Winner Winner, Chicken Dinner

Giveaways are pretty darn fun. Luck has been on my side and I have two wins to brag about. I know it isn’t nice to be boastful but what can you do? Plus I want to show my thanks to the bloggers that sponsored these giveaways.

The first win was actually in late spring which means I am a bit late in writing about this one. I entered a giveaway on Linda Smith’s blog, Scrapmaster. She and several others were writing posts to introduce their guild, the Maritime Modern Quilt Guild. I was lucky enough to win the draw for three lovely fat quarters! Thanks so much to Linda.

IMG_20150720_3566The dark and light grays in these prints are so pretty and they will be fun to incorporate into an as of yet unknown project.


The other prize I won was from the June giveaway for A Lovely Year of Finishes (ALYOF) which I have been faithfully linking to each month since January. (If you aren’t already familiar with it, ALYOF is a fun link up. At the  beginning of each month you link one quilty goal that you have for that month. If you finish the goal, link again at the end of the month.  They have a number of prizes that they draw names for each month.) When I won, Kim Lapacek, of Persimon Dreams, gave me the pattern of my choice. It wasn’t easy. She has a selection of really fun patterns that she has designed. Being a lover of dresdens (here is a post a bout the first, and so far only, dresden project) I chose her pattern titled, Dresden  Neighborhood Block.  This pattern is such a cute riff on a neighborhood. I plan to make a mini with it. If you want a closer look, the pattern is available here on Craftsy.

DresdenNeighborhoodBlockTutorial

Thanks so much to these two blogger/quilters for their generosity! I do love this community of ours.

I have been squeezing in minimal time for sewing over the past few days. Instead of my sewing room, I have been in the kitchen dealing with the amazing number of peaches ripening on our tree. They are so juicy and sweet but really, we have more than we can handle.

IMG_20150717_3559So far, I have frozen five gallon size zip lok bags of sliced, peeled peaches for making pies over the winter.

IMG_20150717_3558

This morning Julia and I made a batch of jam using strawberries and peaches.

IMG_20150720_3561We canned 8 half pint jars and will do at least one more batch. I think peach jam on its own can be a bit bland so I like to add berries to it. Last year I did raspberry peach and it was really good.

IMG_20150720_3564I am a bit worried that this batch isn’t going to set up properly. It doesn’t seem to be getting thick enough as it cools.  True confession time – my husband is really the jam maker in the family. He does a great job and just uses fruit and sugar, cooking it down until the consistency is perfect. Me, not so much… Last year I tried his method and ended up with a product similar to Jolly Rancher hard candy. I tossed the whole batch. I just cannot get a consistently reliable result. Today I used pectin and followed a recipe (which for some reason, Ray never needs to do) and I am just not confident it worked. We shall see. If this batch turns out to be too soft, I will just have to resign as assistant jam maker and leave it to the expert.

Post Update:  Yay!! The jam set up just fine. I will make a second batch now that I have seen success.  🙂

Summer is going so fast. Today Julia received an email from the high school with an assignment to read two books before school starts on August 18th. And so it begins!

Hope you are all enjoying your summers and savoring the days.

Linking to Freemotion by the River.

 

 

 

 

 

9 thoughts on “Winner Winner, Chicken Dinner

  1. Linda

    Glad you liked your winnings! I had to go buy a few more of those fat quarters for myself! I love that Dresden neighbourhood block. I will have to check out the link. Yummy peaches! the raspberry/peach mixture sounds delicious.

    Reply
  2. Deb @ Frugal Little Bungalow

    I love summer peaches and wish that I’d planted a peach tree here versus ornamental bushes and such 🙁

    Suggestion…if anything that you tried canning doesn’t work out perhaps try using it in a cobbler recipe or something though I hope that it sets just fine! 🙂

    Reply
    1. Bernie Post author

      Well, I was lucky and the jam set up just fine. We did have a wonderful cobbler last week. Summer fruit is such a treat. Winter fruit gets fairly boring after a while!
      Do you have a farmer’s market nearby where you could shop for fresh fruit?

      Reply
  3. JanineMarie

    Congrats on your two wins!! Do I see a Chemex cozy in your future with those great grays? Your peaches look yummy, and I hope your jam set the way you wanted it to. Canning fruit and jam making mystify me, although I do remember listening for lids to pop when my mom canned when I was a kid. I’ve done a little freezing to try to extend summer (just whole fruits like blueberries and strawberries, though).

    Reply
    1. Bernie Post author

      Thanks! Yes, those modern gray fabrics will probably be used for Chemex cozies. I am starting to try to make extra stock so I have a good number to choose from by the holiday shopping season. (Though it is hard to think of right now!!) Got lucky with the jam and it actually set! Hurray for small miracles. I do love that popping sound. 🙂

      Reply
  4. Dorian

    If those jars don’t set up just right, use them for syrup on pancakes 😉 works like a charm 😀 Congrats on your wins, love those grays.

    Reply
    1. Bernie Post author

      Hi Dorian,

      That is exactly what we do – it is either jam or syrup! Luckily, this time it set up and we have jam. Never know!!

      Take care,
      Bernie

      Reply
  5. Linda

    Congrats on the cool giveaways!
    I would definitely beg some peaches from you if I lived close. Growing up in Oklahoma, we had an old meagerly producing orchard on our land, and Granny would make peach cobbler when we had enough peaches. Oh the memories! Nothing smells or tastes like a fresh “real” peach off the tree. And fresh peaches encased in Granny’s flaky crust – slurp!
    I’ve only had luck making “sand plum” jam from wild-growing plums in Oklahoma and have never tried peach jam. Yours looks delish!
    Does Julia get to pick the books, or have they assigned titles?

    Reply

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