Practice Quilt and Perfect Quilt

              I made my three quilts in 2012,  two of which are pictured below.  Both quilts are made from the same pattern, 100% cotton fabric, and are the same size 56"x 56"- a good size throw to snuggle up on the couch with.  

I wanted to make my mom a perfectly crafted quilt for Christmas, so I thought it would be a good idea to sew a "practice quilt"  before I started her "perfect quilt." That way, I could make a bunch of beginner mistakes and learn from them without ruining my mom's Christmas present.

Perfect Quilt

Practice Quilt

Making the "practice quilt" took a long time because I did a lot of things for the first time, like: cutting the quilt squares with a rotary cutter (someone gave me the pre cut squares for my first quilt,) sewing the entire quilt on a new sewing machine (I did a lot of my first quilt stitching by hand.) It was also the first time I had used a quilting pattern (my first quilt was of my own design.)
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While making the practice quilt, I learned from the mistakes I made, cutting sloppy squares, stitching to close to the edge, and over-ironing fabric.  I also learned a lot about how my sewing machine works.

Perfect Quilt on mom's couch

A sewing machine,even a basic manual one like my Bernina, Bernette 46, is a complex machine with many functions and small parts.  For a novice, threading a bobbin, replacing a needle, and changing a pressure "foot,"  are tasks that initially take whole afternoons to figure out. I become a tinkerer and a tester, always checking my stitching to make sure I hadn't run out of thread, that I had sewn the right pieces of fabric together, and that a row of stitches wasn't a tangled mess, too loose, or cloth puckering tight.  

Thank goodness, Berninia's manual is clear and easy to read. After 5 or 6 times threading the bobbin, I felt confident doing it without reading the instructions from the manual. It took twice as many tries when bringing the bobbin thread up from the bobbin case and through the needle. Then, after all of that trial and error my quilt was done, but not quite, I needed to wash and dry it.
 Most quilting books advise quilters to wash and dry their fabric before quilting -I didn't bother. After all, I was using all cotton thread and fabric that it would all shrink uniformly as a quilt-and it does. Shrinkage wasn't the problem,it was the dye from the bright red fabric that was washed with a natural, off white muslin fabric (it is now pink around the quilting!)

OOPs! Pretty in pink

The "perfect quilt" that I gave my my mom for Christmas was not literally perfect-there were plenty of snags and not so straight quilting, but overall it looked great. I used a thinner batting from Warm and Natural for the blue quilt, making it less bulky to quilt and smoother tradition quilt look. I had used a poly-fil  extra loft batting from Soft n' Crafty, for the brown and white (pink) quilt, that gave it a puffy comforter look and feel, which I love, but is more material and more snags when sewing. 

The "practice quilt" was well worth the effort. I made my "perfect quilt" for my mom in a fraction of the time it took me to make the practice quilt. I used the same quilting pattern for both quilts, so I was familiar with the directions and measurement. I cut the quilt squares in no time because I felt comfortable using the tools and knew what to do to get straight edges. When the thread got tangled, I had solutions.

And my mom loved her quilt!

The pattern (slightly altered) for these quilts is from Super quick colorful quilts / edited by Rosemary Wilkinson.

I Root For Roasted Rutabagas!

Rutabaga, parsnips, and carrots.

rawmelissa.com

      Winter is here in the Pacific Northwest and so are the season’s root vegetables. These hard veggies my have rough skin but when peeled and roasted their flavor is as sweet as a summer day. Women's Health Magazine recently featured a wonderful root vegetable side dish recipe with parsnips, rutabaga, and carrots, in Jill Waldbieser’s article "Cook Up Earth's Candy."

Rutabagas, parsnips and carrots are not the first things that come to mind when one imagines earthy, natural candy. Sweets like: honey, strawberries, and bananas-come to mind more readily than the former.

Parsnips, the carrot’s pale cousin, were something that I had tried in soups and sauces accompanied by other potent flavors-I couldn't recall distinctly liking or disliking parsnip flavor. As for rutabagas, I wasn't sure what one looked like, let alone tasted like!

Luckily, rutabagas were available (and labeled), at Fred Meyer in Portland, OR.  Rutabagas, also known as Swede or yellow turnip, is a root vegetable that originated in Sweden or Russia, and are often mistaken for turnips, but are actually a cross between a cabbage and a turnip.

