Showing posts with label Recipes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Recipes. Show all posts

Monday, April 21, 2014

Crazy Chicken and Egg Fabric and Crazy Salad

Quilt Block Pattern Information

Here's a wonderful recipe to use up all those hard-boiled eggs from Easter.  And I think the fabric in this block goes perfectly with this recipe!

Crazy Salad
1.    Layer in a glass bowl:
       Torn lettuce
       Torn, raw spinach
       Frozen green peas
       Cooked and diced bacon or ham
       Hard-boiled eggs
2.    Mix together and spread on top:
       2 cups Miracle Whip, thinned with milk
3.    Grate cheese and sprinkle on top.
4.    Refrigerate over night and serve the next day.

My mother-in-law Geraldine Bova Phillips gave me this recipe.  You can add other layers, too, according to your taste and what’s in your refrigerator!
 
I attended a bride's luncheon, where this was prepared in several 9" x 13" dishes, to make it easy to serve the large group. 
 
What recipe do you make with all those hard-boiled eggs from Easter?  Inquiring minds want to know!   By commenting, you'll be entering this month's give-away of Marie Bostwick's newest book APART AT THE SEAMS, coming out the end of this month.  Three lucky people will each win a copy, courtesy of Kensington Publishing!  If you are reading this via email, you must click on the title of my blog post to be able to comment and read the comments of others.  The winner will be announced on May 1.
 
You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post Cross and Crown Quilt Block and a Song for Sunday.

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

April Redwork Birdie Stitches and All Those Hard-Boiled Eggs

 
I enjoy doing redwork and found this Birdie Stitches Block of the Month by Little Miss Shabby free online:
http://www.littlemissshabby.com/2010/12/birdie-stitches-supply-list/ 

I printed the designs from the Little Miss Shabby website.  Next, I ironed freezer paper to a 12" square of the Kona cotton in Snow.  I taped a paper pattern to a window, then taped the cotton backed with freezer paper over the paper.   I traced the design with a pencil.  I added the name of the month to each block by finding a script font on my computer and enlarging it to 72. 

I used No. 8 perle cotton in red.  I have done redwork on a single layer of fabric, and the knots show through from the back. I've tried backing the fabric with very lightweight iron-on interfacing, but the interfacing wrinkled. This time I used a double layer of the Kona cotton. I ironed the layers together and used an embroidery hoop. I didn't baste the two layers together, but it has not been a problem. I'm very pleased with the results.
 
Here's a tasty way to use all those hard-boiled eggs left after the Easter egg hunt!  Enjoy!

Creamed Eggs with Asparagus and Peas Over Toast
6 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 cups milk
1 pound cooked fresh asparagus, cut in 1" bias strips
2 cups fresh or frozen peas
8 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
 
Toast
 
1.  Melt butter in large saucepan.  Stir in flour, salt, and pepper, cooking for
two minutes until the paste bubbles and cooks but is not browned. 
2.  Gradually add milk and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbly.
3.  Stir in asparagus, peas, and eggs, just until everything is hot.
4.  Serve over toast.

And a fun poem by Heidi Mordhorst:

Shell Game

 everything
 
about an egg is
 
smooth or round or cool
 
the shell    pin-thin and brittle
 
the yolk    a little mound of sun
 
the white  sticky-thick and spreading
  
 resting still as a stone in your palm
 
everything about an egg
 
is nothing like
 
a chick
 
Do you celebrate Easter in your home?  If so, how do you celebrate?  Inquiring minds want to know!  By commenting, you'll be entering this month's give-away of Marie Bostwick's newest book APART AT THE SEAMS, coming out the end of this month.  Three lucky people will each win a copy, courtesy of Kensington Publishing!  If you are reading this via email, you must click on the title of my blog post to be able to comment and read the comments of others.  The winner will be announced on May 1.
 
You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post  Cobblestones Quilt Block and the Setting of A Thread of Truth.

Saturday, March 22, 2014

Cups and Saucers Quilt Block and Coffee with Nell at Carrie's New Coffee Shop

Cups and Saucers Pattern Information

Nell Fitzgerald has invited you to join her and the rest of the quilt group for coffee at Carrie's new coffee shop in Archer's Rest, New York.  You arrive early.  While you wait for them, catch up on your reading of A Drunkard's Path by Clare O'Donohue. 

