Crafting for Babies

I saw this lovely rag quilt tutorial on Prairie Muffin and decided to try it out for a friend's new grandson.

I found some cute flannel with construction trucks and traffic cones, and loved the combination of orange and blue. Cutting out the squares was easy, quilting the sandwiched squares from corner to corner was easy too.

Here's a close up of me snipping the raw edges to give it that frayed looked once it's washed and dried. This part was time-consuming, but I passed the time by listening and occasionally glancing at some Monk episodes from season four. I wonder if Monk could do this sewing project? Probably not, the strings would drive him nuts, and the frayed edges would drop him over the edge.

Happy Birthday Billy Graham

Today is Reverend Billy Graham's ninetieth birthday. In this picture he's seen with his grandson, Tullian. Tullian is a friend of our pastor, and has written a wonderful tribute to his grandfather here.

In June of 2006 my mother, my daughter and I sang in the choir at the Franklin Graham Crusade at Camden Yards, home of the Baltimore Orioles. What a privlilege it was to hear him, along with his father speak that day to thousands. The gospel was proclaimed and we had a chance to get a taste of heaven worshipping and singing praises to the Lord with so many people.

Billy Graham was helped to the podium and spoke, his unforgetable voice still strong while inviting attendees to give their lives to the God of the universe who loves them and knows their every need.


In the 1958 my husband attended a Billy Graham crusade in Los Angeles, California with some neighbors. This was back when the crusades were held nightly for a week. One of those nights God spoke to my husband and prompted him to go down to speak with a counselor and pray the sinner's prayer. Not being raised in a Christian home, and unfortunately without follow-up with Biblical teaching and discipleship, this seed was not watered for many years. It was a decision non the less, and in hindsight we see now God's protection over his life, and bringing him to a greater understanding of the gospel today. Thank you Lord for Billy Graham and the way you've used him and his family to glorify your name.

By the way, while dh was attending the crusade in Los Angeles I was being born to a young couple in Oklahoma City. God's plans are infinitly higher and broader than we could ever imagine, don't you think?

"Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is Thine; Thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and Thou art exalted as Head above all"
1 Chronicles 29:11

Cornbread says Fall

Cornbread says fall to me and it's tradition here in my home to make it along with a big pot of chile for Halloween. We're in a neighborhood with lots of kiddos, so turning off the light and going out is not an option for Halloween night.

I like dry savory cornbread, hot and slathered with lots of butter, and thought I'd found the "best" recipe ever until I tried this one on Friday night. It's from the King Arthur's Baker's Companion cookbook, and even though the instructions say to bake it in an 8-inch square pan, there's nothing better than cast iron in my book. I also substituted bacon grease for the oil. I know, I know, you're thinking "Horrors!" Get over it, and use it. You'll have it leftover anyway after you fry the bacon. See look at that cornbread in the skillet, don't you want to grab that wedge right now?

Try this recipe, and let me know what you think.

Bacon Cheddar Cornbread

9 servings

This recipe uses the spice cumin, which has a warm, toasty flavor. Cumin is popular in chile recipes, but it isn't hot at all. Fresh or frozen corn will work for this recipe, and both are equally good. So don't wait until summer to make it.

1 1/2 cups (6 1/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (3 5/8 ounces) yellow cornmeal
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons (1 1/4 ounces) sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 large egg, beaten
1 cup (8 ounces) milk
1/4cup (1 3/4 ounces) vegetable oil (I used bacon grease)
1 cup (4 3/4 ounces) cooked or thawed corn kernals (I used canned corn)
6 ounces (6-7 slices) bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 cup (4 ounces) grated cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and grease an 8-inch square pan (or wait and use a little bacon grease in your cast iron skillet)

Whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, sugar, and cumin in a medium-sized bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, and vegetable oil (or bacon grease) and add to the dry ingredients. Stir in the corn, bacon, and cheese.

Spread the batter in the pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until it's golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove it from the oven and cool on a rack. (or gobble it up HOT!)

Confession: I doubled this recipe and I was so excited to try it, I forgot to add the cheese. I know, "What a dope, that's the kicker in this recipe!" To compensate, I sliced open a wedge, laid on a piece of cheddar and popped it under the broiler. Yum! You wouldn't believe how good it is served with chile. We've also been enjoying it leftvoer for breakfast, toasted and slathered with butter.

The Birthday Girl

Yes, I know her birthday was last week, but when it's your baby you enjoy celebrating all week long. Friday began with birthday gifts for the sleepy girl seen in this first picture. Then onto a fun lunch with grandma at our favorite place; Nordstrom's cafe. It's the ultimate in a girly luncheon. The birthday girls favorites here are Blue Cheese, Pear and Walnut salad, She-Crab soup, and iced tea. We always split one of their enormous chocolate dipped macaroons topped off with a cup of tea or coffee. One of these split three ways is enough sweet stuff to last all week.

Then of course there were other celebrations including the men in our lives; Dad, Grandpa, and brother Blake, but those pics. are on grandma's camera. Next weekend she'll celebrate with her friends by spending the evening in Annapolis.

This last picture is from last night right before our cotton-pickin', birthday girl headed out the door for an evening of fun with friends which included "watching the stupidist horror movie ever," eating pumpkin pie, and just hangin' out. Oh, and they did trick or treat one of their friends homes just for kicks.


I'll close out this post with the good-night blessing we say to her every night. It's from Numbers 6:23b-26 when God gave Moses instructions to give to Aaron and his sons regarding blessing the people of Israel:
....you shall say to them,
The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

We never say the word "peace" but instead replace it with giving one another the universal peace sign.

Eighteen years ago today.....

I was holding my baby girl who was just a few hours old. I was still marveling at the thought of having a girl, convinced God had made me a boy mommy since I'd been enjoying seven years of mothering sticks and snails and puppy-dog tails. Now I had some sugar and spice and everything nice. Our family welcomed her into our arms and she's been a blessing in many ways. Happy birthday to my favorite daugther!

Bloggie Giveaway

http://muckbootsnaprons.blogspot.com/2008/10/bloggy-giveaways.html

Here's a fun blog to read, and if you love homemade soaps and lotion bars you just might win one in her giveaway. Hurry she'll draw a name on October 30th.