Embroidery 101: Hand Embroidery Basics for Beginners

Hey y'all...hope your weekend is going great. I wanted to share Natalie's tutorial with you. I love to personalize home decor or gifts and what better way than embroidery. Natalie will walk you through every step from supplies to techniques. You can view many of her tutorial on Missouri Star Quilt Co. website. My link (upper right on home page) will take you there and save 15% on supplies. Embroidery was one of the fist techniques that I learned as a child and I'm loving her tutorials. I'll be sharing fun projects soon using patterns from Missouri Star Quilt co. to personalize items for your home & gifts.

Enjoy! 

Blessed Cooking from My Home to Yours,

Cat

MSQC Affiliate

Paid Partnership w/MSQC

Cats "Tomato Basil Grilled Cheese"

 Hey y'all...hope your week is off to a great start. Today is a bit chilly but sunny in Florida. Days like today make me want a grilled sandwich but not just an ordinary grilled cheese. Today I'm sharing my favorite grilled cheese with you that I believe you'll make anytime of the year. It does seem that when it's cold or rainy we gravitate to soup and sandwiches. It's that classic comfort food that we all love and probably had as a child like me. As I'm a "bit older" I've broadened my "grilled cheese" taste buds. Don't get me wrong I still love the classic especially paired with a hot bowl of tomato soup. But this recipe combines my favorite. Yes...I'm saying it.... dunking the grilled cheese into the tomato soup. Right? Oh my gosh...fun memories :-) We'll let me tell ya... you will get that same feeling with my "Tomato Basil Grilled Cheese". But no need for the soup unless you want. I love this grilled cheese especially because I'm using my fresh basil & favorite melting cheese. Store bought pesto would work great too. This sandwich brings back memories as a child but totally comforts you as an adult. Sometimes with those crazy hectic days we just want a bit of comfort but still easy & maybe a bit healthi-r :-) You can add your favorite meat if desired but please try it meatless first. I do love to eat it with a few walnuts in place of chips. I'm not a "vegetarian" but I will say this grilled cheese sandwich will totally warm your heart. It does me anyway :-) Thanks so much for following and pop over to my quilt blog for an exciting project happening soon. Don't forget to check out the "daily deals" from Missouri Star Quilt Co. for all your sewing/crafting/quilting needs. My link (upper right) on home page will save you 15% on most products at checkout. Stay warm y'all & talk soon!

Blessed Cooking from My Home to Yours,

Cat

MSQC Affiliate

Paid partnership w/MSQC

Follow on Instagram...Facebook & Pinterest (links upper right on home page)

Here's all you need...

* Favorite bread for grilling

* Roma tomato (thinly sliced)

* Fresh basil leaves

* Slice of Gouda & Mozzarella cheese (or your favorite)

* Pinch of Humor :-)

Here's all you do...

* Heat a non-stick skillet to medium

* Butter bread evenly

* Place bread butter side down...add one slice of cheese...then layer sliced basil & sliced tomatoes.

* Top with another slice of cheese then sliced bread...butter side up

* Grill to your desired liking then flip over until all cheese is melted.

* Remove and serve with a few nuts...chips...soup or salad. 

Enjoy! :-)

Cats Tip of the Day!..."Banana Bread Baking Tip"

 Hey y'all...hope you had a great Valentine's Day & your week is going well. I recently shared with y'all my favorite banana bread mix. I don't know about you, but I can make the same recipe and it comes out differently. I'm not sure if it's my oven or just because I made it on a Wednesday instead of Saturday. Who knows but this tip will help. Once my bread has been baking for the designated time and it still looks a bit undercooked in center I remove it from the oven, Shut the oven temp off...then wrap the pan in aluminum foil & place back in over for about 5 more minutes. Then I remove...keep the foil on and place on a trivet on counter for an additional 45 minutes to an hour. The steam will actually continue baking the bread and once it's cooled you will have a very moist banana bread. I know this might sound a bit tedious, but it works. I've even done this tip with brownies. :-) This is where I always say a "pinch of humor" on my recipes. Sometimes ya just need to laugh! Plus, a good tip can't go wrong either. I started doing this tip due to my dear grandmother that baked bread every morning. I could never understand why she always wrapped her bread in a "tea towel." More so of why she baked bread every morning. I guess that was her "thing" or being a sweet Irish woman. I believe she enjoyed giving some away to neighbors too. I will say waking up to the smell of freshly made bread while visiting will be a memory I'll cherish forever. I hope this tip helps. Also, we have exciting things happening on my quilt blog, so I hope you pop on over as well. Thanks so much for following and talk soon!

