Sunday, July 31, 2022

FAIR FOOD

A shout out to my friend Lynn who shared the menu available at the Wisconsin State Fair.....no state fair does it better.....let the drooling begin........ 


Apple Fries (deep-fried sliced apples coated with sugar and caramel) 

Arctic Bug Blast Slush (blue raspberry slush topped with whipped cream and edible bugs, including a scorpion)

Batter-Infused White Cheddar Cheese Curds (served with side of ranch)

Beer Garden Brat On-a-Stick (deep-fried beer-poached brat in a beer and mustard batter, rolled in pretzel crumbs, and served with beer cheese dip)

Black Bean Burrito Balls (deep-fried balls of black beans, sweet corn, cheese, and spices served with zesty chile lime sauce)

Bloody Mary Popcorn (popcorn topped with tomato, horseradish, worcestershire sauce, and celery salt)

Blue Moon Nacho Fiesta Burger (1/3lb. burger on a toasted bun with queso cheese, fresh pico de gallo, jalapeños, and tortilla strips)

Brandy Old Fashioned S'more On-a-Stick (milk chocolate-covered brandy old fashioned whipped cream topped with white chocolate, and a dried cherry and orange slice)

The Bug Apple On-a-Stick (chocolate-covered apple coated with edible june bugs, crickets, worms, and ants)

The Caramel 'gOat' Meal Bar (goat caramel and nuts streusel bar) Chicken Bacon Ranch Waffle Stick (belgian waffle stick filled with

chicken, drizzled with ranch dressing, and topped with bacon) Chicken Schnitzel Tenders (served with side of ranch)

Chili Cheeseburger Colossal Onion (fresh colossal onion topped with loaded homemade angus chili and cheddar cheese with a side of chipotle mayo)

Chimichurri Steak Tots (marinated skirt steak and tater tots topped with chimichurri sauce)

Cinnamon Toast Crunch Latte (nitro coffee mixed with Cinnamon Toast Crunch infused cereal milk served with a cereal crust rimmed cup and whipped cream)

Clam Chowder Fries (fries topped with clam chowder, bacon, and chopped green onions)

Cookie Pie Slice (flavors include Cow Pie Brownie and Cookies & Cream)

Country Fried Riblets (deep-fried Baby Back Duroc pork riblets with country gravy)

Cowboy Quesadilla (quesadilla with cheese, shredded BBQ chicken, corn, and black beans served with sides of salsa and sour cream)

Currywurst Plate (Usinger’s bratwurst with house-curry sauce served on a bed of frites)

Deep-Fried Buffalo Chicken Wing Dip (deep-fried shredded chicken, cream cheese, shredded cheese, and buffalo sauce dip)

Deep-Fried Mashed Potatoes On-a-Stick (cheddar bacon or garlic) Deep-Fried Ravioli (stuffed with cheese)

Dirty Martini Dip with Homemade Chips (bleu cheese dip with green olives and onions served in a martini glass with a side of chips)

Dirty Martini Irish Beef Nachos (homemade chips topped with Irish beef, warm dirty martini dip with olive, bleu chesse, and onion garnish)

Donut Dog (all-beef hot dog wrapped in bacon in a fresh glazed Long John donut bun drizzled with icing)

Elk Philly Cheesesteak (sliced Elk steak, sautéed peppers, onions, and cheese served on a toasted hoagie)

Fish Fry Bombs (hand-breaded Atlantic cod, house slaw, and fries all in one deep-fried bite served with lemon vinaigrette and side of tarter sauce)

Flamin' Hot Cheetos Chicken On-a-Stick (deep-fried chicken skewer breaded with a special seasoning blend and Flamin’ Hot Cheetos dust drizzled with chipotle ranch)

Fried Pickle Cheese Curd Tacos (pickles, cream cheese, and freshly battered white cheddar cheese curds deep-fried in a taco topped with raspberry chipotle sauce and fresh greens)

