Pots and Pins

Mason Jar Lid Pies...

Ever have a song stuck in your head?  Happens to me all the time...but more often than not, it's a picture that's stuck in my head, thanks to Pinterest, the bane of my existence.  Monkey see, Monkey do.  Me and Pinterest.  I see something and it gets stuck in my head and the only way to remove it is to make the dang thing!  In this case, Mason Jar Lid Pies...perfectly round hand pies with the promise of being a cinch to make...I had to see for myself!  It would have been rude not to!

 

 

 

Quart size, Wide Mouth Mason Jar lids seemed to be just the right size, although you could use the smaller lids, totally up to you.  Since I was short on time and truly wanted these to be a "cinch" to make, I used store-bought Pillsbury Pie Dough and canned pie filling.  I used the lid as my guide and cut circles 1-inch larger, then fit them into the lid and they were ready to be filled.  Could not have been easier.  Store bought filling came next, I spooned it into the pie shell in a matter of minutes.  So far, so good!  Next I cut the tops for the pies, but you could cut strips and make a lattice top, I just cut large circles, again 1-inch larger than the lid.  Once they were placed on top, I pinched the edges all around, cut slits in the top of the pies and brushed them with an egg wash.  So far I was about 8 minutes into my pie making.  8 minutes!!!  I was almost giddy!

 

Sprinkling coarse sugar on top of the pies made them pretty and then they were ready to be baked.  20 minutes later, the pies were a light golden brown on top with bubbly juices.  Done!  They were a cinch to make!  I let the pies cool for about 10 minutes, until I could handle them without getting burned.  I was a bit worried about how to remove them from the lids - but that proved to be a non-issue...they popped right out!

 

 

  These are the perfect pies to take on a picnic...canned pie filling is not my favorite by any means, but it's not bad.  They are easy to pick up and eat, look and smell wonderful and they take about 30 minutes start to finish - can't beat that!

 

 

Of course, the mister loved them - said they were the best pies ever...what is it with him and CANNED stuff?!?!  I don't know why I bother making him anything from scratch!  He drags his Caveman knuckles around the kitchen in a frenzy when he hears the can opener! 

You can find all kinds of recipes for Mason Jar Lid Pies online...but really, you don't need a recipe, any monkey can make these, as I have just proved.  I know I'll be making these again and again - summer and hand-pies just seem to go together, no?

I have one last thing to tell you before I crawl back under my rock...

so take a look at the pictures...in the first one you'll notice a syringe filled with fluid, that came from my knee...it's swollen and sore and the meniscus is torn so I need surgery.  The other picture shows the shoulder, which I've learned an awful lot about lately as I have a torn rotator cuff and bone spur that needs surgery!!!  Godfrey!  I'm falling apart joint by joint!  So the question was, which one to do first?!?!  After a half dozen MRI's and cortisone injections, the shoulder won and tomorrow I go under the knife...but not to worry, the Mister will be on duty and taking care of me...in other words, please pray for me!!!  And, just in case something goes awry, remember, it's always the husband!!!

This is the song that is stuck in my head today...Dem Bones...

 

 

Stuffed Mustard Greens...

Before boarding my flight to Salt Lake City to celebrate Max's birthday, I stopped into Beechers (Terminal C inside the Seattle airport - it's worth going out of your way to find) to buy myself some lunch and I spotted Kurt Beecher Dammeier's cookbook, Pure Flavor.

Don't be an idiot like me and pay full price, order it on Amazon and get a good used copy for next to nothing!

You'll want this cookbook, it is good, as in so good you will dog-ear almost every page so you'll know which recipes to make first!  I spent my entire flight reading it cover to cover...it was all I could do to wait until I got home to get started on some!  The Stuffed Mustard Greens recipe is from this book, it's the best new way to eat rice and it's dang delicious!  

But before I tell you all about the recipe, I have to show you pictures of my Max and his trailer birthday party...it was a huge hit!

We had the party in my sister's travel trailer and the minute Max walked through the door his eyes lit up!  He slowly looked around at everything and then said AWESOME!  I made him a trailer cake and while it leaned a bit, it did hold together long enough to be cut.  When Max saw the cake he said, "I think it's an R-Pod 187!"  The boy knows his trailers!

Max loved opening all of his gifts but wouldn't you know, his very favorite gift was a card from my sister that had $20 inside!  Max loves money!

 

The whole famdamly, including the wet dog, crowded inside the trailer to watch Max blow out the candles on his cake and open his presents.  He was just so excited - while he was waiting for everyone to squeeze in he said, "I can't believe I'm sitting at a U-shaped dinette!" 

