Copper Jewelry and Lap Quilts

In between building my raised garden bed (soon those veggies will be growing!) I’m working on a couple of lap quilts for Odyssey Healthcare in Gulfport, MS and playing with copper wire for myself.

Sitting on the floor last night while watching one of my favorites on the Food Network channel, Guy Fieri’s Diners Drive-in’s & Dives, I played with my copper wire again. Made two round necklace pendants (ok…so one is not so round) with beads and wire wrapped. Hammered them. And placed one in a container with Liver of Sulphur (LOS)…ahhhh…that took me back to my geology lab days! ROFL! I love the smell sulphur in the evening! Kept the one piece in the LOS for about one hour and then peeked in…had gun metal grey, brown and reds…so I took it out. Pretty cool looking. I’m wearing it today.

Here is the other one ~ with out the “antique” oxidizing. It’s too big for my liking. 1-3/8″ across. Think I’ll try it again in the size of a quarter.

My friend Belinda was approached by Odyssey Hospice for volunteer help and she rallied all of her online friends to help…I volunteered to make a few lap quilts. I have to go get some cotten batting for these, discovered all I had on hand was for my husband’s Underground Railroad quilt. So many unfinished projects! ACK!

A couple of days ago, I received a request from someone who manages volunteers for a hospice in Mississippi. She was looking for volunteers to sew for her hospice patients and was asking me for resources. I will be sewing for this hospice, Odyssey Healthcare (www.odsyhealth.com ) as well as continuing to sew for Mission of Hope (www.missionofhope.org ). I would like to encourage you to sew simple projects for this hospice, or perhaps one like it in your area. Although my dad was never put on hospice care before he died, I had the opportunity to watch the hospice staff as they visited other patients in the nursing home, and I was always impressed with their unique ability to bring smiles to people who were in situations where all they wanted to do was cry. I think that people who are directly involved in hospice work must be very special people indeed.

Anyone who sews, knits, crochets, or quilts can volunteer to donate simple projects. Blankets, pillows, pillowcases, adult bibs, crafts, and quilts are all acceptable. Apparently, there are no restrictions and any donations will be used, with nothing going to waste.

If you should decide to volunteer to sew, knit, quilt, or crochet for this worthy cause, here is the contact information

TClark@odsyhealth.com or 228-297-5976

(I would suggest that initial contact be made via e-mail or phone because there are a few guidelines that must be followed.)

The mailing address is : Tiffany Clark, Manager of Volunteer Services, Odyssey Healthcare, 9414 Three Rivers Road, Suite 3, Gulfport, MS 39503

I hope that some of the readers of this blog will consider sharing sewing, quilting, crocheting, or knitting skills, even if it’s just one time. You might play a small part in making someone’s final sunset just a little bit easier, and after they have passed through that final sunset, the blanket or pillow that you made might bring some comfort to the family left behind. At first, they might see through tears, but eventually, they will be able to look at a project that someone sewed or quilted, and remember happier times with their loved ones. The tears may still come, but with each passing day, it may become just a little bit easier to smile through those tears. Wouldn’t it be a great feeling to know that perhaps by creating just one simple project, you might play a part in bringing a small measure of comfort to someone?

Here are two finished quilt tops ~

Split Rail Fence Quilt Pattern

Sea Salt Soap, Quilting and Pizza!

SEA SALT SOAP ~

Last month I played hooky and made up a batch of Raspberry Lemonade Sea Salt Soap. I used coarse Dead Sea Salts and fine Pacific Sea Salt in this batch ~ along with colloidal oatmeal. The oils used were Sunflower, Castor, Jojoba, Palm & Coconut. Butters used were Shea, Cocoa and Mango. Then I swirled with ultramarine pink.

Well ~ it’s ready to be used and I put it up on my Etsy shop ~ RASPBERRY LEMONDADE SEA SALT SOAP.

