bounty

Holy smokes!  The air is so smoky up here!  Yikes!  Looking out my window this morning it was so thick it looked almost like fog.  My allergies are letting me know they no likey.  In spite of the yuck I have gotten a lot done this weekend with plenty of nothin' in between!  One of the ladies at work brought in bags of fresh basil from her garden on Friday and I was lucky to snag a bag!  I made fresh pesto last night using this recipe.  I did add another couple of sprigs of basil in addition to the 2 cups the recipe called for.  I had never made this before and it was really easy with my food processor.  I also baked up a couple loaves of yellow squash bread subbing crushed pineapple for oil and adding some shredded coconut.  It turned out really yummy.  For dinner I had put a veggie lasagna in the oven before making the pesto - multitasking :) 

Today I have chicken enchiladas cooking up in the crock pot to take to a family who just had a baby who has breathing issues.  And I made two loaves of zucchini bread subbing applesauce for the oil and I added carob chips.  I was a little heavier handed with those than I had intended.  The first couple handfuls just sunk into the batter and looked like there were hardly any, soooo naturally I added another couple handfuls.  I'm thinking those will last a bit longer since they will be so sweet.

It's funny because unless I'm sewing something I usually feel like I haven't gotten much done.  But, I did get the house clean yesterday and all that baking.  Today I did sew some hexagons while watching a movie so I guess I have accomplished something by my own standards!  I am making a table topper, like a circular-ish one with fall fabrics for the hexagons.  I embroidered a few of them for the very center, I think it will turn out cute.

almost spring

Yikes, this is a long post!  Okay, so I finished the granny square quilt top last weekend, here it is:


and here's my attempt at an artsy angle *grin*

It was a blustery day and kind of shadowy in the back yard, so I didn't get great pics, but you get the idea.  So I added a thin border of more scraps.  If you remember, my Mom gave me a giant bag of scraps this last Fall I think it was and there were a lot of long thing pieces that sort of made me think they were binding extras.  So I trimmed down a bunch to 1.5" and then just randomly put them together in long strips.  I like the way it turned out.  I wasn't sure at first, but once I got it all put together then it kind of made the center even more colorful, if that's possible?  I do have the back sewn together but just haven't quite had the ooompf to tape it all down to the floor and pin it together.  I have linked up with the Stitched in Color Festival of Scrapiness. 
In other crafting news I joined an embroidery swap, I think I mentioned it previously.  It took me awhile to think of something I'd like to stitch up.  I have to admit I was completely intimidated by the work others have done that are also participating.  I thought of doing a pattern....but then I felt like it wouldn't really represent me.  I don't know, maybe that sounds pretentious or something and I don't mean it that way.  Anyway, I started doodling, and came up with this:

I bought some stickers last weekend that had little bunnies and also some pinwheels and then I thought, what if there was a happy little bunny holding a pinwheel?  I like to think of little stories as I stitch things and so I had fun putting this together.  I also now have in mind to recreate my bunny painting wreath into an embroidery.  And, when it's something for me then I won't feel badly making the bunny a fun color like lime green :)  heee, heee.  I also stiched up a mug rug to put along with this, I'm going to redo the binding because I feel like it came out too thick.  I hope she likes it!
I'm also working on a knitting project, a knitted bunny.  So far I have the body and 2 legs.  Once it's done I'm going to knit it a sweater, because you know how bunnies need sweaters right?  lol.  Oh yes, here is a pic of the fabric I picked up last weekend.

The stripey one is going to be the binding for the granny squares quilt, which I think is kind of perfect. All those colors. Also the stripe is on the bias and since I like to do a bias binding the stripe will come out well on the fold.
In other news, I finished the 2nd book in the Hunger Games series which is called Catching Fire.  I really liked it.  While in Barnes and Noble last weekend I read the end of the third book.  I've been on the waiting list at the library and couldn't stand it anymore!  I had to know how it all ends!  LOL I know this makes a lot of people crazy that I read the ends of things, but I can't help it and I will still read it :)
Today I made banana bread, and man it turned out GOOD!  This is my first time making banana bread, shocking I know.  I've made tons of zucchini, squash, pumpkin and even persimmon bread.  It's the same recipe except with 2 cups of banana.

