set for the meal.

The kids all gathered around the table with Stewie heading the table. The chicken was tasty but the cake was way too sweet but no one complained, not even Annie B.

Bones, lard and any remains of the meal were fed to the hogs, slopping as it's known here in Texas. The kitchen was aired out and Annie B. was warned to keep her mouth shut once more as Poppa Abe and Great-grandma Dollie rounded the corner for home.

The next morning Great-grandma Dollie (Hertha's mom and my great-grandma)  was out in the coop rounding up eggs when she missed one of her setting hens. Puzzled, she asked the children about the hen's whereabouts...... with blank looks......no one knew anything, not even Annie B.

My grandma....

My grandma....

My grandma.......look at that innocent face...who would have guessed that in her youth the mischief she and her siblings got into.

 

If you've made it this far, you are in for a great give-away.

The other day I was looking through my UFOs and came across this rooster and nine chickens from my "Yard Birds" design.

 I'd already made a couple of quilts from my pattern so I don't remember what or why I had prepared these. They are only glued down with my favorite adhesive....Steam-a-Seam so all that's needed is for them to be sewn down.

Now, here's what's required to win them......you "must" be a FOLLOWER of my blog or become a FOLLOWER of my blog. That's it.

 Leave only 1 comment to say what you thought of grandma's colorful adventure in the kitchen & also in that same comment mention that you are a FOLLOWER or that you have just become a FOLLOWER.

I usually don't require that you follow when doing a give away but this is a special post for me.

I'll announce a winner at the end of the week.

 

One more thing.................

 

 

And finally, I've had to do another random pick for the "Kitty Cat" mug rug due to a non-comment, which means I had no way to notify the winner.

Here's the new winner

Guilitta!

Congratulations to you. Just leave a comment so that we can get together via email.

 

 

Run Bambi!

Here in Texas, today starts "deer season" where, mostly guys and some gals storm the
 pastures, grasslands, flat lands, wooded areas and wherever else deer are hiding
 to "bag" a buck or using a special doe permit, a doe.

I am not a hunter and tend to hide under my bed when all the shooting starts (sorry to burst your bubble out there for the people who have known me to hunt a snake or two, if need be).
Anyway, my cousins join in the frenzy each year and always bring something for me to put in my freezer. Thank goodness it's processed. You remember the cousins....here's a LINK to the hog story from the other year................sorry, let me get to the point.
Last night the cousins, who are brothers, came over for a visit which they rarely do. I should have known something was up but was happy to see. After a few minutes of catching up, Cousin 1 asked if I still had some deer meat, which threw me for a loop. Cousin 3 piped in with a, "yea, do you have any?" Then Cousin 2 gave each brother a quelling look before coming out with the true to the visit. They really wanted some of my home cooking. I'm telling you, they are a hoot so I caved in and dug in the freezer for what they requested.
I'm sharing my recipe for venison spaghetti and  meat balls. If you were wondering where I got the venison from........the freezer from last year or the year before that or..........you get the picture.

Venison Recipe

2 pound ground venison

1 pound breakfast sausage

1/2 cup flavored bread crumbs

1 egg, beaten

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons pepper

2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 Tablespoons bar-b-que sauce

2 cans diced tomatoes

1 large jar spaghetti sauce

1 large onion, thinly sliced

3/4 cup water

• In large bowl, mix venison, sausage, bread crumbs, egg, salt pepper, Worcestershire and BBQ sauces.  There's no really good way to do this other than using your hands. You will be able to tell when everything is blended together.
• In a non-stick skillet or skillet of your choice, heat 1 teaspoon oil on medium heat. As oil is heating start rolling your mixture into strawberry sized circles and place them in skillet a few centimeters apart. Again, the best way to do this is to use your hands or a melon scooper could work as well. 
• Turn over after 4 or 5 minutes to allow to brown on both sides.
• While the first portion of meatball are browning, in large sauce pan add, diced tomatoes, spaghetti sauce, water and onions.
• Using tongs, remove each meatball for skillet and place in sauce pan, reduce heat.
• While that's simmering, continue the meatball making and browning process.
• Add those to the sauce pan. Do this until all meatballs are incorporated in sauce.
• Simmer for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Serve over rice or spaghetti. Add a green salad on the side. This recipe is even better the next day!
 

GoGo's Little People

First, it's raining here! Yesterday we received almost 3 inches and today another .9 tenths....I'm doing a happy dance.

Now to my little people.

Ayden is really growing. She has a birthday coming up next month. She is so precious to me.

Ayden on her tricycle

Ayden with some sort of balloon character. She'd just come from visiting a fire station.

Buzz and Woody... 

not their real names but their sister, 

Sarah, decided that it is what she would name them. 

Now everyone calls them by those names........and of course......they respond.......LOL

In case you're wondering where she came up with those particular names.....Toy Story characters.

Quick and Easy!

Want a quick pie to make when company comes unexpectedly or for a morning brunch or for that special someone??
Well I have one for you and it's just right for those of us who have a sweet-tooth but don't need a lot of sugar in our diets.

Using your favorite pie pan, spray with Pam or your favorite non stick spray then

place one Pillsbury unbaked crust in the pan. Peel and cube 3 apples of your choice. I use the Delicious Apples but any will do. Spread the cubed apples on crust. Add several pats of softened butter, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon Vanilla; 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon Allspice; 2 to 3 tablespoons sugar; 1 tablespoon flour;   3 generous tablespoons of strawberry preserves or any type of jam or jelly such as apricot, peach or raspberry. Fold gently to mix. You could mix  all the ingredients in a bowl then pour over crust but it's just as easy and less fuss this way.

