Pots and Pins

2010 Was A Very Good Year!

At least in terms of quilts it was!  Although 2011 cannot compare with 2010, when I finished 19 quilts!!  In 2011, I finished, or almost finished 16 quilts...that's nothing to sniff at in my book!  Come with me for a look back...  

 

 

The Christmas quilt above is now pinned and ready to go under the needle...just as soon as I find some time! 

 My Christmas quilt finally got sandwiched last year and I am 80% done with hand-quilting it!  So surely by next Christmas I'll be able to wrap it around me while I watch a new Hallmark movie! 

 

There is just something about a circle quilt...I think I've made at least one circle quilt every year for the last ten years!  This is one of my favorites.

Max was coming to visit for Easter and I didn't have an Easter quilt...I do now!  It's my original pattern, quite pleased with how it turned out...Max was not that taken with it...but perhaps his baby sister will be this Easter!  She arrives on the 12th of January...excited doesn't even begin to describe me!

The blue and cream quilt above was started years ago as a thank you gift...it was finally "aged to perfection" and was finished this past summer.

Another quilt for Max, to feed his obsession with all things Mickey.  He loved it, for about 5 minutes and then he went back to toting his giant, gray afghan around.  

  A blessing quilt for sweet baby Missy - it's as soft as it looks - I'm thinking of making myself a giant-sized blessing quilt...I could use a few blessings right about now! 

Years in the making, my Lost Socks quilt was finally bound and has been used over and over...it's a family favorite!

 

Not my finest quilting hour...I made the quilt on the left first, had it quilted and bound and it was only when I took a picture of it that I noticed the HUGE mistake!!!  Too late to do anything about it, it's now MY newest Christmas quilt to myself.  The quilt on the right was my second attempt, and even though I tried to mess it up I got it right!  It was my gift for our quilt group exchange this year so it had to be right!

Another set of twins...the quilt on the left has been quilted and the binding is ready to be sewn down...the flimsy on the right is waiting on me to run to JoAnn's on a Saturday to buy batting!!  Both quilts will be finished this weekend...and in the mail on Monday...gifts for two precious baby girls!

Another Christmas quilt!  Another rut?  Possibly, but Christmas quilts are so fun to make!  My double wedding ring quilt was finally quilted and bound after sitting in my "to-do" basket for about 12 years or so!  I can't even remember exactly it's been so long...

An American Hero Quilts flimsy was pieced and sent off...our troops may be out of Iraq but they're still in Afghanistan, still being wounded or worse, and American Hero Quilts still needs help making quilts to be given to those returning wounded soldiers and Marines.  If you are interested in helping, click here to find out how easy it is!

Megan's quilt...quilted and bound and she is probably curled up in it right this very moment.  Megan, who asked me to HELP her make this quilt, didn't have any idea how to sew...but failed to mention that...and now she has asked me to HELP her make another quilt but this time she promises to do ALL of the sewing...we shall see!

Sixteen quilts - not too shabby!  My "to-do" basket is still quite full but my New Year's resolution is to get it emptied out before summer...wish me luck!  And I'll wish you a very Happy New Year!

Provencal Tomatoes...

When we were in the South of France...love how that sounds...we would have lunch each day at some little sidewalk bistro...and maybe because the Mediterranean Sea was lapping at the shore or the palm trees were swaying in the breeze or the promise of macarons for dessert were before us...maybe that's why everything we ate tasted so good...delicious...Heavenly.  It's nothing short of miraculous that we both lost weight in France - even though we ate our weight in food every day, we walked for hours at a time...from one bistro to another.

Pictured above is the harbor of Marseille...it's a very old city (founded in 2600) and it was in the middle of a face-lift while we were there - jack-hammering and bull-dozing every where we went...but behind all the scaffolding and piles of debris (seriously, the entire city was a construction zone!) we managed to find fabulous food...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Taking a picture of the main part of our meals was easy - but I often overlooked the side dishes - and Provencal Tomatoes are a side dish - so I didn't get a photo of any authentic Provencal Tomatoes...but lucky for me (and you) they are very easy to make ...all you need are some really nice tomatoes...

This time of year it's not easy to find great tasting tomatoes...which is why Provencal Tomatoes are so good - a bland, tasteless tomato turns into something quite fabulous with just a little help.

