Forgive Me, For I Have Sinned...

I was a very bad girl at the Stitchin' Post this weekend...Here's a preview of projects to come.

Emily & I bought matching quilt kits - we'll have to keep each other accountable for finishing:



This quilt, I have been coveting since my last visit. I "had" to buy this kit too (had used loosely):



Duvet-to-be:



I can't even explain how HARD this store rocks! I could spend DAYS in that store. If you're any sort of fabric whore, like me, this store is the ultimate. Go there.

Birthday Pillows

Check out the pillows I made my mom for her birthday. She needed something to go with her fabulous new red sofa.

Sisters in Sisters

I just spent the greatest weekend in Sisters, OR with my best, longest-time (since 3rd grade) friends, Emily, Elyse, and Abby. You might recall I stayed with Emily and Abby a couple months back (rancher fantasy camp ring a bell?). This time, Elyse was in town for a bit between 2 years teaching art in Kuwait (yes, Kuwait) and another 2 years in Hong Kong. She's such a globe-trotter.

We had a lovely time hanging around the ranch, cooking, eating, reminiscing, shopping, walking around town, attempting hikes (too windy), and doting on Cade.

Emily (blue shorts) & Elyse (green pants) "swam the horses" while Abby, Cade, and I sat on the sidelines:



Look at this barnyard hottie:



Elyse, donning the new school apron she made holding the cutest baby Cade:



Anyhow, upon landing, I realized it was the Sisters 32nd Annual Quilt Show - BONUS! I was a very bad girl... more on that later.

Being with these girls is like being with family (I pretend I'm the 4th sister). Each time we see each other, we just pick up where we left off. It's the greatest luxury. And the best part was, I got bumped off my flight until the next morning, so I "had" to spend one more night with my girls! Waking up at 4:10 in the AM to catch a flight, however, is another story.... ha!

Apricot Zeal

I love apricots.

My friend Jenelle (and her 4 year old son) taunt me in June and July about all the apricots on their tree, "oh, we're going to cut it down...oh, the limbs are breaking with all the fruit....oh we threw out so many apricots on the ground." That's it! I'm driving to San Jose to get me some apricots!

Upon arrival, the tree was OVERFLOWING with apricots...branches with strings of apricots down them. I probably picked 20 lbs of apricots and didn't even scratch the surface of what that tree held. It was one of my best days ever!

When I got home, I made 24 jars of jam! Yipes. (Act surprised, y'all when you get a jar for Christmas...or your birthday...or as a thank you...or...) I dehydrated about 6 dozen in my Snackmaster Junior Food Dehydrator (this thing RULES!)...



...I pureed a bunch for my new baby niece, for when she graduates to solids, and I still have about 5 lbs for eating.



And check out these awesome little squatties I found, for "contemporary" canners.



I think I may have fed my appetite for apricots... this year at least.

And did I mention this jam is RIDICULOUSLY delicious?? The best I've ever had. If you need the recipe, give a holler!

"Poor Carol" Pickles

Inspired by my new book to embrace the local harvest, I bought some kirby cucumbers to make pickles with. From my Everyday Food Magazine, and found this recipe to have more instant (delicious) gratification than the one I used before, which produced a crisper pickle as a result of no-heat, but it just took too darn long to enjoy the results (2 weeks = 2 long for Sara to wait).

I'm calling these "Poor Carol" Pickles because (here's another one of my longish, unimportant stories)... there's this bar we go to in Oakland after particularly stressful nights at work. They make the BEST bloody marys, and they garnish them with pickled green beans and olives. My coworker, Carol, always asks for just a glass of green beans and olives, sans bloody mary.

So, I thought I would make these pickles, and experiment with green beans...for Carol. I brought a jar to work yesterday but Carol wasn't working.

"Whatcha got there?...Pickles?...I want to try one...These are good!...Can I try a green bean too?..." And before I knew it, the jar was empty! Poor Carol didn't get any :(

Instead of supplying the PICU with pickles forever, I gave them the recipe instead. And here it is for you:

4 to 6 Kirby cucumbers (about 1 pound), quartered lengthwise
1 cup white-wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar (I used only 1 Tablespoon)
3 tablespoons coarse salt (not iodized table salt)
1 teaspoon dill seed (I had/used dill sprigs instead)
2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

Quarter your cucumbers (don't use the waxy, dark green ones).



