Scalloped Potatoes, Finishes and Just Being a Snot

I have made Scalloped Potatoes and Ham in the slow cooker.

Don't know how it turned out just yet (it did sneak a nibble and it was good).

Here's the recipe:

6 medium potatoes sliced and 1/8 on an inch

1 can of cream of chicken soup or whatever you have on hand

2/3 c. condensed milk (I used skim)

2 cups ham cut into bite size chunks

Salt and pepper to taste

Mix it all together

Spray slow cooker and put everything in the cooker

Cook on low 10-12 hours

Optional:  sprinkle grated cheese on top 10 minutes or so before serving so it can melt.  

It looks pretty good.  

 Probably getting tired of these projects but, I did get them completed last night.

I had to sew the ric rac on the pinkeep around the edge.  

 It looks pretty good perched here. 

 All laced up the back and hanging on the wall.  

 Cruising on Threadwork Primitive's Beggar's Night.  

 Just a different angle.  

Helped my mom today get a quilt put together so she can quilt it. 

She was going to put it on a large quilt frame.  

I have a very sore index finger from basting the doggone thing one and it still wasn't right.

(How will I stitch tonight)

We took it off the frame and pinned it on her dinning room table

(Another reason why I don't quilt)

We got it done.  

Fortunately, it isn't that large a quilt.

I don't know anything about quilting so when she does the other twin size one she is making,

she'll have her sister help her with it.  

My mom is 86 and should stick to table runners and place mats.

These large quilts just have gotten to be too much for her.  

Yeah!!!  It is friday tomorrow!

I'm so totally ready.

We are going to take a road trip on Saturday.  

Sunday, is the fall dinner at church.  

Bob is parish council president so he has to be there.

I just don't like those things.

Since, we will be gone on Saturday, chores will have to be done on Sunday to get ready for the week.  Imagine my disappointment! (wink, wink, nudge, nudge)

Have a great weekend!

Keep on stitching

Monica

Some Sort of Finishes

Holy Toledo!  It's Sunday night already.  UGH!

Had family over for dinner so worked on that off and on all day.  

Made a ham and cheesy potatoes, squash and a pumpkin dump cake.  

I am stuffed and in a stupor.  

Must post the blog....

Sort of some finishes.

It is one the board and in a frame just for the picture.  

The frame is a pre-made 8x10 from Michaels and a pretty good fit.

I will be lacing up the back.  

I might stitch instead tonight.  

 The reverse side of BBD Bittwersweet September.  

It is stitched and needs to be turned right side out, stuffed and the opening stitched up. 

There is hand dyed ric rac that needs to be couched on.  

Nice neat back, if I must say myself.

 I started Threadwork Primitives Beggars night.  

I had seen it on another blog the conversion to overdyes.  

I am doing it in the overdyes.  

 I zipped off part III of the Mary Sampler from Plum Street Samplers.  

How cute are those sheep.  

I am such a sucker for sheep.  

It was a most enjoyable weekend.

As you can see, I did get some stitching in along with a pile of chores.  

I'm sure it is going to be a busy week.  

Thank you for the lovely comments.  

I do so look forward to hearing from you. 

Have a wonderful week!

Keep on Stitching

Monica  

A Beautiful Autumn Day

It was an absolutely beautiful Autumn day!

I cleaned today...vacuumed furniture, moved it, mopped you know the whole shebang!  

I had the windows and patio door open.  

I was waiting for some floors to dry so I took a break.

I got a cup of coffee and the telephone and went outside to sit and call my mom. 

While we were talking, I had a visitor on my raggy looking marigolds.  

I tried to get behind it but, it flew off.

He should have migrated a while ago I think.  

I met Bob for lunch and we went to a restaurant with outdoor patio dining.  

We ate out side because it was so perfect.

I did some Halloween decorating. 

I have too much Halloween stuff and not enough wall space.

 I just could decide which picture. 

I used them all.  

Without the flash

 With the flash

 I made a really excellent dinner tonight too.

A couple of weeks ago I thought that I should make short ribs.

I needed a recipe.

I found one on the Williams-Sonoma website.  

Ale Braised Short Ribs

I altered the recipe a little. 

 Instead of broiling them, I browned them in olive oil. 

I also could only get boneless short ribs. 