 

 

 

And it turns out that Provencal Tomatoes look fabulous on a Christmas buffet because they're red and green...Ho-Ho-Ho!  But they'd be great for a New Year's buffet, too...or any other buffet...I like the word buffet.  And I like buffets.  Duh.

(My apologies for not knowing how to type Provencal with that little dohickey under the c - I do what I can with what I've got!)

Provencal Tomatoes - Adapted From Les Meilleures Recettes de Provence by Christian Etienne

15 medium to large tomatoes, washed and dried

1 cup chopped fresh parsley, firmly packed, divided

10 cloves of garlic, minced

4 cups fresh bread crumbs

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 cup Parmesan cheese, divided

Olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cut tops off tomatoes and make a very small slice on the bottom, just to tomatoes will sit straight.  Very carefully, scoop out the insides of the tomatoes, leaving about 1/4-inch all around.  Turn tomatoes upside down on paper-toweling to dry for 15 minutes.

In a large bowl combine 3/4 cup parsley with garlic, bread crumbs, salt, pepper and 3/4 cup of Parmesan cheese.  Mix well.  Stuff tomatoes with bread crumb mixture, stuffing firmly.  Place each tomato onto a baking dish or in a cupcake tin, which works great.  Top each tomato with a sprinking of the remaining parsley and a sprinkling of the remaining Parmesan cheese.  Drizzle olive oil over the tops of each tomato.  Bake at 350 for 10 to 15 minutes or until the tomatoes have softened a bit and the tops of the tomatoes are lightly browned.  Serve as a side dish.  Serves 15, one each.

Think of these as a bite of Provence...they are colorful, delicious and a nice addition to any meal.

Christmas Gift Quilt...

Right before Christmas, when I should have been finishing up all of the projects I had already started, I walked into Gathering Fabric, the cute little quilt shop in Woodinville, and purchased a kit!  So what's so strange about that?  Quilters are infamous for having anywhere between ten and 20 projects in the works at any given time...but I never buy kits.  Never.  They are too restrictive!  I like to make my own quilts - in other words, sew outside of the lines and when you buy a kit, cute as it may be, you have to follow the pattern exactly or you'll run out of fabric.  So I bought a kit, and it was right before Christmas and I had a million other things to do...but I couldn't help myself.  When I walked in the door of Gathering Fabric, I was gobsmacked by just how darling the shop was...it had been a while since I'd been there.  It's small and cozy and there isn't a ginormous selection of fabrics but what it lacks in size and selection it makes up for in creativity and style...it's a real quilt shop!  For you Seattle folks, if you haven't been there lately, please pop in - Susan, the owner, will welcome you with a smile and you'll be surprised at all of the wonderful things her shop has to offer.

See?  I told you it was cute!  For the last several months our quilt group has been making gift blocks...so when I saw this the light bulb in my head burned a bit brighter!  Another way to use a gift block in a quilt - and so easy!  (Click here to see my gift block tutorial.)

This was a gift for my niece Gabby, who got married last March.  Since she is a newlywed, she doesn't have a lot of Christmas decorations and this is something she can pull out every year.  The gift block in the center is not pieced, it's machine appliqued on!  I suppose it was easier that way but you could easily piece it, which is what I'll do when I make another one...yes, it's already in the works!  Christmas is over but now it's time to get going on gifts for next Christmas!  The quilt measure 48-inches square, perfect to hang on a wall, or to cover cold toes on a winter's night.

 

 

 

 

 This is made with Riley Blake fabric and the pattern is by Riley Blake Designs, it's called Wrapped Up In You.  Perfect, no?

Merry Christmas Gabby and Mike!

Christmas Cookies and Cocoa...

This year, for the first time in many years, we did not have our annual Christmas party...and I missed it terribly!  No party meant no lavish Christmas spread of goodies, no kids running through the house, no friends dressed in costumes acting out Christmas stories!  Not having anyone to bake for hardly seemed like Christmas to me!  I could take it no more...I invited the girls I teach at church to come over for cookies and cocoa...they were happy to come...young girls, as it turned out, don't have big plans at night!

 

 

 

 

Chocolate-dipped peppermint sticks rolled in Christmas sprinkles for swirling in hot cocoa seemed necessary...and "Rein-Beer" was offered as an alternative to cocoa (thanks to the blog, Life of a Modern Mom found on Pinterest for that great idea!  The girls loved drinking rootbeer with antlers!)  I also dipped some spoons in chocolate and added marshmallows - you can never have too much chocolate, can you?  Another idea I found on Pinterest (no link was given so I don't know who to credit for this fun idea), white-chocolate dipped strawberries, then dipped in green sprinkles...red, white and green, too cute, super good!

