Quilts & Recipe

I'm going to start quilting. I have wanted to for months, but I've never had the time, money, or patience for it. Then at Granny's funeral, we displayed some of her beautiful quilts and I've decided I'll give it a go. So, I used my Christmas money from Granny & Papaw to buy some fabric (5 prints, 1 yard each), thread, a cutting mat, and a rotary cutter. I'm getting ready to start cutting away. This is the pattern I'm trying to match: http://www.serendipitypatchwork.com.au/classic/bluestarwreath/bluestarwreath.JPG . And here are the fabrics I'm using:


I figured we'll be done with college/grad school, soon, and then we can turn the "office" into a proper guest room. I'll put the quilt in there.

I miss Granny a lot... Last night I dreamed she was still alive and that all of this death business had been the dream. I woke up really upset and started to call her... but then I remembered she's really gone.

Other than that... I've had an errand day. Bank, post office, jeweler, Jo-Ann's, and the grocery store. I don't have any huge deals to report because I only bought the ingredients for tonight's dinner. I made ciabatta bread-- it's wonderful! And I also made corn & tomato soup from Aaron's mom's recipe. It's really easy and very tasty! It's also low in fat and high in vitamins and protein.

-5 cups FROZEN sweet corn (has to be frozen)
-1 14.5-oz can of diced tomatoes, with juice
-1 c. chicken stock (stock has more flavor than broth or bullion)
-2 stalks celery, roughly chopped
-1 small-medium onion, roughly chopped
-1 clove garlic (it's about a tablespoonful of minced garlic)
-1/4 to 1/2 tsp. corriander (seeds or powder)
-Crushed red pepper, salt, and pepper to taste

Over medium heat, sautee the onion and celery in olive oil until softened and the onions are translucent. Meanwhile, in a medium pot, bring chicken stock, corn, and tomatoes to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, add the onion, celery, garlic, and spices and simmer 25-30 min. Let cook (about 1/2 an hour, not "cold", just not boiling hot). In 2-cup batches, puree in blender until smooth. If the soup is still really hot when you start the blender, it will explode all over your ceiling... believe me lol.

The soup will be orange in color. It's SOOOO good. Healthy comfort food, full of flavor. Toppings: bread, tortilla chips, cheese, sour cream, ranch dip, you name it!