January Mtg-Cheddar Corn Chowder/Apple Cake

We met at Sherry's this month and had a wonderful time. Here are the show and tells for the month:

 Robyn made this quilt from our donated fabric squares. She even used our squares to make the border and put fleece on the back. It's ready to be given away and will be a soft, cuddly quilt for someone!

 Robyn also made this stripe quilt for a donation. She cut various widths of fabric using the full width of her fabric pieces.

 Lynette made this quilt for a humanitarian giveaway. Cindy quilted it. Below is the back of the quilt. Cindy, your quilting is beautiful!

 Lynette also made this donation quilt from our groups' donation squares. It will be perfect for a teenage girl. Gary quilted it. Below is a close up.

 Jeri bought a panel with these birds on it and made a quilt from it.

 Darla finished her paper doll quilt. She even embellished it with buttons and made a pillowcase to match. Below is a close up.

 Darla made this lap quilt to give to a nursing home. She makes quilts every month for a nursing home and she makes sure they are bright and fun.

 Nancy made this as a humanitarian quilt and it's made from orphan blocks she had.

 Nancy also made this quilt.

 Kelly made this quilt using a new product she shared called Chenille It where you add the chenille after piecing the top. Below is a close up.

 Here is what the product looks like.

 Tracey made this quilt.

This quilt was made for Sherry by her activity day girls as a thank you. Each square represents a month of projects they had worked on together.

DEMO
Sherry showed her vintage baby quilt and gave us an explanation about how it was made. It's a fun, quick quilt using 2 1/2" squares glued on top of a single piece of background material. The background has to be marked with a grid of 3" squares (with pencil or disappearing marker). Use spray adhesive to sandwich backing, batting and top. The 2 1/2" squares are then glued in the corner of each grid using a regular glue stick. Then stitch down 1/8" inch seam allowance down each row of squares. After that it's ready to bind!

Sherry made the quilt below, then Kathi showed some of her variations of the vintage baby quilt technique.

 

Here are the recipes from Sherry's lunch:

Cheddar Corn Chowder

1 lb. uncooked bacon, diced

1 onion, diced

3 carrots, diced

2 ribs celery, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

5 med red potatoes, diced

6 c chicken stock

1/4 t. cayenne pepper

1 1/2 t ground coriander

2 cans whole kernel corn

2 cans creamed corn

2 c half and half

4 dashes Worcestershire sauce

salt and pepper to taste

Heat a stockpot over med high heat and add the bacon.  Cook the bacon until brown and crispy.  Remove from the pot and set aside on paper towel to drain.  Discard all but 2 T bacon drippings.  Add onion, carrots, celery and garlic and saute for 5 min.  Add potatoes, stock, cayenne and coriander.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat ad simmer for 34 min.  Add kernel and creamed corn, cheese and half and half.  Simmer additional 7 min.  Season with Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper.  Just before serving, stir in bacon.  Makes 10-12 servings.

This next recipe is an old family recipe to the instructions are very simple.  I like Granny Smith apples the best, but you can use any variety.  I also like to use golden raisins.

Apple Cake  

4 c, cubed apples 

Add 2 eggs, mix well

Add 1/2 c. oil or applesauce, 1 1/2 t. vanilla.  Blend

Add: 2 c. sugar, 1 1/2 t. cinnamon, 1 c. raisins, 2/3 c. chopped walnuts (opt)

Sift: 2 c. flour, 1 1/2 t. soda, 1 t. salt.  Mix well

Bake in greased 9 x 13 pan, 350 degree oven for 40-45 minutes.

Dec 2013 Brunch

Our annual Christmas meeting this year included a fun brunch, a gift exchange and of course a show and tell. We started with the brunch, so here are some of the fun dishes we enjoyed along with a few recipes:

Gingerbread mini muffins with lemon glaze

2.5 c. flour

1.5 tsp. soda

1 tsp. ginger

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. cloves

1/2 tsp. salt

1 dark brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 c. molasses

1 c. buttermilk

1 stick unsalted butter, melted

Mix wet ingredients, add dry ingredients. Fill mini muffin tins 2/3 full. Makes about 48. Bake at 350 for 13-15 min. Let cool 10 minutes. Set on foil on rack.

