Emily is my new best friend...and if I could have only had her stay with me a few more days I'm sure I could have legally adopted her somehow. Her mum and dad, the Aussies, are off performing some pseudo-camp duties with the girls from our church...at a resort-like home with every spa amenity you can think of...they call it a "high adventure" but there is nothing adventurous about it unless breaking a nail while jet-skiing qualifies! Anywho, Emily needed a place to stay for one night before she herself left to go camping - actual camping that involves sleeping in a tent and eating charred food. So I had her for one day and she wanted to make a quilt...she came prepared with TWO FAT QUARTERS and asked if her quilt would be big enough to snuggle up in...for once, someone who spoke my language!
I did the cutting and had Emily at the machine - sewing as fast as any kid in any sweat shop in the world! She seemed to like it though - and I kept her plied with potato chips with lime and soda...great motivators!
Emily picked the "Brown Bear What Do You See" fabric (after a quick run to the quilt shop to supplement the 2 fat quarters!) and it was fussy cut and set with fabric squares from my stash. Em wanted to know why I had so much fabric until I told her to "shop in the stash" and then she got the picture!
The very proud Emily Ball with her very first quilt! She did 98% of the sewing and just look at how great this turned out! With a little luck this top will be quilted by the time Emily gets home from camp!
Superman was super...until he got around Kryptonite...it was the one thing that could destroy him...it weakened him, robbed him of his powers - turning him from a superhero to a mere mortal.
Well, we all have our own Kryptonite...and these Jamaican Toasted Coconut Cookies would be mine.
Not being a superhero I am at somewhat of a disadvantage over my Kryptonite...Even on my best days I only possess about a quarter teaspoon of will-power - not nearly enough to fend off the effects of these cookies. They make me weak in the knees...they call to me...soft and seductive...and then without warning they scream in my ears until I succumb - quarter teaspoon of willpower be damned! One bite is like the first ant arriving at a picnic...I know it's only a matter of time before the entire batch is gone.
Don't make the mistake of thinking these are macaroons...they are not. They are more like a shortbread with coconut...crispy on the outside and buttery/coconutty/chewy on the inside...until they melt in your mouth. Serious coconut fanatics sit up and pay attention...these are for you! They won't make you able to leap tall buildings in a single bound but you would if these were on top of those buildings!
Recently I purchased a quirky little cookbook and was going to give it as a bridal shower gift until I thumbed through it and decided it was TOO good to give away - it's got some great recipes and is peppered with funny little stories - you can get yourself a copy here.
Jamaican Toasted Coconut Cookies - From If My House Were On Fire These Are The Recipes I'd Take! By Lori Powell Gordon
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup coconut (I used big ribbon coconut and it was great but shredded coconut is probably best)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups flour
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Cream butter and sugar, add vanilla, coconut, baking soda and flour. Roll into 1-inch balls or use a 1-inch scoop. Place on an ungreased baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and using a fork, lightly press until cookies are a little less than a 1/4 inch thick. Bake for 30 minutes or until coconut is toasted and the bottoms of the cookies are just barely beginning to brown; DO NOT OVER BAKE. (Cookies will seem very fragile when first out of oven but let cool on the pan for about 3 to 4 minutes then carefully remove to rack to cool completely. Cookies will firm up as they cool.) Makes about 48 cookies. (I made two batches in two days...they are as addictive as they are good. My new drug of choice.)
"Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else." ~ Judy Garland
I hesitate to post this...putting it in writing might jinx everything or it might make it more real...which is scary either way! Of course I'm talking about our annual imaginary trip to Italy...except that this year, maybe, hopefully, God-willing-if-the-creek-don't-rise, we just might go! Yesterday the mister and I attended a travel seminar in Edmonds at the Old Edmonds Theater...quite a charming little place!
We arrived 30 minutes late because we took the wrong exit but we didn't really care - we were certain that this seminar would be attended by a few other accidental tourists (losers) and then they would try to sell us travel books/guides/trips, etc., so we almost didn't go...and it would have been a SHAME to miss it!
