Prize-Winning Cookies!!

CONGRATULATIONS, Nicole!!

Nicole won SWEEPSTAKES at the Wasatch County Fair with her amazing White Chocolate Chip/Craisin Oatmeal Cookies!!  Best cookies in the whole county!

Big old Sweepstakes Ribbon,
$20 Cash in an envelope.
Smiles and cookies all around!

Woohoo!!  Way to go, Coco!  This prize-winning recipe has never failed!


PRIZE-WINNING OATMEAL COOKIES

In a large mixing bowl, combine and cream together:

4 sticks butter or margarine

2 c. sugar

2 c. brown sugar

4 eggs

2 t. vanilla

In a separate bowl, stir together:

4 c. flour

2 t. baking powder

1 t. baking soda

1 t. salt

Add to creamed mixture, stir well.

Add and stir in by hand:

4 c. quick oats

2 to 3 c. chocolate chips

Line a baking sheet with parchment.  Use a small ice cream scoop and drop mounds on the cookie sheet.  Bake at 350o for 10 minutes or so.

Makes a TON of Prize-winning cookies every time!  Bake up a few, then freeze unbaked cookie mounds to save for later.

VARIATIONS:

Substitute any flavor of chip for chocolate chips: try half chocolate chips and half peanut-butter chips, or any combination of mini chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, mint chips, toffee chips, etc., or any combination of the above with raisins or craisins, walnuts, pecans, macadamia nuts, etc.  

 Oh, M.M.M.M.M.M!!!
So proud of you, Nicole!
~ the Momma

SEW BIG: Star Medallion (A Carpenter's Daughter)

 CONGRATULATIONS, Chelsea!!

We recently got new couches for the living room, and we needed a new couch quilt to match.  We rifled through some of our unfinished quilt tops, and found that Chelsea's big star medallion matched the new furniture.  She sketched out the style of quilting she wanted, I quilted it on the longarm, she made the binding.  Another prize-winning quilt - even considered for sweepstakes!!

It's the perfect size lap quilt.

Even Charley approves!

Next time you need to whip up a quick quilt, try this easy-to-make big block quilt.  Here's a link to the PATTERN <<.   Great for beginners, too, made with giant half-square triangles.  Chelsea named it her "Carpenter's Daughter", not only because it's the center star of a Carpenter's Star quilt pattern, but because she happens to be the daughter of a carpenter.  *Ü*

Star Medallion (Carpenter's Daughter) Lap Quilt, 58" x 58" 

So proud of you, Chels!
~The Momma

Zucchini!!

Summer days.  Zucchini days.

Something's going on out in that garden...

Dad made a double batch...

ZUCCHINI BREAD

Beat together until well blended:

1 c. sugar

1 c. brown sugar

3 eggs, beaten

1 c. oil

Add:

2 c. zucchini, shredded or ground

3 t. vanilla

Stir in:

3 c. flour

3 t. cinnamon

1 t. soda

1 t. salt

1/4 t. baking powder

Add:

1/2 c. chopped nuts (optional)

Bake at 325o for one hour.

Mmmmm.

Next we'll try Zucchini/Chocolate Cake!

~The Dad

Shop Hoppin'!

Shop-Hoppin' - Pine Needles at Gardner Village - One of our favorite shops

It has been 10 years since our first "Shop Hop", and the girls and I decided to take a couple of days and join in on this year's crazy hop - no, make that TWO consecutive hops! The Utah Shop Hop included 14 stores, and the Beehive Shop Hop included 17 more.  In total, we visited 31 Quilt Shops along the Wasatch Front spanning 140 miles from Payson to Logan!  We had a blast.

It's hard to choose just one favorite!  We loved Corn Wagon in Springville, Gracie Lou's in Salem, American Quilting in Orem, Pine Needles at Gardner Village in Salt Lake, Material Girls in South Jordan, Quilter's Haven in Bountiful, Village Dry Goods in Brigham City, and My Girlfriend's Quilt Shoppe in Logan!  K& H in Kaysville and My Sister's Quilts in Riverton were new to us.  We even visited a couple of extra shops not on the hop: Harmony in Provo (loved this one!!) and Quilter's Attic in Bountiful.  Each shop had a fun activity, free patterns, treats, and drawings!

