Reveal - Color Challenge

 It's time to reveal my 2021 Color Challenge project!

I enjoyed participating in the Color Challenge hosted by 

Jen - of Patterns by Jen. 

Not only did we get awesome quilt block patterns, there were quarterly door prizes provided by some wonderful sponsors, we learned a lot about a nice variety of fruits and vegetables, and we even shared some delicious recipes. 

All in all, it was a wonderful year! 

Be sure to read all the way to the end of this post to find links to some of the other bloggers who are sharing their finished projects today.

For the past three years I sewed two blocks each month and created two quilts from those blocks. In case you missed them here are the 2019 quilts and the 2020 quilts 

I went a little rogue with my project this year and am quite happy with my choice.

I still made two blocks each month, but this year I made one 12" block and one 6" block. The 2021 theme was fruits and vegetables.

All of my 12" blocks were made using one consistent fabric (bright green) and one fabric that had the featured fruit or vegetable in it. There were a couple of months that I couldn't decide which fabric to use, so I made two 12" blocks that month. That was fun!

My 6" blocks were made using Mosaic Masterpiece by Cheryl Lynch. 

I chose to use this fabric right after the 2021 challenge was announced because I knew it would be perfect. I met Cheryl at a workshop back in 2019, right before this fabric, her first collection, was introduced. I fell in love with the fabric and ordered some right away. She has since designed a second collection and has yet another one coming soon. If you read my post a couple of days about my Secret Sewing Reveal, you know that I used these fabrics in another quilt - a scrap quilt, and I love the results. 

So what does all this have to do with my finished 2021 quilt? Well...I decided that I didn't want to make two quilts, or even one for that matter. Since the theme was fruits and vegetables, I decided to make placemats and mug rugs instead. 

Using the 12" blocks each month I sewed 1" fabric strip to the right side of the block and then either a single 4" piece of the featured fabric or a 4" pieced section that included the featured fabric. (Actually, the January block was made with a 6" pieced section, but I decided that was too large, so I scaled it back to 4" for the rest of the year.)

All of the placemats that feature fruit were backed with this fabric. 

And all of the vegetable placemats are backed with this fabric.  

The binding was chosen based on the 1" fabric strip that was used. 

The mug rugs are all backed with the consistent green fabric used in the placemats so they work well with the placemats. Like the placemats, I made a couple of extra mug rugs and am that I did. As you can see, there are a few mug rugs that do not include the Mosaic fabric. When I started the project, I had a fat quarter bundle of the fabrics shown above. For some of the months I didn't have the right color, so I didn't use it. In those cases, I used the light mosaic fabric instead, and substituted a solid (or one that reads solid) fabric to correspond to that month's color. 

The mug rugs were not bound. Instead, I stitched a 1/4" all around them to give the appearance of a binding. 

All in all, I am very happy with these placemats and mug rugs. It makes setting the table fun for the grandkids, as they each choose which one they want to use; and there has been no arguing yet.  Yay!

It's fun to see this pile in the kitchen and even more fun to watch the kids go through it and decide which one they want to use. 

Thank you Jen for another wonderful and colorful year!

Check out the finished projects by these bloggers...

Patterns by Jen

Daybrook Designs

Frances Quilts

True Blue Quilts

Create with Claudia

June Color Challenge

 

It's a new month and a new color!

June's color is orange

and the featured food is

Pumpkin

Pumpkins are native to North America (northeastern Mexico and southern United States), but they are now grown world-wide. As a matter of fact, pumpkins can be and are grown in six of the seven continents. Only Antarctica is unable to grow them.

Pumpkins are a warm weather crop that are usually planted in early July. They need soil that retains water, yet drains properly after heavy rains. Even though this may sounds challenging, pumpkins are quite hardy. Even if the leaves are damaged or part of the vines are removed, the plant can usually regrow secondary vines and still produce the fruit. 

While pumpkins can come in a variety of shapes and colors, ranging from white to very dark green, I'll be focusing my information on the typical (to me), orange variety.  

Pumpkins are produced for a wide variety of reasons, including food (both human and animal) and commercial or ornamental sales. 

