Tonight in class 45% of my grade is due...45%. Three different assignments of varying importance : a Unit Curriculum Map, a Lesson Plan and a presentation of the Lesson Plan.  Putting so many things on the line, due at the same time seems such a gamble, such a risk, that it makes me realize that this is something that I will not do when I become a teacher.  Okay so maybe it's acceptable in college but certainly not for middle or high school students.

So with so much schoolwork on the line my sewing machine continues to sit in my closet, waiting for me - no, calling to me to bring her out to finish up projects, create new ones and calm the nerves that have descended upon me.  My Christmas list is starting to grow...gotta finish this...gotta start this..she would love this, etc.

So what do I do when I'm stressed?  My usual form of coping is cooking and so last night I rewarded myself and everyone in the house by cooking again.  After all the craftiness in the kitchen on Thursday and days upon days of leftovers...note to self - don't make so much darn food next time - I got back into my kitchen to rustle up something new.

With a bushel full of Lemons I harvested on Saturday as my inspiration I made Lemon and Oregano-Rubbed Chicken Paillards from Cooking Light Magazine.  The recipe is all over the internet so I won't list it here - go here for the recipe.  The meal turned out delicious and was very easy to make and I even made a little bit extra for chicken salad sandwiches for the kids for their school lunches.  Served with rice, lemon wedges, tomato slices from my garden and fresh bread, it was a successful start to another week of cooking.

Please visit Debbie @ Tuesdays at the Table to see what others are have cooked up this week...I already see that Toni made Pretzel Bread.  

Although a presentation is looming tonight, it's Tuesday - my favorite day of the week.
Hope you enjoy yours...
Susan

Yesterday I hosted Thanksgiving 2.0 with my side of the family.  It was an altogether different vibe than the afternoon before as there were young children running through my house - playing "indoor soccer" in my hallway, trying to sneak in a game of Super Smash Bros. on the Wii and playing 21.  I love all the laughter, the delight and the surprises when young children are around.

Although they range from five to fifteen in age, all six have a great time together.

My father with all six of his grandchildren

We here at The History Quilter household hosted the husband's side of the family yesterday for Thanksgiving.

Artichoke Dip served...

I had no plans to serve an appetizer because SIL said she would bring her Spinach Dip with Sourdough Bread.  Awesome. Easy. Less work for me.  Plans change when the masses hear about the possible absence of the piping hot Artichoke Dip which they love.  So I make the damn dip while worry slowly creeps into my brain that I might offend SIL when she arrives with her appetizer.  Time for a glass of wine...

BBQ Rib Roast

Turkey

PW's Mashed Potatoes - delicious but not photogenic

Roast Asparagus

MIL brought her stuffing...she received points for participating

I skipped the ham and ate the Pineapple. I know, I'm weird.

Quick photo op with my boys and nieces

My favorite - the Pumpkin Cheesecake

My boys - Thanksgiving 2001

Don't forget go come on back for my Thanksgiving Meal photos!
Susan

Fall leaves in my tomato plants

Flowers ready for the Thanksgiving Table

Potatoes ready for PW's Mashed Potatoes

Eggs, sour cream, cream cheese and cranberries all standing by...

Cooking, blogging and even podcasting will commence once I'm done with a massive project due Monday night.  So for now here is another quick view into my busy world....

yes that's me...before I added the water & mud

 Four hours of a block party...

Appetizers for block party last night

 A tiny bit of this...

4 blocks done - 12 more to go...

 And most of my waking hours spent on this...

What does a hungry carb-loading 15 year old soccer player want the night before a big game?  

A lot of this:




A little of this:


Not enough of this:




Happy Sunday,
Susan

Lee at Freshly Pieced is celebrating the one year anniversary today of the WIP Wednesday link up.  She surprised me this past Sunday by sending me and seven others an email thanking us for being her first to link up last year. I was honored that she asked me to be involved in her post about her anniversary and shocked that it had already been a year.  Time sure does fly by.  What was I doing a year ago?

I was bogged down in some serious history research about the Bosnian War of the 1990's.  Not happy, uplifting or a feel good kind of research - not at all - but it was highly satisfying when I finished up that last 30 page research paper to cap off my Bachelor's Degree in December.  And what got me through all that research misery - quilting and quilting blogs!   Let's see what did I talk about on that first link up.....

Wow - cracked myself up going back and reading that first WIP Wednesday post.  I had eight items on that post, (go ahead and check it out and laugh...)  one of which I still have on my WIP list - the Christmas Tree Skirt fabric.  Going to ditch that fabric as I am making Christmas Tree Pants.  My tree is getting pants this year.   LOL

WIP Wednesday list:  
From left to right:

All seven in one shot - how's that for efficiency?

While looking around for all of my WIP's to get an accurate count I found a little book bag I made up a few months ago.  I used Heather Baily's Smarty Girl Book Bag Pattern and Mezzanine fabric by Patty Young with a little bit of Nicey Jane on the ruffle.  This was a very easy pattern that sewed up very fast.  One of my nieces will be receiving this for Christmas.

Smarty Girl Book Bag

Wouldn't it be great if we could take our thoughts and have them nicely laid out here in Blogger/WordPress/etc automatically? I think it would be so cool if there was a way we could dictate our thoughts and creative ideas directly to our computers so that the time it takes to find a pen or have a moment to sit down and type out that thought, is not lost.  I write awesome blog posts in my head while washing dishes or driving kids around but sometimes when I sit down here to start typing, nothing flows.  I guess my brain is more creative when I am working on something else at the same time. Any of you have this same issue?

Enough Sci Fi.  Earlier this morning I remembered that I had the fabric cut for Block Eight of the of the FQS Designer Mystery Block of the Month 2010 so I sewed it up while enjoying the sun streaming in my front windows across my sewing table.  I'm not a huge fan of the time change in the Spring but I love it in the Fall.

Block Eight

Four more to go

I  had a lovely surprise in my backyard yesterday when walking around and assessing my citrus trees ~ my Mexican lime tree has actually given me some limes!  I first planted this tree in the whiskey barrel you see in the photo below where it barely limped along for two years.  After two years I decided to put it in the ground in my north facing portion of my yard which is not ideal as it doesn't receive enough sun but at the time that was the best choice.

Mexican Lime Tree

This darn tree has grown and flowered but has never given up one lime until now.  So happy to add the lime to my citrus hunt yesterday.

Eureka Lemon, Mandarin Tangerine and Mexican Lime

Linking up with the Manic Monday Linky Party and {Sew}Modern Monday so go check out what others have posted.

This past Thursday I got started with my next quilt project:  Eighteen quilt blocks for my best bud's quilt top in which her mother will be finishing up.  Her mother designed the quilt top in EQ7 and gave me the print outs of the overall plan and the instructions. Being that these blocks are for my best bud, I want them to be perfect so even the first step of cutting the fabric was a bit daunting.

What if I made a mistake?  What if I made those initial cuts wrong?  Thankfully I did not and so I then moved forward with chain piecing.  1,000 HST's later (ok not really 1,000 but it sure seems like it) I had two piles ready to be squared up.

Wonton skins filled with Cream Cheese, a little cream and garlic powder.

Fry them up in hot oil for about 10 seconds

So tasty and savory!

Time for me to go make dinner....enjoy the rest of your Sunday,
Susan

Happy Tuesday everyone!