Cut long lengths of the second crust and artfully place over top of everything. As you can see, I am not that artful when it comes to pie crust.

Sprinkle a bit of sugar and cinnamon over the crust before baking. This will make the crust come out golden brown.

Bake for about 1 hours at 325 degrees or until the crust is golden brown.

Serve with ice cream or whip cream or coffee or iced tea or.........sorry, as you can see I've eaten this pie with several options.

 

Ayden came for a visit and showed off her Barbie doll. She wished me a very happy birthday, gave me a big hug and threw me a kiss. What more could a GoGo want!!

 

 

 

Hand Embroidery BOW #7

 A watermelon is up next. It's number 7 in my hand embroidery series.  Enjoy!


We celebrated Ayden's birthday a little early. She's now 4....WOW! Where does the time go??
Her favorite gift was her bike which she loves to ride all over the den....LOL

Determined

Determined......yes, that describes me these days.  Determined to get rid of use as many of my scraps as possible.  That's why I started this scrappy string hoping to use most of my yellow scraps......I'm making a pretty good dent but, we'll see.

On a different note......just wanted to share Ayden when her daddy and Ayden eating breakfast at GoGo's. Note the ketchup on her scrambled eggs.....OMG, I thought I'd be sick when she asked me to keep pouring it on. Kids!

Finally, here's a sneak peek of what's in store for Tuesday's BOW!!

Design Wall Monday & Little Cuties

Life has been slow going around my house and it's too hot to even think about doing much of nothing except reading and/or drinking iced tea......LOL
The only thing I have to show for my efforts is the following:

 I added an 1 1/2 red border and then the 5 inch black border to the Texas seal top. Now I'm playing around with the idea of more applique in that border. I want to stay with the seeming appearance of circular movement thus the leaf placement. What are your thoughts????
Check out what others are up to over at Judy's!

I got a visit from Ayden and her cousin Elle the other day (plus their parents). Ayden wanted to take GoGo out for dinner...the little girls were so cute and so well behaved that I just had to purchase them something....to which Ayden said, "Happy Birthday GoGo!"

The Good Old Days of My Life

A little summertime fun was had with me, my brother and our two cousins. Their swing set was the only one in our little community. Needless to say, we had a blast. Summertime was always my favorite time of the year and still is even though I'm about to burn up in this Texas hot weather.
BTW, if you can guess which little swing-rat is me and you leave that little tidbit of information in your COMMENT, your name will be placed in the "HAT" for a fat quarter give away. For those who know me, you know the fat quarter will be something special!!

Update & Green Tomato Marmalade

Mom is improving daily and is getting back to her old self.  

That said.......

Green Tomato Marmalade.... 

yes you heard it here and I've already made my first batch.

Note the abundance of green tomatoes!

Here's what's needed:

2 oranges

1 lemon

1 cup water

4 pounds (about 9 cups) green tomatoes, cut in small pieces

5 cups sugar

1/4 cup  crystallized ginger, minced (this one was really hard to find)

Using a veggie peeler, remove the top layer of rind from the oranges and lemon, being careful not to remove any of the pith.

Sliver the rind and set aside.

Remove the pulp and juices from the oranges and lemon and set aside.

In a small saucepan, boil the slivered rinds in a cup of water for about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain and rinse.

Core the green tomatoes. Cut them into small pieces.

Place the citrus rind and pulp, green tomatoes, sugar and ginger in a large pot. Bring to a boil and and boil uncovered for 2 hours or until the jam thickens.

Meanwhile, prepare the preserving jars.

Fill jars with hot marmalade, leaving 1/4 inch head space. Wipe the rims clean.

Seal according to manufacturer's directions and process the jars in boiling water bath for 10 to 15 minutes.

Enjoy!

There's No Place Like Home....... There's No.....

Mom clicked her heels three times (well not literally) so we're finally home. Can you believe it!!! My mom is 78 years young and had valve replacement this past Tuesday week and is home now sorting through her giant stack of mail.  I am so proud of her. We know what really helped was our strong belief in God..... that's number one and we had a great orientation a few days before surgery explaining what to expect, what she'd need to do to get better sooner and some of the setbacks to looks for.  Usually this is explained "right" before the patient goes into surgery...... well as you can imagine.... no one retains that kind of information when you're in the throws of surgery prep. 
Mom also had a very positive attitude and wonderful family support.  I really want to thank all of you who've been sending warm thoughts and prayers our way. We felt everyone of them!!!!!

So, I haven't forgotten the little matter of the give away which I will do a drawing in a day or so and one lucky person will get 20 great nine inch squares to add to their stash!!!

Off The Grid Give Away

While Mom is convalescing at home from surgery, I'll be out of pocket, off the grid, taking a hiatus, out of contact....... sorry.....
from the blogging world.......... but I'll be thinking about you all and I may even get to peek at a few of my favorite blogs before long.  In the meantime, it's occurred to me that I've not done a give-away in awhile. So when I get back to blogging in a week or so, I'll be giving away
20 (twenty) 9 inch squares of some of my best fabrics. I've got some wonderful pieces that I found when looking for something else..... some of you know how that happens.
Here's a photo of the 20 squares that someone will be adding to their collection. All you'll need to go to get you name in the "HAT" is to leave a comment on this post and as soon as I get a chance to check in I'll draw a name and get the winner posted!!

Gook luck, in advance.