Frito Rodeo Bark (milk chocolate bark with salty corn chips and creamy peanut butter)

Frozen Custard (vanilla or chocolate custard in a cone or dish with assorted toppings)

Frozen Custard Sundae (various toppings)

Gourmet Granola Bars (flavors include honey almond, almond chocolate, turtle mocha, caramel apple, or espresso almond chocolate)

Gummy Bear Brat (bratwurst infused with gummy bears served on a bun topped with a honey mustard drizzle and gummy bear garnish)

Hawaiian Tots (tator tots topped with white cheese sauce, spam, onions, pineapple pepper blend, jalapeños, and cilantro)

Hoagie Seafood Sensation Sandwich (crab and lobster sensation meat topped with sliced cucumbers and coleslaw on a hoagie)

Ice Cream Flight (choose between any four flavors for a sharable treat)

Irish Caramel Affogato (scoop of vanilla ice cream topped with Irish Whiskey coffee caramel and a shot of cold nitro coffee)

Jalapeño Lamb Stick (5 oz. lamb snack stick)

Jalapeño Popper Bratwurst (Usinger’s smoked cheddar jalapeño sausage topped with crumbled bacon, jalapeño cream cheese, and Thai pepper jelly)

Kettle Range Bratwurst (antibiotic-free bratwurst on a pretzilla bun)
Kettle Range Hot Dog (100% grass-fed all-beef hot dog on a pretzilla bun)

Lamb Stick (5 oz. lamb snack stick; flavors include plain or Wisconsin cheese)

Mama's Moonshine Fudge (chocolate fudge infused with moonshine; flavors include straight-up or apple cinnamon)

Mexican Street Corn Popcorn (popcorn topped with sweet corn, lime, chili, chipotle, salt, and cojita cheese)

Miltown Bratwurst (Usinger’s bratwurst topped with sautéed mushrooms, onions, and aged cheddar cheese)

Milwaukee Dog (hot dog with mustard, onions, relish, and topped with deep-fried pickles with Skunk Hollow Spicy Ranch)

Nutella Oreo Cookie Crumble (original funnel cake with powdered sugar, Nutella, homemade whipped cream, and Oreo cookie crumbles)

Olympia Granola & Yogurt Mixed Berry Parfait Popsicle

Peño Pretzel Popper Brat (10-inch jalapeño cheddar bratwurst wrapped in pretzel dough with coarse pretzel salt, fresh cut jalapeños, and white cheddar sauce served with house-made jalapeño cream cheese)

Peño Pretzel Popper Dog (1/4lb. all-beef Nathan’s cheddar jalapeño hot dog wrapped in pretzel dough with coarse pretzel salt, fresh cut jalapeños, and white cheddar sauce served with house-made jalapeño cream cheese)

Pickle Cotton Candy (flavors include dill pickle or spicy pickle)

Pickle Jerky On-a-Stick (pickle-infused beef jerky)

Porker Poutine (french fries smothered with pulled pork, beer BBQ sauce, bacon crumbles, cheese curds, crushed pork rinds and fried pickle chips)

The Sconnie Slugger (deep-fried beer brat and cheese curds topped with “dijonaise,” and German sweet and sour cabbage)

Shepherd’s Pie Grilled Cheese Sandwich (cheddar and American grilled cheese sandwich stuffed with Irish beef, mashed potatoes, and corn)

Shrimp & Avocado Tostada with Spicy Tropical Tequila Sauce

(corn tostada shell, a layer of avocado, pico de gallo, shrimp, and cilantro, drizzled with a spicy tropical tequila sauce and served with a lime wedge)

Shrimp Poke Bowl (poke bowls filled with white rice or salad, various toppings, shrimp, and choice of sauce)

Smoked Chicken Dinner (smoked chicken dinner served with French fries, coleslaw, dinner roll, and dessert)

Smoked Chicken Wings

Southwest Fiesta Burger (1/3lb. hamburger with black bean and corn salsa, avocado mash, and spicy lime and cilantro-infused Hatch chile crema topped with melted white Chihuahua cheese)

