A Peak at My Crazy Quilting Project and Thanksgiving Recipes Including The Best Banana Ever From JunkGarden!

Here's a little peak at what I am working on ~ you can see I haven't finished the beading on the leaves but I thought I'd share it anyway!

Isn't stitching over rickrack fun! It always reminds me of my childhood ~ didn't just about everything have rickrack on it in the 1960's?

 There won't be time for stitching today though!

You can see out my bedroom window it's a dreary, rainy day...

just perfect for baking and preparing for Thanksgiving!

The turkey is soaking in it's brine bath until tomorrow morning and one of the busiest days of the year is about to begin for me...baking, cleaning and last minute shopping.

All my babies will be here, Jaci, Cher, Tony,Franky, Ashley.

As I am preparing, my mind always goes back to Thanksgivings past with my Mom, Grama, Frank and aunts, uncles and cousins in Maryland and South Carolina.

All of my traditions come from there and I miss them.

Teddi is already tired and the day had just began.

The guest room is ready for Jaci ......

 Christmas wrap is waiting for it's big debut this week -end .....

and Christmas cards are ready to be addressed.

Here is a gluten free version of Paula Deans Pumpkin Bars that I found on  celiac.com

4 eggs
1 2/3 cup sugar
1 cup oil
2 cups flour (I used white rice, brown rice and tapioca)
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 15 ounce can pumpkin

Mix flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, baking powder in a bowl. In another bowl mix the eggs until they are fluffy, add sugar, oil, and pumpkin. Mix well. Add dry ingredients and blend until smooth. Bake in an ungreased 9" x 13" nonstick pan and bake for about 30 minutes. I used a greased glass pan and had to bake them a little longer. Cool and frost. I used this cream cheese frosting recipe:

2 ~ 8 ounce packages of cream cheese softened
1 stick of butter softened
2 tablespoons half and half
2 cups confectioners sugar
Blend butter and cream cheese. Add sugar and half and half. Mix until fluffy and frost.

Or how about this amazing dessert from Junk Gardengirl Blog  which she calls

THE BEST BANANA PUDDING EVER!

Click Junk Garden Girl Blog for recipe.

Have a Blessed day of Giving Thanks!

"I do not think of all the misery, but of the glory that remains. Go outside into the fields, nature and the sun, go out and seek happiness in yourself and in God. Think of the beauty that again and again discharges itself within and without you and be happy."- Anne Frank

Crazy Quilted Neck Pouches and A Book By Dorothy Bond

Hi Friends!

I thought I'd share some of my recent listings on Etsy.

There will be more in the coming days.

I was so excited to be having a booth at a Holiday Fair at my sister-in-laws corporate building but this darn anemia from the Celiac has left me temporally without the energy to pull it off so I will be listing other items I was making for the fair very soon.

I used Pat's technique for making her pouches and modified it to fit the size I wanted.
I wish I could whip things out quickly but unfortunately it takes me hours upon hours to make these  because I over think every stitch. (Please tell me I'm not the only one??)

Still ~ they are one of my favorite things to make.

Now how about this!!!! I goggle Dorothy Bond's name every so often hoping to find her cute little stitch book in a price that fits my budget ~ half of the $50.00 or more that they are going for.
Recently I came across another book ~ I believe the first written by her ~ on ebay for less than $15.00.
It was written in 1977 and had class papers enclosed suggesting it was from a class someone was teaching on crazy quilting.

Here are a few pages ~ sorry they are sideways.

If any of you have info on this book ~ Id LOVE to know more!

Dorothy's greatest goal was to revisit old stitches found on vintage quilts and share them.
It reminded me of my teacher from about 10 years ago that introduced me to Crazy quilting ~ Leslie Levinson who was doing work for Caron way back then.
We spent a whole class once studying a 100 year old quilt and copying stitches, it was wonderful and I still use those patterns today.

Thank you to all the woman who have determined to keep this art alive!
I encourage you to place your treasures in your local and state fairs and plaster your work on facebook and twitter.