Coffee Mocha
1 cup brewed coffee
2-1/2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
1 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
Whipped cream
Cinnamon

In saucepan, combine coffee with cocoa powder and milk.  Stir over medium heat until simmering.  Remove from heat and add vanilla.  Pour into cups and top with whipped cream sprinkled with cinnamon.

Makes 2 servings

Brown Sugar-Caramel Latte
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 cup half-and-half or 2% milk
1 Tablespoons caramel ice cream topping
3/4 cup hot, brewed coffee

1.  Stir brown sugar into half-and-half until dissolved. 
2.  Whip with a milk frother or small whisk. 
3.  Pour coffee into a mug and stir in caramel sauce until dissolved. 
4.  Pour frothed half-and-half into coffee and serve.

Makes 1 serving

How do you like your coffee?  If you're a tea drinker, what's your favorite kind of tea?  Inquiring minds want to know!  By commenting, you'll be entering to win a copy of A Time for Peace (Quilts of Lancaster County) by Barbara Cameron.  If you are reading this via email, you must click on the title of my blog post to be able to comment and read the comments of others.  The winner will be announced on April 1. 

Monday, March 17, 2014

An Irish Blessing for You


St. Paddy’s Day Fruit Medley
4 large kiwis, peeled and sliced
2 Granny Smith apples, cored and sliced but not peeled
1 cup seedless green grapes, halved
1 cup honeydew melon balls
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons sugar

1.  Put the kiwi and apple slices, halved green grapes, and melon balls into a bowl. 
2.  Sprinkle with lemon juice to prevent the apples from browning.  Add the sugar and mix carefully. 

Do you have a special recipe that you fix for St. Patrick's Day?  Inquiring minds want to know!  By commenting, you'll be entering to win a copy of A Time for Peace (Quilts of Lancaster County) by Barbara Cameron. If you are reading this via email, you must click on the title of my blog post to be able to comment and read the comments of others. The winner will be announced on April 1.

You might also enjoy my previous blog post Alpine Cross Quilt Block and a Song for Sunday.

Friday, March 14, 2014

Pudding and Pie Quilt Block and Happy Pi Day!

Pudding and Pie Quilt Block Information

Happy Pi Day!  In case you are rusty on your math terms, Pi is the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter.  Pi = 3.14  (In other words, the circumference of a circle is about three times the size of its diameter.)

The 6th graders at my school are celebrating Pi Day in a fun, educational way.  Ahead of time, they created Pi Day T-shirts that they are wearing today.  The T-shirts feature appropriate Pi-related terms and definitions.  Several students brought pies this morning.  The students will measure the diameter and circumference of each pie for a hands-on lesson on the concept of Pi.  I love it!

This is the apple pie that my friend Cheri made for her daughter to take to school today.  Didn't she do an amazing job? 


If you want your own hands-on Pi lesson, here are some delicious recipes for you to try.  Don't forget to measure the circumference and diameter of the cooled pies before you eat them!

Peach Upside Down Pie
Pastry for double 9-inch pie

2 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup toasted and chopped almonds, walnuts, or pecans
1/3 cup brown sugar

5 cups peeled sliced peaches
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons tapioca
½ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon cinnamon

1. Prepare pastry.
2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
3. Line a 9-inch pie pan with a 12-inch square of foil, letting excess foil overhang edge. Spread with butter and press nuts and 1/3 cup brown sugar into butter.
4. Fit a bottom crust into pan, over the nut mixture. Mix remaining ingredients and pour into crust.
5. Cover with a top crust. Trim edges, seal well, and prick pie with a fork. Brush lightly with milk.
6. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 375 degrees and continue baking for 35 to 40 minutes.
7. Cool pie. Turn upside down on serving plate and remove foil. The top will be a crunchy layer of the nutty mixture. Cut pie into wedges to serve.

Hattie's Apple Crumb Pie
4 large, tart apples
1/2 recipe Plain Pastry
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup butter

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Pare apples; cut in eighths and arrange in 9-inch pastry-lined pie pan. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup sugar mixed with cinnamon.
3. Sift remaining 1/3 cup sugar with flour; cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over apples.
4. Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake about 40 minutes more, or until apples are tender.

