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Archive for the ‘Cooking and Recipes’ Category

Giving Thanks

Thursday, November 25th, 2010

We had a lovely family dinner tonight. I am so grateful to have family close so that we can share our love of good food and enjoy hearty laughs when we play silly games.

Here is my plate of turkey, gravy, wild rice dressing, roasted squash, roasted brussels sprouts and cranberry chutney accompanied by a Benzinger Pinot Noir. I made a salad with roasted pears – that was really yummy.

You may have noticed that I have not blogged for some time. I have had a bout of bronchitis and have not been able to do much of anything — have not made it down to my studio at all.

Yesterday, I felt enough better to start some preparations for today’s repast. I made pumpkin pies from a pumpkin that came in my organic farm produce this week.

I microwaved the pumpkin and the shell just slipped off leaving the lovely pulp.

I roasted the pumpkin seeds for snacking.

I had enough filling for two small pies and some on the side.

The pies were enjoyed by everyone.

I am rather exhausted tonight, but thought I should check in.

If it was on your agenda, I hope you had a wonderful day with family and/or friends.

It’s All About the Food

Saturday, October 23rd, 2010

I had a great time cooking today. I used all the ingredients left from my organic farm produce this week. Above is the Pear Tart Tartin, which did not use any of the ingredients. It was delicious with organic vanilla ice cream.

I made a tomatillo salsa with the tomatillos and jalapeno peppers. It also has onion, cilantro and lime juice. It was so good. I did not take photos, but you can see photos of the recipe I used, here.

I used the kale and rosemary in a Kale and White Bean soup. The recipe is here.

Steph made her fabulous sweet potato biscuits.

Here is the recipe:

Sweet Potato Biscuits
adapted from Martha Stewart Living Magazine
yield: about 20 small-size biscuits

1 pound sweet potatoes or yam (one large one is usually sufficient)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (chilled), cut into small pieces
1/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Prick the sweet potato and bake until soft (about one hour…you can also do this more quickly in a microwave). Once the sweet potato has cooled, scoop the flesh from the skin and pass through a food mill, ricer or sieve. You should have about 1 3/4 cups puree.

Stir together the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and cayenne. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter (or use your fingers) until it resembles a course meal. Mix milk with sweet potato puree and add it to the other ingredients. Mix dough, just to incorporate (I use my hands). If the dough is really sticky, add a touch more flour. Turn dough out onto floured surface and knead a few times. Pat out to a 1/2 inch thickness. Cut biscuits with a biscuit-cutter or glass. We make ours small, about 2 inches in diameter. Place on parchment-lined cookie sheet and refrigerate for 10 minutes. Place in preheated oven and cook until risen and slightly brown, about 12 minutes (longer for larger biscuits). Serve warm.

I invited her and the family just so I could have some of these biscuits. I also roasted beets which we had on a salad of greens with goat cheese. It was a beautiful meal and very tasty.

Mia is always reading:

And Scooter was mostly on his good behavior

except when he snuck into the kitchen while we were eating dessert and knocked some dishes on the floor, trying to have some leftovers!!

No studio time today. Maybe tomorrow.

Just One of Those Days

Thursday, September 23rd, 2010

This is the extent of my studio work — another composition from my screen printed fabrics, called Cityscape.

Today, I planned a lot of time in the kitchen using the fruit I bought at the farmer’s market, yesterday. My dang nose had other plans. I am back on cortisone nose spray and the heat is on because it has been cold so my nasal passages are very dry. This morning, I blew my nose and a fountain of blood poured forth for what seemed forever. I finally collected myself and got on with the day, but I was not happy with the situation.

I did manage to make a batch of peach freezer jam, a batch of plum chutney which we had with grilled pork tonight (yummilicious) and I roasted copious numbers of cherry tomatoes to use for pasta and pizza. I will have a lot more tomatoes by the week-end.

I finished the cooking just in time to get cleaned up and head to the eye doctor. I have had some blurriness which he says is the start of cataracts. I knew that was coming sooner or later. Not bad enough to deal with, yet. I have to go in for a field of vision test, whatever that is!!

Good news! My Entwined Roots in the SAQA auction sold today so I don’t have to worry about that. It is a fun thing to do, but you don’t want to have it sitting there with no one buying.

I have been asked to be a last minute substitute for a panel discussion at the SAQA show at the NW Quilt Expo. It is about Finding Your Artistic Voice. Terry Grant was already scheduled plus one other member from Portland. I think it will be fun.

Feeling Flummoxed

Friday, August 27th, 2010

I have lost my focus. I am finding it very difficult to concentrate on anything for very long. I am spending too much time playing games on the computer and staring at the wall. I fool around all day and don’t make it to the studio until late afternoon. This is a funk that I have been in before so I know I will work my way out of it. Once I start in the studio, it is great, but why can’t I get more discipline? Argh!

I have been working on Allegro:

I think I need to set aside some time to make some new fabric — I want to screen print, discharge, soy wax, etc. I need some stimulation for new work.

I have been beading the Twelve by Twelve lorikeet quilt. I haven’t done beading lately and I am finding it very soothing.

I did get set up with Skype yesterday and talked to Diane Hock and Brenda Gael Smith of the Twelves. So much fun. Of course, I know Diane well, but it was fun to hear Brenda’s Aussie accent.

My other creative endeavor today was to make this very delicious rustic peach tart.

Tomorrow, we are taking Miss Mia to a Garrison Keilor concert at the Oregon Zoo. She is a big fan of NPR and The Prairie Home Companion. I promised her that if Garrison ever came to Portland that I would take her. I hope she enjoys it. Unfortunately, it is outside and the weather forecast is not that great. But, we are hardy Oregonians!!

The Long Week-end

Monday, July 5th, 2010

Since I am retired,  I sometimes lose track of what day it is. This past week-end intensified that. It has been too long. I managed to get some studio work done. I painted more organza and some silk for a background.

I wasn’t sure what to do for a background for this next piece, but I auditioned the painted silk and I quite like it.

I stitched up some more pojagi pockets from the newly painted organza. I used a bit more red.

I also did a little landscape for my sketchbook.

On the home front, we had a nice meal with the family last night. Mia and Miles had some sparkling fun on the deck.

Today, I decided to salvage 6 very ripe apricots and made some jam. I used a recipe with just apricots, sugar and lemon juice. It is a refrigerator jam.

Hot weather is acomin’! It is going to be in the 90s by the end of the week. I plan to do some marathon dyeing and maybe some discharging.