Sunday - - Busy Sunday!!

Ok - - this is the 3rd time that I've tried to post this post........... and everything goes fine until I try to add pictures....  and then it all disappears!!!  Dang it!!

I made chicken n dumplins today and I made Chocolate Chip cookies.......  I love this time of year... and I love comfort food..... and making comfort food when the weather turns cooler...........  AWESOME!!!  Yay!!

Chicken n Dumplins.............  The chicken must be very tender......... and lots of it!  And the dumplins?  They MUST be thick.....  and home made........  Just like the little grandmas at church make them........  You know exactly what I'm sayin............  Those grandmas?  They know how to do it right!! 

Sixteen years ago I decided to try to make them.....  well...... they take practice...... 

One secret?  Let your chicken cook slow........  Today, my chicken fell off the bones......  Perfect!!!

My recipe:

1 whole chicken, 4 - 5 pounds
4 stalks celery, chopped
1 whole onion, chopped
salt n pepper

I boil my chicken in my 10 quart stock pot with the celery, onion salt n pepper.......  After it gets a good rolling boil, I'll turn it down to medium low or low, depending how much time I have.  I'll let it cool slow for at least a couple of hours.  When it's done cooking, I'll take the meat out of the both and put it in a strainer to cool. 

About an hour before I want to eat, I make the dumplins.

I turn the burner on under the broth to get it boiling.  I put 4 cups of flour in a very big mixing bowl.

make a well and pour in 2 cups of hot broth

and mix well.....

When it gets really dry and hard to mix any more, add 3 beaten eggs..........  and mix very well...

And then I add salt and pepper to my dumplins, and more flour.  Probably about 3 cups more, but not all at once.  Add about 3/4 cup at a time and mix well.  When it gets too hard to mix with a spoon, I flour my countertop and turn the dough out on it.  And then I knead it and knead it and knead it until it isn't sticky any longer.  It almost gets to the point of a good bread dough.....  Smooth and elastic-y...

I usually divide the dough into quarters.  It's easier to work with.  I flour my countertop again, and roll the dough out very thin........

I cut it into squares about an inch to an inch and a half square........

And then I drop the dumplins into the boiling broth  ONE AT A TIME!!  (otherwise you end up with a big ball of dough...  yeck....!!)

Stir the dumplins to make sure they don't stick to each other and let them keep boiling at medium to medium high heat for about 25 minutes... 

Then add your chicken.....

The broth will thicken as it cools slightly...

And it's done!!  Soo yummy!!  Enjoy!!

Hugs ~~ Suz

I'm Linking Up To These Fab Parties:

My First Quilt - DONE!!

I know I've probably posted the progress of my quilt more often than most people. 

When I was 18 or 19, after visiting my ex-husband's (he was just my boyfriend then) grandma and seeing quilts in process of being quilted, I decided that I wanted to make a quilt and have her hand quilt it.  (She was one of those church ladies that you could 'hire' to hand quilt your quilt for you.)  She never made quilt tops, that I know of, but she quilted a bunch for other people.    Well......  THAT never happened....  I didn't have anyone to teach me how (I bought a pattern and fabric and - using scissors - cut out each individual piece, one at a time.....  what the heck was a rotary cutter???  I didn't know!!  I don't remember, but I'm pretty sure I didn't even get 1 block done......) and then after we got married, the kids started entering our lives, and with kids comes more things that take up spare time.......... 

Next month, I will turn *ahmm* 45......  (really???  THAT just CAN'T be possible!  Didn't I just tell you the other day that I'm only 24???  *wink* *wink*)....   Anyway - - I'll be 45, so I guess that it's been 26, 27 years or so that I've had the desire to make a quilt. 

Had I not started my blog and had I not started blog-stalking all of you wonderful quilters out there, I don't know if I EVER would have tried to make a quilt.   You guys gave me the courage to try.  And my MIL has been one of my cheerleaders!!  She told me that I could hand quilt it......  and she was right!!!  And all of the tutorials online for every step of the way also have helped me!!

