Holiday Gift Giving

Almost everyone is doing something about holiday gift ideas at the moment. Thinking, purchasing, or already wrapping and being proud that you did it again. I've been busy with my web store over at Etsy.com. If you don't know about Etsy, you might be missing out. Since I discovered them, I've been really tickled. They only have handmade or vintage stuff. It's really cool! If any one wants to see my stuff, the site is: https://www.mountainjoyquiltndye.etsy.com/
Once you visit the main site, I'm sure you will add them to your favorites.
Books are one of my favorite gifts to give or recieve. Knowledge is the gift that keeps giving. I've learned so many things from books. Once, a friend asked how I'd learned to quilt like I do. I said I read a book. Her rather wry final comment was that, "You must read better than me." So, if you read and want to try a something new, here are some books to check out. Just clink on the links on the sidebar to read more about these books.

The Art of Cake Decorating , Create Professional Cakes at Home for Fun & Profit
This is a great book for begginers and beyond. You don't even need to know how to bake. Just get decorating for the holidays. Learn how to impress everyone, yourself included.

Herb Gardening for Fun & Profit is also wonderful. A How-to garden guide that also comes with four other bonus books. This is an incredible deal for anyone wanting to learn the basics. They are also perfect for making your favorite gardener and book collector pleased.

Enjoy the holiday shopping!

Thanksgiving, Cranberries, and Bears, Oh my!

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving shared with our friends. One of my friends likes to ask if we've seen any wildlife lately. For some reason, whenever he does, a bear or two will come strolling through the property. It never fails and Thanksgiving was no exception. A small bear came to see what smelled so good. Luckily, no damage was done. I love watching the wildlife but not enough to bait it purposely. Accidents do happen though.
Shortly after moving back to the mountains, I found an old bag of cranberrries in the freezer. Well, I thought I'd be nice to the birds. It was spring and food sources were scarce for the returning birds. So I threw the berries off the porch for the birds. The cranberries glistened like rubies on top of the snow. It was so pretty. My husband came home from work and casually asked me if I thought bears liked berries. I couldn't believe that I had not thought of that possibility. Needless to say, he picked up every single little jewel-like berry and disposed of them properly. No bears visited us that time.
This year, all the cranberries were eaten by us humans. I made up a batch of my favorite Cranberries in Port Wine. Over the years, I've learned to make these with more sugar than the original recipe. Adjust to your own taste as recipes are just springboards. Great ideas that can be completely tailored to suit your life's desires. That being said, here is how I make my Cranberries in Port Wine:
1) Wash and pick over 16 oz bag of cranberries. Put in heavy medium-size saucepan.
2) Add : 1/4 Cup Port Wine of choice
Juice of 1 Orange
1/2 Cup sugar
3) Bring to a boil. Let boil until the cranberries are soft and popped. The syrup should be
fairly thick. (The more sugar, the thicker it will be.)
4) Remove from heat and add fresh orange zest and lemon thyme if you've got it.
Let this cool and keep it in a jar in the fridge. I make them before Thanksgiving and they are really good by Christmas. Don't keep past the New Year though unless properly canned.

Mountainjoy Quilting and Cooking

Mountainjoy is where nature reigns supreme and life is art. It is where a couple a simple artists enjoy all the goodness of a rustic mountain life. It is a place where Mother Nature calls the shots. During the long winter months, a need grows for warmth and comfort begins to develope. This need grows as the winds continue to howl around the cabin. What would you turn to if your only way out sometimes was a snowshoe trek of many miles?

Now, don't be misled. I love where I live and really like to take my dog snowshoeing. I have many hobbies but my favorite things to do are quilt and cook. Both hobbies fulfill the warmth and comfort quota nicely. Working on quilts through the day while good smells come from the kitchen is just about a perfect day for me. Being a chef at over 9000' elevation has it's challenges. I have figured out how to make level wedding cakes on houses whose floors defy physics. I also make a delicious woodstove stew and biscuits. I look forward to sharing my experiences and all of the things that make mountain joy.