So many little things to talk about today, time for a Sunday chat on a lot of subjects. First, I want to thank you all for the kind words, and encouragement as My Sweet Babboo recovers and we get back to a ‘normal’ life. We now turn our attention to the enjoyment of each day, the beauty of our world, time with friends, and gratitude for our wonderful lives. Almost like a gift to celebrate the good news, the white irises came into full bloom.
I needed to be at home for several days, so I had a variety of projects to keep me busy. All were things that needed to get done, some a bit ahead of time. I went over my entries for the Garden of Quilts Show coming up in just a couple of weeks. I remembered that I needed to pin some muslin over all my labels, so I got that done. Then I placed all the quilts flat on the guest bed to minimize the wrinkles and creases while they wait to be turned in for judging day and hanging in the show.
One of our MINI clubs sent My Sweet Babboo a huge basket of food for a get-well gift. It was amazing, and I should have taken a picture of it before we dug in. It had summer sausage, two kinds of cheese, water crackers, bananas, apples, apricots, kiwis, pears, grapes and oranges, plus chocolate, cookies and peppermints in a pretty basket wrapped in cellophane with a big bow. I have to say, this was the most thoughtful gift! It made it possible to make a light meal several times, and was good, healthy food for a recovering patient.
There was so much fruit, that we weren’t going to be able to eat it all before it went bad. So, I began baking. Banana bread was first, as the bananas were the most perishable. My Sweet Babboo ate one, then the others were made into my Banana Cinnamon Bread. I just use a basic recipe for one loaf, then I add a tablespoon of cinnamon. Yes, I said a tablespoon.
Then I decided I should look at the State Fair categories for this year’s cooking competitions. Boy am I glad I did! The NC Egg Assn competition is Coffee Cakes! That was a surprise. Previously they’ve done things like Eggs for Dinner, or Egg Appetizers. This year, you have to have a coffee cake that uses 3 eggs in the batter. OK, well, let’s see if I can make something work with these two giant oranges from the basket, and My Sweet Babboo’s favorite spice, cinnamon.
Well, it tasted good, but a contest winner it is not. Back to the drawing board!
Speaking of experimenting in the kitchen, a surprise came this week. Milk Street has a new cookbook called The World in a Skillet, and once again they have knocked it out of the park. I love cooking with international flavors, being somewhat partial to Asian, Italian, Mexican and French, but willing to experiment with others. I’ve already put dozens of little sticky notes on the pages for all the things that appealed to me on the first look. The best part is the recipes only use one skillet, and they are organized by how long the recipe takes. From about an hour, and moving to faster dishes, this is a great reference for weeknight meals with a flair. I need to get a few new spices, and stock up on a few basics, and I’ll be able to cook some interesting new meals for My Sweet Babboo. I’ll share the recipes I decide to do first with you soon. In the meantime, you can check out Milk Street online.
At the guild meeting, the viewer’s choice winners in the National Quilting Day competition and show were announced, and prizes awarded. Just as a reminder, here was my entry – it had to have a theme of celebrating our guild’s 40th anniversary. I used the teal colorway of the challenge fabric, and added the black.
I got the third place prize, a fun basket full of goodies. Most important, the ribbon that brings bragging rights.
There was a lot more packed into the basket than I thought could be! Six fat quarters, seven spools of thread, a postcard pattern, needles, pins, and a gift card to a local quilt shop in an absolutely adorable egg basket with a chicken wire body and green ceramic handles. Perfect for my kitchen! I realized that even though I have to count 1-1/2 yards of fabric ‘in’ for Stashbusters, I never counted the project’s fabric out. I’ll catch that up this Friday with the next reporting post.
The sewing goodies were taken to the sewing room. I found spots for everything, then loaded a lap size quilt on the longarm. Some of these blocks are reader blocks sent in for the Safelight quilt project. These were left over after that project ended. I’ll finish quilting and binding it, and have it in the booth at the quilt show for sale. The proceeds will go to the next Safelight spa bags project, and I hope we can do another one this summer.
