Pots and Pins

Sweet Beet Pie...

Every once in a while something wonderful happens.  Like this pie.  It's so different...the color is truly beautiful and that's what first caught my eye - I couldn't help but think how special it would be to have a beautiful red pie for Valentine's Day instead of the traditional molten lava cake or chocolate cream pie or any of the other standards. 

I don't think you have to like beets to be a fan of this pie, but it would help.  One friend said she absolutely hates beets but she willingly put her taste-buds aside and tried a slice...at first she said she liked it - said it was like pumpkin pie in texture, which it is.  Then she said she got the "after-taste" and could taste the beets...so that was the end of her love letter on sweet beet pie.  I personally love the after-taste because I love beets.

Another friend said she loved it...smooth, rich, pretty...and that it was much better with whipped cream.  I had to agree...I would never eat pumpkin pie without whipped cream and one should not eat beet pie without it either!  

You don't have to cook fresh beets to make this pie, you can use bottled/canned beets, just make sure they aren't the pickled variety (and then you won't have red fingers, but if they match the pie isn't that a good thing?)   Since Valentine's Day is almost here, you can also use store-bought pastry, saving some time for yourself to get all dolled-up for a romantic evening...does anyone still do that?!?   One more thing, this recipe calls for muscovado sugar, which is sugar with molasses, more than brown sugar has.  If you don't happen to have any on hand you can make your own by putting a cup of sugar in the food processor and adding two heaping tablespoons of molasses -  give it a good whirl and you're in business.  

I liked this pie a lot.  If I saw it on the menu in a fancy-schmancy restaurant I would order it and I would probably think I had arrived...like I was in the know...like I was part of the in crowd.  Because you know the in crowd would eat this.  

Sweet Beet Pie - Inspired by Merissa Davis and Adapted From Paul Hollywood, BBC Food

(About the measurements - it's important to weigh the beets and the sugar.)  This recipe makes one deep-dish 9-inch pie, serves 8.

One package store-bought pastry

1 jar (12 oz.) beets, not pickled or fresh beets (12 oz.) cooked and peeled

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 large eggs

6 oz. muscovado sugar, packed

1 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 large lemon, finely zested

Whipped cream for serving

Preheat the oven according to pastry package, usually 450 degrees.  Bake pastry according to package directions.  Set aside to cool slightly.  

For the filling:  Turn the oven down to 350 degrees.  If you're using bottled beets, drain away excess liquid.  Roughly chop the beets and put into a food processor with the cream.  Blend to a thick puree.  Set aside.  In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar together thoroughly.  Add the beet puree, spices and lemon zest and mix well.  Pour the mixture into the baked pie shell (if the edges of your pie crust are already browned, cover them with some foil to keep from burning) and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the filling is set with a slight wobble in the middle.  Leave to cool completely.  To serve, slice and top with whipped cream.

This is not your average-run-of-the-mill Valentine dessert...it's better than that...think of it as Valentine's 2.0.  And then think of adding this pie to your Thanksgiving/Christmas pie list because it is definitely holiday worthy.  

Christmas Quilt Redux...

When I was putting Christmas things away, trying to coax my many Christmas pillows back into the closet, the thought occurred to me that I might just have one too many pillows.  How many Christmas pillows does one actually need?  Is there a legal limit?  Had I crossed it?   I didn't remember having so many pillows - it was as if they had been breeding when I wasn't looking.  

These are just a few of the Christmas pillows that refused to cooperate and go back into the closet.  So I started thinking...I couldn't get rid of them, getting rid of anything Christmas is blasphemous...but I could re-invent them!  And that's just how this latest Christmas quilt came to be...I took the pillows apart and made myself a new Christmas quilt.

Some of the pillows were made by my friends and given to me as Christmas gifts - and I LOVE them - so it was with a bit of trepidation that I cut into them.  I certainly didn't want to ruin what they made so I did my best to preserve as much of their work as I could.  

Michelle made me the red-work Snowmen and she gave it to me in a beautiful frame...after looking at the pillows I could use I realized I might need a few more pieces so I took apart some of the framed pictures I'd been given...I was on a mission!!!  Dawn made the beautiful cross-stitch Santa and Jan made the embroidered Snowman...I made the top right pillow years ago, the one with the snowman face button.

Mari made the top left Santa - it was a beautiful quilted pillow and I left the quilting on so it's a bit thicker than the other blocks but I love it.  Michelle, I think, made the little cross-stitch Santa in the bottom left corner and Denise made those miniature flying-geese borders...all paper pieced and the paper was still on because those borders were part of a framed picture that broke as I was trying to stuff everything into the closet...that's what really started this project...a broken picture, a few tears, a pile of things I loved that just needed a new way to be.  I made the two blocks on the right, top and bottom.  The bottom green Santa was from a Christmas stocking that had my name on it; it was part of the family set but then I decided we needed new stockings so I stuffed my stocking and used it as a pillow on the guest room bed for many years.

