Changing Days

Fall has arrived here in Michigan.  The leaves are beginning to change colors and fall from the trees.  The cider mills are in full swing which means there are apples everywhere.  The chrysanthemums adorn nearly every porch and every town has a fall festival.

I love apples and all the recipes that go with them.  My all time favorite would have to be apple crisp though and so I thought I would share one of my recipes for it with you today.

Apple Crisp

Apple mixture

3 pound bag of apples, peeled, cored and sliced. I always use Gala or Macoun apples.

(the recipe calls for 10 cups of apples, but the 3 pound bag was perfect...no measuring!!

1 cup white sugar

1 Tablespoon flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup water

Topping

1 cup quick cooking oats

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup butter (one stick), melted

Directions...

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place sliced apples in a 13x9 pan. Mix white sugar, flour and cinnamon and sprinkle over apples and coat them well. Pour water in pan.

In a separate bowl, mix all topping ingredients together. Spread crumble mixture evenly over apples.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Enjoy these beautiful fall days!

Dee

Ahead of Our Time

Everyone seems to be jumping on the new adult coloring bandwagon.  There are numerous coloring books on the market now for adults as well as the Zentangle books.  It's fun, releases stress, relaxing and a great way to let your mind rest from all the activities and worries of daily life.

As I was perusing a few coloring books the other day in the store it struck me that I have been doing this for quite a few years now when I create or start a new pattern and color it in to see what fabrics I might want to choose.

I returned the book to the shelf and went home and took out my colored pencils.  

If you haven't  previewed different colors by copying your pattern and then coloring it in to make sure you are on the right track for purchasing the fabric then I would highly recommend it.  Besides it is a whole lot of fun.

It's looking and feeling a lot like fall in my part of the world.  Enjoy your days and make the most of what you are doing.

Blessings,

Dee

Take Care of that Cutting Mat

That I have been Off-the-radar-screen is certainly an understatement.  Preparation for my California retreat and vacation took up the first part of the summer.  The trip to CA was wonderful, starting with meeting and seeing old friends, hugs and greetings from Leslie, Melissa and Carson, the retreat was excellent, and the time spent with my children was a precious gift.

While in CA I picked up a stack of beautiful and bright fabrics.  I am in the process of turning them into a pretty wild drunkards path quilt.  Can't wait to finish it!

My cutting mat has been through a lot with me and I have appreciated how well it has held up through the years.  Part of the reason for that is the wisdom of the woman I bought it from many years ago.  She shared with me how to care for my mat so that it would give me many years of use and she was right.

Your mat needs hydration from time to time.  She advised that I soak it in warm water and use a little dish detergent and a soft brush and scrub it.  I try to do this once a year, but more often I'm sure wouldn't hurt.  In between I use a damp cloth and wipe it down.

After each time I use it I have a piece of leftover batting that I wipe it down with to get the fabric particles out of the cut marks.  This helps it to self heal as it should.

Her last bit of wisdom was to keep sharp blades in my rotary cutter and avoid sawing back and forth on my mat.  I could do better at this one.

Let me know if you have learned additional ways of caring for this sewing room workhorse.

Blessings,
Dee