More on the T-shirt

I cant stand for very long, so I am working on the T-shirt quilt.  At least, that is my current excuse for not vacuuming.

 

I sewed orange and purple borders on the T-shirt squares and the squares I made up from pictures off the internet.

 

Then I added a strip with purple and orange in the design between each strip. 

 

I used the same striped fabric to make a border.

 

Next I have some things to applique. 

 

I ordered some fabric for the back and when it gets here I can finish this project, she says, hopefully.

Sunset

 

Yesterday was rainy, and sprinkling, except for when it poured buckets.  The wind came up and blew some of the clouds away and we noticed the light from the sunset put a glow on the farm behind us.  It was pretty so I took a picture and then went to the front porch to see what we were being blessed with there.

The sunset was off set by a cloud layer that had settled in the little valley below our house.

 


I wish my camera could capture how pretty it was.  I hope this gives you an idea.

Commies in Virginia

Lee and I went out to do some errands.  A State Trooper passed us on the highway.  Virginia is a Commonwealth rather than a state, which a distinction without a difference as far as I can tell.

 

"Why don't they call them Commonwealth Troopers instead of State Troopers,?" Lee asked.

I thought about that for a minute and then it came to me.  "The nickname for a State Trooper is a Statie.  Can you imagine if we had Commies driving around giving out tickets?"

It's Cold

Yes.  It IS cold.  Most everyone is cold.  I have been hearing the news of this polar vortex and knew it would be cold. 

Got up and it was 1.  Yes, one degree above zero.  Fahrenheit.

Now it has warmed up considerably.  It is 6.

 

Beautiful day, though.  Stepped out on the porch.  Took one picture and stepped back in.

Gotta find something inside to do.

It's going to be in the sixties on Sunday.  Is THAT global warming or is THIS global warming?

Back To The T-Shirt Quilt

I had to quit work on my Federal Express T-shirt quilt over the holidays.  No time, and really , no interest when I had a house fuLL of family.  Family gone, Christmas decorations put away, time to finish the quilt.

I did something to my back so I can't stand for any amount of time, but sitting seems to work, so I went back to the quilt.  I already cut up the T-shirts I had and affixed them to some fusible inner facing for stability.  T-shirts are stretchy things. 

 

There weren't enough T-shirts, so I downloaded some pictures of Federal Express planes off the internet.  Lee worked in both the San Diego office and the Los Angeles office and I found images of Federal Express planes flying in or out of those airports and downloaded the images on to fabric that you can run through a printer.

 

After 15 minutes, or in my case, a couple of weeks, you can peel off the plastic backing and soak the pictures in room temperature water. 

 

I set them on a towel to dry, ironed them on the wrong side and they are ready to add to the quilt.

 

Then Lee found ANOTHER T-shirt and an old ball cap with an embroidered Federal Express truck.  I put the T-shirt on the stabilizer and cut out the truck.

 

 One of the used T-shirts has a stain on it and I will put the embroidered truck over that.  After I cut out the back of the T-shirt I noticed that the front had a pocket with a FedEx logo over it.

 

I cut out the pocket with the logo and stabilized that.  I used an applique pressing sheet.  This keeps the glue from the fusible inner facing from getting on the iron.  It also keeps the paint from melting on the iron.  You have to wait for it to completely cool before you remove it from the project.  I tried to do it too soon and some of the paint wanted to peel up on the pressing sheet.  I placed it back down and pressed it a bit more, let it cool and them carefully peeled the sheet off the T-shirt. No paint.  Other than the stupid stuff I do, I must be a genius!

 

 

Lee rummaged around in the closet and found an old Fed Ex uniform shirt.  During peak season, i.e. Christmas, FedEx managers would frequently be found driving or helping in some way in the field.  He liked getting out in the trenches!  I took the sleeve with the logo and the pocket and I will find spots for them.

I laid the whole thing out on the dining table and moved things around to suit.  When I had it the way I wanted it I took each row up in a pile.

 

Next I will put purple and orange fabric ( FedEx colors) around the T-shirt squares and start to assemble this thing. 

Roast Your Own Coffee

Our son got us an entire coffee roasting "kit" for Christmas.  It seems the latest craze is to roast your own beans and to use a popcorn popper to do the job!  He tells me it has become difficult to find popcorn poppers at garage sales because of this,  at least in California.  We live in a small town in southwest Virginia, so this a craze that hasn't hit here, yet.