What is your favorite kind of pie?  Inquiring minds want to know!  By commenting, you'll be entering to win a copy of A Time for Peace (Quilts of Lancaster County) by Barbara Cameron. If you are reading this via email, you must click on the title of my blog post to be able to comment and read the comments of others. The winner will be announced on April 1.

You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post March Wishing for Spring Basket Quilt Block.

Friday, March 7, 2014

Leprechauns, an Irish Castle, and Shamrock Biscuits

March House Block Information

Shamrock Biscuits
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons shortening (Crisco)
2/3 cup milk

1.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2.  Mix flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
3.  Cut in shortening with a pastry blender until it looks like coarse crumbs.  Make a well; add milk all at once.  Stir quickly with fork just until dough follows fork around bowl.
4.  Turn onto lightly floured surface.  Knead gently 10 to 12 strokes.  Roll or pat dough ½ inch thick.
5.  Cut straight down with a shamrock cookie cutter, no twisting.
6.  Place on ungreased baking sheet.  Bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes.

May the Irish hills caress you.
May her lakes and rivers bless you.
May the luck of the Irish enfold you.
May the blessings of Saint Patrick behold you.

~Irish Blessing

 

Here's a photo of my Irish ancestor - my great-grandfather, James Lynch.  Do you have an Irish ancestor?  Inquiring minds want to know! By commenting, you'll be entering to win a copy of A Time for Peace (Quilts of Lancaster County) by Barbara Cameron.  If you are reading this via email, you must click on the title of my blog post to be able to comment and read the comments of others.  The winner will be announced on April 1.
 
You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post My House Block Bee Quilt, a March Wind, and Sleepless in Colorado.

Saturday, February 22, 2014

Birthday Cake Quilt Block and Texas Sheet Cake

Birthday Cake Quilt Block Pattern Information

At school, we celebrate staff birthdays one day each month.  The Reading Interventionists and the 4th grade teachers were responsible for hosting the party this month.  We decided to celebrate the February birthdays by having a Salad and Dessert luncheon.  We coordinated our plans so that we had a variety of salads and desserts, along with homemade rolls.  Here's what I brought:

Texas Sheet Cake
1 cup butter
1/4 cup baking cocoa
1 cup water
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sour cream
2 eggs, beaten

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2.  Combine butter, cocoa, and water in a saucepan; bring to a boil.  Set aside.
3.  Sift together dry ingredients; stir in chocolate mixture, then sour cream and eggs. 
4.  Pour into a greased jelly-roll pan.  Bake for 14 to 18 minutes, until a toothpick tests clean.*
5.  Top with Chocolate Frosting while still hot.  Serves 24.

Chocolate Frosting
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup baking cocoa
6 Tablespoons milk
16-ounce package powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine butter, cocoa, and milk and bring to a boil.  Remove from heat and stir in remaining ingredients.  Beat well.  Pour on hot cake. 

*Because I live at high altitude, I use an 11" x 15" x 2" pan that has taller sides than a jelly roll pan. 

Cranberry Pineapple Salad
1-3/4 cup water
1 (6 ounce) package raspberry-flavored jello
1 (16 ounce) can jellied cranberry sauce
1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, undrained
¾ cup orange juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ cup chopped walnuts
½ cup chopped celery

1.  Bring water to a boil and remove from heat.  Add jello and stir until dissolved.
2.  Break up cranberry sauce and stir into jello until the cranberry sauce has dissolved.  Add pineapple, orange juice, lemon juice, walnuts, and celery. 
3.  Pour into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.  Chill until firm. 

You might also enjoy my previous blog post Stitcher's Square Quilt Block and the Main Character Elizabeth Keckley in Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker.

Friday, February 7, 2014

Prairie Queen Quilt Block, Laura Ingalls Wilder, and Laura's Gingerbread Recipe

Prairie Queen Quilt Block Pattern Information

Laura Ingalls Wilder was born 147 years ago today on February 7, 1867.  She is best known for her beloved Little House Books.  I will be reading Little House on the Prairie this month as part of the Reading to Know Book Club.  I'm also participating in the Third Laura Ingalls Wilder Reading Challenge. 