An already simple recipe: Roasted Roots from Women's Health (Jan/Feb 2013) can be made it even simpler by omitting the fresh sage and thyme from the original recipe, and replacing it with the dried Italian herb seasoning.  I couldn't have been happier about the way this recipe turned out.
Roasting root vegetables brings out their flavor without turning them to mush. The rutabaga had a light sweet squash like flavor and the parsnips tasted like  a combination of celery and green apple. The carrots were tender and full of flavor that that is often depleted when boiled.
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Root Vegetable Medley  (A modified version of the Roasted Roots recipe)

Yields about 6 cups
Ingredients
3 med-large carrots (peeled/chopped into half inch chunks)
3 med-large parsnips (peeled/chopped into half inch chunks)
1 rutabaga (peeled/chopped into half inch chunks)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
pinch or two of salt and pepper
Method
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a baking dish, toss combined veggies ,oil, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to coat. Cover and roast for 20 minutes.
3. Uncover, give the dish a shake to loosen the veggies. Roast uncovered for 15-20 minutes more, or until tender.

Pair the following recipe with a savory meat dish.

I served the medley with Swiss chard and goat cheese stuffed meatballs.

  "Tatties and neeps which is potato and rutabagas mashed separately and served with haggis. Swedes are often mashed with carrots for a traditional Sunday roast." 

What will you serve your roasted root veggies with?

Waldbieser, Jill. “Cook Up Earth’s Candy.” Women’s Health Jan/Feb.

 2013: 132-137. Print
-http://www.diffen.com/difference/Rutabaga_vs_Turnip

Photo Credit: rawmelissa.com

Home Collections on Display

Most of the time, it is easy to predict how friends and family will decorate and organize their homes. It's fair to assume that your neighbor that breeds poodles, will have some "dog themed" pictures and plaques, and that your friend, the ceramic artist, has a plethora of hand thrown bowls and brightly glazed mugs on the shelves and mantle.  Once a while, we may find them ourselves caught off guard by a creepy doll collection or a encyclopedia hoarding habit, but for the most part we can guess what kinds of things are on the walls if we know the owner.

Mary Cassat

 A perfect example of this; my parent's house in Maine. The house is filled with the things my mother loves, displayed in her- thrown together way of organizing things. There are three kinds of things displayed about the house in a similar fashion; ocean and seashore items, mother and child pictures and figures, and colored glass pieces.

More accurately, these three separate collections, are displayed together, usually within an antique china closet, hutch, or hung above or on top of one of these pieces of furniture\.

Ocean, mother and child,  and glass things. If you met my mom she would probably be wearing some sort of fused glass jewelery, usually a large pendant or necklace made by a Maine artist or friend.  She would probably mention that she can't wait to go to Florida for 2 weeks, where she and her friend, Maurine, go for walks along the beach, and how much she loves the ocean.  She would then probably mention that she wished that one of her 5 children would have an ocean wedding on Higgins Beach-just like she wanted, or that one of us would buy a home at the beach.  Then she might elaborate on one or all of her children- depending on the conversation and who it is with. The house is filled things my mother loves, and reminds her of the people she cherishes.

 I love to see how people organize and decorate their personal space. It gives me ideas on how to make my own home look more beautiful and saving space. When I notice the things at my parent's house, I see just how similar we are and where I picked up my thrown together "organizational" habits.

What collections are in your home?

Agave Granola

Natural sweeteners often claim health superiority to white granulated sugar-which is true, there are more vitamins and nutrients in natural sweetener like maple syrup, and honey and agave are a less processed form of sugar, but remember, these natural sweeteners are processed by the body the way white sugar is-as glucose.

 After reading about Agave Nectar or Syrup I have formed the opinion that it is a good ingredient for sweetening without adding a distinctive flavor, has a natural source similar in harvest and processing to maple syrup and honey, has fewer calories than honey but and like honey and other natural sweeteners it is SUGAR by a different name.

 My friend Angie makes a wonderful granola made with oats, nuts, sweetened and baked together with Agave Syrup. It tastes great, not overly sweet so the flavor of the nuts and grains are prevalent.

Angie's Agave Granola
yield 4 cups
Ingredients

1 cup shelled pistachios

1/2 cup whole cashews 

1/2 cup coconut flakes 

2 cups unsalted almonds

1/ cup agave syrup

1/2 cup maple syrup

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons cinnamon

1/2 cup oats (quick, or regular)

 

Method
1. Pre heat oven to 325 degrees F
2. Combine ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Mix well and spread on a cookie sheet.
4. Bake for 25-35 minutes. Check every 5 minutes to stir the granola up on the sheet, so it all gets toaty brown.
5. Serve and enjoy plain, with yogurt, or milk.

