LAZY APRICOT PRESERVES

Sorry I havn't posted in some time.  Here is the Lazy Apricot Preserves that I promised in my last posting.

Lazy Apricot Preserves

1 (2.25 lb.) pkg. Dried Apricots
4 cups Sugar
8 cups Water

In a food processor, process the apricots until very finely chopped.  Transfer to a slow cooker.  Stir in sugar and water.  Cover and cook on the high heat setting 2 1/2 hours, stirring twice, if possible.  Uncover and cook on high, stirring occasionally, 2 hours or longer, or until the jam has thickened.   Ladle the jam into clean, 1 cup freezer containers.  Let cool and store in the freezer.  (Or put in canning jars and process for 10 to 15 minutes).  Makes about 10 cups

I bought my dried apricots at Sams Club for about $8.00 and it makes enough Apricot Jam to fill 10 freezer containers.  I tried to buy apricot jam at the grocery store and it was about $4.00 for a small jar.

I don't make the Apricot Jam to eat on toast, I make the jam so I can make the following recipe:

Orange Chicken for Dummies

1 envelope dry onion soup mix
1 cup apricot preserves
1 cup catalina salad dressing
8 chicken breasts
(I've also made with a pork roast instead of chicken)

Combine onion soup mix, apricot preserves, and catalina dressing. Put the chicken or pork roast into the crockpot, cover with mixture of onion soup mix, preserves and catalina salad dressing, cook on high 4-6 hours, until done).  Serve with rice.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Here it is!!!  All finished!!!

 Brandy quilted it and I got it bound on Monday and hung it on my wall 2 days before Halloween.

I love it, I had so much fun making this quilt.

I used tiny yellow buttons for all the bats eyes, all the backgrounds for the bats and the house blocks are all different fabrics.  I used a bell charm for my school bell.  I fussy cut an owl from fabric for the window of the barn.  I fussy cut pumpkins for the pumpkins next to the school.  I fussy cut ghosts for the windows of the door at the school.  I had black fabric that I used for the fence at the school, I think it looks like chain link.  I changed all the green to light green.  I fussy cut pumpkins for the pumpkins hanging from the tree and the black bird.  I used brick fabric for the chimney, pavement fabric for the sidewalks, fabric that looks like dirt in front of the barn, and I love the fabric on the side of the barn, it has spiders on it.  

The sashing fabric has spider webs on it.  

AND I sewed door handles on the school doors that are eyes from old fashioned hooks and eyes.

Check out www.quiltcompany.com to see how the designer made her quilt

 or to order the pattern and/or accessory fabric packet.

I made Apricot Jam in my crockpot today from dried apricots, 

check back for the recipe, I will post that next.

As promised here is my "Sew Spooky" quilt (not finished yet) so far.

If you are not familiar with this quilt check out www.quiltcompany.com to see the designers finished quilt, purchase the pattern and/or the Accessory Fabric Packet.

I still have 3 borders to do; pieced candy corn, candy corn fabric and applique bats.

When I started working on this quilt, I didn't like the darker green that the designer had used and I decided to change my quilt to a lighter green, I found some orange in my stash with cobwebs and decided to use that for the sashing, I knew I had brick and stone fabric for the paths and chimney.  When I was working on the barn the pattern said to use a owl button for the window, I found fabric in my stash with owls and fussy cut the window with the owl in it.  My brown fence fabric looks like wood.  And when I got to the school I found fabric in my stash that looked like a mesh fence and fussy cut the pumpkins from fabric and the windows in the door with ghosts and one of the cutest things in this quilt is the handles on the school door are from old fashioned hooks and eyes..  The quilt on the first block, door of barn, windows of school and witches house, "Ghoul School", "Haunted Barn" signs and the witches feet path are all from the Fabric Accessory Packet.

I'm not trying to sell this designers pattern, I just like to do scrappy quilts, and I like to share what I am working on with my friends.  I've had more fun working on this quilt.

 Please check back later to see the finished quilt. 

Happy Halloween Quilting!!!

WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER!!!

The winner from my blog tour is Jeanenne Nielsen.  Please email me with your address so I can send you out your new book "Springtime in the Rockies"

My friend Jen Atkinson gave me some peaches the other day, so I made some Spicy Peach Honey.  My family loves this stuff, so I thought I would share this recipe.  I found this recipe in a very old cookbook over 30 years ago.  For you young people, before pectin was on the market, you would have to cook jam for about 20 minutes, it would be very hard for me to make this jam without scorching the pan. So I finally adapted this recipe to the slow cooker.  Now it cooks in the slow cooker all day, my house smells wonderful, and it never scorches. Here's the recipe:

Spicy Peach Honey

6 pounds Peaches
9 cups Sugar
1 Tblsp. Lemon Juice
2 tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. Cloves
(or if I have it I use 3 tsp. Pampered Chef Cinnamon Plus)

Cook peaches in hot water for 1 minute, place in cold water and remove skins and pits, place in food processor and process until smooth.  Measure peaches (should be about 9 cups) place peaches and equal amount of sugar in large crockpot, add lemon juice and spices, stir well.  Cook on medium for 6 to 8 hours.  (Or boil in stockpot on stove for 20 minutes).  Pour hot mixture into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace, seal.  Process 10 minutes in boiling water bath.  (I've even put the lids and rings on and turned upside down on the counter, on a towel, and they seal because its so hot, you could even try putting in freezer containers and putting in the freezer, I haven't tried that)  Makes 6 to 7 pints.

Here is the quilt I've been working on for a few weeks, on and off.    I found this pattern in the magazine "Quilt Sampler" Fall/Winter 2011.  The picture of the quilt is on the very last page, they call it Extra, Extra and the pattern is inside on Pattern Sheet 2.  I made this totally from scraps that I had, I love to make my quilts as scrappy as I can.  I used 23 different orange fabrics and 23 different black fabrics for the half square triangles. My quilter is on vacation this week, and I'm not sure how long it will take to get it quilted, so I've just posted the quilt unquilted.

My current project is the Halloween quilt called "Sew Spooky" from The Quilt Company. Just about every magazine on the market is advertising this quilt as a block of the month from different quilt stores.  I am making it very scrappy, I will post pictures as I get each block done, so check back to see how it is coming along.

Thank you to the two people who pointed out that I had the wrong quilt shop listed in my last blog.  I apologize to Quilters Haven. The picture of the quilt was taken at Quilters Haven not Elaines.

And Jeanenne Nielsen is the winner from my blog hop if she could please email me her address so I can send her the free book, Springtime in the Rockies.  Thanks for all your comments.  Still working on my orange and black quilt.  Hope to have it finished Monday.

My dear friends Mashelle Preston and Michelle Hansen & I went on the Pumpkin Parade Shop Hop here in Utah.  We drove from Spanish Fork to Logan, Utah and back, stopped in 7wonderful quilt shops on the way and had a wonderful day.  We bought fabric, patterns, magazines and books, tasted wonderful goodies, saw some old friends along the way, spent too much money, and wished we had more money to spend.  But, the best part was just getting away from home and spending the day with friends.  I love finding new recipes, so I want to share a couple of recipes that I tasted along the way.  The first one is:

Pumpkin Fudge from My Girlfriends Quilt Shoppe in Logan, Utah

3 cups sugar
3/4 cup melted butter
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
2 Tblsp. corn syrup
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 (12 oz.) pkg. white chocolate chips
1 (7 oz.) jar marshmallow creme
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Stir together first 6 ingredients in a 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil.

Cook, stirring constantly, until a candy thermometer registers 234 degrees (soft-ball stage), or for about 12 minutes.

Remove pan from heat, stir in remaining ingredients until well blended.  Pour into a greased aluminum foil lines 9-inch square pan.  Let stand for 2 hours or until completely cool; cut fudge into squares.

Yummy!

