I'm COOKIN': more meanderings in thread and food

Apron OFF:

Still working towards finishing up all of the quilty commissions here at home and then working at the LQS on black Friday.  (She, Mary, offers 40% off from 8-10, 30% off from 10-11, and 20% off from 11-12, so, basically, it's a "feeding" frenzy---"feeding" in a quilty way, but in the spirit of the season - turkey, etc.!).  And since I am not a black Friday shopper, it's fun to work the other end of the craziness!  Last year, at the end of my shift,  I had rotary-cutting elbow, I'm sure!!!

Anyway, I have a goal of finishing up all the waiting-list quilts to be quilted and have them at the shop for customer pickup at the latest by next Thursday the 3rd of December.  Then I take a week off from commission quilting to get my own seasonal stuff done and no promises are given for anything dropped off after the the first weekend of December!  After that weekend, my answer to new commission quilting requests is: "possible, no promises to be finished before Christmas".  Unless you are a really, really good friend or family member, AND there are dark chocolate bribes!!! 

So, busy around here I think... anyway, it seems to me that I have been productive.  I have meandered with loops, loops and stars, windy circles, puzzle pieces, in and out floral, feathers, OSU sayings and logos, and more that I can't remember.  They are all starting to "meander" together in my mind!!!!  Here are a few quilty pics:

Pink/green/purple:  Penny's first ever quilt! And it's a king!

This lovely purple is again by Billie.

I told you she is prolific!

Imagine this in blues also.  I accidently deleated the blue pic, sorry, Billie!

This brown/blue/cream is by Susan.  I haven't met her, only spoken on the phone, but I think I really like her.  And I know I really love her quilt and color choices.  Now THAT is a whole lotta' half-square triangles!!!

This lovely red/cream/blue is by Joell.  Another fav.  Don't you love the piano key border?

Apron ON:

Today, the day before Thanksgiving, I started early and made mashed potatoes to make my "mashed-potato dinner rolls" which are now mixed,  kneaded and rising in front of the wood stove.  I have pre-cleaned veggies, brined poultry, cut up and seasoned bread for making dressing, and baked a pumpkin pie cake.   I have to wait until the last few possible hours to bake this scrumptious pie/cake so I don't try to sneak a piece.  Like you can sneak a piece from a 9x13 pan...you can tell right away that I have had a piece, or three!  I even have it covered and hidden in my fridge! (It is my new weakness.) (oh, and I may have to re-copy my recipe card - this looks really bad - sorry!)

Apron OFF:

While the rolls are rising, I can quilt another top that I loaded last night!

Apron ON:
For the curious:  mashed-potato dinner rolls is an old, old family recipe that uses actual mashed potatoes in the dough mixture.  So, in our families, no one will take the last couple of servings of mashed potatoes whenever they are served.  This to insure the making of potato rolls!  More often than not, it works!  I am not particularly a bread fan, but these are really good! 
I roll out the dough and cut them into round circles, then slather them with melted butter and fold over so they come out kind of half moon shaped.  They rise for the second time, then bake.  That way, the buttery, pre-folding/baking step allows them to open perfectly for making turkey sandwiches!   I mixed up a triple batch - that makes about 100 dinner rolls. 

In the last third, I added a great organic whole grain cereal mix:  cracked wheat, steel cut oats, barley grits, buckwheat grits, wheat bran, corn grits and millet.  It is good cooked up as a hot cereal, it's great in mashed-potato rolls!
 That triple batch should be enough for my family dinner and a couple of orders, but not many left-overs though.  I may mix up some more on Saturday for Sunday's dinner.  We'll see.

And, as you can see from this picture:
The dough has risen, so time to get back to work and make up some rolls!  (7-grain on left, regular on right)

Back to work!  Did you just hear that whip crack?  I am such a slave driver!!! 
Apron ON:

You can tell from this pic that it might be time to wash the apron!!!  

Happy Wednesday!!!