Saturday Sparks Link Party 305

Welcome to Saturday Sparks 304!

Starting off todays party with our view of the calm before the storm.

A major blizzard is expected to pass through here this weekend.

In true New England fashion, we are ready.

We will marvel at the majesty of mother nature, all the while respecting her power.

"Close your eyes. Hear the silent snow. Listen to your soul speak."
~ A.D. Posey
Now, let's get this party started.

First up, the Fabulous Features from Saturday Sparks 304.

The Best Places I Went in 2018 at The Kittchen

Tablescape Thursday: Winter Simplicity at Everyday Living

How to Make an Indoor Awning with Repurposed Roofing Tin at Repurpose and Upcycle

Small Ship Greek Island Cruise: Nafplio & Mykonos at Debbee's Buzz

Repurposed Denim and Wool Woven Hearts Garland at Pillar Box Blue

How to Create a Home Decorating Project Binder at Celebrating Everyday Life

Painted Tile Floor Stencil DIY at At Home with Ashley

Baked Red Beet Falafel with Yogurt Mint Sauce at All that's Jas

No Bake Peanut Butter and Chocolate Bars at Not a Trophy Wife

A Quick, Healthy Breakfast: The Best Simple Avocado Toast at Domestic Bliss 2

Pineapple Mango Fruit Salsa Recipe at Home Cooking Memories

Purple Sweet Potato Yogurt Breakfast Bowl at Strength and Sunshine

And finally, a recap of my share from the party - 2019 Quilter's Planner and a New Cover

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 Thanks to everyone for linking up to last weeks party.

If you were featured, please grab the featured button (above) to add to your blog.

Now, onto the party!

Link up your latest inspiring posts such as:

Crafts
DIY
Gardening
Home Decor
Photography

Recipes
Repurposing
Sewing/Quilting

Links are open through Thursday morning.

Features will be posted at next weeks party at Pieced Pastimes, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter.

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 Party Guidelines:

- Post the party button (above) with a link back to this page or just a text link back to the party on your post - Not required, but appreciated!

- Share your own ideas and photos - not a roundup of other peoples ideas.

- Follow Pieced Pastimes via one of the social media links located on the upper right sidebar. 

- No advertising, Etsy shops or giveaways.

- Pin feature photos to Pinterest from the original source and not from this blog.

- Visit other links and leave a kind comment.

An InLinkz Link-up

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Oil-Free Veggie Fried Rice - Vegan

This is one of those dishes that gets made time and time again or what I call a 'tried and true' recipe.

It has the three elements that make a good recipe - simple to make, tastes delicious and is good for you.

For the vegetables, I use a mix of celery, red bell pepper, red onion, carrots and peas - but, the sky is the limit as to what combination you could use.

For the rice, I like a blend of white, brown and long grain. I make a batch and refrigerate it, so its ready to use.

The key to making this oil-free is to stir the vegetables (in a non-stick pan) until they have started to brown. Add in a few tablespoons of water and stir to mix in all the caramelization that the browning created - that's where the rich flavor comes from.

Stir in the rice and peas last, along with the seasonings. Cook until heated through and serve. Avocado adds a nice touch to this dish.

Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!

Oil-Free Veggie Fried Rice - Vegan                             

Print Recipe

Yields:  4-6 Servings

- 1 cup chopped Red Bell Pepper
- 1 cup chopped Celery
- 1 cup chopped Red Onion
- 1 cup chopped Carrots
- 1 cup Frozen Peas
- 2 Tbsp Water
- 4 cups pre-cooked Rice (White, Brown, Long Grain or a combination of)
- 1 Tbsp Low-Sodium Soy Sauce
- 2 Tbsp Liquid Aminos
- 1 tsp Course Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Onion Powder

Instructions:

- Preheat a non-stick pan on medium low. Add Red Pepper, Celery, Red Onion and Carrots and stir. Continue stirring until vegetables start to brown in pan. Add water and stir to mix in the caramelization caused from the browning. Cook while stirring occasionally for an additional 5-10 minutes or until vegetables are cooked through. I like a little crunch to my vegetables, so I am careful not to overcook them here.

Stir in Pre-Cooked Rice, Peas, Soy Sauce, Liquid Aminos, Black Pepper and Onion Powder. Cook while stirring occasionally until heated through and serve. Avocado is a nice addition to this dish.

Travel Sewing Kit

I have been wanting to make a Travel Sewing Kit for sometime now. We are in the car quite often and  it seems like the perfect place to take along my hand sewing projects.

I wanted something compact, yet large enough to hold the essentials that I would need. After checking out several different patterns, I ended up making the Fold-Up Sewing Folio from the book Stitched Sewing Organizers by Aneela Hoey.

There's always some type of hand sewing that needs to be done - binding a quilt, appliqué, mending. It's amazing how much you can get done in a small window of time.

Another nice feature of this bag is that you can drape it over the arm of a couch for sewing at home.

I made this case with the same fabric that I used for my Quilter's Planner Cover for a coordinating set.

Busy hands make me happy and I can see many hours of blissful sewing ahead.

2019 Quilters Planner and a New Cover

The start of a new year found me ordering the 2019 *Quilters Planner and eagerly awaiting its arrival.

The first thing I wanted to create was a cover for my new planner. After a few fabric auditions, I chose a gray arrow print that had a nice organic feel to it.

When my children were young, I always used a planner to track appointments, dates and record any special moments that happened along the way. Now, we are empty nesters and life has slowed down. A planner didn't seem as necessary......that was until last year.

On a whim, I purchased the 2018 *Quilters Planner and thought I would use it to track my quilting and sewing projects. When I first received the planner, I fell seriously in love.

It was very well made and and had thoughtfully arranged features that spoke to me as a quilter, but I think anyone could adapt the planner for their hobbies as well.

Jump forward to the release of the 2019 *Quilters Planner. Once again, it exceeded my expectations. It comes with a companion magazine filled with 13 quilting patterns, beautiful photography, tutorials, tips and inspiration.

They are having a quilt-along with one of the patterns from the magazine that I have joined.

It's always fun to see how others interpret the same pattern with their color and fabric choices. One quilt can look totally different from another.

I used the project planning pages to map out a plan for the upcoming challenge. I have been wanting to make a quilt in yellows and greens, and this seemed like the perfect candidate.

Have you joined any quilt alongs this year?

*Disclosure:  No affiliation or compensation - just passing on a nice resource.