Christmas Around the World

Cape May, NJ

 

SHORECOOK and her husband went to Cape May, NJ for an evening out.  While there, she photographed these gorgeous houses!  These first two images are Bed and Breakfast places, followed by a picture of a horse and buggy.

Horse and buggy

Cape May, NJ is a resort town located on the southern end of a peninsula where the Delaware Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean. It is known for it's world famous victorian structures, including this one of Washington Street Mall.

 

 These pictures captured by  SHORECOOK, have enabled us to tour a slice of her life in Cape May, NJ!

Thanks SHORECOOK!

Ashdown, Arkansas

Now, we will go visit Ashdown, Arkansas.  This is a town close to the Texas border.  Here is the courthouse!




Mimosa grew up in this town, her parents still live there.

The lovely courthouse was built in 1907.  She is all dressed up in her finest Christmas Glory!  Besides the fact that this Grand Old Dame has weathered fires, more than one tornado, the Great Depression, and the hideous decade of the 1970's when the battle cry was "Modernize, modernize, MODERNIZE!', she still stands just as strong, proud, and beautiful as she was when that last brick was laid back in 1907.

This is an extra special place to Mimosa because as she grew up, she  lived close by. Her best friend's Mom worked in the Sheriff's office. She and her bff could be seen almost daily in the summer, roaming the halls and (if they could get away with it) playing in the court room!  Their bicycles were a common site on the front walk.

Mimosa sent a link to a page about the Courthouse as well so we can see just how beautiful she is even without her Christmas "Bling".  1991 was the first Christmas for this incredible display.Mimosa still lived in Ashdown then and helped raise the money for all those lights!  The cost of the lights and their installation is a 100% citizen volunteer effort, so county funds are not needed.  There reallyy are still "Mayberry's" out there!

http://www.littlerivercountyar.info/LRC.htm

Mimosa, thank you for sharing Ashdown, Arkansas with us!

Christmas in Taunton, Massachusetts

Hi – I’m Jodi (that’s my AR user name as well) and this is from Taunton, MA.  This isn’t a great picture, I apologize, but it’s the best I could get.  I love the idea you have of gathering these pictures – thank you!

From wikipedia:

The green was laid out in 1830 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985 and contains approximately 20 buildings on 50 acres (20 ha).  Taunton Green has historically the gathering place for troops headed to war and since 1914 it has hosted the city's annual holiday light display which attracts visitors from throughout the area, giving Taunton the nickname of "The Christmas City".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taunton_Green#cite_note-

Jodi---Thank you for sharing Taunton, Massachusetts with us!

Celebrate Christmas in Prattville, Alabama

 Prattville, Alabama is located in roughly the center of Alabama, to the northwest side of the capitol city, Montgomery.  We are located in Autauga county, the county that was a county ((1818) before the state became a state! (1819).  Prattville is in the southeast corner of Autauga county.



Prattville has 3 exits off Interstate 65, so if you miss us once, you might still be able to visit us coming from a different viewpoint.  Running through town is Highway 31, aka the Birmingham Highway, which connected  Montgomery to Birmingham in the days before interstate travel.



On Main Street, between 4-5 miles off the interstate, you will come to downtown Prattville.  In this part of Prattville, you will find a collection of old buildings that line both sides of the street.  Prattville city planners have  tried to encourage visitors to come to the downtown area.  We now have brick paths to cross the strreet on, plants in hanging baskets, and stores to shop in.  Where Main Street rounds the curve, by the creek, there is a fountain.



We'll start the tour at the fountain, then work our way back to City Hall so you can see the Christmas tree.  Come see Prattville decorated for Christmas in 2010!

 This is the fountain decorated for the Christmas season.  Notice the brick building in the background.  Prattville's founder, Daniel Pratt, came from New England.  He built up the town along the river like you'd find in manufacturing towns of New England.  The factory building is no longer in use for gin mills (think cotton gin here!), but is a rich part of the town's history.  You will also see a wrought iron fence.  Autauga Creek runs between the fence and the factory.

Notice the sleigh in the background.  You will see this view when you look at the night time pictures.

 Now you can see the sleigh being pulled by reindeer.  The reindeer aren't very visible during the day.

Here you will see the reindeer and Santa's sleigh from a different view.

Now, we will travel to the other end of the block, where the Christmas tree can be seen. It is set up in front of City Hall, the building you see in the background.

At night, it has an entirely different appearance.

One of the poles with a light during the day!

Thanks for visiting Prattville, Alabama at Christmas time!

Picture that recipe!

I like to experiment with foods!  Many times, I choose recipes because there is no image of it on a site, or I have created the recipe and am getting a 1st picture.  I often change the ingredients to ones that my family enjoys and will eat.  For instance, I usually use whole wheat flour, not white.  I use soy or almond milk instead of cow's milk.

Here are the recipes I made during the 1st week of December 2010.  All of this week's recipes were found on Allrecipes, a great place to find recipes, join the "buzz", and post comments!  None of these recipes had images  until I posted photos!

Spiced Naan

This easy to make bread is filled with chopped onions, raisins and coconut that are cooked in a spicy blend of seasonings.  I used whole wheat flour to make the bread dough.  This made 4 servings.  Next time, I think I will make 8 smaller bread pockets!



http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Spiced-Naan/Detail.aspx

 

 Spicy Potato Noodles (Bataka Sev)

The next day I made this potato/chickpea flour pasta seasoned with hot pepper, ginger and garlic.  It is supposed to be fried, but I don't like fried food.  I chose to cook this like gnocchi, by shaping the dough into 1/2" logs, and slicing off small bits.  Then, the pieces took a bath in boiling water until they started to float.  This recipe called for salt, but I wanted the intense flavor of the flavorings to remain.  I opted not to use any salt for this recipe. Mustard oil is called for, but I only had canola oil; next time I will try to find the hotter, spicier oil!  I really enjoyed these flavorful Spicy Potato Noodles!

 http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Spicy-Potato-Noodles-Bataka-Sev/Detail.aspx

 

 Moroccan Potato Bean Soup

This is a hot, spicy, sinus clearing soup!  I used a sweet potato instead of a white potato, as you can see by the orange chunks in the photo!  White kidney beans are called for, but I had navy pea beans on hand, so I used those. Instead of using milk and cream, I used soy milk.

