JUST HAVE TO SHARE THIS

Interlocking Seasons big blocks--about 23 inches each of the blocks.  Will make four sets like this and then quilt each set then sew them together and add borders.  Not sure exactly what those will be.  Anyway...just wanted to share this for now.

PAELLA--OLE!!!!!!!!!!!!

Challenge from Daring Cooks was to make paella.  Something I'd always wanted to try but seemed daunting.  It isn't!  Mine isn't as fancy--pretty simple with just shrimp and sausage, but very delicious.

Whole family was here, so made two pans.  In one I put white rice, in other brown. Brown took longer to cook and rice was a bit chewier--which I loved!!

Mise en place for paella.  That's just kielbasa sausage that was sliced and fried up.  

Generally, paella includes seafoods--clams, mussels, shrimp, some sausage, sometimes chicken, sometimes lobster tails.  It can probably be just about anything you'd like and even vegetarian.  There are all sorts of recipes and many youtube type videos out there.  Mine included what's shown above and shrimp.  Best we could get here were frozen.  It usually also includes saffron but the challenger said we could use paprika, so that's what I did.  There is a special pan "paellera" that can be humongous as in one video online, or much smaller.  I used two different type of pans--one is a wide, curved side 12" skillet, other is a large saute pan.  I'd like another 12 inch skillet if I were doing two again, or the gorgeous copper paellera I saw--it was "only" in the three hundred dollar range!  Whatever, it all turned out deliciously and was enjoyed by almost all--a bit spicy for a couple of my little girlie girls.  

You really should try this--I know you'll love it!

Blog-checking lines: Our Daring Cooks’ September 2012 hostess was Inma of la Galletika. Inma brought us a taste of Spain and challenged us to make our very own delicious Paella!

BEJEWELLED--triangles are a girl's best friend!

Couple weeks ago dear hubby came home with Bejewelled runner pattern
by Karen Montgomery and a strip set to complete it.

Back of runner showing quilting.  Started with the idea of following the seams, but I'm just not too good at that!
As it turned out,  just love the sort of haphazard way the designs worked on the triangles
and the sort of crazy quilting on the black.

Cute hubby taking above picture of the runner for me while
trying to not get his toes!

All pieces done in strips.  As it turns out I misunderstood the way to press the seams. It's diagrammed on the pattern, but will pay more attention next time!.  Because of how it's sewn, you can't change the direction after compiling each strip--unless you pick it all out (NOT happening)  It made for thick seams.

DD and DGD picked out 20 lovely batiks from my stash for me to make one for their home.  Lovely colors and anxious to see it come together.  The pattern shows batiks in purples and greens, but any colors would be nice.  It's 60 degree triangles out of twenty 2 1/2 inch strips.  I think any combination of colors and fabrics would work out well--maybe not too large designs, but who knows?  

 

PUFF BALLS, HEARTS, SWANS!!!

This was one of the more entertaining and delicious baking challenges with the Daring Kitchens Baker's Forum.  Pate a choux is really easy--REALLY!!  I've made small puffs for years and years.  Mom always made them for any party she had and filled them with shrimp or crab salad and so did I.  Don't think had ever tried sweet ones, but with whipped cream and with chocolate ganache (also ridiculously easy) inside some and on top of others, it was fun.    I also froze a few of the sweet ones to give to family that came this last weekend--YUM!  You should really, really try these.

Shrimp salad filling on these.  Would make them smaller next time .

One of a few swans I made--isn't her beak cute?  Didn't plan that, it just happened.

All the pieces that one recipe made.  Cut them immediately or it's almost impossible to not have breakage--guess how I know that????????????

Pate a choux  (cannot be doubled)

½ cup (4 oz) butter     1 cup water      ¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup all-purpose flour    4 large eggs

Directions: Line at least two baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper, or grease pans well.  Preheat oven to moderately hot 375°F. In a small saucepan, combine butter, water, and salt. Heat over until butter melts, then remove from stove.   Add flour all at once and beat, beat, beat the mixture until the dough pulls away from the sides of the pot.  Add one egg, and beat until well combined. Add remaining eggs individually, beating vigorously after each addition. Resulting mixture should be somewhat glossy, very smooth, and somewhat thick.  Using a ¼” (6 mm) tip on a pastry bag, pipe out about 36 swan heads. You’re aiming for something between a numeral 2 and a question mark, with a little beak if you’re skilled and/or lucky.  Remove the tip from the bag and pipe out 36 swan bodies. These will be about 1.5” long, and about 1”  wide. One end should be a bit narrower than the other.   Bake the heads and bodies until golden and puffy. The heads will be done a few minutes before the bodies, so keep a close eye on the baking process.   Remove the pastries to a cooling rack, and let cool completely before filling.  Can make many different shapes--saw a turtle, crab (they used slices of stuffed olives for eyes) and someone colored their pate a choux red to make ladybugs!!   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOKqFsQG3mA  and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeRQA6cNLR0  are videos showing how to make first swans and then what's called brest.  

