Country Produce: Fresh or Frozen

Most of us like fresh fruit and veggies; because of faster and more efficient shipping methods than even 20 years ago, out-of-season produce is often available, but at what cost? Taste is a big issue for me, especially tomatoes. Blehk!!  Hot-house-grown tomatoes leave a lot to be desired. You really don’t have to have tomatoes to make a good salad.

One of my favorite supper salads includes diced apples, chopped nuts, diced cucumbers, finely chopped sweet onion, diced bell pepper and shredded carrots.  Add an Asian Sesame Dressing, or a simple oil and vinegar and dinner is ready.

Frozen fruit and vegetables are a good alternative to over-priced and hot-house “plastic” varieties.  These cold winter months are a great time to purchase frozen produce.  Generally speaking, fruits and veggies are packed at their peak, so the selection will be good.

Be very careful to rotate and exchange foods in your refrigerator-freezer on a regular basis.  The ‘frost free’ feature in your appliance will play havoc with food left for any length of time.  Don’t purchase an abundance of any frozen food product unless you have an upright or chest-style freezer in which to store your cache as you are risking losing some food.  If you just have to purchase a huge amount because you just can’t pass up a good bargain and have no extra freezer, plan on using that food within 2 to 3 weeks.

Check with your local County Extension office to find out what is fresh during these cold months, and year-round.  A county agent can be your best friend.  That agent can identify bugs and other vermin, wild varmints, soil condition, water safety and much more.

“White sales” used to be very popular ‘back in the day’’ and linens usually are on sale at this time of the year. Other good buys in this off-season include carpeting, motorcycles, cell phones, furniture and luggage.  You probably should wait until mid February to purchase new televisions and home theaters.

I hope your week is filled with Country blessings.

© 2014 Cat Brennan

Quilting in the Country

     Quilting in the country; what a great subject.  I just finished and shipped off my latest creation.  I don't mind telling you, I'm quite proud of it. 
     I was commissioned back in September to make a wall hanging for a friend (and a talented fellow writer) who wanted a "Star in the East".  
     Last spring when we first began to talk about her story and her vision, she drew a rough sketch, and I "saw it".  It was one of those God moments and I knew it!  I couldn't actually begin work on her special piece until   this  fall but when I did, it "just came together".
     The hanging is a 4 quadrant, paper-pieced 8 pointed star.  I hope you like the finished product as much as I did - approximately 18 X 26.
     The 'white' and the 'navy blue' are  Fairy Frost (c) Cottons by Michael Miller, the gray is Kona (c) Cotton, and the 'hard to see' 3/4" border is a dark green, also Kona (c) Cotton.
     I love Paper Piecing, mainly because a "square" can be perfectly duplicated; well as perfectly as one can do anything this side of heaven.    
     To see the 8 pointed star wall hanging, just click here. 
Or, if you prefer, just click on the page above, entitled,  
                      Cat-fur-to-kitten-britches.
     As always, I love to hear from you.  Have a wonderful week, in the country.

(c)  2013  Cat Brennan

Still Lovin' Life

I'm long overdue in adding a post .. but I'm loving life and staying busy! I ask you, "When did I ever have time to work?"  Great Grand Daughter, Piper Adicen, is due to make her debut in less than a month into the world.  We had a baby shower for her sweet mommy, Crystal, and it was such fun (You might remember the pictures I posted three years ago of my beautiful grand daughter's wedding). The wee girl will be so well dressed and already, she is so well loved.  Check out the page above, Cat Fur to Kitten Britches, to see some of the gifts I made for the baby.

After you visit the 'fiber-art' page mentioned above, check out the Cat Food page , also above, to see the Duck Pond Cake.

© 2013 Cat Brennan

Country Raggedy Quilt

This raggedy quilt was a fun project to put together last week. This is a simple quilt with instant gratification.  I didn’t purchase any new fabric for this project; both the squares on top and the flannel ‘lining’ that you cannot see were fabrics that I already had on hand.
 

This quilt, in fact, garnered one order to make a double/full-size bed and I expect more will follow.

The top are all random cotton fabrics; prints, solids, batiks and a host of others and the ‘lining’ is also of various cotton flannels. 

Putting it together is the fun part; effectively, it is self-quilted.  ALL of the seams are sewn ‘on the wrong side’ and are about 1 inch deep.  All of the seams end up on the outside, and once all are put together, each seam in clipped up to, but not through the stitching, every ¼ to ½ inch apart. 

Once all the seams are clipped, and it does take a while, the entire quilt is washed and dried repeatedly in an automatic washer and dryer. This process is what makes all the seams “raggedy”.

I used bits and pieces of the remaining cottons to sew a binding then ended up being 2 inches deep, finished.

Click ABOVE on the button "Cat-Fur-to-Kitten-Britches" to see the finished quilt.