I'm sure Max will have a new obsession by his next birthday but this trailer obsession has lasted a while... last year he was all about the moon and the year before it was car lights and before that it was wheels!  It's anybody's guess as to what is next!

    

Okay, let's talk Stuffed Mustard Greens...a recipe inspired by the classic Greek appetizer, Dolmades.  Mustard greens are a bit on the bitter side, you could also use collard greens or spinach but the slightly bitter taste actually goes well with all of the different components in the rice...roasted celery root, Gryuere cheese, green onions and red bell pepper...you are going to LOVE 'em! 

About celery root...you know how it looks, usually covered in dirt with roots wrapped around it...strange delicious thing...if your local grocery store doesn't carry it you can always find it at an Asian market.  Wash it, peel it and chop it up; I cut my pieces about 1/2-inch square but next time I will make them smaller. While the celery root is roasting you'll have plenty of time to get everything else ready - this is such a fresh take on rice - different, filling, savory...I know you will like it!  Dang delicious, did I already say that?  Well it is and it's worth repeating!

Stuffed Mustard Greens - Adapted from Pure Flavor by Kurt Beecher Dameier

1 1/2 cups short-grain brown rice (alas, I only had Basmati on hand and used that!)

1 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling

1 small celery root, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for sprinkling

1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

24 mustard green leaves (The recipe actually calls for 2 to 3 bunches of mustard greens but they are HUGE leaves and you can tear them in half so maybe just one bunch or you can use collard greens or fresh spinach)

8 oz. Gruyere cheese, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)

8 green onions (white and green parts), chopped

1/4 red bell pepper, diced

2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

Cook the rice according to package instructions w2ith 1/2 teaspoon of the salt.  Set aside. 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a medium bowl, combine the celery root, 1/4 teaspoon salt, pepper and the olive oil.  Pour the mixture onto a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the cubes are golden brown, stirring once.

While the celery root is roasting, blanch the mustard greens in a pot of salted boiling water for 2 minutes.  Rinse the leaves in cold water, drain well, and dry with paper toweling.  Set aside. 

In a large bowl combine the rice, celery root, cheese, green onions, bell pepper, rosemary, thyme, vinegar and 1 teaspoon salt. 

To assemble the rolls, lay one left flat on a cutting board.  Using a sharp knife, slice off the stem (the thick part) and trim the bottom of the leaf.  This helps the leaf fold more easily over the stuffing.  Sprinkle a pinch of salt and pepper over each leaf.  In the middle of the leaf, place 2 tablespoons of the filling.  Fold the short ends of the leaf over the filling; fold one long side over the filling and then roll up the other side of the leaf, creating a small cylindrical package.  Repeat with the remaining leaves and filling.  Serve at room temperature.  Makes 24 small-ish rolls or 12 large rolls.

 

 

  

 

 

 

Max Is Turning 8!!!

Everyone says it but really, where did the time go?!?!  Wasn't it just yesterday that I was pleading with the girl to give me a grandbaby?!?  It just took forever for Max to arrive and now he is turning 8!  It's been a blink of the eye, I tell you, a blink!  Makes me want to put toothpicks in my eyelids to keep from blinking any more!  I want to show you a few things I've picked up in anticipation for Max's birthday...his latest obsession is trailers, as in travel trailers/motorhomes.  And when I say obsessed, I do mean obsessed!  He draws floor plans of trailers in his spare time, when he's not watching videos on YouTube about trailers, and he is excellent at it!!  So in keeping with the trailer theme, this is what I have for Max...

This ceramic cookie jar (from World Market) is for Max's shelf in his room - he can keep his special things in it - like the Finger Hand and the Wind-Up Teeth!

Max will love his new T-shirt - I found it on Amazon, ask and ye shall receive - that should be their motto, they do have everything!

Next we have not one but two pillow cases for Max - so he can dream about trailers while he sleeps, which I'm sure he does anyway.  The pillowcase fabric with the red-dot cuff came from eBay and the fabric with the brown-stripe cuff came from my friend Barbara's stash!  It's good to know people with stashes!

Every 8 year old trailer-enthusiast should have this book...even if the 100+ tips, secrets, hacks and resources were not all that amazing!  I think Max will find them interesting, he likes reading about anything trailer.

This pillow was a find...on Amazon, of course.  It was made in China and I'm sure it's highly flammable but Max won't be using it near any propane tanks.  For $3 I thought it was a deal/steal! 

