Crazy Quilting,Watertown Farmers Market & A Crock Pot Sausage Medley,Zucchini Bread,Soft Shell Crabs AND A Special Buy at Joanns

Hi Friends !

Just wanted to share what I've been up to lately.

I have been working on some Crazy Quilted Blocks for the  Eastern States Fair in September.

I didn't want to drive myself ummm ... well crazy so decided to relax and just create.

I have always wanted to enter items in a state fair so my kids would be proud to see their Mom's stuff there.

Once ~ a Quilt I made ended up being judged quite by accident.

It's a wonderful story I will share sometime soon.

Anyway......

I think the first block will be a pouch.....

....... and this one a pillow but I never quite know until I finish the block!

Much of the hand dyed silk ribbon I used is from Pat Winter ~ visit her artfire shop for some of your very own ~

Pat Winter's ArtFire Shop

To the left you see a bit of dyed trim from Pam Kellogg.

You must take a look at her beautiful creations ~ just click her name below!

Pam Kellogg

Frank and I along with our baby boy our dog Teddi paid a visit to the Watertown Farmers Market the other day.

The flavored Olive Oil from "My Whimsical Kitchen" are so yummy and just $5.00 a bottle!

Pared with a fresh Italian Bread ~ YUMMMMMM!

Many of the Markets  this year are featuring live local music and artists of all kinds.

These little critters were looking Right at me until I pointed the camera at them ~

then... just as if they were on cue .... they turned their faces!

Since Jake passed away ~ we have been bringing Teddi with us more often.

He loves being with his Daddy!

Here Frank is trying to tell him he can't go near the farm animals at the market ~

sooo over protective.....Teddi and I just rolled our eyes ;)

When we got home I made this Yummy dish ~

Everything was purchased at the Market except for the sausage and tomatoes ~ they came from my garden.

 Farmers Market Crock Pot Medley

1 package Smart Chicken Hot Italian Sausage  (trust me this stuff is AWESOME!!!)

2 Onions diced, 3 peppers sliced (I used the Hungarian kind ~ light green and long in shape)

a large zucchini (about 2 cups or more sliced thick), 6 tomatoes cubed, 2 cups chicken broth, 4 potatoes diced

Brown sausage,onion and pepper in a bit of oil until nicely browned.

Place in crock pot on high setting ~ cook 4 hours.

Cover all of above with the rest of the ingredients except the zucchini.

Add pepper to taste.

The last hour ~ add zucchini.

Serve over Wide Egg Noodles. I used the homemade ones from Amish Country.

This has a fresh wholesome taste with a bit of a hot bite. Use your own favorite spices to change up the flavor

and serve with a fresh from the garden salad.

My son brought over a VERY LARGE zucchini ~ knowing his Mama would not waste anytime

making some Chocolate Zucchini Bread!

Franky has a wonderful veggie garden and brings over all his bounty !

This recipe was so moist ~ especially the next day!

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

3 cups flour, 1 teas. salt, 1 teas. baking soda, 1 tsp. baking powder, 4 teas. cinnamon, 3 eggs

1 cup oil (I used BAKING olive oil), 2 1/4 cup sugar, 3 teas. vanilla extract, 3 cups grated zucchini, 1 cup choc.chips

1.Grease and flour baking pans. Preheat oven to 325'

2. Sift dry ingredients together.

3. Beat eggs,oil,vanilla and sugar in large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture and mix well.Stir in zucchini and chocolate chips.

4. Bake about 60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

note ~ use the smaller sized chocolate chips ...the large ones will sit at the bottom of the pan because the batter is very thin.

By the way ~ my 1960's Tupperware Grater is one of my favorite kitchen tools.

I like grating by hand verses a food processor.

My mind never fails to wander to days gone by when I am using this grater!

Very random I know ~ but if you get your hands on some Maryland Soft Shell Crabs......

