A sweet treat and a little prize.............

A week ago this past Friday, I was busy cleaning and baking because our kids were coming out for a visit. I had baked up a big batch of homemade chocolate chip cookies (a family favorite) but I wanted something special for a treat at breakfast. I decided I'd make cinnamon rolls. Memories of the big cinnamon rolls that Lucille Olson made at the L & L Cafe when I was a teen-ager made me get out her cookbook and make her rolls. I made these a couple years ago and was surprised they turned out so well. A warm cinnamon roll with melted frosting is just so good!

Now the reason I was surprised that the rolls turned out so well is that the recipe involves yeast. That's one of those ingredients that if you don't get it just right then the yeast won't rise and you will not get yummy cinnamon rolls. I evidently got it right.........water temp was perfect and the yeast was fresh and oh, did the dough rise!!!

 

If I do this again, I need to get a bigger mixing bowl because the recipe makes a huge batch of cinnamon rolls. So many that I rolled out the dough once........

and cut it into slices...........

 

 and filled these pans, plus two more 10 x 13 pans. Then I let the rolls rise again.

 

 

The smell of the rolls baking was too good to be true. I let them bake til golden on the top and then let them cool before I frosted them.  I put the unfrosted pans in the freezer, took a small pan of rolls to friend, Sue, and then we ate the frosted ones.

And while the rolls were baking, a brief but intense rain shower fell and when it was over the sun came out bright as could be. I just knew there might be a rainbow, so I grabbed my camera and sure enough there was one. Actually, there are two. If you look closely on the right, you can see that it is a double rainbow!

So I was really pleased and surprised that my cinnamon rolls turned out so well, and then I was pleased and surprised that there was a rainbow...........so I thought I would please and surprise one of you with a little fabric treat from my stash. I am cleaning and sorting and found these summery fabrics. I am going to make them into the little candlemat that I designed a few years ago. I don't need all the fabric so I have a fat quarter of the floral and three fat-eighth's, plus my "Candlelight" pattern, for one lucky winner!

Just leave your name and tell me if you have ever made cinnamon rolls. Easy as pie! I'll have my random number man draw a winner on July 12th at midnight. Good luck!
Sandi

Independence Day, 2013

Happy 4th of July!

 

Wishing you all .............

 

 

Have a star-spangled day!!!

What's on the line?

Oh, my, I almost forgot to post today!!  It's been a bit busy the past few days with baking, cleaning, and then a weekend visit from our kids. And, it was Sauerkraut Days in Henderson this past weekend so it was a busy, fun weekend. The weather was absolutely perfect for the parade on Sunday. And some of the perfect weather can be seen in the background of this charming Sunbonnet Sue quilt top...........

This is another quilt top that my mom and dad bought at an auction. What I find interesting about this one is that all the Sunbonnet Sue's are the same fabric, just facing differently in the blocks. The top is in fairly good condition with just a couple minor spots on it. I think this one would be fun to hand-quilt in an "old-fashioned quilting bee" event. I might just do that one day. And if I do..........I'll be sure and share it here on my blog.  :-)
With the arrival of July, summer is in full swing and it looks like a beautiful week coming up. Make it a good one!
Back soon with photos of our big weekend and more...........

Sandi

Beginning Quilt Fun!

Several years ago, I began teaching a really basic beginning quilt class in our Community Ed program and in free classes in the Scott County Library System. I have wanted to offer the same class here in Henderson and finally it happened. This past Tuesday evening I set up the table at the library. Lots of samples to inspire and all the fabrics needed to make the project..........

There were just four students but we had a fun evening and plan to get together again. That's Diane on the left, and Nichole with daughter Lydia and Darlene. I brought pretty pastels and also some of Jacquelynne's fabrics lines. The project we're making is just twelve 4-1/2" squares sewn together into a placemat sized mat .........or a doll quilt in Lydia's case.  She's going to learn to sew and one day make a project for 4-H. How cool is that?

