summer tomato salad

Poppa brought these gorgeous tomatoes by the other day,
and there's nothing easier than a tomato salad.

*slice a couple of tomatoes - I like thick slices
*drizzle with olive oil and the juice from one lemon
*salt and pepper

*homemade blue cheese dressing

*top with fresh basil

Blue Cheese Dressing

*sour cream

*mayo

*lots of blue cheese crumbles

*lemon juice or vinegar

*salt and pepper

*I don't measure this one either -

just add a little bit of everything and mix it up

enjoy!

linked to:

Embellishing Life
Keeping it Simple
Making the World Cuter
Sew Can Do
Sumo's Sweet Stuff
The DIY Showoff

happy father's day

I can't think of anything better 

than celebrating Father's Day

with my 2 favorite fellas!

Aren't they handsome in their coordinating tie t-shirts?!?!
I kinda used the tutorial found here for the t-shirts,
and it took less than 30 minutes to make both of them.

alicia quilt

I'm finally finished with the Alicia quilt,
and I just love how it turned out.

It measures approximately 46 X 52, 

so it's a good size lap quilt.

The fabrics are from Liz Scott's Sugar Pop line

except the border which is called

Origins Graph Paper in kelp by Moda.

It was starting to sprinkle while I was taking the pictures.

I used Summer Flowers in chartreuse and aqua for the backing.
And, I usually make my own binding
and hand stitch it in place...

but I decided to use this instead.

It's a recent yardsale find that I bought
because I just loved the vintage-y look of the box!

The dark brown creates the perfect frame for the quilt!

...and here's the crusty, old fence shot!

I hope she likes it!


linked to:
Sugar Bee Crafts
The Blackberry Vine
A Bowl Full of Lemons
Tip Junkie
Not JUST a Housewife
Skip To My Lou
Sew Can Do
Under the Table and Dreaming
Cherished Treasures
Sumo's Sweet Stuff
The DIY Showoff
Making the World Cuter
Embellishing Life
Lil' Luna
Tatertots and Jello
I Am Only 1 Woman
Frugal Girls 

quilt-along

I'm joining the...

Here's the layout of the kaleidoscope quilt pattern...

 
So, who's with me?

Don't Call Me Betsy says, 
"This quilt-along is perfect for quilters of all experience levels.
If you've never done a quilt-along before,
now's a great time to try it!
It's a lot of fun to work on the same pattern
with a bunch of different quilters
and to see how other quilters interpret the same pattern."

Did you catch the "perfect for all experience levels" part?

I've been wanting to do a quilting bee forever!
So, if any of you local gals are interested in getting together,
and having a fabulous time making a beautiful quilt,
just let me know!

No experience necessary!

swiss chard with cannellini beans and parmesan

This one is a new favorite!
I have been sauteing our swiss chard
with olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper,
and we really liked it.
But, the addition of the beans and parmesan in this recipe
make it absolutely delicious!
 What doesn't taste better with a little parmesan?

the recipe
1 bunch fresh swiss chard - chopped including stems
1 can cannellini beans - drained and rinsed
1 green onion - chopped
2 cloves of garlic - minced
1/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth
parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

*heat olive oil over medium heat
*add onion and garlic - saute 1 minute
*add swiss chard - toss to coat with oil - saute another minute
*add beans and broth - cook 2 more minutes
*sprinkle with parmesan, salt, and pepper

enjoy!

(recipe courtesy of Madison Creek Farm)


linked to:
Under the Table and Dreaming
Cherished Treasures
Just Something I Whipped Up
A Bowl Full of Lemons
Sumo's Sweet Stuff
Making the World Cuter
Embellishing Life
Polly Want a Crafter?
Craft-O-Maniac
The DIY Showoff
Keeping It Simple
Sew Can Do
Skip to My Lou
Sugar Bee Crafts
The Blackberry Vine
Tip Junkie
Naptime Creations
33 Shades of Green
Lil' Luna
Tatertots and Jello
I Am Only 1 Woman
This Chick Cooks
Lady Behind the Curtain 

thanks

A great big, huge thank you 

to everyone who participated in the giveaway!

and the winner is...

   
Congratulations Jessica!
(I just sent you a message on facebook.)

let's celebrate

While I wasn't paying attention,
my little blog passed the 25 followers mark!

To celebrate,

I'm hosting my first giveaway!

Up for grabs:

a custom made scrappy wreath 
in your choice of colors!

the rules:

1.  Become a follower, if you're not already, 

and leave a comment telling me your favorite color combination.

2.  Share the giveaway on facebook,

and leave a separate comment.

That means you have 2 chances to win!

Make sure your email is linked to or is in your comment, 

and you have until Friday at midnight to enter.

good luck!

loulouthi

loulouthi...
go ahead and say it out loud
loulouthi...
sing it if you want to
loulouthi...

This is Anna Maria Horner's latest fabric line,
loulouthi
(Greek for "flower"). 
 I love it so much that I don't want to cut it!
I was on an email notification list,
so that, I would know, immediately, when it was available.

These are going to become a quilt
for a special little lady's "big-girl" bed.
I am trying to get a couple of orders finished before I start on it,
and I just can't stand it.

I hope you like it,
because you're gonna be seeing lots and lots more of it this Summer!

toys?

Why do we buy toys?

honey citrus balsamic vinaigrette

Lately, we're eating tons of salads 

thanks to all the lettuce we're getting

in our baskets.

Here is a quick little vinaigrette recipe I came up with.

Honey Citrus Balsamic Vinaigrette

*honey

*balsamic vinegar

*pineapple juice

*a spoonful or 2 of crushed pineapple

*salt

*pepper

*olive oil

I don't measure..

just put a little bit of everything in a bowl and whisk.

enjoy!

linked to:

Sumo's Sweet Stuff

Making the World Cuter

The DIY Showoff

Keeping it Simple

Support Blog for Moms of Boys

Sew Can Do

Embellishing Life
Skip to my Lou
Craft-O-Maniac
Polly Want A Crafter
A Bowl Full of Lemons
Sugar Bee Crafts
Naptime Creations
Tip Junkie
Domestically Speaking
Not Just a Housewife 
33 Shades of Green
Fabric Bows and More 

CSA Basket # 5

*carrots
*kohlrabi
(I have no idea, but I'll find out and let you know.)
*swiss chard
*kale
*mustard and turnip greens
*lettuce
*onions
*snap peas
*beet greens

We got to the market
just in time to snag the last loaf of
homemade buttermilk bread.

And, we couldn't resist the
homemade pasta and potato salads,
strawberry lemonade fruit roll-ups,
a strawberry lemon cream bread tart,
a small loaf of carrot spinach bread,
and the oatmeal raisin cookies
didn't make it into the picture.

Madison Creek Farm
is our favorite place to be on Saturday mornings.

pink

linked to:
Lisa's Chaos