A Marathon Weekend and Quilt

As I stare at the beginning of this week, I have a tired, blank, empty stare...

After painting ALL day on Saturday, cleaning carpet on Sunday and getting furniture back in place I am exhausted!  What a week...  Let's take a look at what was on the "list" and what I accomplished.

✔ Block #5 of the Pieces in the Garden Sew Along was photographed... You'll be able to see what it is on May 26th. 😉 A bonus pattern and story have been written and the blocks photographed.  These will be released June 9th.

✔ I have 16 No Guilt::Go Quilt freezer meals prepped and waiting.  👏  I tried out a new one and I am happy to say that it is good enough to add into our regular rotation of freezer/crock meals.  

Smothered Chicken

3 large chicken breast halves

1/4 cup pinot grigio wine (I used sunset blush, because it is what I had on hand)

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

1 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

2 cloves minced garlic

Place all of the above ingredients in a 1 gallon-sized freezer bag.

Needed on the day of cooking:

2 cups chicken broth

1/4 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons flour

Thaw freezer bag overnight in refrigerator.  Add contents of bag to crockpot.  Add the broth.  Stir the flour into the heavy cream until well mixed.  Pour over the chicken.  Cover and cook on low setting for 6 hours or on high for 3 hours.

Optional:  Remove the chicken from the crockpot into a large serving bowl.  In a small bowl, add 1 tablespoon flour or cornstarch and just enough water to mix and dissolve completely.  Pour into the pot.  Stir and cook until thickened.  Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve over rice or mashed potatoes.  Enjoy!

Note:  Brown rice flour (or another gf flour of your choice) can be used in place of regular flour.

✔ I had the t-shirt graphic blocks "harvested" and was ready to fuse as soon as the fusible interfacing arrived on Thursday.  By Friday evening I had the top ready for borders...

The recipient of this quilt is a runner.  He ran cross-country and track throughout high school and college and beyond.  There was even one "jersey" that had USA on it.  I think I need to find out the story of that one.  

Did he try qualifying for the US Olympic team?  

And that is where the weekend activities and marathon painting/cleaning took over... sending me into a state of exhausted staring.

This photo was taken just before we had a mishap with a paint spill. I won't say who was responsible for it... but I am glad that I didn't do it!  😧 We both acted quickly and got it cleaned up without tracking it all through the house as I raced to get the ladder outside and the shampooer out of the basement and filled with hot water to work out as much paint as we possibly could from the carpet.  We even had to remove a portion of the baseboard trim.  What a mess!  Paint was dripping off of the ladder once placed outside on the patio so that needed some attention as well.  

In the meantime, there was a second pan of paint sitting on the floor in another area that could have easily become its own separate mess.  Once we had regrouped and finished clean-up we were able to laugh about it.  

So maybe you understand my state of staring...  It's a little like needing a day of vacation to recover from your vacation. LOL!

❧ I need to return to the t-shirt quilt to get borders on it and then get it quilted.  And I think that will be all that is on my list this week.

What are your plans for the week?

Judy has been working on her Pieces in the Garden blocks...

And Kathy Reeves should be getting her prize package from the drawing for block #3 - Bachelor blocks soon.  

Karen over at LilyPadLoveQuilt shared her Bachelor blocks and her Hours blocks.

I agree with her statement that the Bachelor block was not as fun or easy as the Hours block.  Despite the small 4-patch units in the Hours, it comes together really fast!  

How is your garden row quilt coming along?  I'd love to see the progress...

Even Mrs. Bobbins is joining the fun!  😆

Keep Piecing!

Melva

Linking with:

To Do Tuesday at Texas Quilt Gal

Mid-week Makers at Quilt Fabrication

Wednesday Wait Loss at The Inquiring Quilter

Stitch Sew & Show at Life in the Scrap Patch

Put Your Foot Down at For the Love of Geese

Needle & Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation