Pots and Pins

Note to Self...

When you're tired and have too much on your mind so that you can't think straight...you should not sew...or operate heavy machinery.  Because this is what happens:

You sew your block for Quilt Group together, and you're so proud of yourself - it looks so good - perfert points and all!  And you don't even notice the mistake - the GLARING mistake!  And when the mistake is called to your attention you curse yourself and swear that in your next life you will NOT be you!

You then UNsew your block - carefully picking out four seams.  You REsew the block, feeling like an idiot, but then, what else is new? 

Let's do some math, shall we? 

Time to pick fabric and cut it:  10 minutes

Time to sew original block:  10 minutes (thanks to Lori who cut all of pieces for me, except the pink ones, and even told me how to sew it - and WITH her help I still managed to screw it up!)

Driving time to deliver block:  5 minutes.

Driving time BACK to pick up block to resew it:  5 minutes.

Time to UNsew block:  10 minutes.

Time to REsew block:  5 minutes.

Time to RE-deliver block:  5 minutes.

Total time to make and deliver ONE STINKIN' QUILT BLOCK:  50 minutes!!!

At this rate, I just might have a new quilt done by the year TWENTY FIFTEEN! 

Bloody Mary Soup...

I have just discovered another reason for living...Mr. and Mrs. T Bold and Spicy Bloody Mary Mix.  It's a party in a glass - and that's without vodka!  I don't drink, which is odd, because really, who needs a drink more than me?!?  Living with the mister should give me a pass on that!  But I do love my mocktails...and this spicy-kick-in-the-pants mix is a great way to jump start the day.  And, as it turns out, it's a great way to end the day as well!  I love the flavor of this mix so much that I came up with this soup - it's made in the crock pot and it couldn't be easier - 4  hours later you've got yourself one heck of a meal!

 

 

 

 

Stew beef, dredged in flour and then seared on the stove top, gives this soup a nice hearty flavor.  The pan used to cook the meat is deglazed with vegetable broth and then the meat and the broth are poured into the crock pot, along with the Bloody Mary Mix and the veggies.  No other spices are needed, it's all taken care of by the mix.  I liked this a lot, as did the mister (he was thrilled when he saw the mix in the fridge, until he was told there was no vodka to go with it, just meat!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

The "bold and spicy" bit shouldn't scare you off - this soup is not all that spicy but it does have a nice little zippity-do-dah to it that will have you wanting to make it again!

Bloody Mary Soup - Pots and Pins

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 lbs. beef stew meat, cut into bite-sized chunks

1/4 cup flour

plastic Zip-lock style bag

1 bottle (33.8 oz.) Mr. and Mrs. T Bold and Spicy Bloody Mary Mix

1 container (32 oz.) vegetable or beef broth

1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms

3 carrots, sliced

2 parsnips, sliced

2 stalks celery, sliced

1 cup green beans, sliced into 1-inch pieces

3 potatoes, peeled and diced

Plug in crock pot and turn to high.  Place beef pieces in plastic bag with the flour and toss to coat evenly.  Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Shake excess flour off of beef pieces and put about 6 or 7 pieces at a time into skillet.  Brown evenly on all sides, then remove to a plate.  Repeat with remaining pieces of beef.  When all of the beef has been browned. deglaze skillet with about 1 cup of the vegetable broth, stirring to loosen up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Pour contents of the skillet and the remaining vegetable broth into crock pot; add beef pieces.  Add remaining ingredients.  Cover with lid and allow to cook, on high, for 4 hours.   Serves 4 to 6.

 

Turkey Tarragon Soup...

The mister, who has always enjoyed getting out into the back forty once a week, you know, to pull a weed or kill a tree, told me yesterday, "It's time we start thinking about moving into a condo."  Translation:  Condo = Freedom.  No yard work...no weeds to pull, no trees to kill, no Moss, Mold, Mildew to remove from the deck.  And that's what put him over the edge - the 3-M's on the deck.  We live in a rain forest, mildew is part of the deal here...and once a year the mister has to get out there and remove it.  And once a year he mentions moving to a condo...but I fear we're on a very slippery, mildewy slope...and there's a condo at the bottom!

 

 

 

 

Not that there's anything wrong with living in a condo!  Oh Heaven's-to-Betsy No!  It's just for me to move in to a condo I would have to get rid of stuff...and, as a "Level One Hoarder," that would be extremely painful!  My goal is to be a Level Four Hoarder...before I have to move...sounds fun, no?

