In the Hive

http://honeybeequilter.com

Michael took this beautiful picture in our Park tonight!

Spiced Snowcaps ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened 1 cup packed light brown sugar 1 tablespoon chai spice blend or pumpkin pie spice 1 teaspoon each baking powder and baking soda ¼ teaspoon salt ⅓ cup molasses 1 large egg 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour ¾ cup granulated sugar 76 Nonpareil-covered chocolate candies 1. Beat butter, brown sugar, chai spice, baking powder and soda, and salt in large bowl with mixer on medium speed until well blended and paler in color. Beat in molasses, egg and vanilla. With mixer on low, gradually beat in flour just until blended. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour or until firm enough to handle. 2. Heat oven to 350°F. You'll need a baking sheet(s). 3. Place granulated sugar in a small bowl. Roll rounded teaspoons of dough into balls; roll in sugar to coat. Place 11/2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 12 minutes or unti...

Thomas and I baked some potatoes for lunch today.  He finished most of his potato, but left the skin on his plate.  Since I love potato skins, I asked Thomas if he minded if I ate it.  He said "Sure."  As I was chomping down on the skin, Thomas said " Don't you find it a little odd that you are eating the skin of my potato that used to be in the dirt but you won't eat mushrooms that grow above the dirt?" He is such a crackup!

I put more of my pumpkin & spice quilt together!

I found black, hairy bacon in the fridge...and no, it was not burnt. No picture needed.

I got a 97% on my midterm!!!

Fun! The radio play on the way to have lunch with Michael suited my mood: crazy train by Ozzy, walk this way Aerosmith, and Radar Love by golden earring, Now I am studying outside yocum getting innudated by ladybugs! -- Honeybee Quilter on the road

I made these today...very tasty! Almond Ginger Biscotti Source: Martha Stewart (50 servings) 2 cups all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled ¾ cup sugar, plus 1 teaspoon for 2 teaspoons baking powder 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest, from 2 lemons ¼ teaspoon salt 1 ½ cups whole unblanched almonds ¼ cup crystallized ginger, chopped 3 large eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1. Preheat oven to 350°. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder, zest, and salt. Stir in almonds and ginger. 2. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs and vanilla; stir into flour mixture. (Dough will appear very dry but will come together when kneaded.) 3. Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface; knead until smooth. Divide dough in half; shape into two logs, each about 1 inch high and 3 inches wide. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet; sprinkle with remaining sugar. 4. Bake until logs are puffed and outside is firm (the tops may crack), about 30 minutes. Tr...

Pork Tenderloin With Gingered Cranberries Source: WEIGHT WATCHERS ANNUAL RECIPES FOR SUCCESS 2003 (4 servings) 1 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed cooking spray 2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper ¼ teaspoon salt ½ cup dry red wine ½ cup orange juice ½ cup dried cranberries ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger 1. Preheat oven to 425°. 2. Place pork in a 13 x 9-inch baking pan coated with cooking spray. Drizzle with Worcestershire sauce; sprinkle with pepper and salt. Bake at 425° for 25 to 30 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion of pork registers 160°. Let stand 5 minutes. 3. Combine red wine and next 3 ingredients in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Boil, uncovered, 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in ginger. Spoon sauce over pork. NOTES : Dried cranberries, sweetened and unsweetened, are now readily available in most supermarkets. We preferred the sweetened cr...

Unfortunately this picture of Michael, Andrew, and me got a bit of water damage under the glass and when I was dusting it today, the frame broke! AJ would have been 11 months old in this shot in 1991 - he is now 18! Michael and I both look so young!!

Friday night we had a fondue dessert with some friends. It was rainy weekend here. I stayed home with a cold and did a bit of work on my essay for school!

These are shots of the house we rented for quilt retreat. The last photo below is a photo of someone's backyard castle they are building in Lititz - it was really cool to drive down the the road and do a double take at what we were seeing!

A quick and easy potato soup! Herbed Potato Soup Source: Allrecipes.com (5 servings) 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced 2 cups water 1 large onion, chopped ¼ cup butter, cubed ¼ cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon dried thyme ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed ¼ teaspoon pepper 1 ½ cups milk 1. Place potatoes and water in a large saucepan; cook over medium heat until tender. Meanwhile, in another saucepan, saute onion butter until tender. Stir in the flour, salt, thyme, rosemary, and pepper. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add potatoes with cooking liquid; heat through.

We have not set our rabbit trap in months and Mike had it tucked into the picnic table with one end up. Somehow, a squirrel got trapped in it today!

