Pumpkins

I love pumpkins. I love pumpkin bread, pumpkin roll with that 

yummy cream cheese filling. 

But I don't like pumpkin pie. 

Funny, huh?

Since I don't have canned pumpkin on the grocery store shelves here, 

I have to make my own. It is super easy, once you figure out your pressure cooker. 

Yikes, I know. 

But really they are so much nicer now then they were years ago. 

Here is how I do it.

I buy big pieces of pumpkin at the veggie market or grocery store. 

I do go all out and save the pumpkin seeds and toast them. 

I remove the skin and put the pieces in the pressure cooker. 

Add about 1.5 - 2 cups water. 

Cover and bring to pressure.... pssssssssss.... Reduce heat and cook for 12 minutes if you are at sea level. But here in Bogota, I cook it for 18 minutes.

Then I cool the pressure cooker under cool running water.  

Remove the lid and there you go, the pumpkin is cooked.

Then the cooked pumpkin pieces go into the food processor.

And I give it a whirl.

And it comes out like this!

I pack it in Zippys and freeze it until I'm ready to make pumpkin cake or pumpkin butter.

My Pumpkin Butter turned out sooo good. I'll have to post that recipe next.

Until then, check out some different pumpkins. Longaberger Pumpkins!

Available today only. Starting in just 45 minutes. Go to my website to order.

www.longaberger.com/mariawhite

More Dots

I've been making dots like a crazy girl. 

I've completed another block and am moving on to block #3.

I made this layout template. Using the print out from the quilt along direction and glued to cardboard.

I used an awl to poke placement markings on my background fabric.

Dots

My friend, Jovita, invited me to join her "Got Dots?" quilt along.

Here is my first block.

The details: 21 dots on a 6 inch finished block. 

If I complete the entire quilt I will make: 

31 dot blocks,  20 heart blocks and 12 basket blocks.

Would you like to join us? There is a flickr group too.

Here is the link to the official kick off:

The Metropolitan Collection

Exclusive Metropolitan Basket for your home or office space! 

Four sizes are available, but the extra large Metropolitan is only available to order today.

Shop at myShop http://www.longaberger.com/mariawhite

 Available in Warm, Rich or Deep Brown, Whitewashed or Black. Available separately is a WoodCrafts Lid. 18"l x 11 3/4"w x 21"h; Rec. Wt. Use: 30 lbs.

Boo!

 I'm ready for Halloween. Are you? 

The 3 super colorful Longaberger baskets (Summer Brights Baskets) are only available in our mini summer catalog which retires on Tuesday! 

Patriotic Hexies

A few years ago my friend, Jovita, showed me her Grandmother's Flower Garden using silks...I had to do a wall hanging. Those hexies were small, each side was a half inch. Someday I'll post pics of that project. 

Two weeks ago, I started a new hexie project. This time, bigger. Bigger hexies, bigger project. My hope is to make a patriotic quilt to donate to either 

http://www.qovf.org or http://www.americanheroquilts.com 

for wounded soldier quilts.

This time I'm working with giant hexies. Each side is 1.5 inches. 

GIANT.

I'll post again when I'm closer to finishing. I think I'll be short on fabric but I'll check the fabric shop inside my closet...maybe there is something there.

Handmade in the USA

The sale has started! Today's Special is the EXCLUSIVE Signature Weave baskets. 

It will run until 9pm PST tonight. 

These baskets are handmade in the USA and are available from my website:

http://www.longaberger.com/mariawhite