#3 Photo Challenge The Habitat Outreach Quilt

This quilt, work on by many of us in our guild, will hang in the Habitat for Humanity Office.

Photo Challenge #2

Here is Gracie turning the clock radio on and off.  She gets such a kick from doing this!

I can decide f I like the color or the black and white version better.  Hmmm?

Day #1 Photo Challenge

Starting a photo challenge but have no idea if I can stick with it.  Here is my image from Dec.  17th.

Clutch Purse Tutorial

I am putting this on my blog temporrily so I can access it from my sewing room.

Clutch Purse Tutorial

1.    Fabric- you want something a bit heftier on the outside, and something somewhat durable on the inside. I bought the outside fabric at Jo-Ann’s and just used some leftover fabric that I had from previous makeup bag projects on the inside (hello, recycling!!).

2.    Iron on-heavy weight interlining (stabilizer). I found out the hard way how important this stuff is; without it, your purse will feel thin.

3.    Magnet buttons

Here’s a step by step:

Step 1: Cut rectangles. Cut both the outer and inner fabrics into approximately 11 inch by 18 inch rectangles. Place the two fabrics facing each other and sew the two long sides and one of the short sides. I used about a 1/4 inch seam.

Step 2: Cut the interlining. Iron on the heavy weight interlining. I wanted some extra heft, so I sewed a layer of interlining on both sides.

Step 3: Starting at the short edge that is sewn, measure about 1/3 of the way down the long edge, and mark it. Along the short edge, measure about 2 to 2.5 inches in, and create a triangle. Sew that line. This is important—it allows for the seam for sewing the sides of the purse- otherwise, the flap folds funny. (I don’t know a better way to describe it.)

Step 4: Turn your purse inside out and iron it. It should look like this:

Step 5:  Attaching the magnet button- thingy.  Fold the purse in equal thirds.  Both sides of magnet have two prongs.  Measure about 1.5 inches to 2 inches from top of flap, mark the center, cut two holes into the liner fabric only. And put magnet in place.

Attach the other side, mark the spot where the prongs hit the fabric. Make two holes in the outside of the fabric and fold the prongs over.

Step 6: Sew the final side short side of the purse. Do this by turning the edges in and ironing them flat before sewing.

Step 7: Turn the bottom part inside out and sew the two sides.

Spaghetti with Puttanesca Sauce

Here is a recipe for an easy Puttanesca sauce:

1/2 c chopped onions
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 t. red pepper flakes
1/2 c. sliced black olives
2 T. capers, rinsed and chopped
1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste

Saute onions and garlic for 30-40 seconds.  Stir in the rest of ingredients.  Simmer until slightly reduced.  Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.  I didn't add any salt, but that is just me.  Now I know that the sauce usually calls for anchovies but I never have them on hand and this is quite tasty without.  I tossed the sauce with whole wheat spaghetti and steamed zucchini on the side. 

The whole dish:  2 ounces uncooked whole wheat spaghetti, cooked
                            1/2 c. Puttanesca suace                                   
                            Zucchini, steamed                             
                                                                            6 points

Breakfast Casseroles

When I was asked to bring a breakfast casserole to our Garden Club meeting, I had no idea what that was since I had never made one.   So I couldn't just make one blind; therefore, began researching the different possibilities.  In the end, after trying a couple of recipes, I developed one of my own which meet with great success when previewed with my family.  The garden club ladies gave it rave reviews as well.  Here is the recipe:

                                    Ham and Mushroom Breakfast Casserole

1/4 c. melted butter
4 c. sourdough bread cubed
3/4 lb. Black Forest ham  cubed
mushrooms sliced (about 6 large)
2 c. medium cheddar cheese grated
8 eggs
1 c low fat (2%) cottage cheese
2 c. low fat milk
1/4 t pepper

The night before, put melted butter in a 9 x 13 pan.  Then layer in this order: cubed bread, cubed ham, sliced mushrooms, and cheese.  Beat remaining ingredients together and pour over the layered ingredients.  Cover and refrigerate over night.  In the morning uncover and bake at 350 for 45 - 60 minutes or until top starts to brown and casserole begins to pull away from the sides of pan and middle is set.  Let cool for about 10 minutes before slicing.

