Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Wonderful Wednesday Wrecipes

Em came up with today’s entry. I didn’t think to take pictures-sorry!

Pasta with Alfredo Sauce

Makes 4-servings (realistically- 3 adult portions or 2 with leftovers)

  • 8 oz. dry pasta
  • 4 oz. cream cheese (either brick or spreadable, but not whipped)
  • ½ to 2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 6 TBSP butter (what can I say- heart-attack on a plate)
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder, or a minced whole clove of fresh garlic
  • ½ tsp dried basil
  • fresh ground black pepper to taste
  • ¼ tsp nutmeg

Boil salted water for pasta; when you toss pasta in, begin sauce.

In a medium sauce pan over low heat, stir all ingredients except nutmeg until combined and cheeses are melted.

Keep warm over low heat until pasta is ready. Drain pasta, reserving ¼ cup of cooking liquid.

Pour pasta into a serving bowl, and add alfredo sauce. Toss to combine well, adding pasta cooking water as necessary to thin sauce. Stir in the nutmeg and serve hot.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

A Small Favor Please….

The daughter of a dear friend passed away this morning after a 10 year battle with inflammatory breast cancer. Would you mind saying a prayer for Tom & his wife? Thanks so much.

Lisa lived more in her last 10 years of life than most people live in a lifetime.

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Lisa Maria Bryant

Born: July 15, 1966

Died: January 25, 2010

43 Years of LIFE

Monday, January 25, 2010

More Stitching Coziness….

This is a Debbie Mum print:

envelope6

The good thing about this project is I’ll have lots, well at least a fat quarter amount leftover from each fabric print for quilting with!

(Yeeaahhh…….rrriiiiiiiiiiight! When I have “time” for that!)

Saturday, January 23, 2010

♫ It’s So Pretty!

First- Pumpkin progress:

TGPC9

See that little bit of green on the lower left?

Behold:

An envelope to hold my Q-snap frame!

envelope1 

envelope2

With a pocket inside to hold my chart!

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Sure beats these flimsy plastic bags:

envelope3

I have fabric (different colors) to make 4 more!

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Wonderful Wednesday Wrecipe

My mind went into overdrive this past weekend and I took my Garlic Breadstick Recipe and turned it into something sweet for breakfast. I tweaked the Garlic stick recipe directions a bit because I think I left out some steps:

Cinnamon Stix

Breadstick dough ingredients

  • 3/4 cup water – lukewarm
  • 3 TBSP honey
  • 3 TBSP butter
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 tsp yeast

The dough is very like a pizza dough.

Topping ingredients

  • 3 TBSP melted butter
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2-3/4 tsp cinnamon

Directions

1. Add ingredients in order to bread machine – use dough cycle. My sunbeam takes 90 minutes.

2. Remove and let rest under a clean towel for 10 minutes on a lightly floured surface. Roll out to an approximate 10” x 15” rectangle, about 1/2” thick. With a pizza cutter, cut dough into strips about 3/4” wide and 5” long.

3. Brush all strips with melted butter (use it all up!!), sprinkle evenly with the sugar and cinnamon.

4. Take each strip and gently twist and place on baking sheet lined with parchment and sprayed with vegetable spray. If there’s any butter left, brush the bare spots on the twists. Cover again with towel and let rest again for about 30 minutes, not so much to rise, but just to rest.

5. Cook in preheated oven at 350 on center rack until golden brown – around 15 to 20 minutes depending on the size.

These easily reheat in the microwave- 10 seconds on high.

cinnamon stix

Monday, January 18, 2010

Leave it to those Brits….

And I thought it was just the crappy rain-y-ness of the day today:

Blue Monday

Jeesh! Even the sidebar stories on that web page are kwazy!

blue monday

image from here

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Silent Sunday

“Hi! What’s this thing?”

axe1

axenose

axenose2

“Hey! Make that bright light stop!”

axeflash

“That’s better.”

axe2

“What’s that crinkly thing in your pocket- a mint for me??!!”

axe3

“Blech! Wormer!”

axe4

“Meow”

aslan

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Zig-Zags

More Pumpkin progress:

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Two acorns, a couple of diamonds above last week’s work, and the start of some zig-zagging. And a couple of leaves to the right of the right side pumpkin.

We were at Joanne’s this week- thanks Joanne! Last week was Jeanne’s- had I mentioned that? Thanks Jeanne! Snacks galore!

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Weary Wednesday Wrecipes

I’m in mental overload. My brain is on the verge of being overwhelmed by various stuff.

