Foodie Friday

Eggplant Parmesan

• 3             medium eggplant (~3 1/4 lbs.)
• 2 T          olive oil
• 1/2 t         salt     
• 2 T           butter
• 2 slices     firm white bread, processed into coarse crumbs
• 1 clove     garlic, minced
• 1 C          shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 C       grated Parmesan cheese
• 15 oz       part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1/4 t        coarsely ground pepper
• 4 C          tomato sauce, warmed

1.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Grease 2 large cookie sheets.  Trim ends from eggplant, then cut them lengthwise into 1/2 " thick slices.  Arrange in a single layer on cookie sheets; brush with oil and sprinkle with salt.

2.  Bake eggplant 25 - 30 minutes, or until tender and golden, rotating sheets and turning over slices halfway through cooking.  Remove from oven and reduce temperature to 350 degrees.

3.  For the topping:  Melt butter over medium heat in a 10" nonstick skillet.  Add bread crumbs and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 7 minutes.  Transfer to a small bowl.  Add 1/2 cup mozzarella and 2 T grated Parmesan, and toss well.

4.  For the filling:  Mix ricotta, remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella, remaining 2 T grated Parmesan and pepper in a medium bowl.

5.  To assemble, spread 1 cup tomato sauce evenly into a 9" x 13" glass baking dish.  Arrange half of eggplant on top, overlapping the slices.  Top with another 1 cup sauce, then dollops of cheese filling.  Top cheese with 1 cup sauce, remaining eggplant and remaining 1 cup sauce.  Sprinkle top with bread-crumb mixture.

6.  Cover dish with foil; bake 15 minutes.  Remove foil and bake 15 more minutes.  Let stand 10 minutes for easier serving.

This recipe came from the June 2008 issue of Quick and Simple magazine. 

Until Next Time...Happy Stitching!!!

Sharyn      

Thrifty Thursday

Thrifty Thursday

Today I have a few practical money saving ideas.  These tips will certainly help you save a little money.

1.  We all know that insurance is important.  Everyone should have health insurance and I don't think it is an area where we should scrimp to save.  But when it comes to car insurance, I feel it is important to shop around.  You can save a lot of money by simply raising your deductible a little.

2.  Clip coupons and use them wisely.  Combine coupons when possible on items that are already on sale and on items that you would purchase anyway.  Also, use coupons on smaller sized items.  Usually when you figure out the price per unit on an item when using a coupon, it is a better deal to buy the smaller item.

3.  Buy generic everything.  Many generics are exactly the same as brand names.

4.  Buy in bulk and use reward cards at the grocery store.  Often there are discounts on items that only apply if you use a store's reward card. 

These are just a few practical ideas to use in your attempt to save money.

Words of Wisdom

"It's not about keeping everything you love...

 it's about loving everything you keep."

Until Next Time.....Happy Stitching!!!

Sharyn 

Show & Tell Tuesday

Show and Tell Tuesday

I have two quilts to share today.  Both were made in 2011 of cheerful spring colors.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Happy Stars

This quilt is named Happy Stars for two reasons.  It is made from the Moda line of fabric called Happy, and it makes me "happy" when I look at it.  It measures 45" X 58".

   The pattern for this quilt can be found in the book Jelly Roll Quilts and More by Kimberly Einmo.  The quilt in the book is called Star Light, Star Right:  Star Chain.

Sugar Twist

 

This pretty spring quilt was made from a pattern by The Pattern Basket.  It measures 59" X 77".  

Both of these quilts were quilted on my long-arm machine, Annie.

  

Words of Wisdom

If I surround myself with stuff I don't love - I can't enjoy the stuff I do.

Until Next Time.....Happy Stitching!!!

Sharyn

Make-A-List Monday & Blog Hop Party Winner

Make-A-List Monday

Hi everybody.  What a beautiful sunny day it is here in NJ!  A little chilly but no complaints here.

 First of all, I want to send out a prayer request for my BFF, Karen.  She is dealing with a health scare and needs all the prayers she can get for good health.  I love you, Karen!!!

Now for the winner of the Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt book and FQ Give Away. 

Drum roll please........The winner is Sandra from Kearns, UT.  Your book will go out in today's mail.  Congratulations!!!  I'm sure you will enjoy this book as much as I do.

Now, on to Make-A-List Monday.  Let's review last week.....

The Week of March 19, 2012

1.  Make four scarves from left over Batik fabric.  

Well, here they are!  I love the way they turned out.

2.  Finish piecing two Quilts For Kids and quilt them.

Quilts are done and will be delivered next Tuesday.

3.  Begin work on four baby girl gift quilts.  No pictures to show here but one quilt is pieced and currently being quilted on Annie.  Another quilt is in production.  I am using a disappearing nine patch pattern in floral, pink and green fabrics.  The other two are still WHIMM's (Works Hidden in My Mind), yet to be designed.