Next recipe is from American Quilting for Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

Mix the following in a bowl then set aside -
1 cup flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. baking soda
2 cups oatmeal

In a mixing bowl, cream
1 cube butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar

Add -
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup pumpkin

Add dry ingredients.  Mix by hand until barely blended.
Stir in 1 cup chocolate chips.

Place in small scoops onto a baking sheet that has parchment paper for best results.
Makes 50 small cookies.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Sorry, this is the only picture I took on the shop hop. (my daughter wasn't with me, with her camera)

This was a free pattern at Quilters Haven (in Bountiful, Utah) and they didn't have a picture with the pattern so I had to take a picture on my phone, its an orange, purple and black foundation paper pieced tabletopper, I also received  a free pattern for a Pumpkin Parade Pin Keeper, and several pumpkin tablerunners and tabletoppers.

I'm diffently in the mood for fall and pumpkins, I just wish it would cool off her in Utah, its still in the 80's which is very hot for us, this time of the year.  Check back later, I'm working on a black and orange table topper, I'll post pictures when I get it done.

This quilt was a block of the month pattern last year from American Quilting here in Utah.  My friend Brandy Mascher took the class and got about 2 1/2 rows done and paid me to finish it.  And she just quilted it and gave it to me to bind yesterday.  This was a fun quilt to work on, lots of different techniques, the applique' was my favorite part.  I'll miss this quilt, have to visit it at Brandy's house.

This is a pattern from Ribbon Candy Quilts (Summer Skinnies), Margie is a good friend of mine, love her patterns.  I got this ice cream fabric (the border) from Ebay.  I made 4 of these.  One for me, 3 for friends and family.  Just got these back from Brandy yesterday also.

I just had to share this cute little penguin also, actually finished him in July, found this border fabric on Ebay.  Pattern is also from Ribbon Candy Quilts (Winter Skinnies) but my daughter had the idea to add the scarf to our penguin. Brandy Mascher also quilted this skinny.

I wanted to share this baby quilt that I made for a friend at church. I got the pattern from ModaBakeShop.com, I think last year.  And I had leftover bug fabric from making my boys "bugs in a jar quilts" when they were little.  Glad to finally find a use for all that bug fabric.  If you look closer you can see writing on the white fabric.  All the girls in our Young Womens group signed their name on this quilt.  I just got this quilt back from my quilter, Brandy Mascher, yesterday.

Thanks for letting me share my quilts with you.  

Springtime in the Rockies Blog Tour

I'm still new to this blogging thing.  I hope I am doing this right.  Thank you Konda for asking me to be in this book.  And for encouraging me to get this blog going.  This quilt "Grandmas Tulip Garden" is one of my favorite quilts.  I love books like this with lots of different styles and tastes to choose from.  Its amazing to me how when I buy new quilt books I feel like I am friends with the designers.  I hope I make lots of new friends with this new endeavor.  Please consider me your new friend.  Send me a note, and good luck winning one of these books.

Here is the schedule and list of others in this blog hop:

Sept 19 - Kansas City Star http://www.pickledish.com/

Sept 20 - Amy Smart http://www.diaryofaquilter.com/

                        Sherri McConnell http://www.aquiltinglife.com/

Sept 21 -  April Mazzoleni http://aprilmaedesigns.com/

                        Maggie Barber http://shortcookie.blogspot.com

Sept 22 - Becky Morganson http://stitchesandsewforth.blogspot.com/

                        Marion McClellan http://myquiltdiet.blogspot.com/

Sept 23 - Emily Herrick http://crazyoldladiesquilts.blogspot.com/

                        Kathy Miller  http://makingitfun.blogspot.com/

Sept 24 - Karlene Riggs http://karleneskreation.blogspot.com/

                        JoyLyn Rigby http://broadbentquiltshop.blogspot.com/

Sept 25 - Margie Ullery http://www.ribboncandyquilts.blogspot.com/

                        Shannon White http://itssewshannon.blogspot.com/

Sept 26 - Machelle Preston http://cherrytreecottagequilts.blogspot.com/

                        Kim Walus http://bittybitsandpieces.blogspot.com/

Sept 27 - Konda Luckau http://moosequilts.blogspot.com

                        Jenifer Dick http://www.42quilts.com/

This is my Grandmothers Tulip Garden quilt i designed for the book:

This is the book you have a chance to win:

Brigham City Temple Open House

Brigham City Temple

My daughter, Tanna, & Myself

On Labor Day I drove my daughter, Tanna, my niece, Alisha and my mom

to Brigham City to see the new Brigham City Temple, it was so

awesome, so peaceful, so beautiful, so inspiring.