Of course, you can't have a trailer-themed party without trailer party lights!  Max can hang them in his room after the party - I'm so excited to see his face when he sees these - he will love them!

When we took Max to a trailer dealership last December, he was the happiest we've ever seen him!  I took a lot of pictures of him inside and outside the trailers and those pictures went into a book for Max.  (Costco has the best deal around for picture books!)  And now you probably think I've thought of everything...almost...can you guess what these are?

The mister thought they were aardvark cookies!  Aardvark!?!? 

Yeah, probably not my best work but I was in a bit of a time crunch.  Everything has to be packed up and ready to go very soon!!  Oh, Max did tell me he wants a trailer cake for his party...of course I told him he would have one!  I'll make it when I get to Utah, not quite sure how that's going to work but if Max wants a trailer cake then by golly, he'll get one! Might be a good idea to start praying for me now!

 

 

Quilt Group Friday...

We didn't have a quilt group meeting in February, (instead we went to Sew Expo at the Fairgrounds) so it was great to meet with everyone and see what they've been up to!  Some of us, okay, one of us, has been in a quilting funk lately - not much has been churned out - so I was really looking forward to our meeting to get some much needed inspiration!

Our Block-of-the-Month project is finally over!  February was Terry's month and she requested blue and green...Seahawks colors - those blocks will be added to the ones she already has.  March was my month for blocks and I asked for orange...and they are orange!  Remember, we work off the theory that all oranges go together...all greens go together, all reds, etc.  Sometimes the theory works beautifully and sometimes one of those blocks has to be used on the back of the quilt!  (We also collected more American Hero Quilt blocks - we must have about 200 of them by now!  IF you live near me, mark your calendars for May 13th, we are going to have an American Hero Quilt Sew Day and sew all of our blocks into quilts - we would love for you to bring your machine and join us!  More details coming soon!)

Terry spent 3 weeks in South Korea visiting her daughter and while she was there, she was working on this beautiful applique.  It's not finished but she brought it to show us and I wanted to show you - her work is just impeccable!  This piece will eventually be sewn into a quilt - it's going to be fabulous!

Jenny brought in this show stopper!!  Take a minute and look at how this strip-quilt is pieced - very simple and yet it looks like it was difficult - my favorite kind of quilt!  Jenny made this for a friend's daughter - I don't think she ever keeps any quilts for herself!

Jenny also put these homespun blocks together for a baby quilt for a little boy...for another friend.  Jenny has a lot of friends - and they all get quilts!  Lucky ducks!  I think Jenny picked up these blocks at the Block Party Quilt Show Sale...it is such a fun sale, everything is priced super cheap and quilters get rid of blocks and fabric they know they will just never finish or use.  I picked up a few things at that sale, too...stuff that I will never use but it seemed like a good idea at the time!  I'd show you but you'd just roll your eyes and laugh...

Helen is known for her bright quilts - hot pinks, lime greens, sunny yellows and her funky blocks...so when she unfurled this top we all ooohed and aaahed...and then she had us look closely...it's a CHEATER!!!  It's a big piece of fabric Helen purchased years ago and dug out of her stash!  She really fooled us because this is exactly the kind of quilt Helen makes!  She sewed on the borders, called it good and now it's off to be quilted by Terry!

Denise is getting a jump on the holidays!  She finished up her pumpkin table runner and then made a turkey wall-hanging - and they're pretty cute!  This is what smart people do - they work on Easter stuff in November, Halloween stuff at Easter and Christmas stuff in July...not-so-smart people start Christmas projects on December 23rd and then wonder why they're crazeeee and nothing gets done!

Speaking of crazeee...Denise is at it again, paper-piecing a bazillion little trees!!!  We all loved seeing these little blocks - but thinking about making them gave me a headache!  I'm still not over my last paper-piecing project a few years ago...probably will never get over it!  It's just sooooooo hard!  Way to go Denise!!

This Easter quilt has been shown here before but as we were leaving Barbara's beautiful home, we saw it hanging on her wall and I just had to snap a pic and show it again.  The border fabric looks like gold-leaf - and if you could see this in person you would see perfection.  Barbara is meticulous, every point is pointed, every seam matches perfectly, and the fabrics she used are so beautiful.  Nicely done Barbara...I want another Easter quilt...one is not enough!

That's it!  Short and sweet but definitely full of inspiration!  Thanks for stopping by - I do love it when I can show you something good!   Spring has come to Seattle, birds are singing, the tulips are out and now the big question is, do I work in the yard or do I work on a quilt!!!