While still warm, spoon lemon glaze over the top.

1/3 c. lemon juice

1.75 c. powdered sugar

Creme Brulee French Toast

1/2 c. butter

1 c. brown sugar

2 T. corn syrup

loaf of bread

5 eggs

1 1/2 c. half and half cream

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4 tsp. salt

In pan, melt butter, brown sugar and corn syrup. Pour into a 9x13 pan. Arrange the slices of bread on top. Beat eggs, half & half, vanilla and salt. Pour egg mixture on top of the bread. Cover and put in refrigerator overnight. Bake in the moroning at 350 for 35 to 40 minutes. Serve warm.

Raw Apple Muffins

4 c. tart, firm apples, dices (peels may be on or off)

1 c. sugar

2 eggs, beaten lightly

1/2 c. oil

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 c. all purpose flour

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. salt

1 c. raisins

1 c. broken walnuts-leave some in large pieces

Mix together the apples and sugar. Set aside. In another bowl, put the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and stir with a fork until blended. Add eggs, oil, vanilla to the apple mixture and mix thoroughly.

Sprinkle the flour mixture over the apple mixture and blend well.

Sprinkle the raisins and walnuts over the batter and mix until they are evenly distributed. Spoon into greased muffin tins or paper muffin cups. Bake at 325 for 25 minutes or until a knife comes out clean when inserted in the middle. Serve warm. Makes 16 muffins.

Toffee

1 cup whole or slivered almond- spread our on foil lined cookie sheet

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1/4 teas. salt

1/2 teas. vanilla

Cook over high heat for 5-6 min. Stir constantly with a dry wooden spoon.

Pour over nuts

Cool and dip in 1/2 lb. milk chocolate and roll in 1/2 lb. chopped walnuts

 DEMO

Jeri showed us a cute idea for making festive cards and envelopes. Take a piece of tissue paper, crinkle it and then flatten it back out (gives it texture). Then using a hot, dry iron, iron the tissue paper onto the shiny side of freezer paper. Below you can see a roll of freezer paper with pieces of tissue paper placed on top. To make a note card, just cut out a rectangle and fold it over once. You can write your note on the dull side of the freezer paper.

To make the envelope, Jeri gave us a template to use to cut the shape. Below she is showing how to fold in the four corners to make it an envelope. Jeri is making these with her grandchildren.

Also Nancy spent a couple minutes explaining our new project for next year which is making some quilts for the Quilts of Valor charity. We were each given a pattern and we signed up for the various stages of the quilts. Each in the group will make 3 star blocks using blues (not shiny, more on the grey side of blue). We will bring the star blocks to our January meeting. If you need a pattern, contact Nancy.

We are also starting the Pizza Box Exchange again in February. You can decide what size quilt square you'd like each of us to make. Bring your finished quilt block that will travel with your pizza box to the February meeting. Also you can leave extra fabric in the box if you'd like.

SHOW AND TELL

Jeri made this red and white quilt a few years ago (before the blog) and shared it with us again.

Sherry made this gray and yellow quilt and she will use it as a cuddle quilt.

Diane embroidered this pillowcase.

Diane made these pillow cases that hold children's books. It's a Cluck Cluck Sew pattern.

Diane's daughter makes these stars using selvages.

Diane made this pillow using burlap.

Caren made this quilt.

Corrie made a vintage baby quilt. We will be making these in January.

Lenette made these little girl dresses.

This is such a fun idea. Jeanie made an apron using a man's shirt.

Jeanie made this and used minky on the back. She used Moda fabric and the pattern is called Couch Potato.

Jeanie made this quilt.

Darla is in the process of making this paper doll quilt and will applique the dolls on squares she has made. The pattern is called Antique Rose.

 Cindy made this Lone Star quilt using the diamonds and pattern that her mom found at a garage sale. She's going to donate it to humanitarian charities.

 Nancy made this quick baby quilt as a humanitarian quilt. She used bamboo batting.

 Maurene's Santa quilt

Emily's mom made this "whirly gig" quilt. She will be joining our group soon.

 Emily's tie quilt

Kathi's snowball/snowman table runner

GIFT EXCHANGE!!