Friends, food, and fun

First, thanks to everyone who commented last time around. I'm a little behind in my emails, but I love getting your comments. Sande asked what kind of fabric I used. It was Hoffman PFD (Prepared for Dyeing), 100% cotton. This is what I use most of the time for fabric painting and dyeing, but I do have some silk I want to try soon.

I think I am getting my comeuppance for being an obnoxious braggart about our California weather. Since then it has rained and gotten steadily colder and the forecast says we will have the coldest night of the season so far this year. We have a warning for frost, so I brought all the potted plants indoors. I remember when I first came out here, it made me laugh to see people using credit cards to scrape frost off their windshields. No snow scrapers in every car, so I guess you get inventive.

Yesterday I got to play hostess to my wonderful quilt group. I love being hostess, fiddling with decorations and menus and so on. Let's face it, I am secretly a happy homemaker, never mind that I have to work full time. I scored some cheap, lead free, Italian pottery bowls at Target along with some festive striped tablecloths, also a bargain. Paired with an assortment of dishes I already own, it made a nice table setting if I say so myself. I also planted a few flowers from the garden shop in small containers. This satisfies my thrifty soul because they can go into the yard a bit later after they have done their table duty.

I served a healthy chicken chilli. Thanks to my husband who smoked the chicken for me before it went into the recipe, it turned out delicious. I used organic tomatoes for the sauce and seasoned with chilli powder, garlic, chipolte chilli powder, salt and pepper. I added the chopped peppers, onions, and carrots (yes carrots) at the last minute so they would stay slightly crisp. I did cheat and use canned beans, though. Ranch style pinto beans and black beans. Since I "cook by look" and taste, I don't have a recipe, but this one is similar. Sort of.

As we always do when we get together, we had sharing. Here is my friend Barbara with an old quilt she just inherited from her aunt. Love the bright colors. It is hand quilted, and we think it is hand pieced as well.

When her daughter was visiting recently, they made purses together. Isn't this one fun?


There was more sharing, but I'll save some of those pictures for another blog entry.
We had a relaxing afternoon, talking, laughing, and sewing. I think we're going to have a great year!