It was the Rick Steves seminar on Italy - totally free, fabulous and fun - and the guide who talked to the packed house (Lisa) was funny and entertaining. WE had to practically BEG THEM to sell us a guide book afterwards! So I'm boning up on where to go and what to do...and in the meantime I'm going to try to perfect the art of Il dolce far niente...the sweetness of doing nothing! Edmonds is a darling little town - it's right off the water and has great shopping, including a kitchen/cooking store that could rival Sur La Table! They also have a great antique shop, candy store, cheese maker and a to-die-for kids clothing shop that could have bankrupted me in a matter of minutes if the mister hadn't been there to talk me off the ledge - plus many other darling little places that will beckon to you! If you haven't been to Edmonds lately, put it on your list - but steer clear of the Mexican restaurant on the corner...we're STILL recovering from THAT experience!
My brother-in-law, Jim, is Jeremiah Johnson reincarnated. He goes on an annual hog hunt - although no hogs have ever been caught...he fishes - running rivers or frozen lakes - and he loves to camp. He's taught his entire tribe to fish and to love it - baffling to me. I like to sit in a boat with a fishing pole in my hand and float in the sun...no bait, no chance of catching anything and thereby no chance of having to actually TOUCH a fish fresh out of water. I like to eat fish, in restaurants and am not a fan of cooking fish with their heads and tails still on...so it was EXTREMELY brave of me to accept the lovely (if fish can be lovely) trout that my neighbor brought over...my neighbor could rival my B-I-L for the Outdoorsman of the Year Award - he caught this trout in Lake Sammamish and it was HUGE...I'm surprised he didn't stuff it and hang it over his mantel - I'm sure my B-I-L would have! Those he doesn't stuff he eats...he is an expert on cooking trout so when I was given this trout I immediately called him to ask how to prepare it.
Fortunately the fish had already been cleaned...I know I couldn't have done that...just rinsing the thing off with it's eyes watching me was hard enough! Here's what Jim told me to do... put a little flour in a Zip-lock bag with lemon pepper and give the trout a good dusting after it was rinsed and dried...I tried but the bag just wasn't big enough...the fish was about 18 inches long! So I patted the flour mixture on the fish - heavily coating the eye area so it would stop looking at me! I filled it's belly with slices of onion and lemon and then put it on my griddle outside on the grill...so my house wouldn't smell like fish. Dang easy to fix and cook.
When I told the mister that he would be having fresh grilled trout for dinner he blew off his best friend Jack and came straight home...he loved the trout - ate it for dinner one night and then ate the left-overs in a salad the next...he sends his thanks to Scott the Super Fisherman of Sammamish, as do I.
Grilled Trout with Onions and Lemon - From Jim Geurts, Fish King
1 large trout
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon pepper
4 slices onion
4 slices fresh lemon, plus more for serving
Rinse and dry fish. In a large plastic Zip-lock-type bag, combine flour and lemon pepper. Put the trout in the bag and lightly shake to coat the fish inside and out. If the fish is too big for the bag, lightly pat the flour on the outside of the fish and the inside with your hand or a spoon. Place onions and lemons inside the fish, slightly squeezing the lemons as you do. Butter a large frying pan or griddle and place on the grill outside - then your house won't smell but you can certainly cook this inside. Cook over medium-high heat, with lid closed, for about 5 to 6 minutes, carefully turning to other side and cooking for an additional 5 to 6 minutes. To check for doneness, open fish and pull lightly on the spine bones near the head - if it releases easily then the fish is done. Serve with additional lemon and cooked onions. Serves 3 to 4. (My B-I-L advised me to cook the trout with the head and tail on...but you can remove it before cooking - I was not that brave...so when the trout was cooked, before serving I had the mister do the honors.)
"The problem with talking is that nobody stops you from saying the wrong thing." ~ Jerry Seinfeld
It's been a loooong time since I've posted pics from my quilt group! I missed last month's meeting and I heard I missed some great quilts...but I've got some fab quilts to show you today!
