Introducing Melissa Corey!

I started quilting as a hobby in 2005 when my husband and I left home and moved cross country to go to school.  I made baby quilts for friends a a few large quilts over the next few years. In 2010 I discovered the online quilting world and I jumped into the deep end of the pool.  I started my blog, Happy Quilting and never dreamed it would open so many amazing opportunities for me. Because of it, I have now have the joy of creating my own designs that I share as tutorials, published works, a pattern line, and even my own book, Irish Chain Quilts.  I love designing and find inspiration in just about everything and anything. My sweetheart and I have been married for 18 years this December, we have five amazing children, and we live in beautiful Cedar City, Utah.

Who Inspired You? I am inspired by so many people around me each and every day.   But if you want a single person,it would be my mother. She is a wonderful women who I have always been able to look up.  She exemplifies all of the qualities that I want to have in my roles as wife and mother. We chat daily on the phone and I look forward to our conversations each and every day.   I love my Mother!!

What is the best concert or musical you have ever attended? I love Musicals.  I listen to a Pandora Broadway station every day and love to sing along, especially not that no one is home and I can sing really loud.   I have attended so many plays but I think my favorite was Wicked.

Where is your favorite place in the world? That is a tuff one as there are so many places that I still want to see.   But honestly, I think my favorite place is up Cedar Mountain at our family property because it always means being there with family and lots of fun and good food.

What is the last book you have read? I love to listen to books while quilting.   And I am a Young Adult Fantasty Fiction Junkie, especially if it is a series.  Although, it kills me to have to wait a year for next book to come out ;) You can find me on Goodreads under Melissa Corry to see all of the books I have been reading.  I just finished The Traitor's Game by Jennifer A Nielsen. I have loved her previous 2 series, and I think this one is going to be just as amazing.

What are you passionate about? Well. obviously quilting ;)  But I also love being outdoors with my family.  Like I said earlier, we have family property up Cedar Mountain and we love to spend time there ;)

What is your favorite movie? Wow, that is so hard to pick!!!   But the movie I tend to always choose when my husband is away on camps with the boys is Pride and Prejudice.  So I guess that is my favorite as it is my go to show ;) I can be pressing fabrics and watch because I have the whole thing pretty much memorized.  I know right when to look up to see when Mr. Darcy holds hands with Miss Elizabeth ;)

What is the craziest thing you have ever done? I don't know about Crazy, but probably a little shocking.   I used to get paid by fellow students to burp the alphabet in middle school.  They would buy me treats if I could get all the way from A-Z and let's just say, I got a lot of treats :)  Ya, I was quite the lady.

What is your Netflix go to? I know, crazy,  but I don't have Netflix.   But I do like Food Network.

What Is your secret talent know one knows about? Besides the burping, Just kidding ;)    I am a pretty good baker when I made time for it, especially pies.   I mastered my mother's pie crust recipe a few years back and now it's my job to make the Thanksgiving pies each year for the big family gatherings ;)  And my daughter is really starting to get into baking, so now we can enjoy baking together, and that makes we want to make a lot more time for treat making.  I also love to make homemade chocolates at Christmas. It has been a family tradition for years and I love that my kids are getting old enough now to really get in and make right along side me ;)

Melissa shared one of her favorite recipes. Perfect for fall don’t you think!

Creamy White Chili

1 lb. Chicken, cut into ½ inch cubes  
1 med. Onion
½ t. Garlic Powder  
1 T. Veg. Oil
2- 15 ½ oz. cans of Great Northern beans- Rinsed and Drained  
14 oz. can Chicken Broth
2- 4 oz. cans of Chipped Green Chilies  
1 t. Salt
1 t. Cumin  
1 t. Oregano
½ t. Pepper  
¼ t. Cayenne Pepper
1 cup Sour Cream
½ c. Whipping Cream

In a large saucepan, sauté chicken, onion and garlic powder in oil until chick is no longer pink. Add beans, broth, chilies, and seasonings.  Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in sour cream and whipping cream. Serve immediately.