Quilts for Kids

Photo from Quilts for Kids.

Have you heard of this great organization?  Quilts for Kids wants and needs your help! 

From their website:

"Quilts for Kids, Inc. transforms discontinued, unwanted and other fabrics into quilts that comfort children fighting a life battle with a serious illness such as cancer, AIDS, as well as children of abuse. Our goal is to link design centers and other fabric sources nationwide to their communities, so that children in need in those regions may be served."

I have a kit that I have been working on for WAY too long, so I am bumping it to the top of my to do list.  I want to get mine in the mail this month, so that hopefully it will make it to its recipient by Christmas.  The kit I received is for a four-patch quilt like the one pictured.

You have the option of requesting a quilt kit (where they send you fabric and a pattern), downloading a pattern and using your own fabric, or designing the whole thing yourself.  It seems the greatest need right now is for quilts for teenage boys, which should be approximately 38" x 45".  I am sure any size would be appreciated though.

Chicken Corn Chowder

I feel the need to share one more recipe, and then I promise to try and post a little about quilting.  I made this soup last night, for probably the 10th time, and it is still one of my favorites.  I got the original recipe from and online friend, and made just a couple of tweaks to it.  Here's the final version.

Chicken Corn Chowder
1 lb. diced chicken breast
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. butter
Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning, to taste
1 large onion, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
16 oz. chicken broth
2 cans cream of potato soup
14 oz can whole kernel corn, drained
1 cup milk
2 cups cheddar cheese, grated

Drizzle chicken with olive oil, and then season liberally with Creole seasoning. Toss to coat. In a large stock pot, melt butter over medium-high heat. Brown chicken in butter in stockpot. Once brown on all sides, add onion and celery and sauté about 5 minutes. Add chicken broth (just enough to cover chicken and veggies) and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Let me know if you decide to try it out!

What I've been making...

...and it's not quilts!

Monday night I made the most delicious chocolate sheet cake from The Pioneer Woman Cooks. I'm sure most fellow bloggers out there know about Ree Drummond and her accidental country life. I've made the sheet cake from her cookbook once before, and it was good. I used a different icing recipe the first time though. It was a buttercream recipe from her website. I've actually tried many buttercream recipes over the years, and I'm just not a very good buttercream maker. I can't get the salt/sugar ratio quite right. This time, I went ahead and made the chocolate frosting that the cookbook says to use, and it is D-I-V-I-N-E. I can feel the pounds adding up, and they are worth every one.

Photo by Ree Drummond.

Try it today, and you'll thank me, and then probably curse me.

I'm trying out a new slow cooker beef stew recipe tonight, and I'll share it later if it turns out well.