Thirteen Log Cabins

There are different accounts of Stephen Foster’s death, but the one most widely accepted is this: January 1864 the song writer was weak with fever in his hotel in lower Manhattan. He fell, cutting himself, and had lost a lot of blood by the time his writing partner found him. Foster died in hospital three days later. The author of “Camptown Races,” “My Old Kentucky Home,” “Jeannie with the Light Brown Hair,” and “Beautiful Dreamer” was only 37. At the time of his death a scrap of paper was found in Foster’s pocket with the words, "dear friends and gentle hearts.” It’s always been assumed these were words in a song he never finished. Eighty-five years later those words inspired Sammy Fain and Bob Hilliard to write “Dear Hearts and Gentle People.” Their song describes folks “who live in my home town,” friendly neighbors who “read the good book” and “smile and say hello.” I think Stephen Foster would be proud.

Brick House

Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon

4 slices bacon, chopped

1 1/2 pound cubed stew beef

1 small white onion, chopped

2 ribs celery, sliced

8 ounces sliced mushrooms

1 clove garlic, crushed

1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum

1 cup dry burgundy (optional, but delicious)

1 cup beef broth

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon sea salt (skip this if your broth isn't low sodium)

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Cook bacon in frying pan until crisp; transfer to slow cooker. Brown beef on all sides in bacon fat, then transfer to slow cooker. Add xanthan gum, tomato paste, burgundy and broth to pan; stir to deglaze pan. (If you skipped the wine, simply double the broth.) Cook broth mixture until it just begins to thicken. Add broth mixture and remaining ingredients to slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours. Serve over steamed riced cauliflower (if you’re on a low carb diet) or mashed potatoes (if you’re not.)

Nine Crayon Stars

I saw it sitting on a shelf in the quilt shop, looking for all the world like a box of Crayola crayons. It was a set of ten fat quarters of solid cotton fabric, each one rolled up to look like crayon, stacked together in a green and yellow box. How could I resist? Even the color names were tempting: scarlet, macaroni and cheese, dandelion, shamrock, mermaid tail, midnight blue, periwinkle, purple mountain’s majesty, tickle me pink, and raw sienna. The back of the box suggested a free downloadable pattern to use all these lovely solids, but my head was already spinning with all the OTHER possibilities this box might bring. It’s exactly the same reaction I have to an actual box of crayons. These stars were only one of many ideas. They’ll be part of a quilt donated to the Festival of Trees this fall – maybe more than one. I still have LOTS of fabric left.

Stick House

I watch It’s a Wonderful Life every December, and never seem to tire of it – though I often end up watching alone. Heather and I see Ground Hog’s Day every February second. At Easter it’s Ben Hur and The Ten Commandments. We often watch The Wizard of Oz the first week in September; that’s when CBS used to air it every year. Most of the movies we watch again and again are comedies: Galaxy Quest, Three Men and a Baby, Princess Bride, Miss Congeniality, Guardians of the Galaxy, While You Were Sleeping, Toy Story 3, The Three Amigos, Megamind and Meet the Robinsons. A couple of my favorite movies - After the Sunset and Age of Adaline - have amazing female roles. Salma Hayek’s Lola is retired, but she parasails, scuba dives, learns tennis, and even builds a deck. If I never aged like Adaline Bowman, I like to think I’d read braille, speak several languages, and be unbeatable at Trivial Pursuit. What movies will you never tire of watching?

Another Jewel

There aren’t a lot of sauces that lend themselves well to a low carb diet. Enchilada sauce is one of the few exceptions. Last week we had enchiladas for dinner, but without the tortillas and without the baking. I filled three rice bowls with steamed chopped cauliflower (but broccoli or shredded cabbage would have worked, too) and topped it with pulled chicken breast that I’d simmered in green enchilada sauce. On top of that went chopped avocado, shredded cheddar, thinly sliced green onions, a bit of fresh salsa, a little chopped tomato, and sour cream. If I’d had canned chilies or sliced jalapeno, I’d have tossed them in, too. The impromptu enchilada bowls were a big hit. Next time I may try them with turkey meat, or with pork or beef and red enchilada sauce.

Straw House

“I wouldn’t trade living in this time with any other time in the history of the world. We are blessed beyond measure to live in a day of unparalleled prosperity, enlightenment, and advantage. Most of all, we are blessed to have the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ, which gives us a unique perspective on the world’s dangers and shows us how to either avoid these dangers or deal with them. When I think of these blessings, I want to fall to my knees and offer praises to our Heavenly Father for His never-ending love for all of His children. I don’t believe God wants His children to be fearful or dwell on the evils of the world. ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.’ 2 Timothy 1:7) He has given us an abundance of reasons to rejoice. We just need to find and to recognize them.” – President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Waring Square

I’ve made this block only once before, more than eight years ago. My first version of Waring Square was done in black floral, green pin dots, and two shades of pink. I remember ripping out several seams before I finally got the color placement right. Even then, I was never entirely pleased with the finished block. This time I got the whole block finished before I realized the four triangles in the center were supposed to be red geraniums and green pin dots. The four triangles that surround them should be green leaves. And the whole block is just a bit larger than the intended 12.5” unfinished, which means when I sew it into a quilt, I’ll probably lose the points on those annoying green triangles in the middle of each side. Oh, bother. I guess eight years older doesn’t automatically mean eight years smarter.