Retiring...

..this blog.  I will continue to post to: Ani-Quotes & Poems

Best, Ani

Best kitty friend

It is with a very sad heart that I had to lay to rest my best kitty friend ever, Pootie. She was our house kitty for 12 years, she starting having kidney/liver failure last week. By today, I knew she was in great pain so I did the humane thing and said goodbye at the vets. She was my 'mini me', always by my side at home, especially in the sewing room. I shall miss her so. I created a memorial to her at Critters.com, here is her page: http://pootie.critters.com/ 

Running Strong...

I have always thought it good to give of what you have to those who have much less. Therefore, a few years ago, I chose to help our Native American peoples through a nonprofit called Running Strong for American Indian Youth  This organization is headed by former Olympic runner Billy Mills, himself an indigenous American. 

This wonderful group has been helping the native peoples for over 20 years! Being a nonprofit means they use much more of my donation dollars for the good of the people and not for lining the pockets of the administrators.

The conditions on the reservations on which the majority of American Indians live is very very dire.  Poverty, alcoholism, teen pregnancies, infant mortality and many other things plague the reservations.  The greatest need is food, shelter and heat in the winter. I feel good about helping someone far removed from my cozy life in the 'burbs of N.C.


Please visit the Running Strong website, I think you'll be inspired by all the good they do through donations supplied by folks just like me. http://www.indianyouth.org/


BFN, Ani

I won something on a blog give-a-way! :0)

Me, who never wins anything! I was so excited to find my post was picked by the "random generator thingy" on the Abbey Lane blog and I'll be getting a handmade flower from the designers, whoohoo! I purchased one of their bag patterns, my new flower will look perfect on my Maggie May bag! Here's the pix of it on the Abbey Lane website:

Maggie May Bag finished size approx 14 x 18

I'm rather partial to orange, but not necessarily with brown, will have to plunder thru the stash of batiks I have and see what screams 'pickme, pickme'!  BFN, Ani

Veggie Faces?

Whilst grocery shopping this morning I spied this little face peaking out from a vegetable display. Even though I didn't need a red pepper the thing jumped into my basket! Needless to say I must be bored if I have fallen to posting veggie faces on my blog. Who do you think it looks like? An old man? A witch? A baby who just sucked on a lemon?! :0) BFN, Ani

ADDICTIONS - the GOOD kind!

I never really thought I was addicted to anything until one of my family members recently pointed out the number of dolls I have, the room I have stuffed full of fabric and my penchant for reading blogs on dolls and, you guess it, anything to do with sewing! Ah well, I figure these are good addictions, no harm to anyone or anything, well maybe my wallet!


One recent sewing related blog I'm now following is Abbey Lane Quilts. The name caught my eye while reading - yes, another sewing related blog I Have A Notion, IHAN for short.  I LOVE the Beatles and of course Abbey Lane was a song of theirs, ALQ names most all their designs after Beatles songs, rather cool IMHO and that the designs are fab is a plus!

Abbey Lane is currently running a give-a-way to win some fabulous items, among them their new book and oodles of the cute fabric flowers they make. Scoot on over and enter yourself, the rules are at the bottom of the post from July 12.

Happy sewing, quilting, crafting and collecting - feed your addiction if it makes you happy!
BFN, Ani

BEST banana pudding EVER! Recipe included

I love banana pudding but not just any old pudding will do.  Most restaurant banana pudding uses a boxed mix for the pudding or even worse, canned vanilla pudding which has the consistency of things I'd rather not mention in a public forum!

I grew up eating banana pudding as a staple of my southern diet. It was usually made on Sundays or holidays like 4th of July or Memorial day, sometimes even for funeral wakes. I even requested it for one of my birthdays instead of cake!

If you are a connoisseur of pork bar-b-que then you will most likely find 'nanner' pudding on any que restaurant's menu that has any worth at all.

I baked a nanner pudding today, as I have for as long as I can remember, because it is the USA's 'independence' day today, oft called the 4th of July. It honors the freedoms fought for and won by people who wanted a better place to live and raise their children without fear of retributions about what they had to say or what religion they chose to believe in. It is what our men and women are overseas for right now, they are trying to help others achieve the same thing for their country. 

I thought I'd share my recipe for what I believe to be the best ever nanner pudding in the world! :0)  Here's a photo of mine --

PEARLS' BANANA PUDDING

Ingredients:

1 12 ounce box MINI size Nilla Vanilla wafer cookies

4 medium or 3 large bananas (do not use overripe bananas for this dessert)

1 cup granulated white sugar

pinch of salt

5 tablespoons plain white flour

3 egg yolks (reserve the whites)

2 cups milk (you can use whole or 2%)

1/2 stick butter, melted (margarine will work also)

1/2 teaspoon almond flavoring

1/2 teaspoon butter flavoring

2 teaspoons vanilla extract


For meringue:

3 egg whites

4 teaspoons sugar

pinch of cream of tartar (if you don't have this it isn't essential)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

In a large casserole dish, at least 5 quarts, pour 3/4 of a box of the mini Nilla wafers, slice the bananas into the same dish, slices should be approximately 1/4 inch, stir gently to mix the wafers and bananas, set aside.

In the top of a double boiler or a heavy bottomed 1 1/2 qt. pot place the egg yolks, melted butter, milk, flavorings and extract.

In a medium bowl place the flour, sugar and salt, stir thoroughly to combine.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit or 163 Celsius.

When the mixture in the pot has started to steam whisk in the dry ingredients and continue to stir until the mixture reaches the consistency of pudding, remove from heat and pour over the bananas and wafers. Gently fold the pudding into the bananas and wafers.

Beat the egg whites till almost to the stiff stage, toss in the sugar and vanilla and continue to beat till the whites form peaks. Spread meringue over the pudding completely covering to the edges. Place into preheated oven and bake 15-20 minutes or until the meringue has turned a deep golden color. Cool to room temp before serving. Chill leftovers.

Makes approximately 12 servings.  (I tore this recipe from my local newspaper years ago, it is attributed to a woman born in 1912 by the name of Pearl Weaver.)