What I learned About Agave:
 Agave Nectar or Syrup comes from the Blue or Wild Agave plant, it is a succulent plant, that is often mistaken for a cactus, because it looks like a cactus!  Agave grows in Mexico where the plant's juice is harvested by hand in a similar process to that of tapping maple trees to extract maple syrup, the agave juice is also used to make tequila!

tequilasource.comShare

Acres of Blue Agave plants in the fields at La Cofradia distillery

 Like maple syrup Agave syrup can be found in different grades; Light, Amber and Raw.  Light grades are ideal for sweetening tea, and granola without adding a distint flavor like honey or maple syrup.  Amber grades have richer agave flavor and are better suited for adding to heavier sauces like homemade bbq. Agave is gluten free and has a lower glycemic index that honey. Glycemic index is measurement of how much a food affects your blood sugar levels after consuming it- a big concern for diabetics. Otherwise, it is almost identical nutritionally to other sweeteners.

Agave, like anything else you consume it should be done so in moderation. Use Agave when making things like granola, remember you can use a little less of it than white sugar-but don't forget that it is sugar (it's okay to have it in moderation!)

Compare the nutritional information of a teaspoon of Agave syrup and a teaspoon of granulated sugar, they are almost identical. Agave syrup claims to be 25% sweeter than sugar so a little goes a longer without more calories.

Nutritional Info for Agave Nectar

Nutritional Facts

for 1 teaspoon:

Calories 20

% daily value based on a

2000 calorie diet:

Fat 0g/0%, Trans Fats 0g/0%,

Sodium 0g/0%, Protein 0g/0%,

Total Carbohydrates 5g/5%

Sugars (75% natural fructose) 5g

http://www.squidoo.com/agavenectar

Granulated Sugar

Nutrition Facts Serving Size 1 tsp Amount Per Serving Calories from Fat 0 Calories 16 % Daily Values* Total Fat 0g 0% Saturated Fat 0g 0% Polyunsaturated Fat 0g Monounsaturated Fat 0g Cholesterol 0mg 0% Sodium 0mg 0% Potassium 0mg Total Carbohydrate 4.2g 1% Dietary Fiber 0g 0% Sugars 4.2g Protein 0g 1 Packet (0.5 Oz) Honey Nutrition Facts Serving Size 1 packet (0.5 oz) Amount Per Serving Calories from Fat 0 Calories 43 % Daily Values* Total Fat 0g 0% Saturated Fat 0g 0% Polyunsaturated Fat 0g Monounsaturated Fat 0g Cholesterol 0mg 0% Sodium 1mg 0% Potassium 7mg Total Carbohydrate 11.54g 4% Dietary Fiber 0g 0% Sugars 11.5g Protein 0.04g Vitamin A 0% Vitamin C 0% Calcium 0% Iron 0% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. Nutrition Values are based on USDA Nutrient Database SR18

http://www.fatsecret.com

What alternative sweeteners do you use when cooking?

Homemade Vanilla Extract

                  I could only imagine what was in the little glass bottle on top of my Mother's refrigerator, inside looked like a twisted sea creature floating in whiskey or maple syrup. The creature turned out to be a vanilla bean and the liquid, vodka (close to the whiskey guess), inside the bottle was a fragrant, flavorful vanilla extract.

My cousin, Paul, made this vanilla extract using whole vanilla beans, Smirnoff vodka, in 8 ounce glass clamp bottles, giving the extract as gifts to friends and family.

Initially, Paul thought this would be an inexpensive way to make a lot of holiday gifts, but ended up costing a bit more than he anticipated. Whole vanilla beans can be quite costly, especially when you buy them prepackaged at your local grocery store-as much as $10 per bean! Vanilla beans aren't actually beans but the long, thin, dried pods of an orchid, that have most likely have been imported all the way from Madagascar and Tahiti-no wonder prices are high!

Vanilla Beans

Paul, advises buying vanilla beans where they are sold in bulk- try your local natural food store, where vanilla beans are sold in bulk for about $2 per bean. Paul used Smirnoff Vodka (about $15 per liter) and 8 ounce glass clamp bottles like the one pictured ($2-6 a piece, prices will vary.)

1 vanilla bean per 8oz of vodka

1. Cut whole vanilla bean vertically-like peeling a banana. Then put it in the bottle.
2. Add 8 oz of Smirnoff vodka to the bottle per vanilla bean.
3. Close clamp and place bottle in a cool dry place for 2 months. 4. Shake the bottle to circulate flavors once every 2 weeks.

