A Christmasy craft project

For those who don't follow my Christmas blog, I thought I would share the link to my most recent post over there. In the Christmas craft forum I frequent, the 25th of every month is Rudolph Day. Hence, yesterday was the Rudolph Day for February. The ladies encourage one another to do Christmasy projects on Rudy Day, and this is what I did yesterday: Christmas Throw!

I've had the fabric for years, not just sure how I wanted to proceed with this project, but yesterday I just went for it! I'm so pleased to have finished this project at last!

Slow-cooker Jambalaya ~ highly recommended!

(Photo by Taste of Home)

Thought I would quickly share the link to a delicious slow-cooker jambalaya recipe: Hearty Jambalaya. I made the jambalaya this past weekend for our church potluck.

I did make just a few changes: used about a pound of chicken tenders for the chicken component; used only a half pound of sausage (I used smoked beef sausage) and, for the shrimp component, just used a bag of the small frozen salad shrimp and stirred them in at the beginning of the final hour of cooking. I don't see how it could have been any more delicious!

Fabulous giveaway at Prairie Flower Farm!

Prairie Flower Farm is having a party and giveaway! Go here for all the details!

I have become a regular visitor at Prairie Flower Farm. I enjoy reading about Linda's life, her work, her family, her crafting, and her faith. Linda is also an early bird reviewer for Gooseberry Patch cookbooks, and that' s just what she's giving away -- plus a lovely handmade coupon organizer in a choice of three colors. She also shares an incredible-looking recipe from the cookbook (Mom's Very Best Recipes) in this post, so you'll want to be sure to take a look at that as well.

The last day to get in on this giveaway is Monday, February 28, so get on over to
Prairie Flower Farm and join in on the party!

An old favorite ~ Sausage Pasta Soup

(Photo by Taste of Home)

At our house, every Wednesday night is soup and pizza night. In warm weather, it may possibly be salad and pizza night. I do this because Wednesday afternoon is a very busy time for me, with lots of time spent out of the house, and then Wednesday evening we go to church for prayer meeting and our granddaughters' Patch the Pirate Club meeting. I leave the pizza dough in the bread machine while I'm away in the afternoon, and usually make a simple soup when I return. It simmers while I assemble and bake the pizzas.

Last night we had an old favorite, Pasta/Sausage Soup. I have been making this soup since I first cut the recipe out of Country Woman magazine in 1992. It is very quick and easy, but tastes as if it had simmered a long time. It's a very flavorful soup. Here's the link if you would like to try making this soup: Pasta/Sausage Soup. I keep Italian sausage in the freezer at all times, along with frozen diced green peppers, so I can make this soup anytime. I usually only use a half pound of sausage, and it is just fine. Also, I omit the Worcestershire sauce since one of my granddaughters is allergic to the anchovies in it. It tastes just fine without this ingredient.

Hope you enjoy this soup as much as we do!

February frost patterns

This past weekend, Mr. T noticed these pretty frost patterns on an upstairs storm door.

To me, they look like a bunch of small flowers, perhaps impatiens, clustered together. All in white, of course!

This is a clearer photo. Aren't they pretty?

"By the breath of God frost is given, and the breadth of the waters is straitened." (Job 37:10)

Country Baking sampler ~ finished at last!!

Last evening I finally completed a UFO of many years' standing.
This photo shows it partially finished:

I had actually finished this cross-stitch sampler about 3 years ago, but could never decide what to do with it. I didn't really want to frame it. I had decided finally to frame it in fabric, but when I went looking in my stash one of the first things I found was a green dish towel that perfectly matched the green in the sampler.

The only problem was that I had already cut the dishtowel in half in preparation for another project which I had not continued with. (Don't ask ~ the less said about that, the better.) So here's what I did: I cut even a little more off one end of the dishtowel so that it would be a better fit for the stitchery. Then I sewed the two pieces together again. And I used what I cut off to make a hanging sleeve for the back. The hanger is a recycled dowel and cord from an outdated calendar towel. I always save those and have used many for this type of project.

Here's a closer look at the top half of the sampler:

And then a closeup or two of the lower half:
Love the Bundt® cake at the top left of this section, and the quilt hanging from the wooden spoon toward the right side of the picture.


I am so happy to have finished this project! Now I can display it in my kitchen ~ although I have yet to find just the right place to hang it.

Valentine sweetness from a dear friend

On Valentine's Day, I received a manila envelope in the mail from my dear friend J. What a creative little gift she put together!

First was this adorable felt heart, trimmed with embroidery and reading "Friend".

When I asked J. where she found the pattern for this, she told me she just made up this craft out of her head. I wish I had gotten a less blurry photo, but was in a hurry. Maybe I can take another picture later. Those are tiny embroidered roses up by the top of the heart. Isn't it adorable? I would love to make some of these for gifts for next year.

And then there were these three crocheted coasters in such Valentine-y colors!

Aren't they just beautiful!? I can see these done in fall colors, Christmas colors, even blue, white and gray for winter.... I will definitely be making some of these! They are made with cotton yarn like one would use for dishcloths, so are easily washable.

This thoughtful surprise surely lifted my spirits this week! I am so thankful to the Lord for my dear friend J. and her thoughtful ways.