Here's the only way I will ever cook them ~ 

Rinse your crabs in cold water and place in a frying pan where

 butter is sauteing at medium high heat (no,no,no breading or coating crabs in flour)

Coat with Old Bay Seasoning as they cook  ~ about 5 minutes then turn and coat the other side with Old Bay.

Another 5 minutes and they should be done.

I always pull a leg off and test it to be sure the meat is white.

Marylanders like to eat it between saltine crackers but we eat our right on the dish as is.

In the Garden ~ the  Dahlias are still blazing....

..... placed in one of my favorite Hobnail glass vases you only need one or two to make a statement.

READY , SET ........ RUN

to your local Joann's Fabric for these awesome planters.

They are approx. 8 inches tall and heavy (not plastic!) for the amazing clearance price of $2.98 each!!!

They were hiding in the floral section.

On Sunday It will be our 28th Wedding Anniversary.

I thought it was our 27th but did the math and WOW!

It hasn't always been an easy road but we both plan on a strong finish......

and Pray often for the Lord to fill in all the blanks.

Have a WONDERFUL week-end ~ Feel as SPECIAL as you are!

Love One Another and you'll be Happy.

It's as Simple and as Difficult as that.

M. Leunig

Sunday Supper in Port Jefferson, New York

 Where do you go in your little corner of the world to have a mini getaway?

I have sea salt in my veins but live 30 minutes from the Long Island Sound ~ a good 60 minutes from the Atlantic Ocean.

There are truly some days my world will stop if I can't smell some good sea salt in my nostrils!

My place to run is the Port Jefferson Ferry  in Bridgeport, Ct 

You catch the ferry in Bridgeport ~ located on the wrong side of the railroad tracks for sure!

You can find some interesting things anywhere though.

We had to park on the street because the parking lot was full only to discover this building ~

The Oldest surviving home in Connecticut built by African Americas.

I never knew this existed !

And this beautiful building that I admire when driving on I~95.

I just love the lettering on this building and what a treat to see it up close!

It is a 90 minute ferry ride across the Long Island Sound to Port Jefferson, New York .

Sometimes I just take the ride there and back without Ever getting off the ferry!

Frank and I like to go over just to have dinner at Danfords ~ a nice Inn near the ferry dock.

That's what we did a few Sundays ago.

There are lots of little shops you can visit and great places to eat but we like this one located right on the water.

Here is the view just as you are approaching Port Jefferson ~

See the Big sand dunes?

 When I was a teen I used to take the ferry and walk an hour along the shore so I could sit on those dunes.

I went alone with my backpack,blanket and diary.

That was a day in heaven for me!

We've arrived at the Port ~ lets take a walk down Main street !

Remember when these Telephone Booths used to be on EVERY corner!

This is a Childrens Maritime Museum near the dock ~

There's Frank ~ walking back to the ferry after a wonderful meal.

If you are lucky ~ you will be treated to a beautiful sunset on the ride home!

Most folks I know in my area never think to take a ferry ride ~ even though it's right in our backyard.

I wonder what you have right outside your back door ~ Be a tourist for the day Right where you live!

To make your Homemade Fries "sea worthy" ~

dip in apple cider vinegar

To make your Lobster, Crabs or Shrimp "sea worthy" ~

steam in Old Bay Seasonings 

To make your Homemade Crab Cakes "sea worthy" ~

use just a bit of crushed saltines only to hold together

(pretty, pretty please ~ NO breadcrumbs!!!!)

The Beauty of Blessing, Milkglass, Garden Up Date and It's ONE Downfall

             " Our lives are just two threads in this eternal canvas.

They diverge, converge and interweave with each other,

Then diverge and converge again until the fabric is complete."

Kahlil Gibran

Two beautiful lady's blessed me so much last week!

First I was flabbergasted to find all of this gorgeous hand dyed lace by

Pamela Kellogg sitting by the door with my name on it! 

(via the mailman of course)

I'm still in shock and it is still sitting just like this on my sewing table.

It was ironed so perfectly but I couldn't wait till my camera was charged to unfold each piece and study all the beautiful colorways running through it!

