April 2019

Spring is here!  I think this is the first year in a while where we are actually having a Spring and didn't go directly into Summer from Winter.  I am loving it!

It was wonderful to get together and spend the day working on tote bags for the NICU center again this year.  Last year Carrie's friend requested them to fill with goodies for the newborns' moms.  They were a hit, so she asked for help with them again.

I missed the last two months of quilt club, so I am far behind on the tote bag project.  Rhonda sent us home with directions to start making two more bags each.  Quite a few have been started already.

It was fun for me to see the show and tell's in person again.  I started it off with a simple quilt I made for my grandson Micah.  I put a hidden pocket in it for a beanie baby caterpillar.

 And I made the backing with some of his favorite things.  He was delighted with this when I gave it to him after quilt club.  His smile was from ear to ear and he got his Hungry Caterpillar book to read while under his quilt.  That is the best part of the joy of making quilts!

 Linda made this beautiful quilt from a kit.  She has decided to keep this one for herself to match the new decor of her bedroom.

 This is an applique Linda made for the back of a baby quilt.  The angel wings are in memory of the baby's grandmother.

 The front of the quilt is a lovely Take Five.

 Sheree made this pretty quilt for her son.

 And the back is pretty too.

 Rhonda has been working on a Jamestown Landing quilt in olive greens.  She had this bag full of half square triangles.

 These gorgeous blocks are batik pineapple blocks Rhonda has been working on.  She is using a special pineapple block ruler to make them.

 Sue always shines with her artistic creations.  These are for her mystery quilt.

 Sue's husband Jim has been making Quilt's of Valor.  This is one of them

 And another Quilts of Valor quilt.

 The back shows the detailed quilting Sue did.  Her feathers were fabulous!

Sue made this contemporary quilt.  The colors showed up so much better in person.  

Rhonda released another clue for the mystery quilt this morning.  She said next month will be the reveal!  

Once again we had great food.  Peggy made Waldorf Chicken Salad with croissants, Sue made marinated carrots, Rhonda made caramel brownies (recipe to follow), Linda brought drinks, Sheree brought fruit and I brought chips and dip.

The Best Gooey Salted Caramel Brownies

by Katie Aubin

Ingredients  for 16 servings

nonstick cooking spray, for greasing
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 1/2 sticks, melted
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup brown sugar
3 large eggs
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 cups soft caramel candy

TOPPING
1 ½ cups soft caramel candy
¼ cup heavy cream
flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease an 8x8-inch (20x20-cm) baking pan and line with parchment paper.
Make the brownies: in a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Add eggs and vanilla extract. Whisk until thoroughly combined. Sift in the flour, cocoa powder, and salt, and fold to incorporate. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Pour half of the batter into the baking pan and spread to cover the bottom. Arrange the caramel candies in a single layer over the batter. Pour the rest of the batter over the caramel candies and spread to cover.
Bake for 35 minutes or until center is cooked through. Remove the brownies from the oven and let cool.
Make the topping: combine the caramel candies and heavy cream in a medium heat-proof bowl. Microwave for 1 minute in 30-second intervals, stirring between each until the mixture is thick and velvety.
Pour the caramel topping over the brownies. Let set for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with sea salt.
Slice and serve.
Enjoy!

Sue, I need your recipe for the carrots.  I searched the blog, and the recipe wasn't added last time.  These are a favorite!

Next quilt club will be June 1 due to Memorial Day weekend on our normal quilt club date.  I hope everyone had a wonderful Spring and Memorial Day!