Princess and the Pea

CROCKPOT SPLIT PEA SOUP
2 cups dried split peas (rinsed and sorted)
8 cups water
2 chopped onions (or 1/2 cup dried)
6 chopped carrots (in bite size pieces)
6 celery stalks (sliced)
bay leaf (remove after cooking)
2 tsp salt - Pepper to taste
Cook on low for 8-10 hrs -until peas are tender (you can put in at night and it may be done when you wake up!). I like to ladle out 1/2 into blender to puree as I like some whole peas/vegs; or you could use a hand blender and puree the entire soup. If in a hurry, you can cook soup on stove top and it will take about 1- 1/2 hrs. for peas to be tender. If you eat meat, add shredded or chunks of ham, but add after you have blended and warm thru.
I like to serve with a Keiser roll.

I feel like a "princess" as I have been so fortunate to have received some wonderful wins thru so many bloggers and quilt sites for the short amount of time I have been in 'blogland'. Lovely fabrics from Charming Girls Quilt Club, Aunt Spicy - 100 Quilts for X-mas, and Stash Manicure.

Sidewinder from the Simplicity Creative Group - Quilt Gallery, the patterns and quilt puzzle I won as door prize at local quilt shop, 100 Quilt Blocks from Quiltmaker, and some 'play' fabric (tomorrows project) from One More Quilt, and I just found out I won a pattern-Spin City by Daniela Stouts-SewCalGal giveaway.

I used my Charming Girls Quilt Club word - perserverance - in completing my first UFOs for 2011. This is "All Points North and South" - Susan-PatchKat-'Life on the Bayou'. She used brights, but I am a scrap quilter so used re-purposed shirts, skirts, etc.. from my family. Backing from my MOM (flannel from PJs and robes when we were kids), leftover batt from another quilt, scrap muslin from past projects, and binding was a maternity jumper - gosh 27yrs ago! It's soft, cuddly, and full of memories.

I did this Sulky International 2004 BOM as a Christmas Village - So this one is a Country Village setting. It is machine and handquilted, embroidered, beaded, charms and buttons. The buildings are labeled with a generic sign: bakery, post office, church, library, school, quilt shop, salon, row houses, flower shop. It could represent any village. It will be donated to our community library fundraiser as an auction piece.



Now that I'm happy to have some pieces finished, I can do some "play-for fun" pieces, my favorite. A couple of bags, a child's quilt with the cute kitty fabrics my grandson gave me for Christmas, and a little cross stitching. Remember to treat yourself as a "princess"; and have some fun with your sewing.
Sewingly Yours,
Sharon