My new granddaughter arrived!!

 My oldest daughter had her first baby last week.  She was 10 days early but we were all ready and anxious to meet this sweet little girl.  Baby and Mommy are both doing great.  Grandpa and I are thrilled that we have two new little babies to love, and it will be such fun to see the little cousins grow up together.  My new grandson is only 8 weeks older than this new baby.  I sewed gray camo overalls for my grandson back in May and I made the same pattern in pink camo flannel for new baby this month.  I think they turned out really cute.  The new dads both loved them.  I have a long project list for Christmas gifts so I will be posting more about my creations as the weeks progress.

Happy crafting everyone!

~Connie

Crockpot jam...so easy!

 

This summer I put bags of blanched and diced peaches in my freezer.  Not exactly sure what I would be doing with them but knowing peach pies, peach crisp and peach scones were all possibilities.  One other thing on my mind was to find an easier way to make homemade jam.  I love home canned jam but I am not a fan of the boiling sticky pots of fruit which splatter up my kitchen on a hot summer day! 😜

So I have been searching the internet for crockpot jam recipes.  So this one seemed easy and I decided to give it a whirl.  

Crockpot Peach Jam

6 cups diced peaches  (I thawed and drained off the excess liquid)

1 - 1/2 c sugar

1/8 c lemon juice

3 TBSP no sugar pectin

Mix together in crockpot and crock on low 6-8 hours.  Spoon into sterilized 1/2 pint jars and water bath can 12 minutes.  Will keep in pantry 18 months if unopened.

Bring me the toast!

~Connie

A third board book ... Ruby's Pumpkin Surprise!

 Last fall I created my third board book as a gift for my three granddaughters at Halloween.  It is the third book about my real life farm kitties Emmett and his sister Ruby.  With the new babies here for Christmas this year I have two more book ideas I hope to get printed before the holidays.  Wish me luck!

The three books so far about Ruby and Emmett are - "Hello, Ruby"     "Shoo, shoo, Emmett" and   "Ruby's Pumpkin Surprise".    Hopefully coming out by Christmas 2024 will be  "Whooo does Ruby Hear? "  and  "Emmett needs a Friend".  Writing and illustrating these books has been a dream come true for me.  As an avid reader I have always wanted to write my own books, and having these grandkids has given me the perfect opportunity.

Happy Fall!

~Connie

Some favorite Fall Recipes!

When I was a little girl, we had an apple tree in our back yard and every Fall I remember my mom making her yummy homemade apple sauce and apple crisp.  The house always smelled so wonderful when these terrific apple treats were cooking!  I hope you have gathered up some apples this Fall and can try these 3 great ideas.

Easy Apple Crisp

6 apples peeled, cored and sliced
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Toss apples with sugar and cinnamon in a mixing bowl and set aside.

In a second mixing bowl combine 1 c. brown sugar, 3/4 c. old fashioned oats, 3/4 c. flour, 1 tsp cinnamon and 1/2 c. cold butter (diced into small pieces).  Mix and mash with a fork or pastry blender until a nice crumbly dry mixture is formed.  Coat a 9 x 9 glass baking dish with cooking spray and fill with apple mixture.  Sprinkle the apples with the crumbly oat mix and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.  Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.  Yum!

Slow Cooker Applesauce

4 pounds of tart apples  peeled, cored and diced.
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 tsp, cinnamon
1 c. water
1 Tbsp. lemon juice

Mix apples (about 12 cups) with cinnamon and sugar and place into crockpot.  Pour water and lemon juice over the apples.  Cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3 hours.  Makes about 6 cups of apple sauce.

Apple Stuffed Chicken Breast

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1/2 c. chopped apple
2 Tbsp. shredded cheddar cheese
2 Tbsp. dried bread crumb stuffing
1 Tbsp. butter
1/4 c. sweet white wine
1/4 c. water
1 Tbsp. water
1 - 1/2 tsp. corn starch
Sprig of parsley & diced apple for garnish.

Combine apple, cheese and bread crumbs. Set aside. Flatten chicken breasts to 1/4 inch thickness between wax paper with a rolling pin.  Divide apple mixture between chicken breasts.  Roll up and secure with toothpicks.  Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat.  Brown stuffed chicken breasts.  Add wine and 1/4 c. water to skillet.  Cover and simmer over low heat for 15-20 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.  Transfer chicken to serving platter and cover to keep warm.  Add corn starch and 1 Tbsp. water to skillet juices.  Cook and stir until thickened and serve as a sauce over chicken. Garnish with parsley and diced apple.  2-3 servings.