Note:  This also tastes good at room temperature, and the boys liked it reheated in homemade biscuits. Just pop into microwave for 30 seconds.  I am thinking that the ham and mushrooms could be changed out with an infinite number of things!!

Friday Night Catered Dinners

Since my Friday night catered dinners have become a continuing event, I'm thinking that I need to keep track of what I made as I don't want to duplicate too much if I can help it. So I will make a list of what I can remember so far.

Chicken Wings with orange marmalade glaze, cold slaw, potato salad, and chocolate chip cookies

Shrimp Louis

Grilled Sirloin with mixed veggie salad and black berry cobbler

Grilled Halibut with Herbs and Capers, salad, poached pears, lemon chess pie

Gosh that's as far back as I can remember, but I know I served a flan with something. Wonder what? And variations of chess pie too. Funny how one can remember desserts but not the main meal?

Last night I made Bar-B-Q pulled pork on french bread along with a spinach salad and lemon bars for dessert. The BBQ sauce was not homemade but I am thinking about making my own BBQ and tomato ketchup from now on. We will see.

The new sourdough starter did not turn out well, and I had to throw it away. I think it got too hot sitting on the stove top next to a vent from the oven. I did not realize that the oven put out so much heat to the back burners when things are baking. Thanks goodness I kept my tried and true starter which has not failed me yet.

Tokyo Subway Quilt

At last and ahead of schedule, the Tokyo Subway Quilt top is finished. When I laid it on the bed for a picture, it took Seymore less than 20 seconds to jump up on it and make himself comfortable. I must admit that I had to force myself to finish the last two blocks. Putting these babies together can be quite tedious, but now it is accomplished and the planning for the back begins.

Chili Relleños (1st Try)

The first attempt at chili relleños was not a huge success. I was going to use Anaheim chilies but there were none to be had. Pablanos were the next choice. They had to be charred and the skin removed before slitting and stuffing with sharp cheddar cheese. They split by themselves and had to be held together with toothpicks. The batter was simply flour, milk, egg, baking soda, and baking powder which was the consistency of a think pancake mix. Dipped the stuffed chilies in flour and then in the mix and fried in canola oil. They browned very quickly. The result was a crisp coating but the taste was very bland. Next time I will stuff with a more tasty cheese or sausage. If anyone has a killer relleño recipe, please advise!!

Toyko Subway Quilt

Okay, the next time I blithely agree to participating in a group quilting assembly, I will find out what is involved before saying yes! Here are the first 5 of 25 blocks. Each block consists of 64 2 inch squares! Yikes. Each square is different and as you may be able to see will look like a subway map with each line having its own color. I have given myself the improbable dead line of July 25th. That means producing 1 block every 2 days. Hope I can do it! I have to admit that I think it looks pretty cool.

First Flan

Seriously, what was I thinking when I told my dinner company to name their dessert? Flan was the order, and although I have never made it, I'm thinking: it is just custard, my mother made it and she never could make a pie, it has to be easy. Wrong. Then there are about a billion recipes for it out there, and it took me forever to decide which one. Those of you who have done this before know that the first step is making the caramel sugar that goes on the bottom of the pan but eventually ends up on the top. That proved to be a problem. Batch #1 burned, and batch #2 stuck to the pan and hardened before I could spread it. For batch #3 I went to a different recipe and it boiled for a half hour before I realized it was not going to caramelize so it got thrown out. Batch #4 was back to the original recipe but using more of the ingredients. That got into the bottom of the pan. The custard part wasn't so hard and the dessert is cooling in the refrige as we speak. I am hoping that my company arrives soon because I am eyeing the liquor cabinet and definitely ready for a restorative beverage!