Blessed Cooking from My Home to Yours,

Cat

MSQC Affiliate

Paid Partnership w/MSQC

Follow on Instagram...Facebook & Pinterest (links upper right on blog)

Don't forget to check out the "Daily Deals" from Missouri Star Quilt co. My affiliate Link (upper right on home page) will take you to their site and save you 15% on most products @ checkout...enjoy!

Havin' a Gnome-ful Year!..."Irish Gnome"

 Hey y'all....wanted to share a quick post with you. The Irish Gnome pillow wrap instructions was just posted on my quilting blog. Oh my gosh...this is such a fun series to follow. We'll be making a pillow wrap w/monthly gnomes from "The Whole Country Caboodle." I love to decorate the guest room for the holidays, but my storage space is limited. So this is my new series "One Pillow...Sew Many Ways" great space saving technique plus they fold easy for storage. The Valentine Gnome has been a hit so I hope you follow along with me. I'm super excited with these patterns. They are super adorable and easy to do. My kind of project. Plus, the cutest home decor ever :-) The February design was pretty basic then the "Irish Gnome" is using a charm pack or "Karat gem" by Willmington Fabrics. The fabric hues in this collection matches the Gnome perfectly. This pattern is a bit advanced, but you can always make as the February gnome if desired. I love to challenge myself, but you know me it will still be easy to follow. I do things a bit easier with my back issues but not giving up on what I love. Just in moderation. It's all about "thread and fabric therapy" for me. Takes my mind of pain even if it's just for a few minutes. I'll be hosting their collection all year and you can purchase the patterns from Missouri Star Quilt Co. Plus save 15% with my affiliate link (upper right on home page) I hope you join in on the fun & "Let's have a Gnome-ful year 2gether!"

Blessed Cooking from My Home to Yours,

Cat

MSQC Affiliate

Paid Partnership w/MSQC

Follow on Instagram...Facebook & Pinterest (links upper right on home page)

Best Banana Bread..."Mix-up!"

 Hey y'all...hope you had a restful weekend.  Seems Mondays come faster every week. I used to get frustrated starting a new week but now I try to challenge myself and think what I can accomplish. Trust me...not bragging,,,it's a short list. :-) I've always been a 'list person." It brings me joy when I scratch something off my list and if I have a few things left then I just carry them to next week or sometimes just say 'oh well." I will say Mondays are a bit more exciting for me lately due to "At Home w/Misty". She does tutorials on Mondays which motivates me for the rest of the week. I'm trying to post some of her tutorials, but you can google her for any you might have missed. Missouri Star Quilt co. does great weekly tutorials & have almost everything you need for your sewing...crafting supplies. I'm blessed to be part of their affiliate team so my link on upper right of blog will save you 15% on mostly all items. I know for me any savings these days is awesome. Check out the fun projects happening on my quilt blog too. So, here's a funny...I love banana bread and have tried many recipes and made a few of my own. Recently a sweet neighbor dropped by with some banana bread. It looked so moist that I insisted on getting the recipe. She laughed and proceeded to tell me where you get it in the produce section. I thought weird...she just said she made this. Hmmm. Well, this delish banana bread recipe is a "mix." I couldn't believe. it. It is now a staple in my pantry. I will say it sells out quickly. You will find the mix usually by your "bananas." :-) Don;t laugh,,,I actually asked where it was located in the store. Anyway, if you want a easy one bowl mix this defiantly will bring you joy. The bread is made with wheat flour so check your dietary needs. I do add a bit more ingredients that I'm sure you already have on hand. You could add nuts too. I try to make it weekly then slice and freeze for individual servings. With this crazy weather there is nothing better than a cup of coffee and a slice of banana bread. Enjoy!

Blessed Cooking from my Home to Yours,

Cat

MSQC Affiliate

Paid Partnership w/MSQC

Follow on Instagram...Facebook & Pinterest (links upper right on blog)

Here's all you need...

* 1 pkg. Chiquita Banana Bread Mix 

 With their stated ingredients of...

