Archives are worth reading!

Don't miss even one of my accumulated opinions, observations, ideas, patterns & country recipes.....visit the archives....it could change your life.......just kidding!

4 Dozen & Stopping

Don't forget to stock up on Easter eggs. This free pattern & tutorial is offered at http://retro-mama.blogspot.com/2009/03/easter-is-in-air.html Be warned, though, I could not stop at 1! They are habit-forming.....

Save $$...eat cereal for patterns!

One of my daughters lived in Kansas City while going to school...I was amazed on one of my visits by the colorful statues of cows, downtown. Really, I could not take my eyes off the painted creatures, & I wanted desperately to touch each one. I could not pick a favorite. I just had to recreate my own gaudy, little herd. Since 3-dimensional art is not my forte', 2-dimensional was my only hope. I thought of turning to paper & paints but settled on fabric & scissors instead.

In no time I had my very own parade of cows....oh, how I plowed through my stash! I selected 9 bright & cheery prints that reminded me of the KC bovine. I drew an outline & used a cereal box to cut a template (I cannot draw cows, but that did not slow me down....lol....!). I varied the position of the tails here & there for artistic-variety. The little appliqued quilt top satisfied my appetite for beef.......sorry, I cannot share the patten, because I threw the template in the trash.....one parade was enough for me, but you are welcome to copy the idea....could be cows, horses, chickens, paper dolls....imagination is your only limit. Do you have an empty cereal box....that is the real question....feed your dh cereal tonight.....tell him that you're saving money on quilting patterns...it will help him swallow it!

Hear the Rooster Crow

March Cupcake Applique

http://www.scribd.com/share/upload/9874936/1pplco44wa9qcx9fwcyz
The free March-themed cupcake applique is ready to share.....click on the link to find it...enjoy!

Country Cooking Recipe

Crust is the key to a good pie. It must be flaky.

After 38 years of pie-baking, this is my crust recipe. If I have used it to bake 1 pie....I have used to bake a thousand.

2 2/3 cups all-purpose white flour (any brand)

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. of sugar (optional)

1 cup white Crisco shortening

Just enough cold water to make a rollable dough

Mix flour, sugar & salt. Add 1 cup Crisco, taking a knife & cutting into the flour until there are several chunks of shortening instead of a big lump.

Mix at low speed until the chunks are even more broken up.

Do not mix much as mixing makes a tough crust.

Starting with 1/2 cup cold water, mix, adding more water a little bit at a time until the desired consistency is reached. Do not mix much as mixing makes a tough crust.
Roll out on floured surface.

This makes a 2-crust cobbler, a large 2-crust pie or 2 single crusts.