Pots and Pins

Quilt Group Friday...

Okay - get yourself comfortable, it's time to see some quilts.  Some amazing quilts.  Made by amazing women!  First up though is one of the sweetest blessing gowns I've ever seen...Terry made this for her new grand-daughter, Amaya.  Tiny little armholes, tiny little hat...so beautifully made.  Terry has another daughter who's pregnant and she's having a boy so next up for her is a "bubble suit" for his blessing - can't wait to see it!  Oh, and him, too!

 

This is Barbara's latest creation...yep, another circle quilt!  It's made with Oz fabrics by Moda...very pretty.  Barbara is always saying she's not going to buy more fabric because she has such a HUGE stash...whatever!

Barbara purchased the quilt on the left - she said it was too good a deal to pas up!  The next quilt is one Stephanie made years ago for the young women she taught at church...it's made out of denin and it is hand embroidered and tied.

   

This is Dawn's "Play For Pink" quilt that will be auctioned off at her annual golf tournament to raise money for breast cancer research.  Our group helped make this by making the pink log cabin blocks.  Dawn pieced the back and sewed the top together - it's really going to be beautiful when it's quilted.

 

Helen's family is going to have a reunion - to help pay for the place they're going to stay they decided to have a family auction...so she made these two quilts above to be auctioned off to family...people who know NOTHING about quilts...who will probably use them as dog beds...shameful really, because we thought as long as she's going to auction them off why not give US a chance?!?  Our money is just as good, am I right?!?!  Think about it Helen...for the love of all that is fabric!

This is a Helen "original"...just take a minute and look at all that went into this quilt top - it's truly wonderful!  

Lori brought in her very first quilt.  This was a "kit"...one that over 80 women made every month in our church!  Years ago a friend and I had the bright idea to teach the women in our church to quilt - those that wanted to learn came each month and got a kit - they could either stay for instruction or take it and go.  We did this for 6 or 7 months, I think.  It was a HUGE undertaking!!!  I cut 42 kits each month...and two other women cut the rest of the kits.  We made blocks that were pieced, appliqued and paper-pieced...so we covered all the bases.  After we ended our "lessons" we gave them a few months to get it put together and then we had a quilt show.  We had over 50 quilt tops and even some that quilted and bound at our show - all of them made from the same kits - and a lot of them were very different!  It was great fun to see the finished results - we hung them around the gym at the church and every wall was covered.  It was a fun thing to do...but not fun enough to do it ever again!   Lori's quilt is not yet bound...she used the binding on some other project...Lori...GO GET NEW BINDING AND IT 'ER DONE!

Lori's hexagon quilt - all quilted by Terry...so fun!  This is such an easy quilt to make...if you're looking for a fast quilt, pick up the American Jane pattern called Merry Go Round, it's a good one!

  Pictured at left is what happens at Quilt Group...we all end up covered in threads!

Denise brought in her latest creation...a new apron made with selvage edges on the top!  Very cute - she used the color dots and not the words - kind of reminds me of computer language.  Just think how many selvages you'd need to make an entire apron?!?!  

Last, but not least by ANY means, is this fabulous quilt made by Kareena.  This is a HUGE quilt...it measure something like 88 x 88!  This is Kareena's 5th quilt and it's sewn perfectly...the back is almost as pretty as the front!  Just look at all those matching points!  This is a Buggy Barn pattern, which was a bugger to make...the pattern itself is full of mistakes and difficult to understand...so if you decide to make it, read it thoroughly before you cut!  This is where I got the idea for my Santa Tree Quilt - but my quilt ended up nothing like the real thing! 

Well, that's it! In case you're thinking it's just too hot to quilt...remember that summer has NOT YET ARRIVED in the Northwest...it's still stinkin' cold outside!  And it looks like we're on for another cold and rainy 4th of July...but summer will eventually get here - usually by July 5th...so until then it's great to be hunkered down and quilting!

Insalata Pantasca - Potato Salad With Tomatoes, Olives and Capers and Italian Subs...

