Candy recipe

I've finished another couple of quilts, and have three more to go before I go make a delivery to Albuquerque on Thursday. The quilt express is rolling along. Fortunately Pat likes to piece and is way faster than I am. Thanks as well to all my quilting buddies that are cleaning out their stashes of orphan blocks!

Here is the recipe for Chocolate Coconut Balls . It came from Pauline Stringer, who had a PhD in Home Economics when that was my major in California some 30 years ago. (I didn't stick with it.)

Mix together in a large bowl, stirring well:
1 stick melted butter or margarine (butter is best)
2 cans flaked coconut = 14 oz. (no longer comes in can)
1 can condensed sweetened milk (Eagle Brand)
4 cups chopped pecans or walnuts
4 teaspoons vanilla

Add 2 boxes (=2 lbs.) powdered sugar and mix thoroughly.

Form into small balls. At this point I usually chill so it holds together when dipping in melted chocolate.

Melt 2 packages chocolate chips in double boiler with 1/4 square parafin.

Dip each one and set on wax paper. If you refrigerate it at this point, it will get freckles...won't be attractive, but will still taste great. One warning, this makes A LOT. Good to do with many small or large hands to form the balls.


Here is the other quilt that Pat put together from leftovers. It's small, but then so are some of the newly diagnosed kids. Dr. Kaufman is on call over Christmas, and this is always the most difficult time of year to have this kind of news. Not that there is ever a good time...

I'm off to the dentist for teeth cleaning, and unlike Dr. Stringer, I don't think I'll be taking any candy to mine.

And the winner is...

Linda P. Congratulations, and I'll be mailing your package out today or Monday! I have finished a few things besides aprons. Another pair of socks.

This was the expensive wool I bought at a yarn shop, which I'll probably not do again, and I'm hoping it is indeed "super wash" and doesn't shrink. Somehow $27 for a pair of socks that I have to make myself is just wrong! I have a bit of yarn leftover and I'm working on making some cuffs, or fingerless mitts with the it. I'm sort of adapting the sock directions since I love the two at a time on cirular needles method. I could use something on my hands in the morning while I sit at the computer before solar gain takes over heating my space. We do have a gas heater, but since we lower the thermostat to 60 during the night, it takes a while to warm the house up in the predawn hours.

Lindsay came and spent the night and we did some holiday cooking. We made a full batch of the coconut/nut balls for dipping in chocolate, and I thought we'd never finish! It had been a long time since I made a full recipe. Fortunately the garage was just the place to set the trays while I waited to melt chocolate, dip them, and then let them "set." I do like them way too much and there was a lot of sampling.

I still need to bake cookies and the cardamom bread that I made last year. I also finished quilting and binding a small quilt, and will have another batch for delivery if I can get one a day done. That will keep me in the sewing room away from all the chocolate that is calling out to me!

Sewing and sewing...

It all started when I was reading the about.com quilting forum, and someone mentioned they were getting rid of their jeans stash. Well, I have (had) a big Rubbermaid tub full of salvaged jeans. I thought that sounded like a good idea, and so I decided to go through my own denim stash after I saw this cute apron. Well, I had a lot of jeans that I could salvage and after doing a search of images for jeans aprons, I found some bib aprons from the pants legs.

I just couldn't stop even after I had made aprons for each of my girls, and their boyfriends. I repurposed a quilt block, some clothing labels, and some of my Route 66 fabric stash. More pictures of the rest of the aprons on Flickr.

So even though I have a pile of quilts to quilt, I've been otherwise occupied. Then today I spent most of the day cooking, making tortellinis, bread, and cinnamon rolls. Tomorrow younger daughter is coming over so we can make candy, scone mix, and cookies. And so since I didn't ever do a giveaway for my 100th post, here it is! Leave me a comment by this Friday (12/11) and I'll draw a name and send you an apron, and some other goodies!

Winter is here!

Boy it's been dreary and very cold the last few days, with temperatures not getting above freezing. The sun is trying to make a small attempt to come out as I write this. My husband bundled up and made the trek to the post office yesterday. His footprints are still visible in the snow almost 24 hours later. I wasn't as brave, and barely ventured into the sewing room. Hopefully today I'll get some solar gain and won't need to be bundled up while I'm out there. I have a baseboard heater which usually combined with our sunshine is enough to make it comfortable out there.

Tomorrow I'll have to brave the roads to attend a longarm meeting in town. We need lots of groceries as well, so it should be a productive trip. It's been a while since I've been able to attend.

I've been sidetracked from quilting the many tops Pat sent me...making some gifts. With the cooler weather, I'm tempted to stay in the warm cozy house and just keep knitting on my wool socks. I'm solar powered and need the sunshine back to charge me up.