My family and I have visited three of the Laura Ingalls Wilder sites.  We've been to the Little House on the Prairie site near Independence, Kansas, where the Ingalls family lived from 1869-1871.  My great-grandfather, James Lynch, moved to Kansas in 1867, two years earlier than the Ingalls family, and settled about 100 miles north of them.  James Lynch and the Ingalls family both contracted fever 'n ague (now called malaria).  You can read more about it here. 

We also visited De Smet, South Dakota, where By the Shores of Silver Lake, The Long Winter, Little Town on the Prairie, These Happy Golden Years, and The First Four Years all take place.  

Finally, we visited Rocky Ridge Farm near Mansfield, Missouri, where Laura and Almanzo moved in 1894 and where Laura wrote all of the Little House Books.  The first book, Little House in the Big Woods, was published in 1932 when Laura was 65 years old. 

Laura Ingalls Wilder's Gingerbread

1 cup brown sugar blended with 1/2 cup lard or other shortening
1 cup molasses mixed well with the above mixture.
2 teaspoons baking soda in 1 cup boiling water
(Be sure cup is full of water after foam is run off into cake mixture.)

Mix all well.  

To 3 cups of flour have added one teaspoon each of the following spices:  ginger, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cloves;  add 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Sift all into the mixture and mix well.

Add lastly 2 well-beaten eggs.  The mixture should be quite thin.

Bake in a moderate oven (350 degrees F) for thirty minutes.  Raisins and, or candied fruit may be added, and a chocolate frosting adds to the goodness. 

- Laura Ingalls Wilder


Another Version of the Prairie Queen Quilt Block

Did you read the Little House books when you were growing up?  Inquiring minds want to know!  Answer in the comment section below for a chance to win a copy of Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker.  Plume Books is generously offering two copies of the book.  If you are reading this via email, you must click on the title of my blog post to be able to comment and read the comments of others.

You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post: Pig Pen Quilt Block and a Wonderful Snow Day.
 

Thursday, February 6, 2014

Pig Pen Quilt Block and a Wonderful Snow Day

Pig Pen Quilt Block Pattern Information

I had a Snow Day from school for the second day in a row.  The issue today was not snow but rather bus malfunctions.  It was so cold that many of the buses refused to start.  It was -22 degree F. early this morning with a wind chill factor of -38.  Very unusual for us!

It was a wonderful day indoors with -

Delicious smells coming from the kitchen:

Barbecued Pork Chops
1.  Combine sauce ingredients:
6 tablespoons brown sugar
½ cup ketchup
2 teaspoons dry mustard
¼ cup water
2.In frying pan, brown pork chops on both sides.  Drain off excess fat if necessary.
3.  Place browned pork chops in Crock Pot.  Pour sauce over and cook on low heat for 6-8 hours until chops are very tender. 
4.  Serve with additional sauce.

A delightful book to read as part of the Quilters' Book Club:

 
Earl Gray tea to drink:
 
 
And beautiful views just outside my windows:


 
 
Snowflakes Just Outside on the Window Ledge
 
How would you spend a snow day?  Inquiring minds want to know!  Answer in the comment section below for a chance to win a copy of Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker.  Plume Books is generously offering two copies of the book.  If you are reading this via email, you must click on the title of my blog post to be able to comment and read the comments of others.
 

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

February Redwork Little Birdies and Quick and Easy Lasagna

February Redwork Little Birdies Pattern Information

"Life, like a coin, always has two sides.  If I turn the February coin over, I find that we have had time for many pleasant things while the weather was bad.  Trying out a new recipe which is one of the fancy, time-consuming ones, for example.  Or re-reading a favorite book which we already practically know by heart.  Or writing leisurely letters to friends." 

                             Gladys Taber
 
On a snow day from teaching school last week, I made Nona's Spaghetti Sauce.  I let it simmer over four hours and ended up with 9 quarts of sauce.  It was fun to have a day to fix a time-consuming recipe. 
 
 
I used one of the jars of spaghetti sauce to make lasagna.  This recipe is quick and easy, so you have plenty of time to re-read that favorite book or write leisurely letters to friends!
 
