Retreating...

I have been off-line for about a week now... busy, busy, busy. My mom came to visit and we celebrated her (let's say 50th) birthday by going on a retreat in Batesville, IN with my creative and fun-loving quilting group, the Rockin' Bobbins.

The Rockin' Bobbins retreat 3 times a year. More than a year ago we discovered the Hickory Road Inn in Batesville, IN. This quaint bed and breakfast offers double rooms with twin beds and private baths, unbelievable breakfasts, and a large craft room in the walk out basement. The Inn is in the country where it is very quiet and serene.

In preparation for our retreat I packed my quilting and knitting and made a batch of Garlic Pretzels as a snack. A friend I met at a quilting retreat in Wisconsin shared this recipe with me. They are a hit at the husb's poker night too. You can find the recipe for these tasty tidbits at the bottom of this post.

We left for Batesville on Thursday morning. I am the youngest Rockin Bobbin, and I have a Honda Pilot, so that means I drive. Not a bad thing because then it also means I get to decide when we leave and where we stop - although my riders can usually talk me into anything. So we passed through Starbucks and hit the road. Our first real stop was The Back Door Quilt Shop in Greenwood, IN. It was easy to spend an hour shopping and drop a little cash on things I dare not live without.

On to Batesville. The weekend was filled with a lot of laughter, some really good food, inspiration from other Bobbins, and the chance to finish a few projects. I did a lot of sewing, as well as knitting. I made a quilt top for my sister. Unfortunately the kit she provided me did not have enough fabric for the first border - bummer...next project. I made 2 wall quilts with little kits I picked up at the Back Door. MMMMM...instant gratification. I also whipped up 12 nine patch blocks out of shirtings for our Bobbins swap. At our last meeting, Juna brought an antique quilt we all wanted to reproduce. Reproduction quilts from the Civil War era and the 1930's remind me of my Grandmother Jessie and they are my very favorite projects to work on.

As for knitting, I finished my first pair of socks. I think they are great - and they are mine... all mine, perfectly fitted for my cankles. I also made a scarf for my sister out of a kit she sent me. Do you see a theme here??? I have one sister (Jeanne) and she likes to pick out projects for me. She always tells me she likes my homemade gifts best so that pretty much seals the deal for her.

I have to mention our Friday night out. Friday was Mom's birthday, and Dottie's birthday too. Jerry, the inn owner, suggested the Ertel Cellars Winery and called to make a reservation for us. He really hit the mark. The food, atmosphere and service were outstanding. I ordered grilled pork chops with horseradish marmalade - which arrived at the table with 2 large pork chops, enough for a small village. If you live in Indiana, or nearby, you should really consider a dinner at the winery and an overnight at the inn.

It snowed on Saturday and everyone hunkered down and finished projects. I think Mom made a purse and 3 quilt tops, as well as a scarf. Here is a picture of Dottie with a flannel quilt she was working on. I love that quilt, but I love every project Dottie works on.

We headed home on Sunday, but not until we booked a date for next February!

Debbie's Garlic Pretzels (aka Poker Pretzels)

Snyder of Hanover Big Pretzels (I use the Nibblers)

1 cup oil (I cut this to 1/2 cup of olive oil)

1 teaspoon lemon pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dill

Mix the oil and spices. Break up the big pretzels into bite size pieces or use Nibblers. coat the pretzels and bake at 325 degrees F for 8 minutes. Stir and bake another 8 minutes.