Blog-checking lines: Kat of The Bobwhites was our August 2012 Daring Baker hostess who inspired us to have fun in creating pate a choux shapes, filled with crème patisserie or Chantilly cream. We were encouraged to create swans or any shape we wanted and to go crazy with filling flavors allowing our creativity to go wild!

Interlocking Seasons Block

Interlocking Seasons Block En Point

This is the first of 30 blocks I'm doing for a quilt for family.  Have been working on these for a long time and have not wanted to share any of it since it's a present, but I just can't wait any longer!!  I have the centers done for all of them now--actually about twice as many as I need since putting it en point won't use as many.  Will have a bunch to make some table runners or other things with.

It's an interesting block to make and am fascinated by the process it must have taken to figure out!  These are colors my family members picked out--not ones I'd have chosen, but have fallen in love with them and love the subtlety the various fabrics have produced.  Can't remember how many maroons, but there are two golds and five blacks.  The original blocks were made using strips 1.25" wide and various lengths in each color.  Mine are 2" strips so my center measures considerably more and with black triangles, it's even bigger.  I loved working with those sizes.

Here's where it originated from:  http://theparfaitcafe.com/?p=228   and there's a pdf file for it.  If you're interested, my strip lengths were 2 (her 1.25), 2 x 3.5 (her 2), 2 x 5 (her 2.75) , 2 x 6.5 (3.5).  I'm not sure it's exactly as hers are, but the triangles I used are cut from a 12.5 square.   

Pieces laid out so could be chain pieced.

Markings on red pieces with Roxanne's white marker          
 so could line up golds across from each other

Pencil lines drawn so can line up reds across from each other.
I'd lay that little clear ruler along the red pieces already sewn.
Pencil marks barely show and after awhile did them on right side of fabric.

At first, I sewed each "season" section together, but after a few were done, figured out it was much easier and faster to chain sew all red and gold squares to their black counterpart, reds to the 5" blacks, etc.  They were all done in sets of four, so it worked out well.  Then they were cut apart and ironed so could go to next step, then next, etc.  It also seemed to work out best when it came time to put all four "seasons" together--especially after I re-read her instructions on the last little black square over a couple times.  Even so, each inner square with all four seasons took over an hour to put together.  I'm compulsive about ironing well, so that is included in time.  Of course, doesn't count cutting everything--here's where my strip cutter (Donna Dewberry's by Fiskar) worked really well.  Think got it at Joann's when 1/2 off.  Worth it!!  

EN PAPILLOTE...THINK I NEED TO INVEST IN PARCHMENT PAPER!!

Oh, my!!  This was so easy, delicious, moist and definitely my new favorite way to do salmon and chicken!!   Large pieces of parchment paper is used either in heart shape or squares/rectangles.  There are videos online showing how to do this, and that's what I watched before doing.  It's something I'd wanted to do but was intimidated by--DON'T BE!  I'm going to do this with grandkiddos next time they visit.  They will love it, and so will you.  

Salmon en papillote.  Used Alton Brown's recipe with some variation

Julienned veggies, salmon, heart shaped parchment pieces

Julienned carrots, snow peas, fennel, green onions as bed for Salmon

Seasoned veggies, layered on salmon, then seasoned it, layered on more veggies, then lemon slices

Salmon en papillote in microwave...4 minutes

Finished Salmon--absolutely fantastic!