Quick and Easy Lasagna

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.  Soak 10 uncooked lasagna noodles in hot water in the sink.
3.  While the noodles are soaking, brown 1 pound of hamburger in a 3-quart saucepan until no pink remains.  Drain excess grease.  Add a 32-ounce jar of chunky-style spaghetti sauce and 1/2 cup water to the browned hamburger.  Stir until mixed. *
4.  In a bowl, combine two beaten eggs, 2 cups cottage cheese, and ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese.  Stir until mixed.
5.  Spray a 9 x 13 inch pan with Pam to prevent sticking.  In the dish layer:
  1-1/2 cups sauce
  5 noodles
  ½ of the cottage cheese mixture
  2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  1-1/2 cups sauce
  5 noodles
  ½ of the cottage cheese mixture
  Remaining sauce
6.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes.  Uncover and top with 2 cups mozzarella cheese.  Bake 15 minutes.  Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Make sure all the noodles are covered well with the cheese mixture and the meat mixture so they won’t be hard. 

*If your spaghetti sauce already has meat in it, you do not need to add any extra meat.
 
You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post Linoleum Quilt Block and Nona's Spaghetti Sauce.

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Linoleum Quilt Block and Nona's Spaghetti Sauce

Linoleum Quilt Block Pattern Information

I had an unexpected Snow Day from school last week - perfect to spend time in my kitchen making Nona's Spaghetti Sauce!  This is a family recipe from one of my daughters-in-law.  It's her great-grandma's special sauce.  Her great-grandma came to the U.S. from Italy as a young bride, so the recipe is authentic Italian!   

Nona's Spaghetti Sauce

1 medium onion
2-3 pounds ground beef
2 pounds Italian sausage (not links)
2-3 cloves chopped garlic
3-4 small cans chopped mushrooms

Fry the above ingredients in a 12-quart stockpot.

Add:
6 (29 ounce) cans tomato sauce
2 (12 ounce) cans tomato paste
2-1/2 (12 ounce) cans water

1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon allspice
4 bay leaves
2-1/2 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon red pepper

Stir all the ingredients together.  Once the sauce is boiling, sprinkle two teaspoons of baking soda over the top and let bubble, stirring in.

Let sauce simmer at least 4 hours covered.

Makes 8-9 quarts.

* I didn't have a 12-quart stockpot so used two smaller stockpots, an 8-quart one and a 6-quart one.


The simmering sauce made my house smell wonderful, and I now have one quart of spaghetti sauce to use in my lasagna tonight and 8 quarts to store in the freezer for future meals. 
 
 
A wonderful way to spend a Snow Day!
 
This is actually the first time I've ever made spaghetti sauce! Even though I make many things from scratch, I usually just buy my sauce already prepared from the grocery store.  Do you have a special spaghetti sauce recipe or do you just buy the sauce in a jar?  Inquiring minds want to know!  
 
You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post Quilters' Book Club Selection for February and a Winner!

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Writer's Block Quilt Block and Tea Time with Lucy Maude



Join me for tea with Lucy Maud Montgomery, best known for her beloved Anne of Green Gables series.  This year I decided to participate in the 5th annual Lucy Maud Montgomery Reading Challenge sponsored by Reading to Know.  You can check it out here.

Enjoy some tea and Coconut Macaroons with us!  The recipe comes from The Anne of Green Gables Cookbook by Kate Macdonald and illustrated by Barbara DiLella. 

Coconut Macaroons
3 room-temperature eggs
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 cup icing sugar (powdered sugar)
1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1.  Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. 
2.  Cut a large paper bag into a rectangle that will just fit on a cookie sheet.
3.  Break the eggs and separate them, putting the yolks in a small bowl and the whites in a large bowl.  Beat the whites with an electric mixer until foamy.  Add the cream of tartar and beat until the egg whites are stiff and glossy but not dry. 
4.  With a rubber spatula, carefully fold the sugar, coconut, and almond extract into the egg whites.  Do not stir.
5.  Drop the batter by teaspoonfuls onto the brown-paper covered cookie sheet - about 1 inch apart.  Bake the macaroons for 20 to 25 minutes, until they look dry on top.
6.  Remove the cookie sheet from the oven.  Dampen a tea towel and lay it on the counter.  Lift the brown paper and macaroons onto the tea towel.  Let them cool completely.  Peel the macaroons off the brown paper and put them on a plate.



