Just call me Laura Ingalls Wilder!

Today was a very domestic day for me.

I felt like I was on Little House on the Prairie.

I harvested my garden.

This is half the carrots.

I don't know what a bushel looks like,

but I think I came close.

I know some friends in AZ who will be getting some of these. 

They say that tomatoes are fussy.  These guys will beg to differ. 

They survived over 45 days without water in my greenhouse.

I don't think they will last much longer though. 

They are sweet and make great 'pop in your mouth' treats.

I baked pumpkin zucchini bread (recipe to follow.)

The staging was suggested by my DH.

He is getting the hang of this blog thing.

A few (two) followers will recognize the placemat!

I hand quilted two quilts. 

The bow tie quilt will go to the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative

and is smaller than 9"x 11". 

The log cabin will go in a rough wood frame

 and then on the wall of our log cabin.

I am enamored with hand quilting again.

I don't know if it is the challenge of getting those little stitches to march consistently around the quilt

 or the texture they create.

I used a wool batt and it was like butter to needle.

I think I will hand quilt most of my small quilts from here on out

 (did you see the word-most!)

And here is the recipe I promised.

3 eggs, slightly beaten

2 c. sugar (I used just 1)

1 c. canned pumpkin

1 c. butter, melted (I used 1/2 c.)

1 Tbsp. vanilla

3 c. flour ( I love to use this 50/50 blend by Hodgson Mill)

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 tsp. of pumpkin pie spice

1 c. shredded zucchini

1 c. chopped walnuts

Add the ingredients in the order listed. 

 Pour into a greased and floured loaf pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes. 

I had enough batter for 1 loaf and 6 muffins.

Another participant was added to the SAL list today-Lisa in PA.  I am anxious to see everyone's progress.  Post them on your blogs or send them to me and I will display them for you.

Everyone has had so much fun with this that I will do another. 

 Perhaps 4 1/2" finished blocks next time so I have more design options.

Any requests?

Eye candy and my new best friend!

Kathy was the first today to share at SSQSG.  Here is her quilt for the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative.  Betty taught her to hand quilt today, so this stunning quilt will be well worth the monies it will raise to find a cure for a cause near and dear to her heart.

Next Kristine shared her SAL blocks.  Love the orange and green color scheme.

And look at this stunning quilt!  Oh, I have quilt envy.  There are something like 32 pieces of fabric in those log cabin blocks, and the effect is amazing.

And now for her mom's blocks.  These are from Galloping Pony.  I can hardly wait to see what Pauline does with these beauties.

Merumo was busy while on the road to California.  She finished her Primitive Gatherings candle mat...

and this lovely autumn one as well.  Lin loves the wheat shafts!

And if she hasn't accomplished enough, she is also experimenting with the primitive stab stitch applique method seen here.  I would say the experiment was a success.  We all wish we had her energy and color sense!

And Betty has finished her miniature applique from Lori Smith.  It has a southwest feel about it to match her southwest territorial home here in AZ.

Lin is diligently and faithfully testing my Autumn Bounty pattern.  Here are her schoolhouse blocks.  We picked fabrics for her turkey track blocks today, so keep an eye out for them in the future.

 I am so blessed to be a part of such a wonderful and talented group of women.  And while I was wiling away the hours in the company of these fascinating ladies, my new best friend had cooked up a scrumptious meal for hubby and I.

Tonight we dined on tender and flavorful beef stroganoff.  I simply came home after sharing and shopping in a quilt store (yes, you can be envious) and steamed some broccoli ( a staple in our diet) along with some yolkless, no fat egg noodles for a tasty dinner. I am desperately trying to slim down to a reasonable weight, which means no more chocolate chip cookies for me.  Sigh.

Here is my crock pot recipe, adapted from Pam Buda's at Heartspun Quilts:

Add the following to a crock pot and cook for 7 hours:

1 can Campbell's golden mushroom soup

1/2 can Campbell's french onion soup

1/4 cup water

4.5 oz jar of sliced button mushrooms

1 tsp of Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp crushed dried tarragon

about 1 lb. of sliced lean beef strips

Prior to serving I thickened it up a little with some corn starch and then added 3 big dollops of light sour cream.  Both of us loved the flavors in this one.  As my husband said, "It's a keeper."