SPLIT RAIL FENCE QUILT ~

Continued working on the Spilt Rail Fence quilt…it’s definitely alotta pink. LOL! Not something I would make for myself…not even sure why I had that material in my stash! Hmmm…wonder if I have fabric gremlins? Trading out my Civil War repos with hot pink?! I get up at 4:30 am now, so I don’t have a lot of time to stay up like I used to. For some odd reason I’m pooped out by 9:30 pm. LOL! It’s going to take a while to finish these quilts, me thinks! Here is what I did last night ~ four 12.5″ blocks then sewn together. I’m using 6 different 2.5″ fabric strips for this quilt.

PIZZA! ~

Ok…even though I’ve lost a lot of weight (63 pounds and more to go!)…I love pizza. And I’m able to indulge myself at BLACK ROCK PIZZA in Sparks, NV. It is THE BEST pizza I’ve ever had. Very original pizzas, and great customer service. Thanks Stephanie and Juan Carlos!

Black Rock is owned by Linda & Dave Winchester and they’re there every day (at least every day we are there…and we go at least once a week). ALL PIZZAS (30+) are thin crust with either Multi Grain or Sweet Italian…I love the multi grain crust. There are many sauces ~ Pesto, Olive Oil/Garlic, BBQ, Spicy Sicilian, Thai, Hot Wing, Ricotta White.

My favorites are the veggie Planet X (Ricotta White Sauce, Fresh Garlic, Spinch, Roma Tomatoes, Asiago Cheese) ~ Wild Wings (Buffalo Sauce, Buffalo Chicken, Celery, Jalapenos, Gorgonzola Cheese) ~ Sage Brush (Olive/Garlic Sauce, Turkey Sausage, Sage, Lemon Juice, Fresh Garlic, Romano cheese) ~ Stone Boy (Pesto Sauce, Basque Chorizo, Roasted Red Peppers, Sun dried tomatoes, red onions, gorgonzola cheese) ~ Carlin Trend (Pesto Sauce, Sun dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, asiago cheese and sliced almonds) ~ Razorback (BBQ’d smoked pulled pork shoulder and green onions) and the Poker Brown (Thai peanut sauce, sun dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, smoked red onion, green onions, celery, red bell pepper topped with habanero jack cheese and oriental noodles!). I also love the Pale Face (Olive/Garlic sauce, fresh chopped garlic, pine nuts with gorgonzola and provolone cheese)…but I had gallstones and this one made my stones go crazy. Luckily that sucker was pulled last October so now I can eat it again. I’d stay away from this one if you do have gallstones! LOL!

The sandwiches are to die for too! Great salads ~ and I’m in love with the Gorgonzola Dressing. They should market that stuff! Starters are tasty ~ Rattlesteaks (Thin strips of Sirloin Steak, marinated in Buttermilk, Seasoned, cooked crisp, drizzled with Chipotle Sauce) ~ Sawtooth Knobs (Mushrooms filled with ham, fresh garlic, cream cheese, jalapeños, onions; all distinctively flavored in BRP’s smoker) ~ Tumbleweeds (Artichokes tumbled through seasoned breading, served with marinara, ranch, gorgonzola or balsamic vinaigrette).

Made you hungry yet? If you live here in Reno or Sparks ~ there is no excuse why you haven’t given them a try yet. You’ll be hooked on the first visit. If you’re coming into town ~ they are at 2855 N. McCarran Blvd, Sparks, NV 89431.

Playing with Beach Glass & Wire Wrapping

After having dinner last night at Spiro’s Sports Bar & Grille (E. Prater in Sparks) ~ love their spanakopita! ~ and watering the new part of the front yard, I organized all of my wires and tools. Decided I will be stopping by Lowes after work to pick up a few container odds and ends.

I played with some of the cheap wire I bought at a yard sale ~ just wanted to diddle around with some designs. Came up with this for two pieces of glass that I bought off of ebay…the ones with rims.

