HOW HOT WAS IT?

"I keep my end tables full of needlework and quilting so I don't have to dust them"
                                                                          ~author unknown

Ice Cream Truck In Bakersfield Yesterday

This is how hot it was in Bakersfield yesterday.   I was sent this picture via email and knew that I just had to share it.  It really did feel this hot yesterday.  Officially our high was 111', but in my backyard we reached 112'!!!!!!  I know I said I wasn't going to complain, but come on now!  I only ventured outside to feed my bird friends and to collect the mail.  So, this is my picture for the day.  I hope it made you chuckle.

I thought today would be a good day to do a nail laquer review.  I recently gave myself a mani in China Glaze Street Racing.  I know it's not a new color, but then, I have only started doing my nails about a month ago and several years of naked nails.  This is a much brighter color than I normally wear but the color in the bottle was just irresistable.  I think this color could be worn in both summer and winter.  The best description I can provide for Street Racing is it is reddish with a rosy gold metallic.  It's not quite a duochrome but it does show two different tones in different lighting. 

Outside it picks up more of the deep red and definitely shows the golden shimmer

In the shade, it has a softer look appearing more orangey

And, then under indoor lighting, it picks up both the deep red with highlights of a warm orange

I used my normal 3 coats and a top coat.  Speaking of top coat, not long ago my daughter made a comment on her blog how the polish she used "shrunk" (you can see this example at Kitschy Suburbia).  It looked like it had several days of wear at the tips after just a couple of hours.  One of her followers asked her if she used Seche Vite top coat, and she had.  The follower stated that the Seche was probably the cause of the shrinkage.  After reading that, I thought maybe that is why my manis always look worn at the tips after just 24 hours.  So, with my lates mani (not the ones in the pictures) I switched to China Glaze No-Chip top coat.  I still topped it off with Zoya's hurry up speed dry drops, but this time my mani still is looking worn at the tips and it's been over two days and lots of time on the keyboard.  So I'm thinking there is something to 'shrinkage' and the Seche Vite.  Have any of you had a similar experience?

Only a couple of more days to enter my first giveaway! 

Another chance for the Accuquilt GO! Cutter can be found at Sew Many Ways...  hurry on over and enter for a chance to win (or not, so maybe I could win - lol!)

One more AccuQuilt GO! Giveaway. Check out Sweet P Quilting and Creations to enter!

Do you like aprons?  Bobby over at A Vision to Remember is having a great giveaway!

Do you know of any other giveaways that you would like me to include?  Drop me a line and I will try to post them in future postings.

Off to The Village Grill for lunch - definitely a good thing.  Not sitting out on the patio today because I don't care how much shade there is, it will not be cool.  Not much else doing around here.  Still working on the blue and brown quilt and stitching the Christmas Stocking.  Stay cool and keep creating!

A Different Chicken Fajitas Anyone?

It's Thursday - as if you didn't know that already.  Thursday's child has far to go.  Thor's day.  Born on Thursday, merry and glad, Abba (girl) and Baba (boy) both mean 'born on Thursday' in African. Thirsty Thursday. Tolerence Thursday. Thursday - the fifth day of the week, the fourth work day of the week.  There's not much written about Thursday.  So how is your Thursday going?  Do you have any special sayings for this day of the week?

This is a common view from my kitchen window.

Mourning Dove feasting on sunflower seeds

It totally amazes me that the Scrub Jays are completely intimidated by these docile doves.  The dove just puffs himself up and the jays won't bother him.  It's not like the jays aren't bigger, noisier, and usually much more daring.  There must be some sort of history between the two breeds of birds.  One little tidbit on this bird that I found interesting is that the oldest documented wild Mourning Dove was just over 19 years ago.  I never stop to think that these were once only a domesticated bird.

Today I am sharing a recipe that is especially good for warm summer evenings.  It doesn't heat up the kitchen and doesn't take much prep time.

"Lime, vinegar and Italian salad dressing mix offer an alternative to the usual Mexican-spiced chicken, onion and bell pepper saute.  Serve in the traditional manner with a tortilla"

TANGY CHICKEN FAJITAS

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
2 (.7 ounce) packages dry Italian-style salad dressing mix
3 whole boneless, skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced
1/2 onion, sliced
2 sweet bell peppers, sliced

DIRECTIONS:
1.  In a large glass bowl, combine the oil, vinegar, lime juice, and dry salad dressing mix. Mix together. Add chicken strips, onion and bell peppers. Cover dish and refrigerate. Marinate for 3 to 6 hours.

2.  Spray a large skillet with non-stick cooking spray. Remove chicken, onion and bell pepper from marinade and saute in oil until chicken is cooked through (juices run clear) and onion is translucent, about 20 minutes.

PERSONAL NOTES
1.  The original recipe calls for green bell pepper, but I use just about any color but green

2.  This can marinate all day - I have marinated it for up to 12 hours.

3.  I usually have to strain off more of the marinade after it has been sauteing for about 10 minutes.

4.  Serve on warm tortillas.

5.  Makes 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

Chicken and onions in marinade mixture

Sliced red and orange bell pepper

All mixed up and ready to hit the 'fridge

Sauteing

Serving on a warm tortilla

Served with fresh corn on the cob dripping in butter!

As I previously stated, this is so easy and so good.  I was pleasantly surprised that the onion was not overpowering, even with the wider strips, it just added a nice flavor.  This dish also reheats well.  I can't wait to have it for lunch on Friday.