The top right block was paper-pieced by Denise, it was part of the framed picture that broke.  Below that, the red Santa, I made for a Christmas gift but decided it was too stupid so I made it into a pillow and kept it.  The bottom block, Winter, I also made and it has a date of 2001.  I gave it to the girl that year for Christmas...she gave it back!  The girl barely puts up any Christmas stuff, it's probably because she grew up in a house where Christmas was regurgitated on every surface!  

I could not love this quilt more - I see my friends when I look at it - friends that I love.  Now my goal is to get this hand-quilted before Christmas rolls around, because if there is anything I need, it's another Christmas quilt! 

Quilt Group Friday...

We are up to our eyeballs in rain!  I think we've had one sunny day in the last 35 days or something like that...it's been gray and gloomy outside but a rainy day makes the perfect day to work on a quilt!  And I've actually been doing just that, and will have something to show you very soon.  My friends have been busy in their sewing rooms, too - take a look at what they showed at our last gathering:

Jenny always has a dozen projects going at the same time or so it seems - like she's in the middle of making a king-size quilt for someone (and they aren't even related to her - who does that?!?!)  when she found a bunch of scraps and quickly put this fish bowl quilt together for her nephew.  Reminds me of the I-Spy quilt I made for my kids many moons ago and now my grandkids like looking at it.  A quilt that a kid can wrap up in and give them something to do is definitely a winner!

Speaking of winners...this beauty was made by Terry.  She's only half-way finished because in those plain white spaces she's left, Terry has plans to hand-applique with wool; she's already drawn out the patterns she'll use -  little kids making snow-angels, sledding, building snowmen, etc., and it's going to be even more fantabulous than it is now!

We ALL thought this was fun and happy and super cute...Terry made this from a charm pack and said she wasn't crazy about it but I'm sure when it is quilted and bound it will be one of her favorites.  Don't you just love that border fabric??  

Sorry about the blurry picture!  Terry made both of these "sister" quilts.  The one on the left was finished a while ago and recently Terry realized she had plenty of fabric left to make another quilt...they are the same quilt centers, but with different borders - like twins... where one is raised in England and the other raised in California!  Nicely done Terry!

All quilts are special, but this quilt is extra special.  Janet started working on this quilt 5 years ago, after her husband Don passed away.  Janet used Don's shirts to make this quilt - so now you know how very special this quilt is.  The hearts are appliqued on and those little tiny squares are perfectly sewn - this was truly a labor of love.

I think it's great that Janet's husband loved colorful shirts - it sure made for a colorful quilt!  If I made a quilt out of the mister's shirts it would be white.  Plain white.  He only wears white shirts - no color whatsoever...what does that tell you?!?

Barbara has been busy making coloring-kits for her grandchildren.  Each bag has a coloring book or two inside and crayons in the little slots on the outside - so cute!  These would be great birthday gifts for little kids - very clever!  Barbara recently participated in a sew day where everyone was making pillow case dresses for little girls in Africa, here's one she's working on:

It's a really simple idea that makes for a sweet little dress.  Can you see how the ribbon is gathered at the top to create a neckline and arm holes?  Making dresses out of pillowcases - what a great idea!  

Stephanie worked her magic on this quilt.  She purchased the center of the quilt at at quilt show and then she added the borders to make it larger.  It looks great - warm and wonderful!  Stephanie participates in Obliteride each year and to help raise money (it's for Cancer research) anyone who makes a contribution to her page can pick a quilt from her stash!  How nice is that?!?  I'm just going to throw this out there...if YOU have a quilt that you keep hidden in a closet and never use and you'd like to help Stephanie raise more money, you can send her the quilt and she will add it to her "give for $$$ stash!"  Email me and I'll send you her info...wouldn't it be great if Stephanie had a HUGE pile of quilts to give away in return for a HUGE contribution to cure Cancer?!?  Win/win!

Wow.  This quilt by Denise just wowed us all.  It's been years since Denise asked us to save our selvedges for her...and we did...and look at what she created with them!!!  I do recognize one strip that I contributed...left side, 2nd row from the bottom, 2nd block in...the one with cherries.  I went through a cherry phase about 5 years ago...I bought every fabric I could find with cherries on it...hmmmm...nothing ever came from buying all that cherry fabric either and now I have NO idea where any of it is!  Sometimes it's hard being me.

That's a wrap!  Diane hosted us and I should have taken pictures of her beautiful tables and the fabulous spread she had for us...still thinking about her minestrone soup!  I'll leave you with one last picture - it's of the park behind our house and as you can see, it's now a lake!  

As the mister likes to say, "Now that we have lake front property it's time to stick a sign in the yard and sell this dump!"  He has such a way with words.  Before he does that though, it's time for me to get back to my workroom, I've got quilts to finish!