The lottery dinner

The day started with the blacksmith blading Hidden Valley Road.
Winter has not been kind to gravel roads.























While he bladed, I went walking.






















I even found these poor little frozen daffodils coming up in the front yard.








Soon it was time to go to BT's sister's house. Mom being in town was having her own version of a lottery.

Mom baked 5 pies for dinner, blackberry, coconut cream, peach, and cherry. Janie made 2 pans of lasagna.

To see how well the pies were enjoyed go to: Osagebluffblacksmith.





With 7 of Mom's children in attendance she made up 7 boxes. Items were Dad's violin, old coins, Dad's initial ring she bought him 60 years ago, religious statues, religious pictures, antique candle holders, grandparents original social security cards, funeral bills from Dad and grandparents, and lots of knick knacks.





She started with box #1 and drew names. Here Pat examined the well used and much desired violin.


It was a fun night, the family doesn't get together very often anymore. It's hard to find a place to hold 60 of us. But tonight was just BT and his brother and sisters. There were 14 for dinner.

Mom is in town!

The blacksmith's mother is home from Texas for a couple of weeks. After doing our grocery and errand shopping on Tuesday, we picked her up at BT's sisters house.

It's always good to visit with her. Nothing like talking in person, rather than over the phone or the web cam.

She and I quilted Tuesday afternoon. She is a pro at quilting. She has done it many more years than I have.

I stopped about 4:00 and made a big pot of split pea and ham soup. At dinner time the grand kids and their parents came. So great grandma got to see the little ones.

After dinner, the guys worked on grinding pork and venison. Jeremy will be smoking 100 pounds of deer sausage this weekend.

I took the MIL home about 8:00 PM.

Wednesday morning, I set a pan of cinnamon rolls to rise. As I put them into the oven, the blacksmith went to pick up his mom. She was coming for breakfast. I fried some sausage and made another pot of coffee.

While we quilted after breakfast, I cooked a big pot of the pork left over from sausage making.

After the meat cooked off the bones, BT and Mom ground the meat. She then made us a huge batch of panhaus. I froze about 7 containers. She cooked enough to make three pans full.

For those of you not familiar with panhaus; it is cooked pork, some of the broth, salt, pepper, cloves, allspice, cornmeal and flour. You cook it until it's very thick and then pour into loaf pans. After it is cooled, usually overnight in the refrigerator, you slice and fry it. OMG so good!

Here BT lifts the heavy pan while Mom scrapes out the panhaus into the loaf pans.

The rest of the afternoon, she and I quilted. We reached the half way mark.

She wanted to go home before I started dinner. Needless to say we had some extra fried chicken left after dinner, since I had bought and fixed enough for three.

This evening we will go to BT's sister house. Mom is making lasagna and 4 homemade pies for all the family tonight. She has cleaned out some of her storage and is having a lottery drawing for her kids.

As for now, it's time to fry some panhaus for breakfast, and then back to my quilting!

Friday's walk and later a lenten fish fry

Walking home from the mailbox.

Newly found raspberry bushes we didn't know we had.

Cooling off.

The view from our back yard. It's over looking the Osage River bottom.


BT and Bentley.

Tree fungi.

The fry shack at St Margaret's Parish, Osage Bend Missouri.

The Princess' first parish fish fry.

Homemade cinnamon or Hot rolls

Thursday I purchased high gluten flour at Weaver's Market. The young Amish girl told me that would be just the trick for perfect sweet rolls.

She knew what she was talking about. I made a batch yesterday and they were the best ever. I used my tried and true 20 year old recipe and this flour made all the difference.

Here is the recipe if you want to give it a try.


Hot Rolls/Sweet Roll dough

In a large bowl combine:
2 pkg Rapid rise yeast
1 cup very warm water
1 T. sugar
Stir until dissolved

In a smaller bowl:
Melt 3 T. butter/oleo
add 2 eggs
1 tsp salt
2/3 cups sugar
Beat well with a fork

Microwave 1 cup milk for 2 minutes.

Add butter/egg mixture to yeast mixture and mix.
Stir in 3 cups flour until well mixed.

Put 2 cups flour over batter but do not stir yet. Pour the hot milk over the flour and then stir in. Mix well.

Cover and let double until double in bulk.

Stir down and cover. Store in the refrigerator at least 8 hours or overnight. Will keep about 5 days.

To make cinnamon rolls (half of the dough will make 12 rolls in a 9 by 13 inch pan) roll out to about ½ thick. Then brush with melted butter. Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon. Roll up and slice. Place in greased pan and let rise. Bake 350 about 20 minutes. When cool drizzle with powdered sugar icing.

To make hot rolls: Roll about ¾ inch thick. Cut into circles. Before you place the circle in a grease pan, coat the sides only with melted butter. Place about 1/4 inch apart in pan. Let rise. Bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes. When they come out of the oven, brush with melted butter and let set in the pan a few minutes before turning out.

The sewing machine goes for a ride

Today the blacksmith and I left these beautiful sunny hills and went on a road trip.



My Elna Quilter's Dream machine was in dire need of some TLC. So off we went to Barnett, Missouri, to find the Top Stitch Sewing Service Company.




I knew it was in Barnett, but I thought it was on Hwy 52. Boy was I wrong. It was actually on Highway C north of Barnett. So on our way we stopped at Weaver's Country Market. Look at what 2 people can carry without a basket.