When they were done, I deglazed the pan with some of the home brewed stout I used.

It was absolutely amazing!

This would be a really great dead of winter meal.  

For dessert, I made a Dutch Apple Cake that one of my FB friends had shared.  

Dutch Apple Cake haven't tried it yet.  

We will have it during Grey's Anatomy.

 The latest update picture of Bittersweet September.

I realized I used the wrong color on the berries (?).

I ripped it all out and re-stitched them today.

Looking forward to doing some stitching this weekend.

I don't have to mess with apples and Bob is planning on sitting in a tree and bow hunting.

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

Thanks for the comments!

I look forward to hearing from you.  

Keep on Stitching 

Monica

Autumn Colors

It could very well be peak weekend for colors in the area.

The red Maples are the first to turn the the first to leave.

They are my favorite.  

I wish the color would last longer.  

This is the Japanese Maple in our back yard.

 I love these Maples just a couple of blocks over.  

Unfortunately, they are losing their leaves already.  

 This looked better in person.  

There are a lot of pines mixed in with the hardwoods.  

 A waterfall at a roadside park.

We had some rain the last couple of days so there is water.

During dry summers it is just a trickle at best.  

 The Burning Bush at my Mom's.

The one in our front yard is only about 20% red.  

It is still mostly green.  

I have been busy messing with apples and am nearly done.  

I reorganized the freezer and had an open shelf/  

I decided to freeze them instead.  

I found a website that explained how to do it.  

Once I peel, core, and cut them, you throw them in salt water for a few minutes.  

I have frozen five bags of sliced apples that will make pies and 10 bags of chopped apples for muffins.

I have a whole drawer in the refrigerator of fresh apples.

A few more made it to the deer bait bag.  

The latest picture of Bittersweet September.  

It is moving quite fast.  

 I have started Plum Street Samplers:  Mystery Sampler.

Picture of Part I.  

 A little Mary and Joseph.  

Part II is done.  

These parts are very quick and small.

I have a small basket of apples I can do more with but, I'm losing steam. 

Took time out to go to the movies yesterday and saw Gravity.

I'm not all that crazy about 3D movies but, did see this one in 3D.

It was really good. 

If you see it, see it in 3D. 

Have a busy week coming up. 

Hope you had a fun weekend and have a wonderful week.

Keep on stitching.  

Monica

Apples Galore

We harvested the apples on Sunday when we got home.

We were getting a little nervous that deer would jump the fence and eat them.

We have picked up about two five gallon buckets as they dropped.

Bob will use them for deer bait. 

I had taken these pictures a little earlier.

 Have no idea what kinds of apples they are but, they are tasty. 

I brought a basket of the larger ones to work to share.  

They were a hit and everyone was amazed how big they are.  

We gave apples away to our neighbor and Bob's mom.  

I think they will be using them for applesauce.  

This is the largest laundry basket I have.  

 Since we have so many, I hate to have them go to waste. 

We don't have a large freezer so, I figured I could can them

I got a bunch of stuff for that:  a case of quart jars, funnel, lifter, a cookbook, a bottle of fruit fresh and a rack.  

I figured I have a really large stock pot the rack would fit in.

 Guess again....

It doesn't.

I went back to K-mart to buy the right size pot.

It was $82.99.

I'm not sure I will like canning.

I didn't buy it. 

I saw another kit that from Ball that came with three pint jars and a basket you can lower in to the pot.  It doesn't hold three quarts.

I also got splatter screens that I thought I could cut the handles off and that would fit on the bottom of my stock pot.  

I should just let Bob use all the apples for his bait pile.  

I did make applesauce today to have with the pork chops for dinner.  

It was very tasty!

 Update on my BBD Bittersweet September.

I have started on the house.  

I survived the over one alphabet.  

To wrap things up, have you seen the freebie on Plum Street Samplers?  

Here is the link:  Plum Street Samplers Mystery Sampler: Mary's Sampler

I just got my thread and fabric together.  

I can't find my Portabella and Piney Woods so I substituted Aged Pewter and Dried Thyme.

I think that should work.  

Hooray tomorrow is friday.

I am so ready for the weekend.

Thanks for the great comments!

I love hearing from you. 

Have a great weekend and get some stitching time in.  

