We love this box!

The graphics on this box are awesome.  I am crazy for text on fabrics and this box follows that trend plus the words actually tell you about their ideas for this pizza.

If you are a bread person, this is for you because each piece has two crust edges.  Light on the sauce is also the way to go but the good news is that the standard pizza which has pepperoni is available from 4-8 just waiting for you, no ordering, just walk in and put down your $8 plus tax.

A Dolly!

I had mentioned to my friend Gaye that I had a dolly on my Costco list.  I mentioned it to her because she has a card and I do not and sometime we will find the time to go together.

Today while I was at her house for our mostly weekly sew day, she said oh hey, Steve has a small dolly that didn't work out for what he needed it for and it's yours if you want it.  Boy Howdy! I say YAY!! and Thank You!!

It's exactly what I need to maneuver large Ikea boxes or furniture that has been shipped.  If I can't carry them in, I walk them in by lifting up one side and rotating it forward then lifting up the other side, rotating it forward and repeating endlessly until I can tip the box onto the stairs and slide it up onto the deck and shove it inside.  An arduous task at best and hopefully no one in the neighborhood has it on film.  It's not pretty, there is a lot of sweating involved.

So even if I have to go the long way around by sidewalk to the front door, this will be a fantastic improvement to the constant moving of large heavy objects here on the estate.

I put a cd next to the dolly (in its tidy collapsed shape) for perspective and then another large heavy object stepped into the picture and there you have it.  Happy Day!

Haluski

Not my garden

I love cabbage and when I ran across this recipe in a search, I was amazed to find I had every ingredient in the house but I did substitute lemon juice from a bottle for the fresh lemon, using only half the amount.  I even had a jar of capers on the shelf, fps!

This was really good.  Don't let the number of ingredients scare you, I just prepped everything early in the day and then was ready to go when it was time for dinner.  When it's so hot it's better to do everything early in the day anyway!

Holy Haluski adapted from  Guy Fieri in Food Network Magazine

1 Tablespoon butter
¼  pound bacon, diced
1 large onion, sliced ¼ inch thick
½ of a medium head green cabbage, cored and sliced ½  inch thick
½  cup carrots, cut in ¼ -inch julienne
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon kosher salt ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces wide egg noodles
1 ½  tablespoons minced garlic
1 ½ tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
½  cup green peas, fresh or frozen
¼  cup white wine
½  tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Add bacon to a large Dutch oven, cook, stirring, until crisp, 12 to 14 minutes. Remove bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain.  Set aside.  

Drain grease from pan and wipe out the pan.  Add back 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat and the butter to the pot

Add the onions, cabbage, carrots and thyme.  Add salt and pepper.  Stir to coat the vegetables with the butter. Cover and cook until the cabbage is wilted and almost tender, about 10 minutes. Uncover and simmer until the cabbage is very tender, about 10 more minutes.

While the cabbage cooks, cook noodles according to the package directions.

Increase the heat to high and cook, stirring, until the cabbage and onions are golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Add in the garlic and capers and cook for 1 minute. Add the peas, deglaze the pan with the white wine and add the lemon juice. Add bacon, combine well and remove from heat.

Drain the noodles and add to cabbage. Toss well to coat noodles with cabbage and onion mixture.

Serve immediately.  4 servings

Decision needed on the Border (hahaha)

The tumbler top is pieced.  It finished at 25x36.  At first I pictured wide borders with some random piecing.  That would make it only wide enough to be a wall hanging.  Before I had the final seams done, I laid the piece on a coral painted bench I need to recover.  Amazing and no border would be needed.  I ordered fabric for the border so while we are waiting I will be pondering what this quilt top will be.

Anyone?

My neighbor brought these over for me to taste.  Honestly, if they would not have had stems on them I would have thought they were larvae of some kind.  I thought the flavor was kind of odd and I think it's because there is a hint of vanilla plus there doesn't seem to be any acidity. The brown ones are sweeter just like a raisin is sweeter than a grape.

That's a saucer and the biggest berry is an inch long.

Monday

Focus on Fabric Week.

I'm just sayin'.

 

Dinner

This is Martha's Spicy Chicken Pasta.  It was good but not very exciting even with the red pepper flakes.  I like the concept though so I will play around with it until it is at the very least, 4 star exciting.

