Pots and Pins

Valentine Wool Heart Pillow...

Valentine's started early around here - when the last of the Christmas lights came down - finally - the mister said, "I hope you're not planning on putting any more crap up any time soon!"  Well folks, that was all he needed to say...

Little by little I've been putting it out...not really to irritate the old buzzard but because I've got a few Valentine parties coming up - more on them soon!  Last year I made my mom a wool heart pillow (you can see it by clicking here) and I decided it was time I finished the one I started a year ago for myself.  Mine is a bit larger than mom's - only because I got carried away with making the wool rosettes - fast and fun!  You can see how to make the rosettes by clicking here, just don't add the pin.  (I used six different colors of wool, cut from thrifted wool blazers, and I also used rosettes made from a silk skirt that was headed to Good Will!)  I love how "textural" this pillow is!  The rosettes are hot-glued onto a heart-shaped pillow; you won't feel or see the glue because of how heavy the wool is.  IF you decide to make yourself one of these, make the pillow first and stuff it.  Then attach the rosettes - it's much easier this way.

I'm kind of addicted to sewing boxes - they are all over the house.  I purchased this little basket - added some trim, batting and fabric and now it's a mini-sewing box.  It holds everything I need to keep me sitting in front of the TV come game day!  The heart on the front is an old earring - it weighs a TON!  I found it in a jar of buttons I purchased at a garage sale - I can only imagine that whoever wore those earrings must have rather large earlobes - Ubangi style - not that there's anything wrong with that!

Speaking of Valentine's Day...my friends at Coupon Mountain are having a delightful giveaway...go and see for yourself, you could win a fabulous DIAMOND NECKLACE from Zales!  Just click here!

Homemade Starch...

Monkey see.  Monkey do.  Especially when THIS monkey saw what Freda's Hive cooked up...she is always creating something wonderful in her hive!  When I read her post about homemade starch I decided I would make myself a batch...but then, since I was going to be hosting my quilt group I decided they should have homemade starch, too!  It was so easy and fast - and it smells exactly like Mary Ellen's Best Press, but at a fraction of the cost!

 

 

 

 

There are MANY recipes on the internet for homemade starch - which is basically cornstarch and water.  See?  easy!    I added lavender essential oil - just two drops per bottle - it's scent will carry me to the lavender fields of Provence while I'm ironing!!  (Oh, for those of you who know me, you'll scoff at this because you THINK I never iron...but I do iron my clothes...and I DO iron my quilt tops - AFTER they are completely pieced...I'm not crazy!)

One recipe I read said to add vodka to the mix!  It said since the essential oil and water won't mix, the  vodka would "make it"...and then the very next recipe I read said to SKIP adding the vodka, instead, pour it over a glass of ice and drink it!  Then you won't care if your clothes are ironed or not!  I didn't add vodka...but you do have to shake this before you use it as the cornstarch settles on the bottom of the bottle.  Two drops of essential oil in a bottle this size is not enough to worry about after it's been shaken...and it starches like a dream!

Once I added a label my homemade starch was ready to go!  Wooden Valentine's are optional.  My quilt group ladies all took one home - now I'll be anxiously waiting to hear how they like it since they all iron like fiends!

Homemade Cornstarch

1 1/2 tablespoons of cornstarch, the regular grocery store variety that you use to thicken gravy/soups

3 1/3 cups cool water

2 drops lavender essential oil (I purchased mine at L'Occitaine for $18)

plastic spray bottle

Pour water into bottle, add cornstarch and essential oil drops,  Put top on and shake.  The end.   

Wasn't it lucky I found bottles with PINK sprayers!  This starch recipe makes a medium-lite starch.  If you wanted a heavier starch you would add more cornstarch.  I would suggest that you go on-line and look at all the recipes - some are quite unusual and funny - but most of them have the ingredients listed above and all of the reviews are pretty great.  Just remember to shake it before you use it!