 

 

 

 

Mock-Turtles were served, along with devil's food cake balls (only because I had cake left from my Christmas trifle and some white chocolate on hand...and here's the thing...I detest cake pops/balls because the "original" recipe calls for the cake to be crumbled and mixed with store-bought frosting.  I'd rather have a root canal!  But if you use a very moist cake, like a devil's food cake, it will stick together by itself and you won't need to add in any fake frosting making it a gooey mess...OR you could under-cook your cake just a bit, which would allow for it to stick together long enough for you to dip it...so much better than adding in the fake frosting!) and we had Gingerbread Men cookies...no Christmas party is complete without Gingerbread men.  Feel free to quote me on this.  Those plates were empty at the end of the evening...young girls don't count calories...rather refreshing!

My Hot Chocolate recipe is fabulous...truly...I would not joke about something like this.  It's thick...as you can see from the shot above...it's spoonable...decadent...perfect in every way...the girls lapped it up!

Pirouettes, more candy and nuts, Sugared Cranberries and "snowballs"...(little balls that taste something like Cheetos, my Achiles heel, found at World Market).  The girls had a gift exchange and I think they were all happy with their gifts...and even though no one ran through the house, or spilled anything on the carpets, or yanked my cockoo clocks off the wall...it was all so civilized...and very fun and it took the sting out of not having little kids over at Christmas. 

Off to the sales!  50% off seems about right...wish me happy hunting!

Merry Christmas!

I wish you all the merriests of

holidays...from Hannakah to Christmas

to Kwanza to Festivus-for-the-rest-of-us...

I hope you have so many presents you have to take a bathroom break before you can open them all!  

 

Merry Christmas with love

From Pots and Pins!

 

 

Christmas Trifle...

When we were dragging our umteenth Christmas box out of the cave in the garage, the mister noticed my glass trifle bowl on the shelf and asked what it was doing there...I told him I had no where to keep it in the kitchen and since I only used it occasionally I put it up there to store it.  With his Scrooge hat firmly squeezing his brain, he said, "Well if you don't use it then get rid of it!"  I tried to explain the difference between keeping something I use occasionally as opposed to hoarding, as he has called me a Level One Hoarder.  Whatever, I'm at least a Level Two!  But he couldn't grasp this concept and said again, if I'm not going to use it then I need to declutter and get rid of it.  So I decided to use it, if for no other reason than to shut him up.

 

 

 

You don't need a trifle bowl to make trifle...a pretty glass bowl will work perfectly, as long as you can see all of the lovely layers of goodness.  I like to use a pound cake and a Devil's food cake as the basis for my trifle, two cakes are better than one! And lots of whipped cream, fresh raspberries and melted raspberry jam to hold it all together - could not be easier or more delicious!

Just look at those beautiful berries!  They were very sweet, even for this time of year.  The trifle bowl makes it look as good as it tastes!

Trifle also makes a nice gift, so I made two trifles, one to keep and one to give...nothing says welcome home better than freshly made trifle!  Feel free to quote me on this!

Christmas Trifle - Pots and Pins

*1 pound cake, either homemade or store bought - you will use all of it

*1 Devil's food cake, homemade or store bought - you will use about 1/3 of it

4 cups fresh raspberries

3 cups heavy cream whipped

3 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 cup seedless raspberry jam or preserves

1 trifle bowl or a large glass bowl

** I made my pound cake (recipe coming soon) and I also made my Devil's Food cake, from a cake mix(!) yes, I do use them occasionally.  I baked the Devil's Food cake on a cookie sheet, so it came out the perfect thickness, then I cut it into cubes.  If you do it like this you will only use 1/4 of the cake.  The rest you can frost and enjoy on it's own.) 

In a small saucepan, heat the raspberry jam until melted and smooth.  Do not boil. 

Whip the cream, until soft peaks form, then mix in the vanilla and powdered sugar, continue whipping until stiff peaks form.

Slice pound cake into thick 3/4-inch slices and then cut into cubes.  Do the same with 1/4 of the Devil's food cake, about 3 cups cubed. 

