My New Blog ...

I have started a new blog... (I plan to keep this one and I will get back to using it again once I start making quilts again. I have been taking a break from making quilts)

I started the new blog because I have many interests but I didn't feel right posting non- quilting stuff on a blog I named Quilting Crossroads.

So here the link to my new blog: omg - look what i found... (I wanted "Look What I Found" but someone already has it)

Silly name I know, but truthfully it fits into what I plan to do with the new blog. I surf a lot and I find all types of things that interest me (and may interest others). Just recently I came across DIY instructions on how to make a large Sunburst Mirror. Well this sent me on a huge internet search for other DIY Sunburst Mirror instructions and I found a ton of them which I bookmarked. I just did a post over at the new blog about the Sunburst Mirror I made. I also included all the links I found on the subject. (many have instructions on how to make a sunburst mirror like they made)

Free Pattern Finds - (for Quilts, Pincushions, etc)

Really Cute Sea Turtle Pincushion
(pictured on page 8 of PDF file)

Square Deal Pincushion by Heather Bailey
(for those of you that may have missed this one!)

Prairie Flower Pincushion
(Hexagons !!!)

Dogwood Quilt
(this would look great and modern in a nice array of Kona Cotton Solids - It's is made of 2" wide cut strips, but it could be altered to use a Jelly Roll with)

Cross Weave Quilt
(Moda)

Mini-Me Apron Set
(for your little bakers & cooks!)

Indoor Kid's TeePee
(Robert Kaufman)

Now this is a smart idea...

Plywood Rug (rolling office chair mat from a 4x8 sheet of luan plywood)

Luan plywood runs about $10 a sheet (Luan sounds like Lou-on)
Just make sure you nit-pick through the sheets of Luan to find a flat one (lay on the concrete floor at the store) and one that looks nice on at least one side.

Roasting Corned Beef, Cabbage & Potatoes

This recipe is mainly for people who do not like corned beef when it is cooked fully immersed in water. If you like corned beef that you get at a true deli sandwich meat shop then you will like cooking it this way. (you can totally skip the potatoes and cabbage if you like and let the corned beef cool after roasting and then put in the fridge to make it cold. Then thinly slice it for sandwiches after it is cold.)

2 Small Heads of Cabbage (Cantaloupe Size)

Red Potatoes

1 Large Onion

1 Corned Beef w/seasoning pack (I like the flat or round cuts the best)

1 electric roaster oven with roaster rack

Water

(note: my electric roaster oven is a 22 qt size one and this corned beef round is 4.27 lbs in size)

Place rack in roaster bottom... open corned beef on one end of the package.

Place corned beef on rack fat size up in the middle of the roaster.

Fill bottom of roaster with water until it comes to the top of the roasting rack.

 Any red juice that is in the corned beef package can be added to the water for extra seasoning if you like.

Quarter and core 1 small cabbage head (reserve other head).

Then cut cabbage quarters into large chunks.

Lay around corned beef in roaster.

Wash and cut red potatoes (if needed) and lay around corned beef.

Cut onion also into large chunks and lay it to around the corned beef.

Spead seasoning packet contents on top of corned beef.

Roast at 350 degrees with lid on roaster.

Label on corned beef says 50 minutes for each pound of corned beef or until fork tender. Roaster ovens cook slightly faster than a regular oven does.

So instead of this 4.27 lb corned beef cooking in 232 minutes (nearly 4 hours), it most likely will be done in 3 hours. (update: With this big piece of Corned Beef I should have waited to add the potatoes in after 1 hour had passed since putting the corned beef in. It only takes about 1 1/2 to 2 hours to cook the potatoes)

About 30 minutes before the corned beef is done. Quarter and core the other cabbage head and then cut the quarters into large chunks and carefully spread it around the corned beef and cook for about 15 minutes. The first cabbage was for flavor and it will be broken down and the newer cabbage will be perfect for eating with your corned beef.

I love Old Bay Seasoning sprinkled on top of cooked cabbage. 

I will post a picture of the finished corned beef when it is done. (I like roasting it because any leftovers of the meat will make perfect true deli style corned beef sandwiches and the left over potatoes and cabbage will make a perfect cabbage soup.)

(I had to cut with the grain so that it would hold together. It was that tender that cutting across the grain had it crumbling into small pieces.)

It took about 3 hours and 15 minutes for this 4.27 lb piece of corned beef
 to cook in the roaster oven.

You will see a lot of recipes from me that are based around the use of my Electric Roaster Oven. It is the best kitchen appliance I have ever bought. I use it for just about everything. (Chicken, Roast Beef, Meat Loaf, Pork Butts, Pork Steaks, Ribs, Stuffed Cabbage, Stuffed Peppers, Turkeys, Ham, and on and on.). It is great in the summer when you don't want to fire up the big oven.



Blind Quilter in Texas - YouTube Video

Being Reborn - I finally have High Speed Internet !

Some of you know that I live in a rural area. All we had available was stinking dial up internet access. Well on 2/28/11 we had a bad storm and it knocked my dial up speed down to 21.6 kbps per second (max) from 26.8 kbps per second (once in a while I would connect at 28.8 kbps per second). Years ago I would 40.0 kbps per second on dial up.

Since 2/28/11 and many calls out to the phone company and the dial up internet provider and not getting anywhere with either company. I bit the bullet and got myself Mobile Broadband through Verizon (3G network as we don't have the 4G network here yet). The speed is nearly the same as the DSL speeds that the people up in town are getting (right now I am not able to get DSL because I am too far out from the town)

Having high speed internet is like being reborn !
I am getting speeds like 2500.0 kbps per second instead of 21.6 kbps.
I catch myself still saying I can't look at that or go to that web page because it will never load at my (dial up) internet speed, but it only takes a second to remember that dial up is "not" a problem anymore for me.

The little thing I use is called a "fivespot" modem/router. It's the size of a cell phone and you can carrying in your pocket or purse when traveling and it will allow me to connect up to 5 wireless computers at a time. I can go anywhere now with my laptop and as long as I am in the Verizon Cell Network I can connect to the internet.

The best thing about it is I can now drop my landline which costs about the same as the new Mobile Broadband monthly fee and also drop my dial up service and save another $20 a month.

I am a happy camper !

The beauty that freezing rain leaves behind...

click on images to see in full size