Welcome

Yikes! With all of the demands of June, I didn't get my second June posting completed. Let's just pretend that today is actually June 31, and that this still counts as a June entry.

I thought I would use this entry to revisit a project that I featured in a January entry. At that time, I featured a couple of projects that I had begun at a quilting retreat sponsored by Village Dry Goods in Brigham City. Although I can claim credit for the wool appliqué work on this project, I paid to have the machine quilting done. Here are a few up close images of the machine quilting on this piece.

I love the detail on the flag portion that draws out the stars and stripes.

This image features the detail on the vase. The stitching around the leaves and vase as well as on the hydrangea blossoms is my own.

One of the reasons I particularly like this piece is its purpose of conveying welcome and hospitality. From the time that we began construction on our home three years ago, we have viewed our home as a means of being able to serve and welcome others. Our prayer is that our home will be a place of hospitality for many years to come.

I am also reminded that even our best welcoming efforts pale in comparison to the ultimate welcome we anticipate as Christ's followers. As Paul anticipates in his second letter to Timothy:

There is reserved for me in the future the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me, but to all those who have loved his appearing. 

2 Timothy 4:8

The apostle John was allowed the privilege of gaining additional glimpses of the welcome that awaits us in the presence of God Himself:

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will no longer exist; grief, crying, and pain will exist no longer, because the previous things have passed away.

Revelation 21:4

Snickerdoodles

For the past few summers now, our family seems to identify a given sweet treat which we then continue to make over and over through the summer season. The Summer 2013 treat seems to be snickerdoodle cookies. Although I don't have any particular attachment to snickerdoodles from my earlier years, I do remember seeing a recipe for them in my 4-H cooking book. I'm not entirely sure why I never made them during my growing up years. I guess we must have had other cookies that we preferred baking.

This year, I made a batch of snickerdoodles for the Memorial Day holiday weekend, and we have made several batches since, including one for Father's Day. We particularly like snickerdoodles because they are a relatively light cookie that isn't overly sweet. They are also a great cookie for young bakers because they are quite easy to stir up and then bake.

I was hoping to find a fascinating history of the snickerdoodle to share in this posting. For good or for bad, the history is somewhat obscure. I found one source that indicated that cookies similar to snickerdoodles have been around since Roman times. Recipes for cookies similar to today's snickerdoodles have appeared in American cookbooks dating back to the 18th and 19th centures. Some sources suggest that the name is derived from a German word, "Schneckennudeln," which means "snail noodle," however, the cookie's shape doesn't resemble a snail at all. Other sources suggest that the name was created as a nonsense word by New England bakers who would give odd names to their dishes. 

Regardless of of the origins of the snickerdoodle, here is the recipe that I use. My family has yet to complain of the outcome.

Snickerdoodles

Here a picture of the ingredients:

And now for the list of ingredients and the directions …

• 1 cup shortening (I use a whole Crisco stick)
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 3/4 cups flour
• 2 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Mixture of cinnamon and sugar - I generally use about 2 parts sugar to 1 part cinnamon. You can use whatever combination you like. McCormick makes a cinnamon/sugar spice mixture which does the work for you.

• Cream the shortening and sugar together using an electric mixer. 
• Mix in the eggs and vanilla.
• Sift together and stir in the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt.
• Shape into balls and roll the tops in the cinnamon/sugar mixture. 
• Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. You do not need to flatten the cookies. The baking process will flatten them out.
• Bake at 350ºF for 18 minutes.

Sewing at Midnight

I thought I would use this posting to give a bit of a shout out to one of my favorite local quilt shops. K& H Quilt Shoppe has been open in Kaysville, Utah, for about a year now. The shop owners, Kaye and Heidi (hence the K&H), have worked hard to make the shop a success and to turn the shop into "a community gathering place" as reflected on their web page.

In addition to coming to the shoppe to buy fabric, patrons have the opportunity to participate in a number of classes that are offered throughout the week. With my work schedule, my opportunity to participate in weekday classes is rather limited. (On a positive note, I probably save some money that way). One of my favorite activities that the shoppe sponsors is the "midnight sew" or "quilt 'til you wilt" night that is held on the fourth Friday of each month. On these nights, individuals can bring their machines and whatever project they are currently working on and sew until midnight. For me, this is a great opportunity to make progress on my projects. The pictures below are blocks that will be included in Kyle's graduation quilt. Yes, graduation is just a week away; however, I'm further along on his quilt that I was on Darin's at the time of his high school graduation.

 

Most of the real fun of "midnight sew" nights isn't so much the work that gets done but rather the time to participate with other ladies who enjoy quilting and having a chance to get to know them and to enjoy seeing the variety of projects that they bring. Each lady has her own story, and each project has its own unique purpose.