In a medium saucepan, combine vinegar, sugar, salt, dill seed, and garlic with 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar and salt dissolve.



Pour over cucumbers.



Use a small plate to submerge cucumbers in liquid.



Refrigerate until cool, at least 2 hours. To store: Transfer to an airtight container, and refrigerate up to 2 weeks. To serve, remove from liquid.

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

I suppose we can look back to this tryng-not-to-buy things evolution as I had to pack up my belongings and move every couple years from East San Jose to West San Jose to Menlo Park to San Francisco. One takes inventory..."Do I really need all these books?!" So, that's when I stopped buying books (books, at least - let's not discuss fabric right now).

So in my attempts to go green, I've sort of failed. I put myself on the wait list for Barbara Kingsolver's new book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle at the library, but I was 138 of 145 holds. Too desperarate, I bought the book. But the book is ABOUT being green, so does that negate the fact that I bought the book? I promise to recycle it and loan it out.

I was going to summarize, but Powell's does a much better job reviewing. The message is: eat locally produced foodsources to cut down on oil consumption.

From the book: "If every U.S. citizen ate just one meal a week (any meal) composed of locally and organically raised meats and produce, we would reduce our country's oil consumption by over 1.1 million barrels of oil every week." That's crazy talk!!

I'm only 1/4 through the book, but I'm already making changes. Darren and I are joining Two Small Farms, a program where local, in-season produce is delivered to your neighborhood for pick-up. I'll keep you posted on all that goodness!

They Do

My dear friends Karen and Scott were married this weekend in Lake Tahoe. Man, was everything beautiful. The setting, the food, the decorations, the dress, the vows, the weather. All of it, perfect.

The backdrop = Lake Tahoe and the mountains. Can you even stand it?



Karen made every guest a personalized pin...conversation starters, if you will. Mine said, "Cubanita" & Darren's had a child's drawing of a doctor.







She also spent days making tissue paper flowers in greens and blues, which were simple and lovely. They didn't smell, but the coffee beans they sat upon smelled scrumptious!



One of my favorite things was that Karen wore rhinestone-studded flip flops. It was so "Karen." Darren's favorite thing was that there was no dancing.

UFOs be Gone!

UFO = Unfinished Objects

I have a lot of them, but that's all a-changing. Manic Monday turned into an entire WEEK of maniacal behavior.

When I organized all my fabric a few weeks back, I also had enough UFOs to fill a good-sized rubbermaid. Two of which are blankets. This first one was supposed to be one of the two I promised to Sister Bernice for Lent. I ended up giving her one I had made ages ago in lieu of this one.



The red plaid squares are from a pair of Old Navy PJs I bought for $1.99 after Valentine's Day. So silly. And did you notice the "paint by number" fabric?

And this blanket, well, it's for someone special. I modeled it after this blanket, using her suggestion to back with knit. It is luxuriously cozy, but a bit challenging to sew with. I also liked her idea for a "toy tag".



The woven bit was the drawstring from those $1.99 old navy PJ bottoms. So resourceful, right? And lastly, the goldfish are symbolic, not just because they're totally adorable but, because (you ready for one of my longish/short stories?) I belong to a group of girls someone once called us the "Twitty Committee" and the name stuck. It's rumored (tho not likely true, but we like it anyhow) a twit is a pregnant goldfish. So, for a new little junior Twit (though he's a boy), he gets a blankie with goldfishies.

Tiny Satchel

Here's the little bag I dreamt up in class yesterday. Not something I would typically carry (and maybe I won't), but it was therapeutic to make and I think it's cute.





p.s. Made entirely of supplies I already had....the linen was leftover from an Anthropologie tablecloth which I turned into a bedskirt. Am I so green or what?

Just Another Manic Monday

There are some days I just kick myself because I just can't motivate... and at the end of the day, I have nothing to show. It's so depressing. Well, today I made up for all those days. I had the manic day of all days... and it ain't over, y'all.

