Blessing Dress

Being a woman, I claim the privilege to change my mind at any point in time, for any reason I deem worthy. Therefore, I am blogging again. This didn't fit into the category for either my garden blog or my recipes, but for the sake of those who missed out on my baby's blessing day, here is her dress:
The bunny detail on the skirt:

And the bodice:

Now for the story:

When my oldest child, now five and three quarters of a year old, was just having her first birthday, I decided to learn a little hand embroidery. So, of course, I sought out something extremely difficult-looking to start with. (Wasn't that a grand idea?)

After reading up on all the different stitches, and purchasing needed items and materials, I began. Seven months later, and an estimated total of twenty hours of tedious needlework, I had two embroidered pieces of cloth. I placed them in a ziploc bag where they would be clean until I could finish them into a dress. Then I was pregnant again. Now, I am the last person to use pregnancy as any kind of an excuse, so I'll just say I was waiting...

When my second daughter was just having her first birthday, I was unpacking from a move and found my hard work in a ziploc bag. I decided it was time. I bought a pattern and cut around the embroidery, size two, in case it took me a while. (Then I was pregnant again.)

We'll skip the part where I had a little boy and move on to a week before we blessed our third daughter.

I want to be lazy and let her wear one of her sister's dresses, and then am convinced that this will cause fighting at some point in someone's life and decide I'd better get a move on and make her a dress, and the only white material in the house is...embroidered!

Now we'll skip the part where my mom's old serger was broken and she had to buy me a new one because there were only four days left.

So, I readjust the fabric pieces, cutting them out in 0-3 months and sew like mad to get it done. Wasn't that a lovely story? I knew you'd like it. The big girls got new dresses, too, but they were done months ago after Aunt Sara donated patterns and leftover wedding materials from one of her sisters...Thanks Aunt Sara!

The End (I felt like it needed that.)

Signing off

Sorry friends...this is it. It was fun while it lasted and now I think I have more exciting things to take my time on than blogging. Don't worry, I'll be stopping by regularly to visit your sites and if I do come across an incredible recipe, I'll be sure and save it for the time when I start my cooking adventures again!

Country Style Pork Ribs

I hadn't ever made ribs before. I know, cry for my husband. But there was this terrific sale and I thought I should pick some up just to have in my freezer in case the need to make ribs arose. Then, I got so excited, I googled some recipes and decided to try the one for which I had all three ingredients on hand. Oh, and it didn't call for a grill, which was helpful as I don't like to stand in the cold.

Ingredients:
Boneless country style pork ribs
Pineapple juice
Barbeque sauce

Mmmm. Okay, so you boil the ribs in the juice for 45 minutes. Enough to cover should be good, but I added about twice the amount of water because all I had was the (frozen) juice from a can of pineapple chunks. Pineapple juice is a natural tenderizer and therefore works well in marinades and basting sauces and for boiling ribs... Drain ribs, baste on barbeque sauce and broil 2-3 minutes. Then turn them over, baste and broil again and you're done! Very good, and pretty, too. Wish I would've snapped a picture.

This will now be a staple and probably a freezer meal. And if you make them better, I'd love to hear about it...

Christmas Eve Clam Chowder

For my mama...
If you'd like a picture of the cookie trees we made, I have plenty. I didn't get one of the chowder.
This recipe originally came from my old backyard neighbor, Norma Nichols, who designed the CTR shield (yes, the very one) and whose house my sister now resides in.

Christmas Eve Clam Chowder
2 Stalks celery, sliced
1 onion, diced
2 large potatoes, cubed
2 cans chopped clams
3/4 c. butter
3/4 c. flour
1 qt. half and half
1 1/2 t. salt
1 tsp. garlic powder
dash pepper
1 T. lemon juice (opt.)

Place onion, celery and potatoes in a large pot. Add the juice from the clams and enough water to barely cover. Cook until potatoes are just tender. In a mixing bowl, melt butter and stir in flour to make a roux. Add spices and enough half and half to make it smooth. Slowly stir into veggies and cook on medium until thick. Add clams and lemon juice, heat through.

Suggestions are as follows: I can't stand how clams chew and chew and never go away, so I use one can of minced and one can of chopped. Lemon juice is optional, but makes all the difference, so not really.