Recipe Review from 10/4/2021

The slow cooker was pulled out this weekend - being 50*, foggy with rain and generally overcast, it was the perfect weekend to cook up something in the slow cooker. We start off Fall with a big ol pot of jambalaya!

On the project front, a couple of finishes that I could squeeze inbetween watching the pups. At 4 1/2 months, Chet is in full puppy mode with all the joy and frustrations that come with a very active and energetic pup.

The Meal Plan:
Sat (L) fruit and cheese (S) leftover pizza
Sun (L) grilled sage grouse (S) slow cooked jambalaya
Mon (yoga): leftover jambalaya
Tue - salmon
Wed (yoga) leftover fish
Thurs: leftover jambalaya
Fri - leftover jambalaya

Lunches - Coconut Curry Squash Soup

Slow Cooker Jambalaya (Simply Recipes)
An easy recipe to assemble, chop, plop, stir and walk away. Don't be tempted to add the shrimp early, it will get over cooked. You can also adjust the heat to your own taste buds by making your own Creole Seasoning, or use your favorite pre-made blend and add extra cayenne. Or, put that bottle of hot sauce on the table and enjoy!

I do like my jambalaya served over rice so that's what I did. Recommended!

Photo from simplyrecipes.com

Serves ~6 without rice
Made about 4 meals for two with rice (8-10 servings).
1 white onion, diced
3 ribs celery, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, diced
1 pound smoked sausage, sliced about 1/4 inch
1 pound boneless chicken breasts and/or thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 bay leaves
1 to 2 tablespoons Creole seasoning (I like Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning)
1 pound large shrimp, shell on, thawed
1 cup long grain white rice
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Add the onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic, sausage, chicken, tomatoes, oregano, bay leaves, and Creole seasoning to a large slow cooker. Stir together well.

Cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 4 to 5 hours. You are ready to move onto the next step when the veggies are very tender and the chicken is cooked through.

Leave the shells on the shrimp, but use kitchen shears to cut up the backs; this will make them easier to peel later.

Add the shrimp to the slow cooker. Stir it in, cover, and cook on high for another 30 to 45 minutes until the shrimp are cooked through.

While the shrimp cooks, cook the rice either according to the package directions or following this boiled rice method. When done, set the rice aside, covered, until ready to serve. (This makes about 4 cups of cooked rice.)

Remove bay leaves from the jambalaya and taste. Season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with fresh chopped parsley. Either peel the shells off the shrimp now, or serve with the shells on and instruct guests to remove the shells as they eat.

Stir the cooked rice into the jambalaya (as pictured), or serve the jambalaya ladled over top the rice.

Leftovers will keep in the fridge in air-tight containers for 2 to 3 days and then the shrimp start to really break down. This dish doesn’t freeze particularly well. The combination of rice, shrimp, and sauce doesn’t reheat easily without making the shrimp very rubbery.


Coconut Curry Squash Soup with Pumpkin Seeds (Eating Well, Oct 2021)
vegetarian/vegan I made this for lunches for the week. This is a brothy soup with chunks of squash, carrots and celery, not a thick blended soup, but it could easily be blended if that's your preference. I loved the flavors in this - a hint of heat to warm the sinus's, a hint of creamy coconut, and sweatness from the squash and carrot.

As a brothy soup it was a bit more difficult to transport so I made sure to cover with sticky cling-wrap and put in a veggie bag in case of leaks or spills.

Photo from eatingwell.com

Serves 4 (I got six servings out of this)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus 1 teaspoon, divided
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 medium stalks celery, chopped
3 scallions, sliced, white and green parts separated
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon hot Madras curry powder plus 1 teaspoon, divided
2 teaspoons ground cumin
¼ teaspoon salt
4 cups cubed peeled butternut squash
4 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth
1 (14 ounce) can light coconut milk
1 (15 ounce) can no-salt-added chickpeas, rinsed
½ cup unsalted pepitas
lime wedges (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, celery and scallion whites and cook, stirring often, until very tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in garlic, 1 tablespoon curry powder, cumin and salt; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add squash, broth, coconut milk and chickpeas and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook until the squash is tender, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, toss pepitas with the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and 1 teaspoon curry powder in a small bowl. Spread in a small baking pan and bake until toasted and fragrant, 4 to 6 minutes.

Top the soup with the pepitas and scallion greens. Serve with lime wedges, if desired.

Recipe Review from 4/12/2021 and crafty update

No new recipes this past week. I needed a respite from cooking so went super simple. This did include, however, some freezer reduction: I used up a chicken and a package of ground pork. I should mention, the rice and beans from the week previous used up some of the beans we grew last year.