Each piece is truly a work of art!

You absolutely must go to Pam's Blog and Etsy store where you will be delighted with gobs of eye candy!

THEN I was so lucky to win this breathtaking kit from my pal Pat Winter
I never win ANYTHING ~ this was truly my lucky week!

Beautiful fabrics, cigg print, lace, beads, trims and her gorgeous hand dyed silk ribbon!

This was all in a gift bag made from an old story book pages.

See the Dragonfly ~ that was a picture in the book ......

 a matching Dragonfly charm was enclosed with the beads!

These two beautiful woman have put the spring back in my step and ignited my flame of inspiration that was firmly in the OFF position.

Thank you SO much!!!!!

My garden offered some surprises as well!
These beauty's were hiding under my Birdhouse Gourds.

By the way ~ the latest issue of Mary Janes Farm had a great article on Milkglass

so I thought I'd share some of mine with you.

(the pumpkin is from my son's garden)

One day I will share my whole collection but this is the stuff I had handy.....

this is really a sugar bowl from a child's set but makes a perfect vase for

flowers with tiny stems.

One of my favorite pieces ~ a Punch Bowel complete with cups ~ $10.00!

Later I found just the bowl part so I have a spare if one breaks.

The little vase on the right is my favorite shape for a vase even though they don't hold alot of water.

The Salt and Pepper Shakers are like new.

I like using Milk Glass at Christmas time ~ it goes so beautiful with the colors of the season.

These candlestick holder seem to have been made to use upside down as well but I'm not sure.

Do any of you know how they might have been used?

Other gifts from the garden ~ the cornstalks for my fall decor.

I hear you guys laughing ~ what's so wrong with growing 12 cornstalks???

This is a Birdhouse Gourd flower.......

and the Gourd beginning to form.

If these grow nicely ~ I will have a giveaway this fall.

They are just the coolest things in the world!

The Trumpet Vine attracts Hummingbirds ~ they almost fit right inside!

I forgot the name of this but they are common ~

I bet most of you have one.

They grow very tall ~ this one is about about 5 feet.

Notice the rust colored mums already blooming!

The ones in my back yard started blooming the first of July.

Here in my corner of Connecticut ~ our growing season is about 4 weeks ahead of any year previous. We started picking tomatoes the end of June!

The shade garden is mostly a jungle of green except for the hydrangea and variegated grasses. The heat wave really stunted the growth of the impatiens which I rely on for late summer/early fall color.

This week I'll start tucking mums into bare spots to catch the eye and

provide flowers for cutting into the late fall.

Now here is the biggest downfall of my little peaceful domain I call my garden ~

 ~ my destination when I want to think

~ or get a good work out

~  possibly lose a bit of the ole' tire tube .

Look closely between the 2 bunches of tall grass ~

Here ~ I'll give you a close up shot ~

 Friendly's Restarant !

 as in Hot Fudge Sundaes ~ soft serve with fudge dripping down the sides, Orange Fribbles, Banana Splits!

Now don't even mention FishAMajig Sandwich cause I haven't had one in like a million years but that doesn't mean I'm not tempted.

As a matter of fact ~ I don't even like Freindly's all that much BUT

sometimes it just calls my name.

If you don't have a Friendly's in your back yard ~
Give this little recipe a try...........

Caribbean Delight

1 fresh pineapple cut lengthwise
2 medium mango's ~ cut in 1 inch pieces
2 mandarin oranges
2 bananas sliced with juice of one lemon poured over
1 cup fresh strawberries sliced
5 Tablespoons sugar
4 Tablespoons curacao
3 cups vanilla ice cream
5 Tablespoons grated coconut

Hollow out pineapple and cut it fruit into cubes.
Combine all fruit in large bowl.
Add sugar and curacao.
Spoon vanilla ice cream into the pineapple shell and top with fruit.
Sprinkle with grated coconut and DIG IN!!!

(from "The Book of Friendship" by Ariel books)