In terms of nutrition, one cup of pumpkin has 87% of the daily recommended vitamin A intake, and is a good source of fiber. It is basically fat-free, cholesterol-free, and sodium-free. All in all, pumpkin is basically a healthy food to consume.   

Pumpkins are very versatile in how they can be used for cooking. Most parts of the pumpkin are edible, including the shell, the seeds, the leaves, and even the flowers. It can be boiled, steamed, or roasted and is often used in soups and purees. Of course pumpkin puree is used to make an amazing pie that many people eat at Thanksgiving. (FYI - pumpkin pie is good ANY day or season!) 

Pumpkin can also be made into oil by roasting the seeds and then pressing them. The resulting oil is quite thick and has a very robust flavor. While it's often difficult to find near me, when used in salad dressings, it adds a delicious and somewhat nutty flavor.

We all know that pumpkins are harvested in the Fall and used for many Halloween and other Fall decorations. I always find it amazing how intricately some people can carve their pumpkins; and while I've tried to do something fancy, I'm a simple "cut out triangles for the eyes and a jagged mouth" kind of gal.  :-) 

You could go even simpler and do this for decorating. 

Yep! Sometimes I just don't feel like or have time for carving a pumpkin, but I still want to decorate. This set up was at my daughter's house and I love it.   :-)  Easy, peasy!!

But, I have to admit that my favorite Halloween decoration of all time includes a quilted project and I still pull it our every year. These pumpkin placemats are an adaptation of an Eleanor Burns pattern. I've added the face cutouts so the placemats are interactive. 

This is one of my favorite pictures! Mom passed away in 2012 but Sadie still remembers playing with these placemats with Mom and that warms my heart. 

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Talk about simple. Let's take a look at this month's block.

Be sure to check out Jen's Blog for this month's pattern!

I love my pumpkin fabric! I think it looks like this picture...

The above block was constructed according to the pattern, but I wanted to see what it would look like if I rotated the corners. 

 I played around with the corners before I stitched up the first block. Because I liked it both ways and I had the fabric, I decided to make a second block. For my end of the year project, I need more than twelve blocks, so I was happy to make a second one again this month. 

I used the original block layout for my 6" block; and like some other months, I used the bright light mini mosaic fabric. I LOVE how it looks! (If I had taken my pictures correctly, you would have seen an individual picture of that block, but no.... since I didn't do that so you get a picture that includes the similar 12" block.  😒

And because I DID get a picture with all the blocks, you get to see that....

These are SEW much fun!!!

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Don't forget to head over to 

Jen's Blog - Patterns by Jen

for your copy of the instructions

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As always...

Thank you to the Second Quarter Sponsors!

Let's show them our appreciation and check out their products.

Jen has a complete list of the sponsor HERE. 

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It's recipe time!

Yes, I like roasted pumpkins and pumpkin seeds, but I decided to go with a dessert this month. This is delicious AND simple

Pumpkin Spice Cake 

15 oz pumpkin puree (canned** or fresh) 

1 box (18.25 oz) Spice Cake Mix

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray and flour a bundt cake pan (you can also use a 9" x 13" pan).

In a large bowl, mix Spice Cake Mix and Pumpkin Puree until well blended. 

Pour batter into prepared bundt pan.

Bake 25 - 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool in bundt pan 5 minutes and then invert onto cooling rack. 

(Leave in 9" x 13" pan to cool.) 

Serve warm or cooled. 

Drizzle with a white glaze, if desired. 

(To make glaze, combine, 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 Tablespoon softened butter, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and 2 - 3 Tablespoons milk or heavy cream.)

This cake is AWESOME the second day and is great in the morning with a cup of coffee.

Speaking of coffee, why not grab a cup and check out the rest of this month's bloggers.

Patterns by Jen

Pieceful Thoughts

Daybrook Designs

Quilty Creations by Fawn

Sunflower Stitcheries and Quilting

True Blue Quilts

Patti's Patchwork

Quilt 2 End ALZ

I'd love to see your blocks! Feel free to leave a comment and include a picture.

May Color Challenge

 

It's a new month, which means it's a new color challenge reveal.