Marsha made this darling Dick and Jane quilt - the center blocks are from a panel that she fussy-cut and the wonky borders set them off perfectly! I love the umbrellas - perfect for a Seattle baby quilt. We learned yesterday that Marsha is our only native Seattleite - which is why she knows EVERYTHING about Seattle, including a new Cupcakery in Belltown...but more on that later!
This little beauty is Helen's - who said she's in a rut...oh, wouldn't we all like to be in Helen's rut!! Just look at those fabrics!! And her backing is great - Helen is a wizard with color - and is definitely rutless!
Helen used the scraps from her quilt above to make a couple of small quilts...which she said she'll use on tables or maybe even as placemats - happy little things aren't they?!
Another from Helen...she wanted to try to "break out" of her rut...the one she isn't in...and this is what she came up with - LOVE it! Half-square triangles make up the zig-zags...easy-peasy!
Stephanie participated in the Old Red Barn Co.quilt along and the quilt above was made from the scraps! Yes - another circle quilt...they just won't die! And we're all so glad because we love them! We have two fairly new members in our group who have yet to make themselves a circle quilt...after seeing this I'm sure it won't be long before they do. Love the colors!
This is one of Dawn's quilts (can't get the underline to go away!) She made this from ONE jelly roll! and the fabrics are fromConnecting Threads - they are MUCH less expensive and their fabric feels great! This is another of Dawn's projects - she is making this tropical quilt for a friend...hey! I'm her friend! I like tropical! Maybe it's for me?The blocks below are mine - (underline went away and I have no idea how or why?!) I had such a grand time appliqueing these blocks...thinking I was going to make a wonderful quilt...then I sewed the square blocks - only to discover I made them all too big, so I tried to do some math and ended up cutting the applique blocks down - only I cut them too small...so I did some more math and now everything is off! Plus my square blocks were supposed to be square...but not all of them are - some are wonky...I'm thinking I need a new hobby...something that doesn't involve math.
Yesterday was a big news day...Barbara Walters was all over the morning shows talking up her 20/20 program that was going to feature Ryan O'Neal talking about Farrah ... saying she was in the final phase of her life...and then the news broke that she passed away. She was never on the A-List in Hollywood but I was glad to see she made the headlines on MSN...and then Michael Jackson, with his poor timing, upstaged her. Hardly a mention of her after about noon...and the Barbara Walters expose was pulled in favor of a Michael Jackson tribute - which almost every channel featured...hey, I know he was the King of Pop, and I loved his music as much as anyone...but did he ever pose in a red swimsuit? Oh, he probably did...but did he ever have hair that had it's own weather system because it was so big? Oh, he probably had that too...but really, couldn't he have waited just ONE MORE DAY?!? I felt bad for Farrah's family and friends...she was an icon in her own right and leave it to the Hollywood to teach us all a good life lesson...there is always SOMEONE who is more famous, richer, younger, thinner that can take away your headlines...dead or alive...but these Lemon Bars will make you not care.
Starting with packaged Pecan cookies, these bars are a bit different from the traditional Lemon Bar...they are richer with a bit more "chew" which is always a good thing! Crushed Pecan cookies with butter form the crust...you'll want to just eat this by itself but add the topping, please.
Each bite is like a little bit of summer...and when it's just 65 degrees outside I try to get summer in any way I can...even if I have to EAT it!
Lemon Bars With a Pecan Cookie Crust - ME
For Crust:
1 package (16 oz.) Pecan Shortbread Cookies (any brand)
1 stick butter, melted
For Topping:
1 1/2 cup plain sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup lemon juice (fresh or bottled)
pinch of salt
zest from half a lemon
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 x 13-inch pan. To make crust, put the cookies in a food processor and process until they are just crumbs. Add the melted butter and process until well combined, about 10 pulses. Pour crumb mixture into prepared pan and press down over the entire bottom of pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until slightly firm when touched and golden. Remove and let cool slightly.
