Insta-Update 2

I've been doing a pantry clean-out over the last few weeks and it has proven to be very profitable--as in my pantry is finally looking less like it belongs to a food hoarder and more like a place for storing staple items.  In speaking with my friends about the large amount of food I've amassed, I was elated to know I'm not the only one who fills my pantry to the gills.  It has been a fun challenge and though our meals have been different than usual, it has been a good learning experience for me.  

In the midst of the pantry/freezer clean-out, I have still grocery shopped for fresh produce and milk.  I mean, some things are hard to substitute!  I tried a new recipe for roasted sugar snaps and I fell in love!  Sugar snaps have never been a favorite of mine but I acknowledge their existence by adding them to stir-fries and the like.  I definitely see more sugar snaps in my future.  Even the kiddos enjoyed them--in fact, I served them as an accompaniment to some delicious Pad Thai (since discovering this popular Pinterest recipe, I've been addicted to making it) and Elliott ate her sugar snaps before eating the Pad Thai that she loves.  What?!

Speaking of my firstborn, she's a crazy one.  I snapped a pic of Elliott wearing her red cowboy boots, handed down from a swimming lesson classmate.  Initially she loved them, but later decided to hate them with the fury of a thousand swarming hornets.  I kid you not.  And now she adores them again.  

And for some reason, another thing I feel compelled to share is delicious carrot souffle.  It's perhaps a bit time consuming for a weeknight side dish, but totally worth the effort.  I mean, who doesn't want sugar-dusted veggies on the table?  Your kids will love you for making this recipe.  

I also got to work on my slowly-improving quilting skills last week.  I was invited to a baby shower and wanted to make a fun quilt.  My decision may or may not be based on the fact that in addition to my food-hoarding, I've amassed quite a fabric collection that needs to be thinned out.  I ended up making a mini-quilt that's the perfect size for diaper changes, keeping warm in the car seat, lining the crib in case of blow-outs, tummy-time, etc.  I like to think it'll prove useful.  

I'm liking the concept of whole-cloth quilting as it really makes for an impressive end product without the labor involved in piecing a quilt top with perfect quarter-inch seams.  With my limited time these days, whole cloth tops just prove to be a more practical use of my time.  The binding however, has become the bane of my quilting existence.  The mitered corners, the need for perfect seam allowances, the narrow fabric...it's just more perfection than I'm cut out for!  

I'm considering trying the "cheater binding" method for my next quilt.  Does anyone have any experience with that or helpful tips for better quilt binding?  This was quilt number three, and I fear my skills are diminishing, not improving...

-T