Baked Eggs in Tomatoes...

To say the mister suffers from Reverse Darwinism is only stating the truth.  He cannot follow SIMPLE orders requests to save himself!  While I was away he was supposed to remove the final vistages of Christmas...the lights on the house, the garland around the door, the plastic Frosty and his family (yes, a plastic Frosty, what of it?!), etc., which is about a 10 minute deal.  But did he?  No...no, he did not.  Did he do his own laundry while I was away?  Nope.  Did he bother to turn on the dishwasher?  Naw, not a chance.  Did he clean up after the Wonder Dog when he made a little "sculpture" in the living room?  Negatory.  So what did the mister do while I was away?  He slopped food on the nightstand.  He dripped Diet Coke down the stairs.  And he had the tree in front of the dining room window CHOPPED DOWN.

 

 

 

Last Spring I casually said, "We should probably take that tree out, it's got a disease, is never going to look good, and we could put a fountain in it's place!"  That was NINE months ago.  Nothing has been said since about that tree.  Nothing.  I'm simply illuminating, for you, as a public courtesy, ONE of the mister's issues - you know, in case you ever have the chance to talk with him and say, ask him a question...you will know he has a delay.  A NINE-MONTH delay.  I will admit to a ten-minute delay, fifteen tops, and that's only because I've given birth - twice - that's a proven cause and effect.  Now the tree is gone and there's been no mention of a fountain...perhaps I'll see it in nine months?  And if I don't take down the Christmas lights I suppose I can expect the mister to get to them by September.    

For his "Honey I'm Home" breakfast, I served the mister Baked Eggs in Tomatoes, not as a reward mind you, but because I took pity on him...someone had to - it must be hard going through life dragging one's knuckles on the ground!  Mushrooms and onions are sauteed in olive oil until browned, then spooned into scooped out tomato "shells."  An egg is cracked on top and they are then baked for about thirty minutes - giving you plenty of time to cook up some grits and fry some prosciutto/bacon/sausage.  The mister said these are worth FOUR dangs...would have given them FIVE if they'd had cheese on top...but alas, they did not. 

Baked Eggs in Tomatoes - Adapted from Rachel Ray

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 crimini mushrooms, roughly chopped

1/4 medium white onion, finely chopped

4 medium to large tomatoes, washed, dried, insides scooped out

4 eggs

salt and pepper to taste

fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish, optional

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a small skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat, add onion and mushrooms and cook for about 6 to 7 minutes, until onions are soft and mushrooms are slightly browned; season with salt and pepper to taste.  While mushrooms/onions are cooking, slice off tops of tomatoes and scoop out the insides, being careful not to cut through the skin.  Turn upside down and drain on a paper towel.  When mushroom mixture is done, spoon 1/4 of the the mixture into each tomato.  Transfer tomatoes to a rimmed-baking dish or pie plate.  Pack down the filling, crack 1 egg on top of each and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Bake until the egg whites are opaque, (or longer if you want the yolk cooked more) about 25 to 30 minutes.  Sprinkle with fresh parsley if desired.  (I was fresh out of fresh parsley!)  I served the mister his baked eggs on a bed of grits - which, as you know, he has to have on a weekly basis.

What about his diet you ask?  He is now only dieting Monday thru Friday - going to take the weekends off and eat whatever he wants...like I mentioned above, Reverse Darwinism, it's not pretty in a grown man!

Lori Holt's Quilts...

I have loved Lori's quilts for years - oohed and aahed over them.  And I'm a regular stalker on her blog, Bee In My Bonnet, which is filled with her wonderful quilts and great tutorials.  Several years ago I was in a quilt shop in Utah and I saw her Thanksgiving quilt, which was being done as a block of the month, on the wall in the shop.  They were OUT of the pattern and I was so taken with it that I decided I would just take pictures of the blocks and make a few notes, when no one was looking, and then I'd whip it up myself.  Yes, that's cheating.  But they didn't have the pattern and I was a HUGE FAN and thought to myself, "Lori would WANT me to copy her work!"  Thiefs have a way of rationalizing things.  As it turned out I couldn't make heads or tails out of what I wrote and the pictures were too fuzzy to pick up the little details that Lori puts in all of her quilts...so I called the fabric shop and asked them to mail me the pattern when it was back in stock...  it's STILL sitting on my TO MAKE pile...one day...

