a new year!

I welcomed in the New Year with happiness, and hope you did, too.
We (Sweetie and I) hosted a new year's eve dinner and card party - 11 people, with delicious foods brought in by all attending.  It was perfect and peaceful and fun.
Lots of visiting and laughter.  We chose to play progressive euchre with two tables of four, and three sitting out each game rotation, so we all had time to visit AND play cards, with the games ending right before the televised ball drop in NY.

I don't usually make New Year resolutions, only to fulfill my long-ago promise made to my Great-Grandma B - to learn something new each year (which can be something small or something monumental).  
Last year, I learned more about gut health and how it affects so many things in overall health and wellness.  Don't get me started here, LOL, or I'll go on and on, but it is AMAZING what gut health controls.

In the quilting realm, I've decided this year I will finish up some already started projects.  Who knows why I have all the blocks for an entire quilt made, some not even sewn together or without borders attached. 
Like this ongoing project - 

 Farm Girl Sampler quilt blocks now together, but not pressed.

(book Farm Girl Vintage by Lori Holt)

Also!, a few friends and I who retreat together, 
have an ongoing challenge.... a 'bet' of sorts. 
We have chosen to not purchase any new fabric 
as we work on our unfinished projects this Winter/Spring - 
to try to use our stash.  
The first person to purchase new fabric 
will have to buy pretzels for the others -  
the awesome, freshly made, pretzels from Shipshewana, 
when we see each other again in November.

So, back to blogging, back to stitching, and back to learning!!!
Hope your January is wonderful, too!!!

as usual...

Looking back
on the last couple of weeks before Christmas:

the tree was sitting naked in the living room,
the kitchen cupboard was covered with baking & candy making supplies,
and the house needed a good cleaning.
Oh, and on the Eve of Christmas,
there was a burst water pipe in the the kitchen, just for fun!

Fast forward to the 30th of December - today:
The tree did get strands of lights, cranberries, and popcorn - it was beautiful - and without ornaments.
The baking & candy supplies got pushed to the pantry - I'm thinking now Valentine candies.
The grandchildren were over frequently (I can't believe how much they have grown during the year) -
there was lots of fun accomplished 
and we did finish our 'this year ornament'.

There were three wonderful family gatherings.
There was a baptism for SIX children!!
Sometime in there, a quilting friend came to visit for the day.
AND - I received a new kitchen faucet and plumbing!

No worries or stress though.
(Well, maybe just a little stress when the water was running from under the kitchen sink 
all over the floor while I was preparing for the annual Christmas Eve Feast!
The kitchen floor, with it's flood of leaking water, had it's best cleaning in quite a while, and I'm thankful that it happened when I was home.)
My usual thinking is that things will get done when they do.
And if the don't, that's OK.
Spending time with family and friends is what counts in my book.
And THAT has been happening!

On the quilting-friend front:
This quilting friend and I have an annual
Christmas tradition of going out for lunch together. 
But we decided to change it up a little this year. 
Instead of going out somewhere for food,
she picked up carry-out and came for a visit and some sewing.
A whole 8 hours of visiting occurred,
and some sewing was accomplished. :)
It was a wonderful change of pace
without all the surrounding distractions in a restaurant,
one we think we'll make a new tradition.

Also as usual, 
the end of another year quickly approaches.

I am so thankful for:
family & friends
opportunities & traditions 
blessings & trials.

I wish each of you a safe & wonderful end to 2014
and a 2015 filled with everything you could hope for and more!  
And to my quilt-y friends:

Happy Stitching!, 
Debra

change of plans

Yesterday, it was a beautiful morning...
Big, fat flakes of snow,
gently floating down to the ground.
I was awake early, and I got to see this
spectacular snowfall as the sun rose here in central Ohio...
as I awakened at 5...
YES, FIVE A.M.!!

I'm not usually that early of an early bird,
but if that wasn't bad enough,
I was up that early...

because of and with

chills and headache...

Thank you very much, Sweetie!
(He brought it home from work, we're thinking.)

So my quiet days between Christmas and New Years Eve
have been spent in the lazy-girl chair, covered in a quilt,
drinking my Airbourne and hot tea.
A total change of plans!

Not much stitching, as planned.

I got a couple more Lucy Boston - Patchwork of the Crosses

blocks bordered with muslin/paper-pieces.

