9.30.2010

What's for supper?

Yes, we call that meal supper! Growing up a farm girl, in the Midwest, dinner was always called supper. The meal at noon time was called dinner....not lunch. Lunch was the mid afternoon meal of Mom's home made caramel rolls or fresh baked cookies and coffee or milk....geez, I miss those caramel rolls! It was also common for Dad to take a quick nap at this time of day before returning out to the fields or barns. Jeepers almost forgot about breakfast! Yes, breakfast on the farm was a meal of eggs, bacon or sausage, toast and orange juice. Yeppers, we pretty much ate around the clock on the farm. No wonder mom was always in the kitchen doing dishes.
About 3 o clock each work day I ask Bev (the lady who carefully packs all of your orders), "What's for supper?" It is at this time of day I start to think about supper...
After the days mail is dropped off at the post office, it is pretty common practice to go home and surround myself with cook books...looking for something quick & easy. Today's chosen recipe for supper (aka dinner) was
Garlic Chicken Pizza....yummy! Definitely gets a smiley face.
Give it a try...bet you can't eat just one piece!
Garlic Chicken Pizza
1 box of Pillsbury Hot Roll Mix
2 Tablespoons cornmeal
1 small jar Alfredo Sauce
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
10 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 grilled skinless, boneless chicken breast diced (I used chicken fajita meat from our cold meat deli to speed things up)
1/4 red onion, sliced
1 tomato, cut into small wedges
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1. Prepare Hot Roll Mix using the Pizza Crust recipe on the side of the box. You will have 1 extra crust, or you can double the topping if you choose to make 2 pizzas.
2. Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Sprinkle a large pizza pan with cornmeal. Roll or pat dough out on a lightly floured surface until it is the diameter of the pizza pan; place on pan.
3. Spread dough with sauce (you won't use the whole jar), then sprinkle with garlic. Cover with cheese. On top of the pizza, arrange cooked chicken, green pepper, onion and tomato.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until dough is baked, cheese is melted and toppings are slightly browned.
Now isn't that a pretty pizza?

Enjoy!
Brenda

9.29.2010

Plan ahead!

With just 86 days until Christmas we are starting to feel a bit overwhelmed,
sort of snowed under...
Our busy time is upon us here at Country Stitches!

Just a friendly reminder, please plan ahead! You need to allow 10 - 14 days for receipt of orders during the months of September through December. We urge our customers to order early in the season to avoid disappointment. Back orders are inevitable with heavy demand. We haven't yet learned how to read our customers' minds, but we are trying! You can help us all out by planning ahead, ordering early to allow for the holiday rush season that is already upon us.


Thanks,
Brenda


9.26.2010

Beautiful Autumn Day & Comfort Food...

After several rainy days, we awoke this morning to a clear warmer Autumn day with just a hint of crispness in the air...
not a cloud in the sky,
the lake looked like glass...no wind today.
The weatherman says we have a beautiful week in store... in the low 70's, no wind or rain...perhaps the nicest week of the year.
It was a good day to open up the windows & let the fresh outside air into the house.
Just the type of day to start the oven and prepare a meal of comfort food...
so that is just what I did.
Join me as I make
Pork Tenderloin with Creamy Herb Sauce
Peel 3 carrots and mince in a food processor or chop finely by hand.
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat; add 1/2 cup of minced carrots to the oil and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove carrots from pan with slotted spoon.

Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter to pan and melt. Heat until mixture becomes foamy looking, but not smoking.

Sprinkle pork tenderloin chops with freshly ground pepper and sea salt. Place into pan and cook until lightly browned.
Flip and repeat for other side.
Remove pork from the pan and place onto an oven-safe plate and cover. Place into a 325 degrees oven and bake for 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, you can prepare the sauce. To the drippings in the pan add, 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon dried parsley, 1 teaspoon beef bouillon granules. Stir, working flour into butter/oil mixture until smooth.
Whisk in 2/3 cup light cream, stirring until thick.
Stir in 1/4 cup white cooking wine.
Add cooked carrots into sauce.
Stir until well blended. Heat mixture through, stirring frequently. Do not boil.
Remove pork tenderloin chops from the oven. Pour Creamy Herb Sauce over pork.
Serve with fresh green beans & garden squash for a wonderful autumn dinner.
And last but not least...a caramel apple for dessert! To ease the guilt, I just kept telling myself that I need to get more fruit into my diet...yep, that's my story and I'm sticking to it!
Have a good week,
Brenda

Finished!!


Sharing Bonnie's finish of our Broom Hilda design. Bonnie of MA located her old whisk broom at her local antique shop. The fun of this type of finish is the hunting & gathering of the antique piece used to complete the project! Thank's Bonnie for the photo and great job on your finish!!
Broom Hilda pattern is available for purchase here. The 2nd pattern in our broom series is on the hoop...watch for this pattern & other new cross stitch patterns coming soon!


With thy Needle & Thread,
Brenda


9.23.2010

Happy Fall...

I'm sneaking off shortly...
to catch a train.


Beckham, Mommy & Grandma are catching the train...
Thomas the Tank train!
Can't wait to see the expression when Beckham see a real, big, life-sized Thomas the Tank train...oh, and Mr Sir Topham Hatt is going to be there too! Should be fun...the camera is packed! Not sure who is more excited....


Have a good day,
Brenda

9.19.2010

More sewing birdies...

will be available for purchase
on our website

today at 4:oo PM CST.