Just looking thru my recipe box for these 3 has unearthed a whole treasure trove of ideas for new Fall menus ... so stay tuned and I will share some other family favorites soon.

Hope the scents of cinnamon and apples fill your kitchen soon!

~Connie

My upcycle and thrifting adventures...

 Do the words vintage, upcycle and thrift excite you like they do me?  I love the history of vintage things.  I love the look and feel of things that can tell a story.  I love traditional handcrafts.  I hate the thought of all the perfectly useable things that get dumped in the landfill each year.  I love a bargain.  I hate new cheap furniture and would rather have an older, well built, solid wood piece of furniture any day.  All these thoughts are reasons why I love to thrift, repurpose and rescue items.  

When I go into town, I always check the two resale shops for unique finds and bargains.  I recently thrifted a whole box of baskets for $5.  There were numerous ones that I plan to use for Christmas decorating and giving as gift baskets.  The one below was broken at the top but I used my crafting skills and supplies to give it new life. 

The top sides of the basket were broken, so I reinforced the broken areas with popsicle sticks, hot glue and zip ties.  I then covered the repaired areas by weaving brown yarn over the repairs.  I think it looks nice and the repair is not even noticeable.  This basket now has a new home in my living room and holds my cozy fall blanket.  I will show more of my upcycled projects in future posts so stay tuned!

~Connie

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

 

It's that pumpkin time of year again.  Yes, I am one of those people who look forward to the Pumpkin Spice Latte at my local coffee shop every fall!  So if you like me are craving all things pumpkin .. try these yummy muffins today.

~ Connie

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ingredients

• Baking spray with flour

• 1 c.

  unsweetened pumpkin puree

• 1/2 c.

  packed light brown sugar

• 1/2 c.

  granulated sugar

• 1/2 c.

  vegetable oil

• 2

  large eggs

• 1/4 c.

  buttermilk

• 1/2 tsp.

  vanilla extract

• 1 1/2 c.

  all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp.

  pumpkin pie spice

• 3/4 tsp.

  baking powder

• 1/2 tsp.

  baking soda

• 1/2 tsp.

  kosher salt

• 1 c.

  mini semisweet chocolate chips, divided

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners, or spray with baking spray with flour.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, oil, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla until well combined. Add the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, stirring until just combined. Fold in ¾ cup mini chocolate chips.

3. Using a ⅓-cup measuring cup or scoop, drop a level scoop of batter into each lined muffin cup. Top the scooped batter evenly with the remaining ¼ cup mini chocolate chips.

4. Bake until the tops are golden brown and a wooden pick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, 20 to 22 minutes.

Tip: Double the recipe and freeze half the muffins. Take them out to defrost overnight at room temperature for a fresh treat!

A meaningful gift

Earlier this year my sister shared with me an idea she is doing for her granddaughter.  She purchased a Bible with wide margins for journaling and drawing and she is using this Bible in her daily prayer times.  Kate plans to do some journaling in this Bible for her granddaughter Bea as she prays for her and thinks of verses that she wants to share.  Beatrice is just a toddler now but this will be a special gift in the future from her grandmother on her confirmation day.  

I really loved this idea and want to start a similar one for my oldest granddaughter who is 7.  I still have a few years to get this project done before Adalynn makes her confirmation ... so I was happy to find a similar Bible in my local Christian bookstore. 😊  I think this truly could be a meaningful and lovely gift.

~ Connie

White Chicken Chili

 

White Chicken Chili

Ingredients:

• 1  tablespoon  olive oil
• ▢1 small yellow onion , chopped (about ½ cup)
• ▢2 garlic cloves , finely minced (or 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder)
• ▢2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• ▢2 4 oz cans diced green chilies
• ▢1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• ▢1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ▢1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• ▢½ teaspoon paprika
• ▢1/2 small lime , juice from
• ▢salt and freshly ground black pepper , to taste
• ▢2 15 oz cans great northern beans
• ▢1 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
• ▢1 cup corn (frozen or fresh)
• ▢2 heaping cups cooked chicken , shredded (rotisserie or left-over chicken*)

Topping Suggestions:

• ▢Fresh cilantro
• ▢shredded cheese
• ▢tortilla chips
• ▢green onions
• ▢avocado