This month we are using 

Brown

and we are featuring 

Potatoes

Potatoes are a root vegetable, native to the Americas. It was believed that the potato was originally domesticated by various Native Americans in multiple locations, but genetic testing of a variety of species trace a single origin in what is present-day southern Peru and northwestern Bolivia somewhere between 7000 and 10,000 years ago. 

Potatoes were introduced to Europe from the Americas in the second half of the 16th century by the Spanish. Today, there are over 5000 different types of potatoes and they are considered a staple food in many parts of the world. In 2014 potatoes were the world's fourth-largest food crop. Only corn, wheat and rice surpassed them. 

So, just how healthy are potatoes?

Potatoes are a nutritious vegetable, packed with essential vitamins and minerals that help support the body, boost the immune system and improve energy levels. Potatoes are heart healthy too because they are rich in potassium which helps lower systolic blood pressure and helps reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. They are also rich in vitamin C and fiber, both of which lower blood pressure and bad cholesterol. The fiber found in potatoes helps satiate hunger and support "gut" health.  Potatoes also contain Vitamin B6, calcium, magnesium, and iron. They are gluten free, fat free, sodium free, and cholesterol free.  

Potatoes can be healthy, but it is important to consider how they are prepared when considering the overall health benefits. Studies show that there is a direct correlation between eating certain types of potatoes and potato products and an increase in waist circumference and weight gain. (Really?? Who would have guessed that?) So, instead of eating potato chips or fried potatoes, choosing healthier preparation options such as roasted, boiled, grilled, or steamed is the way to go. 

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Let's take a look at this month's block

I had the perfect mosaic fabric for the 6" version of this month's block, but I couldn't decide which fabric I wanted to use for the 12" block. I finally decided to stop fretting over it and just make two blocks. Problem Solved!!

These potatoes are the basic potatoes that I grew up eating. They are tasty and I have always enjoyed eating them. 

The potatoes in the fabric above are just plain fun. I love all the colors! There is a difference in taste, which provide a nice pleasant variety to many dishes.  

See what I mean about the mosaic fabric for the 6" block? Perfect!

I enjoy this picture of all three blocks. I like the fabrics and I like the block pattern. 

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For this month's block instructions, head over to 

Jen's Blog - Patterns by Jen

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Thank you to the Second Quarter Sponsors!

Let's show them our appreciation and check out their products.

Jen has a complete list of the sponsor HERE. 

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It's recipe time and I think you'll like this one!

Roasted Spanish Potatoes

AKA Patatas Bravas

These potatoes are a delicious side dish that can be served with just about anything. If you like a little spice in the morning, they are wonderful with scrambled eggs!

Ingredients

2 pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes - peeled or unpeeled - your choice, cut into 1" chunks

5 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil (divided)

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 cup chicken broth or white wine

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

14 ounce can of crushed tomatoes

2 or 3 teaspoons hot sauce (Tabasco)

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

Fresh Parsley, if desired for garnish

 

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Toss potatoes with 3 Tablespoons of olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt.

2. Arrange in one layer in a casserole pan or on a rimmed baking tray. Roast until browned, about 50 minutes. 

3. While potatoes are roasting, heat 2 Tablespoons olive oil in a medium pan over medium/high heat. Add onions and saute 4-5 minutes or until they begin to brown on the edges. 

4. Add garlic and saute another 2 minutes. 

5. Add the chicken broth or white wine and turn heat to high. Boil on high until the liquid is reduced by half. Add tomato paste and stir until combined.

6. Add tomatoes, hot sauce, salt, sugar, and paprika. Stir well and reduce heat to simmer. Let sauce cook slowly for 40 - 50 minutes. 

7. When potatoes are well browned, toss them with the sauce and return the pan to the oven until the sauce dries out a bit and the potatoes caramelize, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh parsley, if desired. Serve warm. 

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You'll have some time to kill while the potatoes roast so you might consider gathering up friends and family to play the Potato Game

That sure looks like fun! 

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Speaking of fun, these blocks were fun to make and I like how they looks. 

Check out the May Bloggers to see what fabrics they chose to use for their blocks.

I'm also looking forward to some delicious recipes to try. 

