Pots and Pins

The Twin's Quilts...

Twin's quilts - as in two - and one of them was a long time in the making!!  And I'm not sure why, except that I seem to have less and less time these days to do anything F*U*N.  It's been all work and no play for far too long and some things have just got to change...as in, I need to:

1.  win the lottery

2.  win the lottery

3.  win the lottery

There, now that we've cleared that up, let me tell you about this quilt.  My cousin Rachel and I re-connected on Facebook last summer.  It was great to be able to send messages back and forth and to learn about Rachel and what she'd been up for FORTY years!  I discovered Rachel and I have a lot in common - including quilting!  Her dad and my mom are twins and Rachel wanted us - me and her - to make them each a quilt for Christmas!  Brilliant idea, I said, not remembering that I had NO TIME and 50 other projects sitting on my work table collecting dust that were waiting for my attention!

 

But I was game!  We discussed what kind of quilt to make and how to do it - deciding she would make half the blocks and I would make the other half - and we would each make two sets of those blocks so we would end up with two quilts that were alike, yet different.  After a lot of back and forth, we decided to use the few baby pictures of them that exist and put them into a picture quilt. 

When I say there are only a few baby pics of my mom and uncle, I mean just that - we have about 4 of them!  And they are all framed and hanging in my mom's home.  When I went to Utah last fall I asked mom for some pictures, trying not to spill the beans.  She told me I could take pictures with my phone of those in the frames but didn't want me removing the pics from the frames!  So...you can imagine how great they turned out!!! Not great at all!!  But we just had to work with what we got!  I supplemented our picture quilts with pictures of our grandparents and some pictures of the twins as they grew and got older - we did the best we could - no one in our family took a lot of pictures back then.

After we had the pictures we decided on the colors and shared some of our fabrics with each other so our blocks would stand a fighting change of going together!  And I think they turned out great!  Rachel lives in North Carolina so it's not like we could get together and plan things out - Facebook and email saved the day!

The following pics are of Rachel's quilt - the one she put together for her dad.  It's the same and yet different!  I love how Rachel used sashing and that she chose a lighter shade of blue - something I never even considered!

Rachel sent me these pictures on Facebook Messenger, so I lifted them from there - it's so great we have this kind of technology!   Rachel and I did have a few different pictures than the other in our quilts - this one of her dad is one of them, I think he was about 8 years old here.

After Rachel had her quilt all put together she mentioned to me that we should have included pictures of the twin's older sister, our Aunt Billie!!!  OF COURSE WE SHOULD HAVE!!!  But we didn't think of it in time!!!  At least not in time for Rachel who was going to meet OUR deadline of Christmas!  That's right - this was supposed to be a Christmas gift!  Rachel contacted our cousin Michael and he gladly sent pictures of his mom, our Aunt Billie to us.  Rachel's quilt was already pieced so instead of taking it apart, she put her pictures of Aunt Billie on the back.  Since I was a slacker and my blocks were still sitting next to my machine waiting...aging...collecting dust...I was able to put two pictures of my Aunt Billie into the quilt top.

 

Aunt Billie was a real looker!  This is one of her pics on the back of Rachel's quilt.  I'm so glad we were able to include her - we were just so focused on making a twins quilt we didn't think about the rest of the tribe! 

Rachel met our deadline and gave her quilt to her dad for Christmas - he called it a "family heirloom" and "a real treasure!"  So great that he loved it!  Of course, by then my mom knew about the quilt and I told her, almost weekly, that she would have hers soon! 

And now she will...in time for their 84th birthdays in March!  Better late than never, right?  This really was a labor of love - so fun to work on this project with my cousin and so fun to see those faces that I love so much looking up at me!

Rachel told me over and over again that she wasn't really a quilter because she was just learning...well, let me show you two of her quilts!  Not a quilter???  Hahahaha!

Just look at this quilt!!!  This is one of Rachel's FIRST quilts!  Circles and triangles!!!  Crazy good, no?  I love this quilt and get this, SHE DIDN'T USE A PATTERN!!!  I know, incredible, but true!  She just began quilting and she has far surpassed me...although that's not saying much!  So let me rephrase...Rachel is an AMAZING QUILTER!

This is a picture of a quilt Rachel just made for her brother's girlfriend...that's right folks, she makes them and gives them away!!!  And she didn't use a pattern for this one either...she just makes it up as she goes along!

Rachel also uses fabrics she buys at garage sales, thrift shops and tag sales - and she's not stuck in the 100% cotton category like almost all of us are - she's an adventurous quilter and will use whatever fabric she has to make her quilts POP!  She reminds me just a bit of Freddy Moran (see my posts of Freddy's show on Vashon Island here and here) and at the rate Rachel produces quilts she'll be able to have her own quilt show soon!

Valentine Rice Krispie Kisses...