I got up, went to Bar Method, washed my car (inside and out), ate lunch with Darren, put elastic in the waistband of my new dress, went to the library & checked out 2 books, went to the drug store, produce market, came home & made myself a mojito, and some cilantro dip from Everyday Food.

Then, I was in the caribbean spirit, so I made some baked plantain chips (came out so-so). Then the oven was on (I'm trying to be green), and I had some extra butterscotch chips, so I made a couple dozen peanut butter butterscotch cookies (again, from Everyday Food). Meanwhile, steaming a couple artichokes & doing a load of laundry...which I'll get to.



I have been trying to get rid of magazines, so I was weeding out my Everyday Food recipes, when I came across cherry turnovers. Well, well, whaddaya know? I have all those ingredients! And the oven is still on, I'll just whip up some of those.



So, now that the turnovers are almost done, they day is still young, so I'm gonna get the fabric I just washed out of the dryer and make a bag I was imagining in my mind during thigh-work at Bar Method (it was my happy place).

So, that's my day so far (I love not working sometimes). It's a good thing my favorite little fabric store was closed - there might have been problems and unnecessary purchasing. Trust me, there are days I can count my accomplishments on one finger...but it's just so much better to be manic! Doncha think?

Recycled Art

Ok, this is my last post about Honduras. But... you know when you go someplace, you don't want to bring home crappy souvenirs for people, such as the shellacked seashell pillbox, or the keyholder with Honduran currency embedded in it. You want something authentic, made in that country, by people from that country. I was so excited to stumble upon this gift shop in Roatan that sold these (and other work like it):



This artist designs pieces from recycled materials (metal, wood, stone). Many of her pieces, like this one, are created by Honduran women. And a portion of her proceeds goes toward helping battered women. So, you can feel good about beautifying your home, bringing home a legit souvenir, being environmentally responsible, supporting a good cause, and supporting the local economy.

I hadn't realized it until now, but I have noticed her work at Hands Gallery, in San Luis Obispo for years now. I even own some of her products! ...Small world.

Jammin' (and so on)

"So, what did you do this morning?"
"I made jam. What did you do?"

This is not an uncommon conversation. In fact, early in my nursing classes, I confessed that I blanched peaches instead of reading, and so it became the joke the remainder of the program. *hands up* I admit it - I'm unusual!

So, what did I do this morning? Well, while I was waiting for my oil to be changed, I was strolling around the neighborhood and saw this little mom 'n' pop produce market. Big box of discarded apricots....hmmmm.

"Hi there. Just curious what you were going to do with all those apricots."
"You want them?"
"Yes, please!"



And here I am making my most favorite jam from, of all places, an Amy (and David) Butler Jam & Jelly book. If I just lost you, this book is how it all started...



When I was in Virginia 3 years ago, I went to Border's Books. Near the front register, were stacks of the discounted books. I have always loved to make jam, and I saw this book (for $4.95 - thankyouverymuch) and just loved the layout. Who was this Amy and David Butler? Art of the Midwest? I researched and fell upon Amy Butler's fabrics, Reprot Depot, blogs, and the whole rest of this obsession is history.

Silly story, I know. And that $4.95 has turned into hundreds after that Amy Butler snowball.

But, the apricots were free.

This Bread...I Tell Ya

I never get sick of this gorgeous bread. This time, 1/2 whole wheat, and 2.5x the salt. Dee-lish!

La Cena

Props to all those Cuban housewives...

What's for Dinner?

Roasted pork, black beans, rice, fried plantains, and (of course) mojitos from one of my staple cookbooks.

Pretty in Pink

This past weekend, I went to San Luis Obispo to help throw my sister a baby shower. Yes, I'm going to be an auntie again! The shower was a blast!

We asked our friend CeRae if she would make cookie favors for the party (as you'll see, she makes beautiful cookies) She wanted a little inspiration from the invitations. So, here are the invitations:



And here are the cookies!



