Getting Ready for Surgery and Chicken Noodle Soup

I've been putting off this surgery, but I want to get it done quickly now so that I'll be fully recovered and full of energy before summer. I have no qualms about showing my age on the outside, but when the insides start to droop, life can become just a bit uncomfortable. Best to hitch it all up before it becomes a real problem.

The procedure is scheduled for a week from tomorrow, and that means I have a long, long list of things to do this week.

I'll spend two nights in the hospital, so I bought new pajamas first. I grabbed a couple of pairs of sweatpants, too. Petites are too short, mediums, too long. Sweats get shortened today. It's on my list.

Don't tell anyone, but since I was so close to the quilt shop across town I dropped in. Just to look around, and  ...  I know, fabric wasn't on my list. Hush! Don't tell!

Among other things on list, I'm doing some advance cooking for my freezer. I started yesterday with an easy soup, of course. Chicken noodle this time. In case you hadn't noticed, I do love soup, and it freezes so well for those times when there simply isn't time or energy to cook a meal.

This soup starts out with aromatic veggies and chicken broth for the base just like most of my other soup recipes do. The rest is pretty basic, and exact proportions are completely up to the cook. I used my crock pot so I could leave the soup cooking while I ran errands, but this soup turns out just as well if it simmers slowly in a pot on the stove top.

If making this with chicken thighs instead of breasts, the chicken broth can be eliminated.

Chicken Noodle Soup
 
Ingredients

• 1/2 chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
• 12 oz. chicken broth
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup carrots, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, diced  
• 1 T parsley flakes
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 8 oz. fettuccine or egg noodles
• salt and pepper to taste
• water

1. In a heavy skillet, saute onions until translucent.

2. Add garlic and chicken breasts. Flavor with salt. Saute until the chicken pieces are lightly browned on all sides. 

 

3. When the chicken is browned, place all ingredients except the noodles into a slow cooker or a stew pot and cover with water. Allow to cook until the vegetables are tender and cooked through.

4. Add the noodles and enough water to completely cover them. Simmer for another 15 - 20 minutes or until the noodles are cooked.

Serve. 

I'll post more about my preparations for surgery next weekend. I've only made a dent in my to do list. 

Have a beautiful last week of January!

Sailboats, Beef Stew, and a Question

It's been a cold, typical January week, but while I sat at my desk bundled in fleece, I concentrated on summer, sailboats, and the deep blue sea.  The summer thoughts resulted in a mug rug, and the keeping warm resulted in comforting beef stew. 

The Sailboats

Blue skies, blue sea, and two sailboats ride the waves. I'm so looking forward to warmer weather. 

"Sailboats"

Old-Fashioned Beef Stew

I wouldn't exactly call this a recipe because I basically tossed some beef and veggies into a pot and let it simmer, but this is how I made it. I didn't start this until mid afternoon, so I cooked the stew beef in a pressure cooker while I was getting everything else together. If you have more time the stew beef can be cooked in a pot before adding the vegetables. I much prefer using fresh herbs, but I was limited to the ingredients in my pantry.

Yum! Beef stew with a crusty baguette on a cold winter's night.

Ingredients: 

The measurements are estimates because I tossed in what looked good to me. You will need to adjust the vegetable proportions and quantities to suit your own taste.

• 1 T olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 lb. stew beef
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 4 stalks of celery cut into 1" strips
• About 1 1/2 cups of baby carrots
• 3 or 4 small to medium potatoes, cut into 1 1/2" cubes
• 1 T dried parsley flakes
• 1 bay leaf
• A pinch of dried thyme
• A sprinkle of ground cloves
• 3/4 c frozen green peas
• Salt & pepper
• Water 

Almost done. This is gently simmering, but peas haven't yet been added. 

1. In a pot or pressure cooker, saute onions in olive oil until translucent and lightly golden in color. 
2. Add stew beef to the pot, brown on all sides. Add water to cover and cook until tender.
3. Toss all the other ingredients except for the peas into the pot. Add water to cover the veggies. Some of this will evaporate during cooking, but if you like the stew to be more soup like, you can always add more water.
4. Cover and simmer on medium low heat until the veggies are cooked through and the juice has thickened. (30 minutes to 1 hour) 
5. Add the peas into the pot. Simmer for another 5 to 10 minutes to heat the peas through. Serve.