 

 

 

 

 

(You can click on the pics to see a larger version - which still won't do Lori's quilts justice!)  Two weeks ago I read on Lori's blog  that her quilts were all on display at American Quilting in Orem, Utah...all of them in ONE PLACE!  Be still my heart!  So last week, whilst I was in Utah...I made the trek to Orem (riding in the car, going anywhere with my dad, is a trek) to see Lori's quilts.  American Quilting is a darling little shop - worth the trip - but especially worth it to see Lori's quilt!!  They were all hanging up high in the classroom - one beautiful work of art after another!  My mom and I went in and oogled every one...Mom loved the apron quilt the most (Dad stayed in the car, not really knowing what he was missing - which was fine, but have you ever tried to ENJOY something while your dad is in the car WAITING for you?!?  Godfrey!  It's like hearing the ticking of the clock in Peter Pan's Croc!)

 

 

 

 

 

Lori's quilts are whimsical, fanciful and will remind you of your childhood - or the childhood you WISHED you'd had!  Just look at the detail in her Paper Doll quilt!  Mind-boggling!  I can't decide which one I like best because they all "spoke" to me - but if I had to choose, I'd pick her kitchen quilt...or the Thanksgiving quilt...or the Paper Doll...geeze...guess it's a good thing I don't HAVE to pick a fav!

 

 

 

 

 

Each of Lori's quilts tell a story and you'll know the stories, you'll recognize yourself in her quilts.  You'll see the love that's stitched into every piece of fabric.  You'll begin to get a glimpse of the kind of person Lori is - generous to a fault, loving and caring...faith, family and friends mean everything to her and you can see that in her work.  She's the kind of neighbor we all wish we had...the kind of friend we want dropping by on a rainy afternoon because, and this is NO LIE, she's a walking, talking creative genius!

 

 

 

 

In my next life I'm going to be Lori Holt.  Or her neighbor.  Definitely her friend.  Okay, I've decided, this is my favorite Lori Holt Quilt:

Can't you just smell that turkey?!?  And the sweet potatoes??  And check out all the different pies!  Oh my...it's a feast for the eyes! You can purchase all of Lori's patterns at Material Girls Quilt Shop, or go to her blog and check out the list of other quilt shops you can order from. All of Lori's quilt are hand-appliqued so if you are an applique-er (not sure if that's a word!) then you are going to love her easy to read patterns!  Plus her quilts are scrappy-happy - what a great way to bust your stash! 

Thanks to Lori and American Quilting, it was so fun to see those quilts!  Can't wait to see what she comes up with next!

Two of Mom's Quilts...

It was a great week with the fam - Baby Max was happy to see me and wasn't the least bit stingy with his hugs.  His Great-Grammy taught him some new tricks this past week, too, like showing him how to get water out of her refrigerator...

Take my advice - this is NOT something you want to teach your two year old!  Max had a GREAT time helping himself to HUGE glasses of water - and Grammy got her floor washed!  

I've shown you mom's quilts before, but these two caught my eye and I thought they were worth a second look.  Mom has this little wall-hanging/table topper, over the back of a bench by her back door - even though Christmas is over it brightens up the hallway.  I made this for her a long time ago and I'd forgotten just how simple it's construction is - just squares and half-square triangles!  I MIGHT have to make a bunch of these for Christmas gifts this year!