While crust is baking, prepare topping. In a large bowl combine sugar, flour, baking powder and salt, whisk to combine. In a small bowl, slightly beat the eggs and add lemon juice and zest. Pour the egg mixture into the dry ingredients and stir to combine with a wooden spoon. Pour this mixture on top of warm crust. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until center is set. Remove to a rack to cool completely. When cool, slice into bars and dust with confectioner's sugar. Refrigerate until serving time.
"No matter how complex your day, you still get to choose what you have for lunch." ~ Denny Crane
When I posted about Dorie Greenspan's Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies I didn't expect to receive so MANY comments about how FLAT those cookies were...flat, flat, flat! My sister, who swears she makes the BEST chocolate chip cookies in the world said not even implants would help those flat cookies! She immediately emailed me her recipe and when I read it I remembered her cookies ...dense, chewy and definitely NOT flat! Plus, they have a secret ingredient...instant vanilla pudding is added to the mix - I know, I know, sounds kind of iffy but if you want a cookie that will hold up to criticism, then this is the cookie for you!
(If you only KNEW how much trouble I'm having posting pictures...it's enough to make one eat an entire pan of cookies!) Back to Dorie's cookies for a minute...they were fabulous even if they were flat...rich and decadent and good enough to serve as dessert all by themselves. My sister's cookies, on the other hand, are fluffier...more cakey and every bit as good. Don't substitute any of the ingredients and don't skimp on the chips...you'll be sorry!
If you use a scoop your cookies will come out perfectly round and all the same size...which saves the mister time - this way he doesn't have to stand around looking for the biggest cookie on the plate...
Chocolate Chippers - From Joni Geurts (My Older Sister)
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups brown sugar
1 lb. butter (4 squares)
3 eggs
2 tablespoons vanilla
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
5 1/2 cups flour
1 large package instant vanilla pudding
1 1/2 packages (12 oz. package so a total of 18 oz. of chips) Milk chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugars together, mixing until light and fluffly, about 5 minutes. Beat in eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine salt, baking soda, flour and vanilla pudding; whisk together to blend. Add to sugar mixture and mix only until blended. Stir in chocolate chips.
Scoop out balls about the size of golf balls onto an ungreased cookie sheet, spacing about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the tops are a light golden brown. Remove to a rack to cool. Makes about 5 dozen cookies.
"Dawn! A brand new day! This could be the start of something average." ~ Ziggy (Tom Wilson)
I liked this SO much that I'm going to tell you straightaway - this is a dang, dang, dang, dang, dang good sandwich...yep, a 5 danger, no doubt about it. And dang easy to make, too! I made this for the SIL who was in town for a quick visit last week...he smells everything he eats before he eats it...put his nose right down in the food...it's fascinating to watch! He has a highly developed sense of smell...I'm sure he would have made a great per-fumier or an even better tracking dog - and he can detect poop in Baby Max's diaper from across a room filled with babies...and dirty diapers. His talent is immense. So it was with great pleasure that I watched him smell this dish...and then listened to him..."Mmmmmmmmmmmm...mmmmm!"
The secret to the pork is Cherry Juice. It's cooked in it. If you can't find cherry juice you could juice your own - although that would take a bit of doing. I looked high and low for Cherry juice - it's not easy to find - but I settled for Wild Cherry Drink Boxes - and they were GREAT! The pork cooks in the crock pot - so you won't heat up your kitchen - although if you live in Seattle you probably WANT to heat up your kitchens - summer is still evading us!
The cherry flavor in the pork alone is reason enough to make this...but then there's the sauce...it just sparkles on the pork - the perfect blend of sweet and tang with a hint of cumin...it's what puts da-BOMB in the cherry!
Cherry Bomb Pork Sandwiches with Cherry BBQ Sauce - Pots and Pins
To Make Pork Roast:
1 3 to 4 lb. pork roast (Boston Butt or Pork Shoulder)
1 package (6 oz.) Dried Cherries
1 yellow onion, sliced
2 Wild Cherry Juice Drink Boxes (6.75 oz.) (No sugar added, 100% juice blend)
8 Sandwich buns
To Make BBQ Sauce:
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup fresh cherries, pitted
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
Put pork roast in a large crock pot; cover with cherry juice. Add onions and dried cherries. Put on lid and cook on high for 5 hours. After 5 hours, drain juices from crock. Using forks, shred the roast. Make BBQ sauce.
