This cactus may look soft and fuzzy but still do not touch. If you do, just apply some white liquid school glue, let dry and then peel it away.
Linking to Lorna at Sew Fresh Quilts for Let’s Bee Social (button on the sidebar).
I Want To Wish You A Merry Christmas—Arizona Style!
I Want To Wish You A Merry Christmas–Arizona Style!
Linking with Beth at Cooking Up Quilts for Main Crush Monday (button on the sidebar)
Even in Arizona, Santa is watching–just in case you were wondering.
Yvonne at Quilting Jetgirl is having a party!
I want to come too! But I have to satisfy a couple of requirements first: 1. Think about what I want to accomplish with my blog and quilting next year. 2. Write about those goals. 3. Link up to the party. 4. Work on my goals. The first three are easy; the fourth finds life sometimes getting in the way.
Tu-Na’s 2017 Quilting and Blogging Goals
My Blogging Goals for 2017
My Quilting Goals for 2017
Although this pic doesn’t show it, the top is now finished. I changed the bear from the pattern and it took me a bit to figure it out. I just have to put the back together, quilt, and bind it. Then I’ll write a post about it, too.
bind my nine-patch (only been waiting 2 years because it’s for me and I let other projects take precedence), white/black and yellow using The Candy Store pattern, Tu-Na Helper’s much deserved quilt using the Quilt MN Shop Hop fabric, my grandson’s minecraft quilt, and 1930s repro applecore.
This 2016 Quilt MN Shop Hop fabric will be the focal fabric for Tu-Na Helper’s quilt. He’s always talking about going fishing. I’ve seen sneak peaks of the 2017 Quilt MN fabric line and it also contains fish. I wonder if that will be enough enticement for Tu-Na Helper to come along on the hop again.
I have cut lots of 1.5″ squares and sewn together lots of them into twos and some into fours. But this is the only piece sewn together in an 8.5″ block. There will be one 2″ piece and 4 half-inch (finished pieces) within each 8″ finished square. But it’s time to get on with this project.
That’s a good start on my list of goals. It’ll help keep me focused.
What I Learned Today:
Question: What’s your goal for today? Will you accomplish it?
I Want To Wish You A Merry Christmas—Arizona Style!
One of the entries in our annual village Holiday Golf Cart parade.
It isn’t the holidays without some of Mom’s Cranberry Pineapple Sauce.
I made some for Thanksgiving and I imagine I’ll be making more for Christmas. In fact, it’s the only cranberry sauce recipe that I make anymore. I’ve tried a bunch of different recipes but I seem to always come back to this one. So I thought you might like to make it, too.
Fresh plump red cranberries say Thanksgiving and Christmas are coming. I usually buy several extra bags to throw in the freezer to use during the year. Funny thing is that we found about 12 packages when we cleaned out the freezer this fall. Rinse the fresh or frozen cranberries.
Seems like this time of year the days go by so fast and there is so much to do. This sauce cooks up quickly and stays for several days in the fridge.
Usually, I buy crushed pineapple for this recipe but I accidently grabbed some tidbits instead. “No problem,” said the food chopper as it quickly turned those tidbits into tiny little pieces. Like I always told my kids when they were little, “There’s always more than one way to solve a problem.” Since I only buy pineapple packed in it’s juice, I drain the juice and use it as part of the liquid called for in the recipe. Once the pineapple is drained, I add water to the measuring cup to make the two cups needed.
It even tastes better if you make it a day or two ahead.
Boil the juice, water, and sugar for 5 minutes. I use a large kettle and stay close by.
Add the cranberries and boil without stirring until all the skins are popped open (about 5 minutes). That popping is like music to my ears. In fact, when I no longer hear the popping sounds, it tells me it’s done.
I usually can’t help myself and stir it once or twice to check on the bottom layers. Besides that, I find stirring food at the stove to be comforting.
Once all the skins are popped, remove from the heat and add in the pineapple. Chill for several hours before serving. It can even be made a day ahead of serving.
Here’s the recipe. Let me know if you make it.
Mom’s Cranberry Pineapple Sauce
Drain the pineapple into a two cup measuring cup. Add enough water to make a total of 2 cups of liquid. Combine the sugar, pineapple juice/water in a large kettle. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes. Add the rinsed cranberries and boil without stirring until all the skins are popped, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add the pineapple, stirring well. Chill in refrigerator several hours before serving.
I like it so well that I wouldn’t have to bother eating anything else for the meal.
What I Learned Today:
Question: What is your favorite holiday food to make or it just wouldn’t seem like the holidays?
Just in case you were wondering how Santa gets to Arizona.
This reindeer is made from a part of the palm tree. As the palm leaves die, these parts are left attached to the trunk. After a windy day, the streets are littered with them–not painted or with a hat on, of course.
Tu-Na Quilts, Travels, and Eats 