4.  If time...I want to start working on Just Takes 2 blocks 19-22.  HAHA!  I didn't even come close to working on these blocks. I'll try again this week.

Now, for this week's list:

The Week of March 26, 2012

1.  Continue working on my baby girl gift quilts.

2.  Work on Just Takes 2 blocks 19-22.

3.  Attend my husband's baseball games.  He has two scrimmages and a game this week.  Go Pirates!!!

4.  Look into taking a class at MQX.  Machine Quilter's Exposition East is held in Providence, RI.  I have never attended before but want to look into attending this year.  My husband, Don, will be away for spring training with his baseball team, so it would be a perfect time to go on a little get-away of my own.

5.  Work on The Village Quilter BOM Building Blocks. 

As usual, a very busy week.

Until Next Time.....Happy Stitching!!!

Sharyn

Sunday Soup-athon

Hearty Pasta Tomato Soup

 

 

• 1 pound           bulk Italian sausage
• 6 C                  beef broth
• 1 can (28oz)     stewed tomatoes
• 1 can (15oz)     tomato sauce
• 2 C                  sliced zucchini
• 1                     large onion, chopped
• 1 C                  sliced carrots
• 1 C                  sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1                     medium green pepper, chopped
• 1/4 C                minced fresh parsley
• 2 t.                  sugar
• 1 t.                  dried oregano
• 1 t.                  dried basil
• 1                     garlic clove, minced
• 2 C                   frozen cheese tortellini
•                        grated Parmesan cheese

1.  In a skillet, cook the sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain.  Transfer to a 5 quart slow cooker; add the next 13 ingredients.  Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or until the vegetables are tender. 

2.   Cook tortellini according to package directions; drain.  Stir into slow cooker; cover and cook 30 minutes longer.  Serve with Parmesan cheese if desired.

Yield:  14 servings (about 3 1/2 quarts)

This recipe is from a cookbook called 

 Taste of Home Quick Cooking Annual Recipes 2002.

Until Next Time.....Happy Stitching

Sharyn

Show & Tell Tuesday

Show & Tell Tuesday

It is a foggy day in New Jersey, but I can't complain considering it will be 70 degrees.  I am going to share two quilts today that I made in 2011.  

Avignon Picnic

Avignon Picnic is a Moda Bake Shop quilt.  It is made with a Breath of Avignon jelly roll.  It measures 74" x 74". The pattern was designed by Andrea Harris of Millions of Thoughts .  

                       

This quilt happens to be one of the quilts I made from The Village Quilter  strip club.

Yesteryear

Yesteryear was a very challenging quilt for me.  It measures 80" x 98" and includes both piecing and applique.  

 

The original pattern was named Star Light, Star Bright and it was offered by Bits 'n Pieces Quilt Shop of Wayne, MI.  It consists of twelve - 12", 9" and 6" star blocks.

I hope you have enjoyed looking at these two quilts as much as I enjoyed making them.  

Words of Wisdom

Trust your instincts

Until Next Time.....Happy Stitching!!!

Sharyn

Make-A-List Monday

Make-A-List Monday

It is hard to believe that March is more than half-way through.  It has been a very busy week, so let's see how I did with last week's list:

The Week of March 12, 2012

1.  Finish piecing two baby boy gift quilts.  I finished piecing the tops of these two quilts...one with a dinosaur theme and one with an airplane theme.  One problem...my son told me that one of the babies is a girl.  I'm positive he said two baby boys.  EEERRRRRRR!    Oh well, no problem.  I'm sure you can guess who will get the other baby boy quilt.  Is it possible for a grandson to have too many quilts?

2.  Complete four labels for quilts I have recently finished.  I finished all labels and have attached them to the quilts.  

3.  Work on my Stella and Stonehenge blocks for PQW Saturday Sampler.

  

I love the way they turned out.

4.  Make two blocks for the Quilt Square Quilt Along.

These little 12 1/2" squares are made from a pattern by Lori Smith.  Aren't they CUTE?

5.  Attend The American Quilter's Society Lancaster Quilt Show  and The Lancaster Spring Quilt Show in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

I was able to attend these shows on Wednesday 3/14. I took lots of pictures and posted them in my Wordless Wednesday post on that date.  Here is a picture of the Best of Show.

The applique and quilting was amazing.  Congratulations!  All the quilts were just gorgeous.

6.  Attend Strip Club at The Village Quilter in Mt. Holly, NJ.  

This is always a fun class and the quilts they make from 2 1/2" strips are always so pretty.

 I can't wait to get started on this quilt.  Unfortunately I have so much going on, it might be a while.

Now...for this week's list:

 The Week of March 19, 2012....

1. Make four scarves from left-over batik fabric. I recently made some jackets that produced a lot of left-over fabric. I hope to find a way to turn this fabric into scarves.

