A First for Me

Where do I begin? Yesterday I made Cornbread Salad for the first time and surprisingly it was delicious. To answer my question I must begin at the beginning. Several weeks ago while in the mountains we went out to eat at Brother's Restaurant in Murphy, N.C. On their salad bar they had cornbread salad, I had never even heard of it before. Well I reluctantly tried it and it was very good, although I must admit in a strange way. So, after fixing black-eyed peas with corn muffins week before last I had left over muffins. I decided to use them in cornbread salad. I did my google search and of course I found many recipes to choose from and decided to use this one: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/cornbread-salad-i/. I did not use the amount of mayo and sour cream called for, also added raw cauliflower and broccoli. Like any layer salad you can add or delete what you like. I also served the salad on a bed of wilted lettuce since we have so much of that in the garden right now. It was delicious. I will be making this from now on every time I have leftover corn muffins. Hope you give it a try.

My Contribution....

I wanted to share my contribution to the sew along for Dress a Girl Around the World at Hopeful Threads. It is hard to choose a favorite, all of them turned out to be very cute and of course functional. I would encourage anyone who sews to become involved with charity sewing, it is very rewarding. As I sewed each little dress I thought about the young girls that would be receiving these dresses and prayed for them wherever they may be. If you are interested in this project, the link can be found by using the button to the right. I suggest you read the guidelines and choose a fun, quick pattern and sew away for this good cause. I used materials that I had on hand so this did not cost me anything except for the shipping. :)

Easter dresses

I enjoyed making these dresses so much. I try to make matching dresses for Easter and Christmas, just like Granny did for my sister and I when we were kids. For the older one I used Laura Thompson's "Pascale" pattern. I modified the neckline and sleeves (had to be puffy), and added a sash instead of the smocking insert. For the little one I used AS&E issue 73, "Spring Harvest" with sash instead of smocking.

Finished quilt tops make me smile....

Just finished this top today. This was a quilt kit that was hidden away for several years. I was planning wall hangings for our mountain home and this came to mind. I got it started about a month ago and then had several quilts to quilt and Easter dresses to make and today was the day to finish it up. I will ponder the quilting for several days, but with this batik fabric nothing will show; so it will be very simple. I have named this quilt "Mountain Sunrise" (....I know this is the New York Beauty block).

Sweet Apple Frock... and they are sweet

I finished these today and I love how they turned out. I used the Sweet Apple Frock pattern along with the strap construction of In the Garden sundress. These have it all; sweetness along with 'twirlability'.. a must have for little girls. Thanks to Laura at Ellie Inspired and Christine at From an Igloo for your wonderful inspiration and generosity. I enjoy both of these blogs.

I think I finally made the best homemade bread....

I have been making bread for many, many years. Years ago I kept the potato flake starter going and made bread every week; sometimes twice a week. My students often received a loaf of bread for kindnesses shown and as rewards for many different things. They loved this and often ate it during their lunch time and did not want to share with classmates. I have a bread machine and have made all those bread recipes that are included in the booklet that accompanied the machine. Those are good but still take too much time from start to finish. I have been searching for a simple, healthy, homemade bread recipe for several years. Well today I just decided to go it on my own. Now you have to remember that all bread recipes are very similar so this recipe may be closely akin to other recipes out there. I think the secret is in the mixing/kneading time, which is done by my Kitchen Aid mixer. This bread turned out to be the best I have ever made. It is for multi-purpose use: sandwiches, toast, and dinner bread.  Hope you will give it a try.

Nona's Wheat Bread
3 cups whole wheat flour
3 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 Tbs yeast
1/2 scant Tbs salt
2 cups warm water
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup canola oil
    Mix dry ingredients in the mixer bowl. Mix all the wet ingredients well in a measuring cup. With the mixer on low slowly add the wet ingredients and mix on low for 1 minute. Check the dough to see if the dough needs more flour or water.... dough should be firm but sticky. Using the dough hook attachment mix dough on medium speed for 5 minutes (use a timer or watch the clock as this is essential for the good texture of the bread). Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and divide into two equal parts. Do not knead the dough but shape into a rectangle approximately 15"x5" roll tightly end to end and place in a greased loaf pan. Repeat for other part and place loaves in the oven with the light on and door closed. Allow to rise until loaves are double in size. (There is only one rising time.) Bake  25-30 minutes at 350 degrees til golden brown.

"Sew-vivor" sponsored by Family Ever After

I decided to enter a sewing/crafting contest and am looking forward to the fun. The contest has a great variety of entries and I love all the creative ideas that have been shared. Here is the link to check for yourself :http://www.familyeverafterblog.com/2012/02/sew-vivor-link-up-your-entry.html. My entry is Emolyn's birthday outfit with ruffled hem pants, embroidered tee, and fun top. These items also match some ruffled corduroy pants I made also.