The Question

I'm working on an idea for a quilt about sewing/quilting. I want to place some words on it, and I'd like your input. Rather than the names of tools or items used in sewing, the words should be more descriptive of feelings or thoughts you might associate with it. What words come to mind when you think of sewing or quilting? 

Keep Warm!!

Valentine Butterfly Kisses and Other Sweet Things

Valentine's Day is coming up, but sweetness can come at any time of year. I've had a very sweet start to my week.

My daughter spent Sunday afternoon with us just because she hadn't seen us in a week, my son brought me chocolates yesterday for no reason at all, I've received several sweet notes from customers who have made my artistic efforts so very worthwhile, and I had a brain flash that resulted in a mug rug filled with love.

You know how one random thought can lead to another. I was trying to come up with an idea for a very quick Valentine's Day pattern for this year. The day is all about love, and I had a flashback to my babies. Sometimes I miss them those sweet little hugs and their fluttery, butterfly kisses.

When I thought of them, I knew that butterfly kisses were exactly what I wanted for this project.  I do believe that a butterfly kiss in fabric might look something like this.

I chose some romantic fabrics from my stash, but wouldn't this be sweet in kiddie fabrics? 

The mug rug is really very easy, but cutting out and stitching around the little heart cutouts can be tricky.

These are some tips that may be helpful.

1. Use a very small, sharp scissors when cutting out the hearts. It can be hard to manipulate corners and small curves when you are working through the double layers of fusible web and fabric.

2. If you are stitching the appliques with a buttonhole stitch, you should definitely shorten the stitch to take it around those inside curves. I adjusted the width to be narrower as well.

3. Practice using the blanket stitch before starting. I don't usually have to go around so many inside curves with my blanket stitch, and these are very tight curves, so took it very slowly.

4. If the blanket stitch is new for you, or if you want to review using it for applique, check out this page on my blog.

http://klee2strings.blogspot.com/p/one-of-my-very-close-friends-happens-to.html

Wishing everyone a week filled with sweetness!

I'll be nibbling on chocolate while I work on the next project.

"Kitty Craft", the B.O.M. for 2016 is Underway

I'm so excited! In spite of a week of computer/printer woes, the pattern for the first pair of blocks in this year's Block of the Month quilt is finally finished! 

I've named this wall hanging "Kitty Craft". The quilt combines four large applique blocks containing cats with several smaller pieced blocks. The center section will be 24" x 30", but with borders, the quilt will grow to 36" x 42". I'll plan on getting one pattern pair up each month. If all goes well, the B.O.M. will be completed in June.

I hope you are a cat lover, because this wall hanging is all about cats - cats in the craft room doing exactly what one might expect of them. In this first pattern the kitty has found the yarn basket, and she is having a grand old time. These first two blocks will fill the spaces in the upper right corner of the quilt.

I can easily imagine the single 12" yarn basket block in a mini quilt. It would look great alone with a pretty border, but it could also be combined with the spools block.

The center section will be 24" x 30". 

Full layout plan. 36" x 42".

I love a scrappy look, and this design works beautifully with scraps. This time, though, I've chosen to use fabrics from "Farmhouse Quilts" by Fig Tree on a cream colored background. Other bits will be tossed in, too, of course. I'll use blacks for the cats and a few coordinated smaller prints from other lines.

The pattern includes two options for making the spools block. There are instructions for traditional piecing of the spools block, but, since I much prefer paper foundation pieced patterns for small bits like these, I've added templates for that construction method, too.

I hope you'll join me in a bit of cat play this year. Remember, I want to hear all of your ideas. 

What might the kitty be up to next?

Wishing you a very happy week!

New Beginnings, a Few Goals, and Quilt Along Ideas

Where does the time go? Another new year is about to begin and I am so not ready!

New Beginnings

I'm especially not ready for the idea that my granddaughter is getting married in June! My sweet little baby girl who loved dolls, princess dresses, my purses, and my red shoes is getting married?

Somebody pinch me, please.

Yesterday

I only blinked!

My sewing goals for 2016

1. I hope to make a wedding quilt. 

"Hope" is the key word here. If I don't have it finished in June, I really hope to have something made by next Christmas. It wouldn't really have to be a bed quilt, would it?

2. I'll be working on a new quilt along - this one with cats. More about that in a minute.

3. My brain is numb right now, but I can surely come up with a few new mug rug and table runner patterns this year.

4. Once again, I'm going to try to use my stash as much as possible. Technically, new purchases are part of the stash, aren't they?