2. Finish piecing two Quilts for Kids and quilt them.

3. Begin work on four baby girl gift quilts. There seems to be sooooo many people we know having babies.

4. If time...I want to start working on Just Takes 2 blocks 19-22.

 

 Although there are only four things on this list I have a feeling I will be very busy this week.

Until Next Time.....Happy Stitching!!!

Sharyn

Sunday Soup-athon

Corn Chowder

•   3 C        frozen whole kernel corn or 6 ears fresh sweet corn
• 1/2 C       chopped onion
• 1/2 C       chopped sweet green pepper
•   1 T        vegetable oil
•  1 can      chicken broth (14 oz)
•   1 C        cubed, peeled potato
•   2 T        all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 C    half-and-half, light cream, or milk
•   4 oz       white cheddar cheese, shredded (1C)
• 3 slices     bacon, crisp-cooked, drained, and crumbled

1.  If using fresh corn, use a sharp knife to cut the kernels off the cobs (you should have about 3 C corn kernels).  Set corn kernels aside.

2.  In a large saucepan cook onion and sweet pepper in hot oil until onion is tender.  Stir in corn, broth, and potato.  Bring to boiling; reduce heat.  Simmer, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.

3.  In a medium-sized bowl combine flour, 1/2 t. salt, and 1/4 t. black pepper.  Stir half-and-half into flour mixture; add to corn mixture in saucepan.  Cook and stir until slightly thickened and bubbly.  Cook and stir for 1 minute more.  Stir in cheese and heat until melted and smooth.  Add bacon; heat through.

Until Next Time.....Happy Stitching!!!

Sharyn





Blog Hop Party with Give-Aways

It's Blog Hop Party time and I have a great Give-Away for you.

I am giving away a copy of the book

The Farmer's Wife

Sampler Quilt

I've made two versions of this quilt so I know you will enjoy making your own.  In one I used civil war repro fabric and in the other I used 1930's fabric. 

This book comes with a CD to print out all templates needed. 

To enter this give-away, just become a follower of my blog.

This Give-Away ends on March 23rd, 2012.  All followers of this blog will be eligible to win.  I am willing to ship internationally.  As a bonus I will include a fat quarter to get you started.

Good Luck!!!

Until Next Time.....Happy Stitching!!!

Sharyn

Thrifty Thursday

Thrifty Thursday

Today I have six tips for living a more thrifty life.  We try to do all these things in our family as much as possible.

1.  Avoid the vending machine.  Almost everything that is dispensed via vending machine has a huge markup (and is rarely healthy).  However, if you suffer from a snack attack at work, consider creating a secret stash of healthy snacks.  If you have a long commute, consider a stash for the car as well to avoid a quick drive-thru visit.  I call it my Fallata Bag.  In case I get hungry I have food to eat "fallata."  haha

2.  Bottle your own water.  We all know that drinking water is good for your health.  I make it a habit to keep some handy all day long.  My Dear Husband, Don, brings me water every night to keep by my bedside.  Obviously, bottled water is convenient.  But drinking bottled water on a regular basis is not very thrifty.  If you are not happy with tap water, buy a filtering system such as Brita or Pur which will save money in the long run. 

3.  Keep your car as long as possible.   Find the balance between the money spent on repairs versus the cost of a new vehicle.   

 

VS.

 

Okay, maybe these pictures won't convince you to keep your old car for a long time, but you should choose to keep your car as long as the repair costs are low.

 

 

4.  Do regularly scheduled maintenance on your vehicles.  Do not skimp on or forget to do regular oil changes.  Remember to check the air in your tires often.  Use the grade of fuel that the owner's manual recommends.  These small acts can significantly lengthen the life of your car, giving you years of use.

 

 

5.  Avoid buying a new car.  When you eventually buy a car, see if you can make do with a pre-owned vehicle.  A new car depreciates significantly the moment you drive it out of the dealership.  Is the new car smell really worth thousands of dollars?  Pre-owned cars that are only a few years old with low mileage are the best bargains.  Regardless of the purchase, learn to negotiate with car dealers.  (The discussion of car negotiations will be saved for another post.)

 

 

 

6.  Ride your bike or carpool whenever possible.  In many places it is hard to get by without a car.  But just because you have a car does not mean you have to use it everyday.  Whenever possible, ride your bike or share a ride, and save both on gas and reduce the environmental footprint. 

 

 

About five years ago, we decided to sell one of our cars and try to live with just one car.  We had the advantage of living very close to our places of employment.  I really cannot remember a time in these five years when we have needed another car.  The money we have saved on car insurance has also been significant.  With the improvement of bicycle lanes in our community, riding a bike is safer than ever.

 

 

Following these six tips will certainly help you to live a more thrifty life.

 

Words of Wisdom

 

Make simple a way of life.

 

 

Until Next Time.....Happy Stitching!!!

 

Sharyn

 

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

AQS Quilt Show - Lancaster 2012

Best of Show



Until Next Time.....Happy Stitching!!!

Sharyn