Once I accustomed my taste buds to the very peppery taste, I enjoyed this!


http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Moroccan-Potato-Bean-Soup/Detail.aspx






Ginger Shortbread Wedges

 I used whole wheat instead of white flour when creating this shortbread.  I also sprinkle 2 T chopped candied ginger on the top before baking.  I pricked cutting lines with a fork, supposedly for easier cutting into wedges after baking, but they had mostly filled in during the baking process!  Instead of separating this recipe into 8 portions, I made 12 wedges.  I love ginger, and I love shortbread, so this was a winning recipe!

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Ginger-Shortbread-Wedges/Detail.aspx

                    

Simply Sesames

These tasty little gems are a sesame seed, coconut, and pecan slice-and-bake shortbread.  They have a delightful flavor that I could not have imagined until I started nibbling them!

The original recipe called for almonds, but since pecans are much easier to get where I live, I opted to use them!

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Simply-Sesames/Detail.aspx

 

My goal for the month of December is to average 1 new recipe a day!  In the 1st 5 days of December, I met that goal!

Quiltbook Team

Kitten and SunnyByrd came up with the idea of a quilt, and asked that those who wanted a chance at winning a quilt submit a quilt block. This was a chance for folks to unite in a common goal (the quilt) and share our love for finding recipes, cooking/baking, and photographing the results.

Some of the submitters and made quilts before.  Some quilt blocks were made by friends of the submitters.  Kitten took on the responsibility of piecing and sewing all the blocks together. 

January, Christine M, Jgirl, SWchef, 1gdcowgirl, Marianne, Froghopper, yo.mags, AR Support Staff, AmbiBambi, Blazer, Trishie, BroHoe, Steph Canada, Kitten, Deborah B, CindyLepp, PelicanGal, NYJen, Chef Tony, Pam3BoysMama, Skunkee, LisaT, Chicken, SoupLover-Sue, stacey, LynnWoll (AR), geranium, M'Lady, yo.mags, BigShot'sMom, Beatrice, 5thSister, Trishie, Josephine, Christina, gderr/Josephine, mrs. dach, Suzey, TraciB's Kitchen, Scotdog, Maggi, EvinMomof2, ARSupport Staff, Gitano, Shorecook, Mary, LisaT, ChristineM, MuffinPuffin, 1gdcowgirl, Kitten, Sunnybyrd, Smitty, Chef Tony, Pam3BoysMom, BigShot'sMom, Iceemama, Larkspur, kylee, Trishie, patricia3096, Laura D, Suzey, AngieItaliano, gderr by Tie, Cliff4d, Pixie, TIE, Crystal Dash, Pomplemousse, yo.mags, Southerngma, cyndigephart, MrsM (Carla), tahoegirl, Sharyl14, Sueb, Froghopper, Sweetjam, Avon,BevF, Tristan, Avon, Pelicangal, and Nicolemo2  submitted quilt blocks.  Possibly others did, too.  Some spellings were inconsistent in these names, along with punctuation.  Some people are still contributing on AR, others are not, and others no longer retain the name they were known by while the quilt project was under way.

We had hoped that each participant would explain his/her choice of colors, fabrics, and designs.  All the blogs submitted this day are a result of those efforts in the Quilt of 2009.

In mid-September 2010, 5thSister won the quilt!  We hope she treasures the bonds of friendship this quilt was intended to create. 

Deborah B, Trishie, & sueb (The quiltbook team)

Gitano

Gitano (Spanish for Gypsy) - Something about flamenco dancers has always fascinated me, perhaps the flowing, colourful dresses was the inspiration for my sewing creativity! I have always loved to sew...and COOK! and I am thrilled to have stumbled upon Allrecipes and being able to combine my two passions!  Hence, La Gitana Crafts was born between my kitchen and sewing room!  Being able to share recipes / stories in "cyber world" has opened a new door for me and I am grateful to have so many new, wonderful and helpful friends!  So when this idea for the Memory Quilt came up, I just had to participate! Thank you to everyone involved in getting this "idea" to come to fruition!

Nicolemo2

The material I picked was baseball because that's what we do
in our family.  My Fiancé coaches and my kids play.  We love baseball.  I
also picked the marine emblem because this is my first good job.  It gave me
the break I needed to move ahead in life.  My name was chosen because of my
first name of course and I am a mom of 2. Well now since this whole thing
started I'm expecting my third. Now the name is Nicolemo2soon2b3 :)  That's
Kinda it. Hope you enjoy the quilt and the hard work put into it :)

AngieItaliano

My square is a red teddy bear that says FOREVER FRIENDS on it. The reason for choosing this was because that's how I feel about my AR friends. We have all kinds of friends in life, and even though I haven't actually sat down and shared a cup of coffee with anyone on the exchange, I feel that I've made good friends. Friends who don't judge. Friends that I can relate to more often than not. Friends that can lift your spirits when you're feeling down, and friends who can be honest with you, even if sometimes the truth hurts. To me that is what defines friendship. Her's a big Teddy Bear hugs for all my AR friends (((HUGS)))

Here is my Profile info if you want to use any of it..................

I've been married to my hubby for 28 years. We are now empty nesters. Our 2 kids have flown the coop. I've been a stay at home mom, making it easy to perfect our favorite dishes. We love to entertain. Other than my family, my favorite love is cooking, and feeding people gives me great joy.

