Don't let the difficulties of the present moments overshadow the reality of God's promises. God's promises still stand. And God's promises are stronger than our failures.

Friday, November 21, 2014

Smiles and Confusion

Last week I made an apple pie.  From scratch.  Well, sort of.  I bought the crust - but I had to unroll it so that's nearly homemade.  :)  But the filling really was homemade.  Some of you are saying "what's the big deal?"  The big deal is I've never made one.  Apple pie isn't my favorite, or wasn't.  I think that's because I don't care for other people's apple pie - mine was delicious!  It made me smile, and apparently my pie liked it too.


I cut a few slits and this is how it ended up!  :)  I followed Madame Samm's directions exactly....I put a tablespoon or so of tapioca on the bottom crust, then put my thinly sliced apples in.  I had mixed them with some cinnamon and a little brown sugar and after they were in the crust I sprinkled nutmeg on top and a few thin pats of butter.  Then the top crust went on.  Oh my goodness it was delicious!

My Christmas cactus must be a bit confused.


It bloomed early last year too so I'm renaming it from Christmas cactus to Thanksgiving cactus.  :)


I had a little oral surgery today.  Yuck.  I had a tooth that was abscessed and fractured...they cut it out and did a bone graft.  In about four months I'll have an implant and then four months after that they'll put a crown on it and I'll be back to normal.  Except I'll be minus many dollars.  :(  For the next three weeks I can have no carbonated drinks, can't use a straw (I'm like addicted to drinking with a straw!), and have to eat soft foods.  The doctor smiled and said thank goodness at Thanksgiving you can have dressing and mashed potatoes with gravy!  Which reminds me, have you ever bought Bob Evans brand mashed potatoes in the deli?  I hadn't until today.  My husband picked up some for me and oh my goodness - they taste real.  I have no idea if they are or not but when I woke up enough to eat something late this afternoon they were wonderful!

In between naps I'm doing some stitching and oh I love this!


It's going to be a pillow and is going to be so cute!  I found the pattern in a Primitive Quilts and Projects magazine.  The background is cotton and the ornaments are wool.  I appliqued it with a blanket stitch and the pine branch is embroidered.  I used Valdani wool threads on all of it.  This will look so good paired with the Holiday Lane pillow I made for a blog hop a year or so ago.


I liked Jingle so much I prepped two of them so I could send one to a friend.  Since I'm going to be down for a couple of days I might get them both finished!  And speaking of being down I've just taken another pain pill so I'm off to take a nap!

25 comments:

Vroomans' Quilts said...

Oh, I feel for you - oral surgery is definitely not fun, feel better soon.

Kyle said...

Your happy pie crust made me smile as did your wool projects. Super cute. Hope your mouth heals quickly.

Lesley said...

So sorry to hear about your toothy issues. Sounds like a trendy weight loss program to me with all those soft foods! Jingle is looking so good and certainly will look great with your pillow. Take care of yourself...

Julie Fukuda said...

That pie face looks like it is in sympathy with you. Please take care and heal quickly.

Shari said...

Poor Marlene...oral surgery is like getting knocked on the nose...down and out until it is gone (even childbirth cannot come close!) Homemade apple pies are very tasty...I have a second version using a deep dish crush and sour cream...decadent! Keep on stitching and hope you feel better soon!

Siouxzq64@gmail.com said...

I didn't learn to make a good apple pie until a few years ago either. It is definitely an art. Oh your oral surgery! Just the thought makes my teeth hurt. Love your pillows though, especially the Jingle.

Jeanie said...

Your pie looks like it's laughing. Sure hope you heal fast... it's tough to be on soft foods for so long. Keep up the stitching to distract yourself! Take care!

Dorian said...

((hugs)) Ouchy Marlene! So sorry about the tooth issues. Your pie looks great. lol to his 'face'. Sometime in the late Summer/early Fall, make an apple pie...and throw in a handful of blackberries. It will REALLY be good then ;) Take care.

paulette said...