Patterns by Jen

BeaQuilter

So This is Kentucky

Kathy's Kwilts and More

Sunflower Stitcheries and Quilting

True Blue Quilts

DayBrook Designs

Quilt 2 End ALZ

March Color Challenge

It's March 1st, so we have a new Color Challenge Block

This month we are using 

Red/Orange

and featuring

Yams!

Big question here...

Are we dealing with yams or sweet potatoes? 

The skin of a "real" yam kind of looks like tree bark, while the sweet potato skin is more reddish/orange. Plus, the "meat" of a yam is more starchy and often compared to a russet potato in flavor. 

I'm not going to get into a debate about the differences, because there is sooooo much info out there that it would make your head spin; but this chart from the Mississippi Extension Office provides a quick, down and dirty glance at the differences.

There are botanical differences between the two, with sweet potatoes belonging to the morning glory family of plants. The edible parts of the sweet potato are called roots, while yam edible parts are called tubers. Sweet potatoes are more prolific than yams, producing 4-10 roots per plant, compared to 1-5 for yams.  Generally, I don't see yams in my grocery stores. And, most of the time, the sweet potatoes are labeled "Sweet Potatoes/Yams." 

Both plants are nutritious and provide a variety of vitamins and minerals. Many medical professionals believe that sweet potatoes can help protect again cancer and cardiovascular disease. And, because of its low glycemic index numbers, sweet potatoes can be enjoyed by diabetics. I will give fair warning here though, many people who enjoy a baked sweet potato often slather it with a brown sugar, cinnamon, butter mixture that completely changes that glycemic index number. I also have memories of sweet potato casserole that included lots of sugar, eggs, pecans and mini marshmallows. I was never a fan of that, until I became and adult and found a recipe that made it less sweet. If and when I do make it, which isn't often because I am the only one in the family that likes it, I have adjusted the recipe to be much less sweet and serve it as a dessert - and there are NO marshmallows! 

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I had fun finding the fabric for this month. Who knew that there was sweet potato fabric available? 

As you can see, I used the same green that I've been using the past two months. I love how those pieces just seem to float in this block!

I had the perfect reddish/orange fabric in my stash for my 6" blocks and think it looks great with the light-bright mosaic fabric. 

Again, I love how these pieces just float in the block.

To get your copy of the block instructions, be sure to visit Jen's blog. 

I think I've mentioned that I have a vision in my head for finished projects, but that I have yet to finalize that vision. I will say that with each month, the vision is becoming more solidified and I am getting quite excited about it. I am not going to spill the beans, but I can tell you that I will not be making two large quilts as I have done in the past. 

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Thank you to the First Quarter Sponsors!

Let's show them our appreciation and check out their products.

Jen has a complete list of the sponsors HERE. 

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It's recipe time and this one is a bit different. It is best if it can be grilled, but when that's not an option, it can be made in the oven. 

Yam and Pear Kabobs

Ingredients

1 large yam (sweet potato), chopped into 1 - 1 1/2" cubes

2 zucchini, cut into 1" chunks

2 firm pears, chopped into 1 - 1 1/2" cubes (if the pears are too ripe, they will fall apart and not work well)

1 cup white wine

1/4 cup teriyaki sauce

Instructions

1. Mix the wine and teriyaki sauce in a 1 gallon resealable plastic bag. Add the yams, zucchini, and pears.

2. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to marinate (longer is better)

3. If grilling - fire up the grill to medium high and let it get hot. If cooking in the oven, pre-heat oven to 300 degrees 

4. Put yams, zucchini, and pears on metal skewers (flat is best, but not necessary).

**If you are making this in the oven and do not want to place on skewers, you don't have to. Just place the yams, zucchini, and pears in a metal cooking sheet, keeping them in a single layer.

5. Grill 30-40 minutes, basting with the marinade as they are cooking. Turn the skewers often until they are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. If not using skewers, gently turn the food frequently with a spoon and marinate as they cook.

6. If cooking in the oven rather than grilling, once the yams, zucchini, and pears are tender, broil for one minute to make them crispy.