I made a few more bow-tie blocks on retreat. I am not sure how big this project will get and was playing with possible layouts on the weekend! All in one direction: Quarter turns: Quarter Turns with Sashing:

This past weekend we went on quilt retreat in Lititz, Pa and did the chocolate walk. There were chocolate samples available at 29 of the shops! Chocolate Mice Jean enjoying her chocolate sundae! The chocolate display at Wilbur Chocolates below is entirely edible!

Last night at dinner, the boys were challenging each other to eat wasabi bombs (wasabi paste on bread). Andrew held back and said no way! But, then mentioned wanting to hang out at the college all night. We said sure, IF you eat a WASABI bomb......now this is determination! He is a good sport.

Karl made these on the weekend! Andes Crème De Menthe Cookies Source: Andes Creme De Mente Baking Chips package recipe (48 servings) ½ cup butter, softened ¾ cup brown sugar ½ cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 large eggs 1 (10 ounce) package Andes mint baking chips 2 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour Preheat oven to 350°F. Blend butter, brown sugar, white granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder, vanilla and eggs until ingredients are mixed. Add Andes Baking Chips and mix. Add Flour and continue to mix until all ingredients are well blended together. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 45-60 minutes. Spoon out approximately 1 oz of dough per cookie. Form a ball and then slightly flatten. Place on non-stick baking pans and bake for approximately 8-10 minutes. Cool on pans for 2 minutes, then remove.

Ravioli Soup Source: adapted from Taste of Home recipe (8 servings | 2 quarts) 1 lb. wegmans 90% lean ground beef 2 cups water 28 ounces canned crushed tomatoes 14.5 ounces canned crushed tomatoes 6 ounces tomato paste 1-½ cups chopped onion ¼ cup minced fresh parsley 2 cloves garlic, minced ¾ teaspoon dried basil ½ teaspoon dried oregano ½ teaspoon onion salt ½ teaspoon sugar ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon pepper ¼ teaspoon dried thyme 9 ounces mini cheese ravioli, refrigerated or fresh ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese In a Dutch oven, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add the water, tomatoes, tomato paste, onion, parsley, garlic and seasonings; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, cook ravioli according to package directions; drain. Add to soup and heat through. Stir in the Parmesan cheese. 1 cup per serving

The boss changed her mind about needing this sample, but I am pressing on! Another bee block!

I have been busy with school and other stuff the last few days. We saw Julie & Julia at the movies again last night! Today, I made a banana cream pie, as per Thomas' request, it was delicious! I got the recipe from recipezaar - I must say I think there was enough filling for two pies. No worries though, the boys gobbled up the extra vanilla cream!

What a yucky a day I had yesterday. I had a *painful* dentist appointment that gave a me a terrible headache. Michael got a parking ticket in front of the house while brought the gas tank to fill to mower to the backyard. Michael lost his checking card.... When I finally did get to sew, I messed up cutting this panel piece out, so I had to remove one short edge and add a slightly bigger one to compensate for my error! This piece eventually gets added to the pumpkin blocks I have been working on.

For our first essay in english composition class, we had to write a paper about a place that was special to us or had an impact on us. I chose to write about my experience on Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina. It was quite a nerve wracking trip for me! You can read my essay below! A Bridge Too High In the western mountains of North Carolina, there is an awe-inspiring place called Grandfather Mountain. Here, a pedestrian suspension bridge hangs in the sky a mile above sea level, simultaneously defying gravity and jutting into the clouds above. I had traversed the bridge successfully, but not without trepidation, and waited on the causeway for my family to return from exploring the cliff. As I stood surveying the rocky outcrop, I glanced back across the seemingly bottomless crevice at the metal monster that was separating me from safety. I knew my only avenue of escape was to return from where I had come. This may seem unimpressive, but for me it was a personal chal...

Apple Cranberry Streusel Custard Pie Source: Allrecipes.com (8 servings) 1 wegmans pie crust, one ready-made 9 inch crust 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk, Sweetened Condensed Milk 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 2 large eggs, beaten ½ cup hot water 1 ½ cups fresh or dry-pack frozen cranberries 2 medium granny smith apples, peeled and sliced ½ cup firmly packed brown sugar ½ cup all-purpose flour ¼ cup butter or margarine, softened ½ cup chopped nuts 1. Place rack in lower third of oven; preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In large bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk and cinnamon. Add eggs, water and fruits; mix well. Pour into pie crust. 2. In medium bowl, combine sugar and flour; cut in butter until crumbly. Add nuts. Sprinkle over pie. Bake 10 minutes. 3. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees F; continue baking 30 to 40 minutes or until golden brown. Cool. Store leftovers covered in refrigerator. I did not thaw the cranberries before putting in recipe.