I moved all the plants from the Carolina room to the veranda, now that our danger of frost is past. The geranium is already happy and blooming again.
Here’s one more shot of the white ruffled iris, as I can’t stop taking pictures of these beauties. I just love the purity of the white color. More buds will bloom in a few days for a long lasting show.
What’s going on at your place this week?
From My Carolina Home 
You and Your Sweet Babboo scored big this week……..congrats. and continued speedy recovery for him.
Congratulations! Your flowers are gorgeous and so happy to hear your hubby is on the mend. Had no idea he had been operated on. Happy May day!
I love sticky notes for the first viewing of all reading material !!
Warm wishes and happy thoughts to you and your hubby. Congrats on the ribbon, the project looked perfect to me! Your flowers are gorgeous
Well done on your win and all those lovely prizes. I’m glad hubby is on the mend and you are treating him well haha 🙂
Happy May Day, Carole! I admit I have been behind in catching up recently, so I hurriedly traced back to news of your Sweet Baboo having major surgery (8 hours, yikes!). I am so happy your news was he had clear margins, and I am looking forward to hearing of your other stressful situations coming to a conclusion.
Congratulations on your prize winnings for the quilting competition!
What a great week!
Both of you got wonderful surprises. Your quilts look ready to go
You have been busy and productive.
Your geraniums are beautiful
I love all the updates from your place. And I am happy to hear your sweet baboo is doing well.
Thanks so much for the heads up on the milk street skillet cookbook. I love when I can find “one pan/pot” recipes. I will definitely check it out.
This week we have teacher appreciation at the kids school so I am bringing in some goodies for breakfast one of the mornings. I am also trying to finish a table runner as a gift for my mom for Mother’s Day. Just needs some simple stitch in the ditch and binding.
Enjoy those white iris. The are gorgeous.
Glad to hear things have calmed down for you and your DH…so stressful to go through these events!! We probably all can relate! Here is to a calm and peaceful May! And my white iris have just begun blooming also! Maybe it is a sign, LOL!
What a wonderful basket of goodies from your car club! Congrats on winning third prize…another great basket too. Lovely flowers in your garden too. So happy that your husband is feeling better too. I did more garden clean up yesterday. Today, it’s raining so I hope to do some sewing.
I enjoy your Facebook posts very much. I have been sewing since I was a child. ( I am mid seventies now ). I used to sew on my mother’s second hand Singer. She used to go to the local agricultural school at night and learned many sewing skills. Your accounts of life in (North Carolina?) fascinate me. The gardening and Mini Cooper stories and the cooking and baking posts resonate with me completely. I have been a quilter for the past few decades.
My sister ( who has been living in North Carolina for twenty years) is coming home to Massachusetts shortly to be near our relatives.
Glad your husband had good medical reports. Bless you both.
Wonderful update on your husband. Flowers are gorgeous and I know bring so much joy! It was a post of all fabulous news and doings at your end. Have a great coming week
I’m glad things are going well for your hubby! Those are two lovely gift baskets you received, and congratulations on your win, too! The irises are really pretty. We have lots of beautiful blooming trees here – I’ve been enjoying them around town and in our yard. Hoping for some rain here, but not during my golf group’s tee time on Tuesday!
Gift baskets are just a lot of fun.
Our white iris are finished and the giant purple ones are on the way out but have been beautiful. The wisteria is over and English dogwood too so we are moving into an empty garden for awhile.
congratulations on your wins and glad your husband is improving. Those iris’s are beautiful
Very happy of your husband’s recovery is going well. Remember to take care of yourself too. Absolutely love the white iris. They are gorgeous. And, congratulations on your much deserved challenge quilt win. Do hope your entries do well at the quilt show. We only had one geranium that made it through the winter, but very pleased with the blooms that started to appear last week and rose bushes are beginning to bloom like mad. Considering my continued recovery from major cancer surgery and following doctors’ directives on a rare disorder plus my husband’s recovery from a broken hip, we were unable to do much with upkeep of the outside so very pleased that we have some flowers blooming. Continue to take care of your husband and self. Look forward to your delightful posts.