Let's talk soup.  If you like tarragon, (and if you don't then my guess is you haven't tried it) you're going to like this soup.  It's made with ground turkey, veggies and only a little bit of cream - just enough to make it velvety smooth - and certainly not enough to alert the calorie police.  Dijon mustard and tarragon, or as I like to call them, the dynamic duo, really take this soup to a higher level - worthy of 4 dangs on the ol' meter...this one is dang, dang, dang, dang good!

Turkey Tarragon Soup - Pots and Pins

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/4 lbs. ground turkey

8 oz. sliced mushrooms

1/2 cup diced white onion

2 stalks celery, thinly sliced

3 carrots, thinly sliced

2 cups small yellow potatoes, quartered

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons fresh tarragon, finely chopped

1 container (32 oz.) vegetable broth

1/2 cup cream

(Aah, you may have noticed above that I started out using a large skillet for the turkey - then it dawned on me that everything would not fit...so I moved the turkey into a large soup pot.  If you start with the right pot in the beginning you'll have one less pot to wash!) In a large soup pot, heat olive oil until hot.  Add ground turkey and onions and cook until turkey is browned and onions are just beginning to soften, about 7 to 8 minutes, stirring constantly.  Stir in remaining ingredients, except for the cream.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat and cover with a lid and cook for about 20 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender.  Stir in cream, heat thoroughly, but do not boil.  Adjust seasonings to taste.  Serves 6.

Peanut Butter Pretzel Pie With Fudge Topping...

Today is a snow day...school has been canceled and the mister stayed home from work.  Which means I'll have to "look busy" all day - definitely no TV or bon-bon eating!  Snow in Seattle is rare, snow this time of year is even more rare...this can only mean one thing, the "powers that be" have all aligned and it's time to buy lottery tickets!  Just think, I'll soon be six little numbers away from a one-way, first class ticket to Paris!  And a home in Maui!  And a really, really good plastic surgeon!!   I love the lottery...for two bucks I can dream big!  And that's what I'm going to do today...dream big while looking busy...actually, it's what I do every day, it's just no one is ever here to see it!   

It doesn't look like much, does it?  But don't be deceived...this is about as decadent as it gets.  Rich, creamy peanut butter filling on top of a crispy, salty, pretzel-cookie crust...the crust alone makes this worth making!  The pretzels are crushed then combined with brown sugar and buttah...lots of buttah. It's mouth-watering good...5 dangs worth of mouth-watering goodness! I have made this pie four times in the last month...FOUR!  It would be embarrassing to admit if I hadn't shared most of them...well, some of them.  This pie is on my Death Row Last Meal List...it's that good.  You have a list like that, right?  

The pie is perfecto as is, but when topped with fudge sauce it enters another realm.  A Heavenly Realm.  Amen.  I like to put the sauce on each individual slice of pie, instead of all over the top, because it just makes it prettier.  But in the above pic, there wasn't much pie left so I just put it all over and ate it out of the pan...I mean, I served it on a pretty plate to the mister, who thanked me profusely over and over. 

Peanut Butter Pretzel Pie With Fudge Topping - (I have no idea where I got this recipe from!  I ripped it out of a magazine and adapted it quite a bit.  The original recipe makes a tart and calls for a caramel drizzle over the top...but fudge and peanut butter work so much better than caramel and peanut butter.  My apologies for not writing down which magazine!)

2 cups broken salted pretzel sticks

1/2 cup brown sugar

3/8 teaspoon salt

1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled

3 tablespoons softened butter

2/3 cup cream cheese, softened

2/3 cup peanut butter

1 1/4 cups heavy cream, chilled

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup granulated sugar

Fudge Sauce:

1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk

1/2 can (condensed milk can) water

6 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 heaping tablespoon cocoa powder

Make Crust:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Using a food processor, finely grind the pretzels, 1/4 cup of brown sugar and 1/8 teaspoon slat.  Transfer to a bowl, then stir in the melted butter.  Press evenly over the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate.  Bake until light brown around the edges, about 18 minutes.  Let cool on a rack.

Make Pie Filling:  Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, peanut butter and softened butter at medium-high speed until fluffy, about 1 minutes.  Beat in the remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar.  In a separate bowl, beat heavy cream with the vanilla and the half cup of granulated sugar, until soft peaks form, then fold into the peanut butter mixture.  Evenly spread the peanut butter mixture in the pie shell.  Cover with plastic wrap, then refrigerate until firm, at least 3 hours. 