And, I finally got the newest grandson's quilt bound.

I'm so bad -

the quilt was wrapped & gifted 

with the binding only machine sewn,

not flipped to the back and hand-stitched. 

I guess at just a month old

that Sawyer won't remember that

his first Christmas quilt was

un-bound & unlabeled, will he? :)

I'll leave you with a picture of the big brother...
after visiting family left he was told it was nap time...

he grabbed his new quilt and pillow from GrandmaB

and when his head hit the pillow, he was fast asleep:

j.r. - Christmas 2013

A grandbaby fast asleep with a special quilt...

Doesn't that just warm your heart?

Hopefully your days are going as planned,
but if not, that something warms your heart, too.
Wishing you a happy & healthy New Year!
May 2014 have more quilting time (and quilts) for each of us!

feeling Eve-y

Yep- that's a word - Eve-y...
And a feeling.
I'm sure of it.
It all started when
I was planning my menu
for our New Year's Eve gathering...

this feeling hit...

that's when I decided I was feeling Eve-y.

Our friends in the Netherlands
celebrate Old Year's Eve...
I haven't been there for that celebration, but
it sounds like it is an all afternoon to midnight celebration -
mostly outside, weather permitting,
with bonfires, and food and libation.
Then, fireworks and singing at midnight.

I'm thinking that their weather
must be more moderate
than ours here in Ohio.
I surely can't see us out all afternoon and evening,
splashing in the rain/freezing rain/snow mix.
Especially this year, as we've had record rain fall,
and tonight is no exception to that record breaking event.
But, I digress...back to the Eve-y feeling:

Maybe I was really feeling reminiscent, but I don't think so.
I'm sticking with Eve-y.
Anyway, I was planning the main food dishes for New Year's Eve...

The Main-main dish is usually lasagna.
Secondary main dishes are soups,
shredded meats for sandwiches, 
and heavy appetizers.
Way too much food,
because on top of all of those main- and secondary-main dishes,
there are side dishes.
Sides galore.
AND, I really don't know how and why, but
lasagna became a New Year's Eve tradition.

Really?

Lasagna equates to New Year's Eve food?

No, I think I'm feeling Eve-y!

So, I decided right then and there,
with Eve-y pushing my buttons,
that I would make a different Main main dish!

Shells stuffed with chicken, pancetta and spinach!

ready for the oven!

Yum! and, I haven't made this for awhile,
so, another reason to make it for the Eve-y dinner.

Here at the Lifey/Stitchy homestead

we are folks of tradition, I guess.

But, I'm changing it up!

My Eve-y feeling is that strong.

Just hope it doesn't cause a huge, squawking uproar - feathers a-flying type of thing!

You know how tradition can be...

Here's the recipe:

Chicken Pancetta Spinach Stuffed Shells

with Asiago cream sauce:

12 oz jumbo pasta shells, boiled (per pkg instruction) drained & set aside.
Into a large skillet:
1 Tbls. olive oil and
1/2 pound pancetta, diced small, brown about 5 minutes.
When browned, remove pancetta to a bowl and
to the skillet add:
one pound of diced chicken breast meat. (Ididn't do chicken this time)
Cook throughly.
Add the pancetta back to the skillet and stir in:

2 pounds frozen spinach, thawed & drained
(I used fresh spinach, just wilted it in with the cooked pancetta before adding the cheeses)
15 oz. ricotta cheese
1 cup asiago cheese
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. nutmeg or cinnamon
Stir to combine; turn off and remove from heat.
Stuff this mixture into the cooked shells-about 2 tablespoons in each..
Place stuffed shells into an olive-oiled baking dish.

Now, the sauce...
In saucepan, melt:
1 Tablespoon butter
Add: 1 clove minced garlic and brown slightly-about a minute.
Add: 1 cup cream and bring to a simmer. 
Turn down to very low and add:
2 cups grated Asiago cheese,
2 Tablespoons of dried parsley (1/4 c fresh),
and a couple of good grinds of pepper.
Continue stirring about two minutes until cheese is melted. 
Pour over stuffed shells
(you can shred a little more cheese on top if you like, but it doesn't need it)
Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes.
Serves: 8 with chicken added, 6 with no chicken added.
Super easy-only about a half hour prep time, and so impressive!
If you want a no meat dish, this is excellent - just leave the pancetta and chicken out of the recipe. Brown onions instead.
I often make/serve the meat on the side anyway.
This is a recipe that is very similar to a "Giada" dish, but I don't think she has the chicken in her shells.