My favorite things to cook..........................

I love to make authentic Italian dishes but I also love to barbecue. Actually I do all the prep and my hubby does the barbecuing. I also love to make appetizers. I don't do a lot of baking, but my desert specialties for company are tiramisu and deep fried cheesecake(which is too die for).

My cooking triumphs......................

I put on a cocktail and hors d'oeuvres engagement party for my daughter with 50 guests. I love to make appetizers but making fancy little appies was new territory for me. I spent weeks experimenting with different recipes and the whole week before the party making ones that I could freeze. I also never made cocktails before and served up bellinis and crantinis. It just about killed me but the party was a huge success.

My cooking tragedies.........................

Too many to mention but the most memorable was making a butternut squash ravioli using won ton skins for company. I made them during the day stacking them on a platter. When it was time to cook them, they were all stuck together into a blob. It was a disaster.

Kitten

When I was a child, my mom would sit and tell me stories about her quilts. She would unfold the quilt on her bed and tell me about the names on the quilts. On the green quilt there was a block from Mrs. Powers and one from Mrs. Beck and Momma would tell me about my Great Aunt Willie and her block. These quilts were like little people to me. Each almost had it's own personality and the colors and designs made each one different and special in it's own way.

 

Momma told me the church she belonged to, the ladies would, when one of them was married, the others would each make a quilt block and give them to one woman and it was her job to sew the blocks together and make the quilt. Momma said it was a way for the other ladies to tell the one getting married, "We are here for you and if you need us, all you have to do is holler and we'll be here."

 

I've been a member of All Recipes since December of 2007. During that time I have come to think of the other members like my mother explaining her quilts. This lady here, she is pretty funny. Fantastic cook, beautiful dishes and always there if someone had a problem. And this one over here, wow! what an adorable goof. And this one, bless her heart, she does try and sometimes she has a hit but she is constantly improving.

 

I began thinking about how, if we lived closer together this bunch would surely qualify for a quilt. Well, I thought that was as far as it would go. Once I mentioned it in a post and I got a couple of, "Oh, how nice," and a few, " Wouldn't that be a great idea," and that's where it ended. And I thought that's where the idea of the quilt ended.

 

Except for one person. One day I got a shout out from Sunnybyrd. She wanted to know if I was serious about the quilt. Well, sure I was serious but also knew it would be impossible to pull off. Sunny asked me if I wanted to give it a try. So, we put our heads together and came up with some idea and she graciously offered to use her blog to get the word out. I was so surprised, people were really interested.

 

Members started asking questions and all of a sudden, I received our first blocks from Mrs Dach and her daughter, Crystal. I sat here and thought, looking at those two blocks, Good Lord, it's going to happen and I almost cried and said a thank you to the Lord and Momma.

 

Well, a lot of time and space have been covered since that May day and here we are. Like Momma said, "Lord willing and the creek don't rise, we are gonna' have a quilt." The Lord was willing and the creek didn't rise too much and here we are.

 

We have 75 members sending in 120 blocks. That's 75 members each sending in a little bit of themselves to tell the others, "I'm here for you." I always thought the theme for the quilt should be, "We are family, I got all my brothers and sisters with me."

 

And Momma says, when you wrap a quilt around yourself and you feel the warmth it's not warm you are feeling. It's the love that each person sewed into their block that is keeping you warm.

 

And floks, "We ARE family and I've got all my brothers and sisters around me."

 

People kept asking  for advice about their block and their Memory Book page and It came to me, I don't have a block and I haven't even thought about a page .I went to the fabric store and was just looking around for a fabric that said, "Hello -- it's me." I guess I spent half an hour or so going from rack to rack when I saw my fabric. Cats and kittens playing in a flower bed of pink and purple pansies. That was it. That was what I was looking for. And with the kittens on the fabric, did I really have a choice?  So, that's my blocks, me and the kittens.

 

To my All Recipes family, thank you each for just being you. I am proud to say I know each of you. And as for All Recipes itself, I think it is a first rate place, too. Thank you for giving us a place to come and find a shoulder to lean on or for that matter how to cook the one that was on sale.

 

Love you all, Kitten

Jgirl

My AR name is Jgirl and here is a pic of my block.

little about me:  I was born, raised and still reside in PA (approx. 40 miles east of Pittsburgh).  I have a son named Cooper, he has four legs and is furry!!  Aside from spending time with my dog I enjoy cooking and camping/boating.  When going on vacation I like to go somewhere it is warm and the water is crystal blue.  Aside from actual vacations I like to do anything that allows me to spend time with friends.  Since I just started to enjoy cooking about 5 years ago I am far from being an expert and that is why I turn to you folks at AR for advice.  I will bake occasionally but I would much rather cook.  I am a huge fan of kitchen gadgets and have been from many many years.  Long before I began to enjoy cooking I owed almost everything in the Pampered Chef book.  Now, I finally get to put some of the gadgets to good use.

When I am not working or on vacation, I am usually reading the recipe requests or surfing AR.  Thanks fellow AR friends, I enjoy the company.

gderr

Several people made quilt blocks for Gary when Claire had a stroke.  Many prayers were said for this couple and their daughters as they struggled through the ordeal!

Blazer

Not sure what to write. My square was a smile face with Blazer-All Recipes Addict under it. I ordered it on line. I do not sew. I was originally "Grammy" on AR but then came several more "Grammys" so I changed it to Blazer. My AR family is my life line to the outside world. No matter what the question or how dumb the question I always get an answer, be it about the computer, a disaster in the kitchen, dog questions, grandkid questions or a problem that just needs to have some uplifting words sent to me. You are always there and I thank each and every one of you

swchef

Chicken

Hello, it is Chicken here from AR. My quilt block has already been put on the quilt and Kitten has my memory book pages. My quilt block represents my country (New Zealand), my favourite colour (yellow) and my screen name.