I’m going to try to drill a hole in the middle of the green one to pass the wire through the front towards the back and then bring up the wire to the top as a bail. Not sure about the brown one…but thinking of drilling a hole in the top of that one.

That’s about as far as I got ~ Biggest Loser came on and I love that show. YEAH ALI! A girl finally is THE BIGGEST LOSER! Kelly looked pretty dang good too…and I wrote her off long ago. Am very proud of her! Glad Bernie came back and beat all the guys too! He’s such a sweetie.

Barefoot Contessa Mushroom Lasagna & HDMI Woe’s

Tried a new recipe last night…and then wanted to push my husband down the stairs. 

First the recipe!  ROFL! 

Portobello Mushroom Lasagna by Barefoot Contessa, 2006

Kosher salt
Good olive oil
3/4 pound dried lasagna noodles
4 cups whole milk
12 tablespoons (11/2 sticks) unsalted butter, divided
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 pounds portobello mushrooms
1 cup freshly ground Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil with 1 tablespoon salt and a splash of oil. Add the lasagna noodles and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain and set aside.

For the white sauce, bring the milk to a simmer in a saucepan. Set aside. Melt 8 tablespoons (1 stick) of the butter in a large saucepan. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Pour the hot milk into the butter-flour mixture all at once. Add 1 tablespoon salt, the pepper, and nutmeg, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring first with the wooden spoon and then with a whisk, for 3 to 5 minutes, until thick. Set aside off the heat.

Separate the mushroom stems from the caps and discard the stems. Slice the caps 1/4-inch thick. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large (12-inch) saute pan. When the butter melts, add half the mushrooms, sprinkle with salt, and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender and they release some of their juices. If they become too dry, add a little more oil. Toss occasionally to make sure the mushrooms cook evenly. Repeat with the remaining mushrooms and set all the mushrooms aside.

To assemble the lasagna, spread some of the sauce in the bottom of an 8 by 12 by 2-inch baking dish. Arrange a layer of noodles on top, then more sauce, then 1/3 of the mushrooms, and 1/4 cup grated Parmesan. Repeat 2 more times, layering noodles, sauce, mushrooms, and Parmesan. Top with a final layer of noodles and sauce, and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan.

Bake the lasagna for 45 minutes, or until the top is browned the sauce is bubbly and hot. Allow to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes and serve hot.

So ~ just to let you know…I don’t follow recipes very well. I read through them and then tweak ‘em like crazy. Below is what I did differently and I’ll let you know if it was a good choice or not!

Noodles same ~ LOL!

But for the mushrooms I bought a package of big steak mushrooms, portabellini, shiitake, and baby browns…and closer to 2 pounds. To the mushrooms I added one yellow onion from the Peri & Son’s farm in Yerington, NV, garlic and a whole large bag of spinach. Threw in a sprinkle of kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, the following dried herbs: parsley, basil, thyme, and one other that TOTALLY escapes me at the moment.

The sauce…holy cow that makes a lot of sauce. I did the unsalted butter but instead of whole milk did the 1% milk. I think that was a mistake. Took me over 20 minutes for that puppy to thicken! And I added shredded Parmesan to it! Oy vey! I would seriously say to cut the sauce recipe in half if you are cooking for two people. I did NOT add 1 TBSP of salt ~ who in their right mind adds that much salt to a recipe???!!! With the Parmesan cheese I did not add any salt at all. Just fresh ground pepper and no nutmeg either.

I used my oval deep dish Pyrex casserole ~ I collect old Pyrex and glasbake (another post someday)…so I used it instead ~ makes four layers! I also only used 1/3 of the sauce. And added low-fat mozzarella cheese in-between the layers and topped it with the Parmesan.

Very tasty! Served it with a salad and warmed french bread. Husband had two helpings.

On to the HDMI WOE’S:

DAMN MY HUSBAND AND THE HORSE HE RODE IN ON!