So I’m once again cheating and referring you to a grand list of recipes- a veritable treasure-trove of deliciousness. As proof, you will note my To-Die-For-Crock-Pot Roast is number 12 on the list.

potroast12

Drum roll, please, maestro…………

RecipeZaar Top 100 Recipes of 2009.

I’ve already printed out a half dozen things and will probably print more!

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Global Warming/ Schmobel Shmarming

Looks like the frigid air is all over my favorite places. Check this blog out:


Celtic Memory Yarns


The Gougane Barra is in my memory for some reason: either we saw signs for it from Kenmare, or my friend Denis referred to it, or Jane mentioned it. Or it was in a movie?

In warmer weather

Not my picture, but nabbed from here.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Somewhat Silent Sunday

Heaven on a plate:

bear claw

chicklet

“Howza ‘bout some heaven on the floor here!”

Friday, January 8, 2010

Learning Curves

Stitching progress:

TGPC7

I’m still learning the settings on my new camera. I have to read the booklet on controlling the blurries.

Here’s a close-up of last night’s and today’s efforts:

TGPC7a

Gotta love that silk floss!

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Wonderful Wednesday Wrecipes

So my mom is in the big house until the end of the month, so I can go to Stitch & Bitch V2.0 after all. I decided I wanted something bright and spring-like and Lemon Bars came to mind. I have a recipe that I had trouble with last time I made it, so this morning I went to my Go-To Blog for snacks: Cookie Madness, and sure enough she had several recipes to choose from.

I chose this one and made the 9”x13” version (follow the link):

Perfect Lemon Bars
Recipe By : Susan Logozzo, Cook's Illustrated Magazine, May, 1998
Makes about two dozen 1-1/2 to 2-inch squares

The Crust:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar -- plus extra to
decorate finished bars
1/4 cup cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter -- (1 1/2 sticks) at
very cool room temperature, cut into
1-inch pieces, plus extra for greasing pan

The Lemon Filling:

4 large eggs -- beaten lightly
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons finely grated zest -- (from two large
lemons)
2/3 cup fresh lemon juice -- (from 3 to 4 large
lemons), strained
1/3 cup whole milk
1/8 teaspoon salt


The lemon filling must be added to a warm crust. The 30-minute chilling and 20-minute baking of the crust should allow plenty of time to prepare the filling. If not, make the filling first and stir to blend just before pouring it into the crust. Any leftover bars can be sealed in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to two days.

1. For the crust: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 9” x 13” pan with Release foil.

2. Pulse flour, confectioners’ sugar, cornstarch, and salt in food processor work bowl fitted with steel blade. Add butter and process to blend, 8 to 10 seconds, then pulse until mixture is pale yellow and resembles coarse meal, about three 1-second bursts. (To do this by hand, mix flour, confectioners’ sugar, cornstarch, and salt in medium bowl. Freeze butter and grate it on large holes of box grater into flour mixture. Toss butter pieces to coat. Rub pieces between your fingers for a minute, until flour turns pale yellow and coarse.) Sprinkle mixture into lined pan and press firmly with fingers into even, 1/4-inch layer over entire pan bottom and about 1/2 inch up sides. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, then bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

lemon bar2
3. For the filling: Meanwhile, whisk eggs, sugar, and flour in medium bowl, then stir in lemon juice, zest, milk, and salt to blend well.

lemon bar1


4. To finish the bars: Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Stir filling mixture to re-blend; pour into warm crust. Bake until filling feels firm when touched lightly, about 20 minutes.

lemon bar3

5. Transfer pan to wire rack; cool to near room temperature, at least 30 minutes. Transfer to cutting board, and cut into serving-size bars, wiping knife or pizza cutter clean between cuts, as necessary. Sieve confectioners’ sugar over bars, if desired.

lemon bar5

I didn’t press the crust firmly enough; it seemed too powdery. When I took it out of the oven, it had cracked across the bottom. I had lined my pan with Release foil though, and I knew even if the filling seeped thru, it wouldn’t stick. My other pet peeve about this recipe was that it called for EVERY one of my measuring cups except the 1/2 cup. I hate using every kitchen tool in the drawer! So I was a bit skeptical about how “perfect” these would be. I’m happy to report that these are indeed as good as advertised! (I had to trim to fit into a more presentable pan and tasted the trimmings.) (Yeah- now that’s a good excuse!)

Monday, January 4, 2010

Back to Pumpkins

Some well-deserved mental therapy:

TGPC6

Sorry it’s skewed & blurry; I’m a bit rushed these days. Off to my girl cave.

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Silent Sunday

 snow1 snow2 snow3 snow4 snow5 snow6 snow7 snow8

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