In a medium-size pan on medium-high heat, add all of the BBQ sauce ingredients. Stir well. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. Using an immersion blender, blend up the sauce, or carefully pour the sauce into a regular blender and puree. Pour the pureed sauce over the shredded pork, stir with a fork until all is mixed. Replace lid and continue cooking for an additional hour. Place pork on sandwich buns and stand back because they'll come a runnin! Total cooking time: 6 hours. Serves 8.
"The only reason I would take up jogging is so that I could hear heavy breathing again." ~ Erma Bombeck
About once a quarter - a business term the mister likes to bandy about - we manage to get into Seattle to play tourist. And once there, we always say we need to visit more often...there is just so much to see and do! We started at the market, as usual, but this time instead of loading up on Uli's Sausage or fresh prawns, we headed to Lowell's for breakfast - the views and the food is unbeatable!
Hot oatmeal with brown sugar and raisins with a front row seat to the Bainbridge Ferry...what could be better? After loading ourselves up, we decided to take a little stroll before we shopped so we went to see the new Seattle Library - actually, it's about 4 or 5 years old now - I think, and we've driven by it dozens of times but never ventured in. The SIL, who is an architect, went there shortly after it opened and practically foamed at the mouth telling us how great it was - from the outside in. Of course he would love it - it's filled with stainless steal and concrete - not one bit of fluff to be found. But - we liked it too...in fact, we loved it! It's everything it's cracked up to be...if you get a chance to visit - take it.
Cool. That's what it is. Cool. But perhaps I should spell it KOOL, as in Koolhaas, the architect with a mind-space-continuum-brain who mixed metal fish-net type panels and rip-stop nylon with concrete, color, steel and glass...jumbled it all up and created one of the Koolest buildings this side of the Mississippi. No wonder the SIL foamed!
It has books, too! And if you've ever wondered where all the homeless people in Seattle are...we found them - at the library, on one of the dozens and dozens of free computers...but they won't bother you, they're too busy, presumably, ordering self-help books from Amazon.com.
Walking down 5th Avenue, we headed for the shops. I had my heart set on a new bauble from Betsey Johnson but it was 3 minutes 'till 10:00 and the snooty sales clerk refused to open the doors...and the mister refused to wait. Her loss...oh, mine too! It was a bit brisk out, so we popped into The Georgian Room at the Fairmont Hotel to warm ourselves up - it's so pretty and a bit pricey - but worth it.
Our next stop was the Louis Vuitton Store...just for a giggle...I happen to have in my possession a beautiful eggplant-colored LV wallet - just like the red one pictured below except that mine was a gift from a friend who recently visited China...you don't suppose mine is a fake do you? I'm certain my friend would spend $690 on me...mine looks identical to the one in the LV store...except the stitching in mine is a bit...off...like I said, we went in for a giggle and got it!
Anthropologie, Talbots, Nordstrom, Restoration Hardware, Williams Sonoma. Time for a sit down - we headed for the theater...
Two hours later we were starving - lunch! We walked back towards the market...Macy's, City Kitchen, Nordstrom Rack, Sur La Table...then went down Post Alley to Kells.
We haven't been to Kells for a while - it's a great Irish pub and their corned beef sandwiches are fantastic but I had the Dublin Coddle...a sausage/potato dish that was delish...must try to recreate it at home. Our last stop was Le Panier...chocolate and vanilla eclairs...yummmmm...
Home at last - where the mister opened his Father's Day Gift...
The boy had to hook it up for us and then he preceeded to laugh himself sick watching us "play"...he said, "Mom, I don't know what you paid for this but it's worth every penny!" Everyone's a comedian. It was a great Father's Day for the mister...and for me, too!
