Well, I started thinking about it and found that it’s hard to pin down EXACTLY what I’m all about. I guess I could say that I’m all about home, family, and educating others. It comes back to how I was raised, my bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and Family and Consumer Science (formerly known as Home Economics), and my master’s in reading and literacy. My second blog is all about reading and literacy in early childhood education.

Over the years, I’d say I’ve been leaning into sewing and quilting more. There are more frequent blog posts about my latest projects, quilts I’m working on, and machine embroidery projects that I’m attempting.

I post a lot of works in progress on my Instagram account, as well as finished quilts. Other people’s pictures on Instagram are usually my inspiration for trying a new pattern. As I scroll, something will catch my eye and I know I need to make something similar in the near future.

Recently, I’ve been learning how to longarm my own quilts. I took a class at Quilting Mayhem. They have longarm machines that you can rent, once you’ve taken their class, for $15 an hour..

My husband just got the Grace Little Cutie quilting frame for me for Christmas. It works with my regular sewing machine. It does not have quite the same abilities as a longarm, but it does some pretty cool things that I wouldn’t have been able to do otherwise.

In addition to quilting, I’d say I’m also all about machine embroidery. I discovered Kimberbell and then it was all over. I got sucked into a new quilting/embroidery machine.

I tend to do a lot of projects that combine quilting and machine embroidery, just because it’s fun.

Making my house feel like a home is one of the ways I tend to show my family love. I love to bake my own breads, muffins, and cookies.

I was baking my own bread before baking bread was cool.

I’ve been making my own jam for many years. This year I added applesauce and peaches to the canning “to do” list.

I can’t forget to mention the garden. I spend most of my summer outside. If the sunshine is out, so am I. Gardening is something I learned from my mom. There is nothing better than picking a few things from the garden and then eating them for dinner.

I guess, it’s hard to sum up what I’m really all about. I can’t exactly say I’m all about homesteading because we don’t have a lot of property. But, I do enjoy a lot of things I find on homesteading accounts. I love to do all of the things my mom and grandma taught me. I love the old fashioned, slow living, type of lifestyle. I love to cook, bake, sew, quilt, garden, can, and spend time making my house feel like a home for the people I love.

Years ago, when I first started my blog, I wrote. “At the end of the day, it’s all about home and family.” I guess that still holds true.

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My kids said they like my thick and creamy Alfredo sauce better, but my hubby liked this recipe because it was lighter than an Alfredo, but still had a bit of creamy texture to it.  This was one of my favorite recipes I’ve made in a long time.  I’m a big fan of basil and sundried tomatoes, and love using ingredients from my garden, so this one made me happy.

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There were so many cakes, and over the years, I just kept snapping pictures.

Can you believe this!!! Unreal.

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the first Christmas cookies of the season at our house!

Recipe for Spritz Cookies

1 cup butter (room temperature)
1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 egg yolks
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt

Mix butter and powdered sugar.  Add egg yolks and vanilla.  Mix in flour and salt.
Use a cookie press to shape cookie dough on a lined baking sheet. (I use a Silpat liner.)
Bake at 400 degrees for 6 minutes.
Frost with a powdered sugar and milk glaze.
Add sprinkles.
Let the Christmas baking begin!!!
This is my favorite cookie press. I’ve owned several cookie presses over the years and the Cuisinart Electric is the one I’ve had the best luck with.

I also highly suggest using a Silpat baking mat when you bake cookies. It makes the cookies just slide ride off the pan and have the perfect golden brown tint on the bottom.

Happy baking, Friends!

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Last night I decided that I needed to make something really yummy.  My mom had made a bunch of chicken in the crock pot for me, while she was staying with my kids this weekend.  I used the chicken for tacos and had a lot of left over, so I decided that I’d make the white chicken chili that my family loves so much.  I wrote a blog post last year about the SUPER fast way to make this dish, so I thought I should repost the recipe.

Here’s what I did:

I started by cooking a pound of chicken breast in the crockpot.

In a pan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter.
Add 1/2 small diced onion, cook for 3 minutes
Add 1 clove of minced garlic, cook for 1 more minute
Add 1/2 cup flour and mix
Slowly add 1 cup of half and half and 1 cup of milk
Add 8 oz of light cream cheese
Add 1 1/2 cups of Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded
This mixture makes kind of a mac and cheese type sauce.
Slowly pour in 3-6 cups of chicken stock (depending on how thick you like your chili)
Add 1 can of diced tomatoes, drained and rinsed
(or chop your own)
2 cups of frozen corn
1 can of white beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 tsp chili powder or a little bit of taco seasoning
1 tsp salt
dash of pepper

It made a thick, yummy, cheesy, chicken chili that everyone loved.

My hubby says this recipe needs to go in our regular rotation. The kids both loved it too!  My son had a second bowl after we got home from the Young Life corn maze at 9:45pm.  This morning I found him heating another bowl and putting it into a thermos to take for lunch.  I guess that kid really loves this chili!!

By the way, those little tortilla strips on top were just cut and tossed with olive oil and a bit of taco seasoning.  Then I baked them for about 5 minutes to crisp them up.  They were a perfect little topping for the chili.

Happy cooking!

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Last weekend, I was very proud of myself!  I spent a little extra time making meals to put in the freezer.  I left a note on the counter for the kids to put the enchiladas in the oven at 4:00pm at 400 degrees.  By the time I got home from my meeting, dinner was ready!  Oh, how I love it when a good plan works out.

I usually start by putting a few chicken breasts in the crockpot with some taco seasoning (Yes, I buy the package even though I try not to buy prepackaged stuff.). I let that cook all day and by late afternoon, I’m ready to assemble the enchiladas. 

Combine 1 cup sour cream with one can of Cream of Chicken Soup.
Add a package of taco seasoning to the creamy mixture.

Lay out a tortilla shell.
Spread a little of the creamy mixture on the tortilla.
Add cheese and chicken.
Roll it up and put it in the (greased) pan.
Think of it like a taco and build it like that.
You can decide how much meat, cheese, and sour cream you usually like.

Once you’ve used all of the meat, lay the enchilada in the pan and smear (that’s a technical term) the rest of the creamy sauce over the top.  Top with cheese and bake for 30 minutes at 400.  The cook time will be longer if it is coming straight from the freezer.

I guarantee this is a family favorite in the making.

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