 

 

 

 

Mom's Hawaiian quilt hangs in her back hallway - it's been there a while as you can tell from the folds in the quilt.  Time to refold it I think!  I made this for my mom in 1997, I think, as a thank you to her for taking me to Hawaii - we had a such a great time.  My mom was a big-wig at the time with her work and the Hyatt Waikaloa (now a Hilton) on the Big Island rolled out the red carpet for her - complimentary spa day, complimentary dinners, complimentary helicopter ride over the STILL erupting volcano!  Screaming at the top of my lungs in a little rat-trap-chopper while flying over the crater as the molten lava swirled and spit at us - Godfrey!  When I think back on that day my heart begins to race - it was, by far, the MOST skeeeeered I have ever done!!

Hand-appliqued and machine quilted - I probably should have done a bit of stitching on the applique to keep it from puckering - or a bit of trapunto.  I suppose I can do that on my next trip to Utah while we're sitting around at night watching TV! 

Breakfast Cookies...Delicious, Filling AND Healthy!

The mister has taken to wearing shorts and a sweatshirt on the weekend around the manse.  This is a disturbing sight.  It's not that he has bad legs, on the contrary, they're quite nice and toned, however they are fluorescent in their whiteness.  But that's not what's disturbing...it's JANUARY and it's COLD and he's wearing shorts!  That can only mean one thing - his brain is not getting enough oxygen, allowing him to think clearly...cold weather = long pants.  I believe that's just one of the equations/questions used to evaluate men with dementia, am I right or am I right?  Maybe I wouldn't be so concerned if he just wore his shorts INSIDE but he wears them OUTSIDE, in the yard, causing our neighbors to don sunglasses as he struts to the mail box and back...and not only that, he's worn them to the hardware store, grocery store and the post office!  He's gone out in PUBLIC in them!  Now, here in the Northwest it's commonplace to see Tree Huggers wearing shorts (from Eddie Bauer) with wool socks (from REI) and sandals (handmade from hemp) but that's their way of making a statement...I'm-a-salmon-loving-spotted owl-protecting-granola-eating-Nirvana-listening-Greenpeace-door-knocking-hiker-biker-EPA-vegan-soy-latte-drinkin'-Microsoftie!  Hear me Roar!  What kind of statement does a Redskins sweatshirt, khaki golf shorts and Converse All-Star-High Tops with white socks make on an OLD MAN?!?  No offense intended to any shorts-wearing-wool-sock-hemp-sandal folks out there...I'm with you in spirit!

 

 

 

If I called these Breakfast Fiber Bars you wouldn't make them, let alone eat them.  If I called them Breakfast Protein Bars, you'd say, "been there, done that."  Calling them Breakfast Cookies allows for a certain illusion...chocolate chips, toasted nuts, chewy, sweet coconut...all those things that make cookies taste so great...and guess what?  THESE have all of that AND MORE!  Orange zest is the underlying flavor, it's fresh and unexpected!  Two of these cookies are a complete breakfast - at least, if you think of a breakfast that fills you up and makes you happy - plus each cookie has about 100 calories, making them a great snack as well...and here's the good part, they are loaded with vitamins and minerals thanks to Wheat Germ (it'll cure what ails you) and Bran Buds (it'll make you reg-lar)!  But don't make the  mistake of thinking they're granola cookies...because they taste much better than anything ganola-y... even if they are HEALTHY and GOOD FOR YOU!  If you eat too many you just might break out your shorts, socks and sandals so go easy at first!

I've been making these Breakfast Cookies for years - all of my friends and family have had them and have loved them.  You're not going to stuff four in your face before you realize you've eaten four, like you might if you were eating Oreos or Tollhouse Cookies...these are dense and chewy and substantial...which is why they are the perfect on the go food for breakfast or snack...give these a try, I think you'll love them!