How can a man be so inept with electronics? How come I’m the one who has to read through the freaking instruction books that came with the TV, DIRECT TV and HOME THEATER SYSTEM?! Why was he so cheap when we bought the TV to not buy the HDMI cables?! And I kick myself for “giving in” and listening to him.

So…a week or so ago he starts to complain cuz he can’t listen to XM’s Boneyard in surround sound…it just comes out of the internal TV speakers. Mind you we had Direct TV hooked up in January! And now he’s complaining. And he wants ME to fix it now. ME. Not him. But ME.

After googling for directions on how to connect the TV and Direct TV into the HTS ~ printing off as many directions as possible. Reading through said directions…picking out the TOP THREE easiest, most straight-forward directions…highlighting and scribbling notes and referring to ALL THREE MANUALS. I think I can hook everything up. NEEDS: 2 HDMI Cables, 1 Digital Optical Audio Cable and 1 Red/White Cable.

HDMI Direct TV OUT to TV IN
HDMI HTS OUT to TV IN
Digital Audio Direct TV OUT to HTS IN
Red/White to somewhere! LOL! Auxiliary I think.

Tonight is THE night! I bought all the cables and will unplug what is there now and with GOD on my side I WILL HAVE THAT DAMN THING UP AND RUNNING!

Where’s my Guinness?!

UPDATE!!!!!

I DID IT!  That one guy’s directions were perfectly clear and worked like a charm.  Gonna have to find that post again and give him a HUGE THANK YOU!   

Easter 2008 Weekend

We had a beautiful weekend here in Northern Nevada!  70 degrees and sunny on Easter Sunday ~ Who’d thunk it!?

Spent some time at Rancho San Rafael Park on Saturday throwing horse shoes (miserably I might add…more so than usual for me!), walking , taking pictures, and winning a game of cribbage.

I made that Christmas Ham of Paula Deen’s for Easter…love the orange marmalade & Dijon Mustard glaze…could have gone without the crust.  Next time just the glaze.  Very tasty ham.  The Mushroom & Asparagus salad that was in Raley’s Something Extra was VERY GOOD! 

After church I made a mad dash to mom’s house to see the kiddo’s and my BIL’s sister’s daughter…Brooke is a cutie. 

Some pictures from the weekend ~ First two from my front yard; rest from Rancho San Rafael park near UNR.

Easter pics of Nathan, Brooke and Hannah ~

Paula Deen’s Christmas Ham for Easter

I was watching Paula Deen on the Food Network last Christmas and drooling over her CHRISTMAS HAM recipe…only we were invited over to the in-laws for Christmas and I didn’t get to make it! So, guess what I’m making for Easter!?!

Only thing I’ll be changing is instead of crescent rolls I’ll be using pie crust to wrap the ham in.

Also will be making scalloped potatoes and from Raley’s Something Extra Spring 2008 magazine, MUSHROOM & ASPARAGUS SALAD.

Copper Wire Crafting

I seem to pick up lots of things on a fancy…and while I’ve always liked to work with wire (french beaded flowers and whatnot), I found some copper wire not too long ago and started hammering away on it.  Tappa Tappa Tappa into the night I went.  Then I started adding glass and metal beads to the hammered wire.  Now I’m hooked…until the next fancy comes along. 

It’s a good thing I have lots of creative outlets for my stress!!!

I have a big anvil type vise out in the shed, but it’s cold out there still and it’s bolted to the work bench.  My husband went upstairs and came down with a small 5×2x2 piece of steel for me to use while inside at night.   But he yelled at me around 11pm last night to cut out all the racket…phooey.  It’s hard to hammer copper wire quietly, eh?! 

This is what I made while sitting on the floor…watching Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-ins and Dives last night. Just love that guy ~ I could take him and Bobby Flay home with me any time.

My little inside hammering set-up ~

Another Snowy & Cold March Weekend in Sparks, Nevada

We had another cold weekend ~ it SNOWED on Saturday night. Was inside and noticed an eerie white light from outside…looked out and saw it snowing with accumulation on the ground. Patooie! Windy and cold all weekend. Grrrr.