Reading to Know - Book ClubFor the challenge, I first read The Blue Castle, which is the only one of L. M. Montgomery's books not set on Prince Edward Island.  It's one of only two of her books written for adults as well as the first book I read of hers that wasn't an Anne book.  After reading the intro to the book, written by Collett Tracey, I didn't think I would like the book - but I really did enjoy it.  The Blue Castle is also the January selection for the Reading to Know Book Club, which I'm participating in this year.

I also read two picture book biographies about the author.  Lucy Maud Montgomery: A Writer's Life by Elizabeth MacLeod has lots of photographs as well as a timeline.  Lucy Maud Montgomery: The Author of Anne of Green Gables, written and illustrated by Alexandra Wallner, has beautiful illustrations.  They both provide insight into the author and her books and are quick reads worth reading, I think.



I reread Anne of Green Gables this fall and am currently reading the second book in the series, Anne of Avonlea.  And I'm waiting for the wonderful Anne of Green Gables video (starring Megan Follows) from the library.  I have seen it many times, but I never tire of watching it! 



Are you a kindred spirit?  Do you enjoy reading Lucy Maud Montgomery books?  Inquiring minds want to know!  Answer in the comment section below.  By commenting, you'll be entered to win a hardcover copy of Prayers for Sale by Sandra Dallas!  The more you comment, the greater your chances of winning!  If you are reading this via email, you must click on the title of my blog post to be able to comment and read the comments of others.

I'm linking up with the following posts:
Tea Cup Tuesday - http://www.marthasfavorites.com/ 
Tea Time Tuesday - http://sandimyyellowdoor.blogspot.com/
Tuesday Cuppa Tea -http://www.antiquesandteacups.info/
Friends Sharing Tea~
http://blog.bernideens.com/
Share Your Cup Thursday~
http://jannolson.blogspot.com/
Home Sweet Home~
http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/
Free Motion by the River - http://www.conniekresin.com/2014/01/linky-tuesday_21.html

You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post Ladies' Aid Quilt Block.

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

January Redwork Snowman Quilt Block, Tea Time, Banana Bread, and a Cow Creamer

January Redwork Snowman

It's a cold January afternoon - perfect for a cup of tea and a slice of banana nut bread!  Join me!  Here's the recipe that I got from my mother:

Banana Nut Bread
1-1/3 cups sugar
2/3 cup oil
4 eggs
6 tablespoons milk, soured by adding 1 teaspoon lemon juice or vinegar to it
2 cups mashed bananas
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups flour
1 cup chopped nuts

1.  Mix together the sugar, oil, and eggs.
2.  Stir in the soured milk and mashed bananas.
3.  Add the baking powder, soda, and salt and mix well.  Next, add the flour a cup at a time, stirring well. 
4.  Blend in chopped nuts.
5.  Pour into two well-greased 9 x 5 x 3 loaf pans. 
6.  Let stand while you heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Bake 50-60 minutes until toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
7.  Remove from pans and let rest on a cooling rack.
 
 
This is some of my Polish pottery.  I love the cow creamer as well as the mug's shape.  The snack tray is perfect for tea. 
 
 

My tea is from The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf and was a gift from a son and daughter-in-law.  This Winter Dream Tea is a rooibos and black tea with licorice root, cinnamon, and cloves.  Delicious and perfect for January!  Did you know that January is Hot Tea Month?  During this month, you're encouraged to try new and different types of tea. 









Outside, it's snowy, but inside it's cozy and perfect for tea time!

 
What's your favorite type of tea?  Mine is Earl Gray, but I'm having fun trying other types as well. 
 
I'm linking up with the following posts:
Tea Cup Tuesday - http://www.marthasfavorites.com/ 
Tea Time Tuesday - http://sandimyyellowdoor.blogspot.com/
Tuesday Cuppa Tea -
 
You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post Windblown Square Quilt Block and the January Wind.