I have told you for years how the mister is a creature of habit - he loves routine and hates last minute surprises or any kind of change.  He sees this as being steady, responsible and strong.  I see it as being boring, predictable and dull...gasoline and fire are we!  But every once in a while his routine provides me with a surprise!  Case in point:  After a late night with his good friend Jack, the mister slept late and I, being a most devoted and loving wife (!) decided I would make coffee for the mister because I figured he might need it, (which is something I don't normally do).  When the mister showed his mug in the kitchen, I handed him a go-cup filled to the brim and he thanked me and walked out the door, headed for Global Headquarters.  Three minutes later the mister was back in the kitchen, holding out his go-cup and he said, "I can't take this with me, it screws up my morning."  Really?  My nice gesture screws up your morning?  How so?  He said, "If I take this coffee I won't need to stop at the McDonalds down the street to get coffee and if I don't get coffee at that McDonalds, then when I get to the office and walk across the street to the McDonalds there, to get me and George coffee, I won't be able to get a free one for George."  Funny, no?  And he said that with a straight face.  He could not take coffee from home because then he would have to fork over a buck for coffee for George, which would upset the time-space continuum in his mind.  So I considered that an early Valentine gift from the mister - one big chuckle to start my day - such a rare occurence!

  You can consider this a Valentine gift from me - a simple little treat your kidlets will enjoy - or make them for yourself because who doesn't love Rice Krispie Treats disguised as a big Hershey Kiss?!? 

 

 

Valentine Rice Krispie Kisses - Found in a zillion places on Pinterest!

6 cups Rice Krispies (or you can use Cocoa Krispies)

1 bag (10 oz.) mini-marshmallows

3 tablespoons butter, plus more for "stuffing" mixture into funnel

red food coloring, optional

1 plastic funnel

small plastic bag

aluminum foil

Valentine sprinkles or colored sugar, optional

Valentine love notes, optional

Make Rice Krispies Treats according to directions on Rice Krispies box.  Add food coloring to the mix, if desired.  Scoop mixture into funnel.  Put a plastic bag on one hand, and put a little bit of butter on the plastic bag.  Push the Rice Krispies mixture as hard as you can into the funnel, using your plastic-bag-covered-hand, making sure bottom is even.  (The bag and the little bit of butter will make it so the Rice Krispies don't stick to your hand.) Turn funnel over and using a small knife, run around the edges of the funnel to release "kiss."  Repeat with remaining mixture.   If using Valentine sprinkles or colored sugar, sprinkle over tops.   Let "kisses" cool completely, then wrap with aluminum foil and attach love note!  Makes 5 large "kisses." 

Happy Valentine's Day!

 

Goober (Peanut) Pie...

What a week it's been!  Sick in bed, rainy and cold outside and then sheer heartache hit...our Max was taken to Primary Children's Hospital with the H1N1Flu Virus!!!  He was so very ill and all we could do was pray, hope and beg he would get well soon.  Four very long days later he was able to go home!!  He is doing his best to drink lots of liquids, and he's trying to eat (he is SO skinny) and now he has some serious video watching to catch up on! I can tell you, it's bad when your kids are down and out with illness or troubles but that is nothing compared to having a grandchild be sick!  I was a wreck! 

As my mom would say, that boy is pale and wan!  I could fatten him up in no time if he was here!  And now that I've broached that subject, let's move on to Goober Pie...yes, it is fattening, but you only need a small slice because it is so rich and didn't someone say peanuts are healthy!??   So there's that!

I made this pie for my book club - we had a Southern themed dinner to go with our book.  Actually we had two books, To Kill A Mockingbird and Go Set A Watchman, said to be Harper Lee's newest...or is it??  We all love To Kill A Mockingbird, probably one of my top five books (and everyone else) but Watchman????  Nope, not even close, save yourself the time, it's horribly written and edited - total waste of paper and ink.  But, having said that, reading the book did lead to a great discussion (not about the book) and a wonderful evening of Southern food...ending with this pie, so I suppose the book has some value!

Peanuts are sometimes called Goobers in the South...and this pie is about as Southern as you can get.  It's kind of like a Pecan Pie, in texture, but has a definite molasses flavor that may seem a bit strong at first bite but give it a second and it will grow on you.  Before you know it you'll have eaten your wee slice and will be back for more!  This is especially good with vanilla ice cream and/or whipped cream...it's a keeper, and a 5 Danger - it's dang, dang, dang, dang, dang good!

 

 

 

Goober Pie comes together in no time but it takes an hour to bake and when you remove it from the oven it will be this luscious caramelized color - just let it cool to room temp and you can cut into it with wild abandon!

Goober (Peanut) Pie - Adapted from My Mother's Southern Entertaining by James Villas with Martha Pearl Villas (One of the best Southern cookbooks ever!)