Veggies and citrus prepped for both salmon and chicken

Salmon Fillet En Papillote with Julienned Veggies by Alton Brown

• 1/3 cup julienned fennel bulb
• 1/3 cup julienned leeks, white part only
• 1/3 cup julienned carrots
• 1/3 cup julienned snow peas
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon whole coriander seed, ground fine
• 1 (8-ounce) salmon fillet, pin bones removed
• 1 orange cut into wedges with white, pithy membrane removed--used lemon slices
• 1 tablespoon dry vermouth--I used V8's fusion of pomegranate and blueberry

Directions

Take a 15 by 36-inch piece of parchment paper and fold in 1/2 like a book. Draw a large 1/2 heart on paper with fold of paper being the center of the heart. Cut out heart and open. Lay fennel, leeks, carrots, and snow peas on parchment in center to 1 side of fold. Mix together salt, pepper, and ground coriander. Sprinkle vegetables with 1/2 of salt, pepper, and coriander. Lay salmon on top of vegetables and season with remaining salt, pepper and coriander. Top with the orange wedges and sprinkle with vermouth. Fold other side of heart over fish and starting at top of heart shape, fold up both edges of parchment, overlapping folds as you move along. Once you reach the end tip, twist several times to secure tightly. Place on microwave safe plate and cook for 4 minutes, on high in microwave, or until fish reaches 131 degrees. Open parchment carefully and serve for a complete meal.

Not sure where I found the chicken recipe, but I changed it up a lot!

Chicken En Papillote

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts        4 Tbl. sauce         salt and pepper                                                          2 c. sliced/chopped veggies--carrots/onions/peppers, etc.       butter 

Cut two 24 inch long pieces of parchment paper and cut about 2 feet of string for each "purse".  Mix veggies. Cut chicken breasts horrizontally so you have four thin fillets.  To prepare: spread butter in middle of a parchment piece & place bottom piece of one breast there--salt & pepper it.  Put 1/4 of veggies on top and pour 1 Tbl of sauce on.  Place top of breast over bottom, season it and top with 1/4 of veggies and sauce.  Pull up and gather parchment around chicken & veggies.  Gather tightly & tie string tightly with a bow.  Repeat with second one.  Put both on a microwavable plate, then cook on high for 8 minutes.  Should reach 131 degrees or higher.  Place each on its own plate to open.  This is good served over rice, so can empty purse over rice (HOT  when open these!) or add hot rice to opened packet.  We used pineapple habanero sauce--spicy.  Use terriyaki, hoisin, honey mustard, bbq, or whatever sauce.  Easy, moist and delicious.  Make these ahead 1-2 days. Might try 6 or 7 minutes first.  If doing only one maybe only 3-4 minutes.

 Ingredients for chicken: chicken, onions, broccoli, snow peas, peppers, citrus pieces, pineapple habanero sauce from Costco

Chicken en papillote alone without rice--very juicy and very spicy!!!

 Two chicken "purses" in microwave....be sure to put them on a plate.  Can always find a recipe for baking in oven.

 Buttered about a 4 x 4 inch area on parchment before laying chicken down, then veggies and spoon over whatever sauce

 Tied packet ready for microwave or oven

 Chicken en papillote served with brown rice--it helps to spread out the spiciness a lot!

This is what was used instead of alcohol in salmon dish and next time would add more per each packet

REALLY...you have to try this--it's just so simple and you can change it up however you'd like.  ENJOY!

Blog-checking lines: Our July 2012 Daring Cooks’ host was Sarah from All Our Fingers in the Pie! Sarah challenges us to learn a new cooking technique called “Cooking En Papillote” which is French and translates to “cooking in parchment”.

GARDEN STEPS RE-VISITED

Three more blocks from the Garden Steps quilt along.  Two with words I added to their cute designs.  Also some designs of my own: butterfly, heart and ladybug.

Block 8 is a darling birdhouse.  

Banner design.  Had fun adding some different details to the little flags.

This was supposed to be flowers in a basket, but can't get my computer to print and  had to copy by  using tracing paper gingerly held over design.  Flowers are larger than hers and left off basket.

Close up of design with words.  Have tried to live by this motto as we moved around  U.S. and Europe in  lots of moves with Army.  10 moves in first 10 years alone!

Butterfly design adapted from something found online.

My own heart design--basic heart shape with lots of lazy daisy flowers  and some swirlies

HAD to have a ladybug in there somewhere.  My interpretation of a round ladybug design from online--sort of heart  shaped body!

Have several other centers done waiting for "steps".  Trying to do the "have to's" that need doing first.  Clover and Violet are sponsoring this quilt along--really love their designs and ideas for fabrics.   http://www.cloverandviolet.com/search/label/Garden%20Steps  Have added a few extra fabrics found online that go well with the others.  Know my picks don't always follow basic steps design, but love them all.  Look on flickr here:  http://www.flickr.com/groups/stitch-and-quilt-along/   to see others' interpretations.  If that doesn't work try looking up Clover & Violet :: Quilt Along.