Happy May Day – I gave my sister a quilted May Day ‘basket’ this morning sans flowers. Well, the fabric was floral but it was so cold I skipped picking the frosty daffodils. Did you make May Baskets when you were little? Two beautiful baskets for you to soften the brush with health scare.
You sound on top of the world! I am so glad things are turning around for you both!
Good to hear of your husband’s recovery! What wonderful baskets! Enjoy your time and hope his recuperation is quick. I’m not sure I can count my fabrics this month, but I might get to it a little late….will be near my things on Wednesday, if not I will count on next month!
Still so cold here and the wind continues. We finally had about 1” of rain. Farmers waiting for fertilizer but a slow spring. Planted onions and potatoes but just cold.
Great news about yr hubby. And love the white iris! My favorite flower which ….has to wait at least a month here to flower.
Well Dad got to celebrate his 86th birthday and my Sister in Law’s Parents got to celebrate their 63td anniversary! Amazing how resilient this generation has become! I gave my SIL 15 lap quilts to take over to the facility with her parents selecting the first two. The CNAs heard and they each got one for their clients! I can now go back home knowing I have done my mitzvah and all is well!
What a delightful basket to win!! Glad your Sweet Babboo is recovering well. Nice of your car group to remember him as well. Love all the flowers!
What a wonderful chat this Sunday morning, the best news to me is hearing your Sweet Babboo is getting better. I do so hope he soon feels 100%. Congratulations on your win!
Having lost my husband to a sudden heart attack last October, I commend you for planning to live your lives to the fullest. Thanks for such an upbeat report filled with cheer.
Such a wonderful week for you! Glad your husband is on the mend. Looks like the garden is having a party! Thanks, j
Wishing your husband a super speedy recovery. Love the white iris too. I’ve got some purple ones, salmon colored ones, and miniature yellow ones. The small ones are in bloom right now but the others don’t bloom until later. Making your Chicken Alfredo for 2 tonight. Looking forward to Part 2 of that jar!
I’ve missed what wrong with babboo….. Hope all is ok now. How sweet of your friends to do by with the basket…..
The iris is stunning
The ruffled iris is a beauty. I am glad your husband is recovering well. Happy May Day!
Two baskets in the same week! That had to be a day brightener for you both, and helpful too. 🙂 My week will be spent sewing the Round 3 Challenge, I found out I got through a couple of hours ago. The challenge will be up tomorrow morning, so the. We’ll see what happens. It will be a busy week.
Everything here is so wonderful I don’t know where to begin! Congratulations on your prize and good luck with your upcoming entries. Love that blue star quilt, especially and the red and white lap blanket on the machine right now. Your coffee cake sounds good, even if it wasn’t contest worthy and those blooms — especially the white iris — are fabulous. I must have missed the Sweet Babboo’s illness during the time bloglovin’ wasn’t loading. I’m glad it’s back and I’m glad he is improving. That basket is really wonderful and so practical. I hope the recovery is full, complete and quick!
Carole: I am sorry but I missed what happened to your husband? I love your recipes. I saw Milk Street on TV. Loved what they presented. Congrats on your wall hanging prize. I am sure you will use all you won. Glad hubby is on the mend. Liz
What was wrong with your husband, Carole? Is the first time I am hearing about. Did he have Covid? I hope he is feeling much better, I am thinking you must be a good nurse.
I am envious to see your iris blooming, it will be a month yet, for mine to bloom. Take care, Felicia
He had major surgery. See the last paragraph on the previous Sunday’s post – https://frommycarolinahome.com/2022/04/24/april-in-the-garden-6/