Love Potion No. 9

Number 9 is here!  That's baby number 9 for my cousin and his wife!  Can you imagine?  Anyway, I have been working on Number Nine's quilt for the past few weeks.  And now it is finally finished just in time for the baby's arrival this morning!  I made this quilt using Vintage Modern Mini Charms from Bonnie and Camille as well as white and red 2 1/2" squares in order to create the Disappearing Nine Patch blocks.

The finished quilt measures 36" X 52."   It is squishy perfectness!  Well, it's not perfect.  Some of my squares didn't match up perfectly, but hey, it's a handmade gift made with love!

  

I quilted using my free motion foot.  This was only the second time I have done this, but I find it kind of relaxing.  Once you get into a "groove," it's fun and easy!

Number 9 has been the most intricate and detailed quilt I've completed thus far.  It was frustrating at times, but I am proud of myself for designing the quilt and figuring out all the MATH involved in order to calculate how much fabric I needed as well as how to actually construct the blocks.  Considering this is literally the NINTH quilt I've made, I think I'm doing alright!

Congratulations to Matt and Stephanie!  You are great people and great parents!  Best wishes to you and your family, including little Number 9!

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Sew Loquacious's First Gluttonous Recipe

It's weird.  Whenever I'm on a diet my attention seems to gravitate toward all things FOOD!  The badder the better!  I've been pinning recipes on my Pinterest Recipes board like crazy!  I've also been digging through my recipe collection, as well as my mother's old recipe box.  Not to mention watching my favorite Southern cook, Paula Deen on television!  I've also been a little preoccupied by Christmas crafts, decorating, and baking.  This all leads to the recipe I want to share today.  I've made Beer Bread for the past several years at Christmastime.  I make loafs for my family and I also give them as gifts.  I've used a million different beers to achieve different tastes, but I've never made a sweet loaf until now.  Here is my simple recipe for  Streusel Topped Cinnamon Beer Bread:

Basic Beer Bread Recipe:

3 cups self rising flour

1 can of beer (12 oz can or bottle)

3 tablespoons of sugar (granulated/white)

and these ingredients to make it sweet:

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla

Streusel Topping:

1/2 cup flour (regular)

1/4 cup brown sugar (or 2 tablespoons Splenda Brown Sugar, which makes this less gluttonous right?)

1/2 stick of butter

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon milk or water

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 and spray a loaf pan with non stick spray.

Combine the beer bread ingredients and mix.  It will be think and dough like.  Place into loaf pan and bake for about 20 minutes.  Make topping.  Remove from the oven and sprinkle streusel topping crumbles over the top.  Bake another 20 minutes.  Make glaze.  Remove from oven and drizzle with prepared glaze.

This bread is very much like a coffee cake, but a lot heavier. It's also very dense.  I used Bud Light when I made this loaf.  Different beers will affect the flavor as well as the color of the bread.  Adding melted butter to the top of the bread before adding the streusel topping will help to brown up the top.  I think adding fruit, like apples or raisins, to the bread batter would be great.  Also, adding streusel crumbles to the inside of the bread, like a swirl, would also taste yummy and maybe a little lighter.  If you give this recipe a try, let me know.  I'd love to hear your feedback!

In my last post I gave you a little sneak peak at my current quilt project.  Here is an even bigger peak!  Yes, those are six inch blocks I've made using the Vintage Modern Mini Charms I won from Jolly Jabber!  I've got 34 blocks finished and 20 more to go!

You might have noticed I changed up my blog a bit.  I think it looks a little more streamlined.  What do you think?  I'd love to know!  

Tootles!

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