• Heat olive oil in a large (5-6 quart) pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until softened, 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
• Add chicken broth, green chilies, cumin, cayenne, paprika, oregano, lime juice and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Drain and rinse beans in a strainer.
• Measure out a big ladleful of the beans and add to a food processor with a splash of broth from the soup. Puree until smooth (this step is optional but helps to yield the creamy and thick texture we want from this chili!) .
• Add pureed beans, whole beans and corn to the soup pot. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 15 to 30 minutes.
• Remove from heat and stir in sour cream and cooked chicken.
• Serve garnished with cilantro, shredded cheese, avocado slices and tortilla chips if desired.

My first baby quilt project

These fabrics are now becoming my first handmade quilt project.  In the last couple of years I have gotten back into sewing as a hobby.  When my kids were small I enjoyed sewing for them but when two small boys caused a sewing machine mishap the sewing ended.  I was soon too busy anyway with kid activities and running my design business to find time to sew.  Last fall John surprised me with a new sewing machine and I have certainly enjoyed getting back to sewing.  Grandkids are a great excuse to sew up some fun projects!  There have been craft aprons and overalls and frilly little pink dresses and of course there are many Christmas ideas on my project list.  

Learning to quilt has been something new to learn and I first experimented with a quilted bag that I call my "Gram bag".  It's a bag I can take on my visits with the grandkids and it's filled with craft supplies, snacks and story books.

Now I am on to my next quilt project which will be a crib quilt for my new little grandson.  It's been a learning process and it certainly has a few mistakes but in all I am quite pleased with my quilt.  Hopefully at Christmas it will be a gift that is loved and appreciated for a long time.

Let me know if you sew too!

~ Connie

                                My quilted "Gram Bag"                                 

                                            

Lemon Bundt Cake

 

One of my favorite cake recipes is my Aunt Jane's lemon bundt cake.  I love it so much I usually have it on my birthday every year.  This month my daughter Abigail is turning 27 and she asked if I would make that cake for her birthday.  She says it's her favorite cake too.

The recipe is simple and oh so delish!

Lemon Bundt Cake

1 lemon cake mix

1 box instant lemon pudding

1 c. milk

3/4 c. oil

3 eggs

Mix all ingredients as directed on cake mix.  Grease a bundt cake pan well.  Pour in batter evenly.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.  Cool for 10 minutes in pan then invert on serving plate to finish cooling.

When completely cool glaze with a mixture of 1 c. powdered sugar and 1/3 c. lemon juice.  the glaze can be tinted with yellow food coloring if desired.

If you need an easy and delicious cake try this one.

~ Connie

Canning time!

 It's that time of year when I am up to my eyeballs in tomatoes!  The tomatoes are John's babies in the garden and he faithfully prunes, fertilizes and waters all season.  As a result we usually have a bumper crop and I am kept busy for weeks making salsa, making tomato sauce and making homemade BBQ sauce.  It's a lot of work but everything tastes so good when it is homemade!  And I really enjoy having a stock pile of salsa and sauces to use in recipes all year long.  So if you garden I hope you are enjoying this harvest season too.  Before too many weeks pass our gardening season will be wrapping up.  So enjoy all that fresh summer produce while you can.

~ Connie

Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps

 

• Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps
• 
  
• Ingredients
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil (vegetable or canola oil)
• ▢1 pound ground chicken
• ▢4 cloves garlic , minced
• ▢1/2 sweet onion , chopped
• ▢1/2 teaspoon salt
• ▢1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ▢1 cup carrot , shredded
• ▢1/2 cup finely shredded cabbage
• ▢3 green onions chopped

    Sauce

• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro , chopped
• ▢1/3 cup sweet chili sauce (found in the Asian section of the grocery store)
• ▢1 Tablespoon chunky peanut butter , or smooth
• ▢1/4 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
• ▢2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
• ▢crushed red pepper flakes , to taste
• ▢Boston Bib lettuce , or romaine lettuce leaves

• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium. Add chicken, garlic, onions, salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through.


• Add the carrots, cabbage, and green onions, cooking an additional 4-5 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
• In a small bowl, combine the sweet chili sauce, ginger, chunky peanut butter, and soy sauce, and crushed red pepper. Stir until smooth. Add to pan along with chopped cilantro. Stir to coat.
• Spoon mixture into lettuce leaves and enjoy!