Make Fudge Sauce:  Place all ingredients in the top of a double boiler on medium-low heat, stirring to combine.  Stir occasionally until mixture is smooth and without any lumps.  Remove from heat.  Refrigerate until cool to the touch.  Spoon into a Zip-lock style bag, snip off about 1/8-inch from a corner, and squeeze fudge sauce over tops of sliced pie.  Or you can decorate the top of the pie with fudge sauce and then slice and serve - either way works.  Serves 8.   

We Have A Winner....

And I think he's the only MAN who entered the contest...but that's not why he won!  He won because Random Generator picked his number! 

BILL TREADWAY!

And this was his comment:  "My name's Bill & I'm EHQ- or Esteemed Husband of a Quiltaholic... who follows your blog. I keep promising to flesh out two books that are in the outline stage and she gives me the same look I give her as when she disappears into the fabric store. I'd really like to have a look at this book as I've been holding out for the motivation to finish them. It'd also be very interesting to see what kinds of books various publishers handle. One is a comprehensive money saving cook book and the other a barnyard take on human relationships- yes, my mind is a twisted place! Anyhow, please put me in the drawing for the book- Thx, bt"

Thanks for playing along everyone!  And Bill, I'll be in touch about your winnings!

Savory Pumpkin Scones...

I was invited back!  I'm the Guest Post-er-du-jour over at Sew We Quilt/Stash Manicure today.  Now brace yourself...I'm sharing all I know about the world of publishing!  Yes, it's a rather short post, as I know very little, but IF you are interested in getting your quilt book, pattern book, novel published, I do have one very important tidbit to offer...so scurry on over to Stash and have yourself a read.  Oh...I'm giving away a copy of the 2011 edition of Writer's Market so be sure to leave me a comment over there to enter to win.  And, IF you win and you've left me a comment on this post, too, I'll throw in a copy of my books and my patterns.  WooHoo!  Then you'll be able to say, "Sheesh, if SHE can do it SO CAN I!"

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One more bit of house-keeping before I get to today's post...THANK YOU to everyone who left me a comment about my post on Max and Autism.  They were like a huge hug/boost and we appreciated every one.  I'm doing my best to respond to each and every one but if you don't hear from me or the girl personally, please know that we appreciate the time you took to write and your words were very comforting.

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I like to think of Nigella Lawson as the British version of Ina Garten - because both of them create amazing recipes that actually work and taste great 100% of the time - at least, that's been my experience.  When I first read Nigella's recipe for Pumpkin Scones, I had some serious doubts about how they would taste.  My idea of a pumpkin scone was something quite different than Nigella's.  Click here for my go-to Pumpkin Scone recipe.  I usually make my scones once a month and always have some in the freezer, ready to defrost when the mood strikes.  And with my limited thinking, I just couldn't imagine a pumpkin scone being made with anything other than cinnamon and cloves and a drizzle of icing on top!  The thought of Pumpkin Scones made with Parmesan cheese, Worcestershire sauce and white pepper just seemed bizarre...so I had to make them!

 

 

 

 

The mister walked into the kitchen just as I was patting out the dough and asked, "Are you making me something?"  I told him I was making pumpkin scones, he rolled his eyes, as usual.  I I told him to keep an open mind because these scones weren't my usual recipe...and when I told him what was going IN these scones he said, "Oh, so you're just making yourself something."  Why yes, man-who-is-afraid-of-flavor!  Yes I am!!  And I am SO happy to have these all to myself!  Aside from the pumpkin and those ingredients mentioned above, these scones also have Tabasco!!!   HoooRah!  But, before you go "pulling a mister" on me, you need to know these scones are NOT hot, not spicy and have very little "kick" whatsoever!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What they do have is a combination of flavors that blend together so well that you won't be able to pick any one of them out!  These scones are dense, moist, and savory and would be great served with a big bowl of soup or chili - almost like a very rich and nutty corn bread, except without the nuts...and the corn.  I plan to slather them with butter and have them for breakfast.  I'm rewarding myself, as the experts say I should, for staying on my diet.  I can now go three long hours, dieting the entire time, before I cave...now that's progress! 

