Fresh & Delicious....

My son Matthew has been telling me how delicious these marinated tomatoes are, so I thought I'd give them a try this evening. Delicious indeed & a nice change from A-1 sauce! This recipe will definately get a smiley face in my book!

GRILLED STEAK WITH MARINATED TOMATOES

2 garden fresh tomatoes (seeded & chopped)

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 Tablespoons fresh basil

1 minced shallot (I used onion)

1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix together and let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes. Spoon over a grilled steak just before serving.

Enjoy,

Brenda

New M&M's...in electrifying colors

Aren't these cool? NEW electrifying colors of orange, lime green, purple & black! I will admit I am the biggest sucker for NEW items at the grocery story....gets me everytime!

We enjoyed another beautiful autumn day here in Iowa, a perfect day to have the windows open, decorate the house for Halloween, actually bake a meal in the oven (rather then grilling) and well of course bake Monster cookies!

MONSTER COOKIES

1 c. brown sugar

1 c. white sugar

12 oz. chunky peanut butter

1/2 cup margerine, softened

3 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

2 tsp. baking soda

4 1/2 c. uncooked quick oatmeal

6 oz. milk chocolate & caramel swirled chocolate chips (Toll House)

1/4 pound M & M's

Cream together sugars, peanut butter and margarine. Add eggs, vanilla and baking soda. Mix well. Stir in oatmeal, chocolate chips and M&M's. Place on cookie sheet using an ice cream dipper. Flatten with a glass that has been dipped into sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for 14 to 15 minutes. The trick to making perfect Monster Cookies is to not overbake! Yes, you read the recipe correctly...no flour in these cookies!

Enjoy,

brenda gervais

A visit to the pumpkin farm!

Look at all these goodies in my car trunk! Once the frost takes my annual flowers I will replace them with hardy mums and place small vignettes of pumpkins & mums around the yard. My favorite one is the pale orange one with all of the bumps on it....wish I would have bought more of them....I can forsee another trip to the pumpkin farm!!!!

Freshly picked bittersweet....waiting to be placed on the mantle & any other little nook and cranny I can find in my house! One of my favorite items to decorate with!

Until next time,
Brenda

Putting on a show...

After a couple of nice rainy days & cooler temperatures the flowers seem to be putting on their last show, before Jack Frost arrives! I always like to take pictures of my flowers this time of year, reminds me what flowers did good and which didn't do so good.

Impatients & a new type of begonia that I tried this year (sorry, can't remember the name). The begonia has bloomed and bloomed all summer. Plan on planting more of these next year!




The hanging baskets are a miniature impatients and a little hummingbird that is migrating through visits these. He busily sucks the nectar for some time and when his little wings become tired he sits on the railing and keeps an eye on the baskets...very fun to watch! These are amazing little creatures.These hostas were recovered from an area in our yard that was being re-landscaped a couple of years ago. The landscaper felt that they were very old plants, yet good cultivers. He suggested that we should try saving them. They were dug up and moved to a new area in our yard and they have never looked better...they have been beautiful all summer long. They are a beautiful shade of green and our now putting forth their pretty white blossoms.

Red & blue salvia...this is the first year that I planted this in this garden and they did quite well. I am one who likes to try new flowers in new beds each year. Below these flowers, the tulip and daffodil bulbs are resting and hopefully will put on a pretty show next spring. Last spring was not a good growing season for the bulbs, too cold with a late springtime snow.

More begonias.....
Foxglove
Red & white impatients....we have a very shaded lawn and impatients are always a good flower of choice for our yard.
Viburnum Bush
A couple of days ago I was looking out my kitchen window to see one of these bushes just a moving away and then I spotted a robin jumping up and down, plucking the berries from the bush. This is a Verburnum bush and has pretty white flowers in the spring and provides bright red berries for the birds in the colder months when seed and bugs become sparse.

Already looking forward to when the new seed catalogs arrive....it gets me through the long Iowa winters!

Brenda

Sugar & Spice Sampler Cross Stitch Pattern

Coming soon! I've been working on this little guy for a few weeks now and ta-da he is finally done! When I stitch my mind tends to wander to other things....most often my next design, upcoming deadlines and well with this one....my Mother's gingerbread cookies! Mom's gingerbread cookies are a tradition at Christmas and Thanksgiving family gatherings. She makes turkey shaped cookies for Thanksgiving and Reindeer at Christmas.... simply decorated with just a tiny chocolate chip for the eyes. Thin & crispy and so yummy!!

Sugar & Spice Sampler is worked on 35 count hand-dyed linen with 1 strand over 1 thread. The little gingerbread boy measures just 6" tall. This little guy looks great in an old wooden dough bowl with fresh pine, rose hips, cinnamon sticks tucked around it.

Pattern will be ready for shipment late next week.

Happy stitching,

Brenda

Making Snow Angels in August!!