She watched and taught the girls that sang at their embroidery frames while the great silk flowers grew from their needles. ~Louise Jordan Miln, The Feast of Lanterns

From the manner in which a woman draws her thread at every stitch of her needlework, any other woman can surmise her thoughts. ~Honore de Balzac

All my scattering moments are taken up with my needle. ~Ellen Birdseye Wheaton, 1851

Methinks it is a token of healthy and gentle characteristics, when women of high thoughts and accomplishments love to sew; especially as they are never more at home with their own hearts than while so occupied. ~Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Marble Faun, 1859

Radio City Christmas Spectacular ~ The Rockettes' Magical Journey

Beautiful swirling living candy canes with legs a mile long.....

 as enchanting dressed like a solder....

as they are as stylish New York shopper.

Magical fireworks...

hundreds of dancing Santa's

proving the ole' fella can be everywhere at once.

Children's visions alive on the stage....

as well as every one elses.

And the highlight of the show is the acknowledgement of the true reason for Christmas ~
the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ...

All within the four walls where movies stars of every generation have graced the stage and walked through this lobby.

Radio City Music Hall and the Rockettes ~ good deals are available on tickets if you act quick.
Go to radiocitychristmas.com/mcdc or Ticketmaster call 1-866-858-0007 and use code MCDC
for Two for One Tickets. This is only good for certain shows.

Part of the money benefits the Ronald McDonald House.

I have been to the show about 10 times in the last 15 years and would say this years is one of the Best!
I recommend getting seats no more than 15 rows back, center row but any seat is really okay.

Go to this link for some fun and fascinating reading on a former Rockette from the 1940's.

Learning To Live With Celiac Disese

When I found out a few weeks ago I had Celiac Disease I was shocked! I didn't have the usual symptoms, nothing more than feeling bloated and being very tired. After blood work and a biopsy of the small intestine ~ it was confirmed.

                                                  ( Better than hearing this I guess ~ lol!)

First let me say ~ the biopsy part called an endoscopy seems like it would be awful right? Plus a colonoscopy at the same time, basically a tube down each end ~ lol!
I promise you it didn't hurt, I was asleep and didn't feel a thing! Don't EVER be afraid of getting either procedure done.

Now here's the thing ~ lots of you have this and don't realize it.The statistics   are something like only 1 in 100 that have it never get diagnosed. It can causes almost every kind of other disease because the gluten in food is like poison to a Celiac person. Remember, its not an allergy but an autoimmune disease.

The little villi on the small intestine get damaged so your body can't absorb the proper amount of nutrients causing every kind of secondary disease you can imagine.
For me it was mental confusion, depression, no energy and a stomach that could go from flat to 6 months pregnant in 5 minutes!

The cure? Stop eating gluten ~ that's it! No meds, no surgery, just a healthy diet!

When my step dad got this several years ago, I couldn't have imagined anything worse. How would one live without pasta, the crunchy end of Italian bread dipped in olive oil, cranberry bread and Italian pastry's.

Well just a few weeks in I can say I have found lots of great substitutes. The stores are starting to carry lots of gluten free items, yesterday I found gluten free Rice Krispies so I can make Rice Krispie bars.

The other day I made my family stuffed shells and baked myself a half of a spaghetti squash.
The last 20 minutes in the oven, I filled the center of the squash with sauce and a piece of fresh mozzarella. As soon as you put your fork through the squash, it shreds exactly like spaghetti noodles and taste 100% better!

Eating out is a challenge but many places carry gluten free menus.
We went to a wedding at the Longwood Inn in Woodbury just days after I found out and I had planned on speaking to the chief to quietly find out what I could eat. Was I ever surprised to find the bride had the same problem and every bit of the amazing meal was gluten free!

Here are some great links you can visit about eating gluten free and Celtic ~

Explains illness

What is a gluten free diet?

Places you can eat gluten free across the country.

Gluten Free Goddess Blog ~ great recipes!

Gluten Free Goddess ~ cheat sheet

More recipes from Mennonite Girls Can Cook blog

Why not ask for a blood test for Celiac on your next doctors visit? It sure can't hurt and may just chance your life.

Besides telling you some good recipes or products from time to time, I probably won't write about this much but please if you ever have questions ~ feel free to email me at tthreadart@aol.com