The mister said, "I have no stinkin' interest in going to Italy whatsoever."  He said it on two separate occasions.  Both times we were talking about our upcoming trip.  Both times I told him that if he doesn't want to go then he can stay home...my NEXT husband will take me.  Of course, he now says that I took what he said out of context...so I asked him, point blank, what he meant and told him I was going to post about it and he said, "You sound like a right-wing-Bible-totin'-Republican-half-truth teller" which is highlarious because that's exactly what HE IS...except for the Bible-totin part and I have the mailings from the Republican party to prove it!  He claims he said he'd RATHER go to Vietnam or China...but ITALY is on the agenda...NOT Vietnam or China and Italian Potato Salad and Subs is on the menu.

This is a great salad - full of robust, Italian flavors! I love the olives and capers - they're full of salt so don't go adding in any extra! I usually toss in some prosciutto or bacon but didn't have either on hand - it was just as good without it.  And if you're a fan of anchovies you could add them, too, but I'm certain that if you do then NO ONE else will eat it!  Kidding, I'm sure there's more than ONE anchovy fan in the world.  I like to serve this salad with an Italian Sub sandwich - they go together perfectly!

   

Making Italian Subs couldn't be easier - I cook my roast in a crock pot, put it in frozen and six hours later it's perfect.  Hogi buns are topped with fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, roasted red peppers and gobs of Italian-flavored roast...it was, in a word, spectacular!  These are great to make on a hot day - use your crock pot and don't heat up the kitchen - then wrap these beauties up, along with the Insalata Pantasca and take them on a picnic, eat them under a shady tree while Pavarotti sings on your I-Pod - if that ain't Heaven I don't know what is!

Recipe for Italian Subs follows...this would be the perfect 4th of July meal...it's an explosion of flavor!

Insalata Pantasca - Potato Salad With Tomatoes, Olives and Capers ~ Adapted From Epicurious, October 2001

1 1/2 pounds small, red potatoes, scrubbed, peels left on, quartered

Coarse salt

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved (quartered if very large)

1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped

1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved

2 tablespoons salted capers, well rinsed and drained

1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

Put the potatoes in a pot, cover with cold water by at least an inch, add a good pinch of salt, and bring to a boil. Cover partway, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the potatoes are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain on a rack set in the sink, rinse with cold water and leave them there until cool enough to handle.

In a large serving bowl combine tomatoes, onion, Kalamata olives, capers, parsley, red pepper flakes, oregano and pepper; mix well.  Add in cooled potatoes.  Drizzle olive oil over top and toss all to combine. 

Italian Sub Sandwiches - Me

3 lb. Beef Check Roast, frozen or thawed, either way is fine

1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning 

1 cup red wine (this marinates the meat - and it will be fall-off-the-bone-delicious so don't substitute!)

8 cloves garlic, peeled, whole

salt and pepper

1 jar (16 oz.) roasted red peppers

8 oz. fresh mozzarella

1 large bunch fresh basil

mayonnaise, optional

lettuce leaves for sandwiches, optional

tomato slices, optional

6 Hogi buns, toasted and buttered

Put frozen roast in crock pot on high and add the remaining ingredients.  Cover with lid and cook for 6 hours (if roast is thawed when you put it in then you will only need to cook for 5 hours).  When done, remove roast from crock pot to a cutting board.  Cover loosely with foil and let sit for about 15 minutes.  Slice roast or shred, whichever way you prefer, and place on serving platter.  Pour a bit of the juice from the crock pot over meat and let sit while you prepare the sandwiches.  

To assemble Italian subs:  Cover each toasted and butter bun with fresh mozzarella slices on one side.  Top that with basil and roasted red peppers.  Pile on the sliced or shredded beef.  If you like you can add lettuce, tomatoes and mayonnaise.  Makes 6 sandwiches.

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"We dare not trust our wit for making our house pleasant to our friend, so we buy ice cream."  ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Venna's 86th Birthday Party...

If she wasn't such a saint...such a happy, sweet person...such a kind and caring woman...she wouldn't deserve all the love and adoration she receives from everyone who knows her.  But she is all that and more.  My neighbor and friend, Venna, turned 86 last week (I don't think she wants me to broadcast her age so keep that under your hat!) and so we had a little celebration with balloons, cake and ice cream - even though Venna doesn't eat cake and ice cream...which is why she's the ball of fire that she is!  Here's some pics of the party - it was great fun and Venna was showered with gifts and goodies and as she left she thanked me and said, "Let's do this again in TEN years!"