So what's for dinner? Cousin Cosmo's Greek Chicken!

I am so excited. A blog friend of Merumo's in Japan is participating in my SAL. Here are her blocks.

For those of you who do not follow her blog, here are Merumo's SAL blocks.

Such precise piecing!

Now what is for dinner. I have set a place for each and every one of you. Now that my visitors number over 400, we will be a bit crowded and short on portions. However, this one is one of my husband's favs. He suggested I share the recipe with a restaurant. How sweet!

No, I am not Greek, but love their food. This is just my version of a recipe with Cousin Cosmos' name attached.

Ingredients:

4 ounces tomato-basil feta cheese

juice of 1/2 a fresh lemon

3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

organic chicken broth

5 oz package of organic baby spinach

2 cloves of garlic, minced

10-15 bite-size tomatoes cut in half or 1 tomato, chopped

2 tablespoons of flour

1 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. dried basil

1/2 tsp. paprika

olive oil and butter

Kosher salt

Pepper

Kitchen bouquet

1. On a large plate, combine the flour with the 3 spices listed below it. Set aside.
   
2. Add a tbsp of olive oil to a skillet. Heat and add the minced garlic. Toss in the spinach and saute until wilted. Transfer to a bowl and add diced tomatoes.
   
3. Add the lemon juice to the feta cheese and mash up. Cut a pocket in each chicken breast and stuff with this mixture.
   
4. Dredge in the flour mixture and then brown on all sides in a mixture of olive oil and 1 tbsp. of butter. Transfer to an ovenproof baking dish.
   
5. Add another tbsp of olive oil and of butter to the saute pan. Add enough of the flour mixture to make a roue. Cook on low heat for 1-2 minutes to thicken.
   
6. Make sure the pan is not too hot and then add enough chicken broth to the roue to make a nice sauce. Add a drop or two of Kitchen Bouquet for color and flavor. Add the spinach and tomato mixture. Season to taste with Kosher salt and pepper.
   
7. Pour over the prepared chicken breasts and bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes until the juices run clear.
   

I have served this flavorful dish with couscous and steamed broccoli.

I cook without really measuring anything, so I apologize for the vague measurements. As my hubbie say, "Nothing every comes out the same twice."

Enjoy! And this is an all time record: 3 posts in one day. I need some wheels!

Cotton Pickin' Cake Recipe

Yesterday was my first born's birthday. Hard to believe he is 29 years old when I will be celebrating my 39th birthday again next month! In our family, the birthday person picks their favorite meal for their special dinner. He picked chicken enchiladas and chile rellenos. I make the best chile rellenos. He didn't want dessert, but what is birthday without cake. Both of my children are into eating organic, unprocessed foods these days. Not a bad idea! So I made a cake from scratch called Cotton Pickin' Cake. I received the recipe from a southern friend of mine who is a fabulous cook! Her sweet potatoe pie is to die for! Here is the recipe. 2 cups self-rising flour

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup oil

3 eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar ( I use just 1 cup)

1 tsp. vanilla

Mix all ingredients and pour into a greased 9 x 13" pan. Bake @ 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes. (I baked mine at 325 degrees convection bake and it came out fabulous!) Cut into serving squares while hot.
Topping:

2 cups sugar

1/4 cup cocoa

1/2 cup milk

1 stick of butter

1 tsp. vanilla

Mix all ingredients in saucepan, heat to boiling and boil for 3 minutes. Pour over cake while still hot.
Notes: Begin preparation of topping during last few minutes of baking cake so you can pour over while still hot. Be careful not to cook too long as it will granulate. I did not use all the topping.

The first time I made this topping, it came out almost like a candy coating on top of the cake. Of course, it didn't come out that way last night, but was yummy just the same. My kiddos said the cake tasted like buttermilk pancakes and my son's girlfriend liked it because it wasn't too sweet. Of course, this isn't one for you if you are watching your cholesterol.

Check out Linda's sew along blocks over at Stray Stitches.