You ATE that pie...too cute to eat!! haha Your oral surgery doesn't sound pleasant...one Christmas I had a reaction to some antibiotics I had to take and got mouth sores...couldn't eat anything except potatoes and whip cream! It was awful...but must say potatoes never tasted so good!:o)) Have a happy Thanksgiving!! Think Turkey soup...pureed!!
P

Barb said...

What wonderful Christmas projects, love the pillow and pie!

Sherrill said...

Ohh, your pillows are/will be adorable!! Your friend is gonna love it! And the pie sounds fantastic..do you have a link to the recipe? Hope you get to feeling better real soon! My niece is going thru that as well. Happy Thanksgiving!

Needled Mom said...

The pie sounds delicious! I love the face on it.

Your pillow looks wonderful. Thant will make such a nice gift.

Good luck with the tooth. They take forever to get them in place, don't they?

KaHolly said...

Hope you're feeling better soon. Oral surgery is no fun at all. But look at all the beautiful handwork you are accomplishing!

Deonn said...

Oh, so sorry about the oral surgery - so NOT fun. Your Thanksgiving/Christmas projects are wonderful - haha - look at that pie smiling right back at you!

allthingzsewn said...

Yeah, mines blooming too. Supposedly there is a Thanksgiving cactus. Maybe thats what we got. But my old one (before fire) bloomed around Christmas. Glad the worst part of your pain will be over soon. I'm going for the partial plate, couldn't afford the implants right now. At least by Christmas you should be able to eat all the goodies. Right?

charlotte said...

Feel better soon Marlene.

FlourishingPalms said...

I'm trying to figure out how you managed to go through life these many years and NOT make an apple pie! I'm not fond of apple pie either, but will agree that the ones I've ever made were delicious! :-) What an interesting concept to add tapioca. For your next pie, you'll have to make a scratch crust - way better than store-bought dough. Sorry about your tooth. Sounds pretty miserable, though an excuse to eat mashed potatoes is a nice trade-off. I can tell the difference between real and flakes; real is the only way to go. Have a happy Thanksgiving my friend!

Farm Quilter said...

You certainly didn't plan your surgery time very well!! I scheduled myself to have my upper jaw broken on the day after Thanksgiving...I ate a turkey sandwich at 11:30, just before my cut-off time!!! I didn't really eat real food again until Valentine's Day!! I've had an implant and they really make a difference!! Awfully spendy, but so worth it!! Love the stitching you are doing - and I remember your pillow from that blog hop...still love it!!!

Brandy said...

Woohoo, way to go with the pie making! I made my first batch of fudge today, well, the first good batch anyway. Last time I tried (probably 7 years ago) it wasn't classified as fudge. This batch though, delicious! I love the smile on your apple pie, too funny. I hope you heal quick, and have a Happy Thanksgiving!
~Brandy

Sparky said...

Great pie...and yes tapioca pellets on bottom of pie crust.. keeps crust from going soggy....I am making a chicken pot pie and I will add about tablespoon on the bottom before I pour my chicken stock ....
Now can we talk about tooth..are you feeling better...
and those pillow jingle....and houses...absolutely stunning....at least you can sit and sttich..

Mary E. Stephens said...

When my family lived in Michigan I remember hearing about Thanksgiving cactus, Christmas cactus and even Easter cactus. My mom had one...I think a Christmas cactus. I wonder if there really was a difference, or if it was basically the same plants on different schedules.

I hope your mouth heals up quickly! Oral surgery is never great, but that sounds extra unpleasant!

Adrienne said...

Your pie is so cute! I use the same pie crusts - have for a long time. Hope you are on the mend and enjoying some naps between your stitching.
~Adrienne~

Kathy H said...

I had to smile at your apple pie and it does look delicious. I love the jingle pattern and hope to make one also. Hope you feel better soon with your tooth.

Carrie P. said...

the pie face made me smile. yes your two pillows will be very pretty together.

Sandy said...

OMG the look on your pie's "face" is hilarious! Good for you for being brave and making a homemade pie. I struggle with crusts, and often use the Betty Crocker or Krusteaz one in the box. You still add the water and roll it out, but it tastes pretty much like homemade. Is that what you used?