Christine M

I sent in two quilt blocks - not sure if they both made the quilt, but one of them was a pic of my daughter that I had used as an avatar quite a bit.  Attached is the story that goes with that one, as well as the picture of the quiltblock.

I have one more to send in - my other quiltblock was a map of New England - I'll send in my "page" for that one soon.  It included a recipe for Boston Cream Pie.

Hello, AR Friends!

Christine M from Massachusetts here – I sent in two quilt squares, and one of them had a picture that I used for my AR Avatar for quite a while – my daughter, in deep conversation with a pumpkin!

We were going to name her Sadie Michele – it was a name with meaning for us, representing my paternal great-grandmother, three nieces and a deceased friend.  But when I learned I was pregnant, somehow Sadie didn’t fit.  When my husband mentioned Grace (“I always liked that song!” he said), the name stuck.  Now every time I hear it, the words take on a whole new meaning for me.  I love what the original means, but to be able to apply the lyrics to my life makes me realize she was meant to be named…Grace.

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, (My precious baby’s first cry)
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see. (what true love really is)

T'was Grace that taught my heart to fear. (What if I die? Who will love her like I do? What if some kid makes fun of her in the 5^th grade?..God forbid, What if something awful happens to her?.”)
And Grace, my fears relieved. (When I look at her, all is well…)
How precious did that Grace appear
The hour I first believed. (I had all but giving up on becoming pregnant – didn’t bother with fertility doctors because I just felt “what’s meant to be, will be”.  As soon as I accepted the fact that maybe it wasn’t meant to be, it was!)

Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come;
'Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far
and Grace will lead me home.  (Anything I’ve been through in my life – heartache, loss, loneliness, depression – is worth it.  I’ve found my calling, and it is motherhood to this one special girl)

The Lord has promised good to me. (Blessed with motherhood)
His word my hope secures.  (Eexperiencing the miracle of pregnancy, birth, motherhood, strengthened my faith in God)
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.  (No matter what has or will ever happen to me…Thank You, God for this gift)

When we've been here ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun.
We've no less days to sing God's praise

Than when we've first begun.  (My love for my daughter is forever…)

Princess Jenna

I had something cute written about becoming more involved with the exchange when I moved to NY and about meeting and being friends with NYJen but I'll be damned if I remember a single word.  *shrugs*  Just take from my profile I guess.  You're welcome to use any pictures too.

http://allrecipes.com/Cook/1211721/Profile.aspx

BeeHappy aka Beatrice

There really isn't  much to say about it.  With a name like Beatrice the theme always seems to be bees and I just carried that over to the quilt block.  i like to cross  stitch, so I included a small sampler in my piece.  The quilt block was a great time out project.  A quiet spot, a cup of tea, and a project in hand makes for a reflective, peaceful moment in an otherwise hectic day.

AllrecipesElizabeth

We sent a few blocks for the quilt to represent the Allrecipes.com team, but have not contributed anything for the memory book – this is all about you guys, as a fabulous community, and we don’t want to detract from that! My Allrecipes name is AllrecipesElizabeth, but the blocks really should represent the Allrecipes.com staff as a whole!

Thank you all so much for being such an awesome community, and making it fun to come to work every day!

Did you know? Allrecipes.com is the World’s #1 Food Site!

Skunkee

I did send in a block. . . "Skunkee". . . .I haven't had time to do the page, although I purchase the supplies.  A little about the block I sent. . . . . .

 

I used orange as the primary color because that is the color of AR.

 

I put a computer screen  with the AR logo b/c that's where I spend my time  with AR and online friends on the RE.

 

The spoon in my hand is my connection to AR.

 

My own hair is brown.  I look good in green and I have implants.

 

Seven years ago I had gastric bypass surgery and lost over 150 lbs;so I just had to show off my new figure.

 

"Skunkee" my screen name comes from a combination of my initials "S" - "K"; then "unk" from my last name (Funk).  I chose this for another site also.  When I went to register there was already a "Skunk", so I added one "e".  There was also a "Skunke", so I added another "e".  S K U N K E E.  So there is a picture of a skunk.  I think she look kinda' cute - she's my alter ego.

 

 

This is my opionion and does not have to go in the memory book:

 

I spent the time and money to do the square b/c I thought it was a worthwhile project.  I only wish that we could somehow figure out a way for a charity to benefit from it. . . My favorite charity is The Susan G. Korman cure for breast cancer.  Since most of us are women maybe our next project could be  for that.  JMHO

FROGHOPPER

Hi, I'm FROGHOPPER. I sent 2 blocks:

Baby animal block: I made this block using the left over material from my daughter's baby album. The ribbons are left over from my wedding.

 

Yellow with misc baby stuff block: I made this block using the left over material from my son's baby album. The ribbons are left over from my wedding.

 

I love to cook, it' what I do to destress or to have fun, it's completely satisfying!. My daughter who is 3 1/2 has been cooking with me for the past couple years. I hope to pass a wealth of knowledge (mostly wich came from AR!!) onto her. My son, who is 2, LOVES to gobble up my creations. Before I found AR and the RE I could barely frost a cup cake let alone make my own frosting FROM SCRATCH!! Now I have made a frog cake, a monkey cake, a bunny cake, and a decent barbie cake for a first timer. I have made frog cup cakes that were way too cute! I made easter cupcakes that would make Martha proud! I have learned how to make a routissurie (sp?) chicken, I've learned how to cook a tender, juicey turkey, I have made fettuchini alfredo that would knock the socks off of any Italian, I am no longer intimidated by and Asain stir fry, I am no longer intimidated by making bread from scratch (I wish my grandma could see me now!),  I make my own italian sausage and breakfast sausage, I make my own refried beans, I make my own butter, and I learned how to can, and so much more!! All thanks to AR and the RE!

