9-Patch Sawtooth Star

I live within walking distance of one of Utah’s best quilt shops. This is a mixed blessing. It’s great that the walk there is so pleasant. Much of the way is lined with shade trees, and my dog doesn’t mind napping outside the store while I explore inside. (He knows there will always be a treat for him from the dog food store nearby.) When I run out of a particular color of thread, or my last rotary blade goes dull, it’s much more fun to grab the leash and trot out the door than to get in my car and deal with traffic. The downside is I’ve yet to set foot inside this shop without hearing bolts of new and beautiful fabric calling to me. This week it was Joanna Figueroa’s California Girl by Moda. The line is full of peaches, yellows, creams and tans reminiscent of sunny billboards and produce crates from the 1930’s. How could I resist?

Uroko (Scales)

Seven Foods to Kick-Start Your Metabolism:

1.       Grapefruit can lower your insulin level. We like broiled grapefruit halves with a little cinnamon and Splenda.

2.       Broccoli is high in calcium (which helps with weight loss) and vitamin C (which helps you absorb the calcium). Serve it fresh or lightly steamed.

3.       Apples and pears are high in fiber. They're a good snack when you’re craving something sweet.

4.       Low-fat yogurt with active cultures can keep your digestive track running smoothly. It’s easy to find in the store, but more fun and economical to make at home.

5.       Boneless, skinless turkey breast is high in protein and low in fat; something you can be thankful for all year.

6.       Oatmeal is a good source of fat-soluble fiber, especially if you skip the instant variety and go with rolled oats instead.

7.       The capsaicin in chili peppers helps you burn calories faster, quiets cravings and increases your sense of well-being.

Double Star Chain

While we lived in the UK we had fresh vegetables delivered to our door once a week. With each delivery came recipes to help us use our produce. These came in very handy, especially since we were unfamiliar with several of the things that arrived on our doorstep. We were pleased to find a similar service available in our US neighborhood. Here is one of the recipes that came last month:

Spicy Grilled Corn

3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup butter
2 teaspoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon cumin
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
Juice from 1 lime
1 tablespoon hot sauce (We like Cholula.)
4 ears fresh corn, husks removed

Lightly oil and heat outdoor grill. Warm (but don't simmer) butter and garlic. Stir in sugar, salt, cumin, pepper, lime juice and hot sauce. Place corn on hot grill and brush with seasoned butter. Turn and brush until corn is done, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

Tsunagi Kokonotsu Me (Linked Nine Squares)

Stephen R. Covey, author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, passed away on Monday. In his honor I'm posting the lessons I'm trying to learn from him:

1.      Be proactive. Take responsibility for your choices and the consequences that follow.

2.      Begin with the end in mind. Imagine the ideal characteristics for each of your various roles and relationships in life. Create a mission statement.

3.      Put first things first. Prioritize, plan, and execute your week's tasks based on importance rather than urgency.

4.      Think win-win. Genuinely strive for mutually beneficial solutions in your relationships.

5.      Seek first to understand, then to be understood. Practice empathetic listening. This creates an atmosphere of caring, respect, and positive problem solving.

6.       Synergize. Combine the strengths of people through positive teamwork, so as to achieve goals no one person could have done alone.

7.      Sharpen the saw. (My personal favorite) Lead a balanced life. Engage in activities that will lead to physical, mental and spiritual renewal.

Ichimatsu Yotsu Me (Four Checked Squares)

Maybe I should stop reading the news. I’d probably be a lot happier if I could talk my paper carrier into delivering the section with the New York Times crossword puzzle, and just leaving out the rest of the paper. I wish he’d done it yesterday. I might have been spared reading about a two-year-old who accidentally shot himself while visiting his grandpa’s house. I can distance myself a bit from the other sad and scary stories, but this one hits close to home. My grandson will be two in September. He plays at my house several times a week. I’d like to claim that he’s never out of my sight while he’s here. But if you’ve ever known a toddler, you know that’s impossible. I try to comfort myself with the thought that he could never, ever get his hands on a gun here. But there are a number of other ways he could hurt himself. Ways I haven’t thought of yet. I just hope I think of them before he does.

Blueberry Shoofly Pie

In my spare time I make quilt tops for the Intermountain Medical Center volunteer quilters. The first one I made was the Moonlit Dance which I posted March 20. I had intended to do a pastel quilt next, but I wasn't in love with the fabric I'd chosen. I stumbled on a Moda Blueberry Crumble kit during the Utah Shop Hop last month. It used a fat eighth bundle plus some border fabric, and would have made a 68"x68" quilt. I adored the blues and tans, but disliked the fact that the pattern it came with would have wasted nearly half the fabric. This traditional Shoo-fly block pattern used up nearly everything with almost no waste. At 84”x96”, it will cover a queen-size bed (or a king in the UK).   The leftover scraps are tiny, but should be adequate to make several log cabin blocks. Enough for a table topper or a small wall hanging.  

Golden Stairs

My British friends will find this difficult to imagine, but it’s been a month since I’ve seen rain.  Utah doesn’t get many earthquakes, floods or tornadoes. We don’t have hurricanes or tsunamis. But we do see the occasional drought, and we’re seeing one now. Worse, last year was cool and wet. So the ubiquitous grass grew tall and thick. You can see last year’s grasses everywhere, white and dry as bones bleached in the sun. It’s like living in a powder keg. Any little thing can set them ablaze. We watched last week as friends in Colorado, family in Idaho and neighbors just a few miles west of us were forced from their homes by wildfire. When my sister and her family were allowed to return to their Pocatello home, they were relieved to find it untouched. But many, many people were not so lucky.