TOO MANY IRONS IN THE FIRE

In the last couple of posts I have mentioned several projects we have going on. Somehow this week has disappeared with none of them being completed. I have had zero energy. So many projects to do and I can't wrap my head around any of them. My yellow chair is still waiting for it's second coat of paint. the bench cushion is still just in the idea stage; my French Lines quilt is still waiting for it's ruffled binding. frames need painting, and on and on it goes. If that is not enough jobs to be finished, I thought I might start a few more this week. 

On Thursday a few of us gals got together to make summer bathrobes. I mis-judged the size I needed and after cutting everything out in an XL some of the girls insisted that it would be much too large for me. 

 

To prove the point I tried on a Small one that one of the other girls was making and it was a close fit. They convinced me to recut to a Med. and I agreed but when it came time to cut, I just could not bring myself to cut a Med. I decided to go with a Large. I hope that I am not going to be sorry, but I do not like a skimpy bathrobe. One thing I do know is that I am going to like it...

 

 

This is the size Small (minus the sleeves). I'm guessing the XLarge may have been just a bit roomy!

My goal is to finish mine this week.

Speaking of goals; Mr O challenged me to finish a quilt that I started hand quilting over 10 years ago. A little something to mark the occasion of Canada's 150th.

I have been plugging away at it and all the blocks and sashings are now done. All I have left to do is the outer border and then it is ready for a binding. I might just pull this off!

 

 

Isn't it pretty? In spite of my very immature hand quilting. I'm told practice makes perfect and I have another quilt waiting in the wings that is about halfway done with the hand quilting as well, so time will tell. In my mind, "done" will be almost as good as perfect.

I know I am all over the map with my ramblings tonight, but here is a pic I took last week of my little rhubarb patch

It has grown enough this week with all the rain we have had that I was able to harvest my first crop yesterday while Mr O and I were out working at cleaning and burning brush from all the winter windfall. 

A lot of the leaves and broken branches have been put through a chipper to make mulch for around the raised beds. The other bed beside the rhubarb has tiny strawberry plants I purchased late last summer and they seem to have wintered well and are starting to show flower buds on a few plants. Hopefully next summer I will harvest the perfect combination for some yummy strawberry rhubarb pies.

In the meantime I made a rhubarb pudding today and I have to say it is pretty yummy. A friend had posted on her Facebook page and her blog about a recipe she found online for this pudding that makes it's own sauce, and I thought I would give it a try. It is quick and easy and very tasty.

 

I still have lots left to make a batch of muffins on Monday. 

The recipe can be found here    http://commonsensehome.com/rhubarb-pudding-cake/

I used about 1/4 cup less sugar in the cake batter and it was still plenty sweet. I imagine this would be absolutely scrumptious with a mix of rhubarb and strawberries.

Another thing I usually do with my rhubarb is make aslush mix that I keep in the freezer and whe we want a nice cold refreshing drink, just scrape out about 1/4 cup of the frozen (alcohol free) slush and top up the glass with either Perrier or 7Up. Yummy!

You might like it... http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/rhubarb-slush

 

 

You may have noticed a bit of a change to the side bar on my blog where I list blogs I read. I removed some that were inactive and will be adding others I have started reading. Not only have I been negligent at writing in my own blog but I have not been reading the one I used to keep up with all the time. It is so nice to catch up on all the activity of my fellow bloggers.

I leave you with a few pics of the "weeds" on our side lawn. Actually they are actually one of my favourite wild flowers. Mr O has cut the lawn already and still they show their happy faces. How forgiving they are. Much more so than any hothouse flower that has to be petted and babied into flowering. Behold the lowly wild woodland violet; our provincial flower here in New Brunswick.