Bread:
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
3 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp nutmeg
3 eggs
1 cup oil (or can sub applesauce or crushed pineapple)
2 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups bananas (or whatever like zucchini, pumpkin puree.....)
walnuts are optional, it's also fun to add stuff like raisins, shredded coconut, cranberries

I put all the dry ingredients up till the nutmeg in one bowl and mix it all around.  In another bowl I add everything from the eggs down.  Before adding the bananas I mix everything with a handheld mixer, then slowly add in the banana and mix with the mixer.  This is very tricky when using shredded zucchini and I don't recommend mixing with zucchini, but do mix before zucchini.  Once that's all mixed together and nice and smooth add in the dry ingredients.  Mix well.  I spray two glass bread pans with nonstick spray and then divide the contents of bowl between the two pans.  Bake at 350 for approximately an hour.  I usually start checking on it about 45-50 minutes.  You don't want to over bake.  Cool on wire racks.

mmm, delish!  This is like the easiest recipe.  You can also sub sugar for 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup honey if you want to try that.  Or sub margarine for oil.  Basically I play around with things a lot and so far haven't gotten anything grody.

Hope you have a great week!  Tuesday is the first day of Spring!

grannies and a recipe

And so, here's my twenty squares so far. I'm going to make more so I have rows that are 5 across and 6 long. I keep rearranging them, so they are different now than in this picture even. I like the way they are turning out, though! I've tried to stick with bolder colors with distinct variations between the center and outer squares.

Oh, and do you like my fancy new "design wall"? So last weekend at scrapbooking Connie and I were talking, she is also a quilter, and she mentioned her design wall. And, dang those green horns of jealousy came right on out! So I asked her how she made it because I wanted one, too. She said all it is is a vinyl tablecloth, the kind that have the flannel backing and she just pinned it up and the squares stick right on it! There you go, a design wall on the cheap! It works really well and best part is that it's up off the floor! No more getting mad at George or the dogs for messing things up!
Today I have a little potluck get together thing to go to. I decided to make chili cheese roll-ups, and here's the recipe:
Chili Cheese Roll-ups:
1 package of cream cheese, softened
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 can of diced green chilis, drained
1 can chopped olives
1 bunch green onions, chopped
3 tortillas, I like the jalepeno cheddar kind but any will do

today I did everything in the food processor which mixed everything very nicely and shredded the cheese at the same time, v. convenient :) Basically you mix together your cheeses and then mix everything else in, I didn't use the whole can of olives because there is a ton in one little can!
After everything is mixed up nicely, spread evenly on a tortilla and roll it up, then slice into little wheels. The very end pieces don't turn out well, they usually are my sampler pieces :)

They aren't super pretty but they are delicious!

Cranberry Orange Sauce

As promised, here is the recipe that I had mentioned before. Please note that this is not my original recipe, I did find it in a magazine at my Moms house, but unfortunately do not remember the title of the magazine.

Cranberry Orange Sauce:
3/4 cup sugar
4 Tbs honey
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup pure orange juice
1 package of cranberries

Combine sugar, honey, water and juice in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Add cranberries and spices, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Makes 2 1/4 cups.

What I changed in the directions was this - I started to squish the cranberries after they had simmered for 10 minutes so that they would absorb the sweetness from the sauce. I also then simmered for an additional 10 minutes to ensure a good mixture.

Finished products and such

Warning! There are a ton of pictures on this post!

I finally bought the right type of rechargable batteries for my camera so I can share picts again :) And these are really OLD pictures! Well, since February. Okay, first up is what I received from the Vintage Pink Christmas Swap, I got it right before Valentine's day. Better late than never, right? My partner was Heidi (aka: Spiritual Knitter). She knitted the angel dishcloth for me, and I LOVE it! There were all kinds of stuff in there, fun to look through!

The next swap I did was a Valentine's day swap, and I received my package first. There was one of those cardboard jointed signs, and a couple paper vday decorations. She took one of those heart shaped candy boxes and dumped out the chocolate and filled the little wrappers with plastic beads, feathers, lace, and plastic rings.

And this is what I sent her - a ton of scrapbooking paper, embelishments, brads. A little notebook, a journal, embroidered dishtowels and some Ghiridelli chocolate. I put it all in a big pink box that could be reused. Sorry for the glare on the pic :)

I found this blue vase at Goodwill and thought it was pretty :)

Okay, onto finished projects!