Breakfast Cookies - Pots and Pins

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon orange zest

1 cup flour

4 cups rolled oats (do not use instant)

1/4 cup wheat germ

1/4 cup All Bran (Bran Buds) crushed

1 cup shredded coconut

1 cup chopped pecans, toasted

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Coating:

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spread pecans on small baking sheet and bake in oven for 7 to 8 minutes or until lightly brown and fragrant.  Remove and allow to cool.  Keep oven on.  Place All Bran in a Zip-lock style bag and crush with a rolling pin.  Set aside.  In a large mixing bowl, combine butter and brown sugar and mix until smooth.  Add in eggs, vanilla and orange rind and beat on low speed until well blended.  Stir in flour and mix thoroughly.  Add oats, wheat germ, crushed All Bran and blend well.  Fold in coconut, cooled pecans and chocolate chips.  (If you want to add more chocolate chips you can, but to keep the calorie count down I only add a few - just enough to make me think I'm eating a real cookie!  You could also add raisins or Craisins, instead of chocolate chips.) 

Make the coating:  In a small bowl combine 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon. 

Scoop dough into balls, about 2-inches in diameter, and roll in cinnamon sugar coating.  Place on cookie sheet and flatten slightly with the bottom of a glass.  Cookies should be about 1/2-inch thick.  Bake until lightly browned, about 10 to 12 minutes.  Remove and let sit for a few minutes before placing on wire racks to cool.  Makes 4 dozen cookies.

 

 

Wedding Advice Anyone?

The girl, who is a photographer, specializing in weddings, has asked me to write  a "Bridal Advice Column" on her website...I'll give you a moment to regain your composure...Of course, whenever anyone asks me about wedding advice my first response is DON'T DO IT!  RUN!!!  RUN LIKE THE WIND AND NEVER LOOK BACK!!!  But no one ever listens when they're in love, like my niece Gabby and her fiance Mike, pictured below.  My second response is, "How can I help?  I LOVE weddings!"  And that's the truth - IF they REALLY want to get married (and can't be talked, bribed or bought out of it) then I REALLY want to help - because weddings ARE fun!  Well, they are if you're not the MOB (mother of the bride) or Bridezilla incarnate!  

On the girl's website I am billed as a wedding planner with 18 years experience...and I suppose that's true - I've helped with more weddings than I can remember - and a few I'd like to forget!  I'm not a wedding planner per se, but I do know a thing or two about weddings...the ins and outs, the dos and don'ts, and how to make it personal and fun.  SO...if you'd like to read my pearls of advice for brides, grooms, or any other member of the wedding party, just click on on this link:

Lyndsey Fagerlund Photography 

 

Leave the girl a comment, tell her Momma sent you, or ask me a bridal/wedding question...you know I've got just the answer you need!

 

Don't they look so happy?!?  My niece should do teeth commercials - she has perfect teeth - and they're all hers - which is probably why her fiance loves her - he's a bit of a cowboy so I imagine her having her own teeth counts for something! 

Wool Table Runner...

Actually, this isn't really a runner...it's more like a long, wool doily - but doily sounds so grandma-ish, but wait, I AM a grandma so I guess it's okay to call this a doily!  Whatever, it's my latest creation and it looks great in our family room:

It's just a tad too long for my table but when one doesn't measure one gets what she gets!  I love how it brightens up this spot - and it needed brightening!  Doing hand-work is part of my diet...if I'm stitchin' then I can't be eatin'!

I've got to find me a new project that requires hand-work soon or else I'll be reaching for popcorn with BUTTER instead of embroidery floss, which has no calories and less taste!  Gee, now that I see the picture of my doily, maybe it won't stay on that table...maybe it will find a new, larger home...the jury's still out as you can tell!

Delicious Bran Muffins...

Two nuns walked into a bar and ordered a delicious bran muffin... as if...now that would be a great start to a joke if only delicious and bran, two words as opposite as they come, went together!  Bran is dry and tasteless with "regulating" abilities, and it appeals to practically no one in their right mind, unless they need "regulating."  Bran is also, according to Wikipedia, "... rich in dietary fiber and essential fatty acids and contains significant quantities of starch, protein, vitamins AND dietary minerals!"  And that ain't no load of  #@%$! (which is what you'll get if you eat too much!)  but, if you'll pardon my symbols, turns out that delicious and bran CAN be combined...and this recipe proves it!