And I am so impressed with myself that I started it and finished it, not only in the same YEAR, but in the same SEASON!!!  You crazy quilters out there that get MULTIPLE quilts finished in a year truly amaze me!!

OK OK - - here she is......

The front...... 

The back.....

Close up of the back (above) and then the front again (below)

A little better shot of the washed-up crinkly goodness...

My label........

I made my binding out of left over pieces of fabric from the blocks.  I think my favorite binding is the 'scrappy' binding.  This quilt turned out so well - - I'm so proud of myself.............  (And I want to thank you guys for:  A: urging me on and supporting me  and   B:  allowing me to tell you that I'm very proud of myself.   Seriously, if I were to go up and tell someone at work that I'm proud of myself, or tell one of my friends.......  wouldn't they think I was boastful, or at least weird??  but I can tell you guys and you relate!!!   I {heart} my blogging buddies!!)

When I finished it, I washed it.  It was AMAZING to pull it out of the dryer.......  So warm and cozy and soo crinkly - - just the way I wanted it to turn out.........  BEAUTIFUL!!!  yep - - I said the "B" word!!!  (I don't think I told any of you......   I don't like Pink......  so I purposely made the quilt Pink so I wouldn't get so attached to it.......  it didn't work......  I like Pink now.........  I'm such a goober!!)

I took it over to Sandy's house Sunday night after I washed it.  I REALLY wanted to sleep with it Sunday night but I figured that if I did that - - it wouldn't end up as the first item for the raffle.....  It wouldn't be in the raffle at all...........  It would be staying at my house...........

When I gave it to Sandy and she read the label, she got all teary-eyed.......  She lost a sister to Breast Cancer..............    Sandy's hubby is my boss.  Monday he started asking questions like "what's it take to make a quilt like that?"  "How much would you charge to make one?"  I told him that it would depend on the pattern, the size, and the cost of the fabric...........   Then he asked me if I thought I could make one for Sandy for her birthday........  Her birthday is Friday.  Yep -- like THIS Friday...   September 16!!!  I told him NO!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you for accompanying me on the journey of my first quilt.  And please understand.....  I will be posting about this quilt at least one more time.  Probably on October 5....  I'll have to let you know how many raffle tickets were sold ($1 each or 6 for $5....  any takers???  :-)  )  and I'll have to post a picture of the winner with the quilt......   Every story has a happy ending, and I want to make sure you guys get the whole story!!  (I just hope that the person that wins the quilt appreciates what it was made for and understands that it was made with love and that they cherish it for many years.....  you know??)

10.12.11 update........

Ok, I need to apologize for not posting on the 5th as I anticipated.  Let me explain to you the details, and then maybe you'll understand...

When I first approached the committee and told them that I was doing this quilt, they drafted up the raffle tickets and asked me what I thought.  First prize went something like: 

1st Prize: Pink Breast Cancer Quilt - Hand Made and Donated With Love by (me).....

They asked me what I thought, and I asked Sandy to not have my name listed on the ticket.  We live in a small town and Mr. Inspiring is a police officer.  He and I are the only one's in town with our last name.  I didn't want the ticket sales to be affected because of that.  (people have strong opinions about police officers, good and bad, based on true or untrue events and/or comments either involving or not involving themselves personally........ and small towns are bad for gossip and people knowing what you're doing even if you've never done it ever.......)  Anyway, I didn't want my name on the tickets, and asked them to please remove my name from them. 

Fast forward to last week's dinner.  Door prizes were given away.  The silent auction winners were announced.  The live auction was announced.  Everything they gave out every prize and donation was announced along with the name of the person or group that donated it.  The very last item was 'the quilt'.

Announcer said:  Ok, now it's time to pull the ticket to see who the winner of the pink quilt is.

ticket pulled.......

Oh, and the winner is Ryan (last name)......   Ok, thanks for joining us and we hope to see you next year!!

They didn't announce who made and/or donated the quilt.  They didn't tell about all the different fabrics that were used that support breast cancer awareness.  Nothing.  Nada.  Zip.  Zilch..