 

Here is how it works.  First you get some unroasted, or green, coffee beans.  They are available online or at a local roaster.

 

Popcorn poppers use a scoop of popcorn, but you put in a scoop of green coffee beans.  This is a bit messy and can get smoky, so you may want to do it outside.  It is darn cold here, so we did it inside and next to the sink.

 

Coffee beans have some skin on them that comes off during the roasting process.  An occasional bean pops out all on its own, so it helps to tip the popper back a bit. 

 

After about three minutes, the beans turn dark and start to make a cracking sound.  They will start to smoke.  If you like a lighter roast, stop now.  If you like a darker roast, keep going for a minute or so, but be prepared for the smoke alarm to go off and for the house to smell like smoke for quite a bit.

 

Pour the beans into a colander and swirl around to cool and get rid of the rest of the loose bean skin.  When they are completely cool, place them in a airtight container.  They have to sit for 24 hours before they can be ground and used.  Travis had roasted some prior to my tutorial, so we went ahead with the "aged" beans.

 

Next you grind the beans,.  I already had a coffee grinder.  The ground coffee should be used in a week or so.  Or grind fresh every morning.  You can use it in a regular Mr. Coffee type coffee maker.

If you want to be special, and of course I DO want to be special, we also received a fancy schmancy coffee press to finish this experience.

 

It comes with a wee filter that fits in a screw off filter holder at the bottom of a tube.  Then you place the freshly ground coffee in the top of the tube and place the tube over a coffee cup.  Pour a measured amount of hot water over the coffee and use the tightly fitted cylinder to force air through the filter.  This will push the water through the grounds without touching the coffee or water.  Now you have espresso! 

 

You may add additional hot water to make a coffee Americano. 

 

Sweeteners or cream can be added if you like that.  I like that.

You unscrew the holder for the filter over a trashcan and dump the coffee and filter out.  A quick rinse and you are done.   Or put in a new filter for more coffee.

 

This is a bit or work, so it will probably be used just for special occasions.  Or, once I get the routine down and find the best mix of beans, it could be a special treat for our B&B guests.

Sausage Potato Frittata

A frittata is a great way to use up bits and drabs for a tasty breakfast.  You gotta have a lot of eggs if you are feeding a crowd, though.  It's kind of like a omelet that you don't need to fold over.  You also need a pan that can go from the cooktop to the oven.

 

Sausage, Potato Frittata

3 left over baked potatoes
3/4 pound of Jimmy Dean Sausage
1 onion, chopped
A bunch of eggs.  I used 9 because that is all we had left.  A dozen would have worked better.
Milk
1/3 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
salt and pepper

Optional:
4 green onions, sliced thinly, including the green part.
1 Tablespoon cilantro, thinly sliced
Save a bit back for the garnish.

I didn't have any left over potatoes, so I put three in the microwave for about 10 minutes, let them cool and then stuck them in the refrigerator for the morning.

Pre heat the oven to 400°.

 

Start the sausage cooking over medium heat in a large fry pan.  Chop it up into small bits as it cooks.

 

Heat some Olive Oil in a large oven proof fry pan.  I used a cast iron pan.  Add the chopped onions and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

 

Peel and chop the potatoes in a small, bite sized dice.  Add the potatoes to the onions.  While they are cooking use a whisk to mix up the eggs and a bit of milk.  I use about 1/2 cup for a dozen eggs.  Use a little less if you only have 9 eggs!  Add salt and pepper to taste and the Parmesan cheese. 

 

Chop the onions and cilantro if you are using them.  Set aside.

 

Add the sausage to the potatoes when there is no pink left in the sausages and the potatoes are starting to get brown on at least a couple of sides.  Pour the egg mixture over the potato mixture.

 

Use a spatula to pull the cooked eggs from the sides to the center and tip the pan to let the uncooked eggs flow to the clear spots. When they are mostly set, move the ingredients around so the potatoes and sausage seem to be evenly distributed.  Sprinkle the green onions and the cilantro on top and  place in the preheated oven. 
 


Cook for about 15 minutes or until set.  Remove from the oven and let cool for about 5 minutes and slice into wedges. Serve with fruit.  If you are making this for a dinner, serve with a small salad.