SweetJam

 I picked the fabric because I had extra sitting around from an old project.  I love bling that is why the rhinestones are on there.  It is my home town and my screen name. 

I'm a working mom with 2 kids.  I like to sew and read.

pomplemousse

My block is the pomplemousse block.  My AR name is pomplemousse because that makes up my cat's names:  Pompla and Moose.  I put two cats and a dog on the quilt because that is what I have, and my little picture is a lady doing ballet (yoga, really, but I don't do yoga!) because I did it for years.

Lynn Woll

I made several blocks . . . including the ones from the staff. I am a quilt artist, as my hobby, and buy fabric and more with the money I make working at Allrecipes - a great job!

I made some that were very AR centric, that the staff signed; and then two that were 'food centric' with 'food fabrics' from me, as a quilter and AR fan.

Iceemama

Hi,  I'm Iceemama.  My quilt square is an icee because my family loves them.  My real name is Melinda, I've been married for 17years and we have an 8 yr. old son with Asperger's syndrome.  I love cooking, collecting recipes, reading, gardening and genealogy. I live in Houston, Texas.  I have wonderful memories of baking with my mom and brother. I have been trying to make the same memories for my son.  I am more of a recipe gal but my son just likes to make things up. Suprisingly, he has  invented some good things. We have had to throw some things out too!  My dad cooks like that too but is a wonderful cook. My husband can make scrambled eggs and macaroni and cheese from the box.  That is about it.  Growing up , my mom had my brother and I choose recipes from her cookbooks. Then over the summer we would make several of the recipes together each week. It was great fun.

NYJEN

Greetings from NY and from me NYJEN! I am so honored to be part of such an amazing display of friendship, talent and love. Kitten's quilt project has reached many far and wide! I chose the cupcake fabric because it reminds me of Bakerella's whimsical cake pops. I also really wanted my quilt block to be "quilted". The only problem was that I haven't a clue how to turn on the sewing machine let alone quilt! So here comes my confession: My wonderful husband David did the quilt block. He did an amazing job, considering it was his first attempt at quilting! Allecipes has been a huge inspiration to me in so many ways. I am now a more confident cook that takes more risks and tries more exciting recipes.  I love reading other members reviews and looking at all the gorgeous photos. I have witnessed the recipe exchange transform into wonderful place to ask other member's for their recipes, opinions, vent about "OT" issues, and for friendship. The exchange means so much to me personally as I met a true real life friend off of the exchange.A fellow foodie who has touched my life and has been such a big part of it for the last 2 years. Thank you Princess Jenna, you truly are a regal wonder!  As far as favorite recipes from the site, well I started to list a few but quickly realized that I have way too many to list!    

Warm wishes and happiness to all my fellow foodies!

yomags

You know me by my screen name, Yo.mags. My family calls me Maggie, Mom and my friends call me Mags. I have 2 grown children and am happily divorced. I love to cook, read and support veterans. I also love motorcycles and my 6 cats. 

 

I made 3 quilt blocks.  One respresents the Garden State, New Jersey where I live.  I chose it because so much of what I cook is home grown, when in season.

My second block is for all my friends in the ARAddicts chat room where I spend alot of time and where I learn, laugh, and some will say I doodle alot. Even though I can't draw.

The third block is a motorcycle, which is what I do feel free, think, and relax. Now if I could only find a way to be on AR when I was riding, that would be perfect.

5thSister

Essentially, my quilt block portrays the "Shrinking Chatters" African Safari along with the "Fitness Foodies" Great North American Tour. These events took place between September 2008 and August 2009. The animal print used as the ground cover suggests the African continent: the beginning, the basis, if you will, of our journey. The blue background and the stars in the sky are representative of the American participants in these two tours. The maple leaf represents our Canadian companions. They also depict the two North American Countries visited along the GNAT leg of our journey. The runner is symbolic of me, of my personal quest and participation in this monumental achievement. What started out as a crazy dream in August of 2008 found us logging enough miles to traverse 2 continents and over 12 countries in less than a year. I was honored to be a part of this journey and am very proud of everyone who participated. I would like to take a moment to recognize Luis Bueno. Without his daily support, motivation, and hard work, behind the scenes, these threads would not have been the success they were. 

Shorecook

I have been happily married for 41 years  and we have been blessed with a terrific family.  In 1999 we moved to the Jersey Shore when we retired. 

  About my block:

The beach umbrella reminds me of the shore.  Under the umbrella is one of my favorite places to be.  The footprints show that both Hubby and I have been there but are off doing something else, perhaps walking the beach, swimming, fishing or cooking.  Hubby and I enjoy watching the birds.  The bird on the quilt block is a laughing gull.  I feel laughing is good for you.  Many of my AR posts end with LOL!   The fabric reminds me of waves and sand dunes.  The colors remind me of sunshine and rainbows.

To the recipient:

I wish you many happy days filled with sunshine and laughter, and a rainbow after every storm!

 

 

TIE

My avatar name is TIE from AR, my quilt block has a kitten and flowers and butterflies on it along with my initials TIE.  I also did a Gderr block.  Gder’s block has his avatar picture of him and his wife, his name and his wifes avatar name CC COOK also with some small characters of mooses and gators.

MrsDach

Hi this is Mrs. Dach(Dash). I've been married to the Dam Man for 35 years. I have 3 boys, 2 daughters-in-law,2 grandsons, 2 granddaughters and 1 on the way.  I picked this image because I though is was to be in June 30th. So I did quick and easy. I love the renassince.  I collect wisards and dragons water globes. I live in the desart of southern calif. on the boarder of Az. next to Yuma Az. I love it out here. With the river only 1/4 mile away. There are lots of animals, but my fav are the wild donkeys. Ruben will come up and knock on my door. So I'll come out to feed him and any and all the ones with him. He knows a soft touch when he sees one. I've been cooking sence I was 10. I love it when the grandkids come over so we're all in the kitchen. To who ever wins the quilt enjoy .

