If you do stuff, stuff gets done.......

If you do stuff, stuff gets done.......

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

In my mom's sewing room


one more post about Texas........

This is my mom's sewing room and their computer is in this room too,  and lots of interesting photos are on those walls too. 
Years ago,  it was my wreath making professor brother's bedroom.  That is his college track team photo in a black frame just about in the middle of the room photo. 

Mom got this Accuquilt machine recently.  I was not really familiar with it but it is special gadget for cutting quilt pieces and other fabric craft pieces especially accurate.
The Accuquilt opens up like a waffle iron.
These dies are used  to cut the shapes. 
Mom says it is easy to use and cuts the pieces so perfectly,  she was so happy that the pieces sew together so nicely when they are the exact same size. 
this a green scrappy quilt she has been working on. 
This is a felt penny rug- the circles are perfect and felt is hard to cut as it shifts around when just using scissors.   Mom says the Accuquilt does waste  fabric than the traditional way of cutting fabric but that is not really an issue for her as she has plenty of fabric. 
If you have some extra money and like to do really perfect quilts,  you might want to look into an Accuquilt.  I think Mom ordered hers online. 


Some of the pictures on her sewing room walls
Mom's Senior picture- she was valedictorian and FFA sweetheart. 
My grandfather on my dad's side on a cool motorcycle- probably around the 1920s
My dad with one of his colts when he had  a few horses on his hobby farm.  I like his polka dot cap. 
Dad again,  with my son Bobby when he was about 2.  Now Bobby is 32 and looks like a Duck Dynasty body double.

Mom has always, and I mean always, done handwork. This is an embroidered picture- look at all that perfect satin stitches on the 2 horses.  I think she stitched this when we kids were little.  If you look in craft room photo, there is a pair of deer picture just to the left of this horse picture that was in the same series and stitched about the same time. 


We are back in Oklahoma now and I didn't take any other photos while we were in Texas so this will be last Texas post for awhile.  My husband is on vacation from his job this week and we are doing some sightseeing day trips around Oklahoma so I'll have some posts on those soon.

Hope you are all getting those last minute things done to be ready for Christmas, it is just a few days away! 


Monday, December 16, 2013

Cooking in Texas

We just got back from a weekend trip to see our parents. I did some cooking while I was there.
First I made Struesel Puffs, a muffin recipe my mom saved from Family Circle magazine approximately 1970. She made them often and we all liked them. I baked and entered them in a 4-H food show and got a blue ribbon. 

I baked Struesel Puffs so many times when our children were all at home. This was a normal Sunday before church recipe and I always doubled the recipe back then. 


Fresh baked Struesel Puffs on my parents dining table

Streusel Puffs

2 1/2 C. All purpose flour
1/2 C. butter
1/2 C. granulated sugar
1 tsp. salt
3/4 C. milk
1/4 C. packed brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 beaten egg
Grease a standard 12 muffin tin. Combine 1/2 C. flour and the brown sugar in a small bowl. Cut in 2 Tbsp. butter until mixture is crumbly. Set aside. 
Mix remaining 2 C. flour, sugar, baking powder and salt; cut in remaining 6 Tbsp. butter until crumbly. Combine egg and milk in a small bowl; add all at once to the flour mixture. Stir lightly, just until liquid is absorbed. Batter will be lumpy. 
Divide batter between 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle with topping. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes.
Serve warm after baking. They are still good the second day if reheated. 


Mom found this recipe on Pinterest and asked me to bake them,  I made them just like recipe except baked them in a 10 by 15 airbake pan instead of the 13 by 9 pan the recipe called for. We liked them a lot and think that thinner is better.  It was an easy recipe and makes a big batch. 

Pepperoni Lasagne that my brother requested. I just used a recipe from AllRecipes.com but substituted 1/2 pound diced pepperoni for the ground beef
A meat loaf
Boomer, my brother's dog, wagging his tail as he was hoping to get a few bites of meatloaf. 
I also made pimento cheese to eat on celery and crackers and cooked roast beef, mashed potatoes and 2 pounds of baked carrots. 

They will be able to heat and eat all week.  I wish we lived closer so I could cook for them more often. 

On our last trip to Texas, I took photos of beautiful bluebonnets along the highway.  
This trip was not as pretty as we drove through about 100 miles of highway lined with  ice storm damaged trees. Some trees were broken down to the ground, others had hanging or fallen broken limbs and some trees were split down the middle. It is going to be a big long job to clean them up.