My crocus are blooming! 

The Meal Plan:
Sat (L) rice/beans (S) Valentini's take-out
Sun (L) leftovers (S) Roast Chicken and veggies
Mon (yoga) leftover chicken
Tues - tacos
Wed (yoga) leftover chicken
Thurs - take-n-bake pizza
Fri - leftover tacos

Lunches: leftover rice and beans (yeah, that recipe made a lot) and wraps. Which reminded me WHY I by Stacy's tortilla's from the co-op and stopped buying Azteca's from the grocery store. Co-op tortilla's don't self-destruct halfway through eating.


Because this was an uneventful week recipe-wise, I'll add on a craft update.  I tried out a new bag pattern (project bag below). Some new techniques and interfacing involved for this one: I got to try working with fleece and foam interfacing and some different assembly. What I didn't like about this pattern was how the handles were constructed. You make a tube of fabric and insert a webbed strap. I found the tube wasn't the right size and had to modify to make it fit right. I much prefer making my own handles out of interfacing and fabric. Just as sturdy and less putzy.

And I made a handful of small bags:

Crafting 2020: Bags!

This past week I taught myself how to make a quilted bag. I had so much fun I made four of them over five days. It was mostly relaxing, I admit to getting a bit carryed away with four, but once I had things figured out they were a great project to complete in a day. I admint, I should have stopped at one a day and not pushed for more than that.

First one took me a day - I had to figure out the directions. I made this as directed. Pockets on the outside.  This bag also uses a different interfacing, it's not as stiff as the others.  I'll have to come back and add the Pellon #. 

Second one I did over two evenings - I cut the pattern out one night, and assembled the next day. I made this one with the pockets on the inside. Then I immediately started cutting out the third bag and assembled it. One pocket outside, one inside

Forth bag I did in a day. And that's when the mistakes started to creep in. I became overly confident with the pattern and forgot things like...attaching the tabs and handles. Oops. Rip out seams, re-do. And other small things. Live and learn - pace myself. This one also had a pocket on the outside and one on the inside. I like this variation the best as it seems the most practical.

All four completed bags

Bag #1 - pockets on the outside

Bag #2 - pockets on the inside

Bag #3 - Pockets outside and inside

Bag #3 - Pockets outside and inside

Crafts 2020 - knitting

Last week I did a post on sewing, so this week I thought I'd do a post on a few of the knitting projects I've finished to date. It's been a good year for knitting with fun patterns and reducing the stash at the same time. Not that my stash is all that robust, but I like to keep the skeins on hand manageable. So far I've only purchased one skein this year, and that's already been turned into a scarf (Easy Goes It with Three Irish Girls yarn).   All patterns can be found on Ravelry.com.

In no particular order:

Pattern: Easy Goes It
Yarn: Knitty Gritty yarn (from Oregon), one skein

Pattern: Easy Goes It
Yarn: Three Irish Girls (from Duluth), Park Point Lilacs (one skein)

Pattern: Out Cattin' Around
Yarn: Malabrigo Mechita (one skein)

Pattern: Therapy
Yarn: Schaeffer Yarn Company, Diane (3 skeins)

Pattern: Beachcomber
Yarn: Knit Picks Cotlin (4-5 skeins)

Crafting 2020 - sewing

When COVID mandates closed most activities this spring, followed by the requirement to "MaskUP North" (our local logo), I rediscovered my sewing machine and was reminded why I started sewing.

Background: I started sewing decades ago, making Halloween costumes for my siblings on my Mom's Sear's Kenmore. Later, I discovered very basic quilts and made, oh, ten to twelve quilts for family members and acquaintances who were getting married. Quilting was set aside for the eight years I was in a Middle Eastern dance troupe and we made most of our dance costumes, which was four to five a year? That intensity and attention to detail utterly killed my enjoyment for fabrics and when I parted ways with the group, I gave the machine back to my Mom and set my sewing box in the closet. Over the next ten years or so, I think I used it once to make some holiday gift bags.

Then my sister in Oregon wanted to sew, so we did. And it was kinda fun.

And last year she bought a new sewing machine (a basic Singer) and wanted me to show her how to use it. So I did. And it was kinda fun.

As we all know, COVID came along in 2020 and for many of us, a mask requirement was enacted. I retrieved the machine from the Folks house, I dug out my leftover fabric, and found a pattern. I discovered really enjoyed the simplicity of making masks. I did a bit of online research and made my first Quilt As You Go. SO MUCH FUN! It was like painting with fabric. So I made another table runner. SO MUCH FUN! And I made more masks. And well... see below.

Quilt As You Go Table Topper

Used stashed/leftover fabric and batting

 I really want to try this technique again.