7. Remove from grill or oven, transfer to serving plate and enjoy!

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Here are my two blocks together. I really enjoy the pictures with both blocks. It is amazing how different they look. 

Check out these other bloggers to see their interpretation of this month's block. 

I'm not going to lie; I'm also looking forward to some new recipes.  :-) 

Patterns by Jen

Dragon Fly's Quilting Design Studio

Create with Claudia

Quilty Creations by Fawn

Love to Color My World

Sunflower Stitcheries and Quilting

True Blue Quilts

DayBrook Designs

Quilt 2 End ALZ

February Color Challenge

 It's February and it's beautiful! 

Life really is all about how you choose to look at things. 

This month's fruit is lemon.

You can choose to think about how sour it is...

or you can choose to think of all the wonderfully sweet foods that start with lemons.

Me? 

I'm going to choose to look at the good things about lemons... 

The delicious sweetness of lemon desserts

(lemon tarts, lemon cookies, lemon meringue pie, etc.)

The refreshing taste of lemon chicken

(see recipe below)

The wonderful health benefits of lemon 

(source of vitamin C, helps prevent kidney stones, good for digestive health, etc.)

And of course, its beautifully vibrant color - yellow!

How can one not love working with this color in the middle of the winter? 

It is so bright and cheery and reminds me that the sun WILL shine again soon. 

I am not alone in how I think about working with yellow. 

Check out what internationally color expert Kate Smith has to say about 

this beautiful color.

Now I know why I felt so good while making this month's block! 

   I love this block and all the yellow in it. I chose to use the same green in this block as I did in last month's. It just worked so well with it, that I couldn't resist. 

I didn't have a yellow mosaic fabric that I liked for this month, so I chose a yellow from my stash and paired it with the light-bright mosaic background. I am very satisfied with my choice and like how it looks. 

 

I have decided that any month for which I do not have the proper mosaic color fabric, I will use this light-bright mosaic as the background. It goes with just about any color and will work beautifully in the finished quilt that is in my head. :-)

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Thank you to the First Quarter Sponsors!

Let's show them our appreciation and check out their products.

Jen has a complete list of the sponsors HERE. 

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It's recipe time!

We love this quick-to-make meal and hope you do to. 

Lemon Garlic Chicken

Serves 4 - Ready in 30 mins.

Ingredients

4 - chicken breast, pounded to a 1/3" thickness

salt and pepper

1/3 cup flour

1 Tablespoon olive oil

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter

1 1/2 - 2 teaspoons minced garlic (more if desired)

1/2 cup chicken broth

3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

1 1/2 Tablespoons fresh minced parsley

lemon slices, optional for garnish

Instructions

1) Season pounded chicken with salt and pepper

2) Place flour in a shallow dish and dredge both sides of chicken breasts

3) Heat large skillet over medium-high heat

4) Add olive oil and 1 Tablespoon butter

5) Let butter melt, then add in chicken breast, in a single layer

6) Sear until golden brown on both sides (4-5 minutes each side) 

7) Remove chicken from skillet and sew aside (Do not clean skillet)

8) Reduce heat to medium, add garlic and saute for 30 seconds, or until lightly browned

9) Pour in chicken broth, scraping the bottom of the skillet

10) Reduce heat to simmer and pour in lemon juice. Simmer until liquid had reduced by about half (about 2 minutes)

11) Add remaining 3 Tablespoons butter and lemon zest. Stir until butter is melted

12) Return chicken to skillet, spoon sauce over chicken. 

13) Place on plate and sprinkle with parsley

14) Serve with rice and a green vegetable

Enjoy!

To keep in the lemon theme, it would be wonderful to serve a refreshing lemon dessert with this - say maybe lemon tarts or lemon squares   

Check out Tasting Table to learn how to 

get the most juice when cutting a lemon. 

Image from Food.com

This block was fun to make!

Why not grab a glass of lemon water and check out the other featured bloggers this month. Who knows? You may find the perfect dessert recipe to 

pair with the lemon chicken...

 Patterns by Jen

Penny for My Thoughts

Frances Quilts

Sunflower Stitcheries and Quilting

True Blue Quilts

Day Brook Designs

Quilt 2 End ALZ