3 Thoughts

I've been a little absent from my blog lately. oops! I've just had so many other things on my mind here lately. I've been working hard on finishing my scrap quilt this week. I'll be so happy when I can finally have it finished!

In this picture I was set-up at my in-laws house at about 2am trying to get all my pieces sewn together. I like to do a "chaining method" and then cut everything apart in the end. It makes it a lot easier and doesn't waste as much time or thread.

I also attended my second Cake Decorating Class on Tuesday night. I'm having so much fun. I forgot to take more pictures. Too busy practicing my piping skills I guess.

Skipping to another thought...

I have beer cheese on the brain! I've done so well on a diet that I began 2 weeks ago!

Now Winchester, KY up and decides to have a 1st annual
Beer Cheese Festival this Saturday.

LORD HELP ME!! I LOVE FESTIVALS SO MUCH and I also LOVE BEER CHEESE!!!

They are having a beer cheese Cook-Off for commercial and homemade vendors. You pay $5, taste all the samples, and then vote. I strongly believe my culinary expertise is needed for this. I think I will have to go and I will probably ingest enough cheese and crackers to completely override the dieting that I have been doing so good at! Always distractions I guess!

If you've never tasted Beer Cheese, I feel SOOOO sorry for you! God, it's good stuff!

One of my very favorite blogs, How To Eat A Cupcake, recently made Sam Adams Beer Bread "Cupcakes" w/ Beer Cheese "Frosting".

Yum Yum. You should check out her blog. LOVE IT! and you will too!

Photo from: How To Eat A Cupcake

Have a nice weekend!

See you on Monday! (10 pounds heavier)

Totota Prius and Ants

I hate watching commercials.

However, I love this commercial so much!

This makes me want a Prius!

Speaking of nature, my home is under attack and I'm highly annoyed.


They are still mainly outside, but there are millions of them! There have only been a couple of times that they have come through the wall into the dining room.

Argg!

Mountain Dew

I'm heading to Harlan Co. for the weekend.

What?? You want to see some more pictures of what Harlan Co. looks like??

Of course.

Well, here ya go. :)

These pictures were taken from one of our overlooks. My beautiful little cousin Maria was with me!

Ahh...the mountains.

Have a nice weekend!

"Organization can be fun!" quoted by Shari

...whatever!

Look what got accomplished last night though!

My fabrics are usually everywhere!! No order what so ever.

Ahh...it feels so nice to have most of them organized by type and color. See all those mason jars? They are full of thread, pins, buttons, ribbon, and other sewing supplies.

Shari helped me conquer this mountain or it would have never happen.

I keep telling everyone that I don't have as much fabric as it seems like I do. They (including Shari) didn't believe me until now.

My fabric stash really isn't that bad! Of course, everything is neatly folded, so there is more there than what it looks like on the shelves.

I think part of my procrastinating on projects is because everything is usually so unorganized that it's overwhelming to find everything! Now if we can get the rest of the craft room organized...I can get my sewing on!


Remember the Scrapdown? Well, I finally dove into that project last night as well. See what happens when organization occurs in my life?

Shari laid out all the colorful Scrapdown squares and arranged them by color value. This was quite an undertaking. Dang it! I should have gotten some photos of her spread out on our living room floor.

Anyway, I finished cutting about 350 3"x3" squares in white muslin to go with the scrap squares for a quilt that I hope will be big enough to go on the bed in the craft room.

Hopefully this weekend I can get all of the pairs sewn together and pressed. Fingers crossed!

Hmm...maybe organization can be fun!

Nah...only when a good friend's help is involved!

Pfaltzgraff "Yorktown" Pattern

I had another amazing find yesterday evening.

If you read this post, you know I am in serch of a certain pattern of dishes, "Yorktown" made by Pfaltzgraff. I love these. My mom gave them to me. I always keep my eyes peeled at flea markets, yard sales, etc. for these pieces.

Well anyway, I went to the Peddler's Mall yesterday after work. (Peddler's Mall is a cross between a flea market and antique store) And look what I found in the very first booth I encounterd!!!!!

Oh, the excitement!!! I had to buy 4 more plates, which I already had, because they were only sold all together. But I had to have the Salt & Pepper shakers and large bowl! All this for $13!!!

What a steal!

Chocolate Whoopie Pies

This is probably the best sweet treat I have ever made. No lie. Ever.

And I've made A LOT of desserts.

Man, these are so incrediably good you'll wonder why you've never made them until now. And they are so easy.

Chocolate Whoopie Pies (recipe from Cook Books from Amish Kitchens: Cookies)
(I halfed this recipe. If you don't it makes about 4 dozen)
2 cups sugar
1 cup shortening
2 eggs
4 cups flour
1 cup baking cocoa
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt
1 cup sour milk (I used buttermilk)
2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup hot water

Whoopie Pie Filling
1 egg white, beaten
2 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup 10x sugar
(more ingredients listed in instructions)

1. Cream sugar and shortening. Add eggs.
2. Sift together flour, cocoa, and salt. Add alternately with sour milk. Add vanilla. Dissolve soda in hot water and add last. Mix well.
3. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto cookie sheet. Bake at 400 for 8-10 minutes.
4. Make sandwiches from 2 cookies filled with Whoopie Pie Filling.

To Make filling:
1. Mix everything well. Add one more cup 10x sugar and 3/4 cup shortening.

*Put filling in a ziploc bag, cut corner, and pipe a good amount into center of bottom cookie. Top with another cookie.

Store in container in refrigerator.

Great Saturday = Long Post

I had another lovely summer weekend.

My friend, Easy and I went on an adventure Saturday to a central Kentucky town that we hadn't visited before, Midway, KY. It was nice. We used to go on little adventures all the time when we were college. It had been too long since we had a relaxing day exploring.

Midway was such a cute little town filled with antique stores, cute little boutiques, and quaint little cafes.

The little store below was wonderful. Easy found some old records of Dolly Parton and The Oak Ridge Boys with some tracks he had never heard before. And I found the most wonderful treasure.

Everywhere I go (antique stores, yard sales, flea markets, etsy, etc.) I look for a certain pattern. I have all the plates to this pattern. They are the plates I grew up with, passed down to me from mom. I really want everything else that goes to them. I was so excited to find this pitcher!!!! AND for only $10!!

Oh, if you could have seen my excitement. Easy witnessed it! Lucky he is!

This is where we were told to go eat by all the locals we asked, Darlin Jeans Apple Cobbler Cafe.

The locals were right. It was so charming and very good. I highly recommend it if visiting Midway.

I took one bite of my dinner and then realized I must include it in my blog because it was so unbelievably good. Grilled Chicken with a Vidalia Onion Vinaigrette, crispy fried onion rings, hot potato salad, and a glazed croissant. Yum!
Easy had their Hot Brown and said it was equally delicious!
We dove into the Chocolate Cobbler with Vanilla Ice Cream so fast I didn't get a picture!
Then we drove through more gorgeous horse farms and areas...

And ended up in Versailles...
Where we visited Boyd Orchards...
And I got a quart of the best smelling and sweetest strawberries ever!

You would think that Boyd Orchards could pull Easy away from that dingity dang phone! But, nope. ARGGG!!!! I hate that phone.

Who me??

Thanks Easy!! It was a great day!

Where we goin next??