Arent't they almost too beautiful to eat? I say almost, because I managed to eat mine (surprising, I know). And they are quite tasty too! Each was presented in a little plastic case with a perfect pink bow. The cookies were a huge hit - CeRae definitely outdid herself.

Here's one of the gifts I gave Monica. I'm into these onesies, can you tell?

Chair of Bowlies

How I love the harvest.

Fashionable Blackout

So, I had 30 minutes to kill before my shuttle picked me up (before Honduras), so I did what anyone would have done in my situation... I made an eye cover for the plane.


Here's the reverse side, residing on my lampshade.

Wild Woman

Look at my cutest new plant. $1.77 for all that happiness.

Stashorama

I finally took it upon myself to organize my fabric...take inventory, really. I had this medium-sized rubbermaid bin that I thought would be plenty big for my stash. And it was... at first.

I tried to fit the nicely packed bin under my bed, and I couldn't push it in because there was a bag in the way....full of fabric. Ugh.

So I had to reorganize and squish. There. Tried again to fit under my bed. Guess what? ANOTHER bag in the way... full of more fabric.

Long story short, had to get a bigger bin. But now the fabric is organized.



Part of me just loves OWNING the fabric. I'm so attached to some of it, I can't bear to cut it up and actually make something of it. That's weird, right?

J's

My friend Jenelle just had her 2nd baby! She reads my blog (maybe one of four who do), but she's in the hospital for another couple days so I'm safe to show you what I made for Jamis, the big brother, and new little Jered.



Too cute, right?

Serenity Now

This was the view from inside the apartment couryard in Honduras. Can you believe the proximity to the beach? How lucky.

And I just loved this rusty old fence.

I'm Baaaack....

Ok, I got back on Saturday, but had no photos with which to blog. But here you are!

I had a GREAT time! Every once in a while, I would say in disbelief, "Hey, we're kayaking in Honduras!" "Hey, I'm scuba diving in Honduras!" "Hey, we're hiking in Honduras!" And I know many people have been to Honduras, but it's just a place I never thought I'd visit. It's a beautiful place with lovely people, and I'm glad I went. I don't miss so much las cucarachas, but I do miss the weather and leisure.

Business first, here's me in front of the hospital where the clinic was. I think I'd prefer not to get sick in Honduras.



Here's the beach that was right in front of the apartment. Pretty sweet, right? The water was bath-water warm. And that boat took us to beautiful dive sites a few hundred yards offshore. FYI: We dove the world's 2nd largest living coral reef in the world!



Here's me after my first dive!



Visiting other countries is always a little (and sometimes a lot) humbling. I'm glad to be home, and yet I'm lucky to have had this experience.

Bien Viaje!

Me voy a Honduras por una semana para eSCUBA y trabajar un poco en una clinica pediatra con Dario. Entonces, no voy a escribir esta semana (o quizas si escribire si puedo).

(I'm going to Honduras for a week to SCUBA and work a little at a pediatric clinic with Darren. So, I'm not going to write this week [or perhaps I will write, if I can].)

Tengan unas semanas buenas, y me extran~aron mucho, OK?

(Have a great week and miss me a lot, OK?)

If it makes you feel any better, it's supposed to rain most days I'm down there, so... I've packed plenty of reading material.

Lent

Yes, I know Lent is over - and I had hoped to post this long ago, but I'm just finishing my promise...sort of. I already talked to God, and he's cool with it.

So, for this year's Lent, instead of giving up meat and ending up anemic by Easter, or giving up chocolate and either failing or ending up super cranky by Easter (both which have happened), I decided this year to do something, instead of undoing.

Sister Bernice is our only chaplain at the hospital. I don't know what we'd do without her. Sister Bernice provides comfort and peace to our families during life's most difficult moments. She's the one who thinks to put real blankets on our babies so they look more like babies, and less like hospital patients. She once told me that there are quilting groups who make blankets especially for the children at our hospital, but she neede more boy blankets. So, I decided to make her 2 boy blankets to give to our children.





The second quilt I set out to make is not officially done, but I'm going to give her another blanket I made a few years ago (but cannot seem to locate a photo of). Once the next one's done, you can be sure I'll post it.

I think Sister Bernice will be pleased.