So, we hit the thrift stores, antique malls, and I cooked and crafted.

FOOD ~ even though I’ve been trying to lose weight (63 pounds so far)…I love to cook, and have been adapting recipes for healthier eating.  Sometimes it works, sometimes it just best to leave the fat in.  LOL!

I picked up the new Spring 2008 Something Extra (Raley’s, Belair, Nob Hill grocery chain) magazine last week and made a shopping list.  If you haven’t ever looked at their free magazine YOU HAVE TO!  OMGosh there are some GREAT recipes in that magazine! 

Page 51 ~ Asparagus Egg Crepes! Made them for breakfast Saturday morning. Yummy!

I made cheese blintzes with fat free ricotta and cottage cheese…topped with blueberries and Yoplait’s fat free lemon yogurt for breakfast on Sunday.  Even my husband liked those.   For dinner last night I made pork-chops (that were marinated in garlic herb), salad, and on page 27 ~ Artichoke, Olive and Garlic Pizza Puff.    Very scrumpious!

Artichoke, Olive and Garlic Pizza Puff ~ pg. 27 Spring 2008 Something Extra

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
3/4 cup shredded Italian blend cheese
2/3 cup artichoke heart wedges
1/4 cup grape tomatoes, halved
2 tbsp shredded Parmesan
2 tbsp quartered, pitted kalamata olives
1-1/2 tbsp roasted garlic
2 tbsp snipped fresh basil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Unfold pastry and place on baking sheet sprayed with PAM; roll or press to make slightly larger. Fold edges in 1/4 inch, then fold again to form an edge. Top with cheese then rest of ingredients except basil. Bake for 20 minutes, let cool, top with basil.

I used low-fat cheese; instead of Parmesan I used low-fat feta; added more tomatoes, artichokes and olives; fresh garlic instead of roasted. And added mushrooms.

Will be making the Mushroom & Asparagus Salad (page 27) for Easter Dinner (along with Paula Deen’s Christmas Ham recipe).

WIRE HEART HANGING ~
I worked on a hammered wire heart piece. It’s not copper wire as I didn’t want to waste that on my practice pieces. I free formed the heart and spiral, hammered it, then added on a red glass bead and a metal bead from a necklace I bought at the swap meet last week. I soldered it together at the top curve of the heart…my first attempted at soldering. I’m waiting for a book to come in the mail on soldering…can’t wait!

CELTIC THISTLE NECKLACE ~
Then I found a necklace I had made a couple of years ago that I didn’t like the green beads in it…took it apart and just used the purple matte 11/0 seed beads and purple bicone Swarovski crystals…then I added a magnetic clasp, which is pretty cool ~ like those! Much easier for my numb ct fingers to handle! I have a silver Celtic Thistle Heart pendent that is the focal of the necklace.

OTHER GOING-ONS ~

Got my hair cut…it’s an above the shoulders bob. Always let my hair grow out and then two years later…whack it off. LOL!

Sold all the Sugar Easter Eggs. Will have to make more next year.

Picked up a very pretty little silver-plated box (am thinking it’s a pill box ~ round) with a silver Thistle that has a purple crystal as the flower part. Cleaned up right nice!

Made an appointment for my mom, sister, my 8 year old niece & I to have a pedicure & manicure (belated Christmas present)…we’ll have it next Monday when Hannah is on Easter break.

First Weekend in March 2008

And I didn’t do much! :-) 

March came in with lots of wind and a cold air mass…bloody hell, I getting tired of the wind. 

So after a warm breakfast we headed out to the Elks Club rummage sale at the south end of town.   I love going to their sales ~ there’s this wee old lady who gives you the best deals!  Two new t-shirts, copper mold, books, coffee cup, radio, wall hanging (pictured below) and some more books for $5.

I’m going to paint over the French waiter on this wall hanging I got…I think I’m going to pop off that plastic door knob and put either a hook or one of my old glass door knobs on it.