In a large trifle bowl, place 1/2 of the pound cake cubes in the bottom, top with 1 cup or so of the raspberries.  Top raspberries with 1/3 of the whipped cream.  The next layer is the Devil's Food cake, put the cubed cake over the whipped cream, add rasbperries and 1/2 of the melted raspberry jam.  Top with half of the remaining whipped cream.  Add the rest of the pound cake cubes, 1/2 of the remaining raspberries and 1/2 of the remaining whipped cream.  On the top of the trifle, add the remaining raspberries, whipped cream and pour the remaining raspberry jam over the berries.  Serves 10 to 12. 

Decorate with fresh holly leaves if you have them or maybe some Christmas sprinkles.  To give as a gift, wrap in cellophane and tie with a bow - I think ol' Ebeneezer himself would enjoy this, it's Christmas past and present all rolled into one!

Mini Glass Snowmen...

This is what you do if you can't find the tape or the scissors which you just used a second ago...or you run out of wrapping paper for the third time...or you start to get a cramp in your leg because you've been sitting so long you no longer have circulation in your lower extremeties...you crawl over to a drawer, open it up, find a bag of Glass Gems that you can't remember buying and then you get a brilliant idea...or not...

 

 

 

You can use a Sharpie to draw on the face...eyes, carrot, buttons or you can cut them out of itsy-bitsy pieces of felt like I did, because sometimes therapy requires one to do things that are hard.

The glue hasn't dried yet on his hat - custom made of course - (a circle of felt is the bottom of hat, a rectangle of felt glued into a circle makes the body of hat and another small circle is the top...it's not couture but it's close!) I'm quite proud of my little creation...however, it does beg the questions, is this Christmas Overload?  A cry for help?  Or just possibly the custest Christmas craft to date...you decide!

Sugared Cranberries...

For the first time in his life, The Boy did not give me a Christmas List.  In years past he has written out his list by hand - sometimes pages and pages - and given it to me in July or August...not wanting me to have any excuse for not getting everything on his list.  (He excelled in Christmas list making, if only it had been a class in school!)  So this year, no list, so strange...and I thought to myself The Boy just needs some Christmas Spirit!  He's been working a lot and has been kind of laid up with back issues but I had the perfect remedy for this situation, I told The Boy I had plans for his day off...we would have our annual Christmas lunch, go see a Christmasy movie, come home and string popcorn by the fire while watching a Hallmark movie and then we would play Monopoly...to which he replied, "Just shoot me now, as in now, unless you can tell me where we keep the poison or can I stand on a chair to hang myself or do I need the stool?"

 

 

 

Clever little minx...he thought he was SO funny...he said he didn't give me a list this year because he has everything he wants and needs and if he wanted or needed something he'd just go buy it himself because then he'd get it right!  My heart began to race...did I detect traces of the mister in that remark?!?!  This called for immediate and fast action...I tricked The Boy into getting in the car...then I had him - captive - Christmas Carols blasting, hot cocoa steaming, and to cure him of sassing his mom four days before Christmas, I drove straight to the antique shops!!!

Over the groaning and whining and fake stomach aching, he lumbered along behind me...holding up vintage Santa's and saying things like, "Here, buy this so we can go," or "We don't need any more Christmas crap, I'll go wait in the car," or "Mom, I'm seriously feeling sick, get the reindeer and let's get out of here!"  But beneath all of his bravado, he was smiling...it was there, small and tight, but it was there.  The Boy loves Christmas and all the trappings, he just needed to be reminded of it...after the antique shops we went to the Dutch Bakery, loaded him up with bearclaws and turnovers...his smile was a bit broader...then we hit a few more shops...his mood had definitely improved...we had our Christmas lunch at the Crab Pot...now his smile was a full-blown grin...and we hit a few more shops on the way home...and there was genuine laughter all around.  

While I didn't get him to string popcorn and watch Hallmark movies I decided it was okay, I'll get over him growing up...one day.  And I certainly didn't get him to help me make sugared cranberries but I highly suggest you do it...and soon! They are great as a snack - sweet and tart - and beautiful as decorations on cakes or cookies and they make great gifts!  Please ignore how lumpy mine look...I used granulated sugar and forgot to process the sugar first, so it would be more fine and the cranberries would have a smoother coating of sugar...but it didn't matter as these were eaten within seconds!