A quick reminder - don't forget to check out my first giveaway!

That's about it for today.  I'm off to lunch later - after all it is Thursday - I can hear the Village Grill calling!  I hope to complete a couple more squares on the blue and brown quilt I have been working on for months.  Take care and have a thoroughly thoughtful Thursday!

Give Your Fingers A Work-Out

It's Thursday so it's my day to go out to lunch.  My good friend of many years picks me up almost every Thursday and off we go, usually to our favorite haunt - The Village Grill.  If it's cool enough we try to sit outside on the patio.  The patio is probably at least 5 degrees cooler than what the real temp is because it is almost completely covered by an old camphor tree.  Plus they have umbrellas up over all of the tables.  We know most of the waitresses  by name and we usually get real good service.  Of course, it might also be because we usually tip quite well.  9 times out of 10 I will order the same thing - a salad called The Mixed Grill Salad.  It consists of romaine and spinach leaves, grilled chicken cut into bite size pieces, dried cranberries, pineapple chunks, pears, and raspberry vinaigrette salad dressing.  It also comes with walnuts and cucumbers but I have them hold those - have trouble swallowing the walnuts (due to ALS) and can't stand the taste of cucumbers.  My BFF tries to have something different every week but lately has been heading down the salad lane as he says that he is getting "fat".  I keep telling him it comes with age, after all, he is on the downhill side of 50 - LOL!!!  They only serve breakfast and lunch, sure wish they had dinner service.  Their breakfasts are fantastic too, plus you can get those all day, so sometimes it's breakfast for lunch.

Remember the Project Linus afghan I talked about last week.  Here is the pattern that I promised.

I originally posted this picture under my first blog, More Than Quilts

Shell Afghan Pattern


Approximate Size: 45 X 45"

Materials:  4 1/2 skeins Red Heart Super Saver  (7 ounces each) - I don't count the rows but use up 4 complete skeins of the Super Saver and with the 5 skein I add 8 more rows. 

I use crochet hook size I/9

Abbreviations:
ch = chain
sc = single chain
dc = double chain


Chain 134 loosely.

Row 1:  In the 5th chain from hook, work 1 single chain, chain 2, and 2 double chain, *skip 2 ch, work 1 sc, ch 2, and 2 dc all in the next ch.  Repeat from * across to last 3 ch, skip 2 ch, work 1 dc in the last ch.

Row 2:  Chain 3, turn. Work 1 sc, ch 2 and 2 dc clustered all in the first ch-2 loop. Repeat in all loops across to last loop. Work 1 dc in ch-3 space at the end of row.

Repeat Row 2 until piece measures approximately 45". Here you have two options: Option 1: Do not break off yarn. Continue around the corner and the remaining 3 sides of the blanket, working 1 sc-ch 2-2 dc clusters in each space. Slip st at the end. Break off with 3 inches of yarn and weave in yarn ends.  Option 2: Break off yarn, start a contrasting color and continue around the corner and the remaining 3 sides of the blanket, working 1 sc-ch 2-2 dc clusters in each space. Slip st at the end. Break off with 3 inches of yarn and weave in the ends.

Admire your work and then bring it to your nearest Project Linus coordinator to be give to a child in need!  The nurses in the hospitals where Project Linus blankets are delivered really like this pattern as there are not many holes to get tubes and things tangled in.  Of course, you can always use this for making afghans for all of your loved ones and adjust the size to the person you are making it for.  I try to use bright colors when creating the afghans for the kids.  The current one I am working on is green but I haven't decided on the border color as of yet.  I usually try to make them unisex (or metro-sexual, I suppose, is the "proper" terminology) so that is makes it easier on those handing out the afghans.

This is really a simple pattern.  I'm able to crochet this while watching tv and rarely have to look down to see where I am on the row.  I have found that I like crocheting much better than knitting as it is much easier to pull out rows to correct mistakes.  And I don't have the trouble of dropping stitches like I did with knitting.

Update on my Hawaiian quilt pattern.  Thought I was finished with my design but the instructor made some very good suggestions, so it's back to the drawing (and erasing) board for me.  I knew that I wasn't much of a freehand artist and this is certainly confirming that thought!  I know the basis of the first lesson is designing but it's about ready to kick my butt.  Hopefully today will be the final draft!

I just signed up for a quilting challenge.  It is called the Brown Bag Quilt Contest.  The rules are as follows:
Gather four, 1/2 yard cuts of fabric, 8 fat quaters or a total of 2 yds. (Nice, clean, smoke-free, pet-free, quilting fabric preferably from your stash.)

2. Wrap it up securely for shipping (Include a little note of introduction, maybe a photo & any information you want your new "Brown Bag Quilt" friend to know about you.)

3. Leave a comment after this post & email your request to participate along with your mailing address to: thelittleredhen.quilts@gmail.com

4. Wait for a reply matching you to your new "Brown Bag Quilt" friend. You will also be sent a participant number to use later.

5. Mail your lovely "Brown Bag" fabric package to your exchange friend.

6. When your fabric arrives, construct a quilt using 90% of the fabric in your "Brown Bag". You may add: Any percentage of fabric from your stash & you may add 1 newly purchased  fabric piece. There is no min. or max. quilt size required.

The quilt will be yours to keep.

For more information and to join in the fun go to (link below picture):

http://stashmanicure.blogspot.com/2010/08/brown-bag-quilt-contest.html

Happy Thursday!  If it's not, just remember that tomorrow is FRIDAY! Stay cool and we will chat tomorrow.