 

 

  

 

The Coconut Cake with Lemon Curd seemed to be the favorite - I'll have that recipe up soon.  Everyone also loved the Key Lime Cake...it was quite lovely - and that recipe will be up soon, too. 

 

In the meantime you can find the Chocolate Pound Cake recipe here (I added a chocolate ganache glaze and chocolate candy bar pieces to the top...more IS more!)  And you can find the Summer Berry Cake recipe here.  The cheesecake with blueberries was a sugar-free cheesecake...yes, I know, sick and wrong, but I do have to say it was very good.  Nancy brought it (thanks Nancy!) as she wanted me to taste it to see just how good it was...she purchased it from Top Foods in Woodinville.

  

The birthday girl.

Of course we sang Happy Birthday to her and then we lit  some candles...as everyone was waiting for her to bend down and blow out the candles she quickly grabbed each candle, one at a time, pulled it out of the cake and brought it up to her face, THEN she blew them out!  As she explained, this way no spit would get on the cake!  Who knew?!?

I'm already at work planning Venna's 96th birthday party...just hope I'M ALIVE TO DO IT - I have no doubt Venna will be!

Big Boy Max...

Feast your eyes upon the nicest little boy in all the world...Big Boy Max, formerly Baby Max.  

He is so, so sweet and happy - all of the time - there just isn't a better boy.   

 

I miss him terribly!!  I haven't seen my Max for almost TWO months!

It's time for a trip.

He must miss me as much as I miss him....at least in my mind he does.

Just look at how long his legs are!  He's growing way too fast for me!

Grandkids are the best - truly.

Better than butter.

Santa-Tree Quilt...

I've been burning the midnight oil lately - FOUR quilts finished in two weeks!  Well, not really, one finished and three tops made...but that's like Herculean in terms of accomplishment in the quilting world...okay, maybe just my world.  Here's the 4th and final quilt for the month of June:

The 4 blocks in the center of the quilt are from a Buggy Barn pattern, Santa Baby, from their book  Positively Crazy .  The Real Quilter and The Aussie made the pattern, exactly as it was written and even used Buggy Barn fabrics and their quilts are stunners - and huge!  Those center blocks are 22-inches square!!  The original pattern calls for 16 blocks - 4 across and 4 down, so I'm talking HUGE!  I just couldn't fathom that...and the pattern also showed this quilt made with dark reds, creams, greens, more subdued than I wanted.  I have an enormous Christmas stash...most of which is brightly colored vintage fabrics and I've been itching to use it.

  

When I cut my fabrics, I cut enough to make 9 blocks, 3 across and 3 down, thinking that would be the perfect size...but something happened during the cutting process and I ended up with only FOUR sets of useable pieces...so me.  And that's why I only have 4 blocks - but it was a fortuitous error because even with 4 blocks this quilt measures 68x68-inches - which is PLENTY big!

 

Since I adapted the pattern I had this large center block which was rather dull - I like how the Ho-Ho-Ho brought it to life.  Most of the vintage Christmas fabric I have came from a box of fabric that I purchased at a garage sale for $5 a few years back.  I loved using it in this quilt - it's just so dang happy!

Next up is the backing, which I'm going to piece from some of the larger Christmas prints I have - then I'll get it quilted...after all, Christmas is only 182 days away!  

Pork Chops with Rosemary-Mustard Sauce...

The other night, the mister and his good friend Jack had themselves a rollicking fest of fun.  They rolled in about 8:30 PM and asked what was for dinner.  Dinner?  You mean the dinner that was hot and ready to eat at 7:00 PM?!?  That dinner?  Oh.  Sorry you missed it.  It was delicious.  And then...the mister, buoyed by his good friend Jack, had the temerity to say, "Well, if I'd known you were cooking dinner I would have been home earlier!"  If he'd KNOWN...it's only been THIRTY DARN YEARS that I've cooked dinner every stinkin' night!!  And then he said, "Why didn't YOU let me know?!?"  And there is it.  It's my fault that I cooked him a nice dinner...my fault that I had it ready for him when he usually arrives home from Global Headquarters...my fault that I didn't CALL HIM...my fault.  Is it too much to ask that the mister be given a screen writer to follow him around 24/7 and hand him little gems to say at the appropriate time?  Really, is that too much to ask?  Because in my way of thinking, that screen writer could have handed him a piece of paper that said, "Gee, honey, I'm so sorry, I just got carried away and it will never happen again and you're the most wonderful, beautiful person on the planet and my life would be crap without you, please forgive me!"  And I would have dug his pork chop out of the trash, washed it off, reheated it and served it up with a smile on my face.  I would have.  I'm that kind of gal.