Sriracha Breaded Cheddar Cheese Curds

St. Louis Gooey Buttercake (vanilla or chocolate buttercake with a cream cheese middle frozen on-a-stick, topped with choice of fruits, nuts, and syrups)

Strawberry Cheesecake Tater Tots (cinnamon and sugar tater tots topped with cheesecake filling, strawberry topping, and whipped cream)

Surf & Turf Sliders (pulled pork, tropical slaw, Tropics’ signature pineapple mango salsa, coconut shrimp, and jalapeño aioli sauce all on a fresh Hawaiian sweet roll)

Walking Banana Explosion (bag of Nilla wafers topped with vanilla pudding, sliced bananas, nutty bar bits, whipped cream, and a cherry)


Friday, July 29, 2022

PROGRESS WITH INDIGO FABRIC

 Digging into the pile of vintage Indigo fabrics was concerning as I had forgotten just how small most of the pieces were.  (Probably the reason I set them aside in the first place!)

However, a plan is forming with the addition of a few of my own hand-dyed cottons.  Vintage Three Cats fabric is so special I'm trying to find a way to use small pieces effectively as you can see in the 2nd photo.




Wednesday, July 27, 2022

VINTAGE INDIGO FABRIC

 I pulled out my precious stash of VINTAGE Three Cats Indigo cottons and am itching to CREATE!!!  Most was printed by Spruce Manufacturing Co. in England.  I've posted about it's interesting history several times.  There's lots of info online worth learning about.




Sunday, July 24, 2022

KINDA CRAFTY BUT FUN!

 My DIL has such great decorating sense.....recently I became smitten with a heavy felt tissue cover she bought.  Of course I had to examine it...and realized the felt is very heavy commerical grade that would be very difficult to cut without using a commerical die cut.

Oh...that didn't deter my interest......heck,  I can figure out how to create something similar!  It took me a silly amount of time to make a template (I'm MATH challenged)......once that was done using a very heavy fusible product two pieces of Woolfelt were bonded together.

Cutting came next and then assembly.  Alert.....beause of the tackiness of the fusible, skipped machine stitches were nearly the end of the project for me! I spent as much time stitching as I did ripping.  I have some non-stick machine needles on order now and hope that will eliminate the problem.

I made a couple and here are two. Due to the cost of the supplies and time involved they will not be a product I expect to produce for sale since the price would probably be too high for most shoppers.

I hope you enjoyed seeing how I wasted two days!!  LOL



Friday, July 22, 2022

WHITE BIRCHES

Just completed, this small colorful, cheerful framed wall quilt.



WHITE BIRCHES - 13" x 13"
Mono-printed cottons, appliqued, embroidered, densely
quilted.  Wrapped on a canvas frame and secured in black wood frame without glass.



Thursday, July 21, 2022

OH WHAT SOME STITCHING CAN DO.....

 It's so amazing what some concentrated stitching can do to enhance a piece......



Wednesday, July 20, 2022

AT LAST....ICE-DYEING

With Covid shut downs our usual (at least once a year) ice-dyeing marathon has stretched out to going on 3 years.  Happily at last.....the Fiber Frenzy group gathered at Judy's for a day of micro-wave ice-dyeing

I've shared the steps many times on this blog before, so enjoy this short overview and hear the squeals & laughter......

A shady area of the deck is our ice station where it's added to cover the scrunched up soda ash soaked PFD fabric.
MX dyes are sprinkled over the ice, covered by the bowl's lid and microwaved for about 4-5 mins. (or until the ice is all melted.)
After a ton of rinsing my first piece is ready to dry on an outside line....the bubbly doesn't get opened until we each have at least one piece done!
I'm in heaven......and then....drama.......
The microwave died........nope we aren't calling the service man......it's probably 20 years old but a trip to Walmart will be coming soon.