 © 2013 Cat Brennan

 

Pi in the Country

March 14th ... seemingly an ordinary day, but to the MATH world, it's very important!
March 14, 2013
03-14-13 or
3.14
It's Pi Day!!!
I'm sure you all remember this from math.
The Greek letter for pi is π ..
Mathematicians keep telling me that Pi are square (π r²)  ..

But I know they're wrong .. My pie are round.

...

If you're the sharp crayon in the box or just want some cheap entertainment, head on over to this place just for fun. It's your very own site for pi.  If you don't want to click on this link, go to www.pi.org

Enjoy your pi day, whether you live in the country, or simply wish you did.

© 2013 Cat Brennan

♥♥ Heart to Heart ♥♥

     I would be remiss if I didn't post something this week.  So, Happy Valentine's Day.  Only God knows how many love songs have been penned for this thing we call
L O V E.  "Love makes the world go 'round".   

And now abideth faith, hope, charity(love), these three;
   but the greatest of these is charity (love).    I Corinthians 13:13

     Love can conquer fear and can stand alone.  The absence of Love can leave a person lost and hopeless. But, the presence of love..."Ah, sweet mystery of life...".  "Love is a many splendored thing...".   "Love me tender...". 

     This is one easy holiday to meet head on, that is, if you have a brain in your head. Husbands and/or boyfriends, Do NOT believe her if she tells you, "Oh, just a card will do," in answer to your questions regarding what she might like for Valentine's Day (or, for that matter, Christmas, her birthday, your anniversary or any other gift-worthy day). You WILL regret it. Go straight to the jewelry store, the candy store and the flower shop, and don't hold back.  This is NOT the day to be frugal.  A good dinner out at a very nice restaurant would also score lots of points.

     Ladies, your mission is slightly different; he probably won't give a rip about a card, so if he tells you that all he wants is a big ole bag of Jelly Belly© Jelly Beans, any flavor, then hop on in to your favorite candy shop and get him a large, mixed selection. If he asks for these jelly beans, Do NOT buy him artisan (read that expensive) chocolates or 'a potted plant' for his office. 

     Other gifts on this  day can be onerous for some people, but it doesn't have to be.  Grab a sponge, red tempera* paint, a pair of scissors and some card stock.   If the sponge is stiff or dry, wet it then blot out as much of the water as you can. Then, cut out a free-form heart shape (if you don't trust your free-form abilities, then draw one on a piece of scrap paper, trace onto your sponge, then cut it out. 
Once you have your sponge heart, dip it (light touch here) into the tempera paint and start heart stamping to your heart's content (try saying that fast 3 times).   If you're going to stamp something wearable or anything that will go through the laundry, use a fabric-type* red paint; follow the directions so the paint will remain through washings.  Different sizes of sponge hearts can produce a plethora of trims; a very small heart can 'dance' across some nice paper and the matching envelopes for a quick, thoughtful set of stationary.  Do the 2-step around the hem of a T-Shirt, or an apron.  A few hearts scattered onto white squares can dress up pot holders, tea towels, luncheons napkins, place mats or table runners.   Your imagination is your only limitation.

     Have fun with kids or the grands and help them make cards to give.  Cover the entire room in 'industrial-grade' plastic drop cloths and let them display their crafty and artistic nature.  They will have a blast with some of these heart sponges, but you know they will need a gallon of paint in at least 4 different colors. But, I digress.  Red construction paper, white, silver and gold doilies, a quart of school glue, safety scissors and they're good to go.

     This is a fun holiday to play around with any and all of your friends. No sweetheart on your horizon? So what??? Grab 3 of your besties, stir up a pot of  soup, some grilled cheese sammy's and add a bottle of lovely red wine or mix up some Cosmo's. Make your own party, play cards of Scrabble© or put a puzzle together. Make your own fun.

     One more thing: I love you in Spanish: te amo is probably 'text book' proper, but ordinary folks usually will say te quiero...and be sure to roll those 'rrrrr's, Baby!

     Have a fun and happy Valentine's Day, whether you live in the country, or simply wish you did!

© 2013 Cat Brennan

Serve Your Country

     Just a shorty this time. I want to encourage you to vote. It's not only your right, but it's your duty.  Never think or say that you can't make a difference!
     Who would ever have thought that this young upstart, this new America, those rag-tag colonies could ever defeat the Royal British Army and Navy? They were a huge and old country that outfitted an experienced army.  And yet, a few men made the difference.
     It is that difference that gives you and me the right to vote.  All of the lives that have been given in too many wars make it your duty to vote; to tell them that you appreciate the lives they gave.
     If you didn't vote early, please vote on Tuesday.
    You will notice that I haven't offered any political preference.  That's not what Cat's Country Place is about.  The only preference that I offer is that I love my country, these United States of America.  
     Betsy Ross is a favorite heroine of mine; she is credited with having crafted the first flag, Old Glory, the Red, White and Blue.  I think we could have been friends.
    God bless you and God Bless America.

© 2012 Cat Brennan