SUPPER CLUB - Sat, Oct 16

[purrfect-lady]

Good morning,

Happy weekend! Though, the days are all pretty much the same for us since we are retired. I got all my AK blocks done. Today I'll applique animals silouettes on 8 of them, then start adding attic window frames around each one. I think I"ll sort one more shelf in my Christmas storage closet, too, while I dig out the few things we take with us in our trailer for Christmas.

JANA - glad to hear Michael is showing improvement. Nice of the trooper to volunteer to deliver his glasses to him. Bill does all the bill paying here. He has everything set up to either pay automatically like utilities, and he pays the credit card bill on-line when he gets a notice on his phone that it's due. I am so not a computer person, but I did ask him a few days ago to let me 'sit in' next time so I know how to do it if some day he can't - like if he's in the hospital. But I will need to write everything down, step by step.

TINA - You have good little eaters at your house! You really had an interesting night! lol! Oh, about 95% of the 911 calls made re Vicki are strangers. Generally, we don't know if she's out on the road because we can't see the road from our house. We are set back in the woods too far. It's other neighbors whose houses front the road, or drivers who are impacted by her antics that are making the calls.

BECCA - I'm glad to hear there's no vacuuming at your house. I don't do it much. Bill does the bulk of it here, but not nearly as often as it should be done. So sorry the TGN is flaring up. As far as my wrist/hand, it's my left (I'm right-handed) and I think my problems stem from holding my large cross-stitch frame. I took my frame to the chiropractor and they watched as I held it, and then removed the frame from my hands but I left my hands in position. They both chorused, "Ah-ha!" So I've backed off the cross-stitching and when I do do it, I rest frame on a pillow and try to be more aware. I'm also doing various hand/wrist/arm exercises. It's getting better but slowly.

VEL - that's how we had leftover pork roast earlier this week, made into creamed gravy over mashed potatoes. I have 3 criteria for lotto - #1 it has to be a block that appeals to me, #2 I have to have the fabrics on hand, and #3 I have to have the time. Sometimes I enter, sometimes I don't.

CAROL - I've made Autumn Soup and liked it. I think we have the same cookbook! I've been collecting "Autumn" recipes for years and some day I'm going to put them all into a cookbook for my DD, Autumn.

LORI - Those Halloween decorations are amazing!! They look like something out of a magazine layout! She must have a huge storage area. And didn't you say she decorates like this for all seasons? I feel like a piker - I have one tote that holds all my Fall, Halloween, and Thanksgiving decorations and I only have half of that out! lol! Thank you for sharing the photos.

Last night's supper was a one-pan meal - sliced kielbasa, chunked up sweet potato, apple, and onion all. and everything was going along just fine until I noticed that instead of turning the burner down to LOW I had accidentally turned it to HI. Not my finest supper hour!

Tonite's supper is going to be burgers on the grill because we should be about 64* today. Good grilling weather. And I think we'll try doing fries in our new air fryer.

How about you?

[Becca]

Hello everyone sunny now after rain last night I am waiting on clothes to dry
Maryz Oh I would believe that would hurt your wrist I made a 3ft by 4 ft crewel picture In a month After that I had bursitis so bad in my shoulder from holding the frame Rest helps
I called Tina last night to come next week
Maryz Read in sew-ins about poinsettias
Lori The decorations look like a magazine I can’t even imagine doing that much Thank you for sharing

Tina You will need a nap for sure today

Jana Hope things are going good at your house with Michael

Carol Have a great day I hope
Velda Hope your day is good
Must run dryer cut off Becca
Back to finish
I talked to Chickie yesterday She had a good day running errands with her DH & she got a good report at Dr too
We are having pork chops with creamed potatoes. Becca

[QuiltGram8]

Good Morning, Mary.
I am caught up on projects, so goofing off with hubby for a few days. Going out to our Walmart later to check out bookshelves. More to put together, but we are old pros, LOL!
Supper tonight is going to be turkey meatloaf.
This always turns out way more moist than I like for a loaf. Might try roasting it on a flat sheet pan lined with foil instead of traditional loaf pan. Might even shape into individual loaves. Easy to serve, no cutting.
Potatoes might be a can of yams. I really like those with a small amount of brown sugar sprinkled across the top. I can do them in the oven with the meat loaf.
I made snicker doodle cookie dough yesterday. Baked 8 cookies and put rest of dough in frig for another day. That way a fresh batch for hubby every so often. I may decide one cool day, to bake the rest and just freeze in bags of 6-8 to a bag?? My friend is also Diebetic and she does her cookies that way, so I wanted to try her way.
I might go back to just baking and freezing.
Glad to hear that Michael showed improvement.
So sorry our friend Chickie has verdigo to live with. Not fun.
Mary you are moving right along with your Alaska quilt.
As for Lotto, I agree with you. Needs to be a fun block. Having the right fabrics are always a problem here because I don't have a stash if variety of seasons and colors.
Mostly these last few months I have seen it is fading a bit. I really want to support Teresa.
It's getting harder for her, don't know how much longer she will continue it. Especially if the interest drops, then what's the use??
I may not do it much longer myself actually.
Postage is so expensive!!!
It's better to join a swap I think, then you work on a theme that you are very interested in. Still have postage costs, etc. Finding fabrics and all that as well.
Lori, I have to go see those decorations. OMG!
That is a lot! What a beautiful table setting. Halloween has never been a favorite for me, but fall with pumpkins, gold leaves, red leaves, Thanksgiving, etc. Is more my cup of tea. But Wow! Decorating like that is a lot of work.
Tina, what a great soup that must have been. They gobbled it up! Glad you got a nap, too.