1gdcowgrl

My name is Cyndi, otherwise known as 1gdcowgrl. Married for nearly 10 years to my best friend. We have one daughter. I get to stay home to take care of my family and I am so grateful to be able to. For many, many years I was a hairstylist. Long hours on my feet and I loved it! Then I was diagnosed with Meneire's Disease.  That diagnosis eventually forced me to stop working. I have also cared for elderly, terminally ill people. I have a soft place in my heart for them. Now on to the quilt square....I chose the John Deere theme because we live on a working cattle ranch in southwest Oklahoma. It's not an easy way of life but it IS a rewarding way  of life. I LOVE IT!  There is a peaceful feeling about the country that you just don't get when you live in town. I should know, I've lived in lots of towns. From Oklahoma to Texas to Montana and Washington state. Throw in the state where I was born (Idaho) and all the ones I've visited and  you'll see that I seem to have no roots! Which I do...and my branches have quite a story to tell.

Kylee

Sorry I'm so not timely when it comes to email!!
I'm Kylee (same on AR) and I live in Hawaii.  I've been married for 3 years and have three cats (Sabre, Eisenmeower, Finnegan) and one crazy Basenji named Fenway.  This summer I decided to start a simple quilt with hawaiian fabric blocks to always remember my time here in Hawaii.  For my AR quilt block I chose my favorite fabric and then had my name sewn on!

Traci B's Kitchen

Traci B’s Kitchen…

Sugar and Spice ~ My personality…

Daisies ~ My favorite flower…

Stars ~ How I feel on AR when I get a recipe published or a #1 picture…

Hearts ~ My love for: cooking, family, friends and God…

The quilt represents people from all over who have at least one thing in common with each other… AR ~ Whether we go on to chat, to find a recipe or to vote for our favorite food pics, we are all a part of one community of foodies and have become on-line friends…

I hope who ever gets this quilt and memory book will have it for many years and always remember the wonderful people good times on AR!…

sueb

I chose the flower background for my quilt because I like flowers; my avitar is a Mexican petunia.  Many arms indicate that I always seem to have many irons in the fire!  The octopus is a symbol of my daughter's school family, so I'm carrying on the family tradition.  My rosy red glasses are firmly riveted in place.  I'd like to think that I'm cheerful, usually smiling.  Even though I'm not actually a chef, I have worked with foods my whole life.  AR has been a great place to find new recipes and wonderful friends!

Mary

Here's what I was thinking when I made my quilt block:  

The red hat lady - Like it or not, I've reached that wonderful age of 50.  To me it's just a number.  I like to have fun, do exciting things and practice "random acts of kindness". 

The wine picture - That kind of is self explanatory.  I like to tour winneries, particiapate in wine tasteing and buy wines from that area.  It wouldn't surprise you then, that I llike to drink wine and use it in cooking.    

The three ladies - They represent the sisters aka friends I have in my life.  My real sister was born 2 years before me but died at 9 mos.  I have two high school class mates who I consider my sisters at heart.  I have many other friends who are very special to me, some I have yet to meet in person.  

The sewing machine - This picture tells you many things.  The most obvious, I like antiques and I like to sew.  I also like to quilt, crochet, crossstitch, needlepoint, scrapbook and make cards. 

The center block -  Mary, that's me.  Latin for "star of the sea" but I think more appropriately would be the Hebrew meaning "wished for child"! I'm the wife of a wonder man and mother to two terrific children & step-mother of one, all of whom have successfully left the nest.     

The bowl, eggs, & mearuing cup - Easy, I love to bake.  It brings peace and calm to my life.  It's creating something out various ingredients.  It makes others happy.

The coffee/tea cups - Sharing many conversations, happy times, sad times, comforting times, drawing strength from family and friends.

The computer - AR friends sharing recipes, asking questions, receiving answers, laughing together, comforting each other, a great on line community.

The cat - Symbol of a wise women, what I hope to be some day.  Also "mother" of 3 dogs and 3 cats.

Suzey

I have attached a copy of a jpeg image of my memory book page. Me...Mom of two great daughters...originally from Pittsburgh (so that will always be home)...currently living in Ohio Top square represents the rebuilding and piecing together of my life after leaving after leaving an abusive first husband...I actually went to work one day and never returned...The fabrics in this square are from articles of mine and the wonderful new man in my life (whose favorite color just happens to be purple-so this is for him) The bottom square exemplifies the AR addicts...One big family...always reaching out and being there for each other...a wonderful circle of friends

Maggi

I joined All Recipes back in 2001 and did not venture into the Exchange until the fall of 2008.  What an incredible journey in these twelve short months.  It has been a wonderful learning experience with the awesome opportunity to meet some great people.   The avatar used on the Exchange by me is our dog, Gus.  Of course he is the featured star on my quilt square as well. Denny & I are empty nesters so Gus gets all of attention these days.  We are rewarded by Gus with lots of laughs, sloppy kisses and undying affection - not to mention a very crowded bed.   The quilt project has been a very bonding and rewarding journey also.  To imagine so many of the AR people coming together on a non cooking adventure is just fantastic!  This project has encouraged even more friendships with all the lively discussions over the last several months.  Lots of friendly bantering going on!   Many thanks to Kitten and all of the devoted Quilt Team - untold hours volunteered - truly impressive.   May the lucky recipient of this group project feel the love and warmth of the whole AR community.   Blessings to all           Maggi