If you live in or near Henderson, MN and want to learn the really beginning basics of quilting, stay tuned as I'll be posting dates and times for future meetings. Looking forward to sharing the joy of stitching with new friends!!
Big weekend coming up in Henderson..........it's the annual Sauerkraut Days Festival! Looking forward to lots of classic cars, the tractor parade, mini donuts, the big parade on Sunday and lots more. And the best part?  Our kids are all coming out for the weekend so it'll be lots of family fun! 
Back soon.......
Sandi

What's on the line?

The little quilt "on the line" today is so sweet...........

I bought it at PJ's Scoops, the ice cream place here in Henderson. Almost forgot that I bought it as I picked it up sometime back in March when winter was hanging on forever. It was a nice reminder that spring and flowers would eventually return.  I don't know who made the quilt but it's all hand-appliqued and hand-quilted. Measures about 20 x 24 " and it was only $10! Could not believe the price when I saw the handwork on it. Scooped it up right away! ;-)  It's hanging on the line in this photo but it's "in house" spot is hanging on the wall in our family room off the kitchen. It would be easy to make a little quilt like this as the flowers are just appliqued circles with a small applique for the center. The pots are all cut form the same fabric. Very cute and these flowers will never wilt.
I can't say the same about the real flowers that I planted yesterday. We finally got some large pots for our front porch and I added flowers to them and also some more pots with half-price bedding plants. It all looks really pretty and I can only hope that I will water them right and they will continue to grow. I'll get some photos later this week and let you know if all the pretty petunias are growing or wilting. :-)  It was fun to play in the dirt and plant real flowers. I'm pretty good at decorating with artificial flowers but you really cannot beat the beauty of the real blossoms. And the scent of real flowers is really sweet.........just like this little quilt!
It's the start of a good week..........Enjoy it!
Sandi

What's on the line?

A little quilt that was made by my mother, Mary, is on the line today............

 

This was a remnant that she bought of a panel fabric that had all these cute houses and little quilts on it. She added a top and bottom strip of fabric, hand-quilted the piece and then added colorful yo-yo's. She did a lot of little quilting projects in the last few years but now her hands just don't stitch as well so she doesn't do any quilting anymore. She still likes to crochet, although she hasn't done any since moving to the Care Center. She told me, though, that she's going to "get back to it soon". I hope so, as it really is something that helps pass the time.

I went home to Iowa this past weekend to vist my mom and took her to the Lehigh Public School Alumni banquet. We had a good time and visited with lots of old friends!

Today will be a day for laundry and cleaning as we have friends visiting from California tomorrow, plus it's my husband's birthday so I should probably bake a cake. Such a busy summer already and so much I was planning to blog about and just can't get to it! I've decided not to make any more promises about being a more regular blogger........sporadic blogging is now my new regular. LOL!
Back soon.......

Sandi

What's on the line? and a little update.....

This pretty quilt that is "on the line" today is one that my dad, Melvin, bought for my mother, Mary. It's machine appliqued by a company in New York. Will research the name and will be back in a bit with more info......

Okay.........so I intended to be "back in a bit". Got sidetracked, of course. Lots of projects going on at our house and I didn't stay focused on doing the research on this quilt. But, now I have info about it, sort of. Here's what I discovered........While the quilt is very pretty, I had the funny feeling it was not made in the U.S., even though there's a label on the quilt that says "Arch Quilts, Elmsford, NY".  So I googled the name and if you go here, you can read where this quilt was likely made. I am sure that the colors "caught the eye" of my dad when he saw this one. He may even have thought it was a vintage quilt but the applique is heavily machine stitched and the edging is just not very well done. It just looked like a manufactured quilt and that's most likely what it is. Regardless.........it still has charm, looks lovely on a bed and is really pretty hanging on my clothesline. :-) 
So, it's late Monday night as I update this so .............. here's wishing you a really good week!
Sandi