Monday, February 29, 2016

Three hundred sixty five, plus one!!



























Between last {post} and this; Not a lot going on here! But I think I might be quiet wrong about that. I was under the weather for 8 days, to be exact. While everyone spent their {heart day} somewhere lovely. I was in bed, sniffling, puffy eyes, and coughing a lot! Oh, by the way, someone served me breakfast in bed,which was so lovely;  a bowl of greek yogurt, granola flakes, and tiny bit of honey drizzle on top! Then my lunch was the same serving then dinner was skipped!  I can't tell you how Thankful I am feeling now; actually feeling like a little toddle, just energetic everyday.

After I gotten better, my friend Staci came to visit. Whenever Staci comes to visit me, it is always early in the morning. That day, I made fresh banana bread and brew coffee from French Press.  I always like banana bread simple, but do love added some nuts in them sometimes.

Here is the recipe I use for last almost 15 years. I can't recall where I got this recipe, but it has been a great one for me.

1/2 C. butter (soften) 
1 C. sugar 
2 C. shifted Flour
1-1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup banana mashed ( likely two banana would give you this much and a little extra, but that's alright) 
1 C. Finely chopped nuts ( optional) 

Preheat oven at 350 then bake 55-60 mins. 

*** So, here is a little tip for this recipe; after 50 min. of baking time, I like to insert a clear stick to check if the center is well bake, if it comes out running still. You can actually now turn your oven off and let it set in the oven for 15-18mins then insert the clear stick in the center again. If it comes off clean then it is ready!  Try it, let me know if you like it!

Then I made few batches of Kale Chips from time to time.  All you do with fresh Kale is you take the green part off from the stems then wash them really nicely { I would give them a nice cold bath in the kitchen sink after wash}.  I always spread washed Kale on top of clean dish towel.  Then place them in a baking sheet drizzle olive oil/ veggie oil works as well. Then sprinkles with salt! Some people recommended used sea salt, but honestly I just use regular salt for ours. You will need to bake it at 400 degree { so do preheat your oven} and bake for 10 mins. My last batch turn out pretty dark! Well because I totally forgot about it while chatting with mom over Skype. All I knew was the whole house smelled quiet funny at the first, then I realized I totally forgot the Kale was in the oven.  Lesson learned from that day; Now I have just stood in front of the oven for the quick baking dishes. Just because I knew if I went somewhere without setting the timer, I will not remember it at all! Oh..

You might have noticed that I am into miniature sewings lately! It has been in my bucket list for some time now! It is quiet challenging and frustrating when I first start it! It takes longer time than the larger patchwork pieces! I have not gone mad, but I think it is that time or phase again. Change is good! Change brings new fresh outlook of everything. Change is scary, but I am taking it quiet slow! I am more satisfied of getting these little tiny bits of patchwork pieces together and just kinda feel silly that I waited this long to take a step forward.  There are few more patterns have printed out and I'll be digging in them very soon!

So, many of you might know that I made a quilt top in less than 4 days {yay}! Just finished that quilt top this morning around 10:30a.m. I have really not gone mad! Really!  Oh, everything comes with a tiny bit of motivation, do you believe that or say so? I have been slowly checking off the w.i.p. works and getting clean out all the things in the studio here.

It might had been the week before last week, I was so proud to tell S about all the new studio arrangements I made. She looked around then quickly replied to me: Well, I think you just moved these fabrics from here to there and these fabric folded differently. I didn''t think you've gotten any better! and by the way, mama you've got way to many fabrics. ---- blink blink her eyes then off she went.

Oh, S was so true about it. I did move the fabric boxes down to the sewing table again and moved the scrap boxes to the other side. Folded the fat quarters in thirds, so I can fit them all into the containers.  So, last Friday, I dropped everything and started cutting all my scrap fabrics { like I really mean to, clean up}. I, maybe stubborn again about this whole cleaning and making it happen mode again {laugh}! Here I am, made a quilt top in less than 4 days! My goodness! It will never happen to me again! I had really great time by myself and thanks to all loves and hearts on the quilt over {Instagram}! All I did was sewing straight-line, paying no attentions to all the prints. Just piece them all together! Yes, chain piecing is the method.  So I will go ahead and quilt it soon! It would be this week, I plan on it! I just need to find the backing fabrics for it. Likely I will try to use what I have in the studio.  Alright, you probably tired of me talking about this by now..

The new FW1930 blocks have to the wall and the last 48 blocks have taken down! It is so nice that every block's unfinished size is the same! I can't tell you how much I like and have been so challenging by this quilt along! It is not because of the blocks are difficult, but the effort I put in this quilt along is slightly different the others! I really am looking into a perfect quilt sampler quilt at the end, so am trying so hard to make it perfect!

March will be coming soon and I hope to finish S' 12th birthday quilt top and if I am stubborn enough I'll have it done! Oh, she just sent her little hint to me over the weekend about the quilt idea, which I have been waiting for. You know, I'll be checking on fabrics again. Likely using lots fat quarters, fat eighths, and half yard cuts!  I'll share with you when I have it finish! I think she is kinda anxious to see the new birthday quilt and so am I, ready to make this quilt for her!

Next time, when I return here, I will share the quilt {from the top} and let's call it Scraps Player for now! Then S' quilt?! then few more little bits of this and that need to get ready to ship out! Then I'll be back here to share with you more of bits and bobs!

With an extra day in February, I hope you've gotten all your errands done and agendas cross off! I have; finished a quilt top, gone to grocery stores, gotten fresh flowers, done monthly bookkeeping and a clean/ready start working table, and have dinner planned in my head!

Best of all, wrote a blog post! And off to start sewing soon...

Thank you for continuing visiting me here! I have so much going on here, so I can only come here a few times a month and hope this will improve soon!  Thank you again for checking out the {moon pouches} and thank you for all the emails and this and that! The March preview will be towards to the end of the March. I have gotten all the pieces ready, but needed a good sunny day to photograph. I hope to come back here before the next preview, but I can't promise you at this time!

Meanwhile, crossed fingers for better and warmer weather for us who have getting spring fevers!

xxc