OK,
so THAT is NOT TRADITIONAL or LASAGNA -
and should shake things up a little bit!
I'm not going out and dancing in the rain at midnight
like those Dutch friends,
but I am feeling just a little Eve-y!

Hope you're feeling a little Eve-y too,
and that your celebrations are wonderful,
safe and filled with laughter!

See you next year!
(I always wanted to say that!:)

going going

Almost gone...

Well, those last few weeks of the year sure flew by!

I was going to do a little year in review picture thing-y, 

but realized that that would take some a lot of time.

And, since daughter is still in town visiting, 

no offense, 

but I'd rather spend more time with her

than sorting through quilt pictures.

I did find one picture,
speaking of gone...

Nap?  Gifts?

Gifts?  Nap?

Looks to me like this two-month-old has set his priorities.

I may have to take his lead more often.

Can napping be considered a resolution? :)

Hope the last week of this year is great for you - maybe with a little nap time included.

rotary, continued

I have a little time off this week and weekend

- going to meet up with some family and friends

for the last Christmas celebration of the year...

Well, timing-wise it will be a New Year celebration, I guess,

but we will celebrate Christmas with them, first

(that is if they can get out of that east coast blizzard!).

I am multi-tasking,

(which is part of the running in circles/rotary feeling)

so as I am packing and

going through my quilting/UFO stash,

(trying to choose a project to take on my trip)

I am also watching a favorite Christmas movie -

It's a Wonderful Life.

(I can't believe that this was a 1946 movie -

and that it really is still relative to 2010 in most ways.)

I'm also thinking that this truly is a wonderful life, even with the rotary!

So, instead of wishing you only a happy 2011,

I also wish you
a wonderful life...

with health, prosperity
and abundance.

Debra

Christmas on New Year's Day

Christmas was again wonderful. 
It was spread over a two week period for us this year.
That, to me, makes it even more wonderful. 
Seeing more family. 
Trying new recipes. 
Seeing more family.
Cooking more food. 
Seeing more family.
Eating more food.
Seeing more family.
Christmas, to me, is not just one day.
Yes, I know the true meaning of Christmas.
And, yes, it is that.  All That.
But I think that it can also be a state of mind.
My first born doesn't necessarily agree with me on this. 
He thinks that Christmas is Christmas and should be celebrated on the 25th.
Christmas IS Christmas.
New Year's day is NOT Christmas in his opinion. 
We should not celebrate Christmas on New Year's day is also his opinion.
He is as sentimental as I, I think. 
He likes traditions as much as I, I think.
Nostalgic may be the right word.
Not in a schmaltzy, corny, or gushy way. 
In a family way. 

So this is the discussion that we decide to agree to disagree. 
I think that he may re-think this when he has own in-laws, the in-law's two, three, or four sets of grandparents, in-law's siblings, two or more work parties, his parents, four sets of grandparents and his sisters' to fit in to One Day of Celebration.
 I agree that it would be nice to be able to see everyone in all the extended family on one day: Christmas Day.

But in all practically, I think we HAVE to split it up and change dates around and celebrate on days that are not Christmas.
Could you imagine???? Having to be ready to see everyone,be ready to be SEEN!, have everything done, BE EVERYWHERE, all at the same time????  The logistics are mind-boggling!!!
I think that if I had to do that every year, I would be an over-emotional, under-emotional, schmaltzy, corny, gushy, outrageous, madcap, harebrained, frantic, fanatical, mess!!!
Well, more than I am now!

Thanks so much for stopping by and checking in on me.  I don't want to get maudlin here, so I'll just say it has been great getting to know all of you here in blogland this year.  I want to thank all of the visitors, commenters, anonymous commenters (that I try to solve the "who"), challenge and fabric swap groups and coordinators, designers, authors and followers.  You all help keep me in stitches in your own way.  Thank you also, for the chance to type away and let some of my creativity flow through cyper-space.
From my home to yours my wish for you is a healthy, happy and abundant New Year.
Happy First Day of Two Thousand and Ten! 
Or is that Happy First Day of Twenty-Ten!?
Oh, no, that is a whole nother can of worms  buttons!

Now to watch a little football, eat a little more, and laugh some more with family that's still in town.