 

 

 

Greg Atkinson, a Seattle Super Chef, had a recipe in last Sunday's paper for Molasses and Raisin Bran Muffins, and it caught my eye because he said simmering raisins in water and then pureeing them would "elevate these bran muffins above the commonplace."  Well, I'm all about elevating and practically ran to the kitchen to begin my ascent!  Was it possible to have delicious and bran at the same time?!?  I was going to find out - however, I didn't have wheat bran, which his recipe called for, instead I used Kellogg's Bran Buds...hard-pellet-shaped bits of bran that reminded me of what bunnies leave behind...I thought they would dissolve and melt into bran-nirvana.  I was wrong.  Those little Bran Buds held their shape - so the muffins were lumpy and very chewy...but the flavor of these muffins was undeniable!  Sweet and light on the inside and crispy-chewy and BURNED on the outside!  Only the top half was edible but I wanted the full bran Monty - so off to the store I went in search of wheat bran, I was determined to make the right the second time around.

 

 

 

Alas, wheat bran was no where to be seen...and I didn't feel like driving to Whole Paycheck Foods so I was forced to make another substitution, this time I used Bran Flake Cereal but I ground it up first...clever, no?  Well I thought so.  And while I was thinking I also thought I'd change a few other things in Greg's recipe (so much for making it right!)...so I simmered my raisins in orange juice...and I added in some dates, too!  And then, I got really crazy and tossed in some Maraschino Cherries!  I carefully watched how long they baked, reducing the time Greg suggested by FIVE minutes - burning the first batch proved to be fortuitous because it led me to the second BETTER batch, but I didn't want to push my luck so I watched the time like a hawk!

The end result is a muffin that is sweet and chewy, almost nutty. The bran taste, which is not my favorite, is there, but it's not the dominating flavor and neither is the molasses, which gives just a hint of richness - and you'd never guess there were raisins, dates or cherries in these muffins - just wholesome goodness in every bite.  These muffins are great the next day, too, in fact, they were almost even better.  I couldn't get the boy to eat them though, he turned up his nose claiming an allergy to bran and instead reached for a Hostess Ding Dong...his day of reckoning will come... and the mister will only eat them if there's ice cream on top - he's having a bit of difficulty staying on his diet.  What I don't eat in the next day I'll freeze - and when I'm rushing to get out the door in the morning I'll grab one to eat on the run - healthy, filling and dang good my friends, especially if you don't burn them!

Delicious Bran Muffins - Adapted (heavily) from Greg Atkinson

3/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup pitted dates

1/4 cup Maraschino cherries

1 cup orange juice

1/2 cup canola or corn oil

1/2 cup sugar4

1/2 cup molasses (I used mild molasses and not the full-body variety)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups Bran Flake Cereal, finely crushed (about 4 1/2 cups cereal will yield 2 cups crushed)

Line muffin tins with paper liners.  (18 liners needed.)  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Put cereal in a plastic Zip-lock style bag and crush it by rolling a rolling pin over the bag or put the cereal in a food processor and process until very small bits remain.  Set aside.  In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the raisins, dates and cherries in the orange juice and bring to a boil.  (In the picture above you'll notice that I did not add my cherries to the orange juice but added them with the sugar and oil.  Either way is fine, I just didn't want you to get hung up on the photo!)  Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.  Transfer mixture, including liquid, to a food processor and process until the mixture becomes a rough puree.  With the motor running, stream in the oil, sugar, molasses and the egg. 