Savory Pumpkin Scones - Adapted From Better Homes and Gardens, October 2010 and Nigella Lawson

3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup butter, melted

1 egg

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper or black pepper

1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 2/3 cups flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Milk for glazing tops

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a large bowl combine pumpkin, Parmesan, melted butter, egg, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, Tabasco and olive oil.  Stir well to mix.  In  another bowl combine flour, baking powder and baking soda.  Fold into pumpkin mixture and stir just until combined into a dough.  Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface.  Pat into a 10x5-inch rectangle.  Cut dough on an angle with a knife, cutting 8 scones.  Brush tops with milk to glaze.  Bake on an un-greased cookie sheet for 15 minutes or until golden.  Cool slightly.  Eat warm with butter if desired.  Makes 8 scones.  

Max and Autism...

Just writing that heading was hard.  Surely perfection has nothing to do with Autism - and  Max is perfection.  He came into this world perfect and sweet - the most wanted and loved baby on the planet.  Max was perfect, almost too perfect.  He slept fourteen hours through the night, rarely cried and always seemed happy.  He grew and developed just like the books said he should.  But as his grandma I worried.  Not because I thought anything was wrong, it's just part of being a grandma I suppose.  When Max was seventeen months old I told the girl to make sure he was not given all of his vaccinations at one time, like they do when babies turn eighteen months old.  I have three friends who have children with Autism, I had heard their stories, their suspicions about the unproven link between Autism and vaccinations, and I wanted to make sure the girl took every necessary precaution - but not because I thought anything was wrong.  

When Max was eighteen months old he came to visit, for Christmas.  It was so wonderful to have him here - everything he did made us ooh and aah.  He was the light of the house and we followed him around and watched his every move.  When he ran down the hallway on his tippy toes I remember thinking how very cute that was - but then I got this funny feeling, like something was wrong...just a little red flag, you might say, because babies don't naturally run on tippy toes, I'd read that somewhere.  But I couldn't remember what I'd read and quickly put my little red flag out of my mind. 

The next day I watched Max pick up a piece of ribbon and he began to spin it with his hand - round and round.  At first I thought it was just a funny little thing - but he continued, spinning and spinning the ribbon.  I was reminded of his fascination with ceiling fans - how they would transfix him.  I felt a sinking in the pit of my stomach...another little red flag...something was wrong.  Our little Max, the most perfect child on the planet, was doing things that didn't make sense. I told the girl what I saw, I told her my fears, and she knew - a mother always does - but hearing it from her mother was hard.  Saying, out loud, that something might be wrong with Max was like a slap in the face.  But what did it matter than he spun things aroung?  What did it matter that he ran on tippy toes?  He was still Max - still our perfect little boy. 

 

Max soon started developing more behaviors - and then there was the "disconnect."  The lack of emotion, the starring off into space, the laughing hysterically at nothing...it couldn't be denied.  Max has Autism.  He is somewhere on the "spectrum."  Over the last year it's been like a roller coaster ride for the girl/sil and the rest of the family.  We've all looked for signs that everything is fine - even reassured ourselves that he'll outgrow this.  And the truth is, no one knows, he just might.  We've read the books about "pulling your child OUT of Autism" and every other book/remedy we could get our hands on.  Max is getting all of the early intervention therapy that is available to him because we're told that's the "key."

I decided to share this with you (with the girl's permission) because I know Autism has touched many of your lives.  It affects one in seventy children, mainly boys.  It's everywhere, or so it seems.  Max is one of the lucky ones - he has language, he can talk, and while it's not conversational, he's getting there.  He's also very, very bright, and has savant qualities, especially with numbers and letters (which probably means he'll be "Microsoft Material" in twenty years or so!)   So I'm sharing this about Max because I want to know what you know about Autism.  What have you tried?  What gives you hope?  What have you read or seen or know that you can pass along to a family that is hit daily with waves of grief and joy.  Because that's what it's like - one minute we're tickled pink because Max continues to be the most perfect child there is and the next we're mired in sadness because Autism has taken bits and pieces from him, from all of us.  

Please don't feel sorry for me, the girl, and certainly not Max.  Max is loved and adored - almost to the point of worship around here!  He has everything he could ever want - and he's happy.  And he'll continue to get everything he wants - because that's my duty as a grandma.  And right now Max loves Mickey Mouse...he's smitten with Mickey.  He also loves Donald, Daisy, Minnie and the rest of the gang.  He loves watching videos of Mickey and wearing Disney clothes (he already has quite the Disney wardrobe!) and sometimes he's a bit unhappy when he has to take those clothes off! 

