Stitching Up a Storm in Alamo City

Haaal - le - lu - jah!!

Finally, finally they're done.   Mary and Joseph have all the finishing touches on them and I'm going to send them, along with Jesus to the finisher this week!!  

I had never put the detached buttonhole on Mary's veil, so I did that today.   Mine doesn't have the lacy effect that Amy's does - I guess my tension was too tight, but it's done and I decided not to take it out.   I did this AFTER I did Joseph's staff and all his fingers, so I pronounced Mary as complete.

I had quite a lot of trouble getting the twisted lazy daisy stitch for Joseph's staff done correctly.  I finally decided my problem was caused by the fact that I was working through basketweave stitches below - the Burmilana didn't pull through so well.   So I found some Baroque Silk in my stash that was a reasonably good substitute and used it.   Much better.

Here goes.

I've already organized the threads for #4 - Russian Magi.  And I'd better get with it.  The donkey arrived today from Amy's.   3 down.  9 to go.

Even so, I still feel like singing the Hallelujah Chorus.  I'll not record my rendition of it for you. 

Happy stitching.  Hoping you meet all your holiday stitching deadlines.
Jane

Have to share another recipe

I told you earlier that on Friday, Manda and I went to Austin for the day.   One of the goals - after we visited Colleen at The Needleworks - was to go to The Domain, which is a fairly new outdoor mall.  I think the correct term for the area is mixed use, as it's a retail walking mall - with streets for cars down the middle - and apartments or condos above the stores.   There are also professional offices, I believe, and the IBM campus is nearby so it's really a little city within a city.   Those types of developments are becoming popular here - part of the greening of urban spaces - surely they are in other parts of the country as well, although we can probably enjoy the outdoor part more days during the year.  They call it (on The Domain's website) Austin's 2nd downtown.

We had lunch at a restaurant called North.  Manda ordered an appetizer which was hummus, baba ghanoush, and goat cheese with pesto, all served with toasted garlic bread rounds.  The goat cheese/pesto was fabulous.  We quizzed the server about how they "whipped" the goat cheese, since it is so crumbly, but either she forgot we asked or didn't want to reveal the secret.  

Soooooo........We had the kids over on Saturday night for dinner, and I tried to copy the recipe.   I mixed goat cheese - I bought 2 of those little logs - with heavy cream (which I had left over from the creamed corn and mac and cheese) until it was whippable and a nice spreading texture.   I also bought quasi gourmet basil pesto, which is freshly made in the store, and poured it over the top.   Served it with toasted french bread rounds.   Heavenly.  

Might do my own pesto next time, but wanted to see if I was even close before I put much work into it.  Also had the thought I might put something on top of the pesto for a contrast in color - maybe sun dried tomatoes - but you really wouldn't want to do much - it would mess it up.   Definitely worth it.  

And really easy.   5-10 minutes start to finish.

Back to doing those pesky twisted lazy daisies.

Jane

Getting closer and closer

Today was a fun day.   After church and a quick lunch, 4 friends came over to stitch for the afternoon.  Actually one brought a drawing that she is working on - but we all worked on our projects and talked and laughed and generally had a good time.   Well, I assume so, since we're going to meet again next month! 

I met three of the ladies through other things and found out later that they stitch, too.   The fourth I met at The Needleworks in Austin.  

I'm so close now on Joseph, I think I can finish him this week.   On Thursday, I finished most of the background, so today, I did everything else except the staff, which is twisted lazy daisy (my friend, Jackie game me a quick lesson on that stitch today before she left), and the bullion knots for the fingers.   Oh, and now that I've looked at the picture I just took of him, I need to do the belt and the star highlights at the top left.  So, still very doable this week.  I told Mr. Mark I have 3 days this week with nothing scheduled, and his job is to keep it that way.  If he can do it, I'll definitely get this guy done.

Amanda and I went up to Austin on Friday and of course, needed to go see Colleen at The Needleworks.   She gave me the canvas I'm going to be stitching at the shop August 7-9 in a Tony Minieri canvas enhancement class.  Remember this?

Gotta run.   We're headed out to grab something for dinner.
Happy stitching.
Jane

This girl can't count

I'm working on Joseph's background.   This is absolute proof why an impatient person shouldn't do needlepoint.   I'm impatient, and I am only detail oriented to a point.  There are areas of effort where "good enough" is good enough.   Not needlepoint.   If I get a little bit tired or bored, I should quit.  But I don't.  Then I find myself in all kinds of trouble.  Enough whining, huh?

I think I'll go cook for a while.  

Happy Wednesday.
Jane

And while you have the heavy cream handy

I usually don't cook things that call for heavy cream - only on special occasion.  I probably wouldn't make the Mac 'n Cheese for just Mark and me - but for a little girl who is tiny for her age, I think it's ok in measured doses (and Mimi and Papa will just have it once in a blue moon).

That said, I found a recipe for creamed corn, which I modified and which is wonderful.  (I had 4 ears of corn that I planned to use for something else, but didn't and wanted to use it rather than throw it out.  I made 1/2 a recipe, and it was great.   This is the time of year to make this; I wouldn't do it with frozen corn, as the original recipe specified.

Skillet Creamed Corn

Serves 6-8

8 ears of fresh corn, husks and silks removed
1 c heavy cream
1 t salt, or to taste
2T sugar
2 T butter
1 c whole milk
2 T flour
ground black pepper, to taste

1. Cut the corn off the cob into a skillet or saute pan.  Add the cream, salt, pepper, sugar, and butter.  Place over medium heat.
2. In a small bowl, whisk the whole milk with the flour, and then add to the corn mixture.  Cook all over medium heat until the mixture has thickened and the corn is cooked through - 5-7 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and stir until all is combined.
4. Season with additional salt and pepper, if needed.
5. Serve hot.

There's a BBQ place near us named Rudy's - I told you about it in a previous post.  They serve the best creamed corn in the world, until this recipe.  I think this is almost as good if not as good.  I heard from someone here that the owner's wife makes their creamed corn with Cool Whip.  I thought that couldn't possibly be true until I looked around on the internet and saw that people actually substitute Cool Whip (which they can keep in their freezer indefinitely) for whipping (heavy) cream - which has to be fresh, of course.  Crazy what people do.   Cool Whip is all CHEMICALS!!!! 

Give me the real stuff!  Calories and all!!

Happy eating!
Jane