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, then stir in the crushed bran cereal.  Add the orange juice/fruit mixture all at once to the dry mixture and stir just until the dry ingredients are moistened.  Do not overmix.  Fill baking liners about 3/4's of the way and bake until the muffins are browned on top and springy to the touch, about 15 to 17 minutes.  Do not over bake! Cool the muffins on a rack for at least 10 minutes before serving.  Makes 18 regular-sized muffins.

"Psychiatry enables us to correct our faults by confessing our parents' shortcomings."  ~ Laurence J. Peter

***************************************************************************************************************************

One year ago:  More Quilt Tops

Two years ago:  Ozark Mountain Ham and Beans

Three years ago:  Quilt For Samuel James

Chicken, Barley and Vegetable Soup...

Healthy is as Healthy does.  Unless Healthy is bland and boring.  Then Healthy is replaced by Hostess Ding-Dong's.  I'm just sayin', if one is going to STAY on a diet then one must eat GREAT tasting food or else the jig will be up!  This soup falls into the great-tasting category...plus it gets extra points for being healthy, full of vitamins and fiber and low in calories!

      

 

 

 

Please ignore the red pepper in the photo above, I don't know how it sneaked into the shot but it is NOT part of this soup - the rascal!  Chicken, browned in olive oil, salt and pepper is combined with onion, garlic and crimini mushrooms, which give this soup an earthy taste...make that full-bodied taste.  Fresh veggies round out the rest of the ingredients - and then, even though this tastes great just as it is, it is served with a lemon wedge - yep, you read that right - a lemon wedge!  It brightens up everything, making this, according to the mister, "the most excellent bowl of whatever I've ever had!"  He has such a way with words!  And just because I can, let me give you another example of the King's Speech - he brought up travel again last night and he said he'd like to "ride the trundle."  To which I replied, "Aren't you a little old for that?!?"  I had no idea what he was talking about but that's pretty much my pat come-back to anything he says.  But curiosity got the best of me and I had to ask, "What is a trundle?"  And he said, "You know, that thing that goes under the English Channel!"  Oooooh, the Chunnel...folks, he IS, even at his worst, great entertainment!

Here's the deal:  Cook the chicken, toss in the onions, garlic and 'shrooms.  Add vegetable broth, dump in all the chopped veggies and barley.  Let cook for one hour.  Stir in spinach, cook for 5 more minutes and it's done.  Serve with a lemon slice and sit back and enjoy the "mmm-mmmm's" 'cause you'll hear them, that's for DANG sure!  This isn't a tricked-out recipe - no fancy seasonings, no weird ingredients, just down-home and humble but it gets 5 dangs my friends because this one is dang, dang, dang, dang, dang good!

Chicken, Barley and Vegetable Soup - Pots and Pins

3 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, cut into bite-size pieces

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 large sweet onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

64 oz. vegetable broth

1 cup crimini mushrooms, sliced

1 cup fresh green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 cup zucchini, diced (about 2 small zucchini)

1 cup carrots, diced (about 2 carrots)

1 cup celery, diced (about 3 stalks celery)

1/2 cup pearled barley

1 cup (packed) fresh spinach, stems removed, roughly chopped

lemon wedges for serving

In a large Dutch oven or stock pot, heat olive oil and add chicken pieces, salt and pepper.  Cook over medium-high heat until chicken begins to brown and is almost cooked through, about 7 to 8 minutes.  Add in onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 7 minutes, or until onion just begins to soften.  Stir in garlic and mushrooms and cook for two more minutes.  Pour in vegetable broth.  Add in green beans, zucchini, carrots, celery and barley.  Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low and simmer for one hour.  Remove lid, stir in spinach and cook for additional 5 minutes.  Spoon into serving bowls and serve with lemon wedge to be squeezed into soup.  YUM!  Makes 8 servings.

"You grow up the day you have your first real laugh - at yourself."  ~ Ethel Barrymore

***************************************************************************************************************************

One year ago:  Red River Chili

Two years ago:  Satsuma Orange Marmalade

Three years ago:  Dixon's Famous Lemon Cream Cheese Pie