The Physicians Wives had their rummage sale on Saturday too…later in the afternoon I went ~ paid my $2 to get pushed, shoved, run over by baby carriages, and assaulted by rude women, men and children alike.  Never will I set foot in their operation again. 

I got in my car and headed south on Wells to the Four Seasons House…a local antique and gift shop at 628 S. Wells Avenue, Reno 89502…Where Every Day is a Holiday!  I love that place, nice and quiet with lots of vintage and unique items to browse through. Bought 2 more green handled kitchen utensils for my kitchen display, a bottle opener for my husband, and a 1920’s postcard for myself to use someday in an art project.

That evening I started making Feather Tree Ornaments from rummikubs.  I picked up a cd a long time ago with vintage postcards on it…printed out Easter, St. Patrick’s Day and 4th of July artwork then started making my ornaments.  I have a feather tree at work that I decorate for each holiday.  It has both Easter and St. Patricks on it this month.    I followed Sue’s (Perpetualplum) altered domino tutorial and tweaked to fit what I had on hand. 

I’ve drilled holes in the rummikubs and started gluing the images on the backs (ornament’s front).

Gluing paper that I bought at a yard sale on the front tiles (will be the back of my ornament).

Cut the foil tape and starting to attach them around the edges.

Just a close up ~ next step is to add a glass bead and hook!

Sunday was much cooler than Saturday, had lots of sunshine…and that bloody cold wind. Hit the El Rancho Swap Meet in Sparks. I only found an old wooden fishing bobber to add to my collection while my husband came home with another Dale Earnhardt collectible and a ratchet. LOL! He loves finding tools…even if it meant he had to buy from the guy who beats him to the tools at local yard sales.

And now for something completely different ~

Plate of my homemade whole wheat tortillas ~ made pork tacos last night (Boston butt roast stewed all day long and then pulled and put into ziplocks for pesole, tacos, and bbq sandwiches).

Last but not least ~ my Maxie wanting to know when I was going to finish crafting and turn out the lights!

süp ~ soup, salad, sandwiches…

Sorry about the double post for today ~ but my coworker and I just had lunch at a wonderful place in downtown Reno.

süp ~ soup, salad, sandwiches at 719 S. Virginia Street…for all us “old-timers”, it’s the old Luciano’s place. 

Soup (süp) n. A liquid food prepared from meat, fish or vegetable stock combined with various other ingredients and often containing solid pieces.

This is where we began our dream with the simple yet diverse dish shared in every culture around the world. It can be a brilliant beginning to a fine meal or a satisfying meal on its own. We hope you enjoy the joy of Süp! Christian & Kasey Christensen.

They’re open Monday-Saturday from 11am - 4pm and closed on Sundays.

It’s a small restaurant with about 7 or 8 tables that sit 4 people. When you go in,  you order at the counter and then they seat you. Due to it’s size you can grab a “I’ll Share a Table” placard. They have six soups a day, along with five different sandwiches and five salads.

We both ordered a half Pesto Turkey sandwich with a cup of Chicken Tortilla soup. It didn’t take too long to get our plates ~ and it was a delightful surprise! Not only did we get the HUGE 1/2 sandwich and our nice size cup of soup, but a small side salad and a homemade oatmeal chocolate chip cookie!

The Pesto Turkey was made of real turkey! House roasted turkey breast, pesto spread, provolone cheese, avocado, tomato, romaine and sprouts layered between fresh jalapeno jack bread (which was from The House of Bread on California Street).

The Chicken Tortilla soup was loaded with chunks of chicken, black beans and corn…very tasty with just the right amount of kick to it.

The salad was romaine and baby greens topped with Gorgonzola cheese (my favorite!), strawberry slices and some type of creamy vinaigrette.

If you’re in town ~ go visit! Excellent lunch! Great service! But get there when the doors open at 11!  Busy, Busy, Busy!