Picnic Blanket Quilt

This is my Picnic Blanket quilt - perfect for summer picnics or for winter picnics in front of the fire.  I had a lot of fun collecting all of the different food fabrics for it.  In the upper corners, you can catch a glimpse of the watermelon border - an inner watermelon rind border and an outer border of red watermelon with seeds.  I used a pattern called "Cottage Romance" that I found in the magazine Quilts and More!, Summer 2007 edition.  I could not find anything exactly like it online, but there are two large blocks in the pattern that are similar to these:  http://www.allpeoplequilt.com/projects-ideas/bed-quilts/fusible-daisy-quilt_3.html     

This first picnic recipe came from my good friend and former neighbor Anita:

Tavern Sandwiches

2 pounds ground beef
1 can tomato soup
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons vinegar
¼ cup ketchup
2 tablespoons mustard
1 tablespoon Worchestershire sauce
½ teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon dried onion
½ bell pepper, diced

1.  Cook ground beef in a 3-quart saucepan until browned stirring to break up meat.  Remove visible grease with a turkey baster.

2.  Add remaining ingredients.
3.  Simmer 20 minutes.
4.  Serve on hamburger buns.

 
This recipe for baked beans came from my Aunt Joan.  She gave me a handmade book of recipes for my wedding, and this recipe was included. 

Baked Beans
 

6 slices bacon
2 pounds canned pork and beans
¼ cup maple syrup
¼ cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon dried onion
½ teaspoon dry mustard
½ cup ketchup

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Cook bacon until crisp.  Crumble into small pieces.
3.  Grease a 1-1/2 quart casserole. 
4.  Combine all ingredients, stirring well.
5.  Bake for 1 hour. 



I got this recipe for my favorite salad from my mother:

Orange-Avocado Toss

1.     Combine the following ingredients in a large salad bowl:

        1 medium head lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces
        1 small cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
        1 avocado, peeled, seeded, and sliced
           1 (11 ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained

2.     In a screw-top jar, combine ingredients for salad dressing:
        ½ teaspoon grated orange peel
        ¼ cup orange juice
        ½ cup salad oil
        2 tablespoons sugar
        2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
        1 tablespoon lemon juice
        ¼ teaspoon salt

3.     Cover the jar tightly and shake dressing ingredients well.

4.     Just before serving, pour dressing over salad.  Toss lightly.

  
You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post Quilters' Book Club Selection for July and a Winner.