In reflecting on the sense of community that develops at these sewing events, I am also reminded of the importance of community among the body of believers. Perhaps that is why the author of Hebrews encourages readers "… not to forsake our own assembling together…" I am so very grateful for the local bodies of believers who have encouraged and supported me in my own journey of faith through the years. These include the church where I grew up and was married, my campus ministry group during my college years where I received considerable mentorship, smaller churches in northern Utah and southern Idaho where I served as a student summer missionary, and finally my current home church. All of these have helped shape and support who I am today.

"… and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near."

Hebrews 10:24-25

Kentucky Derby Day

As I begin this post, I do need to acknowledge my lack of qualification to write about the Kentucky Derby. The scope of my knowledge of the Kentucky Derby is as follows:

1. The Kentucky Derby is a horse race run in Churchill Downs, Kentucky
2. The Kentucky Derby is the first of three races comprising the Triple Crown
3. A field of twenty 3-year-old horses and their jockeys race in the Kentucky Derby
4. My Old Kentucky Home is sung before the start of the Kentucky Derby
5. The winning horse is presented with a wreath of red roses
6. Mint juleps are traditionally served at the Kentucky Derby
7. 2013 was the 139th running of the Kentucky Derby
8. The 2013 Kentucky Derby winner was Orb  (watching him run down the final stretch and seeing his demeanor when it became apparent that he would be the winner was pretty amazing)
9. Women attending the Kentucky Derby wear amazing hats. Check out this link: Kentucky Derby Hats

That being said, I do enjoy taking days such as Kentucky Derby Day and turning them into a bit of a cooking extravaganza. As I have mentioned in earlier blogs, we do enjoy trying new recipes and also have an affinity for good down home Southern cooking. Earlier this week, I began searching for Kentucky Derby Day recipes and came across recipes for Kentucky Burgoo. To be honest, I had not heard of burgoo before this week (apologies to my Southern readers). It sounded like something we would enjoy, so I decided to proceed.

To give you a little background on burgoo, it is a thick stew that is associated with Kentucky much as gumbo is associated with Louisiana. Some prefer the burgoo so thick that a fork can stand up in it. Others prefer being able to distinguish the individual ingredients in the burgoo. I tend to lean more toward the latter. Traditionally, burgoo was made with a variety of meat and vegetables that were available. In earlier times, this would include squirrel, raccoon, rabbit, opossum, and venison. Most modern recipes include pork, beef, and chicken. The vegetables, however, have remained consistent through the years and may include carrots, onion, corn, lima beans, and okra. Burgoo tends to be made in large batches and can be made as part of a social event with attendees bringing one or more ingredients to be included.

Here is the recipe that I tried, including the modifications that I made along the way. Here's a picture of the ingredients I used:

Kentucky Burgoo

3 Tablespoons vegetable oil

3.5 lbs pork stew meat

3.5 lbs beef stew meat

2 large boneless chicken breasts cut into stew size cubes

1 chopped green bell pepper

1 large sweet onion

Chopped carrots

Chopped celery

1 heaping tablespoon of minced garlic

1 quart chicken broth

1 quart beef broth

1 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes

5 small/medium russet potatoes

1 lb bag frozen corn 

1 lb bag frozen lima beans

Salt and pepper to taste

4-8 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

• Heat vegetable oil on medium high heat in a large soup pot (I use my pressure cooker pot).  When the oil is simmering hot, brown the meat in batches. (I browned the chicken, beef, and pork separately.) After browning each batch, set it aside in a large bowl. I'm including an illustration of the meat after I browned it. Yes, this is a lot of meat. Keep in mind that burgoo is prepared in large batches and that this recipe makes about 12-16 servings. Perfect for us since we love leftovers.

• Add the onions, pepper, carrots, and celery and brown/saute them. If necessary add additional vegetable oil to prevent the vegetables from sticking to the pot. You may have noticed that I didn't include amounts of carrots and celery. I typically chop up enough of these until the amount "looks" right. I am including a picture of what my vegetable combination looked like as I started this step. After the vegetables are well-browned, stir in the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds

• Add the meat, beef and chicken broth, and tomatoes, and stir to combine. Simmer for about 2 hours.
• Peel and cut the potatoes into stew meat-sized chunks and add the to the stew. Cook until the potatoes are done, about 45 minutes. When the potatoes are done, stir in the Worcestershire sauce, salt & pepper, and any additional spices you may wish to add.
• Add the corn and lima beans and cook for another 10 minutes. At this point, the stew is done, if you prefer a thicker stew, continue to cook until the desired thickness is reached.

Serve with corn bread or fresh-baked bread. Season with additional salt, pepper, and Tabasco sauce as desired.

One final thing … I did mention that hats are part of women's attire for the Kentucky Derby. Here is the Princess Ariel fascinator I wore today. Somehow, I'm thinking that the folks at Churchill Downs might not allow me admittance. 