The 2016 Quilt Along 

One of these years I'll surprise myself and everyone else by making a full size quilt for the quilt along. This year it will be another wall hanging. The plan is to make it 28" x 36" before adding the border.

I'm planning to place cats in five large blocks. The cats will be engaged in a different activities in each block.

I haven't decided if they should be silhouette cats or not. What are your thoughts on that?

The smaller blocks will be pieced. I'm thinking of simple basic blocks - stars, flying geese, log cabins, and such. Since they are so small, I'll likely use paper piecing or a mix of paper and traditional piecing. 

I'd really like to hear your opinions about this plan. Yes? No? Maybe? Anything but cats? Tell me your thoughts.

I'd also like your thoughts on a quilt for the newlyweds. I haven't clue what I might sew. 

Wishing you a wonderfully happy and creative New Year!!

Fuzzy Comforts and Christmas Spaghetti with a Secret Ingredient

It's the day after Christmas and all is quiet in our house, exactly the opposite from yesterday's wonderful hustle and bustle, laughter and cookie snitching. The family began arriving around 9:30 in the morning and stayed for the entire day. We started with breakfast and ended with our famous Christmas spaghetti dinner. (The recipe is below.) We were too full of cookies and good food to have any interest in dessert. I am truly blessed.

We are in no danger of being cold this winter. My son dressed us all in matching fleece jackets, and I handed out five warm fleecy robes. Yes, they were finished, and with time to spare!

There is nothing that needs doing today. Such a luxury! I've spent the whole day lounging in my chair reading the latest Inspector Gamache novel by Louise Penny, and I have no intention of doing anything more energetic than that.

Christmas Spaghetti Sauce With Meatballs 
(and a secret ingredient)

I was so busy enjoying my family that I forgot to take photos of our dinner table. The spaghetti was served with fettuccini and accompanied by lots of fresh veggies and warm garlic bread.

This is a large recipe. There were seven of us, and I made a full crockpot of sauce so that there would be plenty left to send home with everyone.

Once again, the measurements for ingredients are close estimates, but not exact. I don't usually measure at all, but I let my taste guide the proportions. I made the sauce the day before Christmas, then reheated it and added the secret ingredient on Christmas day.

Meatballs
I don't add herbs or spices to the meatballs because they absorb their flavor from the sauce as it simmers.

• 3 pounds ground beef
• 2 medium onions
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Chop the onions in a food processor or grate them.
2. Thoroughly mix all ingredients together. 
3. Shape into balls. I made the meatballs about 2 inches in diameter, but smaller is fine.
4. Brown the meatballs. 
5. Refrigerate until needed.

Sauce

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 6 - 8 cloves garlic, finely diced
• 1 bunch (about 1 cup)  of fresh parsley, chopped fine, or 2 tablespoons dried
• 1/2 cup fresh chopped basil leaves or 2 teaspoons dried
• 3 bay leaves
• 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 sweet green pepper, diced
• 1/2 sweet red pepper, diced
• 3 or 4 baby carrots, grated
• 4 cups cooked, chopped tomatoes (I used tomatoes that I had prepared and frozen during the summer, but canned is fine.)
• 2 small cans of tomato sauce (8 oz)
• salt and pepper
• 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup (This will add flavor and thicken the sauce at the same time.)
• 3 or 4 cups of water 
• salt and pepper to taste

The Secret Ingredient

• 1 - 3 oz. Bristol Cream Sherry (Another high quality cream sherry would do, but don't use cooking sherry or dry sherry.)  

1. In a heavy skillet, fry the onions in the olive oil until they are golden brown.
2. Add the garlic, parsley, and basil to the pan. Continue frying on medium low heat until the herbs are wilted.

 3. Add the peppers grated carrots. Fry for another minute or two. 

4. Pour the contents of the pan into a crockpot. Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, mushroom soup, salt and pepper. Stir until blended.

5. Add enough water to give the sauce a nice consistency - not too thick, but not watery.
6. Place the meatballs in the pot. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or more. This can simmer all day if you like.
7. About ten minutes before serving pour an ounce or two of the cream sherry into the sauce. Stir and taste. More sherry can be added if you like, but be careful not to overwhelm the the other flavors with the sherry. The sherry should sweeten the sauce a bit with a unique, but subtle fragrance and flavor.

Enjoy!

Now, to get back to my book. I love this series!!