A Treadle Race at Quilter's Haven.  Chelsea won!

And we all came home with a bit of loot.  Chelsea can't wait to make her patriotic table runner, and Nicole found a sweet "Shadowed Star" pattern and began collecting purple prints.  She also found more plush fur to finish up the edges of a cool minky throw she's been working on.  Lauren collected some great scraps to build her stash and make more hand-stitched mannequin pin cushions and wallets.  I collected some notions and a few fat quarters along the way.

We also visited the train depot in downtown Ogden, which houses a train museum...

...and also had a display of traditional Hawaiian Quilts ranging from the 1890s to today, from a couple's collection - didn't get their names, but I'm so glad we got to see these quilts!

Hawaiian Quilts are typically two-color whole cloth quilts.  The patterns are cut out like a snowflake with motifs of leaves, fruit, trees, etc, and applique'd to a muslin or light-colored background.  The quilt is then hand-quilted in an echo pattern around the motifs.

This bed topper was made in the late 1890's

Here's one from the 1970's

This one was made in the 1930's

 Check out the hand-quilting and embroidered applique' stitch!

So lovely!

Such beautiful treasures!  A Hawaiian quilt is definitely on my list!

Chelsea won a book of patterns for bags, pillows and pincushions from Quilter's Attic, and Nicole won a gift package which included fat quarters, batting and some fun notions from The Stitching Corner.  Now, to get MAKING!!
~ the Momma

Instant S'mores!

When it looks like the PICNIC is going to be rained out....

... and you happen to have left the package of cookies and bag of marshmallows in the hot car...

Just stick them together!

1)

2)

3) Mmmmmm.  (Look, raindrops on the windshild ↓↓)

Melts in your mouth... and on your hands... yummy!

1 Package Keebler Fudge Stripe Shortbread Cookies

1 Bag Jet-Puffed large marshmallows

~the Momma

California Fruited Chicken Salad

This is a perfect dish on a summer day!  Family reunions, dinner out on the deck, or just a quiet picnic for two in your favorite place.   I had my first taste of this in California, hence the name.  Use fresh or canned fruit, and don't forget the olives, green pepper and red onions!

California Fruited Chicken Salad
2 cups cubed chicken
1 cup diced celery
 1/4 c. diced green pepper
1 T. finely minced onion
15-oz can pineapple tidbits, drained
11-oz can mandarin oranges, drained
1 c. red or green grapes
1/3 c. mayonnaise
1/2 t. prepared mustard
   OR 1/2 t. curry powder
1/4 c. sliced olives
Mix gently together and serve over a bed of lettuce.

If you're camping or picnicking, just pop a couple of marinated, pre-grilled chicken breasts in the cooler.
Assemble the remaining salad ingredients in a large zip-lock baggie.

Add the mayo and mustard, lightly toss to coat everything, and serve on a bed of lettuce.  Oh, man!  So tasty, and so refreshing.  This and more family favorite recipes can be found in the 3rDegree Cookbook, Home Cookin' (see it on the sidebar).

The perfect picnic meal in the perfect picnic place, and, I may add... on the PERFECT quilt.  (See that story HERE!)

Mmmmmn!
the Momma

Monster Coloring Bags!

I needed an idea for a quick sewing project to teach beginning quilters at a Super Saturday craft day.  Chelsea and the Momma came up with this fun project!

Supplies / Cut List:

13" x 20" rectangle for bag

2  -  2-1/2" x 16" strips for handles

9" x 12" piece of craft felt

Scraps/Buttons for eyes

1 box of 8 to 10 jumbo crayons

See all the instructions HERE

Now check out what my students came up with! 

A couple of them were young tweens, ages 11 and 12, new to sewing.

Little kids got a kick out of their Moms' creations.

"Sew" adorable!

 ~ Lauren