Often times as I sit down with my pad of paper & pencil to design, my mind turns towards childhood memories! This must mean I am still young at heart, right??!! How many of you made snow angels as a child? For those of you who aren't so privileged to live in the snowy parts of the country, let me explain! After a fresh snow fall you lie down in the snow and move your arms and legs (somewhat like doing a jumping jack, lying down) and the movement in the snow makes a beautiful silhouette of an angel. The trick was standing up very carefully, not to disturb the angel. So goes the inspiration for the "WINTER WONDERLAND" cross stitch pattern. This pattern includes the 2 pictured snow angels (just a mere 4" tall) and a Merry Christmas winter scene picture. The angels have cross stitched little tummies & clay shaped head and wings. Their wings are gently dusted with mica flakes to resemble the fresh, sparkly snow that made the best snow angels.

This pattern & another Christmas themed cross stitch pattern will be released soon. Watch here for more details.

Until next time,
brenda

A NEW pattern preview!!

Oh, how it is starting to feel like fall! The cicadas are making their last calls, the young cardinals are flitting around in the trees & the pumpkins are turning their bright autumn colors on the vines...time to turn our thoughts to Autumn decorating!

Here is a sneak peek at some NEW patterns from Country Stitches - With thy Needle & Thread....

A fun cat who is all ready for October 31st....don't you love his pumpkin costume!

A nice companion pattern to the "SPOOK" pattern. A spooky black cat all decked out in its pumpkin Halloween costume. The piece is worked in great Halloween colors using the Valdani hand over-dyed flosses. This is a larger punch needle design but is worked with 6 strands so it goes together pretty quickly! Makes a nice little candle mat!

The cornucopia is filled with the Thanksgiving turkey, pumpkins & bittersweet. Reminds us all to give thanks for thy bountiful harvest. Beautiful harvest colors are used in this piece...so rich in color! Piece is worked in 6 strands.

Look who is up on the roof top....Claus & Co! A whimsical Christmas punch needle pattern that is worked with the beautiful Valdani hand over-dyed flosses. This piece is worked with a medium needle tip using 6 strands of floss.

Happy fall y'all,

Brenda

Visit us online at www.countrystitchesonline.com

New Cross Stitch Patterns

Here is a sneak peek at the NEW soon to be released cross stitch patterns from With thy Needle & Thread!!

BLACK CAT SAMPLER pillow is worked on 30 count black hand dyed linen over 2 threads. A great little accent pillow to place on an old chair or even in amongst some fresh pumpkins for a great Autumn display.

A teensy tiny little pineapple that measures just 5" tall. Simple motifs are worked on 25 count flax linen over 1 thread. The piece is then simply sewn into a pineapple shape & stuffed. Wool felt leaves add great texture & detail to this piece. The pineapple has long been the symbol of hospitality...what a great little piece to welcome your family & friends. A quick & easy pattern!

TRICKS & TREATS is worked on 22 count Fine Ariosa over 1 thread. A whimsical pumpkin headed witch that would look great framed or sewn into a small cupboard hanger.

Looking forward to Autumn,

brenda

http://www.countrystitchesonline.com/

Quilts Blocks in the Country

I have always wanted to visit the next county south of me to see the Barn Quilts of Sac County, Iowa. My sister Sandy (from Pieces from My Heart) & I did just that one Sunday afternoon while she was visiting.

What are the Barn Quilts of Sac County you ask? The barn quilt blocks are constructed from 8 foot square pieces of plywood and painted mostly in bright primary colors so to be seen easily when passing by. The committee selects a barn or corn crib to place the blocks. The building must be 50 years old, in good condition & on a hard surface road. The blocks are painted by students, local 4-H members & various volunteer groups.

I came home with a new appreciation of old barns. In talking with one of the farmers who has a barn quilt, he mentioned that Iowa looses 1000 barns a year...now that was astounding! A piece of rural Americana is being lost at a rapid rate. This little trip through the Iowa countryside aroused my curiosity and I wanted to know more about the history of the barn. I did a Google search and found some very interesting sites about barns & their history.

We had a dairy barn on our farm growing up as a child. We sat in the milk house as Mom & Dad milked the cows and it was our job to make sure the Mama Kitties bowl was filled with fresh whole milk. I can still remember the smell of that milk house...funny how some things just don't escape one! Many hours were also spent in the haymow in search of Mama Kitties babies.

Of the 55 quilt barns, we visited 30 0f them and plan to take in the remainder on her next visit. With map in hand & tall glasses of ice tea off we went and had a great time. Come along and take a picture tour with me....

Click on pictures to see a larger image!

Hens & Chicks
Farm Friendliness

Corn & Beans

Andy Williams birthplace - Wall Lake, IA

Bear's Paw (my personal favorite)

Double Aster

Guiding Star

Next Door Neighbor

Wild Goose Chase

Mother's Favorite

19 smaller Community Quilts are can be found in the towns in Sac County hear historic or public sites.

Four Squares

Corner Posts

Variable Star

Starry Path

This quilt block is not an "official" Sac County barn quilt but was very eye catching. This block was at the end of the farmers driveway and the old implement & Russian sage is a beautiful backdrop for the block.

Starry Path

State Fair

The above signs are at the end of the driveways of the farms that are part of the Sac County Barn Quilt project. The sign gives the name of the block featured on the barn.

Double Wind Mill

The wild flowers in the Iowa road ditches are in full bloom...couldn't resist snapping this photo!




Hope you enjoyed the Barn Quilts of Sac County tour. If you are ever in the area be sure to visit these or visit their website for more information.

Until next time,

Brenda Gervais

http://www.countrystitchesonline.com/