We now have smoked Swiss cheese, jalapeno cheese, chicken bouillon cubes, sausage spices, jerky spices, high gluten flour (dough is rising, as I type, for cinnamon rolls in the morning), split peas, sorghum molasses, strawberry jelly, vanilla, barley and big shell macaroni. Imagine what we could have done with a basket?

We dropped the machine off at the shop. In the yard next to the shop was a snowman family. The blacksmith counted 11 snow people. Forgive me I have sinned. I had the camera and did not take a picture.

Coming home we made a couple of stops, tractor dealership, Wal-Mart, and a couple of junk shops. We found leather work gloves for a $1.00 at one shop. At a truckload overstock store we found a brand new Carthartt zipper front hooded sweatshirt for $2.00.

It was a beautiful day to be roaming in the countryside.

Day 2 of quilting

My baby sister loved playing around Grandma's quilting frames today.
Grandma had just rolled her quilt for the first roll. Whatever that means?

My baby sister is really trying to get Grandma's attention.

Then my baby sister got into Grandma's books.

As written and photographed by me, Alex. 5 years old.

Valentine's Day 2010

This is what I found on my kitchen counter when I woke this morning. He didn't let me down. For 42 years now, I have gotten candy. Candy is one of my biggest weaknesses. I've tried to overcome chocolate, but I just can't kick that habit.

I thought for sure, I wouldn't get candy this year. He's retired and stays home most of the time unless we go together. It was a mystery how he had bought candy without me knowing.

Come to find out after I left for work last Friday morning, he made a very quick trip to town.

Man I love that Man!!!

It was so cold out today. The temperatures stayed around 25 all day with lots of wind. So we pretty much stayed inside. Dear hubby helped me square up my quilt and put it in the frame. So this is what my living room looks like now.

Now if I can just get my fingers, hands, and elbows conditioned overnight! Please feel free to come and help me quilt!

Check out the Blacksmith's blog too.

And the winner is . . .

Maggie at Grandmayellowhair a.k.a Just Between Me and You.

Email me Maggie with your mailing address please!

Congratulations to Maggie and a BIG Thank you to all who sent me Birthday wishes!

It's great having friends like you.

My week so far

The birthday came and went. It was a fun filled day. BT took me out for brunch and a gun show at the same time.

We had a couple of hours to kill after that. It was then on to my bosses retirement party. It happened to be a full catered meal. So BT was off the hook for taking me out to dinner.

Here is Maureen pictured with her co-workers. She worked at the same place for 42 years. 42 Years! Can you imagine?

Good luck in your retirement.



Sunday, we shoveled snow again.

Monday I worked at my paying job. The grand kids spent a couple of hours with us in the evening, while their parents had their taxes prepared.




Today I worked on the borders. This is what I came up with. I
think it will really tie the blocks together.

If you haven't entered my birthday give away, you better hurry! It ends sometime tomorrow night.

Some of you mentioned that you never heard of Wade collectibles.
I drink Red rose tea. It's my favorite hot tea. The company used to give away a Wade collectible in every box.

You now collect the UPC's and send them in. Every UPC gets you one collectible. So for you gals and maybe one guy, I have consumed 480 cups of tea to give you these sweet little monthly figurines!

January - Snowman
February - Cupid
March - Leprechaun
April - Easter Bunny
May - Mother's Day Flowers
June - Graduation
July - Uncle Sam
August - Sandcastle
September - Scarecrow
October - Pumpkin Kitty
November - Turkey
December - Christmas Tree

They change the offer ever so often. I collected this set several years ago.



And so that is my week so far. How has yours been?

It's my Birthday!!!

On this day 58 years ago I came into the world.

I grew up with two older brothers and 9 years later a baby sister.

I remember this stroller.
Now if someone would just push me.

What a happy girl I am.


Notice the bangs.
What a dress too,
black and white.


Still bangs,
plaid dress too.



No more bangs.
And no more do I look like this picture either.



And if they use this picture for my obituary . . . I will personally come back and haunt them!



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And now announcing a give away.
WHY?
Because it's my birthday and it's better to give than to receive,
and
because I can.




I will give away a set of Wade seasons collectibles.

Just leave me birthday wishes.

Winner will be announced February 10
because that's plenty of time for me
to get lots of birthday wishes!

Posted February 6th
6:14 AM
My birthday!

What are little girls made of?

She loves her new baby doll Grandma bought her. It was $3.00 at Wal-mart's in the markdown isle. It even talks.


What are little girls made of?
What are little girls made of?
Sugar and spice
And everything that's nice,
That's what little girls are made of.

Borders it is.

Thanks for all your comments. I have decided to go with the majority of you all and add more.

I will work on a plan in the next day or two.

My much older brother who is too shy to leave a comment, or just plain doesn't know how, sent me this in an email.

I think your signature quilt would look good with a nice green rick-rack border on the long side and a purple one on the ends. Of course, that's just my personal observation.

Luv Ya,

Bro Bob

My reply . . . thanks Bro, but I will pass on this one!

Love ya

More borders or not?

Okay fellow quilters, I need your opinion. This is the autograph quilt I have been working on.

I can't decide if I should add another border? Perhaps red, but then I want to bind it in red. How would that look?

Let me know what you think. You non-quilters can tell me your opinion too!

Thanks