Sugared Cranberries - Pots and Pins

2 cups granulated sugar

2 cups water

2 cups fresh cranberries

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon orange extract

zest from one orange

To coat cranberries:  1 cup superfine sugar (if you don't have superfine sugar, process granulated sugar in food processor for a few seconds, or you can use granulated sugar)

Combine the 2 cups sugar and water in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves and it just comes to a boil.  Remove from heat, stir in extracts, zest and add cranberries.  Put a plate over the cranberries so they are all submerged in the pan.  Put in refrigerator for two hours or over night.  Drain cranberries in a colander over a bowl so you can reserve the syrupy liquid to use in mocktails.  Pour superfine sugar into a baking dish and add the cranberries, rolling to coat with sugar.  Spread on a baking sheet in a single layer and allow to dry for an hour.  Store in airtight containers for up to a week.  These are great to give as gifts!  If you can bring yourself to part with them!

Struffoli...

If it's Christmas time then it's Struffoli time!  The mister and I were introduced to this delectable little dessert last year in Italy...I love country-name-dropping.  We stumbled across a little Christmas shop that sold beautiful Christmas pottery, ornaments and wonderful food gifts.  After picking out a few trinkets, we waited in line to check out and I noticed a paper plate piled high with what looked like little tiny donuts.  We watched as the customers in front of us scooped up a handful and popped them into their mouths - oohing and aahing in Italian...which sounds so much better than oohing and aahing in American!  So when it was our turn to check out, I grabbed the scoop and helped myself to a handful - then gave the mister a handful - and in imitation Italian, we oohed and aahed.

   

 

 

 

Struffoli is a traditional Neapolitan-Italian Christmas treat and not only is it great tasting, it's really fun to make!  I enlisted the mister's help in rolling the little pieces of dough into small balls - about a half-inch in diameter (they puff when cooked) and even though he whined and complained and covered himself and the floor with flour, he thoroughly enjoyed himself!  Such a rare thing!

 

 

 

After the sweet dough, which includes orange and lemon zest, has rested in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, it's rolled out, cut into half-inch strips, then those strips are cut into half-inch pieces which are rolled into little balls.  The balls are then deep fried until golden brown...and the Struffoli is half way done...

 

 

 

Go ahead and pop a few of these delicious mini-donut-like morsels into your mouth - after all, it's Christmas and calories don't count!   But don't eat them all...because it's not Struffoli until those little balls of goodness are glazed.  Into a large pot honey is combined with sugar and lemon juice and when the sugar has melted, pecans are stirred in - or you could use hazelnuts, which is what traditional Italians use, or use whatever nut lights your tree.  Pine nuts are great, walnuts would be good and almonds would be fabulous!  After the nuts are coated in the sugar mixture, then the mini-balls are added in...and when they are completely coated it's Struffoli Time!

IF you want to make your Struffoli the tradional way, then just pile them high onto a plate, sprinkle with Christmas sprinkles and call it good...IF you want to make your Struffoli a bit more festive you can do what I did, make a Struffoli wreath!  (I learned this trick from Giada DiLaurentiis!)  Spray a straight-sided glass with cooking spray, so it will remove easily, and set it in the center of a decorative plate.  Pile the Struffoli around the glass and let it sit for about 3 minutes, then remove the glass - instant Christmas fun!  Sprinkle the Struffoli with sprinkles and it's ready to serve...

If your Grinch's heart is two sizes too small, this is what you need to feed him...it will turn him into a jolly old elf in no time!

Struffoli - Adapted from Giada DeLaurentiis

Dough:

2 cups flour, plus extra for dusting

1 large lemon, zested (about 2 teaspoons)

1 large orange, zested (about 3 teaspoons)

3 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 stick butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, at room temperature

3 large eggs

1 tablespoon rum or rum extract (you could also use brandy or white wine or just add additional vanilla)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Canola oil for frying

Glaze:

1 cup honey

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 1/2 cups nuts, toasted (hazelnuts, pecans, almond, walnuts, peanuts, whatever you like)

vegetable oil cooking spray

Christmas sprinkles for decoration

powdered sugar for dusting, optional

For the dough: In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together 2 cups of flour, lemon zest, orange zest, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Add the eggs, rum, if using, and vanilla. Pulse until the mixture forms into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Cut the dough into 4 equal-sized pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each piece of dough until 1/4-inch thick. Cut each piece of dough into 1/2-inch wide strips. Cut each strip of pastry into 1/2-inch pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a small ball about the size of a hazelnut. Lightly dredge the dough balls in flour, shaking off any excess. In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, pour enough oil to fill the pan about a third of the way. Heat over medium heat until a deep-frying thermometer inserted in the oil reaches 375 degrees F. (If you don't have a thermometer a cube of bread will brown in about 3 minutes.). In batches, fry the dough until lightly golden, about 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.  Continue until all of the dough has been fried.