4 large eggs

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup Karo light corn syrup

1/2 cup molasses

1/4 cup butter, melted

1 teaspoon all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/2 cup roasted peanuts, (lightly salted okay) roughly chopped

1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust (store bought or homemade, I use this recipe here)

Whipped cream or ice cream, optional, but why not?

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs with an electric mixer till frothy, then add the sugar, corn syrup, molasses, melted butter, flour, cinnamon, salt and vanilla and beat till well blended and smooth.  Add the peanuts and stir till the nuts are evenly distributed.  Scrape the mixture into the pie shell and bake till the filling is just soft in the center and the crust is golden brown, 50 to 60 minutes.  Cool the pie completely on a wire rack and serve at room temperature with dollops of whipped cream or ice cream, if desired.  Makes one 9-inch pie, serves 8.

 

Fruit and Oats Breakfast Pudding...

I made an emergency trip to Utah last week to help the girl with the kids while she was down and out.  It was great being with Max and Elsa, they are so wonderful.  No really, they are.  Perfect children in every way!  And like all great grandkids, they shared everything with me, including their little germs.  I came home from Utah sick, sick, sick, and all I wanted to do was stay in bed with my head under the covers.  After being gone a week, there were some things that had to be dealt with first...like the smell in the house!  Perhaps it was the sink full of dirty dishes?  Or the full can of garbage under the sink?  Or maybe it was the mountain of dirty laundry?  Or maybe it was the little pile of Rosie's poop I found in an upstairs bedroom?  It was a pungent odor...rather like dead muskrat.  Here's the thing, the mister has a nose, a large nose, so why couldn't he SMELL what he created?!?!?  Godfrey!  With Kleenex stuffed in my nose and chilled to the bone, I opened the windows, aired the place out, started on the laundry, loaded up the dishwasher, threw out the trash, wiped down the kitchen counters with bleach, picked up the poop, scrubbed the carpet (in several places where I discovered "oops!" - apparently Rosie had free reign last week!) and then took to my sick bed.  The mister, delighted that I was back home and on duty, parked himself in front of the TV to watch basketball...it was all I could do not to heave a table at his head!  But why hurt the table?  Once my madness subsided, I realized there was nothing yummy in the house to eat...and being sick and all, I wanted yummy.  I wanted something rich and comforting...so I made pudding.

Before we talk pudding, have yourself a looksy at my Max and Elsa.  While I was in Utah I once again took Max to Motor Sports Land...his new favorite place.  His obsession with the moon has ended and he is all fixated on trailers and motorhomes...I wish I could be there when he goes to the RV Show in two weeks - he is going to be in Hog Trailer Heaven!  Little Elsa goes along with whatever Max wants to do...and while she likes trailers (big Barbie houses!) she doesn't spend every waking minute thinking about them like Max...this too shall pass but in the meantime we get to hear Max say things like, "Grandma, this trailer has a fan in the master suite, it's a new feature!"  Or, "This motorhome has a movable dinette and sometimes it's called a banquette!"  And, "I like the bunk over the cab, it's a good use of space!"  I now know more than I ever wanted to know about trailers! 

 

 

 

 

Okay, let's talk pudding.  Like all puddings, this breakfast pudding is creamy and rich.  But that's where the similarities end because this pudding also has a nice crunch from roasted pecans and the chewiness of dried dates and fresh apple bits - and of course, there are the oats.  Please don't make the mistake of thinking this is like oatmeal, mush, gruel...it's not...it's more like bread pudding!  Topped with a dollop of whipped cream and it's more like dessert!  Dessert for breakfast!  Now that's something I can sink my sick, sick, sick teeth into!

This recipe makes two large servings.  You can easily double this recipe and make it in an 8x8 baking dish, which would serve 6 to 8. 

 

Fruit and Oats Breakfast Pudding - Adapted from Nathan and Casey Allan, Innkeepers, Swantown Inn, Olympia, WA

1 cup oats

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

pinch of salt

1/2 cup diced apple (about half of a large apple)

1/2 cup dried dates (you can also use cranberries or any dried fruit you like)

1/2 cup toasted pecan pieces

1 cup milk (you can also use Almond milk)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2 teaspoons butter

Whipped cream for garnish, mood enhancement(!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray two 10 oz. ramekins with cooking spray.  In a small frying pan over medium-high heat, toast the pecans until fragrant and just beginning to brown, about 5 to 6 minutes.  Remove and set aside.  In a small bowl combine the oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, fruit and pecans and mix well with a wooden spoon.  Pour oat mixture into the prepared ramekins.  Combine the milk and vanilla and then pour into the ramekins, dividing equally.  Top each with a teaspoon of butter, broken into small pieces to dot the top.  Bake the ramekins until completely set, about 30 minutes and tops have started to brown.  Serve warm topped with whipped cream.  Serves two.