First Wool Project

Who would have realized how much work goes into hand appliqued wool pieces. If I had known I may not have signed up for the Sue Spargo block of the month which I am going to start right away. Last night at midnight I finished embroidering the legs and beaks on the birds. Today I passed up the day lily show because I was so anxious to sew the backing on this baby and have the project finished. Yeah! Jessi thought I should bead it, but I'm thinking it will destroy its very folksy quality. Well, it was a good learning piece and now I am aware of the pitfalls to avoid on my next project.

The Fence

Take a good look at this picture. Is it a fence? Is it a moat? Are the bars to trap alligators? This is the fence that through our government's well thought out wisdom is being constructed along the border of Mexico and the United States! This photo was taken out the truck window as we drove onto the "Mexican side" of the fence. However, we were still in Texas as the border is really the Rio Grande which was many miles further on. Now the fence is tall and strong, but there are many openings through which to pass. In one picture you can see a tire laying by the opening. It was explained to me that the border patrol drags this tire behind their vehicles so they can inspect for footprints. I'll post the rest of the pictures on my Flickr site. Draw your own conclusions.

Is It True?

EW has informed me that no creative person has pets! Well, I am wondering if that is true.

Laredo

This weekend's getaway was to Laredo. What a shame that the drug war prevents people from walking across the bridge to Neuvo Laredo. We toasted to the Dos Laredos that are no more. However, I would definitely recommend La Posada for its old world charm and tasty cuisine. And of course if you are in the need of Mexican pottery or metal work, this is the place. My friend, Jennifer, and I were in heaven combing through the various shops in hopes of hidden treasures. I must admit that I never did find the coveted pig planter to match the one I already have. "Quiero un puerco grande para los flores."

The Hideout on the Horseshoe

Here are two images from last weekend's getaway to the Guadalupe River. Although overcast and a bit cold, it was peaceful and relaxing. One of the highlights was finding a bonanza of limestone which was carted home for a building project.

The Joy of Sourdough

There is nothing like making your own sourdough starter. Nurturing it and feeding it and then lovingly putting it in the refrigerator. These loaves turned out the best of any previous efforts. Even my most critical taster pronounced the bread to be excellent.

An Amazing Turn...

of events. Who would have thought that this girl would find someone who really cared for her? Skeptical I was at first and perhaps still a little, but EW has been slowly breaking down my defenses. Tonight before my departure to Padre Island, he presented me with a lovingly cooked pot roast, fruit, fresh squeezed orange juice, and various other delicacies so that I wouldn't have to cook when I got there. Plus he has monitored the weather and worried if I was driving in any adverse conditions. There is also the elaborate set up he constructed so that I could plug in my travel trailer at the house which has eliminated the need to pack large and cumbersome ice chests. The best part though is that we share the same sense of humor. For example, tonight we were having dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant. After we both visited the restroom and commented on the annoyance of those air blowers instead of paper towels, I asked if he had noticed the directions printed on that device. He hadn't, and of course I had because it takes about 10 minutes to get your hands dry in such circumstances. So I was reading the directions while waiting. The last line of directions said: "Turn nozzle up for drying your hair." Now I ask you, who dries their hair in the restroom of a restaurant? Well, let your imagination take hold of that!! And we did. The waiter, who didn't speak English very well, showed signs of distress because we were laughing so hard. EW thank you for an amazing 2 months.

Our Christmas Choir

It's hard to describe so I'll let the picture speak for itself.

All for Tiramisu

After my dear EW searched San Antonio for ladyfingers without success, I decided to make them myself. So of course I researched and sent off for a state of the art ladyfingers pan which arrived quite quickly. Production began and all was going well until they came out of the oven. Then low and behold they refused to release their grip of the pan and had to be scrapped out. They tasted good but who wants to eat crumbled sponge cake. So here is a picture of the second attempt which I piped onto parchment paper from a plastic baggie. One group I baked so they were soft and the other group I let get crispy. As they don't keep very well, they are now in the freezer awaiting a decision on which tiramisu to make. Who knew that there were about 60 possible kinds?!! I'm thinking that the recipe with the rum soaked ladyfingers sounds promising.