Pork chops can be kind of bland but this recipe is in no way bland!  My pork chops were about 1 1/2-inches thick so I pounded them down so they would cook faster.  First I seared them in an oven-proof skillet, 5 minutes on each side; then removed them to a plate while I made the sauce, which takes all of 5 minutes!  Butter, apple cider vinegar, cream, Dijon mustard and a sprig of rosemary...that's it!  And let me tell you, it's dang good...as in dang, dang, dang, dang, dang good!  Yep, 5 dangs my friends...full of flavor, sauce so delicious you'll want to use a straw...and don't get all hung up on the fact that there is cream and butter in it...it's okay...you just spoon about a tablespoon over each chop so that's practically no calories at all!  

To make sure the pork chops are cooked perfectly I use a meat thermometer...165 degrees is where I like them...so after the sauce is made I put the chops back into the skillet, swirl them around a bit and then pop them into a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes to finish cooking...lip-smackin'-drool-inducing-good!

Pork Chops With Rosemary-Mustard Sauce - Me

3 pork chops, about 1 to 1 1/2-inches thick, fat trimmed

1 tablespoon olive oil

salt and pepper

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 sprig fresh rosemary, leaves left on stem

1/2 cup cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a Zip-lock style bag, flatten pork chops with a rolling pin, until about 1/2-inch thick.  Salt and pepper both sides of chops.  In an oven-proof skillet heat olive oil.  Add pork chops to the skillet and let cook for about 5 minutes, check after about 4 to make sure they are seared and not burned.  Turn over and cook for additional 4 to 5 minutes.  Remove chops to a plate and keep warm by covering with foil.  Pour out any remaining oil from pan.  Over medium-high heat, melt butter in the pan and whisk in vinegar and Dijon mustard.  Add in sprig of rosemary, whole, and slowly pour in cream, whisking continuously.  Reduce heat and add pork chops and any juices that may have collected on the plate to skillet.  Stir to blend and spoon sauce over chops.  Check inner temperature of chops with a meat thermometer or cut into them to see if they are done, if not, pop into oven until center of pork chop temperature reaches 165 degrees or they are done to your liking, about 10 to 15 minutes.  Serve by spooning additional sauce on top.  Serves 3.

Christmas Quilt...

This one has been in the making for 9 years!!!  In 2001 our quilt group did a project where we made Christmas blocks for each other...I think I received about a dozen or so.  I used some of the blocks in other projects and over the years the remaining blocks just kept getting stuffed in my "to make" basket.  Since this is my year to finish things - I dug them out and got to work...but working with blocks that aren't the same size requires a lot of piecing!!  For the last 4 weeks I've worked on this quilt - adding bits here and there, hand-appliqueing, embroidering, and now I think I'm done!

Fortunately, the blocks that were given to me were signed, because there is no way I would have remembered!

 

Underneath the holly applique (above left) is part of a strip "block" that Joyce made for my strip quilt...it didn't quite work in that quilt as she added in black and black was a no-no...but it's the perfect background for the holly!  Next to that is a Santa applique made by Jane Baldry - thanks Jane!  The block with the 4 pieced trees was made for me by Mari - who made two blocks in this quilt - so thanks Mari!

  

Above left are two blocks made by Susan Richards, the Snowman and the mittens - and she dated her blocks, 2001, so that's how I know it's been 9 years!  Thanks Susan!  Above right is the other block made by Mari, the pointsettia, and the pieced block in green plaid, on the far right, was made by Helen...her block was not signed but there is no mistaking a "Helen block!"  Thanks Helen!