Tuesday, July 19, 2022

DOG DAYS OF SUMMER

 I don't ever remember a time when I've had 'artist block'...... ideas then to flow easily.  However, these last few days I've had a lull....nothing worrisome, but unusual for me.....

So the only thing to do is dig in and see what comes of some quick cutting of mono prints, grab and sew....and end up with a back ground.

No real vision for what's next.....that will come.....but a day just playing has made me perky again.....stay tuned....







Wednesday, July 13, 2022

JAPANESE CIRCLES

Over the last couple of years, my work has leaned more and more toward a less cluttered vibe.  This piece was so uncluttered I kept trying to push more motifs into the design.  

Thanks to the hand holding of Kathy Schmidt at https://quirksltd.wordpress.com the piece remained true to its original idea.

Interested in purchasing??  Contact me directly - free shipping!!



JAPANESE CIRCLES  - 42" X 43"

AVAILABLE HERE 

Japanese cottons, pieced, appliqued, and densely machine quilting.  Outside edges feature double fold binding with colorful flat flange.  Fabric hanging sleeve attached.

This art quilt ships for free.


 

Monday, July 11, 2022

THE GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS

We are enjoying quite the show from the area's famous name sake;  'The Great Smoky Mountains'.  Of course the smoke appearance is generated by moisture (fog) trapped in the forests.

It's been far more humid and warmer (some would even say hot) even at our 3,250 elevation this summer. Beautiful!!



Wednesday, July 6, 2022

FUN WITH FIBER FRENZY GROUP

Our small group, Fiber Frenzy's met recently and I came away with lots of mono prints and thanks to Kathie.....a large gelli plate.  She wasn't using it, I needed one, so a modest exchange of moola and it's now mine.  Yeah.....

All 5 members have been enjoying monthly experiments for years....really years!!  In general we've refined our specific interests so there's no need to spend time on the newest fad that often resulted in fabric rejects.

Again this meeting each did our own thing. Susan and I mono-printed.  I was not aiming for complex designs.....instead my goal was to create landscape background fabrics.



While Judy and Kathie played with eco printing.....
Judy is removing the foliage from her heat press
 processed fabric.

A few more to remove......

This is one of Kathie's pieces which was donated to me because somehow it got paint on it...probably from visiting my table....lucky me!!!  

And now it's a cover for a mini-notebook.........



Next month....micowave ice-dyeing.....hurrah!!!



 
 

Monday, July 4, 2022

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY

 I AM PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!!


UNITED WE STAND    By Mary Stori

Saturday, July 2, 2022

REMEMBERING

Because I use my blog as sort of a diary, mainly as a reminder of techniques, processes and the work I've completed, I stray away from personal posts most of the time.  However, today is different.  It's NOT fiber related.  

Unlike dates we've noted in our minds or calendars, this one was 20 years ago today.  It's not necessarily one to be celebrated. Though the celebration of my sister and all she meant to us is certainly preferred over sad, somber thoughts.  But in the end.......there are really no words that haven't already been spoken many times.

Instead photos warms my heart while reflecting on so many memories.

                     

          Mary (L) and Nancy (R) - our 1 year old birthday  

                                          3 years old

                   

 








About 4 years old....darn it...wish our photos would have been dated...NOT that I did a better job with our son's pictures!!

       (top row L to R) Youngest brother Richard Theobald & Chuck Theobald (1951-2012).

 (front row L to R)  Nancy Theobald Willmas (1946-2002), Dorthy Theobald (1921-2007) Mary Theobald Stori 

- Nancy's hospital room.....the last time we were all together.  I laughed with her, asking if she was cloning me with her wig, even if it was blond...normally she wore her hair very short. 

Good memories of a wonderful person and twin sister......still miss my good pal of so many years.  AND...no need to clone, her medical condition required DNA testing which identified us as identical twins?!?  The good news; I qualified as her stem cell doner, no so good news; my cells we almost too close to fight the inevitable.  

So dear readers.......hug or call your siblings today.......