Sew Days

Gaye and I try to get together one day a week to sew.  It doesn't always happen but it's good to have a plan.  Yesterday all I did was cut out the pieces for a small tumbler quilt.  The tumblers are smaller than the one I did earlier this year and the quilt will be smaller as well.  These are the blocks in their semi-final places on the design wall.   After I looked at this picture I made a few moves and I think there is a better balance.

When I get the rows sewn together, I will audition some sashing, probably a dark grey.  I don't think anyone would want a baby quilt with these colors so I will need to make it big enough for a lap quilt.

Shrimp Salad

FoodNetwork Photo

I've been testing "company" summer recipes and since I love shrimp I wanted to find a good shrimp salad.  This one is fabulous but of course it is because it's from Ina Garten.  I just made a few changes, you can find her recipe here.


Shrimp Salad (very lightly adapted from The Barefoot Contessa)
4 servings

1 tablespoon kosher salt
¼  of a lemon
1 pound raw large shrimp in the shell (26 to 30 shrimp per pound)
½  cup good mayonnaise
¼  teaspoon Dijon mustard
½  tablespoon white wine vinegar
¼  teaspoon each: freshly ground black pepper and kosher salt
1 teaspoon dry dill weed
½  cup minced red onion
¾  cup minced celery

Bring 3 quarts of water, 1 tablespoon salt, and the lemon to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the shrimp and reduce the heat to medium. Cook, uncovered, for only 3 minutes or until the shrimp are barely cooked through. Remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl of cold water. Let cool; then peel, and devein, if necessary, the shrimp.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, ¼  teaspoon salt, pepper, and dill. Combine with the peeled shrimp. Add the red onion and celery then check the seasonings.  Serve immediately or chill for several hours.

Hydrangea!

This is looking out of the east living room window. The Hydrangeas are very happy but not so happy as to be bigger than the Japanese Maple.  That's just the perspective.

You might say, if you didn't know me at all, wow! that is an amazingly clean window.  Not really, the window is just open so I can put in the screen.  Nonetheless, those Hydrangeas are awesome!

Chicken Salad For One

 from www.eatlocaldecatur.com

This recipe is a combination of two of Martha Stewart's recipes, Spicy Chicken Pasta and Lighter Chicken Salad.  I also think it might be very much like Dr. Gong's chicken salad recipe (without the pasta) that Amy says is the best ever.     
                                                                                            

Chicken Pasta Salad for One

½  cup penne rigate or other short ridged pasta

1  b/s chicken breast half, cut into 1-inch chunks

2 Tablespoons light (or not) mayonnaise

2 Tablespoons low fat buttermilk

½ Tablespoon Dijon mustard

½  Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Dash of hot sauce

1 celery rib, finely chopped

2 Tablespoons finely chopped red onion

1 teaspoon dried parsley

Cook pasta per package directions.  Add chicken to the cooking pasta 3 minutes before pasta is to be done.  Drain and set aside to cool for 5 minutes

Whisk together the remaining ingredients in a medium bowl.  When chicken has cooled, stir into dressing mixture and season with salt, if needed, and black pepper. Refrigerate for an hour before serving to let all the flavors soak in.

*A note about celery...I tried the tip about wrapping the whole stalk tightly in aluminum foil to make it last longer and it works.  My celery was still in almost perfect condition after a month!

Pick-Up

Treasure donated for a fundraiser: the big Christmas tree, a shade, pole lamp, magazine rack, lamp, footstool, bottom of a bird bath, piano bench, lampshade and a box of miscellaneous small goodies.

Any guesses which item almost came off the pile?

Happy Birthday Carol!

And, of course, to the United States of America too!

Beating the Heat

Last night I went from a dishtowel wrapped around my neck absorbing sweat, to a towel soaked with water wrapped around my neck and then to a damp towel wrapped around my head.  I liked the damp towel wrapped around my head best of all.  I also got Dylan to stand still for a minute with a damp dishtowel draped over his head.  I had to stop myself from bursting into the Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat song because he looked so Egyptian.

This morning he didn't have much patience for it.  The brightness in the picture is a blistering hot sunshine.