Windsong Doily update

Elizabeth Hiddleson's "Windsong" Doily, done in size 30 baby blue cebelia threads. The first pic was last week, the next pic is from today.

I'm halfway through this doily now. I have to say it is pretty "darn" hard work. I don't care much for putting motifs together and this thing had 12 pinwheels to attach. Grr. I'm on round 34 out 46, so I'm getting there… Slowly but, surely…. I've decided to take this one to be framed I can't imagine it sat on a table and something dribble on it.. No way.
I was thinking on a background color for the matte. What do you think ?black, navy blue, others? I really want it to "pop" when you see it on the wall. Give me some opinions. What color framing too? It will be hung on a sort of cream colored wall.

Foodie Friday

This week I'm going to cover cookware basics 101. I'm no Martha Stewart, but I did find this interesting in her magazine:

Q: What are the most important post and pans to have?

A: The essential pieces for any home cook are a ten-inch skillet, saucepans in two and four quart sizes, and a large stockpot ( about 8 quarts). You might also invest in a saute pan with a lid for braising meat; a dutch oven for slowcooking pot roast, lamb or the like; and a roasting pan for red meats or other large items, such as turkeys.

Consider purchasing individual pots and pans rather than a matching set. This way, you can select the materials and sizes to suit your needs. In general, thick, heavy pots are the most durable and distribute the heat the best. When it comes to materials, choices abound. Aluminum and stainless steel are good options for everyday cookware. Look for aluminum that has been anodized, or treated to make it harder, as well as stick-resistant and nonreactive. The latter means you can use it with acidic ingredients, such as wine, vinegar or tomato sauce, which take on a metallic taste when cooked in untreated aluminum. Stainless steel is the only metal that is dishwasher safe. Choose potsthat have an aluminum core, as these will heat more uniformly. Cast iron retains heat well and is ideal for searing but should not be used with acidic foods, which can acquire a metallice flavor. It also must be properly seasoned with oil to precent rusting and to create a nonstick finish. Cast iron coats with enamel offers the benefits of untreated cast iron but does not need to be seasoned and can be used to cook all foods. However, enamel is prone to chipping and is not nonstick like regular cast iron. Copper pots, which are lined with stainless steel or tin, heat and cool very quickly, making them a good match for delicate sauces. They must be polished frequently to maintain their shine though.

2 more Hiddleson Doilies

This is what I've been doing this week. 2 more Hiddleson doilies. The completed one is called "Tropical Fantasy". It is NOT BLOCKED YET. And is about 28 inches across. The other one is called "Wind Song". It is just going to be massive.

Foodie Friday

My Homemade Biscuits

I use Hodkins Mills naturally white flour.

1 cup low fat buttermilk
3 tbs. oil ( I use grapeseed)
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda, and salt

Preheat oven to 475. In a mixing bowl, add buttermilk and oil. mix until blended. Sift flour, soda, and salt together and add to milk. Add a bit more flour until dough semi sticks to spoon. it will have a good consistancy. Spoon into a iron skillet. Or round cake pan. This makes about 6-8 biscuits. Cooks fast. About 8 minutes, the turn to broil until browned. Serve with scrambled eggs & sausage gravy, or butter and have some freezer jam. YUM!

(yes I know its a small recipe, but its an important one) Back to normal next week I promise.

Friday Ketchup

Well I’ve been swamped this past week. I haven’t had much time for internet fun. The good news is we are closing on the house tomorrow and they are suppose to start on the pool Monday! Buying a house is the hardest thing I have ever done. It takes every bit of excess energy you have. And every last cent, it seems. Anywho, I’m hoping things get back to normal next week. I’ll post some pics of the house and pool phases as it goes along, too. Excuse the mess, and lack of posts this week!
Ciao!

It’s Official!

Its offical Bama’s own Taylor Hicks won American Idol tonight! WOOHOO! It’s time they take notice and hold an audition here in Birmingham. We have had Reuben, Bo, and now Taylor! These southern boys have got it going on. Congrats Taylor! SOUL PATROL!

Thoughts about my friend, Wanda…..

I’ve had a rant going on all week about sending 20 bucks per child to get the teacher a money tree for the last day of school. 20 bucks X 22 kids= nice reward. Ok but I’m not going there today.

Today, I’m taking a moment to remember my friend, Wanda. Wanda and I met when we were in 5th grade at a county-wide scholars bowl competition. She went to a different school and the first thing I noticed about her was how dad-gum smart she was. I wouldnt see Wanda again until 7th grade when we were in a band competition together. We both played clarinet. We both done horrible and sat beside each other in the crapper band. We had alot of fun too. Then at every competition we would get together and joke around, have fun and just be silly teenagers. When we got to 11th grade, I would drive 15 miles once a week to get her to tutor me in Spanish class junk, cause we had the same teacher that traveled to both our schools and she gave me heads up on tests and stuff. We continued a great relationship throughout school, and beyond. She was at my wedding, although was alittle late cause she got lost. LOL. She was there when both my dd’s were born. She came to see us when we made it home. Wanda, graduated school with a 4.0 gpa and won the Wal Mart academic scholarship that year, and another scholarship to college as well. She graduated a few years later, with a nursing (RN) degree.

Its at this point, where she didn’t talk to me much anymore. I figured it was just work, and we both had things going on. She met a guy who was a Physical Therapist and before I knew it, she called me from Mississippi telling me they up and got married and were moving the next week to accept jobs in Alaska. Wow. what could I say? this was not Wanda I knew. But, then again, I hadn’t spoke to her in quite awhile. She sounded happy, and I was happy for her.

