Two Stitchy Project Updates, Back to Basic Recipes, New Small Appliance

 Walking has been a challenge here lately because of the heat. I experienced something I've never felt before while down at the pond the other day. One of those breezes that wells from the ground came up and it blew hot air at my face. So hot! The poor dogs were panting so we three just hightailed it back to the house where I'm so thankful our AC is working again...only were able to use it once last summer. The thermometer told me it was 35C which I think is like 94 F or close- you have to agree with me that is hot! Kudos to those of you who live in hot climates especially ones with humidity. Tony says I'd adjust if I had to but I'm not sure as humidity especially just makes me melt..one day last week we had 100% which doesn't sound possible. My hair has been such a mess. But that's all small stuff, every single bit of what I just wrote... enough whining, it is summer with glorious sunshine and massive beautiful growth in the gardens.

Here is something I've discovered loves the heat...the Coleus. This is one of my indoor houseplants and was in sorry shape after a long winter with little or low sun. Wish I'd taken a before photo. Here it is on summer holidays out on the back veranda and loving it. The light intensity has turned the leaves gorgeous purples. 

I've been doing some pinching to make it fill in as it has a tendency to become spindly. And thank you for the plant tips...I learn so much from you all, please keep them coming. 

In the sewing room...

I've been busy machine stitching more blue strings blocks. As I've said, my scraps appear to be unending...silly me, I'd thought that would be why I would have to end this project. Now I'm wondering how many blocks to make. This is 20 and I think 20 more would create a good overall design. What do you think?

I'll have to do more checking around the net to see other arrangements.

And I've been matching handles to basket bottoms too and have made 15 3/4 so far for the appliqued Basket Loves project. These have been fun to hand stitch using a blanket stitch edging on the handles. Must realign that handle on the far right bottom which is unsewn. I'm now at the stage of thinking of whether or not to end the basket making part of this project. I have the appliqued border finished too for one side and have to think about the others. 

Norma said not to fret about getting the handles perfect, after all this is a primitive style project, but I noticed hers were all identical and perfection, of course. Her site is Timeless Traditions Quilting if you'd like to take a look at her sweet patterns. 

So here is my new small appliance. The Kitchenarm Smart Bread Maker...

I'd given up on bread machines as the last two broke and Tony couldn't fix them and they were not worth paying someone to find out what was wrong. I hate the idea of more waste in the landfill. But I

really missed the convenience of having a machine that made a perfect loaf now and then. This one popped up in my feed one day and I saw it had the most 4.8 to 5 star ratings of any other machine on the market and it's a company that makes only bread machines. I broke down and ordered it. I received an email immediately from their webpage inviting me to explore their recipe site...Kitchen Arm Breads where I noted there is a recipe for sourdough starter.  Tony loves bread so much so very soon I'll let you know how it fares. 

I enjoyed this video below and not just because the featured cook, Christine, is a fellow Newfoundlander which was fun. It is about money saving hacks regarding food and included recession proof recipes to make the kind of meals our grandparents and, for me, my mother, would have made. Simple ingredients all and so healthy too. And it reminded me I need to make Oatcakes.

Married to a Nova Scotian for 34 years in my first marriage, these were almost always in the house. I remember being able to bake them even on Baffin Island because they don't require eggs.  I'm sharing Kelly Neil's recipe and, little tip, she says you'll need an empty Spam can, of all things, to cut the perfectly rounded corners. That bit was new to me.

Kelly Neil's Nova Scotia Oatcake recipe is there.

Our kitchen sink blocked up again and made a mess. But on the upside, we got to clean out the pipes like they'd never been cleaned before so maybe that will prevent this almost usual thing from happening any time soon. And an additional up side, I got to use a tip I saw on YouTube that old black tea is good for cleaning wooden floors. I made a large pot of it and used it on the floors after the spills were all cleaned up. It made the floor look very clean with a nice matte kind of finish. It's definitely so much cheaper than bought cleaners...I used 4 well steeped teabags and you would think this would be better for the environment too. 

This has been a very busy appointment filled week for us with still two more to go, one with the dermatologist this afternoon to check on Tony's skin cancers, then back to the imagery clinic tomorrow for part two of his chemical nuclear stress test. Tony has a good tolerance for all this and it never affects his mood, which is a blessing. 

I hope you are staying cool or warm wherever you are in this big world of ours!

Do check out Not Afraid of Color where folks are also sharing their likes this week. Sharing this post with wonderful linky parties at  The Inquiring Quilter, Alycia Quilts, Quilt Schmilt, The Quiltery, Small Quilts and Doll Quilts and Creations Art Whatever.