Keep on stitching

Monica

Chris and Gary

We went to Door County this weekend, a belated 25th Wedding Aniversary trip.  

We stayed in Ephraim on of the small, scenic towns. 

We got there on Friday.   

Lake Michigan is down so it is a little mucky at the hotel's dock but, it was still pretty.  

 Bob with the town in the background.  

 More of the town.  There are several little scenic towns:  Fish Creek, Egg Harbor

and Sister Bay are the main ones.  Bailey's Harbor is on the lake side.  

 We stayed at the Evergreen Beach Waterfront Resort.

We were in the south lodge and had the whole second floor once everybody got there.  

The shuffle board court in the front.  Didn't get around to playing.   

 Bob tried to get my friends and their husbands to join us a secret.  

There were a few things that gave it away. 

I read too many mystery novels that it takes a lot to trick me.  

We had gone shopping Saturday morning and a winery tour.  

Every body started trickling in.  

We got back to the hotel and had some wine and snack on the deck before dinner. 

This is the same group of friends from "girls weekend".  

Went to a great restaurant for dinner.  

Sylvia, our waitress took the picture.  

 Breakfast this morning at a Door County institution, Al Johnson's.  

The roof is grass and there are goats grazing.  

There is a   GOAT CAM

 This is was peeking over the edge.  

 I had Swedish Pancakes with cherries and bacon.  

It was awesome. 

They had swedish meatballs for breakfast too.  

 Here is where Chris and Gary come in.  

At the girls weekend, we stopped in a store that had some resale things.

We saw some silver champagne glasses with the name Chris and Gary on them.

That lead to all kinds of speculation.

On the way home, Mary Beth, Jan and Mickey (they carpooled) hatched a plan.

They had already been contacted by Bob about the Door County Weekend.  

They decided it would be a hoot to get the glasses.  

We didn't buy them then but, Mary Beth's sister-in-law was there the following weekend.  

She picked them up and it became the center piece in a lovely gift basket.

Mary Beth's husband didn't get it at first but, the glasses were silver.

It was Kismet!  

Started my latest Ladies Prim Society offering:  BBD Bittersweet September.

The letters are over one.  

Better have good light!

Before we left, the mail came and brought the most delightful package from Sharon of Moosecraft Blog.

Look how cute?

What a great surprise.

I didn't think that she would include the fabric for the Stacy Nash project.

The pumpkin pin keep is just so sweet!

It was just a great weekend.  

What a shame they always go too fast.

Hope you had a wonderful weekend.  

Have an amazing week.

Thanks for the great comments

Keep on Stitching

Monica

Little Packages in the Mail

I finished October 31st.  

Yeah! I get to start something new.  

 I just love the way it turned out.  

I haven't tried the frame I got last weekend.  

I am hoping it will work otherwise I will have to get something else.  

 Nancy at the Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe is having a give a way with her latest Autumn dyed

finishing - embellishment pack. 

 I decided not to enter and just ordered the pack because it just looked yummy.  

I think that I could use some of it on the Primitive Threadworks Pattern in Cross Stitch and Needlework magazine.  

There is also a little pack of charms with "made with love" 

I have other hand dyed floss with some fall colors that I have won from her with other drawings.  

 A close up of some of the hand dyed treats.  

She even include an extra lace.  

I'm going to have fun with these!

 I have been participating in the Ladies Prim Society from Dyeing to Stitch.

This is the latest installment.

I just love this!  I'm going to start this one tonight.

Yeah!  New Project!

 I love Autumn and Halloween projects.  

These are my colors!

I really find this whole blog thing is a bad influence on me.  

Not my blog but, all the other ones I follow like This One.  I had to order the book from Amazon.

The book itself was used and cost me 22 cents.  

I love that pattern and it is one of my favorite Christmas Caroles.

So another package coming!

Then, I won Moosecrafts drawing.  Thanks Sharon.

Yippee another package.

Makes you think of the song "Wells Fargo Wagon" from Music Man.

Got to wrap it up cuz my battery is about to go.

Welcome new members.  Send me a comment!

I love hearing from you all.

Have a great weekend.

We are taking a little get-a-way for our 25th Anniversary which was July 15th but, couldn't do it then.  Keep on Stitching

Please pardon any typos but, like I said the battery only has a few minutes left

Thanks for stopping

Monica