Here’s where the story takes a turn: They moved to Alaska in August of 96. During the first week there, they went kayaking. The kayak overturned, and Wanda fell out along with him( Jay Darling) and she was alittle large and couldnt get back in the boat. Neither did he help her. She stayed in the cold water over an hour. Finally, he decided to paddle back to shore. And she got out and fired a flare for help. Jay was furious with her. And, because she fired this flare which attracted someone to help her, he told her he wanted an annullment. She got very quite. Wanda never argued, she wasn’t bitter. She never raised her voice in the time I knew her.

The next day, the story goes, they were riding up the mountains along the bay that they had the “accident” in. Jay says Wanda wanted to stop and take pics with the bay behind them. They didnt stop at the visitors overlooks on the main roads. No. They went up an old dirt road, to a desolate place to take pics. Jay says Wanda wanted a better view. Here is where it gets muddled. Jay told 3 stories:

1. Wanda bent over to pick flowers, and Jay had to “go” so he turned to “relieve himself” on a bush. He turned around Wanda was gone.

2. He was taking Wanda’s picture and she slipped and fell head first over the cliff.

3. I really don’t remember what else he told the police… sorry.

At any rate, Wanda fell off a 1500 foot cliff and landed on a ledge beneath. Thats as graphic as I can get.

Jay didn’t alert the police right away. He pretended tobe upset and went to the nearest neighbor (over 2 miles away) to tell of what happened. Jay had also, recently, lied about their income and taken out 2 life insurance policies on Wanda totalling 1 million dollars, with an additional accident policy that would double the rewards. He also had Wanda, sign over another policy her parents had on her, to him….recently. Jay called the life insurance people the day Wanda died. Not to tell them what happened. But to make sure they had the right address to mail these policies to. He called them a week later to tell them Wanda died.

He landed in jail finally for insurance fraud. A few years later, and to this day is in jail for that. The reason this is all fresh on my mind is because he went on trial 3 weeks ago for Wandas death. They gave closing arguments Monday on this and now the jury is out. It is such a horrible thing. Her mother has grieved for 10 years over this. Wandas father died a few years ago, too. I want you all to think of justice for Wanda today. Her blood screams for justice. She was my friend and I miss her.

To read more on this in the news go here.http://www.homernews.com/. Its the top story. I go everyday to check for updates.

Thanks for listening.

Foodie Friday: Chili Lime Chicken

Ok so I am actually making this tonight. Which reminded me to post a recipe today.

Chili Lime Chicken

1 lb chicken tenderlions, cut up in bite size pieces
medley of peppers (yellow, red, green) about 1 cup, chopped
1 med onion, chopped
2 tbs chili powder, the fresher the better
1 tsp garlic
dash salt
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp oregano, mexican if available
1 lime

cut each tenderloin into 4 pieces and put in large skillet with some olive oil. add peppers, onions. cook about 5 minutes. add spices. cook until chicken is done. before taking up squeeze the juice of 1 lime over and stir to coat chicken. serve immediately

I usually serve with flour tortillas, jack cheese and salsa. also u can make some mexi-rice too. Enjoy ya'll!

Harvest Dance Doily

I tested this pattern for Kathy and blocked it yesterday. It was a fun pattern to make. I used size 20 cebelia and size 10 hook. It is about 16 inches across. I'm still working on a centerpiece doily, too.

Foodie Friday~ Veggie Enchiladas

From south of the border again…. I’m giving a shamless plug for one of my fav recipe books ” Hopkins Healthy Home Cooking”. Some recipes in it are great, some are just plain wrong. Healthy eating is one thing, trying to make a tuna salad without tuna and hiding califlower in it is wrong… ok back to the recipe. I’ve made this a dozen times, its easier to get a friend split the cost of ingrediants and make it TOGETHER. an a-1 recipe tho and you can always half the ingrediants and make a smaller amount. ok here we go veggie enchiladas:

This makes 2 9×13 pans.
Enchilada Sauce:
6 tablespoons chili powder
2/3 c whole wheat flour
4 tsp vinegar
2 tsp each: garlic powder, oregano, salt
8 cups liquid (water, stock, etc)

Filling:
1 lb chicken cooked and shredded
OR
1 lb black beans, cooked and drained
2 (16 oz) cans kernal corn, drained
3 carrots, diced finely
1 medium zuchinni, diced and steamed
1 large red onion, diced
1 (6oz) can sliced olives
2 c. finely chopped tomatoes
1 tsp of each:cumin, salt, chili powder
grated pepper jack cheese

Tortillas (corn or flour) I use flour

Cook beans, or use store bought in a hurry. Set aside. Steam carrots, and onion until tender, adding zuchinni for the last few minutes. Take off heat and stir in corn, olives, tomatoes, and spices. Prepare sauce by mixing all ingrediants in a saucepan and simmering over low heat until thickened. Do not cut back on chili powder in the sauce. It really isn’t hot tasting, but is necessary to give the sauce color and flavor.

Now to assemble: Mix beans into carrot mixture. DO this just before asembly otherwise the beans will tint everything black. Spread a layer of sauce in the bottom of the baking dish. Dip tortilla in sauce to soften and lay in dish. Scoop filling into a line dow the center of tortilla, sprinkle with cheese and roll up. Pour sauce over the top, and sprinkle more cheese.

I don’t roll up the tortillas. I place a few on the bottom and layer this stuff like lasagna. Its faster, and tastes just as good. When I’m in a hurry, I buy the enchiladas sauce. A tip from my mexican friend: try to find el pato sauce. Some grocers have it. I know the save a lot store is the only one around here that does. Its in a large red can with a duck on the front. It is the most authentic sauce in the markets.

Have a great Friday ya’ll!