* 1 cup mashed bananas....approx. 2 over-ripe bananas

* 1 large egg (slighlty beaten)

* 1/3 c. water

I add...

* 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

* 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

* Pinch of Humor (a must in the kitchen)

Here's all you do...

* Prepare & Bake as directed on Banana Bread Mix.

Enjoy!

Tip....ovens vary so check yours towards the last few minutes of baking time. 

I'll be trying a "hack" with this recipe soon so wish me luck!

Talk soon,

Cat

"Left-over Spaghetti Sauce w/a Twist!"

 Hey y'all...hope your week is going great. The weather is crazy, and I don't know about you but I'm still wanting comfort food. This morning it was foggy but in the 50"s and all I could think about was chili...or soup or anything hot. It's funny how the weather does predict what we make for dinner. Least in my crazy world. I had left-over spaghetti sauce recently but didn't want the same old thing. Sometimes I get in a rut and end up cooking the same things. Wouldn't it be nice to "ring a dinner bell" and everything would be done and all we had to do was sit at the table. Definitely a dream in my world. Well, the recipe I'm sharing with y'all is so easy that I almost decided not to share with y'all. Then I had to tell myself this might be what everyone is seeking...a 'change" with left-overs. Right? This would definitely be wonderful on those hectic dinner nights. I will say that when I make my spaghetti sauce, I do make a lot and freeze. Now instead of the same old spaghetti I do a "casserole" with the large stuff pasta shells. Don't laugh y'all...it actually looks "restaurant quality" when served. Perfect with a side salad or whatever your family desires. You can 'stuff" the shells with any cheese, but I did grated mozzarella in shells than as additional on top. I hope you give this one a try especially if you have kiddos. It's definitely a favorite in my house. Thanks so much for following and pop over to my quilt blog for some exciting projects that were recently posted. If you need any sewing/crafting supplies my link on upper right of home page will take you directly to Missouri Star Quilt co. where you can get a 15% discount at checkout. They have just about everything you need for all your sewing & crafting projects. Talk soon!

Blessed Cooking from my Home to Yours,

Cat

MSQC Affiliate

Paid Partnership w/ MSQC

Follow on Instagram...Facebook & Pinterest

Here's all you do....

* Pre-heat oven to 350*

* Pre-cook past until al dente...drain & set aside to cool.

* Spray a casserole dish with non-stick spray and coat bottom of dish with spaghetti sauce.

* Stuff each shell with your favorite cheese and layer in dish.

* Layer more sauce on top then grated cheese.

* Cover with foil and bake for about 25 minutes...remove foil then bake for additional 10m.

* Ovens vary so check to make sure the sauce is heated through. 

Tip...I like to place my dish on a baking sheet for easy removal from oven. Plus, it's safer :-)

This is a very filling dish so a side salad may be all you need to compliment the dish. 

Enjoy! 

"Leap Year...extra day of Sewing...Cooking & Quilting!"

 Hey y'all...hope your week is going great. Did you notice it's "Leap Year?" I'm super excited for an extra day because we have a lot of projects to do 2gether. I love the items that I will be sharing from Missouri Star Quilt Co. We'll be having a "Gnome-ful Year" 2gether using the adorable patterns by the Whole Country Caboodle. The Irish Gnome is so adorable. You'll use "One Pillow...Sew Many Ways!" As promised, we'll be celebrating "Quilt-mas Cheer all year!" making a table runner for entertaining using the Snowflake templates by MSQC. I'm also sharing tips on inheriting items from a loved one of how not to stress during this difficult time. As you know I lost my dear mom-in-law last year whom as an exceptional quilter. So, stay tuned of how I use a "charm pack" that I've inherited and using them with this fun & easy pattern "Hunter's Star" by MSQC. We'll be getting organized together with those adorable "binders" from MSQC and don't forget we are doing the "Summer Strolls Triple Play" block of the month together. Plus, we all need to eat..right? So, stay tuned for some healthi-r recipes too! Oh my gosh y'all...now you know why I'm super excited for an extra day :-) You can view more details on my quilt blog plus don't forget you can use my affiliate link from MSQC to save 15% on supplies. I thank y'all for following and lets "make" this month extra special 2gether. 

Blessed Cooking from My Home to Yours,

Cat

MSQC Affiliate

Paid Affiliate with MSQC

Follow on Instagram...Facebook & Pinterest (links upper right on blog)