summer or fall?

today it'll be half and half...but it's been summer for this week anyway.  first i put quilts on the bed, then i took them off...going back on today tho...i am so ready for fall!  this little hanger got finished yesterday...

another free chart off the internet that i've finished for my mom's door...now all the aida cloth scraps are gone!  one cross stitch UFO remains....it's been my focus this year to get them finished.  other than this, working on the monthly mini and One Monthly Goal, which is to finish the joseph's coat quilt and with half a month to go, could very well make it.  the monthly mini is a UFO also so two more done is very good.  another UFO, my version of bonnie hunter's 'narragansett blues' is a top and will be flung to the guild's charity project.  

i am not a huge pumpkin foods fan but there is one scrumptious recipe i make....yankee magazine's Publick House Pumpkin Muffin.  The recipe comes from Publick House tavern at Old Sturbridge Village in Sturbridge, Massachusetts...a re-creation of a new england 1840s village.  i've visited several times and it is definitely worth a trip if you are in the area.  i've included a photo of the muffin and the recipe...

every bit as good as they look....

Ingredients

    2 cups granulated sugar
    1/2 cup vegetable oil, plus extra for pan
    3 large eggs
    1-1/2 cups canned pumpkin purée (not pumpkin-pie filling), such as One-Pie brand
    1/2 cup water
    3 cups all-purpose flour
    1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
    1 teaspoon baking soda
    1 teaspoon table salt
    3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
    1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
    11/2 cups raisins
    1 cup chopped walnuts

Instructions:
Grease cups of two standard muffin tins or use paper liners. Set oven rack to the middle position.  In a large bowl, stir together sugar, oil, eggs, pumpkin, and 1/2 cup water.  In a medium-size bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.  Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir until moistened. Add raisins and walnuts and stir.  Let stand 20 minutes at room temperature. Preheat oven to 400°.  Pour batter into prepared muffin cups, each two-thirds full. Bake until golden brown and domed, about 15 minutes.  

Useless tidbit...if you saw the movie "Hawaii" with Julie Andrews and Max Von Sydow, parts were filmed at Sturbridge Village...enjoy!

monday report

a busy weekend but not much to show...did quilt on the joseph's coat and sewed up more red/white/blue blocks for the donation top.  both should be off the list very soon.  to stave off boredom, decided to try this...

first block of the 'alaska' quilt by edyta sitar.  carefully prepared pieces and checked 1/4" seam allowance...all went well until finished...the dreaded center points were off...and so was the block size too.....what?????   supposed to be 9.5" but mine came out 9.75"....but oh the center...a total disaster!  so unsewed a total of FOUR times until ended up with this result, which i'm calling good enough.  there are 48 more blocks all with equally annoying center points which have decided to machine piece the block halves but then hand sew the seam joining the two halves.  i'll try the next block and see if it also measures 9.75"....if so will just go with it and resize the borders.   

it's a dreary monday morning with promise of summer heat this week.  then maybe fall weather?  aside from exercise and house chores, another blank calendar week...