Of Sheep and Scripture …

As far back as I can remember, sheep have been among my favorite animals. When I was about 3 years old, I remember seeing an advertisement (I don't exactly remember what it was for) that featured a little girl petting a lamb with her parents watching. From what I remember of the picture, the family's car was parked along the side of a road and the little girl was petting the lamb in a pasture near the road. Some how my 3-year-old mind came to the conclusion that if I just watched closely, I would find a lamb alongside the road and that we would stop and bring it home. Mind you, I hadn't given even the slightest thought to what we would do with it once we got it home. Just the same, I remember many car trips in which my eyes were eagerly pealed to the side of the road watching for my lamb.

Fast forward a year or two to a time when my family did have sheep. I remember when the adult sheep arrived and my disappointment at finding they were not nearly as cute as the lamb I had been watching for. In the spring time, we did have some lambs, and my sister and I had the experience of bottle feeding some of them. Of course the harsh reality was that the bottle lambs of spring ended up in the deep freeze in the fall.

As I got older and started taking on handwork projects, I naturally gravitated to ones that included sheep. I particularly enjoy projects that incorporate Bible verses in the design and reflect the Christian journey. For good or for bad, sheep are not exactly the brightest creatures. In fact, a line from the movie Babe states that, "Sheep are stupid."Perhaps it is fitting that people often are likened to sheep in a number of Scripture passages. Without a shepherd's supervision, sheep have a tendency to wander and find themselves defenseless and in dangerous situations. As Isaiah 56:3 reminds us, 
 "All we like sheep have gone astray."

Fortunately, we have a Good Shepherd who never calls us stupid. Our Good Shepherd seeks those who are lost to bring them into the fold. John 11:11 tells us that "the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep."

This final image is of the first cross stitch project that I finished after I was married. I love the verse that was included in this project that reminds us of our standing because of the Shepherd's sacrifice in laying down His life for the sheep. This verse also reflects the true source of peace that we find through faith in Christ alone.

"Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Romans 5:1

Warm Food for a Cool Day

Having lived in Utah for over 40 years now, I've found that spring tends to take one of two extremes. On one extreme, we can have nice gradually warming temperatures that allow us to be out working in the yard by mid March and have the garden planted by the end of April. On the other extreme, we can have persistently cold temperatures with summer showing up sometime around mid-June. This year seems to be one of those in which the remnants of winter seem to be hanging around. 

On a positive note, the persistently cooler temperatures allow us to continue to enjoy some of our cool weather foods a little longer. As such, we decided to fix some hamburger stroganoff the other night, and I thought I would share that recipe for my April posting. As you will see with this recipe, it's fairly simple and generates leftovers - two very positive features for our family. Here is a look at the ingredients:

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef (you also can use left over roast beef)
4 cans cream of mushroom soup (I like a little variety so I often include a can of golden mushroom and/or mushroom/garlic soup)
2 cans of sliced mushrooms (4 oz each)
16 ounces of sour cream
2 envelopes of onion soup mix (you can be a little creative here, too, and substitute a package of French dip gravy mix or even a tablespoon or two of beef base)
12 ounce package of extra wide egg noodles (feel free to substitute another pasta of your choosing or even rice)

Directions:
Brown ground beef and drain. Stir soups, mushrooms, sour cream, and soup mix into the meat and cook until heated through on low to medium heat. Cook noodles according to package directions. Serve the stroganoff over the noodles. We like to serve our stroganoff with beets and garlic bread.

Finishing Projects

As I mentioned in one of my earlier posts, quilters have a way of accumulating a number of unfinished fabric objects, commonly referred to as UFOs. Just last week, I participated in a quilting event and overheard a someone speaking of how she "starts projects." I must confess that I do enjoy starting a new project. At the same time, I do find satisfaction in finishing projects. The following picture is of a quilt that I began on New Year's Eve 2011 and then finished in early January 2013.

This quilt features purple and green fabrics with no two blocks exactly the same. The block is titled, "Gettysburg," and was designed by Jennifer Chiaverini, author of the Elm Creek Quilts series for Quiltmaker 100 Blocks volume 4. I picked up some of the fabric at Scrap Apple Quilts in St. George, Utah, during our 2011 vacation. Wayne and Caitlin gave me more purple and green fabric for Christmas that year, and I decided to take on this project. 

I've decided to title this quilt "The Anniversary Quilt" for two reasons. First of all, I finished the quilt top on August 19, our 23rd anniversary. Second, Wayne's favorite colors are purple and green so it seemed a fitting anniversary present as well. Here are a few close-ups of three of the individual blocks. You can see how the purple and green alternate within the individual blocks.

With today being Good Friday, I would be remiss not to mention the ultimate Finished Project - the redemptive work of Jesus Christ on the cross. With His words, "It is finished," the penalty for our sin had been paid in full. 

For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fulness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to HImself, having made peace through the blood of His cross. Colossians 2:19-20

The following is a video of the song, It is Finished, performed by the group Petra. I pray that it will be a blessing to you this Easter weekend as you reflect on the finished work of Jesus.