Although this gift idea might not be the thriftiest of ventures, it produces a superior flavored extract that the bakers on your list will cherish.

What kinds of extracts have you tried?
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 Read More http://www.bonappetit.com/tipstools/ingredients/2008/04/vanilla_bean#ixzz2GsK41Ijn
 Image Credit: http://www.bonappetit.com

My Holiday Chex Party Mix

 Crunchy party mix; a tasty, inexpensive, holiday gift for friends and neighbors.

  One of my favorite things to do during the holiday season was to make party mix with my Mom. My siblings and I got to choose 1 box of cereal, and dump the whole thing into the large lobster pot my mom used to bake her party mix in. The pot-still used today, is low and wide and holds a lot of cereal, pretzels, and nuts. A throw away turkey roasting pan also works great and is what I used for the following recipe.

Using my mom’s recipe, original Chex mix recipes, and a lot of tasting, I came up my version of party mix. I modified the recipe to suit my tastes and budget; substituting canola oil for butter, peanuts instead of fancy mixed nuts, and generic cereal instead of Chex brand. Wheat chex are my favorite, I add more than the rice and corn chex. The mix is salty, garlicky, and heavy on the worchershire sauce.  In the past, I have added corn nuts instead of peanuts in the past for a nut free alternative.  

Party Mix

(Yield 24 cups)

Ingredients

¾ cup canola oil

4 teaspoons garlic salt

4 tablespoons garlic powder

4 tablespoons onion powder

6 tablespoons worchershire sauce

2 cups roasted salted peanuts

2 cups mini pretzel rods

2 cups cheerios

1 14oz box of wheat chex or generic

About ¾ of a box corn and rice chex or generic

Method

1. Pre heat oven to 250 F. Add ¼ cup of canola oil, 2 T garlic salt, 2 T garlic powder, 2 T of onion powder, to the pan and place in the oven to warm up for 5 min.
2. Remove pan from the oven. Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients (cereal, nuts, pretzels) to the pan and toss gently with a wooden spoon to coat. Put back in the oven for 15 min.
3. Remove pan from the oven. Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients (cereal, nuts, pretzels) Pour ¼ cup of canola oil, 2 T garlic salt, 2 T garlic powder, 2 T of onion powder, over the dry goods then toss gently to coat. Put back in the oven for 15 min.
4. Repeat step 3.
5. Mix should bake for an hour total. Let it cool and package as desired.

 I ended up with about 24 cups of mix, that I divided into 6 quart sized (4 cup) ziplock holiday design bags  ( a little disappointing design wise but practical,) and added a bow. The quart sized bag is a good amount of mix, not too much and not too little, it makes a neat little sack that people love to receive, especially friends traveling for the holidays-plane and road snacks are a must!

What are your homemade holiday gift ideas?

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The Best Crispy Broccoli

This version of broccoli is so crispy and tasty, a true converter of reluctant vegetable eaters!

Broccoli is one of my favorite Superfoods; it's flavorful and easy to prepare, I often make it as a side dish. My usual preparation is to steam the little trees in the microwave and eat it as is.  Recently, a friend showed me the way she cooks broccoli for her kids, and they eat it up. After tasting this recipe I don't know if I'll ever make broccoli any other way.

Super Food Definition: Foods that appear to offer additional health benefits beyond simple nutrition. There really isn't one standard definition for super foods, but they usually are some combination of the following:

• Low in calories.
• Contain substantial amounts of omega-3 fatty acids or monounsaturated fatty acids.
• High in fiber.
• Contain phytochemicals that have been found to have the potential to prevent disease in laboratory or clinical research.
• Rich in vitamins and minerals.
• Low in unhealthy substances such as saturated fats, trans-fats or refined sugars. http://nutrition.about.com/od/nutritionglossary/g/superfoods.htm

Crispy Broccoli

1. Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees F.

2. Wash and cut desired amount of raw broccoli into florets.

 

3. Put florets in a bowl, add enough canola oil to lightly coat the florets (use canola oil or another kind of oil that stands up to high heat like: coconut, peanut, sunflower, or grape seed oil.)

 

4. Spread coated florets on a baking sheet and sprinkle with sea salt (I use Celtic sea salt.)

 

5. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until broccoli edges start to get crisp and brown.

This method is also great using sliced brussel sprouts. What are your favorite superfood recipes?