So, I have this picture frame that I took the glass out of and make like a scrapbook page for each season, this is what Valentine's day was :) I also crocheted a couple of red hearts and they were also sitting next to the frame. I had already put them up before I took the picture.

I mentioned before that I had started crocheting again, and this is one of the things that I have finished. It an amigurumi lamb. It is the first amigurumi that I have made, and I think it turned out cute. It is from this book that I found at the libary. What I learned from it was that my stitches were not quite tight enough once I stuffed it.

Then, I stumbled across an amigurumi Hello Kitty! Argh! I just HAD to make one! The only problem being that the directions found were in Japanese. But, after a diligent search I did find a comparable pattern in English :) on Ravelry, which is one of my new favorite sites. So, here is the first one - I like everything except the dress. I didn't have a pattern so I made this pink thing, only to discover that I really should use a thinner yarn.

This one I made for Jan's daughter for her birthday, I put it on the outside of the gift bag. I put little beads in the center of the flowers. It's funny because I used the same pattern as the first but since I was holding the yarn so tightly it came out a lot smaller. I just didn't want the stuffing to show through since it was a gift. I made a little teensy bit larger version of the same dress for the first doll.

Okay, so I know this is a random photo, but I just really liked how my kitchen window looked the other night :) Fridays I get off work at noon, so I had time to grocery shop before going home and I stopped at Thunderbird which is where I pretty much always go. So, walking up to the produce aisle there was a lady dressed as a tomato (?) I think. I was a big round red costume and she had a hat on with all sort of fruit. So, she could have been an apple also. I wish I had a picture of that to put on here! But, the point was that they had a free sample table. She said if you like the salad then they would give you a bag with all the ingredients and recipe for free. Not one to pass up free stuff I took it! The recipe was called "Cowboy Salad" and it was black beans, kidney beans, green onion, cilantro, 3 tomatoes, corn and a dressing. The dressing was just a mix of the juice squeezed from half a lime, salt, pepper, canola oil, and a little vinegar. I don't usually measure those things but I think it was like a teaspoon of all the liquids and then dashes of the s & p. It turned out really yummy :)t

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Veggie Lasagna

1 jar of spaghetti sauce - I like Newman's Own Sockarooni or Tomato Basil
1 package lasagna noodles - I like the no-boil kind
mozzarella cheese (grated)
zuccini cut in thin slices
bell pepper, onion, mushrooms (all optional)
olives for garnish

I always start with a noodle layer, then layer sauce, then zucchini and then cheese. If you want to add the other veggies I just add them on top of the zucchini. I'm pretty generous with the sauce, I think it helps cook the noodles more thoroughly. It usually makes 3 layers in a 9x5(?) pan. I top with a layer of cheese and then put some olives on top. I cover with foil and bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees. My oven doesn't bake evenly so I bake things longer than normal. After an hour then I take the foil off so that the cheese can get a little browned and crispy.

I always use a cheese like jack or mozzerella because I don't like ricotta, but if you like ricotta it would be easy to add it in.

p.s., last night as I was making this I realized that I had NO olives!!! Bah! I was freaking out when I found waaaay in the back a can with 3 measly olives left in it! I still used them, hey I'm from California! and sliced them into a thin layer on the top. De-lish!

Taco Soup

I feel that I should share my favorite recipe of late! This recipe is from Jan, she shared it with me and now I'm sharing with you!
Taco Soup
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
1 onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, cut in smallish pieces
1 can stewed or diced tomatoes
1 larger size can tomato sauce
1 can corn, undrained
1 can kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
1 package taco seasoning mix (I like Taco Bell brand, if I don't have that specific brand then I add more ground cumin and some chili powder to give some more oomph)

In frying pan put a teensy bit of oil, add chicken and onion. While the chicken is cooking on medium heat put all other ingredients into a pot and turn on medium-high heat. Cook the chicken just until it is no longer pink in the middle and then add chicken and onions to the pot with the other ingredients. Heat through. Grate some cheese to put on top of each serving in the bowl. You might also like to add avacado or sour cream. Sour cream is not for me, but hubby said it was good.
This makes two large servings with extra for lunches. You can easily increase the recipe! Or, Jan uses ground beef. Personally I have a distaste for ground beef so I use chicken. You could also buy the pre-cooked chicken to make it faster.