Table Runner

Modified greatly from an online free pattern I found.

Used leftover fabric and batting from my stash.

 

And of course, masks. I made some for the sister and family in Oregon, for the sister and family in the Twin Cities, for the Folks, and for myself.   Masks shown range from Adult, Child, and Toddler (over 2 years old). 

Sports for the boys!

Matching masks for Sister, and two little neices.

Request for OSU (Oregon State University) colors.  Had to get a bit creative. :)

These are my last ones!  Done with masks - on to other projects!

More Bling!

I had so much fun making the stitch markers over the last week I decided to make a few more, PLUS! I made some earrings. They weren't that hard, in fact, it was almost easier to make the earrings because I didn't have to deal with split rings.

I did change one thing from my first set of stitch markers - I used a stronger T-pin for the silver markers. The first ones I used were not as strong as I had thought and the wire bent too easily if tugged on. Not good. So I will be going back and swapping those out.

I experimented with making a collage - it looks like the stitch markers are attached to the earrings, but they're not. I think if you clickity-clickity you can make it bigger.

Knitting Bling!

My co-worker inspired me to make some stitch markers! She was starting her first hat and asked "how do I know where I start?". I didn't have any handy and I've been wanting to give this a whirl for a while now, so I scampered up to Michael's Crafts and figured out what I would need. I picked out some very pretty agate beads, some small split rings, some even smaller rings and some wire. Oh, and I had to buy a craft needle-nose pliers because I had a hunch our utility pliers at home would be missing (it tends to disappear for great lengths of time).

One set of instructions I found online had me wrapping the wire in a little loopy thing, but I found that didn't work for me. It was much easier just bending it over and securing it in the top bead.

It was so much fun I had to go and buy some more beads and supplies the next day! I made these for me:






And these when to my co-worker:




I think I'll be making more over time. Super simple, fun, and it's fun to have something pretty on one's knitting projects.

Re-useable Gift Bags!

(Note - pictures are up on the previous post now!)

I don’t know what’s gotten into me. I haven’t touched my sewing machine since I left the Dance Troupe in 2005. And I haven’t made a quilt in, oh, at least 8 years. But yet, there I was last Saturday, rotary cutter in hand, sewing machine humming, fabric and ribbon strewn about the kitchen as I made these nifty re-useable Gift Bags!



They measure roughly 10" tall by 5-6" wide. I didn’t do a drawstring top because I despise having to pull the ribbon through. I’ve done enough of that with elastic for dance skirts that I was in no mood to do it for a bunch of little bags. I just attached the ribbon about 2" from the top so I can tie it around the outside of what ever I put in them.

The fabric was a selection of leftover remnants I had from past quilts that I couldn’t bring myself to throw away. Ribbon was from Michaels - Ooo, be careful buying ribbon from them. I THOUGHT I was buying 2 $.50 rolls, but found out one was $2.00 after I got home! And there was hardly any ribbon on it! Grrr.

It only took me a couple hours at the most from start to finish. I may look through my remnants again and see if I can’t make a couple more. I’ll need some different ribbon though.

Unfinished Business

The Husband and I did our yearly road trip to Fergus Falls for deer hunting and to visit his relatives. I don’t mind the four hour drive, I love the scenery and how it changes as you go straight across the state and now that I’ve learned how to knit, it’s a great way to get some serious stitching done. But something was niggling me on this trip: years ago, and I mean like 5 or 6 years ago (I remember this because one of the hounds was a puppy) I started a cross stitch project – a bouquet of trillium's - and I took it with me on one of these cross state trips. Two years ago I pulled it out with great intentions, but it got slid back into the bag to rest quietly, forgotten again.



When we got back, I decided it was waaayyy past time to finish it. Much to my surprise and delight, I had it done in under an hour. I don't know why I dallied so long!

Which made me think of my other languishing projects and hence, the title of this post. I rooted around in my cross-stitch storage bin and found this one:



I hesitate to tell you how long it’s been tucked away or when I started it, but I know it's been at least 20 years (I was still in high school!). It still has the old circular hoop marks on it and I switched over to the wooden frames about 10 years ago.

Then there is this one, a needlepoint project that I fell in love with. I think I stopped working on it because the side pillars weren’t looking good to me. I thought about switching floss, but I already had a quarter of it done and that was a bit much to rip out. It’s a large project too, measuring a foot and a half across the top and sides - not a good project to transport around.




And my last project here is finished, but now I wonder what the heck I’m going to do with it. It is one of six castles in a series and I haven’t made the other five. I’m not certain I want to make the other castles. What to do. What to do.




So there they are. My unfinished stash confessions.