Sunday!

Beautiful Sunday

I've had a wonderful Sunday.  My mom is here visiting with me and I am soo happy she is here keeping me company.  Yesterday we went shopping with my sisters:

We sisters got kind-of matching hats for $3.00 (my dog tore mine up already. Boohoo.)

Then we ate a late lunch together:

 Then we did some more shopping.  I got two new dresses!  One of the dresses was just $10!

So, of course I wore one of my dresses to church this morning.

After we returned home I made my mom some lunch:

Ingredients

• 1 pkg. Hillshire Farm^®Cheddarwurst^® Smoked Sausage
  1 tablespoon butter or margarine
  2 tart apples, peeled, cored and cut into ½” wedges
  1 Vidalia or other sweet onion, sliced
  2 green bell peppers, seeded and cut into ½” strips
  2 red bell peppers, seeded and cut into ½” strips
  ½ teaspoon coarsely cracked black pepper
  Hot cooked rice

• Directions:

  1. Cut sausage on an angle into ½” slices. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat for 3 minutes. Cook sausage 1-2 minutes per side or until lightly browned; remove from skillet.
  2. Melt butter in skillet. Add apples, onion, green and red peppers. Cook, stirring occasionally until peppers are soft, about 10 minutes.
  3. Return sausage to pan and heat through. Top with cracked black pepper. Serve over hot cooked rice.

Took Patriot to the Dog Park and then my Mom and I got some ice cream from Coldstone!  Yum.

Now for some homework!

God Bless and Take Care!

Love,

Jodi

Quilt Festival

Quilt Festival

(picture is a link)

Recently while looking up some quilting tutorials I found a blog with some very helpful instruction.  On that blog I saw that she joined in the Blogger's Quilt Festival (link).  After looking at the quilts of all different skill levels, and reading some of the stories of why they made their quilt I have decided to enter my little lap quilt in the festival.  

The story of my quilt is this.  My Loving Father recently passed away in Dec of 09.  During his last few months with us Hospice helped care for him in my Mother's home.  I am very thankful and appreciative of that so my husband and I decided to become volunteers with Hospice.  However, I work full time in the Military and attend school full time.  I do not have time to go on visits and do not think I am strong enough for that yet either.  So I decided to do crafts.  I was working on a crochet blanket for my Dad that I did not get finished before he passed so I picked it up again to complete for Hospice, but I don't like crocheting. I am too antsy and do not like the fact of having to chain one long row turn around and do it again.  Ugh.  So, I switched to lap quilts.

I just finished my first lap quilt and was able to turn it in a couple of weeks ago.  It was my first since the 7th grade( I'm 27 now).  I went pretty much off memory, and it shows.  Folks, our memories are great, but sometimes they're not as great as we thought!   I have now found a few tutorials to help me for my next lap quilt that I will start after I finish that crazy crochet and get it out of my house.  The things I would like to improve on are symmetry and binding.  

Here is my first lap quilt!

Front

Back

My Daddy and Me!

Last Christmas together

My wedding, 6 months before he passed.

God has blessed me so much.  I am very thankful for the time I was able to spend with my Father before he passed.  And the strength God has given me since.  I will always be my Daddy's baby girl.

Jodi

Beef and Broccoli with rice

Tonight's dinner:

Beef and Broccoli with white rice

This is a good recipe.  The only thing I would do differently is 1) add black pepper, which I did and 2) put the beef in very last and stir it up right before putting it on the plate.  My beef was over cooked, but I'm sure it's just chef error not recipe error.  I also added more water because the ginger was a little too strong for me.  I would use less and sprinkle it in to taste.

I also said I had 5 dinners left to make, but I can't count.  The beef stew was #6 and this is #7 so I only have 3 left and I have 2 planned out and one to figure out, and I'll never cook again.  Lol! JK.

• 3 tablespoons cornstarch, divided
• 1/2 cup water, plus
• 2 tablespoons water, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 lb boneless round steak or 1 lb charcoal chuck steak, cut into thin 3-inch strips
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 4 cups broccoli florets
• 1 small onion, cut into wedges
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• hot cooked rice
Change Measurements: US | Metric

Directions:

s

1. 1In a bowl, combine 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 2 tablespoons water and garlic powder until smooth.
2. 2Add beef and toss.
3. 3In a large skillet or wok over medium high heat, stir-fry beef in 1 tablespoon oil until beef reaches desired doneness; remove and keep warm.
4. 4Stir-fry broccoli and onion in remaining oil for 4-5 minutes.
5. 5Return beef to pan.
6. 6Combine soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger and remaining cornstarch and water until smooth; add to the pan.
7. 7Cook and stir for 2 minutes.
8. 8Serve over rice.http://chinese.food.com/recipe/the-best-easy-beef-and-broccoli-stir-fry-99476