With thy Needle & Thread,
Brenda



9.18.2010

Just waiting...

to be turned into pinkeep bases!
Are you in need of oil cans for finishing your punch needle pinkeeps?
I was able to locate 5 sweet little oil cans, all the appropriate size for our punch needle pinkeep bases, at the Junk Bonanza.
I will be offering 5 oil cans for purchase on our website beginning tomorrow Sunday, September 19th at 4:00 PM CST.
Kind Regards,
Brenda





While I was away...

our long awaited shipment of
Weeks Dye Works 30 ct Onyx linen arrived!

Soooooo....
those of you who have this on back order
and have been so patiently waiting for this,
we will get your linen
out the door
to you
first thing Monday morning!


Going to spend this cold, wet & dreary Saturday cleaning & then decorating our home for Halloween. I bought a couple of fun Halloween ditty's at the Junk Bonanza and I now have the urge to decorate. I must take photo's of these and share them with you all....stay tuned!


Have a good day,
Brenda

9.13.2010

Country Stitches will be closed September 14th - 19th. Orders placed during this time frame will not ship until the week of September 20th.


I'll be spending these days with my sisters, Linda & Sandra. While there probably won't be much time for knitting and crocheting...
I am looking forward to some "girl time".
We are heading to Minneapolis, MN to attend the Creative Connection
and
Junk Bonanza shows.


Until later,
Brenda
"I shall
not
go to town
when
the bittersweet
is
blooming."
(Verse taken from a favorite purchased autumn picture, author unknown.)

Have a good week,
Brenda

9.11.2010

New arrivals & the word about the bird...

New charts from a couple of my favorite designers arrived this week.
Pineberry Lane
&
Stacy Nash...
"The Rising Harvest Sampler"
"Four & Twenty Blackbirds Sewing Pocket Roll"
"Guided by Virtue Sewing Purse"
AND...
The word about the bird!!
Sewing bird clamp/pin keep, that is.
We've had several emails from eager customers in regards to wanting to be put on a waiting list or to reserve one in their name. It has been decided, in all fairness to everyone, we will not be forming a waiting list or pre-selling. We will be listing more for purchase on our website next Sunday, September 19Th at 4:00 PM CST. A post will be posted on this blog as well. Thanks for understanding!

Enjoying this beautiful autumn-like day,
Brenda



9.10.2010

Thinking Autumn...

Dragonflies in the cornfields
Crickets singing
Monarchs hanging from the crab apple trees
Blooming bittersweet
Farmland turning from shades of green to autumn waves of grain
Busy squirrels...
sights and sounds of the approaching Autumn.


I work within the season, my color palette changes as the seasons do.
This is what I'm hoping to be doing this weekend...
Just my needle & I
and lovely
flosses in shades of bittersweet, acorn brown & lumina pumpkin.
You'll find me in my stitching chair working a late autumn design that I actually charted last year.
It's time to stitch it...don't you think?
It is a quick stitch
and I'm thinking horn book
as finish on this piece...
but don't hold me too it!!


Also,
we've had request for more Sewing Bird Clamp/Pin keeps...
we are expecting more to arrive next week. Will keep you all posted!


Wishing you all a beautiful autumn-like weekend,
Brenda

9.03.2010

Taking a break...

Off to enjoy some family time & take in our nephew Anthony's wedding. The timing is good as I'm feeling a bit tired & weary.
Hoping for some much needed rest away from the demand of work...my tank is running low and my eyes & hands need a rest from stitching and keyboarding.

I'll be back in the office "refreshed and ready to get back at it" on Tuesday.
In the meantime,
wishing you all a fun-filled holiday weekend!
With thy Needle & Thread,
Brenda

9.01.2010

NEW PATTERNS...

are here!
In this group there are 1 NEW punch needle pattern
&
three
3 for 2 patterns...three patterns for the price of 2!


AUTUMN GATHERING
Includes...
8" x 16" Quick sew wool/sheet music appliqued framed picture
8" Punch needle Jack on an oil can pinkeep
5" x 6" Autumn social punch needle


SNOWFOLK AT WINTERBERRY HILL

Includes...
8" x 6" quick sew wool/old paper appliqued framed picture
8 1/2" x 25" quick sew appliqued wool penny rug
6 1/2" punch needle mitten ditty bag


PUMPKIN FEST AT BITTERSWEET FARM
Includes...
8" x 16" quick sew & cross stitched framed picture
8 1/2" x 9" cross stitch ditty pocket to fill with autumn treasures
6" patched pumpkin pinkeep


KEEPER OF THE CROWS

Meet Miss Lu...the keeper of the crows! In fact she lives by this verse and sings it each spring at pumpkin plantin' time...

Planting pumpkin seeds,
row by row,
one for me,
one for the crook,
&
one for the crow.

Design is worked with Valdani 3 strand floss. Pattern includes pattern for tracing onto weavers cloth you supply.

F.Y.I...The 3 framed pictures in the new 3 for 2 patterns are using an inexpensive 8" x 16" picture frame purchased at my local discount store. This is the size of frame that holds 3 regular sized snapshots. I simply removed the mat, painted and grunged them up a tad and ta dah....my pictures were framed without spending an arm and a leg!!

Oh, and one more thing...

we got a couple wonderful new Halloween charms in too, check them out on our website.

With thy Needle & Thread,
Brenda