Maryland style crab soup

My own recipe inspired by soups that I've eaten in various restaurants.

In large pot:
2-3 qts beef stock-preferably home made with little salt
1T Old Bay seasoning
1t thyme
3-4 strips bacon diced
1T Worchestershire sauce
2 chopped jalepenos or 1/8t cayenne or 1/2 t Tobasco sauce
1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
1.5c diced carrots
2c chopped onions
1c chopped celery
1c diced potato (no need to peel)
Simmer for 1 hour & add:
2c mixed fresh or frozen vegetables (I like corn,peas & string beans)
1 pound crabmeat
Black pepper to taste
Bring to boil & simmer 15 minutes more. Taste-if not salty enough for you, add more
Old Bay.

Thanks CWA

When I see how much my prescription plan saves me, I'm very grateful that my Union got it for me. I have an UTI. Usually, when I start to have symptoms, a few days of extra water & cranberry capsules will clear it right up. this time it hit me hard & fast. My Dr has prescribed Ciprofloxacn-20 tablets cost me $.94. The uninsured price is $117.95!!! & that's a generic!
Pretty scary patient info sheets-Stay away from calcium, iron, nsaids, caffeine, sunlight....

Liza Jane-the sweetest monster

Charlie calls her a monster*, but would a monster climb over your shoulder & present her belly for petting? She does it to him, too.

*hint-restless legs in bed + kitten= foot biting

Ashley was in a cuddle mood, too.

Wild mushrooms

Thesre Pictures were all taken on Sunday. I'm thinking about renaming our camp-New Kennet Square. Even with Identification books, I'm too chicken toeat any of these, so I just take pictures.

mini taco party night

OK, so it was just Charlie & me, but it still felt like a party. 2 days ago I made my first fresh salsa of the season. I had bought Tostitos scoops, because we like a big pile of salsa on a small chip. As we were eating them, I came up with an idea. Tonight, I made taco burger, put a bed of lettuce on 2 plates with tomato & red pepper garnish & picked out about 20 perfect scoops. I also put out a bowl of salsa, sour cream, Hellavagood jalepeno cheddar dip (was going to be shredded cheese, but I found the dip & it was perfect) & the hot taco meat with spoons in each bowl. The idea was to pile up layers on the scoops. We both like to play with our food, so we had fun.

Reverse paper applique

Here are instructions for my variation of reverse paper applique:

Reverse Paper Applique
Note-This technique will produce a mirror image, so you might want to reverse your picture before you begin.
Step 1:
Pin, tape or spray baste your picture to the back of your background fabric. (Optional-insert batting between the fabric & paper.)-

Step 2:
Starting with the piece closest to the background, slap a hunk of fabric on the front of your background fabric. Tape the edges & if it’s a large piece, add a few pins from the paper side.

Step 3:
Set your machine for short straight stitches (about 20 per inch). With the paper side up, stitch on the line around your piece.

Step 4:
Remove from machine, flip over & trim applique piece close to the stitching. Repeat steps 2-4 until all pieces have been added.

Step 5:
Remove paper. Trim optional batting if you are going for a trapunto effect.
Step 6:
Here you have two options. I usually add the final batting & backing now, but you can continue without them. From the front, Satin stitch around all pieces.

Here's a quilt that I appliqued in gold lame' I wouldn't have considered doing it any other way. df

New kitty has a name

Her name is Liza Jane- to be called Liza. On another note- Ozzy the cockatiel is in love with me & doesn't seem to like Charlie at all. I am so hoping that he will make friends with Charlie.

What have we done?

One of Charlie's friends is moving to Lock Haven where she can't have pets, so...we took them for her. We must be crazy, but isn't this the prettiest kitty? No name yet. She is a real cuddler. Closed in the bathroom for now. She likes watching the birds.

She likes being held.

More birdwatching.

Speaking of birds, here's the other pet we took-a gray cockatiel. The cage is way too small. We'll be buying another tomorrow. His name is Ozzy & she said that he's about 4 years old.

2 more new quilts

Here I am quilting "Plaid Play". I did spirals in each of the center squares. After 100 of them, I feel confident in my freehand spirals. I'm still quilting doodles. Here's plaid Play hanging for the quilt show. I have a lady interested in buying it.

Another recent quilt "Shadowed squares" Made from chintz samples, it is a very easy pattern which is designed to show off the fabrics.

Baby bears

We've got baby bears again. Look at those big ears & long noses.