Coming Soon: Pumpkin recipes!

Some friends and I are forming a baking group - basically, we bake and get together to eat what we've baked while our kids play. I'm thinking we'll do themed months and I want November to be pumpkin month (October should naturally be apple month!). So I'll be playing around with pumpkin recipes and sharing my favorites soon. Apple recipes as well. Can I just say I LOVE fall? Because I do. And I won't be pregnant and I can wear my sweaters and funky socks and cook soups and be warm and make quilts . . . LOVE IT!

WIP Clean-Up Week

Also known as: Jennie's using the last of her nesting energy to get the sewing room a bit more organized!

So, what's on the agenda? Here goes (but I'm tired just thinking about it!):

• Sew three pairs of jammy bottoms for Aaron - already cut out
• Cut out blessing dress for baby Caroline
• Cut out baptism dress for Laurel
• Quilt L'Amour quilt #1 (already basted and ready to go)
• Sew binding on L'Amour quilt
• Baste Caroline's quilt
• Quilt Caroline's quilt
• Cut out Laurel's Abigail Adams costume

That's the have to get done. There are extra things to do that I will get to as I can. Hopefully I can get more done than this - I want to get started sewing on Laurel's costume for sure. Those other dresses don't have to be done until later in November, so I do have a bit more time on those. And a gazillion other projects. I'm trying to baste a quilt as often as possible - keep that baby in the right position!

Pictures to come - I've taken the plunge and started quilting on my Juki. It's pretty awesome. Laurel is amassing quite the collection of doll quilts, but it's worth the practice.

Best Banana Bread EVER!

Does everyone have a tried-and-true, best banana bread recipe? I do. Nothing I learned at the CIA either. Nope. You just cannot beat Betty Crocker's recipe. Love it. And can I confess that my favorite part of the bread is the top - that kinda sticky top that you just don't get anywhere else? Aaron likes the end pieces, which is just fine with me.

By the way, do not leave out the nuts. Unless you are allergic, you should really put nuts in just about everything. We have a very short list of things that should not have nuts. Banana bread is not on that list.

Betty Crocker's Banana Bread

1 ¼ c. sugar

½ c. butter, room temp.

2 large eggs

1 ½ c mashed ripe bananas (3-4 medium)

½ c. buttermilk

1 t. vanilla

2 ½ c. flour

1 t. baking soda

1 t. salt

1 c. chopped nuts

Now can I just say creaming method and be done? Please? Okay, okay. Cream the butter and sugar until it's light (and I mean light!) and fluffy. Add in eggs, one at a time. Dump in the bananas and vanilla. I stir together the dry ingredients, then add that whole mess after the bananas. Others will have you do it in batches, beginning and ending with blah blah blah. Just pour in the dry, pour over the buttermilk, and mix it on low until it just comes together. And don't leave out the nuts. I take it off the mixer, give it a good scrape and stir with my spatula, then pour it into the bread pans. Bake at 350 until it's done. Don't ask me how long - at least an hour-ish. Every oven is different. In Seattle, it took over an hour. Here in Moscow, it's right at an hour.

There are those who might add things like chocolate chips, but that's really not for me to judge on. I did make a banana pound cake the other day that was a dead ringer for banana bread, but you put in a layer o' hot fudge. Now that's awesomeness.

Chicken

I love chickens. I love them fried, I love their eggs. I love them baked, braised, sauteed, barbecued, smothered, stewed and in a pot pie.

I also love them at the fair. I love the funky ones with feather dusters on their heads. I love the big ol' roosters.

I am also a chicken myself. But I'm working on it. Baby steps, right?

I took the plunge and ordered the fabric I want to back my quilts with - I think enough for about 6 of them.

*gulp*

When it gets here, there will be no place to hide it. It will stare at me, reminding me that I need to just git 'er done.

And, as I am 35 weeks pregnant and doing my dangdest to avoid another posterior baby, making quilt sandwiches by crawling around on the floor will actually help things. So here's to quilt sandwiching and babies in the right position!