My Club House.....

In Sarasota, there is quilt shop where I hang out. Jack calls it the club house and if I seem antsy around the house, he will suggest that perhaps I should go there. Sue, the owner of Sew Worth It is always happy to see everyone and of course she always has just gotten something in that I need. I take classes, I just sit and sew and talk, and sometimes I get to help her pick out the fabric for the coming season. Spending other people’s money has always given me a great deal of pleasure! The ladies that work there are wonderful and talented and have always just finished a project that I have to make.

This year has been different, though, because I have taken computer classes. The sewing machine companies and quilting companies promote and sell this very expensive software and you install it on your computer and there it sits. Or there is class and you get as far as changing the smile on the gingerbread man to a frown. I do not need to know how to do this........

So this year, there have been classes and they have been wonderful. Virtual Quilting is in! I can design a quilt on the computer, use fabric directly from the designer, pick a quilting design and print the directions. I don’t even leave the house. The quilt above is called "Beaucoup Begonias" from the book EQ6 Simplified by Fran Iverson Gonzalez. The class was taught by Loreen and we worked our way through the whole book!

Labels for my quilts have become a favorite. The ladies at the shop and some of my quilting friends have taught me to be more creative on the back of the quilt. What used to be a hated chore has now become part of planning the quilt.

Years ago I was a member of a quilting guild in Maine and occasionally we would have a pot luck dinner or a holiday party. Quilters are usually wonderful cooks and some of the recipes I have from those years are still my favorites. Magic Pickles are easy. They won’t last long but they are a treat with a sandwich.

Magic Pickles

1 quart kosher style dill pickles, sliced
(from supermarket - any brand)
½ cup cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon pickling spice
3 cups sugar

Drain the pickles and discard the juice. Put spices and vinegar in a larger jar and add the sliced pickles. Top with the sugar - DO NOT STIR. Let stand in the refrigerator for 8 days. Then enjoy.

Today is Jack's birthday. He has gone off to do errands and I will start to make preparations. Thank goodness the weather is good enough to eat on the porch because the table in the cottage is busy!

We will have a New England Boiled Dinner tonight. Nothing too fancy since we can't be sure enough of the weather yet to plan a nice steak dinner. There is nothing to making a boiled dinner. Just throw everything in a crock pot or a brazier! Some people cook everything at once except for the cabbage which is added towards the end of the cooking time. Some just cook the meat and the seasonings in water to cover and then remove the meat and cook all the vegetables in the broth. The end result is about the same. I use potatoes, carrots, turnip, parsnips, cabbage and onions. I roast beets separately and this year I am using golden beets. I serve this dinner with vinegar and horseradish on the side. The leftover corned beef makes a wonderful sandwich.