I love living in Utah, I love my family.

Chocolate Waffles with Strawberries

I bought strawberries last night and my daughter requested Chocolate Waffles and Strawberries for breakfast this morning.  My niece, Alisha, who is staying with us was so impressed with this that I asked my daughter to take pictures so I could also post this recipe.  I first found a recipe for chocolate waffles in an old Southern Living Annual Recipe book years ago.  It was complicated with a lot of ingredients made from scratch.  Over the years I've streamlined it by using a pancake mix (like Bisquick).  I follow the recipe on the box using 2 cups pancake mix and I add about 1/3 cup cocoa and about 1/6 cup sugar (half as much sugar as cocoa) and add enough milk or water to make it the consistency you like.  Our family puts maple syrup over the strawberries but you can use whip cream or powdered sugar or whatever you like.  Try this for your kids or grandkids next weekend and they will love you.

Lemon Cookies

A close tie with my love of quilting is my love of cooking and baking.  So I decided in addition to my quilting projects I would share some of my recipes.  I don't remember where I found this recipe.  It's been typed up in my collection of recipes for years.  But last month for my mother's 80th birthday party I made these cookies and they were a big hit.  I needed to send my son in California a care package this week so I baked these cookies.  One recipe doesn't make very much (only about 2 dozen cookies),  I made three times this recipe so I had enough to send my son and have some for our family to munch on.  Please enjoy, these are very easy to make, and wonderful to eat.

Sunshine Kisses

1 package lemon cake mix

1 egg

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2 Tblsp. water

1/3 cup pecans

Combine cookie ingredients.  Bake at 375 degrees for 16 minutes.  Let cool 3 minutes.

Glaze: 1 lemon

1 cup powdered sugar

Remove 1 tsp. zest from lemon,

remove 2 Tblsp. juice from lemon.

Whisk ingredients in small mixing bowl.  Drizzle glaze on cooled cookies.

International Quilt Festival - Long Beach

Okay Ladies and Gents this is a new experience for me.  I've been published recently and I've had to make a decision whether I was going to jump into the quilting world with both feet or continue to sit on the sidelines. So with my daughter Tanna's help I will try out this blogging thing and see how it goes.  Her and I recently went to the 2012 International Quilt Festival in Long Beach, California.  Tanna is my photographer, and my helper in all my quilting endeavors, she gives me advice and she loves going to all my quilt meetings when she is not in school.  She is a senior in high school this year.   Tanna has been quilting for about 9 years.  I've been quilting for about 40 years (that's about how long ago my mother, Evelyn Chugg, taught me to hand quilt).  My mother-in-law, Sandy Riggs, taught quilting classes at adult education in California until she died of cancer 15 years ago.  My sister, Lynette Herlan, loves to quilt, she loves handwork and enjoys English paper piecing.  And my paternal Grandmother, Mary Ellen Barker Chugg, was very passionate about quilting, she died in 1958, she sewed with a treadle sewing machine and hand quilted all of her quilts.  So I guess you could say quilting is in my blood.  I am a very passionate and prolific quilter, someone asked me once what kind of quilts I like to make and I told him I make all sizes of quilts. I recently made a quilt for my sister that was 10" square, I make tablerunners, table toppers, wall hangings, baby quilts, and bed quilts up to King size, I also love to make aprons and bags.  We have never had a store bought blanket in our home.  I think thats enough about me for now.  I will post more pictures soon of some of the quilts I have recently made.  Please enjoy these pictures that Tanna took of the Quilt Festival in Long Beach, California.