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.

Quilts delivered

Had my appointment at the VA for my knee and am definitely on the schedule for a total knee replacement the end of February. That will work out for attending the retreat in Phoenix, and for daughter Jackie's wedding in mid-April.

After my appointment, we delivered quilts to Dr. Kaufman. It's the reason I keep doing this. She is a wonderful doctor, and it is a small payback for all the care she gave our daughter Lindsay.

My 100th blog post came and went and I meant to have a giveaway. I'll have to think of something and post it on here, so stay tuned--all two of my readers! Here's the other Ariel quilt and its pieced backing...


OOPS! In my haste to post these pictures, I forgot to edit them and my quilts have legs and feet! LOL!

Finishing more

I've been on a roll and finishing quilts that Pat sent me. I'm on a deadline since I have to go to Albuquerque on Friday and it will be a good day to deliver quilts to Dr. Kaufman.

Winter has settled in here. It was 10 this morning! But thankfully the sun has been shining brightly and we've reaped a lot of solar gain heat. My sewing room has a large southern sliding glass door, and while working pantographs, I have my back in the winter sun.

This is one of two quilts that I loaded on a king sheet. The colors all worked well together.


I'm now working on a second of two "Ariel" panel quilts. They're great for a sea turtle pantograph by Dave Hudson in variegated King Tut.

Winter comes and goes...

A few minutes ago it looked like a nasty snow storm was descending down on us. The wind picked up and it's blown away somewhere east of us. I don't know why I'd call it nasty--we really do need the moisture.

I finished quilting another two quilts that Pat sent. I was able to load them sideways and make use of a king flat sheet for backing. In between all of this we installed Edgerider wheels on my Gammill. The excellent instructions by Jeffrey Lomicka made all the difference on installing the wheels on my stitch regulated Gammill. I've only tried them a little, at the end of the quilt, but I can tell it's going to make a big difference in my control, and I will join the ranks of others singing their praise.


I finished one other donation quilt. I had wanted to do something freehand rather than a pantograph with this quilt, but I really struggle with design ideas to evenly quilt something--and usually end up going with a pantograph. I didn't on this one, except in the borders, but the quilting isn't terribly exciting. Oh well, it keeps the layers together, and sometimes that's enough.

Fall hike

My husband hasn't hiked all summer, waiting for his knee to heal from a short "run" to get out of the rain he did when he went back east. His knee hasn't really healed, but he decided to go for one of his "lesser" hikes. It was so beautiful and full of birds that he wanted me to go with him...just to the canyon. He generally hikes 5 miles beyond this point. Okay, so I thought, I'd try it. I used two ski poles which helped considerably but halfway down the gravelly trail I had serious doubts about my ability to make it. But I persevered and was well rewarded for my pain.

There was a rock ledge with a deeper little pool of rather icy water where I sat and soaked my still healing ankle. The canyon was indeed beautiful, quiet, and the weather just perfect. Unfortunately most of the bird population had decided that winter is really coming and fled south. We did get a great look at a Williamson's sapsucker (woodpecker) just as we were packing up.

Thankfully the trek up proved to be much easier. Once I got in and sat down in the truck though, I was done for the day. Took my boots off and slipped back into my Crocs. It was the first day I've had "real" shoes on since I wiped out on the bike.

A couple more finished

My friend Pat is a prolific quilter (and I use this to term to apply to all the various stages of quilt making, designing, piecing, and finishing). I'm not very fast when it comes to piecing. I'd much rather quilt and bind than get beyond the first few blocks. So it's a good working relationship for us.

I'm working on quilting the tops she sent me, and have finished the two "cowboy" quilts. One for her niece's boyfriend's son, Ethan, and the other will go to Dr. Kaufman.



I got a new pantograph for these from Dave Hudson, Buffalo Skull, though Pat and I feel it looks much more like a cow skull. (Though I know I haven't seen any buffalo skulls.)

I was happy to back them with this nice quality, muslin feed sack material that I picked up at a thrift store some time ago. I'd been wanting to do a western theme quilt to be able to use it...but as you know I'm not fast or prolific when it comes to piecing.

One done, a bunch to go

I started this quilt quite a while ago for my friend Rosie. She loves blues and so I tried sticking with blues for her quilt. Tropical Blues seemed an apt name for it. The back features fabric she had given me when she moved to Hawaii. The center part was a nine-patch pizzazz, which I then grew a bit to make it a queen.

My quilt holder uppers, Dale and Jim, didn't do a very good job--so she took the picture of it on their queen bed.