CindyLepp

As it turns out, my quilt square ended up being a Tribute to our very loyal 12  YO Border Collie,Cotton, who, sadly, has since passed away, Aug. 30, 2009 of liver failure. I designed the square on one of her kerchiefs that I always made for her. (Her favorite was red but the pics wouldn't come out good on that color! Frustrating! LOL!) She even sparked some controversy on AR when I put her photo with reindeer antlers up for the Christmas Holiday. GDerr, Patti Kane and others cried "dog cruelty" for making her wear those silly things but trust me.... she didn't tolerate them for very long and no animals were injured during the picture taking!    Danny and I have been married for 25 years Sep. 23rd, 2009. He has a 34 YO son but we could never have children so our dogs have always been our furbabys! We have moved all over the US, always having to move to get better positions in the Rock Quarry industry and currently live in a very rural resort area in Benton,KY.There are 2 big lakes near us that are famous for great fishing.We live in a quaint brick house on hill,with woods in the back and a creek on the side.We have a 2 acre lot for our new Golden Lab puppy, Miss Marleypoo to exercise ME while constantly chasing her down!   I discovered Allrecipes in November 2007 shortly after we moved here and my recipe books were still packed! I have made some wonderful friendships that will probably last my lifetime. I am Truly an AR ADDICT!

Scotdog

 My quilt was made by my good friend, Sherry Lundswick. It's a Tiger Lily from my yard.

I'm a mom of 3 boys, 20, 16, 14 who love to eat! Married to a great guy for 23 years. Found the exchange & haven't been able to pry myself away. Great, wonderful place to share, exchange information & just chat.

BigShotsMom

I'm BigShotsMom and I sent 2 squares.  Both were on a background about this color, but reminiscent of the sea.  I chose this fabric because I live on the beach here on Long Island, about 15 miles east of NYC .   One of my squares has a photo of BigShot, my sweet kitty and a lovely butterfly with my AR name.  The other square has a cluster of butterflies on top and a black cat under my name.   My original memory book page was a piece of the same fabric, printed to say   I wish you                               Good Food                                                                   Good Friends                                                                                                               Good Life

Keri blocks donated by January

Commented by: Kitten Sep. 29, 2009 10:01 pm HI Keri, You might be surprised to learn you have two blocks in the mix. January knew at the time of the quilt blocks deadlines, you were having, let's say a cash flow problem. January made and donated on your behalf 2 blocks. They came in so late after the tops were put together that I added two matching pillow shams and your 2 blocks from January are there. As for the quilt, I took tons of pictures today, and I think Deb will post some for everyone. Last week I joined the two sides. I have quilted the first side and now am quilting the second side. There are pictures of how the quilt looks. right now, I just need to join the two sides to the batting. AFter that is the red edge and binding and then it's a go.

Patricia3096

from Patricia3096 Been using AR for at least 7 years.  Just discovered the recipe exchange a couple of years ago.  An awe inspiring group (community quilt being an example).  Aside from all the info & help from members,  I've made  amazing friends.  I  DID get sucked in by some really nasty trolls thru the years.  That inspired my "quilt block".  In hindsight, I could have left some room for additional troll names  since there's a never ending "supply".  More  info/e-mail address in my profile.   http://allrecipes.com/Cook/10910876/Profile.aspx

Soup-lover Sue

July 3, 2009 The day started out much different then most. It was filled with such Chaos, dispair, grief, frustration, hopelessness, anger, ______________(choose your own word)! If you were trying to log on to All Recipes, you couldnt. Many had recipes they were needing to get to prepare for the July 4th celebration.  Some just wanted to chat and read.  The emails started pouring out, the Chat room got busy, everyone wanted answers, to the BIG question...WHAT HAPPEN TO AR, WE CANT LOG ON. Minutes seened like hours...sadly they had a fire in the building which caused the havic. We never want that to happen again. I thought this reminder would be better then any information I could give about myself. It was a stange day for all of us together. I am Soup-lover Sue, now stay Warm and Cozy.

Marianne

Reflecting on how I would portray myself, I realized that for 59 of my 66 years I have lived in only four homes, the last 35 in our home on Dogwood Avenue--thus the dogwood blossom represented here.  My home has been our castle, the center of our universe.  My whole life has revolved around family.  Our two children live nearby—our son, his wife, and two daughters live fifteen houses away, and our daughter lives three miles away.  We connect in one way or another every day, and food has been my way of interacting with them—cooking, sharing, eating.  It was by accident that I fell into the clutches of allrecipes.com.  I had been searching the Internet for a particular recipe and was fascinated by the recipes that came with all the reviews.  I used many of the recipes, but it was months before I noticed the Recipe Exchange tab.  After lurking the site for months and feeling like I knew people, I ventured in---a year and a half after joining the site.  Since then hours have been devoted to pouring over the pages, connecting with people, learning from new friends—not only about food, but about people.  This quilt is the culmination of determination, strength, and caring of many people, and I am proud to be part of it!

Pelicangal

Hi to the Lucky Person That Won the Beautiful Quilt and Wonderful Memory Book.

 My name is Jan.  Otherwise known as Pelicangal.  I live in Brookings, Oregon.  From most of the rooms in our house we can look out over Pelican Bay and the Pacific Ocean.  (That is how I came up with my screen name).  The bay got its name from the scores of Pelicans that can be seen flying over all the time.

My Husband and I retired from the San Francisco Bay area in 2000.  We moved up here to lead a slower life and be closer to my Sister in Law, who moved here in 1998.  Unfortunately, I couldn’t stand not working, so I got a part time job.  I work about 3 days a week and it is enough that I don’t get stressed with work and don’t get bored being around the house all day.  We enjoy it here, although sometimes the rain can be a bit much.  Our average rainfall is 80 to 112 inches per year.  The saying around here is that old Oregonians don’t die they just rust away.

I love cooking all kinds of things and have definitely become an All Recipes addict.  It is the first thing that I do when I get up in the morning and I check the site constantly throughout the day.  On the days that I work, I immediately turn on my computer as soon as I get home to check out what has been going on at the Recipe Exchange throughout the day.  Only when I have read it all do I start cooking dinner.  Fortunately, my husband doesn’t mind if we eat late.