Max is going to celebrate his 3rd birthday very soon, and of course, he's going to have a Mickey-themed party.  About a month ago the girl told me she heard Target had Mickey dishes, and I was dispatched to find them.  I  purchased everything they had (and then some) for Max's party.  Yesterday I was in Target again and this time I discovered something I missed!  And that got me thinking about a new shirt for Max...I'm sure he'll love it!  (Caesar Beezer saw the bowl on the floor and came running - he was very disappointed to find it empty!  I'm sure it will look great at Max's party filled with candy or popcorn or whatever Max wants.)  
  

I'd love to hear from you about your experiences with Autism - I'll pass everything along to the girl, she could use the support.  Thanks so much!

Valentine's Party...

I think I've sufficiently recovered from the little candy-making Valentine party I had on Monday...five girls, 300 pieces of candy and enough powdered sugar to turn my kitchen floor into a skating rink!

I thought the girls would like to make Valentines but nooooooo, when they found out they were going to make candy they all wanted to get their little fingers in the mix as soon as they could!

 And they sure did!  The girls made Creamy Bon-Bons, which turned out beautifully, Truffles , which didn't quite work, they were just too soft!  And we also tried to make Smitten Kitchen's White and Dark Hearted Brownies, without success.  Oh, it certainly wasn't her recipe that failed...just too many cooks in the kitchen, no one watching the timer, that sort of thing.  They had a great time, and they ate themselves sick - as one little darling put it, "If I eat one more thing I'm going to BLOW!"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The girls went home with two plates full of candy that they made...I should have made them sign waivers regarding any future cavities/dental bills they might incur!

 

Christmas Table Runner...

It feels like Christmas today, except without the presents, well, just one.  It's freezing cold, cold enough to snow but the weatherman was wrong again, no snow, just cold.  So I thought I'd show you the table runner I finally finished - it might be a Christmas gift this year. 

This is my beloved German fabric that was a gift from a very sweet lady - I was saving the fabric for just the right project - and the good news is I still have enough left to make something else!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My real pointsettias that I purchased from Molbaks in December are still going strong!  This is the first year I haven't killed them before Christmas!  I love pointsettias - and, um, that's supposed to be a pointsettia on the runner, in case you didn't know!

I told my sister that I was going to give her this for Christmas - but I like it so much I may have to invoke my right to renege...we'll see how good she is to me this year!

Chocolate Scones...

On Valentine's Day I made these Chocolate Scones for breakfast for the boy and the mister.  I thought they would be so happy when they skipped into the kitchen, being led by the wafting aroma of the scones baking in the oven.  I prepared each of them a scone wrapped in a sweet Valentine napkin so they could take it and run off to work...and this is what happened instead.  The boy flew down the stairs, four at a time, rounded the corner and blazed past me so fast I practically spun around - I heard him say something like, "No time...I'm late..." and he was gone.  Fine, one down, one to go.  The mister lumbered into the kitchen, took one look at my beautiful treat and said, "I hate chocolate, got anything else?"  Really, music to my ears...I instructed him to run along, then I ate both his and the boy's scones...dipped in whipped cream...totally decadent and delicious.  I considered it their Valentine gifts to me...letting me have their scones...very, very sweet of them, no?

 

 

 

This recipe was on the King Arthur Flour website, originally from Alice Medrich's Chocolate Holidays book.  It's a keeper.  Don't just make them on Valentine's Day though, make them any time you want something special!

Chocolate Scones - Adapted From King Arthur Flour and Alice Medrich's Chocolate Holidays Book

1 1/2 cups flour

2/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

10 tablespoons butter, melted

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 egg, cold

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cold milk

Powdered sugar for dusting

Sweetened whipped cream for serving, optional

Jam for serving, optional

2 1/2-inch to 3-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, optional

Position rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda and salt.  In a separate bowl, mix the hot butter and cocoa until smooth.  Stir in the egg and the milk.  Pour the wet mixture over the dry ingredients.  Fold gently with a rubber spatula, scraping the ingredients from the sides of the bowl to the center, just until all of the flour mixture is moistened.  Do not try to make a smooth dough. 

Place the dough on a sheet of wax paper and pat it into a 10x5-inch rectangle.  Chill the dough for about 15 minutes to firm it up slightly.  Cut out 8 hearts.  Use dough scraps to form 2 more hearts.  Transfer the hearts to the baking sheet.  Bake until the tops are dry and cracked and the bottoms have begun to color, about 12 minutes.  Serve warm or at room temperature.  Serve plain, dusted with powdered sugar, or with sweetened whipped cream or jam.  Makes 10 hearts.