Joys of Summer

 Summer is fleeting.  I am trying to enjoy it before it is totally gone.  I'll show you a little quilting first.  This is the smallest piece I have ever put on my longarm. I could have easily done this on my sewing machine, but it would have taken me longer to get it set up, than to get it quilted! I decided to try some swirls ala Angela Walters.

This became a new pencil case for Kendra to take to school.  I used this free pattern & tutorial from Craft Passion.  I really like the internal gusset, but those corners were not a fun time!

The girls chose an interesting menu for their supper night last week.  They wanted boiled eggs and cinnamon buns!?!  They thought they would add berries and cream and some sausages to complete the meal.  I was a little worried about the idea of cinnamon buns, but I didn't want to discourage them, so I found a recipe with enough instructions that I thought would be manageable.  I did check in on the dough before they let it rise, but they really did it themselves. They turned out great.  Hopefully there will be a repeat performance of this one!

We spent last night on the lake.  It was the perfect evening.  Nolan caught 4 pickerel - 2 were too big to keep, but we will all get a taste at supper tonight!

And some harvesting and canning from the garden.

Here is my recipe for Crab Apple Juice.  If you have a bountiful tree like I do, it is one of the easiest things you can make.  I think we did 6 batches which resulted in 27 quarts of juice - glad this one is done and that my a/c was working!

Crab Apple Juice

12 cups crab apples (or whatever apple grows in your yard)

5 tsp. cream of tartar

20 cups water

sugar to taste (1 - 1 1/2 cups)

1. Wash whole crab apples.
2. Remove stems and blossom ends, cut into halves or quarters.
3. Sprinkle cream of tartar over apples.
4. Pour boiling water over apples and let stand for 24 - 36 hours.
5. Drain liquid through five sieve, or cheesecloth.
6. Bring liquid to a boil and add sugar to taste.  This will depend on the sweetness of your apples.
7. Boil for 10 - 20 minutes.  Seal in jars.

This has definitely become a family favorite, especially if someone feels a cold coming on.

Curve It Up Quilt Along Top (Almost!)

Jenny over at Sew Kind of Wonderful challenged the Curve it Up Quilt Along participants to have their quilt tops done by July 1.  Well, I almost made it, this is what I had done at 11:30 last night.

  I believe another shopping trip will be in order before I can call it done.  This is the fabric that I had purchased for the outer border.

  

It is not speaking to me now that I see the top together so it is back to the drawing board.  

 I used most of the background fabric I had left to add a small frame to the blocks to allow them to float.  I didn't like the darker fabrics right up against my sashing fabric.

The top looks unfinished to my eye,  but I don't have any other metallic fabrics in my stash, and I really don't want to add a non-metallic fabric at this point as everything including the background has metallic gold on it. I only have very small pieces of the fabric I used to piece the blocks.  Not sure where I will go from here...

I just have to share one of my best ideas of all time... Last summer we started a family tradition and it is back up and running now that school is out.  One day a week during the summer my girls (ages 15 and 12)  are responsible for making supper and dessert.  It is totally my favorite day of the week!  They check the flyers to see what is on sale, pick the recipes, make the grocery list, and come shopping with me, do the prep, cooking and clean up.  They have really learned a lot.   I am always around if they need a second opinion on the "doneness" of the meat, of what "soft peaks" look like, but they really like doing it without me.  This week the menu was rolls and butter, green salad, mashed potatoes and cream chicken (a "recipe" from grandma  - you know the kind, no real amounts or set cooking times, more like a vague description of how she does it).  

And for dessert - chocolate mousse!  I might have to step up my game so they don't outdo me all the time!