Quilts and Cranberries

Last weekend was a busy one. Between the quilt show, dinner with friends, and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra Adam and I were a couple on the go! If you've never seen or even heard of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, I suggest you look at the web page and watch some of the clips on the web. The event is laser and pyrotechnic magic!

The quilt show was more of an octogenarian event and I think Lisa and I were the only people under 50 who were not forced to be there by a mother or grandmother. We found some amazing products to help us fancy up our projects. I'm particularly fond of the iron-on sparkles we found. I've made some kitchen towels bespangled with snowflakes for the winter.

This is a picture of a quilt I learned how to make at a clinic we went to. It is super pretty in full size and I'm loving all of the ideas I have for future projects. The only downfall is that it uses circles to make the quilt, and circles are yardage eaters!


This is the famous Dr. Lisa Bartee.


Do you remember when I went skiing a few weeks ago? Well, while I was checking my gear the night before, I started looking for a hat to have around for the fall. I thought I had maybe three or four hats in my gear bag, but as I started looking my bag started to spew forth hats! This is a picture of what I found. I wasn't a very good looker, because after I took this picture I found two more hats!


Today Adam and I are driving to Maple Valley for Thanksgiving. Our contribution to dinner needed to travel well, and be ready to eat, as Vicki's kitchen is out of commission and in re-model purgatory. I've made some cranberry sauce and canned it for travel. It has been sent to Pennsylvania, for Josh and Krista, Illinois, for Ariel and Dan, and Jeremiah and Jessie, some is staying here in Portland with Bartee and Kris and Wes, and some is going to go all the way to Whidbey Island when I see Auntie Linda, Etta and Chris on Friday!


I thought the berries were jsut so pretty in the pot that i needed to take a picture!


If you want to try my version of cranberry sauce here is what you need:

1 lb. fresh cranberries-- I got mine from the farmer's market
1/2 c. - 1 c. of honey
1-2 c. orange juice
3-4 shots of Grand Marnier
Fresh Ginger, about an inch, diced finely, or put through a press

I don't really measure anything that I add to this recipe, and, yes, that was what drove me nuts about my mom's cinnamon rolls!

Put everything into a big kettle, and turn on the heat to medium. Use the potato masher to break up the berries as things start to heat up. You want to smash most of the berries open to let the starches in the berries out so they can thicken the mixture. If you don't you will have glazed berries, not a sauce. The mixture will turn into very, very thick jam as it cools. It will store in the fridge for about a week, or you can can it according to directions like a jam.

Don't be worried if the kitchen really smells like alcohol. I made a quadruple batch this year and the house was like a distillery as the alcohol cooked off. One batch makes enough for a family dinner (6-8 people) with some leftovers.

Now I'm waiting for Adam to get back from the dentist and we will be on our way like the rest of the traveling nation today. Everyone be safe on the roads, and don't forget the pumpkin pie!

Comments

  1. Great post! I don't ever think I'll make a quilt with circles. I don't like to measure!

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