And the GUY that won the quilt was the announcer's son.  He wasn't there.  He's not married.  I don't believe that he would even know the thought and blood (I stuck my fingers alot) and sweat (worked on this in August!!) and love and time that went into the quilt. 

I know in my heart that I gave the quilt for the right reasons.  It meant something to me.  It's not like I wanted them to sing my praises or tell me over and over how wonderful I am.  NO that's not what I wanted.

But..........  a public acknowledgement and thank you would have been, well, nice.  ACKNOWLEDGEMENT........  that's all.  I know that it meant something to Sandy.  I KNOW she appreciated it.   The only thing I can think of is that maybe, by me not wanting my name on the tickets, that maybe they thought I didn't want my name associated with it at all. 

Thank goodness I made a label for it.....

I cried.  The next day when a couple of people at work asked me about it, I cried......  I was.... disappointed......  Am I silly??

Thanks for listening..... 

Suz 

Have a happy day!!

Hugs ~~ Suz  

I'm linking up at these great parties:



I PAINTED My Bathtub - Sneak Peek!!

Good Morning, Everyone - -

I was lurking around Blogville this morning and realized that I've not posted anything for almost 2 weeks!  SO sorry about that!!  This time of year is very busy around this house!   Last weekend, which was Labor Day Weekend, was also my grandson's 2nd birthday!!  OHHH MY!!  I never knew I could fall in love so hard for such a little guy!!  He has my heart wrapped around his little finger, and it gets tighter every time he says "Luh-Doo"  (love you!!).  He's talking up a storm and it's just too stinkin cute!!

Ms. C's birthday was yesterday.  She turned 24!!  How the heck did THAT happen??  I'm STILL 24!!!  ha ha ha!!  I love that girl!!  I wish I had half of her organizational skills!!  I just don't get organization!!  LOL

Tomorrow is a day of celebration.  Celebration for the lives of the courageous people that have lost their lives since 2001 fighting for our country.  Tomorrow is also my wedding anniversary with Mr. Inspiring....  Eight years...........  it sure doesn't seem like it.  He's a great guy and I'm soo lucky to have him in my life!!

On top of all of this, I am finishing up my Breast Cancer Quilt.  If I don't have the binding on it by tomorrow evening, it will be done Monday evening.  I have really enjoyed working on this quilt and am soo happy I decided to hand quilt it myself instead of paying someone to machine quilt it.  It will be raffled off (anyone want to buy tickets???  ha ha!!) and I hope that the person that wins it appreciates every stitch and understands why I made it.  CANCER.SUCKS.

I NEED to post pictures of my bathroom update/makeover, but I don't have my shower curtain finished because I've been working on the quilt.........  I'm planning on having the shower curtain finished and up this week....  Mr. Inspiring loves the bathroom, as does everyone who knows what it looked like before.  Since the update, it's like it's someone else's bathroom - ->  it's THAT different!!

I will show you this.  The bathtub, as I stated before, was BLUE.  Like 1970's blue and really hard to find anything that matched or blended.........

I painted it.  YES I DID!!  I painted my bathtub!!  I taped it off and primed it.  And then I PAINTED MY BATHTUB....   Well, part of it anyway.  I just wasn't sure how the paint would hold up actually IN the tub, so I didn't paint that part.......  I painted the outside and part of the walls.......... 

I used everyone's favorite "Heirloom White" but could only find it in the satin finish.  I wasn't sure how that would work going on the very glossy tub, but it stuck on to it with the primer, and I sprayed GLOSSY clear sealer on it.  It's not glossy like it was, but I like it!!!

This is just a sneak peek of the project.  Mr. Inspiring thought I was nuts when I showed it to him, but.... it HAD to be done!!!  It's been 2 weeks and Baby B has taken baths in it and has thrown toys and been silly and nothing has scratched.....  We've all taken daily showers, and it's awesome!!! 

More to come..........  soon!!

Have a great weekend!!

Hugs ~~ Suz