Becca, hello, we kinda doubled.

[gershwin64]

Good morning!
Holly had text me the concert got out at 11:30 but it got out at 10:30 so we were home at midnight. I think she had made a type-o LOL worked out better for us.
Mary, yes I think they're all good eaters LOL
I'm glad you all figured out your wrist damager..... now to unlearn that way, ugh that'll be hard.
Becca, glad you are having your cleaning lady come again. My mom used to have a lady help at our house when I was growing up, just the vacuuming and dusting mainly but we ended up being like family and she'd stay with us kids just so she wasn't home by herself (she had never married or had kids), I think of her so often, she was a treasure ❤
Velda, I need to see if I can freeze the cookie doughs I use for the holidays, I think it would really help me out. Can any cookie dough be frozen? I don't usually join the lotto because of time and the postage costs. It's not like the swaps where you join and know you're getting your variety set of blocks back it's an expense that you may never get anything in return for I do make some of the blocks but just for me to keep. It is nice though if you are the winner if it's for all the blocks where you can actually make something nice from it but if it's just for a few blocks where you have to make a lot more to have anything worth while in size then it's just not for me, I hope that makes sense.
Lori, wowzer wowzer wowzer that lady knows how to decorate! Those are awesome pictures! I wonder if she decorates like that at Christmas!
I've actually started decorating a little more for fall because Holly started making me things LOL now I'm going to have to buy a tote this year to store my Fall things in LOL
We were down to 41° this morning. Frankie got our furnace serviced and running yesterday morning for the boys and we did turn it up a little for them. It's turned down to 66 for us and it hasn't come on so it must not be that cool in the house.
Frankie is still helping Dirk today and I don't think I'm having any kids, the laundry is done, the house is fairly clean..... could always use a dust cloth across stuff..... but I think I'll just leave the house as is and do some stuff for my elf today.
We have leftover red chile meat for supper and red enchilada sauce too so supper will be fast and easy.
Tina

[auntjana]

Good morning!

Mary - Sarah has a fanny hoop, one that she sits on, that her cross stitch frame attaches to. Totally freeing up the need to hold the cross stitch frame. It frees up her hands to do the stitching. Sarah has shoulder problems, so that frame allows her to work on large projects without bugging her back and shoulders.

Haven't talked to Michael yet today. Hoping the O2 blood level held in the 90s overnight. His voice sounded stronger last night too.

Need to scoot,
No idea on dinner, have Chinese leftover,
Hugs,
Jana

[Quilter7]

Good Morning,

Maryz - Wow! you finished the blocks for the AK quilt! I know you will get the applique done. Congratulations! You will be finished before Halloween at this rate. Yes, I think we do have the same BC cookbook.

Becca - I am glad to hear you called your housekeeper back. I am sure you have missed her.

Velda - I freeze cookie dough this way too. Any cookie that is scooped. I scoop them and freeze them on a tray, then bag them. Bar cookies I bake, cut and then freeze. It works great!

Tina - Do try freezing cookie dough, then when the grands are over you can bake them and they can eat them.

Jana - Prayers still being said for Michael. Hope it is a good report this morning.

Dinner tonight: I want to go out to eat. I do have cooked ground turkey that may become Fast Hash.

Carol

[QuiltGram8]

Tina and Carol: no, no, not freezing the dough! Refrigerate the dough!! I usually bake my cookies, then freeze them. I do that especially for Christmas. That way you take a few from each batch and have a nice assortment on your dressert platter.
But my friend likes to bake a fresh tray of cookies and then shares them as in 4 for this person, 4 for that person. She is always treating my husband, every time we get together with them.
She's diabetic, just gives them all away. That way she has fun baking, but can stay away from the temptations.

[auntjana]

OK - I do both ways. I will make my cookie dough - shape the balls of raw dough - freeze them on a tray, so they are separate, then bag and keep them in the freezer for future use. I also have baked cookies and then freeze them for future use. Especially if i am cutting sugar cookie dough for decorating. Make sure they are completely defrosted before decorating. The frosting tends not to stay in place if the cookie isn't totally defrosted. Same for cake layers. You can freeze the unfrosted layer, wrapped very well, then thaw completely and frost as needed.

With Michael having diabetes, it makes it so he can have a fresh cookie now and then. I also freeze store bought cookies for him.

Now for the best trick in my cookie arsenal - Mother's Macaroons. They work great when a fancy cookie is needed on short notice. You can make frosting or cheat with the canned stuff, spread on the macaroon cookie and add sprinkles on the frosting. My friend taught me this trick and more times than not, everyone raved about her delicious baked cookies. Works with vanilla, chocolate or what floats your boat for frostings. On Pinterest you see the melted snowman cookie, these work with that one beautifully.

Semi good news on Michael. His number stayed up, that is until he gets up to move. Then it drops. So they are keeping him in bed for awhile. Good they are watching.

Love making cookies, I have tons of cookie cutters and ordered two sets of Christmas ones for my Gracie and Emma, to teach them how to decorate cookies. Sarah and Ethan borrow mine all the time too. My favorite ones right now are my big snowflakes and the Christmas light bulb one I have. Oh and the Christmas stocking.

Hugs,
Jana

[gershwin64]

Thank you all for the cookie and cookie dough tips. I think I like the freezing the balls of cookie dough the best, it should take up less freezer space once I freeze them individually and put them in bags. And I like the idea of being able to bake just a few and have nice warm fresh baked cookies.
Jana, good news in his O2 for not moving, now just to get it to stay up when he's moving
Tomorrow is the annual Klobase, I'll probably be there all day if the weather is nice.......
Tina