I am so envious that you have this quilt and memory book and I hope that you treasure it and enjoy it throughout a long and happy life.

Best Wishes

Pelicangal

SunnyByrd

I'm a lame-assed moocher. Kitten is making my block for me and I have no idea what it looks like, but I'm excited to see it! Should that be my bio? From Kitten-- I began thinking about how, if we lived closer together this bunch would surely qualify for a quilt. Well, I thought that was as far as it would go. Once I mentioned it in a post and I got a couple of, "Oh, how nice," and a few, " Wouldn't that be a great idea," and that's where it ended. And I thought that's where the idea of the quilt ended.   Except for one person. One day I got a shout out from Sunnybyrd. She wanted to know if I was serious about the quilt. Well, sure I was serious but also knew it would be impossible to pull off. Sunny asked me if I wanted to give it a try. So, we put our heads together and came up with some idea and she graciously offered to use her blog to get the word out. I was so surprised, people were really interested.

Cliff4D & M'Lady

CLIFF4D After spending most of my 70+ years in Milwaukee, WI, we decided to move to a more rural area. We now live in a small community (pop.3175) on the southern tip of the great Horicon marsh, where we see hundreds of geese on their annual migration from Canada to ? (Wherever they go for the winter.) When Kitten first suggested this quilt, she mentioned just taking a piece of cloth and writing your ‘handle’ on it, so, that’s what we did, M’Lady and me. I know that my quilt square isn’t much, but it does tell a little bit about me. It consists of a field of blue with United States Marine Corps insignia printed on it. I am, and proudly admit to being one of “The Few”. Of course, I am retired now, but the Esprit de Corps is still there, strong as ever. I enjoy AR very much, but like some others, I like to ‘tweak’ recipes to my satisfaction, and I don‘t think I should review if I make too many changes, so you don’t hear too much of me I don’t chatter much on the air, because usually I leave the questions to those that I t hink can answer them better than I, but I do like to ‘monitor’ the conversations a lot. (I think that Monitoring’ sounds much nicer than ‘lurking‘, don’t you? To me, at least, I think that ‘lurking’ sounds kind of underhanded and sneaky.   M’LADY Like my S/O, I’ve spent most of my 70+ years in Milwaukee, WI. And then we decided to move to a more rural area, South of Horicon Marsh, where we see lots of small wildlife, which is quite a treat for an old city girl. Of all the various positions that I have held in my working life, grooming dogs was my most favorite job, because I love dogs. (Maybe that’s why Cliff4d and I have been together for so long!) For my quilt square I picked a pattern of all kinds of dogs, because it just called out to me. liff is slowly getting me interested in AR, mainly by talking about it. As yet, I, too, only read the comments and look at the pictures, but someday, I’ll get brave enough to open my mouth, and then, you all better watch out! You may not get a word in edgewise!!!

Larkspur

Hello! My name is Larkspur. This AR quilt project is the perfect thing for me, because I love quilting. The inspiration for my block came from my own AR name. I thought it would be a good idea to create a block that featured  a larkspur  blossom. Since I have been working on an appliquéd flower quilt for almost 3 years now, I had all the supplies on hand that I needed to make these blocks. The larkspur was a little hard to make, because I didn’t have any patterns for one in any of my quilting books. I ended up drawing it from a picture on the Internet, and creating a pattern from my drawing.

Avon

Westward Ho………..

What kind of supplies did the pioneers take? A variety of guidebooks, newspaper articles, and helpful tips in letters from friends or family who had already made the trip provided different lists about what and how much was essential to survive the five-month journey. The critical advice was to keep things as light as possible, and to take easily preserved staple foods. Supplies in each wagon generally had to be kept below 2,000 pounds total weight, and as the journey progressed and draft animals grew tired, many pioneers had to discard excess food and baggage. Items taken by nearly all wagon parties included flour, hard tack or crackers, bacon, sugar, coffee and tea, beans, rice, dried fruit, salt, pepper and saleratus (used for baking soda). Some also took whiskey or brandy, and medicines. Minimal cooking utensils included a cast iron skillet or spider, Dutch oven, reflector oven, coffee pot or tea kettle, and tin plates, cups, and knives, forks, spoons, matches, and crocks, canteens, buckets or water bags for liquids. A rifle, pistols, powder, lead, and shot were recommended for hunting game along the way, and for self-defense. Candles were used for lighting, as they were far less expensive and lighter than transporting oil, and several pounds of soap was included. Only two or three sets of practical, sturdy, and warm clothing of wool and linen had to last the wear and tear of the journey, and a small sewing kit for repairs was important. Quilts made of scraps of fabric provided warmth for the cold nights and inclement weather conditions.  Basic tools such as a shovel, ax or hatchet, and tools to repair wagon equipment were essential. Bedding and tents completed the list of necessities. For most families, 1,600-1,800 pounds of their supplies would be food, leaving little space for other items.

Being the great-great-great granddaughter of a pioneer family on my Fathers side; it was logical in my mind to honor not only the birthplace of the Oregon Trail, but also participate in this quilt project.  I chose the Missouri Star quilt block. Missouri served as the springboard for countless westward-bound settlers. My own relatives came overland on the Oregon Trail by covered wagon settling in the rich and fertile Willamette valley.

I’ve tried to instill a sense of wonder and appreciation to my children about their roots and their ties to this beautiful state. This year 2009 marks the sesquicentennial (150 years) of Oregon’s statehood.  There are many things occurring in honor of this statewide celebration. If you should find yourself traveling through here, feel free to drop me a line, maybe we can meet somewhere and I can serve as a gracious hostess and ambassador to the state that is the namesake of the Oregon Trail.