Monday, Monday

Happy Monday everyone! I have to admit, I do love Mondays. We've been given a fresh start on the week, and the possibilities are endless!

I thought today I'd share a little something different with you. Since I didn't get any sewing done over the weekend (bad me!) other than cutting up more strips, I don't have any new photo's of the quilt to show you. So, I thought I'd share with you, the crocheted quilt I'm making for my daughter for Christmas.

It's made up of hundreds of 3 inch squares in different colours, some solid, some triangle. Right now I'm still working on the solid squares. I'm on the last batch of those, I need 84 and I have 38 right now, so I'm almost there. One I finish those, I'll start on the triangle squares, which is a new one for me. I've been crocheting since I was 5 (which equates to a loooong time. LOL!) and I've never attempted these before. So, I'll be learning something new which is always a good thing!

Here is what I have completed so far. Each pile has 10 squares in it, so I have 130 completed.

Once I finish the solid squares, I will need in triangle squares:

40 white and fuschia
32 white and green
108 yellow and fuschia
36 fuschia and green

So, as you can see, I still have a ways to go. Once the kids get back to school, I'll be able to find time during the day to sit down and work on it, though. Since this is only one of 4 afghans that I want to complete for Christmas presents, I really need to get a move on! LOL!

Today's Update

I'm heading off for a drive today to pick up some more fabric from a very generous soul. It will take about an hour, but honestly, that's still a lot less expensive for me than buying new fabric to practice on.

Monday's are my weekly Home Blessing Hour courtesy of the Flylady. I'll be taking an hour today to go through my house, wipe down windows, mop the middle of my floors, dust, change the sheets on the beds, etc. It's a fantastic way of keeping on top of things and giving my home a fresh new look to start the week.

Tonight for supper, we are having

Autumn Soup

1 lb ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
4 cups water
1 cup carrots, sliced
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup potatoes, cubed
2 tsp salt
1 tsp brown bouquet sauce (optional)
1/4 tsp pepper
1 bay leaft
1/8 tsp basil (if no bay leaf, use 1 tsp basil)
6 tomatoes (4 cups)

Cook meat till brown. Cook and stir onions with meat until tender. Stir in rest of ingredients except tomatoes. Heat to boil. Cover and simmer 20 minutes. Add tomatoes. Cover and simmer until veggies are tender.

This is an amazing fall soup. It's hearty and filled with so many deicious flavours. It's perfect for stormy, rainy days like today. I'll be serving it with homemade bread, still warm from the breadmaker.

Have a fantastic day!

It's The First Day of a Brand New Week!

I am so excited right now. Yesterday I signed up for a one year digital subscription to Quilter's World Magazine. Not only did I get access to October's issue, I also am able to download and save issues all the way back to 2006! There are so many great patterns, and all for only $14.95. Seriously. I almost didn't do it, because as funny as it might sound, $15 can be a lot of money, but I'm very glad I did. I have so many new presents I can make now!

If you quilt and you don't have a digital subscription, you really should think about it. I get nothing for saying this, or directing you to their site, I just think it's a fantastic deal. :)

Today's Update

Well, after a very busy, tiring Saturday and a relaxing Sunday, it's back to routines and getting things in order today! I swear, if I didn't have my routines, I'd be lost. I'm very much the type of person who loves knowing exactly what I'm doing day to day, and I adore having a list where I can check things off as I complete them. I'm like a little kid getting a gold star for a job well done. LOL!

So, cleaning and decluttering is the story for today. I've already done a lot of laundry (although the washing machine is acting a bit funny. Hopefully it's nothing serious), cleaned my downstairs bathroom and done all my routine cleaning for today.

Then I had a nap. I really didn't mean to! I don't like sleeping in the afternoon. It can really mess up my night time sleep. Hopefully not this time.

As soon as I'm done this post, I'll be doing Flylady's 27 Fling Boogie. You grab a garbage bag, go through the house, and find 27 things to throw away. Once you're done that, grab a box, and find 27 things to give away. It's a great way to declutter and if you do it right, it can be fun too.

Today's Supper:

Tonight we're having soup and biscuits. Monday is always soup day. That started last fall because my son had piano lessons and my daughter had concert band rehearsal. Because his piano teacher lives 1/2 an hour away, we had to leave early. It made for a busier after school period, so I found that if I made soup in the morning, I could just let it simmer all day and we could eat whenever we need to.

Garden Harvest Chowder

1/4 lb bacon, finely chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
1 1/2 cup water
1/2 cup frozen peas
2 cups potatoes, peeled, cooked and mashed
16 oz can cream corn
2 cups milk
1 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese, grated


Fry bacon, celery, onion and carrots in a 6-quart saucepan until bacon is semi-crisp. Add water and peas, cook 15 minutes over mediumm heat until peas are tender. Add remaining ingredients, execpt peas. Cook over medium heat, stirring occassionally, until heated through. Add cheese, stirring until melted, but not boiling.

What I love about this recipe is that you can put anything you want into the soup. I didn't use bacon this time, I used ham. I've added broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, whatever I have on hand in the fridge or that needs to be used up. It's a delicious and very versatile soup.

With it, we're having

Cheesy Garlic Biscuits

2 cups biscuit mix
2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 tsp garlic salt

Preheat oven to 450. Mix together biscuit mix, milk and cheese until a soft dough forms. Shape into balls and arrange on a cookie sheet. Bake 10 minutes or until golden, watching carefully. Combine butter and garlic powder. Brush over each biscuit as soon as they are removed from the oven.