As the boy was growing up he routinely told me what a wonderful cook I was...when I served him Kraft Macaroni and Cheese with cut-up hotdogs along side he said I was the, "best cook in the world!" When I served him scrambled eggs with ketchup he said, "Mom you make the best eggs and ketchup!" When I served him soup out of a can he asked if I could show him how to make soup like that! So when I made him a Chocolate Jello Pudding Pie with melted Hershey Chocolate bar pieces, my "cooking crown" was firmly cemented upon my head. This is his favorite pie. On his birthday, or on other special occasions, he'll ask me to make him chocolate pie. In the past, I've tried different chocolate pie recipes, wanting to make the boy the best tasting pie out there, including this pie which is TOTALLY AMAZING...but the boy turned his nose up.
This is one of those recipes that everyone can make...staples from the pantry, tried and true, and it does taste great...over the years I've learned a few tricks to make sure this pie doesn't taste like it came from a box:
1. Do not use the Instant pudding...the "cook and serve" type is what you want.
2. Use only whole milk...anything else and your pie will not only taste like it came from a box but it will taste LIKE the box.
3. Use the regular Oreo's...no low-fat versions please.
4. Use real whipped cream. Please.
5. Do not substitute the butter with margarine or worse, if you "can't believe it's butter" then your pie won't either!
6. You CAN substitute the Hershey chocolate for another brand of chocolate, something better...but really, that would be like taking a hotdog to a banquet...Hershey and Jello go hand in hand.
Doubling this recipe will give you a 10-inch deep-dish pie, which is what I make. For a 9-inch pie, cut the recipe in half. Oh...if making the bigger pie you'll have about a cup of filling left over...cook's bonus!
Chocolate Cream Pie With An Oreo Crust ~ Pots and Pins
30 Oreo Cookies
1/2 stick butter
2 packages (5 oz.) Jello Chocolate Cook and Serve Pudding
To make crust: Put Oreo's into a food processor, process until crumbly. Melt butter in microwave, pour over crushed Oreo's and process until butter is incorporated and the Oreo's are a fine crumb, about 12 pulses. Press this mixture into the bottom and sides of a 10-inch deep-dish pie pan. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove pie from refrigerator and bake in oven for 10 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool slightly.
To make filling: In a large saucepan, stir the milk and both packages of Jello Chocolate Cook and Serve Pudding together over medium-high heat. Stir constantly until mixtures comes to a full boil. Remove from heat. Break the Hershey bars into small pieces and add all but two small pieces to the chocolate pudding; stirring until the chocolate has completely melted. (Reserve those pieces for chocolate shavings on top of pie.) Pour filling into slightly cooled pie shell. Cover top of pie with a piece of plastic wrap or waxed paper. Refrigerate pie until completely cooled, about 3 hours.
To make whipped cream: In a medium bowl, whip the cream with a hand-held mixer until soft peaks form. Add in the vanilla and powdered sugar. Continuing beating until stiff peaks form. Pile whipped cream on top of cooled pie. Grate remaining chocolate pieces over top of whipped cream. Serve cold. Makes 8 servings.
"There is no need to do any housework at all. After the first four years the dirt doesn't get any worse." ~ Quentin Crisp
Being a quilter for over 30 years, I've learned one thing that's for sure (as my good friend Ops - short for Oprah - would say) and that's this: You can't go wrong if you buy too much! You will never be forced to have a "close enough" fabric in a quilt again! I've always said that I make 30-foot quilts - or put another way, quilts that look good from 30 feet away! One day I hope to make "inchers." In the meantime, as I struggle to make points match, I'm happily trying to cover every bed, sofa, and chair in my house with a quilt - that's normal, right?
Ahhhh....food....
We may live without poetry, music and art;
We may live without conscience and
live without heart;
We may live without friends;
we may live without books;
But civilized man cannot live without cooks.
He may live without books,
what is knowledge but grieving?
He may live without hope,
What is hope but deceiving?
He may live without love,
What is passion but pining?
But where is the man that can live without dining?
Owen Meredith...or as I like to call him....
The Earl of Sandwich
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