To make the glaze:  In a large saucepan, combine the honey, sugar, and lemon juice over medium heat. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the nuts and stir until coated in the honey mixture. Add the fried dough and stir until well coated.  Allow the mixture to cool in the pan for 2 minutes.

Spray the outside of a small, straight-sided water glass with vegetable oil cooking spray and place in the center of a round platter. Using a large spoon or damp hands, arrange the struffoli around the glass to form a wreath shape. Drizzle any remaining honey mixture over the struffoli.  Decorate with sprinkles and dust with powdered sugar, if using.  Allow to set for  2 hours, then remove the glass from the center of the platter and serve.    

This recipe makes enough for two 8-inch Stuffoli's, one to keep, one to give away!  Or you can just keep it all and make one big pile of Stuffoli...either way, the Dang Meter is going to chime loudly with this one, 5 dangs my friends...count them, 'cause this is dang, dang, dang, dang, dang good!

 

Posole...

Over the last few years I have been collecting recipes for Posole...(poh-SOH-lay)...and making those recipes in my top-secret Posole Laboratory, trying to weed out the weak and boring, to find the most magnificent Posole recipe to share with you.  No thanks needed.  For those of you not in the know, Posole is a Mexican soup, made with hominy.   If you're from Mexico or from the Southern United States or married to a Southern Caveman like me, then you know what hominy is...it's hulled corn kernels, used for making grits, among other things.  You can buy hominy in cans, it comes in white or yellow, has somewhat of a popcorn taste and is almost creamy in texture.  When hominy is cooked in a rich, spiced broth, it turns into little pillows filled with flavor...this would be a killer soup to serve at your Christmas Open House!

 

 

 

The mister, as you may remember, is not a fan of spice or Mexican food, so I just told him this was Hominy Soup - (In his mind hominy equals bland, so he was thrilled!  The power of suggestion works wonders with him...he lapped it up!)    This is not overly spicy, even though is contains cumin, oregano, garlic and smoked paprika...it's very mild and comforting.  You could ramp it up a bit by adding cilantro or more cumin, whatever sends your elevator to the top.   Posole can be made with pork or chicken; I like to use bone-in chicken thighs, which, when cooked in chicken stock, not broth, gives this soup a richer, deeper flavor.  If you like Tortilla Soup, you'll love Posole.

And if you like keeping things easy this time of year and feeding a crowd, you'll really like this Posole!  You can put everything into the Crock-pot, frozen chicken thighs even, and six hours later you'll have something so good even a Grinch's heart will soften!  'Tis the Season for Posole!

Posole - Pots and Pins

8 chicken thighs, skin removed, (if frozen, you will cook for 6 hours, if not, cook for 5)

(You can also make this with chicken breasts, boneless and skinless or chicken tenders if you want.  I would use 6 chicken breasts and if making with chicken tenders I would use about a dozen or so.)

1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced

4 garlic cloves, minced

3 fresh tomatoes, chopped

1 can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes, with juice

1 can (15 oz.) black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can (15 oz.) red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 can (28 oz.) white hominy, drained (usually found in the Mexican foods/cooking aisle)

1 can (15 oz.) cream corn

1 can (4 oz.) mild green chilies

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon oregano

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

8 cups chicken stock (if you can't find stock you can use chicken broth)

Toppings:  Chopped avocado, shredded cojita cheese or Mozzarella cheese, lime wedges, fresh cilantro

Put all of the ingredients (except the toppings) into a large Crock-pot, pouring the chicken stock in at the last so the spices get "washed" down.  Put on the lid, turn to high and let cook for 5 hours if the chicken is not frozen, and 6 hours if it is.  When ready to serve, ladle hot soup into bowls, making sure there is a chicken thigh in each bowl, top with chopped avocado, a sprinkling of cheese and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.  Makes 8 to 10 servings.  Serve with a fork and a spoon!

 And now, finally, the shopping is done, the gifts are wrapped and it's time for our annual pilgrimage to the Post Office... Why my family and friends CHOOSE to live so far away is beyond me!