Now what you're looking at here is either sheer genius or sheer madness...Deborah Jaffe, a former member of our group made the most amazing quilts.  One year for our Christmas gift exchange I was lucky enough to get the gift she brought...it was wrapped up in fabric SHE MADE!!  She sewed together little bits of fabric into about a 25"-inch square...and wrapped something up in it...I can't remember what was inside because the outside was SO amazing.  I've held onto her fabric for such a long time - trying to decide how best to use it...finally, I decided to put it into my Christmas quilt as the sashing.  So all of those little pieces of fabric/color you see in the sashing is PIECED!  Love it!  Thanks Deborah!

The rest of the blocks were made by yours truly - and I just noticed that the Santa block in the bottom right corner is without a mouth!  Oops!  I'll get right on that!  Also, above the Santa block is a pear tree...yes, those are pears, and a partridge sitting on top...the mister asked why I had a giant do-do bird on top of a cactus...someone needs to give that man a telethon!

Circle Quilt...Ode to The Fashionista...

The Fashionista...wearer of all things in, disciple of People Magazine, with functioning left AND right brain as her IQ is unmatched, sun worshiper, age-defy-er, beauty product officionado, tall, beautiful AND thin...but, most importantly, The Fashionista is also a quilter.  She's the one responsible for the Circle quilt being brought to my attention...the very same one who has made the Circle Quilt into an art form.  I recently saw one of her circle quilts (she'd given it a friend, her sense of style is only topped by her generosity)...it was unlike anything I've ever seen...her use of color and fabric is in a class all by itself.  I could not stop thinking about it...so I decided to make one for myself...I call it my "Ode to The Fashionista" quilt...because I tried to capture her style - her unique sense of color...I don't know if I did or not, but I like it!

My quilt is much more "tart" than a true Fashionista Quilt would be...her colors are always so warm and yummy...

What it lacks in terms of a real Fashionista quilt, I think it makes up for in "happy"...it's got loads of "happy!"  Now to get it quilted so some of that "happy" will rub off on me!  

The circles are made with a CD as the pattern.  They are raw-edge, machine-stitched onto a 6-inch block.  The quilt measures 63x73-inches and has a 1-inch inner border and an 8-inch outer border.  It's the perfect size to wrap up in after a long-hard day scrubbing terlets and slaving over hot coals.

 

Congrats to Domestic Diva! She's the Winner!

Dear Domestic Diva!  Thanks for playing along...you've won the $40 gift card to Cookware.com!!  (You were #25 with Random Generator) I just know you'll love shopping with Cookware.com - they have nothing but the best kitchen "necessities!"  I'll shoot you an email so you can tell me where to send your gift card! 

By the way, most of you thought we should go with this vanity: 

And after thinking about this for much longer than I wanted, it IS the one we're going with!  Hopefully I'll have pics of the new powder room in a few weeks...right after the mister leaves town! 

$40 Gift Card Giveaway!!

My new best friends at CSN are giving me a $40 gift card to give away to one lucky reader!! But really, I should be giving THEM one!  They introduced me to this great site where I've been spending a lot of time trying to decide which vanity to buy!  But I can't decide - so that's where YOU come in!  Take a look at  the "finalists" below and tell me which one you like and why...and you'll be entered in a giveaway to win a $40 gift card to Cookware.com.  Contest ends Monday evening at 6:00...so hurry!

We're getting ready to redo our half bath - it's in desperate need of a face lift!  I finally decided that the best use of our money would be to replace the vanity in the bathroom with a new one...something exciting...I like this one a lot!:

It's very sophisticated, and I love the rounded sides... or there's this:

 

It's a "top seller" but I'm not that brave...maybe in my next life...but then, it's very cool and maybe if I bought this one I would be cool, too?!?  But then, how about this one, it's definitely cool:

 

Yet another top seller...very modern...except that I'm decidedly un-modern...I'm more traditional I suppose but I do love the "surprise" that this one would provide...okay, one more...it's very nice, very understated and elegant...which is probably what I should strive for instead of "surprise"...really, who likes "surprise" in a bathroom?!? 

I love being able to see everything on line - and I love the prices I'm finding! It sure beats driving all over creation to find the right piece!

Now to get the mister out of town for a few days so I can get it here and installed before he returns - he'll never even know! 

Just leave me a comment telling me which vanity you think I should get and I'll pick a winner for the $40 gift card to Cookware.com on Monday, June 21st.